Sunday June 30, 2002
Here's what Rupert Murdoch allows opinion writers to say outside of America.
Adapting to global climate change, one propeller-driven SUV at a time.
Tom Tomorrow is too funny for his own good.
I am so incredibly jealous of Dave Hyatt right now.
Jim Jeffords must wake up every morning and be thankful he's broken his ties to the Bush family empire. At least he doesn't have to do anymore ritual sacrifices of newborns to the giant Bush statue in the Republican temple. You know the one, sculpted in snot and horseshit, that takes the best features of Dubya, Jeb and their father and creates a creature too foul to look upon, whose name must not be uttered. It's right next to the Reagan statue that, even though formed from titanium, seems to be taking on the visage of an advanced-stage Alzheimer's patient.
The New York Times puts to rest the Republican's latest "Blame Clinton" attempt -- this time the one blaming him for the Western wildfires. And for you international readers, believe it. If the sky were to fall tomorrow, it would be Bill Clinton's fault.
Thursday June 27, 2002
Well, Bush just stated pretty succinctly that he thinks the Prayer of Allegiance is actually a recognition of God (the Christian "Almighty" one) as an important part of American life. Reason enough to take out the words. "America is a nation that values our relationship with an Almighty," he said. The ruling "points up the fact that we need common-sense judges who understand that our rights were derived from God. And those are the kind of judges I intend to put on the bench."
At least he's not as mealy-mouthed as the nincompoops who equated "under God" with "Thank God!", "Good God Almighty!" and other exclamations which apparently don't have a religious connotation through repeated use. But I can't say which of the two opinions I find more nauseating.
Mitchell Baker seems to be able to summarize well Mozilla's position and the state of the industry.
"We are extremely pleased that the user experience of Mozilla 1.0 is so good, and is recognized as such. There is no doubt that Mozilla 1.0 is a good technical alternative to other browser and mail/news clients. Good, or even great, technology will not solve all the problems of the existing desktop monopoly, but it is a necessary prerequisite. "
And we're picking up speed on our way down.
Another Hell-in-a-handbasket day.
Now that it's become such a religious issue (why are the Fundamentalists so apoplectic, if the Pledge *isn't* about inculcuating religion into children?), I imagine we'll start seeing much more explicit coercion of children -- either from their teachers or from their peers -- to say the Prayer of Allegiance in school. I think the court ruled correctly that coercion to declare a belief in a higher being, either explicit or implicit, went against the establishment clause of the First Amendment.
However, now that we're in Bizarro World, with Bush and his minions running amok over our judiciary, over our government institutions, covering up naked statues, telling people that they need to "watch what they say", holding American citizens in military camps without access to a lawyer, siphoning more and more of the federal purse into Defense ( which would soon fall under the rubric of an agency that Patrick Leahy rightly declared would be "above the law"), I think it's just a matter of time before the more brutal aspects of authoritarianism become manifest in the population. Our country flirts with it every so often, usually with heavy fundamentalist Christian overtones - burning books and records of Elvis and the Beatles, killing abortion doctors and harrassing women seeking abortions. And it's a sign of how cowed our population is that there was no uproar last night over the Fundamentalist's cry that this ruling would bring down the wrath of God on America, just as September 11th had been a punishment for our sins.
But never have we had an Administration so fundamentalist, so radically conservative, so transparently partisan and at the same time so unconcerned about the country's mounting economic woes. They blithely dismissed the recent uptick in crime across the country - but it was a very clear omen of growing economic unrest and uncertainty. Add to that uncertainty a helping of sublimated anti-Islamic fervor, Judeo-Christian victimization and doomsday talk, and you have a recipe for increased authoritarian, militant, radical fundamentalist behavior on the part the population. It's an indication, I believe, of the live-and-let-live attitude of Americans that violence against immigrants has been so mild (relatively mild; some Middle-Eastern students on the campus of the university close to my home were stoned by other students after 9/11). It remains to be seen if Americans can become so radicalized that they as a whole cross that line. But our present Administration is stoking the fires of unrest in our country -- actively through their radical and divisive political agenda, passively through their casual dismissal of the country's growing economic troubles -- and it just might turn into an inferno before they're done.
