. . . Politicontrabajista . . . . .

Photos

2008-12-03T00:54:00.001-06:00

Photos

2008-12-03T00:44:00.000-06:00

Photos

2008-12-03T00:20:00.002-06:00

McCain , Endorsed By Terrorists, Says That They Will Attack Us If Obama Wins

2008-10-22T22:16:00.004-05:00

In an interview on CNN McCain suggests that if Obama wins the election the evildoers are going to attack us or otherwise "test" the nation. He suggests that Obama has been wrong about American Enemies and about the Surge in Iraq.

McCain helped lead the US into war in Iraq. He should really not be talking about poor judgement. When that turned out to be less than successful, McCain supported sending thousands of additional soldiers into the war in a last-ditch effort to lessen the violence. He likes to say that this worked and that it proves his good judgement, but the surge was not responsible for the drop in violence in Iraq. Ethnic cleansing was. From Rueters:

Satellite images taken at night show heavily Sunni Arab neighborhoods of Baghdad began emptying before a U.S. troop surge in 2007, graphic evidence of ethnic cleansing that preceded a drop in violence

This on the day that supporters of al-Qaeda announced that they would prefer a McCain administration because it would be more likely to continue the "failing march of Bush." Not quite the kind of endorsement McCain was looking for. This latest interview and its grave predictions show a desperate man. Fear-mongering has worked for Bush in the past, and maybe McCain has decided to embrace their similarities.

creative commons licensed photo form Flickr user sloomis08)

When Ants Attack

2008-10-16T23:55:00.003-05:00

I live in a jungly part of the world where the heat and humidity like to team up and make things smelly and miserable. One would think that mammals, at least, would avoid places like this, but here I am. Insects, it seems, don't seem to mind at all, and there are billions of them everywhere. Again, I don't know why I put up with this horrible idea of fun nature is trying out around here. I am no entomologist (though it would be easy to just start picking bugs up off the street here and naming them), but there appear to be no less than a million kinds of ant that live here and most of them can be found coexisting in my kitchen when someone leaves a morsel of food for them. Annoying as that can be, one nasty little type has decided that electronics, too, are food or just fun to play with.

Today they found my computer.

My computer was on my bed.

They also like to bite people.

Having sprayed my computer with ant poison (which can only be good for both me and my laptop), I threw ant poison powder all over the place and held my breath as I sprayed more aerosol all over the place. The I fled to the store for a can of compressed air. They were still there running about my keyboard when I got back and dozens more were found when I took the battery out. The air, being very cold, seems to have only stunned them into hibernation mode and pushed them further into the computer. They're there right now in my poison-smelling machine, plotting and occasionally sending one out to bite me.

These horrible little things seem to be related to or the very same Caribbean ants that invaded Texas and caused nightmares there, even threatening NASA's Johnson Space Center. They are called crazy rasberry ants by the Texans (who aren't known for their entomology either). From the Times (UK):

...crazy because they seem to move in a random scrum as opposed to marching in regimented lines, and rasberry after a pioneering exterminator, Tom Rasberry... Perhaps their most remarkable characteristic, however, is that they are attracted to electrical equipment... Worse, the ants refuse to die when sprayed with over-the-counter poison. Even killing the queen of a colony doesn’t do any good, because each colony has multiple queens.

I just don't understand how people can believe in a god. I'm thinking about putting my computer in the freezer tonight, using ant posion instead of deodorant, and looking for a job in a civilized climate somewhere.

(creative commons photo from Flickr user binux)

Pictures Of Random Places I've Been In The Past Three Months

2008-10-16T20:38:00.003-05:00

Pictures Of Random Places I've Been In The Past Three Months

2008-10-16T19:59:00.004-05:00

Pictures Of Random Places I've Been In The Past Three Months

2008-10-16T19:51:00.003-05:00

Pictures Of Random Places I've Been In The Past Three Months

2008-10-16T19:19:00.004-05:00

My Brother Made This

2008-10-16T01:11:00.003-05:00

And I stole it because it is awesome and proves that we are in fact related.

I'm Not Really Doing This Whole Blog Thing Anymore But I Just Wanted To Say This Anyway

2008-10-10T10:56:00.002-05:00

Trying his best to look like Geraldo, right winger John Stossel reports that many of the kids at a rock concert are not very smart and should stay home on election day because they're too stupid. I'd like to point out that other 'tards have been voting in record numbers these last 8 years and the right wing welcomed their ignorance: people who believed that the guy they wanted to have a beer with would make a good president, that Iraq was behind the events of 9/11, and now, that Sarah Palin has something to offer and that Obama is a terrorist or terrorist sympathizer. If we disenfranchise the 'tarded and take their votes away the Republican party will never win a single election and some communities may only have a handful of eligible voters. Down with the 'tards by all means:

2008-07-04T13:24:00.001-05:00

Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex

2008-06-11T12:05:00.002-05:00

(from newsproject.org)

Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1960:

...we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

I've Been Here

2008-06-09T07:02:00.000-05:00

Robot Conducts Detroit Symphony Orchestra

2008-05-15T16:48:00.002-05:00

I am usually opposed to robotics in music because of some belief that music is an expression of the human spirit etc. but Honda's ASIMO has better rhythm, is taller, and has a better personality than my conductor. If you want a full time job contact me ASIMO.
(via Cynical-C)

The World Would Be A Much Better Place If Bush Had Been Talked To Like This More Often In His Formative Years (Late 30's?)

2008-05-15T10:18:00.002-05:00

(MSNBC/Countdown with Keith Olbermann)

Muppet Show- Drum Battle Buddy Rich Vs Animal

2008-05-02T22:30:00.001-05:00

I Am It And So Must Do This Thing

2008-05-01T03:49:00.005-05:00

Sarah had to go and make me post something. I've been tagged or something and must now write "non-important things/habits/quirks" about myself, and then go make other people do the same. Way to go Sarah. Now people are going to have to read about me instead of my insight into Obama's poor choice of words. Hope you're happy.

The Rules, according to Sarah:
* Link to the person that tagged you.
* Post the rules on your blog.
* Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
* Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
* Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Done. Done. And:

1. Tangled wires, strings etc. give me anxiety. I get really anxious when I have to untangle them, even if it only takes a few seconds. I think this has something to do with the fact that
2. I am a twin and
3. When we were children we had a leashes. According to the rest of the family this was because we learned to walk one day and within five minutes we were running in seperate directions: into the street towards a car and towards a very big dog. I don't believe the story. I think my family was just cruel. I have not suppressed the memory of being tied to a tree by my older siblings and I think our leashes used to get tangled when we tried to free ourselves from our restraints.
4. Bartenders who do tricks really bother me. Do you know why I am being shoved about in a crowd of drunks and staring at you? It's not because I like to watch sweaty people throw shiny things in the air and catch them behind their backs. Pour my drink quickly and I will happily give you a tip and go back to yelling about politics and religion with my friends. Make me stand there awkwardly waiting for you to finish your "routine" and I will start yelling at you instead.
5. I am not afraid of clowns. I used to think I was, but I've been to two circuses in Mexico in the last six months and I was not afraid. What I am afraid of is clowns who are not in circuses. A clown waiting for the bus or talking on a pay phone scares the shit out of me.
6. I am not a good list-maker.

Now, If I knew more than a few people with blogs that I knew about, I could randomly pick six of them. No such luck. Both Clara and Jeff are friends of mine. I pushed "Next Blog" to find some truly random people but all I got was (get to practice my list-making here):

1. a page in German with pictures of drunk German girls and guys with Mohawks
2. something in Arabic with pictures of sports cars
3. something in Korean with a picture of a fence and a desk
4. the page of some girl in Spain who has hundreds of pictures of baby clothes she wants to buy for her baby.

