Wed - September 19, 2007
Bippy: February 14, 1996 - September 10, 2007
Dogs usually recover from coonhound paralysis,
but perhaps not if they're already scrawny eleven-year-olds. The girls were
heartbroken.
She was a good dog. She's got a nice grave on our island.
She was a good dog. She's got a nice grave on our island.
Posted at 06:58 PM in category
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Thu - August 30, 2007
Give Larry Craig a Break
Yet another senator gets busted
in a sex scandal .
First off: Who cares? Did it affect his job performance? We can mostly agree that it doesn't. It's not like he was trading highway funding for sex.
Second: Are we really spending taxpayer dollars cracking down on gay cruising? I find that more disturbing than the cruising itself.
Third: Despite the guilty plea, are we sure he even did the (relatively harmless) act in question? The cop said that bumping feet in a toilet stall is a well-known signal that you want anonymous gay sex. Well, _I_ didn't know, and if I had been arrested after bumping feet in a toilet I'd be pretty confused. I don't think I've ever bumped somebody's feet in a toilet, but hey, I could imagine it happening. I know if I was in a jury, I'd let the guy off pretty fast. Reasonable doubt, anyone?
Why would he plead guilty? He hoped to keep it secret, of course. And it almost worked -- this happened months ago.
The relevance of this to the nation is of comparable significance to Paris Hilton's hemline. Shouldn't a democracy focus on more relevant things, like wars, and the Bill of Rights?
First off: Who cares? Did it affect his job performance? We can mostly agree that it doesn't. It's not like he was trading highway funding for sex.
Second: Are we really spending taxpayer dollars cracking down on gay cruising? I find that more disturbing than the cruising itself.
Third: Despite the guilty plea, are we sure he even did the (relatively harmless) act in question? The cop said that bumping feet in a toilet stall is a well-known signal that you want anonymous gay sex. Well, _I_ didn't know, and if I had been arrested after bumping feet in a toilet I'd be pretty confused. I don't think I've ever bumped somebody's feet in a toilet, but hey, I could imagine it happening. I know if I was in a jury, I'd let the guy off pretty fast. Reasonable doubt, anyone?
Why would he plead guilty? He hoped to keep it secret, of course. And it almost worked -- this happened months ago.
The relevance of this to the nation is of comparable significance to Paris Hilton's hemline. Shouldn't a democracy focus on more relevant things, like wars, and the Bill of Rights?
Posted at 09:04 AM in category
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Wed - August 29, 2007
Fashion Copyright
The mission of copyright, as stated in the
Constitution, is to "promote the progress of science and useful arts" by giving
creators a temporary monopoly on reproduction of their works. The theory is
that this monopoly acts as an incentive to creators to create, and the public
gets more creativity than it would without government
intervention.
This makes sense, but is it true?
We can look at a couple of arts that rather inexplicably have never been copyrightable to see how this lack of protection has prevented innovation. Like fashion: the artistic design of clothing, handbags, belts, and eyeglass frames.
If I invent a new look for clothing, once I put it in the public, everyone in the world is free to duplicate that look. What's more, they can mix different looks together, extrapolate, and create any derivative fashion they want.
This appalling lack of protection explains why fashion has not had a significant change in almost a century. With no monopoly protection, our fashion industries have lacked incentive to change, so we're stuck with the same apparel our great-grandparents wore. If only copyright applied to this art , we'd see a vast profusion of creativity. Perhaps an entire industry of fashion could be born, giving a vast public benefit, instead of today's complete stagnation.
Oh, except it hasn't worked that way. Fashion changes constantly. Designers are famous and well-paid. It's difficult to imagine the fashion industry, with its vast array of magazines, television shows, and pundits, getting any more vibrant with greater monopoly power.
Would the public benefit from fashion copyright? Portions, for sure would benefit. In particular, the fashion lawyer part of the public.
This makes sense, but is it true?
We can look at a couple of arts that rather inexplicably have never been copyrightable to see how this lack of protection has prevented innovation. Like fashion: the artistic design of clothing, handbags, belts, and eyeglass frames.
If I invent a new look for clothing, once I put it in the public, everyone in the world is free to duplicate that look. What's more, they can mix different looks together, extrapolate, and create any derivative fashion they want.
This appalling lack of protection explains why fashion has not had a significant change in almost a century. With no monopoly protection, our fashion industries have lacked incentive to change, so we're stuck with the same apparel our great-grandparents wore. If only copyright applied to this art , we'd see a vast profusion of creativity. Perhaps an entire industry of fashion could be born, giving a vast public benefit, instead of today's complete stagnation.
Oh, except it hasn't worked that way. Fashion changes constantly. Designers are famous and well-paid. It's difficult to imagine the fashion industry, with its vast array of magazines, television shows, and pundits, getting any more vibrant with greater monopoly power.
