And, now, back to the subject of “us” and “them”. I don’t have cable, so I didn’t see the original broadcast of this, but a few days ago Boing Boing linked to video of a FOX News report, in which the newscaster refers to non-Arabs as “regular” people. Obviously, if you’re Arab, there must be something irregular about you. The mind wobbles!
Tag: blogs
Patriarchy
No art today (we’re experiencing a drought, dontchaknow?), but I thought I’d share this gem: I Blame the Patriarchy. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’s way better than Cats. I promise.
And, speaking of Patriarchy, an Instant Review of Mozilla’s Thunderbird:
I started using Mozilla’s Firefox web browser about a year ago and have nothing bad to say about it. It’s a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I decided to give their e-mail client a try, so I downloaded Thunderbird yesterday.
I’ve been using Forte Agent and good, old-fashioned Pine for newsgroups and e-mail. Each has it’s strengths. I adore Pine, but I’ve got a crap connection at home, so an off-line news/mail client is necessary there. Agent has suited my needs well, but it still does not have multiple server support. Blech. So, enter Thunderbird.
Set-up was easy-peasy. It will apparently import from OE, but since I don’t use it, I don’t know how straightforward it is to do so. I had no problems setting up all my POP accounts, nor my news account. I like the junk mail filter. It’s trainable and seems to catch on quickly to what goes in the bozo bin and what doesn’t. I’m not so fond of the news filter, though. It’s clunky and, unless I’m missing something, not nearly as configurable as Agent’s killfile. So, I guess we’ll see if I stick with it for newsgrouping. I’m sold for e-mail, though.
For those who use OE, Thunderbird will feel very familiar. I really urge OE and IE users to give Thunderbird and Firefox a try, if for no other reason than that I think it’s important to have as many options as possible. If we don’t support the good alternatives that are out there, those alternatives will slowly disappear. I, for one, don’t relish the thought of having my computing experience controlled solely by the Wizard of Redmond (or his brother from another mother in Cupertino).
MIT Weblog Study
MIT is doing a blogging survey. If you have a blog and would like to participate, click on the link.
Instant Reviews (Weather, Music, Reading Material)
Instant Review: The Bloody Weather
Once again, I got to work to find that the network is down. My guess is that last night’s storms knocked out power and no one reset the servers. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened. Considering how much it’s costing the university to pay for us to sit and twiddle our thumbs, you’d think they’d try to keep this sort of thing from happening. Hrmph. That’ll teach me to haul ass to get to work on time when it’s storming.
And, speaking of the bloody weather, it was so hot on Tuesday that I had to dig out the window ACs and install them. Talk about a pain in the behindermost parts. I’d been looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing when I got home, so physical labor was not on my To Do List. I’m glad I got that out of the way, though. It was even hotter yesterday, so being able to turn on the AC was a godsend. While cars and computers and telephones are wonderful inventions, I think AC trumps them all.
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Instant Review: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds B-Sides & Rarities
Anyway, I got the Nick Cave B-Sides & Rarities box set and have been listening to it non-stop, at work and at home. If I had a tape or CD player in my car (ha!) I’d be listening to it there, too. It’s absolutely wonderful. Most of the material was previously released as B sides, some of which I already had, but I figured it would be worth the price (US$20) just for the unreleased material. I wasn’t wrong.
And for those who like Nick Cave but are looking for something a little different, I recommend checking out The Earl Brothers. It’s gothic bluegrass at it’s very finest. No, really! It’s funny and a little menacing and, I’ve found, makes damnfine music to clean by. Mary Poppins, eat your heart out.
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Instant Review: Stuff I’ve Been Reading
I’ve been enjoying Bitch PhD and Echidne of the Snakes. Angie Reed Gardner’s art blog, where there’s good art and some good, thought-provoking conversation. Check out the discussion of Fernando Botero’s Abu Ghraib paintings. I also recommend the Velveteen Rabbi blog. I’m not particularly religious, but I’ve always been fascinated by religion, by religious philosophy, and by linguistics. The Velveteen Rabbi caters nicely to my interests.
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It looks like the network is back up. Yay! It only took them 1:30 this time. Now to upload this and get to work.
Food for Thought
I recently stumbled across Rebecca Blood’s blog (What’s in Rebecca’s Pocket?) and am enjoying it. It’s always guaranteed to provide food for thought. And, not junk food, either; this is good, nourishing grub. Most of the content is concerned with social and cyber issues. One of the things I like most about Rebecca’s blog, though, is its tone. Rebecca’s voice is a refreshing island of humor and reason in a shrill sea of marshmallow filling.
(Damned Blogger ate another post. It wouldn’t be that bad, as this was a short one, but I’m never able to rewrite them as well the second time around.)
Reading Material
There are a few blogs I’ve really been enjoying lately.
Vitriolica Webb’s ite, observations and drawings from a British woman living in Portugal. It’s updated daily.
Madwoman’s Lunchbox, writings about “fibers, photos, and stream of consciousness.” It’s updated regularly, but not daily. That’s unfortunate, because I’d like a daily dose and, after all, it is all about what I want, right?
On the Banks of Bay Creek, about composition book journaling. I really enjoy the feel of her journals. She has a nice touch and a knack I haven’t mastered for balancing words and images. Plus, Dawn’s blog helps keep me motivated.
red paper boat 