![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Greetings, persons and other beings of interest. We begin tonight with a reminder that no matter how good our automated engines get, there still needs to be a human editor, otherwise you end up in the un-enviable position of calling Judaism a cause of AIDS, and saying that things like coarse salt and Dr. Pepper soda can be used to treat one's Jewishness. We think "pork" or "shellfish" would have been a more accurate thing to have in there, ourselves. Clearly, there are bugs still to be worked out, and the people behind the gaffe have admitted to it, apologized for it, and are looking to clean it up. Editing after the fact is too late, though, really - read beforehand.
You can go in the opposite direction as well, however - observe the HTML source code that, when rotated ninety degrees, resembles the Google Earth skyline view of the corporation whose website the source code creates. There is art in all things, if you look for it. Perhaps this is the hypertext equivalent of fore-edge painting?
And last before what people this is actual news, a reminder of basic science - all Humes are mutants, because the experiment of selection and evolution needs test subjects. Some of your mutations will be beneficial and survive. Some of yours will be detrimental and survive.
Internationally, Stephen Harper says he's not going to make deals to stay in power, which reinforces my speculation that he thinks he can beat the Liberals again in an election.
Also, accounts surface of contractors in Kabul cavorting around naked, performing lewd acts, and generally not doing the embassy guarding job they were hired to do. Later, we find out those guards have been dismissed for their actions.
Domestically, if you want a chance to give Glenn Beck a raspberry (or something stronger and louder), the mayor of Mt. Vernon, WA, will be presenting him with a key to the city on 26 September as a local boy who made it big. The General is always available for needed context, as well as noting Mr. Beck might need advertisers more than he needs keys. You know, to replace the 46 advertisers he's lost through continuing to open his mouth and not apologize for previous remarks.
The Obama school address has now caught the MSM wave, and here we go - the Christian Science Monitor uses Michelle Malkin as the examplar of what objections to the speech look like, which we note curiously includes the belief that somehow the President is going to be able to explain and justify all his policies to the children who will then be brainwashed into... what? They'll go home and manage to hypnotize their parents into accepting the plans, too? Plus, while it would be a thoroughly awesome thing if the President could make his message comprehensible to schoolchildren (a litmus test of the future, perhaps?), I think he's going to concentrate on things that are more immediately relevant tot hem, like, say, doing well in school. Still, that doesn't mean that the propoaganda scares about propaganda aren't having effects. Some school districts are giving options or not showing, as we mentioned before, and the White house has changed some of the language of the lesson plan to accompany the speech. Also as a result of the hysteria, two Republicans are urging an early transcript so that parents can decide "whether the material is appropriate for their children." While the image of the President engaging in language that requires a 1000Hz tone or some sort of mosaic as shocked schoolchildren look on is entertaing, I don't think that's quite what's on the docket. Plus, do parents want their children to grow up as intelligent and educated people who can intelligently discuss political and social matters and find solutions? Pulling your kid out of class just as a great opportunity to talk about schooling happens seems counterproductive, but then again, it's a long-standing tradition to pull your kid out of class right when a great opportunity to debate human sexuality and its ethics appears in conjunction with the development of puberty and the beginnings of sexual thinking.
More seriously, thanks to the Rebel Yell for keeping us up to date - the Ohio (previously) Muslim teen who went to Florida after converting to Christianity has signed an affadavit says she's afraid her parents will kill her if she returns. And who's representing her? "John Stemberger...attorney and president of the Christian advocacy organization Florida Family Policy Council". He's clearly not an impartial voice in this particular situation. The parents have pointed out what we mentioned beforehand - extremist Muslims with ties to terrorism don't generally let their women children become cheerleaders. This continues to look more like a pastor preyed on a young woman's fears adn took advantage of her want to practice another religion than the one she was raised in. It's a situation that I'm really waiting for the sexual abuse allegations against the pastor on, because it seems like this story would follow that line. Or maybe I've become cynical about the motivations of Christian pastors who want to move young women out of their current home and across several state lines. Rebel Yell thinks this looks like a deliberate attempt to start an American inter-religious war, Christians v. Muslims, and I can see where that's a possibility. Had this happened a few years ago, I would have been a lot more worried. Then again, there is still that beleif that the President is secretly Muslim himself...
For perspective, we note that the insanity of religion is not restricted to certain monotheistic denominations. After all - if the scripture says the Moon is a Vedic paradise, then clearly the moon landing has to have been faked, because it shows Luna as a barren and desolate rock.
Going to economic news, here's something to advocate for a guaranteed government income or other benefit - low wage workers get screwed on overtime, and often end up getting paid less than the minimum wage as well, according to a new study interviewing workers from Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Another lowlight of the study is that 68 percent of the workers interviewed reported at least one pay-related violation in the last week. Additionally, employers of those workers were excellent at getting them not to pursue workman's comp under the law, retaliated in illegal manners after complaints or attempted unionization, and some of them even stole tips from their employees. It's not just undocumented workers in the study, but across all low-wage industries. Now what did that guy say about "the least of my people", again?
