A Word, Please

Mission Accomplished

2005-06-27T00:14:00.000-05:00

About twelve weeks back, the president of our Toastmasters club issued a challenge to all members to complete their next goal by June 30. The club receives distinction when it meets a certain number of goals. Well, I did it. I achieved my Competent Toastmaster (CTM) goal! To qualify for this I had to give ten speeches from the Communication and Leadership manual.

Next on my list is either my Advanced Toastmaster Bronze (ATM-B) or Competent Leader (CL). I have made the first step toward my CL by volunteering as an officer of the club for the next year and completing officer training. I look forward to the advanced speeches which include storytelling. I would love to practice that with my nieces and nephews.

Roll Your Own Home

2005-06-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

I have decided to build my own home, that is be my own general contractor. I will chronicle the progress of this project in my new blog The House That James Built.

Gutenberg 2.0

2005-05-17T00:09:00.000-05:00

Toastmaster Speech #6

Today I want to talk to you about blogging. You've probably heard about it on the radio or television. You may even be a blogger yourself. Anyone can do it. It doesn't require any special skills or knowledge and costs little or nothing to produce. The only thing you need is access to the Internet and something to say.

What's a blog? That's not a real word, is it? According to Merriam-Webster it is. The word blog is short for web log, a journal that you publish on the World Wide Web. What can you put in a blog? What is your favorite animal? Bloggable. What did you do this weekend? Very bloggable. The truth is you can write anything in your blog. My blog has movie reviews, political rants, even a haiku about the video game DOOM³.

What is so special about blogging and why is everyone talking about it? Well, it has caused a revolution of sorts. A revolution no one saw coming. Around 1450, Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type and with it mass media. Since that time, only a select few could publish their work. Most media outlets today are huge corporations with vast resources. The news, slick and polished, is delivered by celebrity journalists. But what about the average Joe? Could he possibly compete with the big dogs? It turns out he can.

After September 11^th, some bloggers cried out in favor of the war with Iraq. The most notable was Instapundit, a blog created by University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds. Joshua Marshall, with his Talking Points Memo, influenced the fall of Trent Lott as Senate Majority leader after Lott's controversial statements about Senator Strom Thurmond. Dan Rather's doctored Bush memos were famously exposed by bloggers and lead to his resignation as anchor of the CBS evening news. One of the most influential bloggers, Andrew Sullivan, receives over 100,000 readers a day, more readers than he had subscribers when he was editor of The New Republic magazine.

What is revolutionary is that the average person can publish news and opinions worldwide-- instantly. By publishing regularly, with honesty and integrity, she can develop a reputation for journalism rivaling that of huge media conglomerates and their spokesmen. Technology makes it possible. Services such as blogger.com, livejournal.com and xanga.com offer free hosting and easy to use software, delivered straight to your web browser. If you can type, you can blog.

As powerful a medium as it is, most bloggers are not out to change the world. For most bloggers writing is a personal experience. Many blogs are simply electronic diaries. October 14^th, I ran into the nicest woman at the supermarket... or ...photos of Jonathan taking his first steps. People write about their vacations, publish poetry. Some have even published entire novels on their blogs.

As fun as blogs are to write, they are just as much fun to read. If you like politics, there are plenty of blogs to choose from, whether you be Democrat, Republican or Independent. One of my favorites is by Libertarian and Gulf War Vet, Eric Cowperthwaite, Eric Grumbles Before the Grave. On the opposite side of the spectrum are the absurd and bizarre. I highly recommend, Zapato Productions Intradimensional. Here you will learn the truth about black helicopters, the many uses of aluminum foil and that Belgium doesn't really exist. This has to be my favorite website of all time.

What can I say? Blogging is fun. It's cheap and easy to do. What we have to say is important. Blogs allow our voices to be heard around the world. The next time I turn on my television or radio and hear about blogging, I hope they are talking about you.

DOOM3

2005-04-10T11:56:00.000-05:00

Crimson sands of Mars
Experiment gone awry
Gimme my shotgun

Raise your glasses

2005-03-20T11:37:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I joined Toastmasters. I have nothing but positive things to say about it. Toastmasters is an organization dedicated to improving the communication and leadership skills of its members. We practice our public speaking skills by presenting prepared speeches at weekly meetings. There is a segment of the meeting called "Table Topics" where we speak, unprepared, on anything ranging from springtime memories to our favorite foods. This gives us a chance to think on our feet. The program is structured and well organized, with activities to improve specific skill areas. I recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in practical self improvement.

