Random: November 2004 Archives

Intellent design! What a great idea! I am totally in favor of people learning about good design at a young age! Maybe it would prevent some of those stupid designs that you see all over the place! 

Oh. That's not the kind of intelligent design they're talking about.

Dover, Pa. -- The way they used to teach the origin of the species to high school students in this sleepy town of 1,800 people in southern Pennsylvania, said local school board member Angie Yingling disapprovingly, was that "we come from chimpanzees and apes."

Not anymore.

The school board has ordered that biology teachers at Dover Area High School make students "aware of gaps/problems" in the theory of evolution. Their ninth-grade curriculum now must include the theory of "intelligent design," which posits that life is so complex and elaborate that some greater wisdom has to be behind it.

The decision, passed last month by a 6-to-3 vote, makes the 3,600-student school district about 20 miles south of Harrisburg the first in the United States to mandate the teaching of "intelligent design" in public schools, putting it on the front line of the growing national debate over the role of religion in public life.

And only 35% of Americans believe in the theory of evolution? Yet another piece of evidence, backed by scientific proof, that I don't really belong in George W. Bush's America.

I've seen the emails for Cialis and Levitra. I've gotten the pitches to increase my l3ngth and g1rth. I've gotten the pleas to assist MR. MALCOLM UMBUBA with my bank account number. I've even gotten the messages with headings like "How R U?" and "earthquake bespoke diarrhea".

This week, the latest affliction seems to be "Test and Keep a [expensive and desirable gizmo name here] -- Product Testers Wanted." IPod. Sony flat-screen TV. Playstation. Whatever. My email client seems to be unable to learn that THESE ARE SPAM. Sheesh. I can't figure out what's tricking it, but it's working very successfully for the spammers.

On the other hand, Mail.app did figure out that the message from Sheeza Nasty (what is she, the missing Bond Girl?) was spam. Heh.

These were originally supposed to be part of a full pebble piece, but ended up being two separate halves. I cut out and applied the little leaves by hand. The piece with the stone came out a bit rougher around the top, unfortunately...

So I was reading some of the messages people have been sending us. A couple were quite amusing.

To whom it may concern: I was reading today about how an organization is calling for congress to allow non-naturalized citizens to be eligible to run for president. It's called http://www.amendforarnold.com. This reminds me of what happened in Germany in the 30s. I am speaking to you because it is a concern. IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. And although this may sound rediculous, history tells us that all that is needed is control of the media and control of the courts. I am sure that people scoffed at Noah before the flood, I am also sure that people thougth the Nazi party was harmless before they came to power. Don't get me wrong, I like some things about Arnold, it just seems like Dejavu and it's scary. I am just an average schmo expressing my concerns. Maybe you can bring some light that will help prevent another potential holocaust. Your feed back would be appreciated. Thank you

and

Hi Guys, Im a minister in Toronto Ontario Canada, I can legally marry same sex couples and the licence is legal , so if you are having bush problems LOL e-mail me at [...] best regards [signature].

I listen to Air America Radio. Apparently, I listen to Air America Radio a bit too much, because I seem to have memorized every ad they play and now the ads are stuck in my head. (Makes me long for the days when I'd get "Broken Wings" lodged in my cranium on infinite loop instead...)

"Medicinal cannibis, for medicinal purposes..." Check. Male sexual performance enhancement  treatments? Check. "Manhattan West, the skyline lending company..." Check. "Adios taco {CRUNCH!}..." Check.

I know, I know. Some pathetic blog this is, huh? I should be writing about personal stuff and posting pictures of my cats. Instead I go whining on and on and on and on about how f**cked up the Bush administration is, and how utterly wrecked this country is going to be by the time they get done with it. Some of my friends think I'm insane (well, the Republican ones do, anyway.)

I love this story. Ashcroft went and bragged to the International Association of Chiefs of Police about how much safer he'd made the country, blah blah blah, and they released a statement the next day saying, "Yeah, RIGHT, buddy!"

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) said that cuts by the administration in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever to public safety threats. The 20,000-member group also said in a statement that new anti-terrorism duties for local cops — which have come as state and local budgets have declined and historically low crime rates have crept upward — have pushed police agencies to "the breaking point."

I'm less pleased to see that the FDA Saw Problems at Vaccine Plant in 2003 and didn't do squat about it.

I'm unsurprised, but absolutely furious, that the House GOP Changes Rules to Protect DeLay. It's pretty funny (not funny ha-ha, though) that this rule that they're overturning was originally put in place by Republicans to nail Democrats.