I really don't want to link to these people or contact them in any way. I am glad to see that much of the world is connected to the internets and that my site is at least way better than the average blog if that sample is indicative of the whole. Gives me the courage to start posting again. Thanks, Sarah!

Obama Makes The Media Bitter

2008-04-17T19:41:00.006-05:00

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

I've been watching The Media use this quote to try to turn Obama into the "Elitist" who is condescending, out of touch with America and unelectable. It (The Media) is trying to do the same thing to Obama as it did with Howard Dean and his yelp back in the 2000 race. Only this time it's not even really using the sound-byte so much as paraphrasing and saying over and over again the mantra "elite." I'm not who should supposedly feel offended by these remarks, but neither is the Media, and it seems to think this is the worst thing anyone has ever said and that it is going to destroy him. I disagree and think it may have sounded bad but makes good points. Oh, and my equally sound prediction is that it will not destroy him.

Bitterness:

I think Obama should not shy away from these words. I would have included more people than rural folk when mentioning bitterness. All Americans should taste at least a bit of bitterness. Every American should lament the loss of freedoms and laws and the general ethos that make America what it is supposed to be. America is a great country, undoubtedly, but it shines much less than it should these days and at times takes on characteristics completely contrary to its ideals. When other politicians claim that Americans are not bitter but proud they present a false dualism. One can be proud of the wonders that make America great while at the same time lament the eroding of this greatness. A person can have pride in a flag or national anthem, but pride in a country that affords freedom, equality, opportunity and voices to all seems like pride better placed.

Small towns, job loss and lack of new jobs, promises made and not kept by government:

The media mostly ignored this part. Factories in small towns close. Small business can't keep up with Walmart. Ethanol production creates a new market and more jobs. The internet creates opportunities for people to make a living no matter where they are. Military recruitment takes many young people out of rural America where they might otherwise add to the unemployment rate. Economics are complicated. I'm guessing that many rural Americans feel that there is a lack of good jobs available to them and that might be upsetting after a few years or decades.

Clinging to their...:

Rural states are often Red states. The idea here is that people in red states often vote Republican despite the fact that Republicans have done little or nothing to better their lives. It is perhaps elitist to point out that sentiments have been used by politicians to get votes out, but only to those who have not noticed that many election ballots have amendments aimed at or supposedly threatening their way of life. When ballots have amendments about same-sex marriage the assumption is that conservatives will come out to vote against the gays, and while they're there they may vote for Republican candidates. It seems to work. When people think the government is going to try to take away their guns, the assumption is that they will go vote to keep the government from doing so, and they may throw in a vote for the Republican candidate while they're at it. Again, it seems to work. When people believe that the atheists are trying to ban their religion it is assumed that they will go out to vote in favor of prayer in school and they may check the box for Republican while they're at it. Again, it gets the vote out. Etc. Etc. Etc. Obama may be pointing this out, but he certainly didn't put these items on the ballots.

These issues may well be important to people in rural America. There is a way of life and timelessness that is admirable in many small towns, and these issues feed on the fear that it could all disappear someday. I think Obama was pointing out the fact that these feelings are used in a manipulative way by politicians who may preserve some parts of rural America, but only by doing nothing to better the lives of those who live there.

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user tonx)

Another Fun Look At Classical Music

2008-04-17T01:24:00.005-05:00

Zurich Chamber Orchestra Commercial

(via laboratory 101)

Watch This On Fullscreen

2008-04-16T12:50:00.002-05:00

Brahms Capriccio, opus 76 no. 2 from musanim on Vimeo.

(via Everyone Forever)

If Cockroaches Looked Like This I'd Hate Them Less

2008-04-15T23:57:00.002-05:00

The Super Rich Are So Awesome

2008-04-14T12:40:00.005-05:00

The economy may be making life difficult for many Americans these days, but the heroic super rich are steadfastly spending and showing the growing mass of poor how wealthy they are. From the NY Times:

Buyers this year have already closed on 71 Manhattan apartments that each cost more than $10 million, compared with 17 apartments in that price range during all of 2007. Last week, a New York art dealer paid a record $1.6 million for an Edward Weston photograph at Sotheby’s. And the GoldBar, a downtown lounge, reports that bankers continue to order $3,000 bottles of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac.

“When times get tough, the smart spend money,” said David Monn, an event planner who is organizing a black-tie party on May 10 for dignitaries and recent purchasers of apartments at the Plaza Hotel; the average price there was $7 million. “Short of our country going on food stamps, I don’t think we’re doing anything differently.”

Even if the economy is of food stamps these magnificent people won't cave in. Why would they? A person with $100,000 in savings might get hurt in the economic downturn and lose 90% of his puny worth and be poor and laughable with his food stamps and rented apartment and used clothing. What a loser! Ha ha ha! Stupid poor loser. Many of the mighty super rich can happily lose 90% of their wealth and still be multi-millionaires. That's why they're so awesome. They can wreck their $600,000 car when the economy is down and laugh at the homeless guy pinned under the fender. These things don't faze them. They're super! And rich! And when and if the economy starts to get better, the stupid poor will only have a few quarters to invest! They'll never get rich like that! Stupid jerks! Meanwhile, the super rich will simply tell their investment manager to buy some more buildings and companies and stuff. Doing such great things with such ease! Magnificent! The super rich don't even have to invest wisely. A million here, ten there, hundred there. The economy has to get better at some point and when it does they will do what they do best: Get super richer. Bravo, super rich. Go out and buy yourself something nice. You deserve it.

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user Tracy O)

But If I Take The Garbage Out I Might Die And Then You Would Feel Bad

2008-04-09T19:16:00.004-05:00

Woohoo! I've probably avoided serious health issues by avoiding taking the garbage out. I've had many housemates who have gotten angry at my inability to get near a sack of rotting leftovers without dry-heaving or getting sick, but it may just be my body's way of self-preservation. From the Guardian:

German scientists are warning householders of the health dangers posed by storing organic waste, saying exposure to it, particularly to the moulds that develop as the material decays, can cause skin problems and even breathing difficulties... "Even just opening the lid of a bin containing organic waste can cause mould spores to be stirred up which, if breathed in, can damage the lungs," said Morr. "The more spores breathed in, the worse the repercussions on one's health can be."

So next time someone tries to get you to take the garbage out tell him or her that he or she is a horrible person for trying to kill you. If that doesn't work, just get near the garbage can and throw up on it and run away crying. Works like a charm.

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user Peter Kaminski)

This Is Not Good

2008-04-03T20:20:00.006-06:00

Pictured: Terrorist Tree-hugger Evildoer Getaway Vehicle

The Bush Administration has been redefining terrorism in order to expand its powers to spy on and prosecute people who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum. Activities such as setting fire to an unoccupied SUV are being treated as terrorist acts and the kids blamed for them are being sentenced as terrorists and being locked up for 20 years of more.

From the Guardian (UK):

According to many, the US is now in the middle of a "Green Scare" akin to the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, when senator Joseph McCarthy launched his infamous communist witch-hunt. Environmental and animal rights activists are being targeted, it is believed, not because they are dangerous, but because in the wake of 9/11 the government needs scapegoats beyond Muslims, and people - often young, white and middle-class - with defined ideologies who target corporate America are easy and attractive game...

...Civil liberty groups expect the green scare to worsen. The Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act now raises any attacks against the profits of any animal-based industry to the level of terrorism, and a little-known bill making its way through US Congress with virtually no debate is expected to lead to a new crackdown on any dissident activity, under the guise of fighting terrorism.

Apparently, there have been some criminal acts perpetrated by people who identify themselves as environmentalists and see their acts of sabotage and arson as politically motivated. These people are committing crimes and should be arrested and be forced to do community service to better the community they have affected. Wash some Hummers or something. Vandalism is vandalism even if the vandal thinks he's saving the earth from the mean capitalist. There seems, however, to be no justification whatsoever in calling these people terrorists, and a real danger that groups like, say, the Save The Hairless Cat Foundation (if it exists) will be spied on more than the rest of us because they have an environmental concern. Or that donating to the World Wildlife Foundation will put you on a no-fly list.

