29 December 05 - 12:06Heard that name before?
Lincoln Log Quote of the week: 
"Our cable news is vital and productive,but only when there is huge news afoot and, good or bad, that happens only rarely.In the interim, meanwhile, small shards of news get overplayed and over-hyped into vast bubbles of glass that invariably burst....
That's why, too, anyone knows anything about Natalie Hollowell, the poor young woman who vanished in Aruba."
-Andrew Cohen, a Colorado lawyer and journalist. He is the Denver CBS affiliate's legal analyst and commentator.
For those who don't get it, the name is Natalie Holloway.
Apparently it wasn't as over-hyped as Mr. Cohen thought, since the name didn't seem to stay with him.
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I have been reading up on the definition of war, as in "War on Terrorism," in which I assume the enemy are terrorists. Here is the definition:
war (wor) noun: 1) A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties. 2) A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious, example: the war against terror. 3) A state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism. 4) A struggle or competition between opposing forces.
The interesting find here was the origins of the word. Interestingly, the etymology of the word "war" can be traced back to the Indo-European root *wers-, "to confuse, or to mix up."
Based on the origin of the word "war" as "to confuse," it appears the enemy's tactics are working better on some Americans than others. For example, those who think the president is the enemy. Personally, I like the president's proactive approach. Get the terrorist before they hide the bomb or find the bomb before the terrorist can use it.
Go, baby!!
I was playing around with 
Did you ever run across a quote that you truely agreed with, but not for the reasons the "quoter" intended? I just did that. First, the slightest of background information....
Dodo bones have been found!! The dodo bird has been extinct for centuries (since about 1700). The bird was found only on a single island (Mauritania) and was called the dodo based on the Dutch word for sluggard or perhaps the Portuguese word "doudo" meaning foolish. Recently archeologists have found a cache of complete dodo skeletons on Mauritania. Apparently there are no complete skeletons around these days that are not "composites."
Of 45 bird species found by explorers on Mauritania, only 21 survive. So why is the dodo the most popular of the extinct? The dodo was featured in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (1865). Based on this publicity (from the book), the Dodo became a household word.
Now for the quote:
"The Dodo is a lesson in extinction."
Indeed it is. The lesson is simple. The dodo existed for at least thousands (possibly gazillions) of years before man crossed paths with the bird at which time man hastened the demise of the species. This extinction happened 300 years ago. Man interacted with the bird (mostly as a food source for man) for about 80 to 100 years. Except for man (and some creatures he brought to the island) the bird had no enemies and was the end of the food chain. The bird probably ate fruits and nuts, thus did not kill anything to sustain itself in the food chain.
The bird weighed 40 or 50 pounds, so it provided a good meal, but was not a delicacy. It was nothing to look at, and I see no mention of its songbird qualities (it was related to pidgeons, so I don't expect much anyway).
Again, the only life in the biosphere that needed the dodo were intestinal bacteria and worms indiginous to the bird, perhaps some lice and that's it.
Now the bird is gone. So what. Oh, yeah, maybe the lice, worms, and bacteria should be upset. Don't forget them.
During WW-II they used to have sayings such as "Loose Talk Costs Lives" and "Loose Lips Might Sink Ships." In a world of naive people with regard to the basic sciences it is a sorry state that the news media seems to have a large supply of these zealous dunderheads.
In fact, it seems sad that these "real world dumb" humans are able to broadcast sensitive information that they don't fully understand worldwide, in an instant.
Let's review.
In the 20th century (the years between 1901 and 2000, inclusive) it was possible for foreign agents to monitor our radio bands with sensitive receivers, buy our magazines and books to glean published information from articles, and make buddies with people in the know to wait for them to say a little too much.
Move to the present.
Today foreign agents do not have to leave the comfort of their own home (or cave in the Afghan-Paki region) to learn our tactics. They merely have to tune in CNN on their local station or check out the news on their computer.
I can hear them now. Bin Lughead looks to Abba Boo Boo, his science and engineering aide. Bin tells Abba Boo, "We need countermeasures against phone eavesdropping and airplane surveilance over mosques. Get on it. The American news media has details that will help you." Abba Boo Boo is already on it.
Soon it will be twice as hard for American officials to protect their public. Every day in their prayers the terrorists thank Allah for the American News media. Without them it would be nearly impossible for the average terrorist to find these things out with certainty.
My current bank, the Bank of Annoyance (not their real name) is driving me crazy. First let me explain that the Bank of Annoyance (BOA for short) is my default bank. My original bank was "bought out" by BOA. At that point my banking service was reduced to their level of inconvenience and has only recently regained my favor as far as features.
Some time back my current bank, The Bank of Annoyance, purchased another bank with which I had a credit card. At some point I ended up with two credit cards with the same name on them and payments became mixed up. As a result I have had nastygrams, had to take notice of unpaid balances and interest rate jack arounds.
