And it's about time. Castro is quoted as saying that he wanted to take time to prepare the Cuban people for the shock of his resignation.
Maybe Castro himself is the one who needed the preparation to leave office. That seems more likely. With rumors of his death and the counting of days since last seeing him in public, I don't think anyone would be so shocked at his leaving the political scene except Castro.
Poor guy. No more parades or waving throngs of admirers. He must be missing it.
2.24.2008
2.18.2008
Global Warming in New Zealand
Egad! There's a hole in the ozone above New Zealand. So it is actually ILLEGAL for children to be outside without hats on. Everyone wears a hat there. And loads of sunscreen. Skin cancer is a huge problem.
Can you imagine that? I hope so, since it could come to your state one day.
Can you imagine that? I hope so, since it could come to your state one day.
But It's Only A Little Bit of Torture ...
What's with this idea that you need permanent physical damage to call something "torture."
And why do you think anything is improved because "it was only three times" - ?
This Administration doesn't have the foresight to see how this admission causes damage to our interests abroad. We have just admitted to torturing people. Now how are we going to tell people that Chinese Christians should not be beaten and jailed? We, after all, don't behave better ourselves.
I remember an America where the idea that we torture people was offensive. I remember when our meat supply was safe. I remember when college was affordable. What happened, America? The Reagan Revolution, that's what.
And why do you think anything is improved because "it was only three times" - ?
This Administration doesn't have the foresight to see how this admission causes damage to our interests abroad. We have just admitted to torturing people. Now how are we going to tell people that Chinese Christians should not be beaten and jailed? We, after all, don't behave better ourselves.
I remember an America where the idea that we torture people was offensive. I remember when our meat supply was safe. I remember when college was affordable. What happened, America? The Reagan Revolution, that's what.
1.22.2008
Son of bin Laden
Osama bin Laden's son is taking a stand against his father's violent and radical ways. Although he spent his teenage years in Afghanistan with his father, at a certain point he wanted to leave and his father let him.
Now he is trying to get a car race for peace going in the Middle East. Don't know if it will take off or not. But it is a good idea to try to distance yourself from such a father.
Now he is trying to get a car race for peace going in the Middle East. Don't know if it will take off or not. But it is a good idea to try to distance yourself from such a father.
1.21.2008
Windows VIsta? Buy an iMac!
What is it with Microsoft? They put third-rate, untested software on the market and the entire world is going to change to try and use it.
I have a better idea. Get an iMac. I got one and it's one of the best things I've ever done.
The iMac does everything that Windows Vista is trying to do, but does it well. And you know something else about iMac? All the hardware works with it. And it never crashes. And it seamlessly integrates audio and visual media into your computer.
The answer to Microsoft Vista is the iMac.
I have a better idea. Get an iMac. I got one and it's one of the best things I've ever done.
The iMac does everything that Windows Vista is trying to do, but does it well. And you know something else about iMac? All the hardware works with it. And it never crashes. And it seamlessly integrates audio and visual media into your computer.
The answer to Microsoft Vista is the iMac.
1.19.2008
Torture and the Pimps of Certainty
We all want to know the answer. We want to feel safe and prepared.
Unfortunately, certainty does not exist in all situations.
Those who offer a scenario (your child's life is in danger) whereby a certain solution is available (we have the guy who can save your baby, without question) are kidding themselves and the people they talk to. Of course people will do whatever it takes to save their child. But the above scenario is not the equivalent of going into a burning car to rescue your child. A child in a burning car has a readily-identifiable source of danger whose solution is apparent.
It is all too easy to convince ourselves that certainty lives in places where we need or want to see it.
I have another scenario. Your child is captured by people who will kill him. There is a person that police believe has the information to save your child. They are 50% certain of this. There is a 10% chance he has no relevant information at all. Would you support cutting off fingers then?
Unfortunately, certainty does not exist in all situations.
Those who offer a scenario (your child's life is in danger) whereby a certain solution is available (we have the guy who can save your baby, without question) are kidding themselves and the people they talk to. Of course people will do whatever it takes to save their child. But the above scenario is not the equivalent of going into a burning car to rescue your child. A child in a burning car has a readily-identifiable source of danger whose solution is apparent.
It is all too easy to convince ourselves that certainty lives in places where we need or want to see it.
I have another scenario. Your child is captured by people who will kill him. There is a person that police believe has the information to save your child. They are 50% certain of this. There is a 10% chance he has no relevant information at all. Would you support cutting off fingers then?
Torture and the Pimps of Certainty
We all want to know the answer. We want to feel safe and prepared.
Unfortunately, certainty does not exist in all situations.
Those who offer a scenario (your child's life is in danger) whereby a certain solution is available (we have the guy who can save your baby, without question) are kidding themselves and the people they talk to. Of course people will do whatever it takes to save their child. But the above scenario is not the equivalent of going into a burning car to rescue your child. A child in a burning car has a readily-identifiable source of danger whose solution is apparent.
It is all too easy to convince ourselves that certainty lives in places where we need or want to see it.
