Via Huffington Post, via NBC.
Three reasons why super delegates should support Mrs. Clinton, from Hillary herself:
- I am a sore loser.
- My supporters are racist.
- I have no ethical standards.
Brilliant, cutting satire.
2008-05-11
SNL: A Message from Hillary Clinton
2008-05-05
2008-04-01
India in April
This is just a heads-up. I'm going to be pretty quiet for the month of April. I'm getting on a plane in 4 hours for India.
I'm spending the month there--doing a meditation retreat, seeing some sites, hopefully dancing a bit.
If you're a regular reader and live in Mumbai, Delhi, or points in between, let me know. We might be able to meet for coffee.
j5poedr02(at)sneakemail(dot)com
Watch my personal blog for updates. If I find a computer, I'll try to make some posts.
Otherwise, see you in May!
>Kevin
2008-03-07
How to abandon your God
An interesting article from the SFGate, (via RichardDawkins.net). The last bit is great:
Maybe it's not about abandoning God at all, and instead merely broadening your definition of the divine so as to encapsulate and swallow it all, every God, every dogma, every attempt to corner the market on belief and parse it and put it into cute little boxes and break us all up into angry tribes who stomp our feet and wave our little gilded books and launch screaming bloody wars over promised lands and chosen peoples and crucifixes and crusades and witches and pagans and gays.
In other words, maybe you abandon God by realizing it's all God, it's all divine, all hot, thrumming, vibrating connection in all places in all things at all times. And hence, to try and parse it and restrict it and beat it into submission and claim it for one people, one history, one country or church or authoritarian body, is actually the highest form of divine insult.
Or, you know, grand cosmic joke. Same thing, really.
Well said.
2008-02-21
Dump Evite
This article from the January Wired got me started:
An email arrives announcing a fete, but it's short on deets. You're forced to click to an ad-choked Web page, then another to RSVP, and then back to the first to see the info again. That faint sound you hear? It's coins tumbling into the pockets of media conglomerate IAC/InterActiveCorp, which acquired the site in 2003.
It's been 2 days since I read the article and I've received 4 evites. It's time to put a stop to this.
The article recommends Socializer as an alternative, but it's way too heavy for my taste. The sign-up experience is overly complex and account management is a pain.
What I want:
- Painless sign-up
- Time and location details in the email
- +1 if it includes a link to a map
- +1 if the map link is to Google Maps
- +1 if a calendar file is attached for us Gmail/Outlook users.
- Super-clean user experience.
Invitastic nails it. There are no crazy custom themes or anything and I'm fine with that. Kudos to the Jackson Fish Market folks.
They even include the host's email address as the sender of the the invitation. You can reply directly to a human being. Brilliant!
Goovite also looks promising. It includes the ability to offer a set of possible meeting times and allow a discussion about when to have the party. Cool.
You should also check out this list of alternatives from another annoyed user.
Let's encourage Evite to evolve--or go the way of Altavista.
2008-02-17
2008-02-13
Happy Darwin Day
February 12, 1809. Two great men were born--okay, two babies were born that would become great men: Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin.
I got the heads-up from RichardDawkins.net.
Check out the "official" web site. (No clue who decides what's official--probably the first guy to buy the domain.)
Mr. Dawkins has posted some e-cards for the occasion here.
My favorites:
Obama: Victory Speech in Madison, WI
Now we carry our message to farms and factories across this state, and to the cities and small towns of Ohio, to the open plains deep in the heart of Texas, and all the way to Democratic National Convention in Denver; it’s the same message we had when we were up, and when were down; that out of many, we are one; that our destiny will not be written for us, but by us; and that we can cast off our doubts and fears and cynicism because our dream will not be deferred; our future will not be denied; and our time for change has come.
2008-02-12
One more: "Yes We Can" Obama Video (and an amazing spoof)
An inspiring video by will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas.
And, a spin-off for our friend John McCain: John.He.Is
Barack Obama Speech on Faith - Text and Video
...I am hopeful that we can bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring to this debate. And I have faith that millions of believing Americans want that to happen. No matter how religious they may or may not be, people are tired of seeing faith used as a tool of attack. They don't want faith used to belittle or to divide. They're tired of hearing folks deliver more screed than sermon. Because in the end, that's not how they think about faith in their own lives.
