April 21, 2006
Democrats Unite?
California Conservative offers some quotes from some Democrats and Party Members. As California Conservative cites the title of Associated Press Writer, Liz Sidoti entitled her article, "Deomcrats: No Single Message Sums Us Up."
California Conservative extracts some pertinent quotes:
“It’s not that we don’t stand for anything, it’s that sometimes we stand for everything,” said Barry Rubin, executive director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. Rubin said the stand-for-everything approach invites GOP criticism.You can’t write stuff this good unless if your name is Scott Ott. It gets better:
(Snip)
Before they can have an answer, don’t they have to have a clue first?
Then there’s this:
Janice Brunson, a DNC member from Arizona, said the Democratic Party has a clear message for 2006, but she struggled to explain it. “The problem is we don’t have a two- or three-word slogan that pops out,” she said.
Let me offer a clear, concise slogan for these tongue-tied twits: “We’re clueless but we talk smart.”
On the other hand, perhaps Democrats have a muti-pronged spectrum of issues in which they have yet to collectively enforce. Just as any issues arise, especially community issues, or even the recent immigration protests, Democrats and citizens are reaching out for a collective voice rather than just one small party or community struggling to be heard.
Posted by Sophie at 04:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 21, 2006
Earth Day - What Are You Going To Do?
Earth Day, I had to educate myself on the origins of Earth Day:
By Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day
What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked.Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour.
(Snip)
Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.
After educating myself I returned to TechiDiva's blog on recyclying our technological goods. There are even some incentives from local stores which will recyle your old computer if you purchase another one:
Although local organizations conduct special Earth Day eCycling drives, many familiar corporations have recycling programs in place that go on all year long. Some go so far as to give you credit towards your next purchase.Here is a list of those companies:
Circuit City will trade your old gear in exchange for gift cards.
IBM offers 3X disk overwrites (worth $22 per system) and a Buyback Program.
Dell will recycle your old computer free of charge when you purchase a new Dell computer.
HP'sTrade-In Program also gives you credit towards your new purchase.
If you know of any other companies that offer recycling incentives let us know here. You can also check out the companies participating in Rethink's program and EPA's Pass it On week events .
What a good idea...
Posted by Sophie at 03:46 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
DMV - Reducing Wait Time
We are all frustrated about going to our local DMV, only to wait for a number and then wait for your call. The DMV can be an afternoon activity, and can leave you tired and frustrated. WombatNation: has an alternative perspective:
I never thought I would write “fast” and “DMV” in the same sentence (other than, perhaps, “I conducted an involuntary fast while waiting all day at the DMV”), but I was actually in and out of there in 10 minutes today while renewing my Driver’s License. In fact, the whole DMV experience was pretty damn good.First, I made an appointment online at the Oakland Coliseum DMV office. The online form for making appointments was really easy to use. You could see the current wait times at some of the nearby offices, view maps for the offices, find out the earliest available time slot, and more. On a Tuesday afternoon, I was able to get a 9am Thursday slot.
I highly recommend the morning weekday slots at the Oakland Coliseum DMV office. The parking lot was almost deserted.
For San Franciscans, try the DMV by Buena Vista Park, near Height Street. I have gone in the morning and it took me about 30 minutes.
Posted by Sophie at 03:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 19, 2006
Immigration Impact
California Conservative writes about the potential "Day Without a Mexican" idea, in which Mexicans will essentially boycott all services and work, to highlight the American dependence on their labor. But as CC points out, the issue with illegal immigrants is only the tip of the ice berg. Americans are lazy, they do not utilize their children or themselves as a means to get through daily chores. The issue has gotten out of hand, and while I believe Americans need to get off their couches or protest their insane work schedules, we should stop denying that the Mexican population makes up much of demographics and they deserve to better their lives too. California Conservative analyzes the situation from his perspective:
Frankly, this whole illegal alien debacle is an excellent opportunity to examine that part of the bigger problem is that as a nation we have allowed this immigration mess to happen by getting lazy ourselves. The generation of the self-reliant has been replaced by a generation of the self-medicating who cannot envision a world without a drive-through instead of a drive-in. The go-go-go world of 21st century America has become addicted to its cell phones, its TiVo, and its remote control for every electronic device in the home. Its time to wake up and realize that if we consent to outsource the labor needed to complete our own chores, then unwelcome consequences will occur.
Posted by Sophie at 06:10 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
The Future for T.V.
