NPR : Political Cartoonists Cast an Eye Back on 2005

NPR : Political Cartoonists Cast an Eye Back on 2005

More on a political bent... I know, I know. This stuff is making me seem like a droning mouthpiece for the liberal media and 'net "playa haters". But these best of cartoons from 2005 are pretty good. And there is an audio bit, for those who like to listen.

Impeach George W. Bush

Katrina vanden Heuvel: The I-Word Is Gaining Ground - Yahoo! News: "n the late 1990s, House Majority Whip
Tom DeLay, currently under indictment on corruption charges, proclaimed: 'This nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law.... The other road is the path of least resistance' in which 'we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us...[and] close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking...and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system.' That arbiter of moral politics, Tom DeLay, was incensed about the danger of letting
Bill Clinton escape unpunished for his 'crimes'--lying about sex."

Let's impeach the President.

• http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/


• http://en.wikipedia.org/


• http://www.impeachpac.org/

Home of the Chugach Mountain Kings - a photoset on Flickr

Home of the Chugach Mountain Kings - a photoset on Flickr

This is a christmas present for my friend , Eddie Spaghetti (http://muchfuninc.blogspot.com),and ski buddies all over the world.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody!

a clear and present danger

. . . unlimited?�-�Commentary�-�The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "President Bush presents a clear and present danger to the rule of law."

Citgo is a Venezuela Oil Company -

"We love the holidays, because we get to spend time with our families and do nice things for people we love. Sometimes, though, with all the rushing around to buy gifts and visit relatives, it can be easy to lose sight of the point of it all. Well, here's a way to remember the spirit of the season and help out less fortunate neighbors, even in the midst of all your holiday traveling: buy Citgo gasoline.

You already may have seen the headlines about how Citgo, unlike every other oil company in the U.S., is making cut-rate heating oil available to struggling families in the Northeast. The Energy Department predicts a nearly 26 percent jump in heating costs this winter compared with last year,1 and despite a year of record oil company profits, the country's heating oil assistance fund is falling behind.

Citgo has stepped in to help out. They're selling heating oil at discounted rates to poorer communities in Massachusetts and the Bronx, NY, and working on deals to keep low-income homes in Rhode Island and Vermont warm, too.

So while you're out on the road this month, you can help some fellow Americans by filling your tank with Venezuelan gas. Here's a link to find the nearest one of the 14,000 Citgo gas stations in the U.S.:

'Citgo is not just another oil company,' says Citgo CEO Felix Rodriguez. 'With Venezuela's state oil company, of which we are a subsidiary, we share a broad social mission.'

That's our kind of company. If you need any other reasons to feel good, just remember that money you pay to Citgo goes primarily to Venezuela - not Saudi Arabia or the Middle East. Of the top oil producing countries in the world, only one is a democracy with a president who was elected on a platform of using his nation's oil revenue to benefit the poor.

And this winter Citgo is helping out less fortunate Americans, too.

Some have said that Citgo's generosity is a publicity stunt, part of the ongoing war of words between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and President Bush. We think a recent USA Today editorial has the best response:

'Chavez might be trying to embarrass the Bush administration, but what's really embarrassing is how little help Americans will receive this winter from their own government.'

Naturally, if you can get where you're going without a car, do so. And we'll continue to work for a country with more renewable energy options. But in the meantime, help your Northeast neighbors by supporting Citgo on your holiday drive"

thanks to http://www.truemajority.org/

Gothamist on the NYC subway strike

Gothamist: "On our walk to work this morning, we found the streets pretty busy for early in the morning, with people walking to work, stopping at coffee carts and nodding at each other in recognition that, yes, many of us were wearing sensible shoes. When Gothamist made it to our office, another building worker asked us how we got in. And it struck us: The socially accepted walls of silence were crumbling down as we were making conversation with others beyond the weather and how slow the elevators are! Sort of like the cold-weather, working Joe-or-Jane's blackout, the Transit Strike of 2005 will be fodder for many conversations - and missed connections! - to come. And the hook-ups? Please, we predict a lot of 'Hey, I live near your office...why don't you just stay over?' offers. But not to us - we're about to set up camp in our office. We have our WetNaps, Febreze and deodorant!

Have you been chatting with your fellow pedestrians? Or were you a biker who made fun of that guy on the scooter? Tell us!"


If you want info on the NYC Strike, check out http://www.gothamist.com and http://www.rocketboom.com

Flickr images with strike tags

Free Marijuana For The Homeless

Free Marijuana For The Homeless: "There are alot of homeless people who purchase crack because street dealers are aggressive and it is easier to obtain than marijuana. Many homeless people drink alcohol because it is cheaper and easier to obtain than marijuana. Marijuana use does not pose the problems of crack and alcohol. Prevention of women giving oral sex for more crack because of it's short high and subsequent cravings should be a priority. Alcohol abuse creates violence and obnoxious behavior. Marijuana makes people quiet and passive and reduces impulsive acts of destructive behavior. It is an herbal tranquillizer that is safer than the addictive ones prescribed by doctors."

The bush administration is coming around... This could be good. What if the CIA was a POT smuggling operation?

How to Save the World

How to Save the World: "What will it take for moderate Americans to get up in arms about this reckless and arrogant government? Where the hell was the rest of the media? When your government sees itself as above the law, and is allowed to break the law and ignore both the law and the constitution of the land with impunity, how big a step is it from there to simply suspend the constitution, abolish Congress, and install a one-party ultra right-wing Christian state 'until the government is convinced the war on terror has been won'? "

Our gov'ment dissed us on this one. As well as the media, why wasn't there an uproar about this? ... First the war on Christmas and now this... Well, Merry Christimas! MotherFucker!

Alaska: Chugach Crawl, The

Alaska: Chugach Crawl, The: "Two adventurers put their strength, stamina, friendship-and 5,000 calories a day-to the test in a three-week odyssey through the glacial heart of the Chugach Mountains.

'That's what you're looking for,' guru alpinist Charlie Sassara said in response to my whimpering about the Swiss cheese nature of our route through the Chugach Range."

Hillbilly Housewife

Hillbilly Housewife: "$45 Emergency Menu for 4 to 6"


I love it - Hillbilly Housewife. This is my kind of cookbook! A full week of recipes with nutritional info, a shopping list, and a guide to what to do and when. Fuck Yeah!

Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness : kadavy.net

Eight Life Hacks for Health, Wealth, and Happiness : kadavy.net: "I’ve noticed in my short existence that I tend to do many things differently from most people. Some of those things probably work just as well, whereas others make me wonder “why doesn’t everyone do this?” Here are eight things that may make you feel like you’re cheating the system, too (in no particular order):"

Do you know what a lifehack is? I'll give you the first three - Walk, smile, and drink water... and they get good after that. It's funny that this is a hack and not just the way it's done....

December

December

December 15
Halcyon Days. According to ancient legend, the seven days before the winter solstice and the seven days following it are a special time of tranquility and calm, due to the magickal powers of the halcyon (a fabled bird who nested on the sea and calmed the wind and the waves during the winter solstice).

How to do cool pop art portraits - no skill required

How to do cool pop art portraits - no skill required:

So, You know I like to do graphics tutorials. I found this one and it's in a really funny style. The tutorial itself isn't that great, but I did it anyway and came up with a pretty funny portrait. Wanna see it? YES or NO?

Here is the original pic

Bunny suicides

Bunny suicides

Here we go Brownies!

Better than a Cleveland Steamer!


Here I am at Cleveland Brown's Stadium - Dec. 4th, 2005. It's an incredible pagent. The people, the cold, the brats and the beer, peanuts, high flying touch down catches. awesome! 

The agenda!

It's 28 degrees and snowing. This is near perfect weather for tailgate'ing at Cleveland Browns Stadium on the shores of Lake Erie. OH YEAH!!!! look for pics

Photoshop practice

Forest Scene - Tutorials Factory

Photoshop tutorials this morning! I subscribe to an RSS feed at goodtutorials.com. When there are about 100 new tutorials backed up, I go through them and pick out the ones that look intresting. Then I save all the pages as bookmarks (using the cool Firefox save all open tabs into a folder). That way I can work on the tutorials I like and AND have a record of the ones I did.

