Legend of the Corsair

Great YouTube video... You will laugh heartily while learning (possibly) new things about the skellies in Guv Palin's closet.



Enjoy!

Many thanks go to ciphergoth whom I found earlier today when I googled the term "Do, or not. There is no try." I approve this message.

I will be voting (at 6 am) on November 4th. Will you?

Thar she blows me hearties. Below, find a whole mess of links about a variety of subjects. Enjoy!

But first... Went into work for 6:15 am today to finish up a time sensitive project by 9 am. Gah. The whole day went pretty quickly. It's becoming quite busy at the office, with lots of work being generated by the fluctuating grain and fuel prices... Tired now.

While on a walk after lunch today my coworker and I spotted our neighborhood's resident turkey stalking around in the middle of the road at an intersection. It strutted up to the stoplight, cutting in between a stopped motorcycle and SUV, and proceeded to chase the motorcycle when it turned left when the light turned green. It didn't stop there. The evil little creature (yeah, he's great and we all love him) took his time exploring the intersection and kept traffic at a really slow speed while everyone in the area traversing through made room for the turkey. Yeah. It was quite a site.

I didn't find anything about turkeys chasing motorcycles, but here's one out in Ohio that looks just like our turkey, dangling chest feather and all, chasing a cop... Repeatedly.



And now - on with the posty post!

For the photographically inclined: Bokeh Photograph how-to wiki. Boke (often spelled bokeh) is a term used to describe images that have a sharply focused subject surrounded by a blurry background.

Example:


Speculation on possible voter fraud attempts is revealed in a 43-page study (PDF) that reveals the frausters methods:
( Read more... )
One solution recommended by the authors: Voters can use the website and call-in line of Election Protection, a national nonpartisan voter-protection coalition, to get accurate information. And don't forward e-mails about voting procedures, even if they look authentic.

Elsewhere: About 53% of working Americans have had a work-related phone call or email while in the bathroom. The survey (commissioned by Nokia) discussed in the article also talks about how the lines dividing work and personal life are also blurring; about 62% of workers have had their personal lives interrupted by work ten or few times each week and vice-versa.



It doesn't stop there, however, another study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project is raising questions about the value of "connectedness" that comes with increased use of the internet and cell phones by families. Sounds just like the stuff done by radio and for television when those two technological devices were marketed to the public. New habits for old, new habits for old!

And what if people are biologically unsuited for (achieving) the American Dream? Peter Whybrow, head of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior at UCLA paints a disturbing picture of 21st century American life, where behavioral tendencies produced by millions of years of scarcity-driven evolution don’t fit the social and economic world we've constructed. Foremost among Whybrow's targets is the modern culture of spending on credit.

The answers aren't easy, Whybrow goes on to caution — but they do exist. People can think creatively about jumping from the treadmills of bad jobs and unmeetable needs; and even if this isn't always possible, they can teach their children to live modestly and within their means. Urban engineers can design cities that allow people to live and work and shop in the same place. Governments can, at the insistence of their citizens, provide the social safety nets on which social mobility, stagnant for the last 50 years, is based. And we can — however much it hurts — look to Europe for advice. Oh. crabbyolbastard? He mentions ponzi schemes in relation to the economy. Heh.

"You can think about markets in the same way as individuals who mortgaged their future — except markets did it with other people's money," he said. "You end up with a Ponzi scheme predicated on the idea that we can get something now, rather than having to wait. And it all comes back to the same instinctual drive."

That's right, stagnant for the last 50 years.

Neither Whybrow nor you, my reader, should be surprised about there being more to be outraged over with AIG. It's a take the money and run type of attitude it seems. AIG seems to think it doesn't need to act responsibly nor soberly in the current economic climate.

Further elsewhere: Thousands volunteer to Expose DNA Secrets to the World. 'No need to ask, I'll tell' mentality gets even more personal.

Interruption of regularly scheduled grumblings:

Awwww. Baby giraffe Bonsu! More baby animals here!

