Days of our LiveJournal

Most irritating...

2009-09-18T07:37:46Z

After my copy of the "Shoggoth on the Roof" soundtrack disappeared (following the six-car pile-up on the Grapevine), I finally decided to track down a vendor and buy a replacement copy. I made the purchase over the vendor's website on June 10.

On August 2, I contacted them to find out when I could expect to receive it. I was told it was mailed on June 12, but the Post Awful had no record of delivery -- they'd submit an inquiry.

Well, I've been giving them room to work -- I've sent two e-mails asking for a status report.

Just now, I sent an e-mail asking if anyone else carries the CD.

Unfortunately, payment was made with a debit card, so I don't have the ability to dispute the charge. (Would I have that ability after more than three months, merely because I haven't received the product yet?)

I can understand not wanting to spend money on a possible duplicate shipment, but maybe someone ought to sit these people down and introduce them to the concept of "customer good will".

Fire in the hills

2009-09-01T00:52:46Z

	Karen Anderson has evacuated her home, as have her neighbors on the cul-de-sac where she lives. This photo is a view up my street. The dark cloud of smoke is in the same direction as her house. Her neighbors thought she was crazy when she loaded essentials into her car Saturday night. Now her neighbors think crazy may have its good points.
	There are at least two of these guys working the Seven Hills area, where Karen lives.
	After half an hour of their attention, the situation was looking a lot better.

Spice Cadet Book: Now on Amazon

2009-05-30T00:23:25Z

A mere three years after it's published, Lulu is now listing The Official Manual for Spice Cadets on Amazon.com

Tax season!

2009-03-16T22:04:11Z

Rabbit season!
Tax season!

Oh, never mind.

I burned a vacation day today, so I don't start losing them. Since I was taking the day off, I gathered up my paperwork (including print-outs from several websites) and took them down to my tax preparer.

This year, I remembered to bring copies of my pay check, so I knew exactly what my union dues cost, and remembered that I pay for parking.

I guess torture's OK by him after all.

2009-01-15T02:00:26Z

One of the canards that gets wide circulation is the claim that "torture doesn't work". The point of this canard is that torture is useless, and so there's no valid reason to engage in it.

One of the shrillest proponents of this view is pecunium. By his lights, torture is never OK. I'm actually willing to agree with that, but he insists on taking it off into left field and into absurdity.

Firstly, he offers an unprovable "utilitarian argument" -- since torture never works, there's no need ever to use it. This argument is also disproven, since I've found cases where treatment he considers "torture" did, in fact, obtain usable information in a timely manner. Granted, that's disproven to anyone except to those whose understanding of debate is to scream at contrary evidence until it goes away.

Frankly, I think he gets into serious trouble when he attempts to offer a "utilitarian" argument in the first place. Such an argument is only as strong as your data, and the reliance on utility implies you're willing to change your argument if the data change. The fact that he throws hysterical fits when anyone dares to question his assumptions tells me utilitarianism is the farthest thing from his mind.

The second point has to do with what he considers "torture". He is on record as defining "torture" to be "any physical or mental coercion – any". Unless "coercion" is a term of art used by interrogators, that means the process of detaining a prisoner is "torture". And indeed, it would be hard to list any procedure in use in our criminal justice system that doesn't qualify as "torture" under this zany definition.

Now, though, I find a situation where he would be perfectly willing to use torture:

Well guess what... the people who rationalised, the people who authorised, the people who organised, and the people who carried out the regime of torture our president, vice president and their consiglieri admit they set into motion... those are some uncommon criminals.

If I were given the authority to deal with them (which, thank God I will never be given), I’d toss them in an oubliette. Being less than kind, I’d let them have unlimited water, and; not quite enough, food. Slow starvation. Years of wasting misery to contemplate how far they’ve fallen. Time to ponder the sort of disgust required to make the effort to keep them in such squalor and misery.

I don’t hate them. I despise them. I loathe them. I will not shed a tear when they die, but I don’t hate them. They are so far from my ken that, like rabid dogs, they aren’t something one can identify with enough to hate.

