short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2005-10-01
comments to go
I hate to restrict free speech but when a bunch of stupid, ignorant boors decide to flood my mailbox with faux praise [for example: "Great weblog guy, full of thought and obviously carefully kept updated!"] following it up with something like. "I have a website myself! It's about online dating in the corporate diploma mills in South Beach. Perhaps you could add a link to my site on your list" well, then you know it's just a crock of crap.
As a result of these offensive bits of tripe, I am doing something I don't really want to do, I'm shutting off the ability of others to post comments for the time being. I just don't feel like getting my own mailbox flooded with this nonsense.
Folks who know how to write a civil response [even a "me too"!] can still write me about what you've read and I'll figure out a way to give proper recognition. ¶ 23:53 0 comments
I hate to restrict free speech but when a bunch of stupid, ignorant boors decide to flood my mailbox with faux praise [for example: "Great weblog guy, full of thought and obviously carefully kept updated!"] following it up with something like. "I have a website myself! It's about online dating in the corporate diploma mills in South Beach. Perhaps you could add a link to my site on your list" well, then you know it's just a crock of crap.
As a result of these offensive bits of tripe, I am doing something I don't really want to do, I'm shutting off the ability of others to post comments for the time being. I just don't feel like getting my own mailbox flooded with this nonsense.
Folks who know how to write a civil response [even a "me too"!] can still write me about what you've read and I'll figure out a way to give proper recognition. ¶ 23:53 0 comments
2005-09-30
Security | Computer Records
Your house is about to be raided | The police come in SWAT Team style | They being ransacking your dwelling after quickly shoving in your face a paper that you are assured is a search warrant | They take what they want | Much of what they want is, apparently, all within a couple of computer towers | Your entire documentatble history in 60 gigabites of space | What do you do? | What can you do? | This is not something that could happen only to groups currently under suspicion, but can occur to anyone | We underestimate this possibility yet we cannot afford to | Think about it! |
Your house is about to be raided | The police come in SWAT Team style | They being ransacking your dwelling after quickly shoving in your face a paper that you are assured is a search warrant | They take what they want | Much of what they want is, apparently, all within a couple of computer towers | Your entire documentatble history in 60 gigabites of space | What do you do? | What can you do? | This is not something that could happen only to groups currently under suspicion, but can occur to anyone | We underestimate this possibility yet we cannot afford to | Think about it! | PIX CREDIT: SF Indymedia © 2003 |
¶ 17:27 0 comments
more on Moodus raid
The raid on the Darul Uloom camp at Shadybrook takes on a life of its own. Locally, Josh Mrozinski at the Middletown Press interviews Rahman, the caretaker at Shadybrook who says that the amaranth grown in Moodus is to at a vegetable market from Jamaica Plains, New York City. Josh notes that "In Bangladesh a small bag of data shak can sell for five pennies, said Rahman. But in the United States that same size bag can sell for $1."
The the news accumulator website Surfwax picks it up from the Hartford Courant. Not surprisingly, neo-cons at the Free Republic start to trumpet the story, no doubt to sow seeds of doubt [pardon the pun] toward Muslims in general to an American populace largely ignorant ["Don't they worship Allah?"]about anything but the basics ["No, stoopid! The pray to the crescent and star!"].
But it's when the Bangladesh Daily News and an American-Arabic new weblog al Jazeerah [not to be confused with aljazeera television] [regrettably, thier story wasn't cached by google] choose to pick up the story that my antennae rise.
In my ignorance, I snidely opined in the comments at Jihad Watch [when the site author hinted "...take note of the name..." I'd presumed he was writing about the hamlet of Moodus. In fact, he was writing about Darul Uloom, an Islamist group referred to by Salman Rushdie as an "ultra-conservative Deobandi cult, in whose madrassas the Taliban were trained."
Rushdie further notes that Darul Uloom:
The the news accumulator website Surfwax picks it up from the Hartford Courant. Not surprisingly, neo-cons at the Free Republic start to trumpet the story, no doubt to sow seeds of doubt [pardon the pun] toward Muslims in general to an American populace largely ignorant ["Don't they worship Allah?"]about anything but the basics ["No, stoopid! The pray to the crescent and star!"]. But it's when the Bangladesh Daily News and an American-Arabic new weblog al Jazeerah [not to be confused with aljazeera television] [regrettably, thier story wasn't cached by google] choose to pick up the story that my antennae rise.
In my ignorance, I snidely opined in the comments at Jihad Watch [when the site author hinted "...take note of the name..." I'd presumed he was writing about the hamlet of Moodus. In fact, he was writing about Darul Uloom, an Islamist group referred to by Salman Rushdie as an "ultra-conservative Deobandi cult, in whose madrassas the Taliban were trained."
Rushdie further notes that Darul Uloom:
...teaches the most fundamentalist, narrow, puritan, rigid, oppressive version of Islam that exists anywhere in the world today.Keeps on getting curiouser and curiouser. ¶ 01:01 1 comments
and that under Darul Uloom "...a Muslim woman from a village in northern India says she was raped by her father-in-law, has brought forth a ruling from the powerful Islamist seminary Darul-Uloom ordering her to leave her husband because as a result of the rape she has become haram (unclean) for him. "It does not matter," a Deobandi cleric has stated, "if it was consensual or forced."
