Senator Kennedy and Dying in Old Age

I was reading an acquaintance's LJ, and found some "oh it's part of the Kennedy Curse" whinging about the Senator Kennedy's cancer diagnosis. A number of people agreed with with original posting.

I had to disagree:



Um....

OK, I'll say it - he's 76 years old.

That means he, like his mother and father before him, lived longer than average.

He's not part of any mythic "Kennedy curse" (though you could certainly make a case for some of his older siblings and two of his nephews).

He survived a plane crash in the mid-60s (with a broken back), a car crash in 1969 (that killed his companion) and more eating, drinking, and fooling around (when he was younger apparently) than most people.

If anything, he's been the luckiest Kennedy of them all.

Think about it - we all die. He's not 26 - he's 76.

Sorry, I've generally liked Teddy and voted for him at least once, but I'm not in denial about his age or condition physical condition.

Last I looked, dying in old age wasn't a curse.

Sorry I Haven't Been Blogging Much Here

I've been busy with an interesting class (have a paper due this Thursday), following the local shooting of The Road, and, busiest of all, have been an extra in a 20-something comedy called She's Out of My League. I'll probably only have another day or two of extra shooting. As a longtime movie fan, it's been mostly a blast.

I will vote in the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. For the last year, I was planning to vote for Hillary Clinton. Now, I'm not so sure. It's not just her vote for the Iraq war, though that was one of the stupider thing she did. I just haven't liked the tone of her whole campaign over the last few months. Barack has about as much experience now as Bill Clinton did in 1992, and, somehow, that doesn't make him experienced enough to be president now?

I'd really like to see a woman in the White House. But I'd also like someone not so beholden to special interests, and someone who's an inspiring speaker (for a change!).

I'm definitely leaning more towards Barack Obama than I have been.

4/15/08: Change me to a definite Obama voter now. Clinton's campaign has gone negative in the kind of ad the Republicans used against Kerry. If she's going Republican, I'm voting for Obama.

Anti-Torture Blog Day

Any torture done in the name of the American government is a bad idea.

Only people who hate America would think torture was acceptable.

Only people completely unfamiliar with the Constitution would think it was a good idea.

It's common for the right wing to jump in and jabber on about how torture "keeps us safe." Right. If we're so safe, why are airports basically armed camps? Why are our borders being sealed against mostly economic refugees? Why are we bankrupting our country, both morally and economically?

If I have time tomorrow, I hope to go to the anti-war rally over in Oakland. I don't know if I'll be able to, but I'm going to try pretty damned hard.

During the Bush administration, I haven't been ashamed to be an American, as much as I've been ashamed that Bush, Cheney and their pals represent our country worldwide, and in the most negative fashion imaginable.

Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Online Charity Auction Is Open

Auction closed, 3/12/08. Thanks if you participated!

If live in the Pittsburgh area, and you're into the Steelers, art, music, dinners out or days of beauty, the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Charity Online Charity Auction has something for you.

Auction items include Steelers memorabilia and tickets, Pitt basketball tickets, a weekend condo rental at Hidden Valley, and a shopping spree at Lippencott Alpacas Farm Store.

The auction is open until March 12, 2008.

All proceeds benefit the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh.

Support the Science2008 Presidential Debate, Set for April 18 in Philadelphia

I was an early supporter of ScienceDebate 2008, when it was just a twinkle in The Intersection's eye. While I'm not a scientist or a science blogger per-se, I've long been fascinated by science, blog about it occasionally, and find our country's slide towards the endarkenment quite depressing.

Through the hard work of Science Debate 2008, they've reserved space in Philadelphia and have invited the major presidential candidates. Great job, folks!

We don't know if any of the major candidates will show up, but we do know they've all been invited.

While "big voices" (like The New York Times) have urged this science debate, I felt more small voices would help too. So, I sent the following E-mail to Clinton and Obama today:

My E-mail to the Clinton Campaign:


Subject: I Sincerely Hope You Accept the Proposal to Participate in the ScienceDate2008


Your campaign was the first campaign to talk about the importance of good, unbiased science in government. Please help show America that you are willing to debate the important issues of science with Barack Obama (I'm not holding my breath that any Republican candidates will show up - we know how they feel about science!).

Sincerely,


Laurie D. T. Mann
McDonald, PA

PS: I am pretty sure I will vote for you in the Pennsylvania primary which follows this debate, partially because you indicated earlier in your campaign that you were taking science seriously. I want to believe that you still do!


*********************************


My E-mail to the Obama Campaign


Please Accept the Challenge to Debate Hillary Clinton in Philadelphia on April 18th on the Issues of Science


Your campaign hasn't talked too much about the importance of good, unbiased science in governmental-decision-making - Clinton's has. Please help show America that you are willing to debate the important issues of science with Hillary Clinton (I'm not holding my breath that any Republican candidates will show up - we know how they feel about science!).


Sincerely,


Laurie D. T. Mann
McDonald, PA

PS: I am pretty sure I will vote for Hillary Clinton in the Pennsylvania primary which follows this debate, partially because she indicated early in her campaign that she was taking science seriously. While I'm glad your campaign has thought about global warming and the need for energy independence, we need a pro-science president. Frankly, most European countries, Japan and Brazil have more pro-science governments than America's current government.

Is Huckabee Nadering Romney?

It looks like!

Not that I'm a fan of any of them, but it is kind of funny.

Forbes Removes "Whistleblowers on Fraud Facing Penalties"

Now, I know Web sites, particularly magazine and newspaper Web sites, are run for profit and are under no obligation to keep all their content online.

That said, I think it's a huge mistake that Forbes magazine seems to have removed the famous "Whistleblowers on Fraud Facing Penalties" article, written by Deborah Hastings and published on 8/24/07. It was about the US government prosecuting US citizens who were trying to fight fraud in Iraq.

So I wrote to Forbes to complain:


To: Forbes Magazine
Subject: What Happened to the "Whistleblowers on Fraud Facing Penalties" by Deborah Hastings Article (date: 08/24/07)?

Why isn't it online anymore?

I thought that was one of the most important articles Forbes ever published, not to mention one of the most unlikely, given the conservative tilt of Forbes. I blogged about the article, and linked to it from my Web site.

So, I did a periodic link check and found the article cannot be found at the Forbes site. I think that's very unfortunate. It's too important to not keep it online in its entirety as a constant reminder of how far our country has sunk over the last 7 years.

Luckily, I downloaded a copy of it. I am tempted to post a different 20% of it every day on my Web site, so that the content can be retained on the Web and without violating your copyright.



Disgusted, but not surprised,

Laurie D. T. Mann
McDonald, PA

Finally - Dim Sum in the Pittsburgh Area

2012 update - the dim sum place in Robinson Township died a few years back. I miss it. I'm not sure why this blog post gets so many visits. When we go to Washington, then we get decent dim sum! [[I can't recommend the York Buffet Sushi & Grill across from the Mall at Robinson. I've been there maybe three times, it has a few kinds of dim sum, everything there tends to taste stale.]]

I've had dim sum many times in Boston, New York and San Francisco since at least 1982. When I moved back to Pittsburgh in 1993, I kept waiting for a genuine dim sum restaurant with the carts to open up. I figured that since Pittsburgh was always at least ten years behind the times, maybe one would open up by 2000. I shouldn't have held my breath.

It's not that I haven't had good Chinese appetizers in Pittsburgh - I have. The China Palace in Shadyside has excellent appetizers. Ditto the New Dumpling House in Squirrel Hill, Spice Island Tea House in Oakland and Ya Fei in Robinson. We always meant to try the Hong Kong in Dormont, but as they only served dim sum one Sunday a month, it was easy to forget to go there. And while there seems to be a dim sum place in Allison Park, I've never been to Allison Park.

So I was delighted to stumble over the Golden Palace, 5920 Steubenville Pike (near Beaver Grade Rd. on the same side of the street) in Robinson Township (412-489-5398). It's in a former Chinese buffet restaurant that closed last year and has just reopened. While they don't serve buffet, it's no great loss. It has a pretty typical Chinese menu and it has dim sum every day. Not only dim sum, but dim sum from carts on the weekends! (The menu online is in Chinese, but they include photos of some items.)

