NaNoWriMo
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1018 hrs
Well, Phoenix has indirectly convinced me to participate in NaNoWriMo. While I'm not sure that I can finish a 175-page novel in thirty days, I do have a screenplay idea that I quite like, and I think getting anything down on paper, no matter the format, will be beneficial. Anyway, if I =do= finish the novel, I can always say it's an adaptation from my own novel. -)
If I want to make it to 50,000 words by 30 November, I have to write an average of 1,667 words every day. If I can just avoid turning on the TV...
Speaking of TV, I found this today. It's another interesting interview with Jon Stewart.
Friday Funday IX
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1010 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
First, a couple of Halloween-related links:
Sounds to Make You Shiver (in Stereo) [del.icio.us]
Just in time for Halloween, here's a website that posted some MP3s of spooky Halloween sounds from an old LP. The only thing scary about these sounds is how cheesy they are. Be sure to take a look at the cover art.
2004's Scariest Halloween Costumes [del.icio.us]
A fantastic satire on current events.
Dremel Pumpkin Carving Kit [del.icio.us]
I have a rotary tool. It's not a Dremel, but it's the same thing. I love my rotary tool (and yes, I just call it a Dremel. Much like I say Kleenex instead of tissue). If I were going to carve a pumpkin, there would be nothing for me but this. Link via Gizmodo because the Dremel site isn't working for some reason (with everyone linking to them, they probably went over the transfer limit).
Next, a couple of non-Halloween links:
The Ashlee Simpson iPod [del.icio.us]
It seems like everyone is jumping on the, "make fun of Ashlee Simpson" bandwagon, but after her recent blunder on Saturday Night Live, why the hell not? This is one of the best I've seen so far.
Sur l'herbe [del.icio.us]
This picture was originally featured on a real estate website. Either the photographer failed to notice the two dogs bumping uglies out the window, or this is an example of highly sophisticated subliminal advertising strategies in the real estate industry.
And since this is the last Friday Funday before the elections:
Jon Stewart on Crossfire [del.icio.us]
If you missed it, this is really funny. The right-wing nutjob keeps insisting that The Daily Show has a responsibility to journalism, which eventually leads Jon Stewart to call him a dick. After you've watched the video, be sure to read about what happened afterward.
86 Years Later...
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 2146 hrs
So Boston finally won another World Series. Now who are they going to blame for future losses?
My New Toy
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 2200 hrs
Yes, that's new toy, singular. I got the camera, but no computer. I'm a bit miffed about the price of the camera. When we went to check it out on Saturday, they were offering a $100 mail-in rebate, which brought the price down to $899. When we went in to buy it last night, the rebate was gone so it cost $999. Last night was also, "friends and family night" at Best Buy, which means that you could get 12% off of certain items if you had a special coupon (and I did, though not because I actually know anyone who works there). So it wasn't =all= bad since I got the 12% off (it ended up coming to a little over $950), but that extra $100 off would have been nice.
As far as the camera itself is concerned, it's not the world's best camera. I've been describing it as the MiniDV version of the camera I already own, but that's not entirely true. It does have some nice features that my camera doesn't have, such as the ability to shoot in 30p, interval recording and an option to stop it from shutting off automatically. These are all things I wish my old camera had, so it's nice to finally get them and be able to use the MiniDV tapes I already have (from other projects).
In fact, I think I really confused the guy at Best Buy who gave me the camera. He was trying to sell me accessories for the camera like tapes and a carrying case, but I kept telling him that I didn't need them. He gave me this look that I could tell meant, "but how are you going to shoot anything without tapes?"
Okay, now for the camera's faults. The biggest one (Kris, you might want to be sitting down for this one) is that there is a button labeled "EASY" that =removes the options for advanced and manual controls from the menu=. It makes the menu buttons bigger and the only options left for you to choose from are "BEEP", "CLOCK SET" and "LANGUAGE". FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS VIDEO, WHY? Because it's a consumer level camera. The idea is to remove the hard stuff so that any moron can use the camera and make shitty home movies.
Other faults are that it has a touch-screen menu on which many of the manual settings must be controlled. A bunch of the settings in the menu don't stay how you set them when you turn the camera off, so if you want to make use of them (like, say, Super Night Shot as opposed to regular night shot), you have to remember to turn it on manually when you switch to NS.
I also don't like a lot of the "port" (the places where you plug stuff in) covers. The power, iLink and USB ports have those annoying rubber covers that I'm always afraid I'm going to tear off accidentally. The headphones, mic, and LANC ports also have an annoying cover that you can't completely remove (well, you =could= remove it, but you'd never get it back on). Also, they're rather poorly placed. While I could plug in a mic and headphones while holding the camera, my hand covers the LANC port. Granted, I never use it and the chances of anyone using it while the camera is being held are slim, but the possibility exists.
Another less than endearing feature is that the camera is a bottom-feeder. Oh sure, at first it seems really cool that the bottom of the camera opens up to accept the tape, but wait until you have the camera attached to a tripod. Fucking annoying. Sony needs to do away with this "feature" soon.
While it's nice to have a remote control for the camera (especially now that it won't automatically shut-off. *ahem*), the battery is a button battery. This is kind of a crappy trade off, in my opinion. Sure, the remote is tiny, super slim and weighs almost nothing, but now I have to go to the trouble of finding a new button battery when this one dies, which, as we all know, is annoying.
Last, but not least, the stock battery only lasts for just less than 80 minutes on a full charge; unless you want to use the LCD screen. Open that baby up and you're looking at less than an hour. And that's just in standby mode, who knows how long it really lasts while shooting (Kris and I once had a "phantom" battery that would say it had about 20 minutes left, then suddenly die). So it looks like I'll have to troll eBay for a new battery (since the dumbass at best buy said that you couldn't get one that lasted longer than what came with the camera, which I know is untrue. Sony includes an accessory booklet with the camera and about two or three pages in is a listing of batteries that are measured in =how much longer they last than the stock battery=).
Does the camera have some really cool features? You bet. Despite my not liking the touch screen menu, it's something that I think I'm going to get used to very soon; especially since there's an option to customize the primary menu. Once I figure out the options in the menu I use most, I can add those to the menu (and remove the ones I don't want on there). I can even choose the order in which they show up on the screen.
Another cool feature is that you can stream video from the camera via USB. I'm not really sure what purpose this would serve other than a glorified webcam, but I suppose if you were webcasting, it would probably come in useful.
There's also a cool little button next to the LCD screen that dims the screens (thereby saving battery life). Speaking of the screen, it's huge. The LCD is way bigger than the one on my old camera. Also, my old camera could record still pictures to a memory stick, but the quality wasn't that hot. This one can record both still pictures and video (why?) to the new Memory Stick Duo (see Infra). The quality is a lot better at 2 Megapixels (1600x1200 max resolution on stills) and the video is recorded in MPEG-1 (to the Memory Stick, it records normally to tape).