On a lighter note: For a little YA reading for the cryptologist ENIGMA - A Magical Mystery by Graeme Base was just released. Of course, anyone who has read Graeme Base knows that the best parts are below the surface. Each page has its retinue of hidden images, some of which are clues, some visual puns, and some of which are just plain fun. Best of all, Enigma declares that he wrote down all the locations of the missing items, but in a code he no longer remembers. The secret to the code is in the back of the book: a machine with three dials and... well, you see where this is going. Cracking the code adds a whole new layer to the book.

Check out this truly bizarre set of counterintelligence posters some viewable here on Wired's Danger Room. All of the ones available on the ONCIX website are located here. Enjoy!

Okay zombie lovers Dead Space is launching their webisode finale! As space-zombie videogame Dead Space racks up kudos internet-wide with this week's release of the PC version, parent company Electronic Arts has unveiled the final webisode of No Known Survivors.

For six weeks, No Known Survivors has been streaming back-stories building out from the game's main scenario. The series is one branch of a multiplatform synergy attack from EA, which also includes a comic book spinoff (pictured) and a deal with Starz to produce an animated Dead Space movie.



Music addicts… that want to stay or go legit, check out LaLa.

In politics; as goes Colin Powell, so goes Google. Rather, Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt.

As a follow up to a post made by interactiveleaf concerning the lies and hatemongering being spread by Reichwing Republicans about Senator Obama:


GOP Site Endorses E-mail Smears, Said 'Waterboard Obama'

By Sarah Lai Stirland - October 15, 2008 | 7:39:16 PM - WIRED Threat Level



The website of a local California Republican party has posted a message openly calling for the torture of Barack Obama, while reporting as fact a slew of long-ago debunked smears targeting the Democratic presidential candidate.

( Read more... )
The worst comment, posted by "Independent Voter" was This is funny. You leftist idiots cannot take a joke. You can dish it out but you can't take it. LOL. Yeah. It's a joke… Riiiiight. Try to pull the other one.

Further down you get a reply by "acerbic"

Ok. Is this a smear? Obama claims to be a Christian and yet he believes that human beings evolved from apes via natural selection and random mutation? Do real Christians realize that he believes in this crap or does he have one answer when he's around Christians and another when he's around atheists? He sounds like a con artist to me.

Of course, this is common atheist/evolutionist brain-dead crap since anybody who has played around with random GAs know that, as soon as the search space reaches a certain very low threshold, you get an exponential explosion of possibilities that makes any subsequent search intractable. Heck, you can't even get to the cellular level. Not even close.

This is the sort of crap that caused Paul Feyrabend to write that "the most stupid procedures and the most laughable results in their domain are surrounded with an aura of excellence. It is time to cut them down in size, and to give them a more modest position in society."

You atheist/leftist nerds act like your shit don't stink but yours is the stinkiest shit around. You are stupid as shit. LOL.

Yeah, that's right, Christians aren't allowed to believe in evolution. Don't some of them believe that God doesn't consider time in the same way humans do? One of Zir's days could be a millennia or trillennia? I'm not sure where "acerbic" is getting the rest of their statement from… Anyone?

Wait… "rthomas" has a really good comeback to that part: Evolution vs. Natural Selection vs. Creationism, all are true. Keep in mind we have concrete evidence on how old the earth is, its previous occupants, when those occupants lived, even how the solar system, galaxy and our universe formed.

Now assuming the Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox Church and all the sects that spit from them, copied the Jewish Torah, exactly, word for word, which I highly doubt.

1) How many days passed during the days of creation, and no the answer is not seven. Why? It is generally accepted that a day for us on this planet last 24 hours, and no where does it say how long a day was. In fact, in the early part of the story there was no separation.

2) Show us where it describes the creatures; go on, I mean I know fish are described and to some extend fauna and insects.