It was pretty good. The menu isn't huge, but the steamed buns were excellent as were the shrimp dumplings and turnip cake. We didn't have any dessert, but the dessert cart had some good-looking custard tarts and sesame balls.

It's definitely worth the trip to Robinson Township to go to this restaurant. It's on the same side of the road as the Arby's and the Eat and Park. Maybe if they get more business, they'll add more kinds of dim sum!

The Facts Don't Matter for Bush

As I've often said, I find the lack of respect for facts and reason by the current administration a real embarrassment for our country.

Here is a good example of Bush's not caring about the facts. It's a little thing; it's not about the lies he's told about Iraq or about public policy or what the Constitution says or John Kerry or anything else like that. This lie is about a painting that's hanging in the White House, given to him by supporters.

The Abridged Version of the Story

A Myth to Keep - the Full Version of the Story

Thanks to NPR for reporting this story yesterday!

In Honor of "Blog for Choice 2008"

I cannot think of a time when I wasn't pro-choice. Even in the '60s, when I was first learning about sex and birth control and abortion was generally illegal, having the option of an abortion in a doctor's office made sense. I couldn't understand the fuss then.

While I understand the fuss now, I do not agree with it.

Abortion rights, like other rights for women (did you know women voted legally in some areas of America in the 18th century?) always seem more tenuous. We have to continue to fight for the right for legal abortion. We have to fight for the right to get birth control, given some people's opposition to that. We need to fight for the right to an accurate, science-based education on issues of biology, sexuality and birth control. We need to elect individuals to government who comprehend the difference between science and religious-based propaganda.

While I do not believe that abortion is murder, if it is murder, it is murder in self-defense. We generally don't condemn people who kill in self-defense; to preserve one's own life. If you do believe abortion is murder, the answer is simple - don't have one. But I do not believe I have the right to make that choice for you, any more than I believe a government should make such a choice for me.

Do You Want the Constitution Huckabeed?

On January 14, 2008, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate said (and it's on tape even):


I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution. But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God. And that’s what we need to do is amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than trying to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family.


Well, great. I don't want an American Ayatollah in office. We finally got rid of Santorum; we don't need another person that out-of-touch in high office. I want people in office who have a clue about what the Establishment Clause means...and what it doesn't mean.

Jefferson and Madison would be rolling over in their graves to hear an American presidential candidate talking that way. They fought against such nonsense their entire lives.

Congressional Office of Technology Assessment Is Still Dead

Back in the '70s, when folks in the government still paid attention to scientists, the Office of Technology Assessment was founded, to help provide scientific data for governmental decision-making. The office was closed down after the "Republican Revolution" of 1994, when Gringich et. al. took over.

Now that the Democrats have control of the Congress, I'd hoped we'd see some changes. Granted, making any changes in Washington tends to be a very slow process. But one positive change the Congress could make is to re-establish the Office of Technology Assessment, and start paying attention to science in decision-making, rather than politics.

The Science Progress blog had a useful reminder about this situation.

I wrote to Speaker Pelosi and my own Representative Tim Murphy. Murphy would probably be opposed to including more science advising in decision-making since Republicans seem to be most opposed to this concept.

Hilary Clinton's Much-Needed Shot in the Arm

I thought people who wrote Hilary Clinton's presidential race obituary after her loss in Iowa were overreacting. Turns out that I was right.

While people in the media keep harping on Clinton's unelectability, she's been ahead or even in many national, head-to-head polls against likely Repulican candidates. Many of us would love to see a woman president for a change.

The sexist jerks are out in full color (as usual). I've always thought she's a good candidate and would make a very good president. On the one hand, like most politicians, she's sold out to a degree, and Obama is a more inspiring speaker. Still, she's done a surprising amount of bipartisan work in Washington, during a time of severe partisanship. She's tenacious, and she very smart. I don't count her out.

I do have a concern over the idea that it's not a good thing to have the presidency change hands between two families for many years. On the other hand, while George H. W. Bush was kind of a middling president, his son W. has been an unmitigated disaster. Hard to tell if Hilary Clinton would be better or worse than Bill. She might be better - she had much more national political experience than Bill had when he ran.

So while the idea of an Obama or an Edwards presidency doesn't horrify me, I'd prefer Clinton. As I live in Pennsylvania, I don't know if I'll get the chance to vote for he in my primary. But, I hope I do!

Jamie Lynn Spears: Poster Child for "Abstinence Only" Education

Remember a few years ago when famous teen pop star Britney Spears made a big deal that she was going to be a virgin until she got married?

Well, apparently she didn't, but at least she managed to delay a first pregnancy until she was married.

Her younger sister wasn't quite that "smart." I know, I know, putting the phrase "Britney Spears" and "smart" in the same essay seems a tad incongruous. But why are many teens so stupid when it comes to sex?

Currently, the stupidity is caused by a combination of strong hormones and the gutting of sex education programs at the federal level.

Granted, teens have been stupid about sex for a long time. Teen pregnancy isn't anything new. It was a little more common when I was a teenager. But, at least in the '70s, many school systems had at least something approaching sex education. And, between more factual sex education, more girls asserting their right to not have sex before they were ready, and more availability of contraception, teen pregnancy rates gradually started to decline.

However, during the reign of the Bushies, reality-based sex education been systematically removed in favor of the fantasy of abstinence-only education.

It doesn't work. The teen pregnancy rate is starting to increase again, partially due to the federal government's refusal to approach teen sexuality in anything approaching a realistic manner. The teen girls who are having sex without proper education or protection are only living out the fantasy of "waiting until marriage" that the federal government and many religious organizations like to push.

Don't get me wrong - I don't think most teens should have sex. Having a good sex life as an adult is very important. I can only imagine how many teen girl's feelings about her sexuality have been mangled by a teen boy's feelings about his. While I don't advocate waiting until marriage to have sex, I do advocate waiting until you have a potential lover with whom you can discuss sex and birth control before you engage in having sex. If you aren't adult enough to have the birth control talk, you aren't adult enough to have sex either.

Claiming that sex education leads to irresponsible sex is like claiming that driver education leads to car accidents.

A Call for a Presidential Debate on Science and Technology

(taken, verbatim, from sciencedebate2008.com)

Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy.


*******************************

Given that at least one Democratic presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton, has already made a strong statement that her administration would promote scientific inquiry and innovation, I hope the Democrats would agree to such a debate. Most of the Republican candidates are violently anti-science, particularly Huckabee and Romney. It would be something of a joke for the Republicans to engage in such a discussion.

First Anniversary of Bocktown Beer and Grill

Jim and I have been regulars out at Bocktown Beer and Grill in North Fayette since we realized there was a non-smoking beer bar in Allegheny county. Owner Chris Dilla threw a first anniversary party for the bar on November 29.





Chris Dilla with her husband John at the Bocktown first anniversary party.






Bocktown from the inside.



The band makes music.



BarSmart Poster for the Beer Poll.



The "bouncer."



Christmas beer selection.



Jim won a T-shirt from Stone Brewing! The T-shirt is completely appropriate.

Dick Cheney Has An Irregular Heart

This is news?

And Trent Lott is leaving early. Now, when most Senators leave the Senate early, it's either due to ill health or a scandal. Why is Lott leaving early? To become a high-paid lobbyist. The Senate changed to rules on lobbying this year to add a requirement that a member of Congress had to wait two years after leaving office to become a lobbyist. But the law does not go into effect until January.

Great, just great. This seems to be the meaning of public servant - make as much money as you possibly can.

The Decline and Fall of...Sesame Street??

I forget now who pointed me to this New York Times article, but if you ever watched Sesame Street in the '60s, '70s or '80s, it sounds like the show is going downhill rapidly.

