Friday, February 11, 2005
KnowledgeNews :: Signup:
Special Offer:
Become a Full Member Now at Our Best Rate
Your free, four-week introductory membership has begun! If you like what
you see, just become a full member of KnowledgeNews before your free trial runs out and you'll get full access to all our members-only features for the coming year.
What's in Your Noggin?
Do you know:
* What the pope was like before he was pope?
* How polis people developed the first democracy?
* Why cancer kills more people than heart disease?
* How to spend 1,001 Arabian Nights?
* What Muslims believe?
Become a Full Member Now at Our Best Rate
Your free, four-week introductory membership has begun! If you like what
you see, just become a full member of KnowledgeNews before your free trial runs out and you'll get full access to all our members-only features for the coming year.
What's in Your Noggin?
Do you know:
* What the pope was like before he was pope?
* How polis people developed the first democracy?
* Why cancer kills more people than heart disease?
* How to spend 1,001 Arabian Nights?
* What Muslims believe?
Proverbs From Around The World
~ Norwegian ~
Better to suffer for truth than to prosper by falsehood
~ Danish ~
Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan
~ American ~
Children have more need of models than of critics.
~ French ~
Liberty has no price
.~ Spanish ~
Doubt is the key to knowledge
~ Iranian ~
Postpone today's anger until tomorrow.
~ Tagalog, Filipino ~
Prayer only from the mouth is no prayer.
~ Jamaican ~
There is often wisdom under a shaggy coat.
~ Latin ~
A good example is the best sermon.
~ English ~
What one hopes for is always better than one has.
~ Ethiopian ~
Promise little and do much
.~ Hebrew ~
It is better to prevent than to cure
. ~ Peruvian ~
Spending is quick, earning is slow.
~ Russian ~
People show their character by what they laugh at.
~ German ~
You can't see the whole sky through a bamboo tube
~ Japanese ~
Don't let grass grow on the path of friendship.
~Blackfoot Indian ~
More Proverbs
Better to suffer for truth than to prosper by falsehood
~ Danish ~
Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan
~ American ~
Children have more need of models than of critics.
~ French ~
Liberty has no price
.~ Spanish ~
Doubt is the key to knowledge
~ Iranian ~
Postpone today's anger until tomorrow.
~ Tagalog, Filipino ~
Prayer only from the mouth is no prayer.
~ Jamaican ~
There is often wisdom under a shaggy coat.
~ Latin ~
A good example is the best sermon.
~ English ~
What one hopes for is always better than one has.
~ Ethiopian ~
Promise little and do much
.~ Hebrew ~
It is better to prevent than to cure
. ~ Peruvian ~
Spending is quick, earning is slow.
~ Russian ~
People show their character by what they laugh at.
~ German ~
You can't see the whole sky through a bamboo tube
~ Japanese ~
Don't let grass grow on the path of friendship.
~Blackfoot Indian ~
More Proverbs
Green Iguana
Green Iguana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The green iguana (Iguana)
is a large, arboreal lizard from Central and South America. They are typically about 2 metres in length from head to tail and can weigh up to 5 kg. These lizards have recently become extremely popular in the pet trade—over 800,000 animals were imported into the United States alone during 1995, mainly coming from captive farming operations based in the country of origin. Despite the apparent "mass market" appeal of these animals, however, they are very demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and the great majority will die within a few short years. If properly cared for, a captive green iguana can live anywhere from eight to 16 years. The oldest known pet iguana lived 29 years.
Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual
Wooran 21:15, 11 Feb 2005
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The green iguana (Iguana)
is a large, arboreal lizard from Central and South America. They are typically about 2 metres in length from head to tail and can weigh up to 5 kg. These lizards have recently become extremely popular in the pet trade—over 800,000 animals were imported into the United States alone during 1995, mainly coming from captive farming operations based in the country of origin. Despite the apparent "mass market" appeal of these animals, however, they are very demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and the great majority will die within a few short years. If properly cared for, a captive green iguana can live anywhere from eight to 16 years. The oldest known pet iguana lived 29 years.
Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual
Wooran 21:15, 11 Feb 2005
Internet radio streams in WMP and RA formats
RadioListen to Internet radio streams in WMP and RA formats!
Choose from our Radio Tuner Directory or add your own favorite streams!
At the same time make recordings of your favorite songs & radio shows, Absolutely legal - just like a VCR!
Listen to music stored on your PC now even faster thanks to our "drag & drop" function!
Create your own playlist! DO IT ALL FASTER & SMARTER while you're browsing the web. Download this amazing player absolutely 100% free.
Choose from our Radio Tuner Directory or add your own favorite streams!
At the same time make recordings of your favorite songs & radio shows, Absolutely legal - just like a VCR!
Listen to music stored on your PC now even faster thanks to our "drag & drop" function!
Create your own playlist! DO IT ALL FASTER & SMARTER while you're browsing the web. Download this amazing player absolutely 100% free.
Radio Frequency Identification Devices
This Should Have Been Handled Differently
Joanne Jacobs is reporting that Brittan Elementary School, near Yuba City, is the first school in California to require students to wear "radio-tracking" identification badges.
For the past few weeks, the school's seventh and eighth-graders have been wearing the badges-- called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) around their necks.
If we set aside the ethical questions of whether or not kids should be electronically "tracked," this is the part that concerns us most:
The badges were issued to students without parents' knowledge or consent.
"I never heard of RFID until my kid came home wearing it,'' said Michele Tatro, whose daughter Lauren, 13, is in eighth grade."
To date, there have been some twelve formal complaints filed regarding the devices. Principal Earnie Graham doesn't see much of a problem. He said that parent concerns are "overblown."
Joanne Jacobs is reporting that Brittan Elementary School, near Yuba City, is the first school in California to require students to wear "radio-tracking" identification badges.
For the past few weeks, the school's seventh and eighth-graders have been wearing the badges-- called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices) around their necks.
If we set aside the ethical questions of whether or not kids should be electronically "tracked," this is the part that concerns us most:
The badges were issued to students without parents' knowledge or consent.
"I never heard of RFID until my kid came home wearing it,'' said Michele Tatro, whose daughter Lauren, 13, is in eighth grade."
To date, there have been some twelve formal complaints filed regarding the devices. Principal Earnie Graham doesn't see much of a problem. He said that parent concerns are "overblown."
The Science Goddess
Special Ed
In the 1960's, the federal government responded to a problem in American schools. Students who had their complete mental faculties, but who had a physical disability of some kind, were being denied entry at the school door. The monster that is now known as "special education" was created.
At its inception, SPED was not intended to provide services for students with severe mental and/or physical capabilities, such as teens whose "goal" for the entire year is to learn to sit up by themselves. Or students so violent that they do little more than beat school staff black and blue, along with threats to maim and kill their families. And yet, lawyers have made sure that these children get their entitlement to a "free and appropriate education...in the least restrictive environment."
And frankly, these children are getting it while "normal" kids do without.
In Washington, the state per pupil expenditure is around $9000 per year. If a student is in SPED, they receive about 25% more in funding. Why? Because some of these students get full-time aides. While 30+ regular education students are trying to meet the standards with the attentions of a single teacher in the classroom, most SPEDs are in small classes (<10) with 3 or more adults. The more severe the handicap(s), the more adults present.
In the 1960's, the federal government responded to a problem in American schools. Students who had their complete mental faculties, but who had a physical disability of some kind, were being denied entry at the school door. The monster that is now known as "special education" was created.
