short notes:<br> will brady's ruminations: 2005/03/13

short notes:
will brady's ruminations

2005-03-19

LOCAL SCENE

Father Bill's Cabin
The cabin is part of the campus of My Father's House a Catholic Charismatic retreat in Moodus, Connecticut | And before you ask, no, I'm not promoting it | I just took the picture |

¶ 19:26 0 comments

SOFTWARE TOOLS

Two goodies packed with useful information |
1- The Design Center's Photoshop Tips & Tricks | This is one amazing site chock ful of info that I've never been able to decipher from too many QUE self help books | And it's free for the finding | If you use Photoshop with any regulalrity this site is a MUST to bookmark |
2- Software Tips & Tricks | An impressive array of links to downloadable repair software or many MicroSoft product flaws and gaping security homes. | Links to other software products that Bill Gates has yet to but the copyrights and patents to as well |

¶ 19:15 0 comments

2005-03-17

FAMILY VALUES?

Or is Republican Paedophilia always with us? | Some examples of these slease balls in their own back yard include:

* Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison | OHIO |
* Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation | PENNSYLVANIA |
* Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor | NEW JERSEY |
* Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a juvenile |IOWA |
* Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. and Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s |WASHINGTON DC |
* Republican Party Chairman Sam Walls, who is married, was urged to drop his candidacy for Congress when it was found he likes to dress up in women's clothing | TEXAS |
* Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter | NORTH CAROLINA |
* Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls | CONNECTICUT |

Go see the rest of the list which includes news links with sources for each situation | Should I be angry because of the apparant blatent hypocrisy of the crimes they committed | Or is Political Conservatism just a form of mental illness and maybe I should feel sorry for them? |

SOURCE: Bush AmeriKKKa and Armchair Subversive |

¶ 07:57 0 comments

2005-03-16

DISTRACTIONS

Brain twizzlers, actually.. except the first one |
     Exactly what time is it?
     The Color Test
     Copter

THANKS TO: Connie Michaud

¶ 02:05 0 comments

MUSIC

¶ 01:26 0 comments

2005-03-15

PARADIGMS | THE ART OF WAR

Back in my college days I had an Economics professor ~ lefty type, who engaged the class in conversation and opinion ferreting out our philosphical and political perspectives | Then he asked us how many read the thoughts of those with whom they disagreed | Maybe a half-dozen people raised their hands; some among those who didn't joked and chortled and smugly said "Of course not!" |
     At which point the professor, his back turned towards us for a moment, swiftly turned around and faced all of us | "And that's where you are wrong! You're stupid, in fact! And why do you think that is?" |
     Even the hand-raisers were taken aback | What was he getting at? we all thought | We didn't have to wait long to find the answer |
     "You are all stupid becuase you have no idea what you are fighting against, your enemy, your competition, the power elite, whomever. You have no idea whom you are fighting at all..."
     He paused | We responded with silence | We were learning something here |
     "...and if you don't know who you're fighting, you can never hope to win"
     Now, I'll bet Rush's Dittoheads haven't a clue about Saddam Hussein's history with the USA [and with prior Bush or Reagan Administrations in particular] much less have any idea what Mister Number One Boogeyman of the decade, Osama bin Laden might have to say about anything | So here's a head start on the subject | Three head starts, actually | Have at it, soldiers | Know what you are talking about | I remember that professor ever time I hear George Dubya brag about how he doesn't like to read books | Comforting | Comforting indeed! | That said, here's some links to peruse ~
   • The Words of Osama bin Laden
   • Osama on the US
   • Osama on the Jews and Crusaders

Another source for thought provoking material, American Prospect but credit for discovery goes to: Amygdala | UPDATE: Almost immediately the question is asked: "Yeah, well, if you are so intent on making sure people know the other side of the arguement, how come Short Notes doesn't have tons of links to places you disagree with?" | The answer to this is easy | I'm not here to PROMOTE what I disagree with, but to tell folks they ought to know what the other side thinks | When seeking to gain knowledge, the most demanding teacher must be oneself, driving forward to learn, seeking knowledge from everywhere on Life's Path and, sometimes, geeting that knowledge on one's own |

