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What have we wrought here? - 28 May 2008
May. 29th, 2008 12:13 amThings got loud today, with the teenage crowd. First, tried the part where separating could make things work out better, but that didn’t work, and so people were threatened, and then ended up leaving. To their credit, after I warned them, when I reappeared, they left. It wasn’t a matter of not understanding, just a matter of not understanding. So that option may not work out so well. I hope these sorts of problems resolve in the new building, but the floor plans there could still make for some “they’re being too loud” problems. I guess my ears still need to be trained to the sensitivities of the various customers. Plus, everybody will have their own computers in the new branch. That may help things a lot, too. And then I came home and made a little progress here and there in Smash Brothers Brawl. I may have to have an expert drop by and help me in finishing out Boss Battles on Intense, because that sequence is just kicking my butt completely. (And I can’t hammer it open.) But enough of my own life and its uninteresting ramifications, it’s time for the news.
Starting with the international bureau, several accusations of child abuse by troops tasked as United Nations peacekeeping forces have surfaced. The UN is investigating the claims, but has said that there is significant responsibility by member countries to ensure that the troops they send in as peacekeepers and aid workers are held to the highest standard and will perform up to those expectations.
From the climate change front, a possible very worst-case scenario suggests that enough warming could trigger a self-perpetuating loop of methane gas release to more warming to more gas release and so on. This is a worst-case scenario, though, but if it happens, the reaction could trigger within a generation or two.
A photo set on display depicts Paris as a hotbed of love and lust during the Nazi occupation. Meaning that the Parisians adapted and began to live life under occupation, while still engaging in resistance. What’s more interesting is the reaction to this revelation. It is apparently forbidden to consider the idea that anyone would have been doing something else other than resisting in austere conditions. Only collaborators live well, I guess, and everyone else starved. This is not the reality of things. An occupying force that actually starves its populace will have riots and a general lack of control. Besides, the United States had several people openly support Hitler’s designs. This is a fact of our own history. Even now, though, it seems like the cultural memory wants to forget that Hitler had support and fans, rather than learning that when the populace is scared, charismatic leaders often try to turn governments into dictatorships. The charismatic leaders have learned not to be so overt in their actions, but Republicans inciting xenophobia and terror scares doesn’t sound all that different than Hitler inciting jingoism and proclaiming the German race to be superior. All it would take for America to follow the dictatorial path explicitly would be the right kind of trigger. It remains to be seen whether the American populace would actually follow along with such a scheme or not.
The top brass of the United States military has issued a directive to remind troops to stay apolitical while in uniform. That directive should probably apply to a significant amount of government employees, too.
With regard to the continuing War on Concepts, Frida Berrigan opines that the most lasting legacy of the current administration may be the Pentagon and the military-industrial complex’s unchecked expansion into affairs not military, which will take a very long time to undo. Channeling foreign policy and domestic affairs through the Pentagon is not the wisest course of action. The Pentagon will probably be back to the regular size about the same time that the rest of the world starts looking on the United States favorably again.
There’s also faults found in port security that potentially allow the smuggling of WMD into the country, and CNS News clamoring that the Christians of Iraq are going to be systematically wiped out. But, to distract you from all these things, oh, look. Another video is arriving.
Really, though, stop and think for a moment. What could we have done with all the money that's been spent on the war so far? What kind of real good could we have done in the world and here at home? If we're going to bankrupt the country, why not do it in such a way that a whole lot of people benefit, rather than just contractors and grafters? Or, at the very least, make it so that military families are not going into bankruptcy while the serviceperson is away fighting.
In domestic affairs, the makers of Barbie and Bratz dolls are about it get into a bratfight, with Mattel claiming the person who created Bratz did so with the help of Mattel resources on Mattel time.
If one should receive a call about a debt that is supposedly in your name, make sure that they send you written proof, among other things, and don’t be intimidated, no matter what someone says about a “judgment” being entered against you, or any sort of settlement offers. If it’s a legitimate debt and a legitimate agency, they will be more than happy to send you materials in the mail and will work with you to resolve the matter, rather than threatening you with garnishment or trying to pressure you into a settlement before you’ve had a chance to analyze all the documentation.
Has Congress just enacted a fundraiser for a religious organization? Well, it’s the Boy Scouts they’re making commemorative coins for, but the BSA makes no secret of its religious requirements for advancement and membership. With the current policy and legal difficulties they’re having, paying the BSA part of the proceeds from their coins could be interpreted as a gesture which gives favor to one religious organization over others.
Into the opinion columns. Amir Taheri says that nobody will be able to negotiate with Iran until its revolutionary fires have burned out and it goes back to being a nation-state, instead of a cause. OpinionJournal says to make Iran stop, more than just weak condemnations are needed. Something like blockades to enforce sanctions.
