Semi-random thoughts

• I've been listening to the Rockabilly Station on Pandora lately, but I've had to reject 2 or 3 songs just for reasons of misogyny.
• A few weeks ago I noted that NYC taxi fares would probably be going up. Now it looks like they almost certainly will. So it looks like I'll be starting to use credit cards to pay for my rides, as I explained in my previous post. I won't even feel a little guilty about it, because the drivers aren't going to have to pay 5% anymore.
• Apparently the new way to market magazine subscriptions is to mail out free samples. Recently I've received copies of Manhattan and Architectural Digest.

Today's news round-up

Good News

• Boston Mayor Bans Chick-Fil-A Restaurants from City!
• Plane Leaves Homophobe at the Boarding Gate for Calling United Worker a Faggot
• Flood of donations will help Ohio cancer patient, 4, make trip to Disney after dad denied wish Update on yesterday's Bad News.
• Former Badger Jon Leuer claimed by Cleveland Cavaliers It would be great if a former star of my favorite college team plays for my favorite NBA team.
• Troops march in San Diego gay parade in uniform I'm happy for the gay service people, but transgender people are still not allowed to serve their country.

Sort of Good, Sort of Bad News

• Navy's new gender-neutral carriers won't have urinals This doesn't mean that they're planning for mixed-gender or gender-queer sailors.

Bad News

• Florida man killed in police mix-up

Animal headline of the day

Three Canadian elephants flying to California

Until now, the only elephant that I knew could fly was Dumbo.

Somali thugs jailed by Yemen

Yemen sentences jail to somali pirates

(OK, their English isn't that good. Still, yay, Yemen!)

Recent news round-up

I'm going to start posting links to good news and bad news articles, and maybe some that are mixed, that might have escaped people's notice.  I might add a brief comment. Here's the first:

Good News

• Internet gets Burger King employee fired for sharing a disgusting photo Bad headline. He was fired for contaminating the food.
• New Jersey Court Issues Guidance for Juries About Reliability of Eyewitnesses Other states should follow New Jersey's example.
• Paris Wants Smokers to Kick a Bad Habit: Tossing Butts in the Street
• Judge: Kleiner must fight lawsuit in open court I think compulsory arbitration clauses in contracts between employers and employees, or consumers and vendors, should be illegal.
• Possible source of half of all web spam meets its end I think I've noticed less spam today.

Bad News

• Dad Denies Disney Trip For Daughter Who Battled Leukemia
• Russian punk band Pussy Riot to remain in custody

Living with bobcats LX

I haven't done one of these in a long time, but this one actually made it into my "odd news" summary:

Bobcat breaks into Washington state prison

Animal headline of the day

French cows allowed to drink on the job, yield intoxicating beef

Oh, la la!

Actually, it sounds really good (if rather expensive).

RUNNER-UP: Cat has been mayor of Alaska town for 15 years

Please excuse the interruption

My hard drive crashed, last Friday actually. I'm trying to restore things, but it hasn't been going well. I've pretty much been avoiding unnecessary computer work, like blogging. Hopefully sometime in the next day or two things will get back to normal.

Pot, meet kettle

Saudi Arabia condemns Russian comments on human rights

Neither one of them is very good on human rights.