January 2008 archive

Jan 20 2008

Candidate War Recovery Thread!

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Thank you Dharmaniacs! You have built a bucolic blog in a blogosphere beset by bilious bloviation. A tiny little oasis of langour. A roadside stop to rest and refuel. A sanctuary from insanity. With a plethora of polite posters. A community of cogent commentors. A wide variety of weirdos. A synergy of snark and seriosity with a smidgen of snide. A textual terrain free of toxic tumescence. A variety of verbal vibration not noticed by nattering nabobs. And enough of a palliative to keep me from jumping into the candidate wars! ……….so far!

With no limit on the length of essays or laws against alliteration!!

Jan 20 2008

Destroying Gaza

After being subjected to almost two years of relentless economic siege and vicious military assault, the 1.5 million residents of Gaza are on the brink of collapse. Israel is apparently determined to push them over the edge.

Jan 20 2008

Hide-a-way Shows

Wifey and I had a dilemma — we wanted to get out and have fun, but didn’t want to go into Boston and deal with traffic, parking, headaches and lunatics.

We hit “teh Google” and surfed the Intertubes, and found a comedy club that wasn’t far from our home — it’s in Randolph, MA, inside a Holiday Inn.

Dick’s Beantown Comedy Escape @ the Holiday Inn, inside Zack’s Restaurant.

No problem parking.

We’ve already met comedian John Turco, and also on the bill tonight are Greg Howell and Kris Norton.

Jan 20 2008

Reflections

For me January is a time of reflection. Not because of New Years, since I’m not one for resolutions, especially those requiring will power – something I don’t put much stock in. There are other reasons for this state I’m in today.

Jan 20 2008

New York State Screws Speeders

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This diary is about speeding tickets. And Eliot Spitzer.  And George Pataki.  And the New York State Police.  And the state legislature.  And why drivers who speed in New York get shafted. And, of all things, the inefficiency of local politics.

Let’s face it.  Speeding tickets are the common cold of law enforcement.  And, unless you’re the recipient, its unlikely that you care about how a speeding ticket is handled.  But it’s still a big deal.  In New York troopers issued more than 1,000,000 tickets in 2007. And nearly half were for safety restraints, speeding and DWI.  These tickets represent a gigantic flow of funds to state and town coffers.  And how they’re handled speaks volumes to motorists about how fair their government is.

Join me on the road.

Jan 20 2008

Waiting for Home Solar Panels?

Wouldn’t it be great if rooftops all over the country generated electricty from the sun?  It is rumored that Nicola Tesla, father of alternating current was given funding by American tycoon J.P. Morgan.  Tesla’s dream was free energy for all but J.P. said, “That’s all well and good Mr. Tesla, but where do I put my meter”.

I present a trade magazine article illustrating a barrier to implementing such an idea.  Read on while I translate the businessease doublespeak and compare it to other electronic business successes stories.

Jan 20 2008

For Progressives: It’s time to back the real Progressive in the race!

According to CBS news, Hillary Clinton has won the Nevada Caucuses. Not that there’s any surprise in that, since she and Obama were seen as the true possible winners most of the way through. No, Nevada’s just telling us what we’ve known all along. The big two media darlings are going to be the front runners. Let’s look at the results:

Clinton – 54%, Obama – 45%, Edwards – 4%

Jan 19 2008

Weekend News Digest

Weekend News Digest is an Open Thread

1 Why does Johnny come marching homeless?

By ERIN McCLAM, AP National Writer

57 minutes ago

LEEDS, Mass. – Peter Mohan traces the path from the Iraqi battlefield to this lifeless conference room, where he sits in a kilt and a Camp Kill Yourself T-shirt and calmly describes how he became a sad cliche: a homeless veteran.

There was a happy homecoming, but then an accident – car crash, broken collarbone. And then a move east, close to his wife’s new job but away from his best friends.

And then self-destruction: He would gun his motorcycle to 100 mph and try to stand on the seat. He would wait for his wife to leave in the morning, draw the blinds and open up whatever bottle of booze was closest.

Jan 19 2008

Why A New Orleans Debate Is Necessary

Tuesday night, Brian Williams, or, as HuffPo’s Rachel Sklar says he’s called behind his back, “BriWi,” moderated the Democrats’ debate in Las Vegas. Had I been out there among the gamblers before the debate, I would have bet that BriWi would do the same as he had in the two previous debates he moderated and not bring up New Orleans or Katrina. It would have been a sure thing and I’d probably be rich this morning.

His performance as a moderator was pathetic….

Jan 19 2008

Greed, Arrogance and War Profitteering are Not Charities

char·i·ty

noun, plural ties.

1. generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless: to devote one’s life to charity.

2. something given to a person or persons in need; alms: She asked for work, not charity.

3. a charitable act or work.

4. a charitable fund, foundation, or institution: He left his estate to a charity.

5. benevolent feeling, esp. toward those in need or in disfavor: She looked so poor that we fed her out of charity.

6. leniency in judging others; forbearance: She was inclined to view our selfish behavior with charity.

7. Christian love; agape.

char·i·ty

n. pl. char·i·ties

1Provision of help or relief to the poor; almsgiving.

2Something given to help the needy; alms.

3An institution, organization, or fund established to help the needy.

4Benevolence or generosity toward others or toward humanity.

5Indulgence or forbearance in judging others. See Synonyms at mercy.

6often Charity Christianity The theological virtue defined as love directed first toward God but also toward oneself and one’s neighbors as objects of God’s love.

Charity

(1 Cor. 13), the rendering in the Authorized Version of the word which properly denotes love, and is frequently so rendered (always so in the Revised Version). It is spoken of as the greatest of the three Christian graces (1 Cor. 12:31-13:13).

Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary

Jan 19 2008

Challenges

Thursday was first day of classes, Day #2.  School actually started on Wednesday, but of course we only met the students and teachers in our classes that meet on Wednesdays.

So I walked into my morning class…Computer Literacy at 10 am…and watched as my students slowly arrived, making myself useful by passing our syllabi.

I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary…such as, for example, all the students to show up on that first day of class.  I was hoping for something bigger than 50%.  In fact, ever single student registered for the class was in class and seated by 10:05.

The students helped me up from where I had fainted from surprise (no, not really).  Then one of them called me over to her computer station and informed me of a problem.  “I am visually impaired,”  she said.  “So am I,” I said.  “What can I do to help?”

Jan 19 2008

Challenges

Thursday was first day of classes, Day #2.  School actually started on Wednesday, but of course we only met the students and teachers in our classes that meet on Wednesdays.

So I walked into my morning class…Computer Literacy at 10 am…and watched as my students slowly arrived, making myself useful by passing our syllabi.

I was not expecting anything out of the ordinary…such as, for example, all the students to show up on that first day of class.  I was hoping for something bigger than 50%.  In fact, ever single student registered for the class was in class and seated by 10:05.

The students helped me up from where I had fainted from surprise (no, not really).  Then one of them called me over to her computer station and informed me of a problem.  “I am visually impaired,”  she said.  “So am I,” I said.  “What can I do to help?”

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