August 29, 2008

Friday Ark #206

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

Visit all the boarders, Link to the Ark and check back for updates through Sunday afternoon!

You can board the Friday Ark by submitting your post here, leaving a comment or a trackback to this post or emailing fridayark AT themodulator.org.

You can find previous editions at the not quite up to date Arkives page.

Alert 12:36 PDT: The Ark Staff has a couple of weddings to attend today. We may do some more updates tonight but it is more likely that there will be no more updates until Saturday morning.

Cats

Other Vertebrates

Birds

Invertebrates

Dogs

In Memoriam

Didn't Make It

  • x

Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to:

Birders: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles.

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to:

  • The Canine Carnival hosted by Pamibe
  • The Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings
  • has been out of operation since July 2007

For other current carnivals check out The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Posted by Steve on August 29, 2008 | Comments (4)

August 28, 2008

obama's speech

Russell Korobkin details some praise for obama's speech tonight which I generally agree with and then notes two weaknesses of which this is the 2nd:

Failing to attack the Bush administration for trampling the Constitution, trashing privacy rights, and mistreating prisoners of war.
Perhaps obama, as candidate for commander-in-chief, did not make this attack because he does not have a problem with at least the first two items on this list.

Or perhaps he fears the loss of too many votes from the Brooks and Dunn crowd, you know, the republicans.


Posted by Steve on August 28, 2008

August 26, 2008

The Conventions: Everything You Need To Know

...blather, blather...

Posted by Steve on August 26, 2008

August 25, 2008

Quote of the Day #6: Get Off Your Ass

If we sit on our heels and wait for some apocalyptic insurrection or some evolutionary stage, which, to be frank, doesn't look as if it is coming, then we will find that any instinct for mutual aid and spontaneous order will have been crushed by the religious worship of our great and benevolent welfare state.

Richard Garner, "The benfits of non-class struggle anarchism to the movement as a whole," Total Liberty, Volume One, Number 2, 1998

Posted by Steve on August 25, 2008

August 23, 2008

Watch the Pretty Things Grow

This is worth plenty of replays:

Via Sullivan.

Posted by Steve on August 23, 2008

August 22, 2008

Friday Ark #205

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

Visit all the boarders, Link to the Ark and check back for updates through Sunday afternoon!

You can board the Friday Ark by submitting your post here, leaving a comment or a trackback to this post or emailing fridayark AT themodulator.org.

You can find previous editions at the not quite up to date Arkives page.

Alert: Blog Carnival has been down: please use email, comments or trackbacks. We will also use Technorati and Google periodically to check for your links.

Cats

Other Vertebrates

Invertebrates

Birds

Dogs

In Memoriam

  • x

Didn't Make It

  • x

Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

  • x

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to:

Birders: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles.

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to:

  • The Canine Carnival hosted by Pamibe
  • The Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings
  • has been out of operation since July 2007

For other current carnivals check out The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Posted by Steve on August 22, 2008 | Comments (5)

August 21, 2008

Birds, Art, Literature and More

What do Ansel Adams, Rumi, Poe, Shakespeare, Van Gogh, Pollock, Descartes, Lindbergh, Burnet and Whitman have in common with our feathered Friends?

Find out in Kathie's presentation of I and the Bird #82: the Artsy Fartsy Birds Edition.

Posted by Steve on August 21, 2008

August 19, 2008

Leroi Moore: September 7, 1961 – August 19, 2008

LeRoiMoore%202.jpg

From the Dave Matthews Band website:

We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

Rest in Peace.

Update (8/21): Listen to a sweet solo from LeRoi on an unreleased Soko track.

Posted by Steve on August 19, 2008

August 18, 2008

Daycare Centers Cutting Back

Over at Shakesville Melissa reports:

Shaker InfamousQBert sends this story about how schools are seeking to cut costs to deal with the struggling economy. I'll give you one guess… If you said, "Pass expenses onto parents," give yourself 1,000 points. Get ready for higher lunch prices and four-day school weeks, requiring working parents to pony up for daycare.
Yep, for most, if not all, the schools, public and private, are little better than daycare centers: underfunded (this isn't going to change) and underproductive (except, perhaps, as prep schools for the incarceration industry). Well, I guess they do ok as daycare centers; as places to dump our children during the day so as to avoid the responsibility of raising them to be productive human beings.

Yes, I know there are exceptions; that some parents work hard to help with their kids education; that some of the kids make it out of these schools without apparent damage and having had some academic success but they are the exception and in the process all of the kids are cheated out of a real, an individually appropriate, education.

Via Avedon.

Posted by Steve on August 18, 2008

Time for Monday Skritch'n

You know what to do:

Posted by Steve on August 18, 2008

August 16, 2008

Send dirk A Thong

Birdchick suggests:

Hey, maybe we could pick our favorite endangered species thong from Birdorable and mail them in to Dirk Kempthorne, secretary of the Interior, to let him know how much we dislike the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act?

Whether you agree or not with the changes certainly giving dirk a collection of thongs to fondle will give him something important to do during the remainder of his time working for the mob government.