3) Now, it says in there that we are created in the image of G-d. Who are we mere mortals to assume what G-d looks like? Honestly, it crosses the line to assume that we have always look like this just because we are created in the image of the All Mighty. Moreover, can that statement mean instead that it is our soul, the soul of every living creature on this Earth, that is created in the image of G-d.

4) Last of all, if we are meant to take the word of G-d, be it from the Bible, the Torah, the Qur'an, etc... We would not have been created with the ability to think for ourselves and question the word of G-d. We would most likely not have the ability to think for ourselves and question the word of G-d, and instead maybe the dolphins or roaches would be more worthy of the gift of logic. Thus, I believe, no matter what the issue, it is a sin to accept the word of G-d without second thought on the subject.

There is a LOT of heavy flaming going on in the comments. Extreme insults to Hawking that don't bear repeating… insults galore being issued by the pseudo-Christian lot toward everyone else. Nothing concrete or any supportive evidence to their statements. The point of the article, that this stuff was posted onto an OFFICIAL Republican website seems to have been missed by all of the trolls.

Huzzah for Margaret Sanger!



Personal Transport Pods for Mass Transit: It is time we design cities for the human, not for the automobile.



New show on the Discovery Channel looks interesting: Prototype This The show, which debuts Wednesday night, features four San Francisco Bay Area geeks who demonstrate their brainpower each week by undertaking a bizarre "build" to address some sort of problem.

( Read more... )

For my zombie loving friends out there, here are a list of songs that focus on those shambling revenants. There's an embedded player toward the bottom of the page where, after the intro song and chat, you can listen to the songs. *Looks at ginmar* Enjoy! FYI: First track is a bonus for Harry Potter fans. Anyone who listens, let me know what you thought. I'm liking the first song, kinda like the second, would have to be in the right frame of mind for the last one… it is from the Young Zombies in Love Musical however. Of course, this is from GeekDad, who would be looking for semi-kid-friendly tracks.

This is one of the many reasons why I love Sinfest.

Read this on the day it came out and have been meaning to post it. RAWR! This type of bullshit really pisses me off. How can you accept a job when you can't do the job or a portion of the job? It isn't like a disability that can be accommodated... it is a personal preference. If people are hired on false pretenses? Get rid of their asses. If their preferences have changed over time, they should be moved to a position (if possible and that position exists) that will not have this conflict arise.

Reminds me of my Mum, who accepted a job as a receptionist (or secretary or something) with the Air Force (or some military associated company) where she said she would accept the job if she wasn't involved in the weapons side of the business. When she found herself transcribing/typing stuff that had to do with missiles... she quit, after having a talk with her superior and being told to just do her job. I definitely think that she was naive to believe that she could work for a "war monger" type of employer and NOT be involved with the mongering...

Religious freedom, in my mind - and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong - is the freedom to believe in what you want and to worship in the way you want as long as no other is harmed in the process. Is that caveat not true? Is one group allowed, or going to be allowed, to oppress another because their organized beliefs are more important? Is a society doing well when this kind of imbalance allowed to occur?

How PC is anti-discrimination becoming? Twisting the original intent so that special, privileged groups can use anti-discrimination for their own ends is not something we should just lay down and accept.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Bush Proposal Stirs Birth Control Debate
By ROB STEIN
Washington Post
July 31, 2008

WASHINGTON —


A Bush administration proposal aimed at protecting health care workers who object to abortion and birth control methods they consider tantamount to abortion has escalated a bitter debate.

At issue is the balance between religious freedom and patients' rights.

The Health and Human Services Department is reviewing a draft regulation that would deny federal funding to medical centers that don't allow employees to opt out of participating in care that runs counter to their personal convictions, including providing birth control pills, IUDs and the Plan B emergency contraceptive.

Conservative groups, abortion opponents and some members of Congress are welcoming the initiative as necessary to safeguard doctors, nurses and other health workers who, they say, are increasingly facing discrimination because of their beliefs or are being coerced into delivering services they find repugnant.

