RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
The Fool forwarded: WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. intelligence officials Wednesday released an assessment that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction have been transferred to neighboring Syria. I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Ritu ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
life at fox news
http://poynter.org/forum/?id=letters#foxnews From CHARLIE REINA: So Chris Wallace says Fox News Channel really is fair and balanced. Well, I guess that settles it. We can all go home now. I mean, so what if Wallace's salary as Fox's newest big-name anchor ends with a whole lot of zeroes? So what if he hasn't spent a day in the FNC newsroom yet? My advice to the pundits: If you really want to know about bias at Fox, talk to the grunts who work there - the desk assistants, tape editors, writers, researchers and assorted producers who have to deal with it every day. Ask enough of them what goes on, promise them anonymity, and you'll get the real story. The fact is, daily life at FNC is all about management politics. I say this having served six years there - as producer of the media criticism show, News Watch, as a writer/producer of specials and (for the last year of my stay) as a newsroom copy editor. Not once in the 20+ years I had worked in broadcast journalism prior to Fox - including lengthy stays at The Associated Press, CBS Radio and ABC/Good Morning America - did I feel any pressure to toe a management line. But at Fox, if my boss wasn't warning me to be careful how I handled the writing of a special about Ronald Reagan (You know how Roger [Fox News Chairman Ailes] feels about him.), he was telling me how the environmental special I was to produce should lean (You can give both sides, but make sure the pro-environmentalists don't get the last word.) Editorially, the FNC newsroom is under the constant control and vigilance of management. The pressure ranges from subtle to direct. First of all, it's a news network run by one of the most high-profile political operatives of recent times. Everyone there understands that FNC is, to a large extent, Roger's Revenge - against what he considers a liberal, pro-Democrat media establishment that has shunned him for decades. For the staffers, many of whom are too young to have come up through the ranks of objective journalism, and all of whom are non-union, with no protections regarding what they can be made to do, there is undue motivation to please the big boss. Sometimes, this eagerness to serve Fox's ideological interests goes even beyond what management expects. For example, in June of last year, when a California judge ruled the Pledge of Allegiance's Under God wording unconstitutional, FNC's newsroom chief ordered the judge's mailing address and phone number put on the screen. The anchor, reading from the Teleprompter, found himself explaining that Fox was taking this unusual step so viewers could go directly to the judge and get as much information as possible about his decision. To their credit, the big bosses recognized that their underling's transparent attempt to serve their political interests might well threaten the judge's physical safety and ordered the offending information removed from the screen as soon as they saw it. A few months later, this same eager-to-please newsroom chief ordered the removal of a graphic quoting UN weapons inspector Hans Blix as saying his team had not yet found WMDs in Iraq. Fortunately, the electronic equipment was quicker on the uptake (and less susceptible to office politics) than the toady and displayed the graphic before his order could be obeyed. But the roots of FNC's day-to-day on-air bias are actual and direct. They come in the form of an executive memo distributed electronically each morning, addressing what stories will be covered and, often, suggesting how they should be covered. To the newsroom personnel responsible for the channel's daytime programming, The Memo is the bible. If, on any given day, you notice that the Fox anchors seem to be trying to drive a particular point home, you can bet The Memo is behind it. The Memo was born with the Bush administration, early in 2001, and, intentionally or not, has ensured that the administration's point of view consistently comes across on FNC. This year, of course, the war in Iraq became a constant subject of The Memo. But along with the obvious - information on who is where and what they'll be covering - there have been subtle hints as to the tone of the anchors' copy. For instance, from the March 20th memo: There is something utterly incomprehensible about Kofi Annan's remarks in which he allows that his thoughts are 'with the Iraqi people.' One could ask where those thoughts were during the 23 years Saddam Hussein was brutalizing those same Iraqis. Food for thought. Can there be any doubt that the memo was offering not only food for thought, but a direction for the FNC writers and anchors to go? Especially after describing the U.N. Secretary General's remarks as utterly incomprehensible? The sad truth is, such subtlety is often all it takes to send Fox's newsroom personnel into action - or inaction, as the case may be. One day this past spring, just after the U.S. invaded Iraq, The Memo warned us that anti-war protesters would be whining about U.S.
Re: Baby (and mommy) update
* Julia Thompson [Tue, 28/10/2003 at 20:08 -0600] ... And my abdominal muscles separated down the middle, and it may be as long as a year before they're totally joined up again; exercise will help with that. ... (The skin sagging doesn't bother me, the separated muscles does.) ... I would not worry about that, I'm not a doctor but I can just tell about my wife example. After the last pregnancy, I was able to put my hand _flat_ between her two main abds. It took one year for her muscles to remotely look normal and two years to really be normal. Now, I envy her abdominals. when she exercices she's really got a six-pack. Here is one of last summer pictures http://www.famille-chaton.net/photos/ete2003/pic188-21-0.html -- Jean-Marc ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Call To Arms: Computer Scientists
http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/000701.html Call To Arms: Computer Scientists Posted by paradox An extremely disquieting entry on faulty Diebold equipment and the Florida 2000 election can be found at Mark Crispin Miller's blog today. An appalling test scenario was documented at Salon yesterday. The Black Box Voting book was recently published online in pdf's. Without peerless voting mechanisms that everybody trusts our Democracy is dead. It'll be like living in Mexico under the PRI. It's not hyperbole. Only the fully qualified computer scientists can take this fight forward. I am an amateur political scientist, and although I know the truth of the danger here I will not be listened to. I have professional qualifications, but not academic ones. Call to arms: all qualified citizens in Computer Science, our Democracy is directly threatened in only 13 months. Critical compromises may have already taken place in Florida 2000 and Georgia 2002. Only you have the expertise, experience and qualifications to fully combat the democracy-killing idea that we can count votes without an available paper audit. Fate has handed you the tools and the timing to defend our primary core value in Democracy: counting votes. I have never spoken to or beseeched my fellow brother and sister citizens like this in my life. I beg of you to read the links, see the danger, band together and wipe out this incredible effrontery to the legacy of Paine, Franklin, Madison, Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. We do not want to be eternally labeled as the generation that let Democracy die. http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/10/15/riverside_voting_machines/i ndex_np.html - http://markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com/2003_10_19_markcrispinmiller_archi ve.html#106693422588353286 DIEBOLD VOTE REPLACEMENT MADE AL GORE CONCEDE!!! Corporate screw-upif that's what it wasled TV networks to mis-call the race for Bush! WAS THIS THE FIRST ELECTORAL VICTORY FOR THE CHRISTIAN RECONSTRUCTIONISTS? MORE: http://www.blackboxvoting.org - http://www.blackboxvoting.com - http://www.talion.com/blackboxvoting.org.htm If you strip away the partisan rancor over the 2000 election, you are left with the undeniable fact that a presidential candidate conceded the election to his opponent based on a second card (card #3) that mysteriously appeared, subtracted 16,022 votes from Al Gore, and in some still undefined way, added 4,000 erroneous votes to George W. Bush, then, just as mysteriously, disappears. Black Box Voting reveals for the first time that it was the Volusia anomalies that caused the election to be called for Bush. An internal document from CBS, combined with timelines and interviews from Agence France-Presse and internal Diebold memos show that: A replacement set of votes was uploaded in Volusia County about one hour after the original votes. The original votes were on copy 0 of the memory card containing the vote database. The replacement votes were tagged to a copy 3. According to Diebold Election Systems Sr. V.P. of Research and Development Talbot Iredale, the second set of votes should not have been done and may have been unauthorized. In the replacement vote set, totals for all races were correct EXCEPT for the presidential race. According to CBS documents, the erroneous 20,000 votes in Volusia was directly responsible for calling the election for Bush. Brevard County, Florida also used Global Election System (now Diebold) voting machines. Brevard omitted 4,000 votes for Gore from its tally, which also contributed to the decision by the networks to call for Bush. The two erroneous county totals came directly from the central tabulating system for the county. The GEMS program is Diebold's central tabulation software. In a report on July 8 this year, Bev Harris revealed how GEMS could be used to rig an election. Flaws she uncovered were confirmed with an internal memo by Diebold Election Systems Principal Engineer Ken Clark, who admitted that the GEMS program was configured in such a way that it is possible to end run the voting system. One journalist was doing his job correctly that night: Ed Bradley, a CBS correspondent best known for his work on 60 Minutes. Bradley sounded alarm bells over discrepancies in the data, but no one at CBS paid attention to him. CBS also ignored independent data from The AP; had CBS and the other networks used AP data instead of Voter News Service (VNS), they would not have called the election for Bush. The election was first called by Fox analyst John Ellis, who had earlier conferred with his two cousins, George W. Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Ellis was privy to the numbers from VNS, and presumably knew the margin that would be required in order to call the election. During the evening, a 55,000-vote spread evaporated into just hundreds of votes. CBS and other news outlets had the opportunity to change their call for Bush, and knew of the discrepancy between the AP data and VNS, but
Re: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
Ritu wrote: I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Why not Pakistan? O:-) Alberto Monteiro ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
religious/political question
Perhaps people on the list can help: is the following a fair
description of the nature of the Jewish/Christian God, and how it is
different from the nature of the Moslem God?
