Monday, August 19, 2002
Oreta here again.
Gosh. Thank you, all of you for the comments, especially yours, Dr. Stoufflet.
Daniel has weathered the weekend well, with his aphasia getting much better and his pulse and blood pressure responding to the oral and patch medications. He can move around on the bed without it sending his pulse through the roof now. I don't believe I have mentioned it, but he also has a staph infection, so he has been running a low-grade fever. They've been giving him tylenol, which controls the fever but doesn't do much for his continuous headache.
Friday's CT scan was good and they will be running another one today. Today should be a big day. As well as the CT scan they will be putting in a "picc" line. This is a special IV which can stay in longer and which can be used to deliver the intrevenous antibiotics that they want to use on the staph infection. For what it is worth, the doctors seem confident they can lick the staph infection. The plan was to start him on some aspirin today, cautiously. Since he had another mild "cardiac incident" one night last week ("angina" is the word I pried out of the doctor) the cardiac doctors really, really, really want him on some sort of blood thinner. The neurology doctors, of course, have a different opinion.
You know, I could have cheerfully gone the rest of my life without learning the difference between a "C-line", an "A-line" and a "picc-line".
Because they work the nurses in twelve hour shifts and because we've been here for over a week, I'm getting to know the nurses. I can't tell you all their names because they persist in wearing their badges wrong side out. :-) The nurses all have their different styles. Some are in and out of the patients room all the time; some vigiliantly sit at the nurses station staring intently at the monitors. Some are comfortable with patient families; others less so. The older nurses are comfortable asking me to hand them stuff and to do things; the younger nurses not comfortable with that. Some are sticklers for rules; others not. All of them are less hard-nosed about rules then they were the first few days.
Communication continues to be a problem. The doctors come when they can, which is usually when I am away and in Daniel's case there are a lot of doctors. One of my frustrations is that there is no central place or person to ask a question of. This may be a function of being in the neurology/surgical ICU where there are a variety of reasons a patient is there. Daniel's needs are very different from the patient three doors down who had a tonsilectomy a month ago which has started bleeding uncontrollably. (He's doing okay and moved out of ICU three days ago). This is different from the cardiac ICU where there were a variety of problems but they were all cardiac problems. It is possible to get different answers from different doctors -- some are optimists; my favorite is a pessimist. And some come in to talk to me after only a cursory glimpse at his chart. Then after giving me some generic information they go out and go over his chart in depth with the nurse. It would be nice if it were possible to schedule a daily briefing. It doesn't have to be with a doctor; it could be with a "patient advocate", say a nurse practioner, who could review the results of yesterday's tests with me and talk to me about the what to expect. So far I am getting some of my best explanations from my priest (it is very convenient to have a priest who was a med student before deciding to become a priest.) It would have been a great deal of help if someone had turned to me last Saturday and said, "He's going to get worse before he gets better." It's not difficulty in understanding the doctor -- it's difficulty in getting the information. I should not have to ask for the results of his CT scan or blood cultures.
Again, I'm not really dumping on modern medicine, because I know very well what state Daniel would be in even twenty years ago. But my concern is -- if they aren't talking to me, are the doctors talking to each other?
Well, it's time for me to go back to the hospital since visiting hours will be starting again. I've been shuttling between work and the hospital and home -- fortunately they are all 10 - 20 minutes from each other depending on traffic.
I'll post more when I can get back to a computer. Thanks everybody.
Oreta
Monday, August 19, 2002
Friday, August 16, 2002
Friday, August 16, 2002
Oreta here.
Nothing much to report. Daniel's pulse and blood pressure continue to be elevated. His aphasia is about the same and he still can't see to the right -- it's not that the right eye doesn't work -- it does. But the brain simply isn't processing the information it receives. They will be doing another CT scan today to see how well the two bleeds are being absorbed.
His pulse and blood pressure continue to be elevated.
He is still not eating well. Part of that is being ill. Part of it is the hospital food. They used to cook it on site and it was okay. Institutional food, but well-prepared institutional food. Now they bring the meals in from outside and the food is simply not edible. IMHO, the executive who made this decision should be forced to eat the same food the patients get for a week. The policy would change.
Many years ago when I was in college at Clayton Junior (now Clayton State) the campus was considered to be one of the most "accessible" campuses in the Georgia system. Why? The student government association had a policy -- one day a year they rented a truckload of wheelchairs and everybody from the college president on down tried to go through their daily routine in a wheelchair. I tell you, this event had far more impact on accessiblility than any amount of government regulations.
Well, I'm wandering off the subject here. Y'all take care. thanks for the comments.
Oreta
Oreta here.
Nothing much to report. Daniel's pulse and blood pressure continue to be elevated. His aphasia is about the same and he still can't see to the right -- it's not that the right eye doesn't work -- it does. But the brain simply isn't processing the information it receives. They will be doing another CT scan today to see how well the two bleeds are being absorbed.
His pulse and blood pressure continue to be elevated.
He is still not eating well. Part of that is being ill. Part of it is the hospital food. They used to cook it on site and it was okay. Institutional food, but well-prepared institutional food. Now they bring the meals in from outside and the food is simply not edible. IMHO, the executive who made this decision should be forced to eat the same food the patients get for a week. The policy would change.
Many years ago when I was in college at Clayton Junior (now Clayton State) the campus was considered to be one of the most "accessible" campuses in the Georgia system. Why? The student government association had a policy -- one day a year they rented a truckload of wheelchairs and everybody from the college president on down tried to go through their daily routine in a wheelchair. I tell you, this event had far more impact on accessiblility than any amount of government regulations.
Well, I'm wandering off the subject here. Y'all take care. thanks for the comments.
Oreta
Thursday, August 15, 2002
Thursday, August 15, 2002
It's still me, Oreta.
Daniel's aphasia is much improved but his heart is not happy. He still has an elevated blood pressure and pulse rate. The cardiologists would like very much to put him on blood thinners; the neurologists are vetoing that. He is, however, off most of his IV medicines and being treated with oral and patch medicines (A lot of them -- he had to take seven pills at lunch). He is beginning to eat, but not a lot, so it looks like we are going to be in ICU for another couple of days.
Thank you very much for all your messages.
Oreta
It's still me, Oreta.
Daniel's aphasia is much improved but his heart is not happy. He still has an elevated blood pressure and pulse rate. The cardiologists would like very much to put him on blood thinners; the neurologists are vetoing that. He is, however, off most of his IV medicines and being treated with oral and patch medicines (A lot of them -- he had to take seven pills at lunch). He is beginning to eat, but not a lot, so it looks like we are going to be in ICU for another couple of days.
Thank you very much for all your messages.
Oreta
Wednesday, August 14, 2002
Wednesday, August 14, 2002
Oreta redux.
We are still in a holding pattern here. The fourth CT scan shows no change. No new hemmorhages (good); no increase in the two known ones (also good); and no decrease either (not so good, but not bad either. Expected.).
He still has the visual impairments. Basically he can't see anything on his right side -- the eyes function but the brain is not processing the information. There is a fair amount of aphasia, which is a fancy term for difficulty in understanding and using words.
The hospital is "weaning" him off the iv cocktail of cardiac medicines they have him on. They want him on oral medicines and skin patches so that he can be moved out of ICU onto the regular medical floor. That part of the process is doing nicely, but I have slightly mixed feelings about it. I will be very grateful that he is well enough, but frankly, I've been spoiled by the quality and quantity of the nurses here in ICU at Crawford Long. The regular floor nurses have many, many more patients so they don't have time to do the kinds of things the ICU nurses do. His day nurse has been adjusting his medications in little increments constantly, playing around with all the different ones to get his pulse and blood pressure exactly where the doctors want it. There appears to be as much art as science to this. Eye of beta-blocker and toe of calcium-channel blocker...Wool of nitro and tongue of esmolol.....
Other than that, it's a waiting game.
Thank you, all of you, for your messages. I've been reading them to Daniel and I'm sure he is grateful for them also.
Oreta
Oreta redux.
We are still in a holding pattern here. The fourth CT scan shows no change. No new hemmorhages (good); no increase in the two known ones (also good); and no decrease either (not so good, but not bad either. Expected.).
He still has the visual impairments. Basically he can't see anything on his right side -- the eyes function but the brain is not processing the information. There is a fair amount of aphasia, which is a fancy term for difficulty in understanding and using words.
The hospital is "weaning" him off the iv cocktail of cardiac medicines they have him on. They want him on oral medicines and skin patches so that he can be moved out of ICU onto the regular medical floor. That part of the process is doing nicely, but I have slightly mixed feelings about it. I will be very grateful that he is well enough, but frankly, I've been spoiled by the quality and quantity of the nurses here in ICU at Crawford Long. The regular floor nurses have many, many more patients so they don't have time to do the kinds of things the ICU nurses do. His day nurse has been adjusting his medications in little increments constantly, playing around with all the different ones to get his pulse and blood pressure exactly where the doctors want it. There appears to be as much art as science to this. Eye of beta-blocker and toe of calcium-channel blocker...Wool of nitro and tongue of esmolol.....
Other than that, it's a waiting game.
Thank you, all of you, for your messages. I've been reading them to Daniel and I'm sure he is grateful for them also.
Oreta
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
Tuesday, August 13, 2002
Oreta here again. There is not much to update. The third CT scan shows no more hemmorhages and not much change in the two that are there.
While I admire much about modern medicine, I find that I am increasingly frustrated with its ability to communicate. If I may be blunt, the doctor-patient relationship frequently reminds me of the auto mechanic-automobile relationship. The mechanic does not explain to the car what he or she is doing; neither does the doctor explain to the patient. Hospitals are even worse, because of the number of medical professionals involved. Furthermore, there seems to be no one person who pulls all the strands of care together. Certainly there does not seem to be a person who communicates to the patient, or the patient's family.
So, I'm still a bit puzzled by what is going on and I may be using the medical terms incorrectly. Daniel has had two hemmorhages in his brain. If I understand correctly this is a kind of stroke, just not the blood clot kind that is most common. The problem is not that there is not enough blood getting to the brain, but that a combination of high blood pressure and too much anti-cougulant has caused blood to leak through the blood vessels.
At the moment he has some trouble speaking and lacks vision in his right eye. This is not the kind of stroke where one side of the body doesn't work -- it's really mostly a software problem not so much hardware. Think "corrupted files." Daniel is extremely weak and his heart is not happy, but they have him on medication to control the way his heart beats and to control his blood pressure. They ran one kind of a heart test yesterday and will run another kind today.
He's very weak and still in what is called the "acute" phase. They will wait a few days and run another CT scan. (A CT scan is a series of x-rays of the brain taken from multiple angles and then put together by a computer into something that tells a doctor what is going on in the brain. The whole set up looks very much like a science fiction movie set. But it is x-rays and they don't do those casually these days.)
The problem seems to be that the blood in the brain puts pressure on the brain and irritates it, which also causes swelling. The nurse tells me that the maximum swelling occurs around 72 hours after the hemmorhage. Depending on whether or not the first one happened Friday morning when his headache started or 0300 Saturday when it became bad enough for him to wake me up, we should be approaching that point. When the swelling goes down, we'll see what kind of permanent damage, if any, there is.
However, I want all of you to promise me that if you don't have a history of headaches and you ever, ever, have a headache that hurts so much it is hard to think, you will go to the ER. Immediately.
Oreta
Oreta here again. There is not much to update. The third CT scan shows no more hemmorhages and not much change in the two that are there.
While I admire much about modern medicine, I find that I am increasingly frustrated with its ability to communicate. If I may be blunt, the doctor-patient relationship frequently reminds me of the auto mechanic-automobile relationship. The mechanic does not explain to the car what he or she is doing; neither does the doctor explain to the patient. Hospitals are even worse, because of the number of medical professionals involved. Furthermore, there seems to be no one person who pulls all the strands of care together. Certainly there does not seem to be a person who communicates to the patient, or the patient's family.
So, I'm still a bit puzzled by what is going on and I may be using the medical terms incorrectly. Daniel has had two hemmorhages in his brain. If I understand correctly this is a kind of stroke, just not the blood clot kind that is most common. The problem is not that there is not enough blood getting to the brain, but that a combination of high blood pressure and too much anti-cougulant has caused blood to leak through the blood vessels.
At the moment he has some trouble speaking and lacks vision in his right eye. This is not the kind of stroke where one side of the body doesn't work -- it's really mostly a software problem not so much hardware. Think "corrupted files." Daniel is extremely weak and his heart is not happy, but they have him on medication to control the way his heart beats and to control his blood pressure. They ran one kind of a heart test yesterday and will run another kind today.
He's very weak and still in what is called the "acute" phase. They will wait a few days and run another CT scan. (A CT scan is a series of x-rays of the brain taken from multiple angles and then put together by a computer into something that tells a doctor what is going on in the brain. The whole set up looks very much like a science fiction movie set. But it is x-rays and they don't do those casually these days.)
The problem seems to be that the blood in the brain puts pressure on the brain and irritates it, which also causes swelling. The nurse tells me that the maximum swelling occurs around 72 hours after the hemmorhage. Depending on whether or not the first one happened Friday morning when his headache started or 0300 Saturday when it became bad enough for him to wake me up, we should be approaching that point. When the swelling goes down, we'll see what kind of permanent damage, if any, there is.
However, I want all of you to promise me that if you don't have a history of headaches and you ever, ever, have a headache that hurts so much it is hard to think, you will go to the ER. Immediately.
Oreta
Monday, August 12, 2002
Hi. It's Oreta again. Yes, that means what you think it does. Daniel is back in the hospital. I took him in early (0400) Saturday morning. He has a small hemmorhage in the right temporal lobe of the brain and a somewhat larger one in the left occippital lobe (People who know something about medicine please forgive my spelling.) The situation does not appear to be life threatening and so far does not appear to be severe enough for surgery, but it is serious. I'll know more today after they run the (third) CT scan.
I'll try to post further news, but the ICU room has neither phone nor internet connection, so my postings will be somewhat spotty.
I hope you will have Daniel back and typing soon.
Oreta
I'll try to post further news, but the ICU room has neither phone nor internet connection, so my postings will be somewhat spotty.
I hope you will have Daniel back and typing soon.
Oreta
Friday, August 09, 2002
The Friday Five:
1. Do you have a car? If so, what kind of car is it?
It's a Nissan Pathfinder.
2. Do you drive very often?
Daily. I gotta job.
3. What's your dream car?
One that runs. Cars are tools, I don't form emotional attachments to them.
4. Have you ever received a ticket?
Yes.
5. Have you ever been in an accident?
Yes, but not since 1971.
1. Do you have a car? If so, what kind of car is it?
It's a Nissan Pathfinder.