Here's where it really gets to be too much Not Good, though. Because there are so few crimes committed by these evildoers,or any evildoers for that matter, the government seems to be considering criminalizing thoughts, because, you know, anyone who's not with them is against them:

The Orwellian-sounding Violent Radicalisation and Home-Grown Terrorism Prevention Act, passed by an overwhelming 400-6 vote last month, will soon be considered by the Senate. Rather than seeking to criminalise "extremist" acts, it targets beliefs, or what many people are calling "thoughtcrimes".

"It proposes initiatives to intercede before radicalised individuals turn violent. It could herald far more intrusive surveillance techniques, without warrants, and has the potential to criminalise ideas and not actions. It could mean penalties for a stance rather than a criminal act," the American Civil Liberties Union and the Centre for Constitutional Rights have jointly said.

Ok. What? Doesn't every teenager see him or herself as a "radicalized individual?" That's why they wear those awesome clothes and get things pierced. And how much more intrusive can they get than listening to telephone calls and reading e-mails? What kind of science fiction crap have they invented now that will read a person's mind? And if they have this kind of technology why are they torturing people? Or does it just predict future crimes? The government has been getting advice from science fiction writers, but this, terrifyingly, is reality.

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer)

I'm Back! Did You Miss Me? I Brought You A Video! That's How Much I Missed You! Aw!

2008-04-03T00:34:00.002-06:00

So I saw this movie whilst on vacation (night out with a level 4 alcoholic made following night movie night), and I only rented it because I was amazed by its existence and it was free. After 10 minutes of laughter I became upset that it kept going. Then i looked at a cat sitting on the floor for a good long while, but even the voices alone caused psychic pain. There were other people in the room trying desperately to do anything but look at this thing and yet the horrible sounds confused us all and we found ourselves looking in the general direction of and dimly following the plot of this thing as it seemed to play on in front of us forever. Then this song came on and we sang along.

My Trip So Far

2008-03-25T13:53:00.002-06:00

Its True If The Bible Says So

2008-03-25T13:32:00.004-06:00

Why does reason always have to attack the people who believe in the words written in the bible? Science is such a jerk sometimes. I'm glad there are good people out there who can teach the youngins the truth.

(via onegoodmove)

Easter?

2008-03-25T01:41:00.003-06:00

I guess I missed the fact that Easter happened. Maybe this is why:

YOU Write Something

2008-03-20T10:11:00.005-06:00

I'm on vacation! Yay! I'm sitting in an airport waiting for my airplane to show up and take me away from the horrible trees pictured above and to an desert. Yay! So why don't my loyal reader and anyone else who happens upon this put interesting links in the comments. Or just an interesting sentence if you like. I'm going to go see if there's an airplane waiting for me.

Happy St Paddy's

2008-03-17T13:49:00.002-06:00

(via boing boing)

Police In England Want Future Criminals' DNA

2008-03-17T01:13:00.004-06:00

Future Crime: Grand Theft Auto

In an effort to solve the futurecrimes that 5-year-olds will commit when they become the criminals that everyone knows they will be, police in London want to store their DNA in a database. From the Guardian (UK):

Gary Pugh, director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard and the new DNA spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said a debate was needed on how far Britain should go in identifying potential offenders, given that some experts believe it is possible to identify future offending traits in children as young as five...

'The number of unsolved crimes says we are not sampling enough of the right people,' Pugh told The Observer...

Since 2004 police have had the power to take DNA samples from anyone over the age of 10 who is arrested, regardless of whether they are later charged, convicted, or found to be innocent.

Most people are going to look at this bit of absurdity and talk about civil liberties and police states. I'm just pissed off that there's going to be a TV show called CSI Kindergarten.

I Don't Need Any Rights 'Long As I Got My Gun

2008-03-16T23:20:00.008-06:00

The supreme court will soon decide whether restrictions on gun ownership are constitutional. The case before the court questions whether the ban on guns in Washington D.C. violates the Second Amendment. The lawyer who brought the case before the court is a wealthy libertarian who says he is not concerned about guns nor laws, per say, but about respect for the constitution. I'm glad that the rights of Americans are being fought for, but at a time when the Bush Administration is ignoring the Fourth Amendment with illegal wiretaps, the Fifth by not giving "detainees" due process of law, the Sixth by not bringing charges to these same "detainees," and the Eighth by torturing and using cruel and unusual punishment, I would hope that the court would have other constitutional concerns.

All the same, the Second Amendment seems to me to be concerned with the security of the State provided by "a well regulated militia," and while our national militia seems to be a bit busy right now, I don't think a guy with a gun fetish is going to be of much help if China decides to invade, or Virginia, if you want to read "state" that way. Maybe they'll rewrite it to say "A house filled with guns, being necessary to the security of a house filled with guns, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." They should also think about rearranging the sentence so it doesn't look so stupid.

links to articles here and here

(creative commons photo from Flickr user barjack)

Good Music

2008-03-14T19:04:00.002-06:00

Roland Kirk & Buddy Guy & Jack Bruce - Stormy Monday (1969)

At Least Some Members Of Congress Are Trying To Protect Civil Liberties

2008-03-14T17:07:00.008-06:00

The House voted 213-197 to deny immunity to phone companies that helped the NSA with its warentless wiretapping.

From the NY Times:

The House bill approved Friday includes three key elements: it would refuse retroactive immunity to the phone companies, providing special authority instead for the courts to decide the liability issue; it would add additional judicial restrictions on the government’s wiretapping powers while plugging certain loopholes in foreign coverage; and it would create a Congressional commission to investigate the N.S.A. program.

The Senate will probably not pass the House bill and, even if it does, the President has vowed to veto it:

“Companies that may have helped us save lives should be thanked for their patriotic service, not subjected to billion-dollar lawsuits that will make them less willing to help in the future,” the president said. “The House bill may be good for class action trial lawyers, but it would be terrible for the United States.”

Companies that help destroy the Fourth Amendment are not patriotic, the ACLU is not a class action trial lawyer, and illegal wiretapping is, well, illegal. Even if useful "intelligence" is ever provided by spying on people, the Bush administration has a record of either ignoring important intelligence or just making things up. The House members who voted for this are very patriotically trying to protect the rights of their fellow citizens, and they should go one further: they are the branch of government that can call for impeachment.

(public domain photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Report: Saddam Hussein Had No Connections To Terrorists, But We Still Hope You Believe He Did. It Just Makes Things Easier

2008-03-13T11:36:00.004-06:00

From McClatchy Washington Bureau:

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Wednesday canceled plans for broad public release of a study that found no pre-Iraq war link between late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and the al Qaida terrorist network.

Rather than posting the report online and making officials available to discuss it, as had been planned, the U.S. Joint Forces Command said it would mail copies of the document to reporters — if they asked for it. The report won't be posted on the Internet.

It's official, and yet "politically controversial." Seems the truth of matters are continually controversial in this administration. Why don't they just finally own up to the fact that they lied to get us into this? Why doesn't Congress finally own up to the fact that it was really, really, amazingly stupid to buy into any of this? I'm absolutely shocked when a politician tries to back away from the fact that he or she voted to allow Bush and Co. to start this war by saying "he lied to us." If you were dumb enough to believe any of that shit they were spewing about weapons of mass destruction and ties to terrorist organizations you really should not be in any position of power. If, after the Pentagon reports it, you still believe that shit, I'm really disappointed in your thinking skills and think you should play with crayons while the big people talk.

(via Huffington Post)

(creative commons photo attributed to flickr user Nix Sidhe)

Stare Directly At The Sun For Hours And You May Witness A Miracle!

