Juli Berwald, a science textbook writer, recently testified in favor of science at the Texas State Board of Education hearings science education standards.
In a Wired blog she encapsulated the conflict into scientists want to figure out how without worrying about why and creationists want to figure out why without worrying about how.
See "Reporting From the Front Lines of the Texas Evolution Debate".
Monday, March 30, 2009
Netting phishers
I received an email today that claimed my Bank of America card had been deactivated. Strange, I don't have a Bank of America card.
I didn't open the email but I looked at its source. Sure enough, a look-alike URL was used for the link to "verify" my data.
Often I don't bother with reporting fraud to companies that I don't do business with. On the other hand, the more of us who report fraud, the tougher it will get for the bad guys.
I had checked Bank of America's web site once before but hadn't found any fraud report link. I checked today, started with "Contact us", and a couple of pages later found a "Report Fraud" item. It said that fraudulent email should be forwarded to abuse@bankofamerica.com. I did so and deleted the fraudulent email.
The most active tracker of fraudulent email that I know is PayPal. If you get suspicious email supposedly from PayPal, forward it to spoof@paypal.com.
It may take you only a few minutes to report fraud, but you may save many other people years of grief.
I didn't open the email but I looked at its source. Sure enough, a look-alike URL was used for the link to "verify" my data.
Often I don't bother with reporting fraud to companies that I don't do business with. On the other hand, the more of us who report fraud, the tougher it will get for the bad guys.
I had checked Bank of America's web site once before but hadn't found any fraud report link. I checked today, started with "Contact us", and a couple of pages later found a "Report Fraud" item. It said that fraudulent email should be forwarded to abuse@bankofamerica.com. I did so and deleted the fraudulent email.
The most active tracker of fraudulent email that I know is PayPal. If you get suspicious email supposedly from PayPal, forward it to spoof@paypal.com.
It may take you only a few minutes to report fraud, but you may save many other people years of grief.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Terrorism thrives where law doesn't exist
President George Bush sent many off to create democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he neglected to do much about the lack of democracy in Pakistan. With the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, many Pakistanis are hoping that the rule of law will return to Pakistan. See "Reinstated, Chief Justice Bears Hopes of Pakistan", New York Times, 2009-03-29
Others are not so optimistic. Corruption is rampant in Pakistan and the ability or even willingness of the top to reign corruption in is almost non-existent. Reporters have been killed, promises have been made to find the killers, and nothing is done. See"Our Lawless Land", Dawn, a Pakistani English Language newspaper, 2009-03-29.
Others are not so optimistic. Corruption is rampant in Pakistan and the ability or even willingness of the top to reign corruption in is almost non-existent. Reporters have been killed, promises have been made to find the killers, and nothing is done. See"Our Lawless Land", Dawn, a Pakistani English Language newspaper, 2009-03-29.
Fast service on unblocking
This morning when I edited this blog, I found that it was no longer blocked. I didn't expect to see any results until Monday.
I think the cause might have been that I used a back reference on a link to a newspaper. I forget what the actual coding is but I tacked on my blog address as the reference for the link. I thought I had done it at least twice, but I could only find one instance, which I removed.
The site might have been blocked only in that I had to take an extra step to do anything. I had to retype one of those squiggly sets of letters. On the first occurrence it took three tries to get it right; the letters were really mashed together.
I think the cause might have been that I used a back reference on a link to a newspaper. I forget what the actual coding is but I tacked on my blog address as the reference for the link. I thought I had done it at least twice, but I could only find one instance, which I removed.
The site might have been blocked only in that I had to take an extra step to do anything. I had to retype one of those squiggly sets of letters. On the first occurrence it took three tries to get it right; the letters were really mashed together.
The next Chinese Revolution has begun
It may be peaceful; it may be violent.