Dover Bitch, at the General's, compares Senator McCain to the character of Ulysses in Tennyson, a man past his prime, trying to fight wars and conflicts that already ended, looking for great glory before dying, and not interested in the business of running the country. He’s more likely to run it into the ground chasing his spectacular battle. And Progressive Media USA points out that Senator McCain has not voted against a Bush position this year when that position was clearly stated and the Senator was in attendance to vote, which is a rare situation, apparently. In years past, the number is also 90%+, so it’s not just a fluke of this year.
David Boaz condemns both likely presidential candidates for emphasising the need to work together and not selfishly chase the trappings of wealth, considering it an attack on the capitalism that drives the country and put both of those men in the position to talk about the issue, and an attack on the American Dream. The difficulty I have with this line of thought is that while I recognize the need to make sufficient money to cover expenses, live an acceptable life, and make it so that things are a little easier for the next generation, there should be ways of rewarding people who pursue the careers and jobs that they want to, whether in a for-profit venture or in nonprofit work, or as a startup, or as an artist. I suspect the world would be a lot easier if we could all work our dream jobs and not have to worry about whether they pay enough for us to live. Lots of people may be engaging in the mutiny of the soul, sacrificing living for surviving, and then wondering why their lives don’t seem to have the spark they once did. I think a large amount of that spark is smashed out in primary schooling. We tell young children that they can be anything they want to when they grow up, and then we tell them they can be what they’re good at, and then we tell them they can be what makes enough money for them to live, and then we tell them they can be whatever happens to be open in the job market at the time. With each successive shift, the range of possibilities narrows down, and I’d say most of the jobs we wanted to be as a child got nixed out by the time we got to the point where we could make a career decision. Admittedly, I’m guessing in my world, where everyone is supported, there are a lot more artists than there are now, people take recharging vacations more often, and some things may change about infrastructure, depending on how many people we have that really are dedicated to the idea that the roads need fixing and the cable needs laying and all those other things. Still, if the people were happy, it would probably be worth the pains of readjusting. That, and I would think career changing would be more fluid, as people discovered that they didn’t really like doing certain things and wanted to do others. We’d manage. Probably.
Technology leads with a really Cool Thing, albeit one that will require a lot of bandwidth to achieve. The chief of Telestra, an Australian company, conducted a presentation by hologram from Melbourne. I love it. I hope that we can build the infrastructure for this soon, and be able to experience all sorts of things virtually - like saying hello to friends across the country for cheaper than the cost of a plane ticket.
Of course, for each Cool Thing, there is an equal and opposite Uncool Thing, and I think that a group suing the city of Santa Fe for discriminating against them because they are "allergic" to Wi-Fi signals. They are apparently fine with broadcast radio signals, however, because I didn’t see anything in the article about their continuous pain, wherever they go. And Wi-Fi is radio waves, last I checked. I can hear the pitch of a monitor that’s on without an accompanying video signal, to the point of having had to turn off a monitor in a computer lab so that I could think, but if I were allergic to radio waves, well, there’s nowhere I could hide, excepting perhaps a Faraday cage.
Some helpful computer tips in Windows - if you’re worried about having been hacked, some commands to look at processes, user accounts, or Internet connections on a low level. Here's part two, with more commands.
New study says that moderate alcohol consumption and/or wearing boxers can contribute to better sperm. Hrm. Alcohol, the cause of, and solution to, many of life’s problems? Drink up, me hearties. And then have a look at Luigi Coliani's designes for many of our modern vehicles. Very streamlined and curvy and potentially aerodynamic. This is the stuff of the future, or at least looks like it.
For a minimum of 10 thousand dollars, your ashes could become moon dust. The company is offering to take along people’s ashes when it sends up lunar explorers. The explorers will leave the ashes behind as they finish their mission. An interesting thought, to be buried in the Sea of Tranquility.
Further from there, the amount of mobile telephone users in the world is now about half of the population. That’s a lot of calls, texts, and other communications. I wonder... is it easier to drop mobile phone towers and maintain them than it is to establish lots of landlines?
Last item for Tech tonight is AI Robotics selling what they claim to be is a "perfect woman" - a robot companion for men that is supposed to be able to converse, cook, play games, be a bedroom partner, and be both self-learning and self-updating through wireless connections. I’ll believe it when I see it in action, and when the news and/or blogosphere explodes with how wonderful this “perfect woman” is. The launch date isn’t until 13 June, so there’s still time for this to turn into something nonserious. Remind me in a couple weeks to go check it back out.
