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.

Open and Free Radicals

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
disenfranchise

"deprive of civil or electoral privileges," 1644, from dis- + enfranchise. Earlier form was disfranchise (1467).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

When duly elected officials engage in politically expedient knee-jerk reactions like the endorsement of The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act then I have already been disenfranchised.

I believe this legislation has made the American Revolution illegal. This legislation has overturned the rights and privileges guaranteed by the framers of the Constitution. This legislation makes a mockery of the lives sacrificed by the women and men who fought and died to keep this nation free. This kind of politicized flip-flop-flappery only serves to debase this great nation further in the ethical and moral court of world opinion.

What is worse, much worse, is that by succumbing to such social paranoia in drafting this sort of legislation we have lost faith in the very democratic process that we hold so dear. When dissenting voices are suppressed either by the rule of "Law" or by violent means then we have become no better that the most petty despot.

History, and full prisons, have clearly shown that we can not legislate morality. It is laughable that our current political leadership somehow believes that they can legislate "faith" in this manner.

Save Democracy
REPEAL
The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act

Open Coercion

This is a great analysis of the M$ vs. OLPC situation ...

• Why Microsoft Must Control One Laptop Per Child

• Bruce Perens

  Thu, 10 Jan 2008 09:53:16 PST

  Open Source Software

It's a threat Microsoft can't let stand: the entire third world learning Linux as children, and growing up to use it. And Microsoft is going to get its way.

It comes after a sudden wave of SCO-like problems for the OLPC project. A specious patent lawsuit over keyboards. Board-member Intel thrown out of the project for attempting to convince national governments to drop OLPC purchases and go with its own (Windows) product. First, OLPC is shown what its problems will be if it doesn't cooperate with Microsoft. Then, Microsoft approaches with money and technical help - you just have to run Windows to get it.

The move is presented as enabling choice. It starts out with a dual-boot capability, provided by Microsoft engineers. Not that any work by Microsoft was really needed, Open Source firmware that boots Microsoft operating systems has existed for ten years. Microsoft says they will issue guidelines, and start field trials this month. Dual-boot sounds harmless, but Microsoft's version of choice is better stated as we'll give you choice and then make you choose Microsoft. I'm sure there will be pressure on national governments to select Windows-only loads for their OLPC purchases, or to specify texts protected with Windows DRM for classroom use.

Nobody can pretend that the world has ever been absent any choice to run Microsoft software, or that Microsoft must work with OLPC to increase choice. Microsoft operating systems are the only option offered with the vast majority of desktop and server computers. By refusing to tolerate hardware that runs another OS by default, Microsoft is working to reduce choice.

Consider how good it might have been for the third world to have a computer infrasturcture they could support on their own, without any capital and technological drain to the United States. That's what they'll be losing. But that was never the goal of the OLPC project. It's meant to bring free e-Books to students, at a lower cost than their national governments could sustain. With OLPC based on all Free Software, it was likely that those books would have themselves been under similar licensing like Creative Content. Now, it is likely that third world students will be running DRM-locked textbooks that are only acessable under Windows.

Nicholas Negroponte has always been willing to go where the wind blows: the original OLPC prototypes ran Debian, notable because it's produced by a public-benefit non-profit. Once Red Hat offered money and resources, Debian disappeared from the system. Now it's Red Hat's turn to disappear.

The folks I have the most sympathy for are those students who might have been offered a way to take control of their own destiny, and make their nation self-sufficient for the IT infrastructure they need to participate in worldwide trade. Now, they'll get less. But I also feel sympathy for the many Open Source developers who participated in OLPC, and will now see their work discarded or perverted to support Microsoft.

Bruce Perens

Open Bourdain

An excellent interview with Anthony Bourdain

316

Anthony Bourdain

The well-traveled chef reflects on a life of eating and other excessive behavior.
by Sean O'Neal

Open and Shut ... Again!

In my previous post RANT ( Open and Shut ... Picasa no es mi casa! ) I stirred up at least one hornet from the nest ... and the comment dialog with Dan Kegel isn't over yet.

Then I found this ...

Give Wine apps the look and feel of GNOME or KDE

By Andrew Min on January 10, 2008 (4:00:00 PM)
Wine allows users to run Windows programs natively under Linux without paying a dime. However, there's a tiny problem: programs running in Wine don't look so great. They don't even try to fit into your native GNOME or KDE color scheme or use your preferred fonts. You could use a Windows theme, but themes make Wine run extremely slowly. Luckily, with a little configuration editing, it's easy to make Wine applications look at lot more like the rest of the apps on your desktop.
...

My comment at Linux.com, reposted here sums up my feelings....

NO NO NO ...This is WRONG! Port applications to Linux. Do not foster the illusion that it is in any way appropriate to _make do_ with Microsoft apps in a Linux environment.

...and PLEASE, don't ever call them "Wine apps" again... What an insult to Wine!

Open Contradictions

Nicholas Negroponte is skating on very thin ice. Even suggesting that OLPC should get into bed with Microsoft will have far reaching (detrimental) effects in the world of Open Source development.

Linux.com reported ...

Reactions to the story this morning on the OLPC developers channel on irc.freenode.net ranged from shock to anger, with one developer saying that it is "utter crap, and is exactly the opposite of why I support this project."

Notice the very carefully chosen words, "...why I support this project." My bet is that they were spoken by an individual who has donated his/her time to the OLPC project. Negroponte is risking future projects by debasing the value of donated time.

Personal experience tells me that many people will make personal sacrifices (donations) that no amount of money can buy. The value to the giver of such a donation is in contributing to a project that has social value and has integrity. If the giver believes that the integrity of a project is compromised then their personal sacrifice or donation is compromised.

Watch out for the old maxim: "Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me!"

If Negroponte burns the contributions for this project who will step up for the next one?

Open Countdown

The Time is Now: Countdown Begins on 12.12.07

SIGN THE MANDATE DONATE TO SUPPORT OV VISIT OUR BLOG OV ON FACEBOOK THE TIME IS NOW. Today, December 12, 2007, to mark the start of official negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian negotiation teams, OneVoice is starting the countdown for 365 days of civic action toward a two state solution - one year of holding ourselves – the international community and our elected representatives – accountable. Last month in Annapolis, Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas agreed "to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations ... [and] make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008." And OneVoice was there too in support of the leadership. OneVoice supports the serious steps that Abbas and Olmert are taking to negotiate a mutually-acceptable two state solution, guaranteeing a viable independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel. And we are pledging to put our support behind them as they start this difficult process. To remind all citizens of their duty to support the process, on December 12, 2007 OneVoice launched 11 digital screens – 5 in Ramallah and 6 in Tel Aviv – displaying countdown clocks set for a one year: one year to achieve a comprehensive two state agreement, one year to end the violence and end the conflict ... one year for citizens to take a stand in support of the process. OneVoice is simultaneously launching countdown clocks online, as a representation within the international community that we are holding ourselves, and our leaders who took part in the Annapolis conference, accountable to playing our part in this process. We all too often speak about the failures of leadership. But we too have a responsibility to do our part. We are launching a countdown clock to remind ourselves that over the next year – until December 12 , 2008 – we must consider: What are WE willing to do to help end the conflict? Countdown with us – ways you can be involved: Sign the Mandate Forward this email to 5 friends Countdown to a Two State agreement on your website or blog Donate to support OneVoice Join us in counting down & taking action on Facebook The OneVoice Teams You are subscribed to PeaceWorks Foundation's OneVoice Movement Update List. For removal requests click here or e-mail: MailListAdmin@onevoicemovement.org and specify Unsubscribe in the subject line.