Michael Toler's Random Thoughts and Ideas

My Random Thoughts and Ideas has been assimilated into the archives of My Two Cents, Now On Sale! Come visit me there!

I'll soon be freezing this blog. My new one is already started here. I love this software, but don't understand how to make it work... Read more

A chart of broadband speeds around the world. Do we need and infrastructure upgrade in this country? Decide for yourself.... Read more

I can suggest one way to stimulate the economy that has not been considered: address the student loan debt burden of those who spent a... Read more

In an essay that appears in this current issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education, Goldie Blumenstyk writes about the transformational effect the current economic... Read more

Working for a corporation is like running with a world pack. Everyone helps out and is friendly as long as it benefits the group, but... Read more

These are men and women in uniform who put their lives and who serve what they are told is in their country's interest, whether it... Read more

So apparently there has been a run on ammo since November 5 when it was clear Obama would be the next president because people were... Read more

Great show tonight at All Asia! Mark played with a new band that he said were doing their first live show together. They were electric... Read more

Tom Goss Goss returns to Boston this week for a tour promoting his new CD, Back to Love. BACK TO LOVE CD Release PartyTuesday, March... Read more

NITLE's Hazardous Intersections summer seminar, to be held June 3-5, 2009 at Claremont McKenna College, will focus on the use of active learning strategies for... Read more

On his recent trip to Africa the Pope denounced the "clouds of evil," war, greed and tribalism in Africa. The Guardian reports from a mass... Read more

Me and Penelope Cruz, could we have been separated at birth? Take a close look at my picture. You see the resemblance, right? I just... Read more

The lists below is from a handout prepared for distribution and a conference on Language and Culture: Finding, Assessing and Exploiting Online and Media Resources... Read more

If you missed this, you really ought to see it. Stewart argues that not only did financial media fail us, but was complicit in efforts... Read more

This short video was filmed with my Flip Video camera at the beginning of a Jason Mraz concert at The National Theater in Richmond, VA... Read more

This 90 second film is by Yoni Goodman, the director of the Academy Award Nominated film Waltz with Bashir and it conveys very effectively the... Read more

Below is a segment from the Daily Show in which Jon Stewart comments on the 2009 Conference of the Conservative Political Action Conference. These are,... Read more

How cool were last night's Oscars, at least if you believe in multi-culturalism and a more open world. Best supporting actress went to an actress... Read more

Economic stimulus legislation is being held up in Congress. One of the reasons they are doing so is because they say it is loaded down... Read more

So I went out yesterday and got my 3D so I could watch Chuck in 3D. That show entertains me and I like it a... Read more

I've just added three new categories to this blog--Music, Movies and Readings. It occurred to me that I post fairly often on these topics, but... Read more

It is a beautiful day outside today, I am in a cafe in New Orleans, one of my favorite cities, and even though I have... Read more

Eartha Kitt has passed. Heaven just become a slightly more exciting place to be.... Read more

Here is the beginning of a November 6 news release from the National Association of Railroad Passengers. I am very late posting it, but the... Read more

This is just an observation on mobile phone use that people, myself included, may want to keep in mind. I am sitting in a United... Read more

These are tough times economically, there is no doubt about it. But if there is one thing that I am getting tired of hearing it... Read more

Here are a few recent articles about Africa: *Triangle of Death-A gallery of images from the was zone composed of Sudan, the Democratic Republic of... Read more

Bruce Springsteen, one of my favorite artists of all time, and Tom Morello, and recent discovery for me, performing The Ghost of Tom Joad together.... Read more

Citibank made a lot of news a few days ago for a decision to cut 10,000 employees from its workforce. Why is it these cuts... Read more

Just some video and images from my recent trip to California. Nothing special and no spectacular sights. The gallery contains a few shots of some... Read more

I just discovered this. Wish I had found it before. I wouldn't have had to watch all those debates. They sum up all the issues.... Read more

This election day voters in California passed a ballot initiative to outlaw same sex marriage. One of the arguments made by voters who supported the... Read more

The profusion of media outlets and sources of information is a revolutionary and extraordinarily good thing in that it allows all sorts of voices to... Read more

This is a video of my walk to the polls in Wellesley, MA on November 4, 2008. For the first time in a long time... Read more

I've been in Massachusetts for 6 years or so now, but I still remain a Virginian at heart. I spent a year back home last... Read more

Admittedly there are not a lot of details in the campaign spot, but he hits the right notes. Policies are laid out more fully on... Read more

She really is an amazing artist and it would be wonderful if she were to perform here. I doubt these requests accomplish aything at all,... Read more

Wish I had been there. Prince performed for five hours to celebrate the release of a book documenting this 21 night run at the London... Read more

Our new NITLE site has launched. It's a work in progress. We are a dynamic organization evolving to suit the needs of our participating institutions,... Read more

If the projections are correct, it is beginning to look like we really could have a President Barak Obama taking the Oath of Office in... Read more

THAT ONE, The Remix! Go to http://www.thatone08.com/

Politicians are not know for their honesty, but we have a right to demand it.  That's why the article below troubles me. Politifact.com, an independent,... Read more

I find it hard to believe, but President Bush tonight was--well--Presidential in his speech to the nation on the financial crisis now facing the nation.... Read more

It is not often that I find myself agreeing with Newt Gingrich, but like a number of conservatives, he has seen what the financial sector... Read more

A couple of years ago I saw the musical Avenue Q in New York. Essentially it is an adult version of Sesame Street, with humans... Read more

Democracy Now! reported today that After more than five-and-a-half years behind bars, Palestinian professor and activist, Sami Al-Arian, has been released from prison. Immigration authorities... Read more

A number of journlists have been arrested outside of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, including Amy Goodman, host of the popular radio and... Read more

The social networking site Facebook is once again available in Tunisia as of today, according to this post on the blog Webmanagercenter and postings in... Read more