Hot time in the old town

2005-03-12T10:51:00.000-06:00

I was listening to a news program on the NPR the other day. It was a story about the controversy over the United States rejection of the Kyoto treaty and alternatives being proposed in Congress. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Kyoto treaty is an international effort to limit emissions that cause global warming. To clarify, this is not a rant on whether or not the US should sign the treaty, but how this issue affects us ordinary citizens and what we can do about it.

To understand why global warming is a problem, I first had to understand what it is. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency,

Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth's temperature, which in turn causes changes in climate.

The average temperature has risen 1°F since the 19th century, a change scientists consider significant. Scientists also believe human activity causes global warming. We burn fossil fuels to create energy to power our vehicles, operate our factories and light our homes. When burned, these fuels put gases into the air that trap the suns heat. This is known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect, when balanced, makes the Earth a comfortable place to live. When out of balance, it can cause the Earth's climate become unstable.

Why should we care whether or not the earth warms up? The short answer is: because we live here. Coastlines will shrink as the polar ice caps melt. This process has already begun. The EPA projects the sea level in the Gulf and Atlantic coasts will rise by a foot in the next fifty years, two, possibly four feet by century's end. This will affect wildlife habitats, commercial fishing, farming and tourism. We can expect greater rainfall in some areas. This, combined with high sea levels, will increase the risk of flooding. In other areas, drought may threaten our food supply. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, higher temperatures will increase heat related illness. Insects and rodents that thrive in warmer climates could spread infectious disease. Global warming is also a matter of national security. These changes may destabilize countries that cannot cope, leading to economic collapse and political conflict.

Now, you may say to yourself: "I'm just one person.What could I possibly do to help?" I believe the key is not some massive effort by government or industry, but the actions we take as individuals.

Reduce the amount of fuel you consume. For short trips, walk or ride a bike. Share a ride when you travel by car and increase your mileage by keeping your car in good repair. When you buy a new car, choose one that gets high gas mileage.

Create an action plan to make your home energy efficient. Many utility companies can provide you with tools and advice to get you started. You can also save energy by using energy efficient appliances. In the US, look for ones that have the Energy Star logo on them.

Shop for cleaner energy. There are companies that specialize in providing electricity from sources such as wind, water, solar and natural gas that produce little or no greenhouse gases.

Vote with your dollar. Hold industry accountable by purchasing products from companies that are environmentally friendly. Boycott those that pollute.

Global warming is happening now and we are beginning to feel its effects. It impacts our health, our economy and our security. Politicians can debate it. Diplomats can make treaties. As citizens of the Earth, we can do something about it now. Lets take action.

Look boss. The plane, the plane...

2005-03-05T12:24:00.000-06:00

I sat in my room the other night, flipping through basic cable channels trying to find something interesting to watch. One Christian network was showing an infomercial from an organization called Feed The Children. Their mission is to help the poor and displaced with the necessities of life. The show depicted kids, living in filth, trying to survive day to day in the slums of an African city. There were crying babies with distended bellies, children mining garbage.

A few channels over was the news. Surely, they would be reporting on human suffering of this scale. The scene I witnessed was of a runway. A private jet sat in the darkness with its running lights on. The scene was repeated on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. It was a live shot. Martha Stewart was being released from prison, and each network was there, live, to cover the story. The commentators would go on about why Ms. Stewart was sent to jail, what the impact of her release would have on her company, and her new role as the star of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Occasionally, the would remind the viewers just tuning in why they were watching a plane sitting in the dark.

It seems there is a hierarchy of news topics. War, politics, natural disaster are near the top of the list. "Celebrities in trouble" trumps them all. Just a few weeks ago the most devastating tsunami in memory took hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. A week later, Brad and Jennifer's tragic break up was all anyone talked about. We have the Robert Blake trial, the 50 cent shooting and the Bill Cosby groping scandal. Of course the king of them all is the child molestation trial of the King of Pop.

Is it news? I like to think of the news as a public service that gives us information about important events. The information should be timely, accurate and relevant. I need to know when we are going to war. I need to know if there is a psycho killer in my area. I don't care who Ben and JLo are dating or who Britney's is marrying this week. When we cover celebrities, it waters down the news. If we want entertainment, we should turn to the E! channel where, by the way, they are airing a theatrical reenactment of the Michael Jackson Trial every night at 7:30 and 9:00 PM EST.

Singularity

2005-02-23T12:46:00.000-06:00

I spend a lot of time looking for unusual stuff on the Internet, crazy stuff. I have found sites on the paranormal, wacky religions, pseudo science and British cuisine. My search has finally paid off. The site is called Time Cube. Check it out and come back. Now, if you could make sense out of this 67,611 word rant, congratulations! You are the next step in human evolution (or the previous one). The amazing thing is the author, Gene Ray, is taken seriously at all. A search for "time cube" on Google results in over 20,200 hits. These are dominated by references to Mr. Ray's website. There is a writeup on both Gene Ray and Time Cube in Wikipedia. MIT hosted a lecture/debate on NATURE'S HARMONIC SIMULTANEOUS 4-DAY TIME CUBE. I've read a few things about him and people say he is a kind, rational fellow. What could possibly cause him say that a cube has four corners when we know that they have eight? Why would he claim that there are four 24 hour days in a rotation of the Earth. The problem must surely lie within us. He must clearly be wiser than we are. My conclusion?