Sony's new Memory Stick Duo really yanks my chain. When I got my first camcorder about four years ago, I didn't think I'd ever really use the Memory Stick that came with it. Then, when I was in the market for a digicam, I wanted a Sony because I liked the size and style of the Memory Stick better than anything else out there (plus, I have a Sony VAIO computer). About the time I got my digicam, Sony came out with the Magic Gate Memory Sticks (I think that's what they were called), which were different from the original Memory Sticks (I have four of the originals, all in different sizes, curiously enough). Now Sony has these Memory Stick Duo ones (I think there might have been another type that came out before these. I seem to recall that the AIBO required some special Memory Stick). They're about half as long as the original ones, but hold just as much info. All I can say is, what the fuck? An 8MB Duo came with the camcorder (as well as an adapter, which I'll get to in a moment) and I'm honestly afraid I'll lose it. I like that technology allows us to have smaller stuff, but there is a point where things are =too= small. I prefer the size of the old Memory Sticks; I always felt they were "just right".
What about compatibility? Well =of course= the new Memory Stick Duos work in your old gear, so long as you have an adapter that makes them the same size as the original Memory Sticks. And what about the old sticks, do they work in your new gear? Not a chance.
So what the hell is going on here? While they won't admit it, this is clearly just a plot by Sony to force users to constantly buy new equipment. I'm sure the Memory Sticks I have will cease to be supported before long, which will force me to buy a new digicam and new Memory Sticks. I'm also sure that a new type of Memory Stick will come out in a few years and they'll eventually stop supporting Memory Stick Duos.
Does that mean I'm going to stop buying Sony products? Probably not. I really like Sony products because (A) I have so many and they all work really well together, (B) while I'm usually pretty anti-corporations, I'm a sucker for brand loyalty if I really like a company's products or services (and Sony teeters on the edge of my acceptability threshold) and (C) Sony products are usually really well put together. I can't think of a problem I've ever had with a Sony product that was a result of something they did wrong. Are there sometimes design flaws? Yes, but their electronics are solid.
Shocking Flora
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1457 hrs
Well, I'm feeling a little bit better today, but I keep having these really painful sneezes. I think what's happening is that phlegm is being thrown against my throat at about 100 mph. In any case, it hurts. And they happen so suddenly that they're not the kind of sneezes I can disarm (you can sometimes disarm sneezes as they're welling up by saying "orange" over and over again until the feeling subsides. I know it sounds really stupid, but the "nge" of "orange" vibrates your nose in such a way that it "scratches" the itch. How much of it is purely psychosomatic is unknown to me. All I know is that it works. Wow, this paranthetical is longer than the rest of the paragraph).
At work, there's this umbrella tree outside the door to our office (which is stupid, in my opinion, since we're in a basement with no windows). I mean =right= outside the door; you almost have to walk around it to get in. In fact, it's so stupid, I'm going to take a picture so you can see what I mean. Okay, the first picture is from the hallway outside our office looking in at my desk (why doesn't my camera take good pictures under florescent lights? Oh, and those are Eliza Dushku's boobs on the wall next to the plant). The second picture is looking out at the hallway from my desk. Stupid, huh?
Anyway, back to the point of all this. I tend to build up a lot of static electricity during the day (mostly from sitting on fabric-covered chairs and the wedge things for my back). Sometimes if I touch the umbrella tree as I walk past it, I feel like I'm getting shocked. Does that makes sense? I mean, I guess it sort of does since the plant has water in it, but honestly, a plant? If anyone has any insight as to why this happens, post a comment because I'm eager to learn why the plant is shocking me.
Speaking of getting shocked, last night on Fear Factor they were shocking people with 2,000,000 volts of electricity (an electric chair puts out 200,000 volts). It was awesome.
Tomorrow I'm going to Best Buy to get a new camcorder and possibly a new computer. While neither one is what I really want (I really want a Panasonic AG-DVX100A and a Macintosh Dual G5), each is better than what I currently have and will be able to act as a crutch until Morah and I are better off financially.
The camcorder I'm looking at is a Sony DCR-HC85 and the computer is a Sony PCV-RS630G (can you say brand loyalty? Yes, my digicam is a Sony as well). I'm hoping to get some discounts from Best Buy because of some coupons I have (no, not those stupid ones from McDonald's), so if I don't, plans might change. I'll let you know.
Last night Morah and I were at the grocery store (=someone= wanted chocolate chip cookies. I must admit that I also wanted them) and while there we conducted some research into one of my Amazing but False product claims (namely, anti-viral Kleenex). The results were interesting, in my opinion, but my report isn't ready to be released yet. Check back, though, because I am working on this one.
Kabuki theatre in Hawaii. The bloke on the left is a friend of mine from high school. In case you're interested in that sort of thing. -)
Hello, Miss?
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1416 hrs
I hate being sick.
On Thursday night, I went to bed with one nostril plugged up and wondering why. Friday morning found me with a sore throat and by Friday evening I was definately feeling it. I almost didn't make the bike ride home because I felt so drained. I spent this weekend relaxing as much as possible and have been taking echinacea and vitamin C. I've also been drinking tons more water than normal, so I have to pee every ten minutes or so.
Today I feel a bit better. My throat doesn't hurt quite as badly and I'm not quite as congested. But it still sucks. Plus, it's =freezing= cold outside (no, really, it's starting to get below 32 degrees Fahrenheit at night), so riding my bike is probably not a good idea (Morah is giving me rides for now).
Anyway, enough about me and how I feel like crap.
Over the weekend I posted a couple of entries to my blog, which caused the Friday Funday links to become buried in the archives. I wanted to point out that every single Friday Funday is easily accessible by clicking on the "Friday Funday" link under the "Topics" section. You can find it between the search bar and the archives.
I am also working on more FAQ entries, so expect to see more content there.
Another thing that I have in the works (that may or may not come to fruition) is a section tentatively called, "Amazing but False", wherein I examine various things for accuracy and validity. Two examples are Oust air sanitizer (it claims to kill 99.9% of airbourne bacteria) and the proper way to use a defibrillator (I've been told that movies and TV shows are =very= wrong). If I do end up researching this stuff, it will also be available under the "Topics" section. Also, if you have any info that might help me or you would like to suggest a product to be scrutinized, e-mail me.
I guess that's about it for now. I'm pretty much just trying to take it easy and get healthy again.
I Agree With Eminem
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1248 hrs
In his new song, Eminem says, and I quote, "Fuck Bush".
Mosh: ASX or Real Audio and the lyrics.
Comments on Other Blogs
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1400 hrs
The other day I mentioned that I had left some comments on people's blogs that I wished I would have saved so that I could post them here. I went and found them, so here they are, along with the posts for which they are comments.
From My Random Musings by Kate The Great:
Have I been under a rock? In a coma? In a drunken stupor?
No, No, and thanks to God, No.
So why then am I only finding out about these LIVESTRONG bracelets now?
Apparently they're a fundraiser for Lance Armstrong's foundation, which helps fight cancer through education and advocacy. The bracelets are yellow rubber and cost a dollar each, you can find them on their website or at Niketown stores. Nike is helping to push the bands, which are being used to assist a five million dollar campaign for the cyclist's charity. The tennis shoe maker says it will pony up another cool mil. if everyone and their mother (or at least five million people) buy the wristbands.