I wrote the following letter to the article's author and to the current executive producer of Sesame Street:


To: Virginia Heffernan, New York Times
CC: Carol-Lynn Parente, Childrens Television Workshop



What?? TV from 1969 isn't suitable for today's children? Have people who create programming for children lost their minds?

Yes...but...it's happened before.

I was born in 1957, and remember vividly some of the early Warner Brothers cartoons, some with negative racial stereotypes, on frequent rotation on TV by the early '60s. I remember Captain Kangaroo reading "Little Black Sambo." I remember "The Little Rascals" with Buckwheat. These experiences, along with having been raised in a lily-white suburb, should have made me a racist.

But they didn't.

If anything, seeing racism on TV news (lynchings, the white police in the South turning water hoses on black protesters, hearing that black girls around my own age were murdered in a church bombing) made me understand, early on, how wrong racism was. Seeing racial stereotypes treated as "normal" on children's TV made me understand, early on, that these attitudes were ridiculous.

During the '60s, I loved Warner Brothers cartoons because they were always sharper than the other cartoons on TV, even if they sometimes used stereotypes. Early Warner Brothers cartoons were in no way politically correct. But most of them are still funny today, even to adults.

I have a younger brother, who was five the year Sesame Street started. Even though I was twelve, I enjoyed the early Sesame Street episodes. They were wonderfully anarchic. Did we think the fact that the baker carrying the baked goods and falling down the stairs while he was counting objects mean that we should fall downstairs carrying a tray of cakes? Did we think we should all live in trash cans and be grouchy to everyone around? Did we think we should only ever eat cookies? Of course not! I understood that. Even my five year old brother understood that.

The current Sesame Street doesn't sound like it's fun to watch. It sounds way too bland. Older Sesame Street shows had an engaging blend of innocent and more sophisticated characters. That was a little more interesting to the viewers, particularly to the adults who might be watching with their children. Changing with the times is one thing. Many kids shows have had an increase in female and minority characters over the last 20 years, and that's great. But bowdlerizing kids TV to dull any sharpness or originality is a very sad state of affairs.


Laurie D. T. Mann
Pittsburgh, PA

My Cousin, The Conservative Pundit

A few weeks ago, my mother mentioned that my cousin Debbie's son Justin was a published writer. I haven't seen Debbie in years and I've never met either of her kids. But Debbie and I are the same age and spent a number of Thanksgivings together at our grandparents' house in Vermont. So while we aren't connected in the present, we've had connections in the past.

Anyway, I glanced through the URL Mom told me about, and realized Justin was a self-published writer. Not that there's anything wrong with that; most of us who write for the Web are self-published.

He's also extremely conservative. While his iUnverse bio claims:


Justin Haskins, a political science student at the University of Kansas, is an award winning poet and an up and coming political commentator. Currently the author of two books, his unique opinions and passionate commentating force readers to think outside the box and into the realm of debate. Using strenuous researching tactics and uncommonly known facts, Haskins is quickly becoming a much needed voice for a new generation of voters.

I, frankly, didn't see anything in his essays beyond the Clinton-bashing we've been seeing for over 15 years. I tried giving November in New England a read, but it was mostly too extreme.

I don't know if Justin and I will ever meet. While he was raised in New Hampshire, he's currently in college in Kansas. I know that, aside from my Mom's cousin Alice and my sister-in-law Rachel, I'm the family liberal. Justin is from my Dad's side of the family. My Dad has always been pretty quiet about his political leanings, though he probably generally votes Republican. My Mom has always been much more forthcoming about her distaste for Democrats. But, it is at least a little funny that Justin and I are at all related.

Why Do My Favorite Sites Hate Nearsighted People?

There have always been Web sites that have been triumphs of form over function. The look of the site mattered more than the content.

My favorite sites have always been the ones where the content is the most important thing. I read IMDB, Yahoo and CNN regularly.

Unfortunately, the recent redesigns of IMDB and Yahoo are both hostile to nearsighted people. The basic type is way too small. Some Web sites let the user set preferences for type size and colors, but not IMDB or Yahoo. The user has no control over the display of the page. The only thing the user can do is up the size from the browser View option, but then you have to reset it whenever you leave the site where the text is too small.

I'd sent comments complaining about these problems to both sites when they were in beta. And I can't believe that I was the only one. However, the main font size is still too small.

It's frustrating that companies don't give a damn about Web site readability.

Meeting Up with Other Bloggers

I've missed the last few Pittsburgh Blogfests, but I was at the next one, which was Thursday, November 8 at Finnegans Wake on the North side. It's fun to meet up with the people you read online.

I mostly hung out with my friends Christina and Vanessa. WTAE was there too, and I'm in the background of some of the early shots. Blogfest diva Cindy Closkey was the primary interview.

Sadly, Christina and Vanessa were a bit on the camera-shy side so they left when the video camera started rolling. I talked to Rob from Unspace and Dayvoe from 2 Political Junkies. We were joined by Jennifer Angelo (GermCircus). Cindy Closkey (My Brilliant Mistakes) brought a cake, as we were celebrating the third anniversary of blogfest. I had to leave before they cut the cake, as I had plans to go to CMU to see Golden Boy.

NPR Gives Free Airtime to Bushie Yes Man

I sent the following letter to NPR this morning, regarding its "non-interview" with a former Bush administration employee:


NPR is sometimes chastised as being a mouthpiece of the left, for its slightly fair and occasionally balanced coverage of the shenanigans in Washington. But NPR reporters are sometimes incapable of asking hard questions of members of the Bush administration.

Take Michael Battle, interviewed on Morning Edition on November 2, 2007. He was the director of the Justice Department's Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, but he is now in private practice. Battle was the one whom Alberto Gonzales told to fire the US Attorneys last year. Battle made it very clear that it wasn't his idea to fire the US Attorneys. Battle did not want to do it as he considered many of the attorneys his friends. But he did it anyway.

The second he realized he was being told to fire people over their politics, he should have quit. But, as his the case with most politicos these days, Battle simply did what he was told without further question. Another willing "executioner."

America was not founded by "yes men," it was founded by people trying to create a better government with checks and balances. Too many people in the government think loyalty to the party in power is more important than loyalty to the Constitution or to the public. It's an appalling thing to see happening in America, especially since the Bushies came to power.

So what I fail to understand is why didn't the NPR reporter have the courage to ask this former government employee, "When you realized you were being asked to do something that was illegal (or at least very unethical), why didn't you quit or take the story public?" It's important for the media to shine a light on yes men, and not just gloss them over.

Reporters are supposed to try to get at the truth of a story. It was disappointing that NPR failed to delve any deeper on this story.

Bach Choir of Pittsburgh Concerts, 10/27/07 & 10/30/07

I've recently rejoined the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh. We're putting on our fall concerts next week. The music is wonderful. If you like classical vocal music (or want to exposure your kids to one of the great local choirs), I hope you'll consider buying tickets and attending. Here's a complete description of the concerts:


Voices on the Wind
Featuring the Carnegie Mellon Wind Ensemble
Saturday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m., Trinity Cathedral, Downtown
Tuesday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m., Carnegie Music Hall, Oakland

The 24-player CMU Wind Ensemble joins the Bach Choir in a program featuring glorious pieces for wind instruments – including the ultimate wind instrument – the human voice. Come soar with us on the wings of song.


Ave Maria
The Franz Biebl Ave Maria, a beautiful a capella setting of the standard text, is like Bruckner with its thick and expansive harmonies. It has become a gem of the standard choral literature, brought into prominence by Chanticleer.

Equus
Meaning "horse" in Latin, this piece was composed from discarded themes and ideas covering four years of the composer Eric Whitacre's life. This rhythmic and exciting piece is a great example of program music, featuring the women of the Bach Choir.

Celebrations
Vincent Persichetti's meaningful setting of the incredible poetry of Walt Whitman features pieces primarily from Whitman's "Leaves of Grass." These settings are thoughtful, spirited and dazzling in their use of colorful orchestration and choral voicing.

