Fucking great. They've got a killer sale going on until Friday at midnight. And orders +$70 have free shipping. Boner.
7.30.2008
Design By Huemans
Pretty slick site. I just dropped a ton of dough on some sick tees. One of my faves is the Old Man in the Sea:
Fucking great. They've got a killer sale going on until Friday at midnight. And orders +$70 have free shipping. Boner.
Fucking great. They've got a killer sale going on until Friday at midnight. And orders +$70 have free shipping. Boner.
One man's "urban renewal" is another's "gentrification"
Alan Ehrenhalt has a great piece for The New Republic about flight into the city called "Trading Places," (it headlines this week's issue). The story provides a great survery, geographically and historically, with Chicago as a lead character. Fascinating stuff. Ehrenhalt, the executive editor at Governing magazine, hits a lot of the right notes, but misses a big one: $$$. As one commenter points out, cultural ferment doesn't happen when the artists — creative class, anyone? — can't live in the city. What do you, my fair Chicagoans, have to say? – Drake
4.09.2008
Open Source Printer Replicates... ITSELF!
We're probably all going to be killed by these things.
Meant for the developed and developing world. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
Meant for the developed and developing world. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
4.01.2008
3.26.2008
Tethernet
I have made the realization that anywhere I go, I am wirelessly tethered. I can be texted at any moment, and I am on my laptop for hours everyday.
There is no analog space.
We are all digital.
There is no analog space.
We are all digital.
Reading is still fun.
Dear Sirs and Madames,
Eric Alterman would like to let you know how our country will unravel:
At least read to the first break, please.
Eric Alterman would like to let you know how our country will unravel:
At least read to the first break, please.
3.25.2008
A POX UPON BOTH YOUR HOUSES!
Words are fun.
POX:
1. syphilis: a common venereal disease caused by the treponema pallidum spirochete; symptoms change through progressive stages; can be congenital ...
2. a contagious disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pock marks
3. Pox is a liquor commonly used for ceremonial purposes among the Mayans of Mexico and Central America. It is made of sugarcane and is known in Spanish as aguardiente (Maffi 1996). The word pox in Tztotzil means "medicine, cane liquor, cure. ...
POX:
1. syphilis: a common venereal disease caused by the treponema pallidum spirochete; symptoms change through progressive stages; can be congenital ...
2. a contagious disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pock marks
3. Pox is a liquor commonly used for ceremonial purposes among the Mayans of Mexico and Central America. It is made of sugarcane and is known in Spanish as aguardiente (Maffi 1996). The word pox in Tztotzil means "medicine, cane liquor, cure. ...
Ivan Illych is Dead, But You're Not
Wisdom, as per le WK
I don't care what you say
And I won't hit the hay
I don't know what you do
But I know I'm not you
And I won't hit the hay
I don't know what you do
But I know I'm not you
Food for Thought
"When we look into the sky, we see the same sky the Sumerians saw 3000 years ago," - Stephen Levy, astronomy writer and guest speaker in my journ lecture today.
Word.
Word.
3.24.2008
Minimal Content, Yes!
Like a technological monk, I must prostrate myself before Google, Gmail and Blogger (the Unholy Trinity) every evening.
Post-Modern
Further evidence of our shared post-modern existence:
We live through references. Movies we make reference one another non-stop.
"My name is legion," he says, "for we are many"
We live through references. Movies we make reference one another non-stop.
"My name is legion," he says, "for we are many"
Self as Brand
Is your resume, your web presence, all of this; the creation of You, the brand?
Is this branding a product of the post-capitalist society?
You've at least skimmed No Logo. What do you think?
Is this branding a product of the post-capitalist society?
You've at least skimmed No Logo. What do you think?
3.21.2008
March Madness Observation
So if you've been watching the basketball festivities, you've undoubtedly seen the fresh, hip State Farm "dot" commercials. Pretty good soft sell, "Oh I can relate to this!" campaign.
There's one problem: The friendly father whose daughter is learning to drive, "Oh my baby is learning to drive!" is Krazee Eyez Killa. Wanda Sykes' cheating fiance from Curb Your Enthusiasm. I keep thinking he's going to either kill a bitch or eat some...
You can figure it out.