You are educated stupid and unable to know Nature's 4-Day Time Cube Creation.

An appointment with the haberdasher

2005-02-05T15:40:00.000-06:00

The issue's not whether you're paranoid, Lenny, I mean look at this shit, the issue is whether you're paranoid enough.
-- Max Peltier, Strange Days (1995)

Information is a good thing. If I need to get somewhere, I hit the Internet for a map. Google groups is where I go when I'm stumped trying to solve a problem. Anytime I need information about the world, it is there at my fingertips. The world knows about me too. When I want a book, amazon.com knows my tastes and has a recommendation waiting for me. My doctor can bring up my medical history with a few keystrokes. Government agencies from the IRS to the local public library keep detailed records about me.

Keeping records is as old as civilization. I don't have a problem with that. I do have a problem when people abuse my personal information. At one end of the spectrum we are subject to time consuming nuisances like spam, junk mail and telemarketers. Over the past few years I have been trying to pare down the amount of this kind of communication. I have subscribed to every do not call/write/etc list that I know of.

The other kind of abuse is more sinister. There are those that want your records to defraud you or to leave you holding the bag when they screw someone else. Several people I know have been victims of identity theft. This is the main reason I had myself removed from credit card mailing lists. Just as concerning, is the growing trade in personal information through legal means. I keep a separate email address when signing up for business services. I am also becoming increasingly uncomfortable with technologies that allow individuals or organizations to track my electronic communications (no, I have not yet been fitted for my tinfoil hat). Laws such as the USA PATRIOT Act give the government far too much freedom to monitor our private activities.

But what can we do about it? There are several approaches you can take.

Be careful who you give your information to and don't give more than is necessary. Only give information to entities you trust and do it in a secure way.
Read the fine print. If you are dealing with a company, what is there privacy policy?
Use technology. Make sure your browser and operating system are secure. Whenever possible use open source software. Open source means that someone who is technically inclined can see how the program works. This makes it possible to fix security flaws quickly. Set up a firewall for your Internet connections. There are services such as web proxies and other technologies that will allow you to surf the net anonymously.
Get involved. Find out what laws your government has or are considering passing and let your representatives know what you think (assuming this is safe to do). In many places like the US, the government has programs to help you regain some control over your personal information. There are also numerous advocacy organizations whose mission is to protect individual privacy and freedom of speech.

Movies by mail

2005-01-26T16:02:00.000-06:00

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
In this tale by Guy Ritchie (Mr. Madonna), Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran and Jason Statham star as clueless hustlers trying to make a big score. In the process, they end up in trouble with the London underworld and have a week to figure a way out. This movie is very stylish and has brilliant storytelling, like a scene that takes place in a bar concerning a television set...I won't spoil it for you. Despite being a crime story, it is surprisingly funny.

Riding Giants
Even if you don't like surfing, this documentary by Stacy Peralta will get you excited about it. Riding Giants is a timeline of surfing, beginning with native Hawaiian roots, through the beginnings of surfer culture in the late 1940's and 50's, to the modern smallboard, deepwater riders. Peralta captures the fanaticism of these people and their intense desire to match their abilities against nature in this insanely dangerous sport. A very enjoyable movie.

Movies by mail

2005-01-15T16:17:00.000-06:00

I am into the third week of my Netflix subscription and I must say that I like the service. Previously, I rented all my movies through Blockbuster's Movie Freedom Pass program. It was a good deal, but my selections were limited to what my local store had on hand. With Netflix, the selection is as varied as my taste. The only drawback is having to wait a day or two for the movies to arrive. The program I signed up for allows three rentals at a time, so if you time it right, you will have a steady stream of entertainment.

I am a huge movie buff and have seen most of the popular US releases already. I have taken some time out to catch up on some lesser known fare. Last week I rented a couple of classics by famed Japanese director Akira Kurasawa, Rashômon and Yojimbo.

Rashômon (1950)
I had some trouble getting into Rashômon, but it has some very intense moments. The plot has an interesting narrative device that I have seen echoed in later films, most recently in Hero (Ying xiong), starring Jet Li. The acting was a bit over the top, but the cinematography was excellent. This movie stars Toshirô Mifune.