Posted by Steve on August 16, 2008

August 15, 2008

Friday Night Streaming

Listening to now:

Dear Mr. Fantasy > Wheel Hoss > Cumberland Blues
Posted by Steve on August 15, 2008

Friday Ark #204

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

Visit all the boarders, Link to the Ark and check back for updates through Sunday afternoon!

You can board the Friday Ark by submitting your post here, leaving a comment or a trackback to this post or emailing fridayark AT themodulator.org.

You can find previous editions at the not quite up to date Arkives page.

Cats

Dogs

Birds

Invertebrates

  • Other Vertebrates

    In Memoriam

    Didn't Make It

    • x

    Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

    Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map.

    Cat folks: remember to submit your links to:

    Birders: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks.

    For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles.

    Dog folks: remember to submit your links to:

    • The Canine Carnival hosted by Pamibe
    • The Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings
    • has been out of operation since July 2007

    For other current carnivals check out The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

    Posted by Steve on August 15, 2008 | Comments (3)
  • August 13, 2008

    mccain flops

    Too bad he does not agree with himself (start at the 2:01 mark).

    Via Yglesias.

    Posted by Steve on August 13, 2008

    August 8, 2008

    Friday Ark #203

    We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

    Visit all the boarders, Link to the Ark and check back for updates through Sunday afternoon!

    You can board the Friday Ark by submitting your post here, leaving a comment or a trackback to this post or emailing fridayark AT themodulator.org.

    You can find previous editions at the not quite up to date Arkives page.

    Alert: The Ark Staff will be vacationing Friday through Sunday. Expect updates to be delayed and intermittent beginning around 10:00 AM PDT Friday and through the rest of the weekend.

    Cats

    Other Vertebrates

    Dogs

    Birds

    Invertebrates

    In Memoriam

    Didn't Make It

    • x

    Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

    Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map.

    Cat folks: remember to submit your links to:

    Birders: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks.

    For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles.

    Dog folks: remember to submit your links to:

    • The Canine Carnival hosted by Pamibe
    • The Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings
    • has been out of operation since July 2007

    For other current carnivals check out The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

    Posted by Steve on August 8, 2008 | Comments (2)

    August 7, 2008

    Looking Back From the 22nd Century: Quote of the Day #5

    "Though I think she tends to skate around the edge of what America really died of."

    "Which is what?"

    Yavuz shrugged, "Fear."

    Richard Morgan, Thirteen, pg 246

    Posted by Steve on August 7, 2008

    Ampersands Anyone?

    If you like ampersands you will love The Ampersand blog where the publisher says:

    I like the ampersand. I think it is often the most attractive punctuation mark of them all. This blog is an attempt to give this humble character the respect it deserves.
    Here is one from the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park that I don't believe has been featured yet at The Ampersand:

    SAM%20Ampersand%202008-07-20Small.jpg
    The above ampersand is the rotating element in this sculpture:
    Mixed media installation with benches, tables, live tree, pathways and illuminated rotating element
    For me the setting and this piece were the highlights of the park. Well, unless you are really into giant traffic cones (maybe to be shown in a future post).

    Speaking of ampersands, Ampersand is always worth a read.

    Hat tip Daring Fireball for the link to The Ampersand.

    Posted by Steve on August 7, 2008

    August 6, 2008

    OK, So What Will Define the End?

    Regarding the Hamdan trial verdict Warren Richey writes in the Christian Science Monitor:

    Even if he'd been acquitted of all charges, Hamdan was unlikely to be released from his Guantánamo cell anytime soon. In addition to the military commission charges, Hamdan is being held in open-ended detention as an unlawful enemy combatant.

    Under the law of war, he can be held for the duration of the war on terror.

    As the title says: "OK, so what will define the end."

    Posted by Steve on August 6, 2008

    One Small Step

    You can help in the battle against the so-called war on drugs.

    This Massachusetts Initiative may not go far enough and would not be required in a free country. But we don't live in one and the initiative is One Small Step in the right direction:

    On November 4, 2008, Massachusetts voters will have the chance to pass a ballot initiative decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana — removing the threat of jail time for possessing an ounce or less of marijuana for personal use.
    Help Massachusetts take this step by financially supporting this initiative. Send contributions to:
    Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy
    P.O. Box 130151
    Boston, MA 02113
    Or, online here.

    You can also help by asking your congressional representative to support the Personal Use of Marijuana Act.

    Learn more at the Marijuana Policy Project.

    Posted by Steve on August 6, 2008

    Not For the Vertigo Impaired

    The Space Needle cleaning crew in action:

    080515_Space_Needle_clean_large_3.jpg
    Photo: Karcher GmbH & Co.
    Employees of Karcher GmbH & Co. are doing the work. They get paid. Karcher does not:
    Early on, Kärcher determined that it would donate its cleaning services of public monuments, donating skilled labor as well as the technical, analytic and supervisory services necessary to complete such projects. Their reasoning was twofold: not only was the donation a goodwill gesture, but the feedback the company’s engineers received was invaluable in refining the innovation and manufacture of future cleaning systems.