Torture works just great as a form of punishment, and apparently at least one interrogator heartily approves of that use.

Gaza, Isreal, and International Law

2009-01-08T03:15:30Z

David Bernstein at the Volokh Conspiracy has posted a link to a document, scholarly analysis of international law as it applies to Israel and Gaza.

One major conclusion running through the document is that the people who are declaring Israel absolutely guilty of war crimes are, at best, concentrating on the answers they like best.

For instance, the claim that Israel provoked the missile attacks from Gaza by illegally blockading the borders may not be as unambiguous as presented by those making it:

Israel’s imposition of economic sanctions on the Gaza Strip, such as withholding fuel supplies and electricity, does not involve the use of military force and is therefore a perfectly legal means of responding to Palestinian attacks, despite the effects on innocent Palestinian civilians. The use of economic and other non-military sanctions as a means of disciplining other international actors for their misbehavior is a practice known as “retorsion.”78 It is generally acknowledged that any country may engage in retorsion.79 Indeed, it is acknowledged that states may even go beyond retorsion to carry out non-belligerent reprisals, non-military acts that would otherwise be illegal (such as suspending flight agreements) as counter-measures.80 Since Israel is under no legal obligation to engage in trade of fuel or anything else with the Gaza Strip, or to maintain open borders with the Gaza Strip, it may withhold commercial items and seal its borders at its discretion, even if intended as “punishment” for Palestinian terrorism.

Star Trek

2009-01-04T01:20:47Z

From the Wall Street Journal:

By JOHN JURGENSEN

The coming movie "Star Trek" is meant to completely reboot the science fiction franchise -- which may be why the title doesn't sport Roman numerals. Director J.J. Abrams recruited a new crew of actors to portray characters that have long been linked to the cast of the original "Star Trek" TV series, which first aired in 1966. Inheriting the role of space explorer Capt. Kirk from William Shatner is relative newcomer Chris Pine. Zachary Quinto, best known as a villain on the NBC series "Heroes," plays Mr. Spock, a half-human alien who champions logic over emotion. The character was first embodied by Leonard Nimoy. The new movie focuses on the volatile youth of Kirk, Spock and their crewmates. The stakes are high: The property has been moribund on screen since the TV series "Star Trek: Enterprise" was canceled in 2005. In separate interviews, we spoke to Messrs. Pine and Quinto.
....

"I Am Woman -- Protesting a Strong Woman"

2008-09-20T21:36:55Z

(Copied from my other blog)

This came over the transom last night. After I degaussed my irony meter, I decided to share this with my loyal readers -- all six of them.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SoCalPagans] "I am Woman" -- Demonstration at Sarah Palin Reception in Newport Beach, Sep 25 Evening

_PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION at SARAH PALIN RECEPTION_
"I am woman ... hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore,
....
And I come back even stronger, not a novice any longer,
'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul!"
--words/music by Helen Reddy/Ray Burton
_Thursday, September 25_

COMMUNITY DEMONSTRATION: "*I AM WOMAN!" ... SARAH PALIN RECEPTION in NEWPORT BEACH (reception for Palin hosted by the LINCOLN CLUB) *
TIME: 5 pm meet (see below for more information about carpooling from TEMPLE)
COST: no cost
DESCRIPTION: The Director of The TEMPLE passionately invites you to join her in full sisterly support of the women organizers of an Orange County public demonstration: *"I am Woman!"* ... at a fundraising reception for Sarah Palin at the Island Hotel (formerly the Four Seasons) at Fashion Island. The event for Palin is hosted by the Lincoln Club of Orange County. Organizers of the protest share: /"Sarah Palin is coming to Orange County on Thursday, September 25^th . She doesn't speak for us! Let us show her what Helen Reddy really had in mind when she wrote, 'I am Woman.' Join us in protest of her run for Vice President. Rally for women's rights to choice, for separation of church and state, to end the war, protection of the environment and more. Come with your signs, banners, flags, flyers, kazoos and drums, and join us as we peacefully protest with a ROAR!"/
/ /
NOTE from The TEMPLE: Also recommended: very comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing, and a no-drip jar candle to hold. TEMPLE will provide signs for some women to hold, and/or bring your own.
MEETING LOCATIONS:
[redacted]

I'm not giving the carpool or contact information. I figure those who are interested can join the mailing list and find the info in the archives.

