Senators question U.S.-Saudi ties

U.S. ties with Saudi Arabia are at a “crisis stage,” strained by the showdown over Iraq and reports that a Saudi princess may have been the source of funds that went to two of the September 11 suicide hijackers, Sen. Joseph Lieberman said Sunday.

You know what? ABOUT DAMN TIME! How many of the hijackers were Saudi? How much money flows from Saudi Arabia into al Qaeda? They’re a freaking monarchy that not only funds and turns a blind eye to terrorism, but they lock their women in burning buildings and really don’t treat their people well enough to deserve the pat on the back we give them. Fuck Saudi Arabia.

Okay, I want a Handspring PocketPC/Phone. I want the Treo 300 in particular. And I’d have to get Sprint Wireless, only, if I got this I’d have to get it in the next 6 months as Sprint has a deal through the end of the year where you get unlimited nights and weekends, 300 anytime and UNLIMITED PCS Vision wireless web and e-mail for only $40 a month (well, first three months are $30, but still). I mean, unlimited wireless web is hard to come by. And this phone has everything I’d need. I want to get a Palm or Pocket PC for my contacts and stuff and I could use a cell phone, why not get both, right? Downside, it’s $499 up front with only $50 back in a mail-in rebate. Which isn’t bad for a Pocket PC/Phone deal, but, oof, that’s a lot of money to drop all at once, especially this close to Christmas, and it’s even worse to ask for this kinda thing considering the expense. Though, if you all chipped in…..

And what is it with me and “I Want, I Want, I Want” lately? Every other day I’m posting ‘I want this’ or ‘I want that’. Damn, I suck.

Allison’s PantCam

Man’s Genitals Attacked by Flesh-Eating Bug

It was every man’s nightmare disease. It left him with the skin stripped from his genitals, and his testicles without their scrotal sacs.

At first, he thought he had food poisoning because of the early symptoms.

The Indonesian businessman was travelling in China when he developed a fever, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

He returned to Indonesia, where doctors operated on his abdomen to remove what they thought was a hernia - but couldn’t find one. Instead, they found pus and a foul-smelling discharge. Then they stitched him up.

He flew to Singapore with his family doctor to see Dr Teoh Tiong Ann, a consultant colorectal surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre.

Dr Teoh found himself looking down at a full-blown case of Fournier’s gangrene - a rare disease where bacteria attacks and eats away at tissue under the skin that’s around the genitalia. As a result, the skin in that area also dies.

78 Reasons to Hate Star Wars: Episode I (pt. 1)

Microsoft Creating Virtual Brain

Researchers at Microsoft’s Media Presence Lab are developing a “virtual brain,” a PC-based database that holds a record of an individual’s complete life experience. Called MyLifeBits, the project aims to make this database of human memories searchable in the manner of a conventional search engine.

Sweet!

Someone, anyone, please buy me a Segway. Be your best friend…

Eclectica is a great literary e-zine and I highly recommend a visit there. I tried to submit something once and got rejected (it wasn’t the best story in the world and was only the first chapter of my novel anyways), but that’s cool, they’re still great.

Ezine-Universe!

Sudden Impact Bullets going through things! Kick ASS!

Pimpskins To Aquire Matthew Downey for BWB V

FREDERICKSBURG (J’s Notes) - The Pimpskins are in discussions with James Madison University’s Matthew “Sprout” Downey for a possible start in Bong Water Bowl V on Saturday, November 30th at Switchblade Stadium.

Not much is known about Downey or his abilities, but the Pimpskins are more than happy to have him aboard.

“We’ll take him!” said captain Shaun Kenney when told of the posible deal.

The Pimpskins are expected to release one of the Kraynak brothers to the Commonwealth Commies to make room for Downey. Whether or not Downey will be named a starter is unknown at this time.

“It’s too soon to tell,” said Kenney, “let’s finalize the deal first and then we’ll talk about playing time.”

Bong Water Bowl V will be held Saturday, November 30th at Switchblade Stadium. Tickets are now available.

Verizon sues to block privacy rules

Verizon has asked a federal court to stop state regulators from enforcing new privacy rules that would prohibit telephone companies from using or sharing details about customers’ calling habits without permission.

The local telephone company, which serves nearly 1 million customers across the state, had plans to begin a data-sharing system that allowed the company and its affiliates to collect information on when, where and how often customers make telephone calls. It would use that data to sell new products and services to customers.

But the new rules adopted by the state Utilities and Transportation Commission two weeks ago require companies to seek the permission of consumers to share information about them.

Verizon had intended to exclude only consumers who objected to the sharing of information.

So, wait, you were going to opt everyone in this and only remove them if they asked too? Hell, were they even going to get a warning? Probably not. But, should Verizon lose this suit, will it effect how the Government wants to track the same info thanks to the new Homeland Security Bill? Probably not, but still….

I’ve been vandalised! Join in the frey!

Kraynak Duo to Start in Bong Water Bowl V

Brothers Kraynak to Join the Fray

FREDERICKSBURG, VA (J’s Notes) - Paul and Ian Kraynak have been named as possible starters in November 30th Bong Water Bowl V. It will be P. Kraynak’s first start and I. Kraynak’s second.

Ian Kraynak, starter for the Commonwealth Commies in BWB III, has been named as the replacement for Pimpskin’s Daniel Trauss. D. Trauss bowed out of the game stating contractual conflicts and a breakdown in negotiations between his agent and the team.

When asked about his trade from the Commies during the off seasons, I. Kraynak stated, “that’s cool.”

“I’ll play,” he said when asked about his status for this year’s game.

