Oh lord, this is nasty. I will say this though... I went to the other Wheaton high school, not this filthy cesspool. Hahhaaha.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1215065salad1.html
Happy holidays! =P
G
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
Fun with travel!
So I’ve been flying a lot lately, but I’ve been fighting the power and checking my bag so I don’t have to play their silly 3-1-1 plastic-bag-with-3-oz-liquid-containers game. Yes, I’ve been severely inconveniencing myself for a pointless principle. But no longer!! This morning I missed the baggage cut-off so was put on a standby flight 2 hrs later… even though I got to the gate with 15 mins left to board. Yargh!!!
So this week I will be creating a travel pack of liquid toiletries, so I can do my part to support the TSA’s pointless security procedures, and avoid checking my bag. L At first I thought I could only take 3 of those containers, and I was like: hmmmm…. Which 3? Shampoo, face soap, and lube? Hahahaha. But it turns out you can take as many as fit in a 1-qt bag. So that means all my lotions and conditioners can come, too! Yay! Hahahahaaha.
Ahhhh… fun with travel. I might also be selling out and getting a rollerboard. :( My bags are too uncomfortable to do as shoulder bags, so I’ve been carrying one by hand slung over my back. But it’s got my accounting textbook, my running stuff, extra shoes… it’s a heavy muthah-fuckah. So in the interest of sparing my wrists some bizarre traveler’s carpal tunnel, it looks like I’ll be taking one more step towards becoming an Anderclone. :(
So this week I will be creating a travel pack of liquid toiletries, so I can do my part to support the TSA’s pointless security procedures, and avoid checking my bag. L At first I thought I could only take 3 of those containers, and I was like: hmmmm…. Which 3? Shampoo, face soap, and lube? Hahahaha. But it turns out you can take as many as fit in a 1-qt bag. So that means all my lotions and conditioners can come, too! Yay! Hahahahaaha.
Ahhhh… fun with travel. I might also be selling out and getting a rollerboard. :( My bags are too uncomfortable to do as shoulder bags, so I’ve been carrying one by hand slung over my back. But it’s got my accounting textbook, my running stuff, extra shoes… it’s a heavy muthah-fuckah. So in the interest of sparing my wrists some bizarre traveler’s carpal tunnel, it looks like I’ll be taking one more step towards becoming an Anderclone. :(
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Lieberman is a Giant Douchebag
I just want to take a moment to point out that Joe Lieberman is a giant douchebag.
The man lost his party's primary nomination, so what did he do? He left the Democratic party and ran for Senate under his own new party, arrogantly titled "Connecticut for Lieberman". Now he's won the seat as an independent, but will he suffer any consequences for turning his back on his party? Not likely.
Instead, because of the delicate balance in the Senate, the Democrats will need Lieberman on their side. This means they'll likely let him retain his seniority, including his chairmanships of various committes, despite the fact that he spit on the party's own processes, and even abandoned using the party's name. So Lieberman gets to have his cake and eat it, too.
Ergo, Lieberman is a giant douchebag.
There are rumors that Rumsfeld will step down today, and that Bush will nominate Lieberman as the new Secretary of Defense. If that happens, the Republican governor of Connecticut will be empowered to appoint a replacement to the Senate for the next 6 years. That would mean that regardless of the results of the Virginia and Montana Senate races, the Republicans would hold onto the Senate. So keep alert the next few days... Lieberman may soon be doubling-down his betrayal of the Democratic party.
The man lost his party's primary nomination, so what did he do? He left the Democratic party and ran for Senate under his own new party, arrogantly titled "Connecticut for Lieberman". Now he's won the seat as an independent, but will he suffer any consequences for turning his back on his party? Not likely.
Instead, because of the delicate balance in the Senate, the Democrats will need Lieberman on their side. This means they'll likely let him retain his seniority, including his chairmanships of various committes, despite the fact that he spit on the party's own processes, and even abandoned using the party's name. So Lieberman gets to have his cake and eat it, too.
Ergo, Lieberman is a giant douchebag.