There's one problem: The friendly father whose daughter is learning to drive, "Oh my baby is learning to drive!" is Krazee Eyez Killa. Wanda Sykes' cheating fiance from Curb Your Enthusiasm. I keep thinking he's going to either kill a bitch or eat some...
You can figure it out.
3.17.2008
The Raw Shark Text
In what will be a hideously boring "live-blog," I will be conducting a sort of chronological review of Steven Hall's The Raw Shark Texts.
The book is one of fractured narrative. I am a mere 25 pages in. Thus far, it rules pretty hard. A SFChron review describes it as Melville meets Crichton (ick) or Pynchon meets Adams (sweet).
The book is one of fractured narrative. I am a mere 25 pages in. Thus far, it rules pretty hard. A SFChron review describes it as Melville meets Crichton (ick) or Pynchon meets Adams (sweet).
St Patty's
Ah, that Welsh bastard, taking all of our snakes. They'd come back for the northeast counties. Whatever that means. According to Wiki, "snakes" is a form of what them liberals call "symbolism:"
"Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though post-glacial Ireland never actually had snakes;[37] one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes), or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as 'serpents'."
That's too bad. As you may or may not know, druids are an excellent utility class, with minimal healing powers as well as the ability to turn into a bear. Also, as you may know, bears rule.
Down with St. Patrick's Day.
"Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though post-glacial Ireland never actually had snakes;[37] one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes), or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as 'serpents'."
That's too bad. As you may or may not know, druids are an excellent utility class, with minimal healing powers as well as the ability to turn into a bear. Also, as you may know, bears rule.
Down with St. Patrick's Day.
12.08.2007
Afghani general sorry about human shields
“The Afghan government and NATO deeply regret the incident, and our message to the insurgents is not to use civilians as a human shield,” said the Afghani Defense Ministry spokesman, Gen. Zaher Azimi.
The tribal leaders ofMusa Qala, a town in southern Afghanistan, recently rescinded their hospitality of the Taliban, and so combined NATO and Afghan forces were able to come root out the extremists. Two children were killed and five civilians injured during the battle.
I can only imagine the difficulty of waging battle in such a setting, where tribal leaders (as often elders) of a particular village decide whether or not the harbor extremists. The Marine Corps was going to take over the Afghan mission, but Gen. Robert Gates put the nix on that.
NATO - and the US with it - still have their work cut out for them.
The tribal leaders ofMusa Qala, a town in southern Afghanistan, recently rescinded their hospitality of the Taliban, and so combined NATO and Afghan forces were able to come root out the extremists. Two children were killed and five civilians injured during the battle.
I can only imagine the difficulty of waging battle in such a setting, where tribal leaders (as often elders) of a particular village decide whether or not the harbor extremists. The Marine Corps was going to take over the Afghan mission, but Gen. Robert Gates put the nix on that.
NATO - and the US with it - still have their work cut out for them.
11.30.2007
The Situation in Pakistan: What Now?
Pakistan is a nuclear nation of 164 million people. It shares borders with India, Afghanistan and Iran, making a stable Pakistan key to U.S. interests in the South Asia.
President Pervez Musharraf announced he would lift the state of emergency on Dec. 16. On Wednesday, he took off the uniform, relinquishing his position as the head of the army. He had been a part of the military for 46 years.
On Thursday, November 29, he was sworn in as president.
“No destabilization or hurdle will be allowed in this democratic process,” he said on state television and radio, reported by the New York Times. “Elections, God willing, will be held on Jan. 8 according to the Constitution and no one should create any hurdles.”
Musharraf's political moves have left some experts unconvinced.
“If you don't have an effective leadership, it doesn't matter if he's wearing a uniform or not,” said Professor Derrick Frazier, a political scientist specializing in third-party international action at Illinois.
“He's a military man,” he said. “He'll have his tentacles still firmly attached (to the military).”
The U.S. has had a Musharraf centered policy over the last five years, said Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Policy has shift over the past six to eight months, with the return of Benazir Bhutto, a liberal, pro-Western twice prime minister; and Nawaz Sharif, conservative, nativist twice prime minister; the former CIA analyst said.
These political developments have distracted Musharraf, she said. The handing of the bamboo rod (a symbol of military leadership) to General Ashfaq Kiyani should allow the civic and military spheres to focus on their respective goals. The military will be able to focus its attention in the tribal areas in northwest Pakistan, where many Taliban and Taliban-related groups inhabit, Curtis said.