At its inception, SPED was not intended to provide services for students with severe mental and/or physical capabilities, such as teens whose "goal" for the entire year is to learn to sit up by themselves. Or students so violent that they do little more than beat school staff black and blue, along with threats to maim and kill their families. And yet, lawyers have made sure that these children get their entitlement to a "free and appropriate education...in the least restrictive environment."
And frankly, these children are getting it while "normal" kids do without.
In Washington, the state per pupil expenditure is around $9000 per year. If a student is in SPED, they receive about 25% more in funding. Why? Because some of these students get full-time aides. While 30+ regular education students are trying to meet the standards with the attentions of a single teacher in the classroom, most SPEDs are in small classes (<10) with 3 or more adults. The more severe the handicap(s), the more adults present.
God & Company
I'm Not Sure, But I Think the Seventh Day Adventists Just Called The Pope a Girl
The Seventh Day Adventists describe themselves as "a Christian Community preparing the world for the return of Jesus Christ." They do this not by setting out traffic cones and making sure there are enough Porta Potties around likely Second Coming sites, but by preaching what they believe is the one-and-only correct way to worship. That is, they're pretty much like every other religion in the world.
The Seventh Day Adventists' particular bugaboo is the sabbath, which they believe should be Saturday, not Sunday. They are absolutely convinced that other Christians are making a mortal mistake by worshipping on the wrong day, and point to Bible verses like Numbers 15:32-36 to show how serious God is about this sabbath business:
"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
The Seventh Day Adventists describe themselves as "a Christian Community preparing the world for the return of Jesus Christ." They do this not by setting out traffic cones and making sure there are enough Porta Potties around likely Second Coming sites, but by preaching what they believe is the one-and-only correct way to worship. That is, they're pretty much like every other religion in the world.
The Seventh Day Adventists' particular bugaboo is the sabbath, which they believe should be Saturday, not Sunday. They are absolutely convinced that other Christians are making a mortal mistake by worshipping on the wrong day, and point to Bible verses like Numbers 15:32-36 to show how serious God is about this sabbath business:
"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
FunctionalAmbivalent:
According to MSNBC, female interrogators at Gitmo have been rubbing their Christian breasts against Moslem prisoners in order to make them talk. The prisoners, I mean, not the breasts. Although, to be honest, if a pair of talking breasts interrogated me, I'd tell them anything they wanted to know.
But seriously:
The prisoners have told their lawyers, who compiled the accounts, that female interrogators regularly violated Muslim taboos about sex and contact with women. The women rubbed their bodies against the men, wore skimpy clothes in front of them, made sexually explicit remarks and touched them provocatively...
But seriously:
The prisoners have told their lawyers, who compiled the accounts, that female interrogators regularly violated Muslim taboos about sex and contact with women. The women rubbed their bodies against the men, wore skimpy clothes in front of them, made sexually explicit remarks and touched them provocatively...
It's a dangerous world
by
Tony Blankley (archive)
February 9, 2005 | printer friendly version Print | email to a friend Send
President Bush's State of the Union Address last Wednesday included the most audacious presidential foreign policy utterances since President Kennedy's demand that the Soviet Union remove its atomic weapons from Cuba in 1963. The impact of President Bush's words may be at least as historically consequential as Kennedy's.
Tony Blankley (archive)
February 9, 2005 | printer friendly version Print | email to a friend Send
President Bush's State of the Union Address last Wednesday included the most audacious presidential foreign policy utterances since President Kennedy's demand that the Soviet Union remove its atomic weapons from Cuba in 1963. The impact of President Bush's words may be at least as historically consequential as Kennedy's.
A Conflict of Visions
A Conflict of Visions
Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
By Thomas Sowell
Review by Scott Bulmahn
"One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues. The issues themselves may have no intrinsic connection with each other… [Yet] the same familiar faces can be found glaring at each other from opposite sides of the political fence, again and again."
In A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles, Sowell uses a refreshing but systematic approach to explain this phenomenon in terms of differences in underlying assumptions about human nature: whether human nature is inherently imperfect and hasn't essentially changed throughout history (the "constrained vision"), or whether human nature can be improved through education, programs, and spending (the "unconstrained vision," or essentially the vision of the Age of Reason).
Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
By Thomas Sowell
Review by Scott Bulmahn
"One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues. The issues themselves may have no intrinsic connection with each other… [Yet] the same familiar faces can be found glaring at each other from opposite sides of the political fence, again and again."
In A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles, Sowell uses a refreshing but systematic approach to explain this phenomenon in terms of differences in underlying assumptions about human nature: whether human nature is inherently imperfect and hasn't essentially changed throughout history (the "constrained vision"), or whether human nature can be improved through education, programs, and spending (the "unconstrained vision," or essentially the vision of the Age of Reason).
The Enlightened Caveman:
The Pen (or keyboard, in this case) is Mightier Than The Gene
As the opening post to this blog, I thought I'd take a moment to describe the setting of this human drama. Here we are in the most prosperous time in the history of our species. The information age is upon us. We are instantly aware of events that transpire on the other side of the globe. We can travel inexpensively to most anywhere and stick a little plastic card in a machine that spits out money - in the right currency, at any time of day. Buildings that rise well beyond the clouds can be financed, designed, and constructed in years that can be counted on one hand. Here in America, food is abundant, cheap, and available at nearly any street corner (even if it isn't always good for us). The days of back-breaking labor are behind most all wage earners - especially the ones reading this. Yes, life today is light years beyond the dreams of our forefathers. Yet, many of the problems that have plagued mankind are still with us, in full force.
There is still far too much hate and intolerance in this world. There is still far too much insecurity and self-loathing in the minds of men (and women, lest my literary tendencies offend). There is still far too much jealousy and pettiness in human interaction. Group think is as strong as ever. The us against them mentality still reigns supreme in virtually all human endeavors. Ignorance and superstition are still paramount among the masses. How could this be? How could we have come so far as a species and yet the words of Plato and Shakespeare still ring as true today as they did when they first fell upon man's ears?
Should we not expect that our technological and societal advances would have rendered the words of the great bard and earlier philosophers anachronistic and altogether foreign? After all, they had no Internet. They had no ATMs or drive-thru windows or cell phones or Wal-Marts. In earlier centuries, death was an accepted part of everyday life. Here I am at the age of 33 and I have never lost anyone close to me. This is truly curious. How is it that the great thinkers of the past had such lasting insights into arc of human existence? Though we are adorned much more extravagantly these days, the only possible explanation is that something must be transcending our cultural advances. That something is our genes.
When we examine this curiosity against the backdrop of natural selection, we quickly realize that humanity has remained largely unchanged behaviorally because our genes have not changed to any significant degree for tens of thousands of years. We have the minds of cavemen, which brings me to the point of this blog.
If we are to take the next step as a species, if we are to render the words of Shakespeare historical rather than prescient, then we must understand what it is our genes are up to and take active steps to place the bad ones on the sidelines...for good. Of course, this is a figurative idea. I do not mean to suggest that we will go in and excise those genes that don't meet with our approval. The idea is that we must understand that our minds are built by our genes, and that our genes evolved in an environment that does not exist today. That environment promoted the aspects of our nature that have been captured so brilliantly by our philosophers and literary leaders, and many of those aspects are in dire need of an overhaul. But this is not a bad news story.