And if so, are the fundamental political implications as described?
Are more Moslems likely to believe in false conspiracies because of
these beliefs than US Christians or Jews?
An article in Asia Times Online
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EJ28Aa02.html
says
... the Jewish God enjoys only a qualified sort of omnipotence. His
sympathy with mankind, his creation, compels him to suffer along
with his creatures. He cannot help but hear the cry of innocent
blood, the complaint of the widow and orphan, the mistreated
stranger and the oppressed slave (Professor James Kugel of Harvard
makes his hoary argument in _The God of Old_). He is the God of the
town meeting, of the popular assembly, of the democrats. With good
reason, Friedrich Nietzsche labelled the Jewish deity a God of
slaves. He permits the likes of Abraham and Moses to give him a
hard time over such things as the destruction of Sodom, or
exterminating the sinners among the Israelites.
Is this a fair characterization. Is Nietzsche correct? The article
goes on to say:
The Christian God even came to earth and allowed himself to be
crucified. He loves the poor and weak. Indeed, weakness ineluctably
draws forth his love. Jewish and Christian theologians speak of
divine humility.
To what extent is this statement false? Who among Christians and Jews
says `my God is bigger than your God'? Is the notion of divine
humility widespread, or is it understood to be purely a matter of
hypocrisy? How does the US differ from Germany and France?
Not so Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. For Islam, the notion
that man's failings more powerfully awake God's love than man's merits
is an absurd, indeed an impossible thought. Allah has pity upon human
weaknesses, but the idea that he loves weakness more than strength is
a form of divine humility that is foreign to the God of Mohammed,
wrote the Jewish theologian Franz Rosenzweig.
Is this true? Or is this a misleading characterization of Sunni or
Shia theology?
Here comes the political implications:
_Imitatio dei_ may explain why Americans and Muslims seek quite
different attributes in their political leaders. More important
than strength and intelligence in the character of an American
presidential candidate is humility. Whatever one thinks of
President George W Bush, he cultivates the same sort of folksy
image that served former president Jimmy Carter so well. In this
regard one thinks of Bill Clinton, who hid his intellectual
arrogance so effectively, or Ronald Reagan, who cloaked his
ideological fervor in self-deprecating humor.
More than anything else, Americans want their leaders to listen to
them. A president had better be a better listener than a talker. That
is what Americans expect from their God, after all, and all the more
so from a president who is a mere human.
The sort of leader who evoked adulation in the Arab world, eg, a Gamal
Abdel Nasser, produces only revulsion among Americans.
Is the theological-political connection right? Is it fair to say that
many people do wish to behave with the same qualities as their God?
If so, and if the qualities are as stated, does this predefine the
attributes that Americans seek in their presidents, on the one hand,
and that Eqyptians and others seek in their leaders, on the other?
To what extent are people living in France and Germany different,
although nominally or actually Christian?
To what extent are the divisions among Jews, Christians, and Moslems
important; or is this something that conjoins Protestants of all types
with Catholics, so long as they are American, and separates them from
their co-religionists in France and Germany, and separates them from
Moslems who are as far apart themselves as Protestants and Catholics
were during the European religious wars?
--
Robert J. Chassell Rattlesnake Enterprises
http://www.rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
http://www.teak.cc [EMAIL PROTECTED]
___
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
It's a boy!
Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, though Andrew was transfered to the NICU at another hospital to monitor a couple of potentially serious conditions. He has recovered well, has maintained his weight, and, at this point, the only reason he's still in the NICU is to complete his antibiotics. We expect him home on Saturday. Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ -- Matt ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
From: Robert J. Chassell [EMAIL PROTECTED] Perhaps people on the list can help: is the following a fair description of the nature of the Jewish/Christian God, and how it is different from the nature of the Moslem God? And if so, are the fundamental political implications as described? Are more Moslems likely to believe in false conspiracies because of these beliefs than US Christians or Jews? An article in Asia Times Online http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EJ28Aa02.html says ... the Jewish God enjoys only a qualified sort of omnipotence. His sympathy with mankind, his creation, compels him to suffer along with his creatures. He cannot help but hear the cry of innocent blood, the complaint of the widow and orphan, the mistreated stranger and the oppressed slave (Professor James Kugel of Harvard makes his hoary argument in _The God of Old_). He is the God of the town meeting, of the popular assembly, of the democrats. With good reason, Friedrich Nietzsche labelled the Jewish deity a God of slaves. He permits the likes of Abraham and Moses to give him a hard time over such things as the destruction of Sodom, or exterminating the sinners among the Israelites. Is this a fair characterization. Is Nietzsche correct? The article goes on to say: The god of the 'Old Testament' is a god of hate and fear. He savours the smell of burning flesh from human and animal sacrifices, and requires both. He has his followers commit some of the most heinous acts of genocide, murder, pillaging, rape. He condones slavery and murder, most especially for thought crimes. He kills children for their fathers 'sins', He kills entire extended families for the sins of one person, he kills entire cities and tribes for the sin of single individual. The Christian God even came to earth and allowed himself to be crucified. He loves the poor and weak. Indeed, weakness ineluctably draws forth his love. Jewish and Christian theologians speak of divine humility. To what extent is this statement false? Who among Christians and Jews says `my God is bigger than your God'? Is the notion of divine humility widespread, or is it understood to be purely a matter of hypocrisy? How does the US differ from Germany and France? The 'god' of the new testament is an elitist, a demagogue, and a hypocrite. People come to him for help but he turns them away because they weren't the right race, people come to him enmass but he turns them away because they weren't elite enough. Only the elite of the elite deserve to saved by this 'god', everyone else deserves to die. He condemns people just like himself, for doing the same things he does. He came to divide people, to cause divisions, to create disunity. Not so Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. For Islam, the notion that man's failings more powerfully awake God's love than man's merits is an absurd, indeed an impossible thought. Allah has pity upon human weaknesses, but the idea that he loves weakness more than strength is a form of divine humility that is foreign to the God of Mohammed, wrote the Jewish theologian Franz Rosenzweig. Is this true? Or is this a misleading characterization of Sunni or Shia theology? Here comes the political implications: _Imitatio dei_ may explain why Americans and Muslims seek quite different attributes in their political leaders. More important than strength and intelligence in the character of an American presidential candidate is humility. Whatever one thinks of President George W Bush, he cultivates the same sort of folksy image that served former president Jimmy Carter so well. In this regard one thinks of Bill Clinton, who hid his intellectual arrogance so effectively, or Ronald Reagan, who cloaked his ideological fervor in self-deprecating humor. More than anything else, Americans want their leaders to listen to them. A president had better be a better listener than a talker. That is what Americans expect from their God, after all, and all the more so from a president who is a mere human. The sort of leader who evoked adulation in the Arab world, eg, a Gamal Abdel Nasser, produces only revulsion among Americans. Is the theological-political connection right? Is it fair to say that many people do wish to behave with the same qualities as their God? If so, and if the qualities are as stated, does this predefine the attributes that Americans seek in their presidents, on the one hand, and that Eqyptians and others seek in their leaders, on the other? To what extent are people living in France and Germany different, although nominally or actually Christian? To what extent are the divisions among Jews, Christians, and Moslems important; or is this something that conjoins Protestants of all types with Catholics, so long as they are
Re: It's a boy!