The reason I'm writing about this is I found a great one - maybe the best I've done. I like it because it uses funky default brushes (leaves and grass) and a COOL gradient technique. And the picture looks cool. Here is what I got...

PS: And while I took a break at lunch, I watched the last part of Sharky's Machine. Burt Reynolds is the MAN!

Cool Google Maps - Who knew maps could be fun?

Cool Google Maps - Who knew maps could be fun?: "New York City Live Cam Map "

So Eddie is talking about Maps today and I'll chime in. Like Eddie, I love me some Maps.

I've always said that my only inate skills is sense of direction and the ability to get lost and unlost. My life is has been an experience in map reading. When I went to Six Flags, I was always in the lost parents pavillion. When I my family moved to Germany for a year, I got lost in most European capitals (In Rome, the Swiss guards carried me back to my Dad). When I played Video games (like the excellent Telegard for C-64 / 128) I always made a map of the levels. When I went to school, the Cartographers were the coolest group ever (followed closely by the librarians).

So, I love the google Earth and new mapping tools on the internet.

I found a good one - I'll be in NewYorkCity next week and found this cool Google Hack - New York City Live Cam Map Check out the link at the top of this post for more cool google maps.

Interactive Listening Maze: Travel

Interactive Listening Maze: Travel: "This is an adaptation of the popular Reading maze, a classroom activity that has adapted well to the Web. For examples of reading mazes that I have created with students, please go to: English For Tourism mazes"


Freakin' reading mazes... I think this a great teaching idea. I read a "reading maze" book when I was growing up. It's cool.

Also, I neat use of the blogger template to make a 'normal' looking website.

enjoy!

Panama Canal Miraflores locks time-lapse, 1 week compressed into 11 minutes - Google Video

Panama Canal Miraflores locks time-lapse, 1 week compressed into 11 minutes - Google Video

This hypnotic video is made with time-lapse frames from seven days' worth of the webcam at the Panama Canal's Miraflores canal. Watching the stately dance of the giant ships, day and night, passing through the locks, is like watching ogres waltz -- their grace is perfectly offset by their hulking, container-stacked brutal unloveliness

18 Tricks to Teach Your Body

18 Tricks to Teach Your Body: "5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain."

OpenOffice.org: Stick it to the man!

OpenOffice.org: Home: "OpenOffice.org 2.0 is the productivity suite that individuals, governments, and corporations around the world have been expecting for the last two years. Easy to use and fluidly interoperable with every major office suite, OpenOffice.org 2.0 realises the potential of open source."

Ah... choice. Today I'm choosing to download and install OpenOffice, instead of installing MicroSoft Office. Just say yes!

A redhead girl, the moon, and beer

A redhead girl, the moon, and beer - Have you ever wondered about the girl in the Miller High Life logo? I have. She is better than I dreamed. Be sure to watch the TV ads.

I'm in Cleveland, Ohio. The place where football, working people, beer and red meat go when they die. It's the Valhalle of all things American. Yesterday, I had a BBQ hamburger with Fred Flintstone (Of course, Wilma, Barney, Betty, BamBam and Pebbles were there too.) We watched college football and drank beer. During half time, a front yard, two hand touch football game between the kids and the adults broke loose. The kids won. Everyone was home by 6:30 for dinner and bedtime. I love you, America! ... i love you, america

Welcome to vSocial - The Video Clip Sharing Community

Welcome to vSocial - The Video Clip Sharing Community

This here is a video clip of an Alaskan Lady showing you how she cooks salmon. Eddie, this one is for you.

Booster Shot - How well do those energy drinks work? By Sam Eifling

Booster Shot - How well do those energy drinks work? By Sam Eifling: "In spring of last year, some dudes in the park began passing out samples of Red Bull, the omnipresent energy drink, while I was playing football. I chugged a can. Immediately, I felt giddy and off-kilter. I started running around. Some guy with John Elway's arm and Kordell Stewart's aim passed the ball my way. I turned, reached for it, and felt my pinky dislocate at the middle joint. My finger did its impression of a clock face at 2:30 until an ER doctor wrangled it back into place. It took six weeks of physical therapy before I could make a proper fist.

I've had about two-thirds of a Red Bull since. That is, until about half an hour ago, when I cracked open a can. My feet have begun wiggling, unbidden. The TV seems too loud. But, whoa, do my fingers scamper along this keyboard! Red Bull, like most of its energy-drink ilk, claims to perk you up and keep you there—'gives you wings,' its ads intone."

This is a what I believe to be an honest and unbias opinion of Energy Drinks. The guy reviews 6 or so drinks using a system to measure the effectiveness. That's how I solve the energy crisis.

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: The Week in Green Design (11/12/05): Green Roofs

WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: The Week in Green Design (11/12/05): Green Roofs: "Green Roofs
An even better alternative to cool roofs (albeit one that requires more time and effort) is to turn waste roofs into landscaped Green Roofs. Green roofs having the same cooling effect of white roofs, with the added benefits of:

# Providing amenity space for building users �replacing a yard or patio
# Increasing roof life span
# Reducing storm water run off
# Providing noise insulation
# Filtering pollutants and CO2 out of the air
# Providing locally grown food (with roof-top vegetable gardens)
# Increasing wildlife habitat in built up areas
# Reducing heating (by adding mass and thermal resistance value) and cooling (by evaporative cooling) loads on a building
# Reducing the urban heat island effect"

One of the things I love about riding Amtrak, is the changing of perspective while traveling. When you ride the train, you see a different landscape than if you travel by car or airplane. The landscape is often the backside of America. You see peoples backyards in the suburbs. In the countryside, you see a roadless expanse. And (the point of the post) in the cities you see the allies and cinder block storage buildings, not the fancy facades of front street. It really is a secret passage.

So, this past weekend, when I travelled from Fayetteville, NC (home of Fort Bragg, and former capital on North Carolina), through Washington, DC (our nations capital and home to quite a few sites within walking distance of Union Station), to my final destination, lovely Cleveland, Ohio and my sister's house, I saw quite a bit of out of the usual roadtrip. One thing was light colored gravel spread out on flat roof commercial buildings. I figure it's a slow progression to the greenroof.

I also saw Eastern Virginia in High Fall, the Washington Mall, the new Native American Museum, Pittsburg, and many other highlights! Wait for pictures!

What time is it?

What time is it?: "There is a time and space for everything and everyone."


Damn this is good!

Rocketboom

Rocketboom

wanna have a beautiful girl tell you what's up with rss / aggregateors / podcast / itunes / fireant???? ... i know I DO!

Frappr!

Frappr!

Howdy, mufu drinkers the world over. I have know about this service for alittle while, but I'm always alittle cautious about trying new stuff. But if it's good enough for uncle dave, then it's good enough for me and the gang.

What is it? It's a shout out map. You can add your name, location, and picture to a map that is shared for all the others to see. It's a neat way to show a group of people all over the world.

My buddy from the old days, Mike Mendez, has set up a site over at http://www.allmypeople.com and has been maintaining it for some time now. And I think it would be great for him.

So, check it out and sign up. You don't have to become a member to post your information (location, picture, and shoutout), but you should. Create your own map and ask your email list to join.

Cheers,
nsl

Just do eat!

This is a photo of a chain bakery in Taiwan. Trademarks creatively circumvented or totally disregarded - you make the call.

Tonight, after a dinner of shrimp and grits (Tip: make the grits with chicken broth), as well as some country sweet potatoes from Nanny and an episode of Firefly, I sat down on my blue ball and tuned WinAmp to the World Cafe and focused on some photoshop tuts.


I found some videos that really blew my mind. http://www.digital-industry.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3192 . The guy's name is 'Faded' and I think he is a genius. Faded is a young photoshop artist that captures his screen while he does photoshop work. He is just talking and working. When you are watching the video, it's like you are really there, with him. He isn't pretending to be a teacher. You get the feeling that you are his buddy and he is showing you his stuff. It's freakin great and It's a powerful way to catch the vibe / feel of the photoshop artist. So, Faded you freakin' rule. keep'em coming.