We have a long history of taming our genes. Birth control, monogamy, the rule of law, capitalism, and gene therapy are all examples of mankind overruling genetic influences in favor the conscious desires of human beings. We can, and must, do the same thing with respect to many of our caveman proclivities. This blog is dedicated to exploring this concept. I have written a book on the subject (see the link to "in print" above for more info on it), but it occurs to me that current events offer excellent opportunities to point out where our ancient minds are doing us harm, and more importantly, to point out what it takes to fix things. If we are successful in transitioning to the next era of Homo sapiens, we will not recognize the human characters in the writings of Shakespeare and Plato centuries from now. Let's get on with it...
As the opening post to this blog, I thought I'd take a moment to describe the setting of this human drama. Here we are in the most prosperous time in the history of our species. The information age is upon us. We are instantly aware of events that transpire on the other side of the globe. We can travel inexpensively to most anywhere and stick a little plastic card in a machine that spits out money - in the right currency, at any time of day. Buildings that rise well beyond the clouds can be financed, designed, and constructed in years that can be counted on one hand. Here in America, food is abundant, cheap, and available at nearly any street corner (even if it isn't always good for us). The days of back-breaking labor are behind most all wage earners - especially the ones reading this. Yes, life today is light years beyond the dreams of our forefathers. Yet, many of the problems that have plagued mankind are still with us, in full force.
There is still far too much hate and intolerance in this world. There is still far too much insecurity and self-loathing in the minds of men (and women, lest my literary tendencies offend). There is still far too much jealousy and pettiness in human interaction. Group think is as strong as ever. The us against them mentality still reigns supreme in virtually all human endeavors. Ignorance and superstition are still paramount among the masses. How could this be? How could we have come so far as a species and yet the words of Plato and Shakespeare still ring as true today as they did when they first fell upon man's ears?
Should we not expect that our technological and societal advances would have rendered the words of the great bard and earlier philosophers anachronistic and altogether foreign? After all, they had no Internet. They had no ATMs or drive-thru windows or cell phones or Wal-Marts. In earlier centuries, death was an accepted part of everyday life. Here I am at the age of 33 and I have never lost anyone close to me. This is truly curious. How is it that the great thinkers of the past had such lasting insights into arc of human existence? Though we are adorned much more extravagantly these days, the only possible explanation is that something must be transcending our cultural advances. That something is our genes.
When we examine this curiosity against the backdrop of natural selection, we quickly realize that humanity has remained largely unchanged behaviorally because our genes have not changed to any significant degree for tens of thousands of years. We have the minds of cavemen, which brings me to the point of this blog.
If we are to take the next step as a species, if we are to render the words of Shakespeare historical rather than prescient, then we must understand what it is our genes are up to and take active steps to place the bad ones on the sidelines...for good. Of course, this is a figurative idea. I do not mean to suggest that we will go in and excise those genes that don't meet with our approval. The idea is that we must understand that our minds are built by our genes, and that our genes evolved in an environment that does not exist today. That environment promoted the aspects of our nature that have been captured so brilliantly by our philosophers and literary leaders, and many of those aspects are in dire need of an overhaul. But this is not a bad news story.
We have a long history of taming our genes. Birth control, monogamy, the rule of law, capitalism, and gene therapy are all examples of mankind overruling genetic influences in favor the conscious desires of human beings. We can, and must, do the same thing with respect to many of our caveman proclivities. This blog is dedicated to exploring this concept. I have written a book on the subject (see the link to "in print" above for more info on it), but it occurs to me that current events offer excellent opportunities to point out where our ancient minds are doing us harm, and more importantly, to point out what it takes to fix things. If we are successful in transitioning to the next era of Homo sapiens, we will not recognize the human characters in the writings of Shakespeare and Plato centuries from now. Let's get on with it...
North Korea is getting feistier:
"We justly urged the U.S. to renounce its hostile policy toward the DPRK whose aim was to seek the latter's 'regime change' and switch its policy to that of peaceful coexistence between the two countries."
"They have declared it as their final goal to terminate the tyranny, defined the DPRK, too, as an 'outpost of tyranny' and blustered that they would not rule out the use of force when necessary."
"The U.S. has declared a new ideological standoff aimed at a 'regime change' in the DPRK while talking much about 'peaceful and diplomatic solution' to the nuclear issue and the 'resumption of the six-party talks' in a bid to mislead the world public opinion.
And why not? The DPRK already has nukes. Maybe there's a lesson there.
"They have declared it as their final goal to terminate the tyranny, defined the DPRK, too, as an 'outpost of tyranny' and blustered that they would not rule out the use of force when necessary."
"The U.S. has declared a new ideological standoff aimed at a 'regime change' in the DPRK while talking much about 'peaceful and diplomatic solution' to the nuclear issue and the 'resumption of the six-party talks' in a bid to mislead the world public opinion.
And why not? The DPRK already has nukes. Maybe there's a lesson there.
CODDLE ME NOT
CODDLE ME NOT
The seven year old is off to sleep over at her friend's house tonight. I'm a bit wary of sleep-overs because a year or two ago her hostess' parent completely fell for the seven year old's pathetic "I'm scared! [whimper]" act and ended up trying every soothing trick they could think of: OK! you can fall asleep in our bed ... still awake and whimpering? OK! we'll go to sleep on the floor in your room ... still whimpering? OK! you can watch the movie we're watching ... and so on. Very little sleep was had by anyone and I felt terribly guilty. So this time I warned the mom: don't coddle her! Be very matter of fact if she whines and don't reward any silly complaints with gooey sympathy.
The seven year old is an exceedingly bashful and anxious soul so I long ago learned to match my sympathetic responses to the reasonableness of the complaint: bit tongues get hugs and coos (but not for terribly long), complaints that she "didn't have fun today" get a perfunctory ("well, I'm sorry you feel that way"). If we cuddle and make much of her when she's "scared," she seems to feel it more intensely, not less.
You get more of what you reward -- this seems like a truism to me. But not to the (now fading, I hope) self-esteem gurus who recently endured another nail in their beloved theorem:
In fact, according to a study by Donald Forsyth at Virginia Commonwealth University, college students with mediocre grades who got regular self-esteem strokes from their professors ended up doing worse on final exams than students who were told to suck it up and try harder.
(Via Functional Ambivalent)
If the students got strokes for mediocrity what's the big surprise that they didn't try hard to preven it from happening in the future?
The seven year old is off to sleep over at her friend's house tonight. I'm a bit wary of sleep-overs because a year or two ago her hostess' parent completely fell for the seven year old's pathetic "I'm scared! [whimper]" act and ended up trying every soothing trick they could think of: OK! you can fall asleep in our bed ... still awake and whimpering? OK! we'll go to sleep on the floor in your room ... still whimpering? OK! you can watch the movie we're watching ... and so on. Very little sleep was had by anyone and I felt terribly guilty. So this time I warned the mom: don't coddle her! Be very matter of fact if she whines and don't reward any silly complaints with gooey sympathy.
The seven year old is an exceedingly bashful and anxious soul so I long ago learned to match my sympathetic responses to the reasonableness of the complaint: bit tongues get hugs and coos (but not for terribly long), complaints that she "didn't have fun today" get a perfunctory ("well, I'm sorry you feel that way"). If we cuddle and make much of her when she's "scared," she seems to feel it more intensely, not less.