What strikes me is, a group of women is gathering to sing about strong, invincible women in order to protest a .... strong .... invincible .... woman.
Go figure.

Obamessiah Complex

2008-09-05T01:35:20Z

I've seen any number of ads and posters that seem to depict Barack Obama as the savior of humanity. He's the second coming of JFK and MLK, and his mere presence in the office of President will heal all wounds, reconcile all opposing factions, cause swords to be beaten into plowshares, cannons into church bells, and nukes into powerplants.

Another Messianic comparison shows up at the top of this post:

Pilate was a Governor

Jesus was a community activist.

Harumph.
Let me know when he walks on water.

Happy Lammas!

2008-08-01T20:02:35Z

Happy Llamas!

Batman vs. Al Qaeda?

2008-08-01T01:02:53Z

An interesting review of Batman: The Dark Knight can be found at the Herald Sun. There are spoilers in the review, so click through at your own risk.

Film unmasks Bush as the real Batman

FINALLY Hollywood makes a film that says US President George W. Bush was right. But director Christopher Nolan had to disguise it a little, so journalists wouldn't freak and the film's more fashionable stars wouldn't walk.

So he hides Bush in a cape. He even sticks a mask on him, with pointy ears for some reason.

Sure, when the terrified citizens of Gotham City scream for Bush to come save them, Nolan has them shine a great W in the night sky, but he blurs it so it looks more like a bird.

Or a bat, perhaps.

And he has them call their hero not Mr Bush, of course, or even "Mr President", but . . . Batman.

....

Mind you, the same excuses for violence, and for defying the public's will, is used by vigilantes and tyrants. And Nolan is so careful to sugar his pill that some critics, and not only of the Left, have taken his film as an attack on Bush instead.

Take Variety.com's deputy editor, Anne Thompson, who seizes on the scene in which the Joker taunts Batman: "What would I do without you? You complete me . . . To them (the public) you're just a freak. Like me."

Concludes Thompson: "The film-making suggests the Joker has, like a Shakespearean fool on PCP, hit on a harsh truth: Batman has more in common with his killer-clown foe than with the normal people he means to protect. So should we conclude The Dark Knight argues that Bush and bin Laden are two sides of the same coin?"

Answer: are you kidding? In fact, the Joker is saying that without Batman's great good to oppose, his great evil would never be realised in its horrific glory.

It would be like Hitler being allowed to exterminate nothing more than mosquitoes. Who'd care?

What's more, Batman clearly has more in common with the people he tries to protect than does the Joker with people he tries to destroy, or the audience wouldn't be cheering him, and the next film in the series wouldn't be Batman III but The Joker II.

No, the cinema audience understands what the Gotham citizens do not - Batman's dilemma and the awesome imperatives of responsibility. And they are with him, not his critics.

So why don't Americans in particular leave the movie cheering Bush as they cheered Batman?

Because in leaving the cinema they stopped being that audience and re-entered their own real Gotham City - with a real Batman they once more feel driven to hate for all the hard things he's had to do to protect them.

They have become the citizens of Gotham they were watching just minutes before with contempt.

But Bush would understand. As Alfred says: "He's not being a hero. He's being something more."

It's here!

2008-07-09T03:03:01Z

(sort of)

I pre-ordered Secret Voyage by Blackmore's Night a couple of months ago.
Now I've downloaded it from the newsgroups.

I was curious to see which would get here first, the CD or the pirated download.

(Though I won't be canceling the order through Amazon.)

For your deadly garden...

2008-07-07T02:04:26Z

Purple Slinky has a list of the 20 deadliest plants on the planet. You'll be surprised, at first, how many are in gardens around you.