Rainland
Rainland explores the inner landscape of a young woman experiencing deep hurt for the first time. The music is both haunting and mysterious, featuring soloists from the Bach Choir. Rainland is the "place where tears come from" and is the U.S. premiere of the UK composer, Joseph Phibbs.

Tickets are available through ProArts 412-394-3353 or proartstickets.org


http://www.bachchoirpittsburgh.org/

WDUQ (public radio in Pittsburgh) Has Lost My Money, too

WDUQ has shown that it has more loyalty to Duquesne University (which does provide its office space) than to the listening public. WDUQ has been ordered by Duquesne University (a Catholic university) to return a donation from Planned Parenthood.

Well, I figure if WDUQ has to return a donation from Planned Parenthood, it doesn't need my money either. After all, I'm a feminist, I believe in free access to birth control and that abortion in the first three months is purely a medical issue and no one's business.

If Duquesne can dictate to WDUQ which donations to take and reject, what's next? Editing the news? No more stories about priestly pedophiles and the huge amounts of money the Catholic Church has had to pay in damages?

I think it's time for WDUQ to find a truly independent home. Duquesne is not an appropriate venue for public, independent radio.

Great News for Al Gore and Doris Lessing!

I'm very happy that Al Gore co-won the Nobel Peace Prize (with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and that Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Al Gore has had quite a year.

Comprehending that Very Different People May Have the Same Name

I'd like to think people who are online are reasonably able to read and think things through. This isn't always the case.

No, I'm not just commenting on Bush-supporters here.

I have a friend with a slightly unusual name. She got harassing messages in her LiveJournal because she shares the same name as a woman in another state who was involved with a murder.

So the lesson is that harassing people on the Internet is stupid. But it's beyond stupid to not realize that multiple people online could have the same name.

Thomas L. Friedman's Useful Reminder: 9/11 Is Over

He had an excellent, succinct editorial on the subject in today's New York Times.

I wrote a letter to the editors. If they don't use it, I'll post it here in about a week.

Randy Pausch, a Hero to Remember

I've never met Randy Pausch, but as I'm both a geek and a movie fan, our paths have almost crossed. Dr. Pausch helped to start Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center. I've done some volunteer work on Carl Kurlander's Pittsburgh documentary project at the ETC.

However, based on yesterday's Post-Gazette article, I'm a huge fan of Randy Pausch, for tackling a difficult, personal subject with intelligence and humor.

Dr. Pausch is taking very early retirement from CMU as he's had a cancer relapse and may only have about six months left to live. As he's only 46 and has three young children, he's chosen to spend the time he has left settling his children in a new environment. His family has just moved to be near his wife's family in Virginia.

He took the time to talk to his colleagues and his students about what was important in his life and about
what he wanted to do and what he accomplished. He's had a very interesting life, and he did accomplish much of what he wanted. I also love the fact that Carnegie Mellon has named the footbridge between the Gates Computer Sciences Building and the Purnell Center for the Arts in his honor. I can't imagine a more fitting honor for such a multi-faceted man.

So I hope Dr. Pausch surprises his doctors and lives longer than the three to six months he may have left. All I could think as I read his story was the old cliche, "Only the good die young." But it doesn't feel like such a cliche in his case.

[[Thanks to NetMouse for mentioning the availability of a video Randy's talk at the Entertainment Technology Center.]]

I've since watched the whole video of Randy's "Last Lecture." It was magnificent. Mostly extremely funny, uplifting and very practical. The last line of his speech was extremely moving. If you have any interest in mentoring students, academia, being mentored or the development of virtual reality, it's worth the 1 hour and 44 minutes.

Dear Potential Employer...

Are you looking for temporary, part-time or contract Web, writing, Microsoft Office or event help?

Consider this an "uncover letter."

If you're looking for a drone or a yes person, and your only requirement is that they are available 40 hours a week (or more), please don't bother looking at my resume. I'm not the person you're looking for.

But, if you need a contract, occasional or part-time employee who is

* enthusiastic
* friendly
* computer-literate
* flexible

please read my formal resume. Even better, if you give "extra points" for creativity, humor and honesty, you might want to talk to me directly. I have a great computer, loads of software and excellent connectivity from my home, so you don't even need an office for me. I live near Pittsburgh International Airport, and am looking for a job west of downtown. I'd even consider downtown Pittsburgh if I don't have to come in every day.

I'll be blunt--I'm a middle-aged woman with severe insomnia, which means I burn out quickly in a full time job, particularly one that demands 40 hours (or more) a week. But I'm terrific 20-30 hours a week. I can:

* code Web sites
* write anything
* help with customers
* do research
* manage your databases
* help give your Web sites a higher Google ranking
* help with your spreadsheets
* negotiate with hotels or convention centers
* manage your events

I'm even cheerful first thing in the morning. And I make a great chocolate chip cookie.

So if you're looking for reliable, contract or part-time help, or event management, drop me some E-mail and let's talk.

Sincerely,

Laurie D. Mann

Continuing Abuse of 9/11...From All Sides

The neo-cons keep using 9/11 as an excuse to be in Iraq.

Al-Queda (the version run by bin Laden) uses 9/11 as an excuse to try to convert the West to Islam.

Various factions in Iraq don't use 9/11 per se, but use the ensuing American-led power vacuum as an excuse to kill off "infidels" in the other factions.

There's currently a commercial by some neo-con support group in which a wounded American soldier blames 9/11 and terrorism on Iraq. It's such a lie that I want to throw something at the TV whenever I hear it. Yes, more Americans have now been killed in Iraq than by bin Laden's Al-Queda (though, a related group, Al-Queda in Iraq, have certainly killed many Iraqis, Americans and other folks in Iraq over the last four years). Yes, Hussein was a dictator, but we don't go out and topple all dictators. There are dictators in Saudi Arabia and other places who stay in power with American help.

It's disgusting what the neo-con-led American government continues to do.

9/11 is a sad day for America. But, frankly, our government's secondary response, to overthrow a generally uninvolved country, was a horrible thing to do. The American people, generally, have recovered from 9/11. But the Iraqi people may not.

An Actual (and Fitting) Quote By an Appropriately-Named Iowa Anti-Marriage Bigot

"Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, said the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage."

An appropriate surname for a bigot.

I wonder if he's been coming on to men in public restrooms the way that soon-to-be-ex Senator Craig did? After all, Craig also opposed homosexuality, at least, for committed couples who wished to marry. Homosexual sex in a public bathroom with a total stranger, that's fine. But, heaven forbid, not part of an actual legal relationship!

Forbes Magazine Reports U. S. Corruption in Iraq

This article was in Forbes magazine recently. No, not Mother Jones or some left-wing periodical. Forbes magazine, a magazine about as absolutely mainstream Republican as you can possibly get.

The key point of this article is that our military (not someone else's army or some group of insurgents) is detaining American citizens who work in Iraq and report fraud. In short, they've been treating some whistle-blowers like terrorists.

Our government has done many disgusting, obscene things over the last few years, but, please tell me, if there are any Bush-supporters left out there, how in the world can you support a government that treats people in this manner? It's bad enough to torture possible terrorists. But there's something so much worse about torturing people who are doing nothing but their jobs.

I wish I could be surprised by this, but I'm not, given the depths to which our federal government has sunk.

New York Times Reports Gonzales Has Resigned!!!

It's probably not time to break out the champagne, but it's good to see that another Republican liar has left the most corrupt administration I've ever seen (yes, W is worse than Nixon).

Some good news at last, however, it's tempered by the fact that many of us thought Bush couldn't find anyone worse for Attorney General than the small-minded Ashcroft. And yet, Rove...err, Bush managed to do just that with Gonzales.

Ron Paul's "Libertarian Paradise?"

Jim and I were in Texas last week, and spent last Wednesday night in Galveston. We'd never been to the Texas coast before, and Galveston always sounded like an interesting place to go.

