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080808

Happy August 8th! I'm not at work today, but since I woke up at an indecently early hour this morning (in proportion the the atrociously late hour that I went to bed last night), I decided to give you all a little happiness in your day. I mean, what would you do without a little GNGG in your morning? :] 

August 8 is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 145 days remaining until the end of the year.

Happy Birthday to Roger Federer, (the reject tennis player) Drew Lachey (the reject 98 Degrees brother), J.C. Chasez (the reject *NSYNC Some Girls Dance With Women perv) and Emiliano Zapata (the BA Mexican with a sick moustache).

Emiliano-zapata_medium

Star-divide

106 mpg 'air car' creates buzz, questions

You've heard of hybrids, electric cars and vehicles that can run on vegetable oil. But of all the contenders in the quest to produce the ultimate fuel-efficient car, this could be the first one to let you say, "Fill it up with air."

That's the idea behind the compressed air car, a vehicle its backers say could achieve a fuel economy of 106 miles per gallon.

...

New York-based Zero Pollution Motors is the first firm to obtain a license from MDI to produce the cars in the United States, pledging to deliver the first models in 2010 at a price tag of less than $18,000.

 I've got my doubts... but that would be pretty fantastic. It would save a TON of gas driving back home every weekend.

Lizard love: 110-yearl-old dinosaur descendant to become daddy

At well over 100 years old and showing no interest in sex for over four decades, Henry is on his way to becoming a dad.

...

At about 110 years old, Henry is the oldest tuatara ever to mate at Southland Museum on the country's South Island.

"I had given up on old Henry," said curator Lindsay Hazley.

He kept Henry in "solitary confinement" because the animal not only showed no interest in females but attacked them when they were looking to mate.

The beginning of Henry's libido rebound came in 2002, when veterinarians realized that a lump in the animal's nether regions was a cancerous tumor. They removed it and, over the next few years, his attitude began to change.

"I say that he had a personality transplant at the same time," Hazley said Thursday. "If I had a tumor underneath my [genitals], when girls were passing by, I'd be a very grumpy boy too."

 

Fat people get online chance to lose weight

People who are obese in the real world will get the opportunity to participate in a research project conducted entirely in the virtual world to help their avatars - and hopefully their real-life selves - lose weight and get in better shape.

The University of Houston's Texas Obesity Research Center is using Second Life, the 3-D virtual world created by San Francisco's Linden Lab, to offer participants incentives for healthy dietary habits and to increased physical activity.

"The avatar is actually going to get on a treadmill and get on a bicycle and perform these activities in Second Life," said Kristen McAlexander, a doctoral student and research assistant at the obesity research center.

 

 

Eight People Bought Useless $1,000 iPhone App

Eight people had $1,000 to burn on a useless iPhone application before Apple removed it from the App Store, according to a story in the LA Times.

Of those eight, six reside in the United States, and the others are in France and Germany. Not shocking: We all knew some people out there would be rich (and wasteful) enough to throw away money at Armin Heinrich's "I Am Rich" application, which does nothing but display a red ruby.

 

And to think I was getting annoyed at having to pay $1.99 for some of my apps. If you went to the app screen on this particular one, it said "The red icon on your iPhone or iPod touch always reminds you (and others when you show it to them) that you were able to afford this." Please.

44-pound cat adopted; gets good vet's report

Fat, happy and no longer homeless.

That describes life for the 44-pound New Jersey cat who became an overnight sensation.

A vet has found "Prince Chunk" healthy aside from his weight. The big cat doesn't have a thyroid condition, after all.

The vet also has prescribed a high-protein, low-carb diet for the tubby tabby, who is within three pounds of the heaviest on record.

 

Killer gets life sentence plus pizza in a plea deal

A New York man who pleaded guilty to murder in Oregon in exchange for buckets of fried chicken will get calzones and pizza to go with his life sentence.

Tremayne Durham, 33, of New York City, admitted last month that he fatally shot Adam Calbreath, 39, of Gresham, in June 2006. Durham wanted to sell ice cream and ordered an $18,000 truck from an Oregon company. He later changed his mind, but the company wouldn't provide a refund.

...

Durham agreed to plead guilty to murder — but only if he could get a break from jail food. The judge agreed and granted Durham a feast of KFC chicken, Popeye's chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, carrot cake and ice cream.

 

 

Dump away.

Oh!! I almost forgot. There's something big starting today in China. I'm not really exactly sure what it is, but it's apparently one of the biggest events in recent years. Anyone want to help out here?

6_3_michael_phelps_medium

 


 

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Here's hoping we are watching A's baseball

on 10/10/10!

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 8, 2008 9:33 AM PDT   0 recs

ten ten

I’m ever hopeful to see the A’s play on my birthday.

by Brian in 317 on Aug 9, 2008 7:11 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hey Nico

How many goats are you worth?