You get more of what you reward -- this seems like a truism to me. But not to the (now fading, I hope) self-esteem gurus who recently endured another nail in their beloved theorem:
In fact, according to a study by Donald Forsyth at Virginia Commonwealth University, college students with mediocre grades who got regular self-esteem strokes from their professors ended up doing worse on final exams than students who were told to suck it up and try harder.
(Via Functional Ambivalent)
If the students got strokes for mediocrity what's the big surprise that they didn't try hard to preven it from happening in the future?
To Vietnam Veterans
To Vietnam Veterans
In the post here, I expressed my gratitude to America. Now, I would like to say a few words of thanks to a particular group of Americans: Vietnam veterans. Of course, all those who have ever served in uniform deserve our respect and gratitude, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Vietnam vets, for obvious reasons.
In the post here, I expressed my gratitude to America. Now, I would like to say a few words of thanks to a particular group of Americans: Vietnam veterans. Of course, all those who have ever served in uniform deserve our respect and gratitude, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Vietnam vets, for obvious reasons.
Hurry Up and Wait
Hurry Up and Wait
I have to pretend that it won't, but I now know my securities fraud case will settle. The judge reamed out the plaintiff at the settlement conference, and strong-armed him into making an offer. It was a good offer, much less than costs of defense. Our client has countered, making sure it isn't paying more than it has to, but we've been told that if push comes to shove, it will take the offer.
It will probably take until sometime next week to iron everything out. In the meantime, trial is just over two weeks away. We have to "keep the pressure on" by continuing to get ready for trial, file some motions in limine, get our jury instructions and verdict forms out, subpoena witnesses, be a nuisance. In other words, I'm doing a ton of semi-mindless "busy work."
So, I'm going to get back to work and bill as many hours as I can before I'm told to stop working. But when you know it isn't going to matter, it's hard to put much effort into it. I'll just mark everything I do "draft" and plug away.
I have to pretend that it won't, but I now know my securities fraud case will settle. The judge reamed out the plaintiff at the settlement conference, and strong-armed him into making an offer. It was a good offer, much less than costs of defense. Our client has countered, making sure it isn't paying more than it has to, but we've been told that if push comes to shove, it will take the offer.
It will probably take until sometime next week to iron everything out. In the meantime, trial is just over two weeks away. We have to "keep the pressure on" by continuing to get ready for trial, file some motions in limine, get our jury instructions and verdict forms out, subpoena witnesses, be a nuisance. In other words, I'm doing a ton of semi-mindless "busy work."
So, I'm going to get back to work and bill as many hours as I can before I'm told to stop working. But when you know it isn't going to matter, it's hard to put much effort into it. I'll just mark everything I do "draft" and plug away.
Egg Shell Skull
Egg Shell Skull
This is a shout-out to any readers who have taken a first-year law school torts class. Behold, the "Egg Shell Skull" scenario, as most recently exemplified in today's story of a woman who was waiting for a metro bus in Wheaton and cursing loudly into her cell phone. The woman was asked to abstain from her disorderly conduct, but instead she resisted the metro police authorities (who wouldn't???) and was forced onto the ground and then was handcuffed (can't we all just get along???). Little did metro authorities know that this woman was 5 months pregnant (the bitch set me up!!!).
This makes me all nostalgic for the glory days of sitting in one of the G-Dubya law school lecture halls for my first semester torts class. It is there where I learned of the idea of the "Egg Shell Skull." If you assault or batter someone, and that person happens to be pregnant, or a heart attack waiting to happen, or a stroke waiting to happen, or an asthmatic, or a diabetic, or a hemophiliac, or an osteoporosisatic, or a geriatric, or a sissy-atic, or a wimp-atic, or anyone with any type of condition that you were not aware of, or a person who is more susceptible to any type of injury by virtue of some hidden illness or pre-existing infirmity, then basically, you're fucked. You can be held responsible for all of the injuries that may occur, even ones you didn't know about, AND even IF the bitch set you up.
Class dismissed.
This is a shout-out to any readers who have taken a first-year law school torts class. Behold, the "Egg Shell Skull" scenario, as most recently exemplified in today's story of a woman who was waiting for a metro bus in Wheaton and cursing loudly into her cell phone. The woman was asked to abstain from her disorderly conduct, but instead she resisted the metro police authorities (who wouldn't???) and was forced onto the ground and then was handcuffed (can't we all just get along???). Little did metro authorities know that this woman was 5 months pregnant (the bitch set me up!!!).
This makes me all nostalgic for the glory days of sitting in one of the G-Dubya law school lecture halls for my first semester torts class. It is there where I learned of the idea of the "Egg Shell Skull." If you assault or batter someone, and that person happens to be pregnant, or a heart attack waiting to happen, or a stroke waiting to happen, or an asthmatic, or a diabetic, or a hemophiliac, or an osteoporosisatic, or a geriatric, or a sissy-atic, or a wimp-atic, or anyone with any type of condition that you were not aware of, or a person who is more susceptible to any type of injury by virtue of some hidden illness or pre-existing infirmity, then basically, you're fucked. You can be held responsible for all of the injuries that may occur, even ones you didn't know about, AND even IF the bitch set you up.
Class dismissed.
America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry
Real White House Reporters Weigh In
Have any other attendees at White House briefings and presidential press conferences used fake names? No one E&P talked to in the D.C. press corps could think of anyone other than the now-famous "Jeff Gannon." They expressed concern about letting in people without proper credentials -- but also worry that this could go too far. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, meanwhile, asked Press Secretary Scott McClellan for all paperwork on "Gannon."
Have any other attendees at White House briefings and presidential press conferences used fake names? No one E&P talked to in the D.C. press corps could think of anyone other than the now-famous "Jeff Gannon." They expressed concern about letting in people without proper credentials -- but also worry that this could go too far. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, meanwhile, asked Press Secretary Scott McClellan for all paperwork on "Gannon."
Rafsanjani recommends US approach Iran through peaceful means
Rafsanjani recommends US approach Iran through peaceful means
Tehran, Feb 11, IRNA -- Chairman of the Expediency Council (EC) Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here on Friday recommended that White House officials seek peaceful approaches toward the Islamic Republic. Rafsanjani, in a sermon at Tehran weekly Friday prayers, said the policy of coercion toward Iran will never work, and warned US leaders against the consequences of any effort against Iran. "I explicitly tell the White House that ... these threats will bear no fruit. They will not frighten us nor our people. Neither can you implement these threats," he said. "And if one day you ever think about implementing these ...
Tehran, Feb 11, IRNA -- Chairman of the Expediency Council (EC) Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here on Friday recommended that White House officials seek peaceful approaches toward the Islamic Republic. Rafsanjani, in a sermon at Tehran weekly Friday prayers, said the policy of coercion toward Iran will never work, and warned US leaders against the consequences of any effort against Iran. "I explicitly tell the White House that ... these threats will bear no fruit. They will not frighten us nor our people. Neither can you implement these threats," he said. "And if one day you ever think about implementing these ...
How to play Ananova's video reports
How to play Ananova's video reports
You can watch Ananova videos on a PC with Windows Media Player or RealPlayer version 8 (or higher). Both are free to download.
PC users click here
You can watch Ananova videos on a PC with Windows Media Player or RealPlayer version 8 (or higher). Both are free to download.