There are rumors that Rumsfeld will step down today, and that Bush will nominate Lieberman as the new Secretary of Defense. If that happens, the Republican governor of Connecticut will be empowered to appoint a replacement to the Senate for the next 6 years. That would mean that regardless of the results of the Virginia and Montana Senate races, the Republicans would hold onto the Senate. So keep alert the next few days... Lieberman may soon be doubling-down his betrayal of the Democratic party.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Camera creates image from just one pixel
Another Scientific American article... http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0003FA95-AAB6-1526-AAB683414B7F0000
Researchers have created a single-pixel camera that can create mexapixel-sized images, using a clever mix of the way light patterns are captured combined with new mathemetical compression algorithms. Neat!
Researchers have created a single-pixel camera that can create mexapixel-sized images, using a clever mix of the way light patterns are captured combined with new mathemetical compression algorithms. Neat!
Protein gel staunches bleeding
This is a neat article on Scientific American: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D056A-AAFC-1526-AAB683414B7F0000
Basically, researchers have found a proten gel that rapidly stops bleeding with no observable side effects. It doesn't create or enhance clotting, but instead seems to just block the flow like a hair clog in a drain. Imagine the applications... for emergency workers, soldiers on a battlefield, or just home use when you cut your finger slicing carrots.
Basically, researchers have found a proten gel that rapidly stops bleeding with no observable side effects. It doesn't create or enhance clotting, but instead seems to just block the flow like a hair clog in a drain. Imagine the applications... for emergency workers, soldiers on a battlefield, or just home use when you cut your finger slicing carrots.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
National Coming Out Day
Ah shit... I'm the worst gay man ever. Wednesday, October 11 was National Coming Out Day, and I didn't even know. =P
HRC and PFLAG have created a resource called "A Straight Guide to GLBT Americans." For all you breeders out there, check it out. I'm sure it'll provide some useful info for you. =)
HRC and PFLAG have created a resource called "A Straight Guide to GLBT Americans." For all you breeders out there, check it out. I'm sure it'll provide some useful info for you. =)
MBA in Sustainable Management
Did I mention that I'm working on an MBA? And it's in Sustainable Management, no less! Yes, that's right, it's the Hippie's MBA! Yay! And yes, it's a real MBA... but they weave in the concepts of sustainability into every course. Most programs that broach the subject just add a single class, but meanwhile teach the same ol' way of doing business in all the others. The faculty are brilliant, and the students are incredibly diverse (all ages, all ethnicities, and backgrounds in Fortune 500s, start-ups, NGOs, small business).
Anyways... I'm doing the part-time program, but still working full-time. So far so good, though I'm starting to realize how precious my free time is. =P
You can read more about the program here: Presidio School of Management.
Anyways... I'm doing the part-time program, but still working full-time. So far so good, though I'm starting to realize how precious my free time is. =P
You can read more about the program here: Presidio School of Management.
UCS: US Northeast will be totally hosed by climate change
OK, so I'm paraphrasing the summary of their findings, but the Union of Concerned Scientists (one of my favorite lobbying groups in all of time and space) just informed me of a recent study that found that the US Northeast will experience the following changes by century's end:
- Northeast winters could warm by eight to 12 degrees Fahrenheit and summers by six to nearly 14 degrees.
- The length of the region’s winter snow season could be cut in half.
- The frequency of short-term droughts could increase significantly.
- Sea-level could rise from eight inches to as much three feet.
- Many Northeast cities can expect about 25 days per year over 100 degrees. (Currently, Northeast cities experience this type of heat only once or twice a year.)
Pretty awesome, huh? Sea-level rises of 3 feet... that would be pretty devestating to NYC, the Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard, etc... maybe the richies should get off their asses and try to fight climate change...!
Anyways, much much more detail can be found at the UCS-owned website www.climatechoices.org.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
omfg, how do they still have a broadcasting license?!
From salon.com's War Room:
"During Bill O'Reilly's show Tuesday night, Fox News repeatedly ran video clips of Mark Foley over a caption identifying him as a Democrat."
That is... ridiculous. Foley is 100% Republican, and in fact has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the party and for fellow candidates. How in god's name can Fox do that sh1t and not get penalized somehow?!?! Abuse of power ftl. >:(
"During Bill O'Reilly's show Tuesday night, Fox News repeatedly ran video clips of Mark Foley over a caption identifying him as a Democrat."
