Openings

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opening

noun
12. a recognized sequence of moves at the beginning of a game of chess; "he memorized all the important chess openings"

Maybe there will be an opportunity now to remember him for what he achieved, less so than for what he became.

- East Ethnia

Mujo, Mile and Štefica in the Jaws of Transition.

Open dubbing

Worthy of Engrish

Open McLuhan

At least once a political season some one makes the observation that our political system is being driven by the media. In this instance it is Erica Jong...

Erica Jong

...our media turning every presidential election into a high school popularity contest. And we let them get away with it. And we don't stop Rupert Murdoch, Clear Channel, Disney, GE, Sumner Redstone and a few others from owning all the media all the time.

Our magazines and newspapers are so dumbed down that they never discuss issues, only stereotype or attack or puff up candidates -- and all for the most idiotic things -- like their marriages, which in truth we know nothing about -- or their weight or their clothes or their hair. They don't discuss brains, intelligence, psychological maturity, but only who's up or down in the polls, cuter in photos, who misted up, cried or didn't cry, said "my friends" like Reagan or mimicked Bill Clinton's style or JFK's or whomever's. Our press is a disgrace.

And she is absolutely right, "Our press is a disgrace."

I titled this entry for the noted communication authority, Marshal McLuhan. His oft quoted '...the medium is the message...' observation is most apt in this circumstance. It is not the Press that is driving our political system. In the realm of American politics the Press is echoing the tastes and choices of the general public. What Ms Jong should be railing against are the values of that 'general public'. Sadly I suspect those are values that Ms Jong knows little about.

Lets look at one 'ferinstance' ... Hillary Clinton was an effete political ice queen who couldn't possibly know the trials and tribulations of Joe&Jane Average. That is until she showed her more fragile feeling side. Then all of a sudden Hilly is one of the good ol' boys girls, just a down-home friend of the working ... er, person.

Ok, now Joe&Jane, this is a test. Has Hillary Clinton changed? Not one iota! Does Hilly know anything more about Joe&Jane Average and their real world concerns? Not likely. Has any part of this changed Ms Clinton's political agenda? Ha!

The Press, in presenting Ms Clinton's "moment", didn't change any part of the political environment. They were just pandering to the taste, the true taste of middle america. The Press as a medium is the message and the message is us.

Walt Kelly's Pogo put it so succinctly, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Open Spare.change.mister?

Open Constitution

We, some of the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union...

...of some of the people, by some of the people and for some of the people...

"I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution," Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. "But I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that's what we need to do -- to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

A tip of the hat to EG who got it from LGM who got it from TRS

Open Actions

Thanks to Virtual China

• 

Open Programming Flexibility

I wish I had said this...

O’Flaherty ^blog

The moral of this story is that “flexibility” is rarely desired in programming! The less a program will accept/the less a program will do/the less options and preferences it has, the more usable it is/the more understandable it is/the more stable it is.

From: DreamHost - Bill you, laugh about it, blame someone else.

Open Confusion

Israel: Ms. Magazine Shuns Ad Promoting Leadership of Israeli Women

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008 @ 00:13 UTC

by Maya Norton

In a surprising move last week, Ms. Magazine refused to accept an advertisement that highlighted the leadership of Israeli women in public service. The full page advertisement sponsored by the American Jewish Congress featured three high profile Israeli women with the statement, “This is Israel,” in large, bold letters. The female political figures featured were Tzipi Livni, vice prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Dorit Beinisch, president of the Supreme Court of Israel, and Dalia Itzik, speaker of the Knesset.

Photo	Leader	Role
	Tzipi Livni	Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
(No photo available)	Dorit Beinisch	President of the Supreme Court
	Dalia Itzik	Speaker of the Knesset

Magazine representative Susie Gilligan reportedly told the American Jewish Congress, “[We] would love to have an ad from you on women's empowerment, or reproductive freedom, but not on this.”

Open sapiosexuality

Nicole Simon stumbled upon it... so eloquently...

One who finds intelligence the most sexually attractive feature.

"I want an incisive, inquisitive, insightful, irreverent mind. I want someone for whom philosophical discussion is foreplay. I want someone who sometimes makes me go ouch due to their wit and evil sense of humor. I want someone that I can reach out and touch randomly. I want someone I can cuddle with.

I decided all that means that I am sapiosexual."

by Mr M. Ister May 26, 2004

Open Medicine

Laughter is the best...

Monday, January 14, 2008

Hijabi Fashion on the Syrian Streets

By Maytha

Having spent a summer in Damascus this past year, I would have to say blogger/cartoonist Puppeteer at the brilliantly titled Journal...of an Axis of Evil Citizen has hit the nail on the head with her rendition of Syrian (more like Damascene) Hijabi street wear

[click on image to enlarge]

The only recommendation I would have is to expand the trendy/sexy hijab categories, as there are so many different varieties of these species-like Designer Hijab, Hip Hop Headwrap Hijab, or my favorite: “accidental” front-hair-showing hijab.

Open Alliance

Just one word...

Stunning!

(Click the link.)

---

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

stun·ning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[stuhn-ing] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–adjective

1.	causing, capable of causing, or liable to cause astonishment, bewilderment, or a loss of consciousness or strength: a stunning blow.

2.	of striking beauty or excellence: What a stunning dress you're wearing!

Open Sculpture

Snow sculptures <= Click here...

پیکره‌یی از میرزاکوچک خان جنگلی، مرد ستبر تاریخ ایران‌زمین و گیلان دوست‌داشتنی، سرداری که در جنگلهای سرد و یخ‌زده‌ی گیلان، نوای آزادی و آبادی ایران را سر می‌

Open List

...Borrowed from

Mahmood’s Den

An Arab man’s attempt at bridging the cultural gap

[Bonus Link: Since I "borrowed" the image from Mahmood's Den I should give credit to t-shirthumor.com ]

Open Pickling

Friday last SmittenKitchen offered...

Seeing that it is a whole eleven days into aught-eight, I’m going to stagger a guess that you’re sick of carrot sticks by now. But I don’t want you to feel bad about it. We all hit that wall between our ambition and the reality that being good all of the time is no fun from time to time.

Truer words were never spoken... carrots sticks get a little ... passe. So my interest was piqued by the prospect of ... pickled carrot sticks.

Whoa! Stop the presses, rewrite the headlines... pickled carrot sticks?!? Sheeeeesh, Papa, get a life or something.

Ok, now that everyone is done laughing and guffawing... the simple recipe included with this post was just the key I needed to unlock a part of the culinary mystique that has alluded me for years. The simple pickled vegetable. They don't need to be 'Grandma's Extra Special Secret Recipe' or politically correct Kosher pickles. No, they just need to be crisp, bright, piquant pickled veggies.

Be warned, however, the brine is so good it’s going to get you thinking “what can I pickle next?” Alex has been on the pickle prowl for a couple days now and I see him eying the leeks in the fridge, the beans in the pantry.

Truer words were never spoken, again... after I sliced up my carrot sticks I spied the head of cauliflower - it just cried out, begged to be pickled. Mmmmmm, little white cauliflower florets in contrast to the bright orange carrots sticks.

If you were me, you would not be able to keep your tongs out of the jar. I had one of those “oh, let me try one and see how they came out” moments before I went to work Thursday morning. Then I tried another one. And another. Um, I had pickled carrot sticks for breakfast–I am gross. But these are not.

My pleasant surprise came early Sunday morning. Nervously I slipped one skinny carrot stick out of the bowl of brine and ... Yes! Light, bright and slightly tangy. I think I will have another.