Radley Balko flaunts his insensitivity here. Heavens, any half-wit should realize that use of terms like "Brainstorming" would be offensive to those with brain disorders.
There seems to be one brain disorder that is universal nowadays - Trivial Complaint Syndrome. Having so few *real* problems, we come up with nonsense like the above. You know it's really bad when you start blogging.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Coming soon to a game near you
Interesting animation which might not be work-safe in some places. It's not smutty, it's just....check it out.
From that St. Louis based Pabst-lover who goes through websites faster than Liz Taylor did with husbands. Hurry up and you might catch him yet at With Cheese!
From that St. Louis based Pabst-lover who goes through websites faster than Liz Taylor did with husbands. Hurry up and you might catch him yet at With Cheese!
We're from the govt and we're here to help...
...and we think you'll be safer if we charge you close to $100 just to put in a few permanent electrical features in your home. Thus spake Lynne Kiesling here.
This is about the revenue of course, because it's contrary to safety. Why? Because people will avoid this outrageous fee. They'll do it by using inferior contractors such as themselves, or will instead rely on nonpermanent measures like dropcords and power strips.
This is about the revenue of course, because it's contrary to safety. Why? Because people will avoid this outrageous fee. They'll do it by using inferior contractors such as themselves, or will instead rely on nonpermanent measures like dropcords and power strips.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Requiescat in pacem, Ipse Dixit
Senator Christopher Dodd is still around and as obstructive as ever. But The Dodd - Dodd Harris - is shutting down his blog.
This is a true loss to the blog world. Come on back anytime, Dodd. And if you need a place to vent sometime, you're welcome to do that here or probably at dozens of other sites as well.
This is a true loss to the blog world. Come on back anytime, Dodd. And if you need a place to vent sometime, you're welcome to do that here or probably at dozens of other sites as well.
Monday, June 27, 2005
You missed it...
The Maryland Dancesport event happened this past weekend, and what a show it was. It's not the biggest, and it doesn't host any "world championships", but there was plenty of talent. If you like "Dancing with the Stars", a competition like this will blow you away.
After the competition Saturday night there was a show by Andrei Gavriline and Katya Kryuchkova. Mr. Gavrilene makes Jim Carrey look downright arthritic, and both he and his partner know how to put on a show. It was based on Latin dances, but on the high end it becomes all but indistinguishable from show dancing.
Some of it is hard to appreciate unless you've tried it yourself, but everyone ought to be able to notice athleticism. They could move very quickly, and very precisely, totally in sync with one another while covering the floor from one end to the other. The sheer energy alone was about enough to make your eyes sweat just watching. And that's from some old t-square and compass left-brained engineer - most of the crowd was "artier", and they were at least as impressed.
Want to see stamina? There was Slava Sergiev, from here in Baltimore. He danced with enough students well enough and often enough to come in second as Top Teacher, then competed himself with his wife as a professional and finished second. In between did at least one show dance number, and that's just what I saw.
A few nights back I was dancing with a couple of the local professionals (dancers, wise guy). On Sunday I got to watch them compete for the first time. Ya know, they've been holding out on me. I seem to recall them dressing more conservatively then too.
Anyway, you'd think they'd have to be bored out of their skulls with someone at my level. Then again, they have some idea what a professional partner might do, and they know he'll do it well - with me they really have to be on their toes. And it can even risk injury - there are elbows flying around, I'm a lot bigger, and duffers have poor balance and don't know when or how hard to hold or let go.
So don't just sit there - go to your local competitions! There's one at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend, the Manhattan DanceSport Championships, and if I get a wild enough hair I might even show up there myself.
After the competition Saturday night there was a show by Andrei Gavriline and Katya Kryuchkova. Mr. Gavrilene makes Jim Carrey look downright arthritic, and both he and his partner know how to put on a show. It was based on Latin dances, but on the high end it becomes all but indistinguishable from show dancing.
Some of it is hard to appreciate unless you've tried it yourself, but everyone ought to be able to notice athleticism. They could move very quickly, and very precisely, totally in sync with one another while covering the floor from one end to the other. The sheer energy alone was about enough to make your eyes sweat just watching. And that's from some old t-square and compass left-brained engineer - most of the crowd was "artier", and they were at least as impressed.
Want to see stamina? There was Slava Sergiev, from here in Baltimore. He danced with enough students well enough and often enough to come in second as Top Teacher, then competed himself with his wife as a professional and finished second. In between did at least one show dance number, and that's just what I saw.
A few nights back I was dancing with a couple of the local professionals (dancers, wise guy). On Sunday I got to watch them compete for the first time. Ya know, they've been holding out on me. I seem to recall them dressing more conservatively then too.
Anyway, you'd think they'd have to be bored out of their skulls with someone at my level. Then again, they have some idea what a professional partner might do, and they know he'll do it well - with me they really have to be on their toes. And it can even risk injury - there are elbows flying around, I'm a lot bigger, and duffers have poor balance and don't know when or how hard to hold or let go.
So don't just sit there - go to your local competitions! There's one at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend, the Manhattan DanceSport Championships, and if I get a wild enough hair I might even show up there myself.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Harkin vs. Harkin
Certainly a long-serving US Senator like Tom Harkin wouldn't change his opinion on an issue based purely on which party held the Senate?
Or would he?
Hawspipe settles the issue.
Or would he?
Hawspipe settles the issue.
Attention personnel professionals
Girl, 14, Accused Of Robbing Pizza Delivery Driver At Gunpoint
Right here
What struck me was "According to the bureau of labor statistics, driver-sales type work, such as pizza delivery, is the fifth most deadly occupation when you combine traffic fatalities and homicides.
The bureau says it's a job more deadly than roofing, electrical power installation, farm work, and construction work."
What struck me was "According to the bureau of labor statistics, driver-sales type work, such as pizza delivery, is the fifth most deadly occupation when you combine traffic fatalities and homicides.
The bureau says it's a job more deadly than roofing, electrical power installation, farm work, and construction work."
It's not too late...
...to come to the finals at the Maryland Dancesport competition being held at the BWI Marriott just outside Baltimore. You've already missed some good stuff, but there's still more tonight and again tomorrow up until about 4PM.
Yes, I was there too competing in the pro-am division. I racked up win after win in smooth, Latin and rhythm. Of course I probably ought to give credit where credit is due and note that no competition for me ever showed up. So if you're a half-empty sort of person you can say that I finished last in every event too. I definitely should have lost in the American samba, where I must have looked like a man with a bum leg trying to mime a bout of Tourette's.
Two more events occur in the DC area later this summer. The Virginia State Championships event will be in Reston in mid July, and the Capital Dancesport event is in Alexandria, VA in late August.
Yes, I was there too competing in the pro-am division. I racked up win after win in smooth, Latin and rhythm. Of course I probably ought to give credit where credit is due and note that no competition for me ever showed up. So if you're a half-empty sort of person you can say that I finished last in every event too. I definitely should have lost in the American samba, where I must have looked like a man with a bum leg trying to mime a bout of Tourette's.
Two more events occur in the DC area later this summer. The Virginia State Championships event will be in Reston in mid July, and the Capital Dancesport event is in Alexandria, VA in late August.
Newsflash!
In an effort to correct budget shortfalls, the District of Columbia has just seized the Supreme Court building and sold it to WalMart.
A DC spokesperson said "We've had problems with money because we have so many Federal buildings here that are exempt from property taxation. Now, thanks to the Kelo decision, we can generate some serious tax dollars to help pay for the next time the chief of police's car is stolen".
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood was disappointed that their bid to turn the facility into the Blackmun Abortion Museum failed.
Meanwhile Wal-Mart spokespeople were exuberant. "Once we kick those nine old folks out, what you'll have here is just us".
If you believe the above you really have no business being on the Internet. Near as I can tell the only part that's true is the bit about taxation in DC and the car heist. Meanwhile I'm sure Scrappleface or Iowahawk have done a better job with this.
A DC spokesperson said "We've had problems with money because we have so many Federal buildings here that are exempt from property taxation. Now, thanks to the Kelo decision, we can generate some serious tax dollars to help pay for the next time the chief of police's car is stolen".
A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood was disappointed that their bid to turn the facility into the Blackmun Abortion Museum failed.
Meanwhile Wal-Mart spokespeople were exuberant. "Once we kick those nine old folks out, what you'll have here is just us".
If you believe the above you really have no business being on the Internet. Near as I can tell the only part that's true is the bit about taxation in DC and the car heist. Meanwhile I'm sure Scrappleface or Iowahawk have done a better job with this.
The way to a better Supreme Court
Let's see who can guess who voted for the Kelo decision:
Kennedy? Souter? O'Connor? Thomas? Scalia? Rehnquist? Ginsberg? Stephens? Breyer?
Oh come on, this one is easy.
Here's a hint - if they get good press, they voted for it. If they've been the subjects of repeated smear campaigns (Thomas, Scalia), they voted against it. If they were submitted immediately after someone was sodomized by a vicious smear campaign (Kennedy, after the first "borking"), they voted for it. If they were appointed by Democrat Bill Clinton (Ginsberg, Breyer), they voted for it.
How to account for Stephens and Souter? Both were appointed by Republicans, as were all four dissenters (Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor and Rehnquist). But Stephens and Souter were appointed by moderate Republicans facing hostile Dems controlling both houses of Congress. Stephens was appointed by Gerald Ford after the Dems finally succeeded in screwing their old nemesis Richard Nixon - there's no way anyone but a liberal was getting past a Senate loaded with Dems. Souter was appointed by George Bush 41, not so long after the unconscionable nastiness of the Dems' attacks on Robert Bork.
Can we draw any conclusions? (Try and stop me....) How about this?...If you want defensible decisions from the Supreme Court, wrt property rights at least, let a Republican President do the appointing, with a Republican Congress to approve.
And let them come up for a vote.
Kennedy? Souter? O'Connor? Thomas? Scalia? Rehnquist? Ginsberg? Stephens? Breyer?
Oh come on, this one is easy.
Here's a hint - if they get good press, they voted for it. If they've been the subjects of repeated smear campaigns (Thomas, Scalia), they voted against it. If they were submitted immediately after someone was sodomized by a vicious smear campaign (Kennedy, after the first "borking"), they voted for it. If they were appointed by Democrat Bill Clinton (Ginsberg, Breyer), they voted for it.
How to account for Stephens and Souter? Both were appointed by Republicans, as were all four dissenters (Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor and Rehnquist). But Stephens and Souter were appointed by moderate Republicans facing hostile Dems controlling both houses of Congress. Stephens was appointed by Gerald Ford after the Dems finally succeeded in screwing their old nemesis Richard Nixon - there's no way anyone but a liberal was getting past a Senate loaded with Dems. Souter was appointed by George Bush 41, not so long after the unconscionable nastiness of the Dems' attacks on Robert Bork.
Can we draw any conclusions? (Try and stop me....) How about this?...If you want defensible decisions from the Supreme Court, wrt property rights at least, let a Republican President do the appointing, with a Republican Congress to approve.
And let them come up for a vote.
The real Klan
You know, I can't stand Robert Byrd, the insufferable Senator from West Virginia. If reminding people that he once belonged to the KKK will help get his sorry butt out of office, I say fire at will. But let's show some respect for historical accuracy here.
I followed a link to Wizbang and saw commenter after commenter making ritual denunciations of the Klan. Terrific - we certainly don't need any of what they've come to represent. But when was the last time anyone took a look at how they came to represent it?
The simple fact is that the Klan was popular nationwide until well into the last century. They were even represented as the heroes of one of the world's best known early movies, "Birth of a Nation".
And it wasn't just a Southern thing either. It was found throughout the North too, including central IL where I grew up. I had at least one older relative (deceased for half a century now) who was a member, and his quote was that he couldn't see anything wrong with an organization that required its members to be free, white and 21. Enlightened he wasn't, but he was typical of his generation.
As for the ambient racism, a town not far away (LaSalle-Peru, IL) was known to have signs on each end of town saying "Nigger - don't let the sun set on you". There were few blacks or Jews in the area, and there were enough Catholics to take care of themselves, so it must have been kind of frustrating if everyone was seeking violence and destruction.
Incidentally, we've had entire political parties dedicated to intolerance, such as the Know-Nothings and the Anti-Masonic party.
The Klan is associated with terrorizing minorities, particularly blacks. But have you seen pictures of lynched blacks? Look in the crowds - how many of them are wearing Klan outfits? The fact is that lynching was approved by much of the population once upon a time. It didn't take the Klan to start or even accelerate lynching, and in fact the term predates the Klan.
And it so happens that I have a very distant cousin, who was at least half white for sure, who allegedly was lynched out in western Iowa somewhere. Nowadays no one is quite sure how it happened, but the theory is that he was accused of stealing a horse. Here is an account of a white guy named Bowen who was lynched in Texas.
The recent book "Freakonomics" studies some of the most offbeat things, and among them is the KKK. The book tells of one Stetson Kennedy who infiltrated the Klan - here's a passage:
(Want to know the ingenious way in which Stetson Kennedy turned the Klan into a laughingstock? Read "Freakanomics".)
How busy was the Klan? In terms of lynchings at least there were some 4000-odd lynchings between around 1880 and 1950, but not all were black and not all of those were by the Klan for sure (not that the Klan wouldn't lynch or terrorize whites too - I'm just trying to come up with some sort of ballpark estimate). In contrast, over less than 5 years 1063 people have been killed by Palestinian violence and terror, yet some people think they're the good guys.
But hey, let's hang 4000 lynchings on the Klan. Literally millions of men had had something to do with the Klan at one time or another over that period. Lynchings by the Klan at least appears to have been fairly uncommon, and chapters who did do it might well have been the exception rather than the rule. When Klan membership is common as it was, it can be difficult to determine whether people were acting as Klansmen or just as people who happened to be Klan members. I don't know - I don't have the data.