Yojimbo (1961)
I can wholeheartedly recommend this film also starring Toshirô Mifune. It could be described as an "Eastern" Western and was the basis for the Sergio Leone classic A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari). This movie is funny, entertaining, has unforgettable characters and, as always, great camerawork.

Next time I'll let you know about two documentaries I am renting, Control Room and Riding Giants.

Could I see some ID

2005-01-09T15:33:00.000-06:00

There is a movement underway to revamp the public school science curriculum to include the theory of Intelligent Design (ID) along side the theory of evolution. Evolution is a theory that life began very simply and became complex over time, adapting to the environment through natural selection. Intelligent design states that the best explanation for the existence of life is through an intelligent designer rather than through evolutionary means.

Recently the school district of Dover Pennsylvania required biology teachers to read a statement to their students stating the controversial nature of evolution and positing ID as an alternative. They are also required to direct them to the book Of Pandas and People as a reference. The ACLU challenged the move in a lawsuit claiming the policy violates the principle of separation of church and state. Seven teachers in the district also objected to the policy stating that it violate their professional standards and practices code. The district has since relaxed the policy, providing exemptions for teachers that have objections. The students, however, will still be required to hear the statement.

This is one battle in an ideological war that dates back to Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. The Scopes "Monkey Trial" of 1925 is perhaps the most famous episode in this conflict. The Tennessee legislature passed the Butler Act, a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution. John Scopes, a Tennessee biology teacher, was charged and convicted of violating the statute. The charges were later dismissed on a technicality and Scopes was never retried. Since then, laws have been enacted in many states banning the teaching of evolution or requiring the teaching of creationism, a belief that life is created by God, in science classrooms.

The problem with teaching creationism in science class is that it is a religious belief, not a scientific theory. There would be little controversy if it were taught in a comparative religion class as opposed to a biology class. One of the criticisms of Intelligent design is that it is simply a secular version of creationism;the creationist are trying to sneak their ideology into the classroom in the guise of science.

I have had experience with Intelligent Design philosophy. I attended a lecture given by a proponent of ID. He was an intelligent person with a scientific background. His arguments were mainly about the idea of irreducible complexity, which states that there is a point at which, if we reduce the complexity of a system, it will cease to function. Therefore, it could not have evolved incrementally to its current state. This is a well reasoned argument, though I have since seen some compelling refutations. The argument breaks down when the leap is made that a designer must have created the system.

My problem with Intelligent Design is that, like creationism, it is not scientific. It bases many of its arguments on pointing out flaws in evolution. Negative reasoning is not proof. If we intend to teach our children science, lets teach them science. Biology is a thoroughly researched discipline and one of its underpinnings is evolutionary theory. The theory of evolution has a vast body of evidence gathered through observation and experimentation and published in peer reviewed scientific journals. I was only able to find a few items published on ID in peer reviewed journals. They were either published under questionable circumstance, thoroughly refuted by the scientific community, or both.

The arguments over the validity of Intelligent Design are too numerous to be expanded upon in this article. For those who wish to research it further:

Proponents:
The Intelligent Design Network
The Discovery Institute

Critics:
Answers to Creationism
Skeptics Dictionary

Earthquake in Asia

2004-12-27T15:48:00.000-06:00

By now, I'm sure most of you have heard of the tragic earthquake and resulting tsunami that occurred this weekend. Tens of thousands are dead and millions have been left homeless. The governments of the world are responding with aid as are charitable organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. Let's keep these people in our thoughts. If you would like to help, here is a list of organizations accepting donations.

Anything Else

2004-12-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine has just created a new blog called Anything Else. Check it out.

No thank you nanny Blagojevich

2004-12-23T15:47:00.000-06:00

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is currently proposing a ban on the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors. I would agree with the Governor that there are some materials unsuitable for minors. It is the parents, however, not the government, who should make these kinds of decisions. Parents are smart and have access to information about the content of the games their children play. The video game industry has provided a ratings system to aid parents in making these decisions. There are other organizations that publish independent game recommendations.

If your child purchases and plays video games you don't approve of and you do nothing, shame on you. Take that game and sell it on EBay. But for goodness sake don't abdicate your rights and responsibility to the government. You will end up with a one-size-fits-all solution that caters to the most conservative, most easily offended group of citizens in your community.

For the record, I do not live in Illinois. This issue is important to me because I see a trend in our society where one segment of the population is trying to dictate moral values to the rest of the country. This movement in Illinois is a symptom of a greater problem.

A word, please

2004-12-23T09:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my blog. Here you will find my opinions, experiences and an occasional book, movie or software review. You are encouraged to comment freely. I enjoy a lively discussion and I have a lot on my mind. All I ask is that you do so intelligently and be respectful of others.