Noam Chomsky vs. William F. Buckley, 1969

Disinterested intervention?

Part 1

Part 2

(via Cynical-C)

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

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

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

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

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

The Denial Machine CBC TV (Canada)

 

(via smashing telly)

 

Funny Because It's True

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

Child Labor Can Be Fun!

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?!!!

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

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

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!

(via The Huffington Post)

Global Warming For Men

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

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

Good Music

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

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

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

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

Taraf & Kocani