Woog. - 25 June 2007
Jun. 25th, 2007 11:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silveradeptToday engaged the letterboxing drive on me, and we went out and collected a few more stamps (one of them was a set of face parts, in the end, we ended up collecting three faces worth, which was really neat. Playing Mr. Potato Head or something like that. Was great.) before ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
annaonthemoon leaves tomorrow. It managed to get most of the afternoon to go in a pleasant manner, and nobody slipped on mud. A good day all around.
CNN missed a geography lesson badly, mistaking Afghanistan for Syria. Probably an isolated incident, but it proves that people really don’t do a lot of double-checking to make sure that everything actually works and is what it says it is.
It was not a good day for petitioners on the Supreme Court today - the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" student lost his speech case, with SCOTUS holding that the school was within its rights to order the banner taken down because it promoted drug use, in the school’s opinion. (In PDF form, the Court's opinion and the dissents on Bong Hits 4 Jesus, more properly titled Morse v. Frederick). Additionally, SCOTUS found that advertisements that have “issue advocacy”, even when they name election candidates by name and state a position, are permitted to be paid out of a corporation’s general treasury and, most likely, can be run all the way up to the day of an election (PDF). So we can expect a lot more political statements coming out of enterprises that are not specifically created for the purpose of advocacy, right up to the day of an election. Would that include things like churches, so they could pontificate officially without losing their non-profit status? Last, SCOTUS reversed an appellate court decision, claiming that ordinary taxpayers do not have standing to challenge the current occupant's faith-based initiative program under the Establishment Clause because there is no specific Congressional legislation or appropriation for those programs (PDF). The Executive Branch, if there aren’t any specific law tied to its programs, has free reign to do with its appropriations what it wills, it appears. All of these decisions went 5-4. I think this is another way that the legacy of the current occupant will be felt for years to come.
Looking at other matters around the world, in Iraq, one of the United States commanders in Iraq is worried that the Iraqi forces won't be able to hold the gains that the United States military is gaining. This sounds like a rather evil exercise in futility - take control of it, then lost control of it, to go take control of it again, each time losing more people. No wonder more United States troops keep going over.
Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, is gearing his soldiers to resist what claimed was an unconventional United States campaign aimed at overthrowing him, focusing much on psychological warfare, possibly as a prelude to military invasion. Mr. Chavez contends that his buildup is to resist aggression rather than to be aggressive himself.
Sidestepping into a different political realm, Wired has an article about a San Diego company working on developing a robot to pick fruit from trees or vines. Were it to be successful and somewhat economical, then there could be quite a stir about migrant workers, both documented and undocumented. A lot of people would be potentially work-less, excepting for those who could drive and utilize the robot. Assuming, of course, that the robot doesn’t require a significant amount of second-checking to ensure that it got all the good ones and didn’t put in any of the bad ones.
Other robotic-human relations up for grabs are cars that will drive themselves in an efficient manner, possibly reducing traffic jams and road rage, although potentially also preventing people from rushing to wherever it is they want to go and are worried about being late over. Aren’t many science fiction futures supposed to have the robotically-driven car? And, now that I think about it, arent’ they also supposed to have devices that will read your thoughts and perform actions based on them, too?
Jumping from progress to the ideas that will become progress, the FBI is issuing warnings to professors and academic institutions about the possibility of espionage from terror groups posing as international students. Apparently, that kind of research is valuable stuff, and academics, in their enthusiasm to teach people, might give terrorists just what they need. (If the terrorists can pay tuition, then they’re going to get, if you’ll excuse the pun, the most bang for their buck.) To that end, university students and professors may find that working late at the campus, traveling abroad, showing interest in their colleagues' work, having friends outside the United States, engaging in independent research, or making extra money could put them under suspicion. Of course, it’s not worded that way, but professors and students are being asked to monitor each other and report suspicious behavior to the FBI. This sounds familiar - people being asked to spy and rat on their neighbors. Where have I seen this before...