If the authorities take meaningful and compassionate action on the deaths of children from tainted milk, earthquakes, and other causes related to lack of oversight, the next revolution will be under way peacefully. If the authorities take harsh and repressive actions on the grieving parents, the next revolution may become violent. Just look at the French and Russian Revolutions against distant and uncaring ruling classes.
See "Grieving Parents Gain Clout in China", Washington Post, 2009-03-27
If the authorities take meaningful and compassionate action on the deaths of children from tainted milk, earthquakes, and other causes related to lack of oversight, the next revolution will be under way peacefully. If the authorities take harsh and repressive actions on the grieving parents, the next revolution may become violent. Just look at the French and Russian Revolutions against distant and uncaring ruling classes.
See "Grieving Parents Gain Clout in China", Washington Post, 2009-03-27
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Warning: this blog may be locked
Today I received a message from blogger.com that my blog may be blocked because it may be a spam generator. I can't verify for sure that the message itself is not spam. Google has no guaranteed way of reaching a real person. Its standard response is to go to Help Topics or the Help Forums.
I did search the Help Forums and found dozens of not hundreds of complaints about this message. Few of the complaints are answered in any meaningful way.
I'm still not sure if I should click on the link in the message. Maybe I'll cut and past it and give it a try. Right now supper calls.
I did search the Help Forums and found dozens of not hundreds of complaints about this message. Few of the complaints are answered in any meaningful way.
I'm still not sure if I should click on the link in the message. Maybe I'll cut and past it and give it a try. Right now supper calls.
I'm a busker, I think
Today I auditioned with the Duluth Parks and Recreation Commission for a busker spot during the Gallery Hop on April 18. A busker is a street entertainer who sings, plays, dances, or does other performance activities. See BUSKER CENTRAL - Street Performers and Buskers Reference Site.
I was among the first five to audition. Before my turn came I had forgotten some of the words to "Arirang", a Korean song I've sung many times. I did manage to get through "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" and "Santa Lucia". I don't know how much applause I got. The stage was brightly lit and the seats were in the dark, but just as I finished, somebody from the commission was showing a sign in the back, "TIME".
Before the second hour was up they said that all of us would have an assigned spot. By the time it was all over, 31 groups had performed. They said they would split the assignments into four hour shifts.
I was the only a capella singer; other singers accompanied themselves with guitars or other instruments. Some were little bands all by themselves; one performer used a harmonica, a suitcase drum, a banjo, and a jug. There was a belly dancer and group of hoop dancers.
The nicest things were when one performer stopped to shake my hand as he left and another sat and chatted with me a bit impressed that I sang unaccompanied. This is a long way for the guy who was always off-key in choral groups. See "Men Can Sing".
So, I have to get busy memorizing more songs and maybe drag along my notebook of songs, if nothing more than for a quick glance to refresh my memory. I'll probably have to bring lots of cough drops, too.
Now I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting official confirmation.
I was among the first five to audition. Before my turn came I had forgotten some of the words to "Arirang", a Korean song I've sung many times. I did manage to get through "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" and "Santa Lucia". I don't know how much applause I got. The stage was brightly lit and the seats were in the dark, but just as I finished, somebody from the commission was showing a sign in the back, "TIME".
Before the second hour was up they said that all of us would have an assigned spot. By the time it was all over, 31 groups had performed. They said they would split the assignments into four hour shifts.
I was the only a capella singer; other singers accompanied themselves with guitars or other instruments. Some were little bands all by themselves; one performer used a harmonica, a suitcase drum, a banjo, and a jug. There was a belly dancer and group of hoop dancers.
The nicest things were when one performer stopped to shake my hand as he left and another sat and chatted with me a bit impressed that I sang unaccompanied. This is a long way for the guy who was always off-key in choral groups. See "Men Can Sing".
So, I have to get busy memorizing more songs and maybe drag along my notebook of songs, if nothing more than for a quick glance to refresh my memory. I'll probably have to bring lots of cough drops, too.
Now I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting official confirmation.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thanks to my five readers, or is it 4, or 6, or 8?