* Matt Grimaldi [Thu, 30/10/2003 at 04:54 -0800] Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Félicitations à toi et à la maman, et bienvenue à Andrew à qui nous souhaitons un retour rapide à la maison. -- Jean-Marc ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
* Matt Grimaldi [Thu, 30/10/2003 at 04:54 -0800] http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ looks slashdotted right now (Data transfer error: Connection timed out) -- Jean-Marc ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
Alberto Monteiro wrote: I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Why not Pakistan? O:-) Because Mushy is a good ally of the US? Or because we South Asians are lucky enough to not attract so much attention from Wolfie, Rummy and co.? :) Or perhaps because Pakistan has its own WMDs and they seem to be fond of taking itty-bitty trips to other countries? ;) Ritu GSV Let's Meet Up In Iransaid the Iraqi WMDs to the Pakistani WMDs class ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
Matt Grimaldi wrote: Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, though Andrew was transfered to the NICU at another hospital to monitor a couple of potentially serious conditions. He has recovered well, has maintained his weight, and, at this point, the only reason he's still in the NICU is to complete his antibiotics. We expect him home on Saturday. Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ Congratulations! __ Steve Sloan . Huntsville, Alabama = [EMAIL PROTECTED] Brin-L list pages .. http://www.brin-l.org Chmeee's 3D Objects http://www.sloan3d.com/chmeee 3D and Drawing Galleries .. http://www.sloansteady.com Software Science Fiction, Science, and Computer Links Science fiction scans . http://www.sloan3d.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: It's a boy!
Matt Grimaldi wrote: Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, though Andrew was transfered to the NICU at another hospital to monitor a couple of potentially serious conditions. He has recovered well, has maintained his weight, and, at this point, the only reason he's still in the NICU is to complete his antibiotics. We expect him home on Saturday. Congratulations and best wishes to the mother and baby. :) Ritu ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
On 30 Oct 2003, at 12:43, Robert J. Chassell wrote: Perhaps people on the list can help: is the following a fair description of the nature of the Jewish/Christian God, and how it is different from the nature of the Moslem God? And if so, are the fundamental political implications as described? Are more Moslems likely to believe in false conspiracies because of these beliefs than US Christians or Jews? Why split hairs? Religion is pernicious evil nonsense in every form, and can have no good consequences. -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you're on. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Baby (and mommy) update
On Thu, 30 Oct 2003, Jean-Marc Chaton wrote: * Julia Thompson [Tue, 28/10/2003 at 20:08 -0600] ... And my abdominal muscles separated down the middle, and it may be as long as a year before they're totally joined up again; exercise will help with that. ... (The skin sagging doesn't bother me, the separated muscles does.) ... I would not worry about that, I'm not a doctor but I can just tell about my wife example. After the last pregnancy, I was able to put my hand _flat_ between her two main abds. It took one year for her muscles to remotely look normal and two years to really be normal. Now, I envy her abdominals. when she exercices she's really got a six-pack. Here is one of last summer pictures Thank you for the hope you have given me. :) I really appreciate it. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
On Thu, 30 Oct 2003, Matt Grimaldi wrote: Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Congratulations, I wish your wife a good recovery (10 1/2 pounds??? Glad it wasn't me!), and I wish you both as much good sleep as possible for the next couple of months. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: It's a boy!
Congrads... And welcome to the Brin New Baby Club... Chad Cooper -Original Message- From: Matt Grimaldi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 4:54 AM To: Matt Grimaldi Subject: It's a boy! Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, though Andrew was transfered to the NICU at another hospital to monitor a couple of potentially serious conditions. He has recovered well, has maintained his weight, and, at this point, the only reason he's still in the NICU is to complete his antibiotics. We expect him home on Saturday. Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ -- Matt ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Scouted: The Grup gene
--- Reggie Bautista [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Debbi wrote: snippage throughout http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/75/89851.htm?printing=true ...The mice won't mature sexually because they lack a crucial gene. Some humans who never hit puberty have mutant forms of the same gene. Dubbed Gpr54, the gene appears to be a key part of the mysterious machinery that turns children into adults... William Taylor mode=on Shouldn't that be Grp if it's short for Grup? Taylor mode=off, ducking mode=on Obviously the discoverers of the gene made an error in the name... ;) VFP Foolie ;) Would that be the Anti-Grup Liberation Foolie? http://3sygma.com/fiveminute/nextgen/tooshortaseason.html By the way, there is a really funny summary of Miri, foolie and all, at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML/message/65717?source=1 And it's work-safe despite the newsgroup it comes from. LOL I passed on that summary to some fellow Trekkers. Debbi wondering how long it will take before someone actually tries to find or create a mutant Gpr54 gene in the search for longevity... __ Do you Yahoo!? Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears http://launch.yahoo.com/promos/britneyspears/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Baby (and mommy) update
--- Julia Thompson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip And there's a group for parents of twins and higher-order multiples in Austin, and the monthly meeting was last night. The meetings start out with everyone together, and after an hour or so of that we go into breakout groups where we're grouped according to the age of our twins. This was the first time I'd been with the new mothers (twins ages 0-12 months), and I may have been the only mother in the room who hadn't had babies spend any time in the NICU. A lot of the discussion was about various health issues, and either we're being somewhat cavalier about our babies' health, or we don't have as much to worry about because neither one was a premie or anything. Not quite sure which. I'm wondering now if Dan and I should get flu shots, and if Sammy maybe ought to as well. (I haven't had anything resembling flu since I was in college, but there are already a bunch of cases in Houston, which isn't so far from here.) Glad the littl'uns are doing well! Just read that a CDC advisory panel voted to recommend that children six to 23 months old receive annual vaccinations against influenza beginning in the fall of 2004. The panel had previously recommended that doctors immunize infants in this age group against influenza when they had the time and resources to do so...but the current inactivated flu vaccine is not approved by the FDA for use in children younger than 6 months old. [Nor is the nasal vaccine, which is an attenuated live virus.] http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/75/89781.htm?printing=true Does your OB or pediatrician have an opinion? Debbi who still gets yearly flu shots b/c of working with kids, and remembers how debilitating her episode of influenza was (1 week on-the-couch, _unable_ to leave the apt., followed by 3 weeks of merely wishing not to get up... :P ) __ Do you Yahoo!? Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears http://launch.yahoo.com/promos/britneyspears/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
--- Matt Grimaldi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, snip Adding my congratulations, and wishes for a happy homecoming. :D Debbi Blue And White Cards Abounding Maru ;) (just finished rereading _The Uplift War_ for the umpteenth time...) __ Do you Yahoo!? Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears http://launch.yahoo.com/promos/britneyspears/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
-Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of ritu Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 05:41 AM To: 'Killer Bs Discussion' Subject: RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria Alberto Monteiro wrote: I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Why not Pakistan? O:-) Because Mushy is a good ally of the US? Or because we South Asians are lucky enough to not attract so much attention from Wolfie, Rummy and co.? :) Well, if you'd only do more for American companies, then you too could host the WMD.. -j- GSV Why Does Anthrax Always Call Shotgun? ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Cool t-shirt. Tom Beck www.prydonians.org www.mercerjewishsingles.org I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I never dreamed I'd see the last. - Dr Jerry Pournelle ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