Clean Walls and Erase Set-In Dirt with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Clean Walls and Erase Set-In Dirt with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Mr. Clean is so freakin' cool. I gotta get me some of this stuff. Really, if you know me, then you know I love to clean. I love to sweep, swift, vacuum, wash, wipe, srub, dust and squeegee. How could I not even KNOW about something called 'Magic Eraser' from Mr. Clean.

Graffiti

IMG_0060bw
Originally uploaded by Mitchkitter.

Whoever controls what you SEE, controls what you THINK.

The graffi / stencil thing is pretty cool and I'm seeing it all over the place. ... They really ARE controlling what I think!!! yikes... YIKES!!!




ps - this is a also a test of posting to the blog from Flickr. I found this on the Alaska Pool on Flickr and I simply clicked on the Blogthis icon above the picture to post.

Faster Mustache

Faster Mustache: "Home
To be the burliest bearded pirates on the asphault sea!"

Faster Mustache is an independent organization made up of a diverse group of Atlanta residents with one thing in common: riding bicycles. Fixed or free, geared or single, cruiser, chopper, racer, clunker, we ride 'em. Our interests are as diverse as our riders but we are all dedicated to promoting safer riding conditions in Atlanta and being ambassadors for Atlanta's broad bicycle community. Faster Mustache events cover areas of interests including political/social activism, design, urban transit, urban planning and construction, food and drink, music and movies, art and culture, mountain biking, and quesadillas.

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Minister of counterculture

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Minister of counterculture: "
Gilberto Gil is a musical legend - and a senior Brazilian politician. He tells Oliver Burkeman how poverty can be challenged if ideas are shared for free "

EIK 00

Everything I know
The historic 42-hour session with Bucky (Buckminster Fuller)

should be cool

Kiva

Kiva: "Kiva provides a new, sponsor a business option for individuals to connect with small enterprises in developing countries through flexible loans."

I want to - a page of utilities that help you do stuff you want to

I want to - a page of utilities that help you do stuff you want to

"I want to..." or "I need to" or "How do I?" These are all questions we all ask all the time. This is a small collection of resources that will help to answer those questions. It is not complete, nor will it ever be. I will be adding to this on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it and come back and visit.

Heifer International

Nothing's more satisfying than finding exactly the right solution to a problem. That's the good feeling you get when you give an Asian subsistence farmer a water buffalo.

-Heifer International


A water buffalo is only 250 USD! check out all the other animals you can give.... the holiday season is just around the corner

When pipes are outlawed....

Gerald Ford is my President! 

Pete Lowney arrested

The Jewish Advocate | This Weeks Issue | News: "Policeman attacked by anti-Israel protester

BY TED SIEFER - Thursday October 27 2005

Israeli consul general Meir Shlomo

Activist arrested at synagogue talk led by Israeli consul general

LEXINGTON – A man was arrested on Oct. 23 for assaulting a police officer at a demonstration staged by a small group of anti-Israel protesters outside a post-Gaza disengagement talk at Temple Isaiah, which featured Meir Shlomo, Israel’s consul general to New England.
Top Stories

* A city-wide celebration of renewal
* Air Force retracts evangelizing policy

subscribe to The Jewish Advocate email this page to a friend print this page email the editor
The assailant was identified as Newton resident Peter Lowney, 35, a veteran protester whose activism has previously led to confrontations with law enforcement. Lowney has an outstanding warrant for disorderly conduct charges stemming from a protest at the Waltham-based technology company Raytheon earlier this year.
Lowney was deported from Israel in 2004 for his activities with the International Solidarity Movement, the pro-Palestinian group known for bringing western activists to hotspots in Gaza and the West Bank.
Police presence at the talk, titled “After Gaza: Looking Ahead,” was increased after Lexington police discovered a protest announcement on the Internet which contained language the authorities found alarming. Referring to Shlomo, the announcement stated: “This is a rare chance for people to corner this notorious and blood soaked human rights abuser and criminal. Please join us to make a citizens arrest of an IDF occupier for crimes against humanity.”
Shlomo said of those who organized the protest: “I think the language shows exactly who they are. To use this kind of description for anybody shows that they’re probably not really interested in discussion …This kind of language really doesn’t deserve a response.” As for the demonstration itself, Shlomo noted that it was “a free country.”
The assault occurred just after the talk began, when police asked the six protesters to move for safety reasons. While being escorted across the street, Lowney broke away and shoved an officer, prompting the arrest, said Lexington police Lt. Joe O’Leary.
Lowney was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, assault and battery and resisting arrest.
The Temple Isaiah discussion, which was attended by an estimated 250 people, was free and open to the public, although because of heightened security concerns, police and temple officials didn’t allow anyone to carry in bags or signs. Discussion moderator and Temple Isaiah member Jeff Robbins told the Advocate that while a couple activists did make it into the event, the only disruption occurred when one had to be coaxed into a question after making a long-winded anti-Israel statement.
Lowney, a former resident of Valdez, Alaska, has been in the Boston area since his deportation from Israel last year and appears to have been very active in local anti-U.S. and anti-Israel protests. In addition to being charged with resisting arrest and defacing property at the April protest at Raytheon, Lowney was also most likely the person who staged a one-man protest outside the Boston University Hillel in late September, although he refused to give his last name to a reporter from the student newspaper at the time. Lowney was also arrested for disorderly conduct at a small protest on the campus of Harvard on Oct. 10. He could not be reached for comment.
Lexington police have taken to monitoring local activist Web sites after several extremist groups had announced their intentions to stage demonstrations in the town, although Lt. O’Leary noted that most of the previous activity involved white supremacist groups and issues such as same-sex marriage and diversity in the schools.
It is not known if Lowney was working with one of the several pro-Palestinian groups in the Boston area, although O’Leary said that many of the people who were present at Sunday’s protest showed up for his hearing and offered to post bail, which was set at $1,000.
After his arraignment in Lexington, Lowney was transported to the Lawrence district court on a warrant for charges related to the April protest at Raytheon. His court date in Lexington was set for Nov. 21."

Alaska girls kick ass!

Amazon.com: Fate Is the Hunter: Music: "Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With a face like Liv Tyler and a winsome voice that recalls early Joni Mitchell and late Fiona Apple, Kate Earl shoots right out of the gate with a couple of genetic advantages. And that's even before you consider her vocal shape-shifting, her audacious jazz chanteuse poses and the unstinting and, at times, painful honesty that she employs when singing these clearly autobiographical numbers. Hailing from Alaska, Earl is no near neighbor of Jewell Kilcher. Both her songs and her poetry are made from stronger stuff, with an attention to detail and nuance that is enviable in an artist her age. 'Free' is a high wire act, finding the singer both reaching for lofty notes and even loftier ideals. An astonishing debut. --Jaan Uhelszki

Album Description
The upcoming collection of songs is autobiographical. Just as Kate carries the beauty and purity of the Alaskan wilderness with her, she also holds the long, dark, 40-below winters and the isolation that comes along with the never-ending nighttime. Kate has been playing shows up and down the west coast, honing her skills and establishing herself as the kind of artist who leaves her heart on the stage. In her own words and with her own stunningly beautiful voice, Kate tells her stories...stories that are full of love, faith, tragedy and the strength of the human spirit. "



I love her! http://www.kateearl.com/
--- follow the jump to listen to full sample songs and read her blog - too cool. Keep rockin!

Your codename is Hurricane Wilma

Wilma wrecks shit in Florida, Cuba, and Mexico, but Surfers all over the east coast Blissfully shout her name as they score set after set of beautiful swells. Ala Fred Flinstone - WillllllllMMAAAAAA!

There must have been 50 surfers out on this day ... Later the internet was buzzing picts on Wilma wave riders all over the east coast. 

I thought I'd add some pictures of Wilmington...