How do I know how many people are reading this blog?
I have three ways. If you pull up the blog, Google AdSense counts you. If you have set up a feed for the blog, then Google's FeedBurner counts you. In the latter case, I'm not sure if you've read the full text or just glanced at the headlines. If you've read the full text, you may be counted in the first group.
Google AdSense tells me there are 1-5 users per day. I have no idea if that is one person visiting multiple times or several people visiting once each. Google FeedBurner tells me there are 4-7 users per day. It tells me which pages these users have viewed or clicked, and I'm not sure what the difference is.
FeedBurner also tells me what feeds or browsers people are using. I'm not sure how to interpret the browser use. The feeds had been consistently three for Google FeedFetcher, one for LargeSmall Crawler, and one or two others whose names I haven't been noting. About every three days somebody from Japan checks in with Firefox Live Bookmarks.
Last night none of you who use a feed viewed or clicked the blog because I had nothing that was new to you. I do hope I can write something interesting everyday, but I'll try to make sure I do so at least every other day. Sometimes it will be every three or four days.
I only know two readers for sure, a husband and wife one of which is a locally known writer, far better than I.
If you know me, I hope you can drop me a line or speak to me. I'd like to know what you think of this blog.
Meanwhile, I thank each and every one of you who read this blog. It beats writing into a diary which sits on a bookshelf.
I have three ways. If you pull up the blog, Google AdSense counts you. If you have set up a feed for the blog, then Google's FeedBurner counts you. In the latter case, I'm not sure if you've read the full text or just glanced at the headlines. If you've read the full text, you may be counted in the first group.
Google AdSense tells me there are 1-5 users per day. I have no idea if that is one person visiting multiple times or several people visiting once each. Google FeedBurner tells me there are 4-7 users per day. It tells me which pages these users have viewed or clicked, and I'm not sure what the difference is.
FeedBurner also tells me what feeds or browsers people are using. I'm not sure how to interpret the browser use. The feeds had been consistently three for Google FeedFetcher, one for LargeSmall Crawler, and one or two others whose names I haven't been noting. About every three days somebody from Japan checks in with Firefox Live Bookmarks.
Last night none of you who use a feed viewed or clicked the blog because I had nothing that was new to you. I do hope I can write something interesting everyday, but I'll try to make sure I do so at least every other day. Sometimes it will be every three or four days.
I only know two readers for sure, a husband and wife one of which is a locally known writer, far better than I.
If you know me, I hope you can drop me a line or speak to me. I'd like to know what you think of this blog.
Meanwhile, I thank each and every one of you who read this blog. It beats writing into a diary which sits on a bookshelf.
Explain everything? Are you sure?
Somebody made the comment the other day that my columns assume my readers know certain things. I'm not sure if it was favorable or not because we didn't take time to discuss it.
If favorable, the person probably meant that I assume my readers have a reasonably broad understanding of current events: political, scientific, and cultural. If it wasn't favorable, I can't do much about it without tripling the number of words in an article and leaving many people bored.
I remember when I was sysop of the Genealogy RoundTable on GEnie, a CompuServe competitor, one user said I should explain everything about using GEnie. Do I have to tell people how to sign-on, do I have to explain every command (including those which have explanations given by typing the "question mark" key), do I have explain how to hit space twice to separate paragraphs, do I have to explain turning off the "caps lock" key so not to SHOUT AT EVERYBODY?
Is this getting into efficiency? Making sure some have complete understanding at the cost of driving others away?
If favorable, the person probably meant that I assume my readers have a reasonably broad understanding of current events: political, scientific, and cultural. If it wasn't favorable, I can't do much about it without tripling the number of words in an article and leaving many people bored.
I remember when I was sysop of the Genealogy RoundTable on GEnie, a CompuServe competitor, one user said I should explain everything about using GEnie. Do I have to tell people how to sign-on, do I have to explain every command (including those which have explanations given by typing the "question mark" key), do I have explain how to hit space twice to separate paragraphs, do I have to explain turning off the "caps lock" key so not to SHOUT AT EVERYBODY?