Well, Jews, Christians and Muslims worship the same God, of course. My feeling is, what we say about God says more about us than it does about God. As a Conservative Jew, I do not take the Torah as literally dictated by God to Moses, but more as a compendium of sacred texts written over time. In Judaism, God is seen as indescribably, completely, and simply GOOD; the punishments and nastiness in the Torah are explained away by millennia of commentaries (which I'm not expert enough to discuss here). Tom Beck www.prydonians.org www.mercerjewishsingles.org I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I never dreamed I'd see the last. - Dr Jerry Pournelle ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
Matt Grimaldi wrote: Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, though Andrew was transfered to the NICU at another hospital to monitor a couple of potentially serious conditions. He has recovered well, has maintained his weight, and, at this point, the only reason he's still in the NICU is to complete his antibiotics. We expect him home on Saturday. Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ AGRHH! NICU!!! I hate working there! Even in the pictures I can recognise the Hill-Rom equipment. Oh yeah Congratulations! G xponent Rewire That Crap Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
Robert J. Chassell wrote: Perhaps people on the list can help: is the following a fair description of the nature of the Jewish/Christian God, and how it is different from the nature of the Moslem God? And if so, are the fundamental political implications as described? Are more Moslems likely to believe in false conspiracies because of these beliefs than US Christians or Jews? The only group you are likely to get consistent answers from would be the anti-religious groups, as you can probably see from some of the others who have already answered your email. From within religious groups, it is probably going to vary to some extent depending on the denomination and how orthodox or fundamentalist a group is. From my own personal experience, I would say it's likely that the majority of US Christians would agree that God is most likely to help those who need the most help, i.e. the downtrodden,the tired, the poor, the huddled masses (as the inscription onthe Statue of Liberty says). Certainly liberal churches and/or churches that are very active in social justice issues would say this is the case. This view of God is almost God as a troubleshooter, concerned with finding problems and fixing them. The New Testament depicts Jesus speaking out against ostentatious religious practice, characterizing it as being hypocritical and saying that they already have their reward, and speaks for not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doingThen your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. So if you are humble and not ostentatious, you will be rewarded. Matthew, Chapter 6, is one example of this particular discussion. Also see Luke 14:11 and Luke 18:14, both of which say that those who humble themselves will be exalted, and those who exalt themselves will be humbled. 1 Peter 3:8 says, in part, be compassionate and humble. James 4:10 says, Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 1:9 goes so far as to say, The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. The New Testament is full of examples like this. But it is certainly not limited to the New Testament. Psalms is full of quotes like, You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty, (Psalm 18:27) and He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way, (Psalm 25:9). Isaiah 29:19 says, Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 2 Samuel 22:28 says, You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low. Even Moses is described as being humble in Numbers 12:3, Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth. Divine humility is certainly consistent with the views and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. I can't speak for all Protestant viewpoints, but I know I've seen some Protestant churches that teach humility is an important trait and I've seen others that teach that wealth is a sign of God's favor and that certainly put no emphasis that I've been able to see on humility. As far as the beliefs of Moslems, I know that there is some variety there as well. Not all Moslems believe quite the same way that fundamentalist Moslems in the Middle East believe, at least according to Moslems I've seen on television interview programs. But I've never heard this particular issue come up, so it's possible the views of the person you quote are in fact universal Moslem views. As far as political implications are concerned, I don't know very many Americans, whether they are religious or not, that are particularly big fans of braggarts in the political arena. Desire for and appreciation of humility from political leaders in the US does not seem to be confined to religious people. The only folks that don't really seem to get this are some politicians themselves. But this may be because humility is so ingrained in American culture in general. Not many people seem to be able to promote themselves without being completely obnoxious. As corporate communitions coach Peggy Klaus says in her book, _Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It_: Promoting ourselves is not something we are taught to do. Even today, we still tell children Don't talk about yourself; people won't like you. ...[S]o repelled are we by obnoxious braggers , many people simply avoid talking about themselves. Two extremes. No happy medium. The problem (and the solution!) lies in our inter- personal communication skills. Not only are we uncertain about _what_ to say about ourselves, we don't know _how_ to say it with grace and impact in a way that's inviting to others. Maybe that's just a US thing; maybe it comes from the so-called Protestant work ethic; maybe it's a hold-over from the days of the Puritans. But that's how I see it working out in the USA. Others may have a much different perspective; I look forward to reading more in
Re: It's a boy!
Matt Grimaldi wrote: Subject: It's a boy! Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Congratulations! Reggie Bautista _ Surf and talk on the phone at the same time with broadband Internet access. Get high-speed for as low as $29.95/month (depending on the local service providers in your area). https://broadband.msn.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
Matt Grimaldi wrote: Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ rob replied: AGRHH! NICU!!! I hate working there! Even in the pictures I can recognise the Hill-Rom equipment. [snip] Rewire That Crap Maru Bad experiences much? :-) Reggie Bautista _ Never get a busy signal because you are always connected with high-speed Internet access. Click here to comparison-shop providers. https://broadband.msn.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
On 30 Oct 2003, at 23:57, Reggie Bautista wrote: Robert J. Chassell wrote: Perhaps people on the list can help: is the following a fair description of the nature of the Jewish/Christian God, and how it is different from the nature of the Moslem God? And if so, are the fundamental political implications as described? Are more Moslems likely to believe in false conspiracies because of these beliefs than US Christians or Jews? The only group you are likely to get consistent answers from would be the anti-religious groups, as you can probably see from some of the others who have already answered your email. Doesn't this indicate where the compelling evidence leads? -- William T Goodall Mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/ I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone. - Bjarne Stroustrup ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: It's a boy!
Comgratulations! Hope mother and baby keep doing well. Jim ___ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web! ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Clever language
Some people refer to `the outing of Valerie Plame' as if the most that could happen is one person get beat up or killed, and one life and family ruined. This is clever language, since it sharply reduces the actual effect, which is to discourage anyone from providing US spies with information. The action raises the danger for all of us, but especially for people like John D. Giorgis who live in a prime target area. This is not to say that hurting one person is OK; it is not. But hurting or killing more people is worse. That is the consequence of revealing the identity of a US spy. As far as I can see, those who use this kind of clever language are, willy-nilly, giving aid and comfort to the enemy. -- Robert J. Chassell Rattlesnake Enterprises http://www.rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 http://www.teak.cc [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Hal Clement dead
Thank you for posting. Hal Clement's death is very sad. I read `Mission of Gravity' when I was 12 or 13; it was, perhaps, the most important and influential book in my life. Clement told you enough to determine out the length of a day on the first page and I still remember figuring it out. Hal Clement gave me a sense of what is truly real in different environments, and what is not. -- Robert J. Chassell Rattlesnake Enterprises http://www.rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 http://www.teak.cc [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: McNabb and Limbaugh Re: Racism
At 09:38 PM 10/23/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: Because the base of the republican party is bigoted-bible-thumping-racist-White-Southern-Men, and rush uses every opportunity to shill and demagogue his extremist viewpoint for the republicans? So, Kneem, which party's candidates do you usually vote for? -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Manchurian Fool?