Now suppose that every last trace of the Klan disappeared from the earth this instant. IMO something comparable would arise in its place. Dung by any other name would smell as bad, and if we don't want the Klan back then we must avoid creating the conditions that incubated it in the first place.
Is the above a defense of the Klan? Hardly. But let's not make out as if any past association with the Klan is some sort of indelible stain or original sin. Unless someone can dig up some actual terrorism conducted by Byrd's little scam, his past association probably says more about his age and where he grew up than anything else.
I followed a link to Wizbang and saw commenter after commenter making ritual denunciations of the Klan. Terrific - we certainly don't need any of what they've come to represent. But when was the last time anyone took a look at how they came to represent it?
The simple fact is that the Klan was popular nationwide until well into the last century. They were even represented as the heroes of one of the world's best known early movies, "Birth of a Nation".
And it wasn't just a Southern thing either. It was found throughout the North too, including central IL where I grew up. I had at least one older relative (deceased for half a century now) who was a member, and his quote was that he couldn't see anything wrong with an organization that required its members to be free, white and 21. Enlightened he wasn't, but he was typical of his generation.
As for the ambient racism, a town not far away (LaSalle-Peru, IL) was known to have signs on each end of town saying "Nigger - don't let the sun set on you". There were few blacks or Jews in the area, and there were enough Catholics to take care of themselves, so it must have been kind of frustrating if everyone was seeking violence and destruction.
Incidentally, we've had entire political parties dedicated to intolerance, such as the Know-Nothings and the Anti-Masonic party.
The Klan is associated with terrorizing minorities, particularly blacks. But have you seen pictures of lynched blacks? Look in the crowds - how many of them are wearing Klan outfits? The fact is that lynching was approved by much of the population once upon a time. It didn't take the Klan to start or even accelerate lynching, and in fact the term predates the Klan.
And it so happens that I have a very distant cousin, who was at least half white for sure, who allegedly was lynched out in western Iowa somewhere. Nowadays no one is quite sure how it happened, but the theory is that he was accused of stealing a horse. Here is an account of a white guy named Bowen who was lynched in Texas.
The recent book "Freakonomics" studies some of the most offbeat things, and among them is the KKK. The book tells of one Stetson Kennedy who infiltrated the Klan - here's a passage:
But if the Ku Klux Klan of the 1940s wasn't uniformly violent, what was it? The Klan that Stetson Kennedy found was in fact a storry fraternity of men, most of them poorly educated and with poor prospects, who needed a place to vent-and an excuse for occasionally staying out all night. That their fraternity engaged in quasi-religious chanting and oath taking and hosanna hailing, all of it top secret, made it that much more appealing.
Kennedy also found the Klan to be a slick money-making operation, at least for those near the top of the organization. Klan leaders had any number of revenue sources: thousands of dues-paying rank-and-file members; business owners who hired the Klan to scare off the unions or who paid the Klan protection money; Klan rallies that generated huge cash donations; even the occasional gunrunning or moonshine operation. Then there were rackets such as the Klan's Death Benefit Association, which sold insurance policies to Klan members and accepted only cash or personal checks made out to the Grand Dragon himself.
Yep, it was a big boys' club for losers. Setting up a local branch of such an organization was a way for Robert Byrd to promote himself and and live off poor people. It's little wonder he became a Democrat Senator - it's the same thing on a larger scale.Kennedy also found the Klan to be a slick money-making operation, at least for those near the top of the organization. Klan leaders had any number of revenue sources: thousands of dues-paying rank-and-file members; business owners who hired the Klan to scare off the unions or who paid the Klan protection money; Klan rallies that generated huge cash donations; even the occasional gunrunning or moonshine operation. Then there were rackets such as the Klan's Death Benefit Association, which sold insurance policies to Klan members and accepted only cash or personal checks made out to the Grand Dragon himself.
(Want to know the ingenious way in which Stetson Kennedy turned the Klan into a laughingstock? Read "Freakanomics".)
How busy was the Klan? In terms of lynchings at least there were some 4000-odd lynchings between around 1880 and 1950, but not all were black and not all of those were by the Klan for sure (not that the Klan wouldn't lynch or terrorize whites too - I'm just trying to come up with some sort of ballpark estimate). In contrast, over less than 5 years 1063 people have been killed by Palestinian violence and terror, yet some people think they're the good guys.
But hey, let's hang 4000 lynchings on the Klan. Literally millions of men had had something to do with the Klan at one time or another over that period. Lynchings by the Klan at least appears to have been fairly uncommon, and chapters who did do it might well have been the exception rather than the rule. When Klan membership is common as it was, it can be difficult to determine whether people were acting as Klansmen or just as people who happened to be Klan members. I don't know - I don't have the data.
Now suppose that every last trace of the Klan disappeared from the earth this instant. IMO something comparable would arise in its place. Dung by any other name would smell as bad, and if we don't want the Klan back then we must avoid creating the conditions that incubated it in the first place.
Is the above a defense of the Klan? Hardly. But let's not make out as if any past association with the Klan is some sort of indelible stain or original sin. Unless someone can dig up some actual terrorism conducted by Byrd's little scam, his past association probably says more about his age and where he grew up than anything else.
Flag burning...
...is a hate crime against veterans and patriots.
So if we must permit it in the name of free speech, let's get all the other hate crime legislation off the books too.
So if we must permit it in the name of free speech, let's get all the other hate crime legislation off the books too.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Dick Durbin: phony
That was an apology?
Sorry Dick, but you don't wait a week. You don't wait until your whoremasters in Chicago come down on you for it. You don't continue to deplore Guantanamo even as you try to distance yourself from your grossly inappropriate Nazi parallels. You don't make continued references to others' "misunderstandings", and in any case what you said was plain as day - you are the one straining to come up with an alternate interpretation. And if you
want to look more sincere than you did, you'd be taking a step in the right direction by studying Jimmy Swaggart ("I have sinned!").
Video here, via Glenn Reynolds.
I'll confess that I couldn't stand the man before, and I've voted against him every chance I've had. Looking at him was probably what convinced Alan Keyes to run for Senate in IL. Durbin is a party hack all the way regardless of what is good for IL, and the sooner he is gone from Congress the better.
UPDATE: From C-Log. They didn't see an apology either.
Sorry Dick, but you don't wait a week. You don't wait until your whoremasters in Chicago come down on you for it. You don't continue to deplore Guantanamo even as you try to distance yourself from your grossly inappropriate Nazi parallels. You don't make continued references to others' "misunderstandings", and in any case what you said was plain as day - you are the one straining to come up with an alternate interpretation. And if you
want to look more sincere than you did, you'd be taking a step in the right direction by studying Jimmy Swaggart ("I have sinned!").
Video here, via Glenn Reynolds.
I'll confess that I couldn't stand the man before, and I've voted against him every chance I've had. Looking at him was probably what convinced Alan Keyes to run for Senate in IL. Durbin is a party hack all the way regardless of what is good for IL, and the sooner he is gone from Congress the better.
UPDATE: From C-Log. They didn't see an apology either.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Belated recognition
Medpundit points to this item about a man who played a key role in one of the most publicized events in medical history, yet I'm betting that you've never heard of him. I sure hadn't.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Sunday, June 19, 2005
CNN and lynching
CNN is showing a feature about a black man who barely escaped lynching and subsequently started the "Black Holocaust Museum" in Milwaukee.
One can quarrel with this idea on several bases. For one, last I knew the Jews weren't selling "Holocaust" franchises. Godwin's Law is due for an extension.
In fact, for all we hear about lynching, we're only talking a few thousand over decades. As bad as that is, it's not in the ballpark with the Holocaust, which killed off around 6 million Jews over a much shorter period. It works out to roughly a 1,000,000% difference. No hair-splitting here.
And not only blacks were lynched. Who made up the rest? Many, including Jews. The Leo Frank case in Atlanta was an example of the latter. I'm not going to jack around with the numbers, but it might be interesting to see which groups were lynched more often as a proportion of their populations.
But what led to this post was the repeated mention of efforts to make lynching a Federal crime. Good grief, why get the feds involved, especially nowadays when it appears that things are under control?
Note to CNN - if more govt is the answer, it's probably a stupid question.
One can quarrel with this idea on several bases. For one, last I knew the Jews weren't selling "Holocaust" franchises. Godwin's Law is due for an extension.
In fact, for all we hear about lynching, we're only talking a few thousand over decades. As bad as that is, it's not in the ballpark with the Holocaust, which killed off around 6 million Jews over a much shorter period. It works out to roughly a 1,000,000% difference. No hair-splitting here.
And not only blacks were lynched. Who made up the rest? Many, including Jews. The Leo Frank case in Atlanta was an example of the latter. I'm not going to jack around with the numbers, but it might be interesting to see which groups were lynched more often as a proportion of their populations.
But what led to this post was the repeated mention of efforts to make lynching a Federal crime. Good grief, why get the feds involved, especially nowadays when it appears that things are under control?
Note to CNN - if more govt is the answer, it's probably a stupid question.
Go big or go home
Rath ergate, the Downing Street memos...what's with these people? Doesn't anybody want to do any real work nowadays?
Consider "Baron" James Reavis. He went to churches and archives across the southwestern US, Mexico and Spain examining, altering and forging documents until he convinced a lot of people that he owned a huge tract of land which encompassed much of Arizona and part of New Mexico.
Eventually he was busted and spent a couple of years in the federal pen, but he had a heck of a run in the late 1800's before he was exposed.
Consider "Baron" James Reavis. He went to churches and archives across the southwestern US, Mexico and Spain examining, altering and forging documents until he convinced a lot of people that he owned a huge tract of land which encompassed much of Arizona and part of New Mexico.
Eventually he was busted and spent a couple of years in the federal pen, but he had a heck of a run in the late 1800's before he was exposed.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Recycled links
This website needs some housekeeping. Some things are hardly changed since day 1 three years ago. OK, so I have respect for tradition. If you want change, there's this guy, with half a dozen names for his blog on about 3 sites that I recall.
Nope, this site reveres the past. In that spirit I'll revive some classics that don't seem to get much buzz nowadays. Such as OddTodd.
Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About probably ought to be made into a movie with Hugh Grant. For a costar, after her performance in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", I vote for Kate Hudson. Anyway, it appears that he's been revising and updating this page.
Then there's JoeCartoon, home of the Frog Blender and Gerbil Microwave.
But no matter what, I refuse to link to HampsterDance.
Nope, this site reveres the past. In that spirit I'll revive some classics that don't seem to get much buzz nowadays. Such as OddTodd.
Things My Girlfriend and I have Argued About probably ought to be made into a movie with Hugh Grant. For a costar, after her performance in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", I vote for Kate Hudson. Anyway, it appears that he's been revising and updating this page.
Then there's JoeCartoon, home of the Frog Blender and Gerbil Microwave.
But no matter what, I refuse to link to HampsterDance.
Forgetting anyone?
Normally I'd leave the LA Times beat to Patterico, but I can't let this one pass.
Drudge posted this about a PI threatening a reporter. Could it be?...yes, it's the Pelican, Anthony Pellicano.
He's up to his old tricks again, intimidating women. You might recall that he was also involved with trying to intimidate witnesses against Bill Clinton, such as Kathleen Willey.
Yet somehow Bill Clinton's name was not mentioned in the article. Golly, do you suppose it's an innocent oversight? Or is it not news when a President's known associates does things like this?
Drudge posted this about a PI threatening a reporter. Could it be?...yes, it's the Pelican, Anthony Pellicano.
He's up to his old tricks again, intimidating women. You might recall that he was also involved with trying to intimidate witnesses against Bill Clinton, such as Kathleen Willey.
Yet somehow Bill Clinton's name was not mentioned in the article. Golly, do you suppose it's an innocent oversight? Or is it not news when a President's known associates does things like this?
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
An Emily Litella moment
I read about something described as an "oral impotence drug". Say what? Then it dawned on me that it was the dose that was oral, not the condition.
Never mind.
Never mind.
A thread on nuclear power safety issues
I stumbled across this post a couple of days ago. Someone in Australia was concerned about the vulnerability of nuclear power plants to attack, and we had some exchanges in the comments.
While reading it I couldn't help but remember a post a couple of weeks ago in which I questioned the manners and productivity of evolutionary biologists, who have so few actual speciation events to claim while responding to critics with bluster, insults and other things unworthy of professionals. I was amused at the strange combination of rudeness and touchiness, and the unfounded accusations about my beliefs coming from those who supposedly revered logic and research.
I can see getting frustrated with some arguments, which can make you wonder just how !@#$@ stupid someone thinks you must be, and I've certainly run into partisans against whom reason contends in vain.
But hey, I don't work at nuke plants any more. I don't even own any stock in companies who own them, and it's been awhile since I've seen anyone I used to work with. I really don't care where my power comes from - as a mechanical engineer I can make money off it no matter what its source.
So by now I speak as one with a decade's worth of relevant firsthand engineering experience without any economic or other conflicts of interest besides a desire to keep the lights on at a price I can afford.
While reading it I couldn't help but remember a post a couple of weeks ago in which I questioned the manners and productivity of evolutionary biologists, who have so few actual speciation events to claim while responding to critics with bluster, insults and other things unworthy of professionals. I was amused at the strange combination of rudeness and touchiness, and the unfounded accusations about my beliefs coming from those who supposedly revered logic and research.
I can see getting frustrated with some arguments, which can make you wonder just how !@#$@ stupid someone thinks you must be, and I've certainly run into partisans against whom reason contends in vain.
But hey, I don't work at nuke plants any more. I don't even own any stock in companies who own them, and it's been awhile since I've seen anyone I used to work with. I really don't care where my power comes from - as a mechanical engineer I can make money off it no matter what its source.
So by now I speak as one with a decade's worth of relevant firsthand engineering experience without any economic or other conflicts of interest besides a desire to keep the lights on at a price I can afford.
