http://azplace.net/ en-us Nucleus CMS v3.2 © Weblog http://backend.userland.com/rss http://azplace.net//nucleus/nucleus2.gif http://azplace.net/ http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=969 …so extraordinarily wrong, dishonorable and criminal. I loathe having to write this. I wish not to focus on the negative, to cast our nation’s leaders in ill light. I always wish to give them grace and the benefit of doubt. And it would seem that it should be a superfluous exercise, as it should be plain as can be to anyone who as eyes to see and ears to hear. But still, Bush loyalists (or hawkish individuals) stand by the disastrous decision to invade Iraq. Others feel the war was justified, but the post war occupation is the deed that was poorly planned and carried out with little competency. Or they serve as mealy-mouthed apologists, who resort to embarrassing hand-waving gestures to assure that we all thought as the intelligence officials instructed, and that if there is fault to be found, if any, it lies with those who were honestly mistaken. Nothing could be further from the truth. Revelation after revelation from administration insiders and holders of ... Justice http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=969 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:27:01 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=968 You never forget your first time In 1982, on a DEC VAX after I switched majors and began in a Computer Science coursework curriculum circuit. FORTRAN was my first programming language learned, though a heavier dose of PASCAL soon followed. PCs as such existed but were rare and nothing more than expensive and extravagant toys at that time. One of the fellows on my dorm hall did own one and he coded a simple BASIC two player football simulation game that was purely based on random numbers and no skill whatsoever, but still a crowd would cluster around him as he keyed in the plays and verbally announce each result. My first "aha" moment came when my "Intro to Programming and Algorithms" professor presented the class with variable swap code (and yes, those were the exact variable names he used) and asked if it was correct. BARF = 47 BEER = 2 BARF = BEER BEER = BARF Nowdays, all the nifty newfangled languages offer multiple assignment (i.e., BARF, BEE... Computing http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=968 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:10:24 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=967 Think a $4 gallon of gas is expensive? Consider the prices of these other fluids that people buy every day without complaint. Lipton Iced Tea, 16 oz @ $1.19 = $9.52 per gallon Diet Snapple, 16 oz @ $1.29 = $10.32 per gallon Gatorade, 20 oz @ $1.59 = $10.17 per gallon Ocean Spray, 16 oz @ $1.25 = $10.00 per gallon Evian water, 9 oz @ $1.49 = $21.19 per gallon (!) Wite-Out, 7 oz @ $1.39 = $25.42 per gallon Brake fluid, 12 oz @ $3.15 = $33.60 per gallon Scope, 1.5 oz @ $0.99 = $84.48 per gallon Pepto-Bismol, 4 oz @ $3.85 = $123.20 per gallon Vicks NyQuil, 6 oz @ $8.35 = $178.13 per gallon But here's the kicker: HP 02 Black Ink Cartridge, 16 ml $18 online = $4,294.58 per gallon. Yes, that's right: inkjet printer ink goes for over four thousand dollars a gallon. What's in there, anyway — gold filings? So the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Scope, Wite-Out, Pepto-Bismol, NyQuil, or — heaven forbid — printer ink! Economics http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=967 Tue, 27 May 2008 23:50:43 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=966 That would be Burger King, who isn’t just refusing to pay tomato pickers an extra cent, it’s now engaging in attacks and other subversive activities against groups like the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Student/Farmworker Alliance. And it looks like Burger King's anti-labor activities run deeper than just its refusal to pay the extra cent. Amy Bennett Williams of the Fort Myers News-Press wrote a story last week that tied Burger King to "libelous" attacks via email and online posts against the Coalition of Immokalee Workers-- a respected anti-slavery group that has helped to prosecute six federal slavery cases and has been praised by the FBI, federal prosecutors, members of Congress, and civil rights organizations. Even worse is an alleged attempt to infiltrate a key CIW ally, the Student/Farmworker Alliance, by using Diplomatic Tactical Services, "a security and investigative firm that advertises its ability to place 'operatives' in the ranks of target groups." …... Justice http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=966 Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:34:52 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=965 'Phoenix Magazine' fires longtime dining critic She said much of the friction that led to her dismissal can be traced to a negative review last winter of Luc's, a pricey, fine-dining Scottsdale restaurant. In response to the column, the unhappy parties - owners of the El Pedregal shops and the Boulders Resort - pulled their advertising. I used to enjoy listening to Nikki Buchanan when she had a weekend show on KFYI a few years back. Her program was a treat, and a shining ray of light from a station that is built on broadcasting wingnut venom. She was upbeat and always an interesting listen. Props to her for standing up against the advertising moneyed interests. Valley http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=965 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:43:48 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=964 ASU Bans KTAR on Buses. So now, KTAR is milking the incident for all its worth, attempting to elevate their right wing hate mongering KFYI wannabe status to Valley leader in that stale, overplayed radio genre. Radio http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=964 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:49:44 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=963 Recently, listening to a conservative Christian talk radio program, I was treated to the host and his callers mocking and ridiculing media mogul Ted Turner for his outlandish predictions on the grim meathook future, due to the impending doom of unchecked global warming. If steps aren’t taken to stem global warming, “We’ll be eight degrees hotter in 30 or 40 years and basically none of the crops will grow,” Turner said during a wide-ranging, hour-long interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose that aired Tuesday. “Most of the people will have died and the rest of us will be cannibals,” said Turner, 69. “Civilization will have broken down. The few people left will be living in a failed state — like Somalia or Sudan — and living conditions will be intolerable.” Turner’s remarks are indeed alarmist exaggerations, but the central theme about getting serious and attacking the problem should resonate with serious minded ... Environment http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=963 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:34:03 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=962 It's been awhile since I logged some book reviews. Some are worthy of far more than a short blurb. Others have been omitted because they were not noteworthy enough or I've just plum forgotten and will write them up in a future post. In addition to a house overflowing with books, I typically check out 3-4+ books from the local library per week. In fact, in the days that I have compiled this list, I've finished 3 more books. Oh well, I will simply have to comprise another post with the omitted titles. But, for now, here is a roundup. Recently completed Jesus for President by Shane Clainborne, Chris Haw — an incredible book that follows in the vein of the remarkable Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder, and more recently, The Myth of a Christian Nation by Greg Boyd. But written for a younger and culturally hip audience with the hardcore theology, but phrased in a much more pleasing comprehensive language. It's about how the Jesus story has been corrupted with the tain... Books http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=962 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:08:18 -0600 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=961 When Dreaming in Code was first released, it sparked my interest, but I shelved the idea after reading a few online excerpts. Its content seemed to be a rehash of my own career experience, thus I concluded that it would be bereft of any insight. However, when author Scott Rosenberg offered a free paperback version to anybody who would post some feedback on the book, I took him up on the offer. When I returned home from attending to some errands on Saturday evening, a package was lying on a chair in my den. Within 24 hours, the content of Dreaming in Code was digested and as promised, here are my nuggets of contributory feedback. Ostensibly, Dreaming in Code is a tale about an ill fated group of software developers and their quest to create a revolutionary personal information manager (PIM), a calendar/email software package that didn’t suck like Microsoft Outlook. Mitch Kapor, of Lotus 1-2-3 fame captained an all star development squad that Rosenberg was given access to and... Books http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=961 Mon, 3 Mar 2008 22:58:28 -0700 http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=960 Audio of KFNX Charles Goyette radio interview with prominent 9/11 Truth Movement author David Ray Griffin. Download/Listen to Goyette/Griffin/caller conversation Radio http://azplace.net/index.php?itemid=960 Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:28:05 -0700