As Annie Savoy would say, "Oh, my!"
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Isaac and Katrina
Forbes (at Drudge) reports that Isaac could rival Katrina.
Here's the track cone as of about 40 minutes ago:
I wonder if:
...people will actually evacuate this time?
...if the school buses will be used this time?
...the levees will hold this time.
...the Governor will ask the President to activate the National Guard?
...the FEMA response time will be any better?
...if the idiots who weren't prepared last time are any better prepared his time?
My bets:
Doubt it.
Maybe
Dunno
Jindal? Yea, most likely he will understand that he has to do it in order to get
the National Guard rolling.
Doubt it (they were within normal operating parameters the last time - about a
week to get boots on the ground.)
Doubt it.
Stay safe and dry, everyone!
Here's the track cone as of about 40 minutes ago:
I wonder if:
...people will actually evacuate this time?
...if the school buses will be used this time?
...the levees will hold this time.
...the Governor will ask the President to activate the National Guard?
...the FEMA response time will be any better?
...if the idiots who weren't prepared last time are any better prepared his time?
My bets:
Doubt it.
Maybe
Dunno
Jindal? Yea, most likely he will understand that he has to do it in order to get
the National Guard rolling.
Doubt it (they were within normal operating parameters the last time - about a
week to get boots on the ground.)
Doubt it.
Stay safe and dry, everyone!
Trudeau...
...jumps shark?
Well, aliens, actually.
He's been in the tank for the Dems since the git-go, but this one has me confused. Of late, he's been using Dem talking points as the basis for his strips - see this one, for example.
Color me confused... is he seriously saying that Hillary's brand of diplomacy will appease the putative aliens? Or, that outsourcing and downsizing them wouldn't work?
Well, aliens, actually.
He's been in the tank for the Dems since the git-go, but this one has me confused. Of late, he's been using Dem talking points as the basis for his strips - see this one, for example.
Color me confused... is he seriously saying that Hillary's brand of diplomacy will appease the putative aliens? Or, that outsourcing and downsizing them wouldn't work?
Friday, August 24, 2012
Latest Sintestrosphere Shorts-Wadder-Upper
Call for peaceful change of Oval Office's occupant, or call for his assassination? The sinestrosphere thinks it's the latter.
I think the former, and I like it!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Childish Things...
I'm re-posting a comment I made over at Gerard's in response to this:
"OK. Both the coat and the pants are too short. The coat should fall to the first knuckle of the thumb, and the bottom of the cuff should *at least* be down to the top of the shoe (break optional).
First thought on this look - the kid needs a new suit, because he's outgrown this one. But, for the generation of extended childhood/childishness, I suppose it's appropriate."
I expected to see the overcoat mis-buttoned.
"OK. Both the coat and the pants are too short. The coat should fall to the first knuckle of the thumb, and the bottom of the cuff should *at least* be down to the top of the shoe (break optional).
First thought on this look - the kid needs a new suit, because he's outgrown this one. But, for the generation of extended childhood/childishness, I suppose it's appropriate."
I expected to see the overcoat mis-buttoned.
Maybe there IS Hope...
Amazon has a map of books sold in the last 30 days that shows the percentages of "Blue" books vs. "Red" books sold. This may be a better poll than any other. OTOH, it may show the Dems are doing homework.
Unbelievable, but I prefer the former (optimistic) thought.
Unbelievable, but I prefer the former (optimistic) thought.
 |
| Click caption to visit Amazon's "Election Heat" Map |
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Pop Quiz...
...over at the Christian Science Monitor!
I got a "C: (76%) - my metric physics units foo is non-existent. When I studied physics in high school, we used real units of measurement, like foot-pounds, feet/second and such, like God intended!!
Damnit.
I got a "C: (76%) - my metric physics units foo is non-existent. When I studied physics in high school, we used real units of measurement, like foot-pounds, feet/second and such, like God intended!!
Damnit.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Audience participation...
More from the dating site. This one is "The most private thing I'm willing to admit".
Mine is "I once buried a man for the price of a haircut".
Discuss and comment, please.
Mine is "I once buried a man for the price of a haircut".
Discuss and comment, please.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Big bada-boom!!
I was revisiting my dating profile, and came across this question. You get to choose from a list of answers, then explain further.
In a certain light, wouldn't nuclear war be exciting?
No, it wouldn't.