Misunderstanding
I hate to think of how many job interviews I've had. Doing contract work has often meant that I don't meet my interviewer face to face until I show up for work. In fact, I've participated in a number of successful interviews while flat on my back in bed.
Interviewers have been a mixed lot too. Usually it's one-on-one, but occasionally there are multiple interviewers, and on a speakerphone to boot.
I'm used to these things by now, but some people have a hard time relaxing under such conditions. In terms of stress, it ranks up there with speechmaking.
If you've looked at books about making speeches, they have a number of hints for helping you to relax. One famous book suggested visualizing your audience naked.
And then there's this one: Dancing Naked: Breaking Through the Emotional Limits That Keep You from the Job You Want.
So maybe this guy was only trying to help.
From Drudge.
Interviewers have been a mixed lot too. Usually it's one-on-one, but occasionally there are multiple interviewers, and on a speakerphone to boot.
I'm used to these things by now, but some people have a hard time relaxing under such conditions. In terms of stress, it ranks up there with speechmaking.
If you've looked at books about making speeches, they have a number of hints for helping you to relax. One famous book suggested visualizing your audience naked.
And then there's this one: Dancing Naked: Breaking Through the Emotional Limits That Keep You from the Job You Want.
So maybe this guy was only trying to help.
From Drudge.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
We're whistleblowers, they're rats
How to tell them apart
Jay Bryant seems to have closed up shop on his blog. But while looking for it, I found this.
Jay Bryant seems to have closed up shop on his blog. But while looking for it, I found this.
Power blogging
Since I started this blog over 3 years ago a number of people have started writing about energy issues. Here are a few:
Alternative Energy Blog - solar, wind, nuclear...
NEI Nuclear News - where Eric McErlain et al keep us abreast of nuclear power issues.
The Ergosphere - the home of Engineer-Poet and a lot of informed talk about energy.
The Knowledge Problem - economics with much discussion of energy issues.
Late entries that I'm less familiar with:
Energy Outlook
Peak Oil Optimist
And I have to tip my hat to Steven Den Beste, one of the best bloggers ever, who has shut down his flagship USS Clueless. Look through his archives for some really good stuff, and wish him well.
Of course none of this is to be confused with Powerblogs. Experienced high-volume high-traffic bloggers like Dean Esmay and the Volokh Conspiracy swear by it.
Alternative Energy Blog - solar, wind, nuclear...
NEI Nuclear News - where Eric McErlain et al keep us abreast of nuclear power issues.
The Ergosphere - the home of Engineer-Poet and a lot of informed talk about energy.
The Knowledge Problem - economics with much discussion of energy issues.
Late entries that I'm less familiar with:
Energy Outlook
Peak Oil Optimist
And I have to tip my hat to Steven Den Beste, one of the best bloggers ever, who has shut down his flagship USS Clueless. Look through his archives for some really good stuff, and wish him well.
Of course none of this is to be confused with Powerblogs. Experienced high-volume high-traffic bloggers like Dean Esmay and the Volokh Conspiracy swear by it.
Jersey justice
I have to wonder if judges don't wake up on some days and ask themselves "who can I screw today?" Try to make sure you're not in the courthouse on those days.
Oh, just read it.
I wonder what it would be like being raised by someone who's on record as saying she might have killed you if she had known that there was a chance you'd turn out like you did? "You changed your mind, right Mom?"
Oh, just read it.
I wonder what it would be like being raised by someone who's on record as saying she might have killed you if she had known that there was a chance you'd turn out like you did? "You changed your mind, right Mom?"
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Made in America?
Somewhere in a cave a few weeks ago there might have been a discussion like this:
"I hear some Korans are being torn up and such in Gitmo"
"So? How do you think we start our fires?"
"But they're flushing them down the toilets"
"That is indeed a crime - they should be dried off and used again to start the fires, or perhaps washed and used again"
"But those citizens of the world who make up American journalism think this is a really big deal to us - shouldn't we play along?"
I was under the impression that Islam didn't have much use for idolatry and such. For sure the Wahhabis, who in essence are the bad guys we're fighting in the Middle East, go so far as to redecorate mosques whenever they have taken over. Other, more common strains of Islam are more tolerant.
So what is this about desecrating Korans? Is it a bogus issue from the start, created by Western journalists with no knowledge of Islam? Or is there actually something in Muslim tradition that exempts mere objects like copies of the Koran from concerns about idolatry?
"I hear some Korans are being torn up and such in Gitmo"
"So? How do you think we start our fires?"
"But they're flushing them down the toilets"
"That is indeed a crime - they should be dried off and used again to start the fires, or perhaps washed and used again"
"But those citizens of the world who make up American journalism think this is a really big deal to us - shouldn't we play along?"
I was under the impression that Islam didn't have much use for idolatry and such. For sure the Wahhabis, who in essence are the bad guys we're fighting in the Middle East, go so far as to redecorate mosques whenever they have taken over. Other, more common strains of Islam are more tolerant.
So what is this about desecrating Korans? Is it a bogus issue from the start, created by Western journalists with no knowledge of Islam? Or is there actually something in Muslim tradition that exempts mere objects like copies of the Koran from concerns about idolatry?
Friday, June 10, 2005
Dancing with the Stars
I managed to catch it this week, and it was a trip. 6 celebrities of the kind that participate in reality shows were paired with 6 top pro dance instructor/performers, and they're competing for marks from the judges and the audience. Each couple must dance one dance a week, with the whole floor to themselves. Of course we have an "execution" at the end of each show starting this week until we have a final winner.
The dances themselves are the so-called standard and Latin dances - the international style. Standard includes foxtrot, waltz, quickstep, Viennese waltz and tango, and Latin includes rumba, cha cha, jive, samba and paso doble. The series is six weeks long, so presumably they'll be doing six of the above. We've seen 4 - the ladies have done waltz and rumba, and the men have done cha cha and quickstep. It would be a crime if the other two weren't tango and jive (think swing/Charleston/Lindy). Standard Viennese waltz is boring (as opposed to American style smooth Viennese waltz), foxtrot is too much like quickstep and waltz, paso doble isn't so accessible and samba just has a little too much personality.
Each dance is rigorously defined for judging purposes by various organizations. Ordinarily the actual choreography is limited to using figures which are "part of the dance", but they're probably a bit relaxed here. There are three judges for each dance in a token attempt to maintain discipline and to give some useful feedback, but the results tell us that the audience rules the roost. Otherwise Kelly Monaco would be gone instead of Trista, with Evander not far behind.
(Evander Who? Yep, that's Evander Holyfield, past heavyweight boxing champion who has "danced" with Mike Tyson et al. One judge had just finished criticizing Evander's quickstep when another proposed that the first be given 5 weeks of training and then put in the ring with Evander).
Watching this could be intimidating to potential dancers. They have to understand that those routines, at least what I've seen so far, would take the average person many many lessons and much practice to learn. We're talking years at typical rates of study and progress. If you see showy moves, it's because they've had several intensive weeks to prepare with the full attention of top pros, and they know that much of their audience won't bust them on technical stuff like the judges will. (Also, the dancers have the floor to themselves, so "floorcraft" isn't an issue - they don't have to work around the other dancers like at real competitions or social gatherings. That makes life a lot simpler for everyone, especially inexperienced men doing standard dances)
A cynic might say that of course it takes time to learn - dance instructors typically get paid by the hour. To that I can only say "try it", and consider that somebody like Joey MacIntyre, who was the youngest man competing, has been dancing for a long time, and presumably wants to look good, had plenty of trouble working with his quickstep routine.
They don't call it quickstep for nothing - you could call it a faster foxtrot that at times looks like calisthenics for two. The tempo wasn't really brutal, but it was plenty for men who weren't professionals, and many of those beats were split into two steps. Anyway, it's harder than it looks, especially when the pros do it. Anyway, I can't wait to see Evander Holyfield attempt it - he'll literally need to be on his toes.
Meanwhile the ladies are doing rumba, which is the slowest Latin dance. It's supposed to be the most erotic, and it definitely doesn't look right if you look like you're dancing with your sister. That seemed to bother Trista, who basically wanted to clear some of it with her husband first (don't worry, honey, you're not your partner's type).
Stacy's Mom has got it goin' on - Rachel Hunter did well, even with some challenging moves. Trista just wasn't into it enough or maybe she just couldn't relax. Kelly Monaco, an ex Playboy Playmate, had no trouble with heat but needed work on her movement.
Joey MacIntyre was OK. John O'Hurley looked the part and got the highest marks. Evander? Well, he was a fan favorite, but he wasn't exactly lightfooted. Just don't tell him I said that.
If you liked the show you might consider going to a dance competition. I'll write about that in another post.
The dances themselves are the so-called standard and Latin dances - the international style. Standard includes foxtrot, waltz, quickstep, Viennese waltz and tango, and Latin includes rumba, cha cha, jive, samba and paso doble. The series is six weeks long, so presumably they'll be doing six of the above. We've seen 4 - the ladies have done waltz and rumba, and the men have done cha cha and quickstep. It would be a crime if the other two weren't tango and jive (think swing/Charleston/Lindy). Standard Viennese waltz is boring (as opposed to American style smooth Viennese waltz), foxtrot is too much like quickstep and waltz, paso doble isn't so accessible and samba just has a little too much personality.
Each dance is rigorously defined for judging purposes by various organizations. Ordinarily the actual choreography is limited to using figures which are "part of the dance", but they're probably a bit relaxed here. There are three judges for each dance in a token attempt to maintain discipline and to give some useful feedback, but the results tell us that the audience rules the roost. Otherwise Kelly Monaco would be gone instead of Trista, with Evander not far behind.
(Evander Who? Yep, that's Evander Holyfield, past heavyweight boxing champion who has "danced" with Mike Tyson et al. One judge had just finished criticizing Evander's quickstep when another proposed that the first be given 5 weeks of training and then put in the ring with Evander).
Watching this could be intimidating to potential dancers. They have to understand that those routines, at least what I've seen so far, would take the average person many many lessons and much practice to learn. We're talking years at typical rates of study and progress. If you see showy moves, it's because they've had several intensive weeks to prepare with the full attention of top pros, and they know that much of their audience won't bust them on technical stuff like the judges will. (Also, the dancers have the floor to themselves, so "floorcraft" isn't an issue - they don't have to work around the other dancers like at real competitions or social gatherings. That makes life a lot simpler for everyone, especially inexperienced men doing standard dances)
A cynic might say that of course it takes time to learn - dance instructors typically get paid by the hour. To that I can only say "try it", and consider that somebody like Joey MacIntyre, who was the youngest man competing, has been dancing for a long time, and presumably wants to look good, had plenty of trouble working with his quickstep routine.
They don't call it quickstep for nothing - you could call it a faster foxtrot that at times looks like calisthenics for two. The tempo wasn't really brutal, but it was plenty for men who weren't professionals, and many of those beats were split into two steps. Anyway, it's harder than it looks, especially when the pros do it. Anyway, I can't wait to see Evander Holyfield attempt it - he'll literally need to be on his toes.
Meanwhile the ladies are doing rumba, which is the slowest Latin dance. It's supposed to be the most erotic, and it definitely doesn't look right if you look like you're dancing with your sister. That seemed to bother Trista, who basically wanted to clear some of it with her husband first (don't worry, honey, you're not your partner's type).
Stacy's Mom has got it goin' on - Rachel Hunter did well, even with some challenging moves. Trista just wasn't into it enough or maybe she just couldn't relax. Kelly Monaco, an ex Playboy Playmate, had no trouble with heat but needed work on her movement.
Joey MacIntyre was OK. John O'Hurley looked the part and got the highest marks. Evander? Well, he was a fan favorite, but he wasn't exactly lightfooted. Just don't tell him I said that.
If you liked the show you might consider going to a dance competition. I'll write about that in another post.
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
A trip to Mars
It's Tuesday night on the north side of Baltimore and I'm bored. This, from an engineer/IT guy who's studied a fair amount of statistics, accounting and economics. I know bored - this is the real thing.
I don't react well to boredom. Bored engineers are especially dangerous, and the results often include property damage. Bored neighborhood kids used to make pipe bombs out of old lawn furniture, match heads and homemade gunpower, and I marvel to this day that we all escaped with all of our eyeballs and fingers. The worst I ever did on my own was a respectable fire that only caused a little smoke damage and a slightly cracked commode before I put it out.
Well, I did have a dance lesson tonight. Some might prefer boredom - welcome to my life. But hey, my Latin dancing is getting more recognizable.
< rant>!@#$@ metric dancing! - of course those contrary furriners don't do it the same way. You might think that Latin (international style) rumba or cha cha cha (sic) would be the same as rhythm (American style) rumba and cha cha, but no, and they morphed east coast swing into something called "jive". And who came up with that leg-crossing limping-looking thing called samba? They start their rumba on the 2nd beat, which is contrary (although rhythm dances like mambo and salsa do it too). Somehow underarm turns became "alemanas", crossovers are "New Yorks", and what amounts to a right side pass becomes a "hockey stick". And there's exactly one standard "syllabus" of steps for each dance for teaching and competitive judging purpose, instead of the multiplicity we have in the US, so as usual when innovation is needed it comes from the Americans.< /rant>
Natasha was my instructor tonight. She's a young (<20?) girl with the kind of figure you can only get from dancing. Like about all the staff at the studio (website here), she is from Minsk, Belarus or thereabouts. And they're all good - the owners, Igor and Polina Pilipenchuk, have been 10-Dance champions. (Sheesh, how'd they wind up in Towson? Don't tell me - they got bored.)
Then it's off to the Guitar Center almost next door. Oh, the toys! Now if only I had some talent. Or at least a repertoire. But I'm not going to buy anything, so once again I'm bored.
Alright, better head for the motel. But I can't go the same way every time, or straight back - let's go up York Road. Yeah, let's check out the famous Best Buy where they had a guy busted for passing $2 bills. The guy at the door assured me that they accept $2 bills now. He asked me if I had any and I said no, I was just looking for trouble. I would have bought some stuff, but the line was so long that I wasn't going to wait even though there was some spectacular eye candy just a couple of places ahead of me in the line. I guess I should have expected the long line - obviously they'd had trouble hiring good help.