It wasn't quite as interesting as I'd hoped. The downtown is OK, but, unlike many coastal areas, it's extremely hot. Not much in the way of sea breezes at all, unless you're actually on the water. We took a harbor cruise, which was interesting as Galveston is a main shipping harbor. We also saw quite a few dolphins.
We had a good dinner at Fish Tales (I had four kinds of shrimp!) and drove around the island.

So how does presidential candidate Ron Paul relate to Galveston?

Well, it's part of his Congressional district. For a place that has both industry and tourism, the infrastructure is in need of repair.

For example, we decided to take a walk from our B&B that was on a residential street down to the beach at about 9pm (just after sunset). The street had almost no street lights. We should have brought a flashlight with us. Worse, the sidewalks were in poor repair, so we had to walk very slowly and carefully (me a bit more than usual as I'd recently had surgery and didn't want to risk a fall).

But what does that say about crime? Decent street lights are usually a helpful crime deterrent. Luckily, other than running into at least one old guy who was drunk, stoned and/or homeless, we got to the beach area safely.

While I'm not a huge fan of Florida for many reasons, almost every beach area in Florida has benches, where you can sit and watch the ocean. No such luck at the public beach in Galveston. Now, maybe if we wanted to drive down to the pay beach, there might have been benches. Or, if it had been daylight, we could have rented a beach chair and umbrella.

We walked out on a somewhat lighted fish pier. If we'd wanted to fish, it would have cost us money. That's something else I don't remember seeing in Florida. They might charge you money for bait, but charge you to just stand on the pier and fish?

Driving to Galveston from Austin, we'd hit a mess of highways under construction in the Houston area. We decided to avoid that by taking the toll beltway back to Austin. The beltway cost about an extra $4.50, but it was worth it to avoid the construction. It turned out to be a better choice than we expected as a bad accident closed part of 45 in Houston that day!

And speaking of road construction - Texas has bizarre customs regarding how road construction areas are signed. In some states, like, say Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, construction areas are clearly marked and the reduced speed limit is also clearly marked. In Texas, there are signs saying "Construction area, reduce speed" with no info on what the construction speed limit is or how long the construction zone is. These areas can go on for 10 or 20 miles. When you finally do see workers in the road, the traffic is speeding by at 65 or 70 miles an hour. So if you want to do road work in Texas, better be extra careful because the state isn't going to do much to protect you from the nutty drivers.

Armadillocon, Here We Come!

We're going to Texas for about a week in August (remember, we're the same people who go to Massachusetts in December and February). We're going to do some touristing, go to Galveston (if there's no hurricane in the area), and go to Armadillocon. Rene was looking for help, so I'm going to help out with Registration. I was also asked to be on Program, so here's my schedule:




Sa1000PN The Interactive, Sci-Fi Channel Line-Up
Sat 10:00 AM-11:00 AM Phoenix North
LMann*, Caine, Swendson, Miller, JMann, Kosatka
Join this fun panel while our panelists take a marker
and a whiteboard and create the perfect weekly line-up
for the Sci-Fi Channel. Audience participation is
encouraged.

Sa1100PN Patty Wells, We Hardly Know Ye
Sat 11:00 AM-Noon Phoenix North
LMann*, PWells, Bobo, Boucher, JMann, Levine
Fan guest of honor Patty Wells sits on the hot seat as
her fellow fans hit her with the most bizarre
questions they can think of.

Sa2100Dz Women in the SF field
Sat 9:00 PM-10:00 PM de Zavala
PWells*, November, LMann, Mills, Oliver, Davis,
Reisman
When did feminist become such a bad word in the SF
field? Who are some of the up-and-coming female
authors out there that you have to read?

Sa2200PN Will the best Doctor Who please stand up?
Sat 10:00 PM-11:00 PM Phoenix North
Bey*, JMann, LMann, Osborne, Roberson, Sullivan
Which one was the smartest? Best looking? Most
useless? Worst of all time? Audience participation is
welcome in this light-hearted look at the beloved
British show.

Su1500De Authors and the fans who love them: maybe a
little too much
Sun 3:00 PM-4:00 PM DeWitt
Babcock*, Shinn, LMann, Hogan, Chester, Spencer
Ever wonder why your favorite author looks a little
scared when they see you? The panelists will talk
about the tale-tell signs of a stalker and tell
amusing stories about what has happened to them in the
past. (For instance, did they call you at home during
a baseball game?)

Hope to see you there!

I Have Returned...

I haven't been posting all that much lately because I haven't felt very well and I've been waiting to have surgery. Due to some various insurance and doctor busy-ness issues, the surgery kept getting pushed off (it was pretty much elective - ovarian cysts).

Anyway, I finally had the surgery on Friday. When I had ovarian cysts previously in 1978, I was in the hospital for at least five nights. This time, I was only in for two nights. However, unlike during my last surgery, I had this surgery at a small, almost empty hospital. I was the only patient on the gynecology ward on Saturday! And while the surgery and post-opt went pretty smoothly, I wound up with a really awful migraine today because the air in the hospital was so dry.

But, I'm home, the migraine is finally over, and I have to spend the next few days resting. I will be at Confluence this weekend, and it looks like I'll be at Armadillocon as planned next month.

Blogswarm for Impeachment

I'm too tired to write more reasons why Bush should be impeached, but I've collected some of the lies of the Bush administration at The Facts Do Matter.

Government Report: Al Qaeda Strongest Since September 11, 2001

The gory details.

We should all wonder what the headline could have been if we had a competent government who focused on fighting terrorism rather than going out after Saddam Hussein. Maybe Afghanistan would be reasonably more stable. Maybe we wouldn't have spent over four years inciting anti-American/anti-Western sentiment around the world, but especially in the Middle East.

I'm not sure this is mere fear-mongering by our fear-mongering government. I think they might be right (for a change).

Sicko is Socko!

I have mixed feelings about Michael Moore, but I've really enjoyed his last few documentaries especially Sicko.

I've been lucky - I really don't have health insurance horror stories. I have been jerked around a little by insurers, and I've had some prescribed drugs denied. But I've always gotten the care I've needed. However, I've heard so many other health horror stories from so many other people that I know Michael Moore is right. It was such a relief to NOT see your health insurance mentioned in Sicko!

I had a very brief interaction with National Health Insurance when in Scotland in 2005. I developed laryngitis and that set off my asthma. As my asthma is usually not a problem, I hadn't thought to bring an inhaler with me and I really needed one. So I went to a nearby hospital under my own speed on a late Saturday afternoon. It took less than an hour to see a doctor. He checked my throat, my lungs and wrote me two prescriptions. It almost took longer to get the prescriptions filled than to see the doctor. The medicine cost somewhere around $10 or $15 total and the doctor didn't cost me anything. Even though I was just a tourist, and even though I certainly could have afforded to pay something.

The most horrifying thing in Sicko (beyond watching an uninsured man sew up his own leg after injuring it) was watching sick, homeless people dumped in Skid Row in Los Angeles near what seemed to be some sort of homeless shelter. It's appalling that we treat sick people like that in the "richest" country in the world. We must be pretty poor in spirit to treat our own people so poorly.

I thought Moore's taking of the 9/11 rescue workers who were getting inadequate health care in America to Cuba was one of the most brilliant pieces of propaganda I've ever seen. In this case, the propaganda was quite accurate - we're so used to seeing false propaganda (particularly from the Bush administration) that we sometimes fail to recognize it when it's true.

While Moore kept pounding away at "free health care," he only briefly mentioned that taxes pay for "free health care" in other countries. Health care is in no way free. However, I suspect if he'd shown a few pie charts that combine the taxes + health care costs for a typical family in America, and compare that against the tax costs for a typical family in England, France, Canada, you'd find those combined costs to be lower for the folks with universal health care.

I think Moore has probably just won another Oscar for documentary.

Scooter's Jail Term Commuted

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Scooter Libby will serve no jail time. Sure, Scooter was not pardoned, he's still on probation, and, in theory, he'll owe around 200,000. Wanna bet "Friends of W" will give him the money for that?