In the late 80s, I worked at the missile factory that was directly across the street from the Naval Weapons Station. (They would neither confirm nor deny that they had nuclear warheads there. But we were betting "Yes".) I figured that, if the Russians pushed the button down, I'd call my daughter to say good-bye, then drive into the office, set my lawn chair out front, and have a scotch-rocks or two whilst watching the incoming.
I figured that being a few hundred yards from two major bull's eyes would pretty much insure that I'd be incinerated in a flash. Radiation sickness is not something I want to do, if I can avoid it.
Seriously.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July!!
Noli permittere illigitisimae vos carborundum!!
("Don't let the bastards grind you down!")
("Don't let the bastards grind you down!")
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Fatima and the Nazis
My mind tends to meander a lot. One of the exes said once that, had she not seen me sit and read a book to the exclusion of everything else around me, she would have bet I was ADD. What I've just described has both advantages and disadvantages, but perhaps another time. Point is, about a week ago, a remembrance of something I read or saw popped up. For no apparent reason. (I'll go with synchronicity, myself.) What I had seen was a story about an ethical, if not downright moral conundrum.
During WWII, the Nazis did absolutely horrific medical "experiments". We would call them "torture". Thing is, they accumulated quite a bit of data about human performance in what could only be described as extremely hostile conditions. The one that sticks in my mind had to do with hypothermia, basically tossing people into ice water to see how long they would live. The conundrum arose after the war. All of this data became available, but many scientists and doctors were hesitant or unwilling to use it, because of how it was obtained. Those opposed found it repugnant to use data that was "tainted" by the horrific manner in with it was obtained.
As an IT guy, I view data by itself, as neutral, neither good nor bad. When enough data is collected, it becomes information, and can eventually lead to understanding. It is true that many medical advances are made as a result of wounded and injured soldiers in battle. Field medicine propagates to the E. R. and to other medical specialties. The circumstances surrounding this data collection is hardly different in the level of horrors from that of the Nazi's manner of developing their data.
There is the obvious difference in circumstance - our wounded have put themselves in harm's way voluntarily for almost the last 40 years. And they do it with some level of informed consent. By enlisting in one of our branches of service, they are made aware (or at least have been told) that they could easily find themselves in harm's way. The Nazis used slaves as their subjects. The subjects were coerced. Morally, there is no comparison between the two scenarios.
And the data is still useful. It can be used to save lives. So, do we ignore it, because of it's provenance, or do we hold our noses at the stench of it's origin, and go ahead?
Cohen goes on to say:
"The essence of the Fatima message concerns conversion from sin and a return to God, and involves reparation for one’s own sins and the sins of others, as well as the offering up of one’s daily sufferings and trials. There was also a focus on prayer and the Eucharist at Fatima, and particularly the rosary, as well as the Five First Saturdays devotion, which involves Confession, Holy Communion, the rosary and meditation, for five consecutive months with the intention of making reparation to Our Lady (for more details visit Theotokos.org.uk)." [3]
The key phrase for my purposes is "...reparation for one’s own sins and the sins of others...". No one but themselves can know the state of soul and mind of the doctors (and others) who performed these tortures. But, I think that if they are willing and able to accept it, using their data for a good cause could be redemptive for them.
A tool is just a tool, and data is a tool. They quality of the results of it's use depend entirely upon the intention of the person wielding the tool. A gun can be used to commit a crime, or stop one. Data can be used to harm or endanger someone, or it can be used to educate, illuminate, enlighten, or even save a life.
I felt that a couple of citations were in order:
[1] Bogod, David. "The Nazi Hypothermia Experiments: Forbidden Data?", Anaesthesia,
Volume 59 Issue 12 Page 1155, December 2004.
[2] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/naziexp.html (accessed 6-30-2012)
[3] http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2010/08/05/the-priests-who-survived-the-atomic-bomb/
(accessed 6-30-2012)
During WWII, the Nazis did absolutely horrific medical "experiments". We would call them "torture". Thing is, they accumulated quite a bit of data about human performance in what could only be described as extremely hostile conditions. The one that sticks in my mind had to do with hypothermia, basically tossing people into ice water to see how long they would live. The conundrum arose after the war. All of this data became available, but many scientists and doctors were hesitant or unwilling to use it, because of how it was obtained. Those opposed found it repugnant to use data that was "tainted" by the horrific manner in with it was obtained.
