You probably should now.
I don't find the pictures as esthetically pleasing as I do REALLY KIND OF SCARY. So much radiation.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
This link argues, or at least gives the argument that Babyboomers really suck.
The argument has two distinct parts:
1) They are largely responsible for the excessive consumption of our current culture, and thus the destruction of the environment.
2) The free-sex and experimentation that they practiced broke down the sense of respect and social norms, causing the degeneration of society.
It's odd to see one paper arguing both from the left and right for the same point. I largely agree with the first argument, but the second one reeks of fear and social conservatism. It was just funny to see in the same plave. I guess noone likes the poor bastards.
The argument has two distinct parts:
1) They are largely responsible for the excessive consumption of our current culture, and thus the destruction of the environment.
2) The free-sex and experimentation that they practiced broke down the sense of respect and social norms, causing the degeneration of society.
It's odd to see one paper arguing both from the left and right for the same point. I largely agree with the first argument, but the second one reeks of fear and social conservatism. It was just funny to see in the same plave. I guess noone likes the poor bastards.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
PD-1 and Me!
CBC's article on HIV advancement has piqued my interest in its other applications.
First of all, the article is simplified, but I'm going to run under the premise that it can be taken literally and logically. Second, if you're too lazy to read the really short article: Harvard, the US National Institute of Health and the University of Montreal (I had no idea they had such a facility!) have all found that a protein called PD-1 is over-produced in HIV patients. The more PD-1 in the system, the less active the white T cells are (those are essentially your immune system).
That aside, now to get to the "me" aspect. For absolutely anyone who knows anything about my health record and nothing about my sexual record, I probably have the HIV (I don't). When I get knocked down, I go down hard. Frighteningly so (remember the CDC incident?). I don't just get sick, I go to the hospital (although I loathe almost all doctors and hospitals; no offense to all the MDs in the house!). The idea of a PD-1 suppressant sounds as delicious as candy. If I could get my T cells to do their job more often I'd have half as many medical mysteries as I do now (probably wouldn't assist in the cerebral or hormonal inflictions, though). I think my T cells are just slow swimmers, so to speak. They are the couch potatoes of my system.
If PD-1 is the cause of lazy immune systems, I want mine suppressed.
First of all, the article is simplified, but I'm going to run under the premise that it can be taken literally and logically. Second, if you're too lazy to read the really short article: Harvard, the US National Institute of Health and the University of Montreal (I had no idea they had such a facility!) have all found that a protein called PD-1 is over-produced in HIV patients. The more PD-1 in the system, the less active the white T cells are (those are essentially your immune system).
That aside, now to get to the "me" aspect. For absolutely anyone who knows anything about my health record and nothing about my sexual record, I probably have the HIV (I don't). When I get knocked down, I go down hard. Frighteningly so (remember the CDC incident?). I don't just get sick, I go to the hospital (although I loathe almost all doctors and hospitals; no offense to all the MDs in the house!). The idea of a PD-1 suppressant sounds as delicious as candy. If I could get my T cells to do their job more often I'd have half as many medical mysteries as I do now (probably wouldn't assist in the cerebral or hormonal inflictions, though). I think my T cells are just slow swimmers, so to speak. They are the couch potatoes of my system.
If PD-1 is the cause of lazy immune systems, I want mine suppressed.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Making "men" technophobic?
Wired's Sex blog has posted a comment about robots that I found to have an interesting observation.
To suggest that men would fear being replaced by robotic counterparts seems rather unusual. Why would women not harbour the same "fears"? We've lived in a world dominated by sexvertising that has generally sold out the female form to everything from car parts to the very common toilettries market. Not to say that men have not been, but let's face it, men have done way more to "replace" women sexaully than women have of men. I don't imagine the first robots off the line for sexual purposes will be robots with phalluses. Call me crazy, but I have vivid, hauting images of men with too much money purchasing RealDolls (that link is not safe for work, even though I just clicked on it at work--thank god I'm a woman, I can probably get away with it).
Sure, a robot will do more household chores than the average man and be way more of a subservient (literally) slave, but do most people endure relationships for their use-purpose? I highly doubt that. I think the primary reason I, personally, stick to a relationship (without many of the robotic enhancements) is the companionship. An andrioid will represent a fiction; the human, non-fiction. Just as we can do some serious tweeking to fiction to fit our needs and ideals, an android's negative behavior can be reprogrammed. Human lives, on the the other hand, are required to live in a linear line and while some behavior can be modified, the majority will be met with comprimise and endurance (or disaster and heartbreak).
So, fear not the robots, men. Embrace them, as I imagine some will do.