¶ 23:49 0 comments

JUSTICE

The Innocence Project was set up with the intent to help clear men and women who have been convicted of crimes yet who are innocent | To date, the Project has successfully exonerated 157 souls wrongfully committed of crimes they didn't do | In some instances, not only were the criminals not caught, but a second set of criminals, in the guise of state appointed Proescutors, commited crimes to make themselves look good on short notice | All too often, these criminals, overzealous lawyers and police working to make it appear as if they are doing their job, never experience repercussions for their crimes |
Lynch mobs are as compassionate as these folks |
While I'm not entirely convinced the death penalty should be abolished [reserved for serial killers, and leaders who've been convicted of Treason, for example] the Innocence Project provides compelling testimony why this class of punishment should be curtailed | And in one state, North Carolina, efforts are underway to establish a permanant "Innocence Commission" that would spend its time researching when there are questions about someone's having committed a crime or not | No word yet on what can be done with the perpetrators of prosecutorial misconduct |

THANKS TO: H Kent Craig who wrote of this latter subject on 10 March 2005 |

¶ 09:05 0 comments

DISTRACTIONS
Two billboards that were meant to be together

SOURCE: Mike Power via City Rag via Happy Scrappy |

¶ 08:31 0 comments

WEBLOG UPDATE

I've removed two recent entries from this page | Actually, they have been assigned to "draft" status which means they are actually "here" but not visible to anyone other than myself | These entries, titled 1- "SOCIAL JUSTICE | COMBATTING PREJUDICE" and 2- "MAINTAINING IDEOLOGICAL PURITY" were both long-winded and not as clear in message as I would like them to be | I wrote them in a hurry in response to a conversational thread on a psychiatric survivors' discussion group I usually only read from but this time actually posted | I'd prefer to work on them more, and post them in a different fashion in the future |
If you feel you must see what I consider incomplete, unclear or sloppy writing on my part, they are still up at Madbook |

¶ 07:56 0 comments

2005-03-14

OTHER VOICES | JUDICIAL SEATINGS

"I do not charge the judges with wilful and ill-intentioned error; but honest error must be arrested where its toleration leads to public ruin. As for the safety of society, we commit honest maniacs to Bedlam; so judges should be withdrawn from their bench whose erroneous biases are leading us to dissolution. It may, indeed, injure them in fame or in fortune; but it saves the republic, which is the first and supreme law." --Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821. ME 1:122

¶ 02:27 0 comments

DISTRACTIONS

Don't worry about that cheating boyfriend

These girls say go out with a gay guy for social security [that's as in not worrying that your man is popping your best friend, not the worry you'll have when Wall Street gets to eviscerate the senior citizen's social contract to pay the rent or live on the street] These ladies have their own weblog for other sage advice in the 21st Century Urban Singles Dating world |

THANKS TO: Lifestyles of the Tall and Amazonian

¶ 02:03 0 comments

2005-03-13

MUSIC

We went to a "doo wop" 50's music revival | The occasion was Bob's birthday | Doo Wop basically evolved from a merging of pop, gospel, blues, jazz and swing elements in the late 1940's and early 50's | Doo Wop was [actually, it still is vocal group harmonizing at it's best | The acapella part came, in large measure, from not having the money to pay for musical instruments |Harvey Fuqua and The Moonglows were featured on the bill | Also featured were The Flamingos, The Penguins, the sons of the Del Vikings founder David Lerchey, Ron McPhatter and others | It was a fun evening |
But I couldn't help making contrasts between these guys and the much touted Fox Network program American Idol | In my mind, there really is no comparison | The performers far outclassed and outperformed anyone I've seen on that program, which [I hate to admit] I try to watch, and that includes Paula Abdul |
The concert was put together and arranged [curated, you might say] by Doo Wopp Hall of Fame founder Harvey Robbins and the world's a better place for the joy and intimacy he brings to the concert as it's Emcee and back-up vocalist | I'd go back again |

On a more sombre note, David Lerchey's boys, who performed on Friday night as the new Del Vikings, made note that David went into the hospital with cancer before they'd come to perform | David died on Saturday, the day after we'd seem them peform | My condolences
DOO WOP IS STILL AROUND: For some of the performers still singing acapella harmonies see Destination Doo Wop, Doo Wopp Hall of Fame of America, KCXL's Roots of Doo Wop and don't miss the Central Oklahoma Chevy Club's Doo Wop Jukebox for starters | After that, do a Google Search on Doo Wop Musicians |

¶ 15:37 0 comments