Yes, it's a geek post.

Judging from the reviews (WSJ, NYT, Newsweak, Engadget, USA Today), the iPhone seems pretty cool but I think I may hold off on it for a while since:

• You can't stick a SIM card into it and use it in Europe, Asia without paying out the ass.
  
• No songs as ringtones. WTF? An iPod phone and you can't even use a song as a ringtone. Stupid.
  
• No instant messaging
  
• No video camera
  
• No high-speed internet
  
• Very little third-party software (not for long)
  
• Onscreen keyboard could be tricky
  

They're coming out on the 29th. I'm not deciding until I get my hands on an HTC S730.

Posted by: MatthewSheffield at 11:00 AM | Comments (41)
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Let's see... Iran is building fast-breeder nuclear plants for energy, they claim, which they do not need, but is not building gas refineries, which they do need.

I'm sorta leaning against believing their claim they only want nukes for the energy.

More than a dozen gas stations were torched or damaged early today in Tehran by Iranians angered by fuel rationing measures that were suddenly imposed by the government, while many other Iranians lined up to fill their tanks.

The government has been warning for weeks that it would start rationing, but the announcement Tuesday night -- only three hours before the measure went into effect at midnight -- startled Iranians and send them rushing to get one last fill-up.

The rationing is part of a government attempt to reduce billions of dollars in subsidies it pays to keep gas prices low. Iran is one of the world's biggest oil producers, but it is sorely lacking in refineries -- meaning it has to import more than 50 percent of its gasoline needs.

But a hike in gas prices last month and now the rationing are feeding discontent with hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was elected in 2005 on a platform of helping the poor and fixing Iran's ailing economy.

The long lines turned violent at several gas stations, witnesses said.

...

Fire Department spokesman Behrouz Tashakkor said 12 stations in Tehran were set on fire. Iran's police chief Gen. Ismail Ahmadi Moghaddam put the total number of damaged stations at 17, along with cars and other buildings -- including banks -- that were damaged.

...

Reports that gas stations in several cities across the country were also in flames could not be independently confirmed.

I turn to the words of hardass philosopher Horatio Caine at times like this.

Posted by: Ace at 10:58 AM | Comments (11)
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Hard to believe that people who have been forging identity documents for ten years could continue doing so now, huh?

The head of a Mexican forgery ring was convinced he could make phony documents that illegal aliens could use to indicate fraudulently that they were eligible for a new amnesty, says a government affidavit recounting wiretapped phone calls the man made.

Julio Leija-Sanchez, who ran a $3 million-a-year forgery operation before he was arrested in April, was expecting Congress to pass a legalization program, which he called "amnesty," and said he could forge documents to fool the U.S. government into believing illegal aliens were in the country in time to qualify for amnesty, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent said in the affidavit.

Why, it's almost as if those already breaking the law actually wouldn't mind breaking a couple of other laws to gain legal status.

Posted by: Ace at 10:52 AM | Comments (17)
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The Hutchinson amendment wasn't expected to pass. It was a dopey "touchback" requirement that all adult illegals return to their home countries in order to get amnesty.

The Senate spends so much time on versions of this idiotic "touchback" requirement, as if the public has a fever and the only cure is more touchback. They keep selling this as that which proves this is not amnesty. If a meaningless annoyance makes it not amnesty, why not just make them juggle oranges and walk on their hands instead?

In any event, the amendment was tabled by a vote of 53-45. Wow, look at those 45 brave souls willing to vote for a meaningless fart of an amendment in order to be on record as being "anti-amnesty." Later the Senate will take up the Kyl-Graham amendment, a less "onerous" version of the Hutchinson amendment, which requires visa-seekers to return home... within three years of applying. And by gum, that amendment is expected to be crucial, because, see, it proves this bill isn't amnesty!

It should be noted that as stupid as that amendment is, if Democrats can somehow find the cajones to defeat that too as "too onerous" on illegals, we could see some Republicans voting against cloture... because then they wouldn't have the "cover" of this bill. It's all so stupid -- no one is impressed that this amendment makes this not-amnesty, but somehow they're all under this delusion that we're just that stupid.

So, at least, if they are stripped of that delusion, the bill's future is dicier.

Webb's amendment would have limited to amnesty to those who can prove they've been living here four years or more, while eliminating the touchback requirement. It was roundly defeated, and Webb claims that he can't support the bill without his pet amendment.

Does that mean he'll actually work to stop it and vote against cloture, or just play the game of voting against the bill when it's guaranteed to pass? Allah isn't optimistic.

And, gee willickers, it turns out that Grand Bargaineer Lindsay Graham won't support his own stupid bill if his new "really, this isn't amnesty; we make them take the bus back to Mexico for a day (but within three years)!" amendment won't pass. Yeah, that's right, Lindsay Graham has deciced the touchback is a critical not-an-amnesty amendment (although it wasn't before) and is talking tough about not voting for the bill if he doesn't get his fig-leaf of cover.

Alternate strategy: Adopt Spanish accents, begin calling liberal Democrats and telling them the Kyl-Graham amendment is far too cruel to be acceptable.

Posted by: Ace at 10:06 AM | Comments (15)
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Awww...mommy's little freedom fighter.

O'Donnell defended the image on her blog.

"Art can't hurt u," she said to one person who called her "sick." "Art provokes," she said to another who begged her to take the picture down.