I discovered these bracelets after receiving one as a favor at a wedding I attended last night (no, I did not catch the bouquet). The bride and groom had opted to make a charitable donation in honor of all the guests, and placed one of these bracelets at each place setting as a small token.
The folks at my table informed me these bracelets are the hottest things going these days, with even the presidential candidates sucking up to the sensitive set, wearing the golden accessory on their respective campaign trails.
Celebrities aren't out out of the loop on this one, either. Bruce Willis, Sheryl Crow and Robin Williams have all been spotted with LIVESTRONG on the wrist. So have Pamela Anderson, Matt Damon and Bono.
Do a Google search and you'll notice some criticism of the bands, saying it makes trendy what people should already be doing: giving to charity. Others say this is a commercial bandwagon for folks to outwardly display their acts of kindness for all the world to see. Still others wag a shameful finger at Nike, saying their association with the bracelet is a shoddy attempt at a reputation renovation.
I say nay to all those naysayers.
It's charity, plain and simple.
If a simple piece of yellow rubber incites others to give their money to a good cause, more power to it. As for Nike, well, I'm not so down with their child labor practices, but it appears they're trying to put the best rubber-soled foot forward. And If some folks wanna feel cool and braggadocious about where they give their money, let 'em. No one said you had to be quiet about your contributions. Sure, that would be the classy way to act, but one needs to spend no more than five minutes in a Starbucks to know that class is going the way of handwritten thank you notes (another travesty, in my book).
I am proudly wearing my LIVESTRONG bracelet.
And I just bought ten more.
While I agree that its widespread popularity is beneficial, I can't help but be turned off from it simply because it's so damn popular. I've never been "hip", nor do I have any desire to be. I do, however, really like Lance Armstrong, believe strongly in his cause and am more than willing to donate money to it, but not just so I can get some stupid rubber bracelet and be "cool" like everyone else.
What I think the naysayers are saying nay to is the fact that people are, in a matter of speaking, abusing the charity. Perhaps I should say that they're using it for their own benefit. As with any trend, this bracelet has become a status symbol (or, in the case of Nike, a methods by which they can attempt to cause consumers to forget about their questionable business practices). There are those with the bracelet and those without. Are you a Sneetch with a star on your belly or one without?
We've hit a new low when society constructs an elitist attitude around a charity. So while it may be charity, it's not plain and simple.
----
From Monique's Blog by Tasha Best:
I think that blogs are great. It is a great way to communicate with professors, classmates, and other students. You get to come familiar with other students work and their opinions about the work you have done. It is very useful in hearing others opinions. Opinions from actually make thought that was never there. The professors also post comments that would later help you in assignments for the future. Overall, I just think that it is a neat source over the internet for english classes can come together and share their work.
I believe in blogs. They are wonderous tools that have forever changed the way we communicate. Their simplicity and ease of use makes them perfect for users of all ages and backgrounds. They are a system of immediate publishing to a potential audience of billions.
That having been said, blogs (and the internet in general) are destroying both the English language and the general intelligence of the world.
When the internet first started to get popular and accessible (let's say between the years of 1995 and 2000) I noticed that people's typing skills and English skills were improving. When you rely on purely textual cues for tone, emphasis and subtext, you are forced to be commanding in your use of the language. People seemed to realise that, in order to be understood, they had to spell words properly and construct their sentences using proper grammar.
Shortly thereafter, the abbreviations started. Such cryptic messages asl, lol, roflmao, and wtf became common in chat rooms and on BBSs. Suddenly society invented a new dialect of English; Net speak, as it were. With no basis in the real world, Net speak served as a wedge between English skills and internet users.
It didn't take long for things to go downhill. These days I see worse spelling and grammar than ever. That's not to say that my skills are second to none, but at least no one has ever complained of not understanding what it was I was trying to say.
Blogs have taken Net speak to the point where I can't even read some blogs because they are so filled with bad English and web slang.
The immediacy of blogs has also served to "dumb-down" the populace. We are nurturing a generation that neglects to think before they convey their thoughts because there's no reason to. Whereas an author will write and rewrite a novel before it is published (and even then an editor will pick through it before it goes to print), a blogger has but to click a single button for their missive to flash on the screens of a billion users worldwide.
If blogs have one saving grace, it's that the blogosphere is self-correcting. That is to say that if you blog about something and have your facts wrong, chances are that someone will point it out to you. If only more people would check their spelling and re-read what they've written before posting it, we would be in better shape.
Good luck with your blog. -)
----
From Connections by Gareon:
"...Most religions claim an exclusive connection with the creator and by extension claim to be the only path to salvation. They are not hesitant to block the way and ambush - literally and figuratively- others during the journey to the mountaintop. History is replete with examples of self-righteousness and highhandedness of the followers of most religions.
What good is it, and the questions begs for an honest religious answer, when the priests, the rabbis, the garanthis, the pundits, the imams, the ministers, and the like hold hands and pray in unison for peace and harmony in interfaith gatherings, but preach the superiority of their own faith when they take to the pulpits? How could one be equal in one setting and superior in the other? Would it diminish their faith if they accorded the same relevance to other traditions that they reserve for their own? Or is it a sense of insecurity that permeates and accents most established and organized religions?"...
The man who fears no truths
has nothing to fear from lies.
-Sir Francis Bacon
It seems to me that religion is inherently fraught with such insecurities. I mean, there's no evidence that anyone person is correct from hardcore Catholic to absolute atheist (which, I suppose, makes true agnostics the only ones who are actually correct).
Faith is such a tricky subject because so many people want to have faith in their religion, but how can you truly believe when you have so many other religions out there telling you that you might be wrong? It's like asking a group of people what the best flavour of ice cream is; while some people will agree on the same flavour, not =everyone= will agree on that flavour.
It's interesting that we live in a culture of fear, but we're expected to be totally confident about our religion (otherwise you're not being true to your faith and, if you'll excuse the pun, God forbid...). But how can you be confident that you've made the right choice when you have so many people telling you that you haven't?
Friday Funday VIII
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0611 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
With the presidential election less than two weeks away, I have decided to post some links that might help you make your decision when you go to the polls.
White House Election Year Album [del.icio.us]
As if not finding the WMDs was bad enough, here's a video of Bush actually =making fun of the situation=. Didn't people die as a result of his lies? Oh, yes, they did. Also links to some good statistics about the war.
New 9/11 Report Names Names [del.icio.us]
So when will you get to read it? Not until after the election, if Bush has his way.
Tribal Sovereignty [del.icio.us]
Further proof that Bush is =NOT= fit to lead this country.
Bush: Then and Now [del.icio.us]
A video study of the decline in President Bush's speaking abilities over the past ten years.
And because it's supposed to be Friday Funday:
Is Bush Wired? Yes. [del.icio.us]
You 've probably heard the controversy surrounding "Bush's Bulge" as seen in the second debate. There is an entire website devoted to trying to figure out what the bulge was. I even made mention of it a while back. In the continuing quest for answers comes this potential explanation. This is political and social satire at its best, I say.