2. Do you drive very often?
Daily. I gotta job.
3. What's your dream car?
One that runs. Cars are tools, I don't form emotional attachments to them.
4. Have you ever received a ticket?
Yes.
5. Have you ever been in an accident?
Yes, but not since 1971.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Blue - what is it that bums you out and makes you feel blue?
Due to my odd work schedule, Tuesdays are the only day I see much of my family.
Twosome. Light - what is the light at the end of your tunnel?
Tuesdays.
Threesome. Special - who is that special someone who has seen your bluest of blues and your light of the tunnel?
My lovely and loving wife, of course.
Onesome. Blue - what is it that bums you out and makes you feel blue?
Due to my odd work schedule, Tuesdays are the only day I see much of my family.
Twosome. Light - what is the light at the end of your tunnel?
Tuesdays.
Threesome. Special - who is that special someone who has seen your bluest of blues and your light of the tunnel?
My lovely and loving wife, of course.
Thursday, August 08, 2002
Monday Mission
2.31:
1. Ever considered just deleting your Blog and not doing it anymore? What prompted that and what stopped you?
Nope. Although I'm constantly trying to decide just how personal to get. Once it's on the web, it's hard to take back.
2. How about a quick review of the last movie you saw?
I'm assuming you mean the last movie I watched for the first time, rather than settling in for a comfortable re-viewing of an old favorite. In the theater: Spider-Man. I liked it. On video: Legally Blonde. Disappointing.
3. What's your favorite gadget? Are you lusting for any new ones? Will you ever be satisified???
My favorite gadget must be the computer I'm using right now, a Dell Dimension 4400. I want a portable CD player that will play CD-Rs full of MP3s, but I won't be spending the money for one anytime soon. "Lusting" is too strong a word: I'm pretty satisfied right now.
4. What "table game" do you enjoy playing most with other people? Have you played it lately?
I haven't played any games lately. I used to be big into "King Maker" and "Risk", but not for many years. I'm not sure I even own a set of either any more.
5. Have you ever been obsessed with something so much that it was close to causing you physical or mental harm? If not, have you known anyone else who has?
Only blogging.
6. Did you grow up in a family or community that displayed racist or prejudice attitudes? Did it influence you in any way, either toward or away from those views? How did you manage to avoid it, or did you?
Yes I did. More I cannot say without breaking confidences. I avoided it because, by the time I was old enough to perceive them, I was old enough to reject them as an affront to logic.
7. Good grief, I am starving! You got anything to eat around here?
What are you after? If it's a snack, I got tons of popcorn. If it's a meal, I can rustle up some burgers or chicken and rice.
BONUS: What did you tell them?
The truth. Perhaps you'd better move and change your name.
2.31:
1. Ever considered just deleting your Blog and not doing it anymore? What prompted that and what stopped you?
Nope. Although I'm constantly trying to decide just how personal to get. Once it's on the web, it's hard to take back.
2. How about a quick review of the last movie you saw?
I'm assuming you mean the last movie I watched for the first time, rather than settling in for a comfortable re-viewing of an old favorite. In the theater: Spider-Man. I liked it. On video: Legally Blonde. Disappointing.
3. What's your favorite gadget? Are you lusting for any new ones? Will you ever be satisified???
My favorite gadget must be the computer I'm using right now, a Dell Dimension 4400. I want a portable CD player that will play CD-Rs full of MP3s, but I won't be spending the money for one anytime soon. "Lusting" is too strong a word: I'm pretty satisfied right now.
4. What "table game" do you enjoy playing most with other people? Have you played it lately?
I haven't played any games lately. I used to be big into "King Maker" and "Risk", but not for many years. I'm not sure I even own a set of either any more.
5. Have you ever been obsessed with something so much that it was close to causing you physical or mental harm? If not, have you known anyone else who has?
Only blogging.
6. Did you grow up in a family or community that displayed racist or prejudice attitudes? Did it influence you in any way, either toward or away from those views? How did you manage to avoid it, or did you?
Yes I did. More I cannot say without breaking confidences. I avoided it because, by the time I was old enough to perceive them, I was old enough to reject them as an affront to logic.
7. Good grief, I am starving! You got anything to eat around here?
What are you after? If it's a snack, I got tons of popcorn. If it's a meal, I can rustle up some burgers or chicken and rice.
BONUS: What did you tell them?
The truth. Perhaps you'd better move and change your name.
Am I the only one...
...who knows where the original hampsterdance song comes from? Is this one of those open secrets that everyone knows and pretends not to, or is it really that big a mystery?
LATER: I fixed the link. Sorry. And good luck finding the Original Song there: I couldn't.
...who knows where the original hampsterdance song comes from? Is this one of those open secrets that everyone knows and pretends not to, or is it really that big a mystery?
LATER: I fixed the link. Sorry. And good luck finding the Original Song there: I couldn't.
Some people shouldn't be handling money
From HappyFunPundit:
The story gets better -- although, as Professor Reynolds points out, it would be funnier if it weren't true. I remember when one of my college roommates wondered out loud what ten times eleven was. Without thinking, I said "one hundred and ten."
"What?"
"One hundred and ten. Ten times eleven. It's one hundred and ten."
"Let me just get a calculator and check that..."
You do that, partner. You just do that. And think about how much more time you'd have on your hands if you didn't have to struggle with ten times eleven.
Math is not that hard, yet businesses insist on putting people in charge of their cash registers who haven't mastered it. Is there a shortage? Look, making change is the easiest thing in the world to do once you learn the trick. You don't subtract, you add.
"$14.72 out of twenty, that's..." It ends with a number other than zero and five, so you know you'll need pennies. Grab some and start counting up from what the customer owes you as you drop them into your other hand. "...seventy-three (plink), seventy-four (plink), seventy-five (plink)..." I don't think it's asking too much to memorize those numbers that are only one coin from a round dollar. Grab a quarter. "...and twenty-five makes fifteen dollars..." Now you've eliminated the coin change: You're at fifteen dollars on your way to twenty. That one ought to be pretty easy, too. "...and five makes twenty." Now you've got $5.28 in your hand -- the correct change -- and you didn't have to subtract anything. And count it out to the customer the same way you just counted it: Don't just drop it in his hand like a hanky full of snot.
Try that a few hundred times, if you must, to convince yourself that it will work every time. If you can't master it, get out of the cashier business. And better take a grown-up with you when you go shopping for yourself, or you're going to be shortchanged every time. After all, you won't know any better, and maybe the cashiers you encounter will be smarter than you. The odds don't seem to be good, but it could happen.
How the hell are you ever going to know whether a two-pound bag at 89 cents is a better buy than a five-pound bag at $1.99? And Heaven help you if you encounter a 60-ounce package.
Maybe you'll just eat out. No, wait, that's where I came in.
From HappyFunPundit:
Tales of Mathematical Inadequacy
...The total was $14.72. I handed the young woman a $20, and waited for my change.
Then disaster struck. As the woman pressed the 'total' button, a look of fear and confusion swept across her face. A look not unlike the one the cat used to get when I came home with a bag of hot sauce. This girl was clearly troubled. Nay, frightened.
"What's the problem?" I asked.
"The cash register! It's.. It's not giving me the amount of money you need. It must be broken." she replied changelessly.
A quick subtraction in my my head. "You owe me $5.28".
The girl looked up, startled. A number? The man just said a number? How could he know? After all, the machine won't give the number! "Uh, I better find a calculator."
The story gets better -- although, as Professor Reynolds points out, it would be funnier if it weren't true. I remember when one of my college roommates wondered out loud what ten times eleven was. Without thinking, I said "one hundred and ten."
"What?"
"One hundred and ten. Ten times eleven. It's one hundred and ten."
"Let me just get a calculator and check that..."
You do that, partner. You just do that. And think about how much more time you'd have on your hands if you didn't have to struggle with ten times eleven.
Math is not that hard, yet businesses insist on putting people in charge of their cash registers who haven't mastered it. Is there a shortage? Look, making change is the easiest thing in the world to do once you learn the trick. You don't subtract, you add.
"$14.72 out of twenty, that's..." It ends with a number other than zero and five, so you know you'll need pennies. Grab some and start counting up from what the customer owes you as you drop them into your other hand. "...seventy-three (plink), seventy-four (plink), seventy-five (plink)..." I don't think it's asking too much to memorize those numbers that are only one coin from a round dollar. Grab a quarter. "...and twenty-five makes fifteen dollars..." Now you've eliminated the coin change: You're at fifteen dollars on your way to twenty. That one ought to be pretty easy, too. "...and five makes twenty." Now you've got $5.28 in your hand -- the correct change -- and you didn't have to subtract anything. And count it out to the customer the same way you just counted it: Don't just drop it in his hand like a hanky full of snot.
Try that a few hundred times, if you must, to convince yourself that it will work every time. If you can't master it, get out of the cashier business. And better take a grown-up with you when you go shopping for yourself, or you're going to be shortchanged every time. After all, you won't know any better, and maybe the cashiers you encounter will be smarter than you. The odds don't seem to be good, but it could happen.
How the hell are you ever going to know whether a two-pound bag at 89 cents is a better buy than a five-pound bag at $1.99? And Heaven help you if you encounter a 60-ounce package.
Maybe you'll just eat out. No, wait, that's where I came in.
Tuesday, August 06, 2002
I knew there was a reason I don't buy many CDs
...but I don't think it's because I'm awaiting the arrival of Amanda Latona. See if Charles Dodgson makes as much sense to you as he does to me.
...but I don't think it's because I'm awaiting the arrival of Amanda Latona. See if Charles Dodgson makes as much sense to you as he does to me.
Do you really want to hear this?
I'm coming up on one month after my heart attack, and recovering nicely. I'm not moving very fast, every other sentence seems to be "Is it really that late?", and I am hungry about half the time (on a diet my wife thinks is too generous), but these are trivial complaints. It certainly beats having my loving family complain that "No, he doesn't 'look natural'."
I've written an essay (seven letter-sized pages of ten-point type) about the event, which people who read my print fanzine have already seen. It covers (so far) the five days from the attack itself through my release from the hospital. My wife keeps asking me when I'm going to put it here. It's fairly self-indulgent--It's not like I invented heart attacks. Mine doesn't seem too different from most. And compared to "SWVCTM"'s continuing adventures over at It Can't Rain All The Time..., it's a downright happy ending.
But, unless you say "God, no!" or (worse) "That's all right, we expect Old Farts to talk about their medical problems", I expect you'll see it soon, probably serialized over several days.
I'm coming up on one month after my heart attack, and recovering nicely. I'm not moving very fast, every other sentence seems to be "Is it really that late?", and I am hungry about half the time (on a diet my wife thinks is too generous), but these are trivial complaints. It certainly beats having my loving family complain that "No, he doesn't 'look natural'."
I've written an essay (seven letter-sized pages of ten-point type) about the event, which people who read my print fanzine have already seen. It covers (so far) the five days from the attack itself through my release from the hospital. My wife keeps asking me when I'm going to put it here. It's fairly self-indulgent--It's not like I invented heart attacks. Mine doesn't seem too different from most. And compared to "SWVCTM"'s continuing adventures over at It Can't Rain All The Time..., it's a downright happy ending.
But, unless you say "God, no!" or (worse) "That's all right, we expect Old Farts to talk about their medical problems", I expect you'll see it soon, probably serialized over several days.
Monday, August 05, 2002
Attack of the grammar weenie
Mr Lileks, I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment expressed in the opening sentence of today's Bleat--
(In fact, my son is just past 4000 days old, and we still have to choose restaurants carefully. Something to look forward to.)
--but while I normally marvel at your command of the language, this morning your fingernails screech on my metaphorical chalkboard. You have less of things you measure, but fewer of things you count. The beloved, world-famous Gnat is fewer than 1000 days old, not less. She has less age, but fewer years; Less experience, but fewer experiences.
I can't explain why this bothers me. There is a commercial in (sadly) frequent rotation on the radio here, that proclaims that a certain brand of copier has "less moving parts", and I cannot prevent myself from responding, "fewer moving parts". "Less moving parts" makes no sense, unless the parts are smaller. Not fewer, but smaller -- having less size.
In fact, come to think of it, I can't recall the last time I heard anyone use the word "fewer" about anything. Perhaps it is obsolete. Never mind.
I also have an unfortunate reaction to the common usage of "literally" as an intensifier. If I am "literally" beside myself, it does not mean that I am more upset than if I were "merely" beside myself: It means that there are two of me. Proclaiming an overused metaphor to be "literally" true is distracting at best, grotesque at worst, and incorrect in any case. Literally.
And then there's "hopefully", but I can't bring myself to get too upset about that one anymore. It should modify a verb, with the meaning of performing an act in a hopeful manner. It is more commonly used as a sentence modifier, indicating that the speaker hopes that the events spoken of come to pass. As such, it is the most insidious form of bias, since it so often passes by unnoticed. If you mean "I hope", say "I hope". If you don't mean "I hope", be extremely wary of "hopefully".
No reporter should ever use the word in straight news.
LATER: I think I probably overreacted. Although I do believe that "less" is horribly overused at the expense of "fewer", this probably wasn't the best example I could have picked.
Mr Lileks, I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment expressed in the opening sentence of today's Bleat--
When you dine out with human beings less than 1000 days old, you have to pick your spots carefully.
(In fact, my son is just past 4000 days old, and we still have to choose restaurants carefully. Something to look forward to.)
--but while I normally marvel at your command of the language, this morning your fingernails screech on my metaphorical chalkboard. You have less of things you measure, but fewer of things you count. The beloved, world-famous Gnat is fewer than 1000 days old, not less. She has less age, but fewer years; Less experience, but fewer experiences.
I can't explain why this bothers me. There is a commercial in (sadly) frequent rotation on the radio here, that proclaims that a certain brand of copier has "less moving parts", and I cannot prevent myself from responding, "fewer moving parts". "Less moving parts" makes no sense, unless the parts are smaller. Not fewer, but smaller -- having less size.
In fact, come to think of it, I can't recall the last time I heard anyone use the word "fewer" about anything. Perhaps it is obsolete. Never mind.
I also have an unfortunate reaction to the common usage of "literally" as an intensifier. If I am "literally" beside myself, it does not mean that I am more upset than if I were "merely" beside myself: It means that there are two of me. Proclaiming an overused metaphor to be "literally" true is distracting at best, grotesque at worst, and incorrect in any case. Literally.
And then there's "hopefully", but I can't bring myself to get too upset about that one anymore. It should modify a verb, with the meaning of performing an act in a hopeful manner. It is more commonly used as a sentence modifier, indicating that the speaker hopes that the events spoken of come to pass. As such, it is the most insidious form of bias, since it so often passes by unnoticed. If you mean "I hope", say "I hope". If you don't mean "I hope", be extremely wary of "hopefully".