The top 20 are:
Oleander (Nerium Oleander)
Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia)
Deadly Nightshade (Atropa Belladonna)
Jimson Weed (Datura Stramonium)
Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)
Monkshood (Aconitum variegatum)
Yew (Taxus Baccata)
White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)
Water Hemlock (Cicuta)
Moonseed (Manispermum)
Privet (Ligustrum sp.)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
Yellow Jasmine (Gelsemium semperivens)
Larkspur (Delphinium)
Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)
Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
Daphne (Daphne Sp.)
Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis)
Doll's Eyes (Actaea pachypoda)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

The Doll's Eyes is a particularly strange looking plant:

Just pre-ordered...

2008-06-01T00:36:34Z

Their work has always been worth listening to.

Secret Voyage

I'll be able to listen to this in July.
I look forward to it.

Hmmmph.

Well, it displays properly here.

Hmmm.

2008-03-28T18:18:05Z

A post is up at the Usual Suspect defending Barack Obama's choice of pastor.

My post:

Interesting...
A blogger styling himself "Instaputz" writes:
Putz's latest "IN THE MAIL" offering looks innocuous enough at first.
....
It turns out that the author, Thomas Woods (see also here) is a founding member of the League of the South, a fringe, separatist organization...
....
Why would Putz --- or anyone for that matter --- publicize a book authored by a founding member of a hate organization like LOS? It's precisely behavior like this (other incidents highlighted here) that has prompted accusations of racism at Putz.

Reynolds' blog entry, in its entirety, reads:
IN THE MAIL: 33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed to Ask.

UPDATE: No, I haven't been a fan of Woods' work in the past. However, after I posted this link he emailed to say that earlier claims that he's a neo-confederate are false. So there's that in his favor.

(I don't know when the update was added. When InstaPutz read it, it may have been just the one sentence.)
You then cite this as evidence that Reynolds is a "racsist".
So if a racist mails a copy of his book to you and you say anything about it, you have "promoted a racist"? People could have all kinds of fun with "logic" like that.
For the record, Reynolds has reviewed at least one other book by the same author. He trashed it.
Maybe it's another example of how we draw lines in different places, but I think one should have to work just a little harder to acquire the stain of "racist". (Or even "rascist".)

So what is "rascist"? Presumably a typo.
But it seems to fit his modus operandi: read to the point where you've found something to be furious about, and then type ahead in a fit of temperment, and devil take any mistakes you make along the way.

And of course, we have a truly silly attempt to draw a moral equivalence between someone who occasionally reviews a book by a (presumed) racist and someone who thunders racist lies from the pulpit to a church filled with cheering followers.

Jeremiah Wright's statements have been well documented, and made in extremely public ways – both from the pulpit and in recordings and DVDs. And we also have to consider that while Reynolds has received occasional books to review from accused racists, and may have linked to their sites, Obama chose to attend Wright's church for twenty years. Wright baptized Obama's children and was a close friend, mentor, and spiritual counselor for that time. This is a level of involvement that raises the question of "What did Obama know, and when did he know it?"

Craigs List Hoax Ad

2008-03-25T20:38:40Z

I guess I'm surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.
At least with newspaper ads, or with most sites, the person placing an
ad has to leave identifying information.

Police offer amnesty to people who stole from Craigslist
hoax victim

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_032408_news_craigslist_hoax.1ffb2c9c>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I guess I'm surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.
At least with newspaper ads, or with most sites, the person placing an
ad has to leave identifying information.

<blockquote>Police offer amnesty to people who stole from Craigslist
hoax victim
<www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_032408_news_craigslist_hoax.1ffb2c9c
.html
<http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_032408_news_craigslist_hoax.1
ffb2c9c.html> >
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
By AP and kgw.com Staff