Bush Killed Superman [del.icio.us]
Really not as funny a website as the title suggests, Bush Killed Superman discusses Bush's decision to limit stem cell research and its subsequent impact on Christopher Reeve. Click here if you need a good laugh afterward. Still not funny? Try this one.
How to Eat Fried Brains
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1501 hrs
I had a whole bunch of stuff I was going to blog about, but my brain is so fried from sitting here messing about online all day that I can't remember what it all was.
I do remember that yesterday I read Phoenix's post about the Mega-Typhoon in Japan and thought, "not too likely we'll hear about it on the news." As it turns out, I was wrong. I only watch the news in the morning, so I don't know if they mentioned it last night, but this morning's news cast mentioned that a whole bunch of people died in it. They neglected to mention, however, that it was a Mega-Typhoon, opting for the less exciting "Typhoon".
I spent a lot of time this morning (by a lot of time, I mean at least three solid hours) of reading and commenting on other people's blogs. I think attracting readers is a bit like getting mail. Everyone want the joy of opening up that mail box and finding a letter inside, but chances are that you won't unless you write one to someone else first. In thinking along those lines, I visited a whole bunch of websites today in the hopes that, upon reading my comments, the authors (or readers) of the blogs would feel compelled to visit my website and read my blog. Perhaps they'll even leave comments (not that I really need them to leave comments for me to know that people came, but it does help me to know that they actually read the blog and maybe even comprehended it).
One of the things that disappoints me somewhat is that I wrote some pretty long and, in my opinion, well written comments (mostly in rebuttal to what other people had said). I should have copied those comments and pasted them here. I'll have to go find them all again later.
For now, I'm going home. It's already after three o'clock. Don't forget, Friday Funday tomorrow!
Better Late Than Wrong
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1120 hrs
On the cover of the current issue of TelevisionWeek is an article entitled Better Late Than Wrong. For those of who haven't been reading my blog long enough, there's a saying the news industry that goes, "Get it first, then get it right." This article points out that, in this year's election reporting, the emphasis needs to be on factual accuracy instead of speed.
I was also pleased to read the following in the article, "Election-night planners also have boosted the font size of the word "estimates" in CBS's graphics, some of which anchor Dan Rather will have under his own control." At least the debacle of late September seems to be moving behind us.
----
I'm so happy about the change I just made to my blog that I feel I have to share it with everyone. I just set up individual archives, so now when you click on a day in the calendar, instead of taking you to that entry on its monthly archive page, it takes you to only that entry. Monthly archiving is still running, however, so the regular monthly archive links still work.
Speaking of archives, a while back I mentioned that I'd have them all online by the end of that week, which obviously didn't happen. Most of 2003 is still waiting to be formatted and restored. Please be patient as its a real pain in the cake.
----
And, just because I love McSweeney's so much, here's a list from the site:
Man in hunting cap peed off side of bridge, laughed at sound of urine hitting moving water.
Teenage couple smoked marijuana next to bridge, dared each other to walk out onto bridge, made out for 35 minutes.
Self-styled town historian related facts about bridge to 8-year-old son, who complained he wanted to "go to Bobby's house."
Plank of rotted wood fell from bridge into water below.
Man taking nature walk stopped by bridge, pondered possibility of someone being hanged from bridge falling into water, narrowly escaping execution, then realizing he had made it up in his own mind seconds before his death. Man taking nature walk then realized if he didn't start walking again fairly soon he would miss rerun of Becker. Man continued taking nature walk.
Different plank of rotted wood dangled and fell from bridge into water below.
Fahrenheit 451
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1335 hrs
This is a list of the top 100 most commonly banned/challenged books between 1990 and 2000 according to the American Library Association. Bold means I've read it (or had it read to me), italics means that people I went to school with read it (for class or pleasure) and underlined means that I've heard of it, but wasn't exposed to it in the previous two ways.
1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine some of them
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Stolen from Leah (who also stole it).
By now you're probably wondering why some of these books are on here (I mean, come on, Where's Waldo?). It's amazing how the smallest, most insignificant thing can stir up such controversy (in the case of Where's Waldo, it turns out there's a topless sunbather in one of the scenes). It just goes to show how childish our society really is. How to Eat Fried Worms? I seem to recall that the point of that book had something to do with a kid who would win money if he ate a bunch of worms. Was it too homo-erotic?
What I don't understand is that people want to get these books banned because of their questionable content. In some cases, I would probably agree (the original version of Little Black Sambo (it has since been rewritten) is =overtly= racist in both its story and, more so, its pictures. If I remember, I'll scan in a few pages from the copy I have sitting on my desk at home), but most of the time I think people are going about it the wrong way. Don't ban To Kill a Mocking Bird because it has racist elements, teach the book and explain the evils of racism. If we don't teach our children what not to do, how will they know not to do it? You can't just assume that, if we never teach them what racism is, they won't be racist.
By the same token, you can't just teach kids what's wrong. I was watching Dr. Phil (what?) and he pointed out that you can't only tell kids what's wrong. If they only know what's wrong, they won't know what's right. At first I thought it was a rather obvious statement, but after thinking about it, I realised that not teaching your kids what's right could easily become a common oversight. See, I think the assumption is that they will inherently do the right thing as well as the wrong thing, so you need to teach them not to do the wrong thing. Trouble is, life doesn't work that way. We're a significantly more complex society than that and most things don't come as a result of instinct. Just because you say please and thank you, doesn't mean that your child will naturally pick it up. They may, but isn't it a stereotype that parents are always reminding their children to say the appropriate phrase? And it wouldn't be a stereotype if it weren't grounded in reality.
Of course, all of this is predicated upon the assumption that you actually teach your kids. It seems that a troubling number of parents aren't really bothering to teach their kids much of anything at all. They come on Dr. Phil and complain that raising their kids is, "hard" (to which he looks around, aghast, and asks, "When was raising children supposed to be easy?").
Some years ago I became troubled with our society's obsession with sheltering its children. We can't allow them to hear swear words, so we'll put a chip in every TV set that allows parents to block those channels out. God forbid they see violence or nudity, so we'll prevent children under the age of eighteen from seeing R-rated films unless they're accompanied by a legal guardian (a local theatre did this, much to our seventeen-year-old chagrin). Woe are we! Our children are being exposed to art and literature and they might be learning about the =real= history of this country! Quick! Ban all the books that tell the truth!
As someone on Leah's website pointed out, "Why ban the book when you can let your child read it and teach them the lesson YOU want them to learn? Sticking your head in the sand solves nothing."
So (and this one's mostly aimed at Phoenix, but anyone can feel free to answer this one), how many of these have you read (or, in the case of Phoenix, perhaps I should ask how many you =haven't= read)?
When the rules don't matter, we all lose out
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1407 hrs
My dad sent me this via e-mail today:
A question for supporters of George W. Bush.
Have you heard that CBS is planning to air Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 next week? And that, in order to get around equal time guidelines, they're going to classify it as news programming?