Is this getting into efficiency? Making sure some have complete understanding at the cost of driving others away?
Is "efficiency" efficient?
Or is "efficiency" a deficient and insufficient idea?
"Efficiency" is one of the slogan words of today, bandied about by left and right without any real thought about what it really means and what the consequences will be of gaining "efficiencies" in government and business?
On the right, it often means cutting costs to lower taxes without any considerations of what costs will be imposed elsewhere. All over it means cutting costs in business and government with any thought about the long-term consequences. In almost all cases it means doing more with fewer people. Efficiency often means lowest total cost, but at what cost.
Is it efficient for snow plows to go as fast as is safe and throw snow on the sidewalks, guaranteeing that many will not make any effort to clear their sidewalks of the extra, denser snow? Or is it more efficient to go slowly so that more people will clear their sidewalks of the natural snow?
Is the efficient employee the one who brusquely handles hundreds of customers a day who never return? Or is the efficient employee the one who generates repeat business by treating each customer as the only customer? Think Circuit City who laid off its high-paid clerks.
Is it more efficient for postal clerks to serve a maximum number of people or is it more efficient for them to treat each customer as if they are the only customer. At the post offices I visit, postal clerks almost always ask, "Anything else?" Generally, people will say no, but who knows who will say, "Yes, I would like some of the (new commemorative) stamps."
Suppose a call center rates each employee rated on number of calls per day, expecting them to be on phone constantly. What is cost in people on hold who wind up taking business elsewhere. The queuing theory that I remember said 85% capacity is generally most efficient. Think of full, stalled highways.
Whenever we consider getting "efficiencies" from some system, we should ask what will be the hidden costs to an organization, customers, or society. I guarantee that in most cases these costs will "bite" us later, resulting in higher costs than we would have had in the first place.
"Efficiency" is one of the slogan words of today, bandied about by left and right without any real thought about what it really means and what the consequences will be of gaining "efficiencies" in government and business?
On the right, it often means cutting costs to lower taxes without any considerations of what costs will be imposed elsewhere. All over it means cutting costs in business and government with any thought about the long-term consequences. In almost all cases it means doing more with fewer people. Efficiency often means lowest total cost, but at what cost.
Is it efficient for snow plows to go as fast as is safe and throw snow on the sidewalks, guaranteeing that many will not make any effort to clear their sidewalks of the extra, denser snow? Or is it more efficient to go slowly so that more people will clear their sidewalks of the natural snow?
Is the efficient employee the one who brusquely handles hundreds of customers a day who never return? Or is the efficient employee the one who generates repeat business by treating each customer as the only customer? Think Circuit City who laid off its high-paid clerks.
Is it more efficient for postal clerks to serve a maximum number of people or is it more efficient for them to treat each customer as if they are the only customer. At the post offices I visit, postal clerks almost always ask, "Anything else?" Generally, people will say no, but who knows who will say, "Yes, I would like some of the (new commemorative) stamps."
Suppose a call center rates each employee rated on number of calls per day, expecting them to be on phone constantly. What is cost in people on hold who wind up taking business elsewhere. The queuing theory that I remember said 85% capacity is generally most efficient. Think of full, stalled highways.
Whenever we consider getting "efficiencies" from some system, we should ask what will be the hidden costs to an organization, customers, or society. I guarantee that in most cases these costs will "bite" us later, resulting in higher costs than we would have had in the first place.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Genes or environment - chicken or egg?
Two neuroscientists wrote an interesting article for the New York Times, "Mugged By Our Genes", 2009-03-24
They explore the relationship between genes and life experiences, noting some studies of identical twins and fraternal twins. The interesting comparison is that one identical twin may develop a certain destructive behaviour, such as alcoholism, and the other will develop a different behaviour that can lead to harm.