No reporter should ever use the word in straight news.
LATER: I think I probably overreacted. Although I do believe that "less" is horribly overused at the expense of "fewer", this probably wasn't the best example I could have picked.
Sunday, August 04, 2002
The shape of things to come
I don't often get premonitions, but it seems inevitable that there's a real medical breakthrough on the way. With so many people looking for it, someone will almost certainly find it. Although they may not find it where they were looking.
For God's sake, don't take them together!
I don't often get premonitions, but it seems inevitable that there's a real medical breakthrough on the way. With so many people looking for it, someone will almost certainly find it. Although they may not find it where they were looking.
Drug promises lovers a whiff of instant passion
SCIENTISTS have developed an "instant" alternative to Viagra. The new anti- impotence drug, PT-141, is a nasal spray designed to stir the passions of both men and women within minutes.
Anti-Smoking Drug Can Cause Spontaneous Orgasm
...The chemical ingredient in Zyban, bupropion, increases the amount of your happy brain chemicals. No one knows for sure why this suppresses the nicotine craving, but as an added benefit, bupropion can boost sexual desire in women. Interestingly, a woman taking this medicine reported a "spontaneous orgasm" while shopping. With that kind of side effect, who needs to smoke?
For God's sake, don't take them together!
Got 'im... too late
Sometimes I'm glad I'm not a real journalist: This is one of those times.
When the Kern County Sheriff's office announced that those two teenaged girls had been raped, it didn't surprise me. It's not as if the law was hot on the guy's heels from the moment of the abduction: He had plenty of time. He had a record. And what other motive could he possibly have had?
But every reporter and editor in the country froze. They all have firm policies about not naming rape victims in reports. (Sean Hannity was silenced for five full seconds when he heard about it, live on the air during his radio show.) But the girls' names and photos were already the lead story at every news outlet, local and national. Countless pre-taped reports were already set to air throughout the evening and overnight hours. No one, apparently, anticipated the story developing in this manner.
Except me. I was startled that the girls were named in the early reports, given the (I thought) likely motive of their attacker.
On the other hand: If they hadn't been named, if their faces and circumstances hadn't been widely known, would their abductor have been caught? Would he have been caught in time? He was clearly preparing to kill them and dispose of the bodies.
Personally, I'd rather be alive -- and well known for something I'd prefer nobody knew about -- than anonymously dead. Here's hoping everyone directly involved in this case feels the same way. It would sadden me terribly to see this awful story conclude with a lawsuit.
Sometimes I'm glad I'm not a real journalist: This is one of those times.
When the Kern County Sheriff's office announced that those two teenaged girls had been raped, it didn't surprise me. It's not as if the law was hot on the guy's heels from the moment of the abduction: He had plenty of time. He had a record. And what other motive could he possibly have had?
But every reporter and editor in the country froze. They all have firm policies about not naming rape victims in reports. (Sean Hannity was silenced for five full seconds when he heard about it, live on the air during his radio show.) But the girls' names and photos were already the lead story at every news outlet, local and national. Countless pre-taped reports were already set to air throughout the evening and overnight hours. No one, apparently, anticipated the story developing in this manner.
Except me. I was startled that the girls were named in the early reports, given the (I thought) likely motive of their attacker.
On the other hand: If they hadn't been named, if their faces and circumstances hadn't been widely known, would their abductor have been caught? Would he have been caught in time? He was clearly preparing to kill them and dispose of the bodies.
Personally, I'd rather be alive -- and well known for something I'd prefer nobody knew about -- than anonymously dead. Here's hoping everyone directly involved in this case feels the same way. It would sadden me terribly to see this awful story conclude with a lawsuit.
"I'll take the flippin' obvious for $100, Alex" headline of the week
Gets extra points for not being as trivial as it appears.
Culture strikes another blow for individual freedom. "It's stupid to be prudish." Not as stirring as "Give me liberty or give me death", perhaps, but a lot easier to dance to.
Gets extra points for not being as trivial as it appears.
Romance Blooms in Cozy Corners of Cinemas
For the first time in Bombay, three upmarket cinemas have each set aside a dozen seats, called "Close-Up Corners," for couples wishing to watch a film together.
The seats -- priced the same as other cinema seats -- are bigger and designed for two people with no arm rests between them.
In conservative India, where public displays of affection are frowned upon, young men and women rarely dare to even hold hands for fear of censure or getting a "bad name."
"This is the ideal place for couples to spend time together," said Hameed Shaikh, general manager of a suburban cinema, adding the "corners" were proving popular with college students.
Culture strikes another blow for individual freedom. "It's stupid to be prudish." Not as stirring as "Give me liberty or give me death", perhaps, but a lot easier to dance to.
Saturday, August 03, 2002
Disclosure
I admire the thought that Jim Henley at Unqualified Offerings has put into the Cynthia McKinney story. (That's here, here, here, and here. And the AJC breaks the story here, although they don't mention where they must have heard of it. Ah, well.)
Can't argue with that. However,
That seems credible, too. That is to say, her mouth came first. She isn't an idiot because she's getting Muslim money, she's getting Muslim money because she's an idiot. Somehow, that doesn't seem to reflect well on anybody involved.
I admire the thought that Jim Henley at Unqualified Offerings has put into the Cynthia McKinney story. (That's here, here, here, and here. And the AJC breaks the story here, although they don't mention where they must have heard of it. Ah, well.)
It needs to be said:
Arab-Americans have as much right to try to buy Congresspeople as Jack Valenti does.
Can't argue with that. However,
Something tells me Arab-American organizations get McKinney for free.
That seems credible, too. That is to say, her mouth came first. She isn't an idiot because she's getting Muslim money, she's getting Muslim money because she's an idiot. Somehow, that doesn't seem to reflect well on anybody involved.
Friday, August 02, 2002
Thursday, August 01, 2002
Henhouse, meet the Fox, he's here to help
Isn't it obvious?
Read the rest at FoxNews.com.
Isn't it obvious?
We shouldn't be amused by the ineptitude of government; we should be outraged. The idea that an institution as fundamentally unaccountable as the federal government might be given even more power to hold the private sector accountable is, to say the least, laughable.
Read the rest at FoxNews.com.
The personals
Monday Mission 2.30:
1. What is your favorite snack food? Does anyone you know have weird tastes in snacks?
Everybody I know has weird tastes in snacks. My favorite? Before the heart attack I would have said barbeque corn chips. I also have a soft spot for Hot Tamales. Of those things I can still have in any quantity, it's popcorn.
2. Ever caught yourself saying "well it can't get any worse" and it does? What's the story there?
You're asking a guy who just had a heart attack.
3. What's your attention span like and how has it served you?
Uneven. What was the question?
4. Do you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrials?
"Believe"? I do not believe that this question has been settled. But, as Carl Sagan said, if there isn't life elsewhere, it's a terrible waste of space.
5. What do you think of the whole "crop circles" phenomenon?
They're all man-made. But it's fascinating to see the lengths to which some people will go in order to deny that.
6. Ever had a time where you begin visiting with someone you don't know all that well and just find you "click" like long lost pals? Tell me about how that came to happen, and who was it? What kind of things do you have in common?
That never happens to me.
7. What funeral do you remember most vividly?
My friend Peter's. He died of AIDS, and I hadn't really accepted that until I saw the box containing his ashes at the memorial service. I still miss him.
BONUS: How can I forget you, girl?
You'll be seeing me in all the old familiar places...
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Lions. How late do you lie in, or are you an early bird? 'fess up, no lying here.
I work until 1am, and often don't get home until 2am or later. I think I've earned the right to sleep until 10:30am or so.
Twosome. Tigers. What brings out the tiger in you? Interpret this how ever you want, just warn us if it is rated other than pg *grin*.
I don't think I have a tiger in me.
Threesome. Bears. Bare it all for us. We always complain about the parts of our bodies we don't like. So here, tell us your favorite part of your body...
My head, because that's where I am.
The Friday Five:
1. What is your lineage? Where are your ancestors from?
England. I am as pale, pasty-faced and white-bread a guy as you could want to meet. There is nothing exotic in there anywhere.
2. Of those countries, which would you most like to visit?
Duh.
3. Which would you least like to visit? Why?
I don't really want to go anywhere I have to fly to get to.
4. Do you do anything during the year to celebrate or recognize your heritage?
Nope.
5. Who were the first ancestors to move to your present country (parents, grandparents, etc)?
There are no written records.
Monday Mission 2.30:
1. What is your favorite snack food? Does anyone you know have weird tastes in snacks?
Everybody I know has weird tastes in snacks. My favorite? Before the heart attack I would have said barbeque corn chips. I also have a soft spot for Hot Tamales. Of those things I can still have in any quantity, it's popcorn.
2. Ever caught yourself saying "well it can't get any worse" and it does? What's the story there?
You're asking a guy who just had a heart attack.
3. What's your attention span like and how has it served you?
Uneven. What was the question?
4. Do you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrials?
"Believe"? I do not believe that this question has been settled. But, as Carl Sagan said, if there isn't life elsewhere, it's a terrible waste of space.
5. What do you think of the whole "crop circles" phenomenon?
They're all man-made. But it's fascinating to see the lengths to which some people will go in order to deny that.
6. Ever had a time where you begin visiting with someone you don't know all that well and just find you "click" like long lost pals? Tell me about how that came to happen, and who was it? What kind of things do you have in common?
That never happens to me.
7. What funeral do you remember most vividly?
My friend Peter's. He died of AIDS, and I hadn't really accepted that until I saw the box containing his ashes at the memorial service. I still miss him.
BONUS: How can I forget you, girl?
You'll be seeing me in all the old familiar places...
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Lions. How late do you lie in, or are you an early bird? 'fess up, no lying here.
I work until 1am, and often don't get home until 2am or later. I think I've earned the right to sleep until 10:30am or so.
Twosome. Tigers. What brings out the tiger in you? Interpret this how ever you want, just warn us if it is rated other than pg *grin*.
I don't think I have a tiger in me.
Threesome. Bears. Bare it all for us. We always complain about the parts of our bodies we don't like. So here, tell us your favorite part of your body...
My head, because that's where I am.
The Friday Five:
1. What is your lineage? Where are your ancestors from?
England. I am as pale, pasty-faced and white-bread a guy as you could want to meet. There is nothing exotic in there anywhere.
2. Of those countries, which would you most like to visit?
Duh.
3. Which would you least like to visit? Why?
I don't really want to go anywhere I have to fly to get to.
4. Do you do anything during the year to celebrate or recognize your heritage?
Nope.
5. Who were the first ancestors to move to your present country (parents, grandparents, etc)?
There are no written records.
Got 'im
Tamara Brooks and Jacqueline Marris are safe. And the guy who abducted them didn't live to see the next sunset. That's how these stories are supposed to end.
Now, I recognize that I'm an old fogy. And I certainly won't play blame-the-victim. But have we really reached the point where sixteen-year-olds can be out "parkin'" at 1am Wednesday night without further comment?
Tamara Brooks and Jacqueline Marris are safe. And the guy who abducted them didn't live to see the next sunset. That's how these stories are supposed to end.
Now, I recognize that I'm an old fogy. And I certainly won't play blame-the-victim. But have we really reached the point where sixteen-year-olds can be out "parkin'" at 1am Wednesday night without further comment?
Celebration
"Young supporters of Hamas celebrate" the deaths by bombing of five Americans and two Israelis in Jerusalem. Here's the party: Here's the scene of the crime.
I cannot begin to convey to you the blackness of my mood.
LATER: Fortunately, Photodude gave the matter a little more thought, and arrived at a conclusion that elevates this incident from Just Another Bomb to true Evil Incarnate.
"Young supporters of Hamas celebrate" the deaths by bombing of five Americans and two Israelis in Jerusalem. Here's the party: Here's the scene of the crime.
I cannot begin to convey to you the blackness of my mood.
LATER: Fortunately, Photodude gave the matter a little more thought, and arrived at a conclusion that elevates this incident from Just Another Bomb to true Evil Incarnate.
"This is not about dying for a cause. This is not about killing Zionists. This is about destroying all hopes for peace. We don't want peace. We want to kill. Arabs, Americans, Jews, it makes no difference."
Friday, July 26, 2002
...and only half as decorative
You know, when I was a young 'un, sayin' that someone was "funny as a crutch" meant they weren't very funny. Did that change? 'Cause Terry Frazier at Blunt Force Trauma says it like its a ringing endorsement. I kinda hope it is, 'cause I like his stuff too.
Ah, well. You too, Terry, I guess. *sinks back into his bananas*
You know, when I was a young 'un, sayin' that someone was "funny as a crutch" meant they weren't very funny. Did that change? 'Cause Terry Frazier at Blunt Force Trauma says it like its a ringing endorsement. I kinda hope it is, 'cause I like his stuff too.
Ah, well. You too, Terry, I guess. *sinks back into his bananas*
The scenery in Munich
Apparently, the Alps ain't what they used to be.
You hear that, all you German nudists? You're threatening the entire Munich tourism industry! Think of all those visitors from around the world who'll go home disappointed that they didn't get to see your naked butt! Where's your patriotism?
Hm. I find this juxtaposition of "whole families" and "young Munich girls" disturbing. How young are you talkin', here, Koester?
Well, who wouldn't want to be an unpaid tourist attraction? Who could possibly object to that?
(Do they have signs that say, "Please Do Not Feed The Bares"?)
Apparently, the Alps ain't what they used to be.
Decline in Nudists Threatens Tourist Attraction
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) - The naked sunbathers who once filled Munich's central park on warm summer days are turning their backs on Germany's famous open-air celebration to nudity.
..."We've lost many of the nudists who made the English Garden a special place," said park director Thomas Koester. "Especially good-looking young women and men who made it such an attraction aren't here as much anymore. It's becoming a real problem."
You hear that, all you German nudists? You're threatening the entire Munich tourism industry! Think of all those visitors from around the world who'll go home disappointed that they didn't get to see your naked butt! Where's your patriotism?
..."Before you would see whole families wandering around naked or young nude people sitting in the beer gardens here," Koester said. "Society has become more prudish. You don't see as many attractive young Munich girls anymore. I hope they'll come back."
Hm. I find this juxtaposition of "whole families" and "young Munich girls" disturbing. How young are you talkin', here, Koester?
...A number of hotels on the English Garden even advertise their rooms with clear views of the nude sections.
Well, who wouldn't want to be an unpaid tourist attraction? Who could possibly object to that?
(Do they have signs that say, "Please Do Not Feed The Bares"?)