Last for tonight, Room 8, a feline adopted by a school and given much love throughout his 22 year life. It’s definitely an “awwwwww” sort of story. Certainly a better narrative and message than Jesus Trucking Christ. People like that are probably more than happy to know about You've been left behind, a service designed to send messages to unbelievers after the Rapture occurs.
Closing out tonight, Lilium Urbanus, a quick short film that’s worth watching, and a Wal-Mart cake where instructions were taken literally. Zo, bedtime and all that. See you in the morning.
Starting with the international bureau, several accusations of child abuse by troops tasked as United Nations peacekeeping forces have surfaced. The UN is investigating the claims, but has said that there is significant responsibility by member countries to ensure that the troops they send in as peacekeepers and aid workers are held to the highest standard and will perform up to those expectations.
From the climate change front, a possible very worst-case scenario suggests that enough warming could trigger a self-perpetuating loop of methane gas release to more warming to more gas release and so on. This is a worst-case scenario, though, but if it happens, the reaction could trigger within a generation or two.
A photo set on display depicts Paris as a hotbed of love and lust during the Nazi occupation. Meaning that the Parisians adapted and began to live life under occupation, while still engaging in resistance. What’s more interesting is the reaction to this revelation. It is apparently forbidden to consider the idea that anyone would have been doing something else other than resisting in austere conditions. Only collaborators live well, I guess, and everyone else starved. This is not the reality of things. An occupying force that actually starves its populace will have riots and a general lack of control. Besides, the United States had several people openly support Hitler’s designs. This is a fact of our own history. Even now, though, it seems like the cultural memory wants to forget that Hitler had support and fans, rather than learning that when the populace is scared, charismatic leaders often try to turn governments into dictatorships. The charismatic leaders have learned not to be so overt in their actions, but Republicans inciting xenophobia and terror scares doesn’t sound all that different than Hitler inciting jingoism and proclaiming the German race to be superior. All it would take for America to follow the dictatorial path explicitly would be the right kind of trigger. It remains to be seen whether the American populace would actually follow along with such a scheme or not.
The top brass of the United States military has issued a directive to remind troops to stay apolitical while in uniform. That directive should probably apply to a significant amount of government employees, too.
With regard to the continuing War on Concepts, Frida Berrigan opines that the most lasting legacy of the current administration may be the Pentagon and the military-industrial complex’s unchecked expansion into affairs not military, which will take a very long time to undo. Channeling foreign policy and domestic affairs through the Pentagon is not the wisest course of action. The Pentagon will probably be back to the regular size about the same time that the rest of the world starts looking on the United States favorably again.
There’s also faults found in port security that potentially allow the smuggling of WMD into the country, and CNS News clamoring that the Christians of Iraq are going to be systematically wiped out. But, to distract you from all these things, oh, look. Another video is arriving.
Really, though, stop and think for a moment. What could we have done with all the money that's been spent on the war so far? What kind of real good could we have done in the world and here at home? If we're going to bankrupt the country, why not do it in such a way that a whole lot of people benefit, rather than just contractors and grafters? Or, at the very least, make it so that military families are not going into bankruptcy while the serviceperson is away fighting.
In domestic affairs, the makers of Barbie and Bratz dolls are about it get into a bratfight, with Mattel claiming the person who created Bratz did so with the help of Mattel resources on Mattel time.
If one should receive a call about a debt that is supposedly in your name, make sure that they send you written proof, among other things, and don’t be intimidated, no matter what someone says about a “judgment” being entered against you, or any sort of settlement offers. If it’s a legitimate debt and a legitimate agency, they will be more than happy to send you materials in the mail and will work with you to resolve the matter, rather than threatening you with garnishment or trying to pressure you into a settlement before you’ve had a chance to analyze all the documentation.
Has Congress just enacted a fundraiser for a religious organization? Well, it’s the Boy Scouts they’re making commemorative coins for, but the BSA makes no secret of its religious requirements for advancement and membership. With the current policy and legal difficulties they’re having, paying the BSA part of the proceeds from their coins could be interpreted as a gesture which gives favor to one religious organization over others.
Into the opinion columns. Amir Taheri says that nobody will be able to negotiate with Iran until its revolutionary fires have burned out and it goes back to being a nation-state, instead of a cause. OpinionJournal says to make Iran stop, more than just weak condemnations are needed. Something like blockades to enforce sanctions.
Dover Bitch, at the General's, compares Senator McCain to the character of Ulysses in Tennyson, a man past his prime, trying to fight wars and conflicts that already ended, looking for great glory before dying, and not interested in the business of running the country. He’s more likely to run it into the ground chasing his spectacular battle. And Progressive Media USA points out that Senator McCain has not voted against a Bush position this year when that position was clearly stated and the Senator was in attendance to vote, which is a rare situation, apparently. In years past, the number is also 90%+, so it’s not just a fluke of this year.