I have another scenario. Your child is captured by people who will kill him. There is a person that police believe has the information to save your child. They are 50% certain of this. There is a 10% chance he has no relevant information at all. Would you support cutting off fingers then?
Unfortunately, certainty does not exist in all situations.
Those who offer a scenario (your child's life is in danger) whereby a certain solution is available (we have the guy who can save your baby, without question) are kidding themselves and the people they talk to. Of course people will do whatever it takes to save their child. But the above scenario is not the equivalent of going into a burning car to rescue your child. A child in a burning car has a readily-identifiable source of danger whose solution is apparent.
It is all too easy to convince ourselves that certainty lives in places where we need or want to see it.
I have another scenario. Your child is captured by people who will kill him. There is a person that police believe has the information to save your child. They are 50% certain of this. There is a 10% chance he has no relevant information at all. Would you support cutting off fingers then?
1.11.2008
The Fear Business
Be afraid.
Because fear is a billion dollar business in this country.
After WWII ended, it started with the Cold War and that
helped make billions for the owners of the defense industry.
It also contributed to not seeing the fall of the Soviets.
After all, a huge industry, and a lot of money, rode on it.
Then the Soviet Union broke apart. Then crime became the
excuse to waste taxpayer money. Then came 9-11.
What a bonanza! And the monolith government contracting
companies got even more money. Then came the Iraq War.
Talk about war profiteering! But God forbid we
have universal health care! Or free college for everyone.
Or well-paid teachers.
We, the United States of America, spend the bulk of our
money on fear.
1.02.2008
Broke for the Holidays
Yes, we're broke. I am turning my law practice into a full-time thing and letting go of the dog walking cash cow. So here we are in the middle for the holidays.
What we didn't do: use credit cards, borrow, give gifts to adults. The exception was my parents who got a nice German steak knife set I picked up at a yard sale in September at a reasonable price.
What we did do: start looking for holiday presents early and in our closets. That led to my 10 year old niece getting a mink stole I got on a whim from a thrift shop months earlier. Her brother got a large cache of comic books from my husband. We got small, old-fashioned toys at my synagogue for my other nephews at Hanukkah Mart day. And I got this all done and in the mail by Thanksgiving which did loads to reduce stress.
Our gift to each other was three events we did together. My husband got to pick one, I got to pick one, and we would both agree to the third one. It worked out all right, except my husband picked a play at Studio Theater called "Breathe, Boom" or something and we walked out at intermission. I chose "Charlie Wilson's War" which Justin would normally not go to see, but he liked it. Our third event is to take some friends out to dinner at a Mexican place in January. So it worked out pretty well.
We made a point of going to every party we were invited to, and have been very busy as a result.
I decorated with silver and blue gift bows from the store.
In the end, it was a lovely holiday season and I gave gifts that I would never have thought of before.
What we didn't do: use credit cards, borrow, give gifts to adults. The exception was my parents who got a nice German steak knife set I picked up at a yard sale in September at a reasonable price.
What we did do: start looking for holiday presents early and in our closets. That led to my 10 year old niece getting a mink stole I got on a whim from a thrift shop months earlier. Her brother got a large cache of comic books from my husband. We got small, old-fashioned toys at my synagogue for my other nephews at Hanukkah Mart day. And I got this all done and in the mail by Thanksgiving which did loads to reduce stress.
Our gift to each other was three events we did together. My husband got to pick one, I got to pick one, and we would both agree to the third one. It worked out all right, except my husband picked a play at Studio Theater called "Breathe, Boom" or something and we walked out at intermission. I chose "Charlie Wilson's War" which Justin would normally not go to see, but he liked it. Our third event is to take some friends out to dinner at a Mexican place in January. So it worked out pretty well.
We made a point of going to every party we were invited to, and have been very busy as a result.
I decorated with silver and blue gift bows from the store.
In the end, it was a lovely holiday season and I gave gifts that I would never have thought of before.
12.31.2007
Bhutto Backlash
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto surprised me, although I can't think why that would be the case. The terrorists dominating the Northwest Province in Pakistan have been promising to kill her for a long time.
What al Qaida may have done, instead of eliminating a political enemy, is to create an invincible foe. A dead person can't say something stupid. A dead person can't make political miscalculations. A dead person can't get caught stealing or cheating. Benazir Bhutto has become a flawless symbol of the desire for democracy.
What Pakistan is looking at now is the unifying effect of Bhutto's assassination on the entire country. Knowing this, the purpose of postponing elections would be the hope that time would erode some of this effect. Let's hope they don't. It would be better to forge a new government when some unity can be fashioned out of this terrible event.
What al Qaida may have done, instead of eliminating a political enemy, is to create an invincible foe. A dead person can't say something stupid. A dead person can't make political miscalculations. A dead person can't get caught stealing or cheating. Benazir Bhutto has become a flawless symbol of the desire for democracy.
What Pakistan is looking at now is the unifying effect of Bhutto's assassination on the entire country. Knowing this, the purpose of postponing elections would be the hope that time would erode some of this effect. Let's hope they don't. It would be better to forge a new government when some unity can be fashioned out of this terrible event.
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