Other useful applications of the McKinney defense
The man who ran the Tri-State Crematorium, the man "charged with 398 felony counts, including theft by deception and abuse of a body, for allegedly accepting money and never performing the cremations" -- says it's all about race.
I wonder if any of those bodies are black.
The man who ran the Tri-State Crematorium, the man "charged with 398 felony counts, including theft by deception and abuse of a body, for allegedly accepting money and never performing the cremations" -- says it's all about race.
"We live in the South and I'm a black man,'' Brent Marsh said Thursday, the day Cobb County Superior Court Judge James G. Bodiford set bond for him at $159,200. "A lot of people don't like me because I am me.''
I wonder if any of those bodies are black.
The personals
Monday Mission 2.29:
1. Do you remember your first encounter with computers? Tell me about that.
I was the Meridies Kingdom Chronicler (that is to say, the editor of the southeast regional newsletter for the Society for Creative Anachronism), and I was using a friend's Apple II to maintain the Officers' Address List as it appeared in that publication. How primitive that seems now.
2. How late can you stay up and still be functional the next day? Do you do that very often?
That depends on the reason I'm staying up. I've done all-nighters, but not frequently. I work until 1:00 am, rarely get to bed before 2:00 am. Often I'm not even home yet.
3. When was the last really good hug you got from another adult? Who was it and what was the situation?
Having been recently released from the hospital after a week's stay following a mild heart attack, I'm getting more than my quota of hugs at present -- although each and every one of them is well appreciated.
4. One thing about children is that they all like to draw. We all shared the same ability and skill level at one time. Do you still like to draw? (Not do you think you draw well, or do others, but do you like to?) If not, how come? Did you get discouraged at some point?
I like to. I'm not particularly good at it. I indulge myself with PhotoShop.
5. I way overslept today. I had to head to work with no shower (don't get too close), and I am not in the best of moods. Have you ever overslept on a day you had something important going on? What's the story there?
Sleep is a precious commodity around here. However, in the name of changing personal habits for health reasons, I'm trying to stabilize that. There is no "story" to oversleeping. If I don't wake up when the alarm rings, there's no telling when I will.
6. Ever go shopping for something you know you can't afford? You look at it and even think about how it will look when you get it home, somehow you justify the cost and believe it can happen? And just before you get to the counter come to your senses? What was the last thing you almost bought, but thought better of it? And why the heck do we do that to ourselves?
Because every medium we subject ourselves to tells us in all capitals that we won't be happy unless we BUY SOMETHING! At the moment, the thing it takes me all my will power not to buy is a portable combination CD/MP3 player. I'm not all that interested in a pure MP3 player, but I am interested in having a unit that will play a CD full of MP3s. I don't have time (or enough CDs) to convert every MP3 I have into audio CD format so that I can listen to it in the car.
7. (It begins again...) It's all such a blur now. I'd asked you to help me wake up but the alarm didn't go off. It was 10 till and just I knew I'd be late. Somehow you got me here on time. How did you do that?
I didn't. You must be thinking of some other guy.
BONUS: Can't you see, you belong to me?
No, but I do, for the record, feel the pain of the scars that won't heal.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. all - all the world's a stage... So what types of issues put you on your soapbox?
Look, if you don't want to read the blog, you don't have to, but don't ask me for the Reader's Digest version. Media bias is obviously a biggie, as is self-important tripe, and let's not forget all those people spending my money for my own good (government) and all those other people begging me for what money the government doesn't take at gunpoint...
Twosome. things - what sort of things are you most likely to purchase "spur of the moment" when shopping?
Books, comic books and DVDs.
Threesome. girl - sugar and spice and everything nice? Come now, what are YOU really made of?
Do you get many men answering these things? A rag, a bone, and a hank of (ever-receding) hair.
The Friday Five:
1. How long have you had a weblog?
Since October 2001. It was my birthday present to me.
2. What was your first post about?
It was about the irony of recording an audio adaptation of Robert A Heinlein's "Solution Unsatisfactory" in the days immediately following September 11.
33. How many changes (name, location, etc.) of your weblog have there been, if more than one?
Minor changes in the template layout and color scheme, nothing dramatic.
4. What CMS (content management system) do you use? Do you like it or do you want to try something else?
I'm still on Blogger / BlogSpot. It's the best there is for the price -- but I am weighing my options. Unfortunately, most of 'em involve purchasing my own domain, which I'm not prepared to do right now. I'm also not looking forward to retooling my template to work with a different system.
5. Do you read people who have both a journal and a weblog? Or do you prefer to read people who have all of their writing in one central place?
If it's good writing, I'll read it.
Monday Mission 2.29:
1. Do you remember your first encounter with computers? Tell me about that.
I was the Meridies Kingdom Chronicler (that is to say, the editor of the southeast regional newsletter for the Society for Creative Anachronism), and I was using a friend's Apple II to maintain the Officers' Address List as it appeared in that publication. How primitive that seems now.
2. How late can you stay up and still be functional the next day? Do you do that very often?
That depends on the reason I'm staying up. I've done all-nighters, but not frequently. I work until 1:00 am, rarely get to bed before 2:00 am. Often I'm not even home yet.
3. When was the last really good hug you got from another adult? Who was it and what was the situation?
Having been recently released from the hospital after a week's stay following a mild heart attack, I'm getting more than my quota of hugs at present -- although each and every one of them is well appreciated.
4. One thing about children is that they all like to draw. We all shared the same ability and skill level at one time. Do you still like to draw? (Not do you think you draw well, or do others, but do you like to?) If not, how come? Did you get discouraged at some point?
I like to. I'm not particularly good at it. I indulge myself with PhotoShop.
5. I way overslept today. I had to head to work with no shower (don't get too close), and I am not in the best of moods. Have you ever overslept on a day you had something important going on? What's the story there?
Sleep is a precious commodity around here. However, in the name of changing personal habits for health reasons, I'm trying to stabilize that. There is no "story" to oversleeping. If I don't wake up when the alarm rings, there's no telling when I will.
6. Ever go shopping for something you know you can't afford? You look at it and even think about how it will look when you get it home, somehow you justify the cost and believe it can happen? And just before you get to the counter come to your senses? What was the last thing you almost bought, but thought better of it? And why the heck do we do that to ourselves?
Because every medium we subject ourselves to tells us in all capitals that we won't be happy unless we BUY SOMETHING! At the moment, the thing it takes me all my will power not to buy is a portable combination CD/MP3 player. I'm not all that interested in a pure MP3 player, but I am interested in having a unit that will play a CD full of MP3s. I don't have time (or enough CDs) to convert every MP3 I have into audio CD format so that I can listen to it in the car.
7. (It begins again...) It's all such a blur now. I'd asked you to help me wake up but the alarm didn't go off. It was 10 till and just I knew I'd be late. Somehow you got me here on time. How did you do that?
I didn't. You must be thinking of some other guy.
BONUS: Can't you see, you belong to me?
No, but I do, for the record, feel the pain of the scars that won't heal.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. all - all the world's a stage... So what types of issues put you on your soapbox?
Look, if you don't want to read the blog, you don't have to, but don't ask me for the Reader's Digest version. Media bias is obviously a biggie, as is self-important tripe, and let's not forget all those people spending my money for my own good (government) and all those other people begging me for what money the government doesn't take at gunpoint...
Twosome. things - what sort of things are you most likely to purchase "spur of the moment" when shopping?
Books, comic books and DVDs.
Threesome. girl - sugar and spice and everything nice? Come now, what are YOU really made of?
Do you get many men answering these things? A rag, a bone, and a hank of (ever-receding) hair.
The Friday Five:
1. How long have you had a weblog?
Since October 2001. It was my birthday present to me.
2. What was your first post about?
It was about the irony of recording an audio adaptation of Robert A Heinlein's "Solution Unsatisfactory" in the days immediately following September 11.
33. How many changes (name, location, etc.) of your weblog have there been, if more than one?
Minor changes in the template layout and color scheme, nothing dramatic.
4. What CMS (content management system) do you use? Do you like it or do you want to try something else?
I'm still on Blogger / BlogSpot. It's the best there is for the price -- but I am weighing my options. Unfortunately, most of 'em involve purchasing my own domain, which I'm not prepared to do right now. I'm also not looking forward to retooling my template to work with a different system.
5. Do you read people who have both a journal and a weblog? Or do you prefer to read people who have all of their writing in one central place?
If it's good writing, I'll read it.
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Conversations you don't have to finish
*Ding-dong*
[SOUND: Shuffle of slippered feet to the door, door unlocked and opened]
[VISUAL: Outside, two earnest females of college age, one blonde and one brunette, the blonde carrying a clipboard. Inside, gray middle-aged me.]
ME: Yes?
BLONDE: Hello. We're conducting a survey on behalf of an environmental group. The environment is in greater danger than it has ever been, but since President Bush...
*Ding-dong*
[SOUND: Shuffle of slippered feet to the door, door unlocked and opened]
[VISUAL: Outside, two earnest females of college age, one blonde and one brunette, the blonde carrying a clipboard. Inside, gray middle-aged me.]
ME: Yes?
BLONDE: Hello. We're conducting a survey on behalf of an environmental group. The environment is in greater danger than it has ever been, but since President Bush...
Friday, July 19, 2002
The personals
Monday Mission 2.28:
1. Have you ever sold anything through an online auction? What did you sell and did you make very much?
Never.
2. Have you ever bought anything through an online auction? How was your experience?
Occasionally. Always pleasant. As a matter of fact, I'm reading a book right now that I bought through eBay. (DC Comics' "The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told", if you must know.)
3. Do you like the sun? Getting a suntan? Have you ever had a bad sunburn?
Do I like the sun? I'm sure glad it's there, although I don't spend much time out in it unprotected.
Getting a suntan is highly overrated.
I'm a fair-skinned blond. I get sunburn from my refrigerator light.
4. Are you a vegetarian? Why? If not, have you ever considered it?
No. And I feel no need to rise to your second question. In my opinion, it is those who advocate it who have the 'splainin' to do.
5. Suppose you are getting into your car after you've just made your purchase from a store you visit twice a week. You suddenly realize you had a .35� item in your hand and you forgot to pay for it. What would you do next? (what *would* you do, not what *should* you do)
Assuming I were in no critical hurry, I would march right back in there and pay for it.
6. Sometimes it seems that there is just not enough time to do everything that must be done. Was there anything you wanted to accomplish this weekend that didn't get done?
I have a print deadline with which I would have liked to have gotten further along... But they let me out of the hospital on Friday, so everything else is gravy. (So to speak, considering gravy is on my restricted list now.)
7. What is your favorite game to play with a group and/or an individual? (board game, computer game, athletic, etc.)
Games are things I play with the computer when I am *very* bored. I'm trying to remember the last game I actually played with someone else... Probably checkers, with my son.
BONUS: One headline why believe it?
Why is a mouse when it spins? This question needs a little context or further information to be answerable.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. A Clear - In the last few months, what have you muddled over that suddenly became a clear, focused picture or plan of action?
Well, that heart attack on Monday the 8th brought a lot of things into focus. I've decided I'd rather not have another one.
Twosome. And Present - what is the coolest present you've ever gotten and/or given?
Gotten: I don't think I can tell you. It involves MP3s of questionable status. Hi, Jerry. Hi, Mike.
Given: I gave my parents a copy of a radio drama I appeared in with Harlan Ellison, adapted from a story by Robert Heinlein. I don't think I'll ever top that.
Threesome. Danger - have you ever been in a dangerous situation?
I am in danger every time I drive. I wish more people felt the same way: We might, collectively, be in less danger if people drove as if they thought they might be hurt.
The Friday Five:
1. Where were you born?
Right here in Atlanta GA. I'm a native. Specifically, I was born in what was then Georgia Baptist Hospital, less than a mile from my current home.
2. If you still live there, where would you rather move to? If you don't live there, do you want to move back? Why or why not?
I am happy here. I could do with being further in the country, but I've no desire to leave the Atlanta area. If I were forced to leave but allowed to pick a destination? Athens, GA and Charlotte, NC are lovely cities. Tampa / St Pete has the advantage of the nearby Gulf Coast.
3. Where in the world do you feel the safest?
In my boyhood home, McDonough GA, it is still possible to find neighborhoods where there is no need to lock the doors.
4. Do you feel you are well-traveled?
Not especially.
5. Where is the most interesting place you've been?
New Orleans.
Monday Mission 2.28:
1. Have you ever sold anything through an online auction? What did you sell and did you make very much?
Never.
2. Have you ever bought anything through an online auction? How was your experience?
Occasionally. Always pleasant. As a matter of fact, I'm reading a book right now that I bought through eBay. (DC Comics' "The Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told", if you must know.)
3. Do you like the sun? Getting a suntan? Have you ever had a bad sunburn?
Do I like the sun? I'm sure glad it's there, although I don't spend much time out in it unprotected.
Getting a suntan is highly overrated.
I'm a fair-skinned blond. I get sunburn from my refrigerator light.
4. Are you a vegetarian? Why? If not, have you ever considered it?
No. And I feel no need to rise to your second question. In my opinion, it is those who advocate it who have the 'splainin' to do.
5. Suppose you are getting into your car after you've just made your purchase from a store you visit twice a week. You suddenly realize you had a .35� item in your hand and you forgot to pay for it. What would you do next? (what *would* you do, not what *should* you do)
Assuming I were in no critical hurry, I would march right back in there and pay for it.
6. Sometimes it seems that there is just not enough time to do everything that must be done. Was there anything you wanted to accomplish this weekend that didn't get done?
I have a print deadline with which I would have liked to have gotten further along... But they let me out of the hospital on Friday, so everything else is gravy. (So to speak, considering gravy is on my restricted list now.)
7. What is your favorite game to play with a group and/or an individual? (board game, computer game, athletic, etc.)
Games are things I play with the computer when I am *very* bored. I'm trying to remember the last game I actually played with someone else... Probably checkers, with my son.
BONUS: One headline why believe it?
Why is a mouse when it spins? This question needs a little context or further information to be answerable.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. A Clear - In the last few months, what have you muddled over that suddenly became a clear, focused picture or plan of action?
Well, that heart attack on Monday the 8th brought a lot of things into focus. I've decided I'd rather not have another one.
Twosome. And Present - what is the coolest present you've ever gotten and/or given?
Gotten: I don't think I can tell you. It involves MP3s of questionable status. Hi, Jerry. Hi, Mike.
Given: I gave my parents a copy of a radio drama I appeared in with Harlan Ellison, adapted from a story by Robert Heinlein. I don't think I'll ever top that.
Threesome. Danger - have you ever been in a dangerous situation?
I am in danger every time I drive. I wish more people felt the same way: We might, collectively, be in less danger if people drove as if they thought they might be hurt.
