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Back in the saddle - 28 April 2008
Apr. 29th, 2008 12:04 amAh, work. Such an interesting place. New attendance record for my program today, which makes me really happy. And then, just some unwinding after work. And tomorrow, I get to do it all again.
The grammarian gets the lead tonight with a reminder not to overemphasise the bang. And the grad student that I was a year ago has a laugh at what talking to a group of young children as a grad student is like. Finally, it's the year of the potato.
Internationally, Pakistani and Indian troops working as UN peacekeepers have been smuggling gold and ivory from the Democratic Republic of Congo in exchange for arms, and that the United Nations has been covering up the full extent of the matter, despite the UN’s own investigation in 2007.
Iran has demanded a shipment of Russian nuclear materials be permitted to cross the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has requested more information to ensure that the material being shipped is not in violation of the various sanctions and bans on selling or giving nuclear technology to Iran.
Afghanistan's president escaped an assassination bid.
Regarding the matter of Iraq, more fighting making for more deaths, as the conflict continues on. At least the military is trying to train enough agents to gather useful intelligence.
Rumors have surfaced that a National Guard unit stationed there is not being regularly fed. That’s disturbing, because if we can’t managed food with all the money we’re spending, then someone’s priorities are strongly misplaced. Perhaps it’s the millions in unfinished contracts that’s wasting the money that should be used to feed soldiers? And don’t forget the conditions at the hospitals here at home. These people should get an investigation. The Arkansas prisoner who is suing because he lost more than 100 pounds on the prison diet, from 400+ to 300+, maybe not. The complaint about not getting enough exercise, though, that one is worthwhile.
A bizarre story of tenants and landlords started with attempts to cut beams, and went through forged e-mails all the way to accusations that the tenants were squatters. It’s really weird, and really ugly. And no profit was to be made from it, unlike Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry.
With regard to the ongoing fight for the Democratic nomination, John Hawkins gives his ten best reasons why Hillary should emerge as the nominee, while![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
seasleepy wonders why Senator Clinton continues to run. Putting them both to shame, however, is Elizabeth Edwards nothing that we got just about nothing of substance out of all the media hulabaloo over Pennsylvania.
Sticking closer to home, an Alabama mayor plans on fighting crime by buying burlap sacks and handing them out as part of a citywide prayer service. Because that will make people not want to commit crimes. In San Francisco, people are praying for YHWH to intervene and lower the price of gasoline, so somebody has to think that wide-spread change is possible with sufficient devoted prayer. Perhaps, then, the following book at Amazon will become a best seller, since it claims to be a holy text. And maybe Iran's freshly-renewed crusade against Barbie dolls will succeed fantastically. More seriously, Gary Corseri describes the Pope's visit to America in verse, talking about all that the Pope did not say. And a blogger by the name of sd finds the FLDS compound raid to be a flagrant disgregard for the inhabitants' rights, based on the justification for the raid and the government’s reasoning regarding multiple marriage. Getting out of religious matters (finally),bradhicks realizes the practice of having Presidents and candidates denounce certain religious practices, denominations, or people is a bad idea. Because the religions being denounced could easily turn into theirs. Or into mob violence, or any other amount of really bad juju. If the argument holds that religion is an evolved figment of the human imagination, then having a Presidential candidate say that some ideas are unwelcome is not the greatest idea.
W. Burt Prelutsky goes cynical about cynicism, now that everyone’s a cynic. So where does that take him? To some postmodern world where everything is relative? Or back into the realms of the trusting? Or someone who strives to give people the benefit of the doubt where warranted? Well, looking around the rest of TownHall, where Michael Gerson explores the paradox of America wanting more cooperation in international affairs, but doesn't find enough to believe it has it, and Cliff May crying that a nuclear terrorist attack is an inevitability (while also taking swipes at the Democratic leadership for insisting that the rule of law be enforced, rather than tossed aside in the name of “national security”), I’d say that the only way through is to have the diversity of opinion that we already have. So, go ahead and be a post-cynic if you like. I’m still waiting for something to be done that indicates the government and corporations can be trusted to have a little more leash. Maybe we need an anti-racism concert series like there was some time ago to get us back on track toward making progress.
ldragoon could use some help. She's looking for spec fic books that have homosexual characters that end up happily paired at the end, without being slaughtered or tortured or rent apart. I’ll bet that regular books with those kinds of endings would be okay, too. Not so much for comics, though.
Into the tech realms we go - it's rumored that Apple will be including tactile feedback into the next iPhones. Which is a darn sight easier than teaching robots about the world around them, regardless of whatever methods we use. Perhaps the biggest tech news is the MicroFueler, a "home"-based ethanol creator, available for approximately $10k and the cost of sugars, yeast, and electricity. Along with urban miners recycling metals from cell phones, the drive to make every ounce count is getting stronger.
Next to last, Kevin Drum asks why banks and credit institutions are charging people to do the job they should be doing in the first place. Considering we put our trust in these institutions, they should, as part of their natural work, protect us from those who want to steal our identities and money. So why are they charging us extra money for their protection plans?
Last for tonight, LOLGrues. Which are pieces of participation. And with as much of a cognitive surplus as Clay Shirky says we have, participation in all sorts of things is definitely going to become much more popular. Less TV, more interactivity, it sounds like. Like telling the story of how one's socks were swiped by Homeland Security. Perhaps they will become Sock Zombies. Or maybe we’ll make stories around the contents of Visual crack for the ocular fiend, some of which is potentially NSFW for body parts. If all of this sounds drug-fueled, remember, it's just a plant.
