Over The Edge – Dan Rosenbaum's random musings

High Anxiety

Things are a little tense here in the Center of the Universe. The ratcheted-up terrorism alert means more cops and more visible cops on the streets and in the subways. My local subway stop this evening had *seven* officers on the platform. In midtown Manhattan, I spotted two Emergency Service officers patrolling in full winter […]

Spammed Out

Like many geeks, I’ve got a ton of different e-mail addresses. For the last eight years, though, there’s been one main place to reach me. As of tomorrow, I’m shutting that address down. The thing has become a spam-catcher: roughly 70 pieces a day, offering me various toys, nutritional supplements, and nekkidness of all varieties. […]

Lieberman Lids

That same page on The Hill notes that an entreprenuer is selling yarmulkes emblazoned with “Lieberman 2004.” For those of you who may be wondering, this isn’t close to inappropriate; yarmulkes — at least, those in casual use; synagogue-wear is a bit more conservative (you should excuse the expression) — have long been fashion accessories. Around […]

Behind the Scenes With Sharpton

You may have heard that New York’s Biggest Loudmouth, Al Sharpton, is running for president. As a Democrat. Now, while there’s precisely zero chance that I would vote for him or suggest that anyone else should (Tawana Brawley, anyone?), I must say that I’m kind of looking forward to his campaign. There are two kinds […]

Democrats’ Medical Roll

It used to be that candidates for prominent office might get some discreet plastic surgery or lose a little weight well before campaign time. Doesn’t it seem like the Democratic presidential candidates are going a little overboard? The AP reports today that Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) will have his prostate removed tomorrow (Wednesday) to cure a […]

Using Your Viewers/Readers As Stringers

Dan Gillmore of the San Jose Merc points out an interesting new initiative at the Beeb. Recognizing that the latest generation of cell phones can not only take photos but send them out wirelessly, the BBC has set up a phone number for people to send in pictures of news events they witness — or are part […]

Dell Dude Busted

The Smoking Gun reports that Benjamin Curtis, the Dell Dude, was arrested last night at the corner of Ludlow and Rivington Streets for possession of a small bag of marijuana. As TSG wrote, “Dude, you’re gettin’ a cell….” The site says Curtis is being held on a misdemeanor charge. According to New York penal law, there […]

French to Deploy E-Cash Universally

Electronic cash and universally usable stored value cards are coming to France, according to the AP. There’s a ton of reasons that stored value cards are a good idea, some of which I outlined in this piece from netWorker magazine about five years ago. There’s also a ton of reasons that they’re a bad idea; the […]

The 9th Circuit May Not Be So Whacko

If you watch the federal courts for any length of time, you may well come to the conclusion that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals — the district that includes California and most of the Pacific Northwest — is off-the-charts liberal. This is the gang that declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, backed medical marijuana, […]