From CNN: CNN.com - Fifty years on ‘As the World Turns’ - Mar 30, 2006

We send our congratulations to Helen Wagner, who has played the same role since 1956.

From USA Today: Clooney’s Oscar gift bag nets $45,100

Well, it’s nice to see some good come out of the extravagance…

From The New York Times: A Spam Fighter Is Overzealous but Can Learn - New York Times

Interesting…consumer hardware to help combat spam. Should be enlightening to see if it actually works once more people are using it.

From the AP via Yahoo: Man Is Charged $4,300 for Four Burgers

Whoops.

From CNN: Sleep ‘divorce’ counts

I’m telling you, you can not make this stuff up. Any time you think your imagination is vivid, something like this comes along to remind us how much more bizarre the real world can be.

Hosted by Putfile: Worst Job Ever

This is not job-friendly, but is a seriously funny short film.

Editorial from The Los Angeles Times: Set our Super Heroes(trademark symbol) free

From the editorial: “The lesson is in the giant sign looming over the center’s entrance archway: “Marvel � Super Heroes(TM) Science Exhibition.” The “TM” stands for trademark, signifying that Marvel is claiming exclusive rights to use the term “super hero” as a marketing term for, well, superheroes. The company and its largest competitor, DC Comics, jointly obtained the trademark from the federal Patent and Trademark Office in 1981.”

This only shows how moronic our trademark and patent system is. Since they don’t claim to own a trademark on this, I hereby call all DC and Marvel executives SUPER-MORONS. I recommend you avoid purchasing anything from or licensed by these companies…skip the Superman and Spider-Man movies, T-shirts, everything. Let them eat their attempt to hijack our language.

From The New York Times: Florida Bill Asks High Schoolers to Declare Major

Another truly stupid idea from politicians on another useless “task force;” instead of trying to give our children a well-rounded education, we’re asking ninth-graders to decide their future.

Any wonder I hate the education system in this country?

From Ars Technica: Will your tax return information soon be for sale?

Lovely…and this coming at tax time, too…

From Ananova: Nude euros being passed off as real

Not work-friendly. Funny, but not work-friendly.

From CNN: The alligator who came to call

“Knock Knock…Who’s there?”

From Reuters UK: Texas arresting people in bars for being drunk

Ok, maybe it’s just me, but is this one of the dumbest things you can imagine any government agency doing? It’s no wonder the rest of the world is laughing at us…

From the New York Times: Joseph Bova, 81, Actor With Flair for Comedy, Dies

Mr. Bova was the original Prince Dauntless the Drab in the 1959 production of Once Upon a Mattress.

Policy Analysis from the Cato Institute: Circumventing Competition: The Perverse Consequences of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Some people seem to think that only those on the political left think DRM (Digital Rights Management) is a bad thing; but this white paper from the undeniably conservative Cato Institute should put that idea to rest. From the policy analysis: “The result has been a legal regime that reduces options and competition in how consumers enjoy media and entertainment. Today, the copyright industry is exerting increasing control over playback devices, cable media offerings, and even Internet streaming. Some firms have used the DMCA to thwart competition by preventing research and reverse engineering. Others have brought the weight of criminal sanctions to bear against critics, competitors, and researchers.”

This should show that everyone except the entertainment industry itself hates DRM.

From CNN: Court’s prescription for ailing horse: Viagra

Honest to goodness, you can not make this stuff up…

From CNN/Time: Are kids too plugged in?

You bet they are; as the article says, it is, “important…for parents and educators to teach kids, preferably by example, that it’s valuable, even essential, to occasionally slow down, unplug and take time to think about something for a while.”

From USATODAY: USATODAY.com - Neanderthals could out-joke ‘Modern Men’

Ouch.

From Freedom to Tinker: RIAA Says Future DRM Might “Threaten Critical Infrastructure and Potentially Endanger Lives”

Holy cow…these clowns don’t care if DRM, “threaten(s) critical infrastructure and potentially endanger(s) lives.” All they care about is selling you the same thing over and over and over…

From Ars Technica: AARP, others throw their weight behind network neutrality

I never thought I’d say this, but I hope these diverse special interest groups can counter the knuckleheads at certain ISPs who are actually considering deciding what we can and cannot access, or at least at what speed.

From CNN.com: Selling shamrocks a seedy business

Ok, sometimes looking at something logically can be a waste. I say we stick to the magic of the “seamra og” for one day of the year.