But the draft proposal has sparked intense criticism by family planning advocates, women's health activists and members of Congress who say the regulation would create overwhelming obstacles for women seeking abortions and birth control.

There is also deep concern that the rule could have far-reaching, but less obvious, implications. Because of its wide scope and because it would — apparently for the first time — define abortion in a federal regulation as anything that affects a fertilized egg, the regulation could raise questions about a broad spectrum of scientific research and care, critics say.

The expanded definition of abortion would include most forms of hormonal birth control and the IUD.

Most major medical groups believe such practices do not constitute abortion because they primarily affect ovulation or fertilization and not an embryo once it has implanted in the womb.

"The breadth of this is potentially immense," said Robyn S. Shapiro, a bioethicist and lawyer at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "Is this going to result in a kind of blessed censorship of a whole host of areas of medical care and research?"

The proposal is outlined in a 39-page draft regulation that has been circulated among several HHS agencies. The FDA has not objected, but several officials at the National Institutes of Health said that the agency had expressed serious concerns.

"This is causing a lot of distress," said one NIH researcher. "It's a redefinition of abortion that does not match any of the current medical definitions. It's ideologically based and not based on science and could interfere with the development of many new therapies to treat diseases."

HHS defended its actions in a statement, saying it was "exploring a number of options" as a part of its duty to enforce anti-discrimination laws protecting medical workers.


What do YOU think?

Enjoy your collective weekends.

As I sit here drinking my first bit of coffee... With just the intention of checking my email I open up my laptop. Of course, I am drawn to checking on who has posted about what since the last time I left the LJ environment - mainly because my inbox is glutted with comments and replies.

A very interesting post here that describes a reverse scenario where all the misogynist behavior aimed at HRC is transformed into racial bigotry toward BO.

And ginmar posts about the above while adding her own erudite commentary.

Now. What I would like to see, and if anyone has access to this information or can point me to somewhere on the hugely interconnected web I would appreciate it, is a site that lists ALL of the misogynistic behavior that has been blatantly rampant since HRC first threw down the gauntlet and announced her candidacy. Because, every time I go and use this blatant misogyny argument I am expected to dredge up a countless number of instances to wave in front of the Doubting Thomas' face. They seem to think that it is "no big deal" that it isn't all that prevalent, and that it is only appearing on the fringes.

Usually in cases like that I describe above, the person isn't content with just saying they disagree with what I say, or my opinion, or whatever statement I've made... NO. They have to virulently disagree and say that I'm wrong and stupid and on and on. Even after I've been able to drag forth all the data that's out there. But. In this and all other cases, I want to be able to decide whether or not I want to make the effort, and not have to weakly flail about because I can't point to the large volume of proof. I want to have the option of making a choice.

So. What say you all?

I just had myself a mini-rant over at ginmar's journal. She links to a post over on Shakesville and talks about some guy who (as a lawyer) is shaking his finger at women and accusing them of privilege for thinking of voting for Hillary and accusing them also of (if they do vote for Hill) giving the presidency to McCain. GAH! See my rant at the first link if you want to get an eyeful of my opinion about that commenter.

In strangely related news... villagecharm mentions (in a post appearing just after gin's on my f-list) that:

"Our friends at Snopes explain one of the most persistent customs associated with the reappearance of February 29:

Leap years, according to folk tradition, were the only times when women could could propose marriage to men, with this belief often termed "The Ladies' Privilege."

This reflects the familiar folk belief that extraordinary events require a suspension of normal customs - since an extra day in February is outside the "normal" course of that month, human affairs on that day should be similarly "abnormal."

So. Therefore. By combining event A with event B, I say that we should definitely all elect Hill as our first female president. I don't quite have the logic of the decision worked out just yet... but, intuitively, it fits.

PS: VC, if you want me to not mention where I got the idea/info on the snopes stuff let me know, as you have that post f-locked or filtered.

Oh. And then there's the math of a leap year, which I cannot help but repeat because it is a neat math related rhyme...