"[The] 'genes versus environment' debate is asking the wrong question. ... The evidence points to something more complex: genetic predispositions interact with circumstances to produce unique individuals."
They explore the relationship between genes and life experiences, noting some studies of identical twins and fraternal twins. The interesting comparison is that one identical twin may develop a certain destructive behaviour, such as alcoholism, and the other will develop a different behaviour that can lead to harm.
"[The] 'genes versus environment' debate is asking the wrong question. ... The evidence points to something more complex: genetic predispositions interact with circumstances to produce unique individuals."
Why some politicians can't always deliver on promises
I had to craft the headline carefully. I didn't want to imply that all politicians never fulfill their promises. I didn't want to imply that some politicians always fulfill all of their promises. Well, maybe some do because they make very few promises or they make such generalized promises that it is hard to say that the promise was not fulfilled.
Back to the topic. For the answer see "Secrets of a Pollster" by Thomas Friedman, New York Times, 2009-03-24. The relevant quote is
"[Politicians] never come out of the box and deliver the scale of progress and change they promise — not because they are cynical, but because events conspire against them and they encounter competing power centers. What distinguishes the best leaders, he says, is that they learn from their crashes, adjust, persist and succeed."
Back to the topic. For the answer see "Secrets of a Pollster" by Thomas Friedman, New York Times, 2009-03-24. The relevant quote is
"[Politicians] never come out of the box and deliver the scale of progress and change they promise — not because they are cynical, but because events conspire against them and they encounter competing power centers. What distinguishes the best leaders, he says, is that they learn from their crashes, adjust, persist and succeed."
Few issues are just between good guys and bad guys
A favorite whipping boy of the current economic problems is A.I.G., especially those receiving large bonuses. One of the bonus recipients who was not involved in the group that brought the company down says he earned his bonus for his straight-forward and profitable work for the company. He sent a resignation letter to Edward M. Liddy, CEO of A.I.G. and to the New York Times. For the full letter, see "Dear A.I.G., I Quit!"
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Seek and ye shall find, maybe
Art Johnston, a critic of the Duluth School District Red Plan, a major capital investment, wrote a lengthy critique of the Red Plan in the March 19, 2009, Reader Weekly. In it, he wrote that board member Nancy Nilsen said, "The existing buildings have flat roofs and we have to get rid of buildings, like Central, with flat roofs because they always leak."
If she actually said this, it would be a great opening for an ornery person like me. I had visions of taking a picture of downtown Duluth showing all the flat roofs, submitting it to the Reader Weekly, and including a caption about the Ruby Plan to replace all the buildings with flat roofs.
My orneriness is sometimes tempered by a bit of caution. I should check this quote out.
The article had no email address for Art Johnston, and so I asked a friend who knows him for his email address. My friend didn't give it to me but promised to forward my email to Art Johnston.
I found Nancy Nilsen's email address on the School District site and sent her the purported quote.
I haven't heard from Art Johnston yet, but Nancy Nilsen called me this evening. She had not seen the article and said she would have to get a copy of the Reader. She said she had made a remark about a leaky roof at one school and said it had been fixed. She also said that she owns buildings with flat roofs.
I sought but I'm not sure I found. Yes, I did find, but I knew what I found already. There are a lot of very nice people who can hold strongly opposing views, each view supported both by strong facts and by weak assumptions. I also know I would rather stay out of the middle.
If she actually said this, it would be a great opening for an ornery person like me. I had visions of taking a picture of downtown Duluth showing all the flat roofs, submitting it to the Reader Weekly, and including a caption about the Ruby Plan to replace all the buildings with flat roofs.
My orneriness is sometimes tempered by a bit of caution. I should check this quote out.
The article had no email address for Art Johnston, and so I asked a friend who knows him for his email address. My friend didn't give it to me but promised to forward my email to Art Johnston.
I found Nancy Nilsen's email address on the School District site and sent her the purported quote.