Wednesday June 26, 2002
Here's an article from the Financial Times regarding the Bush Administration's blasé attitude towards the dollar's declining value, and how Bush's ill-timed comments might lead to a further erosion. Also, the Euro has almost reached parity with the dollar, coming within .0056 cents.
Interesting to note - the pledge of allegiance was originally written by a prominent Socialist, with the intent of indoctrination of schoolchildren into a nationalistic mindset, where they pledged fidelity to an "indivisible" union, not a voluntary union, promoting national allegiance above all others (and to the dismay of Conservatives, this would include even the church and the family). The pledge was originally said while holding the right arm outstretched, hand pointed, palm down (what we now associate with the Nazi salute).
The "under God" part was added in 1954, and apparently the writers of the statute adding the words were so intent on conveying this theological belief that they argued over how the words should be phrased so that its intent couldn't be misconstrued.
They were also attempting to counter a "communist-athiest" element in America, the same communist element that made Joseph McCarthy famous.
So, the pledge that originally attempted to indoctrinate children into the concept of Nationalism or Americanism was amended so that it would also indoctrinate them into the monotheistic theology of Christianity.
I'll end with this quote from an active duty Air Force officer: "Members of the military are required to swear or affirm their support and defense of the Constitution of the United States. I have gladly "pledged my allegiance" by making this affirmation, and I, like many other atheists in foxholes, would give my life if necessary to defend our Constitution and our great democratic way of life."
Pledge of Allegiance ruled unconstitutional! Thank God!
Massive accounting fraud, this time by the big-time GOP donor, MCIWorldcom. These people are thieves on such a massive scale that I believe that they should be deemed traitors, and should be brought up on charges of treason for acts against the stability of America and the US economy.
And I think that something else is becoming clear: America's economy has been propped up by accounting fraud and tax evasion. The only hope of curbing a serious recession will be if we decide to start turning away from this trend, and allow this behavior to continue unchecked. Because if we follow this to its conclusion, and continue to uncover crime after crime, we're not going to see an end to this for years.
Are these guys good or evil, George?
Tuesday June 25, 2002
Paul Krugman states the obvious, something I mentioned last month.
Paul writes, "As I've noted before, the Bush administration has an infallibility complex: it never, ever, admits making a mistake. And that kind of arrogance tends, eventually, to bring disaster."
With the news that IE has *95%* of the browser market, a number that actually surprised me, all I can say is "3 cheers for monopoly!"
And if anyone attempts to make the claim that those numbers have anything at all to do with usability, you should rap them on the head severely and repeatedly, and shout the words "It's the monopoly, stupid!".
What are we even worrying about at this point? 3rd party browsers (and let's not forget Operating Systems!) barely qualify for minority status. The only thing that's going to change these numbers at this point is a serious legal ruling. If it doesn't come in the next few months (and I believe I've said this before), I think AOL, Opera and the rest should close up shop. Since Microsoft doesn't see a responsibility in advancing standards compliance on their own, once these companies go dark we will probably still be able to coast on their last offerings for 5 years, because the state of the art won't have advanced one iota. That is, until the state of the art in standards compliance requires a 6-month web-designer indoctrination camp in the Redmond backwoods. At that point, we'll just fade into a .05% cyber-ghetto, writing our HTML and tinkering with PHP while everyone else has moved onto the lush green mountain pastures of .MSML (and we'll be locked out because we refuse to give Microsoft details on our daily excretions and sexual peccadillos.)
Perhaps a wireless peer-to-peer counter-Internet revolt might get a blip on the MS-CNN website, but it will only get the usage of .005 percent of the Internet population. Of course, we'll be regularly breaking into the Microsoft enclave, making our living on the lack of security of the latest MS offering. Anthony Elgindy and the two FBI agents were ahead of the curve; blackmail and cyber-crime will be the new growth area of the tech industry, because once Microsoft reaches a 99.9 percent saturation of the market, their only way to grow their market will be by insisting on their users' first-born. Or maybe we'll just have to give them the semen and egg - they'll take care of the rest.