That there is the InterCoastal waterway and beyond those buildings is Wrightsville Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. 

ultrashock.com

ultrashock.com

So, I'm sitting at home and ... one of the things that I'm doing is getting to know forums or online communities. It's a wild wild west out there in these things and you can see real people doing real stuff and working it out. Anyway, I found this 'thread' / conversation this morning...

http://forums.ultrashock.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=75137&referrerid=211537

It's about a person - young man? - who's best friend has been killed in Iraq. He starts the post with telling his friends on the forum that he is joining the army, then all of his friends / people on the forum reply and give their support or advice.

It's really cool to see the "Community" part of online community come out. It doesn't have anything to do with the technology, it's just people talkin'.

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business

Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Business: "The state of Alaska is pushing ahead with decades-old plans for a pipeline to carry natural gas to the lower 48 states as demand has risen and prices have soared.

Dallas investment bank Challenger Capital Group is expected to announce today that it will take the lead in arranging financing for the pipeline, expected to cost between $13 billion and $20 billion when it's finished in 2012.

'Ultimately, we'll help get more gas to the lower 48, which I would appreciate so my heating bill won't be so high,' said Challenger managing director Chuck Davis.

For three decades, Alaska has considered building a pipeline to bring to market natural gas produced in the North Slope area.

Those fields can produce 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day, or about 15 percent of U.S. demand, Mr. Davis said.

But depressed prices for natural gas left the project unprofitable. Now the financial incentive to bring natural gas to market has strengthened.

'It really didn't make much economic sense until we got into the current energy economy,' Mr. Davis said.

The state would work with major oil companies BP PLC, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil to build a pipeline either to Alberta, Canada, or to Valdez, Alaska."

A rainy october morning

A commanding view of the compound here in Wilmington, NC. You can see our three vehicles. The egg camper. The shaved ice cart (under the blue tarp). The white trapazoid is a mirror for reflecting sunlight into my office. And Old glory. 

The Bubble Project - Ji Lee

The Bubble Project - Ji Lee

A clever graffiti site - protest thing. I've come across a few of these. Let me track down the links....

http://www.freewayblogger.com/

http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html - be sure to check out his links section

E-Tutoring Broadens Bounds of Outsourcing - Yahoo! News

E-Tutoring Broadens Bounds of Outsourcing - Yahoo! News: "COCHIN, India - A few stars are still twinkling in the inky pre-dawn sky when Koyampurath Namitha arrives for work in a quiet suburb of this south Indian city. It's barely 4:30 a.m. when she grabs a cup of coffee and joins more than two dozen colleagues, each settling into a cubicle with a computer and earphones.


More than 7,000 miles away, in Glenview, Ill., outside Chicago, it's the evening of the previous day and 14-year-old Princeton John sits at his computer, barefoot and ready for his hourlong geometry lesson. The high school freshman puts on a headset with a microphone and clicks on computer software that will link him through the Internet to his tutor, Namitha, many time zones away."

On the Net:

Growing Stars Inc.: http://www.growingstars.com

NIIT Technologies Ltd.: http://www.niit.com

Educomp Datamatics Ltd.: http://www.edumatics.com

PBS | I, Cringely . October 20, 2005 - Seeing Is Believing

PBS | I, Cringely . October 20, 2005 - Seeing Is Believing: "My point here is that we're entering another period of Internet exuberance. Yes, a lot has changed since 1999, but it's amazing how many of the ideas being pushed are the SAME ideas, just empowered now by dark fiber, cheap broadband, and six years of Moore's Law. And this time I think it will actually work and the Internet will change even more than it has the ways we live and work. But it isn't going to come easy and it isn't going to come cheap."

um... yeah

Where the hell am I ?

I'm in North Carolina. At the beach. in a log cabin. near my family. in an office. in front of a computer. ... and no one can hear me scream.

....


if halloween scares you sometimes, raise your hand. ... and one more thing, I honestly think, that if hell bent, blood thristy robbers come to my house to kill me, AND go up the stairs on the WRONG side and run into the big nasty spiderweb protecting my door, they will freak out and run away.


... email me if you want to know the right side to walk up to avoid the spiders.

Okay okay - there is no way to avoid the roaches, lizards, fleas, mosquitos. sorry

eLearn: Feature Article from Stephen Downes

eLearn: Feature Article: "In learning, these trends are manifest in what is sometimes called 'learner-centered' or 'student-centered' design. This is more than just adapting for different learning styles or allowing the user to change the font size and background color; it is the placing of the control of learning itself into the hands of the learner [5]."

Stephen breaks down eLearning for those of us who are lagging behind. A good article.

Mr. Picassohead

Mr. Picassohead


freakin' rules!

Emily Chang - eHub

Emily Chang - eHub: "eHub is a constantly updated list of web applications, services, resources, blogs or sites with a focus on next generation web (web 2.0), social software, blogging, Ajax, Ruby on Rails, location mapping, open source, folksonomy, design and digital media sharing."

iterating toward openness � Learning, Complexity, and Simplicity

iterating toward openness � Learning, Complexity, and Simplicity: "Moving on. Brett next says:

The example of trial-error learning within Sims environment is simply misplaced: the Sims games are not created for learning, and the learning that takes place during activity has proven to be of secondary importance if people are learning at all.

Here I’ll disagree somewhat. Sim City, the game I described previously, may not have been created explicitly to support learning about civic infrastructure, taxes, zoning, and parks. Understanding the individual purpose and function of each of the areas of infrastructure, finance, power, education, zoning, employment, and transportaion individually is a rather straightforward endeavor. In fact, one might take a class at school, read books, write essays, and take tests showing that they understand each of these individual components. However. The complexity inherent in the task of managing a city is not in managing the individual components - they are extremely simple. The complexity is in managing the interactions of those components, and the patterns of collective behavior that emerge from those interactions of the simple components of the system. At this stage, yes, “learning is complex.”"

Couldn't agree more. Simple individual componets vs complex interactions between componets.

Rodolf and Lenny!

Working on a building, holy ghost building... 

Family on the steps

This is so cool and easy! 

Uncle Rodolf and Aunt Emily!

Look at these beautiful people---

Ps: I used the new picasa blogThis! button and hooray - no more confusing Hello! Goodbye, Hello! 

We Will Not Be Silenced : : AntiWar Speech

1 death is 1 death too many: "SAVE MY SON
My son is in the US Army. And I'm proud of him for wanting to serve his country. But he will be shipping out to Iraq in November to be part of an ill conceived and poorly waged war. I tried pointing out to him the irony of the thirty years the Iraqi people refused to fight Saddam the tyrant in light of the vigorous insurgency he will have to face while the vast majority of the Iraqi people are content to wait and see who wins. I tried to tell him that this is a war that historically we cannot win. I tried to tell him that if this war was so noble, how come they had to lie, lie, lie and lie some more to get us into it? And he told me 'Don't worry dad, I named you as my beneficiary' Tim. I don't want your death benefits. I want YOU.

Thom, Milwaukee Wisconsin"

That new-car smell might be toxic - Automotive - MSNBC.com

That new-car smell might be toxic - Automotive - MSNBC.com: "That new-car smell might be toxic"


MIGHT BE TOXIC - MIGHT. Yeah right. It is toxic. Wake up and smell the CAR.

my 1989 Ford Festiva has 0% new car smell!

Minds in Play: Computer Game Design as a Context for Children's Learning

Untitled Document: "This is the companion video to my book Minds in Play: Computer Game Design as a Context for Children's Learning."

Where the hell was I in 1991?

Creating Passionate Users

Creating Passionate Users: "A lot of adult learning environments (including colleges) do have scenarios in which the students/learners are asked to help evolve the course itself... including taking turns presenting some of the material, but these kinds of activities are the exception, when they should be a key component. I've argued with instructors for years over this--as they claim, 'Students didn't come here to be taught by other students who don't know anything--they came here to get the facts from ME, the expert.'

Oh really? If you drill down, you'd find that most of the students/learners are there to learn. They may have been conditioned through tradition that this means the student listens (and does the occasional 'lab exercise') while the expert dispenses facts and knowledge, but that doesn't mean it's truly what most learners want. They want to learn.