That is... ridiculous. Foley is 100% Republican, and in fact has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the party and for fellow candidates. How in god's name can Fox do that sh1t and not get penalized somehow?!?! Abuse of power ftl. >:(
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Now they're saying Foley was molested as a child
From a "breaking news" alert from CNN: "Former Rep. Mark Foley was molested as a teenager between the ages of 13 and 15 by a clergyman, his lawyer says."
OK, so now this seems like a pretty blatant attempt to gain sympathy for Foley. If it's true, I certainly sympathize for him. But that doesn't give him a free pass to commit the same crimes, does it?!
The great part of all of this (politically speaking) is that the GOP leadership has, as usual, gone out of its way to cover up the whole scandal. But unlike previous scandals (such as the Abramoff lobbying stuff), which are often difficult to follow due to the convoluted ethics involved and the he-said-she-said that the GOP is so good at distracting everyone with.... this Foley scandal is disturbingly easy to follow. A GOP Congressman was sexually harrassing minors *in the Capitol building* for at least three years, and no one did anything to stop it.
So the GOP has to find some way to explain why they let this continue for so long. They can't blame Democrats, because there's only one Democrat on the page board, and he was never notified about any of this. So it's 100% a Republican problem. And there are no good excuses. So in the end, the GOP is going to suffer for this, massively.
The Republicans let one of their own continue to sexually harrass children for months, if not years, in order to spare themselves political embarrassment.
There can be no clearer statement of what's happening here. And if all of the other scandals and incompetence weren't enough to tear down the GOP majority, then perhaps this one will. And how wonderfully poetic would it be for the GOP to be politically gutted by one of the very "family values" issues on which it so rabidly claims the moral high ground!!!
OK, so now this seems like a pretty blatant attempt to gain sympathy for Foley. If it's true, I certainly sympathize for him. But that doesn't give him a free pass to commit the same crimes, does it?!
The great part of all of this (politically speaking) is that the GOP leadership has, as usual, gone out of its way to cover up the whole scandal. But unlike previous scandals (such as the Abramoff lobbying stuff), which are often difficult to follow due to the convoluted ethics involved and the he-said-she-said that the GOP is so good at distracting everyone with.... this Foley scandal is disturbingly easy to follow. A GOP Congressman was sexually harrassing minors *in the Capitol building* for at least three years, and no one did anything to stop it.
So the GOP has to find some way to explain why they let this continue for so long. They can't blame Democrats, because there's only one Democrat on the page board, and he was never notified about any of this. So it's 100% a Republican problem. And there are no good excuses. So in the end, the GOP is going to suffer for this, massively.
The Republicans let one of their own continue to sexually harrass children for months, if not years, in order to spare themselves political embarrassment.
There can be no clearer statement of what's happening here. And if all of the other scandals and incompetence weren't enough to tear down the GOP majority, then perhaps this one will. And how wonderfully poetic would it be for the GOP to be politically gutted by one of the very "family values" issues on which it so rabidly claims the moral high ground!!!
Rep Foley checks into alcohol rehab
So I assume you've all heard the story about Rep Foley from Florida, who has resigned from the US House of Representatives after being accused of making extremely inappropriate advances on 16-yo House pages, over the course of several years. If you haven't heard this, the story's on CNN here.
Apparently, after resigning he promptly checked himself into alcohol rehab.
Is it just me or did this strike any of you as a load of BS? As if by implying he's an alcoholic, that'll somehow soften or even dismiss his heinous actions?
I don't buy it.
Apparently, after resigning he promptly checked himself into alcohol rehab.
Is it just me or did this strike any of you as a load of BS? As if by implying he's an alcoholic, that'll somehow soften or even dismiss his heinous actions?
I don't buy it.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Why politicians run negative ads
I heard something this morning on NPR's Forum that was verrrrrrry interesting. The guests were discussing political ads, and specifically why negative ads are effective. I've known for years (at least anecdotally) that they're effective, but I personally had always thought that the reason was because they convinced people to vote for the candidate attacking vs. the candidate being attacked.
It turns out that the reason is a bit more insidious. Negative attack ads are run because they actually *discourage* people from voting. The point is not to convince people that the attacker is a better candidate, it's to depress people from even showing up to support the guy who's being attacked.
