If it's not an American flag, it's probably a bomb.

Poll #1484477 Alumni
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 22

Did you go to the same high school as one or both of your parents?

Existing connectivity (month to month):

• Speakeasy 1.5Mb/384Kb with Static IP: $43.46.
• Verizon copper plant and phone: $15.07.
• 12 month cost: $702.36.
• Includes phone number with free incoming calls.

FIOS choice #1 (2 year contract):

• Verizon FIOS Business 20Mb/5Mb with Static IP: $108.78.
• 12 month cost: $1271.87.
• No phone line.
• Hosting allowed.

FIOS choice #2 (1 year contract):

• Vierzon FIOS Residental 15Mb/5Mb with dynamic IP: $54.38.
• Dreamhost unlimited hosting: $8.95.
• 12 month cost: $759.96.
• No phone line.

Value of a static IP:

• Had the same IP address for many years.
• Reverse and forward resolves from my domain name without any extra software (not even sure if Verizon will offer reverse)
• Have to move a few sites over to the DH server during the migration.
• Hosting may be actually prohibited by Verizon TOS on residential contract.

Value of $511.91/year:

• $29,858.86 in 30 years at 4% compounding interest.
• A $2 cup of coffee every morning.

A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday, a Baltimore police spokesman said.

Hopkins student kills intruder with samurai sword, police say - Baltimore Sun, September 15, 2009

Poll #1457963 Sharp object
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 17

Do you own a sword or long blade that is stored at home?

Could you use a sword effectively in self defense?

How awesome is that JHU student?

I'm thinking about writing a short article about how the recent threats from the credit card companies are going to change people's habits. I'd like to get a feeling for how y'all plan to or are handling the recent changes. Results are hidden, except to me. Comments welcome!

Poll #1402921
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 18

Credit card companies are saying they might take away grace periods and start charging interest immediately. If that happens, what will you do?

Would you drop a credit card that started charging interest?

Would you drop a credit card that started charging a monthly fee but kept a grace period?

Do you carry a balance from month to month?

If you had to pick one, which would it be:

Poll #1393125 Atchoink
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 23

Best nickname for 2009 H1N1

Other suggestions in the comments.

Comment to this post and I will give you 5 subjects/things I associate you with. Then post this in your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.

1. Taxes

This is what distinguishes me from the classic libertarians I hang around with.  I like liberty and human rights and freedom to travel, consume, speak as I wish, defend myself, etc. but I really don't have a problem paying taxes so that those who were born or wind up less fortunate than I am can do their thing too.  I'm glad there are outspoken people who protest against taxes and keep us out of a full-on income redistribution in this country, but also I'm glad that an elected and accountable government is maintaining our parks, schools, and roads, and has the money to do it.

2. Photography

If you didn't get it right in the field, don't touch it up in post-edit.  Photography is about capturing what you see, not what you wish you saw or wish you could have captured.  That's a different kind of art.  Folks don't like to argue with me about this, and I have thousands and thousands of pictures that people enjoy that are exactly the way I caught them using only the settings of my camera at the moment I took them.

3. Firearms

Love em.  Think (almost) everyone should have some.  Thinks anyone who wants to regulate or is afraid of firearms should take a training class and go out with a responsible friend who enjoys them.  In the Supreme Court case Castle Rock vs. Gonzales they determined that individual police protection isn't a constitutional right even with a restraining order.  The police exist to protect the public good not the individual.  If you leave your safety exclusively to the police, you are leaving it to folks who have an interest but not an obligation to protect you.  The obligation remains yours.

4. Che Guevara

If you watch Firefly, you'll remember the episode "Jaynestown."  At the very end, Mal Reynolds says to Jayne Cobb, "It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sommbitch or another. Ain't about you, Jayne. It's about what they need."  For everyone who has a silkscreen of his high-contrast face on their tee shirt, he's what they need.  What they do with that is up to them.

5. Ham Radio

It's not dying, but the participants are.  Today has me a little melancholy about this topic.  In going through my e-mail I found out that back in January a fellow by the name of Guy Falcioni, callsign K2IH, passed away at the age of 85.  This is the guy I consider to be my "elmer" in ham radio, having explained a lot about radio, on-air etiquette, and all manner of nuances of communication when I got my ham license at 16.  He's part of the generation of radio operators that got entranced by radio during the war or finding employment as radio engineers or electronics technicians.  And slowly but surely, they are becoming "silent keys."

Check out my Thailand 2008 Flickr set.

The Casey kittens, Geronimo and Haliburton.

This is Adrienne's new kitten Pipsqueak, featured here today as a guest kitteh post.

Poll #1309303 Ninjas
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 19

There are eleven ninjas in this picture. Can you find them all?

Please note additional ninjas in the comments below.

Poll #1295000 10/31
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 23

How do you write the 31st of October?

Say you're a costumer of some sort, like an anime fan who goes dressed up to cons all the time, medieval reenactment fan that spends a dozen weeks at renfaire, or furry who goes out all year and does stuff in costume just for the hell of it. Hallowe'en rolls around and its time to go to events and costume parties where everybody is dressed up in random stuff.

Poll #1294125 Costume
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 20

What should you do for Hallowe'en?

My endorsement of Barack Obama for President

Those of you who know how important my blog is to me will realize how important this election is.

Every time someone visits that page a bell rings in my office. No lie.

Poll #1286063 Heating space
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 21

Your last monthly utility bill (electric/gas/water/oil) was:

My living space (private and shared) is:

If you got a discount on your last BGE bill thanks to O'M, don't count it.

Sorry about the change of pronouns. It's all about *your* space, not mine.

Poll #1284534
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 32

Are you registered to vote?

Have you checked in the last few weeks to make sure?

Will you vote on Election Day?

What is your state of mind on this election?

Good Monday morning! For your amusement, here is picture of a baby camel.

I need a super-villain name for the dodgeball league I'm joining this fall.

If I had a super-villain name, what do you think would it be?

Poll #1253784 Boolean
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

True or false?

Can you find the kitten in this picture?