As an IT guy, I view data by itself, as neutral, neither good nor bad. When enough data is collected, it becomes information, and can eventually lead to understanding. It is true that many medical advances are made as a result of wounded and injured soldiers in battle. Field medicine propagates to the E. R. and to other medical specialties. The circumstances surrounding this data collection is hardly different in the level of horrors from that of the Nazi's manner of developing their data.
There is the obvious difference in circumstance - our wounded have put themselves in harm's way voluntarily for almost the last 40 years. And they do it with some level of informed consent. By enlisting in one of our branches of service, they are made aware (or at least have been told) that they could easily find themselves in harm's way. The Nazis used slaves as their subjects. The subjects were coerced. Morally, there is no comparison between the two scenarios.
And the data is still useful. It can be used to save lives. So, do we ignore it, because of it's provenance, or do we hold our noses at the stench of it's origin, and go ahead?
"Baruch Cohen,a Californian lawyer and Holocaust researcher, argues that ‘although use of the Nazi data might benefit some lives, a larger bioethical problem arises. By conferring a scientific martyrdom on the victims, it would tend to make them our retrospective guinea pigs, and we, their retrospective torturers.’’[1]
Cohen goes on to say:
"Absolute censorship of the Nazi data does not seem proper, especially when the secrets of saving lives may lie solely in its contents. Society must decide on its use by correctly understanding the exact benefits to be gained. When the value of the Nazi data is of great value to humanity, then the morally appropriate policy would be to utilize the data, while explicitly condemning the atrocities. But the data should not be used just with a single disclaimer. To further justify its use, the scientific validity of the experiment must be clear; there must be no other alternative source from which to gain that information, and the capacity to save lives must be evident.
So, with appropriate care and citation, the data may be used ethically. Now, what about Fatima?Once a decision to use the data has been made, experts suggest that it must not be included as ordinary scientific research, just to be cited and placed in a medical journal. I agree with author Robert J. Lifton who suggested that citation of the data must contain a thorough expose' of exactly what tortures and atrocities were committed for that experiment. Citations of the Nazi data must be accompanied with the author's condemnation of the data as a lesson in horror and as a moral aberration in medical science. The author who chooses to use the Nazi data must be prepared to expose the Nazi doctors' immoral experiments as medical evil, never to be repeated." [2]
"The essence of the Fatima message concerns conversion from sin and a return to God, and involves reparation for one’s own sins and the sins of others, as well as the offering up of one’s daily sufferings and trials. There was also a focus on prayer and the Eucharist at Fatima, and particularly the rosary, as well as the Five First Saturdays devotion, which involves Confession, Holy Communion, the rosary and meditation, for five consecutive months with the intention of making reparation to Our Lady (for more details visit Theotokos.org.uk)." [3]
The key phrase for my purposes is "...reparation for one’s own sins and the sins of others...". No one but themselves can know the state of soul and mind of the doctors (and others) who performed these tortures. But, I think that if they are willing and able to accept it, using their data for a good cause could be redemptive for them.
A tool is just a tool, and data is a tool. They quality of the results of it's use depend entirely upon the intention of the person wielding the tool. A gun can be used to commit a crime, or stop one. Data can be used to harm or endanger someone, or it can be used to educate, illuminate, enlighten, or even save a life.
I felt that a couple of citations were in order:
[1] Bogod, David. "The Nazi Hypothermia Experiments: Forbidden Data?", Anaesthesia,
Volume 59 Issue 12 Page 1155, December 2004.
[2] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/naziexp.html (accessed 6-30-2012)
[3] http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2010/08/05/the-priests-who-survived-the-atomic-bomb/
(accessed 6-30-2012)
Friday, June 29, 2012
Anchoress...
Ballpark. Out of.
I wrote the following to a poster over at Anchoress' who said:
Did you actually READ Anchoress' post. I didn't vote for him, either, and yet, I now realize that its NOT up to SCOTUS to make it better for me. Nor should they! Our government is ",,,of the people, by the people, and for the people...". In tech terms means that its a bottom-up structure, NOT a top-down one.
So stop whinging, get off you ass and vote this time, too. And get everyone out there whom you know to go vote with you. Drive them to the polls! And they should probably vote for Romney while there at it. And for ever Republican congresscritter on the ballot.
It's the only way to nuke 'em from orbit. Which as I'm sure you know, is the only way to be sure!
(Oh, and I cleaned up my typos when I posted it here. Double duh.)