Isn't that insane? More and more I think the US should mandate voting, and provide absentee ballots to anyone who wants them. If we had such a system, it would remove the apparent incentive to run negative ads, and maybe help raise the overall quality of political discourse. Yarrr.
It turns out that the reason is a bit more insidious. Negative attack ads are run because they actually *discourage* people from voting. The point is not to convince people that the attacker is a better candidate, it's to depress people from even showing up to support the guy who's being attacked.
Isn't that insane? More and more I think the US should mandate voting, and provide absentee ballots to anyone who wants them. If we had such a system, it would remove the apparent incentive to run negative ads, and maybe help raise the overall quality of political discourse. Yarrr.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Iraqi people back attacks on US troops
Well... this is disheartening. Apparently, a recent poll in Iraq shows that the Iraqi people support the withdrawal of US troops, and in fact support the existing *attacks* on US troops. From Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060928/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraqi_opinion_7)
But I'm sure Rummy and Bush will have some way to spin this. Can't wait to see how... it's always a lesson in Orwellian insanity when either of those 2 speak.
- "About 61 percent approved of the attacks — up from 47 percent in January."
- "Almost four in five Iraqis say the U.S. military force in Iraq provokes more violence than it prevents."
- "Three-fourths say they think the United States plans to keep military bases in Iraq permanently." <-- I'm in that 3/4.
But I'm sure Rummy and Bush will have some way to spin this. Can't wait to see how... it's always a lesson in Orwellian insanity when either of those 2 speak.
More Americans Left Uninsured
This is pulled from an internal Accenture memo from the Health & Life Sciences practice. I can't attribute it any more than that, so if anyone wants to challenge my posting of this, please do so. It's really just a regurgitation of stats which themselves aren't attributed. However, I trust that they're correct. And it's irritating that they are. :(
===============================================
The ranks of Americans without medical coverage grew by 1.3 million people last year, the Census Bureau reported. The increase lifted the number of uninsured Americans to a record 46.6 million or 15.9 percent of the total population. By comparison, five years earlier, 38.7 million people were uninsured, or 14 percent of the population. It's increasingly a middle-class problem. In households with incomes of $50,000 a year or more, 17 million people had no insurance last year, up 1.5 million from 2004. In contrast, more low-income people received coverage from public programs.
===============================================
The ranks of Americans without medical coverage grew by 1.3 million people last year, the Census Bureau reported. The increase lifted the number of uninsured Americans to a record 46.6 million or 15.9 percent of the total population. By comparison, five years earlier, 38.7 million people were uninsured, or 14 percent of the population. It's increasingly a middle-class problem. In households with incomes of $50,000 a year or more, 17 million people had no insurance last year, up 1.5 million from 2004. In contrast, more low-income people received coverage from public programs.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
National Intelligence Estimate - Iraq's made us Less Safe
So... the latest NIE was classified by the Bush Administration. But recent leaks have shown that one of its conclusions was that the war in Iraq has actually strengthened global terrorism.
Uhhh.... durrrrr. You mean an unjustified war against a Muslim nation that's led to complete social chaos for tens of millions and has destabilized the entire Middle East has somehow caused people in the region to further radicalize?! omg! stop the presses!!!
Seriously... this is no shock to anyone who's been paying attention (naturally not you, Fox News watchers). People have been saying for years now that Iraq -- which had never had a significant terror cell operating within its borders before the invasion -- is now a primary training ground for thousands upon thousands of terrorists.
So the NIE contains no real suprises... the difference now is that it's Bush's own people saying this. So here's hoping this actually makes a difference in this fall's elections.
Uhhh.... durrrrr. You mean an unjustified war against a Muslim nation that's led to complete social chaos for tens of millions and has destabilized the entire Middle East has somehow caused people in the region to further radicalize?! omg! stop the presses!!!
Seriously... this is no shock to anyone who's been paying attention (naturally not you, Fox News watchers). People have been saying for years now that Iraq -- which had never had a significant terror cell operating within its borders before the invasion -- is now a primary training ground for thousands upon thousands of terrorists.
So the NIE contains no real suprises... the difference now is that it's Bush's own people saying this. So here's hoping this actually makes a difference in this fall's elections.
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