David Boaz condemns both likely presidential candidates for emphasising the need to work together and not selfishly chase the trappings of wealth, considering it an attack on the capitalism that drives the country and put both of those men in the position to talk about the issue, and an attack on the American Dream. The difficulty I have with this line of thought is that while I recognize the need to make sufficient money to cover expenses, live an acceptable life, and make it so that things are a little easier for the next generation, there should be ways of rewarding people who pursue the careers and jobs that they want to, whether in a for-profit venture or in nonprofit work, or as a startup, or as an artist. I suspect the world would be a lot easier if we could all work our dream jobs and not have to worry about whether they pay enough for us to live. Lots of people may be engaging in the mutiny of the soul, sacrificing living for surviving, and then wondering why their lives don’t seem to have the spark they once did. I think a large amount of that spark is smashed out in primary schooling. We tell young children that they can be anything they want to when they grow up, and then we tell them they can be what they’re good at, and then we tell them they can be what makes enough money for them to live, and then we tell them they can be whatever happens to be open in the job market at the time. With each successive shift, the range of possibilities narrows down, and I’d say most of the jobs we wanted to be as a child got nixed out by the time we got to the point where we could make a career decision. Admittedly, I’m guessing in my world, where everyone is supported, there are a lot more artists than there are now, people take recharging vacations more often, and some things may change about infrastructure, depending on how many people we have that really are dedicated to the idea that the roads need fixing and the cable needs laying and all those other things. Still, if the people were happy, it would probably be worth the pains of readjusting. That, and I would think career changing would be more fluid, as people discovered that they didn’t really like doing certain things and wanted to do others. We’d manage. Probably.
Technology leads with a really Cool Thing, albeit one that will require a lot of bandwidth to achieve. The chief of Telestra, an Australian company, conducted a presentation by hologram from Melbourne. I love it. I hope that we can build the infrastructure for this soon, and be able to experience all sorts of things virtually - like saying hello to friends across the country for cheaper than the cost of a plane ticket.
Of course, for each Cool Thing, there is an equal and opposite Uncool Thing, and I think that a group suing the city of Santa Fe for discriminating against them because they are "allergic" to Wi-Fi signals. They are apparently fine with broadcast radio signals, however, because I didn’t see anything in the article about their continuous pain, wherever they go. And Wi-Fi is radio waves, last I checked. I can hear the pitch of a monitor that’s on without an accompanying video signal, to the point of having had to turn off a monitor in a computer lab so that I could think, but if I were allergic to radio waves, well, there’s nowhere I could hide, excepting perhaps a Faraday cage.
Some helpful computer tips in Windows - if you’re worried about having been hacked, some commands to look at processes, user accounts, or Internet connections on a low level. Here's part two, with more commands.
New study says that moderate alcohol consumption and/or wearing boxers can contribute to better sperm. Hrm. Alcohol, the cause of, and solution to, many of life’s problems? Drink up, me hearties. And then have a look at Luigi Coliani's designes for many of our modern vehicles. Very streamlined and curvy and potentially aerodynamic. This is the stuff of the future, or at least looks like it.
For a minimum of 10 thousand dollars, your ashes could become moon dust. The company is offering to take along people’s ashes when it sends up lunar explorers. The explorers will leave the ashes behind as they finish their mission. An interesting thought, to be buried in the Sea of Tranquility.
Further from there, the amount of mobile telephone users in the world is now about half of the population. That’s a lot of calls, texts, and other communications. I wonder... is it easier to drop mobile phone towers and maintain them than it is to establish lots of landlines?
Last item for Tech tonight is AI Robotics selling what they claim to be is a "perfect woman" - a robot companion for men that is supposed to be able to converse, cook, play games, be a bedroom partner, and be both self-learning and self-updating through wireless connections. I’ll believe it when I see it in action, and when the news and/or blogosphere explodes with how wonderful this “perfect woman” is. The launch date isn’t until 13 June, so there’s still time for this to turn into something nonserious. Remind me in a couple weeks to go check it back out.
Last for tonight, Room 8, a feline adopted by a school and given much love throughout his 22 year life. It’s definitely an “awwwwww” sort of story. Certainly a better narrative and message than Jesus Trucking Christ. People like that are probably more than happy to know about You've been left behind, a service designed to send messages to unbelievers after the Rapture occurs.
Closing out tonight, Lilium Urbanus, a quick short film that’s worth watching, and a Wal-Mart cake where instructions were taken literally. Zo, bedtime and all that. See you in the morning.
