From Divester:

Two years ago, scientists announced that 90% of the world’s large fish had disappeared from the oceans in only 50 years. Now, according to the Voice of America, half the big fish species have disappeared from the oceans during that time.

It’s interesting how the fishing industry tells you there are plenty of fish left. Fish markets tell you that mercury levels in fish are perfectly fine, the scientists don’t know what they’re talking about…anxious, frightful bunch those scientists.

Let’s say the estimates are wrong and only 45% of the fish are gone. That’s still a lot of fish. Hey you, mister fisherman, they don’t miraculously sprout back into existence. You’re going to be eating a lot of mad cow or organic vegetables if you keep this up.

For the rest of us, enjoy the ocean while you can. In another 50 years there’ll be nothing left to see but a bunch of sand and rocky substrate with three inch long gobies staring back at you.

Before my mortgage broker could even get me going on the loan application he said my wife and I needed to sign a number of disclosures.

About six of them if memory serves me. Just a sampling:

1. We may sell your loan to another lender (who cares?)
2. Equal opportunity lender (…but not an equal interest rate)
3. Approval to run your credit using your SSN (how else would you get my credit history?)
4. We’re forced to report you to the Feds for being interested in borrowing money (Patriot Act…thanks GW)
5. We may recylce your paperwork (garbage in, garbage out)
6. Confirmation you’re from Earth (true that, Virgin Galatic is ramping up)

OK, maybe I added the last couple for levity.

I’ve got this neat feature on my new LCD monitor where I can watch Picture in Picture or Picture by Picture. I have two computers hooked up and I can hook up two more devices like a VCR or DVD player.

I figured it might be useful to watch a DVD (from my other computer) using PIP while I work on my primary system. Strangely the PIP/PBP will only work if I select a DVD/VCR input, not the second computer input. Doesn’t seem right so I checked in with Dell Customer Support.

The transcript follows. It’s got a few giggles, but alas, no resolution because their “network system” was experiencing problems. Suuuure it was.
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This is one mouthful of a sentence…read slowly and carefully.

A go-ahead was given last week by the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) that clears the way for exchanges of technical information between Scaled Composites of Mojave, California and Virgin Galactic of the United Kingdom to build passenger-carrying suborbital spaceliners.

Full story from space.com.

This morning I sent my 2004 tax return to a mortgage broker so the loan underwriter could confirm the income. They requested I attach my corresponding W2s.

Does this seem as redundant as wearing a belt with suspenders? Form 1040 already includes Gross Income, Adjusted Gross, and the rest of the gritty detail. Perhaps the more paper they collect the more confident they feel you’re telling the truth about your financial situation. After all, who’d go through the trouble to fudge all of your tax records? Honestly, I don’t have the time to be a criminal.

I asked the receptionist if they’d need a stool sample as well. Fortunately she saw the humor in my comment.