Does that hack you off? Good. Hold that thought.
The fact is, you haven't heard that news because it's not happening. But something similar is. It involves the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. That Maryland-based company, a major donor to the Republican Party, owns, programs or operates 62 television stations in 39 U.S. markets. It's ordered those stations to air a film next week that's reported to be harshly critical of John Kerry's activities as an antiwar protester in the early 1970s. Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal, is said to portray Kerry as, in essence, a traitor. Filmmaker Carlton Sherwood gives voice to former prisoners of war who claim Kerry's protests gave aid and comfort to their Vietnamese captors.
NO CHANCE TO REBUT
Sherwood offered Kerry no chance to rebut the charges because ``he's had 33 years of all the press coverage he's wanted.''
Which is about as journalistically irresponsible as it gets.
Yet Sinclair is calling the movie a news program in order to skirt an FCC rule requiring television stations to provide equal time to candidates for federal office. Frankly, it's unclear whether the film would have violated at least the letter of that regulation. After all, Stolen Honor provides plenty of time to Kerry; it's just that it's all negative. But since news broadcasts are exempt, Sinclair has chosen to take no chances and has slapped that label on.
Never mind that, by giving Kerry no voice, Stolen Honor fails the basic smell test of news: fairness and balance. Sinclair has attempted to cover its backside by inviting the senator to participate in a videotaped discussion of the film, which is not unlike inviting him to be the turkey at Thanksgiving.
My argument here is not -- repeat: not -- about the content of the movie. Sell it on DVD or show it in theaters and maybe we'd have the luxury of that debate. But by running an attack ad on public airwaves and masking it as news, Sinclair forces a different discussion, one about the depths to which partisans on both sides will go to influence an election.
A responsible broadcaster does not use the public airwaves for propaganda, particularly just days before an election.
And make no mistake: That's what this is. Not ''bias'' with its suggestions of subtlety and subjectivity, but propaganda, a tawdry attempt to swing an election.
The point would be precisely the same if the film offered one-sided praise of Kerry or condemnation of Bush. Or if CBS did decide to air Fahrenheit. That would be what this is. Flat-out wrong. Or, as the commissioner of the FCC has called it: an abuse of the public trust.
DESPERATION
Thing is, people are so desperate to see Bush rejected or reelected that they think the rules don't matter. They blow through them like a stop sign in the middle of nowhere.
That's the attitude that gave us the disastrous CBS News report about Bush and the Texas Air National Guard. How many violations of journalistic ethics do you suppose the network committed in its zeal to produce a story embarrassing to the president? Fair-minded people of whatever political affiliation should have been chagrined to learn the documents upon which the report was based were forgeries. But I remember an e-mail an anti-Bush zealot sent around in the wake of that debacle.
''Who cares,'' it asked, if the documents were fake.
That seems the prevailing attitude of an especially acrimonious political season. Who cares if rules are broken, who cares if ethics are bent, who cares if lies are told, so long as it helps my guy. Truth is, we should all care.
And we should all be appalled at the malleable morality and situational principles of those who do not.[SOURCE]
Friday Funday VII
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0707 hrs
Friday Funday brings you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
At Home with the Munsters [del.icio.us]
"Here's a rare one: The Munsters' record from 1964. This LP was recorded by the original cast to cash in on the success of the television show, which debuted in September, 1964." Replete with .mp3 files and cover art.
Apple Erotica [del.icio.us]
Everyone knows that Mac users tend to be die-hard Mac fans. This gallery proves that they also have too much time on their hands. The 47+ pages of Apple Erotica (read: Mac porn) range from a risqué tease to (if you'll excuse the pun) straight-up porn.
NOTE: I try to make my Friday Funday links work-safe, but this one was too good to pass up.
False Ads: There Oughtta Be A Law! [del.icio.us]
In other news, candidates running for office have a legal right to lie to voters just about as much as they want. A legal right? This article has the skinny on why politicians are allowed to lie to us about pretty much whatever they want. The article does not talk about =why= politicians lie, but if you can't figure that one out on your own, you probably shouldn't be allowed to vote. What I want to know is why they don't just tell the truth in the first place.
Grammar Spam [del.icio.us]
You may heard about these English teachers in Hong Kong that spammed a bunch of us Westerners in an attempt to sort out a grammar dispute. The above link describes what they want to know and offers an interesting solution. Why did I include this on Friday Funday? Because grammar is fun! No, I'm serious, grammar really is fun. Okay, it's fun to =me=!
Dynamite Clock [del.icio.us]
Having this delivered to your house might catch the attention of more than a few government agencies, but who could resist a clock that looks like a time bomb? I know I want one! There's just something about the price that I don't agree with...
Anatomical Art by 2nd Graders [del.icio.us]
"You will notice how exceptional the drawings are - giving evidence to the premise that children learn so much more when the topic is of interest to them."
Of Gmail, Lies, and RFID
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1014 hrs
Out of curiosity, I wondered what would happen if you tried to use a Gmail invite twice. It doesn't work (of course) and Google spits out the following error (actual message altered to protect the "innocent"):
The link you followed to create a Gmail account has already been used to create an account for XXXXX@gmail.com. Now, its account creating powers are all gone. To create another Gmail account, you'll need a shiny new account creation link. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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Something I've been meaning to post since Monday afternoon is that President Bush is a liar (surprise, surprise). During the second debate, here's what was said:
Kerry: The president got $84 from a timber company that owns [sic], and he's counted as a small business. Dick Cheney's counted as a small business. That's how they do things. That's just not right.
Bush: I own a timber company? That's news to me. Want to buy some wood?
Factcheck.org says Bush lied:
"In fact, according to his 2003 financial disclosure form, Bush does own part interest in 'LSTF, LLC', a limited-liability company organized 'for the purpose of the production of trees for commercial sales.'" [
SOURCE]
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Speaking of debates, I watched the third debate with the Democrats last night. This time Morah was able to come with me. We had fun, but it wasn't as good as the one last Friday. Last Friday people were a little looser, this time there were people who kept shooshing other people to be quiet (we did still get a few good laughs out of Bush's facial expressions, however). Also, last week the hotdogs were individually wrapped and it was "serve yourself". This week they were being handed out one at a time. I wanted to ask for more than one, but there was a queue and the lady handing them out was old and looked like she could go on the offensive at any minute. I still managed two hot dogs (I got back in the queue later on) and a soda for free, so it wasn't a complete loss.
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This morning on the news they ran a story about how your body may soon provide doctors with its complete medical history. Amazing, useful, and extremely time-saving, right? So how will this medical miracle be possible? Applied Digital just got its new VeriChip RFID tag approved by the FDA for use in the medical field. The RFID tag is about the size of a grain of rice and is implanted under the skin via syringe.
