Sabrina Bryan Was Robbed - by the Baby Boomers

I'm not what you would call a rabid fan of Dancing with the Stars, but I do watch it with some interest.

Sabrina Bryan, a member of Disney girl-band The Cheetah Girls, is far and away the best celebrity dancer of the season. She seriously blows everyone else out of the water.

So it was a shock tonight to see her eliminated.

She's not even my favorite dancer (I'm rooting for Helio the race car driver), and I'm still shocked. The judges were dumbfounded.

I think we know the most significant demographic of public viewers and voters: the baby boomers. Who else would cast a vote for Marie Osmond and Jane Seymour, whose performances are a dismal shadow of Sabrina's talent. That's the reason people such as Jerry Springer and Wayne Newton last so long on the show.

Unfortunately, it shows that Dancing With the Stars is truly more of a popularity contest than anything. But hey--it's good news for my man Helio.

Apple Soundly Slams Third-Grader

I'm no fan of Apple. Particularly the brand; I think their machines are just fine, for the most part. But it makes me laugh to relay this article about how a third-grade iPod fan wrote Steve Jobs with some suggestions for making the iPod even better. Apple's response? Cease and desist.

The letter was not from Steve Jobs, it was signed the senior counsel, Apple Law Department.

That's right, apple's legal department, telling a nine year old that apple does not accept unsolicited ideas. Apple's legal department told her not send them her suggestions, and if she wants to know why, she could read their legal policy on the Internet.

Take that, young innovator! And don't bother with the concept that writing letters can make a difference. Or that any of your ideas are worth expressing. Just go back and buy another iPod when your battery dies. You're not worthy to contact us.

Pro-Life Founder Backs Romney

Yet another of social conservativism's leaders has thrown his support Mitt Romney's way. Dr. John Willke, known as the founder of the pro-life movement, was a former supporter of Sam Brownback before the Senator dropped out of the race.

Says Willke,

"Unlike other candidates who only speak to the importance of confronting the major social issues of the day, Governor Romney has a record of action in defending life. Every decision he made as governor was on the side of life. I know he will be the strong pro-life president we need in the White House, Governor Romney is the only candidate who can lead our pro-life and pro-family conservative movement to victory in 2008."

Increasingly it seems that Mitt's conversion on social issues is being viewed as genuine, and we can only hope that even more conservative leaders will lean his way.

Bob Jones III Gets Behind Romney

Here's another significant win for Mitt Romney: the support of Christian leader and chancellor of the fundamentalist Christian Bob Jones University.

Says Bob,

"This is all about beating Hillary," Jones said. "And I just believe that this man has the credentials both personally and ideologically in terms of his view about what American government should be to best represent the rank and file of conservative Americans.

As Mitt maintains his momentum in the crucial early voting states, he's also maintaining his momentum convincing mainstream Christian leaders that he's running for Commander-in-Chief, not Pastor-in-Chief.

Teeth: Another Casualty of Socialized Medicine

I stumbled upon this article about the dreadful state of dentistry in the U.K. It's no secret that Brits are stereotyped with nightmarish choppers - and it's likely due to a shortage of qualified dentists and exorbitant costs for the who aren't poor enough to be covered. The result?

Almost a fifth (19%) of those questioned said they had missed out on dental work because of the cost.

The research found 6% had even resorted to treating themselves because they could not find a dentist.

The 5,000-plus patients who were interviewed also spoke of taking out their own teeth or fixing broken crowns with glue.

The dentists say it's the fault of a faulty system:

Almost three fifths (58%) of dentists blamed new contracts brought in by the Government last year.

Four out of 10 (41%) felt they had an "excessive" workload with 29% saying they had problems recruiting or retaining dentists.

Welcome to the world of U.S. healthcare should we elect a Democrat to the presidency.

Saved By Zamzar

I'm happy with Microsoft Office 2007. Except for the fact that its file formats aren't backwards compatible.

Unfortunately, I brought some work home last night, then saved it Word 2007 format, docx. So when I brought it to work this morning, I realized I'm screwed.

A quick google search yielded me what I think is one of the greatest online utilities I've ever come across: Zamzar.

It's an online service that basically converts files between almost any conceivable format. I'm not kidding--the list is HUGE. Word processing, presentations, spreadsheets, charts, audio, video, everything. Thankfully, it converted my docx file to work on my stupid Mac at the office.

Thanks, Zamzar!

Google Trends & Mitt Romney

Just for kicks, I ran the three major contenders for the Republican nomination through Google Trends. Turns out that Mitt is solidly second behind Fred Thompson in overall searches over the past 30 days.

But let's put things in perspective, here. Britney Spears demolishes EVERYONE. It's simultaneously sad and hilarious.