The author of “The Dangerous Book for Boys” offers his opinion on why he wrote the book and titles it "In Praise of Skinned Knees and Grubby Faces" - an argument of how sanitized and safe play has become, where even the possibility of getting dirty is anathema. Right at the end, though, there’s a different argument being presented that sounds to me much more like “Boys will be Boys, so stop trying to make them sit down and behave. Stop trying to coddle them and make them be noncompetitive. Quit telling them they shouldn’t be doing things that will get them in trouble or cause noise or disturbance. That’s making them into girls, and that’s just unmanly.” I don’t particularly like that argument, It’s the kind of argument that leads to “character-building” things for boys that aren’t into the traditionally masculine things (you know, the “sissies”), and increased stratification of gender roles.
After all that serious stuff, one silly thing - namely, Hieronymous Bosch action figures/sculptures. Perfect for the person who wants something for their table, but doesn’t want something that’s conventional.
Last is something skippable, which is why it’s getting cut - in honor of my little brother’s release from the service of the high school, a small look back on it. Thus, it’s a high school meme.
1. Who was your best friend?
In the school? Probablylaforce. Outside of it, welah, even though we didn’t get to talk or see each other all that much.
2.What sports did you play?
No sport for me in high school, sorry. Wrong last name and probably insufficient baseball skills.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
Most of the time, either the one I have now or the blue Corsica that has since gone to car heaven.
4. It’s Friday night, where were you?
Either at a football/basketball game for band, or in the afterparty for such, which generally meant a Subway run.
5. Were you a party animal?
Nope. Didn’t get invited, didn’t really want to go.
6. Were you considered a flirt?
Doubtful. I’m dense enough that someone could have broken a rock over my head and said “You’re flirting with them” or “She’s flirting with you”, and it wouldn’t have registered. You’d have to ask someone with an outside perspective on that one.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Band geek. Took one semester of choir, to be told I’m a tenor when it’s much easier for me to sing in the baritone range. It was my last semester, and I was scrambling for something to do.
8. Were you a nerd?
Yes. Geek, too, although at the time, we’d say “Well, we don’t bite the heads off baby animals” because that was an apparent definition. I dont’ know anymore if it was any true, but yeah, brainy, socially awkward, few friends. That’s me.
9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
Nope. Came awful close to it, though, if I had done something I was considering doing at the end of a basketball game. Refrained at the end, and in the end, it was probably good for me.
10. Can you sing the fight song?
Probably. Do I want to? No.
11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Alden, one of the English staff. Drill Sergeant Gibbs, the higher maths instructor, runs a close second, as she could keep a band running smoothly by herself.
12. (In the absence of a real question, which is probably about escapades of a sexual nature, I declare this question a Wild Card Question - if you want to ask about something, go ahead. No guarantees on complete or correct answers, though.)
13. School mascot?
A pirate, and a lady pirate. Although, in my opinion, they were more buccaneers than pirates.
14. Did you go to Prom?
Once with a date, once without.
15. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
Dear Goddess, no. I’m quite happy that’s well in my past.
16. What do you remember most about graduation?
The end, of course, where we finally got out.
17. Where were you on senior skip day?
At school, probably. Nowhere else to go and not invited along to anything, so...
18. Did you have a job your senior year?
Nope.
19. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Cafeteria. Closed campus means everybody has to stay in for lunch.
20. Have you gained weight since then?
Most likely. College and marching band here at university probably put some on, and then further studies have probably put on more.
21. What did you do after graduation?
College, d00d.
22. When did you graduate?
A little over six years ago.
23. Who was your Senior prom date?
That’s the time I didn’t go with a date.
24. Are you going to your 10 year reunion?
If it ever happens, I might go for sadistic values, to see how low the popular have gotten. For any wholesome or virtuous reasons, nope.
25. Who was your home room teacher?
One of the wrestling coaches. He and I got along with each other in that I wouldn’t bother him, and would have proper credentials when I was going elsewhere.