At 12:40 AM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: From: Bryon Daly [EMAIL PROTECTED] First, there's this... 'He' being the Great Satan of Redmond? :) I think that would be a compliment for Satan taught people to reason for themselves and not to trust or rely on so-called authority figures. Indeed, an honor being named after one of the great fathers of rationalism. Hmmm, defending Mr. G, and then this... Defending Satan. ... a third as popular as Mac OS A third of nothing is... Putting down just about the only two serious competitors to MS... Which both are teh s uck. Huh? It looks like a typo for the suck but that does not parse very well . . . -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Could Jerry Pournelle be proved wrong?
[Trying again . . . it doesn't seem to have gone through the first time.] http://www.spacedaily.com/news/beyondleo-03a.html --Ronn! :) I always knew that I would see the first man on the Moon. I never dreamed that I would see the last. --Dr. Jerry Pournelle ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Vanity: Where is she now.....
My vanity, she is still in the bathroom . . . Offensive Fake Accent Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
I wrote: The only group you are likely to get consistent answers from would be the anti-religious groups, as you can probably see from some of the others who have already answered your email. William T. Goodall replied: Doesn't this indicate where the compelling evidence leads? That the only group that follows in lockstep and allows no dissent from their orthodoxy is the anti-religious group? Reggie Bautista _ Surf and talk on the phone at the same time with broadband Internet access. Get high-speed for as low as $29.95/month (depending on the local service providers in your area). https://broadband.msn.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Juicy bits from Diebold internal memos
At 07:24 PM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: Excerpts from the Diebold Documents [snip] I have become increasingly concerned about the apparent lack of concern over the practice of writing contracts to provide products and services which do not exist and then attempting to build these items on an unreasonable timetable with no written plan, little to no time for testing, and minimal resources. It also seems to be an accepted practice to exaggerate our progress and functionality to our customers and ourselves then make excuses at delivery time when these products and services do not meet expectations. A comment which could have been written by just about any employee of any high-tech firm . . . -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars question re: 'spyware'
At 02:28 PM 10/25/03 +0200, Sonja van Baardwijk wrote: The Fool wrote: From: Deborah Harrell [EMAIL PROTECTED] I got a 'spyware detected' pop-up today, but as I reflexively close them immediately, I don't know who/what it was. A dogpile search for 'countermeasures' lists quite a few sites; this one is free to download. Anybody have an opinion or advice? Use Ad-Aware And/Or Spybots Search and Destroy. Disable The 'Messenger' service in control panel. And having zone alarm is nice too (except for the fact that it takes a little longer to fully boot your machine that is). It prevents your pooter from going places you don't want it to go and vice versa. Pooter must not have the same implications in Europe as it does here . . . Musical Fruit Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Vanity: Where is she now.....
At 09:00 PM 10/24/03 -0400, Gary Nunn wrote: Jan wrote... Prince was a geneous, but all that crew were always jesus freeks. You have heard of flirty fising right? I am not familiar with that reference. Do tell. Flirty fishing: members of a church using sex to attract potential converts. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: it's who you're in bed with that matters
At 10:52 PM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: [snip] --- If voting could really change things, it would be illegal. - Diebold Internal Memos And a really old joke as well. (Perhaps even predating the founding of Diebold.) -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Spooky lack of spam
At 05:35 PM 10/25/03 -0500, Julia Thompson wrote: I've been getting a lot of spam to a couple of my e-mail accounts. I'd been tracking just how many spams a day they were getting. Combined totals for the last 10 days have been at *least* 200 per day, with 401 one day, averaging probably around 280-300 or so. Today, I've had 3. Not sure just why this is, but it's a little eerie. And those 3 were all earlier today. I haven't received a single piece of spam since 11 this morning. I'm just hoping that whatever it is isn't saving them all up to dump 1200 spams on me come Tuesday. I had them dumped on me Monday and Tuesday morning. A lot more than the usual daily load. Caused me to miss an important message (which fortunately the sender resent when I said something about not getting it). -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Irregulars question re: 'spyware'
Ronn! wrote: Pooter must not have the same implications in Europe as it does here . . . Pooter, 'Puter, it's all good :-) Reggie Bautista CPUter Maru _ Want to check if your PC is virus-infected? Get a FREE computer virus scan online from McAfee. http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
I wrote: As corporate communitions coach Peggy Klaus says in her book, _Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It_: That should be corporate communications coach. Reggie Bautista Typo Maroo _ See when your friends are online with MSN Messenger 6.0. Download it now FREE! http://msnmessenger-download.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Baby (and mommy) update
At 11:24 PM 10/28/03 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Some people need things beyond Kegels, with core strengthening/lumbopelvic stabilization. This is a PT websitew from the Womens Health section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Might take some work from the Locate a therapist, but it might find you someone who focuses on this in your area. http://www.womenshealthapta.org/ Just don't click on Locate the rapist by mistake . . . What A Difference A Space Makes Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: snarkyness on the edge of town
At 10:17 PM 10/28/03 -0800, Doug Pensinger wrote: On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 23:36:15 -0600, Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: At 02:02 PM 10/28/03 +, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Ronn!Blankenship wrote: (...) leaving a gash (...) (for Alberto: 21 cm, or 1420 megaHertz) Uh? Hertz is not a unit of distance I thought for sure *you* would recognize the specific source of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 21 cm, which corresponds to a frequency of 1420 MHz . . . Anyone? HI? Hi, yourself! ;-) -- Ronn! :) Professional Smart-Aleck. Do Not Attempt. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Evil acts of Shrub, Chapters MMMCCLXXXIV, MMMCCLXXXV
At 02:51 PM 10/28/03 -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: On Mon, 27 Oct 2003, Deborah Harrell wrote: --- The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A21575-2003Oct13?language=printer In Bethesda, Hiring Policy, 'Competitive Sourcing' Clash Naval Medical Center Considers Replacing Disabled Workers President Bush's efforts to make government run more like a business collided this month with the reality that, in many ways, government is not a business. For the past two years, the Navy, as part of the Bush administration's initiative, has been studying whether a private contractor should take over the custodial and food services provided by 21 federal employees at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda... snip But in one important way the 21 workers in the hospital scullery are different: All are mentally retarded, beneficiaries of federal policies that promote the employment of people with disabilities... snip So they can either be productively employed by the government, contributing to society and keeping the dignity of that contribution, or they can be 'dumped on the streets.' (There are also private companies that employ the mentally retarded, but local communities don't always have these progressive companies as resources.) Seems a fairly easy decision to me. Before changing that flat tire I mentioned in an earlier post, I put on one of those bright-orange-with-reflective-stripes safety vests to hopefully lessen the probability that someone would fail to see me crouching there with the jack. Monday, in the daytime, when I was moving things out of the trunk before going to the tire place, I happened to notice the label on the inside of the vest which identified it as made by some company which billed itself as an industry for the blind . . . Non-PC, But Ironic Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: snarkyness on the edge of town