2008-03-12T01:24:00.004-06:00

Nearly 50 people in India seeking a vision of the Virgin Mary by staring at the sun have instead lost their vision. From Daily News & Analysis:

Even the churches in the vicinity disowned the miracle during Sunday mass after health officers and doctors approached the clergy. The house in question has been the centre of local rumours for a few months. The hotelier, who has since moved to another house, had claimed that statues of Mother Mary in his house have been crying honey and bleeding oil and perfumes.

I've got a great new business idea! Though I'm pretty sure it was just tried in Thiruvanathapuram:

1. Tell people there's a miracle at my house, or better yet, someone elses house! ($10 entrance fee).

2. Throw some water on a statue of a religious icon.

3. Make video of the people who suddenly begin to pray and talk in tongues and dance wildly and whatnot and sell it to the scientists so they can use it in their war on religion.

4. If the people figure out that the statue is not all that cool and worthy of prayer/dance/tongue speak, tell them that their sacred being can only be seen by the true believers and only if they concentrate really hard and stare at the sun for a few hours. Then take their wallets and laugh at them while they go all blind and stuff.

5. Rinse and repeat.

(via onegoodmove)

Programming To Resume Shortly

2008-03-11T22:39:00.002-06:00

I've been house/pool/dog-sitting these past few weeks and have had little time for this what with all of the playing with puppies and sitting on a house and staring at a pool and wishing it was hot enough to swim. It seems that as soon as I took over these duties the weather dropped 20 degrees and my usual wish to be submersed in cold water has diminished. Luckily, nothing whatsoever has happened in the world during this period so the timing was great. My friends should have returned today to reclaim their house but no sign of them yet. If it suddenly gets hotter I will know that I no longer have a pool all to myself and that I can get back to work here. For now, though, I have to go back over there and see if they've returned or if the dogs have gotten into the garbage again.

How Not To Play The Cello

2008-03-07T19:20:00.006-06:00

If someone had told Camille Saint-Saëns that there would come a day when people would use a mouse to play his music he would have been a very confused composer. The Berlin Philharmonic has created a neat flash game that allows one to try to do just that. The game gives me a great deal of anxiety, as I keep running out of room on my mouse pad and making horrible squeaking noises on the instrument. Maybe non-musicians will enjoy this more than I did, but I'm seriously anxious now and must go play my double bass to reassure myself that I can, in fact, make nice noises come out of it.

(via neatorama)

Obama And Religion

2008-03-04T13:58:00.002-06:00

There was a day not long ago when the idea of a black man or a woman running for President of the United States was unthinkable. Sadly, there are still many racist or sexist Americans who believe that a black man or a woman should not be elected. These people are bigots of the lowest form and could be ignored if there weren't so many of them. But when unnamed conservatives begin to worry that a black man might actually have a chance at winning and then spread rumors that said black man is a Muslim or even a terrorist bent on destroying the country, I worry. Because even the America that would elect a woman or a black man would never elect a Muslim. Only Christians need apply. One must at least believe that Jesus had a super power or two in order to run for office, but that is not enough to win. Mormon? No thank you. You have crazy ideas that make talking bushes look brilliant (not just burning ones but ones with W in their name). This effort to make Obama look like a Muslim has unfortunately forced him to spend a great deal of energy pointing to his Christianity. Instead of talking about political reform, he has had to reassure everyone that he is, in fact, a Christian. Every time a news correspondent refers to him as Barack Hussein Obama he or she is trying to not-very-subtly suggest that he is a bad man who will destroy us all. I only wish he didn't have to mention religion at all, because I would prefer to vote for someone who is more concerned with human issues than otherworldly ones. And I really don't care who your imaginary friends are as long as you don't listen to them and then start killing people based on those conversations.

60 Minutes (CBS)

(via Huffington Post)

more here

BBC Is Still Awesome

2008-03-01T17:30:00.001-06:00

I'm pretty busy this weekend. Go watch these if you're bored.

Noam Chomsky vs. William F. Buckley, 1969

2008-02-28T13:14:00.001-06:00

Disinterested intervention?

Part 1

Part 2

(via Cynical-C)

You Can't Even Touch Your Own Genitals For Good Luck?

2008-02-27T18:25:00.005-06:00

This is a much needed first step in preventing Italian men from trying to touch my crotch. From the Guardian:

In a landmark judgement with far-reaching social implications, Italy's highest appeals court has ruled it is a criminal offence for Italian men to touch their genitals in public.

The judges of the court of cassation stressed that the ban did not just apply to brazen crotch-scratching, but also to what might be termed superstitious pre-emption. Anyone who has seen a hearse go past in Italy, or been part of a discussion in which some terrible illness or disaster is mentioned, will know it is traditional for men to ward off bad luck with a quick grab at what are delicately called their "attributi".

The practice has become increasingly frowned on, but "io mi tocco i … ", which translates as "I touch my … " is still a common phrase, roughly equivalent to "fingers crossed". The judges helpfully suggested that those seeking reassurance should wait till they had returned to the privacy of their own homes before letting their hands stray trouser-wards.

(creative commons photo attributed to Giant Ginko)

Military Intelligence

2008-02-27T16:56:00.002-06:00

This documentary at first seems unfair. It takes a few examples of people with nutty ideas who are close to the military and suggests that there are lunatics in high places doing very strange things. As it continues, however, we find out that these nutty ideas are not summarily dismissed and that there very well may be lunatics in high places trying to implement said nutty ideas. I can only find part one on the internets. Has anyone seen the rest of this? I can easily imagine Cheney staring at goats and getting their hearts to stop, but does George Bush practice walking through walls?

Crazy Rulers of the World - The Men Who Stare at Goats (part 1 of 3)

(via smashing telly)

Good Music

2008-02-27T16:46:00.002-06:00

Stevie Wonder - Superstition live on Sesame Street

Some of the band and at least one of the kids seem to be on some really groovy drugs. Wonder if Snufalufagus had something to do with that.

Killer Robots

2008-02-26T19:15:00.003-06:00

From the NY Times:

LONDON (Reuters) - Killer robots could become the weapon of choice for militants, a British expert said on Wednesday.

Noel Sharkey, professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield said he believed falling costs would soon make robots a realistic option for extremist groups...

"How long is it going to be before the terrorists get in on the act? With the current prices of robot construction falling dramatically and the availability of ready-made components for the amateur market, it wouldn't require a lot of skill to make autonomous robot weapons."

Really? An extremist group could build a robot for a few hundred dollars to terrorize people? What kind of loser terrorist uses robots? Why wouldn't they just find a fanatic to walk around with a bomb? Seems like extremists everywhere have only to say "death to..." and volunteers are lining up with explosives before even hearing who the infidel is. Maybe there's an extremist group out there made up of people with speech impediments or grotesque deformities on their faces that is having trouble being popular with the other lunatics. I could imagine them saying "Fine, then! We'll show them! We don't need people because we've got robot friends who are willing to die for us!" For now, though, I'm only going to be worried about people with too much faith who want to kill and be killed for their stupid beliefs.

(creative commons photo attributed to genewolf)

The Debate On Global Warming

2008-02-26T17:17:00.001-06:00

The Denial Machine CBC TV (Canada)

(via smashing telly)

Funny Because It's True

2008-02-26T13:08:00.001-06:00

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Child Labor Can Be Fun!

2008-02-25T16:32:00.003-06:00

No, stupid! Use the children! They like going in circles!

A company called PlayPump® has figured out a clever way to get water to people who do not have access to clean water. And as much as I want to point out that children playing on a water pump is still in essence child labor, this does seem like a good idea. Children play on a merry-go-round thing that seems like fun but is actually pumping water for the community to use. It has huge implications and I really do agree that it is a good idea that could better the lives of billions of people.

