Archive for January, 2010
« Older Entries | Newer Entries »January Holidays: Is Giving Blood Really As Pointless As Voting?
[ 2 Comments ]Posted on January 6, 2010 by admin in Holidays
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010And is Barack Obama black? After the psychological torture of the year-end holiday season, January is mercifully light on holidays. But let’s take a moment to honor Martin Luther King Jr, Elvis Presley, and David Bowie.
 We recommend giving, in spite of the AABB’s warning |
Thankfully, the month of January is a little light on holidays. After the brutal onslaught of holidays that begin around Halloween, most people spend the month in therapy or divorce court, or are busy failing to stick to their resolutions, so don’t really have the time or the inclination to celebrate. The only “real” national holiday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which should be a big deal this year, because the nation has its first black president. Or does it? We’ll leave that up to you to decide. I’m personally not sure I recognize race in the first place. Anyway, as a result of all these empty calendar spaces, non-profits and health organizations jumped on the opportunity, so we have Thyroid Awareness Month, Glaucoma Awareness Month, National Birth Defects Prevention Month, Cervical Health Awareness Month, and National Blood Donor Month, none of which had clever campaigns worth linking to, except National Blood Donor Month, which has a pretty lame pitch that says “donating blood regularly is as important as voting“. And as we all know after the past few years, voting is a waste of time. Way to go, American Association of Blood Banks! I might have given, if it weren’t for your input. To people of my era, probably the most important event in January is the combined birthday of Elvis Presley and David Bowie. So happy Elvid Bowsley day! Read the rest of this entry »
The Budapest Brothas Of Hungarian Hip Hop
[ 1 Comment ]Posted on January 5, 2010 by admin in Music
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010.Hu knew there was a thriving hip hop scene in Hungary in the 90′s? And does GEG mean gay? And is orange the new pink?
 Hungarian rapper, or redneck at Karaoke night? You decide. |
I’ve never been a big fan of most straight up American rap; I guess when I’ve got a Glock on me or I just got drunk or had sex, I just don’t think it’s something to build a song around. And then add insult to injury by not even bothering with a melody. Which is why I originally got into French rap, especially artists like Assassin
Google Earth’s GeoEye & 360Cities 3D Panoramas
[ 2 Comments ]Posted on January 4, 2010 by admin in Technology
Monday, January 4th, 2010Being constantly under surveillance has never been so much fun.
Here’s a quick preview of 360 Cities with -appropriately enough – Dead or Alive as a backing track |
Do you ever get that funny feeling that someone is watching you? Well if not, you should. We’re getting closer every day to full time coverage of every location on the planet. Between things like the 4.2 million CCTV cameras in England, the way Google has you covered from your desktop to the sky, and the members of 360Cities obsessively creating cool 360 degree panoramas of the planet (see their blog for the latest views), it won’t be long before there truly will be nowhere to hide. Especially with tools like PhotoSynth to put the info all together. You may or may not find this kind of coverage invasive, but you know what? It’s really kind of FUN too. You may have read that Google made a deal with spy satellite company GeoEye last year to gain a competitive edge over Microsoft, Yahoo and other satellite image search providers. What you may not realize though is that the satellite can capture objects 16 inches across from 423 miles up in space! Don’t worry, Google isn’t allowed to use those images, only the NGA and men of integrity with security clearances like Dick Cheney are. And your secrets are always safe with the US government and politicians named Dick, right? In any case, the upside of all of this is that Google has been showing off the images on their Google Earth GeoEye pages. Even if you’re not stunned with the images, it’s a blast pretending you’re shooting the opening titles for a James Bond film by zooming in and out from the Earth, from an orbital view to street level in seconds. Likewise with the 360 Cities panoromas; some of the images aren’t so thrilling, but moving around in them is an entirely new experience, and a cool one at that. See a sample below. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I Don’t Care If The Health Care Bill Passes
[ Comments Off ]Posted on January 3, 2010 by admin in Health & Wellness, Politics
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010America’s health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system. But the Health Care Bill certainly will present someone with a bill.
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When I’m in a hospital room, I usually have a |
I feel sorry for Barack Obama. Not only will history likely blame him for the long tail of the bank failures and bailouts for which the Bush administration was actually responsible, it will also likely blame him (because of the passage of the health care bill that has divided the country recently) for the continued malignancy that is our decrepit, bloated, and corrupt “health care system”. I put that phrase in quotes because I believe that – as the late Walter Cronkite once said – “America’s health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system“. While a bunch of Democratic congressmen who have nothing to worry about regarding their health care plans sit around patting themselves on the back for passing a health care bill that has supposedly been the dream of generations of Democratic politicians, the fact is that things won’t change for many, and we’ll still be left saddled with the most expensive and least effective health care in the developed world. The bill does NOTHING to fix what any intelligent person sees as the fundamental problem; it might in fact worsen it. Whether you describe the problem as being a result of government meddling and insurance, or as patient overuse of treatment because insurance will pay for it, or as a result of doctors requiring malpractice insurance, you will notice the word “insurance” keeps popping up. The fact is that the mind-boggling arrangements for billing and payment that exist today would be IMPOSSIBLE without the insurance industry supporting its piece of what really is an incredibly elaborate and blatant ponzi scheme being pulled off by an industry and a profession that operates under the ultimate smokescreen: an illusion of benevolence Read the rest of this entry »
Start The Resolutions Without Me
[ 1 Comment ]Posted on January 2, 2010 by admin in Lifestyle & Culture
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010The new year is a great time to make a new start, but use some smarts. And of course, don’t make resolutions for other people. Unless they’re Karl Rove.
With a current national debt of over 12 trillion dollars and with 67% of Americans classified as overweight, I guess it’s fitting that two of the most popular New Year’s resolutions are to lose weight and get out of debt. Why people don’t think of these things the other 364 days of the year perplexes me somewhat, but I must admit I’ve occasionally wished I were Chinese American, so I could have two rapidly consecutive chances to start the year right. I generally get by okay these days with one New Year though, and without making New Year’s resolutions. At least in the conventional sense. I typically review the year that’s ending and plan for the one ahead in a goal-oriented fashion. I also try to make my own resolutions, and not other people’s. I’ll make an exception in Karl Rove’s case though, since this year he felt compelled to make a list of resolutions for all of Washington and none for himself. Here you go Karl, it’s a short list, but will be nearly impossible for you to conquer: 1) Shut up. You’re a smart and influential gay guy, but your intelligence and influence benefit nearly no-one, and 2) Come out of the closet. Instead of getting all weak-kneed and lap-doggish around men of power in Washington, trying doing it at the gay bar once in a while. You’ll be a much happier guy. But I digress. If you made some last minute resolutions, especially in a champagne-induced stupor, rethink things. The basic psychology behind what works and doesn’t work with resolutions is covered quickly in this PychCentral.com piece, and for some thought-provoking ideas for more sustainable approaches to personal change, check out 6 Ways to Start the New Year Doing Instead of Dreaming at DumbLittleMan.com. Personally, I have two broad goals for the year; one is to simplify my life in the interest of being more at peace, and the other is to find a better balance between income and personal reward in my work. These two concepts help me frame a lot of other strategies in my ongoing activities in a positive way. So what about you? Any plans, hopes, dreams, or resolutions for the new year? Read the rest of this entry »