The Friday Five:
1. Where were you born?
Right here in Atlanta GA. I'm a native. Specifically, I was born in what was then Georgia Baptist Hospital, less than a mile from my current home.
2. If you still live there, where would you rather move to? If you don't live there, do you want to move back? Why or why not?
I am happy here. I could do with being further in the country, but I've no desire to leave the Atlanta area. If I were forced to leave but allowed to pick a destination? Athens, GA and Charlotte, NC are lovely cities. Tampa / St Pete has the advantage of the nearby Gulf Coast.
3. Where in the world do you feel the safest?
In my boyhood home, McDonough GA, it is still possible to find neighborhoods where there is no need to lock the doors.
4. Do you feel you are well-traveled?
Not especially.
5. Where is the most interesting place you've been?
New Orleans.
Saturday, July 13, 2002
The personals
Monday Mission 2.27:
Boy, are these interesting questions (especially in light of where I was when you posted them).
1. Have you had to repair anything lately? Did you do it yourself or have someone else do it?
A cardial artery. I had someone else do it. :)
2. Do you work out or exercise? Or is there anything you do each day for your health?
No, but that's about to change (see above).
3. Are you a modest person? That is, would you be embarrassed for someone (an acquaintance, a friend, a stranger) to see you nude?
Generally, yes, I am a modest person. However, in the last week in Crawford Long hospital's cardiac unit, a fairly steady stream of people have seen me nude. Oddly, after the first one, it no longer mattered. So I'd have to say it depends on the context.
4. What are some odors that you just can not stand to smell?
Tobacco smoke.
5. Are there any social situations that make you uncomfortable?
There are few that don't.
6. Has a friend or an employer ever asked you to do something you felt was unethical or? What was it and what happened?
Not that I can recall.
7.Recap:
(continued) Well, we are not yet at our destination, though the way you described it, it sounds simply amazing. What is the first thing we should do once we get there?
Picnic lunch. You can't nap in the afternoon shade if you haven't eaten first.
BONUS: In this whole world, what is fair?
Overall, everything is fair. You get what you pay for, and you reap what you sow. Only in details and trivia does apparent unfairness appear. You're just not looking at a big enough picture.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Long--Long tall drink. What's your favorite beverage, alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic?
I don't drink alcohol. Nothing religious or moral about the decision: Life is short, be there for it. I've never met anyone whose personality was improved by it.
Non-alcoholic, there is no contest. Iced tea. Luzianne decaf iced tea.
Twosome. Hot--Do you like it hot? Spicy hot food, that is!
Nope.
Threesome. Summer--Summer makes you think of what food? What's your favorite summer recipe?
Summer is hot dog weather.
No Friday Five this week.
Monday Mission 2.27:
Boy, are these interesting questions (especially in light of where I was when you posted them).
1. Have you had to repair anything lately? Did you do it yourself or have someone else do it?
A cardial artery. I had someone else do it. :)
2. Do you work out or exercise? Or is there anything you do each day for your health?
No, but that's about to change (see above).
3. Are you a modest person? That is, would you be embarrassed for someone (an acquaintance, a friend, a stranger) to see you nude?
Generally, yes, I am a modest person. However, in the last week in Crawford Long hospital's cardiac unit, a fairly steady stream of people have seen me nude. Oddly, after the first one, it no longer mattered. So I'd have to say it depends on the context.
4. What are some odors that you just can not stand to smell?
Tobacco smoke.
5. Are there any social situations that make you uncomfortable?
There are few that don't.
6. Has a friend or an employer ever asked you to do something you felt was unethical or? What was it and what happened?
Not that I can recall.
7.Recap:
(new saga) I've had it, this place is just wearing me out. You too? We need a break! Let's head out and go someplace new. You make the plans, I'll get things ready. So what do you have it mind, and did you want me to pick up anything special to pack for the trip?
Let's just head south. I feel a craving for a beach chair in the shade, and the Gulf Coast is only eight hours away at most.
(continued) Well, we are not yet at our destination, though the way you described it, it sounds simply amazing. What is the first thing we should do once we get there?
Picnic lunch. You can't nap in the afternoon shade if you haven't eaten first.
BONUS: In this whole world, what is fair?
Overall, everything is fair. You get what you pay for, and you reap what you sow. Only in details and trivia does apparent unfairness appear. You're just not looking at a big enough picture.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Long--Long tall drink. What's your favorite beverage, alcoholic and/or non-alcoholic?
I don't drink alcohol. Nothing religious or moral about the decision: Life is short, be there for it. I've never met anyone whose personality was improved by it.
Non-alcoholic, there is no contest. Iced tea. Luzianne decaf iced tea.
Twosome. Hot--Do you like it hot? Spicy hot food, that is!
Nope.
Threesome. Summer--Summer makes you think of what food? What's your favorite summer recipe?
Summer is hot dog weather.
No Friday Five this week.
Friday, July 12, 2002
Home again
Daniel here, with a short note to let you know that I'm back home and feeling pretty well. I am far from back to normal, if only because this is the kind of event that forces you to redefine "normal."
I am expected to recover fully, with the assistance of the finest pharmeceuticals insurance can buy. There is now a stent in place, and thanks to modern angioplastic techniques my recovery time will be measured in weeks, not months.
I'm very grateful for the well-wishes. I hope to post later with more details than anyone would ever want to know.
Daniel here, with a short note to let you know that I'm back home and feeling pretty well. I am far from back to normal, if only because this is the kind of event that forces you to redefine "normal."
I am expected to recover fully, with the assistance of the finest pharmeceuticals insurance can buy. There is now a stent in place, and thanks to modern angioplastic techniques my recovery time will be measured in weeks, not months.
I'm very grateful for the well-wishes. I hope to post later with more details than anyone would ever want to know.
Thursday, July 11, 2002
Oreta here again. Daniel says thanks for all the concern. He is still doing well. His color is good and he is moving around on his own two feet, albeit a bit shakily. He doesn�t bend over well, but that�s because of the location of the incision to do the cardiac catheterization. They will be releasing him on Friday. Apparently he is supposed to relax for a couple of weeks and then get to work reducing his weight and exercising.
Daniel should be back to blogging soon. (Actually if the laptop hadn�t died a few months ago, he�d already be back.)
Thanks, everyone.
Daniel should be back to blogging soon. (Actually if the laptop hadn�t died a few months ago, he�d already be back.)
Thanks, everyone.
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Hi, folks. This is not Daniel. This is Oreta, his wife. First things first, Daniel is okay.
Second things...Well, let's define okay....
Daniel had a heart attack on the way to work Monday afternoon. He parked the car and called his boss who called the ambulance, which took him to the closest hospital, Kennestone. Kennestone stablilized him and sent him to Crawford W. Long. They did a heart catheterization and found the clot. They did the angioplasty and put in a stent then and there. Daniel did ask for a room with an internet connection but the nurses just laughed. :-)
Late last night they moved him to a "regular" room". He may be coming home today. Maybe. There are some tests they want to run.
There is some possibility that he may have type II diabetes. His blood sugar is very high and they were certain he had diabetes but his blood sugar has been going down so it may be a stress reaction. They are running a blood test to try and determine that.
Daniel should be back to blogging soon.
Oreta
Second things...Well, let's define okay....
Daniel had a heart attack on the way to work Monday afternoon. He parked the car and called his boss who called the ambulance, which took him to the closest hospital, Kennestone. Kennestone stablilized him and sent him to Crawford W. Long. They did a heart catheterization and found the clot. They did the angioplasty and put in a stent then and there. Daniel did ask for a room with an internet connection but the nurses just laughed. :-)
Late last night they moved him to a "regular" room". He may be coming home today. Maybe. There are some tests they want to run.
There is some possibility that he may have type II diabetes. His blood sugar is very high and they were certain he had diabetes but his blood sugar has been going down so it may be a stress reaction. They are running a blood test to try and determine that.
Daniel should be back to blogging soon.
Oreta
Saturday, July 06, 2002
"Women and minorities hardest hit"
I'm sure you've heard this:
I can just hear some of my friends thinking, "That's not funny."
Neither is this. Janis Ian and Courtney Love, unlikely to be mentioned together in any other context, have both published lengthy and cogent essays protesting the fact that record companies make far more money than their artists do -- and they even own the music in perpetuity.
Michael Jackson has recently been moved to comment on this same issue -- sort of.
Mr Jackson has picked an odd time to remember what color he used to be. I mean, I applaud him for speaking up on behalf of artists who can't afford to challenge their record labels, but...
...is that really what he's doing? Doesn't that sound a little arrogant?
At least people are beginning to figure out what a sweet racket the music industry is... for everyone but the musicians.
I'm sure you've heard this:
God decided He was finally fed up with the human race and decided to end it for good. He called up a reporter at the New York Times to tell him the news: The world would end the day after tomorrow.
The reporter tried to talk God out of it, but God was firm and wouldn't be swayed. The reporter then asked if he had an exclusive. God said that He was going to call three other newspapers.
Headlines the next day:
The New York Times: "God says world to end tomorrow; story and analysis on page B11."
The Wall Street Journal: "God says world to end tomorrow; market to close early"
USA Today: "IT'S OVER!"
The Washington Post: "God says world to end tomorrow; women and minorities hardest hit."
I can just hear some of my friends thinking, "That's not funny."
Neither is this. Janis Ian and Courtney Love, unlikely to be mentioned together in any other context, have both published lengthy and cogent essays protesting the fact that record companies make far more money than their artists do -- and they even own the music in perpetuity.
Michael Jackson has recently been moved to comment on this same issue -- sort of.
Michael Jackson Slams Treatment of Black Artists
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The self-ordained King of Pop Michael Jackson lashed out at the music industry's treatment of black artists -- including himself -- in an appearance on Saturday with New York civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton.
"The record companies really do conspire against the artists," Jackson, 43, told an adoring crowd of around 350 people inside Sharpton's National Action Network headquarters in Harlem. "Especially the black artists."
Mr Jackson has picked an odd time to remember what color he used to be. I mean, I applaud him for speaking up on behalf of artists who can't afford to challenge their record labels, but...
The former boy wonder of the Jackson Five [...] called attention to his own dispute with label Sony Music.
"When you fight for me, you're fighting for all black people, dead and alive," Jackson said.
...is that really what he's doing? Doesn't that sound a little arrogant?
At least people are beginning to figure out what a sweet racket the music industry is... for everyone but the musicians.
Friday, July 05, 2002
Can't wait for Harry Potter 5?
Go to Beijing, where "copyright" and "trademark" are just words. The fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and Leopard walk up to Dragon, is available there. The Chinese got tired of waiting, so they wrote one.
The opening paragraph:
Harry, stop thinking about your Aunt Penny's bottom. This isn't that kind of book. I hope.
I don't think even Harry Potter can defeat the Chinese intellectual property pirates. But he's gonna try.
Go to Beijing, where "copyright" and "trademark" are just words. The fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and Leopard walk up to Dragon, is available there. The Chinese got tired of waiting, so they wrote one.
The opening paragraph:
Harry doesn�t know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face. For a civilised young man it is disgusting to have dirt on any part of his body. He lies in the high-quality china bathtub, keeps wiping his face, and thinks about Dali�s face, which is as fat as the bottom of Aunt Penny.
Harry, stop thinking about your Aunt Penny's bottom. This isn't that kind of book. I hope.
I don't think even Harry Potter can defeat the Chinese intellectual property pirates. But he's gonna try.
I love PowerPoint
I spent three years working for Microsoft performing technical support for PowerPoint, versions 4.0, 95, and 97. I had a ball. However, it must be said, most people don't need PowerPoint. And many of the people who are using PowerPoint should not be.
Anyway, because I lived it for three years, I notice things like this:
Click to Add Title is a friendly competition in an unusual medium: PowerPoint presentations.
The Gettysburg PowerPoint Presentation is proof positive that whatever else you can accomplish with PowerPoint, being statesmanlike and inspirational is beyond its reach.
You may have heard of "Yours is a Very Bad Hotel", a complaint to the hotel manager as PowerPoint presentation. And the authors thought only a couple of people would see it... (The original version with names named is still around, too...)
UWTV produces television-ready PowerPoint presentations -- and has valuable advice for users trying to do that on their own.
Sean D'Souza knows what PowerPoint is all about.
(By the way, you'll have to have either PowerPoint or the PowerPoint Viewer to see these in all their glory...)
I spent three years working for Microsoft performing technical support for PowerPoint, versions 4.0, 95, and 97. I had a ball. However, it must be said, most people don't need PowerPoint. And many of the people who are using PowerPoint should not be.
Anyway, because I lived it for three years, I notice things like this:
Click to Add Title is a friendly competition in an unusual medium: PowerPoint presentations.
The Gettysburg PowerPoint Presentation is proof positive that whatever else you can accomplish with PowerPoint, being statesmanlike and inspirational is beyond its reach.
You may have heard of "Yours is a Very Bad Hotel", a complaint to the hotel manager as PowerPoint presentation. And the authors thought only a couple of people would see it... (The original version with names named is still around, too...)
UWTV produces television-ready PowerPoint presentations -- and has valuable advice for users trying to do that on their own.
Sean D'Souza knows what PowerPoint is all about.
(By the way, you'll have to have either PowerPoint or the PowerPoint Viewer to see these in all their glory...)
The personals
Monday Mission:
1. In the United States of America, it was recently ruled that the phrase "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Do you agree with this ruling? Should the phrase "under God" be removed? Why?
I agree with the ruling. See previous comments for the reasons.
2. When was the last time you took a road trip? Where did you go and what did you do?
A year ago. I went to the National Audio Theater Festivals Audio Theater Workshop in Fulton, Mo.
3. Do you have any vacations planned for this summer? Already gone? Where to and what?
Nope.
4. What is the most drastic change to your appearance that you have ever made? Are you brave enough to post a photo?
I grew a beard twenty years ago. I've still got it.
5. Tell me about something to which you are committed?
My family.
6. Now tell me about something you just flat-out gave up on.
I'm too optimistic to just give up on anything. But occasionally they slip away.
7. (new saga) I've had it, this place is just wearing me out. You too? We need a break! Let's head out and go someplace new. You make the plans, I'll get things ready. So what do you have it mind, and did you want me to pick up anything special to pack for the trip?
Let's just head south. I feel a craving for a beach chair in the shade, and the Gulf Coast is only eight hours away at most.
BONUS: Where is my hairbrush?
In the car, under the back seat cushion.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. The Birds. So, when did you realize there really was a difference between boys and girls?
I can't remember ever not knowing.
Twosome. The Bees. So when did you hear about the "bodily function" things that were gonna happen to you? And how long was it before you learned that the opposite sex had changes, too?
