massdestruction

S&M

I have never been a fan of a State-run school here in North Carolina, the School of Science and Math. It was set up to take a select group of smart kids and stick them in a well-funded school to learn. Meanwhile I sat in a room with an English teacher who had been fired from three previous schools, I had no Biology as our teacher took maternity leave and they could find no one to fill in, our French teacher taught me Civics... etc, etc, etc.

So when I read this story I became even more fervantly against Science and Math. Now the students who go to Science and Math don't have to take 2 years of Math!?! (BTW, its a 2 year program)

I don't get it... they are in a program designed for Math... what do they have to complain about? If students want to drop out of S&M fine, let them drop out. Little shits.

Funny Headlines, hitting bongs

The one thing that strikes me about this baseball story is not that the "Bonghitters" won, but that they stayed after the game to practice. Whoa!

I read it, now I'm calling the ACLU

This service seems really offensive to me.

"spanky the clown"

My friend Bryan hooked me up with the link for this story.

.... there really isn't much more to say is there?

Ayatollah Chalabi?

Obviously I am unsure as to the accuracy of this news - but it is quite a large serving of food for thought and it did come from the Guardian which has a good track record in my estimation. Even if there was no manipulation through Chalabi, I cannot think of any good reason why they guy has gotten so much money and support from the U.S.

It all goes on and on...

loose soil

I took great interest in the news of President Bush's bicycle accident. I think he was trying to reach out to the recent bike accident vote. However, there are two things I keep thinking about concerning the White House's explanation to the press. First, I wonder if many people wear mouth guards when mountain biking. I have never heard of it, but maybe people do. And he is the President so perhaps the Secret Service and his doctors are more proactive about safety. OK, fine.. but lets look at the second issue.

The White House spokesman said, "It's been raining a lot. the topsoil was loose." Well, OK I suppose the soil does loosen up after rain... but actually there was no rain that week... or the week before for that matter. So... uh... why the lie?

Who would care if he simply lost control? I admitted it. Sure, I don't have as much press coverage... well, ok none, but damn. He can't have lost polling points for simply having a crash. Hell, I give him props for mountain biking.

I just don't get it - I guess they are so used to lying they can't help themselves.

Halliburton... luggage?

I was doing a little Internet research on the Halliburton company as I have read some really disturbing facts about them... yeah, hard to believe. While searching I kept coming across another company, Zero Halliburton. This is a company that makes luggage and luggage accessories.

I think if I ran that company I would change the name about now. I can see no connection to the other company so perhaps if I need an aluminum briefcase I will buy it from the hard-working folks at Zero (see, I've already changed their name!)

The Kids

I almost forgot that I took a picture of the kids while at Monument National Park. From left to right is Little Barnes, Caitlyn, and the oldest, Brandon. They are so cute.

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IR

I have been playing around with a photoshop trick I figured out to turn a color shot into an Infrared film look. It works pretty well in my estimation. Below is one of my digital shots from NM cropped to square and IR'ed. Its like having IR film in a 6x6 without the stupid change bag.

A click on the pic will get you a better look at the effect

Thanks!

Thanks for the positive emails on my New Mexico pics. I thought they were under-worked-on if anything. I was asked which was my favorite though... its this one. It is one of the sharpest, it has the most perfect exposure, and the almost vignette of the lens is nice for this scene.

I am surprised how much I enjoyed our New Mexico trip. I think jfleck's tour guide service was the main reason, but otherwise it is quite a magical place. The combination of its particular blend of history, and wide range of color and landscape make it unique in our Union. Kudos New Mexico.

Acupuncture

I thought I would go into my acupuncture experience in more detail for the uninitiated.

Since I broke my shoulder I have been in a goodly amount of pain, as one might imagine. I had some painkillers, a sling, and good thoughts, but the pain was worse than those combined. To sya the least, the plane trip to New Mexico was very uncomfortable.