Would the public benefit from fashion copyright? Portions, for sure would benefit. In particular, the fashion lawyer part of the public.
Posted at 08:10 AM in category
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Tue - August 28, 2007
Blog Rating
According to a lame automated tool.
I wonder if those guys know that those rating symbols are a registered trademark of the MPAA.
Posted at 11:55 AM in category
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Fri - August 24, 2007
Sharper Image
I recently bought Sharper Image (SHRP) at $4.04
per share, mostly because it looked like the panic selling (rumors of a $900
million lawsuit and bankruptcy) was
overdone.
Now, a week later, it's up 40%. Why? Near as I can tell, the only news is that they took out a $20 million loan.
For me, taking out loans is not generally good news. I guess it's better news than needing money and not being able to take out a loan, but wouldn't it be better to make a profit? I rarely sell a stock so quickly after buying it, but this may be one of those times.
Now, a week later, it's up 40%. Why? Near as I can tell, the only news is that they took out a $20 million loan.
For me, taking out loans is not generally good news. I guess it's better news than needing money and not being able to take out a loan, but wouldn't it be better to make a profit? I rarely sell a stock so quickly after buying it, but this may be one of those times.
Posted at 08:17 AM in category
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Coonhound Paralysis
Our German shepherd mutt, Bippy has two jobs:
bark at intruders, and eat garbage. She's always done these jobs
well.
Last week we let her spend the night indoors for a
change, and one of our chickens was killed and eaten, probably by one of the
many raccoons that populate our neighborhood. No more indoors for Bippy! A
couple of nights later she got into a fight with something -- presumably a
raccoon. She's 11 years old, and the coons here can weigh 40 pounds, and the
fight wore her out. She was a bit beat up, with cuts and scratches on her face
and forelegs. We disinfected her. She's up on her rabies shots, so we figured
after a couple of days of stiffness, she'd improve. And so it
seemed.
Then, yesterday, about 7 days after the initial
fight, she found herself unable to stand. All four legs were pathetically weak
and unresponsive. She couldn't even shake her hind leg when her belly is
scratched. The head and neck move a little.
I'm not the kind of guy who spends a lot of money on
pets. Sometimes they die, and you replace them. I figure I'm always going to
have one dog, so if one dies, I get to save the life of a different one at the
pound. That said, I took her to the vet. I figured we'd either put her down or
give her fluids and antibiotics.
Turns out she seems to have something called coonhound
paralysis . For the next several weeks, she basically can't move her
legs and body. She can't even twist her neck well, so she has to eat and drink
sideways. Miserable! Mira and Lyra are eager to keep her alive, so they've
agreed to wipe her butt and feed, water, and exercise her.
Normally the prognosis is pretty good for a
recovery, but she's so old and skinny to start with that I worry that this'll be
too much for her.
Wish us luck.
Posted at 04:54 AM in category
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Thu - August 23, 2007
Vietnam and Iraq
W. made a speech yesterday in which he warned us
not to repeat the big mistake we made in Vietnam: Backing out. While getting
out of the Iraq quagmire is definitely a problem, let's not forget that some,
before the war, thought there were other lessons to be learned from
Vietnam.
"A generation shaped by Vietnam must remember the lessons of Vietnam: When America uses force in the world, the cause must be just, the goal must be clear and the victory must be overwhelming."
-- George W. Bush, August 4, 2000
"A generation shaped by Vietnam must remember the lessons of Vietnam: When America uses force in the world, the cause must be just, the goal must be clear and the victory must be overwhelming."
-- George W. Bush, August 4, 2000
"Our nation should be slow to
engage troops. But when we do so, we must do so with ferocity. We must not go
into a conflict unless we go in committed to win. We can never again ask the
military to fight a political war."
-- George W. Bush, November 15, 1999
Those are true lessons of Vietnam.
Posted at 10:29 AM in category
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Thu - August 16, 2007
Alien View of America
If space aliens were to look down and observe
modern America, they would no doubt determine that the dominant lifeform is the
automobile. Humans are some sort of reproductive
organ.
Look at a google map of a suburban town, and compare how much land is dedicated to cars to that for people. All too often, they win.
Look at a google map of a suburban town, and compare how much land is dedicated to cars to that for people. All too often, they win.
Posted at 11:12 AM in category
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Abortion
I'm personally a strong believer in legal
abortion, but it's easy to see how it can be viewed as a conflict between the
mother and child.
There are some philosophical things that are tough to reconcile between lifers and choicers, but I think we'd do well to focus on common ground on which most everyone can agree:
Abortion is a dumb method of birth control.
Reducing the number of abortions is a worthy goal. Whatever one's stance is on the morality of it, we can agree that it's wasteful.