2005-09-29
fuel economy
Want to save money? Take your gas guzzler to Connecticut Gas Prices to find out where the cheapest gas in the state might be. The site is interactive and relies upon its readers to post recent prices around the state; all entries over 48 hours are dumped so you are getting the most updated prices.
Yeah, I know. Sorry for those of you who live too far away to benefit from this. But the site also provides links to other sites, including Gas Buddy which is trying to do the same thing nationwide and thorugh Canada [regrettably the Province of Quebec link still isn't active]
Want to save money? Take your gas guzzler to Connecticut Gas Prices to find out where the cheapest gas in the state might be. The site is interactive and relies upon its readers to post recent prices around the state; all entries over 48 hours are dumped so you are getting the most updated prices. Yeah, I know. Sorry for those of you who live too far away to benefit from this. But the site also provides links to other sites, including Gas Buddy which is trying to do the same thing nationwide and thorugh Canada [regrettably the Province of Quebec link still isn't active]
CREDIT TO: John Rutledge and Connecticut Weblogs |
¶ 23:28 0 comments
blips + updates
• The Bugman gets Hammered! Poor Tom Delay. All because some "rabid ideologue prosecutor" has gone after him like a fanatic. Isn't this really the pot calling kettle black? I'll cry real tears.
• David Drier passed up for leadership in the House. Some say it's because he's a homo. G*D forbid a closet queen would be given that much power right at the time another judge admits that gay folks have rights to get the same benefits that non-gays do.
• Sexual violence in prisons? Although usually trivialized in the media and movies Stop Prisoner Rape has been trying to shine a spotlight on this for over 25 years. About time somebody else began to take notice.
• UPDATE: FBI Raid | I understand from an attorney friend with some personal experience in trial courts that U.S. Magistrate Donna F. Martinez, the judge who authorized the raid is pretty close to the book and would have needed much more than concerns about spinach seeds to have given the go ahead. What's this mean? Qaeda in the backwoods? Warrants watching closer as time passes.
• Off the wall movie reviews at 16 mm Shrine. Offensive? Audacious? Sure! But entertainingly written, albeit caustic at times. ¶ 21:06 1 comments
• David Drier passed up for leadership in the House. Some say it's because he's a homo. G*D forbid a closet queen would be given that much power right at the time another judge admits that gay folks have rights to get the same benefits that non-gays do.
• Sexual violence in prisons? Although usually trivialized in the media and movies Stop Prisoner Rape has been trying to shine a spotlight on this for over 25 years. About time somebody else began to take notice.
• UPDATE: FBI Raid | I understand from an attorney friend with some personal experience in trial courts that U.S. Magistrate Donna F. Martinez, the judge who authorized the raid is pretty close to the book and would have needed much more than concerns about spinach seeds to have given the go ahead. What's this mean? Qaeda in the backwoods? Warrants watching closer as time passes.
• Off the wall movie reviews at 16 mm Shrine. Offensive? Audacious? Sure! But entertainingly written, albeit caustic at times. ¶ 21:06 1 comments
2005-09-25
dinner with Louis Nichole, Country Singer
While I was playing Sot's Horseshoes on Saturday night, Bruce went off for dinner at Louis Nichols' house. A completely different atmosphere. Take a look:
Who, you ask is Louis Nichole? Well, two years ago I would have asked the question myself. Louis is a very sweet man who wrote ~ and had published ~ his first book when he was in high school. It was about home decorating and design.
Louis is pretty much a self-invented man. What he does got Martha to be more famous than he, but Louis hasn't done any insider trading [none I know of at least] so his noteriety level is muh lower.
Other than that, he does everything from design Christmas ornaments and porcelain dolls to home furnishings and similar such stuff.
Most of it way too "fru fru" for my liking [that's highly overwrought decorating]. But obviously, his work has an audience.
But... his stuff's been featured on HGTV, and I certainly can't say the same. And he's certainly a change from IKEA, which I wrote about last.
What does any of this have to do with country music? Well, go to his website for more details.
Louis is pretty much a self-invented man. What he does got Martha to be more famous than he, but Louis hasn't done any insider trading [none I know of at least] so his noteriety level is muh lower.
Other than that, he does everything from design Christmas ornaments and porcelain dolls to home furnishings and similar such stuff.
Most of it way too "fru fru" for my liking [that's highly overwrought decorating]. But obviously, his work has an audience.
But... his stuff's been featured on HGTV, and I certainly can't say the same. And he's certainly a change from IKEA, which I wrote about last.
What does any of this have to do with country music? Well, go to his website for more details.
PHOTO CREDITS: Vee from New Jersey
¶ 22:17 1 comments
FBI raid in Moodus Connecticut
Federal agents raided a Muslim campground in Moodus on Friday. Working in concert with the US Department of Agriculture, agents seized documents, computer discs and ... amaranth seeds!
FBI Agents also seized bank deposit slips, maps, directions and gasoline receipts. It was said these "...were related to travel..." Uh huh. Glad I now know this vital fact. Who would have thought that maps and directions would have been "travel related"?
