Oil prices rose ~$5.00 per barrel because of saber rattling in and around Georga - speculators are afraid that a disruption in oil supply will cause shortages and their profits might fall.
Recently read at xkcd ...
Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).Bonus:We did not invent the algorithm. The algorithm consistently finds Jesus. The algorithm killed Jeeves.
The algorithm is banned in China. The algorithm is from Jersey. The algorithm constantly finds Jesus.
This is not the algorithm. This is close.
Winston observes (from the great beyond)...
Bring It On...willing to squeeze blood from a stone - AT&T is always at your service.
Now I — and mind you, I am ashes sitting on the end table in the living room — am getting a $360 bill from AT&T for contract termination fees. Too bad, they say. No such thing as extenuating circumstances. They’re sorry I am dead. But they don’t care. I’ve got to pay that fee. It’s a contract, after all. A contract is a legal document. Legal documents go with you to the grave and beyond. They wish they could help, but they can’t. AT&T is a big boy and they aim to keep their side of the bargain.So folks, I’m back! At least according to AT&T. I’ve got to pay my phone bill till January of 2010. Now I’ve just got to figure out how to get my ass, uh, ashes up and together and get out and earn some money to pay that damn bill because, well, it’s a contract and AT&T really needs that $360!
We Can Solve It!
... I found it here at /Ambivalence. Thanks Stowe
... from my sister who doesn't blog yet.
As I was taking Frank up on his challenge recommendation I came to a stunning realization. Actually a couple of them. First, Frank is one smart guy (but we all knew that.) Second, I wouldn't have had a clue about any of the 12 questions had it not been for my daily dose(s) of NPR. Usually the morning commute and sometimes the evening, 30 minutes each way.
There are all manner of Linux Elitists. There are distro elitists, window manger elitists, really really FLOSS elitists. There are Really-Damned-Small-Puppy-Peanut elitists. There are DIY Linux elitists. I, for one, fall into the Slackware distro elitist category. Slack and I go way back.
In fairness I can say that I have tried in the neighborhood of 30 different distros. I have looked so far afield as the BSD flavors and I have even touched Plan9. It took me just a minute be I was also able to lay hands on my copy of Sun Solaris(tm) Express. I believe, speaking of Linux, that I have been around the block at least once.
So after all of my wanderings I return to my Capistrano, my Slackware. This infatuation is not born on the sharp point of one like or dislike. Afterall, Linux is Linux, for the most part. I return first to the comfort of what I know. What is familiar to me. Then I return for what Slackware isn't - or should I say doesn't.
Slackware doesn't choose for me. Slack doesn't make up my mind for me. If there is something that I want from Slackware I am responsible for making it come to the surface. And here it is that I come to the crux of the elitist bisquit. Recently, perhaps in the past 18 months, it has become increasingly difficult to integrate certain software packages into what I consider the ultimate vanilla Linux distro, Slackware.
More and more I am finding some larger applications that are engineered for a specific distro. Or the program requires an essoteric set of libraries. Or it needs so-and-so's widget package. So I begin to play the dependency game. Find out what the program wants, go get and compile, then find out what the dependencies want, go get and compile ... then try to remember what was important about the original program. Very quickly the law of diminishing returns takes its toll.
Then there are other large applications suites that which are wholey self-sustained. OpenOffice as an example requires only that I rpm2tgz convert the distribution files and then installpkg them right into Slack. No dependencies, no drips, no runs, no errors. VMware is another example of arun-it-and-forget-it large application BUT the promise of their next version may negate that claim.
With regard to Linux elitists I would offer this cautionary note: complexity of implementation can be just as alienating as the prospect of proprietary software. If I cannot compile (with a minimum of dependencies) and run your sparkling new program or application then I simply walk away - no matter how important your contribution.
Yes, I am a Linux Elitist. I am a Slackware Snob. I will not give up a galloping stallion to change in mid-stream to a plodding donkey just so your software will work.
The Immediacy of Dreams: The Convergence of Being and Meaning
No single light cuts through
an image of cacophony dreams
sibilant whispers
white-noise voices
continuous word picture
illusions drift shifting
disquieting unsilence
each desperate grasping
demanding the attention
of his moment
Empty the dishwasher
put away clean
to make room for those
cluttering the counter
Seeking measured order
in the mundane ritual
of daily dutiful chores
in his moment
Hashbrowns into a hot skillet
salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil
two eggs over easy in the
well seasoned cast iron
Push clear to one end of the
kitchen table the detritus of
this weeks bills, prescription
notes, bird books and the flyer
announcing imminent school
year functions
Thirsting for the release
of physical exertion
to quench the dream desires
in his moment
Set in that clear space the
steaming breakfast plate
toast on the side
Reflecting upon the
morning haikudew diamond pendants
in symmetric suspension
grace last night's cobwebs
so both fed and nourished
in his moment
Give a man a fish,
he’ll eat for a day. Teach him
to fish, he’ll drink beer.
Written by Dave Undis
[Real bonus - go enjoy Dave Undis' Haiku Comic. Good fun!]The campaign to Send Karl Rove to Jail just took a huge step forward! In a stunning action just minutes ago, the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Rove in contempt.
I will not suggest that I understand the society and culture of a great nation half the world away. I can and will assert that the lack of transparency in any national process does not promote a sense of trust or security.
Iranian physicians arrested & held in undisclosed location
Posted by WynD on July 15, 2008
The plight of these two physician brothers was brought to my attention today and I wanted to help create awareness of their situation. As I learn more about their situation and/or ways in which we can aid in their release, I will let you know. For now, please keep both of these men in your thoughts and prayers….Kamiar and Arash Alaei
Two physician brothers, who have been recognized internationally for their work in the development of HIV/AIDS programs and services in Iran, are being held in prison by the Iranian government. According to reports received from Teheran, Drs. Kamiar and Arash Alaei were taken to an undisclosed location sometime in late June. The reason for their detention is unknown.
Ladan Alomar, Executive Director of Centro Civico of Amsterdam, NY, a community based organization that provides HIV/AIDS services to the Latino community, received a phone call from a person close to the Alaei brothers and was informed of the situation. The family and friends of Kamiar and Arash in Iran do not know where and under what charges the brothers are being held. The authorities in Teheran have provided no information about their whereabouts.
No need for captions...