Friday - August 10, 2007Curious juxtaposition of imagesOn the front page of
The New York
Times web site, in the Video
section, there are (at this moment) two images suspiciously placed side by side.
One shows a woman (crying) with her hand covering her face. The other shows a
man, head bowed, with his hand covering his face. The caption over the image of
the woman reads "Iraqi Exiles in Jordan". The caption over the image of the man
reads "Dow Falls 387 Points on Loan Fears".
Friday - July 13, 2007Mac Daily News calls it the "God Phone"Mac Daily News thinks there's a striking
resemblance between these images of an iPhone ad and of the famous fresco of
Michelangelo, but I don't see it.
Tuesday - July 10, 2007Why did I ignore the value of the iPhone's non-phone features?Someone who read my previous iPhone post asked me
why I ignored the value of the features of the iPhone other than its being a
phone: web browser, email, calendar, music, videos, etc. My response, in
brief, is that I don't think it's good for those things.
Sunday - July 08, 2007Why I'm not rushing to buy an iPhoneAll the reviews of the iPhone that I've seen are
basically positive. Most reviewers obviously love their new iPhones. A friend
of mine who bought one reported that he likes it "quite a lot." Everyone agrees
it could be improved in various ways, but that doesn't seem to curtail their
enthusiasm for the device very much. Nevertheless, I'm not going to rush out
and get one, and it's neither because I wouldn't like to have one nor because
I'm waiting for version 2. It's the cost of phone service that is the stumbling
block for me.
Friday - July 06, 2007Why do Americans celebrate the 4th of July?This message appeared in my mailbox yesterday:
"Since you have always had a closed mind you have never been touched by the
Lord, Hence you will probably never understand God". The subject line read,
"Re: Why do Americans celebrate the 4th of July?" At first I didn't understand
what motivated this, but then I remembered that I posted a message with that
title two years
ago. Since it is still being read, I thought
I would repost it:
Sunday - August 14, 2005Two lesbians and a sexist homophobe in a restaurant in PittsburghThis is a story about two lesbians who performed
for a homophobic, sexist asshole for money.
Monday - July 04, 2005Why do Americans celebrate the 4th of July?July 4, 1776 is the date on the
Declaration of
Independence. That document is based on such
dubious philosophical premises, it is a wonder that educated people would
celebrate its signing.
Friday - January 07, 2005Planned Parenthood's condoms did not fare well in the Consumer Reports ratingsTwo of the three condoms distributed, usually for
free, by Planned Parenthood and included in
Consumer
Reports latest ratings were deemed
poor in strength and one also poor in reliability. In response, Planned
Parenthood announced that their customers who "would feel
more comfortable exchanging [one of the low-rated condoms] for another Planned
Parenthood style condom are welcome to do so at their local Planned Parenthood
center."
Wednesday - January 05, 2005Consumer Reports rates condoms in the latest issueThe latest (Feb.) issue of
Consumer
Reports contains a report on the strength and reliability of
various brands of condoms. The article notes that condoms are the only method
of pregnancy prevention that also helps prevent sexually transmitted
diseases.
Sunday - January 02, 2005Archibishop of Canterbury asks "How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams,
wrote of the Southeast Asian disaster in the Sunday Telegraph, saying "The question: 'How can
you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?' is therefore very
much around at the moment, and it would be surprising if it weren't –
indeed, it would be wrong if it weren't."
Saturday - January 01, 2005Fred Phelps applauded the deaths of the Swedish victims of the TsunamiFred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist
Church in Topeka, Kansas, and one of the big laughing-stocks of conservative
Christianity in the United States, thanked "God" for the tsunami that killed
upwards of 150,000 people in Southeast Asia.
Monday - November 01, 2004How I am going to vote (in Pennsylvania)For those who may be interested, I intend to vote
Democratic, except for three elections in PA (Attorney General, Auditor General,
and Treasurer) in which I will vote for the Green Party
candidates.
Tuesday - September 28, 2004Unisex bathroom at Carnegie MellonThe Carnegie Pulse hinted that a unisex bathroom
will be installed in the Carnegie Mellon University Center
soon.
Saturday - July 31, 2004More paranoia about homosexuality from the VaticanThe Vatican has once again expressed their
paranoid obsession with homosexuality, this time in a perverse little document on
feminism. While it might seem, at first glance, that the motivation
for this latest missive is simply to reinforce traditional Catholic views on the
roles of women, it contains a surprising statement, backed up by no argument or
evidence whatsoever, that points to a much different concern: same-sex families
and the increasing "normalization" of homosexuality in
society.
Monday - July 26, 2004New English VerbThe English language seems to have acquired a new
verb: cheney.
Wednesday - June 16, 2004Southern Baptists Attack Gay People Again8500 (apparently brain dead) representatives to
the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution today supporting the Federal
Marriage Amendment that would write anti-gay prejudice into the U.S.
Constitution.
Sunday - June 13, 2004American College Students Reveal Their IgnoranceIn a recent poll, according to the Associated
Press, only 35% of college students thought voting in the next
presidential election will create a lot of change. Only 19% believe that
politics is very relevant to their lives.
Friday - May 28, 2004High Gasoline Prices are GoodHigh gas prices motivate consumers to purchase
more fuel efficient vehicles, which motivates car makers to produce more fuel
efficient vehicles. This is good for the environment. It's also good for
national security that we become more energy independent.
Saturday - April 24, 2004My Home TownLiving
on Earth has a report on air pollution in Port Arthur, TX, where I
grew up. You can download the report in MP3
or Real
Player audio from the Living on Earth April
23, 2004 show web page.
Sunday - April 04, 2004Why I am not a ChristianI do not understand why anyone would choose to be
religious in the Christian sense.
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