Leap year's here! There'll be one more / In each year that cleanly divides by four / Except for full centuries / To be leap years they must / Be cleanly divisible by 400 / Otherwise they are common years / With the standard 365 days / That's why, for example / 1900 was not a leap year / but 2000 was.

Abortion ban closer in Nicaragua



A Nicaraguan parliamentary committee has approved draft legislation to ban all abortions, including in cases where the mother's life is at risk.

The legislation will now be debated at a national assembly hearing before a final vote next week.

If the law is passed, doctors carrying out abortions could face up to 30 years in prison.

At present, abortion is only permitted in Nicaragua in instances where the life of the mother is in danger.

The call for a complete ban has mainly come from the Roman Catholic and evangelical churches.

Church support

The bill - which is widely expected to be approved - has come amid campaigning for the country's presidential election in November.

The leader of the judicial committee which returned the decision is against changing the law. He argues that the process has happened too quickly, and without proper consultation.

However, BBC Americas editor Will Grant says it appears that the much of the assembly, and indeed much of Nicaragua, which is estimated to be 85% Roman Catholic, disagrees with him.

Orlando Tardencilla, one of the members of the sub-committee which proposed the bill, said: "Unless abortion is made a crime, then people can simply come out and say: 'I have the right to an abortion, this is my body and I can decide.' *See below for retort

"That's like saying: 'I'm allowed to commit murder because these hands are mine, this gun is mine.'"

But rights group The Women's Autonomous Movement said it would file an injunction if the bill was approved.

"It's not possible that a woman's life be considered secondary," the Associated Press news agency quoted group co-ordinator Azahalea Solis as saying.


No... then WOMEN can simply say, this is MY BODY and I can make decisions regarding MY BODY because I am an autonomous being with an existence separate from yours. Unless you can figure out a way for YOU to carry the child to term without my womb, I make decisions regarding said womb. And using a gun to murder another person, that person exists independently from my body. Is there going to be an orphanage set up specifically to deal with children who killed their mothers by being born? Who would want to deal with that knowledge? And don't just claim you wouldn't tell the kid because anyone with enough brains can add one with the other... Hmm, my mother died when I was born, after this law was passed - I KILLED MY MOTHER! Yeah, that's wonderful, the catholics (crucifictionists that is) love that built in sin & guilt.



Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6072092.stm

Published: 2006/10/21 00:14:22 GMT

Also read this this , this and .

One wonders if Orlando owns a coffee plantation...

portia Found this by going to Google and typing in asshole and then clicking I'm Feeling Lucky.

That is just fucking AWESOME!

Animal rights activists convicted in New Jersey
Thu Mar 2, 2006 6:40 PM ET
By Jon Hurdle

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A federal jury using an anti-terrorism law for the first time convicted six animal rights activists on Thursday for a campaign to drive a company out of business.

The jury in Trenton, New Jersey, found the defendants and their organization guilty of violating the Animal Enterprise Protection Act, a federal law that was amended in 2002 to equate its offenses with terrorism. This marked the first trial and conviction under that law, federal officials said.
( Read more... )

You would think that regular stalkers and anti-abortionists, actually anyone who used the above described tactics to disrupt business and personal lives would be similarly answerable to the law... However, this is not the case. People will only be prosecuted for the same activities in certain circumstances. Fascinating.

Edit: second, more detailed article below...

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Animal_Extremists.html

Thursday, March 2, 2006 · Last updated 4:44 p.m. PT
Jury convicts animal welfare activists
By JEFFREY GOLD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

TRENTON, N.J. -- An animal rights group and six members were convicted Thursday of using their Web site to incite threats, harassment and vandalism against a company that tests drugs and household products on animals.

The group, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, maintained its actions were protected under the First Amendment.
( Read more... )

This of course, goes along with the recent article, based on an alarming study that claims only 1 in 1000 knows the terms covered in the 1st amendment while about 1 in 5 could name all the characters of The Simpsons.