That's already more information than the news report gave (mostly it was just a blurb about how easy it would be to get the chip (which they failed to mention is RFID) and how useful it would be). What the didn't tell you but really should have is that the RFID tag doesn't store your medical information internally. Rather, it has a unique number that equates to a username and password to an online database that contains your medical records. The chip is readable from (in some cases) distances of thirty feet or more (honestly, can't we change this to be, oh I don't know, an inch or two?). That means that anyone walking past you on the street, sitting a few seats away from you on the bus, driving in the car next to you, sitting in the bathroom stall adjacent to yours, et cetera, would be able to read your RFID tag, copy your number, and access your complete medical records.
Applied Digital also has something called VeriPay. The idea works the same way. At the point of sale, instead of swiping your credit card (or worse, handing it to an employee who may have a eidetic memory), you simply wave your hand over an RFID tag reader and your credit information accessed.
Wonderfully time saving and ever so dangerous. Religious zealots are especially afraid RFID tags because of the following passage from Revelations chapter 13, verses 16 & 17:
Moreover, it caused everyone, great and small, rich and poor, slave and free, to be branded with a mark on his right hand or forehead, and no one was allowed to buy or sell unless he bore this beast's mark, either name or number.
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There was something else that I wanted to blog about, but I can't remember what it was.
Oh well.
Be sure to stop in tomorrow for another Friday Funday!
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LATE BREAKING ADDITION:
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!
Remember those silver dollars made of silver retrieved from a safe at ground zero? They're not silver and they're not dollars.
What I Did This Weekend by Tommy Brown (age 23)
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0951 hrs
Writing an entry about what I did this past weekend seemed rather juvenile, ergo the title. However, I did have an interesting weekend.
Friday night found me at a Democratic rally watching the debate. I wouldn't really say that I'm a Democrat or a Republican (or much of anything else for that matter), and people who are "hardcore" one or the other tend to put me off, but there were free hot dogs and soda, so I wasn't complaining.
Actually, it was quite fun. I think the president is... Okay, I think he's an idiot, so it was fun to be in a crowd of people who would cheer on Kerry (the lesser of two evils, in my opinion) and jeer at Bush. There was also a keg at this rally and though I didn't have any, many a liberal was seen tossing back the brew. The more they drank, the more raucous they became, the more they laughed at the president when he stood in awkward silence for what seemed like almost ten seconds (but was more probably only about five or so).
We were watching MSNBC (not my choice, but given FOX News's blatantly republican agenda, I wouldn't have watched them anyway) and some of us stayed for the commentary afterwards. While my friend and I didn't stay for the entire commentary, we did watch long enough to see this little old woman harangue the president (for those who didn't tune in, after the debate, the audience was allowed to mingle with the candidates, getting autographs and having their pictures taken with them). You couldn't hear what she was saying (the commentators were busy making unfounded claims that Bush won the debate. So much for MSNBC...), but it was clear that she had something to say and she was damn well going to let him know how she felt. After a few minutes, the president seemed to decide that he would try ignoring her. When this failed to produce the desired effect, he worked himself out of the crowd and managed an "exit stage right", flanked by several Secret Service agents.
On Saturday, one of the local theatres had a special advance-screening of Team America: World Police. Having not long ago lost faith in Hollywood films, I was pleased to see that some filmmakers haven't lost their edge. Of course, one must bear in mind that this movie was made by the infamous Parker/Stone duo (so infamous, in fact, that when Paramount executives saw the first shot of the film (a poorly crafted puppet in front of a background of a badly drawn Eiffel Tower), one executive in the audience shouted, "Oh god, they fucked us!").
The film's aesthetic is described by its creators as "suppercrappynation", a term borrowed from the "supermarionation" puppet animation method from Gerry Anderson's '60s TV series "Thunderbirds". After reading Xeni Jardin's review, I thought I was prepared for anything the film could throw my way. Nothing can prepare you for this. There were times that I was laughing so hard it caused me to cry. This is definitely one of those films where you want to order the small soda instead.
As you may have heard, the MPAA wanted to give the film an NC-17 rating due to a particular puppet-sex scene (which is one of the scenes that's funny to the point of tears). After watching the scene, I guess I can see where they're coming from, but I don't agree with them. After all, there are worse things that puppets can do and the ones in Team America don't even have genitalia. According to Scott Rudin, the film's producer, "There's nothing we're asking for that hasn't appeared in other R-rated movies, and our characters are made of wood and have no genitalia. If the puppets did to each other what we show them doing, all they'd get is splinters." If the scene I saw on Saturday was the un-cut version, I hope it doesn't get cut. If I did see an edited version, however, I can't wait to see the whole thing.
All goofiness aside, the timing of a film that satirizes the war on terror and America's unspoken role as "world police" could not have come at a better time. A bit of movie-related bad timing, however, was the passing of Christopher Reeve. John Kerry =just= mentioned him during the debate last Friday. In talking about stem-cell research, Kerry said, "Chris Reeve is a friend of mine. Chris Reeve exercises every single day to keep those muscles alive for the day when he believes he can walk again, and I want him to walk again." Does anyone else think that, as time passed, Reeve started to look less like Superman and more like Lex Luthor?
So there you go, it all comes full-circle. Speaking of flaming liberals cooking hot dogs (get it?), I think someone said that they'd be doing it again for the debate this Wednesday, so hopefully I'll be able to go again and score more free food.
Friday Funday VI
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0701 hrs
Friday Funday is a way for me to bring you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
SpamShirt [del.icio.us]
How much annoying spam do you get in your inbox? I get tons (speaking of which, you know what I really hate? When you delete a whole bunch of spam, and then the inbox refreshes only to reveal that more spam has been delivered while the other ones were being deleted). Well, now those useless ads for penis enlargement and mortgage refinancing can be usefully displayed on the front of a t-shirt! The only snag is that it'll cost you. I love the idea, but a £25 T-shirt?
The Official God FAQ [del.icio.us]
Need I say more?
The Hitchhiker Adventure Game [del.icio.us]
Did you ever wish you could have an adventure of your own as an intergalactic hitchhiker? With the BBC's Flash version of the classic text-based game, you can! You just might want to read the books again before you play (I died in 19 turns). Whatever happens, don't panic.
Rock and Roll Satan [del.icio.us]
Antagonists of Rock and Roll have been claiming for years that the music contains secret messages, which are designed to promote devil worship. Normal people have been writing off their claims for the same amount of time, because we're not fucking morons. Perhaps this Flash file will make you think differently. Its author, "did not create this to show the evils of Rock and Roll," rather to illustrate that, "reverse files sound cool." Totally. It really is worth your while to listen to them all (there are only nine and Stairway to Heaven is the longest).
The Google Aptitude Test [del.icio.us]
Google is hiring and they have an aptitude test that you can print out, fill in and send to them. The test questions are hilarious, but I can't help but feel that they're probably absolutely serious.
First IP Banned from ALLO
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0948 hrs
The following comment was left on my blog yesterday:
"Oh yah, and we saw it on CBS news, so it must be the truth. This is why nobody reads your lame Blog. Cya Never."
The comment was posted by someone who logged on from the IP address: 205.188.116.23. I have since deleted the comment and banned the IP from posting further comments. I'm not a fascist, I just think people should play nice.