JACKSONVILLE, Ore. -- Police say belongings removed from a Southern
Oregon man's property have begun slowly reappearing at his home, a day
after a pair of hoax ads on Craigslist cost Robert Salisbury much of
what he owned.
And police said people who return the items voluntarily will not be
prosecuted.
The ads popped up Saturday afternoon, saying the owner of a Jacksonville
home was forced to leave the area suddenly and his belongings, including
a horse, were free for the taking, said Jackson County Sheriff's
Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan.
But the ads were a hoax. Robert Salisbury had no plans to leave.
The independent contractor was at Emigrant Lake when he got a call from
a woman who had stopped by his house to claim his horse.
On his way home he stopped a truck loaded down with his work ladders,
lawn mower and weed eater.
"I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff
back," Salisbury said. "They showed me the Craigslist printout and told
me they had the right to do what they did."
The driver sped away after rebuking Salisbury. On his way home he
spotted other cars filled with his belongings.
Once home he was greeted by close to 30 people rummaging through his
barn and front porch.
The trespassers, armed with printouts of the ad, tried to brush him off.
"They honestly thought that because it appeared on the Internet it was
true," Salisbury said. "It boggles the mind."
Jacksonville police and Jackson County sheriff's deputies arrived but by
then several cars packed with Salisbury's property had fled.
He turned some license plate numbers over to police. By late Monday, s
ome people who learned of the hoax began to return items taken from the
home. Authorities weren't able to say how much or what had been
returned, but did say that by late Monday afternoon, items were
"starting to piling up" in Salisbury's driveway.
Michelle Easley had seen the ad that claimed Salisbury's horse had been
declared abandoned by the sheriff's department and was free to a good
home.
"I can't stand to see a horse suffer so I drove out there and got her,"
Easley said. "The horse didn't look abandoned. She is in good shape for
being 32 years old."
But it looked odd, so she left a note on Salisbury's door explaining the
ad. She then decided to call to make sure the ad was legitimate when the
second similar ad appeared.
"I feel bad because I was a part of it," Easley said. "It felt right to
call the police."
Fagan praised Easley's honestly but said prosecution was likely for
anybody caught with Salisbury's property.
Officers were still contacting people who were seen leaving Salisbury's
house with his stuff. If they return the taken items, no charges will be
filed. But people who don't return what they took may face charges.
Items can be returned with no questions asked, Fagan said.
Detectives have contacted Craigslist's legal team to try to trace the
ad.
Meanwhile, Salisbury could not even relax on his porch swing -- someone
took it. </blockquote>

"Expelled" star expelled from showing of movie

2008-03-25T18:34:52Z

http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/03/pz_myers_expelled_gains_sainth
.php

Here is a link-rich post describing a major PR coup on the part of the
producers of the film "Expelled". Unfortunately, it turns out to be a
major coup for the other side.

As you have undoubtedly heard, a group of evolutionary
biologists and evolutionary biology supporters attended a showing of the
movie Expelled, in the Twin Cities, last night. This group included the
very famous Richard Dawkins and the only slightly less famous PZ Myers.
PZ and Richard, in fact, were together in line, along with PZ's spouse,
a daughter, and a future son in law. Other evolution supporters and at
least one local evolutionary-type blogger were also in line.
While waiting in line and minding their own business, PZ was spotted by
the Expelled! production staff, and EXPELLED from the theater!!!!
Richard Dawkins and the others were not picked up by this anti-truth
security dragnet, and were able to attend the show.

Since the premise of the film is that academics are being suppressed,
oppressed, repressed, and depressed for failing to toe the party line on
evolution, it is ironic, to say the least, that the producers would, in
turn, expel a known critic of their position. Even more ironic when
this critic is featured in the film and prominently listed in the
credits.
Here is Myers' account, from his own blog:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/03/expelled.php