Then at last, my trip to Mars. No, nothing in Rand Simberg's turf - if you're familiar with Baltimore you know Mars is a local grocery chain. I had to ask the deli clerk and the checkout lady the worst lines they'd ever heard playing on the store's name, but they didn't have any ideas. Boring. I guess I'd better leave the JayWalking to the professionals.
Across the street was a Bertucci's, which makes terrific but pricy pizzas. While I was waiting for one the other day I told the kid at the counter that they were going to open a strip joint next door and call it "Bare Tushies". He liked the idea, or at least humored me until I left with my pizza.
Actually boredom itself is kind of boring. What I have must be something special, like ennui. I'm ennuied. Or something like that - Dr. Weevil would know.
That's what I need - a blogger get-together like when I was in St. Louis. We even managed to get a couple of us together on a weeknight when Tim Blair stopped in town on his transAmerican tour a couple of years ago. Around here of course there's Dr. W, intrepid investigator Bryan Preston, curmudgeonly and skeptical Rodger Schultz, and probably a few others I don't know about. And we're not too far from DC, where they have people like Michelle Malkin, "Deacon" Mirengoff of PowerLine, La Shawn Barber and the Galley Slaves. Maybe we can arrange something before I'm out of here around mid July.
Alright, this post is long enough. I may still be bored, but at least now I know you are too.
I don't react well to boredom. Bored engineers are especially dangerous, and the results often include property damage. Bored neighborhood kids used to make pipe bombs out of old lawn furniture, match heads and homemade gunpower, and I marvel to this day that we all escaped with all of our eyeballs and fingers. The worst I ever did on my own was a respectable fire that only caused a little smoke damage and a slightly cracked commode before I put it out.
Well, I did have a dance lesson tonight. Some might prefer boredom - welcome to my life. But hey, my Latin dancing is getting more recognizable.
< rant>!@#$@ metric dancing! - of course those contrary furriners don't do it the same way. You might think that Latin (international style) rumba or cha cha cha (sic) would be the same as rhythm (American style) rumba and cha cha, but no, and they morphed east coast swing into something called "jive". And who came up with that leg-crossing limping-looking thing called samba? They start their rumba on the 2nd beat, which is contrary (although rhythm dances like mambo and salsa do it too). Somehow underarm turns became "alemanas", crossovers are "New Yorks", and what amounts to a right side pass becomes a "hockey stick". And there's exactly one standard "syllabus" of steps for each dance for teaching and competitive judging purpose, instead of the multiplicity we have in the US, so as usual when innovation is needed it comes from the Americans.< /rant>
Natasha was my instructor tonight. She's a young (<20?) girl with the kind of figure you can only get from dancing. Like about all the staff at the studio (website here), she is from Minsk, Belarus or thereabouts. And they're all good - the owners, Igor and Polina Pilipenchuk, have been 10-Dance champions. (Sheesh, how'd they wind up in Towson? Don't tell me - they got bored.)
Then it's off to the Guitar Center almost next door. Oh, the toys! Now if only I had some talent. Or at least a repertoire. But I'm not going to buy anything, so once again I'm bored.
Alright, better head for the motel. But I can't go the same way every time, or straight back - let's go up York Road. Yeah, let's check out the famous Best Buy where they had a guy busted for passing $2 bills. The guy at the door assured me that they accept $2 bills now. He asked me if I had any and I said no, I was just looking for trouble. I would have bought some stuff, but the line was so long that I wasn't going to wait even though there was some spectacular eye candy just a couple of places ahead of me in the line. I guess I should have expected the long line - obviously they'd had trouble hiring good help.
Then at last, my trip to Mars. No, nothing in Rand Simberg's turf - if you're familiar with Baltimore you know Mars is a local grocery chain. I had to ask the deli clerk and the checkout lady the worst lines they'd ever heard playing on the store's name, but they didn't have any ideas. Boring. I guess I'd better leave the JayWalking to the professionals.
Across the street was a Bertucci's, which makes terrific but pricy pizzas. While I was waiting for one the other day I told the kid at the counter that they were going to open a strip joint next door and call it "Bare Tushies". He liked the idea, or at least humored me until I left with my pizza.
Actually boredom itself is kind of boring. What I have must be something special, like ennui. I'm ennuied. Or something like that - Dr. Weevil would know.
That's what I need - a blogger get-together like when I was in St. Louis. We even managed to get a couple of us together on a weeknight when Tim Blair stopped in town on his transAmerican tour a couple of years ago. Around here of course there's Dr. W, intrepid investigator Bryan Preston, curmudgeonly and skeptical Rodger Schultz, and probably a few others I don't know about. And we're not too far from DC, where they have people like Michelle Malkin, "Deacon" Mirengoff of PowerLine, La Shawn Barber and the Galley Slaves. Maybe we can arrange something before I'm out of here around mid July.
Alright, this post is long enough. I may still be bored, but at least now I know you are too.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
The EMP Threat
I've been waiting for someone to do a good writeup on this. Read it and weep:
Read the rest here
Incidentally, in case anyone has forgotten, it's the Democrats who oppose missile defense. Remember that if you ever find yourself sitting in the dark, with a heap of ruined electronics equipment (including your computer), and no idea what happened or when it will be fixed.
If Osama bin Laden - or the dictators of North Korea or Iran - could destroy America as a twenty-first century society and superpower, would they be tempted to try? Given their track records and stated hostility to the United States, we have to operate on the assumption that they would. That assumption would be especially frightening if this destruction could be accomplished with a single attack involving just one relatively small-yield nuclear weapon - and if the nature of the attack would mean that its perpetrator might not be immediately or easily identified.
Unfortunately, such a scenario is not far-fetched. According to a report issued last summer by a blue-ribbon, Congressionally-mandated commission, a single specialized nuclear weapon delivered to an altitude of a few hundred miles over the United States by a ballistic missile would be "capable of causing catastrophe for the nation." The source of such a cataclysm might be considered the ultimate "weapon of mass destruction" (WMD) - yet it is hardly ever mentioned in the litany of dangerous WMDs we face today. It is known as electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
Unfortunately, such a scenario is not far-fetched. According to a report issued last summer by a blue-ribbon, Congressionally-mandated commission, a single specialized nuclear weapon delivered to an altitude of a few hundred miles over the United States by a ballistic missile would be "capable of causing catastrophe for the nation." The source of such a cataclysm might be considered the ultimate "weapon of mass destruction" (WMD) - yet it is hardly ever mentioned in the litany of dangerous WMDs we face today. It is known as electromagnetic pulse (EMP).
Read the rest here
Incidentally, in case anyone has forgotten, it's the Democrats who oppose missile defense. Remember that if you ever find yourself sitting in the dark, with a heap of ruined electronics equipment (including your computer), and no idea what happened or when it will be fixed.
Queer behavior
I was talking to a young mother the other day who was disturbed that her children were calling each other "faggot". We traced it back to a 10 year old boy who apparently uses it regularly as a general purpose pejorative.
I know the kid's family, and I've never ever heard them use that word, whether describing sausages, embers or gays. It's not as if it's common on TV or pop music (I don't think I've heard it on the radio at all except for an occasional uncensored version of "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits). So where did he get that from?
Apparently he got it from his school buddies. I'll grant that things were tamer when I was his age, but I didn't run across that word until I was about 12 or so. Even then I had to look it up in the dictionary - it hadn't occurred to me that there was such a thing as homosexuality.
A few years earlier I had heard a family friend use a certain compound word in a context where he clearly disapproved of someone's behavior, but he didn't say it as if it were profane. Cool - now I had a new name for the kids I couldn't catch if we were playing tag. So I hollered it at the top of my lungs one summer's day before AC was popular, so the people who weren't cooling off outside could hear it through their windows for blocks around.
I was summoned and grilled about this. No, I didn't know what it meant, but it really didn't take much thinking to figure it out. People did that? Well, I guess that's what the girls were doing in those pictures I found, but I thought they were gross.
I learned more as time went on. About the time I learned "faggot" I remember learning a word for a certain sexual practice which kind of revolted and amused me, and I immediately embraced the word as a nickname for a kid named Cornell. But even then it was in a heterosexual context. I could figure out that it could be done to either sex, but that was just in principle - it never occurred to me that men actually did it to each other. (and later I learned that it wasn't even reciprocal. Not that way, ya perv - I mean that there are two roles, and typically the "tops" didn't trade places with the "bottoms". If I'm wrong, well, ignorance has its place.)
Would my education have been better served with information like this? (Nasty Material Alert!) It seems that it's something of a priority to present such, um, educational material in the hands of kids.
Would it have harmed me? I guess it would depend on how much influence my teachers had on me, and whether my parents had found out. I hadn't had any counter-education, so my reactions were my own, and I don't know that I was different from other local kids in that regard.
So I have to wonder if this type of education won't backfire on the proponents.
I know the kid's family, and I've never ever heard them use that word, whether describing sausages, embers or gays. It's not as if it's common on TV or pop music (I don't think I've heard it on the radio at all except for an occasional uncensored version of "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits). So where did he get that from?
Apparently he got it from his school buddies. I'll grant that things were tamer when I was his age, but I didn't run across that word until I was about 12 or so. Even then I had to look it up in the dictionary - it hadn't occurred to me that there was such a thing as homosexuality.
A few years earlier I had heard a family friend use a certain compound word in a context where he clearly disapproved of someone's behavior, but he didn't say it as if it were profane. Cool - now I had a new name for the kids I couldn't catch if we were playing tag. So I hollered it at the top of my lungs one summer's day before AC was popular, so the people who weren't cooling off outside could hear it through their windows for blocks around.
I was summoned and grilled about this. No, I didn't know what it meant, but it really didn't take much thinking to figure it out. People did that? Well, I guess that's what the girls were doing in those pictures I found, but I thought they were gross.
I learned more as time went on. About the time I learned "faggot" I remember learning a word for a certain sexual practice which kind of revolted and amused me, and I immediately embraced the word as a nickname for a kid named Cornell. But even then it was in a heterosexual context. I could figure out that it could be done to either sex, but that was just in principle - it never occurred to me that men actually did it to each other. (and later I learned that it wasn't even reciprocal. Not that way, ya perv - I mean that there are two roles, and typically the "tops" didn't trade places with the "bottoms". If I'm wrong, well, ignorance has its place.)
Would my education have been better served with information like this? (Nasty Material Alert!) It seems that it's something of a priority to present such, um, educational material in the hands of kids.
Would it have harmed me? I guess it would depend on how much influence my teachers had on me, and whether my parents had found out. I hadn't had any counter-education, so my reactions were my own, and I don't know that I was different from other local kids in that regard.
So I have to wonder if this type of education won't backfire on the proponents.
"Anti-gay hate screechers outwitted, outmaneuvered"
In the Lord of the Rings someone proposed killing Gollum just because. Gandalf replied that he might yet have a role to play. What do you know, he did.
Now we have Fred Phelps's "god hates fags" crowd again, getting ink in MA. These creeps thrive on publicity - why give it to them?
Because the schools are trying to change the subject. They want the media to help them outshout the parents who are outraged that this was available at a gay/lesbian promotion at a MA high school. And of course they're trying to establish equivalence between their opponents and Fred Phelps - if you disagree with them, you must "hate fags".
Hey, don't go thinking that administrators don't attempt to protect kids from stuff they "shouldn't see":Why were they there?
Oh yeah, some from the sinister side of the blogosphere have been trying the usual stunt of denying that distribution of that black book linked above had actually occurred. Nice try, creeps - check this out. In what is otherwise a rant against groups they don't like, including a reference to Matthew Shepard even, they manage to acknowledge that "a local AIDS Action group brought, and made available, explicit sexual materials that are totally inappropriate for high school students". Yeah, right - his only objection is probably that the books didn't have anything explicit for the lesbians.
Anyway, despite his intentions, Fred Phelps might actually have done some good. Without his groups' presence, there might not have been any publicity at all about this nonsense.
Now we have Fred Phelps's "god hates fags" crowd again, getting ink in MA. These creeps thrive on publicity - why give it to them?
Because the schools are trying to change the subject. They want the media to help them outshout the parents who are outraged that this was available at a gay/lesbian promotion at a MA high school. And of course they're trying to establish equivalence between their opponents and Fred Phelps - if you disagree with them, you must "hate fags".
Hey, don't go thinking that administrators don't attempt to protect kids from stuff they "shouldn't see":Why were they there?
Dracut attracted the hate group's attention after a student wrote an essay about gay talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Bedford flew a rainbow flag at John Glenn Middle School, and Lexington grabbed headlines when a parent demanded to be notified when his child was taught about gay lifestyles.
Got that? A parent dares to demand notification about what his kid is being taught, and the school system has a problem with it. If that same kid had objected to a cross in the classroom, or acknowledgement of the scientific truth that evolution is properly described as a theory you can bet the coverage would have a different tone.Oh yeah, some from the sinister side of the blogosphere have been trying the usual stunt of denying that distribution of that black book linked above had actually occurred. Nice try, creeps - check this out. In what is otherwise a rant against groups they don't like, including a reference to Matthew Shepard even, they manage to acknowledge that "a local AIDS Action group brought, and made available, explicit sexual materials that are totally inappropriate for high school students". Yeah, right - his only objection is probably that the books didn't have anything explicit for the lesbians.
Anyway, despite his intentions, Fred Phelps might actually have done some good. Without his groups' presence, there might not have been any publicity at all about this nonsense.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Charade
Let's quit pretending that this medicinal mariijuana legalization business is about anything but legalizing pot across the board.
Is it about providing a better product for consumers? I'll believe that when the medicinal marijuana users give up administering pot in a "wild" form and instead submit it to a process to assure consistent dosage consistent with requirements for pharmaceuticals.