    To that end, Kärcher has carried out some 80 cleaning projects on historical monuments,...

    Via Kottke.

    Posted by Steve on August 6, 2008

    August 5, 2008

    Making Rounds

    Grand Rounds Volume 4 Issue 46 is up at Pure Pedantry.

    All you folks who know so much about how to solve all the world's health care problems should probably learn just a bit about health care from the practitioner's view. This edition and the nearly 4 years of earlier editions of Grand Rounds will be a good place to start.

    Posted by Steve on August 5, 2008

    Many could be living off the grid soon!

    From MIT:

    In a revolutionary leap that could transform solar power from a marginal, boutique alternative into a mainstream energy source, MIT researchers have overcome a major barrier to large-scale solar power: storing energy for use when the sun doesn't shine.
    Watch the brief video then read the linked article:





    It will be interesting to see if this technology can be available in less than the 10 years the article suggests.

    Technology like this, if it can be cost effectively delivered, can turn the whole electrical energy conservation movement on its head as well as dramatically reducing residential carbon footprints.

    Posted by Steve on August 5, 2008

    August 4, 2008

    Geeks Reflecting Society?

    Hmm, is this the result of 10 years of heavy geekery; an aging population; does it just reflect our overall culture; and/or...:

    linuxbloat.jpg

    Via Megan. One of her commenters notes:

    It's worse that the picture shows; pre-shrunk cotton has shifted sizes up by one in that same time frame.

    Posted by Steve on August 4, 2008

    August 2, 2008

    obama the politician

    obama continues to show his true colors, this time on offshore drilling, and Bryan nails him:

    Obama doesn’t have to worry about sacrificing principles, he doesn’t have any.
    .....
    Following on the heels of his FISA vote you have to wonder if there is anything he won’t give away for a “compromise”. I would say that assuming he will protect a woman’s right to choose is a pretty iffy proposition at this point. You have to wonder if Al Gore is regretting his endorsement.

    For the record, no law is normally a better idea than a bad law.

    This is not really new to Bryan but it can not be said enough. obama is another politician. They do not have your interests in mind just your votes.

    Oh yea, there has been little legislation produced by congress, since its first session, that is not a result of deeply flawed compromises and when there is unanimity or near unanimity it is legislation of little consequence or something that should scare the stuffing out of you

    Posted by Steve on August 2, 2008

    August 1, 2008

    Towards Solving the Traffic Tragedy

    In Distracting Miss Daisy John Staddon makes a strong argument for changes in the way traffic control is managed in the United States:

    A more systematic effort to train drivers to ignore road conditions can hardly be imagined. By training drivers to drive according to the signs rather than their judgment in great conditions, the American system also subtly encourages them to rely on the signs rather than judgment in poor conditions, when merely following the signs would be dangerous. ....... When you’ve trained people to drive according to the signs, you need to keep adding more signs to tell them exactly when and in what fashion they need to adjust their behavior. Otherwise, drivers may see no reason why they should slow down on a curve in the rain.
    Read the article for some excellent recommendations.

    John makes an interesting analogy to the tragedy of the commons meme:

    Economists and ecologists sometimes speak of the “tragedy of the commons”—the way rational individual actions can collectively reduce the common good when resources are limited. How this applies to traffic safety may not be obvious. It’s easy to understand that although it pays the selfish herdsman to add one more sheep to common grazing land, the result may be overgrazing, and less for everyone. But what is the limited resource, the commons, in the case of driving? It’s attention. Attending to a sign competes with attending to the road.
    Attention is a key element when discussing traffic fatalities and injuries and I think John's suggestions may, if implemented, make a large contribution toward reducing these consequences of a failed national and local traffic policy: 40,000 deaths per year and no outrage?

    However from a commons perspective attention does not exactly fit the meme.

    John, apparently, drives on lonely country roads and in quiet neighborhoods.

    Many of the rest of us spend a fair amount of time crawling along the real tragedy of the traffic commons:

    0207_520%20Bridge.jpg
    Picture via

    Via The Perfectly Rational Dog.

    Posted by Steve on August 1, 2008

    Friday Ark #202

    We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

    Visit all the boarders, Link to the Ark and check back for updates through Sunday afternoon!

    You can board the Friday Ark by submitting your post here, leaving a comment or a trackback to this post or emailing fridayark AT themodulator.org.

    You can find previous editions at the not quite up to date Arkives page.

    Cats

    Birds

    Invertebrates

    Dogs

    Other Vertebrates

    In Memoriam

    • x

    Didn't Make It

    • x

    Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

    Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map.

    Cat folks: remember to submit your links to:

    Birders: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks.

    For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles.

    Dog folks: remember to submit your links to:

    • The Canine Carnival hosted by Pamibe
    • The Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings
    • has been out of operation since July 2007

    For other current carnivals check out The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

    Posted by Steve on August 1, 2008 | Comments (6)