Someday, don't you think we'll all be able to go to space someday and be able to see things described in Frank Culbertson's Letter?
October 2001 Archives
We went to Hong Kong Cafe on Sunday night, which was a milestone for myself having never been to a Chinese restaurant before. I didn't eat any vegetables, but my fortune cookie had an interesting message (a secret message from my teeth): "You will be fortunate in everything you put your hands to."
Now, I hear you're supposed to add "...in bed." to your fortune. I'll just leave it at that.
My landlord made a routine check of my apartment today. Feeling a bit invaded, I decided to turn my camera on them, and record what went on. I made a animated gif you can see here. Please give it time to load.
In the wake of 9-11, I struggled to pull together a digital scrpabook of images from the attack. Although I found a good amount, I think that Here Is New York is the answer. A collection of local and professional talent have submitted more than 1,000 images, which get digitized, and then are displayed. You can purchase any image for $25. I would go to New York just to see this collection. I hope they place them on the web soon.
Breaking news! While Bush is busy with Afghanastan, former President Clinton is also making headlines. Read about it here.
I got caught up in watching NATURE: Baby Tales on PBS tonight and it reminded me that humans aren't too far out of nature. At least, not as much as we would like to think. Baby Tales was all about how mothers in nature treat their young, and how the young react to their mothers. Motions, reactions, and general behavior of the babies and mothers were identical to those exhibited by humans. When they did a short piece on chimpanzees, the mothers would show how to use tools to break nuts for eating. They baby chimp would try, not be able to do it, and give up. Mom would notice, come over, pick up the stick, give a few wacks, and go away. Baby tried again, correcting itself, copying Mom's actions until finally the tastey nut broke free from its shell. How often to you stick out your tounge at a baby, and it copies you? (Or at least tries to.)
On another note, how long will it take before these tools start making shelter? How long will it take to harness fire? How long will it take for another human/chimp-type species to evolve? Will it happen before or after we kill off our species? All questions that would be impossible to answer difinitively, but most would have a "good" idea of an answer.
I think this is what bloggers are striving for with their entries. Ramblin' through a cultural wasteland
Now that anthrax has hit the senate, it seems that there is good reason to be concerned about the desease. However, it seems that people are getting a bit hypersensative about the threat. Here's a CNN.com article with 10 things you need to know about anthrax.
I keep seeing one of the most annoying things at work: Some people get really stressed waiting for the elevator, and as a result, get relly anxioius to get on the elevator when it shows up. So anxious in fact, that they don't wait for people to get off the elevator before they get on. Then they have to wait even longer for the people to walk around them, and they get more pissed because this person is making them move over. I don't like these people.
I was pouring myself a bowl of Frosted Flakes this morning, and I got a bit of a surprise. Not only this the biggest frosted flake I have ever seen, but it looks way too much like the continent of Africa. It's almost like the Mother Theresa Sticky Bun.
I am watching U2 as I type at a concert in South Bend, Indiana. Technology is wonderful. Tears are streaming down my face. Not because technology is so wonderful, but rather for the memories I share with my love for U2. I saw them twice last May, and regretably won't get to see them live on Monday. I cried when I saw them live. I cry when I see them on the Internet. I cry when listening to them in my car. Especially Joshua Tree. Quite simply the best album of ever. I cry when I look at the wall size poster from their Joshua Tree tour. It's the one my brother took when he went to the concert. I remember to this day how excited he was that he got tickets to that show in Chicago. I remember how more excited he was telling me how Bono picked up a spotlight and shined it out to the crowd and how excited the band was when they played. I cry mostly cause I miss that excitement. I miss his emotion. I miss my brother Mike.
So the school board has decided to reverse its decision about banning the pledge. Members have said they didn't fully understand what they were voting on. Hello, McFly???? Are you joking? Why did you vote on it then? I bet if you asked all these people to buy a plain box with the promise that something good is inside, they would ask to know what is inside. They would want to know what they were getting. Isn't that the same thing?
It makes you wonder how many other things they've voted for or against, and then gotten home, and after realized what they had done, said, "Ohhh, so that's what that was about...oops."