Is it about state's rights? Yeah, right - where are you guys when people are talking about Roe v. Wade? There are always plenty of fair-weather federalists. Maybe the Court found a right to be free of pot smokers in some "penumbra" or "emanation" from the Constitution, and were just too stoned to write it down.
I can't get too wound up about pot, or much of anything else in the War on Drugs (especially civil forfeiture laws). I don't know any long-term potheads who are worth a hoot, but then I wouldn't like them any better as drunks either. If someone wants to foul up their life, they'll find a way.
But those who want federalism to be taken seriously didn't have to wait for this decision to start complaining.
Is it about providing a better product for consumers? I'll believe that when the medicinal marijuana users give up administering pot in a "wild" form and instead submit it to a process to assure consistent dosage consistent with requirements for pharmaceuticals.
Is it about state's rights? Yeah, right - where are you guys when people are talking about Roe v. Wade? There are always plenty of fair-weather federalists. Maybe the Court found a right to be free of pot smokers in some "penumbra" or "emanation" from the Constitution, and were just too stoned to write it down.
I can't get too wound up about pot, or much of anything else in the War on Drugs (especially civil forfeiture laws). I don't know any long-term potheads who are worth a hoot, but then I wouldn't like them any better as drunks either. If someone wants to foul up their life, they'll find a way.
But those who want federalism to be taken seriously didn't have to wait for this decision to start complaining.
Information from Guantanamo Detainees
A discussion of detainees, their skills, training and other things.
Stolen from Ace, who has lots of other good stuff on that post too.
Stolen from Ace, who has lots of other good stuff on that post too.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Raising the dead
Or at least the next best thing - resurrecting 80's performers. See it yourself on Thursdays on NBC. Take it away, Ace.
Riding Sun: What is being done in our name
Many people linked to this post, but I want to point out this comment on it in particular.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
From Star bellied Sneeches to "Brights" and now this
I tried, but I can't improve on this:
Via Andrew Hofer, blogger extraordinaire who knows a true liberal when he sees one.
"'Reality-Based'
OK. I'm officially sick of it. The very moment folks started calling themselves 'members of the reality-based community,' it made me want to wretch on my Pumas. Why not be honest and call yourself a proud member of the 'you're either stupid or evil if you don't agree with me community?' I understand the supposed contrast with 'faith-based' and the ironic embrace of its derisively intended non-opposite. But come on, really. I think we all understand and appreciate what a hard-headed empiricist you are by not attending Sunday school. Your epistemic virtue bowls us over. But just maybe it's time for new blog slogans, people. Why not try something along 'my scat smells like honey-based' or 'self-congatulation-based' lines? "
It might sound a bit better from one with a tagline other than "the sweet release of reason". You know, as if he ejaculates the stuff.
OK. I'm officially sick of it. The very moment folks started calling themselves 'members of the reality-based community,' it made me want to wretch on my Pumas. Why not be honest and call yourself a proud member of the 'you're either stupid or evil if you don't agree with me community?' I understand the supposed contrast with 'faith-based' and the ironic embrace of its derisively intended non-opposite. But come on, really. I think we all understand and appreciate what a hard-headed empiricist you are by not attending Sunday school. Your epistemic virtue bowls us over. But just maybe it's time for new blog slogans, people. Why not try something along 'my scat smells like honey-based' or 'self-congatulation-based' lines? "
Via Andrew Hofer, blogger extraordinaire who knows a true liberal when he sees one.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Dancing with the Stars
At last, a reality show I might watch. It's on ABC on Wednesdays 9/8c - check it out here.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Arab success in the US
Glenn Reynolds points to an interesting article here about how successful Arabs are in the US. In fact, according to the article the average Arab in the US has an average income and education higher than the average American. It would be interesting to see them compared to the average Jew in the US, but I'm just not motivated enough to look it up right now.
It's interesting on its face, but I have to wonder if this isn't skewed by some huge outliers. After all, an Arab who can make it to the US was probably doing really well at home already.
It's interesting on its face, but I have to wonder if this isn't skewed by some huge outliers. After all, an Arab who can make it to the US was probably doing really well at home already.
Monday, May 23, 2005
The good old days - they were terrible!
It's hard to go wrong heading over to Dean Esmay's place, but this post in particular will be memorable.
Nowadays there's no excuse for letting this living history leave us without documentation. I just lost a WWII veteran a week ago, and one of these days I'll have to debrief a woman who was born in pre-Nazi Germany who *wasn't* Jewish (however unsympathetic they may be, if you think the average German citizen had it easy you're mistaken).
For a taste of a still earlier time there's always the Otto Bettmann classic "The Good Old Days - They were Terrible!", or a number of books by that old lefty Studs Terkel.
Nowadays there's no excuse for letting this living history leave us without documentation. I just lost a WWII veteran a week ago, and one of these days I'll have to debrief a woman who was born in pre-Nazi Germany who *wasn't* Jewish (however unsympathetic they may be, if you think the average German citizen had it easy you're mistaken).
For a taste of a still earlier time there's always the Otto Bettmann classic "The Good Old Days - They were Terrible!", or a number of books by that old lefty Studs Terkel.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Unevolved
If you should ever see a jackass wearing a mortarboard exiting a biology department, it might well answer to the name "Hoppe". From a post attacking someone who dares to dissent from evolutionary dogma, quoth Richard Hoppe:
About every discussion of evolution on the Web, including the one cited above, winds up with someone pointing to talk.origins. This is an interesting website which gathers a lot of useful information about evolutionary biology in one place with the alleged intent of contributing toward discussions of evolution vs. creation.
One hopes that Professor Hoppe approves of the following, inasmuch as he linked to the page:
And if the cases cited are in fact true examples of speciation events (whatever they might be - look around on the page), still there were only 4 of them. This, for a theory more than a century old, out of something like 1.7 million described species of an estimated 14 million altogether. I think I'd be scurrying my tochas back into the lab looking for more examples before I got all huffy about anyone daring to question my pet theory. And I'd like to see it apply a few more notches up the alleged evolutionary ladder from Drosophila (fruit flies). (another link on the page points to more alleged examples, but they have their flaws - maybe I'll get around to fleshing that out in a later post).
Let the crying begin: Some of the fossils are gone! We haven't found them all yet! Many of the species have soft bodies and are not adequately preserved in the fossil record! Evolutionary processes take a long time! And so on. The answer to them all is tough luck, kid - the evidence is supposed to be there to support your theory.
And if you don't have it, you have no right to complain when someone points it out and notes that other scientific fields are more demanding of their theories. Spend your time researching instead of defending your faith with content-free invective like Hoppe.
What it means is that Rubinstein is pig-ignorant of biology, is what it means. He has not the slightest clue, and passes off his clueless “best inference”, grounded on false premises, as a statement about evolutionary theory when in fact it’s a statement about his ignorance of the theory he egregiously misrepresents.
I am less interested in the specific errors, misrepresentations, and plain dumb crap in Rubinstein’s piece than I am in the question of how a presumably intelligent person could bring himself to publicly display such breathtaking ignorance, when the resources necessary to rectify that ignorance are as readily available to his readers as to himself. I am frankly puzzled. Does he really think his readers are as ignorant as he is and that they can’t (or won’t) do a tiny bit of reading on their own? (Don’t answer that!)
Is this how evolutionary biologists discuss their field? Venting my eye - the rest isn't much better, and it's unworthy of anyone claiming the appellation "scientist" or "gentleman".
I am less interested in the specific errors, misrepresentations, and plain dumb crap in Rubinstein’s piece than I am in the question of how a presumably intelligent person could bring himself to publicly display such breathtaking ignorance, when the resources necessary to rectify that ignorance are as readily available to his readers as to himself. I am frankly puzzled. Does he really think his readers are as ignorant as he is and that they can’t (or won’t) do a tiny bit of reading on their own? (Don’t answer that!)
About every discussion of evolution on the Web, including the one cited above, winds up with someone pointing to talk.origins. This is an interesting website which gathers a lot of useful information about evolutionary biology in one place with the alleged intent of contributing toward discussions of evolution vs. creation.
One hopes that Professor Hoppe approves of the following, inasmuch as he linked to the page:
The literature on observed speciations events is not well organized. I found only a few papers that had an observation of a speciation event as the author's main point (e.g. Weinberg, et al. 1992). In addition, I found only one review that was specifically on this topic (Callaghan 1987). This review cited only four examples of speciation events. Why is there such a seeming lack of interest in reporting observations of speciation events?
In my humble opinion, four things account for this lack of interest. First, it appears that the biological community considers this a settled question. Many researchers feel that there are already ample reports in the literature. Few of these folks have actually looked closely. To test this idea, I asked about two dozen graduate students and faculty members in the department where I'm a student whether there were examples where speciation had been observed in the literature. Everyone said that they were sure that there were. Next I asked them for citings or descriptions. Only eight of the people I talked to could give an example, only three could give more than one. But everyone was sure that there were papers in the literature.
Second, most biologists accept the idea that speciation takes a long time (relative to human life spans). Because of this we would not expect to see many speciation events actually occur. The literature has many more examples where a speciation event has been inferred from evidence than it has examples where the event is seen. This is what we would expect if speciation takes a long time.
Third, the literature contains many instances where a speciation event has been inferred. The number and quality of these cases may be evidence enough to convince most workers that speciation does occur.
Finally, most of the current interest in speciation concerns theoretical issues. Most biologists are convinced that speciation occurs. What they want to know is how it occurs. One recent book on speciation (Otte and Endler 1989) has few example of observed speciation, but a lot of discussion of theory and mechanisms.
I guess you can't help but admire the faith of these biologists in things not actually observed. Sorry, but these inferences of speciation events simply aren't any more scientific than inferences of creation events.
In my humble opinion, four things account for this lack of interest. First, it appears that the biological community considers this a settled question. Many researchers feel that there are already ample reports in the literature. Few of these folks have actually looked closely. To test this idea, I asked about two dozen graduate students and faculty members in the department where I'm a student whether there were examples where speciation had been observed in the literature. Everyone said that they were sure that there were. Next I asked them for citings or descriptions. Only eight of the people I talked to could give an example, only three could give more than one. But everyone was sure that there were papers in the literature.
Second, most biologists accept the idea that speciation takes a long time (relative to human life spans). Because of this we would not expect to see many speciation events actually occur. The literature has many more examples where a speciation event has been inferred from evidence than it has examples where the event is seen. This is what we would expect if speciation takes a long time.
Third, the literature contains many instances where a speciation event has been inferred. The number and quality of these cases may be evidence enough to convince most workers that speciation does occur.
Finally, most of the current interest in speciation concerns theoretical issues. Most biologists are convinced that speciation occurs. What they want to know is how it occurs. One recent book on speciation (Otte and Endler 1989) has few example of observed speciation, but a lot of discussion of theory and mechanisms.
And if the cases cited are in fact true examples of speciation events (whatever they might be - look around on the page), still there were only 4 of them. This, for a theory more than a century old, out of something like 1.7 million described species of an estimated 14 million altogether. I think I'd be scurrying my tochas back into the lab looking for more examples before I got all huffy about anyone daring to question my pet theory. And I'd like to see it apply a few more notches up the alleged evolutionary ladder from Drosophila (fruit flies). (another link on the page points to more alleged examples, but they have their flaws - maybe I'll get around to fleshing that out in a later post).
Let the crying begin: Some of the fossils are gone! We haven't found them all yet! Many of the species have soft bodies and are not adequately preserved in the fossil record! Evolutionary processes take a long time! And so on. The answer to them all is tough luck, kid - the evidence is supposed to be there to support your theory.
And if you don't have it, you have no right to complain when someone points it out and notes that other scientific fields are more demanding of their theories. Spend your time researching instead of defending your faith with content-free invective like Hoppe.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Practice "safe sun"
Scientists are excited about a vitamin again. But unlike fads that sizzled and fizzled, the evidence this time is strong and keeps growing. If it bears out, it will challenge one of medicine's most fundamental beliefs: that people need to coat themselves with sunscreen whenever they're in the sun. Doing that may actually contribute to far more cancer deaths than it prevents, some researchers think.
Next thing you know, they'll find something redemptive about tobacco. Actually I thought I'd read that it helped suppress TB (the TB bug doesn't like the smoke either), but I can't find the cite.
Link via Drudge.
Next thing you know, they'll find something redemptive about tobacco. Actually I thought I'd read that it helped suppress TB (the TB bug doesn't like the smoke either), but I can't find the cite.
Link via Drudge.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Shut up and teach
Apparently 1/3 of the faculty at Calvin College is comprised of jackasses. The President is scheduled to be their commencement speaker and they're braying about the war.
Two bodied guitar?
Seeing is believing. The owner, Glenn Branca, plays it with a slide.
I'd call it weird, but then blogging about it from my phone isn't exactly mainstream either.
From Gizmodo.
I'd call it weird, but then blogging about it from my phone isn't exactly mainstream either.
From Gizmodo.
Treo 650 blogging
If you see this post, it can be done. It isn't the easiest way, but then I really ought to RTFM about this keyboard.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
I've seen the future, and it's creepy
People with less compassion and taste than I have been known to compile lists of tasks that could be performed by the profoundly disabled. Most of these involved things like buoyancy, body heat or inertia. Others proposed that the person in question leave their tongue hanging out for the moistening of stamps and envelopes.
Technology has rendered that moistening function mostly obsolete nowadays. But as it takes, it also gives in return. Now these people who can't or won't be productive otherwise can be used as a supply for this device which produces electricity from human blood.
Actually there are better things to be done with these devices, which run on glucose in your blood. I wonder if these somehow could be used to help diabetics regulate their blood sugar. Or perhaps it could power, say, little plows to clear away emboli in the bloodstream. Less exotically, perhaps they could power pacemakers.
Technology has rendered that moistening function mostly obsolete nowadays. But as it takes, it also gives in return. Now these people who can't or won't be productive otherwise can be used as a supply for this device which produces electricity from human blood.