I was not a fan of Nixon by 1973, but I did believe the Nixon pardon was the right thing to do. I cannot say the same of commuting Scooter Libby's jailtime.

Yes, Larry King's "Priorities" Are In Order...

Last night, Paris Hilton was on Larry King. A no-talent girl who'd been sent to jail after ignoring her probation. I didn't watch the show, as I rarely watch Larry King. And now, I doubt I'll ever watch him again.

To have on that no-talent publicity sink on his show last night, Larry King bounced Michael Moore. Now, whether you love Moore or hate him, he's an interesting rabble rouser, and is much more relevant to society than Hilton. Hilton is a nothing, but since she's a cute girl with money, way too many slobber over her. King and CNN ought to be ashamed of themselves, but they probably aren't.

A Look at the Duke Lacrosse Case

I have to admit, when I first heard the story back in April 2006 about the alleged rapes by several Duke lacrosse, I thought the guys were probably guilty. How often have we all heard the stories of testosterone-crazed jocks attacking women? How many times have we seen dazed young women stagger out of fraternities, not quite sure what happened to them?

So, yeah, I admit a rush to judgment on my part.

In the weeks after the alleged rapes, both the alleged victim's friends and the alleged perpetrators showed up on national TV, playing their respective parts. Because the friends of the victim always stand up for her, and the alleged perps always, always claim innocence.

As soon as the D. A. didn't release the results of the DNA tests in a timely fashion, it was clear to me that there was no case. DNA testing is based on science, not conjecture. If the DNA found in the alleged victim, did not match the DNA from the alleged perps, that means the alleged perps were not intimately involved with her. It's as simple as that. If a rape happened, someone other than the accused was involved.

Turns out rapes were definitely involved in the Duke lacrosse case, but not of the classic, physical, men against women kind. Instead, the law and the men involved were the ones that were raped.

I'm glad the D. A. was disbarred; it's what he deserved. I'm not sure what should happen to the alleged victim. She lied about a crime. She was not completely innocent in all this.

Rape is a very serious crime which is why so many people reacted in the way that they did when they heard about the alleged crime. The real crime turned out to be against the lacrosse players. I wonder if this incident has made any of them more sensitive towards the issue of rape? I'd like to think so.

Paris vs. Some Gitmo Detainees - What's Wrong With This Picture??

So let's see...

A ditsy American heiress gets four days in jail for breaking her probation (because this was at least
a third strike for her), followed by mansion...errr house arrest.

At least a few people have been stuck in Gitmo for up to five years whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not saying everyone in Gitmo is innocent, but I expect there are a bunch who are, given our government's overreaching and utter lack of any oversight. Of course, we may never know as the names of most Gitmo detainees are not made public.

So the government (at least the L. A. Sheriff's Office) can show an inordinate amount of...of..."compassion" for
someone like Paris. At the same time, the Federal government is incapable of showing any compassion for some number of Islamic people who have no money and no connections. And besides, they aren't at all "cute."

What's wrong with this picture??

Paris did the quiet equivalent of throwing a tantrum, and, what's worse got away with it. Any parent can tell you that the threat by a child to not eat can be ignored for a couple of days and the kid will not starve. Not even some one as skinny as Paris.

At least she has to go back to court Friday morning. I wonder if she'll decide her ankle bracelet is "too heavy" to wear?

When is America going to be involved in meting out real justice? As in the past, rich people get away with murder, and poor people are stuck in jail. It's disgusting.

30th Anniversaries

Jim and I just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with friends at a very nice dinner at the Inn at Little Washington.

Back in 1977, a few days after our wedding, we were back in Pittsburgh and attended Star Wars on opening day. Yes, I can prove we were there - we got the original May the Force be With You buttons.

So, in honor of our anniversary and Star Wars', you might want to take a look at:



Honeymooning with Wookiees

The Heroes Meme

I saw this in Norilana's LiveJournal and here are my results for the test:

Your Score: Mr. Bennet

You scored 50 Idealism, 54 Nonconformity, 45 Nerdiness

Are you on the list?
Congratulations, you're Mr. Bennet! You are one mysterious person with mysterious motives. Despite all the mystery, it's clear that you believe what you do is for the greater good, and you are obviously a well-educated person in your field.

Your best quality: Dedication to your work/organization/etc.
Your worst quality: Keeping too many secrets

Link: The Heroes Personality Test written by freedomdegrees on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Now, if I'd gotten these results in late 2006, I'd've been annoyed. But Mr. B. has turned out to be something of a good guy, and seems to be in position to be the leader of the group.

Can't Say I'll Miss Old Jerry...

He was 73 and not in the best shape, so I can't say Jerry Fallwell's death was a surprise.

I'll never forget the way he tried to rewrite science and American history, and that many people lapped it up.

I'll never forget the way he tried to scapegoat minorities after 9/11. In case you've forgotten, here's what Fallwell and Robertson did:

"What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists
is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant.
The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what
they say about their opponents."

Robert Kennedy Pursuit of Justice, 1964

Anti-heroes: Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson Agree with Osama bin Laden - America Is Being Punished by God

Article Quoted from Studio Briefing

Falwell, Robertson TV Remarks Touch Off Anger

On a day in which the nation was being urged to pray for the victims and families of the World Trade Center attack, comments reportedly made by the Revs. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson on Robertson's The 700 Club Thursday were igniting debate among the nation's laymen and clergy.

Falwell blamed "the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists and the gays and lesbians ... the ACLU, People for the American Way" and groups "who have tried to secularize America" for contributing to what occurred in New York. "I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen'," Falwell reportedly declared on the program, which is carried by the Fox Family Channel, recently purchased by the Walt Disney Co.

Robertson responded: "Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted their agenda at the highest levels of our government."

Asked about the ministers' remarks on ABC's Good Morning America Friday morning, the Rev. Forrest Church, pastor of the All Souls Unitarian Church in Manhattan, commented, "If we respond with this kind of hatred and this kind of bigotry, we really become abettors to the very sin that we are trying to extirpate."

From the Washington Post (by John F. Harris)

God Gave U.S. "What We Deserve," Falwell Says

Television evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the most prominent voices of the religious right, said liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist attacks because their actions have turned God's anger against America.

"God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve," said Falwell, appearing yesterday on the Christian Broadcasting Network's 700 Club, hosted by Robertson.

"Jerry, that's my feeling," Robertson responded. "I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to the major population."

Falwell said the American Civil Liberties Union has "got to take a lot of blame for this," again winning Robertson's agreement: "Well, yes."

Then Falwell broadened his blast to include the federal courts and others who he said were "throwing God out of the public square." He added: "The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

People for the American Way transcribed the broadcast and denounced the comments as running directly counter to President Bush's call for national unity. Ralph G. Neas, the liberal group's president, called the remarks "absolutely inappropriate and irresponsible."

Robertson and others on the religious right gave critical backing to Bush last year when he was battling for the GOP presidential nomination. A White House official called the remarks "inappropriate" and added, "The president does not share those views."

Falwell was unrepentant, saying in an interview that he was "making a theological statement, not a legal statement."

"I put all the blame legally and morally on the actions of the terrorist," he said. But he said America's "secular and anti-Christian environment left us open to our Lord's [decision] not to protect. When a nation deserts God and expels God from the culture...the result is not good."

Robertson was not available for comment, a spokeswoman said. But she released a statement echoing the remarks he made on his show. An ACLU spokeswoman said the group "will not dignify the Falwell-Robertson remarks with a comment."

---

Falwell's "apology" (if you really want to call it that...)

---

Commentary by Laurie D. T. Mann

Falwell and Robertson medieval views are much more in touch with bin Laden than with most Americans. Most Americans seem to understand that tolerance and openness are much more important than hate mongering. Views like those of Falwell and Robertson encourage acts of scapegoating and bigotry. What is it about the mindset of the "right" that demands scapegoats?

Comments like these make me very happy to be an agnostic!