I am looking forward to this one, but I try not to watch too much T.V.! Techie Diva has more:
We may be a few years away from watching television shows on a rollable screen that can be pulled in and out of a cellphone. CBS has a story on "OLED" (organic light emitting devices) technology that displays images across a paper thin film which is already being used on cellphones. Scientists are currently working on bigger screens and better colors for this type of technology, but once they perfect this concept we may be looking at 3-5 years for these rollable TVs to be consumer-ready.
Posted by Sophie at 12:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 17, 2006
Dan Gillmor takes Backfence
Dan Gillmor and the Bayosphere has been a household name for many Bay Area bloggers. Since 2005 Gillmor has opened up an empowering forum with an eclectic variety of issues from local to national and everthing in between. Recently Gillmor has chaned dirction and changed projects.
Gillmor is the founder and director of the Center for Citizen Media, a project to enhance and expand grassroots media and its reach. The center is an affiliate of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University Law School and the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.
There will be many changes to the Bayosphere but Gillmor reassures fallow bloggers that Backfence will focus more on local issues and create important dialogue about issues affecting many underrepresented issues and communities.
Gillmor says it best:
By now you may have heard about the new direction that Bayosphere is about to take. The folks at Backfence, a community information network based in the Washington, D.C., area, are expanding and have offered to continue our operations here under their wing. My business partner, Michael Goff, and I made the decision with our investors. We all agreed that this was the best possible outcome of several alternatives.I'm truly pleased with this move. Let me explain why.
Backfence, which launched its first sites in the Washington area, is a genuine pioneer in the citizen media field. The company focuses specifically on "hyperlocal" sites, forging new media and models to better serve communities and neighborhoods in ways we couldn't do before the Internet came along. Its founders, Mark Potts and Susan DeFife, are smart, talented and energetic -- and combine terrific backgrounds in journalism, the Internet and business. They care deeply about the future of local news and information, and they've put enormous thought and effort into their
operation.
(Snip)
Again, to be clear: The new site will reflect Backfence's hyperlocal style much more than mine, though as noted I'll continue to blog here and do everything I can to make this transition a smooth one. I will offer my advice to Susan DeFife, Mark Potts and colleagues at Backfence, and I hope you will, too. But they will make the final decisions.- Dan Gillmor.
Check out Susan Mernits Blog.
Dan Gillmor Setts Bayosphere, From Bayosphere to Backfence
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Getting an Education
Al Gore may have lost in the presidential campaign but he is trying again to win over an audience. This time he is featured in a global warming documentary in which he educates the audience on the future climate changes. SFGate: Culture Blog:
The film, called "An Inconvenient Truth," is getting serious buzz. It's apparently extremely compelling, largely because of Gore himself, who, since the miserable 2000 election, has essentially hit the road as a one-man global warming crusader, has armed himself with an enormous arsenal of scientific fact, has stripped his message of politics and partisanship and has revealed himself to be what every Democrat and liberal and thinking human knew him to be -- so much more thoughtful and decent and intelligent than our current warmonger of a leader, it almost makes you weep.
Posted by Sophie at 03:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
It's Going to be Noisy...
So, we missed the 1906 earthquake, well most of us anyway. But at 5:12 am all of the church bells and many alarms will be ringing around San Francisco in commemoration of the tragic event. I am not looking forward to waking up to the sound of this and I live by the University of San Francisco church so no doubt I'll be up. Anyway for people who are game, the Muni is offering free transit from 3am to 3am the next day. SFist has a few more details:
If the thought of an early morning alarm clock gets you so irritated that you're just not going to sleep at all, you might as well head on down to the intersection of Kearny, Market, and Geary, to attend the centennial celebration in person. The party starts at 4:30 a.m., and MUNI will run free shuttle buses from St. Francis Circle, starting at 3:00 a.m., allowing themselves two hours to get you there 30 minutes late. MUNI will run free trains all day Tuesday as well, and all stations (except Civic Center) will open early. And finally, MUNI, always forward-thinking, warns you of "likely delays" crossing Market Street at 9:30 a.m. due to the centennial parade.
Lets all hope that we don't have another one anytime soon!
Posted by Sophie at 03:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Sacrificing Quality for Predictability?
Starbucks nation. You Forgot Poland talks about the globalization of the coffee house culture. Not quite like the London scene in the 18 century, Starbucks definitely caters to the community and tries hard to create a "homey" feeling. Personally I think Starbucks does not have the best coffee, it is extremely commercial and quite frankly it is contributing to the obesity epidemic. But then again, you might just catch me with the occasional soy latte.