(GNU free documentation licensed photo from Jerzy Strelecki) (via grow-a-brain)

Oh My God Did You See The Oscars?!!!

2008-02-25T15:52:00.002-06:00

Something happened last night and it was really important. If you somehow missed it you must feel like a total idiot because it was awesome. The Academy gave out golden statues to really important people and beautiful women wore stuff. Expensive stuff. AND I WAS THERE IN FRONT OF THE TV WATCHING SOME OF IT! The really important people were actors and other people who make entertaining things that forever change the world. Travolta was there! And some woman wore a shiny dress! And the shoes! Don't get me started on the shoes. They were so expensive and beautiful I cried a bit when I saw them. There were also necklaces and earrings and really fancy hair and some of the people appear to have had cosmetic surgery! Can you believe it? I SAW SOME OF THESE AMAZING THINGS ON THE TELEVISION! It was like awesome. It would have been so cool to have been the person outside who asked them what they were wearing. I wish it was me because I like to ask questions like that. And then we could laugh at something and it would just be so wonderful.

(creative commons photo of The Red Carpet attributed to Sholeh)

Nader Brings It On

2008-02-24T09:53:00.004-06:00

Ralph Nader has decided that he can just jump into the middle of the Marathon Race To The White House. With 260 days of running to go and most of the public taking a break from watching, Nader thought he could just sneak in at the half-way point and take advantage of the fact that his competition is getting tired. He is also putting The Boxing Gloves on. From the NY Times:

Nader also criticized Republican candidate John McCain and Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton for failing to support full Medicare for all or cracking down on Pentagon waste and a ''bloated military budget. He blamed that on corporate lobbyists and special interests, which he said dominate Washington, D.C., and pledged in his third-party campaign to accept donations only from individuals.

''The issue is do they have the moral courage, do they have the fortitude to stand up to corporate powers and get things done for the American people,'' Nader said. ''We have to shift the power from the few to the many.''

Easy there, tiger: those are fighting words. And, by the way, Edwards had some courage to stand up to corporate powers and it really worked out for him. The corporate-owned media really liked his message and went out of its way to bring it to the people. Before him, Dean was pretty good at talkin' that talk and the media really promoted his ideas. It even showed his war-scream for several weeks straight on every network. My suggestion is to scream until you are on TV and then say something nice about the corporations so that you can stay on TV. Also, don't mention your previous racing experience.

(creative commons photo attributed to wickenden)

Good Music

2008-02-23T16:43:00.002-06:00

It seems They Might Be Giants have written a song about my friend Rick (though he claims he doesn't practice his trumpet anymore and does go to work, sometimes).

They Might Be Giants - Never Go To Work

(via clusterflock)

When The Going Gets Tough, The... Um, TERROR ALERT!

2008-02-23T15:42:00.005-06:00

(via The Huffington Post)

Global Warming For Men

2008-02-23T14:30:00.006-06:00

The Pentagon has discovered how to make global warming an issue Republicans can embrace. While the pansy hippies are concerned about the polar bears having to swim when their ice melts, the manly men are looking at the totally awesome possibility that there will be nuclear armageddon when the shit starts melting, baby. You want fear? We got fear that makes the terrorists look like pussies. Keg stand! From the Guardian:

Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters..

A secret report, suppressed by US defence chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.

The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents.

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user Squiggle

Good Book

2008-02-22T19:52:00.004-06:00

Neatorama did a post about Kent Rogowki's book "Bears" and the comments people have left on his website. My brother received this book for xmas and we dared him to open it on his flight home and pet the pictures and say things like "there, there" and "god still loves you." He refused.

I'm Happy I'm Relaxed

2008-02-22T18:50:00.002-06:00

Good Music

2008-02-21T21:21:00.002-06:00

Shostakovich 11, 1st part of 4th movement.

There are better and more complete recordings out there, but the conductor in this video caught my attention. Gergiev conducts with toothpick?

(via my friend at The Philharmonist)

Arcology

2008-02-21T17:03:00.003-06:00

While working in a library when I was in high school, I came across an oversized book that had been stored above a bookcase for years gathering dust. Upon opening it and realizing what it was all about, I had one of those feelings I sometimes get when talking to a crazy person who is nevertheless on to something. Paolo Soleri is on to something.

That something is the blending of architecture (and city planning) and ecology: Arcology. While many cities are now attempting to clean themselves up and make themselves "green," the traditional layout of a city limits these efforts. Soleri's solution: the Hyper Building. Gone are the sprawling suburbs. Gone are the cars that get people through segregated communities of strangers. Gone is the isolated man, alone with his insatiable consumer appetite and mistrustfulness of his neighbors. Gone is much of the waste involved in getting energy to each of these separate people. The land once paved and housed over is freed up for agriculture and nature conservation. People walk past one another and chat with their neighbors. They live and work in an enormous building that nevertheless has a small environmental footprint. Sounds like a responsible society to me, which is why it does not exist.

For now, there is the starting point: Arcosanti, where optimistic people are building an "Urban Laboratory" in the Arizona dessert, mostly from the proceeds of ceramic bells and donations. The NY Times wrote about it last year:

In 1976, Newsweek declared: “As urban architecture, Arcosanti is probably the most important experiment undertaken in our lifetime.” “Undertaken” being the key word — then and now. Completion has legendarily eluded Arcosanti. Built in stages and chronically underfinanced, the place exists in a permanent state of half-doneness.

What was once the future of intelligently designed communities has morphed into something less optimistic: a stalled revolution in urban planning or a moldering relic of impractical idealism, depending on whom you ask. Often enough it's referred to as Mr. Soleri's “desert utopia,” and as with all utopias, reality doesn't always match the blueprints...

...But aging visions of the future have a singular appeal, and at Arcosanti, it's possible to enjoy the hopefulness without betraying it. It is not cynicism to find a special beauty in what hasn't yet come to pass.

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user CodyR)

I Love Google. It Gave Me This Blog

2008-02-21T01:28:00.003-06:00

I don't want to question the almighty wisdom of the Google. Google has been good to me and, as far as I can tell, done a good job of protecting privacy and generally being a stand-up guy. It's one of the super-companies that doesn't bother me, so this is just a concerned friend asking a friendly question:

Is storing medical records really what you want to be getting in to?

I don't want to suggest that you'd be bad at doing this kind of thing. On the contrary, most people and even some lesser companies are not very good at storing these things and you'd probably do a much better job. You still have that email I sent years ago with the picture of a kitty on it! I don't even know why you kept that! But you did! And it shows that you're good at storing things. And I would never accuse you of wanting to advertise drugs or supplements directly to people with medical records that relate to said drugs. Or supplements. Although that would be pretty cool. I mean, if my doctor (pretend I have one) had my medical records it would be privileged information. But if you held on to it... No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. Sorry. I'm just wondering if storing even more of ourselves with you is that good of an idea.

story here

The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back

2008-02-21T01:00:00.002-06:00

From the NY Times:

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The iconic Camel cigarette pack has undergone its first makeover since it hit store shelves almost a century ago, as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. tests new ways to market its biggest brands in a lagging market for smokes.

Though the enduring image of the Camel has not changed in the updated packaging, the animal is surrounded by a fresh look -- rounded graphics to highlight the oasis scene, larger and clearer pyramids in the distance, darker lettering emphasizing the Camel name, and color-coded ribbons to identify the style.

and:

The company is dropping its buy-one-get-one-free and similar promotions, as the company tests whether it can build its market share without overspending on promotions.

I've struggled with quitting here and there, always telling myself that if they raise the price to $3 or $4 or $5 or $6 or $7 I'll definitely be done with them. Or if the scientific community just tells me honestly that they're really not good for me. Or if they stop the 2-1 or even 3-1 promotions. But color-coded ribbons? No, that will not do. If I can't have my "lights" and feel like I'm dieting I simply will not smoke

(creative commons photo attributed to Flickr user BrittneyBush)

Good Music

2008-02-20T20:30:00.001-06:00

Taraf & Kocani

Orange You A Criminal?

