6/20    I'm thinking about getting health insurance for my 59 year old
        mother. I've heard that it costs over $300/month. What companies
        do you guys get for your parents and what do you actually
        recommend?
        \_ I can't help you too much, but beware - my mother who is a few years
           younger than yours pays over $650 a month for insurance.  She does
           have a few preexisting conditions though.  Is your mother healthy?
           Insurance costs for the elderly are pretty insane these days.
        \_ Move her to San Francisco:
           http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/14864194.htm

6/20    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060621/ap_on_bi_ge/southwest_seating
        Southwest to stop its first-come-first serve cattle express service
        to test a new assigned seating service
        \_ *NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*  I used to have this contest with
           my friend to see who can get the larger number but still got
           onto the plane!!!
           \_ They stopped doing numbers years ago. Now (well, until this
              news) you get lumped into group A, B, or C depending on
              when you check in. I loved this system, because you could
              just check in online the night before and always get group A.
              *sniff* -bz
        \_ Lame.  When flying by myself, which I do most of the time, I
           prefered Southwest's cattle call system.  I even liked it when
           I was in the last group.  No fumbling around with seat numbers,
           just find one and sit down.

6/20    Please to be speaking up now if you do not want me to post the World
        Cup results for Iran-Angola and Mexico-Portugal. Thank you.
        \_ Can we institute a 24 hour moratorium on discussion of the games?
           Feel free to talk about the England game or something. Weekend games
           are excepted.
           Feel free to talk about the England game or something.
           Weekends excepted.
           \_ Okay, no problem.
           \_ I won't mention the team names, but when two teams play to
              a scoreless draw and the articles about the game say things
              like how "fast and furious" the play was and how it was a
              classic I realize that even though I like (and played)
              soccer, the game kind of sucks. How does the rest of the
              world get so into a game where a scoreless draw is not only
              a possibility, but seen as a good sign of two team's abilities?
              \_ What article said that? Neither team particularly cared to
                 win that match since it didn't matter.
                 \_ Yes, meaningless games are what makes the World Cup
                    so great!
              \_ If two really good teams work really hard at scoring and
                 yet simultaneously prevent each other from scoring, how is
                 that not incredibly exciting? Frankly, I find this much more
                 exciting than the NBA, where the game comes down to who
                 messed up and didn't make the matching goal; it's almost as
                 bad as bowling.
                 \_ I can appreciate good defense. A no hitter in baseball
                    is exciting. What is not exciting is that it's a
                    scoreless *tie*. Please play until someone scores. Hockey
                    can get away with ties, because 1) at least they have
                    the concept of overtime, 2) the ties are rarely
                    scoreless, and 3) even if they are there are usually
                    more shots on goal that the goalkeeper actually has
                    to save. In soccer, one team scores a goal and then
                    plays defense the rest of the game. That's a
                    disservice to the phenomenal athletes.
                    \_ This is the first round. Each teams plays three matches
                       and scores match points based on how they do; the
                       teams with the most match points in their groups move
                       the second round. From the second round forward, the
                       rules change:
                       "If, after 90 minutes, a match ends in a draw, extra
                        time of twice 15 minutes will be played. If the score
                        is level after extra time, penalty kicks will be
                        taken to determine the winner (cf. Art. 17, par. 2,
                        and 3 of these Regulations)."
                       Now, if you want to argue over the fairness (or sanity)
                       of ending a match through PKs, brother, you're preaching
                       to the choir. If you really want to know why people
                       riot after WC matches, look no farther.
                       \_ I think they should decide it based on corner kick
                          differential over the course of the match.
                    \_ The first round is odd in the respect that it
                       actaully encourages scoreless ties.  In the
                       tiebrakeing process, a scoreless tie is worth more
                       that a scoring tie.
                       \_ How so?

6/20    http://onetouchopener.com
        Pretty cool device. Kinda pricy though.
        \_ May I never get as arthritic as to think this sort of thing is
           necessary.
        \_ the cool parts are no sharp edges and reuseable lid
        \_ I've got one of these: http://csua.org/u/g8d (Krups OpenMaster)
           It's about $20, uncrimps the lid rather than cutting from the side,
           and kicks ass.
           \_ Why does uncrimping matter at all?  If you try to reseal the
              can you deserve all the botulism you get and have you ever
              actually cut yourself on a real can lid?
              \_ I dunno, because it's cool?  You can't reseal it, btw.
                 There's something to be said for not having to fish the lid
                 out from where it drops into the food, though.
                 \_ It doesn't take $20 sharper image geegaw to keep that
                    from happening.

6/20    Read about the Star Nations and their dealings with the geoplutocratic
        Cabal.  http://www.drboylan.com

6/20    Ask a Mexican:
        http://www.ocweekly.com/columns/ask-a-mexican
        \_ The funny thing is... he isn't even from Mexico.  Shouldn't it be
           "Ask a Mexican-American"?
           \_ And from his interview on the Colbert Report he doesn't seem
              too bright, either.
              \_ He was hilarious on the CR.
                 http://youtube.com/watch?v=mUwQ2YYRlaE

6/21    Dell notebook explodes at conference meeting in Japan
        http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=32550
        \_ Dude!! Get a Dell!
           \_ Get a Dell, lose a ball

6/20    "Tough Crowd" was funny for a brief shining moment:
        http://youtube.com/watch?v=A0N3EJ9GAc0

6/21    <DEAD>www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-06/21/content_622829.htm<DEAD>
        Wheelchair-bound white man stealing Asian women
        \_ Oh geez, get yourself a girlfriend. ;)

6/21    When they say Conroe chips will run on a 1066MHz FSB, what kind of
        RAM does that imply?  DDR2-522 or DDR2-1066?

6/21    Say I buy a used road bike with double chain but I'm weak and would
        like to change it to a triple chain (assuming 105 and/or Ultegra
        sets). Is it hard to do so, and how much would it cost?
        \_ You'll probably need to replace your crankset, bottom bracket,
           front shift lever, front derailler, and rear derailler.  You may
           want to replace the cassette with something with a wider range,
           which would require a slightly longer chain.  If you're asking this
           question, then you'd probably want a bike shop to do the work.  Any
           of the mail order sites can give you an idea about the cost of the
           parts involved (though they'll cost more at a bike shop).

6/21    New Panasonic DSLR camera:
        http://www.dpreview.com/news/0606/06062101panasoncdmcl1.asp
        This one looks to have a great lens. Leica 14-50mm/F2.8-3.5 (28-100
        35mm equivalent). Plus a nice indirect flash mode for indoors.
        Too bad you can't get that lens on another camera. Sony's new DSLR
        looks pretty good too. Hooray for competition.
        Actually, looking at the price of that Panasonic and apparently no
        image stabilization, Canon still looks better.
        \_ Do not buy cameras from companies who make vacuum cleaners,
           stereo equipment and etc. Buy cameras from companies whose only
           business is cameras.
           \_ So Canon is out then. We're stuck with Nikon and Olympus?
              Or those obscure high end cameras? Whoops, I just looked at
              Olympus' site and they make medical equipment so they're out.
              Ohh and Nikon makes industrial equipment like IC and LCD
              steppers, eyewear, and instruments. Who do I buy from?
        \_ What is the big deal of this camera again?  just because has a
           Leica lens?  have you notied the 1 second shutter lag?
           \_ Where do you see that about shutter lag? I am not sold on it
              for other reasons. I guess since there aren't that many dslr
              companies any new entry is kind of a big deal. Sony seems
              more of a big deal though.