Program helps foster kids finish college - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Program helps foster kids finish college - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

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CBC News - World - Obama pledges to end 'don't ask, don't tell'

This is more important than him winning the Nobel Prize. Its a small but concrete step to increase Americans' human rights.

B.

CBC News - World - Obama pledges to end 'don't ask, don't tell'

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Zombie response exercise stripped from university site | Weird | News | Toronto Sun

Let us hope that this does not turn out to be a short-sighted measure on the U of F's part... Perhaps they feel adequately prepared and don't want to admit it...


Zombie response exercise stripped from university site | Weird | News | Toronto Sun

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BBC NEWS | Entertainment | JK Rowling denied top US honour

What a joke- if anyone of recent years should be honoured for her contribution to child-lit, its her.

B.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | JK Rowling denied top US honour

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CBC News - Film - Polanski to fight extradition

While I have enjoyed several of his films, I have no sympathy for this guy.

Do you remember what you were like at 13? Consent is a joke for anyone that age engaging with an adult. That's a bigger issue than whether she has forgiven him.

He drugged that girl and had his way with her. Child sexual abuse, plain and simple. NO sympathy for him...

B.


CBC News - Film - Polanski to fight extradition

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CBC News - World - The strange, dark truths of Moammar Gadhafi

Man, this guy has more staying power than Castro... He's dangerous and brutal but just so bizarre...

B.

CBC News - World - The strange, dark truths of Moammar Gadhafi

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New Morning Routine

Ninety days from now we be Christmas Day. Ninety days from today will also be three days into our Disney World vacation! As we’re staying on the resort with a full meal plan, every morning we make sit-down meal reservation for a day our vacation.

Today’s booking was Christmas Day and I had expected it to be a tough one. The bookings for each day go “live” at 7am our time and at 07:00:01 or so, I was on the website to make our booking at the Crystal Palace restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. I had tried for 12PM and needed up with 11:40. Not bad… That’s a busy second, though. :-)

B.

Everything I wanted to own when I was my oldest daughter's age

1980 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Catalogue

Fortunately, I never had this toy as a child

MyPhones: a safer way to listen. ??????

Okay- I may actually consider getting a couple of these for the girls. Given some genetics in my family, I've thinking a lot about hearing protection lately.

B.

MyPhones: a safer way to listen.

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"Water or the Web" (Interesting BBC Article)

Here's an interesting article about broadband Internet development and the future of Africa, in the face of more basic developmental needs.

B.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2009/09/day_two_water_or_the_web.html

The First 9 Review I've Read

My old pal "Clueless in Cowtown" is the first person I know to have seen "9." It was the movie that I was eagerly anticipating here.

Either click on her name above or click here to read her review.

B.

District 9 movie review

I'm generally not given to undue praise for films, even ones that touch on some of guilty my pleasures (such as realistic aliens, sci-fi, alternate history, apocalyptic themes, etc.). That said, DISTRICT 9 ROCKED.

Simply put, it had an original, compelling story, top notch special effects and a generous scoop of real-life allegory. If you haven't heard of the film, its set an alternate present (or close to the present day) in a post-Apartheid South Africa. In 1982, a huge alien spacecraft parked above Johannesburg. Since that time over a million aliens have lived in a township just outside the city.

The Apartheid symbolism is not light or subtle. "Prauns" as the vaguely insectoid aliens are pejoratively called are viewed paternally as an inferior race. In the human mind, they are lazy and directionless and a Haliburton-like corporation called "M.N.U." is responsible for them. One part United Nations, one part Blackwater the M.N.U. enforces the segregation, care and feeding of the aliens. The film starts on the eve of a massive move of the entire alien population to a concentration camp-like settlement, of course for their own protection.

The assault rifle-carrying paternalism is what I imagine vintage Apartheid must have been like. Racist urban planning with an iron fist... Even more interesting, I've read that the film was being made at the height of South Africa's recent anti-foreigner violence.

From there, the film accelerates into a frantic chase story, while never relenting its examination of race, "us," and "them." Great!

B.

"Bureau of Communication" Web Site

Man, I am just itching to use one of these forms in real life:

http://www.bureauofcommunication.com/

B.

A Reasonable American Perspective on Health Care

A Zombie's Worst Enemy: Canadian Math Geeks - World News Briefs | Newser

Oh crap... Somehow I always knew that my lifelong fear/hatred/inepitude towards math would come around and bite me in the butt. Now I find out that math is a potent anti-zombie weapon.

I can always hide... Anyone have can opener?

B.
(Click on the link below for more info.)


A Zombie's Worst Enemy: Canadian Math Geeks - World News Briefs | Newser

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Decorum takes a holiday in the health-care debate

This is an interesting debate that goes to the very essence of the competing poles of American individualism and collectivism (traditionally not the stronger of the two).

I've reda in the past that the birth of full medicare in our country (Canada) was full of strife as well.

B.


Decorum takes a holiday in the health-care debate

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Camp Day '09

Our daughter, Action Girl (age 8.5) is off to camp this afternoon. She's going to a church-run camp (not our church). She couldn't get more excited if you paid her. Her camp is until next Friday and promises to be fun-filled and busy. Her best friend (who is also not affiliated with the church that runs the camp) is going to be one of her cabin mates.

I have checked in with her a few times and she doesn't seem to be the least bit nervous and I know that she'll be fine (better than that, actually). Its a nice time to think about my own camp experiences and this may explain why I'm a little more anxious than she.

CUB CAMP (or maybe it was Beavers): Age 6 or 7 or 8- One or maybe two nights. Fun but very homesick.

SCOUT CAMP: Winter and summer. Very fun. One summer was a whole computer and sports camp week (very leading edge for 1984). Sports were fun- an unusual thing in my life.

FIRST YEAR CADET CAMP: (Age 13) Two weeks and fun. Not a lot of friends- I was pretty shy and awkward. First full slow dance with a girl!!

CADET BAND CAMP: (Age 14) Again very shy and not a lot of friends, but a great six weeks spent learning and playing music. Highlights: Big guy from Whitney Pier steps on my trumpet and our course prom.

CADET SENIOR LEADERS COURSE: (Age 15) Not a walk in the park. More friends, though. Tough national boot camp-ish leadership course. Very homesick for six weeks. Win course award for most improved cadet (tied to rocky start).

CADET GLIDER PILOT TRAINING: (Age 16) The big one. The best seven weeks of my life up until that point. Good friends, cute girls (not mutually exclusive). I am an awful pilot, but take on some leadership within my flight (group of cadets) and win a course award.

INTERNATIONAL CADET EXCHANGE: (Age 17) I get a chance to go to England and Scotland for two weeks. I had a wonderful time. The group was a little clique-y but I have a number of good friends.

STAFF CADET, CADET CAMP: (Age 18) I didn't actually go to this one but was accepted for a summer of employment with the regional cadet camp (where I went to the two-week and band camps). This was a very interesting crossroads in my life. If I had gone to this 8-9 weeks of well-paid employment I wouldn't have got the job I actually had that summer at the student union. That job leads to a six year period of my life engrossed in the student movement that shapes my career choices and opens doors I have since entered.

Memories,

B.

"Flash Forward" New Sci-fi Show this Fall on ABC

This could be interesting, if it doesn't get too melodramatic.

B.

Tired...

Alright- don't read too much into this, but I'm tired of worrying about work as soon as I wake up on a Sunday morning. No big deal, I'm just tired of it. There's a number of things tat I'm really far behind on and somedays I don't feel like I'll ever get "caught up."

Hmmmmmmm,
B.