Also, the IP belongs to AOL and the person who posted this violated the AOL TOS on two counts. As such I have reported their actions to AOL.
Liar Liar, Pants on Fire
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1126 hrs
Dick Cheney is a liar. Not only is he a liar, he's an idiot. During the VP debate, he advised viewers interested in his version of the facts about Halliburton to visit factcheck.com. Trouble is, factcheck dot COM redirects you to GeorgeSoros.com which contains arguments on "why we must not re-elect President George Bush." What he probably meant to say was factcheck dot ORG, a site run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Interestingly enough, Soros and Co. had nothing to do with factcheck.com pointing to their site.
For a long time now, I've suspected that President Bush wears an earpiece when making public speeches. I mean, it's no secret he's... I don't want to use the word idiot, but the only other words that come to mind are moron and dumbass. Since it's no secret, someone in the administration would more than likely want to ensure that he doesn't look like as much of an idiot during important appearances, like, say, the debates.
As it turns out, I'm not the only person who suspects that this is the case. Frankly, the evidence is overwhelming.
Speaking of Bush, there's something that I've been meaning to blog about for a while now. Remember how CBS "accidentally" used false documents to support its claim of something fishy going on with Bush's National Guard Service records? After it was made public that the memos in question were, in fact, not valid (courtesy of bloggers, I might add), Dan Rather publicly apologised for CBS, then offered a personal apology.
The CBS website also released the following statement:
At the time CBS News fully believed the documents were genuine. Tonight, after further investigation, we can no longer vouch for their authenticity.
The documents were provided to CBS News by a former commander in the Texas Air Guard, Bill Burkett. He did not come to CBS News, a CBS team went to him and asked him for the documents.
Burkett is well known in National Guard circles for a long battle over his medical benefits, and for trying for several years now to discredit President Bush's military service record.
Burkett initially told CBS News he got the documents from a fellow guardsman. But when CBS News Anchor Dan Rather interviewed Burkett this past weekend, he changed his story and said he got the documents from a different source -- one CBS News cannot verify.
It didn't take long for people to start in with comments that, "Rather should retire." Other people suggested that he simply be fired. Suddenly the term, "Rathergate" surfaced and websites began to feature polls querying users about their opinion of Dan Rather's future with CBS.
Having worked in news, this pissed me off. The fact that when I did work in news it was at a CBS station aside, it is my opinion that Dan Rather is an auspicious news anchor.
That people think he should be fired over this mistake stems from two lesser-known facts about how the news industry operates. The first is one that I previously blogged about; get it first, then get it right. One of the most important things in news is bragging rights. If you can claim to have broken a story, especially one as impactful as Bush being a liar, that gives you a leg up over the competition. News stations all over the country (and presumably the world) practice "get it first, then get it right" every day. So why was it such a big deal this time? Two reasons. The gravity and reach of the story (that is, its implications and the audience it was able to reach) were significantly larger than one you would watch on your local news station. Had this been a story about something else (say, a fire at someone's house) on another station (KRAP in Anytown, USA), no one would have noticed. I'm sure it's happened in your town and you haven't noticed.
The other problem stems from the fact that the majority of people don't realise how much work goes into the average newscast. The typical news team (sports and weather not included; I'm talking hard news, here) is made up of anchors and reporters. The anchors sit at a desk in the studio and read stories, whereas the reporters usually read their stories from a remote location (sometimes they "tag" a pre-produced news story from in the studio. I'm not going to explain it all here, but if you want to know, e-mail me and I can go more in-depth about it). There are two major differences (what is it with things coming in pairs?) between anchors and reporters apart from where they read their stories. First is the sheer volume of stories (anchors will read a few dozen short news stories during the course of a broadcast, while reporters usually read one long story). The other, and more important, difference is =who actually writes= the stories. Reporters write their own material. They go out into the field, interview people, gather facts, and write the script that they read on the air. In contrast, anchors rarely write their own material.
What happens is a team of producers operate as fact-gatherers and script-writers. There's no way an anchor (or reporter) has time to do the work required to write that many news stories (our longest "A block" (the section of the broadcast before the first commercial break and usually the longest of all blocks) while at the CBS station was over forty elements long with each element being a different story). The producers write the script, which the anchors usually read before the show (if they have time. It's never good to have to read a story cold; believe me, I've tried). The most writing anchors do is to rewrite a word or a sentence here and there to match their natural speech patterns. Sometimes they research and write their own stories, but they're few and far between. Network news works in a very similar fashion (except that in local news, almost every story the anchors read is pulled off the Associated Press wire feed).
So what does this all mean? It means that Dan Rather had nothing to do with the false memos. Some producer got them and wrote the story. Some producer failed to do the proper fact checking and some producer is the one who should "retire or be fired", not Dan Rather. However, as a result of the general public not knowing or not understanding how news is written and presented, they don't realise that Dan is innocent. A mistake was made and Dan Rather was the face they associated with the mistake.
A Few Things To Mention
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1159 hrs
kriskarlb (11:49:29 AM):I have an anectdote you may wish to post, since it is hilariously frightening.
mwproductions12 (11:49:37 AM):Okay.
kriskarlb (11:51:02 AM):A man walks into Key Bank yesterday and proceeds, in context to a conversation with one of the tellers, to say this: "I don't vote. Never have. I would only vote if the candidate could heal people, cure the world, and fix the atmosphere. And the only one who can do that is the Almighty. But they killed him. So I guess I'll never vote."
kriskarlb (11:51:06 AM):What the fuck?
mwproductions12 (11:51:27 AM):What the fuck, indeed.
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As some of you might know, not too long ago Morah learned how to draw blood from people and has been doing so a couple of days a week for her Med Tech classes. She recently asked what my blood type is, but I don't know. So last night she drew my blood and today she's going to type it. I'll let you know what she finds out.
As for whether or not I was scared to let my girlfriend draw my blood, the answer is no.
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Yesterday was a big day. Not only was it my sister's birthday (happy birthday, Ashley!), but SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X-Prize. To quote X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis, "Today we make history. Today the winners are the people of the Earth. Today we go to the stars."
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Speaking of space, Everquest Design makes shoulder bags that feature bits of landing parachute fabric from the 1990 Soyuz TM-8 Space mission, or the latest International Space Station Soyuz mission in April 2004. Just like Xeni Jardin, "I am dying to own one immediately! These are so badass!" They're priced around US$195.00 or €165.00.
The Truth About Iraq
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 1150 hrs
The following is a letter that was written by Wall Street Journal correspondent Farnaz Fassihi to some of her friends about what conditions in Iraq are really like.
Being a foreign correspondent in Baghdad these days is like being under virtual house arrest. Forget about the reasons that lured me to this job: a chance to see the world, explore the exotic, meet new people in far away lands, discover their ways and tell stories that could make a difference.
Little by little, day-by-day, being based in Iraq has defied all those reasons. I am house bound. I leave when I have a very good reason to and a scheduled interview. I avoid going to people's homes and never walk in the streets. I can't go grocery shopping any more, can't eat in restaurants, can't strike a conversation with strangers, can't look for stories, can't drive in any thing but a full armored car, can't go to scenes of breaking news stories, can't be stuck in traffic, can't speak English outside, can't take a road trip, can't say I'm an American, can't linger at checkpoints, can't be curious about what people are saying, doing, feeling. And can't and can't.
