Western Digital external hard drive Click of Death - possible fixes

Just some suggestions for the desperate. I have a different model WD external with similar issues. Starts clicking and you can't access the drive, or the current operation hangs. Try a couple of things:

1. Try a different USB port. Sometimes this makes a difference.
2. Sounds silly, but this "kick started" it - try holding the drive at a different angle (sideways, upside down, etc.) until it stops clicking. This enabled me to write/read some data.
3. Make sure your USB cable is not longer than 22", as this may cause power issues, according to WD.
4. Go to the WD site -> Support -> Replacement/RMA and follow the instructions to see if you can get a replacement.

Obama's Obsession with Death for Babies

The suggestion that Obama – the proud father of two little girls – and others who opposed these bills supported infanticide is deeply offensive and insulting.

No one is suggesting he now wants to kill his own little girls; lucky for them, he decided to keep them. He just wants others to be free to kill their own little girls.

Batman = GWB?

My review at Amazon that notes some pro-Bush themes in the latest Batman movie:

I know, it sounds crazy, but that's the feeling I got many times while watching this movie. It's obvious that it's a commentary on human nature, the limits of decency, the naivete of innocents, torture, real threats and real evil, and the War on Terror - but it's a commentary that favors Bush, especially the last few minutes, where the Batman willingly takes on the vilification of the masses for their own good.

The movie is astounding; so many questions, so many interesting answers, as you can see from the above. Should torture - or at least the American versions of it, such as making terrorists listen to Rod Stewart - be used when lives are at stake? The movie says "yes." Should leaders make tough choices that are necessary but unpopular? Ditto there. Should we be yanked around by the demands of terrorists? "No." Should security be a top priority? "Yes." And on and on it goes - almost an apologia for this President.

Obama can't decide if off-color jokes are ok

Obama tries to have it both ways again:

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago, the 50-year-old star of "The Bernie Mac Show" joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. ...

About 15 minutes later, Obama tried to smooth things over with a joke of his own.

"We can't afford to be divided by race. We can't afford to be divided by region or by class and we can't afford to be divided by gender, which by the way, that means, Bernie, you've got to clean up your act next time," Obama said. "This is a family affair."

But he blunders on ...

"By the way, I'm just messing with you, man."

So... are misogynistic jokes ok at your events, senator?

Dawkins Tricked Again!

The world's smartest atheist fooled again?

Jonah Goldberg defends Darwin, but why? I suspect it's just fashionable to accept Darwin as one of the great scientists - otherwise you invite catcalls of "Creationist! Burn him!"

clipped from article.nationalreview.com Dawkins has since complained that the interview was set up under false pretenses, and that he didn’t even know who Stein was. It is rather astonishing that it did not occur to the world’s smartest atheist to look up Ben Stein on the Internet, where he might have readily discovered numerous examples of his writings that are critical of Darwinism.

Dawkins Tricked Again!

The world's smartest atheist fooled again?

clipped from article.nationalreview.com Dawkins has since complained that the interview was set up under false pretenses, and that he didn’t even know who Stein was. It is rather astonishing that it did not occur to the world’s smartest atheist to look up Ben Stein on the Internet, where he might have readily discovered numerous examples of his writings that are critical of Darwinism.

Harry Reid to Osama: Where's the Beef?

Osama, you promised to heat things up to negate the dreaded Surge. What happened?

Did we not give you enough hints? Was the mainstream media not explicit enough for you? Did we not slyly suggest that more deaths were needed to accomplish our number one goal: Embarrass Bush?

But deaths are down. Especially American deaths. We are in a bad position. And it's your fault!

Most of the media are too embarrassed to print the "good news", so we have time. We still have time! Toss out a couple of IEDs or something. Help us, Osama! You're our only hope.

Your dhimmi,

H. R.

Dan Rather ... the Clown is back in town

Hilarious!

clipped from author.nationalreview.com Rather used to compare his job to “a very high trapeze act, frequently with no net.” Three years ago, he went splat in the bull’s-eye of the center ring. Now, with the circus long since out of town, he all of a sudden wants a net rolled out. But you know what? I say, “You go, Dan!” Frankly, we need this. And by “we,” I mean a grand coalition of people who delight in watching one of the 20th century’s most pompous gasbags fall from the top of the laughingstock tree and hit every branch on the way down. These are dour times, and if Gunga Dan and Hurricane Dan and What’s-The-Frequency-Kenneth Dan want to trade their Afghan robes, yellow windbreakers and enormous tinfoil hats for some baggy pants, bright-orange wigs and floppy shoes, I say let them. I just hope all of the Dans show up at the courthouse in a teensy-weensy clown car.

Moron at MIT

This idiot is indeed lucky not to be in the morgue ... the security staff too, who would no doubt have been sued.

clipped from wbztv.com (WBZ) BOSTON An MIT student with a fake bomb strapped to her chest was arrested at gunpoint Friday at Logan International Airport and later claimed it was artwork, officials said.