A future where each new advancement is more restrictive than the last. Each new achievement is attacked by Microsoft or some other corporate entity hell-bent on keeping control. That has been the struggle of the last 10 years, as the exciting, colorful, anarchic days of the Internet have faded into a pale gray wash of corporate Flash animation. Without a courageous judge to set out a clear, populist anti-monopolistic vision for the future of Internet technology in America, those 12 years will soon look like some mythical halcyon summer of endless delights.
Maybe we should start building a new home for ourselves now. And let's forget to give Microsoft the key, ok?
Monday June 24, 2002
Bush offered Palestinians absolutely nothing today with his speech on the Middle East. To paraphrase it, "you change in the way we want, elect the people we want you to elect, and we'll support a non-binding statehood. Elect anyone else, do anything other than what we say, and we won't even go that far." I bet all of the occupied territories are jumping for joy at that news.
Neverwinter Nights - worthless. Bought it Saturday, uninstalled and had it sold Sunday, shipped it today. I'll know better next time -- there won't be a next time. I'll never buy a game like that again. What a miserable waste. I can't believe that people devoted years of their lives towards the development of that giant piece of filth.
Sunday June 23, 2002
Maybe the same flaws that led Eric Raymond to think that this monstrously biased Libertarian recruitment form bears any relation to anything legitimate are the same flaws that propel his monstrous world view.
Looks like the Libertarians are taking some cues from Scientology. Soon they'll have a "Freedometer" that can electronically gauge your freedom potential. At the very least, I think a secret handshake is in order.
Saturday June 22, 2002
More miserable refereeing propels South Korea one step further toward the World Cup finals.
Friday June 21, 2002
Stifling democracy, south-of-the-border style. Bush and his lackeys set their eye on Brazil.
I can't help the feeling that we as a country have been utterly betrayed by our news organizations over the past few months. As our system of rights and protections becomes more and more corrupted and undermined by the corporatists that are currently holding court, the press hasn't the energy or will to truly confront the issues in a way that allows Americans to see the depth of the subversion. And the changes that are going on are so perverse and damaging that even conservatives (the ones not on television) are starting to fear the new powers of the administration.
With the new Homeland Security bureaucracy, which now brings under the umbrella of Defense many aspects of government that have only tangential (or ephemeral) defense-related duties, we can see the true goals of this administration bursting forth in full flower. These rightists who have for years talked about bankrupting all non-defense related departments of the goverment have gotten one more step towards their goal. By moving pieces of departments like FEMA and Agriculture under the auspices of defense, they can provide funds for these fragments while starving the non-defense related aspects of the same departments.
Our administration's actions also point to this conclusion. Week after week we're confronted with new threats (real or imagined) that are queued up to take away our way of life (the SUVs and TVs). So we have to be vigilant -- there's a terrorist behind every tree, every Starbucks coffee cup, every Happy Meal delivered with an empty smile. Our lives have to be reprioritized, and so does the government bureaucracy; there's no time to waste! We don't have time to debate the nature of fascism, of big brother, of encroachment on liberties - the wolf is at the door, and it's only a matter of seconds before he'll be blowing our house down. Padilla is a terrorist, or just some guy; it doesn't matter, because the threat potential is real. He could possibly do something that could scare us at some time in the future. Hussein is a terrorist - or just a tyrant; it doesn't matter, because the threat potential is real. He might destroy our colony and military fortress in Israel. You're a suspect - or just a citizen; it doesn't matter, because your threat potential is the same as any crackpot religious radical hiding out in some handsawn cave. You may formulate a plan over the phone, over the Internet, with the intent of harming the Fatherland... er, Homeland. A plan for what? Does it matter? It's the possibility, stupid. So we'll watch you. And you. And you. The only good Defense is a good offense.