Actually there are better things to be done with these devices, which run on glucose in your blood. I wonder if these somehow could be used to help diabetics regulate their blood sugar. Or perhaps it could power, say, little plows to clear away emboli in the bloodstream. Less exotically, perhaps they could power pacemakers.
Kofi Tweed
There's good work here on the renovations planned for the UN. But it's on Power Line, so that goes without saying.
I'm guessing that it's not easy to impress NY commercial real estate people with renovation costs, but as one writes in the post, "the UN could tear down the entire facility and rebuild it brand new with the most state of the art improvements for 40-50% of the proposed renovation." It goes on to say that "incompetence alone does not account for the astronomical cost of the proposed renovation".
Maybe this is good news. After all, inflated construction costs on NYC landmarks led to the end of the incredibly corrupt "Tweed Ring".
Wow, another coincidence. Both the UN and Boss Tweed had support from the Democratic Party.
I'm guessing that it's not easy to impress NY commercial real estate people with renovation costs, but as one writes in the post, "the UN could tear down the entire facility and rebuild it brand new with the most state of the art improvements for 40-50% of the proposed renovation." It goes on to say that "incompetence alone does not account for the astronomical cost of the proposed renovation".
Maybe this is good news. After all, inflated construction costs on NYC landmarks led to the end of the incredibly corrupt "Tweed Ring".
Wow, another coincidence. Both the UN and Boss Tweed had support from the Democratic Party.
Political whore
I despise Ron Reagan. The least the pipsqueak could do is change his name.
Inspired by this MSNBC video.
We heard the same sorry line about how Iraq was our ally while the Kurds were being gassed in the late 80's during "my father's" administration. Good thinking, Ronnie boy. Now let's blame Roosevelt for every atrocity committed by the Russians during WWII while they were our allies against what's his name.
You like moral equivalency, Ronnie? How about you and a pus from a chancre on a Nazi's bung?
Inspired by this MSNBC video.
We heard the same sorry line about how Iraq was our ally while the Kurds were being gassed in the late 80's during "my father's" administration. Good thinking, Ronnie boy. Now let's blame Roosevelt for every atrocity committed by the Russians during WWII while they were our allies against what's his name.
You like moral equivalency, Ronnie? How about you and a pus from a chancre on a Nazi's bung?
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Ballblogging...
You'll see some of the best ballroom dancers in the country there in the Brunswick Hilton Hotel and Towers at the American Star Ball this weekend. All of youse New Yorkers who have more culture than Charlie the Tuna should be there - East Brunswick isn't that far away, even if it is in NJ. I'll be there watching some of my professional friends compete. Anyway, there's more info here.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Chutzpah
NARAL Pro-Choice America, the abortion lovers, are not content with simply doing their utmost to see that more fetuses (that's "babies" to normal people) are killed. Now they want to kill some judicial nominations.
Yep, they've hired some slimemeisters to request financial disclosure records for various judges who are possibilities for nomination to the Supreme Court. Conservatives, that is.
Of course this is permissible, and the financial disclosures are required. But this is different:
But I'm sure that this isn't the end. How much do you want to bet that the day will come that NARAL will insist that the judges in question recuse themselves from NARAL cases on the grounds that they might hold this snooping against NARAL?
Yep, they've hired some slimemeisters to request financial disclosure records for various judges who are possibilities for nomination to the Supreme Court. Conservatives, that is.
Of course this is permissible, and the financial disclosures are required. But this is different:
Jones was not alone as a target, and Rice is not just a nosy citizen. He and Craig Varoga, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, are partners in a California political consulting firm. Their May 5 petition requested financial information on 30 appellate judges in all but one of the country's judicial circuits, including nine widely mentioned Supreme Court possibilities. Varoga & Rice's client: NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Nobody can recall any previous mass request for such disclosures by federal judges.
The Dems are nothing if not innovators, especially with sliming their opponents.
Nobody can recall any previous mass request for such disclosures by federal judges.
But I'm sure that this isn't the end. How much do you want to bet that the day will come that NARAL will insist that the judges in question recuse themselves from NARAL cases on the grounds that they might hold this snooping against NARAL?
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Travel guitars and amps
I flew into town for the current gig, which is expected to last about a month. Flying and guitars don't mix so well, so I didn't take one with me.
But I suffered withdrawal symptoms and had to go find a cheapie locally that I can ditch later if I can't fit it into the vehicle I'll be driving back. Or maybe give to a young relative. Nah, Goodwill sounds better - it might get destroyed either way, but that way I won't have to watch.
Of course someone else thinks they have the answer for guitarists who travel. Behold, the SoloEtte Travel Guitar. I haven't tried it, but it got a testimonial from Sharon Isbin. If she says it can help her maintain her technique and repertoire it's good enough for me.
More venerable is the Chiquita, which appeared in a Back to the Future movie and was used by the likes of Billy Gibbons. The ad says it's about a foot shorter than a Strat.
What about amplification? Here I show my age by mentioning the still-available Pignose. Or Tom Scholz' Rockman, which was noisy and had no speakers but was terrific for its time. The more modern musician might want this, which as the ad says, "great for running out of your girlfriend's house after a fight".
This gizmo probably doesn't belong here, but then why would I start showing any discipline now? Anyway, plug in your guitar, mic, line in, line out or headphones and you're in business - speed up or slow down music without shifting pitch, or shift pitch, or endlessly repeat something until you get it down - man, what I wouldn't have given for this 20-odd years ago. Throw in some Practice Tracks like these and you can jam 24-7 all by yourself, and the whole works is small enough to travel with.
Now if you'll pardon me, it's jam time...
But I suffered withdrawal symptoms and had to go find a cheapie locally that I can ditch later if I can't fit it into the vehicle I'll be driving back. Or maybe give to a young relative. Nah, Goodwill sounds better - it might get destroyed either way, but that way I won't have to watch.
Of course someone else thinks they have the answer for guitarists who travel. Behold, the SoloEtte Travel Guitar. I haven't tried it, but it got a testimonial from Sharon Isbin. If she says it can help her maintain her technique and repertoire it's good enough for me.
More venerable is the Chiquita, which appeared in a Back to the Future movie and was used by the likes of Billy Gibbons. The ad says it's about a foot shorter than a Strat.
What about amplification? Here I show my age by mentioning the still-available Pignose. Or Tom Scholz' Rockman, which was noisy and had no speakers but was terrific for its time. The more modern musician might want this, which as the ad says, "great for running out of your girlfriend's house after a fight".
This gizmo probably doesn't belong here, but then why would I start showing any discipline now? Anyway, plug in your guitar, mic, line in, line out or headphones and you're in business - speed up or slow down music without shifting pitch, or shift pitch, or endlessly repeat something until you get it down - man, what I wouldn't have given for this 20-odd years ago. Throw in some Practice Tracks like these and you can jam 24-7 all by yourself, and the whole works is small enough to travel with.
Now if you'll pardon me, it's jam time...
Convergence
Gimme gimme:
LIVEdigitally
Touch screen, VoIP, IPTV, HDTV, dual boot Linux and Windows, DVD player, 5.1 Dolby Sound, USB 2.0, and starting at $850.00. This device is destined to end up in hotels, hospitals, conference rooms, dormitories, airports, and consumer homes. Combine it all and here you have it: the all-in-one for the budget consumer.
Via
LIVEdigitally
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Goddess of software....
If there are still worshippers of ancient Greek gods out there, they've probably been busy hanging new responsibilities on the old guys and gals. Aphrodite would get boob jobs and cosmetic surgery, Hephaestus would get robotics and microchip fabrication, Hermes would have the space shuttle and electric power generation, etc. Demeter might get genetically modified foods and sun lamps, and Hades would sponsor the Democratic Party. I'm not touching Uranus.
(Maybe old afflictions would change too - I suspect that Sisyphus would be a programmer. I can't think of good ones for Persephone and Tantalus).
Who would get software? That sounds like Athena turf to me when she wasn't sponsoring the Republicans and fighting Dionysius for the colleges and the libertarians. But then since it runs about everything nowadays Zeus and Hera would want to horn in, and Hera would outsmart Zeus, so Hera it is.
And here apparently someone wants to give a piece of the software action to Demeter
(Maybe old afflictions would change too - I suspect that Sisyphus would be a programmer. I can't think of good ones for Persephone and Tantalus).
Who would get software? That sounds like Athena turf to me when she wasn't sponsoring the Republicans and fighting Dionysius for the colleges and the libertarians. But then since it runs about everything nowadays Zeus and Hera would want to horn in, and Hera would outsmart Zeus, so Hera it is.
And here apparently someone wants to give a piece of the software action to Demeter
Monday, May 09, 2005
Cloning musical performances
I suppose if you're a good cook and you taste something new made of ingredients you know, you could more or less derive exactly what would have to be done to reproduce it. But it would be quite another accomplishment to, say, pour a martini into a machine and have it determine the recipe and manufacturing process. ("The booze was Bombay Sapphire, the vermouth was brand X in proportion Y/Z to the gin, the olive was from southern Spain, and it was shaken, not stirred")
Musical performances offer similar issues - any idiot can record something, but it's quite another thing to record the *way it was played*. That is, to capture the performance in such a way as to be able to duplicate it on other instruments to the extent applicable, right down to the tiniest nuances in pitch, tempo and dynamics. Or if you're an electronic music geek, to convert a complex performance to MIDI without human intervention. But listen to this:
Via Gizmodo.
Musical performances offer similar issues - any idiot can record something, but it's quite another thing to record the *way it was played*. That is, to capture the performance in such a way as to be able to duplicate it on other instruments to the extent applicable, right down to the tiniest nuances in pitch, tempo and dynamics. Or if you're an electronic music geek, to convert a complex performance to MIDI without human intervention. But listen to this:
First, an original recording is digitized at the highest possible quality. Then, their custom-designed software then models the exact combination of pedal, hammer velocity and impact angle, and timing needed to produce each note in the song. They claim their system is so robust that line noise, voices, or singing have no effect. The software records this data in a special MIDI format file which has 7 times the descriptive variables and 10 times the resolution of a standard MIDI file. Then, this file is "performed" by a Yamaha Disklavier PRO Grand piano. Unlike the "roboplayers" you may have heard in Malls and Restaurants, this machine has orders of magnitude more precise movement and sensing, as well as separate CPUs for pedal and keyboard movement.
All this pulls together to deliver the impossible: Zenph claims that their system reproduces the actual performance of the musician, past the level of precision that the human ear can detect.
The reproduction is so perfect that re-performance isn't the only thing the setup is good for. Great pianists travel to Zenph's studio just to record themselves on the piano, and then have it replayed while sitting in various places around the auditorium. Having never heard yourself play like this, it can be a very moving experience. The robotic piano is so precise that artists record pieces into memory and return later with sound engineers to turn that program into sound
More here.
All this pulls together to deliver the impossible: Zenph claims that their system reproduces the actual performance of the musician, past the level of precision that the human ear can detect.
The reproduction is so perfect that re-performance isn't the only thing the setup is good for. Great pianists travel to Zenph's studio just to record themselves on the piano, and then have it replayed while sitting in various places around the auditorium. Having never heard yourself play like this, it can be a very moving experience. The robotic piano is so precise that artists record pieces into memory and return later with sound engineers to turn that program into sound
Via Gizmodo.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
ID for thee but not for me
Michelle Malkin offers a SPECIAL REPORT: INSIDE AN ILLEGAL ALIEN RALLY.
It's kind of long, so I'll just highlight what IMO is the best part. Of course the illegal aliens were bitching about having to have documentation. But when Michael Graham arrived in an INS T-shirt and showed his ID as a journalist with WMAL/ABC News, the organizers told him he didn't have proper ID to attend.
It's kind of long, so I'll just highlight what IMO is the best part. Of course the illegal aliens were bitching about having to have documentation. But when Michael Graham arrived in an INS T-shirt and showed his ID as a journalist with WMAL/ABC News, the organizers told him he didn't have proper ID to attend.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Road chow the NWA way
Most places I stay have coffeemakers. I don't drink much of the stuff, so mostly I put them away so I don't break the urn.
Then it dawned on me - all it is is a little water heater. It turns out to work pretty well with instant oatmeal. Dump in the right amount of water, empty the little envelope(s) into the bowl, put it under the spout, check your email and there it is. Next up - ramen noodles.
Then it dawned on me - all it is is a little water heater. It turns out to work pretty well with instant oatmeal. Dump in the right amount of water, empty the little envelope(s) into the bowl, put it under the spout, check your email and there it is. Next up - ramen noodles.
Road follies
I'll agree that motel maids need not know a whole lot of English, but they really ought to know what it means when I put up a "do not disturb" sign. STAY OUT!
There are many reasons why you might put one up. In my case I just had left my laptop and some other stuff out that had some identity theft potential unlocked and in plain view. Being in a hurry and not wanting to deal with it, I just stuck the DND sign in the slot (they can't miss it). I had a big mess of trash to take out, but I figured I could deal with that myself later.
I got back that night and the bed had been made. No catastrophe, but it did mean that the maids had been in there. Likewise something had been unplugged for some reason and other things were not as I had left them. I made a mental note to tell the manager.
Then I remembered I needed to fill out one of those !@#$ rebate things for Best Buy. They all require some sort of relic from the packaging, so I had torn the relevant part loose from the box and pitched the rest. The last time I remember seeing it it was on the floor next to the bed along with the receipt and other crapola they demand before they ransom your money months later. (Just how often do they actually pay out the rebates, anyway?)
Well guess what? Apparently the staff had pitched it. It was a $30 rebate so I looked everywhere for it to no avail. The receipt had been placed next to the bed, and I'd had it all together for safekeeping.
Could it be in the trash? Why? Surely they would have carried it out, right? Hey, it's $30 and it's *my* trash - let's look. Hope swells as I see that in fact they have not carried out the trash as I would have expected them to do, but no - the tokens
Ha! - it wasn't there.