Must have been high school. I had no social life, so there are no embarrassing stories to tell.
Threesome. The Flowers and the Trees. Did you know where babies came from? What stories did you hear (and believe) - and how old were you when you really learned the truth?
The truth was the first story I ever heard and believed. The stork and cabbage patch thing never caught my interest.
The Friday Five:
1. Where are you right now?
Right here. Where are you?
2. What have you lost recently?
Hair.
3. What was the first CD you ever purchased? Does that embarrass you now?
Carly Simon, "Anticipation". Why should it?
4. What is your favorite kind of writing pen?
Dell. :)
5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Pralines and cream.
Monday Mission:
1. In the United States of America, it was recently ruled that the phrase "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Do you agree with this ruling? Should the phrase "under God" be removed? Why?
I agree with the ruling. See previous comments for the reasons.
2. When was the last time you took a road trip? Where did you go and what did you do?
A year ago. I went to the National Audio Theater Festivals Audio Theater Workshop in Fulton, Mo.
3. Do you have any vacations planned for this summer? Already gone? Where to and what?
Nope.
4. What is the most drastic change to your appearance that you have ever made? Are you brave enough to post a photo?
I grew a beard twenty years ago. I've still got it.
5. Tell me about something to which you are committed?
My family.
6. Now tell me about something you just flat-out gave up on.
I'm too optimistic to just give up on anything. But occasionally they slip away.
7. (new saga) I've had it, this place is just wearing me out. You too? We need a break! Let's head out and go someplace new. You make the plans, I'll get things ready. So what do you have it mind, and did you want me to pick up anything special to pack for the trip?
Let's just head south. I feel a craving for a beach chair in the shade, and the Gulf Coast is only eight hours away at most.
BONUS: Where is my hairbrush?
In the car, under the back seat cushion.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. The Birds. So, when did you realize there really was a difference between boys and girls?
I can't remember ever not knowing.
Twosome. The Bees. So when did you hear about the "bodily function" things that were gonna happen to you? And how long was it before you learned that the opposite sex had changes, too?
Must have been high school. I had no social life, so there are no embarrassing stories to tell.
Threesome. The Flowers and the Trees. Did you know where babies came from? What stories did you hear (and believe) - and how old were you when you really learned the truth?
The truth was the first story I ever heard and believed. The stork and cabbage patch thing never caught my interest.
The Friday Five:
1. Where are you right now?
Right here. Where are you?
2. What have you lost recently?
Hair.
3. What was the first CD you ever purchased? Does that embarrass you now?
Carly Simon, "Anticipation". Why should it?
4. What is your favorite kind of writing pen?
Dell. :)
5. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Pralines and cream.
Thursday, July 04, 2002
An anthology for the Fourth
Take a look at a flag so big you need a satellite to see it. (Thanks to Photodude.)
Peggy Noonan writes about the lights that didn't fail.
Dinesh D'Souza gives ten great reasons to celebrate.
James Lileks puts it in his own words.
Franck Lohsen McCrery, Architects, has a vision for Liberty Square, proposed to occupy the now-vacant site of the World Trade Center.
C. Dodd Harris has a collection of documents you should be familiar with.
Why the ICC won't fly here, by John Hawkins, Steven den Beste, and Emily Jones (indirectly: search the page for "Euro-weenies").
And as a counterpoint:
Eric Raymond on Islam. And when the Palestinians say "End of Occupation" what do they mean?
Take a look at a flag so big you need a satellite to see it. (Thanks to Photodude.)
Peggy Noonan writes about the lights that didn't fail.
Dinesh D'Souza gives ten great reasons to celebrate.
James Lileks puts it in his own words.
Franck Lohsen McCrery, Architects, has a vision for Liberty Square, proposed to occupy the now-vacant site of the World Trade Center.
C. Dodd Harris has a collection of documents you should be familiar with.
Why the ICC won't fly here, by John Hawkins, Steven den Beste, and Emily Jones (indirectly: search the page for "Euro-weenies").
And as a counterpoint:
Eric Raymond on Islam. And when the Palestinians say "End of Occupation" what do they mean?
Buffy, season two
Yes, I finally got it. It's about the best buy in the DVD world, with 22 hours of television (the entire second season) for about $40.
This show seems to hang around the edges of popular awareness, never being described as an unqualified hit (it's always "good ratings considering it's on WB/UPN"), yet increasing numbers of people are finding out about it. I count myself in that number: The episode that caught my attention was the groundbreaking largely-wordless episode "Hush", so these first and second season box sets are completely new to me.
Somebody tell me why I was watching "Ally McBeal" while these were on...?
The Independent News describes a growing academic awareness. (To our UK friends: Don't judge season six by any single episode: Wait and take it as a whole. It won't disappoint.)
Yes, I finally got it. It's about the best buy in the DVD world, with 22 hours of television (the entire second season) for about $40.
This show seems to hang around the edges of popular awareness, never being described as an unqualified hit (it's always "good ratings considering it's on WB/UPN"), yet increasing numbers of people are finding out about it. I count myself in that number: The episode that caught my attention was the groundbreaking largely-wordless episode "Hush", so these first and second season box sets are completely new to me.
Somebody tell me why I was watching "Ally McBeal" while these were on...?
The Independent News describes a growing academic awareness. (To our UK friends: Don't judge season six by any single episode: Wait and take it as a whole. It won't disappoint.)
Wednesday, July 03, 2002
One nation, divisible by god
Do you suppose that Judge Goodwin knew what a furor he would inspire by his ruling? (It appears so. Here's an interview with Judge Goodwin, and here's Eugene Volokh's summary and comments.)
It does no one any good to render it in shorthand as "The Pledge of Allegiance is Unconstitutional." It is no such thing, and the judge did not say so. I can recite it whenever I choose, free of repercussions. So can you. So can anyone, freely and of his own will, pledge allegiance to this eminently worthy country, and he may swear by whatever god he cares to name, or none at all, in doing so. This right is exactly what the First Amendment was written to define.
Freedom of speech is also the freedom to remain silent. So the framers intended, I believe, and so the courts have subsequently ruled. We usually encounter this in a defendant's right to withhold self-incriminating testimony, a special case specifically guaranteed in the fifth amendment (made famous in so many Hollywood movies). If the words "under God" bother me, I have a constitutionally-protected right not to say it. It doesn't bother me, and I do say it, but that remains my decision.
The phrase "under God" was added to the pledge in 1954, to differentiate this "Christian" nation from our biggest enemy at the time, the "godless" Communists. It was a mistake then: It's a mistake now.
And now, as we still contemplate the aftermath of the events of 9-11-01, I think it's appropriate to examine this issue. The world is watching to see just how hypocritical we are. The United States of America is the first superpower of its kind, a nation that does not seek to build an empire, a nation that does not impose a faith on its satellites -- or even on its own citizens. At least, that's what we keep telling 'em -- under God.
E pluribus unum. Allegiance to this country should not require devotion to its majority faith.
In Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it isn't exactly illegal to be Christian, but it's illegal if anyone can tell. What is the opposite of that?
This: The United States has no official state-sponsored religion. It would be unconstitutional to name one.
The guy who brought this lawsuit in the first place appears to be a loon -- but a stopped clock is right twice a day. Public schools are government agencies. School attendance is required by law. Bad enough that government schools are requiring students to pledge allegiance to itself (how often do they discuss what the words actually mean?), worse that they require students to swear by God in doing so.
That's the part that's unconstitutional: The fact that the Government is making them say it. Such coercion, either directly by force of law or indirectly via social pressure, is illegal.
(I've merely poked at the extremities: Eugene Volokh drives a stake through its heart.)
Do you suppose that Judge Goodwin knew what a furor he would inspire by his ruling? (It appears so. Here's an interview with Judge Goodwin, and here's Eugene Volokh's summary and comments.)
It does no one any good to render it in shorthand as "The Pledge of Allegiance is Unconstitutional." It is no such thing, and the judge did not say so. I can recite it whenever I choose, free of repercussions. So can you. So can anyone, freely and of his own will, pledge allegiance to this eminently worthy country, and he may swear by whatever god he cares to name, or none at all, in doing so. This right is exactly what the First Amendment was written to define.
Freedom of speech is also the freedom to remain silent. So the framers intended, I believe, and so the courts have subsequently ruled. We usually encounter this in a defendant's right to withhold self-incriminating testimony, a special case specifically guaranteed in the fifth amendment (made famous in so many Hollywood movies). If the words "under God" bother me, I have a constitutionally-protected right not to say it. It doesn't bother me, and I do say it, but that remains my decision.
The phrase "under God" was added to the pledge in 1954, to differentiate this "Christian" nation from our biggest enemy at the time, the "godless" Communists. It was a mistake then: It's a mistake now.
And now, as we still contemplate the aftermath of the events of 9-11-01, I think it's appropriate to examine this issue. The world is watching to see just how hypocritical we are. The United States of America is the first superpower of its kind, a nation that does not seek to build an empire, a nation that does not impose a faith on its satellites -- or even on its own citizens. At least, that's what we keep telling 'em -- under God.
E pluribus unum. Allegiance to this country should not require devotion to its majority faith.
In Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it isn't exactly illegal to be Christian, but it's illegal if anyone can tell. What is the opposite of that?
This: The United States has no official state-sponsored religion. It would be unconstitutional to name one.
The guy who brought this lawsuit in the first place appears to be a loon -- but a stopped clock is right twice a day. Public schools are government agencies. School attendance is required by law. Bad enough that government schools are requiring students to pledge allegiance to itself (how often do they discuss what the words actually mean?), worse that they require students to swear by God in doing so.
That's the part that's unconstitutional: The fact that the Government is making them say it. Such coercion, either directly by force of law or indirectly via social pressure, is illegal.
(I've merely poked at the extremities: Eugene Volokh drives a stake through its heart.)
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
"Hello, my name is Mohamed"
Perhaps some of you remember a television game show called "To Tell the Truth." It's a classic from the golden age of television, recently remade and last seen, as I recall, on Oxygen.
If you don't remember it, there were three contestants, one of whom gives his right name and occupation. The other two give the same name and occupation. The celebrity panel, through a short round of questioning, has to figure out who's telling the truth: The contestants' prize money depends on how many panelists they fool.
This story reminds me of that:
Laughter.
Laughter.
Yeah, I guess from the Saudi point of view this must be pretty funny.
I've been trying to turn this around in my head. Let's say I worked for the US State Department, and a foreign official handed me a list of names. "We got these names from incoming mail at the suspects' addresses. We need to track down these aliases. These people are responsible for, or connected to, the deaths of thousands."
The list says "Occupant", "Resident", "Home Owner" and "Undeliverable As Addressed".
Would I laugh? Would I laugh in the face of someone trying to apprehend murderers and prevent further violence, over a mistake that a native English speaker would not make?
Would you?
Perhaps some of you remember a television game show called "To Tell the Truth." It's a classic from the golden age of television, recently remade and last seen, as I recall, on Oxygen.
If you don't remember it, there were three contestants, one of whom gives his right name and occupation. The other two give the same name and occupation. The celebrity panel, through a short round of questioning, has to figure out who's telling the truth: The contestants' prize money depends on how many panelists they fool.
This story reminds me of that:
Spelling slows war on terror
WASHINGTON -- As U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies try to prevent the next terrorist attack, they have a basic problem to solve: how to spell the enemy's name.
Computerized databases at the FBI, CIA, Immigration and Naturalization Service and other agencies bulge with lists of suspected terrorists. Some of the names identify actual terrorists. Others are aliases, misspellings, alternative spellings or misidentifications of putative bad guys. And without extensive fieldwork, there is no way to tell them apart.
...In the weeks after Sept. 11, Justice and Treasury officials compiled a list of two dozen alleged al-Qaeda operatives and financiers.
...A State Department official with knowledge of the episode said the list amounted to a bunch of nicknames, Arabic versions of mobster handles such as ''Vinny the Chin.''
There were also several named ''Mohammed al-Haji,'' not a family name but a term of honor indicating a person has made the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.
When the State Department passed on the list, the Saudis greeted the request with laughter. They said the ''names'' were of no help in finding terrorist bank accounts, the official said.
Laughter.
Laughter.
Yeah, I guess from the Saudi point of view this must be pretty funny.
I've been trying to turn this around in my head. Let's say I worked for the US State Department, and a foreign official handed me a list of names. "We got these names from incoming mail at the suspects' addresses. We need to track down these aliases. These people are responsible for, or connected to, the deaths of thousands."
The list says "Occupant", "Resident", "Home Owner" and "Undeliverable As Addressed".
Would I laugh? Would I laugh in the face of someone trying to apprehend murderers and prevent further violence, over a mistake that a native English speaker would not make?
Would you?
"They're going to try to trick us."
Yeah, it was a pretty clever trick the Transportation Security Agency played on screeners at 32 airports: They threw weapons and simulated bombs into their luggage as if they were so many pairs of socks. They didn't try to hide them at all.
And 25-30% of them still got through.
Fire 'em all. Fire everybody, up to and including Norman Mineta if you have to, and hire people who know what a bomb looks like.
Yeah, it was a pretty clever trick the Transportation Security Agency played on screeners at 32 airports: They threw weapons and simulated bombs into their luggage as if they were so many pairs of socks. They didn't try to hide them at all.
And 25-30% of them still got through.
''There seems to be a belief that just because TSA is looking at things, things are going to be significantly different,'' [aviation security analyst Jack] Plaxe says. ''The reality is that you may be paying screeners more, but you're still using the same people. I don't know why people would expect to see things differently than before.''
Fire 'em all. Fire everybody, up to and including Norman Mineta if you have to, and hire people who know what a bomb looks like.
Monday, July 01, 2002
Summer vacation?
What's that?
I tell you, I am so jealous of my children. I work in a retail-related industry (I don't deal with shoppers directly, but I support those who do), so I can't take holidays off, like some people I could name. (At least Lileks is still there.) In fact, I'll be at work while you're enjoying Fourth of July fireworks.
It occurs to me that this might be a golden opportunity to load up my blog with content, the better to attract roving eyeballs whose regular haunts are growing stale -- but then, you're probably on vacation too, with better things to do than hop on the computer to find out what some idiot in Atlanta thinks of the Pledge of Allegiance ruling. (I agree with it, much to my surprise.)
What's that?
I tell you, I am so jealous of my children. I work in a retail-related industry (I don't deal with shoppers directly, but I support those who do), so I can't take holidays off, like some people I could name. (At least Lileks is still there.) In fact, I'll be at work while you're enjoying Fourth of July fireworks.
It occurs to me that this might be a golden opportunity to load up my blog with content, the better to attract roving eyeballs whose regular haunts are growing stale -- but then, you're probably on vacation too, with better things to do than hop on the computer to find out what some idiot in Atlanta thinks of the Pledge of Allegiance ruling. (I agree with it, much to my surprise.)