And surprisingly little real, deep learning comes from sitting in a chair listening. Think about it... "

Cathy Sierra of "Creating Passionate Users" is freakin' awesome!

Photoshop Grant Wood's "American Gothic" in honor of its 75th birthday

FARK.com: (1620765) Photoshop Grant Wood's "American Gothic" in honor of its 75th birthday

FUH2 | Fuck You And Your H2

FUH2 | Fuck You And Your H2: "Haiku by Tim

Hulking black Hummer
Purchased in rank atonement
small peckered driver"


ah-men

Couloir Magazine--Backcountry, Randonnee, Snowboard, Telemark Skiing

Couloir Magazine--Backcountry, Randonnee, Snowboard, Telemark Skiing: "Unidentified snowboarder hoofing it up Worthington Glacier in Thompson Pass August 6. Photo by Matt Kinney"

Enjoy the South!

Best Enjoyed on Sunday

um... I don't know where the BPN Summer rooftop ruckus and BBQ feed is, but I'm goin next year.

Bangkok Thai secrets | Marlboro man cruises Soi Cowboy

Bangkok Thai secrets | Marlboro man cruises Soi Cowboy: "I didn’t Photoshop this. It’s a genuine Thai government heath warning. By law, all cigarette packets must now incorporate a range of gruesome photos – which include graphic images of diseased lungs and rotting teeth."

This - NOW THIS - is a tobacco warning! Thailand is great - LONG LIVE THE KING!

The answer is focus.

Richard Koch's web site: "The answer is focus."

I have no idea what this guy is saying about 20 percent of this... or 80 percent of that. 80 / 20 principle... okay, party on.

"Most people think / Great God will come from the sky / take away everything / And make everybody feel high" Bob Marley

Nearly everyone thinks that to get more out of life, and succeed in what we want, we have to labor harder, devote more time to our work, and make sacrifices and trade-offs. I say No. In all aspects of life, we can find, to our astonishment and delight, that less is more. We can only life fully by subtraction. We make progress by stripping our activities and concerns back to a small authentic core.

okay... I like more and more. Live fully by subtraction... authentic core... I love it!

• Chuck your To Do List. Make a Not to Do List. Act less. Think more. Reflect on what really matters to you. Stop doing anything that isn’t valuable or doesn’t make you happy.

cool. DONE. I'm keeping the MindMaps, however.

Southern Energy & Environment Expo

Southern Energy & Environment Expo: "The Southern Energy & Environment Expo, being held at the The Western N.C. Agricultural Center in Fletcher NC, is an annual event designed to showcase renewable energy and sustainable economics in a context of responsible environmental stewardship. By working together in a cooperative spirit, we CAN make a difference for the future of our children and our planet."


I'm going here because it Freakin RULES!!!!

How to Load and Run a Dishwasher - eHow.com

How to Load and Run a Dishwasher - eHow.com: "How to Load and Run a Dishwasher
It seems like an easy task, but do you know the proper way to load and run your dishwasher? "

So easy, yet so hard... Why? Who is letting us down here? hmmm...

Web Content by and for the Masses - New York Times

Web Content by and for the Masses - New York Times: "'The giant brain is us,'"

SoyLentGreen is people! IT'S PEOPLE!!!!

No More Electric Bills - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com

No More Electric Bills - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com: "No More Electric Bills
Well, not quite. But 'zero-energy homes' keep them low.
Model home: The Gonzales family has gone energy efficient in Rosemont, Calif.
Robyn Twomey for Newsweek
Model home: The Gonzales family has gone energy efficient in Rosemont, Calif.


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By Andrew Murr
Newsweek

Aug. 15, 2005 issue - Nicholas and Loan Gatai used to cringe when they received power bills that routinely topped $200. Last September the Sacramento, Calif., couple moved into a new, 1,500-square-foot home in Premier Gardens, a subdivision of 95 'zero-energy homes' just outside town. Now they're actually eager to see their electric bills. The grand total over the 10 months they've lived in the three-bedroom, stucco-and-stone house: $75. For the past two months they haven't paid a cent."

In Austrian Alps, a not-so-glacial retreat - Europe - International Herald Tribune

In Austrian Alps, a not-so-glacial retreat - Europe - International Herald Tribune: "The glacier is broad and grand, like the river of ice it is, and yet something about it is visibly not right, and you can tell right away what it is from the steep cable car that was built a bit over 40 years ago to take tourists from the heights above down to the glacier itself.

'When it was built, it went right down to the glacier,' said Erhard Trojer, owner of the Hotel L�rchenhof in the nearby ski resort village of Heiligenblut.

But now, if you stand at the bottom of the cable car run and look down at the tourists disporting themselves on the glacier, it is as though you are looking at them from an airplane.

'It's going down from four to eight meters a year,' said Trojer, who grew up in this valley. 'In the early 1960s, they used to have a ski race every spring from the top of the Grossglockner to the bottom of the glacier.'

The Grossglockner, which looms above the Pasterze, is, at 3,798 meters, or 12,460 feet, Austria's highest mountain.

'They can't do it anymore,' Trojer said a bit sadly. 'It's warmed up, and there isn't enough snow.'

Austria's glaciers - there are 925 of them - are shrinking fast, and as they shrink, this part of the world is slowly losing one of its many attractions, those rivers of ice that, figuratively and almost literally, reflect the grandeur of the mountains around them."

Mom and I at the roadside fruit and veggies stand. It was hot and dusty, and smelled like sun bleached wood and peaches - I love me some South.

|||glitch13.com||| -> The Ghettotenna

|||glitch13.com||| -> The Ghettotenna: "Last week my little brother had a bit of a delimma, one that he knew could only be solved by yours truly.
...

Thinking the signal strength may be the cause for this sketchy behavior, I set out to boost his reception to see if it would solve the problem.

Luckily, he was using one those USB wifi fobs on a cord for his wifi adaptor. Being the genius I am, and having read quite a bit about people boosting wifi signals with chinese wok utensils and Pringles cans, I knew I could whip up a ghetto solution in no time flat. Here is where we enter the meat of this post and the explanation of that weird ass piece of crap up there. "

This guy whips up an wifi signal booster aperatus to help his brother and posts it to help his fellow man. In the process, he teaches us the definition of engineering.

***"Engineering is the application of science to the needs of humanity." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering***

Ghetto engineers of the world, UNITE!

Cost of War

Cost of War


There is a 7% sales tax in NorthCarolina... I live on a dirt road, and have no health care.... But there are only chiggers in the woods and no terrorists... I wonder if the war or terrorists could include chiggers...

Dear Bush,
....

How to Recognize Chigger Bites - eHow.com

How to Recognize Chigger Bites - eHow.com

chiggers = misery


I have at least 50 red welt chigger bites. Everywhere my hands can reach itches. ... they say it can last two weeks!!!!

Hybrid Center :: Consumer Center :: Incentives

Hybrid Center :: Consumer Center :: Incentives

Can you tell what I've been thinking about lately? Yep, buying a car. My brother has a nice 1987 diesel GMC Suburban, but I'm not sure that's my style. A nice hybrid would fit the bill - and be a huge bill. But wait - Uncle Sam is going to help me out. A federal tax deduction that's cool. What's this? It was 2000 dollars in 2005 and it drops to 500. hummmm

C'mon tax cut man! The less we pay for a car, the more we can spend on gas. That means more money for your friends in the Oil business - you know, the friendly turban wearers.

CNN.com - New weapon in fight against smog - Jul 22, 2005

CNN.com - New weapon in fight against smog - Jul 22, 2005: "STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- From catalytic converters to alternative fuels, the fight against big-city smog has for years been fought inside combustion engines and exhaust pipes"

God bless Sweden!

...slowly she turned: butterbeans! the literature

...slowly she turned: butterbeans! the literature: "When I am dead and in my grave,
No more butterbeans will I crave.
And on my tombstone I want it wrote
10,000 butterbeans went down my throat!"

