Barred Spiral Galaxy from the Zoo

Here is a nice picture I came across while classifying galaxies at the Galaxy Zoo:

I believe this is an example of a barred spiral. More information about this galaxy is available at the Sloan Digital Sky Survey SkyServer tool.

Minority within Minority won’t take Iraq

In light of another Presidential speech insisting that al-Qaeda would take over Iraq if we ended the occupation, here are some facts about al-Qaeda’s actual strength in Iraq:
Response to President Bush’s Speech | National Security Network:
“Al Qaeda in Iraq accounts for 15% of the violence in Iraq. ‘Anthony Cordesman, a security analyst at the Center [...]

Secret Buildings You May Not Photograph, Part 643 - Raw Fisher

Secret Buildings You May Not Photograph, Part 643 - Raw Fisher:
“DARPA’s presence at 3701 N. Fairfax is hardly a government secret–Google finds nearly 10,000 pages listing the agency’s use of the building. But there’s no big fat sign on the building, so how was McCammon to know that this was a building he dared not [...]

Mark Sanborn’s Continuing Dell Disaster

Fred Factor author Mark Sanborn is still having serious trouble with Dell’s (lack of) customer service.
When you read this guy’s blog, you know that he really tries hard to see the best in people. So when he’s using phrases like:
I’ve been ingored now for going on two weeks by the pseudo customer service department at [...]

RSS 4 UR State from USGS

The US Geological Survey has a number of RSS feeds, including ones that can be customized for your state. Check these out at USGS - RSS Feeds

Of Mad Dogs and Loved Ones

I was pleased to see that I got a minor mention in Walt Crawford’s most recent Cites & Insights on his piece on disagreement and discussion:

Daniel Cornwall posted “We need to talk to each other, not at each other” at Alaskan librarian on March 7, 2007 (alaskanlibrarian.blogspot.com). He quotes Mark Sanborn on the ways people [...]

Talk It Up!: Social Media Stupor Syndrome

From Heidi Miller’s Talk It Up!: Social Media Stupor Syndrome:
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“I’ve had a terrible case of Social Media Stupor Syndrome, with underlying Microblogging Paralysis. And it’s not just me–it’s an epidemic. Lee Hopkins spoke about this in his latest vidcast, and Mitch Joel discussed this very serious issue on Six Pixels of Separation. I was in [...]

Limits of FT Search Bring Fun Item

Over at Free Government Information, one of the items we monitor is the presence of US government agencies in virtual worlds like Second Life.
One of the ways I try to find new agencies exploring Second Life is with a Google Alert with the terms “second life” site:.gov.
Now if we had the semantic web or enough [...]

That’s Just Smurfy!

Did you know that “smurfed” is a legitimate term in law enforcement? I was floored when I saw “smurfed” in Digital crime and digital terrorism, the book I’m currently reading. That made me search usa.gov for the term. One of the hits was:
Initial Decision of an SEC Administrative Law JudgeIn the Matter ofMichael Flanagan, Ronald [...]

Two More Bible Quotes: Job and Paul

One more Bible-themed post today.
The older I get, the more I appreciate the Book of Job. It has a lot of feeling and who hasn’t felt misunderstood by friends during bad times? Towards the end of the book (Job 31:29-30) Job uses this statement to claim his innocence before God:
“If I have rejoiced at [...]