Pakistan is divided outside of its major cities, Derrick Frazier said. Rural areas have a conservative, Sharif-sympathetic population. Appearance of American interaction – in the democratic process or in military action – will swing sympathy rightward, he said.
American operations in those outlying provinces would be problematic for pro-Western candidates, Frazier said.
The Taliban and al-Qaeda are entrenched and may have sympathy in areas like the Swat Valley, Curtis said. Cooperation between Pakistani and U.S. forces will be necessary.
“This is not something the Pakistanis want to advertise,” she said. Political blowback sometimes comes with counter-terrorism successes in Pakistan, she said.
“We have to assume that our military and political strategists are looking at how we can get at this terrorist safe haven. It's the number one counter-terrorism problem today,” Curtis said. “Pakistani forces have not had success on their own.”
Pakistan's recent history is complicated.
“The big change was going from elected government to army rule in 1999,” said Rajmohan Gandhi, a South Asia expert at Illinois. “Not that the democratic rule was good – it was corrupt.”
Musharraf, then army chief, deposed Nawaz Sharif. Sharif went into exile in Saudi Arabia and Britain. He has since returned to challenge Musharraf's rule, declaring that he will boycott elections.
Corruption festered in both cases, Gandhi said. Politicians enabled close relatives to make vast sums of money by giving land or certain licenses.
By 2003, military rule had lost its impulse. The economy improved and the media blossomed, but the government wasn't acting by the will of the people, one of the key causes of the current discord, Gandhi said.
When the politicians failed, the public favored the army in 1999. The army has now failed to serve the people, and Pakistanis are looking for civic leadership.
“In the end, everyone wants a say,” he said. “The voter wants a say in running the show, but the military was not able to make a transition. It was a failure of military rule, to not give back the government to the people.”
And with the change in leadership, be it in Bhutto, Sharif, or a de-uniformed Musharraf, U.S. interests are at play.
The Americans have not taught the Pakistanis smart responses to terrorism, he said. The bombing strategy may kill terrorists, but it certainly kills many non-terrorists. When people lose family members to their own government's bombing campaign, they are shocked, driving up terrorist sympathy.
Afghanis say the Taliban take shelter in Pakistan and Musharraf has seemed unable to do much about it, Gandhi said. America thinks Musharraf has not delivered, he added.
Bhutto has seized on the issue. She said she will be better at coping with terrorists than Musharraf. America bought the line, Gandhi said. U.S. diplomacy has triangulated, emphasizing Bhutto's possible role as a liberal leader.
“There was a rising democratic movement to want that change,” Gandhi said. “It is easy for America to be seen as responding to that wish. America can earn some plaudit for some effort to bring democracy back,” he said.
America has encouraged joint rule, with diminishing prospects. America should focus on the Pakistani people, not manipulating leaders, Gandhi said.
Musharraf has stated plans to move to democratic rule. He said he wants Pakistani democracy, not that in the form of Western diplomats, as reported by the Washington Post. This may be a prudent decision, Derrick Frazier said.
In the long run, democracies are most stable form of government, he said, but in the transitional phase, they are very vulnerable.
Frazier compared Pakistan with the case study of Russia, where democratic changes happened incrementally. Pakistani democracy may not be what America would want for itself, but it might be all that can be expected, he added.
U.S. interests will be served should open democracy take root, Gandhi said.
“It won't happen overnight, it won't be magical – Osama Bin Laden won't be immediately handed over to the U.S. with a democratically elected government – but prospects will improve.”
President Pervez Musharraf announced he would lift the state of emergency on Dec. 16. On Wednesday, he took off the uniform, relinquishing his position as the head of the army. He had been a part of the military for 46 years.
On Thursday, November 29, he was sworn in as president.
“No destabilization or hurdle will be allowed in this democratic process,” he said on state television and radio, reported by the New York Times. “Elections, God willing, will be held on Jan. 8 according to the Constitution and no one should create any hurdles.”
Musharraf's political moves have left some experts unconvinced.
“If you don't have an effective leadership, it doesn't matter if he's wearing a uniform or not,” said Professor Derrick Frazier, a political scientist specializing in third-party international action at Illinois.