Friday, June 28, 2002
Sponsors?
I was as amused as anyone that Louis Rukeyser, having been fired from "Wall $treet Week" (a program he created), has now taken his act to CNBC and is kicking PBS' butt. But something about the MSNBC.com story caught my attention:
Sponsors? On PBS? That's a word they're so careful not to use.
It does weaken the argument put forth by KERA President and CEO Gary L. Ferrell, that
In light of this, why are 147 PBS stations also running the new CNBC program, �Louis Rukeyser�s Wall Street�? (CNBC allows this, so long as they run it at least a day later than CNBC does.)
PBS is rapidly losing its reason for existence. Even the Star-Telegraph story above, which attempts to assert that PBS is still relevant, is unable to refute the suggestion that PBS' original mission has been taken over by the cable television industry. The Big Three networks have watched their viewership dwindle, and they're fighting to survive in any form. PBS, on the other hand, seems to be taking the "divine right" argument, making few compromises and no concessions to the changing face of television.
LATER: At the risk of repeating myself (or someone else):
It's from Robert A Heinlein's first published story, "Life-Line".
I was as amused as anyone that Louis Rukeyser, having been fired from "Wall $treet Week" (a program he created), has now taken his act to CNBC and is kicking PBS' butt. But something about the MSNBC.com story caught my attention:
Mr. Rukeyser has also hit back at PBS where it hurts most: in the pocketbook. Three out of four of Mr. Rukeyser�s old sponsors have followed him to CNBC, draining away millions in underwriter dollars from PBS.
Sponsors? On PBS? That's a word they're so careful not to use.
It does weaken the argument put forth by KERA President and CEO Gary L. Ferrell, that
PBS is not about aggregating eyeballs or customers to sell them a product.
Its purpose is to serve the American public.
This, above all else, fundamentally differentiates PBS from others in the business, whether it's NBC or The Discovery Channel.
In light of this, why are 147 PBS stations also running the new CNBC program, �Louis Rukeyser�s Wall Street�? (CNBC allows this, so long as they run it at least a day later than CNBC does.)
PBS is rapidly losing its reason for existence. Even the Star-Telegraph story above, which attempts to assert that PBS is still relevant, is unable to refute the suggestion that PBS' original mission has been taken over by the cable television industry. The Big Three networks have watched their viewership dwindle, and they're fighting to survive in any form. PBS, on the other hand, seems to be taking the "divine right" argument, making few compromises and no concessions to the changing face of television.
LATER: At the risk of repeating myself (or someone else):
There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or a corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute nor common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back, for their private benefit.
It's from Robert A Heinlein's first published story, "Life-Line".
Am I back?
Sorry to be gone for so long. Nothing specific kept me away, I just needed the sleep. And it certainly looks like I've missed a lot.
The pledge of allegiance: I mean, really, if San Francisco didn't exist, we'd have to invent it.
Worldcom: Look, if Enron jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
Palestine: Sorry, no jokes. If anything, the President has understated the situation: There's no negotiating with this.
LATER: Sorry, "this" is gone. I suspect it has collapsed under the weight of the traffic it received from WSJ OpinionJournal and half the blogging world. Even Google doesn't have a cache. But I knew I could count on Little Green Footballs to archive a photo. The original page featured a graduation ceremony at a nursery school for Palestinian children. Middle East Realities has another photo from the same collection. Look closely: The little girl's "victim" is lying on the stage in front of her.
Sorry to be gone for so long. Nothing specific kept me away, I just needed the sleep. And it certainly looks like I've missed a lot.
The pledge of allegiance: I mean, really, if San Francisco didn't exist, we'd have to invent it.
Worldcom: Look, if Enron jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
Palestine: Sorry, no jokes. If anything, the President has understated the situation: There's no negotiating with this.
LATER: Sorry, "this" is gone. I suspect it has collapsed under the weight of the traffic it received from WSJ OpinionJournal and half the blogging world. Even Google doesn't have a cache. But I knew I could count on Little Green Footballs to archive a photo. The original page featured a graduation ceremony at a nursery school for Palestinian children. Middle East Realities has another photo from the same collection. Look closely: The little girl's "victim" is lying on the stage in front of her.
The personals
Okay, I found another one, the Monday Mission:
1. Do you wear glasses/contact lenses? If so would you consider going through Lasik surgery? (Or if you already have, please tell us about it)
I do wear glasses. I have never considered contact lenses: I'm far too lazy to perform the necessary maintenance. And I am far too cowardly to look into a laser.
2. Did you ever have to wear braces? How are your teeth? (any cavities, any pulled teeth, root canals, etc.)
Never had to wear braces. I've had numerous cavities, my wisdom teeth were pulled a couple of years ago, I've had three or four root canals... There, are you happy now?
3. What (if any) recent movies have moved you emotionally? Which one and how so?
Much to my surprise, I found myself stunned into speechlessness by Steven Spielberg's "A.I.", which I just saw on DVD.
4. Would you rather live the remainder of your golden years in a rest home, or pass away before it came to that?
Rest home beats final rest.
5. What natural creation or phenomenon just flat-out leaves you with a sense of wonder?
Rainbows. What a gloriously useless artifact of light.
6. Have you ever been in a fist fight or a situation where you had to get physically violent with someone else? How did that come about? Any consequences?
Not since elementary school.
7. Are there any recent happenings that you wish you would have handled differently? What happened and what do you wish you'd done?
Mmmmmm... No.
BONUS: How far away can you go, and still be dancing with me?
How close can you be, and still be a world away?
Thursday Threesome:
Sheryl who?
Onesome. Soak--Like a sponge, what class in school did you seem to absorb the easiest?
Well, my last school experience having been during the Ford administration, I'll have to think about that... Math seemed pretty easy, up to the level of calculus: That's where my mind shut down. English was never much of a challenge, either (although I never could keep straight the names of verb tenses).
Twosome. Up--What things always bring you up when you are down?
It's gonna sound corny, but it's my kids. I love spending time with them.
Threesome. The Sun--Enjoy the sun? What's your favorite outdoor activity?
I'm not a big outdoor person, but I love to nap in the shade. Not that I get a chance to do that very often. If I had a fenced back yard, I'd have a hammock in it.
The Friday Five:
When was the last time you...
1. ...sent a handwritten letter?
Not since college, when my now-wife and I wrote to each other frequently. We still have those letters.
2. ...baked something from scratch or made something by hand?
I assume you don't mean things like assembling a bookshelf kit or making pancakes from a mix. Hm. I built a "crash box" (sound effect box for safely breaking glass) a couple of years ago. I miscalculated, and I have to cut glass to fit it. I need to rebuild it around a standard size glass pane.
3. ...camped in a tent?
1986, the Kingdom of Meridies 10th Anniversary event. I'm never a happy camper.
4. ...volunteered your time to church, school, or community?
All of my radio theater activity is volunteer.
5. ...helped a stranger?
I need to run into a better quality of stranger. Every time I attempt it, it turns out to be a scam. I'm sorry for the people who actually need help who won't be offered any due to rampant distrust.
Okay, I found another one, the Monday Mission:
1. Do you wear glasses/contact lenses? If so would you consider going through Lasik surgery? (Or if you already have, please tell us about it)
I do wear glasses. I have never considered contact lenses: I'm far too lazy to perform the necessary maintenance. And I am far too cowardly to look into a laser.
2. Did you ever have to wear braces? How are your teeth? (any cavities, any pulled teeth, root canals, etc.)
Never had to wear braces. I've had numerous cavities, my wisdom teeth were pulled a couple of years ago, I've had three or four root canals... There, are you happy now?
3. What (if any) recent movies have moved you emotionally? Which one and how so?
Much to my surprise, I found myself stunned into speechlessness by Steven Spielberg's "A.I.", which I just saw on DVD.
4. Would you rather live the remainder of your golden years in a rest home, or pass away before it came to that?
Rest home beats final rest.
5. What natural creation or phenomenon just flat-out leaves you with a sense of wonder?
Rainbows. What a gloriously useless artifact of light.
6. Have you ever been in a fist fight or a situation where you had to get physically violent with someone else? How did that come about? Any consequences?
Not since elementary school.
7. Are there any recent happenings that you wish you would have handled differently? What happened and what do you wish you'd done?
Mmmmmm... No.
BONUS: How far away can you go, and still be dancing with me?
How close can you be, and still be a world away?
Thursday Threesome:
Sheryl who?
Onesome. Soak--Like a sponge, what class in school did you seem to absorb the easiest?
Well, my last school experience having been during the Ford administration, I'll have to think about that... Math seemed pretty easy, up to the level of calculus: That's where my mind shut down. English was never much of a challenge, either (although I never could keep straight the names of verb tenses).
Twosome. Up--What things always bring you up when you are down?
It's gonna sound corny, but it's my kids. I love spending time with them.
Threesome. The Sun--Enjoy the sun? What's your favorite outdoor activity?
I'm not a big outdoor person, but I love to nap in the shade. Not that I get a chance to do that very often. If I had a fenced back yard, I'd have a hammock in it.
The Friday Five:
When was the last time you...
1. ...sent a handwritten letter?
Not since college, when my now-wife and I wrote to each other frequently. We still have those letters.
2. ...baked something from scratch or made something by hand?
I assume you don't mean things like assembling a bookshelf kit or making pancakes from a mix. Hm. I built a "crash box" (sound effect box for safely breaking glass) a couple of years ago. I miscalculated, and I have to cut glass to fit it. I need to rebuild it around a standard size glass pane.
3. ...camped in a tent?
1986, the Kingdom of Meridies 10th Anniversary event. I'm never a happy camper.
4. ...volunteered your time to church, school, or community?
All of my radio theater activity is volunteer.
5. ...helped a stranger?
I need to run into a better quality of stranger. Every time I attempt it, it turns out to be a scam. I'm sorry for the people who actually need help who won't be offered any due to rampant distrust.
Sunday, June 23, 2002
And there was much rejoicing
M&M has announced their new color. Modesty forbids me from disclosing it here. (Warning: This site talks.)
M&M has announced their new color. Modesty forbids me from disclosing it here. (Warning: This site talks.)
The district that ate Georgia
Apparently our state legislature is not proud of the new Congressional districting map they've just inflicted on us: It passed in September, but it's taken me this long to find it on the web. Thank the House Republican Caucus for the map: Thank the Democrats for the district lines.
This is obscene. (Here's a closeup of the Atlanta metro area, with highways and county lines for reference.) The rest of the map is borderline acceptable (barely), but the 11th and the 13th should never have gotten out of committee. As Stuart Rothenberg put it, "Even if Georgia's new lines pass constitutional muster, they don't pass the laugh test."
Counties still matter. Geographical continuity still matters.
If demographic representation is really so important that a travesty like this is justified, try this: Elect all Congressional representatives at-large. Everybody runs statewide, and the top thirteen vote-getters get in. Pick the constituency you want, and campaign there: If enough of 'em vote for you, you're in!
I'm sure you can pick a few problems with that plan: I can, myself. But it's better than the current map.
Apparently our state legislature is not proud of the new Congressional districting map they've just inflicted on us: It passed in September, but it's taken me this long to find it on the web. Thank the House Republican Caucus for the map: Thank the Democrats for the district lines.
This is obscene. (Here's a closeup of the Atlanta metro area, with highways and county lines for reference.) The rest of the map is borderline acceptable (barely), but the 11th and the 13th should never have gotten out of committee. As Stuart Rothenberg put it, "Even if Georgia's new lines pass constitutional muster, they don't pass the laugh test."
Counties still matter. Geographical continuity still matters.
If demographic representation is really so important that a travesty like this is justified, try this: Elect all Congressional representatives at-large. Everybody runs statewide, and the top thirteen vote-getters get in. Pick the constituency you want, and campaign there: If enough of 'em vote for you, you're in!
I'm sure you can pick a few problems with that plan: I can, myself. But it's better than the current map.
Saturday, June 22, 2002
McKinney (D - Riyadh)?
Through diligent research and tireless effort, Melanie Eversley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has uncovered a story that we bloggers have known about for weeks: A lot of Cynthia McKinney's campaign contributions are coming from the Muslim community.
I shouldn't denigrate the work: Ms Eversley has done some math that I didn't do, and identified some names I didn't recognize. The end result is an appropriate payback to the woman who suggested that Bush allowed the 9-11 attack to happen so that his family and friends would profit from it financially. (The same woman, you may recall, hit up Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia for that $10 million check that Mayor Giuliani turned down.)
It all looks very straightforward, perfectly legal. Certainly our Muslim citizens have every right to have their voices heard. But one third of McKinney's individual contributions are coming from the Muslim community, a much larger percentage than other congresspeople who have larger Muslim constituencies.
In an ideal world, Ms Eversley should have cited her sources for the financial information (almost certainly OpenSecrets.org, or the same sources they draw from). She did, to my glee, include a quote that represents McKinney's typical response to criticism of any kind:
It's all about being black, isn't it, Cynthia?
(Oh, wait, there's a primary this summer, isn't there?)
LATER: Why, yes there is. Dick Williams at the Atlanta Business Chronicle has a score card.
Through diligent research and tireless effort, Melanie Eversley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has uncovered a story that we bloggers have known about for weeks: A lot of Cynthia McKinney's campaign contributions are coming from the Muslim community.
I shouldn't denigrate the work: Ms Eversley has done some math that I didn't do, and identified some names I didn't recognize. The end result is an appropriate payback to the woman who suggested that Bush allowed the 9-11 attack to happen so that his family and friends would profit from it financially. (The same woman, you may recall, hit up Prince Alwaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia for that $10 million check that Mayor Giuliani turned down.)
It all looks very straightforward, perfectly legal. Certainly our Muslim citizens have every right to have their voices heard. But one third of McKinney's individual contributions are coming from the Muslim community, a much larger percentage than other congresspeople who have larger Muslim constituencies.
In an ideal world, Ms Eversley should have cited her sources for the financial information (almost certainly OpenSecrets.org, or the same sources they draw from). She did, to my glee, include a quote that represents McKinney's typical response to criticism of any kind:
As African-Americans, we understand what it's like to have our values, institutions and leadership berated or delegitimized.
It's all about being black, isn't it, Cynthia?
(Oh, wait, there's a primary this summer, isn't there?)
LATER: Why, yes there is. Dick Williams at the Atlanta Business Chronicle has a score card.
Friday, June 21, 2002
The personals
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Do a Little Dance...Everyone loves to watch a good dancer, so tell us your all time favorite movie dance scene...and why.