I went to attend a screening of the creationist propaganda
movie, Expelled, a few minutes ago. Well, I tried ... but I was
Expelled! It was kind of weird - I was standing in line, hadn't even
gotten to the point where I had to sign in and show ID, and a policeman
pulled me out of line and told me I could not go in. I asked why, of
course, and he said that a producer of the film had specifically
instructed him that I was not to be allowed to attend. The officer also
told me that if I tried to go in, I would be arrested. I assured him
that I wasn't going to cause any trouble.
I went back to my family and talked with them for a while, and then the
officer came back with a theater manager, and I was told that not only
wasn't I allowed in, but I had to leave the premises immediately. Like
right that instant.
I complied.
I'm still laughing though. You don't know how hilarious this is. Not
only is it the extreme hypocrisy of being expelled from their Expelled
movie, but there's another layer of amusement. Deep, belly laugh funny.
Yeah, I'd be rolling around on the floor right now, if I weren't so dang
dignified.
You see ... well, have you ever heard of a sabot? It's a kind of sleeve
or lightweight carrier used to surround a piece of munition fired from a
gun. It isn't the actually load intended to strike the target, but may
even be discarded as it leaves the barrel.
I'm a kind of sabot right now.
They singled me out and evicted me, but they didn't notice my guest.
They let him go in escorted by my wife and daughter. I guess they didn't
recognize him. My guest was ...
Richard Dawkins.

Richard Dawkins offers his comments on the episode.
http://richarddawkins.net/article,2394,Lying-for-Jesus,Richard-Dawkins

The blogs are ringing with ridicule. Mark Mathis,
duplicitous producer of the much hyped film Expelled, shot himself in
the foot so spectacularly that the phrase might have been invented for
him. Goals don't come more own than this. How is it possible that a man
who makes his living from partisan propaganda could hand so stunning a
propaganda coup to his opponents? Hand it to them on a plate, so
ignominiously and so UNNECESSARILY.

Now, to the Good Friday Fiasco itself, Mathis' extraordinary
and costly lapse of judgment. Just think about it. His entire film is
devoted to the notion that American scientists are being hounded and
expelled from their jobs because of opinions that they hold. The film
works hard at pressing (no, belabouring with a sledgehammer) all the
favourite hot buttons of free speech, freedom of thought, the right of
dissent, the right to be heard, the right to discuss issues rather than
suppress argument. These are the topics that the film sets out to raise,
with particular reference to evolution and 'intelligent design' (wittily
described by someone as creationism in a cheap tuxedo). In the course of
this film, Mathis tricked a number of scientists, including PZ Myers and
me, into taking prominent parts in the film, and both of us are
handsomely thanked in the closing credits.
Seemingly oblivious to the irony, Mathis instructed some uniformed goon
to evict Myers while he was standing in line with his family to enter
the theatre, and threaten him with arrest if he didn't immediately leave
the premises. Did it not occur to Mathis -- what would occur any
normally polite and reasonable person -- that Myers, having played a
leading role in the film, might have been welcomed as an honoured guest
to watch it? Or, more cynically, did he not know that PZ is one of the
country's most popular bloggers, with a notoriously caustic wit,
perfectly placed to set the whole internet roaring with delighted and
mocking laughter? I long ago realised that Mathis was deceitful. I
didn't know he was a bungling incompetent.

And it seems the film was pretty bad, too.

Tired blood

2008-03-20T18:28:39Z

source

The common practice of storing blood for more than two weeks
could be proving fatal for thousands of heart surgery patients,
according to a major study.
Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio have found that patients who
receive blood that is more than 14 days old are nearly two-thirds more
likely to die than those who get newer blood.
....
A total of 2,872 patients received blood that had been stored for 14
days or less, and 3,130 patients received blood that was more than 14
days old.
The mean storage age was 11 days for the newer blood and 20 days for the
older blood.
In-hospital mortality was significantly higher among those who received
older blood: 2.8% compared to 1.7%.
The researchers also found that death rates a year on were nearly half
as high again in the patients who had received older blood, compared to
those who received newer blood. 11% of the patients who had received
older blood had died a year later, compared to 7.4% of those who
received newer blood. Both sets of patients received the same volume of
blood.

The difference in hospital is 1.1% of all patients -- not that much, but
not insignificant either. A year later, the difference is 4.6% of all
patients. Nothing to sneeze at.
Really, this shouldn't be all that surprising.
Blood is not just one particular age. Blood cells in the body are
constantly being destroyed as they wear out, and constantly being
replenished by new ones. Any batch of blood drawn from a donor is going
to have some fraction of blood cells that are due for replacement, and
that number will only increase as the blood ages. It's like taking a
bunch of people off a street corner in a big city. Some fraction of
those people will be retirement age. If you hold the sample for ten
years and don't allow reproduction, a larger fraction will be retirement
age.
As usual, medicine involves weighing risks and benefits. A transfusion
is always going to carry some risk. If you need one right now, you need
one. If not, there are lots of good reasons not to get one.
And of course, if you're eligible to donate, please do so.
At least once a year, perhaps in honor of your birthday.