PC users click here
I've gone satellite
I'll never go back to regular radio. It's great. However, I have a funny XM moment. I was on travel in a hotel, and had on Audio Visions, which is kind of an ambient channel. At about 4 am, I woke up - gurgling water! The bathroom was overflowing! No, just the selection on the radio. Whew. But then the sound of a bubbling brook in the early morning worked its biological magic, and I had to get up.
Daily Buzz : All The News That's Fit To Twist
2/10/2005
Senate Democrats declare " We are not a bunch of pussies"
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats demanded Thursday that President Bush order a halt to personal attacks on the party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid. "This is a new Democratic Party," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference called to release a letter telling Bush to muzzle his "political operatives."
"It says to the president, `We are not a bunch of pussies'," said Schumer, who likened the attacks on Reid to political knee-cappings.
The letter itself was written in milder terms. "We urge you to keep your word about being a uniter and publicly halt these counterproductive attacks so that we are able to work together in a bipartisan manner and debate issues on the merits," it says.
A White House spokesman has confirmed that President Bush has read the letter and will publicly respond once VP Cheney and Mr. Rowe agree on what he should say.
Buzz Master
Senate Democrats declare " We are not a bunch of pussies"
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats demanded Thursday that President Bush order a halt to personal attacks on the party's leader, Sen. Harry Reid. "This is a new Democratic Party," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference called to release a letter telling Bush to muzzle his "political operatives."
"It says to the president, `We are not a bunch of pussies'," said Schumer, who likened the attacks on Reid to political knee-cappings.
The letter itself was written in milder terms. "We urge you to keep your word about being a uniter and publicly halt these counterproductive attacks so that we are able to work together in a bipartisan manner and debate issues on the merits," it says.
A White House spokesman has confirmed that President Bush has read the letter and will publicly respond once VP Cheney and Mr. Rowe agree on what he should say.
Buzz Master
America's mistakes in Iraq.
America's mistakes in Iraq.
Apologies for not posting for a while. I'm having some personal issues that I need to deal with and I wasn't planning to blog today but as I was looking into my blogroll I saw a nice and interesting post at Michael Totten's that changed my mind.
I thought I should comment on part of the post, the part I think I know more about than Michael and most of the Americans that were in that company.
Michael thinks that the quarrel he and Hitchens had with Ghassan Al Atiyyah was unavoidable and he took Ahmed Al Rikabi's comment to be true, all because of how confusing the relation with America might seem to many Iraqis.
Apologies for not posting for a while. I'm having some personal issues that I need to deal with and I wasn't planning to blog today but as I was looking into my blogroll I saw a nice and interesting post at Michael Totten's that changed my mind.
I thought I should comment on part of the post, the part I think I know more about than Michael and most of the Americans that were in that company.
Michael thinks that the quarrel he and Hitchens had with Ghassan Al Atiyyah was unavoidable and he took Ahmed Al Rikabi's comment to be true, all because of how confusing the relation with America might seem to many Iraqis.
Catholicism is autocratic by nature
Catholicism is autocratic by nature, and therefore doomed. Put one man in charge, and he will inevitably mistake the weight of his ego for the will of God.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Sun Resources
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Provides news and webcasts from the company, downloadable software,
and resources for developers, service providers, system administrators, CIOs, and investors.
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Provides news and webcasts from the company, downloadable software,
and resources for developers, service providers, system administrators, CIOs, and investors.
Unix Resources
Unix Resources
Links to Unix Resources... tasks, commands, concepts and utilities. Geek-girl has a long list of other Unix resources as well. A Basic Unix Tutorial, Idaho ...
Links to Unix Resources... tasks, commands, concepts and utilities. Geek-girl has a long list of other Unix resources as well. A Basic Unix Tutorial, Idaho ...
Terrorism Triggers Democratic Backlash in Douhouk
Terrorism Triggers Democratic Backlash in Douhouk
Terrorist action near Douhouk was counterproductive, to say the least. Not only was no one hurt, but the voter turnout also climbed as a result. Also, the terrorists were captured.
Terrorist action near Douhouk was counterproductive, to say the least. Not only was no one hurt, but the voter turnout also climbed as a result. Also, the terrorists were captured.
Friends of Democracy
Friends of Democracy - Spirit of America Web Cast - 2pm to 4pm EST
Missed Sunday's C-Span presentation? It's not too late to see the web cast again at Friends of Democracy.
Missed Sunday's C-Span presentation? It's not too late to see the web cast again at Friends of Democracy.
Spirit of America
Spirit of America is a nonprofit, non-political public charity. Our mission is to extend the goodwill of the American people to assist those advancing freedom, democracy and peace abroad. 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes directly to the project of your choice.
Lawyer Is Guilty of Aiding Terror
Lynne F. Stewart, an outspoken lawyer known for representing a long list of unpopular defendants, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Manhattan of aiding Islamic terrorism by smuggling messages out of jail from a terrorist client.
Justice for Lynne Stewart
It is always disturbing when a lawyer is prosecuted and convicted for activities arising from the conduct of their defence of unpopular defendants.
Critics often unfairly - and cynically - hint that lawyers who perform, professionally, the essential task of representing clients with extreme and obnoxious political views are in fact their active sympathisers and supporters. Simply making such an accusation discourages lawyers from taking controversial cases, and potentially denies defendants - innocent until proven guilty - of access to a proper choice of counsel. It certainly used to be said that it was difficult to find able counsel to take on terrorism cases in Britain in the 1970s, because of the perception that such a defence would damage the advocate's career prospects.
Critics often unfairly - and cynically - hint that lawyers who perform, professionally, the essential task of representing clients with extreme and obnoxious political views are in fact their active sympathisers and supporters. Simply making such an accusation discourages lawyers from taking controversial cases, and potentially denies defendants - innocent until proven guilty - of access to a proper choice of counsel. It certainly used to be said that it was difficult to find able counsel to take on terrorism cases in Britain in the 1970s, because of the perception that such a defence would damage the advocate's career prospects.
Musings on news, politics, sports, and culture from a not-so-quiet American
24 Problems
Yes, this has been the best “24” season, and yes, the gamble of replacing nearly the entire cast has paid off, and the suspense level is at an all-time high for the show. (Even though its plot continues to strain credulity at every turn, especially the way they allowed a singular computer hacker- played by the guy who was Big Pussy’s FBI handler on “The Sopranos”- the authority to shut down the nation’s entire nuclear fleet, even though he wasn’t sure he knew what he was doing. Don’t think the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would quite go for that- not to mention that a simultaneous outage of that magnitude would likely immediately cause blackouts and/or an energy crisis.)
I want that minute of my life back...
Yes, this has been the best “24” season, and yes, the gamble of replacing nearly the entire cast has paid off, and the suspense level is at an all-time high for the show. (Even though its plot continues to strain credulity at every turn, especially the way they allowed a singular computer hacker- played by the guy who was Big Pussy’s FBI handler on “The Sopranos”- the authority to shut down the nation’s entire nuclear fleet, even though he wasn’t sure he knew what he was doing. Don’t think the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would quite go for that- not to mention that a simultaneous outage of that magnitude would likely immediately cause blackouts and/or an energy crisis.)
I want that minute of my life back...
Nailing It Down
Nailing It Down
Michael Totten relates a conversation with Ahman Al Rikaby, former Director of Radio Free Iraq and current Director of Iraq's Radio Dijla:
At one point, apropos of something I can't remember, Ahman said to me: "I can tell you in one sentence how my country feels about your country."