If it’s not love, then it’s Starbucks that will bring us together (sorry, Morrissey). At least that’s what Bryant Simon and Jonathan Morris, British historians, seems to think.According to Morris, coffee culture unites us while enabling us to continue to self-isolate:
Starbucks and other coffee houses, he believes, fill "some kind of deep desire for connection with other people."But unlike the coffee houses of 18th century London or the bohemian java dens of 1950s New York, "Starbucks makes sure you can be alone when you're out if you really need to be," he said. "You get the feeling you're out in public, but you don't need to talk to anyone."
Simon’s conducting a study of the globalization of 21st-century coffee culture, and has visited more than 300 SBUX locations throughout the world. Through his observations, he believes that SBUX provides a glimpse into “what it means to live and consume in the age of globalization.”Can it be that the popularity of SBUX transcends the quality of the coffee that they sell?
(Snip)
It’s certainly easier to focus on SBUX because they’re everywhere – but how about focusing on selling a quality product rather than getting a larger share of my wallet?
Well, as my uncle says, "Starbucks = four bucks." And four hundred calories...If that's not the truth!
Posted by Sophie at 03:02 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
April 14, 2006
Tonight...
In such a rapidly developing internet culture one wonders how will we maintain this "free and open" public space. As conglomerates and business look for ways to buy web domains and charge the public a fee, we need to stop this from happening on the web. You can partake in a discussion tonight!
Tonight, at San Francisco's Cowell Theater in San Francisco, there will be a discussion around Wikipedia and the Future of Free Culture, led by Jimmy Wales. The lecture starts promptly at 7:30pm. Admission is free ($10 donation are welcome) and they are taking reservations for this one.
We pay so much for communication and entertainment in the US, we don't need to pay for using the web and this would only increase the digital divide.
Digital Divide, Discussion on Free Culture
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Who Done It?
"We fight dirty"
... that's what the billboard says at 7th and Folsom in San Francisco. Showing the now-iconic silhouette of the hooded Abu Graib prisoner, standing on a box with electrodes on his fingers, the billboard is on your left if you exit I-80 at 7th Street and head toward Market Street.
Posted by Sophie at 03:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 12, 2006
Easter Philosophies
Easter for me used to be a time when my brothers and I would wake up early and head straight for the chocolates. Every year I had the same kind of hollow egg with chocolate buttons in it. We used to eat so much that we were pretty ill afterwards! Oh, and we used to go to church.
Ohh, well the days of stuffing myself with chocolate are long gone, especially because I don't want to spend the extra time in the gym.
What about Jesus? Yes, that is the true meaning of Easter, Everyday Lunasea has some philosophies:
In Catholic school, we were always told around Christmas time, "Now, you know, as good Catholics, you have to realize that Christmas is not our most important feast day. Easter is much more important."Easter is very important in the Catholic church, because Christianity is based on the miracle of Jesus' resurrection. Without the resurrection, Jesus is just another tree-hugging liberal.
I've been looking for kid's books explaining the whole Easter thing. It's hard to find one that isn't macabre. Of course, Easter wouldn't be Easter if it weren't for that messy part about the murder. It would be nice if we could skip over the death part until he's a bit older, but the resurrection doesn't make any sense without it.
(Snip)
Because what makes sense to me is that Jesus died to show us a different way - to show us how to react to enemies with love and integrity instead of retaliation. Is that the same thing as dying for our sins? It doesn't sound the same.
So what is Easter about? I know my school cancels classes on Thursday afternoon to commemorate this Holiday. Well, Happy Easter to you all.
Posted by Sophie at 02:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Another iPod Accessory, created from a KIWI
Yes, everybody, a New Zealander engineered this new design and of course iPod fever has reached the ends of the earth, quite literally. Techie Diva has more on this:
Just when you thought there couldn’t be room for yet another iPod accessory in this world, folks down in New Zealand came up with this, perhaps the ultimate in luxury. Billed as “the world most comfortable iPod dock,” Design Mobel, a Kiwi furniture manufacturer, has created a stylish bed that not only will provide you with hours of rest, but additional charge time for your beloved music player. The Pause bed features an integrated universal dock in its nightstand and a built-in Bose speaker system. Pause designer Dan Gillingham states, “The Pause aims to challenge the conventional definition of the bedroom environment. The resulting design incorporates functionality that lets your mood guide the pace.”
Well, though I have decided to exclude myself from the iPod club, I am always interested in new technology.