Speaking of Mitt:
I wrote the following to a poster over at Anchoress' who said:
Did you actually READ Anchoress' post. I didn't vote for him, either, and yet, I now realize that its NOT up to SCOTUS to make it better for me. Nor should they! Our government is ",,,of the people, by the people, and for the people...". In tech terms means that its a bottom-up structure, NOT a top-down one.
So stop whinging, get off you ass and vote this time, too. And get everyone out there whom you know to go vote with you. Drive them to the polls! And they should probably vote for Romney while there at it. And for ever Republican congresscritter on the ballot.
It's the only way to nuke 'em from orbit. Which as I'm sure you know, is the only way to be sure!
(Oh, and I cleaned up my typos when I posted it here. Double duh.)
Speaking of Mitt:
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Given the ruling today...
...use this as your guide:
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Sad news...
Daphne at Jaded Haven has decided to call it quits. She has marked her blog as "private", making it unavailable. At first, I though she might have decided to filter her readers, so I sent a request to be admitted.
Here's the e-mail thread:
(I've cleaned up the e-mail addys, and chopped it up a bit, just so you can read it top-to-bottom, like normal.)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: the blog
From: Daphne
Date: Sun, June 24, 2012 7:57 am
To: leelu
Hi Leelu,
I'm shutting down the blog, it's in a temporary state of limbo until I can transfer some of the stories for safekeeping.
So, please don't be offended that I haven't returned your request for admittance, nobody is getting in, the curtain is coming down.
I want to thank you for spending time at the Haven and wish you well.
Best to you,
Daphne
On Jun 24, 2012, at 11:08 AM, leelu wrote:
No offense taken. Are you OK??
Subject: the blog
From: Daphne
Date: Sun, June 24, 2012 12:54 pm
To: leelu
I'm fine, just feel like the blog has become a pointless waste of time.
I disagree
Here's the e-mail thread:
(I've cleaned up the e-mail addys, and chopped it up a bit, just so you can read it top-to-bottom, like normal.)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: the blog
From: Daphne
Date: Sun, June 24, 2012 7:57 am
To: leelu
Hi Leelu,
I'm shutting down the blog, it's in a temporary state of limbo until I can transfer some of the stories for safekeeping.
So, please don't be offended that I haven't returned your request for admittance, nobody is getting in, the curtain is coming down.
I want to thank you for spending time at the Haven and wish you well.
Best to you,
Daphne
On Jun 24, 2012, at 11:08 AM, leelu wrote:
No offense taken. Are you OK??
Subject: the blog
From: Daphne
Date: Sun, June 24, 2012 12:54 pm
To: leelu
I'm fine, just feel like the blog has become a pointless waste of time.
I disagree
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
I-5 Road kill...
...I don't know about other states' road signs near the border w/ Mexico, but the sign on the left is an actual, honest-to-God CalTrans sign, near both the INS checkpoint at San Onofre, and just before the border crossing at San Ysidro. STG.
I believe Mr. Freeberg has it about right.
I believe Mr. Freeberg has it about right.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Apology
From CandyCartons.com via the ever suave Mr. Green:
My apology to conservative America.
I can only write about my experience, but I pray there are thousands like me who will show up in November.
“My vote won’t make a difference”. I remember telling my wife, Erin, only 6 months ago. I believed it. I figured the majority would always win, and I was part of that majority. So why even bother?
At 43 years of age, I have never voted once in my life. My eyes would roll when anyone in the family wanted to talk politics. I had more important things to attend to: business, family, fun… selfishness.
6 months ago I joined twitter, but only to dip my toe in for business purposes. I had planned on following hotels around the country (my main clientele) so as to build relationships to increase sales. Then, someone re-tweeted @dloesch, and it was a very conservative tweet. Initially I thought to myself, “this person has some balls, don’t they know they could lose leftist business”!?
The re-tweet inspired me to look at who @dloesch was following, and to read more and more and more tweets: hooked.
I’m not much of a writer, but suffice it to say that twitter has changed my life. I now embrace the fact that there are MILLIONS out there who value our constitution, our right to have a voice, and our right to tell Obama “NO”!
Now, instead of rolling my eyes at my father-in-law, I join him in conversation, debate and SHOWING UP FOR THE VOTE!
God bless all of you! And if you don’t like my views, don’t buy my product! I’m done being a pussy.
Greg BeckemeierYeah. Go vote. We gotta get that numbnuts out of the White House and get this country back on track, constitutionally and economically!
CandyCartons.com
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But maybe it *is* their job to protect me from other people’s political choices. I didn’t vote for Obama."