Plus, this is a perfect oportunity for the recharged-on-civil-rights Attorney General to start doing more on bringing and prosecuting those kinds of cases.
Mr. Biden defends the stimulus program, and gets some help from even the WSJ, reporting the stimulus seems to be working to help recover teh economy. That's got to be chafing to some personages staking their fortune on the idea that the stimulus was a waste of money.
Mr. Greer speculates that moves by the Chinese government to prevent export of raw rare earth material may have dual purposes - to concentrate wealth in China, and to remind us that in many vases, politics is a monkey wrench in the economic gears, thus intentional scarcity may be the rule for the future. (Plus, derivatives are apparently, on paper, worth more than one quadrillion dollars, of which there's no way there's enough goods or services to make up that amount. Can we say bubble?)
Elsewhere, at a health care forum, an altercation between pro and anti forces escalated to the biting off of a finger, which was later reattached. Seriously, people, biting off fingers? At a health care debate? We've already got enough examples of things going wrong withotu having to add potential new calls for donations because insurance wouldn't cover stuff (in this case, though, the victim had Medicare, and it paid for it).
Only a couple opinions, one good, one bad. The good - more pushing for Democrats to have Mr. Rangel resign his chairmanship of the Ways and Means committee or be stripped of it over significant amounts of money he hid from the IRS. The bad, to the worst - remember when we mentioned the Post article that was basically vindicating the Cheney fantasy about how torture works. Well, now Mr. Lowry is using that article as justiciation to say that torture worked and the Obama administration is foolish to not use it, continuing to assert that KSM was resistant until he was waterboarded, a claim that not even the reports being cited make.
In technology, a laptop-like device in a Flash Gordon comic... in the 1930s, pointing out that yet again, what was science fiction becomes science fact with regularity, the creation of a crystalline structure made of DNA, Sprint signing on to sell Android phones, and the iPhone's bandwidth-heavy operations as a potential sign to other mobile carriers about the need to upgrade their networks, especially if they intend on carrying things like Android phones.
Last for tonight, Warren Ellis demands the return of Thunderbirds, so as to create a new generation of mad scientists and engineers. Perhaps if we then made Girl Genius required reading as well...? And for those looking to contribute to the creation of more mad scientists, Lester Dent gives his formula for the 6000 word pulp adventure, which could easily be bent to the appropriate degree of steampunkiness of flash technology. Well, either that, or they could develop Pedo Bear plushes. Hrm... now it doesn't sound like quite as good an idea.
You can go in the opposite direction as well, however - observe the HTML source code that, when rotated ninety degrees, resembles the Google Earth skyline view of the corporation whose website the source code creates. There is art in all things, if you look for it. Perhaps this is the hypertext equivalent of fore-edge painting?
And last before what people this is actual news, a reminder of basic science - all Humes are mutants, because the experiment of selection and evolution needs test subjects. Some of your mutations will be beneficial and survive. Some of yours will be detrimental and survive.
Internationally, Stephen Harper says he's not going to make deals to stay in power, which reinforces my speculation that he thinks he can beat the Liberals again in an election.
Also, accounts surface of contractors in Kabul cavorting around naked, performing lewd acts, and generally not doing the embassy guarding job they were hired to do. Later, we find out those guards have been dismissed for their actions.
Domestically, if you want a chance to give Glenn Beck a raspberry (or something stronger and louder), the mayor of Mt. Vernon, WA, will be presenting him with a key to the city on 26 September as a local boy who made it big. The General is always available for needed context, as well as noting Mr. Beck might need advertisers more than he needs keys. You know, to replace the 46 advertisers he's lost through continuing to open his mouth and not apologize for previous remarks.
The Obama school address has now caught the MSM wave, and here we go - the Christian Science Monitor uses Michelle Malkin as the examplar of what objections to the speech look like, which we note curiously includes the belief that somehow the President is going to be able to explain and justify all his policies to the children who will then be brainwashed into... what? They'll go home and manage to hypnotize their parents into accepting the plans, too? Plus, while it would be a thoroughly awesome thing if the President could make his message comprehensible to schoolchildren (a litmus test of the future, perhaps?), I think he's going to concentrate on things that are more immediately relevant tot hem, like, say, doing well in school. Still, that doesn't mean that the propoaganda scares about propaganda aren't having effects. Some school districts are giving options or not showing, as we mentioned before, and the White house has changed some of the language of the lesson plan to accompany the speech. Also as a result of the hysteria, two Republicans are urging an early transcript so that parents can decide "whether the material is appropriate for their children." While the image of the President engaging in language that requires a 1000Hz tone or some sort of mosaic as shocked schoolchildren look on is entertaing, I don't think that's quite what's on the docket. Plus, do parents want their children to grow up as intelligent and educated people who can intelligently discuss political and social matters and find solutions? Pulling your kid out of class just as a great opportunity to talk about schooling happens seems counterproductive, but then again, it's a long-standing tradition to pull your kid out of class right when a great opportunity to debate human sexuality and its ethics appears in conjunction with the development of puberty and the beginnings of sexual thinking.