According to the Hartford Courant agents were specifically interested in the seeds to the plant. Seems some wag at the USDA thought they might have been smuggled in from Afghanistant or Bangaledesh.
Amaranth is a relative of the pigweeds and the ornamental flowers we know as cockscomb. It's grown not only for its seeds, but for its leaves that can be cooked and eaten as greens.
Some agricultural researchers say that Amaranth is an ideal plant to develop and cultivate because is highly nutritious, and the plant itself is extremely attractive and useful. Amaranth was a staple in the diets of pre-Columbian Aztecs. Since 1975 amaranth has been gaining support in the U.S. and is now grown in Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, and other states, but is still not a
mainstream food. It is found in many natural food stores and the flour is often used in baked goods.
The campground, managed by Darul Uloom New York, has been operational for five years now. It is a retreat center where Sunni Muslims have created an
result, in a town where some teen-aged boys emulate hip-hoppers and girls try looking like Brittany Spears, these visitors to town stand out.
And while East Haddam and Moodus have a pretty enlightened, tolerant, even accepting populace compared to some neighboring towns, prejudice is still present here. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of our local ignorant yahoos ~ the ones our town's resident constable has reported as slowly driving by yelling "towelhead!" or "al qaida!" had something to do with this unexpected raid.
There was no explanation why the amaranth plants growing lush and plentiful in the campground's garden were not seized as well.
Federal agents raided a Muslim campground in Moodus on Friday. Working in concert with the US Department of Agriculture, agents seized documents, computer discs and ... amaranth seeds! FBI Agents also seized bank deposit slips, maps, directions and gasoline receipts. It was said these "...were related to travel..." Uh huh. Glad I now know this vital fact. Who would have thought that maps and directions would have been "travel related"?
According to the Hartford Courant agents were specifically interested in the seeds to the plant. Seems some wag at the USDA thought they might have been smuggled in from Afghanistant or Bangaledesh.Amaranth is a relative of the pigweeds and the ornamental flowers we know as cockscomb. It's grown not only for its seeds, but for its leaves that can be cooked and eaten as greens.
Some agricultural researchers say that Amaranth is an ideal plant to develop and cultivate because is highly nutritious, and the plant itself is extremely attractive and useful. Amaranth was a staple in the diets of pre-Columbian Aztecs. Since 1975 amaranth has been gaining support in the U.S. and is now grown in Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, and other states, but is still not a
mainstream food. It is found in many natural food stores and the flour is often used in baked goods.The campground, managed by Darul Uloom New York, has been operational for five years now. It is a retreat center where Sunni Muslims have created an
...institution in which ...children can be educated with true Islamic Values in a totally Islamic Environment and provide the necessary environment and education and social atmosphere for Islamic children. Deeni (Islamic) education is obligatory on every Muslim so as to inculcate Islamic values and morals into [people's]lives.People who come to the camp wear clothing recognized as traditional arab-style garb such as head scarves and long robes. As a
result, in a town where some teen-aged boys emulate hip-hoppers and girls try looking like Brittany Spears, these visitors to town stand out.And while East Haddam and Moodus have a pretty enlightened, tolerant, even accepting populace compared to some neighboring towns, prejudice is still present here. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of our local ignorant yahoos ~ the ones our town's resident constable has reported as slowly driving by yelling "towelhead!" or "al qaida!" had something to do with this unexpected raid.
There was no explanation why the amaranth plants growing lush and plentiful in the campground's garden were not seized as well.
SITES ON ISLAM: Sunni Forum | Islam 101 | CSU's Health & Culture page on Muslims | ON AMARANTH: Chet Day's Amaranth | Don Wiss's Amaranth Recipes | Special Food's About Amaranth
¶ 10:44 1 comments
horseshoes
I have no clue about the rules to playing horseshoes. Frankly, if I were required to know them beforehand, I would not have gone near the pits. But we played last night at the MSC Pavilion just for fun... well, some of us did at any rate.
One guy, not a member but a relative of one [or several, who was counting] together with one of the regulars, got way too serious about what was and wasn't countable for points. Which was not a good thing considering that those of us playing were already fueled with beers and lagers of unnamed ~ and unknown ~ origins. The ensuing verbal fracas became a fine form of entertainment for the rest of us.
I got to taking pictures and people began to get worried. But they needn't have. They were from the cell phone camera. Here's some of the results:
I have no clue about the rules to playing horseshoes. Frankly, if I were required to know them beforehand, I would not have gone near the pits. But we played last night at the MSC Pavilion just for fun... well, some of us did at any rate.One guy, not a member but a relative of one [or several, who was counting] together with one of the regulars, got way too serious about what was and wasn't countable for points. Which was not a good thing considering that those of us playing were already fueled with beers and lagers of unnamed ~ and unknown ~ origins. The ensuing verbal fracas became a fine form of entertainment for the rest of us.
I got to taking pictures and people began to get worried. But they needn't have. They were from the cell phone camera. Here's some of the results:
SEE A simpler set of rules |
¶ 10:05 0 comments