“He's a military man,” he said. “He'll have his tentacles still firmly attached (to the military).”
The U.S. has had a Musharraf centered policy over the last five years, said Lisa Curtis, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. Policy has shift over the past six to eight months, with the return of Benazir Bhutto, a liberal, pro-Western twice prime minister; and Nawaz Sharif, conservative, nativist twice prime minister; the former CIA analyst said.
These political developments have distracted Musharraf, she said. The handing of the bamboo rod (a symbol of military leadership) to General Ashfaq Kiyani should allow the civic and military spheres to focus on their respective goals. The military will be able to focus its attention in the tribal areas in northwest Pakistan, where many Taliban and Taliban-related groups inhabit, Curtis said.
Pakistan is divided outside of its major cities, Derrick Frazier said. Rural areas have a conservative, Sharif-sympathetic population. Appearance of American interaction – in the democratic process or in military action – will swing sympathy rightward, he said.
American operations in those outlying provinces would be problematic for pro-Western candidates, Frazier said.
The Taliban and al-Qaeda are entrenched and may have sympathy in areas like the Swat Valley, Curtis said. Cooperation between Pakistani and U.S. forces will be necessary.
“This is not something the Pakistanis want to advertise,” she said. Political blowback sometimes comes with counter-terrorism successes in Pakistan, she said.
“We have to assume that our military and political strategists are looking at how we can get at this terrorist safe haven. It's the number one counter-terrorism problem today,” Curtis said. “Pakistani forces have not had success on their own.”
Pakistan's recent history is complicated.
“The big change was going from elected government to army rule in 1999,” said Rajmohan Gandhi, a South Asia expert at Illinois. “Not that the democratic rule was good – it was corrupt.”
Musharraf, then army chief, deposed Nawaz Sharif. Sharif went into exile in Saudi Arabia and Britain. He has since returned to challenge Musharraf's rule, declaring that he will boycott elections.
Corruption festered in both cases, Gandhi said. Politicians enabled close relatives to make vast sums of money by giving land or certain licenses.
By 2003, military rule had lost its impulse. The economy improved and the media blossomed, but the government wasn't acting by the will of the people, one of the key causes of the current discord, Gandhi said.
When the politicians failed, the public favored the army in 1999. The army has now failed to serve the people, and Pakistanis are looking for civic leadership.
“In the end, everyone wants a say,” he said. “The voter wants a say in running the show, but the military was not able to make a transition. It was a failure of military rule, to not give back the government to the people.”
And with the change in leadership, be it in Bhutto, Sharif, or a de-uniformed Musharraf, U.S. interests are at play.
The Americans have not taught the Pakistanis smart responses to terrorism, he said. The bombing strategy may kill terrorists, but it certainly kills many non-terrorists. When people lose family members to their own government's bombing campaign, they are shocked, driving up terrorist sympathy.
Afghanis say the Taliban take shelter in Pakistan and Musharraf has seemed unable to do much about it, Gandhi said. America thinks Musharraf has not delivered, he added.
Bhutto has seized on the issue. She said she will be better at coping with terrorists than Musharraf. America bought the line, Gandhi said. U.S. diplomacy has triangulated, emphasizing Bhutto's possible role as a liberal leader.
“There was a rising democratic movement to want that change,” Gandhi said. “It is easy for America to be seen as responding to that wish. America can earn some plaudit for some effort to bring democracy back,” he said.
America has encouraged joint rule, with diminishing prospects. America should focus on the Pakistani people, not manipulating leaders, Gandhi said.
Musharraf has stated plans to move to democratic rule. He said he wants Pakistani democracy, not that in the form of Western diplomats, as reported by the Washington Post. This may be a prudent decision, Derrick Frazier said.
In the long run, democracies are most stable form of government, he said, but in the transitional phase, they are very vulnerable.
Frazier compared Pakistan with the case study of Russia, where democratic changes happened incrementally. Pakistani democracy may not be what America would want for itself, but it might be all that can be expected, he added.
U.S. interests will be served should open democracy take root, Gandhi said.
“It won't happen overnight, it won't be magical – Osama Bin Laden won't be immediately handed over to the U.S. with a democratically elected government – but prospects will improve.”
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