The Madison School Board voted 3-2 last night to ban the use of the Pledge of Allegiance in school district classrooms. A new state law requires classrooms to have a "dose" (via the Pledge or Anthem) of patriotism a day in the classroom. So, what to use instead of the Pledge? Use the Anthem, but without words. I have to quote my father to sum up my reaction: "Stupid. That's just stupid." (Now, he was usually referring to something we did, but it works here, too.) In the article, there were six people who opposed the patriotic state law, one of which said, "Indoctrination leads to totalitarianism, and we're approaching that moment." Yeah, and I just saw Stalin walking towards the Captiol the other day.
Although he sometimes bumbles through the words, the President ends every speech with "God Bless America" or something to that effect. Professional baseball games replaced "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch. The college and professional football games have heart-warming pregame ceremonies honoring the heroes and singing the "Star Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America." Why do constantly run from using religion to guide our decisions? Most people use some sort of moral and value quidance to make difficult choices. I often question the fact that people let religion rule their lives, but I have come to the realization that religion is everywhere. God, in one form or another, be it Jesus's Dad, Buddha, Allah, Michael Jordan -- whatever, will always be a part of our culture. We can't get away from it, so why do we try and make our kids unaware of it?
My boss at work has likened decisions like this one to one of the causes for urban sprawl in the area. Nobody wants their kids going to schools where decisions like this are made. There might be some truth to this.
Check this page out for information on removing X10 Advertising "pop-under" ads. Scroll down to the last question to find your answer.
This has got to be one of the coolest ideas ever carried out. (No pun intended.)
Driving back from Milwaukee this morning made me realize how the "flight or fight" response really works. The interstate was crowded with fans going to the Wisconsin football game. (If you're a Wisconsin fan, it wasn't worth going to.) I was following a SUV which bagan to slow without using its brakes. As the distance between us began to diminish, the brake lights flashed on and I pressed hard on my own brake pedal in response. The next few moments lasted less than three seconds, but what went through my head took the next few minutes to process. Once I knew I wasn't going to slam into the SUV, my next concern was the Saturn that had been following closely behind. In an instant, I looked in the rear view mirror, saw the Saturn closing too fast and made the calculation and decision that they were not going to be able to stop without the rear end of my car helping. Immediately upon that decision, the next course of action was to get out of the way. To the left, there was a four-foot shoulder and 30+ feet grass median. Both of which would mean some damage to my car. To the right, where there had been cars all day, now it was clear, including the blind spot. I quickly swerved into the right lane, removing my pressure on the brakes. Soon after, everything returned to normal, except for my adreneline levels. The regular act of driving was hard to do soon after with my hands and legs shaking from the high levels of adreneline coursing though my veins. A couple of big, calming breaths and we were on our way once again.
Too bad the Badgers didn't provide any of that excitement.
I was searching around this morning and came across this site of editorial cartoons. I went through their collection about the 9-11 attacks and picked out the best. I put them in a slideshow that you can see here.
I am a bit disappointed in the NCAA
It is a campus fact that athletes are treated better than regular students. But don't you think they deserve it? Just based on the joy a fan receives from watching Ron Dayne break the record, or watching the basketball team reach the Final Four (old events, I know, but they illistrate my point) should require some sort of stipend. I don't think that getting some shoes at a reduced price should constitute five years of probation. The NCAA says it's the third violation in eight years. Eight years? Come on, it's eight years! Eight years ago I was in high school. The NCAA's head is starting to get bigger than it's authority allows.
These guys suck. Now that it's getting cold outside, they are coming inside. They flock to me, especially. And,although this website says they don't bite, but pinch, it doesn't feel good. I don't like them.
How much is too much perfume/cologne? When I am in the elevator, and you are wearing perfume, should I be able to smell it as soon as the door opens? No, I didn't think so. If you are getting off the elevator and I am getting on at the same floor, should I be able to smell you? Again, no. When you get off the elevator and a custodian has to get on just so they can detoxify the place, is that right? Nope. So, let's try and keep the chemical warfare to the professionals. There's no reason to be starting biological warfare in our places of business.
On a side note, I did laundry lastnight. And, for the first time, I had no extra socks at the end of the night. I can honestly say that that has never happened before. I must have been lucky and lost a matching pair or something, because I always end up with an extra one hanging around.
This article proves the point why men have higher insurance rates than women.
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