Friday, July 23, 2010
Feed the world's hungry with... wait for it...
In what can only be seen as the pinnacle of affluent arrogance FarmVille users are "feeding" the planet's hungry one virtual blueberry at a time. bon appétit
Forrest Gump: Stupid is as stupid does.
NASA maps forests
What other uses can you image for NASA's map of our world's forests? What other kinds of data would you like to see them add to this set?[img credit: exlibris]
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Extending grace, worthy of praise
'mantle' mosque by daniel andersson and christiane flügel
all images courtesy of daniel andersson, christiane flügel and via traffic
'mantle' by freelance architects daniel andersson (finland) and christiane flügel (germany)
is a shortlisted competition entry for the 'design as reform' competition organized by dubai-based
design collective traffic. the architecture category of the multi-disciplinary competition called
for the design of a new, contemporary mosque.
William Meloney
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Voice: 270-215-4275
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Voice: 270-215-4275
Anonymous Comments a Right? NO! A privilege
Should people be allowed to comment anonymously online? That question is currently making its way through the U.S. legal system. A New York couple has issued dragnet subpoenas to Google and Yahoo demanding the identities of users behind 10 email accounts, 30 blog operators, website administrators, and the identities of anyone who had ever commented on those sites. That's hundreds of people! Riding to the rescue of our privacy and freedom are our heroes -- the EFF.
Anonymous comments should be a privilege. Now here is the very hard part - this is a privilege earned not by position, reputation or political sway but by a much more rigorous criteria - content. Anonymous comments should be allowed to exist only if the content warrants its existence. Common sense, albeit scarce in these quickly evolving times, should be used to temper decisions about whether a given anonymous post should be allowed to exist or not.
If an anonymous poster's offering is denied on such grounds then that individual has three courses of action. 1.) Rewrite the posting in a manner that doesn't violate the common sense rules of valid content. 2.) Repost and own up to a possibly contrary perspective or point of view. 3. ) STFU
Contrary to the seemingly popular belief we do not have the unalienable right to say anything we want without owning up to it.
It is time for common sense to be the rule in our civilized society.
Happy Birthday Nelson Madela (92)
Nelson Mandela is surrounded by children at his home in Johannesburg yesterday.
Debbie Yazbek / Nelson Mandela Foundation / AP
EFF: many remain critical of Google
"...many remain critical of Google's decision to stay in China..."
Many Westerners remain critical because they haven't taken the time to learn the Chinese way. A critical reading of this article shows that careful "cultural" concessions being made by the Chinese are engendering significant freedoms. Simply to say that China should adopt Western values in the blink of an eye is very unrealistic, if not naive.
As for Google's relationship with China: Read the writing on the wall people! Everyone would do well to have a working relationship with the #1 superpower on the planet. Moreover, everyone would do well to have access to the largest national/cultural market in the world.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Bad Day #19
Madhuri, an Indian elephant, swings a monitor lizard around by its tail. The unlucky creature had been swept off the ground and was carried around for a number of days by the elephant. With its tail firmly clamped in the animal’s trunk the lizard was swung around and occasionally put back on the ground. The scene was captured by Jagdeep Rajput during a trip to Corbett National Park in India
Picture: Jagdeep Rajput /Solent (via Pictures of the day: 14 July 2010 - Telegraph)
LINK
Reality Overated? Or, we don't need no stinking facts...
By on July 13, 2010 11:48am
...
In a series of studies in 2005 and 2006, researchers at the University of Michigan found that when misinformed people, particularly political partisans, were exposed to corrected facts in news stories, they rarely changed their minds. In fact, they often became even more strongly set in their beliefs. Facts, they found, were not curing misinformation. Like an underpowered antibiotic, facts could actually make misinformation even stronger. ... Instead of changing their minds to reflect the correct information, they can entrench themselves even deeper.
Alternative Views...
'role reversal' 2005
acrylic plastic, 165 x 175 x 175 cm
courtesy of cosmic galerie, paris
'role reversal' 2005
acrylic plastic, 165 x 175 x 175 cm
courtesy of cosmic galerie, paris
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Very strange business model
Windows XP gets yet another reprieve from Microsoft
The way Microsoft is phrasing the new end of life dates for XP is less clear-cut. The Microsoft “Blogging Windows” blog, in a July 12 post, explained it this way:
“(W)e have decided to extend downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional beyond the previously planned end date at Windows 7 SP1. This will help maintain consistency for downgrade rights throughout the Windows 7 lifecycle. As a result, the OEM versions of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will continue to include downgrade rights to the similar versions of Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional. Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilize end user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7.”
Isn't it FUDdy, isn't it lame...
Ballmer: Windows 7 Slates Coming Soon
I find it humorous in the extreme that Microsolth can't even mount a credible FUD campaign any more.
I find it humorous in the extreme that Microsolth can't even mount a credible FUD campaign any more.
Monday, July 12, 2010
'American Splendor' passes...
Harvey Pekar, Who Chronicled Ordinary Lives in ‘American Splendor’ Comics, Dies
By DAVE ITZKOFF
Link = New York Times
Genius ... another perspective.
For the Romans, ‘genius’ was one word predating our contemporary idea of potential. The Roman word ‘genius’ was used to designate the particular spirit of a place - that convergence in a landscape of plant, terrain and weather whereby, say, any specific tree has an utter, enchanting uniqueness. In a sense, that tree can never exist in the same form at any other moment of time and space.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Obvious signs have become necessary...
In a world where "Its OK as long as you don't get caught" has become the norm it is about time that we take the direct approach ... "DON'T COMMIT CRIME"
Further, 'me thinks they doth protest too much'. To complain that such a direct approach is "an insult to people's intelligence" only bolsters my belief that the critics live in some rarefied ivory tower well away from Bubba and his pick-up truck.
"Don't Commit Crime" is stated on one of Hertfordshire Constabulary's posters - "All fuel must be paid for" has been added on posters at petrol stations. Language watchdogs the Plain English Campaign said the notices were funny, but an insult to people's intelligence. Herts police defended the notices saying the obvious was worth stating if it had any impact on crime. A police spokeswoman said: "We are not saying it is going to stop hardened criminals but it may make someone who is nervous think twice." The campaign group described the signs as examples of "talking in a vacuum". | ||
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