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One of those rare days - 11 November 2008
Nov. 12th, 2008 12:05 amI got a day off today, and proceeded to fritter it away, basically, doing nothing at all but catching up on gameplay. A few days ago, the tanuki had their day off, complete with vacation costumes and decorations.
To be serious for a bit, though, today is Armistice Day, the end of the first Great War, what was supposed to be the War to End All Wars. It’s also Veterans’ Day to those in the states. Which makes for an interesting combination, and probably says something about the respective attitudes of each area toward war.
There’s also the continuing kerfuffle of Mormons baptizing Jews killed in the Holocaust. Uhh... so, by making the noise, they’re acknowledging that they think a Mormon baptism, after death, is valid and will convert the dead to a different religion than the one they practiced in life. Although, reading the article, it makes it sound like the LDS genealogy database is the problem, because the posthumous baptism means that the person’s religion will be changed from Judaism to LDS, and the LDS are probably one of the biggest keepers of genealogical records there is. That sounds like a problem, especially for those who do want their heritage preserved.
Apparently, the will and Scientolgy beliefs of the parents of a 25 year-old accused killer was stronger than medical authority, which stopped her from getting treatment, which may have prevented her alleged killing of her father and sister and serious wounding of her mother. So, the parents got to say that someone who has reached the age of majority couldn’t have psychiatric treatment? Because that’s what it sounds like this story is saying most of the way through. At the end, it sounds more like she was taking the treatment, but then her parents told her not to and enforced it, which, at that point, means they reaped consequences. Not that anyone deserves to die or be murdered in such a way, but stopping someone from getting treatment, especially if they’re responding well to it, is playing with fire.
After quite a bit of data and some interesting discoveries, the Phoenix mission has ended due to a change of Martian seasons. Not enough solar power to keep Phoenix going. One of the things I’ve always wondered about is whether, if they shut down for lack of sun, a mission will be able to reboot itself and continue working if it gets enough sun back later. Assuming that the conditions don’t destroy it in the downtime.
New leadership, new changes. The UK Prime Minister has said it's time to build a truly global society, a major part of Baghdad infrastructure is back open, and, as best we can tell, the current administrator is doing his best to leave the office gracefully and do a smooth transition.
Of course, some things stay the same. Some will still warn us against the dangers of religions bent to political aims, using historical examples. Then again, he might have a point. Others will use the election of Barack Obama as proof that things intended to help minorities elect minorities should be changed.
For the President-elect, Al Gore says that new leadership means we need real action on climate change, and Mr. Gore outlines a five-point plan on how to get there from here. Rumors about the approach the President-elect will be taking in Afghanistan, as well as what his approach toward working with the UN will be, his intent to make lobbyist influence significantly less.
For those wanting to be the President-elect, Sarah Palin hasn't ruled out the next run. Of course, it’s been rumored by Ms. Maddow and Mr. Olbermann that when the matter of Senator Stevens shakes out, Ms. Palin may take a stab at running for that. Willam McGurn thinks that Senator McCain owes Governor Palin an apology, and that he should squash the rumors and leaks about her that are showing up now. And, as the defeated party, advice comes from all places on how to recapture the hearts of the country and return them to being Republicans. Because, apparently, we’re still center-right. (I’d say that in the international stage, that center part isn’t there.) Heartening, in a way, is the continual advice from pundits for the Republican Party to actually take a risk or two and present an actual alternative, rather than being the negative side of the other branch. Although I do see just as many voices clamoring for the GOP to jettison anything deemed nonessential.
In the “jumping at shadows” department, The Washington Times thinks it's significant that material leaving change.gov, an Obama site, is an attempted scrubbing , despite the data still being available on the official site. The campaign said that the website was being retooled, and the data isn’t gone, just available elsewhere. So where’s the big cover-up again? Further along this department, Burt Prelutsky shakes his finger at the American populace for knowingly electing a socialist who will censor any voice opposite his.
Elsewhere and around, the WSJ about the Democratic vendetta to install *gasp* liberals in committee charimanships,
In tech, DDoSes and hack attacks are becoming more potent and complex, as the tools get better on both ends. Additionally, satellite images help groups track atrocities, a pacemaker that can recharge itself based on the heartbeat it is regulating, using explosive nanotubes to destroy cancer cells, sequencing and analyzing the other 99% of the genome, materials that may make implantables less reaction-provoking, along with new ways of catching heart attacks before they strike, finding the unique neural patters that allow brains to identify a speaker, and the top ten predictions of this year from Futruist Magazine.