Terry Karney on John McCain

2008-03-19T04:22:42Z

Another "critique" of the man. Scare quotes this time because he reaches new lows in writing. I'd expect something this juvenile and foul-mouthed from someone a third of his age and half his IQ.

...John McCain, the slimy little-fuck, whom I called a spineless git for making torture possible, is now making his support for it more obvious.

I've voiced my disagreements to Karney in the past, and he refuses to address them (unless "'shut up,' he explained" is somehow a valid rebuttal). Now, I think it will suffice to refer anyone interested in my case to an open letter.

An interesting bit of data came up on the Dennis Prager radio program, December 31, 2007. The relevant bits appear about 8½ minutes into the second hour of the podcast (which means between 7 and 15 minutes of commercial breaks have been extracted). The hour features an interview with

...Mark Bowden, national correspondent for Atlantic and best-selling author of Black Hawk Down, about the moral and practical repercussions of using “torture” to obtain critical, life-saving information from terrorists.

At 8:30 in, Bowden recalls the case of Wolfgang Daschner, a deputy police chief of Frankfurt, Germany. He was faced with a kidnapper who had buried a boy alive.

Bowden reported that although the boy had already died by the time he was found, he was found exactly where the kidnapper told police to look.

Kidnapping Has Germans Debating Police Torture

....
The first fact is this: on Sept. 27, Mr. Gäfgen kidnapped Jakob von Metzler, the 11-year-old son of a prominent banker, and murdered him by wrapping his mouth and nose in duct tape.

Four days later, Mr. Gäfgen was arrested after the police watched him picking up the ransom, but after hours of interrogation he was still refusing to disclose where Jakob was being kept.

That is what produced the second undisputed fact: imagining that Jakob's life might be in imminent danger, the deputy police chief of Frankfurt, Wolfgang Daschner, ordered subordinates to extract the necessary information from Mr. Gäfgen by threatening to torture him.

Mr. Gäfgen was told, his lawyer later said, that "a specialist" was being flown to Frankfurt by helicopter and that he would "inflict pain on me of the sort I had never before experienced."

A few minutes after being threatened, Mr. Gäfgen told the police where Jakob was -- at a lake in a rural area near Frankfut -- but when officers arrived there they discovered that Jakob, his body wrapped in plastic, was already dead.

[emphasis added]

Bowden pointed out (over 12 minutes in) that:

The truth is, if you talk to interrogators and research the issue,... you discover that fear is actually a much more effective motivator than pain. So when people think about torture and coercive tactics, they always think about the inquisition and doing terrible things to people. Most often, when it comes to that, the fear or the threat of inducing pain is more effective than pain itself.

Terry's response to any evidence that torture (and he defines "torture" as "any physical or mental coercion – any") might possibly work is to assert his claim "Torture Doesn't Work" more loudly, and call the proffered evidence false, tainted, or a pack of lies.

His advice to his readers is to ignore me. He doesn't want you reading what I just presented. Unfortunately, his unwillingness to sharpen his argument or even attempt to refine it only hurts his case.

Pity.

Ear, ear!

2008-03-19T03:27:01Z

I kind of believe this ... sort of. The problem is, I can't tell how much of what I'm hearing is the ring tone, and how much is resonance at lower frequencies in the speaker hardware.

But I like the conceit that I have good hearing.

You are in your twenties

You can still hear reasonably well and you can play this without my old fart colleagues hearing it which makes you feel kinda good.

The highest pitched ultrasonic mosquito ringtone that I can hear is 15.8kHz

Find out which ultrasonic ringtones you can hear!

400

2008-02-28T03:23:22Z

Not the sequel to that movie about the Spartans.