At 08:03 AM 10/29/03 -0600, Julia Thompson wrote: On Tue, 28 Oct 2003, Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 02:02 PM 10/28/03 +, Alberto Monteiro wrote: Ronn!Blankenship wrote: (...) leaving a gash (...) (for Alberto: 21 cm, or 1420 megaHertz) Uh? Hertz is not a unit of distance I thought for sure *you* would recognize the specific source of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 21 cm, which corresponds to a frequency of 1420 MHz . . . Anyone? I got it immediately. Then again, I repeatedly checked out a book on radio astronomy from my school library when I was in 6th grade. :) I was going to be an astronomer when I grew up that year. (My aspirations got a lot vaguer in junior high -- at that point, I just knew I wanted to be *some* kind of scientist or something. Didn't settle on mathematics until I was in high school.) Whereas that is when I settled on astronomy rather than chemistry. Though I Still Want To Know Everything Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: snarkyness on the edge of town
At 12:46 AM 10/29/03 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a message dated 10/28/2003 10:38:28 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: I thought for sure *you* would recognize the specific source of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 21 cm, which corresponds to a frequency of 1420 MHz . . . Anyone? -- Ronn! :) Hydrogen absortion line that was used by the Vegan broadcast in Contact? A bit more general than that. Radiation with a wavelength of 21cm or a frequency of 1420 MHz corresponds to the energy difference between the two hyperfine states of the neutral hydrogen atom: i.e., to the energy difference between the states when the spins of the proton and the electron are parallel and when they are antiparallel (the spinning charged particles generate a magnetic field which in one case is aligned in the same direction around both particles, so they repel each other, and in the other case is aligned in opposite directions, so they attract each other). It has been used for several decades to map the location of clouds of neutral hydrogen (HI) in the spiral arms of our Galaxy, and so to map the spiral arms of the Galaxy. Beginning about 1980 or so, Tully and Fisher realized that the Doppler broadening of the 21-cm line from distant spiral galaxies due to the rotation of the distant galaxy (the HI regions on one side of the galaxy would be moving toward us while those on the opposite side would be moving away from us, and the more the difference in the velocities, the wider the line), and that the rotational velocity of a spiral galaxy is related to its size, hence to its overall luminosity, so measuring the broadening of the 21-cm line in distant spiral galaxies could give us a way to measure its true brightness, and then by comparing that to the apparent brightness, provide a way to measure its distance. Many astronomers interested in SETI have suggested that, since the 21-cm line is a universal standard because hydrogen is the most common element in the Universe, it would be reasonable for ETs interested in broadcasting a signal which they wanted to be detected by other intelligent beings to broadcast a signal a bit on one side or the other of the 1420 MHZ so it might be detected accidentally by radio astronomers on other planets looking for, say, Doppler broadening of the 21-cm line from natural sources, as I described above . . . -- Ronn! :) Ronn Blankenship Instructor of Astronomy/Planetary Science University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL Disclaimer: Unless specifically stated otherwise, any opinions contained herein are the personal opinions of the author and do not represent the official position of the University of Montevallo. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: snarkyness on the edge of town
At 11:20 PM 10/28/03 -0600, Reggie Bautista wrote: Ronn! wrote: (...) leaving a gash (...) (for Alberto: 21 cm, or 1420 megaHertz) Alberto replied: Uh? Hertz is not a unit of distance Dan responded: It is in those convenient units where c=1. ;-) Or perhaps he's referring to something like this: http://www.lucytune.com/academic/freq_to_wave.html I do point out in class (I think I originally read it in an essay by Isaac Asimov) the fact that the frequency of the most extreme violet light humans can see is just about twice that of the most extreme red light we can see, which is the same relationship between the frequencies of, say middle C (256 Hz) and high C (512 Hz), so one could make the analogy that the width of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum is one octave, then note that while a piano keyboard spans 7 1/2 octaves, the frequency of detectable electromagnetic radiation as shown in that diagram covers something like 100 octaves or more . . . -- Ronn! :) Ronn Blankenship Instructor of Astronomy/Planetary Science University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL Disclaimer: Unless specifically stated otherwise, any opinions contained herein are the personal opinions of the author and do not represent the official position of the University of Montevallo. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
At 12:29 PM 10/30/03 +0530, ritu wrote: The Fool forwarded: WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. intelligence officials Wednesday released an assessment that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction have been transferred to neighboring Syria. I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Cool! Where can I get a T-shirt? -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: snarkyness on the edge of town
In a message dated 10/30/2003 8:44:28 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Anyone? -- Ronn! :) Hydrogen absortion line that was used by the Vegan broadcast in Contact? A bit more general than that. Radiation with a wavelength of 21cm or a frequency of 1420 MHz corresponds to the energy difference between the two hyperfine states of the neutral hydrogen atom: i.e., to the energy difference between the states when the spins of the proton and the electron are parallel and when they are antiparallel (the spinning charged particles generate a magnetic field which in one case is aligned in the same direction around both particles, so they repel each other, and in the other case is aligned in opposite directions, so they attract each other). It has been used for several decades to map the location of clouds of neutral hydrogen (HI) in the spiral arms of our Galaxy, and so to map the spiral arms of the Galaxy. Beginning about 1980 or so, Tully and Fisher realized that the Doppler broadening of the 21-cm line from distant spiral galaxies due to the rotation of the distant galaxy (the HI regions on one side of the galaxy would be moving toward us while those on the opposite side would be moving away from us, and the more the difference in the velocities, the wider the line), and that the rotational velocity of a spiral galaxy is related to its size, hence to its overall luminosity, so measuring the broadening of the 21-cm line in distant spiral galaxies could give us a way to measure its true brightness, and then by comparing that to the apparent brightness, provide a way to measure its distance. Many astronomers interested in SETI have suggested that, since the 21-cm line is a universal standard because hydrogen is the most common element in the Universe, it would be reasonable for ETs interested in broadcasting a signal which they wanted to be detected by other intelligent beings to broadcast a signal a bit on one side or the other of the 1420 MHZ so it might be detected accidentally by radio astronomers on other planets looking for, say, Doppler broadening of the 21-cm line from natural sources, as I described above . . . Um... Me savy movie. William Taylor (And I bet this was his _short_ version.) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
Congratulations ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Manchurian Fool?