Last, the apparent (although probably changed by now) Secret Service code names for the Obamas (and some of the McCains).
To be serious for a bit, though, today is Armistice Day, the end of the first Great War, what was supposed to be the War to End All Wars. It’s also Veterans’ Day to those in the states. Which makes for an interesting combination, and probably says something about the respective attitudes of each area toward war.
There’s also the continuing kerfuffle of Mormons baptizing Jews killed in the Holocaust. Uhh... so, by making the noise, they’re acknowledging that they think a Mormon baptism, after death, is valid and will convert the dead to a different religion than the one they practiced in life. Although, reading the article, it makes it sound like the LDS genealogy database is the problem, because the posthumous baptism means that the person’s religion will be changed from Judaism to LDS, and the LDS are probably one of the biggest keepers of genealogical records there is. That sounds like a problem, especially for those who do want their heritage preserved.
Apparently, the will and Scientolgy beliefs of the parents of a 25 year-old accused killer was stronger than medical authority, which stopped her from getting treatment, which may have prevented her alleged killing of her father and sister and serious wounding of her mother. So, the parents got to say that someone who has reached the age of majority couldn’t have psychiatric treatment? Because that’s what it sounds like this story is saying most of the way through. At the end, it sounds more like she was taking the treatment, but then her parents told her not to and enforced it, which, at that point, means they reaped consequences. Not that anyone deserves to die or be murdered in such a way, but stopping someone from getting treatment, especially if they’re responding well to it, is playing with fire.
After quite a bit of data and some interesting discoveries, the Phoenix mission has ended due to a change of Martian seasons. Not enough solar power to keep Phoenix going. One of the things I’ve always wondered about is whether, if they shut down for lack of sun, a mission will be able to reboot itself and continue working if it gets enough sun back later. Assuming that the conditions don’t destroy it in the downtime.
New leadership, new changes. The UK Prime Minister has said it's time to build a truly global society, a major part of Baghdad infrastructure is back open, and, as best we can tell, the current administrator is doing his best to leave the office gracefully and do a smooth transition.
Of course, some things stay the same. Some will still warn us against the dangers of religions bent to political aims, using historical examples. Then again, he might have a point. Others will use the election of Barack Obama as proof that things intended to help minorities elect minorities should be changed.
For the President-elect, Al Gore says that new leadership means we need real action on climate change, and Mr. Gore outlines a five-point plan on how to get there from here. Rumors about the approach the President-elect will be taking in Afghanistan, as well as what his approach toward working with the UN will be, his intent to make lobbyist influence significantly less.
For those wanting to be the President-elect, Sarah Palin hasn't ruled out the next run. Of course, it’s been rumored by Ms. Maddow and Mr. Olbermann that when the matter of Senator Stevens shakes out, Ms. Palin may take a stab at running for that. Willam McGurn thinks that Senator McCain owes Governor Palin an apology, and that he should squash the rumors and leaks about her that are showing up now. And, as the defeated party, advice comes from all places on how to recapture the hearts of the country and return them to being Republicans. Because, apparently, we’re still center-right. (I’d say that in the international stage, that center part isn’t there.) Heartening, in a way, is the continual advice from pundits for the Republican Party to actually take a risk or two and present an actual alternative, rather than being the negative side of the other branch. Although I do see just as many voices clamoring for the GOP to jettison anything deemed nonessential.
In the “jumping at shadows” department, The Washington Times thinks it's significant that material leaving change.gov, an Obama site, is an attempted scrubbing , despite the data still being available on the official site. The campaign said that the website was being retooled, and the data isn’t gone, just available elsewhere. So where’s the big cover-up again? Further along this department, Burt Prelutsky shakes his finger at the American populace for knowingly electing a socialist who will censor any voice opposite his.
Elsewhere and around, the WSJ about the Democratic vendetta to install *gasp* liberals in committee charimanships,
In tech, DDoSes and hack attacks are becoming more potent and complex, as the tools get better on both ends. Additionally, satellite images help groups track atrocities, a pacemaker that can recharge itself based on the heartbeat it is regulating, using explosive nanotubes to destroy cancer cells, sequencing and analyzing the other 99% of the genome, materials that may make implantables less reaction-provoking, along with new ways of catching heart attacks before they strike, finding the unique neural patters that allow brains to identify a speaker, and the top ten predictions of this year from Futruist Magazine.
Last, the apparent (although probably changed by now) Secret Service code names for the Obamas (and some of the McCains).
