Holes were beginning to overtake my primary pair of jeans, so a trip to Zellers was overdue. First I found a pair from Bangladesh, then a black pair from Canada. The pair from Canada was labelled at $35 when a nearly identical pair of slim fit were $30. There was a two for the price of one + half deal, so I took the cheaper jeans that were the same along with me to the till, and the checkout clerk let me have the other pair for $30, saving me $2.50, or so I thought. Until I checked the bill, and the price override must have cancelled the 50% off the second pair. So I went over to customer service and got my $17 back no problem. Hmm, I'll have to look at it later, but they might have given me less or slightly more than 50% off. Yay math.

I submitted a story to Slashdot that is as of writing this still pending, citing censorship in this election day, stemming from a law the prohibits transmission of election results to a jursidiction where the polls are still open. The problem comes up because there are many time zones in Canada, and the polls close at different times.
www.abandonedstuff.com

Stephen Harper has a wife...

Do you know who else has a wife?

George Bush, that's who!

This innane political ad brought to you by the Liberal backroom bumblers.

2006 is here,
And already the year of IT looks grim on the AV front. Windows going back to 3.0 might be vulnerable to a coming Windows worm that will make Blaster look like Melissa. Imagine creating a worm that is compatible on both Windows 3.0 and XP Media Center? Imagine a Beowulf cluster of worms, if you will...

And I have a sore throat, for the first time in over a year I think it is. All through my horrendous itching period of 8 months, I didn't get sick once, that I remember anyway.

http://grouphug.us/

AC just got a whole new meaning.

Now I'm a bit saddened that I own a Sony VCR, and am going to be watchful so that I don't buy any Sony music CDs. They've harmed thousands of their customers by installing malware onto their computers, and have a draconian EULA for their music CDs even! If your house burns down, and you have saved your music on a rescued iPod, Sony requires you to delete "their" music off your iPod!

Please don't buy any Sony Music BMG CDs, and support their demise in the coming court battles. Fight Digital Right Management infections, and don't put existing Sony CDs into your computer.

A NASA report lays out the risks of exploring Mars and considers how to mitigate them. "According to Murphy's Law, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and presumably this applies on Mars as well as Earth. So if things go wrong on Mars, are we ready for them? What do we need to know about Mars before we send people there? That question is what NASA's Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG for short) addressed in its report [PDF] dated June 2, 2005." Topping the list are dust, dust storms, water and biohazards like alien infections.
  http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/mhp_ssg_(06-02-05).pdf

I was hit by a van yesterday, while I was on my bike. Don't ever try that by the way. I'll be OK, but my bike won't be. Bruised leg and smashed helmet later = stiff but not a stiff.

It will be fun to see tomorrow the rule of law in action. Hopefully not inaction, as the Daily Show pun goes...

ABC News reports that some trees are poisoning the saplings of competing trees. Pretty red leaves are doom-from-above for encroaching plants. "Scientists call it 'allelopathy'."

Space Weather gives viewing instructions for tonight's partial lunar eclipse.
"According to folklore, October's full moon is called the "Hunter's Moon" or sometimes the "Blood Moon." It gets its name from hunters who tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight, stockpiling food for the winter ahead. The Hunter's Moon of 2005 is due on Oct. 17th. Creatures of the forest, beware!"

CBC News brings word about Samsung's guilt in a price fixing scheme designed to make you pay more for DRAM.
"The fine that Samsung has agreed to pay is the second-largest criminal antitrust penalty in U.S. history."
Is it possible that RAM prices will drop because of this ruling?

This time the Riders lost in the last minute to Montreal, who went up 38 - 34 and the Riders never marched down the field to go ahead with a touchdown.
The Riders can reclaim 2nd place by beating Edmonton next week in Alberta's capital. The last time the Riders played Edmonton, we beat them on the last play by blocking a field goal attempt.