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 9:36 AM PDT   0 recs

(I got a 9)

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 9:40 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think the more relevant question is,

“How many goats does it take to screw in a lightbulb?” The answer, of course, is “Two, if they can fit.”

I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal

by Nico on Aug 8, 2008 9:42 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You must've gotten a 10

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 11:09 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Speaking of Goats

Horribly inappropriate video in horrible taste and completely 100% NSFW:

I think it contains an important life lesson for Nico though http://www.leasticoulddo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=26801

Finally, the Author’s intro:

I cannot make this statement strong enough: The short we are premiering today is wildly inappropriate, very offensive and not in good taste. In this video, we cross each and every line we had ever set with the strips in LICD.

There is coarse language (a lot of it). There is sexual content (even more). I can almost guarantee that there will be more than one WTF moment. It is most definitely not suitable for work.

With that in mind, please do not watch the video if you’re on the fence about anything I just mentioned. With these videos, we have the ability to whatever comes to mind, and we plan on pushing the envelope every chance we get.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Aug 8, 2008 12:27 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I got a 9, too.

I think we’re the same person.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 8, 2008 10:59 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Cool! I'm WAY smarter than I thought I was!

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 11:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I got a 9 too. I'm shocked I didn't get a 2.

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 11:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

-1

Your link didn’t work for me. I blame you.

Stuck on Buck :)

by GreenNGoldGirl on Aug 8, 2008 9:54 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Would you like me to fix it for you?

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 11:09 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Sure! You did, after all, post a DLD so that I could post my link.

But I might “fix” it so that it works for a while, but then breaks right after it’s out of warranty so you have to keep coming back.

There…try it now.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 11:13 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Hey! It works.

9. You’re almost the most beautiful girl here.

Stuck on Buck :)

by GreenNGoldGirl on Aug 8, 2008 11:43 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Good link, huh?

I wonder if anyone’s gotten anything other than a 9. Either that or we’re all just super-cool!

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 12:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm only worth 6

Maybe they look down on people who ride the bus.

by colin on Aug 8, 2008 12:32 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

How is this possible? I'm unemployed and live in my mother's

basement and I got a 9.

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 1:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And I'm way more than 35 years old.

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 1:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Maybe it's because I'm a girl

and came in just under “28+ (the desperate years)”

by pam5981 on Aug 8, 2008 2:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I guess being hopeless is less stressful than desperate

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 2:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm coining a new word

stressperation. A state of stress caused by desperation.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 2:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I've seen a lot of stressperating these past three weeks

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 2:22 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

LOL

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 2:30 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Second

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 2:39 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

for Nico, 40 acres and a mule *is* a date

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 8, 2008 2:46 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The accent put you over the top.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 9, 2008 7:23 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

And no +1 for that?

I think you’re artificially trying to dig yourself out of your deficit.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 12:21 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

You got a +1 in my hearttt.

+1. And I take back the comment down further in the thread. You can have the e-hug.

GNGG: -3, oblique: -3

Stuck on Buck :)

by GreenNGoldGirl on Aug 8, 2008 12:47 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm still shocked that you -7'd me

but thank you for the e-hug.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 1:57 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

7
Your goat worth is:
7. Many fathers would give up many goats for you.

I think I’ll add this to my craigslist ad….

There's no crying in baseball!

by gigglingone on Aug 8, 2008 1:07 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

10! Sweet.

“10. Marriage material. Natalie Portman, is that you?”

Yes. Yes it is.

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Aug 8, 2008 2:00 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can I have 10 goats?

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 2:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I got a 10 too!

That’s surprisingly uplifting, knowing I’m worth 10 goats.

by whiteshoes40 on Aug 8, 2008 7:10 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I got a 7.

I feel like shit now.

Mark Ellis: sent down from Heaven to rob Evil of hits and hand out rainbows

by Jennifer on Aug 8, 2008 3:24 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Can you explain the

“Some Girls Dance With Women perv” comment? This should be entertaining :-)

by Reg on Aug 8, 2008 9:48 AM PDT   0 recs

Haha.

I’m telling you—perv!

Stuck on Buck :)

by GreenNGoldGirl on Aug 8, 2008 9:52 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Aw, JC. He IS the embodiment of the Male Gaze.

"This must be heaven," he says.
"No. It's Oakland."

by Kyli on Aug 8, 2008 10:39 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

uhhh

worst.song.ever.

by jeffro on Aug 8, 2008 3:19 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Uh ... really? Really?!?

Albert Speer, Jr.?

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 8, 2008 9:55 AM PDT   0 recs

Albert Speer Jr. in his Frankfurt office in 2003 with his plan for the central axis of Beijing.

poor choice of words

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Aug 8, 2008 10:28 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

They should have asked him to build an annex on one of the Olympic Village dorms—perhaps for Poland?