Anyway, I think it’s probably time for bed. It’s not going to get any more oppresively humid in here, and people want to spend as much time as they have left with me around. So, ta ta for now.
annaonthemoon leaves tomorrow. It managed to get most of the afternoon to go in a pleasant manner, and nobody slipped on mud. A good day all around.CNN missed a geography lesson badly, mistaking Afghanistan for Syria. Probably an isolated incident, but it proves that people really don’t do a lot of double-checking to make sure that everything actually works and is what it says it is.
It was not a good day for petitioners on the Supreme Court today - the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" student lost his speech case, with SCOTUS holding that the school was within its rights to order the banner taken down because it promoted drug use, in the school’s opinion. (In PDF form, the Court's opinion and the dissents on Bong Hits 4 Jesus, more properly titled Morse v. Frederick). Additionally, SCOTUS found that advertisements that have “issue advocacy”, even when they name election candidates by name and state a position, are permitted to be paid out of a corporation’s general treasury and, most likely, can be run all the way up to the day of an election (PDF). So we can expect a lot more political statements coming out of enterprises that are not specifically created for the purpose of advocacy, right up to the day of an election. Would that include things like churches, so they could pontificate officially without losing their non-profit status? Last, SCOTUS reversed an appellate court decision, claiming that ordinary taxpayers do not have standing to challenge the current occupant's faith-based initiative program under the Establishment Clause because there is no specific Congressional legislation or appropriation for those programs (PDF). The Executive Branch, if there aren’t any specific law tied to its programs, has free reign to do with its appropriations what it wills, it appears. All of these decisions went 5-4. I think this is another way that the legacy of the current occupant will be felt for years to come.
Looking at other matters around the world, in Iraq, one of the United States commanders in Iraq is worried that the Iraqi forces won't be able to hold the gains that the United States military is gaining. This sounds like a rather evil exercise in futility - take control of it, then lost control of it, to go take control of it again, each time losing more people. No wonder more United States troops keep going over.
Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, is gearing his soldiers to resist what claimed was an unconventional United States campaign aimed at overthrowing him, focusing much on psychological warfare, possibly as a prelude to military invasion. Mr. Chavez contends that his buildup is to resist aggression rather than to be aggressive himself.
Sidestepping into a different political realm, Wired has an article about a San Diego company working on developing a robot to pick fruit from trees or vines. Were it to be successful and somewhat economical, then there could be quite a stir about migrant workers, both documented and undocumented. A lot of people would be potentially work-less, excepting for those who could drive and utilize the robot. Assuming, of course, that the robot doesn’t require a significant amount of second-checking to ensure that it got all the good ones and didn’t put in any of the bad ones.
Other robotic-human relations up for grabs are cars that will drive themselves in an efficient manner, possibly reducing traffic jams and road rage, although potentially also preventing people from rushing to wherever it is they want to go and are worried about being late over. Aren’t many science fiction futures supposed to have the robotically-driven car? And, now that I think about it, arent’ they also supposed to have devices that will read your thoughts and perform actions based on them, too?
Jumping from progress to the ideas that will become progress, the FBI is issuing warnings to professors and academic institutions about the possibility of espionage from terror groups posing as international students. Apparently, that kind of research is valuable stuff, and academics, in their enthusiasm to teach people, might give terrorists just what they need. (If the terrorists can pay tuition, then they’re going to get, if you’ll excuse the pun, the most bang for their buck.) To that end, university students and professors may find that working late at the campus, traveling abroad, showing interest in their colleagues' work, having friends outside the United States, engaging in independent research, or making extra money could put them under suspicion. Of course, it’s not worded that way, but professors and students are being asked to monitor each other and report suspicious behavior to the FBI. This sounds familiar - people being asked to spy and rat on their neighbors. Where have I seen this before...