Other reader comments included:

"RO, I AGREE WITH U ON MOSTLY EVERYTHING. BUT SOMEHOW I FOUND THE PICTURE OF VIVI DISTURBING. I DONÂ’T EVEN LET MY CHILDREN PLAY WITH ANYTHING SIMILAR TO THAT. ITÂ’S JUST A COMMENT. BUT OH WELL!!!!!!"

Still, I would have sold my siblings into slavery to get my hands on a bandoleer full of .50 any caliber bullets when I was a kid, even a fake one. So Rosie giving one to her kid doesn't disturb me. In fact, I think it makes her the best mom ever.

UPDATE - Looks like the picture was taken down, no explanation. Thanks to Cuffy Miegs for having the courage to visit Rosie's blog and discover the change.

Nope, nope...still there. In some sort of flash video thing I didn't watch before.

Posted by: Slublog at 06:19 AM | Comments (108)
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Actually the part about hearings is just speculation based on Pelosi's claim she wants to start considering this bill from scratch rather than just passing the Senate's version, but there is room for hope. The last thing the Amnestias want is hearings and an informed public.

Posted by: Ace at 05:21 PM | Comments (33)
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This article is from Britain, and the use of the word "rape" may be customary over there to describe what we usually call statutory rape. Or it may just be the Sun being a little sensationalist. I have trouble believing that any judge would sentence any rapist to just four months for involuntarily raping anyone, 16 or 10 or 30.

But who knows. This is England, after all. This judge made some headlines recently, too.

A JUDGE spared a man who raped a girl of ten in a park — because she wore a “provocative” frilly bra and thong.

Window cleaner Keith Fenn, 25 — who could have got life in jail — will be free in just FOUR MONTHS after admitting twice having sex with the child.

Judge Julian Hall decided to be lenient because the girl “didn’t look 10”.

He caused fury earlier this year by freeing another paedophile, telling him to buy his six-year-old victim a new bicycle.

The judge referred to the 10-year-old as a “young woman”, and called her “very disturbed, very needy and sexually precocious”.

He told Oxford Crown Court: “She liked to dress provocatively. She was 10. She’d been in care since she was four.

“Did she look 10? Certainly not. She looked 16."

Um, assuming the age of consent is 16 in England, even if a girl "looks 16," she also looks as if she could very well be underage -- a girl who "looks 16" is also a girl who "looks like a mature 10 year old" or an "immature 18 year old." So apparently it's this judge rule that if she looks like she might be of age, have a fucking party.

Posted by: Ace at 03:21 PM | Comments (78)
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I question the timing. Have they staged this to suggest we might get to see some Latina Lesbo sex if we pass amnesty?

Seminole County deputies arrested two women, Emily Hernandez and Johannie Jimenez, for lewd and lascivious conduct after a mother said she and her little boy walked into a bathroom and saw the two women having sex.

Witnesses said the two women left their kids alone at a community pool at the Oak Hurst Reserve community while they had sex in the pool bathroom for almost two hours, WESH 2 News reported.

Authorities said a third woman was watching and taking photographs.

Classy.

The women claim that one woman was just showing her friend her new breast implants. For two hours. In a public bathroom. While another woman snapped pictures. For two hours.

In very sad balloon-puncturing news, the women look like this.

Posted by: Ace at 02:54 PM | Comments (292)
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Not quite over:

I now have some good scoop from a pretty solid Senate source (or two). According to Insider(s), Burr, Brownback, Gregg, Nelson of Nebraska, and Webb are VERY good targets for switching against cloture (or perhaps not being there, which amounts to the same thing). Pryor, Bond, and Coleman are other serious possibilities. I am told, too, that Barbara Boxer remains decidedly unhappy with the bill, and is still a definite possibility to switch to the anti-cloture, anti-amnesty side. Others to watch are Collins and Snowe of Maine, who I had counted as lost causes but who apparently still might be open to persuasion.

Larry "Stork" Craig and John "Hoover" Ensign are said to be lost causes, which just means you should annoy them all the more.

Via Hot Air.

You can also try calling the RNC and any Republican candidates and demanding a refund.

Let them get their money from ADM and other agribusiness giants. "Our representatives" only dancing to their tune, so they should be forced to pay the piper themselves.

Posted by: Ace at 02:11 PM | Comments (25)
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I wanted to tell you to put up the number for the Congressional Campaign Committee as well. I told them to take me off of their list as well. Maybe they will put some pressure on their friends. I am calling the RNC next.

This is much more fun than the Harriet Miers fight.By the way, a guy in Ensign's office whined to me about being exhausted before he abruptly hung up on me.

I called back and let it ring for ten minutes before someone picked up and I just continued where I got cut off. I think we should really bombard his office because he is the head of the RSCC. Let's really make that guy tired.

From somewhere out in liberal LA.

Another Call:

I just got off the phone with the NRSC... here is a recap

AndrewsDad: How do I take my name off of all donor lists?

Poor bastard answering the phone: I will need your name and zip code.

AndrewsDad: Do you people realize how angry we are?

Poor bastard answering the phone: Yes I believe we do.

AndrewsDad: No, I do not F'ing believe you really do. Good luck finding a job after the cash donations dry up.

From Andrews Dad.

Posted by: Ace at 01:35 PM | Comments (16)
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