Well, I'm just glad that the first picture on a Google image search for the word "Schremp" isn't the official publicity photo.

well, i guess, if you're going to tattoo your own initials on your skin, you might as well go big or go home, eh?

wow...

Edo, I believe this is his new publicity photo:

The hotdog cometh.

heroid versus alcohol heroin wins?

In all seriousness, the point of the op-ed, and the study on which it is based, is worth considering. Given an equal legal footing and supply constraints being removed, which would have a worse impact, heroin or alcohol?

The knee-jerk reaction (and I'd toss my own knee into this category) is to say heroin would be worse. I mean, it's hugely addictive, and... and what? As the author of the study says, "if you don't overdose - which is also a problem - the two biggest physical effects of heroin use are sleepiness and constipation. That's it."

The requisite disclaimer for this discussion is that heroin is not a safe substance, nor is anyone suggesting that it is. But it's worth considering that what most differentiates heroin's impact on society from alcohols is supply and demand (economically) and supply and demand (with respect to the character of the demanders and the suppliers.) So why can't we try to change that paradigm?

I've described my feelings on the present state of 'recreational' drugs in this country before; the current situation -- in which the worst of us preys on the most desperate of us -- is unpalatable. That said, I'm not an advocate of legalization of drugs like heroin, but removing organized crime from that equation, I think, is something we ought to consider.

We should also realize that the drugs that are most widely used and available are not necessarily the ones that are most benign. One needs only attend an AA meeting to learn that for oneself.

eagle versus fox eagle wins!

Alison, I think it's a matter of having multiple protection rather than a single tool. (The pretend-doctor in me wants me to use the trendy medical term "broad-spec" here.)

Wikipedia is pretty thorough with regards to the nature of the beast, routes of infection, system effects (such as massive drains on your CPU cycles), and popular removal tools. And the beauty of Wikipedia is that I don't have to necessarily keep up with this stuff myself. (It's becoming harder and harder for me to stay on top of the tricks of the trade of keeping Windows machines squeaky clean; I hardly ever use them myself.)

Someone out there has Vista, right? How's the malware problem for the new OS? Any stories (or, better yet, non-stories)?

For my records, months of the year 2007 during which I have shoveled my driveway:

1. January


2. April

Weird but enjoy!:

Alanis Morissette Does My Humps A new look at My Humps.

Nope still wearing blackie