This is the number of units of platelets I've donated as of January 19th.
The Red Cross gave me a nice plaque and a trophy.

Oooh!

2008-01-15T06:06:42Z

Music Genome Project

What's in a name?

2008-01-15T05:51:16Z

Ok, I see what they're doing.

What Karl Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life.
You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip.
People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Bowties recipe

2008-01-10T20:54:36Z

KRUSCHIKI (BOWTIES)

1 lb. flour
8 oz. sour cream
2 oz. rum or liquor
9 - 12 egg yolks (9 if lg., 12 if sm.)
2 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg yolks lightly, only until all the yolks are broken.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Remove the dough from
the bowl onto a floured board and knead the dough
thoroughly, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from
sticking to the hands. Roll out very thin as you would for
noodles. Cut in thin strips about 2 inches wide and six
inches long. Slit in the center and pull one corner through
the hole thereby forming a bowtie. Deep fry until light in
color. Drain on paper towels. After the bowties have cooled
sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 8 dozen.

Grilled Pizza

2008-01-10T20:52:59Z

Grilled Pizza With Tomato, Basil and Prosciutto[image: [Grilled Pizza
photo]]

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**

**

**

**

**

*Yield:* 2 12-inch pizzas, each serving 1 as a main course or 2 to 6 as an
appetizer
*Active preparation time:* 8 minutes, plus time to start the grill
*Cooking time:* 10 minutes

1 cup shredded fontina cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
2 rounds of pizza dough
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes in heavy purée
16 roughly torn basil leaves
12 paper-thin slices of prosciutto

Prepare a moderately hot fire (you should be able to hold your hand above
the grill for a count of three) using hardwood lump charcoal and banking
them toward the back of the grill. Leave one-third of the grill free from
any charcoal. Mix the cheeses together in a small bowl and set aside.

Invert a cookie sheet and generously grease it with olive oil. Place a dough
round on top and flatten it with your hands until it is an even disc about
1/16-inch thick.

Lift the dough by the two corners closest to you and drape it onto the
grill. Grill until the dough puffs and has grill marks, about 1 minute.

Using tongs, flip the crust over onto the cool part of the grill. Brush the
top with olive oil and scatter with half of the garlic and half of the
cheese. Spoon dollops of half the tomato sauce over the cheese and drizzle
with 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Slide the pizza back toward the hot coals (but not directly over them).
Rotate the pizza and check it often to make sure it evenly browns and
doesn't burn. Once the cheese melts, after 6 to 8 minutes, remove from the
grill and sprinkle with half of the basil and then half of the prosciutto.
Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

For Spicy Pizza With Corn and Parmigiano-Reggiano: Substitute 1 heaping cup
of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for the fontina and Pecorino-Romano
cheeses, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped jalapeño for the garlic, 1 cup of
fresh corn kernels blanched in boiling water for 1 minute for the
prosciutto, and 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro for the basil.
* * * Pizza Dough[image: [Pixxa dough photo]]

**

**

**

**

**

**

*Yield:* 21/2 pounds of dough, enough for 4 12-inch pizzas or 6 to 8 smaller
ones
*Active preparation time:* 30 minutes to make the dough, plus 2 hours and 40
minutes to rise

*(Note: If you don't have a standing mixer, knead the dough by hand.)*

5 to 6 cups high-gluten all-purpose flour (such as Ceresota, Heckers or King
Arthur)
21/2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
Extra-virgin olive oil

Place 5 cups of flour and the salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted
with the dough hook attachment.
Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup of warm water (105°F to 110°F) in a small
bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes, then add 11/2 cup cool water and pour over
the flour. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Scrape down the
bowl, and continue to mix until the dough is smooth and tacky but not
sticky-wet, about 10 minutes (add more flour if the dough is sticky).

Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover the
bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 2
hours.

Press the dough to deflate and knead once. Cover the bowl with plastic
wrap and set aside for 40 minutes. Deflate again and evenly divide into 4 to
8 pieces.

After rising, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours before
grilling. Let the rounds sit out at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes
before proceeding with one of the pizza recipes at left.