I am the last person to ask about dancing. My favorite dance moment isn't a "dance scene" as such: It's the moment on that episode of Buffy when Willow and Tara fall into each other's arms on the dance floor at the Bronze... and, ever so slightly, begin to levitate. Aw-w-w.
Twosome. Make a Little Love...Spill it! What do you do to make the night romantic for that certain someone?
I'm tempted to give the traditional pig's answer, "brush my teeth", but the truth is, with my current work schedule, just being in the same room with that certain someone while we're both awake is the best I can manage.
Threesome. Get Down Tonight! Party it up, Getting your Groove on, or whatever you call it, everyone has a different style that they consider a good time. Let us in on what yours is.
I'm not a party person. Popcorn, soft drinks and a good movie in the DVD player will do me nicely. With the right company we can do without the movie and the popcorn.
The Friday Five:
1. Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo?
House.
2. Do you rent or own?
Own.
3. Does anyone else live with you?
Wife, two children, and the kids' godfather.
4. How many times have you moved in your life?
Uh... Do college dorms count? How about temporary residence in an apartment while the contractors rebuilt my burned house? If they don't count, the answer is four. Not bad for 47 years. And I currently live less than a mile from the hospital I was born in.
5. What are your plans for this weekend?
Working, as usual.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Do a Little Dance...Everyone loves to watch a good dancer, so tell us your all time favorite movie dance scene...and why.
I am the last person to ask about dancing. My favorite dance moment isn't a "dance scene" as such: It's the moment on that episode of Buffy when Willow and Tara fall into each other's arms on the dance floor at the Bronze... and, ever so slightly, begin to levitate. Aw-w-w.
Twosome. Make a Little Love...Spill it! What do you do to make the night romantic for that certain someone?
I'm tempted to give the traditional pig's answer, "brush my teeth", but the truth is, with my current work schedule, just being in the same room with that certain someone while we're both awake is the best I can manage.
Threesome. Get Down Tonight! Party it up, Getting your Groove on, or whatever you call it, everyone has a different style that they consider a good time. Let us in on what yours is.
I'm not a party person. Popcorn, soft drinks and a good movie in the DVD player will do me nicely. With the right company we can do without the movie and the popcorn.
The Friday Five:
1. Do you live in a house, an apartment or a condo?
House.
2. Do you rent or own?
Own.
3. Does anyone else live with you?
Wife, two children, and the kids' godfather.
4. How many times have you moved in your life?
Uh... Do college dorms count? How about temporary residence in an apartment while the contractors rebuilt my burned house? If they don't count, the answer is four. Not bad for 47 years. And I currently live less than a mile from the hospital I was born in.
5. What are your plans for this weekend?
Working, as usual.
Holy cow!
It may be just as well that we didn't know that this asteroid was only 120,000 kilometers away until it was past us. (No, not that asteroid, or this one, but this one.)
Don't you think it's about time we stopped blowing each other up and got off this rock while we still can? I mean, I'm not particularly devout, and I'm not superstitious at all, but the phrase "warning shots from the Almighty" won't go away.
And if we're really serious about this Survival of the Species thing, we may have to cull the herd a little to eliminate the renegades who aren't interested in that. We can start by glazing over the West Bank before its current occupants kill another of these.
I didn't used to be so bloodthirsty.
It may be just as well that we didn't know that this asteroid was only 120,000 kilometers away until it was past us. (No, not that asteroid, or this one, but this one.)
Don't you think it's about time we stopped blowing each other up and got off this rock while we still can? I mean, I'm not particularly devout, and I'm not superstitious at all, but the phrase "warning shots from the Almighty" won't go away.
And if we're really serious about this Survival of the Species thing, we may have to cull the herd a little to eliminate the renegades who aren't interested in that. We can start by glazing over the West Bank before its current occupants kill another of these.
I didn't used to be so bloodthirsty.
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
Last week's personals, late
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Miss Scarlett, what makes your face turn red?
Oh, lots of things. Anger, shame, public attention. I'm better than I used to be, but the color of my face is still a pretty good barometer of how I feel. But you probably want to know what embarrasses me. Being the center of attention both embarrasses and terrifies me. I have stage fright (pretty odd, considering).
Twosome. Twosome. The Library. What books are a must in your opinion for a personal library?
Seems like this is a repeat, or was that the Friday Five? Well, anyway. I don't have enough bandwidth to answer this. "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A Heinlein. "The Rape of the A.P.E." by Allan Sherman. "Tarzan of the Apes" and "The Return of Tarzan" by Edgar Rice Burroughs. C'mon, I've got a couple of thousand books here, and I'd hate to leave any of 'em out.
Threesome. The Lead Pipe. Ever have a plumbing related woe? Tell us all about it...
Of course I have: I own my home. Crawling under my house in 25-degree temperatures patching a burst pipe was not among the more enjoyable events in my life.
The Friday Five:
...is back!
1. How often do you do laundry?
In this house (three adults, one teenager and one about-to-be teenager), laundry never stops. In a sense, you could say we've done laundry once: We started two years ago (an easy benchmark, when the house burned and we had to replace most of our clothes), and we're still washin'. If we ever catch up, I'll let you know. (The answer you probably wanted is, one or two loads a day. Often more on weekends.)
2. What's in a typical wash load?
Er, clothes?
3. Front or top loader? Powder or liquid detergent?
Front loader, powdered detergent. Since we had to replace all of our appliances after the fire anyway, we got a front loader. It has made a significant difference in our water bill, and the clothes get just as clean.
4. Do you use fabric softener in the rinse cycle?
Nope.
5. Dryer or clothesline?
Dryer, except for those items that shouldn't.
Thursday Threesome:
Onesome. Miss Scarlett, what makes your face turn red?
Oh, lots of things. Anger, shame, public attention. I'm better than I used to be, but the color of my face is still a pretty good barometer of how I feel. But you probably want to know what embarrasses me. Being the center of attention both embarrasses and terrifies me. I have stage fright (pretty odd, considering).
Twosome. Twosome. The Library. What books are a must in your opinion for a personal library?
Seems like this is a repeat, or was that the Friday Five? Well, anyway. I don't have enough bandwidth to answer this. "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A Heinlein. "The Rape of the A.P.E." by Allan Sherman. "Tarzan of the Apes" and "The Return of Tarzan" by Edgar Rice Burroughs. C'mon, I've got a couple of thousand books here, and I'd hate to leave any of 'em out.
Threesome. The Lead Pipe. Ever have a plumbing related woe? Tell us all about it...
Of course I have: I own my home. Crawling under my house in 25-degree temperatures patching a burst pipe was not among the more enjoyable events in my life.
The Friday Five:
...is back!
1. How often do you do laundry?
In this house (three adults, one teenager and one about-to-be teenager), laundry never stops. In a sense, you could say we've done laundry once: We started two years ago (an easy benchmark, when the house burned and we had to replace most of our clothes), and we're still washin'. If we ever catch up, I'll let you know. (The answer you probably wanted is, one or two loads a day. Often more on weekends.)
2. What's in a typical wash load?
Er, clothes?
3. Front or top loader? Powder or liquid detergent?
Front loader, powdered detergent. Since we had to replace all of our appliances after the fire anyway, we got a front loader. It has made a significant difference in our water bill, and the clothes get just as clean.
4. Do you use fabric softener in the rinse cycle?
Nope.
5. Dryer or clothesline?
Dryer, except for those items that shouldn't.
It am great crime to make anything perfect on Bizarro world
This withdrawn Starbucks promotion and this oddball political statement seem to inhabit the same world.
Is it the same world wherein a timer counts down the moments until the Olsen twins are of legal age? (Note: While this site is, technically, safe for work, it is conceptually unsettling.)
This withdrawn Starbucks promotion and this oddball political statement seem to inhabit the same world.
Is it the same world wherein a timer counts down the moments until the Olsen twins are of legal age? (Note: While this site is, technically, safe for work, it is conceptually unsettling.)
Monday, June 17, 2002
What were you thinking?
Were you just tired of your job?
Were you just tired of your job?
Pimps and Gangs Subtracted From Math Test
A Canadian teacher has been suspended after shocking a small northern Manitoba school by distributing a math exam that included questions about pimps, prostitutes, machine guns, cocaine trafficking and getting "knocked up."
The math proficiency test included questions such as: "Rufus is a pimp for three girls. If the price is $65 per trick, how many tricks per day must each girl turn to support Rufus' $800 per day crack habit?"
...The exam, which asked students for their name, gang name and home room...
Sunday, June 16, 2002
Weird justice
I thought I had a handle on how law works, but I confess I'm confused now.
There's this guy who's been surreptitiously pointing his video camera up womens' skirts, and selling the video -- and they can't figure out if he's breaking any laws. Well, more precisely, they can't prosecute him if they can't identify a victim. Perhaps the guy who does the "Girls Gone Wild" videos could have saved himself some trouble. It's not like people are buying the videos to see the girls' faces.
Somewhat less trivially, Arthur Andersen is guilty. Nobody in particular, just the company. Can you do that? I thought you were supposed to, like, try a specific defendant in criminal court. You can sue a company, but can you find a company guilty of a crime? Well, I guess you can, they just did. I'm a little uneasy with it, though: It implies that penance extracted from a company doesn't affect any innocent people, and that's far from proven.
I thought I had a handle on how law works, but I confess I'm confused now.
There's this guy who's been surreptitiously pointing his video camera up womens' skirts, and selling the video -- and they can't figure out if he's breaking any laws. Well, more precisely, they can't prosecute him if they can't identify a victim. Perhaps the guy who does the "Girls Gone Wild" videos could have saved himself some trouble. It's not like people are buying the videos to see the girls' faces.
Somewhat less trivially, Arthur Andersen is guilty. Nobody in particular, just the company. Can you do that? I thought you were supposed to, like, try a specific defendant in criminal court. You can sue a company, but can you find a company guilty of a crime? Well, I guess you can, they just did. I'm a little uneasy with it, though: It implies that penance extracted from a company doesn't affect any innocent people, and that's far from proven.
One and zeros have rights
Dan at Happy Fun Pundit explains, as clearly as anyone could wish for, just what a vile piece of work the proposed "Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act" is.
Then Steve speculates about how Janet Reno got a political endorsement from President Bartlet. It sounds a bit odd that both of them refer to the current occupant of the White House as the "real President", a concession that no Democrat will ever make. On the other hand, if you actually believe that President Bush is a pretender, then I guess one pretender is as good as another. Oh, never mind, this is a real giggle.
Maybe you should just read the whole blog...
Dan at Happy Fun Pundit explains, as clearly as anyone could wish for, just what a vile piece of work the proposed "Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act" is.
Then Steve speculates about how Janet Reno got a political endorsement from President Bartlet. It sounds a bit odd that both of them refer to the current occupant of the White House as the "real President", a concession that no Democrat will ever make. On the other hand, if you actually believe that President Bush is a pretender, then I guess one pretender is as good as another. Oh, never mind, this is a real giggle.
Maybe you should just read the whole blog...
Thursday, June 13, 2002
The worst statistic ever?
It must surely be in the running. The following sentence was written in 1995: Read it carefully.
Now, take any number you like -- heck, take "one" -- and double it forty-five times. Does anyone seriously believe that over 17 trillion children were killed by guns in 1995?
It is bad enough to create an unrealistic projection of future trends with incomplete statistics: It is quite another to create such an absurdly wrong statement purporting to describe the current human condition.
LATER: I should add that the quote above is actually a garbled paraphrase of a statistic that is correct...
...and it's not the Children's Defense Fund's fault that it was misused. On the other hand, even the original number, while true, doesn't tell the whole story. Context is everything, as Joel Best explains.
(If you can't tell the difference between the two renderings, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.)
It must surely be in the running. The following sentence was written in 1995: Read it carefully.
Every year since 1950, the number of American children gunned down has doubled.
Now, take any number you like -- heck, take "one" -- and double it forty-five times. Does anyone seriously believe that over 17 trillion children were killed by guns in 1995?
It is bad enough to create an unrealistic projection of future trends with incomplete statistics: It is quite another to create such an absurdly wrong statement purporting to describe the current human condition.
LATER: I should add that the quote above is actually a garbled paraphrase of a statistic that is correct...
The number of American children killed each year by guns has doubled since 1950.
...and it's not the Children's Defense Fund's fault that it was misused. On the other hand, even the original number, while true, doesn't tell the whole story. Context is everything, as Joel Best explains.
(If you can't tell the difference between the two renderings, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.)
Another reason to visit Hawaii
"Spam musubi ("moo-soo-BEE"), consisting of a strip of cooked Spam sitting on a block of rice and held in place by a sushi-style seaweed girdle, is a popular breakfast food and lunchtime or picnic snack." And, through the end of July, it's on the breakfast menu at all 78 Hawaii McDonald's.
Look, Spam is just as tasty as ham when it's cooked right. Personally, I like to dice it, fry it, and serve it with fried rice (with eggs, mushrooms and water chestnuts).
No, really, I do.
LATER: I am not alone.
"Spam musubi ("moo-soo-BEE"), consisting of a strip of cooked Spam sitting on a block of rice and held in place by a sushi-style seaweed girdle, is a popular breakfast food and lunchtime or picnic snack." And, through the end of July, it's on the breakfast menu at all 78 Hawaii McDonald's.
Look, Spam is just as tasty as ham when it's cooked right. Personally, I like to dice it, fry it, and serve it with fried rice (with eggs, mushrooms and water chestnuts).
No, really, I do.
LATER: I am not alone.
"I still live"
Orrin Judd (who told Instapundit about it) found this article by Hank Parnell, "The Rehabilitation of Edgar Rice Burroughs." I had no idea he needed any. Having been exposed to "Tarzan of the Apes" at a relatively early age, and having unconsciously absorbed the consistency of Burroughs' world view, I find that Parnell's article rings true. If you've never read Burroughs, he might let you know what you've been missing.
Or, heck, just go read some! If the only Tarzan you know is Disney's (or Johnny Weismuller), you don't know Tarzan. A real treat awaits you. (Better get both "Tarzan of the Apes" and "The Return of Tarzan". You won't believe where the first book ends.)
Orrin Judd (who told Instapundit about it) found this article by Hank Parnell, "The Rehabilitation of Edgar Rice Burroughs." I had no idea he needed any. Having been exposed to "Tarzan of the Apes" at a relatively early age, and having unconsciously absorbed the consistency of Burroughs' world view, I find that Parnell's article rings true. If you've never read Burroughs, he might let you know what you've been missing.
Or, heck, just go read some! If the only Tarzan you know is Disney's (or Johnny Weismuller), you don't know Tarzan. A real treat awaits you. (Better get both "Tarzan of the Apes" and "The Return of Tarzan". You won't believe where the first book ends.)
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