More seriously, thanks to the Rebel Yell for keeping us up to date - the Ohio (previously) Muslim teen who went to Florida after converting to Christianity has signed an affadavit says she's afraid her parents will kill her if she returns. And who's representing her? "John Stemberger...attorney and president of the Christian advocacy organization Florida Family Policy Council". He's clearly not an impartial voice in this particular situation. The parents have pointed out what we mentioned beforehand - extremist Muslims with ties to terrorism don't generally let their women children become cheerleaders. This continues to look more like a pastor preyed on a young woman's fears adn took advantage of her want to practice another religion than the one she was raised in. It's a situation that I'm really waiting for the sexual abuse allegations against the pastor on, because it seems like this story would follow that line. Or maybe I've become cynical about the motivations of Christian pastors who want to move young women out of their current home and across several state lines. Rebel Yell thinks this looks like a deliberate attempt to start an American inter-religious war, Christians v. Muslims, and I can see where that's a possibility. Had this happened a few years ago, I would have been a lot more worried. Then again, there is still that beleif that the President is secretly Muslim himself...
For perspective, we note that the insanity of religion is not restricted to certain monotheistic denominations. After all - if the scripture says the Moon is a Vedic paradise, then clearly the moon landing has to have been faked, because it shows Luna as a barren and desolate rock.
Going to economic news, here's something to advocate for a guaranteed government income or other benefit - low wage workers get screwed on overtime, and often end up getting paid less than the minimum wage as well, according to a new study interviewing workers from Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Another lowlight of the study is that 68 percent of the workers interviewed reported at least one pay-related violation in the last week. Additionally, employers of those workers were excellent at getting them not to pursue workman's comp under the law, retaliated in illegal manners after complaints or attempted unionization, and some of them even stole tips from their employees. It's not just undocumented workers in the study, but across all low-wage industries. Now what did that guy say about "the least of my people", again?
Plus, this is a perfect oportunity for the recharged-on-civil-rights Attorney General to start doing more on bringing and prosecuting those kinds of cases.
Mr. Biden defends the stimulus program, and gets some help from even the WSJ, reporting the stimulus seems to be working to help recover teh economy. That's got to be chafing to some personages staking their fortune on the idea that the stimulus was a waste of money.
Mr. Greer speculates that moves by the Chinese government to prevent export of raw rare earth material may have dual purposes - to concentrate wealth in China, and to remind us that in many vases, politics is a monkey wrench in the economic gears, thus intentional scarcity may be the rule for the future. (Plus, derivatives are apparently, on paper, worth more than one quadrillion dollars, of which there's no way there's enough goods or services to make up that amount. Can we say bubble?)
Elsewhere, at a health care forum, an altercation between pro and anti forces escalated to the biting off of a finger, which was later reattached. Seriously, people, biting off fingers? At a health care debate? We've already got enough examples of things going wrong withotu having to add potential new calls for donations because insurance wouldn't cover stuff (in this case, though, the victim had Medicare, and it paid for it).
Only a couple opinions, one good, one bad. The good - more pushing for Democrats to have Mr. Rangel resign his chairmanship of the Ways and Means committee or be stripped of it over significant amounts of money he hid from the IRS. The bad, to the worst - remember when we mentioned the Post article that was basically vindicating the Cheney fantasy about how torture works. Well, now Mr. Lowry is using that article as justiciation to say that torture worked and the Obama administration is foolish to not use it, continuing to assert that KSM was resistant until he was waterboarded, a claim that not even the reports being cited make.
In technology, a laptop-like device in a Flash Gordon comic... in the 1930s, pointing out that yet again, what was science fiction becomes science fact with regularity, the creation of a crystalline structure made of DNA, Sprint signing on to sell Android phones, and the iPhone's bandwidth-heavy operations as a potential sign to other mobile carriers about the need to upgrade their networks, especially if they intend on carrying things like Android phones.
Last for tonight, Warren Ellis demands the return of Thunderbirds, so as to create a new generation of mad scientists and engineers. Perhaps if we then made Girl Genius required reading as well...? And for those looking to contribute to the creation of more mad scientists, Lester Dent gives his formula for the 6000 word pulp adventure, which could easily be bent to the appropriate degree of steampunkiness of flash technology. Well, either that, or they could develop Pedo Bear plushes. Hrm... now it doesn't sound like quite as good an idea.