I haven't heard from Art Johnston yet, but Nancy Nilsen called me this evening. She had not seen the article and said she would have to get a copy of the Reader. She said she had made a remark about a leaky roof at one school and said it had been fixed. She also said that she owns buildings with flat roofs.
I sought but I'm not sure I found. Yes, I did find, but I knew what I found already. There are a lot of very nice people who can hold strongly opposing views, each view supported both by strong facts and by weak assumptions. I also know I would rather stay out of the middle.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Technology decreases patience
Over a hundred years ago it was considered miraculous that people could go over 35 mph. Instead of taking a month or two to cross the continent, it could be done in a week thanks to transcontinental railroad.
Now we don't have the patience to take the train. We would rather fly and be on the other coast on the same day.
We don't have the patience to take the bus in our own cities. We would rather hop in our cars and be there in "no time".
I mused on this when I accessed the web from our cabin. In Duluth we have a nominal 1500 kbps with DSL and 28 kbps at the cabin (actually more like 24). It took three minutes to load a newspaper page. Part of the problem is that the designers of the page wrote it for those with higher speed connections. Somewhere I published this as Magree's law, but I can't locate it at the moment.
Although I would like to read a lot online while at the cabin, like the local papers, the relative slow speed tries my patience.
Many things we take for granted are far faster than our greatgreatgrandparents experienced. We flip a switch and have light; no lighting candles or kerosene lamps. Some things we don't even do with any effort. Our heat or air conditioning comes on automatically. No lighting a fire or waving a fan.
Now we don't have the patience to take the train. We would rather fly and be on the other coast on the same day.
We don't have the patience to take the bus in our own cities. We would rather hop in our cars and be there in "no time".
I mused on this when I accessed the web from our cabin. In Duluth we have a nominal 1500 kbps with DSL and 28 kbps at the cabin (actually more like 24). It took three minutes to load a newspaper page. Part of the problem is that the designers of the page wrote it for those with higher speed connections. Somewhere I published this as Magree's law, but I can't locate it at the moment.
Although I would like to read a lot online while at the cabin, like the local papers, the relative slow speed tries my patience.
Many things we take for granted are far faster than our greatgreatgrandparents experienced. We flip a switch and have light; no lighting candles or kerosene lamps. Some things we don't even do with any effort. Our heat or air conditioning comes on automatically. No lighting a fire or waving a fan.
I goofed!
I'm perfect; I never maik misteaks!
Well, I do and I did a minor whopper. If you read more than my feed, you'll see a completely different profile on the right. What's the Irregular Blog have to do with Chester Creek neighborhood? Other than I live in the Chester Creek neighborhood?
I recently started a blog, "Chester Creek Neighbors". I created a profile that I thought would be limited to the new blog. Nope! It's for all the blogs under my Google account.
It will be a few days before I get around to fixing it. I have ways!
Now if I can only find the text for my profile for this blog.
Well, I do and I did a minor whopper. If you read more than my feed, you'll see a completely different profile on the right. What's the Irregular Blog have to do with Chester Creek neighborhood? Other than I live in the Chester Creek neighborhood?
I recently started a blog, "Chester Creek Neighbors". I created a profile that I thought would be limited to the new blog. Nope! It's for all the blogs under my Google account.
It will be a few days before I get around to fixing it. I have ways!
Now if I can only find the text for my profile for this blog.
Friday, March 20, 2009
We stop skiing and it snows!!
On Wednesday we decided we had enough skiing for the season, cleaned out our locker at Spirit Mt., and dropped our skis off at Ski Hut for waxing and sharpening for next season.
Today we drove to our cabin to cut more wood. The forecast was for a high in the 30s and 40s and light snow. The closer we got to Brimson, the more it snowed. When we arrived there was already a half-inch of new snow ground. And it snowed and it snowed. The temperature was about 28.
I selected a tree to cut and clipped brush around it. My hands were really getting cold as I did the last clump.