I. Kraynak is perhaps best known for his lax coverage of Pimpskin Jason Kenney during game three when J. Kenney was named MVP after seven touchdowns in the Pimpskin win. Things have changed for the younger Kraynak since then. I. Kraynak will be playing in the middle of his 13 day leave before being shipped off to the Mediterranean on some tin can for the United States Navy.

“I’m buff,” said an obviously inebriated Ian Kraynak about his athletic abilities. “I’m all strong from swabbing decks and getting sea sick. Just you wait.”

Pimpskin captain Shaun Kenney said he was pleased with the entry of I. Kraynak into the Pimpskin lineup.

“If he sucks we can always substitute in Jonathan,” said S. Kenney of his son, also a newcomer to this series and a force to be reckoned with.

Newcomer to the Bong Water series is Paul Kraynak, the elder brother, who is a possible starter for game five, though his current team is unknown. Former track runner and current trucker, P. Kraynak is an unknown factor for the game and his presence could be a decision maker in what is lining up to be a fairly even matched game.

Rumors have been flying about the starting lineups for the game as well as the possibility of a playbook with one or both teams. Both camps have been unusually quiet leading up to the game. That is probably due to the importance of this game.

The fifth annual Bong Water Bowl will break the 2-2 tie held by the teams. The Pimpskins are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Commies last year where, when down 7-2 at the half, the Pimpskins responded with four unanswered scoring runs before finally falling to the Reds 10-8.

When asked about their strategy for this year’s game, Pimpskin captain S. Kenney read from the same script he’s read every year.

“Kill Kevin [Hirst],” said S. Kenney, refusing to clarify further.

“We’re just gonna keep throwing to whoever Jason Lepp’s covering,” said Commie captain Chris Good.

Bong Water Bowl V will be played at 9:00 am on Saturday, November 30th at Switchblade Stadium, nestled right in beautiful downtown Loriella Park. Tickets are available and officials are already predicting standing room only crowds unless someone brings a lawn chair or a blanket or doesn’t mind getting their ass moist from the morning dew.

Mike needs to be famous… and fast.

Saddam the new Hitler, Bush tells Europeans

The United States President, George Bush, has reminded Europeans of the heavy price they have paid for appeasing dictators and challenged NATO members to join him in confronting Saddam Hussein and fighting terrorism beyond Europe.

In a speech to students on the eve of a two-day NATO summit, Mr Bush compared the challenge of the Iraqi President to the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938, which led to World War II.

“Ignoring dangers or excusing aggression may temporarily avert conflict, but they don’t bring true peace,” he said.

Suggesting that terrorism was as dangerous as Hitler in the 1940s, Mr Bush told the teenagers: “We face perils we’ve never thought about, perils we’ve never seen before. They’re just as dangerous as those perils that your fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers faced.”

And I can’t really argue with that. I just think the Bush Administration have taken too long to come around to this kind of arguement, one where they’re saying they are doing this as an enforcement of UN sanctions and that it is to stop an evil that is already their. They allowed themselves to get caught up in the talks of “premptive strikes”, which was a mess and really is probably the largest cause of the mindset of those against the war.

House of Ninja You too can be ninja! follow the simple lesson and send us your results!!

Kandhar the Movie

Porn to be mild

The Viagra has worn off. Hugh Hefner has finally lost his sex drive. The 76-year-old founder of Playboy magazine has directed his iconic publication to “pull back on the extent of nudity”, and is even contemplating ? horror of horrors ? whether it’s time to ditch the Playmate centrefolds altogether in a bid to halt declining sales.

“We just live in a completely different world now in terms of the acceptance of sexuality,” Hefner told The New York Observer recently. “Explicit sexuality does not have the same kind of meaning that it had 20 years ago.”

I think it’s more of the public having easy access to any and every bit of porn they could ever hope for thanks to the internet. Why pay for it when you can get naked ladies for free?

Speaking for porn Strip the Girl, and it doesn’t just stop with the clothes.

If you visited Relicious more often you would get this stuff way before I do.

Xbox, GC, and PS2 Price Drops Imminent?

Hey all of you web surfers. Just thought I’d take a breather from my normal EGM duties to drop you a line about something I recently caught wind of. It’s so big it couldn’t wait for the magazine: console price drops. That’s right, folks…my Q-spies are telling me that all three hardware platforms may see price drops for this holiday season. PS2 and Xbox are said to drop to $150 and GameCube will fall to a mere $100. Yes folks, 100 bucks — at that price, why not pick up a few?

Nothing’s confirmed just yet, but with Thanksgiving right around the corner, there’s a good chance these price drops will happen within the next week or so.

Oh my, I might have to collect them all.

Journal of a New Cobra Recruit

May 1, 1986

Man. I’m so excited to graduate this month. It’s been a fun few weeks, signing yearbooks and going to beer parties and such, but at the same time I keep feeling worried about what I’m going to do afterwards. I don’t have the grades for college. Heck, when I talked to the Army recruiter about becoming a G.I., he said I don’t even have the grades to serve my country. I sure don’t want to work at the gas station like my brother.

- - - -

May 2, 1986

Today this guy in a blue uniform came up and gave me a pamphlet. Said he was a recruiter for COBRA, an outfit a lot like the army but without all those government regulations to slow down the fun. We talked a little and he said he liked the cut of my jib, thought I’d be great COBRA material.

Nazis Hoped Cocaine Would Help Win War

The Nazis conducted tests on a cocaine-based “wonder drug” during World War II they hoped would enhance the performance of the war-weary German army, a German magazine reported on Monday.

The weekly Focus said crime researcher Wolf Kemper had discovered that Hitler was trying to develop the drug, code-named D-IX, in 1944. The pills were to contain a mixture of cocaine, the amphetamine pervitin and a morphine-related painkiller. Prisoners at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp who had been given the drug were reportedly able to march 55 miles with 44-pound packs without a rest.

Brigham Brougham