Well, at least I could take out the trash, right? Sure, after I put everything into a new bag after the original one ripped. Grrr. Where is that manager!?
There are many reasons why you might put one up. In my case I just had left my laptop and some other stuff out that had some identity theft potential unlocked and in plain view. Being in a hurry and not wanting to deal with it, I just stuck the DND sign in the slot (they can't miss it). I had a big mess of trash to take out, but I figured I could deal with that myself later.
I got back that night and the bed had been made. No catastrophe, but it did mean that the maids had been in there. Likewise something had been unplugged for some reason and other things were not as I had left them. I made a mental note to tell the manager.
Then I remembered I needed to fill out one of those !@#$ rebate things for Best Buy. They all require some sort of relic from the packaging, so I had torn the relevant part loose from the box and pitched the rest. The last time I remember seeing it it was on the floor next to the bed along with the receipt and other crapola they demand before they ransom your money months later. (Just how often do they actually pay out the rebates, anyway?)
Well guess what? Apparently the staff had pitched it. It was a $30 rebate so I looked everywhere for it to no avail. The receipt had been placed next to the bed, and I'd had it all together for safekeeping.
Could it be in the trash? Why? Surely they would have carried it out, right? Hey, it's $30 and it's *my* trash - let's look. Hope swells as I see that in fact they have not carried out the trash as I would have expected them to do, but no - the tokens
Ha! - it wasn't there.
Well, at least I could take out the trash, right? Sure, after I put everything into a new bag after the original one ripped. Grrr. Where is that manager!?
Friday, May 06, 2005
Why the birds quit singing...
Yes, I've been scarce lately. I did a stretch of 6 beds in 7 days, during which I moved from MD to IL and back again. So now I'm in Baltimore instead of DC, my fourth industry, fourth location (soon to be fifth) and fifth job since starting this blog a bit over 3 years ago.
To go where no man has gone before...
Could it be that Trekkies are especially likely to be pedophiles?
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Academic recall
If you went to Brown University, keep an eye on your mailbox. Soon you will be getting a recall notice for your education. Those with bachelors' degrees may perform remedial work at select institutions such as Hillsdale College. All those with advanced degrees will be lobomized.
Of course if you're from Brown University you might believe this. Why not? - apparently some of you believe we were carpet-bombing Fallujah.
So let me note that none of the above is true to my knowledge. But then I hear that I'm conservative, so can you really trust me?
Of course if you're from Brown University you might believe this. Why not? - apparently some of you believe we were carpet-bombing Fallujah.
So let me note that none of the above is true to my knowledge. But then I hear that I'm conservative, so can you really trust me?
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Close enough
Years ago I heard a joke that promised good news and bad. The bad news was that aliens had landed. The good news was that they excreted gasoline and ate [members of an unfavored minority group].
Who would have guessed we'd find something almost as good right here on Earth.
Who would have guessed we'd find something almost as good right here on Earth.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Recommended by abortionists
Years ago the "Seinfeld" series introduced us to the concept of "spongeworthiness". A man was "spongeworthy" if Elaine would invest one of her precious few remaining sponges on a date with him.
I didn't watch the show much, so I can't speak for Elaine's intentions. But I propose a new way to determine this. A man is "spongeworthy" if 1) he would make a good father, or 2) he'd be willing and able to pay for an abortion.
There's more. After a long list of virtues we see that the sponges also introduce a "small risk of toxic shock syndrome" and an increased risk of transmitting HIV. Maybe we should add more criteria to "spongeworthiness".
Are these risks "high"? The article doesn't say. IMO it would be interesting to compare these risks to those of, say, a plane crash, or of getting lung cancer if you're a smoker.
You might think that those comparisons would not be fair because they usually end up in death. Think again - the whole point of an abortion is to kill something (and abortionists don't always do that right either. Did anyone ever go to med school with the intent of becoming an abortionist?).
Oh, that doesn't count - it's just a "bundle of cells". Well, if you think abortions can't cause *your* death or other unpleasant permanent conditions you'd better do a little research, because nobody in the abortion industry is going to tell you. All that stuff that used to happen in pro-abortionists' legendary back alleys still happens today.
Well, they might give you a disclaimer to sign which lists dozens and dozens of things that could happen. Then they'll say "our lawyers make us do this" and keep you waiting until you've signed - of course no one would dare call this "duress".
The list might include things like permanent inability to have children, hemorrhage, endometriosis (in case they don't fish out all the dismembered parts of your little parasite) ... Or perhaps a puncture between the vagina and the rectum or urethra - guess what happens then? You need that like you need another...never mind.
Isn't it funny how so many who otherwise would bristle at risky operations, malpractice, product liability and conflicts of interest turn a blind eye at abortion?
Do I want to make abortion illegal? No. But I want women considering it, or considering doing what could result in the need for it, to realize exactly what they're getting into. And because high-profile pro-abortionists like Planned Parenthood make a lot of money from abortions and thus have a severe conflict of interest, they're not likely to spread the word.
I guess you could say I support a woman's right to *informed* choice. IMO if women are well informed, they'll usually either abstain or keep the child for themselves or an adoptive parent. Of the remaining women who get abortions anyway, well, legality wouldn't matter to them and if they want that kid dead they'll have many more chances...
The cites above are from here, via Glenn Reynolds.
I didn't watch the show much, so I can't speak for Elaine's intentions. But I propose a new way to determine this. A man is "spongeworthy" if 1) he would make a good father, or 2) he'd be willing and able to pay for an abortion.
The overall 1st year failure rate, for women who have not given birth (nulliparous), is 9% with perfect use, and 20% with typical use. For women who have given birth (parous) the failure rate is 20% with perfect use, and 40% with typical use. [See also specific brand failure rates.]
If your partner uses a condom, the sponge's ability to protect you against an unintended pregnancy is greatly improved.
That last part is depressing, because condoms aren't exactly 100% effective either. Nevertheless, if the little squirt runs the gauntlet successfully you should sign him up for the Navy Seals.
If your partner uses a condom, the sponge's ability to protect you against an unintended pregnancy is greatly improved.
There's more. After a long list of virtues we see that the sponges also introduce a "small risk of toxic shock syndrome" and an increased risk of transmitting HIV. Maybe we should add more criteria to "spongeworthiness".
Are these risks "high"? The article doesn't say. IMO it would be interesting to compare these risks to those of, say, a plane crash, or of getting lung cancer if you're a smoker.
You might think that those comparisons would not be fair because they usually end up in death. Think again - the whole point of an abortion is to kill something (and abortionists don't always do that right either. Did anyone ever go to med school with the intent of becoming an abortionist?).
Oh, that doesn't count - it's just a "bundle of cells". Well, if you think abortions can't cause *your* death or other unpleasant permanent conditions you'd better do a little research, because nobody in the abortion industry is going to tell you. All that stuff that used to happen in pro-abortionists' legendary back alleys still happens today.
Well, they might give you a disclaimer to sign which lists dozens and dozens of things that could happen. Then they'll say "our lawyers make us do this" and keep you waiting until you've signed - of course no one would dare call this "duress".
The list might include things like permanent inability to have children, hemorrhage, endometriosis (in case they don't fish out all the dismembered parts of your little parasite) ... Or perhaps a puncture between the vagina and the rectum or urethra - guess what happens then? You need that like you need another...never mind.
Isn't it funny how so many who otherwise would bristle at risky operations, malpractice, product liability and conflicts of interest turn a blind eye at abortion?
Do I want to make abortion illegal? No. But I want women considering it, or considering doing what could result in the need for it, to realize exactly what they're getting into. And because high-profile pro-abortionists like Planned Parenthood make a lot of money from abortions and thus have a severe conflict of interest, they're not likely to spread the word.
I guess you could say I support a woman's right to *informed* choice. IMO if women are well informed, they'll usually either abstain or keep the child for themselves or an adoptive parent. Of the remaining women who get abortions anyway, well, legality wouldn't matter to them and if they want that kid dead they'll have many more chances...
The cites above are from here, via Glenn Reynolds.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Oh please please....
It seems that a candidate for mayor in San Antonio is an identical twin. And he recently took advantage of this - he sent his brother to appear in a parade for him.
Opponents are moaning about it. Sheesh, if that's the worst they can say about him I'll go down there and vote for him myself.
But OTOH it would be funny to see people start writing in his twin against him on Election Day, and he wound up losing.
Opponents are moaning about it. Sheesh, if that's the worst they can say about him I'll go down there and vote for him myself.
But OTOH it would be funny to see people start writing in his twin against him on Election Day, and he wound up losing.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Our lady of the labia?
If you want ridicule of people of faith, this isn't the place for you. But I'm sorry, I just don't see what these people see.
Monday, April 18, 2005
How many five-year-olds could you take on in a fight?
In my defense I'll just note that I wasn't the one who brought it up. Nor was Ace, but he gets the link.
Nonovation
I find this device disturbing, and not only for merely sanitary reasons. Couple this with some sort of personal recognition function and opportunities for abuse are simply too grievous to contemplate - "now about that child support...."
Geek heaven
My 2+ year old much-abused cellphone finally died. I interpreted this as a divine sign to get one with all the newest features, so it could support neat stuff like Google Local on your handheld
And you thought the traffic cameras were bad
But don't get paranoid...:
"IBM will begin installing a 'Smart Box' system in vehicles in the United Arab Emirates next year, potentially generating millions in traffic fines for the Gulf state. The UAE signed a $125 million contract with IBM today to provide the high-tech traffic monitoring and speed-enforcing system in which a GPS-enabled 'Smart Box' would be installed in cars to provide a voice warning if the driver exceeds the local speed limit for wherever he may be driving. If the voice warning is ignored, the system would use a GSM/GPRS link to beam the car's speed, identity and location to the police so that a ticket could be issued. The system would also track and monitor any other driving violations, including 'reckless behavior.'"
There's more.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
How to get CNN to cover the UN oil-for-food scandal
Tie it to a Texas businessman, which of course implies complicity by President Bush.
Winds of Change.NET: The Myth of Chinese Air Power
She hasn't been posting much lately, but now all of a sudden Susanna is busy. Start here and go down.
UPDATE: Great non-sequitur title, eh? It's what happens when you use the Google Toolbar's BlogThis item just to open an editor and forget to change the default title.
UPDATE: Great non-sequitur title, eh? It's what happens when you use the Google Toolbar's BlogThis item just to open an editor and forget to change the default title.
Let's get strategic
There's lots of good stuff about Chinese military ambitions and the Indian Ocean here. And don't miss Trent Telenko's comment, or the post he links to.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Andrea Dworkin, RIP
David Frum points us to this obituary in the NY Sun for radical feminist Andrea Dworkin.
Her ideas were well outside the mainstream, far to the left, but that's not to say that they didn't resonate elsewhere sometimes:
Her ideas were well outside the mainstream, far to the left, but that's not to say that they didn't resonate elsewhere sometimes:
Increasingly pushed to the side in mainstream American feminism, Dworkin could deliver the odd zinger when provoked. "It will probably bring the FBI to my door, but I think that Hillary should shoot Bill and then President Gore should pardon her," she wrote in early 1998, at the height of the Lewinsky affair.
That quote was comparatively tame. The article goes on to say "For all her vituperation, interviewers and friends commented on Dworkin's sweetness in person."
Monday, April 04, 2005
Sears - the official history
Sears Archives Home Page leads to over a century's worth of history of the chain and American retailing.
I still haven't quite forgiven them for dropping the catalog though.
I still haven't quite forgiven them for dropping the catalog though.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Michael Schiavo in hiding after death threats
Awwwww....
Anger at Mr Schiavo's actions has been fuelled by the revelation that a court order from a county judge, George Greer, who repeatedly refused the Schindlers' pleas to let their daughter live, will allow him to have her cremated and her ashes interred in Pennsylvania. The Schindlers' request for a share of the ashes or even a lock of their daughter's hair has also been refused.
Now why would anybody want to shoot a guy who behaves like this?
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Change of heart
Did I say I didn't like cloning? Hey, make me a million copies of the woman who said this:Read it all.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Disgraceful
Anybody who blogs long enough will wind up writing something regrettable eventually. Here (above and beyond my own many contributions) I offer a couple of examples from what is ordinarily an excellent production, the Grand Rounds.
When so many people foul up the same facts the same ways you have to suspect a common source of disinformation. The post cited in Grand Rounds had the usual nonsense which failed to distinguish between adult stem cells (which have shown some successes) and embryonic stem cells (notable for their failures). One would think that if he wanted to write something snarky about this, the writer would take pains to know his topic first, especially if he's an aspiring medical professional.
The fact of the matter is that George W. Bush is the first President to push for *any* federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, and the minute the lefties want to "move on" embryonic stem cell research they can send in their money so they can do as much as they want with as many stem cell lines as they want. That they don't do so tells you that they're all about politics, not medical progress.
But the guy who put the Grand Rounds together is even snarkier. On his sidebar he offers this permalink to Terri's blog. And his post introducing the one above amounts to "Har har, Dubya sure shot himself in the foot this time! If his kind hadn't been blocking stem cell research maybe they could cure Terri Schiavo!"
Well, what he did say was "Those same people fighting for Terri’s tube reinsertion barred stem cell research from progressing." That's wrong on its face for reasons I discussed above.
But it's even worse yet. IMO it is fair to say that those in Congress who voted for the recent Terri Schiavo legislation would be among those who favor her tube reinsertion. Does he think that all of those solons also opposed increased federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?
And let's look at the Terri Schiavo angle. She can't be treated if she's dead, right? And who is it who has been fighting for her death and denying her treatment all these years? Uh huh, Michael Schiavo, her husband. Who do you think is more likely to let Terri receive such treatment - her hubby, who wants her dead, or her parents, who want nothing more than to care for her? Incidentally, look here to see how adult stem cells from bone marrow have been made to develop into functioning brain cells.