2008-02-20T19:35:00.003-06:00

From the Telegraph (UK):

Hardened criminals in the Netherlands become less aggressive and have fewer fights when exposed to the scent of oranges, a study has found.

Rotterdam police said the four week study suggested that criminals, many of them violent drug pushers, are calmer and more malleable when the perfumes are circulated through cell air vents.

The head of police social services, Herma Heester, said: "It's amazing, fighting in the cells has been dramatically reduced and we are using 10 per cent fewer sedation drugs".

While I'm not sold on the science of this study (4 weeks is not much time for a study and other factors may have been involved (perhaps there was also a great deal of pot smuggled in at the same time and everyone was calmed by that (or the inmates who were violent because their cellmates smelled bad were pleased that the scent of oranges covered up the scent of armpits))), it may explain why there is surprisingly little crime in the city I live in. There are thousands of Naranja Agria trees here and the fruit that falls from them is very sour and often left to rot on the ground. This, in turn, causes would-be-criminals to take a deep breath and smile rather than commit their crime of choice.

Lunar Eclipse Still Very Likely; Shooting Down Of Satellite Not

2008-02-20T13:03:00.005-06:00

From the Guardian:

High seas may force the US navy to postpone an attempt to shoot down a failed spy satellite, the defence department said this afternoon.

The USS Lake Erie, a cruiser that has the job of firing missiles at the satellite, is caught in bad weather in the north Pacific.

"We don't anticipate the weather being good enough today," an officer told the Associated Press.

If the US government is truly worried that the satellite "could pose a risk to populated areas," it wouldn't let bad weather get in the way of at least trying to shoot it down. If, on the other hand, this is what critics claim it to be, and the government has found a convenient excuse to test its super duper space weapons, the possibility of missing would look bad (what with the 12 billion dollars spent every year on the program). Why are they shooting from a boat, anyway? If rough seas could cause a miss they should shoot a missile from Hawaii. But then, when they missed, they'd have to claim it was because they were distracted by the hula-girls or got sand in their eyes.

(creative commons photo attributed to flickr user Joe Hastings)

Update: Lunar eclipse was a total success. Earth did a good job of blocking the sun's harmful rays from the moon's pallid skin. Also: reported success from the government with its shooting at the satellite mission. They say they hit it, but it's still to early to say if they destroyed the toxic-material-filled-fuel-tanks that were the cause of alarm and reason for the whole show.

Quote

2008-02-19T22:22:00.002-06:00

How like fish we are: ready, nay eager, to seize upon any new thing some wind of circumstance shakes down upon the river of time

-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

Heads Up!

2008-02-19T20:24:00.004-06:00

Look up tomorrow and you may see the lunar eclipse. It will be visible between 10-11 PM eastern time. Now look to the west. You may see an explosion (I'm guessing they miss), as the US tries to shoot down that menacing satellite. More at Cynical-C.

(creative commons photo attributed to flickr user Fort Photo)

Rafa Limo! Limou?

2008-02-19T19:52:00.004-06:00

Two things to point out here. That is one awesome Rafa Limousine. And, apparently, the word limousine has a "u" in it. I'm serious when I say I want that car.

(via Presurfer)

Castro Resigns

2008-02-19T12:08:00.003-06:00

Fiidel Castro has announced his resignation today. I am glad he is leaving office in this manner rather than being assassinated by the CIA. While his rule may have been characterized by the infringements of civil liberties it also saw a vast improvement in literacy and health care. With the United States attempting to overthrow his government at every turn, Castro did all he could to provide his nation with the autonomy that it deserved. Gone were the American businesses that stole all the wealth and land, but gone too was much of the wealth. I hope Cuba remains its own nation and does not turn into a Disneyland or Cancun, and I wish Castro a well-deserved rest.

(public domain photo from Leffler/Library of Congress [VIA PINGNEWS])

Photograph

2008-02-19T00:40:00.003-06:00

Greenhouse Gasoline

2008-02-18T23:31:00.003-06:00

It seems two scientists at Los Alamos have been busy trying to figure out a way to lessen global warming while keeping the oil companies and automobile manufacturers happy at the same time. Instead of asking humanity to change its destructive ways, for governments to mandate cleaner technology, or for corporations to begin seriously investing in expensive alternative energy sources, we may be able to just keep doing what we're doing while new nuclear-powered factories pull greenhouse gasses out of the environment and convert them into gasoline and jet-fuel. From the NY Times:

The scientists, F. Jeffrey Martin and William L. Kubic Jr., are proposing a concept, which they have patriotically named Green Freedom, for removing carbon dioxide from the air and turning it back into gasoline.

The idea is simple. Air would be blown over a liquid solution of potassium carbonate, which would absorb the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide would then be extracted and subjected to chemical reactions that would turn it into fuel: methanol, gasoline or jet fuel.

(photo from creative commons-attributed flickr user destro 100)

I Wish People Would Stop Stealing My Ideas

2008-02-18T14:18:00.002-06:00

(via Neatorama)

Now I Need A New Playstation

2008-02-16T03:01:00.002-06:00

A few years ago I bought my first video game system: a then-shiny 2005 Playstation 2. It took awhile for me to get used to it, but I eventually got good enough to play Grand Theft Auto 2 through San Andreas. And San Andreas is where the addiction really set in. It's really unhealthy to immerse oneself in that world, and I somehow could for like a day straight and without pause. It really corrupted my sense of reality, especially with the sleep deprivation, and getting behind the wheel of a real car afterwards was just asking for a speeding ticket, if not vehicular manslaughter. Anyway, I survived that stage of my life and eventually graduated to the less-realistic-graphics-yet-still-too-much-fun world of Wii. I felt equally guilty upon returning from the store with another hole in my pocket and nothing but mindless entertainment to look forward to, but I've learned to live with my compulsive purchases. For one thing, I'm convinced that I can probably golf in real life now, and I'm not constantly panicked when I see a police car. Nor do I try to get health from hookers anymore (only works in the video game). Sadly, it now looks like I'm going to have to spend another stupid amount of money on yet another gaming system. Nintendo seems to not want us to club people to death with our Wiimotes.

GTA 4.

More Great BBC

2008-02-15T18:40:00.004-06:00

While wandering around Smashing Telly, where plenty of great documentaries and full-length videos can be found, I came across some more BBC stuff to share. I urge you to watch these first, but if you've still got some time on your hands afterwards have a look at Nietzsche, or learn about the discovery of the atom, or visit pyramids in Peru that date back 5,000 years.

Human, All Too Human, Friedrich Nietzsche (part 1)

Atom - The Clash of the Titans (part 1)

The Lost Pyramids of Caral (part 1)

Olbermann 4 Prez

2008-02-14T21:51:00.002-06:00

Do conservative-leaning people watch Keith Olbermann and dismiss everything he says as the ravings of an Un-American proof-of-liberal-media lunatic? Or do they say, well, yeah, he's got a point, but it's not patriotic to question authoritarianism?

(from MSNBC's Countdown via onegoodmove)

Good Music

2008-02-14T17:31:00.000-06:00

Tinariwen - Chet Boghassa

Obama Will Be The Next President

2008-02-14T17:16:00.004-06:00

Statisticians here have announced that Obama will be the next President of the United States of America. Poll results show 77 percent of the world would like Obama to run the country, while not even one person on Earth likes Clinton, McCain, or Romney. 11 percent of humanity wishes Edwards well while another 11 percent are hoping Huckabee gets some divine intervention to unite his church to the state. 1 percent of those polled disappeared.