I notice that Falwell and Robertson fail to mention the fact that the one plane that did not hit a populated target was the one in which some plane passengers, led by at least one gay man, prevented the plane from becoming a flying bomb. But let's not let any facts get in the way with their foolish remarks

September 11: Gay Victims, Gay Heroes

---

Later comment (5/16/2007): As I re-examine all this after four years of war in Iraq and after the death of Jerry Fallwell, if you attempt to take Fallwell and Robertson's post-911 comments to their logical extreme, it almost sounds like their "God" is more like the "God" of the fanatic Moslems who would randomly murder civilians. So when I call people like Fallwell and Robertson mullahs, that's why.

911 may have made many people more religious, but it's made a number of us less so. I may have called myself an agnostic in 2001, and I'm definitely an atheist now.

First Anniversary of the Move to the Country

A year ago today, we moved out of our old house and into the new house. I really enjoy living out here, love the relative quiet and cleaner air, and can put up with the extra driving needed to get anywhere.

Banning the Smoking Ban Again *groan*

In an effort to get Pittsburgh to join the late 20th century, county council passed a law to ban smoking in most public places (especially restaurants and bars). This ban has now been held up twice by a couple of restaurant/bar owners who believe the ban would be detrimental to business.

Now, let's examine for a moment the establishments who are causing Allegheny county restaurant/bar patrons to stay firmly in the smoke of the 20th century.

I've never been to Mitchell's Tavern, and now I never will. I've been to the Smithfield Cafe one time, but the food was mediocre and even the non-smoking section reeked of smoke. I won't go back for any reason.

If every non-smoker who wants clean air in Allegheny county restaurants and bars would boycott places like Mitchell's and the Smithfield Cafe, maybe the completely clueless owners would understand that a smokefree bar could help business.

Most bars and restaurants in most areas that have gone non-smoking have more business, not less. But let's not confuse the smoking ban foes with facts.

In the meantime, I'm going to Bocktown Beer and Grill so I won't have to worry about the smoke. The Bocktown owner has the sense to be in front of the curve about not subjecting her patrons to smoke.

Ever Noticed How "I Can't Recall" Is Now Republican-speak for "I Plead the FIfth"?

I've been listening to some of the Senate hearings involving people like Gonzales and reading some of the transcripts of the trial involving Libby. Wasn't "I can't recall" the most common phrase either of them uttered?

My short-term memory is pretty bad, but I feel like I remember more about what went on with the attorney firings than Gonzales says he remembers and he was there!

I've asked Gonzales to resign. Not that it matters. I'm merely a citizen, and, as we know, the current administration only cares about rich citizens who've given them money.

It's been interesting to hear that even some of the Republican Senators have been somewhat hard on Gonzales. But now Senator Kyle is taking Gonzales off on a tangent about Internet gambling. Geesh. What a great use of the committee's time...

Giving Perpetrators a Media Platform Is Part of the Problem...

Is anyone else annoyed at seeing constant photos of the most recent mass murderer all over the media?

The death video of murderers should not be given so much exposure. It's the sort of thing that should show up on YouTube, so if curious members of the public can learn more about this deranged individual, they can.

I have no interest in learning anything about him. Anyone who commits premeditated murder does not deserve any of the public's time.

We live in a society where a person can alarm his teachers and fellow students, who can be temporarily brought to a mental health facility for treatment, and yet can buy a semi-automatic weapon legally. And we live in a society where the media fuels a feeding frenzy about perpetrators. Perpetrators' names and reason for committing heinous acts should only be briefly discussed publicly. Murderers should never be given the kind of publicity they so obviously sought.

I don't care that the WTC murderers thought that Allah would grant them virgins in the afterlife for slaughtering civilians, don't care that the Columbine and VT Tech murderers were disaffected young men with guns. These people should not matter. Society should not care.

What does matter is that these murderers rob society of good people. The focus should be on the murder victims and how to stop such acts in the future.

Guys with Guns Strike Again...

Yeah, I know, guns don't kill people, people kill people.

Tell that to the 20(+?) dead at Virginia Tech and the other 20(+?) injured.

How many do you think this idiot (or these idiots) would have killed without some sort of high-powered rifle??

Participate in International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day on April 23!

There's been various...um, discussions in various places about how writers should/should not promote their work, mostly centering around whether they should put their writing on the Web for free.

While this particular posting by current SFWA Vice President Howard V. Hendrix did not start the discussion, it's generated quite a bit of comment, particularly by SFWA presidential candidate John Scalzi.

Writer Jo Walton came up with a clever way to respond to this bruhaha: International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day on April 23.

Now, I'm not in SFWA; I haven't written or sold much fiction. I've made a fair amount of money over the years as a tech writer, and some as a free lancer. However, I believe the whole concept of "technopeasanthood" is, frankly, very old-fashioned. If you enjoy participating on the Web, sharing some of your fiction/non-fiction/art/music/photos/knitting designs/recipes - so what? Participating on the Web may help your career or it may hinder it, but it's hardly the business of a writer's organization to disparage this sales/publicity venue in the way Howard Hendrix did.

But this isn't merely a writer's issue - it's a an issue for anyone who sees the Web as something a little larger than a big bulletin board.

So I urge anyone to use the Web to help spread your own creativity on the Web on April 23.

There are also T-shirts available at:
http://www.cafepress.com/pixelstained

I plan to wear mine the Saturday of the Nebula awards on May 12 (though not to the banquet itself).

The Deck Is Done - 4/10/07

We had our deck built by Archadeck, locally represented by Hall Construction:







We'd talked to several different deck builders, but Archadeck gave us the best price for a composite deck, which is what we wanted.

So what's the long distance view from the side of the deck like?



This coal mine has been operational since last summer. The mine is already somewhat filled in. Apparently, some homes may wind up on top of the mine in the future. It's likely that coal was removed from this part of the neighborhood before the houses were built as well.

Luckily, this is the view from most of the deck:



It's so nice to have a back yard with only woods in view, you have no idea. Each of the first two houses we owned had other houses in back.

Daily Deck Blogging - 4/9/07

One of the two builders got sick today. so the deck wasn't quite finished today. However, it's very close!











So tomorrow, it should be finished for sure!

Of course, it's only supposed to reach 46 tomorrow, so it might not matter too much...

Daily Deck Blogging - 4/7/06

OK, so I'm a day late...

Anyway, the contractors came over for a little while on Saturday, trimmed the floor planks and started to put in the posts for the railings.

View from the deck:



View from the driveway:



It looks like they should be finished on Monday.

Yesterday, I had lunch with some local folks from TheOneRing.net. It's a board where everyone is pretty much required to use pseudonyms. It turned out that one of the folks at lunch was someone I knew slightly as she's a local tech writer. One of the other attendees was a former tech writer. Small world and all.

Daily Deck Blogging - 4/6/07

It was again very cold out for April - I think it didn't get any warmer than 35 (over 20 degrees colder than normal). It wasn't quite as windy today as it had been yesterday.

The builders made very good progress. The support beams and floor of the deck are done. I stepped out onto the deck for the first time this afternoon:



Yeah, I know, I didn't walk out that far. But, still, the railings should be up tomorrow!



Now that most of the deck is built, the storage area under the deck is going to be much taller than I'd realized. I'd always imagined the sub-deck area to be very cave-like, and it really isn't.

Daily Deck Blogging - 4/5/07

It was windy and 25 degrees colder than normal today. It reached a high of 31 (and, remember, it's April). The contractors came and worked most of the day. We've been encouraging them to use the garage as much as possible.

But it's starting to look more like a deck now because some of the floor is now in. Here's the view from the sliders:



And here's the view from the back yard:

Daily Deck Blogging - 4/4/07

The builders arrived early this morning and worked until about 4. Unlike yesterday, when it was sunny and warm, the temperature dropped from 57 this morning to about 40 and very windy this afternoon. They made pretty good progress - it's looking more like a deck now.

View from the sliders:



View from the driveway:



And the supporting posts don't go in until tomorrow. They spent some of the afternoon digging the postholes. Before they can pour concrete, a local inspector has to come out and make sure the post holes are prepared correctly and the frame has been attached to the house properly.