Butterbeans, field peas, chicken pastry, and cream corn - New southern conscientiousness never tasted so good.

test

Wireless Jammer : Gizmodo

I think this is a GREAT page. blah blah blah! test

TRAFFIC

I'm here in fabulous Metter, Georgia. Ray and I got caught in a traffic jam last night coming out of Hilton Head, SC. They were doing some sort of road construction and had to close one lane - and sometimes both lanes. We sat in stop and go, inch along traffic for 3 full hours!!! I tried to make it back to Monticello, but gave it up around 1:30 last night.

The traffic on Hilton Head is bad to begin with and then some asshat decides to close down the road at 7pm on a school night.

A sincere "You Suck!" to the SCDOT.

gotoAndLearn.com

gotoAndLearn.com

I have to say - gotoandlearn.com by Lee Brimelow is freakin AWESOME! The site has video tutorials on Flash, Actionscript, and Video. Lee takes a video of the screen and narrates his work for our benefit.

He has the right tone and pace for this type of video instruction. There are others sites like his ( www.cartoonsmart.com and designsbymark.com ), but they don't have the same something that Mr. Brimelow has. (maybe it's because he isn't trying to sell anything.)
His site is simple and easy - just like his instruction!

A big thank you to Brimelow!

Good Morning USA!

Hey Everyone! I made it back safe and sound to the USA. The Flight was easy thanks to a timely dose of Meletonin and a inflatable neck pillow.

This post is coming to you from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. My jet lag is paying the benefit of early morning work sessions, so I'm up early and on the Fairfield Inn wifi. In an hour, I'll cruise down and get some breakfast or maybe a dip in the pool. Life is good... if not a little strange.

My first day, dad and I drove the country roads (plenty of new construction) up to Conyers for a shopping trip to Best Buy, Sam's Club, and the Mall! The products were awesome and the people were scary. By the time we got to the mall, I really was going over CPR in my head as I was afraid that one of those overweight people was going to kick off into cardiac arrest. After being very fat in Taiwan, all of a sudden, I'm in pretty good shape. (At BestBuy, we bought a Vonage Wifi router phone adapter for VOIP - phone to phone calls via the internet for about 40 bucks a month... set up was easy with Tech Support from India - thanks SiDah - sorry to geek out like that)

The First thing I ate was a Tillman House farmers breakfast with biscuits and gravy, breaded deep fried pork chops, grits and scrabbled eggs! Hell Yeah! It was fantastic. Salads, BBQ hot dogs and burgers - I'm in food heaven.

And I'm so grateful to Dad and Patti for throwing a BBQ party where I could catch up with everyone in Monticello, And, for inviting me down and putting me up in Hilton Head. I'll stay here until Tuesday when I hope Ray will pick me up and we'll ride out somewhere on some kind of adventure... I don't mind (how does Richard Villa say it - Victim traveler) as long as we get to spend some quality time together.

I miss my Brother. Last year on my visit to America, he was in Alaska so I didn't get a chance to catch up face to face. We have been good about chatting and staying in touch.

I miss the gang in Taiwan - The little impromptu party at Bai Nain was great and Thanks to Terry, Domini, Craig and Sarah for making my last day special.

Speaking of the Taiwan gang. Eddie and Mel are making a move from McCarthy to Homer, Alaska. Regardless of where, I hope they are having good time together and in Alaska.

I'm hoping to have a good summer hanging out with Cousins and getting involved with Family. Mom is around. Nanny and John are always fun for a visit. Tommy and Ken are in Lumberton. Debbie and Dave and family are right in Wilmington. And, of course, Grandpa and Marilyn have some coffee waiting for me around sunrise.

And speaking of sunrise, the sky is turning light and I'm ready for a swim! stay tuned!

goodbye Taiwan!

Thank you Taiwan for an eventful and fantastic two years.

Couple feels right at home in eco-friendly house made of straw

Couple feels right at home in eco-friendly house made of straw: "Miles off the paved highway and at the end of a long, bumpy driveway that cuts deep into the woods, Mick Womersley puts the finishing touches on his solar panel-topped home. It's not your ordinary rural dwelling, even for one designed to be ecologically sound. Womersley, a human ecology professor, and his wife, Aimee Phillippi, live comfortably in a house built of roughly 200 straw bales."

Calif. planning green power revolution - Yahoo! News

Calif. planning green power revolution - Yahoo! News: "Taking global warming seriously

Among recent developments:

• Last month, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the global-warming debate 'over' - a step the Bush administration hasn't taken, although the president said Monday that climate change is a long-term issue - and announced a commitment to curbing greenhouse-gas emissions from homes, vehicles, industry and power plants.

• State regulators are writing rules that, in effect, would prohibit new out-of-state power plants from sending electricity to California if they spew large amounts of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas. The state currently imports about a fifth of its power.

• A 'One Million Solar Roofs' bill moving through the Legislature with Schwarzenegger's support would require builders to offer solar heating and cooling systems to new homebuyers. The goal is to jump-start the solar industry and bring costs down.

• Schwarzenegger and the governors of Wyoming, Nevada and Utah have agreed to pursue a $1.7 billion transmission project called the Frontier Line that would bring power generated in the interior West to California. It would carry electricity from solar and wind resources as well as from fossil fuels."

One Million Solar Roofs sounds good. Industry just has to offer the alternative - sort of like a non-smoking section. It a step in the right direction and allows the consumer and those all powerful market forces go to work.

It's still "deck chairs on the Titanic". The real problem is the growth that requires such enormous energy. ... but at least it's making people think - "Hey, fossil fuels is screwing us up. We should do SOMETHING."

Foundphotos

Foundphotos

These photos are just too funny. It's called Foundphotos and it's just random pictures... I can't stop clicking through them.... A "people watchers" dream site.

check it out!~

July 4, 1776 - What happened?

July 4 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "1776 - American Revolutionary War: The Continental Congress approves a Declaration of Independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain forming the United States of America."

Happy Birthday America!

TrueMajorityACTION Oreos

TrueMajorityACTION Oreos

Just think if an oreo cookie was worth 10 billion dollars. 10,000,000,000.00 - that's alot of dollars. That's more dollars than there are people on the planet - by a long shot!

Simple message after the click! A funny short animation about our budget and priorities

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

I got an email from Senator Patrick Leahy,
Ranking Democratic Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee. I think it's worth a read....

"""""
This morning, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the United States Supreme Court.

This is a momentous time in our nation's history. The next justice will have enormous influence on a woman's medical decisions, the rights of workers and consumers, the civil and privacy rights of us all, the enforcement of our environmental laws, how our elections are conducted, and nearly every other aspect of our lives.

We cannot allow the independence of our courts to be threatened by a judicial activist who places personal ideology above the law. The Supreme Court is no place for fringe judges. And the Senate is not a rubber stamp for any president's nominations.

Join me in calling for inclusive, thoughtful deliberations during this process:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

The Constitution requires that the President seek the Senate's advice and consent in making appointments to the federal courts. As a Senator and as the Democratic leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I take this responsibility very seriously.

America must maintain separate but equal branches of government. Neither the legislature, nor the judiciary, should be subjugated to the will of any president - or to the loudest wing of any political party.

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

In recent years, the President has chosen a path of confrontation rather than consultation with the Senate.

I voted against Janice Rogers Brown, a judge quoted telling conservative audiences that the New Deal "mark[ed] the triumph of our own socialist revolution," and that elderly Americans who depend on Social Security "blithely cannibalize their grandchildren."

I voted against Priscilla Owen, a judge who inserts her opinions into the law so freely that President Bush's own attorney general once called her behavior "unconscionable ... judicial activism."

Once again, the power to avoid political warfare over a judicial nominee -- this time to the Supreme Court -- is in the hands of the President. The process begins with him.

President Bush will decide whether there will be a divisive or unifying process and nomination. If consensus is a goal, bipartisan consultation will help achieve it. I believe that is what the American people want and what they deserve. The President can unite the nation and the Senate with his choice, or he can once again divide us.