The author of “The Dangerous Book for Boys” offers his opinion on why he wrote the book and titles it "In Praise of Skinned Knees and Grubby Faces" - an argument of how sanitized and safe play has become, where even the possibility of getting dirty is anathema. Right at the end, though, there’s a different argument being presented that sounds to me much more like “Boys will be Boys, so stop trying to make them sit down and behave. Stop trying to coddle them and make them be noncompetitive. Quit telling them they shouldn’t be doing things that will get them in trouble or cause noise or disturbance. That’s making them into girls, and that’s just unmanly.” I don’t particularly like that argument, It’s the kind of argument that leads to “character-building” things for boys that aren’t into the traditionally masculine things (you know, the “sissies”), and increased stratification of gender roles.
After all that serious stuff, one silly thing - namely, Hieronymous Bosch action figures/sculptures. Perfect for the person who wants something for their table, but doesn’t want something that’s conventional.
Last is something skippable, which is why it’s getting cut - in honor of my little brother’s release from the service of the high school, a small look back on it. Thus, it’s a high school meme.
1. Who was your best friend?
In the school? Probably
laforce. Outside of it, welah, even though we didn’t get to talk or see each other all that much.2.What sports did you play?
No sport for me in high school, sorry. Wrong last name and probably insufficient baseball skills.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
Most of the time, either the one I have now or the blue Corsica that has since gone to car heaven.
4. It’s Friday night, where were you?
Either at a football/basketball game for band, or in the afterparty for such, which generally meant a Subway run.
5. Were you a party animal?
Nope. Didn’t get invited, didn’t really want to go.
6. Were you considered a flirt?
Doubtful. I’m dense enough that someone could have broken a rock over my head and said “You’re flirting with them” or “She’s flirting with you”, and it wouldn’t have registered. You’d have to ask someone with an outside perspective on that one.
7. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Band geek. Took one semester of choir, to be told I’m a tenor when it’s much easier for me to sing in the baritone range. It was my last semester, and I was scrambling for something to do.
8. Were you a nerd?
Yes. Geek, too, although at the time, we’d say “Well, we don’t bite the heads off baby animals” because that was an apparent definition. I dont’ know anymore if it was any true, but yeah, brainy, socially awkward, few friends. That’s me.
9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
Nope. Came awful close to it, though, if I had done something I was considering doing at the end of a basketball game. Refrained at the end, and in the end, it was probably good for me.
10. Can you sing the fight song?
Probably. Do I want to? No.
11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mrs. Alden, one of the English staff. Drill Sergeant Gibbs, the higher maths instructor, runs a close second, as she could keep a band running smoothly by herself.
12. (In the absence of a real question, which is probably about escapades of a sexual nature, I declare this question a Wild Card Question - if you want to ask about something, go ahead. No guarantees on complete or correct answers, though.)
13. School mascot?
A pirate, and a lady pirate. Although, in my opinion, they were more buccaneers than pirates.
14. Did you go to Prom?
Once with a date, once without.
15. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
Dear Goddess, no. I’m quite happy that’s well in my past.
16. What do you remember most about graduation?
The end, of course, where we finally got out.
17. Where were you on senior skip day?
At school, probably. Nowhere else to go and not invited along to anything, so...
18. Did you have a job your senior year?
Nope.
19. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Cafeteria. Closed campus means everybody has to stay in for lunch.
20. Have you gained weight since then?
Most likely. College and marching band here at university probably put some on, and then further studies have probably put on more.
21. What did you do after graduation?
College, d00d.
22. When did you graduate?
A little over six years ago.
23. Who was your Senior prom date?
That’s the time I didn’t go with a date.
24. Are you going to your 10 year reunion?
If it ever happens, I might go for sadistic values, to see how low the popular have gotten. For any wholesome or virtuous reasons, nope.
25. Who was your home room teacher?
One of the wrestling coaches. He and I got along with each other in that I wouldn’t bother him, and would have proper credentials when I was going elsewhere.
Anyway, I think it’s probably time for bed. It’s not going to get any more oppresively humid in here, and people want to spend as much time as they have left with me around. So, ta ta for now.