And Bush keeps appointing more and more of his bestest buddies to high positions, and the hell what the rest of the world thinks.

I'm not even getting into that Marine who shot the apparently unarmed Iraqi. Let's just say: it doesn't look good. I'll leave it to Riverbend to discuss it. But this is what war looks like in Iraq.

Boy, the next four years are going to be fun. We should live so long. (Speaking of which, it looks like we just passed the 1200 dead soldiers mark.)

 

From a spam I just received... "asia adanoma"

"ASIA ADANOMA IS READY TO ROCK U!"

What do you think? Er, maybe not...

A few well-intentioned friends of mine keep sending me politically themed emails — ranty ones, inspirational ones, action items from Moveon.org. Not a big deal, since I get tons of email all the time (usually from perveyors of home furnishings and sexual enhancement medications, or organizations asking me for money) Yet something about it is starting to irk me.

Where were they during the runup to the election? What were they doing then? And what good does it do after the election to send ME these things?

Sigh. I suppose I'm also guilty of preaching to the converted. There's something about filling out little forms, hitting that send button, that makes us all feel like we're accomplishing something even when we're not.

Says Jon Carroll today:

Although the Internet was proved to be a wonderful fund-raising tool (particularly for Howard Dean), I'm not sure whether it was an equally wonderful organizing tool. I suspect that the Republicans spent more time in meat space, where real, undistracted humans were gathered in a nonvirtual setting, places like churches and town halls and community centers. The Republicans networked along networks that city people could not even see. They did not issue sentimental reports about seeing democracy in action.

And look what happened. Although I do think he exaggerates a bit. Some of us did go register voters in "meat space", and even went and pounded the pavement in Reno. It's just that it didn't work, or we didn't do enough of it, and look, I'm not gonna go join a church, sorry!

OTOH, I may not be able to resist sending this to my nearest and dearest. Because it's very funny and cute. It will not save the Western World for Democracy, however.

Maybe I will send out an email though... telling my well-intentioned friends what they can do with their intentions! (Give money, write letters, and volunteer for the cause next time around.)

Drug May Relieve Crohn's, Other Disorders 

An experimental drug that selectively tamps down part of the immune system can offer dramatic relief to many victims of the painful bowel disorder Crohn's disease, and might also work against illnesses such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis, researchers say.

Other drugs are already available against Crohn's, but their effectiveness is spotty. This is the first study to show that a certain immune system protein could be key to the poorly understood disease.

In the small, preliminary study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other sites found weekly injections ABT-874 reduced symptoms in as many as three-quarters of patients, or three times better than dummy injections.

"A lot of work has to be done, but it's very exciting," said Dr. Richard MacDermott, director of Albany Medical Center's inflammatory bowel disease center and scientific consultant to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.

The drug's maker, Abbott Laboratories, has not yet decided whether to conduct further tests and seek approval of the drug, spokesman Jim Bozikis said.

Researchers believe Crohn's disease is triggered when the immune system, for unknown reasons, overreacts to harmless bacteria normally present in the intestines and attacks tissue there. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and weight loss.

I know several people with this disease. If this pans out, how wonderful!

An estimated 500,000 to 1 million Americans have the disorder. There is no cure. The treatments now on the market do not work in some patients. Many stop working after awhile. And they all have side effects, ranging from diabetes, cataracts and high blood pressure to liver, pancreas and kidney problems.

Remember this store?

Check out this one.



I was surprised to realize that the shop was a rather upscale clothing store that I'd gone into once (and intend to go to again if I ever have enough money). The owners are taking something of a risk of alienating some of their wealthy customers...

It's a friggin' awesome window display, though!

It's just over a week since we got married, and today I get spam from "Affair Zone" with the subject "You have been invited to join the Safe Sexual Affair Club." Golly! {JUNK!}

Because you can never have too many cat photos. OK, yes, you can. But it's my blog, and you don't want me to write about the presidential election all the time, do you? (I can tell you, though, that Princess and Boppers are not thrilled about the current situation, no, not at all. Harrumph.

Taylor Mali is a teacher and slam poet who was interviewed on NPR today, where they also played him reciting his masterwork How to Write A Political Poem.

However it begins, it's gotta be loud and then it's gotta get a little bit louder. Because this is how you write a political poem and how you deliver it with power.

Mix current events with platitudes of empowerment.
Wrap up in rhyme or rhyme it up in rap until it sounds true.

It must be heard to be truly appreciated. NPR's got the interview but not the performance here. Oh, here's a sample

The Red Sox won the World Series.

We had a wonderful wedding.

Yet somehow, "two out of three ain't bad" doesn't cut it in this situation...