And on the postscript, part three: Luigi and part four: Toad of the Frank Miller remixed Super Mario Brothers.
The grammarian gets the lead tonight with a reminder not to overemphasise the bang. And the grad student that I was a year ago has a laugh at what talking to a group of young children as a grad student is like. Finally, it's the year of the potato.
Internationally, Pakistani and Indian troops working as UN peacekeepers have been smuggling gold and ivory from the Democratic Republic of Congo in exchange for arms, and that the United Nations has been covering up the full extent of the matter, despite the UN’s own investigation in 2007.
Iran has demanded a shipment of Russian nuclear materials be permitted to cross the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has requested more information to ensure that the material being shipped is not in violation of the various sanctions and bans on selling or giving nuclear technology to Iran.
Afghanistan's president escaped an assassination bid.
Regarding the matter of Iraq, more fighting making for more deaths, as the conflict continues on. At least the military is trying to train enough agents to gather useful intelligence.
Rumors have surfaced that a National Guard unit stationed there is not being regularly fed. That’s disturbing, because if we can’t managed food with all the money we’re spending, then someone’s priorities are strongly misplaced. Perhaps it’s the millions in unfinished contracts that’s wasting the money that should be used to feed soldiers? And don’t forget the conditions at the hospitals here at home. These people should get an investigation. The Arkansas prisoner who is suing because he lost more than 100 pounds on the prison diet, from 400+ to 300+, maybe not. The complaint about not getting enough exercise, though, that one is worthwhile.
A bizarre story of tenants and landlords started with attempts to cut beams, and went through forged e-mails all the way to accusations that the tenants were squatters. It’s really weird, and really ugly. And no profit was to be made from it, unlike Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry.
With regard to the ongoing fight for the Democratic nomination, John Hawkins gives his ten best reasons why Hillary should emerge as the nominee, while
seasleepy wonders why Senator Clinton continues to run. Putting them both to shame, however, is Elizabeth Edwards nothing that we got just about nothing of substance out of all the media hulabaloo over Pennsylvania.Sticking closer to home, an Alabama mayor plans on fighting crime by buying burlap sacks and handing them out as part of a citywide prayer service. Because that will make people not want to commit crimes. In San Francisco, people are praying for YHWH to intervene and lower the price of gasoline, so somebody has to think that wide-spread change is possible with sufficient devoted prayer. Perhaps, then, the following book at Amazon will become a best seller, since it claims to be a holy text. And maybe Iran's freshly-renewed crusade against Barbie dolls will succeed fantastically. More seriously, Gary Corseri describes the Pope's visit to America in verse, talking about all that the Pope did not say. And a blogger by the name of sd finds the FLDS compound raid to be a flagrant disgregard for the inhabitants' rights, based on the justification for the raid and the government’s reasoning regarding multiple marriage. Getting out of religious matters (finally),
bradhicks realizes the practice of having Presidents and candidates denounce certain religious practices, denominations, or people is a bad idea. Because the religions being denounced could easily turn into theirs. Or into mob violence, or any other amount of really bad juju. If the argument holds that religion is an evolved figment of the human imagination, then having a Presidential candidate say that some ideas are unwelcome is not the greatest idea.W. Burt Prelutsky goes cynical about cynicism, now that everyone’s a cynic. So where does that take him? To some postmodern world where everything is relative? Or back into the realms of the trusting? Or someone who strives to give people the benefit of the doubt where warranted? Well, looking around the rest of TownHall, where Michael Gerson explores the paradox of America wanting more cooperation in international affairs, but doesn't find enough to believe it has it, and Cliff May crying that a nuclear terrorist attack is an inevitability (while also taking swipes at the Democratic leadership for insisting that the rule of law be enforced, rather than tossed aside in the name of “national security”), I’d say that the only way through is to have the diversity of opinion that we already have. So, go ahead and be a post-cynic if you like. I’m still waiting for something to be done that indicates the government and corporations can be trusted to have a little more leash. Maybe we need an anti-racism concert series like there was some time ago to get us back on track toward making progress.
ldragoon could use some help. She's looking for spec fic books that have homosexual characters that end up happily paired at the end, without being slaughtered or tortured or rent apart. I’ll bet that regular books with those kinds of endings would be okay, too. Not so much for comics, though.Into the tech realms we go - it's rumored that Apple will be including tactile feedback into the next iPhones. Which is a darn sight easier than teaching robots about the world around them, regardless of whatever methods we use. Perhaps the biggest tech news is the MicroFueler, a "home"-based ethanol creator, available for approximately $10k and the cost of sugars, yeast, and electricity. Along with urban miners recycling metals from cell phones, the drive to make every ounce count is getting stronger.
Next to last, Kevin Drum asks why banks and credit institutions are charging people to do the job they should be doing in the first place. Considering we put our trust in these institutions, they should, as part of their natural work, protect us from those who want to steal our identities and money. So why are they charging us extra money for their protection plans?
Last for tonight, LOLGrues. Which are pieces of participation. And with as much of a cognitive surplus as Clay Shirky says we have, participation in all sorts of things is definitely going to become much more popular. Less TV, more interactivity, it sounds like. Like telling the story of how one's socks were swiped by Homeland Security. Perhaps they will become Sock Zombies. Or maybe we’ll make stories around the contents of Visual crack for the ocular fiend, some of which is potentially NSFW for body parts. If all of this sounds drug-fueled, remember, it's just a plant.
And on the postscript, part three: Luigi and part four: Toad of the Frank Miller remixed Super Mario Brothers.