However, while I was in Santa Fe I went into a *great* vintage bookstore and upon exiting I noticed next door there was a place that offered acupuncture. I went in and scheduled an appointment for the next day. If I had thought more, I would have turned around, letting my "sensible side" prevail... it is broken after all. But with this pain, I had nothing to lose... not even the $66 for a session.

I know that acupuncture is proven to work in tests (at least for certain ailments), but I am a skeptic at heart. I didn't know what to expect at all.

During the session I never once felt a needle go in but I did have odd feelings. I felt heat in my shoulder, tingling in my toes and fingers, and my acupuncturist "chased" a pain from shoulder to elbow, and back again. It was very nice to have someone focusing on my shoulder for an hour, without handling it to the point of more pain.

When done I had full range of motion and less pain. Wha, wha, wha, WHAAA? OK, well that could be mental... right? The pain returned slightly about 3 hours later (she told me it would!) but I had set up another appointment for the next day...

Second day... similar sensations, I was better at pinpointing the areas that hurt. When I left I was praising Tracy, my acupuncturist. She's my hero. My pain was gone... completely.

This lasted for about three days. Yes, the pain has come back now... it is a broken bone! She didn't heal it, she curved the pain. I am currently looking for a new acupuncturist here in Chapel Hill/Carrboro. I will use acupuncture in the future with no hesitation. Oh, and I will refuse their herbal treatments... thankyou very much.

New article

Wow, someone should get this guy to run for President or something.

We got hot pix

OK I have started working on my photos from New Mexico and have put them on the site. These are the color shots (that I have done some work on), black and white will be on the way soon.

Cate took a few of these and I have noted those. She complains that she doesn't take good photos... she is wrong.

Enjoy!

New Mexico

A lovely time was had in New Mexico. Santa Fe was very nice and I even got acupuncture on my shoulder... and it worked!... well! After Santa Fe we spent a great few days with jfleck and his family. What a phenominal group of people. Gracious, intelligent, and funny. They took us all over the state and filled us with excellent food. I'll post pictures soon but for now.... its jfleck!

Poor, poor, pitiful me

I had an MRI yesterday. First, I'd like to say that that is one of the most unnatural experiences one can have. I felt like I was in some bad 60's spy flick having the evil psychodelic mind torture performed on me.

At any rate, my Coracoid Process is broken. The bone is tucked in pretty far so it doesn't show up on XRay. There's nothing to do about it except wait for it to get better. So, in the meantime I think I will get on a plane and go to New Mexico.

Digital Library

I love the New York Public Library's digital collections. They are well worth the price of admission. In particular, I have always been a sucker for Lewis Wickes Hine's Empire State Building photos.

Not my birthday

Happy Birthday Dave Mason!

Well Damn

After a series of great comments posted here I have gotten my first comment spam. It was on a much earlier post and has already been deleted but I only hope I don't start getting bombarded with them. Is there a connection to the number of comment posts recently? Or was my time simply up?

In an attempt to grow the penises of the world, once again spammers are ruining something good.

When it rains it sprinkles

Both a good and a bad week. First the good. I've met with some old friends about doing some work on a new project that sounds really exciting. I will talk more about it when it becomes public. For now it is still under wraps.

Next, Cate and I will be heading to New Mexico on Wednesday so she can go to a medical meeting of some sort in Santa Fe and then we can both go to Albuquerque and visit the Fleck Family. Should be a lot of fun.

OK now the bad. My shoulder is still screwed up. I have an MRI on Tuesday to fully diagnose the problem. It has been in pain since I hurt it almost 2 weeks ago - lame.

Perl::Sucks

Had a small perl problem on the host machine so I lost the comments functionality.. just when people wanted to comment. A couple of you sent me emails but I would love for you to go ahead and add those thoughts to the ever expanding thread.

the Hitch

I was re-reading Christoper Hitchen's article in Slate about the prison tortures and this quote sticks out to me:

One of two things must necessarily be true. Either these goons were acting on someone's authority, in which case there is a layer of mid- to high-level people who think that they are not bound by the laws and codes and standing orders. Or they were acting on their own authority, in which case they are the equivalent of mutineers, deserters, or traitors in the field. This is why one asks wistfully if there is no provision in the procedures of military justice for them to be taken out and shot.