There has been one too many close calls, including a car bomb so near our house that it blew out all the windows. So now my most pressing concern every day is not to write a kick-ass story but to stay alive and make sure our Iraqi employees stay alive. In Baghdad I am a security personnel first, a reporter second.
It's hard to pinpoint when the turning point exactly began. Was it April when the Fallujah fell out of the grasp of the Americans? Was it when Moqtada and Jish Mahdi declared war on the U.S. military? Was it when Sadr City, home to ten percent of Iraq's population, became a nightly battlefield for the Americans? Or was it when the insurgency began spreading from isolated pockets in the Sunni triangle to include most of Iraq? Despite President Bush's rosy assessments, Iraq remains a disaster. If under Saddam it was a potential threat, under the Americans it has been transformed to imminent and active threat, a foreign policy failure bound to haunt the United States for decades to come.
Iraqis like to call this mess the situation. When asked how are things? they reply: the situation is very bad.
What they mean by situation is this: the Iraqi government doesn't control most Iraqi cities, there are several car bombs going off each day around the country killing and injuring scores of innocent people, the country's roads are becoming impassable and littered by hundreds of landmines and explosive devices aimed to kill American soldiers, there are assassinations, kidnappings and beheadings. The situation, basically, means a raging barbaric guerilla war.
In four days, 110 people died and over 300 got injured in Baghdad alone. The numbers are so shocking that the ministry of health, which was attempting an exercise of public transparency by releasing the numbers-- has now stopped disclosing them.
Insurgents now attack Americans 87 times a day.
A friend drove thru the Shiite slum of Sadr City yesterday. He said young men were openly placing improvised explosive devices into the ground. They melt a shallow hole into the asphalt, dig the explosive, cover it with dirt and put an old tire or plastic can over it to signal to the locals this is booby-trapped. He said on the main roads of Sadr City, there were a dozen landmines per every ten yards. His car snaked and swirled to avoid driving over them. Behind the walls sits an angry Iraqi ready to detonate them as soon as an American convoy gets near. This is in Shiite land, the population that was supposed to love America for liberating Iraq.
For journalists the significant turning point came with the wave of abduction and kidnappings. Only two weeks ago we felt safe around Baghdad because foreigners were being abducted on the roads and highways between towns. Then came a frantic phone call from a journalist female friend at 11 p.m. telling me two Italian women had been abducted from their homes in broad daylight. Then the two Americans, who got beheaded this week and the Brit, were abducted from their homes in a residential neighborhood. They were supplying the entire block with round the clock electricity from their generator to win friends. The abductors grabbed one of them at 6 a.m. when he came out to switch on the generator; his beheaded body was thrown back near the neighborhoods. The insurgency, we are told, is rampant with no signs of calming down. If any thing, it is growing stronger, organized and more sophisticated every day. The various elements within it -- baathists, criminals, nationalists and Al Qaeda -- are cooperating and coordinating.
I went to an emergency meeting for foreign correspondents with the military and embassy to discuss the kidnappings. We were somberly told our fate would largely depend on where we were in the kidnapping chain once it was determined we were missing. Here is how it goes: criminal gangs grab you and sell you up to Baathists in Fallujah, who will in turn sell you to Al Qaeda. In turn, cash and weapons flow the other way from Al Qaeda to the Baathisst to the criminals. My friend Georges, the French journalist snatched on the road to Najaf, has been missing for a month with no word on release or whether he is still alive.
America's last hope for a quick exit? The Iraqi police and National Guard units we are spending billions of dollars to train. The cops are being murdered by the dozens every day -- over 700 to date -- and the insurgents are infiltrating their ranks. The problem is so serious that the U.S. military has allocated $6 million dollars to buy out 30,000 cops they just trained to get rid of them quietly.
As for reconstruction: firstly it's so unsafe for foreigners to operate that almost all projects have come to a halt. After two years, of the $18 billion Congress appropriated for Iraq reconstruction only about $1 billion or so has been spent and a chuck has now been reallocated for improving security, a sign of just how bad things are going here.
Oil dreams? Insurgents disrupt oil flow routinely as a result of sabotage and oil prices have hit record high of $49 a barrel.
Who did this war exactly benefit? Was it worth it? Are we safer because Saddam is holed up and Al Qaeda is running around in Iraq?
Iraqis say that thanks to America they got freedom in exchange for insecurity. Guess what? They say they'd take security over freedom any day, even if it means having a dictator ruler.
I heard an educated Iraqi say today that if Saddam Hussein were allowed to run for elections he would get the majority of the vote. This is truly sad.
Then I went to see an Iraqi scholar this week to talk to him about elections here. He has been trying to educate the public on the importance of voting. He said, "President Bush wanted to turn Iraq into a democracy that would be an example for the Middle East. Forget about democracy, forget about being a model for the region, we have to salvage Iraq before all is lost."
One could argue that Iraq is already lost beyond salvation. For those of us on the ground it's hard to imagine what if any thing could salvage it from its violent downward spiral.
The genie of terrorism, chaos and mayhem has been unleashed onto this country as a result of American mistakes and it can't be put back into a bottle.
The Iraqi government is talking about having elections in three months while half of the country remains a no go zone -- out of the hands of the government and the Americans and out of reach of journalists. In the other half, the disenchanted population is too terrified to show up at polling stations. The Sunnis have already said they'd boycott elections, leaving the stage open for polarized government of Kurds and Shiites that will not be deemed as legitimate and will most certainly lead to civil war.
I asked a 28-year-old engineer if he and his family would participate in the Iraqi elections since it was the first time Iraqis could to some degree elect a leadership. His response summed it all: "Go and vote and risk being blown into pieces or followed by the insurgents and murdered for cooperating with the Americans? For what? To practice democracy? Are you joking?"
Friday Funday V
Posted by Thomas J. Brown at 0922 hrs
Friday Funday is a way for me to bring you some fun and interesting links from my travels around the internet during the previous week.
How F**king American Are You? [del.icio.us]
According to this, I'm a bleeding-heart liberal. Despite how silly it is, this quiz seems rather accurate. Leave me a comment and let me know how f**king American you are.
BetaVote.com [del.icio.us]
What if the whole world could vote in the U.S. presidential election? Check the results here.
USPS Against Bush [del.icio.us]
This is fan-fucking-tastic. I'm sure it's probably illegal, but it's funny. I wonder if I can do this at my post office...
Best First Day of School Ever [del.icio.us]
Margaritas were "accidently" served to a number of elementary students on their first day of school.
Home Computer 2004 [del.icio.us]
This picture is a glimpse into the present via the past. Here we see what =computer professionals= in 1954 thought a typical =home computer= would look in like 2004. Note that it uses FORTRAN.
EDIT: I originally decided to post this only two days before Snopes debunked it. Turns out a fellow Farker made it.
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