Whatever may become of this country, we're certainly dumb enough to let a worst-case scenario erupt. We've sat silent as the most blatant undermining of civil liberties has occurred in less than a half a year's time. What awaits us at the end of this voyage into reckless authoritarian militarism? Is there an end? Or do we ride off into the sunset, our country nothing but a band of ragged bounty hunters and lawless ingrates, shooting all living things that look at us cross-eyed?
Thursday June 20, 2002
CNN: More than ever, traffic jams waste time
Wednesday June 19, 2002
I have come to realize how glad I am that I don't piss a large portion of my life away by driving. All you miserable sots who waste hours and hours tooling around, it's really sad how much life you miss by watching it fly by you. Do you drive your long commutes home and then plop your ass in front of the TV? No reason to let stuff like life get in the way of presentation, is there?
Sunday June 16, 2002
Anthrax? What Anthrax?
Thursday June 13, 2002
Italy advances! They needed a bit of luck.
Wednesday June 12, 2002
Clinton Administration -- America deceived!
By one man.
About sex.
Bush Administration -- America deceived!
By many men.
About practically everything.
All the time.
It turns out that even this governmental reorganization was a ruse. Four men, working in secrecy, came up with the plan for the Homeland Security department. A triumph of the Bush Administration over the Federal bureaucracy.
But even that was a sham. Their plan isn't even done. Apparently the secret meetings were nothing but 4 guys sitting around a White House basement room, learning Visio.
So much for caring enough about a subject to do it right the first time. The WaSP stumbles off the blocks; their website is, shall we say, sending their message off target.
Tuesday June 11, 2002
Apparently it's possible to crawl out of the dustbin of history.
Monday June 10, 2002
This guy was arrested on May 8th. And it's news now?
Sunday June 09, 2002
I tuned into a show on the origins of human thought on PBS the other evening, and listened to scientists explain how language was evolved. But through all their ruminations on the origins of intellect, their version of human evolution seemed limned by some sort of universal benevolence. As if language erupted because of a need to share, to buy and sell, to communicate with other humans, to join us across some natural metaphysical chasm that somehow, despite the fact that we had lived in one form or another within the natural world for millions of years, had kept us separated from the world and each other.
But it seems more likely to me that language evolved to keep others out, to delimit the boundaries of earth, to restrict the range of the mind, and to promote separation from others. I find it easier to believe that the first forays into language were meant as secrets - as mysteries that would be shared amongst a few - safe from untrusted parties. As the secrets of writing were kept from the masses and hidden in temples, so would the the spoken word itself have been a secret - something that only the most nimble of minds at the time would be able to comprehend, and something that they surely would have kept for themselves in order to increase their prestige and power. And so meaning would also be stratified, with only the simplest of meanings communicated to the masses, the more arcane meanings saved for the few who used the mystery to hold sway over a population.
Thursday June 06, 2002
Bush seems smaller than usual, giving this address tonight. And even looks smaller -- at least on Headline News, where he's sidelined by weather alerts and pig follies.
I'd rather be watching Ozzy. Ok, I've convinced me. I will :-)
Wednesday June 05, 2002
Mozilla? Mozilla? Where are you, Mozilla? Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Add "intellectual property theft" to Jeb Bush's growing list of crimes and misdemeanors.
Drudge Report, known for its scoops, was out-scooped by BuzzFlash.
Buzzflash was the first to report on John Ashcroft's new immigrant fingerprinting scheme, before the news went public in the NYT and before Drudge was able to get his "scoop" headline online.
The Media-as-Whores meme is spreading - showing up this time on Slashdot.
Monday June 03, 2002
The SEC covers Microsoft's ass.
Mark Crispin Miller: Brain Drain.
From the article:
Anyone who flips out at the thought of personal analysis is really asking for it himself. This, of course, is true not only of such big-time analyphobes as Nixon, Bush the Elder ("Please don't put me on the couch!") and George II ( sworn enemy of "psychobabble"), but also of those brownshirt wannabes who pipe up from the cheapest seats, cursing out the critics in mad sympathy with their offended leader.
A shot from Reuters: a newspaper front-page from Germany, headlined "Bush's Historic Speech".
MWO is back from vacation.