Posted by Sophie at 01:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
U.S. Gov. Saving Medicare Members Money...
Health insurance in the US is over the top and for many people, hard to afford. California Conservative spotted some positive news for some Medicare members:
Jeff Birnbaum and Claudia Deane have written a good article that exposes the gamesmanship of the perscription drug benefit issue in this morning’s Washington Post. Here’s a sampling of their article:Millions of senior citizens have not signed up for and do not know much about Medicare’s new prescription drug benefit, but among those who have enrolled, three-quarters said the paperwork was easy to complete and nearly two-thirds said the program saved them money, the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll shows.
If I were running the White House communications team, I’d be trumpeting that on a daily basis. Trumpet the fact that signup is relatively simple. Trumpet the fact that it saves people money. Lots of money. I’d trumpet these facts because seniors are the most reliable voting block in America and they’re the most Democratic cohort in most elections. If Republicans can grab a bigger share of their votes, that can make a huge difference in a number of races.
To find out more from the Washington Post.
Posted by Sophie at 01:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 10, 2006
Another War?
Rumors, articles and heated debate is going on about President Bush contemplating war with Tehran. Now, I am careful to not point the finger but Im not putting any more of my tax dollars towards a war of violence, death and destruction, especially because the war in Iraq is spreading anything but peace and democracy. cyrusfarivar.com has more:
According to current and former officials, Pentagon and CIA planners have been exploring possible targets, such as the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and the uranium conversion facility at Isfahan. Although a land invasion is not contemplated, military officers are weighing alternatives ranging from a limited airstrike aimed at key nuclear sites, to a more extensive bombing campaign designed to destroy an array of military and political targets.Preparations for confrontation with Iran underscore how the issue has vaulted to the front of President Bush’s agenda even as he struggles with a relentless war in next-door Iraq. Bush views Tehran as a serious menace that must be dealt with before his presidency ends, aides said, and the White House, in its new National Security Strategy, last month labeled Iran the most serious challenge to the United States posed by any country.
Check out cyrusfarvier.com to find more articles about the Bush admin and war plans.
Is this a case of severe paranoia in the White House? Perhaps the Bush Administration wants to secure their unilateral position for the future. But again, speculation of war plans only creates anxiety, anger and resentment from the American public. Democrats, Republicans and everyone in between are paying for the current war and are not too happy about it. Going to war AGAIN will not improve Bush's approval rating and quite frankly the domestic policy is suffering due to the lack of funds and attention from the White House. We have our own war on poverty right here in America. FOCUS PEOPLE.
War in Tehran?, Bush Admin Discuss Tehran>
Posted by Sophie at 09:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 09, 2006
Laptop Theft in Local Coffee Store
Well, it could happen to you! Metroblogging highlights a very real danger of laptop robberies in local cafes. The best thing to do is be aware of your surroundings and the people who get too close.
Spotted on the Raw Feed - There's likely a bit of sensationalism that will happen because of these stories and events regarding laptop/Powerbook theft, but it doesn't hurt to be a bit (more) aware when you're out and about doing work at a cafe. Once and awhile I work out of one of the places that got hit by the stabbing laptop bandit - it's on Mission and 22nd, it's bad enough to get your laptop stolen, but stabbed too? That's messed up.Laptop thieves descend upon wireless cafes. Grab-and-run robbers find pricey computers easy to resell by Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer -"A San Francisco finance manager stopped in at a Mission District cafe and was tapping on his laptop as he enjoyed his coffee just before noon on a Thursday. Suddenly, he was under siege. "I looked up, and I saw this guy leaning into me as if he was asking a question,'' he said. "I leaned forward, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone fiddling with the computer cord. I tried to stand up, and as I stepped back, he stabbed me in the chest. Police say normally quiet cafes are becoming hunting grounds for laptop bandits." - Link.
Well, the innocent days of sipping coffee and roaming the net are rapidly changing.
Posted by Sophie at 07:05 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
What a Thought...
On a rainy Sunday, there is nothing better than surfing the web, chatting to friends and generally communicating with the "outside" world. While I would watch a little TV, I find that is a great wate of time and not as rewarding as a good look at the net. Obviously Davenetics has been in a contemplative mood this Sunday:
Given the generally good times we’ve had out here in internet land, you’d think the folks you’d run a across would be pretty grateful that they live in a place and/or a time when and/or where they could participate in such a cool revolution.You’d also think you’d run across a lot of people who have been seriously humbled by the amount of dough they’ve been able to accumulate in a very short time due in large part to the incredible luck of the moment.
