Kittens

Yes, we have kittens. Two mothers happened to have them at the same time. Thankfully their litters were small, totalling 6 kittens. They are at my favorite stage right now --4 weeks. Just old enough to start romping around and showing their different personalities, yet young enough to still need their mothers.

Do animals have souls? The closest I have ever come to the definition of a soul is: that which makes us unique. No two cats are alike, and their development clearly is a function of both instinct and experience. Based on these things, I believe they do have souls. I also believe animals understand far more than we give them credit for.

It has been interesting to watch the two mothers both take care of the babies. They both have no idea whose are whose. (They had their litters about 4 days apart.) They share duties and care for whom ever happens to be in range.

Ok, so this is kind of a sappy post, but what the heck. I always experience a sense of wonder at the attention and love the little buggers express toward us. We are huge and have very little in common, but they enjoy the company anyway. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from kittens...

Watched the Out Foxed DVD today

Man, what an eye opener. It is scary how much power media consolidation puts in the hands of a few.

I don't have much to say on this, other than to say get a copy of this DVD and watch it. Better, save your money and simply broaden your news sources. Seek out other opinion. While you are doing that, consider just how many sources use the exact same language. Wonder why we don't have as much real reporting today. Ask yourself where the line between commentary and news begins and ends. Hard? It shouldn't be. It wasn't 10 years ago. What then has changed?

Political news today is being handled like press releases for new product rollouts. Bullet points, daily memos and such all designed to keep everybody on message. Where does this stuff come from? The few media companies who control most of the media you have access to today.

Sorry for the foul language, but since when is America a fucking business? Why doesn't our government, which is supposed to be 'for the people', deal with this? Since when do we elect leaders who then take money from companies to protect their interests, but not our own?

Every time you hear 'privatize', 'outsource', or 'free market' take a hard look at which big company benefits from the item in question. Ask yourself what incentive said company has to act in your interests?

The answers to those questions pose a strong, sane and reasonable justification for a movement to establish a seperation of government and business like the one we (are supposed to ) have between church and state.

Folks, we are reaching a point where the rights of corporations trump those of real people; namely you and me. Our government, through business, can circumvent our system of checks and balances, side step the Constitution and do what it wants UNCHECKED. This is wrong and needs to stop.

What does this have to do with FOX? An uneducated population, only able to hear what benefits the powers that be, is a population already defeated in the constant struggle for their own freedom.

Gmail tip: Quick 'n Dirty Contact Manager!

The more I play with Gmail, the more I happen to like it. Google is setting new standards for user interfaces delivered via the Internet.

Keeping contacts and a history of changes with them works pretty nicely in Gmail. Simply mail yourself the name of the company in the subject line like so:

Contact: XYZ Corporattion

In the body, include the relevant information and keywords if you want:

Joe Person 555.224.5454x234
Jane Person 1.800.777.6555 Fax, whatever.

Web developers, married gurus, whatever.

Then as changes occur, simply reply to capture a running history of your contact with these folks. Use their name as a label to tag conversations you have had with them as well.

For me this works surprisingly well as I am on the road a lot and do not carry a PDA. Almost always can get a moment at a browser however. Just be sure to use the https:// interface if you want to keep your info sheltered from the greater internet.

Comments? How do you use Gmail, I am interested!

Why doesn't John Kerry Push Harder on the Electronic Voting Issue?

If anything is going to go wrong with the Kerry Edwards campaign, it will be the issue of the vote. I can understand the GOP keeping the issue quiet. They are the problem; they benefit from a sloppy vote; they started this whole thing in 2000 with a manupulated election
against Gore.

What do the Democrats have to gain by keeping this issue low key? We have seen enough problems (that favor the GOP, BTW) to know where things stand. Why not bring the trust issue into the mix along with everything else?

The Kerry Edwards ticket should be a no brainer with all that is happening right now, but that is no reason to rest idle. We cannot risk another 4 years like the ones we have just been through. The current administration will do anything to win, we all know this.

Why not push hard and keep pushing? Bringing the problems with electronic voting into sharper focus is a bigger part of that than it seems.

I just don't understand the inaction, somebody please explain this to me...

UPDATE: It appears he is doing just that. The Kerry camp is prepping a team of lawyers in every state to handle the election. It is scary that this has to happen, but perhaps there is also hope that it is happening as well. Remember it is the counting of votes that makes the decision, not the casting of votes. Those who count are growing increasingly corrupt...

It's the 4th of July again, Orange alert? WTF?

From a /. rant I wrote yesterday:

Good god. We are supposed to be on alert during the 4th of July?!? Hasn't this happened for each major event and holiday since GW took charge? Between the scrolling bar of terror, featured on FOX (the conservative mouthpiece) news, national alerts, color coded no less, from the department of homeland security, and the general atmosphere of fear ignited by 9/11, what is the average person to do?

Absolutely nothing. That's right nothing. Americans do not live in fear. We are a proud people with a great history, currently suffering from a bad leader. We have almost nothing to fear but our leaders right now. Don't buy into it.

Fear is the mind killer. (Dune -- Frank Herbert) Through fear we lose our ability to question, our hard won civil liberties, and our self respect. Through fear, our leaders chip away at our sense of what it is to be American. Fear unites our nation under ignorance and god. It's #$*%&#$ sick, frankly.

Go out this 4th, forget the terror alerts, turn off the tube and practice a little independance. Light a couple of the really good fireworks while wondering exactly why there are so many rules dealing with the celebration of independance. Talk to your friends and family about good things.

The terrorists are angry at our actions, not us the people. Don't forget that. If you respond to the contrived fear we see today, you lose the ability to live your life to its potential. Why do that? What is there to gain?

While you are enjoying a particularly good firework, hopefully with some blues and greens in the color, ask how or when we are ever going to see a blue or green terror day. As you realize the world has problems, know that it always has. Nothing has changed except our ability, as a nation, to rationally deal with the problems just as we always have.

9/11 was a bad day for all of us. Many said the world changed. The reality is far from that. We changed because we bought into the fear. Our leaders let this fester and grow to their gain and our expense. Take back your life and liberty from the fear. Understand the difference between true fear and the shallow contrived fear put before us every day.

I don't live in fear. I ask hard questions every day of my leaders. I work hard to make sure my family knows the truth about fear and how it is being used. I respect my nation and its historical values. I resent our current direction.

I am not alone.

Have a good 4th.