Around the world, there are lots of different tactics taken toward abortion. In some places it's completely legal under all circumstances, and in other places it's never legal, and everything in between. Statistically, it seems that legalization (or criminalization) of abortion has little effect on the number of abortions.
That's not the same as saying it's the same all around the world. Western Europe has a much lower abortion rate than we do in the US, for example. Why? The correlating factors seem to be:
excellent sex education
easy availability of more practical birth control
I believe that anti-abortion folks are shooting themselves in the leg by also being opposed to sex education. Ignorance is a breeding ground (literally) for unwanted pregnancy. And if they think outlawing premarital sex will eliminate it, they need to buy a ticket out of dreamland before they can discuss politics.
The seven percent of women who do not use contraception account for 53% of unwanted pregnancies.
Instead of talking about whether abortion is right or wrong, we should just agree that we want to reduce it, and do what works.
Preaching doesn't work. Education does.
There are some philosophical things that are tough to reconcile between lifers and choicers, but I think we'd do well to focus on common ground on which most everyone can agree:
Abortion is a dumb method of birth control.
Reducing the number of abortions is a worthy goal. Whatever one's stance is on the morality of it, we can agree that it's wasteful.
Around the world, there are lots of different tactics taken toward abortion. In some places it's completely legal under all circumstances, and in other places it's never legal, and everything in between. Statistically, it seems that legalization (or criminalization) of abortion has little effect on the number of abortions.
That's not the same as saying it's the same all around the world. Western Europe has a much lower abortion rate than we do in the US, for example. Why? The correlating factors seem to be:
excellent sex education
easy availability of more practical birth control
I believe that anti-abortion folks are shooting themselves in the leg by also being opposed to sex education. Ignorance is a breeding ground (literally) for unwanted pregnancy. And if they think outlawing premarital sex will eliminate it, they need to buy a ticket out of dreamland before they can discuss politics.
The seven percent of women who do not use contraception account for 53% of unwanted pregnancies.
Instead of talking about whether abortion is right or wrong, we should just agree that we want to reduce it, and do what works.
Preaching doesn't work. Education does.
Posted at 10:28 AM in category
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Sun - August 12, 2007
Tots
Here's my brilliant restaurant idea:
Tots!
You just sell tater tots, deliciously deep fried (preferably in bacon grease -- yum) with a variety of toppings or dipping sauces. Chili and cheese tots, sour cream and chives tots, barbecue bacon tots... There's no limit.
Everybody loves tots, but they're a pain to cook at home because of the deep frying. Baked tots are OK, but can't hold a candle to fried ones. They're cheap, tasty, and plentiful. The name "Tater Tots" is a trademark of Ore-Ida , but I suspect you'd be OK with using the name "Tots" in a restaurant name.
You just sell tater tots, deliciously deep fried (preferably in bacon grease -- yum) with a variety of toppings or dipping sauces. Chili and cheese tots, sour cream and chives tots, barbecue bacon tots... There's no limit.
Everybody loves tots, but they're a pain to cook at home because of the deep frying. Baked tots are OK, but can't hold a candle to fried ones. They're cheap, tasty, and plentiful. The name "Tater Tots" is a trademark of Ore-Ida , but I suspect you'd be OK with using the name "Tots" in a restaurant name.
Posted at 03:15 PM in category
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Wed - August 8, 2007
GasStation
I wrote a
game!
OK, it ain't much. The girls were gone this weekend, so I decided to (finally) sit down and play with Xcode. (That's Apple's programming environment.) For a first project, I cranked out a cheesy little game.
Download GasStation . Yeah, it's the kind of thing we could have written in HyperCard in just a few minutes, but that doesn't keep it from being a little bit fun. What's the fewest days you can take to pile up $30,000 cash? (You start with $20,000, so you don't have far to go.)
It's officially in the public domain, so give it to all your friends. Drop me an email if you like it.
OK, it ain't much. The girls were gone this weekend, so I decided to (finally) sit down and play with Xcode. (That's Apple's programming environment.) For a first project, I cranked out a cheesy little game.
Download GasStation . Yeah, it's the kind of thing we could have written in HyperCard in just a few minutes, but that doesn't keep it from being a little bit fun. What's the fewest days you can take to pile up $30,000 cash? (You start with $20,000, so you don't have far to go.)
It's officially in the public domain, so give it to all your friends. Drop me an email if you like it.
Posted at 11:21 AM in category
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Fri - July 20, 2007
iPhone Review, Three Weeks Later
I took my iPhone on vacation, and used it
constantly.
I always tell people that only a fool would pay $500 for a phone. That said, it's amazingly great.
I've probably gotten easily a hundred bucks of value just out of showing it to envious people.