"Really?" I said. "Can you really boil it down to one sentence?"
"Yes," he said. "And it is this: Thank you for coming, now please leave and take us with you."
I laughed because it seemed totally contradictory and totally right.
It does indeed. Read it all.
Michael Totten relates a conversation with Ahman Al Rikaby, former Director of Radio Free Iraq and current Director of Iraq's Radio Dijla:
At one point, apropos of something I can't remember, Ahman said to me: "I can tell you in one sentence how my country feels about your country."
"Really?" I said. "Can you really boil it down to one sentence?"
"Yes," he said. "And it is this: Thank you for coming, now please leave and take us with you."
I laughed because it seemed totally contradictory and totally right.
It does indeed. Read it all.
REGIONAL ROLLING
REGIONAL ROLLING
In the early 1990s when I lived in Hong Kong there was a tremendous amount of hype about Vietnam and it being the next economic miracle and on track to throw of the communist's party yoke and become a democracy. For some reason neither really materialized. The country has not been very well covered by the media in my opinion, but that may change now that the VietPundit has opened up shop and it won’t be just the present that he will cover, the past will be equally important:
I plan to offer some thoughts on the Vietnam War from a South Vietnamese perspective, which is sorely lacking in the media and academia
In the early 1990s when I lived in Hong Kong there was a tremendous amount of hype about Vietnam and it being the next economic miracle and on track to throw of the communist's party yoke and become a democracy. For some reason neither really materialized. The country has not been very well covered by the media in my opinion, but that may change now that the VietPundit has opened up shop and it won’t be just the present that he will cover, the past will be equally important:
I plan to offer some thoughts on the Vietnam War from a South Vietnamese perspective, which is sorely lacking in the media and academia
Gwynne Dyer's Unbroken Losing Streak
Gwynne Dyer's Unbroken Losing Streak
The latest in the continuing "If Gwynne Dyer Looks Into The Face Of Victor Davis Hanson He Will Burst Into Flame" series, this quote from his new book Future:Tense ;
The United States needs to lose the war in Iraq as soon as possible. Even more urgently, the whole world needs the United States to lose the war in Iraq. What is at stake now is the way we run the world for the next generation or more, and really bad things will happen if we get it wrong.
The latest in the continuing "If Gwynne Dyer Looks Into The Face Of Victor Davis Hanson He Will Burst Into Flame" series, this quote from his new book Future:Tense ;
The United States needs to lose the war in Iraq as soon as possible. Even more urgently, the whole world needs the United States to lose the war in Iraq. What is at stake now is the way we run the world for the next generation or more, and really bad things will happen if we get it wrong.
BUSH PROMISES TO BRING TROOPS HOME THROUGH IRAN
BUSH PROMISES TO BRING TROOPS HOME THROUGH IRAN
Most Direct Route, President Says
Under pressure to detail an exit strategy for Iraq, President George W. Bush said at a White House briefing today that he would not designate an exact timetable for a withdrawal of U.S. troops but added, “The fastest way to bring the troops home would be through Iran.”
Most Direct Route, President Says
Under pressure to detail an exit strategy for Iraq, President George W. Bush said at a White House briefing today that he would not designate an exact timetable for a withdrawal of U.S. troops but added, “The fastest way to bring the troops home would be through Iran.”
Sock Khatami
Sock Khatami
My apologies for that horrible pun, but after four days in the workforce again, I'm too exhausted to come up with something intelligent and witty. Work is going better, though. Here's your "unthreaded" link roundup.
* The US and Iran have reached a boiling point in relations...
My apologies for that horrible pun, but after four days in the workforce again, I'm too exhausted to come up with something intelligent and witty. Work is going better, though. Here's your "unthreaded" link roundup.
* The US and Iran have reached a boiling point in relations...
GRUMPY
GRUMPY
I have a couple of things I want to blog about, but to be honest I've been feeling too grumpy lately. Today was just one of those days where everything went wrong: I drove to the next post to re-register our car and realized that I had left my ID in the pocket of my gym sweatshirt. So I drove all the way home and back, only to find that they close for lunch, which they failed to mention when I called for their hours. I got the car registered and then went to drop the dog's stuff off at my friend's house; naturally I had forgotten her key. And so on. Just one of those days.
I have a couple of things I want to blog about, but to be honest I've been feeling too grumpy lately. Today was just one of those days where everything went wrong: I drove to the next post to re-register our car and realized that I had left my ID in the pocket of my gym sweatshirt. So I drove all the way home and back, only to find that they close for lunch, which they failed to mention when I called for their hours. I got the car registered and then went to drop the dog's stuff off at my friend's house; naturally I had forgotten her key. And so on. Just one of those days.
outsidethebeltway.com
Hitchens is simultaneously disarmingly polite and possessed of a biting wit. The breadth and depth of his knowledge is simply unrivaled by any journalist working today.
Lucky Totten
Lucky Totten
If you're a Chris Hitchens fan (as I am), you must check out this report from Michael Totten. The post is thought-provoking, informative, and extremely entertaining. I especially liked the part where MJT taught Hitchens about the importance of the blogosphere:
If you're a Chris Hitchens fan (as I am), you must check out this report from Michael Totten. The post is thought-provoking, informative, and extremely entertaining. I especially liked the part where MJT taught Hitchens about the importance of the blogosphere:
Billhennessy
Some people demand admiration, and Christopher Hitchens ranks near the top of that list. Before I agreed with him about anything, back in the days when he seemed closer to Alexander Cockburn than to, well, to me, I would find myself pausing on some talkshow just because he was talking.
wonkette.com
FEB
10
My babydaddy, discredited conservative reporter Jeff Gannon, just rode Wolf's Blitzer on CNN.
CNN called in commentator and WaPo-ite Howard Kurtz to give the intro, because God knows Wolf couldn't summarize 30 blog posts all on his own. Also: Gannon says he's been stalked by "nuts on the left." Tee hee! Oh, wait...
Gannon reported he'd been stalked in the neighborhood and in church -- which is crazy! Liberals near a church? Also, his family was harassed, upon which Blitzer stealthily gay-baited him to define "family." (FYI: this family is a mother and brother.) Then Wolf backpedaled the question about Gannon owning gay domain names question with a qualifier: "I don't understand it." Indeed: what is internets, Wolf?
Reportedly, Talon News has 700,000 subscribers. Where, on Mars? But there's good news! According to Gannon, God closes doors and opens windows. If you're concerned about his future, he has had people call and make inquiries if he was "interested in certain positions." Heh. Also: heh heh. —C.S.
10
My babydaddy, discredited conservative reporter Jeff Gannon, just rode Wolf's Blitzer on CNN.
CNN called in commentator and WaPo-ite Howard Kurtz to give the intro, because God knows Wolf couldn't summarize 30 blog posts all on his own. Also: Gannon says he's been stalked by "nuts on the left." Tee hee! Oh, wait...
Gannon reported he'd been stalked in the neighborhood and in church -- which is crazy! Liberals near a church? Also, his family was harassed, upon which Blitzer stealthily gay-baited him to define "family." (FYI: this family is a mother and brother.) Then Wolf backpedaled the question about Gannon owning gay domain names question with a qualifier: "I don't understand it." Indeed: what is internets, Wolf?
Reportedly, Talon News has 700,000 subscribers. Where, on Mars? But there's good news! According to Gannon, God closes doors and opens windows. If you're concerned about his future, he has had people call and make inquiries if he was "interested in certain positions." Heh. Also: heh heh. —C.S.