To suggest that men would fear being replaced by robotic counterparts seems rather unusual. Why would women not harbour the same "fears"? We've lived in a world dominated by sexvertising that has generally sold out the female form to everything from car parts to the very common toilettries market. Not to say that men have not been, but let's face it, men have done way more to "replace" women sexaully than women have of men. I don't imagine the first robots off the line for sexual purposes will be robots with phalluses. Call me crazy, but I have vivid, hauting images of men with too much money purchasing RealDolls (that link is not safe for work, even though I just clicked on it at work--thank god I'm a woman, I can probably get away with it).
Sure, a robot will do more household chores than the average man and be way more of a subservient (literally) slave, but do most people endure relationships for their use-purpose? I highly doubt that. I think the primary reason I, personally, stick to a relationship (without many of the robotic enhancements) is the companionship. An andrioid will represent a fiction; the human, non-fiction. Just as we can do some serious tweeking to fiction to fit our needs and ideals, an android's negative behavior can be reprogrammed. Human lives, on the the other hand, are required to live in a linear line and while some behavior can be modified, the majority will be met with comprimise and endurance (or disaster and heartbreak).
So, fear not the robots, men. Embrace them, as I imagine some will do.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
I'm a sick puppy
For years (like just under 10), I have managed to ignore that freakish looking gremlin on tabloids. I've managed to not be curious about "another child murder" and all the media cicus crap that ensued. I thought the whole thing was just another example of people being super creepy over a super creepy kid.
I wasn't wrong; the kid and the media attention is creepy, but hot damn, this confessor business has got me interested.
It's actually quite strange that I have not been interested in the case prior to... oh, a week ago. It's got all the elements of something Bill Kurtis would tell me about while I kill time at my parents' place. You've got a botched investigation, a dead kid and no solid suspects (other than the creepy kid's family). I've now spent my Sunday morning going over the case files and I have got to say, it's quite the stumper. (You can skip to the next paragraph if you know all this crap, but this is all fascinating news to me). First, there are all the elements about the murder that family members would be privvy to (or someone who had lived there before, spent extensive time there or had access to floor plans): the dollar figure of the father's xmas bonus, the location of the rooms (including the most obscure back closet in a basement), who/how she was found (the whole bit where the police sent the father in to search, rather than themselves), the ability to write a 3 page letter inside the house, no real signs of forced entry (a broken window that only some wirey dude could get through; and left that way, too?), the location of the kid in the first place. It kind of adds up against one or more of the parents (the police even went for the 9 year old brother; really! I said: this is all news to me). But then you have the DNA under her nails not tied to family members, and the sheer gruesome exit she took doesn't look like something that a parent would actually do (but, what do I know? My expertise comes from American over-dramatised television crimes shows).
Anyway, I know this is pure tabloid fodder and that my mind would be better served with more valuable information, but it's bizzare--like a car accident and the cliché that follows.
I wasn't wrong; the kid and the media attention is creepy, but hot damn, this confessor business has got me interested.
It's actually quite strange that I have not been interested in the case prior to... oh, a week ago. It's got all the elements of something Bill Kurtis would tell me about while I kill time at my parents' place. You've got a botched investigation, a dead kid and no solid suspects (other than the creepy kid's family). I've now spent my Sunday morning going over the case files and I have got to say, it's quite the stumper. (You can skip to the next paragraph if you know all this crap, but this is all fascinating news to me). First, there are all the elements about the murder that family members would be privvy to (or someone who had lived there before, spent extensive time there or had access to floor plans): the dollar figure of the father's xmas bonus, the location of the rooms (including the most obscure back closet in a basement), who/how she was found (the whole bit where the police sent the father in to search, rather than themselves), the ability to write a 3 page letter inside the house, no real signs of forced entry (a broken window that only some wirey dude could get through; and left that way, too?), the location of the kid in the first place. It kind of adds up against one or more of the parents (the police even went for the 9 year old brother; really! I said: this is all news to me). But then you have the DNA under her nails not tied to family members, and the sheer gruesome exit she took doesn't look like something that a parent would actually do (but, what do I know? My expertise comes from American over-dramatised television crimes shows).
Anyway, I know this is pure tabloid fodder and that my mind would be better served with more valuable information, but it's bizzare--like a car accident and the cliché that follows.
Friday, August 18, 2006
The Crane Wife and other tales
After obtaining a pre-release of The Crane Wife through no illegal activities of my own doing, I can start to actually make initial observations (by request).
