The Ole filter makes a pass... 

BTW, thanks to all of you for visiting.  I've had a weird year of blogging; I started out blogging furiously, then in mid-January I just stopped, for eight weeks.  I picked it up again, blogged consistently through mid-May, then stopped again for four weeks, resuming briefly to congratulate Jordan on her graduation before petering out again after about a week.  Then I stopped for four months.  Wow.  And then I started again in mid-October, and so far so good...  Why am I telling you this?  Well, through all of this you guys have kept visiting!  Even during my huge gap this summer, every day I would get a bunch of hits.  So thank you for hanging in there.  The best I can do in return is to try to be interesting :) 

NZBear nails it: Memo to the left, time's up.  "Here's the bulletin: this country needs you.  We need intelligent voices to criticize the policies of this - of any - administration.  We need differing viewpoints; different ideas about how to deal with the tremendous challenges that history has decided to toss at this generation.  We need the balance that a liberal perspective can bring to the debate about where this country is going...  But the first thing you have to accept is that opposition in itself is not a policy."  Yeah, where's Kerry's plan?  Might as well tell us about it now, right?  It might have some good ideas.  [ via American Digest ] 

So Dan Ra^ther is retiring.  Instapundit has some links to commentary, including Scrappleface: "Dan Rather Scrambles to Confirm Story of His Resignation."  This is not the solution for CBS however; they have to fix the system, not the symptom. 

Vaclav Havel for U.N. Security General?  Why not.  Kofi Annan has definitely passed the point of effectiveness, with people calling for his resignation left and right.  "The mild-mannered Annan may not himself be corrupt.  But he has presided over no less than the largest corruption scandal in the history of the world, Oil for Food.  Never has the U.N. been more disrespectable or useless." 

Corruption as a way of life at the U.N.  Disgusting.  This is our money! 

Do you get Wired Magazine?  If you do, you'll probably agree that their latest issue about The New Art of Exploration is excellent!  And if you don't, I recommend you buy a newsstand copy.  Lot's of great articles about space, the oceans, caves, and other yet-to-be explored wilderness.  Diagrams, pictures, and all of it really thought-provoking! 

Daniel Pipes: Identifying Moderate Muslims.  He quotes Saudi journalist Abdel Rahman al-Rashed: "It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims. …  We cannot clear our names unless we own up to the shameful fact that terrorism has become an Islamic enterprise; an almost exclusive monopoly, implemented by Muslim men and women."  [ via LGF ] 

Screenwriter Bridget Johnson: Look who isn't talking.  Yeah, why doesn't Michael Moore make a documentary about this? 

Stormy weather disrupts holiday travel.  Wow.  Here in Southern California, I'm looking forward to my next bike ride.  A bit crisp, but bright and sunny. 

Did you see this?  Dolphins save swimmers from shark.  Incredible. 

Kurt Cobain, Boston fan?  Apparently (link to mp3).  [ via Bigwig, who notes Sounds like Teen Spirit ]  I must say, isn't it amazing how well Boston holds up?  That was some amazing stuff. 

After reading this post by Scoble, it occurred to me that bloggers are the long tail of journalism. 

Here's today's new meme: Blog Torrent.
I haven't tried it yet, but I will; stay tuned. 

Halley comments on Bridget Jones.  I think the reason Renee Zellwegger is sexy as Bridget isn’t because of the way she looks, it’s because of the way she feels.  Renee as Bridget is a thin person in a fatter person’s body; she knows she’s sexy, so she acts that way.  Most people who put on weight feel worse about themselves for doing so, and they project that.  Renee put on the weight deliberately for that role, she knows she can shed it again, and so she projected differently. 

I think the same thing happens when woman are pregnant, which is why pregnant women come across much more attractively than women who are overweight.

I've made a big decision; I'm teaching myself Python.  After reading Paul Graham's essay about Great Hackers I figured it was worth seeing why great hackers like Python.  I've installed ActiveState's ActivePython and I'm following Mark Pilgrim's Dive into Python tutorial; so far so good.  One impressive thing is that all this goodness is free.  Amazing.  Thanks ActiveState, and thanks Mark.  It makes me feel that if I ever do anything useful with Python, I have to give it away... 

You think liability lawsuits aren't out of control.  I mean, completely.  Then see this: Benihana Chef's Playful Food Toss Blamed for Diner's Death.  I wish I was making this up, but I am not. 

New Year's Resolution update, pre-Thanksgiving: 203.5.  Progress!