Join me in calling for meaningful consultation between the President and Senators on both sides of the aisle at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

If the President chooses a Supreme Court nominee because of that nominee's ideological fervor or record of activism in the hope that he or she will deliver political victories, the President will have done so knowing that he is again choosing the path of confrontation. He will do so knowing that we will once again be forced to defend our belief that the Supreme Court should not be an arm of either political party. It belongs to all Americans.

If the right-wing activists who were disappointed that their nuclear option was averted convince the President to choose a divisive nominee, they will not prevail without a difficult Senate battle. And if they do, what will they have wrought? The American people will be the losers: The independence of and respect for the judiciary will have suffered a damaging blow from which the judiciary may not soon recover.

We need to send a message that the Supreme Court should be above such partisan politics at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

The President and Republican leaders have a choice: choose a battle that divides America, or seek a middle ground with a nominee we all can trust to fairly interpret and uphold the Constitution and the law. Let the Senators who will make this important decision know that America doesn't want us to rubber stamp the President's nominee. Tell them now:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

I will be working with Democracy for America during this historic period to keep you up to date on the Senate's deliberations. If you would like to send me your thoughts during this debate, please do so at:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/norubberstamps

Thank you,

Senator Patrick Leahy
Ranking Democratic Member, Senate Judiciary Committee"""

War of the Worlds!

In a word, Sucks!

I can't believe this is a classic of SciFi. Granted, the effects are great. But, give me a break - That's like saying the girl has a nice personality. Haven't we seen too many movies with great effects and nothing else.

The movie didn't move. There was no tension. I even like Tom Cruise - He is the same in pretty much every role. In this, he is shifted alittle, but not much.

I wonder about the original HG Wells. Was the plot always this lame? Steven Spielberg! Did he make ET?

Thumbs down! It's another movie trying to blast us out of the theater with effects and very little else.

Take Action: A Bipartisan Plan to End the War

Take Action: A Bipartisan Plan to End the War

As a person of faith, I have long been concerned about the war in Iraq. More than 1,720 U.S. soldiers have been killed, as well as tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and civilians. The Bush administration remains mired in the quicksand of a disastrous war, and I am even more concerned that the president has refused to publicize an exit strategy or commit to a withdrawal date. As more and more of our young men and women are dying, there seems to be no end in sight.

I'm one of many who feel this way. Two recent polls, as I'm sure you've heard, show that a majority of the American public disapproves of this war. In the poll conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News, more than 40% of those polled said the war in Iraq was becoming analogous to the war in Vietnam.

It's time for an exit strategy. I urge you to support H.J.RES.55, the new bipartisan resolution calling for the Bush administration to announce a plan by the end of the year for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq - and to initiate the plan as soon as possible.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sign it and send it at this address -

Fluid Imagination: What the hell is going on?

Fluid Imagination: What the hell is going on?: "What the hell is going on?"

Kyle Callahan has a good bead on things - and sums up a few things after returning from the Great Land, Alaska. Great post, Kyle!

The ONE Campaign | Take Action

The ONE Campaign | Take Action: "THE ONE DECLARATION

“WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty. WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing an additional one percent of the U.S. budget toward meeting basic needs – education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries. WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all.”"

Where do I sign?The ONE Campaign

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Bono talks of US crusade

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Bono talks of US crusade: "'My first experience of America was watching Neil Armstrong on the moon. America looked like a place where anything could happen. That's what we're asking Bush - to bring mankind back to earth. We have the technology, we have the resources and the knowhow, but do we have the will?'"

Where the streets have no name! ...

Way to go Bono - The article talks about the One Campaign, Jesse Helms' on AIDS, etc. You have to give Bono credit, he does more than his share, I think.

2 Cents Worth � Blog Archive � Dave Weinberger Speaks at NECC

2 Cents Worth � Blog Archive � Dave Weinberger Speaks at NECC: "Knowledge is conversation"

The shape of knowledge, the dewey decimal system, wikipedia, etc at the NECC - that's National Educational Computing Conference.

The motto of the conference is "Sparking a revolution in learning". I'm glad so many people are thinking and working to make education better. Schooling is such a big part of our lives and it doesn't HAVE to suck.

National Priorities Project:Better Security for Less Money

National Priorities Project:Better Security for Less Money: "Find out about an alternative plan to increase our national security, save money and free up dollars for domestic needs. State and city breakdowns are available."

Has anyone heard of the "F/A-22 Raptor Aircraft, the SSN-774 Virginiaclass Submarine and the DD(X) Destroyer"?

The Boca Beacon - Boca Grande's Weekly Newspaper

The Boca Beacon - Boca Grande's Weekly Newspaper: "The US Senate will shortly begin two weeks of debate on a comprehensive energy bill involving oil and gas exploration resources off the coast of Florida.

Florida senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez say they've reached an agreement designed to prevent any effort to weaken the moratorium on oil and gas drilling off Florida's coast. This agreement could extend bans on drilling off Florida's coast through at least 2112. This, however, does not guarantee Florida coasts are home free. The current energy bill that will be under debate includes language that would allow exploration of oil and gas resources off Florida coasts."

www.handsoffourcoasts.com

Drexel CoAS E-Learning: OrgoFrag Demo

Drexel CoAS E-Learning: OrgoFrag Demo: "The player navigates through a map with organic chemistry reactions on the walls. Walking through a correct reaction leads to more exploration of the map and goodies like weapons, ammo or health. Walking through an incorrect reaction leads to death by falling into a deep dark pit."

GAMES THAT TEACH ARE COOL!

Quick Online Tips: Free Image Hosting on Blogger

Quick Online Tips: Free Image Hosting on Blogger: "Blogger has finally implemented the facility for free image hosting. No more looking around for free web image hosting."

Yea! Right on Blogger!

.... but I can't do it from the "BlogThis!" window yet.


My first image with blogger image hosting!

Alaskagold.com Alaskan Forum :: Index

Alaskagold.com Alaskan Forum :: Index

This is a great site to discuss Alaska!

The Command T.O.C.: Classic Misdirection By The Right Wing

The Command T.O.C.: Classic Misdirection By The Right Wing: "For example, rather than acknowledging that the US has engaged in a horrible display of torture and mistreatment of prisoners (Gitmo, Iraq and Afghanistan prisons), they misdirected the national discussion to whether Newsweek was accurate or not when they said a Koran was flushed down the toilet. Somehow, the public became more interested in the fact that it was untrue we flushed it down the toilet. Of course, the reality was we urinated on it but the fact that it was not flushed seemed to satisfy the right wing that the reporting was wrong."

I like this guy, CPT Kevin, more each day. He is illustrating a point. Arguments seem to head directly to the details and is hardly ever about the "real issue". There has to be a logical falacey - Misdirection or red herring or something.

He is saying that whether the holy book was pissed on or flushed became the most important part of the coverage in the MSM (Main Stream Media - I learned that term on some RightWing blogs). Is it the most important part of the story to us - voters and taxpayers? I wonder WHERE it was pissed on - in the toilet? on the floor? Does that bring anything new or helpful to the discussion of terror and how to stop it?

Not Really when we are discussing the FACT that the US is running a lawless detention center (torture chamber? Coercion chamber?) Maybe we need a detention center? Maybe we don't? Instead of debate, we get smoke and mirrors, lies and deception... all because no one wants to lose.


What I don't understand and what gives me the most concern, is that, the leaders of this country (Govt, Media, Big Biz) would rather let us squabble over the details. And lie to us about reasons. Trick us into doing things. Instead of telling the truth.

I get the feeling that if we knew the truth (YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!), we wouldn't support those leaders. I think, if we knew the truth, we would make better decisions and elect better leaders. The leaders don't want to lose - lose an election, viewers, profits. So they lie, cheat, steal - Whatever it takes... And we all end up losing in the end.

again thanks to CPT Kevin for a clear vision and voice.

The Command T.O.C.

The Command T.O.C.: "Where is the accountability for the Bush administration?"