Falling Satellite To Be Used For Target Practice

2008-02-14T16:27:00.004-06:00

Fearing the falling satellite may hit populated areas and leak toxins on those it does not crush, the Pentagon has announced plans to shoot missiles at and hopefully destroy it. Also of concern is the technology that the spy satellite could still have intact when it crashes - technology that the evildoers want. Mostly, though, this is a good opportunity to test antiballistic and anti-satellite weapons that make evildoers uncomfortable. From the NY Times:

The ramifications of the operation are diplomatic as well as military and scientific, in part because the United States criticized China last year when Beijing used a defunct weather satellite as a target in a test of an antisatellite system. The United States has opposed calls for a treaty limiting antisatellite or other weapons in space.

Let's see anyone try to criticize the US when it unleashes its awesome anti-satellite missiles. That's what I thought. All said, I guess I'd rather have an arms race with China than get crushed by a piece of toxic space debris. I'm selfish like that.

(creative commons attributed photo from Flickr user C R)

4th Amendment

2008-02-14T15:57:00.004-06:00

Republicans, frustrated that anyone would even want to discuss warrantless wiretapping instead of just signing the damn legislation, stormed out of Congress today. They want the government to be able to spy on its citizens for another six years and want to make sure telecommunications companies will happily help them without worrying about the stupid hippy tree-huggers suing them. The Republicans know that the only way to keep freedom and democracy alive is to create a police state. Article here

(creative commons attributed photo from Flickr user storm gal)

The Cartoon That Nearly Killed To Try Again

2008-02-13T16:24:00.004-06:00

Danish newspapers have reprinted the controversial cartoon depicting Muhammad with a bomb as his turban after three suspects were arrested for plotting to assassinate the cartoonist. So there. Every time you try to kill someone because of your belief that the act of drawing pisses of your holy figure more than the act of murder, it'll be reprinted. The only way you can assure that no more hurtful drawings will be printed is to not try to kill someone. I don't care who started it.

What Would You Do?

2008-02-12T19:56:00.000-06:00

I freaked out. Then it freaked out, and, as it couldn't make it over the lip of the toilet, it thrashed about and swam back into the pipe. I could still see its tail so I flushed. 30 minutes later I had calmed down and cautiously returned to the scene, broom in hand. Sure enough, it had returned and it and I went through the same sequence of panic, with multiple flushes this time. Just in case, I threw a piece of cardboard in as a ramp. As much as I'd rather not have it running around my bathroom, there was no way I was going to ever use the toilet again if I thought it could swim up at any moment. I haven't seen it in months and, as there were no webbed footprints on the ramp when I returned, I assume it's still frolicking about down there somewhere, scaring everyone it encounters.

New Energy Ideas

2008-02-12T19:18:00.001-06:00

From the Guardian:

Europe is considering plans to spend more than £5bn on a string of giant solar power stations along the Mediterranean desert shores of northern Africa and the Middle East.

More than a hundred of the generators, each fitted with thousands of huge mirrors, would generate electricity to be transmitted by undersea cable to Europe and then distributed across the continent to European Union member nations, including Britain.

Billions of watts of power could be generated this way, enough to provide Europe with a sixth of its electricity needs and to allow it to make significant cuts in its carbon emissions. At the same time, the stations would be used as desalination plants to provide desert countries with desperately needed supplies of fresh water.

The method is pretty interesting. Giant mirrors direct sunlight to towers of water, which produce tons of steam that turn turbines and produce electricity. The steam is desalinized salt water by this time and can be used as much needed drinking water for the local communities. Pretty cool. Even if it takes £200 billion and 30 years, it sounds like a great investment.

Dream

2008-02-12T16:34:00.000-06:00

I realized I had driven for days to get there - had actually done an extra day's drive to retrieve my hat - and that I had not slept in all that time. I could not prove it to the person sitting in the front of the car with me, but I knew that I had perhaps dreamt that I had slept and dreamt but had not actually slept. The driving had been intense, with the highway suddenly switching between a divided highway and traffic screaming towards us in the left-hand lane. We had just passed the point where we had had to turn back to get my hat and so the road ahead would be new to us. I remarked that the first time we had made it this far the sun had been setting and so it had taken less than 24 hours to retrieve my hat. As we neared the cliff and the road took a left, the sky turned yellow and the sun began to set. It was impossible to see with sunlight reflecting off the road, and there were no shoulders as we were on a ridge of a mountain. Occasionally the glare off the pavement relented and I could see an approaching car or that our road suddenly turned to the left with only a driveway diving down the cliff to places unknown in the direction we had been going. The car was apparently of European make, because I was sitting on the left while someone else was operating the vehicle from what I had thought was the passenger side, with the cliff dropping down beside him. The person may have been of European make as well, because he kept driving in the left hand lane, passing cars blindly and swerving back towards the cliff when an oncoming car suddenly appeared.

That had been before, and it was again daytime. I was climbing a mountain with my double bass, playing a few notes every few minutes. It was a piece by Bottessini, i think, and this is how it was supposed to be performed. Then one of the strings broke, and as I started to go back the way i had come I realized that this was a different version than the one I had played before. It looked very difficult to get back down, especially with the bass. It seemed like I would need both of my hands to steady my descent and I had no idea what to do with the instrument. I started up again and remembered something. There was a cave somewhere that served as a shortcut and that was why this didn't seem familiar. I looked around the coniferous trees for a path that branched off.

I was handing over a red 100 dollar bill for a new string and was very much indoors again. I was standing at the side of a booth where the luthier was saying something to me while a line of people were paying someone else at a cash register for ice skates, I think. The luthier was very insistent and had decided that he had to make a new hole in the bass. But it was trepanning he was talking about. Two assistants wielding hammers walked away briskly saying let's get it done. Someone else waiting to pay shook his head no at me telling me that the man was crazy and not to let them do it. I kept explaining that perhaps it didn't sound loud enough because i had two basses and didn't play this one very much - that this was the instrument I climbed mountains with but the other one sounded much better and that perhaps it didn't need a trepanation. I was talking to no one and had to walk through the warehouse to find the office where the luthier was. As I approached I noticed three names on wooden plates next to the two offices. The bottom name was the once-famous composer and luthier. A Russian cellist I knew was being consulted in the office in front of me. He was sitting with his back towards me and nodding at the person at the desk but looked back at me as I walked by and raised his eyebrows. The luthier, who was also the composer of something and apparently someone respected in another era but just permitted to hang around these days, was in the next office, to the left of the first, shaking his head.

Iran

2008-02-11T20:58:00.000-06:00

(from Huffington Post)

Riding On The Dashboard Of My Car

2008-02-11T20:22:00.000-06:00

Women-Only Buses

2008-02-11T17:33:00.000-06:00

From the NY Times:

But many women complain that not all the contact is incidental. Among the 22 million passengers who use the bus and subway system daily, women say, are lecherous men taking advantage of the cheek-to-jowl conditions to leer and grope and then quietly disappear.

In response Mexico City has implemented women-only buses, though for only four routes so far. I've heard first-hand stories from women who had very unpleasant experiences while riding public transportation in that city, and this is certainly one way to deal with the problem. I wonder if it'll add up to twice as many busses on the roads, some half empty. There is also a big problem there with pickpockets. They should have separate busses for people with wallets that are sticking out of their back pockets and those who wish to steal them.

More Good News For The Oceans!

2008-02-11T11:22:00.000-06:00

In his infinite wisdom, Man has decided that the oceans are too complicated. In primordial times, the seas were home to simple organisms like sludge and slime and sludgy slime. We have made it possible to return to such a simple time, as our runoff and overfishing have enabled nothing but these to strive in their great swampiness. Oh, and jellyfish! Lots and lots of jellyfish! Because who doesn't want to get horrible rashes from prehistoric algae and then find himself in the midst of thousands of jellyfish? From the Los Angeles Times:

MORETON BAY, AUSTRALIA -- The fireweed began each spring as tufts of hairy growth and spread across the seafloor fast enough to cover a football field in an hour.