So these two can spare us their mock concern for Terri Schiavo. IMO it would ruin their day if Terri Schiavo were somehow cured with the "wrong" stem cells.
Here's an interesting stem cell link from the National Institutes of Health.
UPDATE: Ace has some similar comments here.
When so many people foul up the same facts the same ways you have to suspect a common source of disinformation. The post cited in Grand Rounds had the usual nonsense which failed to distinguish between adult stem cells (which have shown some successes) and embryonic stem cells (notable for their failures). One would think that if he wanted to write something snarky about this, the writer would take pains to know his topic first, especially if he's an aspiring medical professional.
The fact of the matter is that George W. Bush is the first President to push for *any* federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, and the minute the lefties want to "move on" embryonic stem cell research they can send in their money so they can do as much as they want with as many stem cell lines as they want. That they don't do so tells you that they're all about politics, not medical progress.
But the guy who put the Grand Rounds together is even snarkier. On his sidebar he offers this permalink to Terri's blog. And his post introducing the one above amounts to "Har har, Dubya sure shot himself in the foot this time! If his kind hadn't been blocking stem cell research maybe they could cure Terri Schiavo!"
Well, what he did say was "Those same people fighting for Terri’s tube reinsertion barred stem cell research from progressing." That's wrong on its face for reasons I discussed above.
But it's even worse yet. IMO it is fair to say that those in Congress who voted for the recent Terri Schiavo legislation would be among those who favor her tube reinsertion. Does he think that all of those solons also opposed increased federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?
And let's look at the Terri Schiavo angle. She can't be treated if she's dead, right? And who is it who has been fighting for her death and denying her treatment all these years? Uh huh, Michael Schiavo, her husband. Who do you think is more likely to let Terri receive such treatment - her hubby, who wants her dead, or her parents, who want nothing more than to care for her? Incidentally, look here to see how adult stem cells from bone marrow have been made to develop into functioning brain cells.
So these two can spare us their mock concern for Terri Schiavo. IMO it would ruin their day if Terri Schiavo were somehow cured with the "wrong" stem cells.
Here's an interesting stem cell link from the National Institutes of Health.
UPDATE: Ace has some similar comments here.
Michael Schiavo wants an autopsy?
That's contrary to my earlier information, which I can't source right now. Anyway, Michael Schiavo, husband and guardian of Terri Schiavo, and Mary and Bob Schindler, Ms. Schiavo's parents, have been engaged in a contentious public and legal dispute over the decision to remove Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, but: both want an autopsy and both say the post-mortem exam will provide evidence to finally nail down Ms. Schiavo's diagnosis.
Let's keep going below the neck and see if there are signs of abuse. We have had Schiavo claiming that he found needle marks on her after her parents had visited. And we have a hospice staffer's affidavit claiming that after periods of being locked in the room alone with Michael Schiavo, Terri would be left suffering signs of hypoglycemia (which is something of an accomplishment on her very stable liquid diet), which suggests that Schiavo was trying to kill her by injecting her with insulin.
And let's not forget that 1991 bone scan. Terri is 5' 3", Michael Schiavo is 6'5" and 250 lbs. Unless he's really a candyass he could break her bones effortlessly and maybe even unintentionally. (why would he want a woman so much smaller, anyway? If they had had kids it would have been rough on her.)
Anyway, this could be interesting to watch.
Let's keep going below the neck and see if there are signs of abuse. We have had Schiavo claiming that he found needle marks on her after her parents had visited. And we have a hospice staffer's affidavit claiming that after periods of being locked in the room alone with Michael Schiavo, Terri would be left suffering signs of hypoglycemia (which is something of an accomplishment on her very stable liquid diet), which suggests that Schiavo was trying to kill her by injecting her with insulin.
And let's not forget that 1991 bone scan. Terri is 5' 3", Michael Schiavo is 6'5" and 250 lbs. Unless he's really a candyass he could break her bones effortlessly and maybe even unintentionally. (why would he want a woman so much smaller, anyway? If they had had kids it would have been rough on her.)
Anyway, this could be interesting to watch.
Friday, March 25, 2005
At least try to think
Re this post from Bill Quick, saying that "ceasing food and fluid can be painless". In case one, BQ says "everything she ate, she painfully vomited back up". If that was more painful than doing without eating, than her choice is clear without assuming that it was also painless.
In case #2 with Mr. Quick's father, it's clear that the man had chosen not to eat. We don't know how much other pain he was in, and if he wanted to die this might well have been his only avenue after living 98 years and having a broken hip. Again, based on what he posted alone, it doesn't support his "Hooey" statement.
Perhaps Mr. Quick has better evidence. I encourage him to post it.
And I encourage Mr. Quick and some of those who commented on his post to look at Mr. Schiavo with a more critical eye. Don't let his possible complicity in her condition be obscured in the glare of right to life issues. And ask why it's so important for him to maintain control of her remains (he'd lose that if he divorced her), to the point of rejecting a big payday, and why he wants her cremated.
In case #2 with Mr. Quick's father, it's clear that the man had chosen not to eat. We don't know how much other pain he was in, and if he wanted to die this might well have been his only avenue after living 98 years and having a broken hip. Again, based on what he posted alone, it doesn't support his "Hooey" statement.
Perhaps Mr. Quick has better evidence. I encourage him to post it.
And I encourage Mr. Quick and some of those who commented on his post to look at Mr. Schiavo with a more critical eye. Don't let his possible complicity in her condition be obscured in the glare of right to life issues. And ask why it's so important for him to maintain control of her remains (he'd lose that if he divorced her), to the point of rejecting a big payday, and why he wants her cremated.
Miscellaneous Schiavo rants
Let's not hear another peep about "federalism" from people who don't agree that Roe v. Wade should be thrown out on its bloody ass. That's not "pro-life", it's respect for democracy and the Constitution.
Under what conceivable circumstances could we see an outcome where Terri Schiavo was to be neglected to death under armed guard and call it justice? If our legal system decides that she must die, at least do it in a way that would be permissible if done to a condemned prisoner, or even a rabid dog.
If we were putting a govt together from scratch, which idea would come up first? Justice, or federalism? If you could only have one of the two, which would you pick?
So the Republicans had the stones and compassion to pass a very narrowly tailored law explicitly described as not being a precedent with the intent of addressing a clear miscarriage of justice and preserving an innocent woman's life. Instead of hearing universal praise for political heroism in giving her the benefit of the doubt, we're actually hearing some whining about federalism. IMO those people were happy to see Terri Schiavo go all along, but wanted a more respectable reason.
Oh, the Republicans were just performing on cue for their masters, the Christian Right! Good grief. Yeah, there may be an unsigned memo out there alleging that, but then there's Powerline.
I don't hold out much hope for Terri Schiavo now. But once she's dead Michael Schiavo will no longer be in position to deny her parents things they want. You know, like seeing their daughter - what possible justification was there for him *ever* to deny them this? But with that inhibition gone, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Schindlers hit him with a big nasty wrongful-death suit, dragging in the 1991 bone scan and other things that suggest that the events that led to Terri's predicament were not accidents. And let's make sure he doesn't make a dime off her corpse with books, movies et al.
Advice to life insurors - don't write any policies for Jodie Centonze.
A guardian ad litem found that Terri Schiavo's care had been excellent. A nurse has testified that Michael Schiavo would modify her charts.
Or how about this:
That and numerous other tidbits appears on this affidavit, and if it's true, it's probably fair to say that Terri Schiavo *does* want to die rather than spend another minute under control of the monster she married.
Under what conceivable circumstances could we see an outcome where Terri Schiavo was to be neglected to death under armed guard and call it justice? If our legal system decides that she must die, at least do it in a way that would be permissible if done to a condemned prisoner, or even a rabid dog.
If we were putting a govt together from scratch, which idea would come up first? Justice, or federalism? If you could only have one of the two, which would you pick?
So the Republicans had the stones and compassion to pass a very narrowly tailored law explicitly described as not being a precedent with the intent of addressing a clear miscarriage of justice and preserving an innocent woman's life. Instead of hearing universal praise for political heroism in giving her the benefit of the doubt, we're actually hearing some whining about federalism. IMO those people were happy to see Terri Schiavo go all along, but wanted a more respectable reason.
Oh, the Republicans were just performing on cue for their masters, the Christian Right! Good grief. Yeah, there may be an unsigned memo out there alleging that, but then there's Powerline.
I don't hold out much hope for Terri Schiavo now. But once she's dead Michael Schiavo will no longer be in position to deny her parents things they want. You know, like seeing their daughter - what possible justification was there for him *ever* to deny them this? But with that inhibition gone, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Schindlers hit him with a big nasty wrongful-death suit, dragging in the 1991 bone scan and other things that suggest that the events that led to Terri's predicament were not accidents. And let's make sure he doesn't make a dime off her corpse with books, movies et al.
Advice to life insurors - don't write any policies for Jodie Centonze.
A guardian ad litem found that Terri Schiavo's care had been excellent. A nurse has testified that Michael Schiavo would modify her charts.
Or how about this:
When Michael visited Terri, he always came alone and always had the door closed and locked while he was with Terri. He would typically be there about twenty minutes or so. When he left Terri would would be trembling, crying hysterically, and would be very pale and have cold sweats. It looked to me like Terri was having a hypoglycemic reaction, so I’d check her blood sugar. The glucometer reading would be so low it was below the range where it would register an actual number reading. I would put dextrose in Terri’s mouth to counteract it. This happened about five times on my shift as I recall. Normally Terri’s blood sugar levels were very stable due to the uniformity of her diet through tube feeding. It is my belief that Michael injected Terri with Regular insulin, which is very fast acting.
That and numerous other tidbits appears on this affidavit, and if it's true, it's probably fair to say that Terri Schiavo *does* want to die rather than spend another minute under control of the monster she married.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Double take
Today I saw a Google ad like the following:
brain damage
Great deals on Brain Damage
Shop Today on Official eBay Site
www.ebay.com
It had to be a joke or a goof, right? See for yourself.
brain damage
Great deals on Brain Damage
Shop Today on Official eBay Site
www.ebay.com
It had to be a joke or a goof, right? See for yourself.
Judicial malpractice
I'm not a lawyer, so I may get some of the terminology wrong in what follows. But in essence, we have trial courts which make findings of fact, and appeals courts which can be used to remedy procedural or legal errors in trial courts or lower appeals courts.
Then there is technology. What is state of the art today is tomorrow's doorstop. Or, in the case of medical technology, what is invariably fatal today is routinely cured or ameliorated tomorrow.
Yet here we have Terri Schiavo trapped in a time warp. The trial court's findings of fact about her condition, however accurate they might have been by the standards of the time, can at least in principle at least become inappropriate in the light of new knowledge. Accordingly, there should be provisions for updating findings of fact or bases for appeal that can take into account this ever-improving technology. (But no, we can't even get her an MRI. Ha, we can't even feed her).
Will Terri Schiavo have to be neglected to death to make this happen? Or shall we ignore improvements in technology that might have occurred in the meantime lest we inconvenience some judges? (After all, they need time to handle all the process for prisoners on Death Row...)
I can't draw for beans, but try this punch line: "Sorry Galileo, but the court has already made the finding of fact that the sun and planets revolve around the earth".
UPDATE: I've had a bad case of fatfingers today, posting things twice instead of saving them as drafts. This post has been modified.
Then there is technology. What is state of the art today is tomorrow's doorstop. Or, in the case of medical technology, what is invariably fatal today is routinely cured or ameliorated tomorrow.
Yet here we have Terri Schiavo trapped in a time warp. The trial court's findings of fact about her condition, however accurate they might have been by the standards of the time, can at least in principle at least become inappropriate in the light of new knowledge. Accordingly, there should be provisions for updating findings of fact or bases for appeal that can take into account this ever-improving technology. (But no, we can't even get her an MRI. Ha, we can't even feed her).
Will Terri Schiavo have to be neglected to death to make this happen? Or shall we ignore improvements in technology that might have occurred in the meantime lest we inconvenience some judges? (After all, they need time to handle all the process for prisoners on Death Row...)
I can't draw for beans, but try this punch line: "Sorry Galileo, but the court has already made the finding of fact that the sun and planets revolve around the earth".
UPDATE: I've had a bad case of fatfingers today, posting things twice instead of saving them as drafts. This post has been modified.
Explain this to me
Why is it that if I want to draft a Living Will I have to sign it before witnesses, but Terri Schiavo can be starved to death legally based on hearsay from a man with a conflict of interest?
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Eat like a rock star
Add Custom Messages to your M&M'S® Candy in 13 Custom Colors OR create your own blend with 21 Colors to choose from!
They're hours of fun for OCD people too. You can count them, line them up by color like little histograms (or rainbows for you artsy types), eat them in a particular color sequence, turn them all so the little m's are aligned, peel off the shells,...they ought to advertise on "Monk".
Or with the right boards you could use them to play checkers, Chinese checkers, parcheesi, Aggravation, go, Othello....maybe even chess or Trivial Pursuit if there are enough different colors. Marbles? - maybe, but not for long. Got no board? - play Lite-Brite.
Snopes says that the green ones really aren't an aphrodisiac, but how could they know?- they never have any fun anyway, and some of us need all the help we can get. That and other M&Ms lore are addressed here.
They're hours of fun for OCD people too. You can count them, line them up by color like little histograms (or rainbows for you artsy types), eat them in a particular color sequence, turn them all so the little m's are aligned, peel off the shells,...they ought to advertise on "Monk".
Or with the right boards you could use them to play checkers, Chinese checkers, parcheesi, Aggravation, go, Othello....maybe even chess or Trivial Pursuit if there are enough different colors. Marbles? - maybe, but not for long. Got no board? - play Lite-Brite.
Snopes says that the green ones really aren't an aphrodisiac, but how could they know?- they never have any fun anyway, and some of us need all the help we can get. That and other M&Ms lore are addressed here.
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