Being able to google map while you're driving around (well, Mary was driving, and I was navigating) is awesome. It'd be better if there was a GPS, but it doesn't take long to find oneself.
Being able to look up obscure movies on the IMDB while you're in the video store is handy.
Going onto whitepages.com to look up old college friends as you're passing through their town is handy.
The camera's not bad, and more pleasant than any other phone camera I've used. I took over 200 pictures over two weeks. It's nice to never run out of film. And a flash would be cool, though I know it would be hard on batteries.
The earphone jack doesn't seem to fit non-Apple plugs quite right.
It's stupid that you can't order songs direct from the phone -- but I refuse to give money to the RIAA anyway. It would be nice to download mp3s from the web, though.
The battery would no doubt last a long time if one used it like a normal phone, but since I use it constantly, two days is about as much as you can hope for. And it recharges slowly -- overnight is good, but an hour doesn't do a heck of a lot.
It got a bit crashy after a couple of weeks, but after I turned it off (for the first time since I bought it) and restarted it, it got better.
The single biggest flaw: No games! How dare they not realize what an awesome toy this is.
I always tell people that only a fool would pay $500 for a phone. That said, it's amazingly great.
I've probably gotten easily a hundred bucks of value just out of showing it to envious people.
Being able to google map while you're driving around (well, Mary was driving, and I was navigating) is awesome. It'd be better if there was a GPS, but it doesn't take long to find oneself.
Being able to look up obscure movies on the IMDB while you're in the video store is handy.
Going onto whitepages.com to look up old college friends as you're passing through their town is handy.
The camera's not bad, and more pleasant than any other phone camera I've used. I took over 200 pictures over two weeks. It's nice to never run out of film. And a flash would be cool, though I know it would be hard on batteries.
The earphone jack doesn't seem to fit non-Apple plugs quite right.
It's stupid that you can't order songs direct from the phone -- but I refuse to give money to the RIAA anyway. It would be nice to download mp3s from the web, though.
The battery would no doubt last a long time if one used it like a normal phone, but since I use it constantly, two days is about as much as you can hope for. And it recharges slowly -- overnight is good, but an hour doesn't do a heck of a lot.
It got a bit crashy after a couple of weeks, but after I turned it off (for the first time since I bought it) and restarted it, it got better.
The single biggest flaw: No games! How dare they not realize what an awesome toy this is.
Posted at 08:36 AM in category
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Thu - July 19, 2007
Wanted More
My niece, Zoë, was crying after leaving a
tourist-trap store. Mary's brother asked, "Why are you crying? We bought you
the toys you wanted."
Zoë, sobbing, explained: "I got everything I wanted, but I'm still not happy, because I wanted more."
Her sentiment pretty much explains the entire life of the average American.
Zoë, sobbing, explained: "I got everything I wanted, but I'm still not happy, because I wanted more."
Her sentiment pretty much explains the entire life of the average American.
Posted at 06:07 AM in category
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Wed - July 18, 2007
I'm Back!
A little late. Our flight from Charlotte was
canceled, the airline (Delta) put us up in a
hotel.
A tip: If this happens to you, don't ask them to give you your luggage for the night. They're going to lose it anyway, so save yourself a couple of hours.
Airport security has begun to feel like an experiment in humiliation. I can't wait for the mandatory anal probes. I'm pretty sure a terrorist could easily hide four ounces of deadly, deadly toothpaste up there.
Here's a hint to Homeland "Security:" Skyjackings are a thing of the past. We know that trick, and we, the passengers and crew, will bring a plane down before it can be used as a weapon. It would be easier to defend the plane if we had toenail clippers, but we'll make do.
A tip: If this happens to you, don't ask them to give you your luggage for the night. They're going to lose it anyway, so save yourself a couple of hours.
Airport security has begun to feel like an experiment in humiliation. I can't wait for the mandatory anal probes. I'm pretty sure a terrorist could easily hide four ounces of deadly, deadly toothpaste up there.
Here's a hint to Homeland "Security:" Skyjackings are a thing of the past. We know that trick, and we, the passengers and crew, will bring a plane down before it can be used as a weapon. It would be easier to defend the plane if we had toenail clippers, but we'll make do.
Posted at 07:19 AM in category
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Wed - July 4, 2007
"Vacation"
I'll be away from Three Meadows for the next two
weeks, visiting my in-laws. (Joy!) I'll have my computer with me, so I'll be
able to keep up with email and some work, but I won't be posting to this blog.
If I have anything relevant to say, I'll post it to my joedeltalist yahoogroups
list.
Wish me luck!
Wish me luck!
Posted at 09:39 AM in category
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Published On:
Sep 19, 2007 06:58 PM
Published On:
Sep 19, 2007 06:58 PM
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