I hate teen targeted shows.

And you can read about how they pleaded with the judge for no prison time. Funny, they don’t want to be punished for committing a crime.

BLOOMINGTON, Illinois (AP) — Children are no safer riding in sport utility vehicles than in passenger cars, largely because the doubled risk of rollovers in SUVs cancels out the safety advantages of their greater size and weight, according to a study.

Researchers said the findings dispel the bigger-equals-safer myth that has helped fuel the growing popularity of SUVs among families. SUV registrations climbed 250 percent in the United States between 1995 and 2002.

“We’re not saying they’re worse or that they’re terrible vehicles. We’re challenging the conventional wisdom that everyone assumed they were better,” said Dr. Dennis Durbin, a pediatric emergency physician who took part in the study, published Tuesday in the journal Pediatrics.

Eron Shosteck, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said he had not seen the study but cited government research released last summer that found SUVs have become less top-heavy since 2000 and made dramatic improvements in rollover resistance.

“SUVs have an exceptional safety record and are safer than or as safe as cars in the vast majority of crashes,” Shosteck said.

The study, which Durbin called the first on SUVs and child safety, was sponsored by Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a research project of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the world’s largest insurer, Bloomington-based State Farm Insurance Co.

The researchers looked at accidents involving nearly 4,000 children under age 16 between 2000 and 2003, and found child injury rates of about 1.7 percent in both cars and SUVs. The study examined only 1998 or newer cars and SUVs with second-generation air bags.

On average, the SUVs weighed 1,300 pounds more than the cars studied. The study found that the extra weight of SUVs enhanced safety, reducing the risk of injury by more than a third.

But that was offset by findings that SUVs were more than twice as likely as cars to roll over in crashes.

Children in rollovers were three times more likely to be seriously injured than those in non-rollover accidents, according to the study.

The findings surprised researchers, who assumed heavier SUVs were safer than cars when they launched the study a year ago, Durbin said.

SUV safety will probably improve because of legislation approved by Congress this year that requires the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to develop standards for automakers to address SUV rollovers, he said.

“To the extent that SUV makers can solve the rollover problem, we may see them becoming the safe haven for children that they have the potential to be,” Durbin said.

Automakers already have made strides through engineering and new technology such as electronic stability control, Shosteck said.

NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson agreed but said he hopes the study will encourage families to check safety ratings closely before buying.

“I think there is a segment of the buying public that may be buying them with the false impression that they are buying the safest vehicle they can for their families,” Tyson said.

I think this one goes down under the “NO SHIT SHERLOCK” category.

Yes, if you happen to live in an area where there are no hills, no corners and no traffic other than smaller vehicles, then yes, an SUV is the safest choice you can make. But lets be really honest here. The safety factor from size has always been negated by people who think that the SUV is really a sport vehicle. Many times I have seen people driving an SUV like it was built to take corners like a motorcycle or sports car. I have even seen an SUV go up on two wheels going through an intersection before.  Hell I drive a low sitting rear wheel drive Lincoln with a handlding package, and I don’t push through some of the corners as fast as I have seen some people in minivans and SUV’s.  Of course, my tires don’t start to screech and I don’t have to slow down, until the person in front of me starts to lose control and I don’t want to be a part of their 1 person stupidity show.

This year also saw the tragic wreck of Arnie while racing, but thankfully he survived and is doing great.  He truly is a survivor.  From being airlifted by helicopter on July 2, to walking out of the hospital eighteen days later, he showed that nothing is too much to walk away from.  He probably won’t race this next season, but I am sure he will be back for 2007.  Better watch your ass, Mr. Lewis, next year you won’t win the championship simply because you ride for the sponsor of the track.

Summer also held a surprise storm, that did much to show that the current administration does not fucking care about its citizens.  Not that I care that much either, but it opened up many eyes.

Technology crept forward, and gas prices skyrocketed.  Now its cool to own a gas sipper, not a H2 with giant rims lifted 6 feet in the air.  Some people still drive them, but soon they will be crushed by the looming gas price spike

My prediction for gas costs in 2006: It will hit $8 a gallon after storms in the Gulf, and settle around $3.75 finally.

Later,

Digital Ruler

And now, you can update from 1.5.2 to 2.0

Seems smooth so far. Not many big changes, but I like what I have seen so far. I might even allow people to register in the near future.

Since I was given a 35mm camera for X-mas, I have decided to set up this new gallery. As I get more non crap shots, I will scan and post them.

Let me know what you think. I have started with black and white film, but I decided to splurge on the color film and got the Kodak HD film and gave it a whirl.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Professional wrestler “Nature Boy” Ric Flair faces assault charges after an alleged road rage incident, Charlotte, N.C., television station WSOC-TV reported.

Another driver said Flair attacked him and his car on Interstate 485 the day before Thanksgiving.

The driver said he was trying to get out of town for the holiday and traffic was slow.

The driver said he noticed someone behind him flashing their headlights, so he hit his brakes.

The driver said the car then pulled alongside him, police said. The victim said he immediately recognized the driver as Flair, a World Wrestling Entertainment star.

The driver told police that Flair got out of his car, walked over to the vehicle, grabbed him by the neck and damaged his car.

Police said there are two warrants out for Flair — one for simple assault and another for damage to personal property.

Flair’s attorney, Richard Finnell, said Flair is unaware of the warrants. He said the former world champion is in Michigan for a pay-per-view wrestling event.

Finnell said Flair would be back in Charlotte on Tuesday.

The Inq puts out yet another good read.

Yet Paris Hilton manages to have one ass ugly retarded pose, like she has been training to pull the pose her entire life.

Guess what Paris, no matter what you wear, no matter how you style your hair, you still look like a dog. Not a pretty dog either, but an ugly, ugly beast.

The dog has boobs that are the same size as Paris Hiltons tiny tits.

I hope that I happen to be watching the news the instant she is pronounced dead from being tossed into boiling acid and then burned to a crisp and dropped in a giant chipper/shredder and then finally flushed down the toilet. I will do a happy dance and maybe even have a soda, or a better yet, some straight hard liquor.

Paris Hilton at age 65