Today I will be closing my savings accounts at the Bank of Annoyance and next week I will move to a different bank. I am tentatively thinking of going to a bank that is totally internet based. As long as bank service is screwed up and impersonal I might as well get a bank where I expect that.
My new year's resolution is "Avoid the Bank of Annoyance and save, save, save."
I have been growing a beard. It used to be (years ago) that my beard was reddish. Sort of a Scottish fiery face enhancing fashion statement that was a positive attention getter. Lately, I have been hoping for a Sean Connery look as my beard is much greyer (see photo left). I have a bad feeling that I look more like Roy Roger's sidekick, Gabby Hayes (photo right).
If the beard lasts long enough to be truely a beard I will include an actual photo and let you decide. Sean or Gabby.
Merry Christmas!!
TXU (the local power folks) have been working on a new "smart grid" sorta thing that is supposed to send broadband internet over power lines. The information will be used by the power company to monitor the grid and keep power outages to a minimum.
A good idea. The neat thing is that they are testing the BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) system for consumers. What a great opportunity for rural areas where the phone company is too lazy to provide broadband.
I would have personally called it BOP instead of BPL. Easier to pronounce....
What do Bill Gates, Melissa Gates, and Bono have in common? They are the "TIME Magazine Persons of the Year." I never have figured out the choices made by TIME in this area, and this year really has me scratching my head.
Its not that they aren't good people. The three know each other and are philanthropic to the max. However, it just seems that the magazine has definately decided to take a different route this year and select a kinder, gentler, set of persons this year.
At least I know these guys. "The Whistle Blowers" and "The computer" as well as "The Earth" have been selected in the past. Whats with that anyway!!!
Anyways, I did make it in 1966. The "25 and Under Generation" currently known as the "Baby Boomers" made the cover that year. I was 15 years old in 1966, starting high school. The world looked so promising. Ahhh naivety, what a difference not knowing can make.
Its time for a prediction. First, let me say this. Even though it is not yet underway, I think the "One Laptop Per Child" program is going to be a home run, maybe even a grand slam. Here's the scoop; the project is being developed by One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organisation made up of AMD, Google, Nortel, Red Hat, and the Media Lab at MIT. The goal is to provide between 5 million and 15 million "el cheapo" laptops to children in developing countries.
The program is designed to give children "a window into the world." Distribution in the targeted countries will be financed by donors or national governments, and channeled through the networks that supply school textbooks. The computers will use the Linux operating system and can be powered by a hand crank.
Quanta, a Taiwanese OEM of laptop computers, the largest in the world, actually, is going to make them. They felt a corporate compulsion to bid, but are skeptical of spending this much in the way of resources to make computers that will net them only 6 bucks apiece.
I am not the only one that thinks this, but here is what I think. This will revolutionize the laptop computer industry. Quanta will develop cutting edge methods for making these inexpensive computers even less expensive. Others will follow, and, the price will eventually drop well below the $100 level.
I see cardboard computers at the airports, similar to throwaway cameras. Pick up a cardboard computer after going through security, work in the airport on the computer, then take the computer on board. When you arrive at your destination you log in to the internet and dump your work back to the home office network. The used computer goes in a shredder and you head for the baggage claim.
It might work. Also, I am very good at typing with one hand (even one finger). This will become an important skill as you crank the computer with one hand and work with the other. This sort of reminds me of the old pump organs I used to see as a kid. You would pump pedals with your feet and play music with your hands.
Crank, type type, crank, type type..... Add this to chewing gum and walking...
Seriously, I think this will be wonderful for not only the kids that get the computers, but the rest of us who get the "trickle down" from the project. Great outside the box thinking.
Its hard to not know who Tookie Williams is. Tookie Williams has been in the news almost constantly for the past few weeks. He is mainly noted for being a co-founder of the Crips in the early 70's. He is also noted for four murders which he committed in the same time frame. These days Tookie claims he is innocent and, better yet, reformed. Tookie explains that he is doing good works from his prison cell. This good has been happening for the past 25 years or so and includes writing children's books. His last chance to escape the death sentence? Arnold Governator. As I write this, he should be expired. (Tookie, not Arnold.)
Arnold will not be prolonging Tookie's life. In six pages with what seems to be a solid, well researched, and lucid statement, Mr. Schwarzenegger has decided there is no reason to grant clemency. I don't have nearly the information that others do, but this seems like a responsible decision.
There is a lot to study here. Many viewpoints and 25 years of activity on the part of Tookie in becoming reformed and an activist. Even so, I am still trying to figure out how Tookie was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize six times. That truely seems bizarre. More on that later.
It is darn cold here in Plano, TX. It looks like we will be setting a record in the Dallas area tonight. The temperature at midnight on the real thermometer at the weather service for Collin County currently reads 17 degrees. (This is in the county seat at McKinney.) The record low for this day was in 1919 at 17 degrees. It looks like a slam dunk for a new record.