From: Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 12:40 AM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: From: Bryon Daly [EMAIL PROTECTED] First, there's this... 'He' being the Great Satan of Redmond? :) I think that would be a compliment for Satan taught people to reason for themselves and not to trust or rely on so-called authority figures. Indeed, an honor being named after one of the great fathers of rationalism. Hmmm, defending Mr. G, and then this... Defending Satan. ... a third as popular as Mac OS A third of nothing is... Putting down just about the only two serious competitors to MS... Which both are teh s uck. Huh? It looks like a typo for the suck but that does not parse very well . . . And you don't watch cartoon network very much. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: life at fox news
On 10/30/03 3:42 AM, The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] quoted the following excerpt of another article: My advice to the pundits: If you really want to know about bias at Fox, talk to the grunts who work there - the desk assistants, tape editors, writers, researchers and assorted producers who have to deal with it every day. Ask enough of them what goes on, promise them anonymity, and you'll get the real story. I am so glad that the same thing can't occur over at CNN. Ted Turner really knows how to keep his personal politics out of the newsroom. Wha-wha-wha. You know what, we are big people. We know spin when we see it and we know liberal and conservative viewpoints when we see them. The Fox news channel is the only network that treats a conservative viewpoint as something worthy of consideration. You most likely have a problem with that. It also explains why they have been so successful. That being said, I found the perfect counter article: http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_4_were_not_losing.html We¹re Not Losing the Culture Wars Anymore Brian C. Anderson The Left¹s near monopoly over the institutions of opinion and informationwhich long allowed liberal opinion makers to sweep aside ideas and beliefs they disagreed with, as if they were beneath argumentis skidding to a startlingly swift halt. The transformation has gone far beyond the rise of conservative talk radio, that, ever since Rush Limbaugh¹s debut 15 years ago, has chipped away at the power of the New York Times, the networks, and the rest of the elite media to set the terms of the nation¹s political and cultural debate. Almost overnight, three huge changes in communications have injected conservative ideas right into the heart of that debate. Though commentators have noted each of these changes separately, they haven¹t sufficiently grasped how, taken together, they add up to a revolution: no longer can the Left keep conservative views out of the mainstream or dismiss them with bromide instead of argument. Everything has changed... I guess to be fair and balanced I will have to watch CNN and Fox, but that takes way to much time. I will just keep to Rush and NPR during my working hours. Matthew Bos (Oh, and by the way, I found the perfect X-mas present for you... http://talkingpresidents.com/products-af-coulter.shtml Just tell me where to ship it :) ) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
From: Reggie Bautista [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wrote: The only group you are likely to get consistent answers from would be the anti-religious groups, as you can probably see from some of the others who have already answered your email. William T. Goodall replied: Doesn't this indicate where the compelling evidence leads? That the only group that follows in lockstep and allows no dissent from their orthodoxy is the anti-religious group? Interesting. You are attempting to frame freethinkers and rationalists as authoritarian thought police. But the fact remains that freethinkers and rationalists have thrown off shackles of religious thought control, not the other way around. I nominate your post for newspeak / doublethink post of the month. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
- Original Message - From: Reggie Bautista [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 6:10 PM Subject: Re: It's a boy! Matt Grimaldi wrote: Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ rob replied: AGRHH! NICU!!! I hate working there! Even in the pictures I can recognise the Hill-Rom equipment. [snip] Rewire That Crap Maru Bad experiences much? :-) Difficult experiences. NICU is not a fun place to work. I don't think I could do the job that an NICU nurse has to do. I find it hard to work around babies smaller than my hand with a dozen tubes stuffed into them. But even worse is the hated Hill-Rom equipment. Inside the equipment are small plastic electrical connectors that have a tendency to melt, come apart, and lose electrical continuity. About 2 years ago I replaced every single one of these connectors in our NICU with buttsplices. It was 4 or 5 days of work in which I made thousands of crimps. Talk about carpel-tunnel pain! xponent Solderless Connections Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
- Original Message - From: Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'Killer Bs Discussion' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:02 PM Subject: RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria At 12:29 PM 10/30/03 +0530, ritu wrote: The Fool forwarded: WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. intelligence officials Wednesday released an assessment that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction have been transferred to neighboring Syria. I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Cool! Where can I get a T-shirt? Weapons Of Mass Destruction World Tour 03 - 04 Iraq - Sold Out Syria Iran Sudan Pakistan Libya Alabama xponent Tourbooks For Sale Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Manchurian Fool?
- Original Message - From: The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Killer Bs Discussion [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:14 PM Subject: Re: The Manchurian Fool? From: Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 12:40 AM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: From: Bryon Daly [EMAIL PROTECTED] First, there's this... 'He' being the Great Satan of Redmond? :) I think that would be a compliment for Satan taught people to reason for themselves and not to trust or rely on so-called authority figures. Indeed, an honor being named after one of the great fathers of rationalism. Hmmm, defending Mr. G, and then this... Defending Satan. ... a third as popular as Mac OS A third of nothing is... Putting down just about the only two serious competitors to MS... Which both are teh s uck. Huh? It looks like a typo for the suck but that does not parse very well . . . And you don't watch cartoon network very much. ___ The cards for Adult Swim are almost as entertaining as the programs. xponent Teh S uck M aru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
- Original Message - From: The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Killer Bs Discussion [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:21 PM Subject: Re: religious/political question From: Reggie Bautista [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wrote: The only group you are likely to get consistent answers from would be the anti-religious groups, as you can probably see from some of the others who have already answered your email. William T. Goodall replied: Doesn't this indicate where the compelling evidence leads? That the only group that follows in lockstep and allows no dissent from their orthodoxy is the anti-religious group? Interesting. You are attempting to frame freethinkers and rationalists as authoritarian thought police. But the fact remains that freethinkers and rationalists have thrown off shackles of religious thought control, not the other way around. I nominate your post for newspeak / doublethink post of the month. Is this intentional comedy or compelling irony? xponent Makes Me Laugh Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's a boy!
just got back from OOPSLA con and heard. Congrats. --- Matt Grimaldi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Andrew Michael Grimaldi, Born 23-Oct-2003 at 6:52 p.m. 10 lb., 8 oz. 20.5 inches Both baby and mother are doing well, though Andrew was transfered to the NICU at another hospital to monitor a couple of potentially serious conditions. He has recovered well, has maintained his weight, and, at this point, the only reason he's still in the NICU is to complete his antibiotics. We expect him home on Saturday. Pictures can be found at: http://users.adelphia.net/~matzebrei/ -- Matt ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l = _ Jan William Coffey _ __ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
Robert Seeberger wrote: Weapons Of Mass Destruction World Tour 03 - 04 Iraq - Sold Out *rofl* Syria Iran Sudan Pakistan No! No! Pakistan is a horrible destination! xponent Tourbooks For Sale Maru *chuckles* This reminds me of an article on the BBC about how a travel agency in London which kept on getting calls from people who wanted to go sight-seeing in Iraq while the war was going on. :) Ritu ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
First Timers Telescope
My son Nathaniel (6) is asking for a telescope for Christmas this year. I am looking to spend about 100-150 dollars for it (I have always wanted one too!). What would be a good new model in that price range? What would be a good used telescope in that price range? I would rather ask this group than to to the reviews on Amazon.com. Thanks for the advice in advance. Matthew Bos ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: U.S. now saying WMD went from Iraq to Syria
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: I think the Iraqi WMDs are on a Mid-East tour. After Syria, they are probably headed towards Iran. :) Cool! Where can I get a T-shirt? I just had the words. No t-shirts, no place to print them. :) Ritu, who'd like at least one 'print your own t-shirt' place in Delhi ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: life at fox news