Jesus H. Christ
Ever since his star began to rise after the 1979 Australian thriller Mad Max, Mel Gibson hasn't seemed fully alive on screen unless he's being tortured and mutilated. In the Road Warrior and Lethal Weapon films, as well as such one-shots as Conspiracy Theory (1997) and The Patriot (2000), Gibson courted martyrdom, and he achieved it. He won an Oscar for his labors in Braveheart (1995), which ends with its hero managing to scream "FREEEEE-DOM!!" as he's drawn and quartered. Gibson snatched the pulp movie Payback (1999) away from its writer-director, Brian Helgeland, to make the torture of his character even more gruelingly explicit: He added shots of his toes being smashed by an iron hammer. Payback: That's what almost all of Gibson's movies are about (including his 1990 Hamlet.) Even if he begins as a man of peace, Mad Mel ends as a savage revenger.
KelliPundit
Have you ever noticed that some of the people you are closest to are people you met through some argument? I've decided that this is due to the fact that a lot of false pretenses that may be put forward first in a friendship are bypassed and then people see exactly who you are without wading through all the other 'stuff'. Once the argument is resolved, you then get to know each other from a more truthful starting point, a higher plane. I'm not saying that it is bad or wrong to put forward those better faces at first, it is what our society dictates and is our culture. But when the other situation presents itself, it can turn out good as well.
mpourdeh's weblog
Michael J. Totten writes about drinking with Christopher Hitchens and several prominent Iraqis. Hitchens is an arrogant jerk.
My favorite line:
At one point, apropos of something I can’t remember, Ahman said to me: “I can tell you in one sentence how my country feels about your country.”
“Really?” I said. “Can you really boil it down to one sentence?”
“Yes,” he said. “And it is this: Thank you for coming, now please leave and take us with you.”
I laughed because it seemed totally contradictory and totally right.
My favorite line:
At one point, apropos of something I can’t remember, Ahman said to me: “I can tell you in one sentence how my country feels about your country.”
“Really?” I said. “Can you really boil it down to one sentence?”
“Yes,” he said. “And it is this: Thank you for coming, now please leave and take us with you.”
I laughed because it seemed totally contradictory and totally right.
Miscellanea - Uh, Hitch, What's Up?
Miscellanea - Uh, Hitch, What's Up? Edition
The mighty Christopher Hitchens has taken a look at Ohio in Election '04 and - he smells a rat. Damn - now I might have to spend money on Vanity Fair again...
The mighty Christopher Hitchens has taken a look at Ohio in Election '04 and - he smells a rat. Damn - now I might have to spend money on Vanity Fair again...
Social commentary from a sociologist
They’ve got spirit, the little buggers. Me ‘n’ Hitch are quite the team, but when you’re trying your best to tell them the way things are, they will be interrupting and getting annoyed and saying unreasonable things like “Who are you to tell us what to do!?” What’s that phrase again? “The blame of those ye better, The hate of those ye guard.” But dissent is the lifeblood of democracy. Of course, we can’t permit them to pick the wrong government for themselves. “If the Iraqis were to elect either a Sunni or Shia Taliban, we would not let them take power” (Hitchens). The invasion force would consist of “the US and Britain … along with — hopefully — everyone here at this table” (Totten). Or, as Tom Lehrer put it more succinctly some years ago, “They’ve got to be protected / All their rights respected / Till somebody we like can be elected.”
Conservatives Eat Their Young
Conservatives Eat Their Young
Apparently the right half of the blogosphere is getting excited about something they call "Easongate". It involves a CNN executive making apparently unverifiable, and therefore stupid, accusations about American soldiers targeting journalists. Anyway, Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal (an upstanding card-carrying conservative) wrote his assessment of what happened there. Due to Stephens's gratuitous (but nevertheless commendable) cheap-shots at Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity and "the usual suspects", his otherwise-quite-critical-of-Eason article has placed him squarely in the sights of the blogosphere's more, um, hungry participants. Yum!
Apparently the right half of the blogosphere is getting excited about something they call "Easongate". It involves a CNN executive making apparently unverifiable, and therefore stupid, accusations about American soldiers targeting journalists. Anyway, Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal (an upstanding card-carrying conservative) wrote his assessment of what happened there. Due to Stephens's gratuitous (but nevertheless commendable) cheap-shots at Michelle Malkin, Sean Hannity and "the usual suspects", his otherwise-quite-critical-of-Eason article has placed him squarely in the sights of the blogosphere's more, um, hungry participants. Yum!
The Choice is Between a Strategy for Victory -- or Defeat
No Exit; The Choice is Between a Strategy for Victory -- or Defeat
(02/10/2005) Clifford D. May, Scripps Howard News Service
No Exit; The Choice is Between a Strategy for Victory -- or Defeat When a politician or a journalist talks about an "exit strategy" from Iraq, there is only one appropriate response: Roll your eyes and leave the room. Imagine some senator or reporter during World War II asking Roosevelt and Churchill to define their "exit strategy" from Europe and the Pacific. They probably would not have dignified the question with an answer. Or, if they had, they might have said: "We have a strategy for victory. The alternative would be a strategy for defeat. Do we look like defeatists to you?" [Read More]
(02/10/2005) Clifford D. May, Scripps Howard News Service
No Exit; The Choice is Between a Strategy for Victory -- or Defeat When a politician or a journalist talks about an "exit strategy" from Iraq, there is only one appropriate response: Roll your eyes and leave the room. Imagine some senator or reporter during World War II asking Roosevelt and Churchill to define their "exit strategy" from Europe and the Pacific. They probably would not have dignified the question with an answer. Or, if they had, they might have said: "We have a strategy for victory. The alternative would be a strategy for defeat. Do we look like defeatists to you?" [Read More]
Pejmanesque
I assume the comment was ironic.
Pejman, for all your veneer of erudite sophistication, did you not recognize that Totten's dinner and drinking experience with Hitchens was clearly that of the naif acolyte entranced by the mere presence of a world-weary arbiter bibendi? Perhaps you should associate with academics more. I've experienced far more entertaining libationary disquisitions during the afternoon session breaks at academic conferences than what Totten posted from his evening with Hitchens.
Posted by: Michael Meckler at February 10, 2005 06:04 PM
Pejmanesque
"Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords." --Theodore Roosevelt
Pejman, for all your veneer of erudite sophistication, did you not recognize that Totten's dinner and drinking experience with Hitchens was clearly that of the naif acolyte entranced by the mere presence of a world-weary arbiter bibendi? Perhaps you should associate with academics more. I've experienced far more entertaining libationary disquisitions during the afternoon session breaks at academic conferences than what Totten posted from his evening with Hitchens.
Posted by: Michael Meckler at February 10, 2005 06:04 PM
Pejmanesque
"Aggressive fighting for the right is the noblest sport the world affords." --Theodore Roosevelt
A Little Perspective
A Little Perspective
I understand the need to protect all children from sexual predators, but could we possibly make the punishment for aiding and abetting convicted terrorists a bit more harsh than fulfilling every seventh-grade boy's dream?
A possible 20 years for helping terrorists kill people, 100 years for pedophilia. I have an idea, let's make the punishment equal for both. Then we can have a new motto:
"Don't Screw With Us Or Our Kids!"