Read the full text of the speech here. Read it a few times. Amazing.
Watch the videos (a bit messed up in a few spots, but okay):
Iowa Electronic Market: Looking good for Obama and the Dems
Here's a description of the market.
As of 7:45PM PST today, Obama has is running at a 73% chance of getting the nomination and the Dems have a 62% chance of winning the White House.
This is when I love democracy...or at least where hope dares tilt towards optimism.
2008-02-04
My family is entertaining
Email from my mother to her sons on Saturday morning:
Hello and Good Morning Brian, Kevin and John...
I have survived the weekand it's Saturday
...the temperatures are
and the
is almost shining in Milford...
The ground hog saw his shadow...so hunker down for 6 more weeks of winter
...
Have a great weekend...Looking forwardto each of you
Sending myMom
Reply from Brian:
Since I am closest, do I get to administer the beating?
No, we don't beat our mother. We just threaten her with beatings.
My kind of vandalism: Stop Sign Stickers
I can't say I've seen many hippie stop sign stickers, so I'm not too interested in that angle.
But "Hammer Time!" and "Collaborate and Listen"--brilliant!
The only other one I can think of is "In the Name of Love".
2008-01-30
Quote of the day: What changes your mind?
When thinking changes your mind, that’s philosophy.
When God changes your mind, that’s faith.
When facts change your mind, that’s science.
John Brockman, founder of the nonprofit Edge Foundation, Inc.
2008-01-23
Athletic shorts, Man porn, CatalogChoice.org
Rewind four years. I wanted to buy some athletic shorts for the gym. Simple right?
I happened to be shopping on Amazon for other stuff so I figured, "Why not look?"
Amazon did happen to have some nice, modest athletic shorts. They weren't being sold directly by Amazon, but by through a company I had never heard of: Under Gear.
Whatever.
I put in my order and waited patiently.
The shipment was a bit of a surprise. The shorts were fine, but the Under Gear catalog they included--hmm--how to say this.
It's like a Victoria Secrets for guys.
Guys with no body hair.
Guys who like fishnet.
I mean, if you're into that sort of thing, fine.
Not really my cup-o-tea.
Anyway, they've followed me since. I figured moving would eliminate this "surprise" in the mail every three months.
Nope.
So recently, someone in my condo mentioned CatalogChoice.org in our little discussion group.
From their about page:
Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources.
I've kept the page open in Firefox, but didn't jump on it.
My mail today gave me an excuse.
I also happened to get a 1-800-Flowers catalog, too. No doubt the result of remembering my mother's birthday.
Well as of five minutes ago, both of these fine companies have been politely asked to save a tree or two.
Crazy what inspires one to be environmentally conscious.
Oh, and if you want to buy a "collarless gauze shirt" or an "enhancement bikini", let me know.
I got the store for you.
2008-01-14
My Brother, Opera Singer, in the New York Times
My brother John made his premiere in The Barber of Seville at the Met Opera, in New York.
From the review in the New York Times:
Jennifer Check (Berta) and John Michael Moore (Fiorello) were both first rate.
Not too bad for a first roll, huh? Next month I get to see him on stage--can't wait.
As I said before, you can hear him here.
As an aside, I coded some cool features in the NY Times Reader.
They never wrote about me though.
*sigh*
2008-01-05
Sound's Presidential, Doesn't He?
In other news, Huckabee takes first for the Republicans. Keep in up kids. Please, keep in up.
2007-12-31
Video: Ken Miller on Intelligent Design
Wow! Check in out.
His content is generally fascinating, but he centers around the case of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District.
Ken Miller was an expert witness at the trial, in which a Bush-appointed judge concluded:
Teaching intelligent design in public school biology classes violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States (and Article I, Section 3 of the Pennsylvania State Constitution) because intelligent design is not science and "cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents."
His discussion and analysis are brilliant, in one case mentioning the famous textbook disclaimer stickers:
This textbook contains material on evolution. Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.
His reply was brilliant and simple: the stickers don't go far enough. The alternative:
This textbook has material on science. Science is built around theories, which are strongly supported by factual evidence. Everything in science should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.
He also references a comic that I have blogged about before:
Very funny. Very important.
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