Incomplete Manifesto

Incomplete Manifesto

I think everyone needs a Manifesto. This one is pretty cool. Here are some others. Cluetrain, Communist, fruits.

Software has a manifesto. I really liked basecamp / backpack / tada lists after reading this document. It seems that the lights are on and the company is thinking.

Computer book authors have Manifesto's - I love Cathy Sierra. And we share a Birthday!

Newman Lanier's Manifesto - Coming soon!

Lin Yutang Quotes & Quotations compiled by GIGA

Lin Yutang Quotes & Quotations compiled by GIGA: "When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set."

yikes!

...

I always thought it meant that Halloween was near.... but he is right, sun is about to set.

Amazon.com: Books: The Importance Of Living

Amazon.com: Books: The Importance Of Living


I found this book by accident at the PageOne books. I opened it to a page about travelling and missing the point of travelling. He talked about how some people miss the point and, if you are so inclined, you could get more out of a trip to the backyard, than to some misty summit far from home.

uh?...

read the reviews on the link page. The book has had a strong effect on people.

Well, duh! This guy lived in Taiwan in a resort area called Yangminshan. Here is alittle article.

GEEKS.OPML.ORG : What is a HomePage?

GEEKS.OPML.ORG :

I'm thinking of making a home page. For me and for others to find out about me... It's gotta have .... something...

Tactical Iraqi - Iraqi Arabic Made Easy

Tactical Iraqi - Iraqi Arabic Made Easy: "'As-salaamu aleykum'"

I've been following this story for a bit.

I believe computer simulation video games are an excellent teaching tool. Players are engrossed. The attention span for a game is very long. It's an emersive environment. The risk of embarrassment is low - For getting something wrong, for instance.

What about a video game where you are helping Scientists in a lab - you have to remember the names of things (like the Scientists themselves, or equipment or chemicals they ask you to get.), Problem solving, report writing....

We can virtually recreate a work group for students - they have to practice - get the chance to practice what really goes on in the workplace. And not just the workplace of today - Maybe the student is teleported back to the lab of a famous scientist?

Video game have so much potential as learning platforms. This Iraqi language learning game is the first game I've heard about that uses the idea of a simulate emersive environment for a language learner.

My brother and I are taking turns driving around the block. That's my Grandma there on the left. She has got candy for the fastest driver.

The Liberty Dollar Bill

http://www.libertydollarbill.org

The Liberty Dollar Bill: "Look at your one dollar bill. On the backside there is an eagle and a large green pyramid with the eye over it. Mr. Wright and his students thought that replacing this strange design with an abridged version of the United States Constitution encompassing the entire Preamble and a brief description of each of the seven Articles and each of the twenty-seven Amendments would serve many educational purposes."

Let's make brand America clear for the rest of the world. America isn't great because we are rich, or big. America is great beacause of ideas set down by the founding fathers. These ideas haven't been fully realised and need help to spread.

American image is out of focus around the world. This might make it more clear. Even for people right here at home, even our leadership.

What makes America Great? People and Documents

Broadcast Flag - sneakin' thru the senate

Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things: "ALABAMA Senator Richard Shelby (202) 224-5744
ALASKA Senator Ted Stevens (202) 224-3004
HAWAII Senator Daniel Inouye (202) 224-3934
IOWA Senator Tom Harkin (202) 224-3254
KANSAS Senator Sam Brownback (202) 224-6521
KENTUCKY Senator Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541
MARYLAND Senator Barbara Mikulski (202) 224-4654
MISSOURI Senator Christopher Bond (202) 224-5721
NEW HAMPSHIRE Senator Judd Gregg (202) 224-3324
NEW MEXICO Senator Pete Domenici (202) 224-6621
NORTH DAKOTA Senator Byron Dorgan (202) 224-2551
TEXAS Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (202) 224-5922
VERMONT Senator Patrick Leahy (202) 224-4242
WASHINGTON Senator Patty Murray (202) 224-2621
WISCONSIN Senator Herb Kohl (202) 224-5653

'Hello, Senator _________'s office'

'Hi, I'm a constituent. I'm registering my opposition to the broadcast flag amendment being introduced in the Senate Commerce Justice and Science Appropriations subcommittee mark-up on Tuesday, and in full committee on Thursday.'

(*** You can give your own reasons for opposing the flag here. Here's a sample: ***)

'The Broadcast Flag cripples any device capable of receiving over-the-air digital broadcasts.'

'It give Hollywood movie studios a permanent veto over how members of the American public use our televisions.'

'It forces American innovators to beg the FCC for permission before adding new features to TV.'

'It will prevent fair use of copyrighted works: critical review, and use of material in distance learning'

'This is an important issue which will affect all Americans, and should not be inserted in a large bill, at the last moment, with no debate.'

'Please oppose the broadcast flag amendment. My name and address are ___________________.'

'Thank you for your time.'

Good luck!"

Summer Moon Illusion

Summer Moon Illusion: "Step outside any evening at sunset and look around. You'll see a giant moon rising in the east. It looks like Earth's moon, round and cratered; the Man in the Moon is in his usual place. But something's wrong. This full moon is strangely inflated. It's huge!

You've just experienced the Moon Illusion."

JuneauEmpire.com: State & Regional: Fair singer's politics riles some in Haines 06/19/05

JuneauEmpire.com: State & Regional: Fair singer's politics riles some in Haines 06/19/05

The Oil We Eat (Harpers.org)

The Oil We Eat (Harpers.org): "The journalist’s rule says: follow the money. This rule, however, is not really axiomatic but derivative, in that money, as even our vice president will tell you, is really a way of tracking energy. We’ll follow the energy."

Brazilians buck rising gas prices with innovative fuel

Brazilians buck rising gas prices with innovative fuel: "What most can agree on is that Brazil is an example of what might have been if America had seriously committed itself 30 years ago to renewable energy.

'If we would have spent one-hundredth of the money that we have spent to send tanks around the world to protect our oil supplies ... we would already be using cellulosic ethanol,' said Michael Bryan, chief executive of BBI International, a Colorado-based bio-fuels consulting company.
"

Viva la Brasil!

etown : e-chievement awards : recent winners

etown : e-chievement awards : recent winners

I listen to eTown... yeah, I do. It's a Radio Show that comes on KNBA on Saturday mornings and it's occasionally cool and occasionally too Garrison Keylor. But, I really like what they are trying to do. They mix up musicians of different styles and reach out to find progressive solutions to things. It's all so cheery and nice, and then sort of out of place harsh. Like a hippy saying they would like to kill everyone that eats meat... Anyway...

One of my favorite parts of this show is the e-chievement awards. Each week they do a story about someone that is doing something to help others in their community. It's a cool way to give attention to someone's work and define the values of the community. It also gives people inspiration and ideas to start something themselves.

In the last 3 weeks, they have put the spotlight on Alternative fuels, holistic healthcare, and urban tree planting.

I like it.

Here is how they explain it:
[quote] One of the show's most popular segments is the e-chievement award. Listeners from around the country send in tales of remarkable individuals who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond. From massive river clean-ups to programs that help the homeless, from neighborhood environmental activists to national social and environmental organizations, we take pride in celebrating the success stories of ordinary citizens accomplishing extraordinary things.

One step at a time. That's how things change, that's how problems are solved. That's the message delivered each week, as we recognize people around the country who've found positive solutions to challenges in their communities. Each winner is nominated by a listener and joins us live, by phone or in person, to tell their personal story on the air.

Since 1991, etown has presented hundreds of e-chievement awards with documented, positive results. Our winners have experienced:

* Greater funding for their non-profit efforts
* Additional contributions of resources
* Increased volunteer time, in-kind services, and more

etown also sponsors our e-chievement award winners for one year on the "Make The Difference Network (MTDN)." MTDN's intention is to create a "Connecting Point" where those people who want to "Experience the Magic of Giving" can connect with nonprofit organizations who have specific "Wishes" and projects and make direct donations in support of those "Wishes." (www.mtdn.com).

etown has put thousands of listeners in touch with our award winners. Building community through e-chievement awards ... it's what the "e" in etown is all about.

[/quote]