From: Matthew and Julie Bos [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 10/30/03 3:42 AM, The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] quoted the following excerpt of another article: My advice to the pundits: If you really want to know about bias at Fox, talk to the grunts who work there - the desk assistants, tape editors, writers, researchers and assorted producers who have to deal with it every day. Ask enough of them what goes on, promise them anonymity, and you'll get the real story. I am so glad that the same thing can't occur over at CNN. Ted Turner really knows how to keep his personal politics out of the newsroom. Wha-wha-wha. --- Ted turner hasn't controlled CNN for a very long time now. --- You know what, we are big people. We know spin when we see it and we know liberal and conservative viewpoints when we see them. The Fox news channel is the only network that treats a conservative viewpoint as something worthy of consideration. As opposed to MSNBC, with Michael savage (who was fired for his extremely bigoted remarks), and Scarbourough, who unlike O'reilly (A registered republican outed by the Washington Post who writes articles for exclusively extremist right-wing magazines like townhall, newsmax, worldnetdaily, and gives speeches to republican national committee rallies) who unabashedly shows off his extremist right-wing viewpoint. Lets not forget How MSNBC fired Donahue, their highest rated show (with rating continuing to go up), and replaced it with scaroughbough whose ratings are less than stellar and not going up at all. Or perhaps you remember last year when MSNBC had religious extremist Alan Keys doing a daily show. If people wanted to read extremist right-wing newspapers then they would. They Exist. The Washington Times has one of the smallest circulation's of any paper in the country, and in fact Sun Young Moon (who owns it) has spent more than 2 Billion dollars of his own money to keep the Washington Times afloat. In the same way the New York Post loses 20 Million dollars a year, and has lost about that much for about the last 25 years. You most likely have a problem with that. It also explains why they have been so successful. That being said, I found the perfect counter article: --- They aren't conservative, they're extremist. There's a difference. --- http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_4_were_not_losing.html We¹re Not Losing the Culture Wars Anymore Brian C. Anderson The Left¹s near monopoly over the institutions of opinion and informationwhich long allowed liberal opinion makers to sweep aside ideas and beliefs they disagreed with, as if they were beneath argumentis skidding to a startlingly swift halt. The transformation has gone far beyond the rise of conservative talk radio, that, ever since Rush Limbaugh¹s debut 15 years ago, has chipped away at the power of the New York Times, the networks, and the rest of the elite media to set the terms of the nation¹s political and cultural debate. Almost overnight, three huge changes in communications have injected conservative ideas right into the heart of that debate. Though commentators have noted each of these changes separately, they haven¹t sufficiently grasped how, taken together, they add up to a revolution: no longer can the Left keep conservative views out of the mainstream or dismiss them with bromide instead of argument. Everything has changed... I guess to be fair and balanced I will have to watch CNN and Fox, but that takes way to much time. I will just keep to Rush and NPR during my working hours. --- I'll see your article and raise you a 'Rush, Newspeak and Fascism': pdf: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/Rush%20Newspeak%20%20Fascism.pdf Donation for pdf: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_07_20_dneiwert_archive.html#1059190716 45476424 HTML Parts: Note: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_03_dneiwert_archive.html#1060364917 86412912 I: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_03_dneiwert_archive.html#1060365454 4027 II: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_03_dneiwert_archive.html#1060498657 36276725 III: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_10_dneiwert_archive.html#1060668311 04512495 IV: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_10_dneiwert_archive.html#1060757850 62216439 V: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_10_dneiwert_archive.html#1060825649 44876571 VI: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_10_dneiwert_archive.html#1060920084 83684298 VII: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_10_dneiwert_archive.html#1061005916 63369732 VIII: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_17_dneiwert_archive.html#1061191526 90664131 IX: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_17_dneiwert_archive.html#1061271808 80804569 X: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_17_dneiwert_archive.html#1061356696 01937782 XI: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_17_dneiwert_archive.html#1061449041 43452241 XII: http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_08_17_dneiwert_archive.html#1061535703 54682581 XIII:
Re: it's who you're in bed with that matters
On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 20:19:58 -0600, Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: At 10:52 PM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: [snip] --- If voting could really change things, it would be illegal. - Diebold Internal Memos And a really old joke as well. (Perhaps even predating the founding of Diebold.) And it might even be funny when told elsewhere. -- Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: religious/political question
On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 20:12:48 -0600, Reggie Bautista [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: That the only group that follows in lockstep and allows no dissent from their orthodoxy is the anti-religious group? The idea that non believers are any kind of cohesive group is kind of silly. To state that there is any orthodoxy or control over them is rather absurd. Who (or what entity) would it be that keeps them from dissenting, and what would they be dissenting from? Are you saying that there are Athiest enforcers out there preventing their minions from going to church? -- Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: The Manchurian Fool?
At 10:47 PM 10/30/03 -0600, Robert Seeberger wrote: - Original Message - From: The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Killer Bs Discussion [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:14 PM Subject: Re: The Manchurian Fool? From: Ronn!Blankenship [EMAIL PROTECTED] At 12:40 AM 10/24/03 -0500, The Fool wrote: From: Bryon Daly [EMAIL PROTECTED] First, there's this... 'He' being the Great Satan of Redmond? :) I think that would be a compliment for Satan taught people to reason for themselves and not to trust or rely on so-called authority figures. Indeed, an honor being named after one of the great fathers of rationalism. Hmmm, defending Mr. G, and then this... Defending Satan. ... a third as popular as Mac OS A third of nothing is... Putting down just about the only two serious competitors to MS... Which both are teh s uck. Huh? It looks like a typo for the suck but that does not parse very well . . . And you don't watch cartoon network very much. You are correct: I don't get that here. Obviously I didn't get the joke, either . . . Duh Maru -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: religious/political question
The Fool wrote: From: Reggie Bautista [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wrote: The only group you are likely to get consistent answers from would be the anti-religious groups, as you can probably see from some of the others who have already answered your email. William T. Goodall replied: Doesn't this indicate where the compelling evidence leads? That the only group that follows in lockstep and allows no dissent from their orthodoxy is the anti-religious group? Interesting. You are attempting to frame freethinkers and rationalists as authoritarian thought police. But the fact remains that freethinkers and rationalists have thrown off shackles of religious thought control, not the other way around. I nominate your post for newspeak / doublethink post of the month. I oppose the nomination. :) I don't think he was trying to frame free-thinkers and rationalists as authoritarian thought police. Besides, there is a point in what he says: I have met many atheists who are best described as devout atheists. Their lack of theism is based not as much in rationality as in an overpowering hatred of all things religious. I am sure they have their reasons but I do think that they have thrown off only some of their 'religious shackles'. After all, an overwhelmingly strong negative reaction still indicates an emotional attachment, albeit a negative emotional attachment. Ritu ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: life at fox news
On 10/31/03 12:46 AM, The Fool [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: --- Ted turner hasn't controlled CNN for a very long time now. Officially that may be the case. All it takes is a phone call. As opposed to MSNBC, with Michael savage (who was fired for his extremely bigoted remarks), and Scarbourough, who unlike O'reilly (A registered republican outed by the Washington Post who writes articles for exclusively extremist right-wing magazines like townhall, newsmax, worldnetdaily, and gives speeches to republican national committee rallies) who unabashedly shows off his extremist right-wing viewpoint. Lets not forget How MSNBC fired Donahue, their highest rated show (with rating continuing to go up), and replaced it with scaroughbough whose ratings are less than stellar and not going up at all. Or perhaps you remember last year when MSNBC had religious extremist Alan Keys doing a daily show. Michael is better on the radio. I can't stand Scarbourgh and Keys. I have a hard enough time with Hannity and Colmes. Donahue's ratings almost went negative they were that bad. MSNBC's ratings are never that great. Townhall is mainstream conservative site. The whacko hang out at Free Republic, but you know that. Newsmax and WorldNetDaily are more concerned that you buy something from them. If people wanted to read extremist right-wing newspapers then they would. They Exist. The Washington Times has one of the smallest circulation's of any paper in the country, and in fact Sun Young Moon (who owns it) has spent more than 2 Billion dollars of his own money to keep the Washington Times afloat. In the same way the New York Post loses 20 Million dollars a year, and has lost about that much for about the last 25 years. Wall Street Journal? Oh, that one makes money. They aren't conservative, they're extremist. There's a difference. You use the terms interchangeably, could you give me your definitions? I am a religious conservative. I want to know how to get to extreme. Remember extreme is in :) --- I'll see your article and raise you a 'Rush, Newspeak and Fascism': Deal. As long as you read mine, I'll read yours. I have listened to Rush for about 10 years now...I really need to understand how he can be fascist when he doesn't hold a government position and he is against big government. Crum, I missed Adult Swim for this! Matthew Bos ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