My very first impressions based on a two track experience is that I really like 80s maritime can-con ballads, so this is so far up my alleyway. That being said, I am certainly finding less story more redundance. With all new soon-to-be-friends (even ones you know that are automatic bed-dudes-4-ever), The Crane Wife and I are just kind of bopping our heads trying to find out what we have in common in order to build relations with. She's definately toying with my desire to dance when cleaning with The Perfect Crime. I do like the less-pussy-more-pitbull rock
attitude that is in on this album, which is the biggest distinction that I have found.
Will think more once I master the names and track sounds. As a whole, so far, I am enjoying it and know that I will enjoy this for years to come. Just how many remains to be seen.
My very first impressions based on a two track experience is that I really like 80s maritime can-con ballads, so this is so far up my alleyway. That being said, I am certainly finding less story more redundance. With all new soon-to-be-friends (even ones you know that are automatic bed-dudes-4-ever), The Crane Wife and I are just kind of bopping our heads trying to find out what we have in common in order to build relations with. She's definately toying with my desire to dance when cleaning with The Perfect Crime. I do like the less-pussy-more-pitbull rock
attitude that is in on this album, which is the biggest distinction that I have found.
Will think more once I master the names and track sounds. As a whole, so far, I am enjoying it and know that I will enjoy this for years to come. Just how many remains to be seen.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
For Corinne
Looks the libertarian revolution is dead.
Corinne and I have had an ongoing discussion over the year about a mutually hated political foe, that of libertarianism. It seems to me that every person I have come across (with one exception, and since he's someone I have only talked to online he doesn't count as real) that argues for libertarian governance is either bat-shit crazy or intellectually lazy. So while it's nice to see it go, I'm not clear that it's heir apparent, big-government conservatism which sometimes pretends to be libertarian is philosophy, is a good replacement.
Corinne and I have had an ongoing discussion over the year about a mutually hated political foe, that of libertarianism. It seems to me that every person I have come across (with one exception, and since he's someone I have only talked to online he doesn't count as real) that argues for libertarian governance is either bat-shit crazy or intellectually lazy. So while it's nice to see it go, I'm not clear that it's heir apparent, big-government conservatism which sometimes pretends to be libertarian is philosophy, is a good replacement.
New Decemberists Album Leaked
Currently just over halfway through. So far not too impressed. Very proggy. Seems to really take from the same set of influences the Tain ep was big on. Haven't listened too deeply to the lyrics yet however. Will update on in-depth listen.
Available where all good music stolen.
Available where all good music stolen.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The Battle for Cola Supremecy Has Been Won
After decades of battling it out for my loyalty, PepsiCo. Inc. has won my alliegence (as best as any soft-drink manufacturer can), by simply making itself a minority. With Ms. Nooyi coming in as the eleventh (that's a one preceded by another one) female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, it's no wonder women are feeling the sting of the idea of an imaginary glass ceiling.
Those who know me, know that I know that there are external forces that keep the glass ceiling in place that don't involve the oppressive man, but I'm finding startling (but not surprising) that women only account for just over 16% of corporate officers. Sure, lots of women opt to take a year off to make a baby or two and that makes our whole gender economically unreliable in the grand scheme of things (especially if they fall in love with pukeypookie and opt to stay home foreva!), but is there not a viable solution for investing in women in the workplace to allow for the possibility of trusting career-minded women? I'm seriously doubting that the mere admission that a woman does not want to pass a baby through her loins is ever taken seriously (speaking from my own experience: very few people on this planet take me seriously).
Back on topic about how I'll drink PepsiCo. Inc. products:
I realize that this is not exactly a difficult choice as I prefer Aquafina over salted Dasani and the rest of the sugary water all tastes the same to me, but now I'm going to make a concerted effort to support PepsiCo. Inc and their choice to appoint a woman in the seas of men.
Those who know me, know that I know that there are external forces that keep the glass ceiling in place that don't involve the oppressive man, but I'm finding startling (but not surprising) that women only account for just over 16% of corporate officers. Sure, lots of women opt to take a year off to make a baby or two and that makes our whole gender economically unreliable in the grand scheme of things (especially if they fall in love with pukeypookie and opt to stay home foreva!), but is there not a viable solution for investing in women in the workplace to allow for the possibility of trusting career-minded women? I'm seriously doubting that the mere admission that a woman does not want to pass a baby through her loins is ever taken seriously (speaking from my own experience: very few people on this planet take me seriously).
Back on topic about how I'll drink PepsiCo. Inc. products:
I realize that this is not exactly a difficult choice as I prefer Aquafina over salted Dasani and the rest of the sugary water all tastes the same to me, but now I'm going to make a concerted effort to support PepsiCo. Inc and their choice to appoint a woman in the seas of men.
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