There are many levels to why we should be outraged about this.

Comments

My good friend Bryan and I are having a debate in the comments from the last post. Anyone have anything to add? I would like to reference Seymour Hersch's article on this mess for those who haven't followed the story closely. I would also like to add that today I heard Rush Limbaugh damning the usual suspects on the left for blowing this story out of proportion. I would like to remind him that right-wing whipping-boy Dan Rather actually held off on the story until there was a settlement in Faluja... damn that hippie.

sea change

You know, the news coming out of Iraq is perhaps the most disturbing thing I have ever heard in regards to my country. I don't know where to even begin to start thinking about it. From what I read this is just the beginning too, there will be more photos and even videos to come. One would hope this kind of thing would bring a sea change in the thinking of our citizens and our leaders, I'm afraid it has not yet. I heard that Rush Limbaugh even called it 'soldiers blowing off steam'... um.... no. Time to run that windbag out on the rails... blowing off steam!?! Sick, just sick.

Something has to give here.

the Dowhatters

I heard a song by Loretta Lynn tonight. She has a new album with a new band, the "Dowhatters" - they are a few groovy looking guys and Jack White from the White Stripes. At first I didn't think it would work but it does! How odd. The song I heard completely rocks although Jack's guitar was turned up way too loud. Loretta really pulls the punches though - that lady can rock for wearing a china-doll dress and being rather senior in years.

I like what Loretta says to her fans on her website about the new album:

This album sounds a little different from my other ones. You've got to have an open mind 'cause some of these songs have a rock 'n roll sound and the rest are just pure country. I've always thought that a song can bring people together.

You go Lorretta!

Research

Hey everybody, its the Disinfopedia!

Explain this to me

Occassionally I look through my spam directory to see what Spam Assasin has caught for me. This is a great way to keep up on new ways of enlarging my penis and getting all the cool prescription drugs I can take.

As I was learning about how to get some hydrocodone through the mail I noticed this passage at the bottom of the email:

Unlike so many necromancers who have made their loyal bonbon to us.And sell to the dark side of her trombone.customer behind brainwash living with recliner.Sometimes scooby snack around reactor wakes up, but prime minister near short order cook always steal pencils from of cab driver!

Can someone explain this to me? Is this some form of metatag practice or something entirely different? I simply don't understand.

Dreams of Mass Destruction

So I wrecked my bike on Tuesday. Spectacular. My shoulder is really screwed up as well as my hand. My orthopedic surgeon has put me on some new anti-inflammatory med... Mobic. I think it caused this dream:

warning, this one is disturbing unlike jfleck's.

I'm on a military boat circling a rather colonial America-looking building that is obviously an island. It is a huge building and it has been bombed. There is someone in charge of the boat... we'll call him John Kerry for a lack of any ID in my dream. John is guiding the boat and hands a rifle to me. He tells me to "pick off" enemy as I see them and don't let them onto the boat. I start to do so and I remember thinking that the enemy were German.

The rifle is odd, it is hard to aim. I realize that my eye must be exactly lined up and that it is hitting to the left of the crosshairs. The time it takes to figure this out has allowed an enemy soldier to get on the back of the boat, but my final shot at him is true.

We come around to the back side of the island and it is dark and spooky. I see soldiers with tri-corn hats and realize that the French are fighting with the Germans. I take aim at them as well. John brings the boat to the front again and we see the main enemy, the one guy we were looking for. The enemy is being played in this dream by the author of my favorite book, Sam Shepard. We'll call his character name George W. for a lack of ID in my dream. I take aim at George and hit, he keeps coming. Shoot, hit, he still comes. Over and over. Finally he is on board and John yells at me to hit him in the head. I do, twice. George succumbs to the wound and falls on me. He says in a strained voice, "my brains are running out of my head like players onto the field at the superbowl. I sure would like to be at that game". He is dead.

At that moment I have the idea that I too am going to die but I know that one must not dream of dying lest one will die. I wake up.