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 8, 2008 10:35 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

or a livingroom

"May a nit suck Cajun geese?" wonders Red. No, we see gnu Jack Cust in a yam.

by andeux on Aug 8, 2008 11:09 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

lol

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Aug 8, 2008 11:15 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

who will replace steven spielberg as the leni riefenstahl of the beijing games?

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Aug 8, 2008 10:34 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I’d suggest Ken Burns

"May a nit suck Cajun geese?" wonders Red. No, we see gnu Jack Cust in a yam.

by andeux on Aug 8, 2008 11:11 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Doesn't he work with that nice Mr. Hilter and Mr. Bimmler?

"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s

by Nick on Aug 8, 2008 10:44 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I think I've figured it out

we’re destined to set the consecutive losses record. some kind of perverse payback.

"The Athletics at Fremont" is quite bad

by ArakSOT on Aug 8, 2008 10:03 AM PDT   0 recs

I've said that before

If it’s the case, it’s a fair trade.

"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson

by nevermoor on Aug 8, 2008 12:29 PM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Well, shit

I can’t figure out how to link the article from today’s SF Chronicle: Here’s the URL.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/08/SPV11270Q8.DTL

by skigurl on Aug 8, 2008 10:03 AM PDT   0 recs

Actually, maybe Fisher should say something...

Ratto’s ” A’s are scraping bottom “

Everybody else certainly has been. Except Billy. Hey, Blez, you got another chat with Billy lined up any time soon?

"And sometimes, when it seems like all hope is gone, Life tosses you a special gift of a baseball game" . 7/10/08 BaseBallGirl headline

by LongTimeFan on Aug 8, 2008 10:37 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Let Zapata take the rest
Someone called Maria’s name
I swear it was my father’s voice
Saying, “If you stay you’ll all be slain
You must leave now – you have no choice
Take the servants and ride west
Keep the child close to your chest
When the American troops withdraw
Let Zapata take the rest”

They want to steal the land papers which is why they have tried to break in. But they had to give up after being bitten by Chhotu.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Aug 8, 2008 10:04 AM PDT   0 recs

I believe you meant "Let Moreno take the rest"

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 8, 2008 10:12 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

The air car

I posted this in the other DLD.

Another expert expressed concern about the amount of energy it would take to generate the required air pressure: 4,500 pounds per square inch, or more than 120 times the pressure inside the tires of a typical four-door sedan.
...
If you count that energy, it’s hard to believe the car would be that much more efficient than an electric vehicle, Callister said.

IF you count that energy? IF? IF? All people see is 100 mpg and think, "oooh, cheap and green!" And I’m sure the compressed air is free…

Whaddaloadabaloney.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 8, 2008 10:05 AM PDT   0 recs

But of course that's true of the electric cars also

The facile analysis (which is most) seem to think you can plug your batteries into this magic outlet that provides energy at no cost or damage.

My question: How big does the eff’in air tank have to be to give a compressed car any sort of range? If we’re all having to drive big rig tankes to make it to Target and back, I question the value.

They want to steal the land papers which is why they have tried to break in. But they had to give up after being bitten by Chhotu.

by FreeSeatUpgrade on Aug 8, 2008 10:08 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

i already solved the world’s energy problems: ask people to not drive cars. it’s foolproof!

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Aug 8, 2008 10:11 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

only if you ask very, very nicely

There were a lot of stupid, long confusing words that I’m sure normal people don’t use. @('.')@

by monkeyball on Aug 8, 2008 10:34 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

That takes too much energy.

"God doesn't pay attention to your cute little hypotheticals." -- Jeff from LL

by oblique on Aug 8, 2008 11:14 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

I agree with not driving cars. I'm satisfied with a limo.

[Crosby] "Guy that has driven in some big runs for the A's over the years" - Vince Cotroneo

by WaddellCanseco on Aug 8, 2008 11:14 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

Drives me nuts.

Same thing with hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen! Cheap! Free! It comes from water!

I’m being a little cranky, of course. You can get energy conservation benefits by intelligent generation and storage schemes. Centralized generation (power plants) tends to be cleaner than decentralized generation (internal combustion engine). And to take advantage of that, we need to have a good way to store energy, like batteries.

But those are conservation measures, not “alternative energy” or “green power.” Alternative energy – that is, non fossil fuel – is stuff like solar, wind, geothermal, and – especially – nuclear (abandoning nuclear power is one of the worst things that happened to our energy policy).

While I’m glad that our country is finally having a national discourse about energy, I’m really disappointed at how crappy that discourse has been.

Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.

by salb918 on Aug 8, 2008 10:19 AM PDT to parent up   0 recs

opposed to crappy energy discourse, eh?

So I guess you’re opposed to