My wife had a nice fire going by then and I warmed up quickly. Meanwhile the snow was falling thicker and thicker. I was antsy and wanted to get back out, but I didn't want to get soaked.
MPR gave another weather report like I started out with. This wasn't for the Twin Cities but for the Duluth area. Here in Brimson it was snowing harder than ever. I dashed off a webmail to MPR, but it went into the maw of the bureaucracy.
Along about cocktail hour I decided I should go cut my tree for the day. I just had to get one down. With two inches accumulation it had stopped snowing. I did a six-incher and cut it into rounds. Before I gathered them up I shoveled a path to the outhouse and two the woodshed. I got out the toboggan and hauled them to a cutting stump. Then my wife came out and asked if she could help! Oh, well, I don't help much with the cooking and many other things. By six o'clock I felt satisfied that I had done all I could for the day.
Tomorrow is splitting day and maybe I'll get another tree down.
Today we drove to our cabin to cut more wood. The forecast was for a high in the 30s and 40s and light snow. The closer we got to Brimson, the more it snowed. When we arrived there was already a half-inch of new snow ground. And it snowed and it snowed. The temperature was about 28.
I selected a tree to cut and clipped brush around it. My hands were really getting cold as I did the last clump.
My wife had a nice fire going by then and I warmed up quickly. Meanwhile the snow was falling thicker and thicker. I was antsy and wanted to get back out, but I didn't want to get soaked.
MPR gave another weather report like I started out with. This wasn't for the Twin Cities but for the Duluth area. Here in Brimson it was snowing harder than ever. I dashed off a webmail to MPR, but it went into the maw of the bureaucracy.
Along about cocktail hour I decided I should go cut my tree for the day. I just had to get one down. With two inches accumulation it had stopped snowing. I did a six-incher and cut it into rounds. Before I gathered them up I shoveled a path to the outhouse and two the woodshed. I got out the toboggan and hauled them to a cutting stump. Then my wife came out and asked if she could help! Oh, well, I don't help much with the cooking and many other things. By six o'clock I felt satisfied that I had done all I could for the day.
Tomorrow is splitting day and maybe I'll get another tree down.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Contracts and bonuses
I don't understand what the big fuss over the United Autoworkers negotiated Job Bank is all about. Isn't it a retention bonus? Isn't a "contract a contract"?
Or is there one set of standards for highly-paid white-collar workers and another for highly-paid but not so highly-paid blue-collar workers?
Or is there one set of standards for highly-paid white-collar workers and another for highly-paid but not so highly-paid blue-collar workers?
Global warming and borders
The Swiss and Italians may be changing their borders slightly. Il Messaggero reported on March 18 that global warming is causing glaciers to retreat - "Erosione ghiacciai: Italia e Svizera verso la revisione dei confini"
The border problem is that it is defined by treaty as the demarcation of the watersheds. As the glaciers change so changes the flow of melt water to either side.
I've often said that borders are determined by armies rather than cultural or economic interests. Franco Narducci, who presented a draft law to the Italian Parliament, said, "Once armies determined borders; now experts determine borders." - my translation
The border problem is that it is defined by treaty as the demarcation of the watersheds. As the glaciers change so changes the flow of melt water to either side.
I've often said that borders are determined by armies rather than cultural or economic interests. Franco Narducci, who presented a draft law to the Italian Parliament, said, "Once armies determined borders; now experts determine borders." - my translation
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
I'm a baritone...
My tones are bare of any musical qualities.
This was triggered after choir practice when two musicians far, far better than I am (and calling me a musician is generous) were discussing forming a jazz group. One asked the other if he was a tenor. The second replied that he was more a baritone.
My playing with words works far better than my playing with notes.
This was triggered after choir practice when two musicians far, far better than I am (and calling me a musician is generous) were discussing forming a jazz group. One asked the other if he was a tenor. The second replied that he was more a baritone.
My playing with words works far better than my playing with notes.
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