And most of the globally 'hottest' years on record have been within the past decade and a half. The correlated link between atmospheric CO2 levels and the global temperature is delayed- meaning that if all CO2 and methane outputs were to stop right now the global average temperature would continue to rise for decades, and likely centuries before it stabilized. In fact, this snowpack is more of a mark of climate change as well- towns in Colorado are paralyzed as they've already blown through their snow removal budgets. 'Global warming' doesn't mean that we're not having winter- it just means that whatever weather we get, we're going to get more of it in a shorter span of time.

PC Magazine: $20 Touch update "a bargain"

Apple's recent $20 content update for the iPod touch has some users expressing discontent with the company's approach, but others still see a great value in the update package. PC Magazine writer Sascha Segan reports that despite the perception that Apple is charging too much for the update, the software that is installed is well worth the money, and even a bargain. Segan says that the best values in the bundle are the re-designed home screen, as well as the Mail and Maps applications.

The home screen now allows users to keep multiple pages worth of applications no doubt in anticipation of the February due-date for the developer's kit and now, Safari bookmarks. Segan says that this is "almost as good as having real third-party applications." Segan also likes the mail application, which works with many different services, such as Google's Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and Apple's own .Mac email service.

Pioneer Computers Australia DreamBook Tough S15

It's not the toughest of the tough, but it at least looks like a normal notebook while including some tougher features. Unfortunately you're going to pay a premium for the tough part of this notebook, even if it isn't quite as sturdy as more specialised models from vendors like Panasonic. .

Councilman MikeK Recalls Knievel Action Figure

Please advise if this is a permanent change and if it is, all I have spoken with will be canceling their subscriptions too.
Sad for all/Jacqui.

Sony OLED Slims Down HD

Sony and Samsung are leading the push to organic-LED display technology, with Sony launching the XEL-1, an 11-inch OLED TV that is only 3 millimeters thick, in Japan in early December.

"Given enough time to figure out how to increase manufacturing efficiencies, this will become a replacement technology for LCD and plasma devices," said Hugo Gaggioni, chief technology officer of Sony Broadcast.

Only 2,000 units have been made available at retail stores across Japan, 700 of which will be used for marketing purposes, and additional units will only be made available in January. The retail price is approximately $1,800.

"The material is very expensive and, when we find out how to reduce those costs, we will be able to make larger panels," Gaggioni said.

Wild Card -- Tuesday PM

For those keeping score at home, there was a good reason why Duane Hagadone pulled his memorial garden request in December. He woulda gotten clobbered at the polls. On Dec. 15, two days before he pulled the request, internal polling for the library bond showed the downtown garden proposals failing 72% to 28% (outta 756 replies). This, while the poll showed the library passing with 63% and the public safety bond with 56%). And you were wondering why The Duane didn't want to risk an advisory vote?
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*I visited the Ron Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza this p.m., and I'm certain The Ronfather woulda been pleased. You don't get the impact of the eagle statue, donated by the Rankin family, from photos. It's huge. And the new war mural of the kneeling Marines at Fallujah ... well, you can't visit the plaza without feeling as though you're on holy ground.

Domestic Spying

Cenk Uygur: Why Do You Need Immunity If You Haven't Broken the Law? (1 comments) The Bush administration is desperately trying to get immunity for the telecom companies inserted into the next wiretapping bill. But let me ask a simple question - why would the telecom companies need immunity if they didn't break the law? I'm not trying to be clever here. I'm asking a literal question. Isn't this an obvious admission that the administration did ask the large telecommunication companies to break the law ?

Hominy & Hash

SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. -- This morning in an e-mail to all our children, I mentioned it was my mother's 119th birthday. Her lifetime was one from 1887 to 1969 and included electricity, telephones, automobiles, airplanes, two World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and then, actually, on the night of her last birthday, man landed on the Moon, in that giant step for mankind.

The lifespan of one child of mine has spanned events from President Lyndon Johnson's declaration of the War on Poverty in 1964 and through the Moon landing, the "pill," the Beatles, the Vietnam War, the building of the World Trade Center and the invention of the Internet, all in a day-to-day life filled with more of the same.

There have been been wars, race riots, terrorist attacks, political scandals, heartfelt moments and all kinds of crises around the world - all seen from the comfort of his own living room.