When fishermen touched it, their skin broke out in searing welts. Their lips blistered and peeled. Their eyes burned and swelled shut. Water that splashed from their nets spread the inflammation to their legs and torsos.

"It comes up like little boils," said Randolph Van Dyk, a fisherman whose powerful legs are pocked with scars. "At nighttime, you can feel them burning. I tried everything to get rid of them. Nothing worked."

As the weed blanketed miles of the bay over the last decade, it stained fishing nets a dark purple and left them coated with a powdery residue. When fishermen tried to shake it off the webbing, their throats constricted and they gasped for air.

After one man bit a fishing line in two, his mouth and tongue swelled so badly that he couldn't eat solid food for a week. Others made an even more painful mistake, neglecting to wash the residue from their hands before relieving themselves over the sides of their boats.

(thanks J for the tip)

McCain!

2008-02-11T10:57:00.001-06:00

(found at AMERICAblog(where they point out that it's a parody of this(which reminds me of this in a not very good way)))

Unicorn Chaser

2008-02-10T19:34:00.001-06:00

With all the fear I've been spreading by explaining that we're all going to die when a satellite hits the ocean but bounces off all the plastic and crashes into a particle accelerator and goes back in time to stop the Big Bang, I thought I'd throw a unicorn chaser in here somewhere to cheer everyone up.

(unicorn chaser was coined by Boing Boing)

Time Travel Or Something Completely Unexpected

2008-02-10T17:50:00.001-06:00

I'm totally cool with scientists experimenting, so long as said experiment doesn't endanger the entire universe. Scientists at the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) in Switzerland have decided to recreate the Big Bang but on a smaller scale. Call it the Lil' Bang. The giant accelerator there is usually used for throwing two particles at one another at very high speeds, but it seems they're getting bored and upping the ante. Why not just throw a bunch of particles in there and see what happens! Some scientists in Russia believe it could create a rip in time. I believe it could kill us all.

(via Neatorama)

Sea Of Plastic

2008-02-10T01:14:00.001-06:00

The last time I heard this story the great swath of plastic was estimated to be the size of Texas. The latest news is that there is what is describes as a "soup" of mostly plastic garbage twice the size of the United States in the Pacific Ocean. From the Independent (UK):

"Plastic is believed to constitute 90 per cent of all rubbish floating in the oceans. The UN Environment Programme estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic..."

I'm just so proud I could cry. It's too late to be elected as a wonder of the world, but this is more impressive than all of them combined.

(creative commons attributed photo from Flickr user ntr23)

Don't Try To Catch This

2008-02-10T00:39:00.000-06:00

I still await the paper airplanes thrown from the international space station, but before I get the chance to catch one of them I'm going to be keeping my head up for a 5,000 pound U.S spy satellite that is predicted to fall to Earth in a month. If you see something falling towards you in early March you'll have about half an hour to panic. Story here

(creative commons attributed photo from Flickr user Joe Hastings)

Good Music

2008-02-08T19:00:00.000-06:00

Miles Davis - Spanish Key (1969)

Ethanol Is Stupid

2008-02-08T18:36:00.000-06:00

corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn corn

Gitmo Getting Gooder

2008-02-08T17:48:00.000-06:00

From the NY Times:

Seeking to ease conditions for angry and frustrated Guantanamo detainees, the commander of the prison camps has instituted language classes, a literacy program and wants to open communal areas for men held in isolation 22 hours a day...

He wants to keep guards separate from the detainees but still enable them to check on each prisoner every three minutes to prevent suicides...

Right now the men in Camp 6 sit in steel boxes without windows for at least 22 hours a day...

Sounds nice. Men who have been in solitary confinement for 6 years without being charged with a crime can now learn a new language or discover the joys of reading. I have no doubt that at least a few of the 275 said to be imprisoned there are guilty of something, but they haven't been charged with anything. They haven't seen a judge. They haven't been allowed to contact their families or a lawyer. They may have been victims of "enhanced interrogation techniques"(forced to stand and remain awake for 40 hours or more, kept naked in a cold cell and had water thrown on them periodically to make sure they remain cold, made to feel as though they were drowning through water-boarding), and yet several hundred of them have been released after years without charge. So it seems that at least some of the people kept there have not been "evil doers." Maybe some of them will have an interesting story to tell when someone asks them where they learned English.

(photo from Scott Beale / Laughing Squid)

Rafa Cars!

2008-02-08T16:03:00.000-06:00

I put a new slideshow up over there --->

The pictured vehicles are what I call Rafa Cars. Rafa is a friend of mine who does not drive a car nor have a driver's license, which is unusual for someone from California. I don't know why beat-up cars from before the 80's remind me of Rafa. Perhaps it's because Rafa seems to be from a bygone era even though most of these cars are older than him. I just picture him driving one of these very slowly and sitting very close to the steering wheel. Rafa Cars can be spotted all over my town, and my passengers and I play a game of noting them as we cruise about.

Trick Question

2008-02-07T22:11:00.001-06:00

Which of these does not smell of rancid milk?

Paper Airplane Is Now A Spaceship

2008-02-07T19:02:00.000-06:00

This is the year that a Japanese astronaut will throw paper airplanes at us from the international space station.

I hope I catch one.

From the Guardian:

"The planes, designed by the Japan origami airplane association, survived temperatures of 250C (482F) and winds speeds of Mach 7 - seven times the speed of sound - during their 30-second flight inside the university's hypersonic wind tunnel."

And to think this used to be enough to impress me:

(mental note: see if university will let me play with hypersonic wind tunnel)

Sleepy Sleep

2008-02-07T18:43:00.000-06:00

I have to go to work every morning for a few hours, which means I have to get up around 7:30. It always feels early to me and I'm usually grumpy and difficult until I've had my coffee. Sometimes I can get through the rest of the day without collapsing, but I often give in to a siesta in the afternoon. On those days I find myself having difficulty getting to sleep at night and the next 7:30 feels even more unjust. I just woke up from one of said naps and read an article in the Guardian that convinced me that I've got to stop complaining about my lack of sleep and need of naps:

"...Skeates stopped breathing every 40 seconds or so during the night. He would briefly wake up, without properly regaining consciousness, and then fall back to sleep. And the process would begin over again... Doctors estimated Skeates was only actually sleeping for a few seconds at a time, and for less than 15 minutes in total every night."

Huckabee Girl

2008-02-07T00:03:00.000-06:00

I've got to admit: this is pretty funny. Way back when, there was the girl who had a crush on Obama. Now Huckabee's got one, and she's riding on a Jesus horse!

(from Super Deluxe, via YesButNoButYes)

Primaries

2008-02-06T17:39:00.001-06:00

From what I've been able to understand Clinton and Obama are very close in their race for the Democratic nomination, and McCain is way ahead of Romney (and Huckabee had a very good Super Tuesday return) in the Repulican race. I'm hesitant about any of this, though, as the system is insanely confusing. Some states use a fairly simple formula of delegates: there's a popular vote and however many delegates the state has go to the winner. If I'm right about this, sometimes the candidate gets all of the delegates, sometimes a percentage. Then there are states that have caucuses in which voters get together in groups to pick their pony. These seem to be states that can't afford voting machines. Finally we come to superdelegates, who don't have to pay attention to election results and can chose whomever they like, because they're super like that.

Anyhow and so far, from Salon:

Obama is said to have 696/2,025 needed, while Clinton has 689/2,025 needed

McCain is said to have 681/1,191 needed, while Romney and Huckabee have 261 and 173, respectively.

(photo from Just-Us-3)

Scarier Yet

2008-02-06T17:23:00.000-06:00

I think I must have come across this at Neatorama, but it has haunted me ever since. I usually start screaming 38 seconds in: