Random Access

Friday
Working in a coal mine
Going down, down, down
Working in a coal mine
Whoop I wanna sit down…

Today was the last day of the work week… and the beginning of a three-day weekend. Hoo-AH! Not a bad day. Went to late coffee/breakfast with Jess, Jen, Jen’s friend Michelle, and Adrian and saw two quality skullets! It was great. If only I had taken the camera into the restaurant…

NPR/PRI Stories
The World: Historian Interview on President Bush’s Plan to Attack Iraq
The World: Arab-Americans
The World: Swaziland Children

The double-hit of famine and AIDS has put the people of Swaziland in terrible danger. Swaziland urgently needs help to avoid mass starvation. And it has the second highest AIDS rate in the world. These two problems, hunger and AIDS, combine to create a third. With AIDS killing many Swazi parents, the children are left not only hungry, but in charge. The United Nations estimates that children now run up to 10% of the households in Swaziland. Reporter Beth Schmidt visits one home in Swaziland with six kids, and no parents.

TotN-Science Friday: Sustainable Development Summit / Organ Transplantation
TotN-Science Friday: Robots / Mechanical Life
All Things Considered: International Reaction to the U.S.-Iraq Standoff
All Things Considered: California Girls (commentary)
All Things Considered: Pill Splitting
All Things Considered: NC Senate Races ::: listens to “Hey Jesse” :::
All Things Considered: 24-Hour Party People
All Things Considered: Trainspotting

Something that I thought of during the “Historian Interview” on The World: It seems to me like a Minority Report-like scenario. The President is talking about taking a pre-emptive measure against a perceived (possible) threat; this sounds like the Pre-Crime Division from Minority. Julia and I talked about this and she asked me who or what would represent the what roles if one was to extrapolate the US plan to attack into the plot of Minority Report. This is what I came up with:

• The Bush administration (as an entity) would be analogous to the Pre-Crime Division.
• Saddam Hussein would be the suspect.
• President Bush, the people of Iraq and Kuwait, and the United Nations would be the precogs. Who would be the precog that would give the ‘minority report?’ I’m not sure… but I think that as there seems to be a bit of a mutual standoff between the U.S. and Iraq, that it would be the U.N. (…but I could be mistaken).

I saw this on Slashdot last night. It started out as an article about Verizon switching their programmers from the M$ Office (and other M$ programs) to OpenOffice.

Some of the points made were quite interesting; some were just funny. VERY funny. This was one of my favorites, not so much for the post as for its response:

MS Office ‘Faster’ then StarOffice(Score:3, Insightful)
by Cy Guy on Thursday August 15, @04:56PM (#4079260)

From the article: “Microsoft’s studies of the 11 most frequently used operations in Microsoft Office took on average 2.5 times less time than in StarOffice [amazon.com], he said.”

Okay let’s try to list the 11 ‘most frequently used operations’ for word processing: Cut, Copy, Paste, File Open, File Save, Print, Bold, Change Font Size, Change Font Color, Create Bullets, Create Table.

I’ll grant that Word is great for the last two, and is pretty quick at them. Plus they are functions that actually take more than a split second. But the other nine are not and can easily be done in seconds on either program. And when you then consider that MSWord Bullets and tables don’t act the way you want them to act probably at least half the time, any savings from creating them quickly is lost.

(Note: my list is based on the common sense assumption that MS didn’t include plain old typing in their list).

And here is the response:

You are obviously a neophyte user. For those of us familiar with MS Office, the 11 most common operations in MS Office are:

• making the paperclip go away;
• acknowledging that converting an RTF email with no pictures in it to plain text format will cause you to lose any pictures;
• making the paperclip go away;
• deleting the extra 432 blank columns and rows that Excel just inserted into your spreadsheet;
• making the damn paper clip go away;
• figuring out what cool effects to insert into your Powerpoint presentation;
• condemning the damn paper clip to bell&whistle hell;
• repairing your Word document after accidentally confirming that you want to update the style you just attempted to apply to some text;
• placing a square of black electricians tape over the lower right corner of your screen;
• propogating a virus to all the entries in your Outlook address book;
• taping little faces to all the paperclips in your drawer and then ripping their heads off.

Peace.

I found this story during this morning’s news crawl.
(EDIT: Story has moved to this location – 04 Feb 09)

::: boggle :::
It is definitely Pepsi’s right to choose whomever they wish as a spokesperson for their products. It is also their right to no longer use a given person to represent them. I understand companies’ desire to bee seen as “hip” and “with it.” My question is: Isn’t there supposed to be someone who does research to see who/whom best represents the company’s image? Or was it simply a matter of “Gee, the kids like this artist, get her/him signed up and on the job right now?” The official statement from Pepsi was “I don’t think we knew the extent” to which his material was sexually explicit, Casabona said, adding that the decision to drop the ads was “driven by the responses from our consumers.”

::: blink :::

It’s not like Ludacris didn’t have a body of work already on the market. It would have been a simple matter to go to the local music store, pick up a CD or two and give them a listen. And, I think that the consumers who were familiar with him already knew what his music and lyrics were like. Instead, Pepsi nearly has a corporate coronary when Bill O’Reilly calls them “immoral” for employing Ludacris… and then threatened to start drinking Coca-Cola products.

And, it seems that Pepsi has a precedent for this type of action: They dropped Madonna as a spokesperson in 1989 when people confused her ad for her “Like A Prayer” video.

For Pepsi to even consider authorizing a statement that contains the phrase “We didn’t know about…” is… well… ludicrous. How is it that a company over 35 years old (Pepsico was formed in 1965, but the Pepsi Cola® beverage is over 100 years old) doesn’t get something that, at least to me, is a basic idea in marketing research? Companies are always telling their employees to “do your homework” when looking into developing new products and strategies. How is it that this one got past them?

Or… did the dog eat their homework?

Thursday
This was about a 80-20 day. Mostly good, with just enough “not-so-good” as to make it noticeable.

I discovered that something that I had thought was well behind me was not as “dead,” as I had thought. It was merely dormant. Coming to this realization was good… however it came about 45 minutes after someone made a comment to me that elicited a rather negative reaction. I went into ::: irritated/leave me alone mode :::. It was lovely. The mood eventually passed and life was good once more.

NPR/PRI Stories
Talk of the Nation: Baseball Strike?
Talk of the Nation: Traffic and Gridlock – Problems and Possible Solutions This segment is pretty good, but is made a MUST-HEAR by the caller comments at 15:00 into it. It starts off a little slow, but hits its stride after a minute or so. Julia, Land and I were laughing aloud throughout the call.
All Things Considered: Identifying Suicide Bombers
All Things Considered: Corruption Perception Index of Countries
All Things Considered: Baseball Fan ‘Union’
All Things Considered: Hillbillies
All Things Considered: The Sights and Sounds of Schizophrenia This segment has a companion piece that goes into some details and presents a slideshow of one of the simulations.

It started off all right…
Adrian and I went to see FearDotCom tonight; it’s the movie for which I won passes (see this morning’s post). How was it? The highpoints were:

• Getting to the preview 0:10 before it started and finding decent seats.
• No waiting in line at the concession stand.
• Spilling a cup of Sobe on the floor.

It was bad. VERY bad. VERY bad. To simply say that “it sucked” doesn’t do it justice.
As I said on IRC:

[01:12] -brooke0918- so that movie fear.com sucked huh
[01:13] -ShadoRunr- Like a stopcock grease-sealed vacuum pump.

What was wrong with it? Many things. Oh, so many things. The cinematography and lighting. The lack of continuity. The apparent lack of common sense of the characters. The inane manner in which they “use” computers and the Internet. Oh, yeah… the OS/interface that ALL of the computers use makes WinDoze look positively sublime!

Bottom line: Skip this one. In fact, blatantly ignore it. If it hadn’t been for the free pass, this would have simply been on the “no interest to see” list. Now, it has firmly ensconced itself on the “Cool World – Long Kiss Goodnight Scale.” Firmly. With grappling hooks and duct tape, even.

And finally…
: Land added two more comments/clarifications to Tuesday’s post. Would you please cross-post them, as well? Thanks!

For : Chem geek

Peace.

Has anyone ever noticed that when you are preparing to make a phone call, that everything sounds perfect in your head… but when the phone is in hand and you actually have to speak everything that you had planned to say escapes from the non-phone ear?

I had to call one of the local TV stations about a pass that I got to a movie screening tonight. In my head, just before I called, everything was just fine: “Hello… My name is… I am calling about…” Picked up the phone, dialed… and then everything after “My name is…” pretty much went *pfft*. I knew what I wanted to say. I knew what I had intended to say. But, in the words of Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly,” I was “…tongue-tied and twisted.” Yay.

Cats are funny. At least, Sissy is. She has recently discovered that she likes having her belly rubbed. So, when she comes over for me to pet her, she will stand there for a minute (to get her head and back scratched) and then *PLOP* down on the floor and roll over to get her tummy scratched. Then, she likes to bat at my hand with her hind paws.

She has also learned that she can get my attention by poking her paws through the back of my chair and tapping me on the back. This usually precedes a back-to-belly scratching.

Anyway, back to pre-work prep.

Peace.

Wednesday
Three down, two to go. Another relatively painless day.

NPR/PRI Stories
The World: Bin Laden: Dead or Alive?
The World: Child Abductions in the Spanish Civil War
Talk of the Nation: Bidding for the 2012 Olympics
Talk of the Nation: ‘Iraq: What’s the Threat?’
All Things Considered: Urban Drought
All Things Considered: H-P and Word Perfect Deal
All Things Considered: Betamax
All Things Considered: Iraq Q&A (Part I)
All Things Considered: Iraq Q&A (Part II)
All Things Considered: Little Red Riding Hood Uncloaked: Sex, Morality and the Evolution of a Fairy Tale
All Things Considered: Japanese Biological Warfare

After work, Jess and I went to the airport to see Tyanna and Courtney (Joe‘s girlfriend and daughter, respectively) during their stopover on the way back to Tampa. I think that is the first time that we have seen the two of them since just after Christmas 2000. Courtney is a doll… despite the fact that she’s gearing up for the so-called “terrible twos.” She didn’t remember us. Imagine that! That’s forgivable since she was barely a couple of months old when we saw her… during a stopover that Jess and I made in Newark, NJ. Hmm. It seems like we see more of Joe, Ty and Courtney in airports than anywhere else. Something has to be done about that.

It was a brief visit, but it was really good to see them. We even took some pictures, but I am too tired (and too lazy) to transfer them and resize and…. you get the idea. Anyway, they should be up by this weekend. Here is a pic from the last time that we saw her. That should tide you over until the others get posted.

Peace.

Tuesday
Another average day in the mines.

NPR/PRI Stories
The World: Arab Opposition to U.S. Offensive Plans in Iraq
The World: European Opposition to U.S. Offensive Plans in Iraq
The World: American Marijuana Expatriates in Canada
The World: Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The World: Fossils Found on the Isle of Man
Talk of the Nation: Women’s Health (Part V): Mental Health and Depression
Talk of the Nation: Addressing September 11^th in the Classroom
All Things Considered: Saudi Relations
All Things Considered: Transplanted Cells as Diabetes Treatments
All Things Considered: Clinton & Elvis (commentary)
All Things Considered: ‘The New Rabbi’ (This ties into tonight’s rant.)
All Things Considered: Foster Siblings
All Things Considered: ‘Esther’s Children’ – The Jewish Experience in Iran

Soapbox Rant
(Note: I will be using some terms that are specific to the LDS faith here. It’s amazing what you pick-up living here for four years…. I have attempted, with Jess’ help, to find analogues for these in terms of other Christian faiths. Click here for a rough outline of the Catholic Church hierarchy, for comparison. The definitions follow the diatribe.)

Land (friend, co-worker, owner of the “boy truck”) spoke at Sacrament Meeting¹ in his Ward¹ on Sunday. As a Young Men’s Leader¹, he talks with and counsels some of the teen youth… who often ask him things that they are not comfortable bringing up with their parents. Sometimes, these questions involve things of a sexual nature. And so…

As I said: He spoke at Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday. (Note: His Bishop¹ wasn’t there, but the Stake President ¹ was.) Part of his speech was about the need for change in the way that some issues are addressed, or at least thought about, in Mormon culture. And, yes, sexual mores were a big part of it. He also asserted that the challenges that “Baby Boomers” faced are not the same ones that their Generation X kids are facing today… and that the Boomers needed to be aware of this and might have to do some paradigm shifting in order to deal with this. Some people got what he was saying. Some didn’t. The reactions ranged from “I don’t get it” to “Oh, my….”

Land received a call from his Bishop Monday. It seems that there was just enough uproar and furor over what was said to make some people uncomfortable. So, the people spoke with the Stake President and he, in turn, spoke with the Bishop. It seems that most of the criticism was not so much about the content of Land’s speech, but the venue. To his credit, the Bishop did listen to Land’s points and reasons for making them and gave them due reflection. However, Land was basically told that he will not be asked to speak for “some time…” at the Stake President’s insistence. And, from what he told me, he will remain a Young Men’s Leader.

What’s my take on this?
In the two years (and some months) that I have known him, I have never known Land not to stand up, with conviction, for his beliefs. His points are usually very well thought out and organized. His arguments are very articulate. And, as with most good debaters, he is willing to listen to and consider counterpoints. It takes fortitude to stand before any group of people and present an idea or a concept. To do so in a congregation and challenge the established mores? That takes not only fortitude, but bucketloads of moxie, too! I commend him for taking his stand and for not being afraid of what some members might think.

• Land hears things from these kids that they are not willing/able to share directly with their parents.
• As a member of the congregation, he feels responsibility to both the youth and to their parents.
• He wanted to make sure that the parents were aware of the types of issues that the kids are bringing to him.
• He had a forum in which to present these topics to all/most/many of the parents, at one time.

Was the Sunday afternoon pulpit the best place for this? Possibly not, but I won’t say “no” here. I think that it is important for people to be aware of what is going on in their kids lives. Were they shocked? You betcha! And that, to me, is a good thing. Why? Because, on the most basic level, it means that they were actually listening. It is also good because once the initial shock is over, it can lead to dialogue between the generations (and possibly even within the hierarcy of the church). I said “can” there because some people will prefer to gloss over the subject and act like it never came up OR they just didn’t get it (or see anything wrong) in the first place.

I’m sorry that the congregation felt so… threatened (?) …disquieted (?) … uncomfortable with his topic and his chosen venue, but if it is a catalyst for change or at least a few good discussions, then I think that he did the right thing.

¹ Definitions (or as best as I can approximate them):

• Sacrament Meeting is roughly analogous to a communion service/Mass
• Ward: Congregation (roughly). However, more than one Ward may meet in the same building; their services are held at different times.
• Young Men’s Leader: Youth Minister for teens/young men.
• Bishop: Minister/Pastor
• Stake: A group of Wards.
• Stake President: Similar to a Catholic Bishop

Peace.

That’s it. I’m packing up and moving to Australia! Why?

Because of
this.

Monday
First day back… and it wasn’t bad. Four days off was just what the doctor ordered. I even overslept a little this morning. Just a little. I still had a very comfortable margin of “get your ass in gear” time to work with.

NPR/PRI Stories
That’s right, kids! They’re back… Your connection to news!

The World: Pakistan
The World: Arab-Americans
Talk of the Nation: U.S.-Egypt Relations
All Things Considered: Palestinian Woman Executed
All Things Considered: Russian Immigrants in Israel
All Things Considered: War Powers Act
All Things Considered: ‘Radio Rookies’ – Confronting Her Father’s Addiction
Note: Tomorrow on Talk of the Nation – Women’s Health (Part V): Depression.

Quote (Freudian Slip) of the Day: Land was talking about his fiancee and meant to say “I’ve heard her swear like a sailor.” However, this is what came out:

“I heard her swear like a savior.”

And that’s all there is.

Peace.

Sunday
And so, the long weekend ends. Tomorrow I rejoin the masses of the working. Whoop-de-damn-doo. Having the past few days off has been nice. And seeing Rush… definite plus.

Not much else to say, so I guess I’ll wrap this up now.

Peace.

::: rereads the subject line :::
Okay, those are three names that I never thought that I would see, let alone TYPE, together. The possibilities (and some of the probabilities) of that grouping are enough to twist any concepts of decency and logic that you may have had into taffy.

*shrug*

Stray Toasters…

1. I had thought that I’d pull another all-nighter and just make up the sleep tonight. Wrong. A good sign that I was well beyond “tired” was that I was on IRC when this was posted:
   

   [06:39] NeuSchwan should I go to bed or not..
   [06:39] NeuSchwan I need to go shopping
   [06:39] AdrXian go to bed.. then go shopping
   [06:40] NeuSchwan but if i go to bed, i’ll get up somewhere around 4 or 5
   [06:41] NeuSchwan that’s too late
   [06:41] AdrXian yeah.. sleep till 5? ya slacker!
   [06:41] NeuSchwan i work graveyards
   [06:41] NeuSchwan bite my ass

   THIS, however, is what I thought (for about ten seconds) that it said:

   [06:41] NeuSchwan bite my ass backwards

   If ever there was a sign that I needed sleep, that was most definitely it. I made it until roughly 09:30… and then, I just couldn’t take it any longer. I think that I did something between sleeping and passing out.

   I slept until a little before 13:00. With the exception of a slight headache and a contact lens that decided to disengage and conduct an independent survey of the pillow, I felt a little better. I was still a little slow in the “get out of bed and in motion” area, though. But, now, I have frozen mocha goodness… and all is good with the world again.

2. A few days ago, Steve and I were listening to an Eartha Kitt CD; the song Annie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore came on. There is a refrain that asks “Where’s Annie?” I didn’t count how many times it was asked, but suffice if to say it was more than ten. This reminded me of Smooth Criminal (both the MJ version and the AAF cover) where they ask “Annie, are you okay?” fifty-one (51) times¹. FIFTY-ONE TIMES!!! Let’s examine a few things about these songs:
   • If you have to ask “Where’s Annie?” more than… three times, and you don’t get an answer:
     • the person whom you are asking doesn’t know where Annie is or
     • the person doesn’t want to tell you.
     • If Annie had really wanted you to know, she would have either told you or written you a note.
   • Similarly, if you have to ask “Annie, are you okay?” more than a few times, it’s probably safe to assume that the answer is “No.” In fact, I’ll even go out on a limb and say that the response would probably be closer to Marsellus’ response to Butch (after meeting “The Gimp”) in Pulp Fiction:
     

     Butch: You okay?
     Marsellus: Naw man. I’m pretty fuckin’ far from okay!

   So, what do we know? We know that Annie doesn’t live here anymore. That much has been established. Is she okay? That’s a little more tricky. We can’t ask her directly, because she, as noted before, no longer lives here and left no forwarding information. We can’t even assume that she is/is not okay, because there are too many variables to be taken into account.

   So, Annie, IF you are okay and IF this somehow gets to you, let us know where you are and how you’re doing. And, if it’s not too much of a bother, you might even add why you decided to pack up and leave without telling anyone. And, where’s the black and white tablecloth/napkin set? We’re having a dinner party in a couple of weeks and that would set off the table nicely. I can’t find it anywhere!!!

Peace.

¹ It may be fifty-three, but I can definitely account for fifty-one.

Friday
We opted out of Mallday. Instead, Jess and I went to Olive Garden. After that, it was off to her parents’ for a bit to hang out with the family-unit.

And then…

Rush
It was fantastic! A three-hour show: two sets and an encore. It was an excellent blend of their old and new material. I think that the only complaint that I could have was the venue – The Delta Center. Good for basketball and the circus; not-so-good for concerts. We were 28th row in the lower bowl. This put us at stage left about… 35-50 yards from the stage. Great view.

One of the funniest, if not the funniest things during the show occurred during La Villa Strangiato. During one section, Alex typically says/sings/whatever a few words. Tonight…. he just kinda…. went off on his own little Alex-tangent. The cameras had a combined shot of him, Neil and Geddy on the screen behind the stage. Neil and Geddy both had looks of “What in the Hell is he saying over there!?!?” But they kept playing. At one point, it looked like they were both on the verge of losing their composure and bursting out into laughter.

Neil did a drum solo. I don’t remember him doing one when I saw Rush in ’92… but it has been a while. I had an idea of what was to be expected; Jess didn’t. She was duly impressed.

After that, Alex and Geddy also did an acoustic version of Resist that was incredible. The stage hands brought out 2 stools and they came out with acoustic guitars and played. Très cool.

I asked Jess how she liked the show. She said that she went in not knowing a lot about the band (other than what she hears me play), but she enjoyed it and had a good time.

All-in-all, it was a verra good night.

Peace.

Thursday
Day 1 of the four-day weekend. ::: bliss :::

• I slept in. It was nice.
• Slacked around for a few hours.
• Went to lunch with Jess.
• She went to work; I went to Adrian’s. Not only are we learning Linux, but he’s coaching me through electronics. It’s been… almost 10 years since I have done any work with this kind of thing. I spent the better part of the evening trying to get a couple of circuits to work. They finally did. I was pleased. Then, having gotten them to work as they were supposed to, I messed around and tried a few variations. “It was… fun.”
• Came home.

NPR/PRI
Nooooo one expects the Spanish Inquisition a lack of story links!

However, since I did not listen to the radio today, that’s exactly what’s going here. Nothing. Nothing at all. You weren’t expecting that, were you?! That’s because …our chief weapon is surprise…surprise and fear…fear and surprise…. Our two weapons are fear and surprise…and ruthless efficiency…. Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency…and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope…. Our *four*…no… *Amongst* our weapons…. Amongst our weaponry…are such elements as fear, surprise….

However, for those of you who confess your heinous sins:
The World
Talk of the Nation
All Things Considered

Cardinal Fang! Fetch THE COMFY CHAIR!

Tomorrow is Friday Pre-Saturday. It is also Mallday AND the Rush concert is tomorrow night. If that wasn’t enough, I still have two (that’s right: TWO) more days of unfettered freedom. And Craisins®. I have Craisins®. And tasty popped corn! And iced creams! Ahhh. Dr. Pangloss was correct: This truly is the best of all possible worlds.

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Amongst our weaponry are such diverse elements as: fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, and nice red uniforms – Oh damn!

Peace.

Wednesday
End. Of. The. Work. Week.
Amen.

I had taken Friday off so that there would be no scheduling conflicts with me going to see Rush. I also took Thursday off because I thought that my friend Joe would be coming in either tonight or tomorrow… but he had a work-induced issue that came up. No worries: It’s still a four-day weekend. Four. Days.

And Rush. In concert. In SLC.

::: bliss :::
NPR/PRI
Talk of the Nation: The Psychology of The Sopranos
The World: Chinese Premier Might Not Retire
The World: Political Cartoons and Censorship
All Things Considered: Required Abortion Training for California Medical Students
All Things Considered: ‘Jerry Springer: The Opera’
All Things Considered: Parking Lot Arrests in Houston
All Things Considered: Nu Jazz
All Things Considered: Homeland Security… According to Firesign Theatre

I thought that there might be something else, but there isn’t. And, if… IF… there is, it will keep until later.

Peace.

Tuesday
Work. Blah. Blah. Blah.

NPR/PRI
Talk of the Nation spent both hours discussing women’s health issues. There was a lot of good information explained and a few misunderstandings/misconceptions were cleared up, as well. The breakdowns for the four parts of the show are as follows:

1. Reproductive Health (Part I)
2. Reproductive Health (Part II)
3. Sexual Health
4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases

All Things Considered: Nigerian Woman Sentenced to Stoning
All Things Considered: Exercises for Poets
All Things Considered: Babies and Pain
All Things Considered: Cancer Patient (Commentary)
All Things Considered: Dent Eraser (For the music majors…)

The World: South Africa Slang Glossary
The World: Voyager Report (NASA, not Starfleet)
The World: Singapore Technology Report

And, for the grand finale: A little something for

THE LITTLE ENDLESS STATUE SET
Picture
Sculpted by Barsom; Designed by Jill Thompson.

Individually, they are known as Dream, Delirium, Destruction, Death, Destiny, Desire and Despair. Together, they are the seven siblings who comprise the Endless, a family of conceptual entities. From the pages of Neil Gaiman’s award-winning Sandman series comes this limited edition set, featuring individual statues of the “little” versions of the Endless (based on designs by Jill Thompson), each on its own base with a unique design motif. The statues – which range in size from approximately 4 1/2″ to 6 1/4″ high, on bases ranging in height from 1″ to 2 1/2″ – can be displayed together or separately, and are packaged in a 4-color box.

$195, in stores on Feb. 26 (2003).

Peace.

Monday
This was one of the longest workdays ever. At one point, I would swear that a certain :20 (from 14:40 – 15:00) lasted for about 3½ hours.

NPR/PRI
Talk of the Nation: Ephedra and Dietary Supplements
All Things Considered: Gay Marriage Announcements
All Things Considered: Slavery Reparations

Commentator Dinesh D’Souza argues that the concept of reparations for slavery is misguided. He draws on his own experience growing up in India, a country colonized by the British for centuries. He argues that while slavery and colonialism injure those who grow up under them, the systems can prove to be beneficial to the descendants.

All Things Considered: Voyager Anniversary (The NASA spacecraft, not the starship)
All Things Considered: The Cost of the Death Penalty
The World: Nigeria Woman Faces Death by Stoning
The World: The Crime of Father Amaro (a controversial film from Mexico)

“Curiouser and curiouser,” said little Alice…
I was watching the Janeway/Barbie Borg show tonight, and they made a reference to B’Elanna’s mother, Miral. Being the Trek fan that I am, I looked up Miral’s character bio. From there, I found that she had “appeared” in an episode of Voyager. I got the actress’ name (Karen Austin) and jumped to IMDb and looked up her filmography. And that’s where things got a little surreal.

Her birthday is two days before mine. That, in itself, isn’t so odd. The fact that she is from my mother’s hometown is, however. This wouldn’t be so odd… if my mother was from New York. But she isn’t. She’s from a town in West Virginia. A small town, at that. It’s the county seat… but it’s a county of only 26,000 people (according to the last census numbers). Hence, my surprise. I’ll have to see if Mom knows who she is.

Tonight’s Curious Commercial
There is a new Saturn ad on the airwaves. It has people… jogging (that’s the best description)… down streets, roads and expressways. As if they were cars. They stopped at traffic lights. They waited in turn lanes.

And, in the night shots, they even had headlights and (I will resist the temptation to make a bad pun here) taillights.

The tagline was something like: “When we design new cars, we don’t just see sheet metal.” It was an interesting commercial. Especially the freeway shots.

Peace.