I understand the need to protect all children from sexual predators, but could we possibly make the punishment for aiding and abetting convicted terrorists a bit more harsh than fulfilling every seventh-grade boy's dream?
A possible 20 years for helping terrorists kill people, 100 years for pedophilia. I have an idea, let's make the punishment equal for both. Then we can have a new motto:
"Don't Screw With Us Or Our Kids!"
Children of the Stoplights: Part 4
This is the featured weekly post from Discarded Lies at Winds of Change.NET. The Children of the Stoplights series is about child trafficking in Europe.
Webcast replay: Election Coverage
Recorded on Sunday, January 30th, 2pm to 4pm (EST)
This unique conference from Washington DC will provide a consolidated picture of Iraq's elections featuring prominent Iraqis, selected guests (e.g., Christopher Hitchens), live call ins from the Friends of Democracy correspondents and bloggers, photos, video and stories.
This unique conference from Washington DC will provide a consolidated picture of Iraq's elections featuring prominent Iraqis, selected guests (e.g., Christopher Hitchens), live call ins from the Friends of Democracy correspondents and bloggers, photos, video and stories.
Reality-Check Time
Steve Silverposted a must-read essay in defense of the dreaded three-letter acronym known as the "MSM."
The Poisoned Earth
By lila
We poison ourselves So we
do not have to feel How we have poisoned the earth We create a worldview
Where nature is bad, out of control, needing to be tamed So that we can
justify destroying every square inch Leaving nothing untouched
The vibrant green of the rolling
hills Where I like to walk so much Rock outcroppings colored with lichen
and paint Humans' need to deface everything Is evidenced here "LSD &
Shrooms/ Fuck Paintballers" and "Party Hard Until You Can't" are sprayed
in white on the gray weathered stone Impossible to erase Bits of broken
beer bottles, old tires, tattered clothing Litter the wood We have left
our mark And will continue to destroy the native vegetation, animals, and
people To be replaced by our docile domesticated variety We must taste
victory To want to continue plundering The last few places of wildness
This small cluster of rocky
outcroppings and green hills Are now dotted with monitoring wells less
than a month old Someone wants to build here It is clear They will test
the groundwater To cover their ass in the case of lawsuit And build their
golf course in the sky On top of the sacred lands, hidden springs, pictographs
Artwork of someone closer to the land
I understand the red man's
pain at seeing the land devoured by the white sickness, Milky puss oozing
like a festering sore out of urban cities into the wild earth to tame and
fetter it, His distrust of this being who makes agreements Always with
one hand behind its back Fingers crossed
I need this wild place to
remember my roots To remind me of my true nature To remind me of life and
my many-legged relations and ancestors, the trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses
To bathe my eyes in vibrant green, Tara's warmest hues To bathe my soul
in the love of my kin
When this is gone, I also
will be gone
We poison ourselves So we
do not have to feel How we have poisoned the earth We create a worldview
Where nature is bad, out of control, needing to be tamed So that we can
justify destroying every square inch Leaving nothing untouched
The vibrant green of the rolling
hills Where I like to walk so much Rock outcroppings colored with lichen
and paint Humans' need to deface everything Is evidenced here "LSD &
Shrooms/ Fuck Paintballers" and "Party Hard Until You Can't" are sprayed
in white on the gray weathered stone Impossible to erase Bits of broken
beer bottles, old tires, tattered clothing Litter the wood We have left
our mark And will continue to destroy the native vegetation, animals, and
people To be replaced by our docile domesticated variety We must taste
victory To want to continue plundering The last few places of wildness
This small cluster of rocky
outcroppings and green hills Are now dotted with monitoring wells less
than a month old Someone wants to build here It is clear They will test
the groundwater To cover their ass in the case of lawsuit And build their
golf course in the sky On top of the sacred lands, hidden springs, pictographs
Artwork of someone closer to the land
I understand the red man's
pain at seeing the land devoured by the white sickness, Milky puss oozing
like a festering sore out of urban cities into the wild earth to tame and
fetter it, His distrust of this being who makes agreements Always with
one hand behind its back Fingers crossed
I need this wild place to
remember my roots To remind me of my true nature To remind me of life and
my many-legged relations and ancestors, the trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses
To bathe my eyes in vibrant green, Tara's warmest hues To bathe my soul
in the love of my kin
When this is gone, I also
will be gone
Interesting Links
Education World®
The World Bank Group
CIA - The World Factbook
BBC NEWS | News Front Page
PCWorld.com - Home
WTO | The WTO website
WHO | World Health Organization
The World Bank Group
CIA - The World Factbook
BBC NEWS | News Front Page
PCWorld.com - Home
WTO | The WTO website
WHO | World Health Organization
Resources
Log In Register.Com
Log In Adsense
Discovery.Com
History Channel
Biography.com Search over 25,000 of the greatest lives, past and present.
The U.S. Small Business Administration established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses.
Public Domain Images
(Most of the images in these collections are in the public domain. Though you may not need to ask permission to use them when publishing on the Web for educational purposes, you still must cite these images unless otherwise notified! If you see any copyright notices on these pages, read them for further instructions.)
Cherokee an enchanted land, rich in tradition and located in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Persian Puzzle, forrm CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack examines the historical tensions and inevitable clash between the United States and Iran.
Collecting the Modern Library: A Gentle Introduction Texts of Choice: The Books of the Modern Library Capital Gains Tax deferral companies, Enterprise Zone Trusts and Film Partnerships
Boris Sidis Born in Berditchev, Russia Oct. 12, 1867. At age of 17 imprisoned by Czar as political prisoner, for teaching peasants to read, against Czarist law.
William James Born January 11, 1842, New York - August 26, 1910 Chocorua, New Hampshire, philosopher and elder brother of the writer Henry James, was born in New York, son of a Swedenborgian theologian, Henry James, Sr. He received an eclectic and trans-Atlantic education as his eccentric father's son.
Albert Einstein German born American physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955
Log In Adsense
Discovery.Com
History Channel
Biography.com Search over 25,000 of the greatest lives, past and present.
The U.S. Small Business Administration established in 1953, provides financial, technical and management assistance to help Americans start, run, and grow their businesses. With a portfolio of business loans, loan guarantees and disaster loans worth more than $45 billion, in addition to a venture capital portfolio of $13 billion, SBA is the nation's largest single financial backer of small businesses.
Public Domain Images
(Most of the images in these collections are in the public domain. Though you may not need to ask permission to use them when publishing on the Web for educational purposes, you still must cite these images unless otherwise notified! If you see any copyright notices on these pages, read them for further instructions.)
Cherokee an enchanted land, rich in tradition and located in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Persian Puzzle, forrm CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack examines the historical tensions and inevitable clash between the United States and Iran.
Collecting the Modern Library: A Gentle Introduction Texts of Choice: The Books of the Modern Library Capital Gains Tax deferral companies, Enterprise Zone Trusts and Film Partnerships
Boris Sidis Born in Berditchev, Russia Oct. 12, 1867. At age of 17 imprisoned by Czar as political prisoner, for teaching peasants to read, against Czarist law.
William James Born January 11, 1842, New York - August 26, 1910 Chocorua, New Hampshire, philosopher and elder brother of the writer Henry James, was born in New York, son of a Swedenborgian theologian, Henry James, Sr. He received an eclectic and trans-Atlantic education as his eccentric father's son.
Albert Einstein German born American physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