Daily Deck Blogging - 4/3/07

The contractor started on the deck today! We didn't expect they'd start this soon (we thought it might be another 10 days), but I was glad to see them. They expect to be done next Monday (it takes about five working days to build a standard deck).

Deck deconstructed (or pre-constructed), beginning of day one:



View of the deck-in-progress from the sliding glass doors, end of day one:



View from the driveway, end of day one:



OK, it doesn't look like that much happened the first day. Putting in the piece under the door that will help attach the deck to the house takes a while. They also cut a fair amount of wood during the day for later in the week. I expected the posts would be installed first, but they said the post installation is a day two job.

Monday Garden Blogging - 4/2/07

We had a few days of good weather over the last week, followed by some rain.

The crocuses and dafodils in front haven't grown quite as well as I would have hoped. The front gets constant sun, but as it's beside the road, the ground also get more salt from the road and likely visits by dogs.














We're due to have another day of warm, sunny weather, and then it will get cold and, probably, snowy. We'll see if any of the flowers survive until after Easter... *sigh*

2007 Hugo Nominations

Best Novel

Eifelheim by Michael F. Flynn (Tor)
His Majecty's Dragon/Temeraire by Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
Glasshouse by Charles Stross (Ace)
Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge (Tor)
Blindsight by Peter Watts (Tor)

Best Novella

"The Walls of the Universe" by Paul Melko (Asimov's, April/May 2006)
"A Billion Eves" by Robert Reed (Asimov's, October/November 2006)
"Inclination" by William Shunn (Asimov's April/May 2006)
"Lord Weary's Empire" by Michael Swanwick (Asimov's December 2006)
"Julian" by Robert Charles Wilson (PS Publishing)

Best Novelette

"Yellow Card Man" by Paolo Bacigalupi (Asimov's December 2006)
"Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth" by Michael F. Flynn (Asimov's December 2006)
"The Djinn's Wife" by Ian McDonald (Asimov's July 2006)
"All the Things You Are" by Mike Resnick (Jim Baen's Universe October 2006)
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter" by Geoff Ryman (F&SF October/November 2006)

Best Short Story

"How to Talk to Girls at Parties" by Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things)
"Kin" by Bruce McAllister (Asimov's February 2006)
"Impossible Dreams" by Timothy Pratt (Asimov's July 2006)
"Eight Episodes" by Robert Reed (Asimov's June 2006)
"The House Beyond Your Sky" by Benjamin Rosenbaum (Strange Horizons September 2006)

Best Related Book

About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, and Five Interviews by Samuel R. Delany (Wesleyan University Press)
Heinlein's Children: The Juveniles by Joseph T. Major (Advent)
James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon edited by Julie Phillips (St. Martin's Press)
Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio by John Picacio (MonkeyBrain Books )
Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches by Mike Resnick and Joe Siclari (ISFiC Press)

Best Dramatic Presentation

Children of Men (Universal Pictures)
Pan's Labyrinth (Picturehouse)
The Prestige (Warner Brothers/Touchstone Pictures)
A Scanner Darkly (Warner Independent Pictures)
V for Vendetta (Warner Brothers)

Note: Due to a file corruption during electronic tabulation of the nominees, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest appeared on the initial Hugo ballot. A subsequent audit revealed that this was an error; Pirates was removed and Pan's Labyrinth was added to the final Hugo ballot.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

Battlestar Galactica, "Downloaded"
Doctor Who, "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday"
Doctor Who, "Girl in the Fireplace"
Doctor Who, "School Reunion"
Stargate SG-1, "200"

Best Professional Editor, Long Form

Lou Anders
James Patrick Baen
Ginjer Buchanan
David G. Hartwell
Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Best Professional Editor, Short Form

Gardner Dozois
David G. Hartwell
Stanley Schmidt
Gordon Van Gelder
Sheila Williams

Best Professional Artist

Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
Stephan Martiniere
John Jude Palencar
John Picacio

Best Semiprozine

Ansible, edited by Dave Langford
Interzone, edited by Andy Cox
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, edited by Gavin J. Grant
Locus, edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction, edited by Kathryn Cramer, David Hartwell & Kevin J. Maroney

Best Fanzine

Banana Wings ed. by Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer
Challenger edited by Guy Lillian, III
The Drink Tank edited by Christopher J. Garcia
Plokta edited by Alison Scott, Steve Davies & Mike Scott
Science Fiction Five-yearly edited by Lee Hoffman, Geri Sullivan & Randy Byers

Best Fan Writer

Chris Garcia
John Hertz
Dave Langford
John Scalzi
Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist

Brad W. Foster
Teddy Harvia
Sue Mason
Steve Stiles
Frank Wu

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

Sponsored by Dell Magazines

Scott Lynch
Sarah Monette
Naomi Novik
Brandon Sanderson
Lawrence M. Schoen

Monday Garden Blogging - 3/26/07

Over time, I've seen Friday cat blogging, kid blogging, et.c. But there doesn't seem Monday Garden Blogging. For employed people, it's a way to show off what you did over the weekend. For those of us unemployed (or underemployed or retired), it's just a day to go out and take some pictures. If you plan put up periodic photos showing how your garden grows, drop me a line and I'll add you to a list of garden bloggers.

As a baseline for my gardening photos, here's the front of my house
on 2/3/2007:



And here it is today, 3/26/07:




As you can tell from the photo, spring is finally hitting Western Pennsylvania. Things we planted last year are starting to grow, and I planted a few new items:





The plant at the bottom is heather. I think it's particularly pretty. I was going to plant it up by the little patio in the front, but the Lowe's garden center clerk warned me that heather attracts bees, so you don't want to sit beside it.

The red flower at the top is another perennial, the fire star dianthus.

I planted a few "ready to go" annuals this morning. I think the larger flowers are begonias (they were simply labeled "annuals" at the store) and the smaller ones are definitely pansies.



Finally, here's the spot will the deck will go in a few weeks:

Bocktown Beer: At Long Last, a Non-smoking Bar!!

When we moved out to the metro West area last summer, one small plus was being close to another Rotelli Pizza (in the Target Plaza at the Pointe, North Fayette), as we were big fans.

Not big enough, apparently, as Rotelli closed almost as soon as we finished unpacking.

Sometime late last year, a new restaurant took over the space, called Bocktown Beer. "Oh great, another smoky bar," we assumed, so we never stopped in.

About a month ago, I did stop in, and quickly regretted not stopping in before.

Bocktown Beer has a huge bottled beer selection (around 400(!) types of beer), very good food, and, most important is non-smoking!.

Don't get me wrong. I have always liked Fat Heads and Sharp Edge and Pipers. I like a place with a varied beer selection and good food. But I can't love a bar that allows smoking as being around smoking gives me migraines. A non-smoking area in a bar is still usually too smoky to be really pleasant (though both Sharp Edge's have relatively smoke-free restaurant areas). I'd like to be able to sit at a bar and have a beer and maybe some pretzels without having to run out for fresh air after a half hour. When I travel to Massachusetts or California, I spend more time in bars there because they're non-smoking (and doing good business, frankly).

While the menu at Bocktown isn't huge, they do fine bar food and sandwiches. There are new specials everyday. And the French fries alone are worth the trip. They do beer tastings every Wednesday
evening, and I think there's live music once or twice a week.

I have three minor complaints about Bocktown:

• the bottled beer can be a little expensive. I guess I've
  been spoiled by The Beer Store over in Moon, where
  the cost of bottled beer for take-out isn't too bad at all.
  On the other hand, the bar under The Beer Store is so
  smoky I've never even had a drink in there.


• if only it could be a little larger. There's an empty
  storefront beside Bocktown, and I wish they'd lease it now!


• I know guys frequent the bar more than women, but there are
  TV channels other than ESPN...

Those minor complaints aside, we're now pretty regular customers. So if you're looking for a non-smoking bar with a great beer selection and good food, Bocktown Beer is for you.