(Snip)
And you’d even think that, to a certain extent, since a lot of us were nerds who weren’t all that popular in the pre-web days that there’d be a pretty serious effort to treat others with a bit of dignity.Ah Yeah, you’d think.
Good points. It seems that regardless of this new public sphere, people are still going to be themselves. That means that the uptight, unfriendly and rude individuals are in cyberspace too. The internet has brought a lot of good changes and allowed people to transgress cultures and countries. But unfortuanately it cannot change everyone for the better. The best we can do as a cyber community is be open to other's opinions and treat the internet not only as communicating one's own opinion but also learning about others too. What a world we live in! As for the "geek factor," really who cares? They are truly having the last laugh all the way to the bank!
Sunday Contemplation, Cyber Space
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April 07, 2006
Razor Thin
Techie Diva's brings up a relevant point about our most used devices, cell phones, iPods etc...With each device we buy the risk of scratching it is extremely high, so what can we do about it? I own a razor flip phone, and within two weeks I had already scratched it. Techie Diva has more:
The problem with gadgets coming in these thin sleek designs is the fear of getting them scratched. Take for example the iPod. There are more protective cases for this music player saturating the market, than any other gadget in existence
(snip)
So my semi-new RAZR concerns me, being that I already dropped it twice on a hard concrete floor. Nothing happened to it, but it bothers me when my gadgets pay for my carelessness. Speck Products have these new RAZR cases made of rubber or plastic to protect the RAZR. But honestly, what's the point of having thin gadgets, if we have to cover them with bulky rubberized skins. Ah! Dilemmas.
I agree, when I bought an Mp3 Gemini - which has a whopping 250 GB (that was impressive a few years ago), but the bulky thing fell once on my treadmill and that was it, I could not revive it again. RIP.
TAGS: Technology and it's Limits
Posted by Sophie at 03:57 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
April 05, 2006
Doyle Caught Red Handed?
So what's up with older men lusting after young girls on the Internet? While the Internet is a great source of communication, it has its limitations and scandal in cyberspace. There have been TV shows about it, and numerous articles written about the on-going problem of Internet seduction. Who's the accused criminal this time? Department of Homeland Security, Deputy Press Secretary Mr. Brian J. Doyle, age 55. Robot-Invasion.com has more:
I have little actual commentary to add to this article, as Mr. Doyle's reprehensible actions speak for themselves. Though I will say that his position with the DHS, an intitution I already dislike, inclines me to trust it even less.From the details released, it seems that Doyle may have believed that his position with the DHS would have shielded him from the consequences of his actions (I arrive at this conclusion based on the fact that one of the first things he told his "victim" was that he was with the DHS). That did not happen, but I believe that sense of empowerment is what philosophers throughout the ages have meant by "power corrupts".
CNN.com elaborates:
Brian J. Doyle, 55, is charged with seven counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and 16 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor, according to the Polk County, Florida, Sheriff's Office.
(snip)
"Many of the conversations he initiated ... are too extraordinary and graphic for public release," a statement from the sheriff's office said.
Hmm...Doyle has children of his own, I wonder how he would feel if his child was engaging in explicit online discussions with older men?
Brian Doyle's Online Sex Scandal
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Office Pranks
It's a little late for an April's fool joke, but this could come in handy when the boss is out, or a co-worker has a birthday or for when you just want to stir up a little trouble, DaTaste.com has some ideas...
Brian better watch out...his office just might resemble one of these pictures!
Posted by Sophie at 08:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 04, 2006
Tom DeLay Quits
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NY Times: DeLay Decides to End Career in Congress. Representative Tom DeLay, the relentless Texan who helped lead House Republicans to power but became ensnared in a corruption scandal, said publicly today that he had decided to leave Congress. "After many weeks of personal, prayerful thinking and analysis, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to close this public service chapter of my life," Mr. DeLay said in a statement issued this morning. He added that the time had come to open "new chapters" and to "engage in the important cultural and political battles of our day from outside the arena of the United States House of Representatives.
One of the slimiest people ever to shame the halls of Congress is leaving. But his minions are still running the place, and it still smells of corruption.
"Because I care so deeply about this district and the people in it, I refuse to allow liberal Democrats an opportunity to steal this seat with a negative personal campaign," said Mr. DeLay in the statement.
Well, his compassion for the other half of the country says it all, sayonara Mr. D.
That's one less Bush Crony, but many more to fill his place.
Posted by Sophie at 10:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)