The prediction is for temperatures near 10 or 11 degrees. There is a pair of high pressure zones overhead and clear skies. Tomorrow I will wake up and see what the new record low is at sunup.
This damn global warming just doesn't work when you want it to. Anyway, time to pile on the covers!!
It looks like we made the record cold today. Time to go to work. The car is warming up, I can't believe I have to do warm up my car in Dallas Texas.
Temperatures are measured in McKinney, near where I work in Allen.
I was listening to the news today, Bill O'Reilly, actually. He was saying that now that the first face transplant has been done more should be on the way. In fact, if there is a person unhappy with their face, they could get a new one.
I have the perfect candidate. This is a guy who never seems to have liked his face or any of the many rebuilds. Now, with the chance for a new face, I'll bet he is first in line. I can't remember the name, but here is a picture of him.
It is December 7th. Even though I did not live in 1941, I have heard recordings of Franklin Roosevelt, forcefully addressing a joint session of congress. "December 7th, a day which will live in infamy...." He almost didn't say that, but that is another story.
Remember those who gave for us in WWII Europe, WW II Pacific, Korea, Viet Nam, and Iraq. Remember those others who have died in other remembered and unremembered conflicts. For those in the service now, remember to give them your support today and every other day.
It seems that for years there has been stories about Jennifer Aniston parading about topless and then getting upset when too much interest arises over her lack of a top. I have scoured the photo archives of the world and have found that, even as a child, Jennifer could not keep her top on.
Here is an exclusive photo of a very young Jennifer going topless. Needless to say, I agree, photos like this belong in a men's magazine. I will, of course, remove this immediately if threatened by Jennifer or her legal team.
Go Jennifer!!
I am really getting tired of the "main stream" news. I remember trusting the network news to report the "happenings" of the world to me. I don't know if I have changed or the news reporting has changed.
It seems these days that there are three things that are bothersome about the news. The issues I have are 1) slant toward a belief system prior to reporting (lack of any attempt at unbiased reporting), 2) A need to report non news items as being important (who is that dolt I saw on NBC that thinks Aruba would have solved the Natalie Holloway case had the parents not intervened), and 3) sensationalizing of non-sensational items (detals at 10:00).
It seems that the state of the information battleground is "Left Wing" on television and "Right Wing" on talk radio. Newspapers aren't even worth reading any more and I no longer subscribe to crap like the Dallas Morning News. Anyway, it must be me. Perhaps I grew up and the news media didn't. It couldn't be the other way around, could it???
Lesbian Student Sues School
News story text reveals: "The suit also claims discrimination, contending that Nguon was suspended several times because she ignored orders by Principal Wolf to stop hugging and kissing her girlfriend."
Just when I think that California is part of the known universe something like this comes up. Forget the details about queer and straight. I will let you read the articles if you want, and that is not the point of this. Here is the crux of the issue.
1) The student is saying that her gay behavior in school should not be discussed with her parents (note that the gay girl is 17 years old, a minor)
2) Ever wonder why people don't want to teach?
3) Lawyers have zero common sense and lawyers in California have even less than zero common sense. Judges included.
A student should not be able to get a court (judge) to decide if a school official should be required to hide the student's behavior from the parents.... Or, worse yet, where does anyone get off saying that a school official needs to get a legal ruling on whether or not a student's behavior is discussable with the parents or not?!!!
By the way, the parents are just as nuts as the girl. They feel their gay daughter should have been allowed to bring this tender topic up to them when she was ready.
Two thumbs down to Californians for lack of reason (both my thumbs, of course).
Attention all citizens, senators and congressmen who want to get regular reports regarding Iraq and Afghanistan. You need not bother to ask the president for reports, you can get the information yourselves!!
For those of you who did not know, Central Command has a website that is updated regularly with information, not only from Iraq, but from other hotspots around the world as well. Our news services must assume we know about this site since they haven't reported anything meaningful in the last two years on the topic. They probably figure we get this basic stuff ourselves and only require the dirty laundry they sort through which serves no national purpose.
If we had to rely on the New York Times and CNN for our news, we would all be in the dark. Thank God for the light that shines in from the internet.
You can sign up for bulletins, if you like. It's easy to know more about Iraq than John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, etc. All you have to do is read!! These guys never get a chance to read since they always seem to have their yaps yapping. (Reading is a skill is taught in the schools in Texas!! The Massachusetts yankees ought try it in their schools.) It looks as though the president can just photocopy this stuff and send it to the hill for reports. Those clowns don't read what is available anyway (and they have plenty of information available). Why should the president waste time writing them additional reports, they won't know the difference, just fax this stuff over.
Don't worry, we will still know more than they do. Why? Because we will take the time to read.
The link for the rest of us?