Kyl-Lieberman letter to my senators

Senator [Martinez|Nelson]:

I am deeply, *deeply* disappointed in your vote for the Kyl-Lieberman bill.

I do not support any resolution which brings us closer to attacking or invading Iran.

The invasion and occupation of Afghanistan had some dubious merit: we have yet to finish the job there, and the Taliban are returning.

The invasion and occupation of Iraq has turned into a disaster, both for us and especially for the Iraqi people, General Petraeus' wishful thinking notwithstanding.

An attack or invasion of Iran would just make things even worse.

Your actions contribute to the further erosion of all that is good about this nation, and I hope someday you come to see the folly of your ways.

Needless to say, you've lost my vote.

Your constituent,
Richard Albury

Racism in Jena, Louisiana

Looking over the chronology of events in Jena, Louisiana, I'm struck by a few things:

• you have to practically be from another planet if you think hanging nooses from a tree in the South is not a racist action


• if they had expelled the students immediately as the principal recommended, this may not have grown into the media circus it now is


• it's disgusting that prosecuting people for knocking someone unconscious and then kicking him and beating him is being construed as racist

Takeshi Kovacs

I'm reading the third Takeshi Kovacs novel by Richard Morgan:



Good stuff, and I came across a quote from Morgan which resonates, unsurprisingly:

Society is, always has been and always will be a structure for the exploitation and oppression of the majority through systems of political force dictated by an élite, enforced by thugs, uniformed or not, and upheld by a willful ignorance and stupidity on the part of the very majority whom the system oppresses.

Yep. Can't say I disagree.

Reason #127 I despise Vista

I have a shortcut on my desktop to the debug folder for my code - the folder with all the stuff generated by the debug build.

The shortcut is called "Debug - Shortcut"

When I double-click the shortcut, I get an Explorer view of the debug folder, which is actually in

C:\Mongoose\Software\Dev\AT8\AT8\Debug

However, Explorer thinks it's in

C:\Users\richard.albury\Desktop\Debug - Shortcut

WTF?!?

I can't wait to get a 17" MacBook Pro running Parallels. Vista is an abomination.

The Dis-Information Society

Good post today by Jim Kunstler. They're almost always good, but he dialed down the vitriol and bitterness on this one. Lack of leadership - and lack of consequences for one's actions - is indeed the root of the problems we face.

In a related topic, I was reading - of all things - a graphic novel version of Reagan's biography on Slate. I should have known things would turn out as bad as they are when - instead of being stood against a wall and given a cigarette and a blindfold - criminals like Oliver North went on to have book signings and talk shows.

I imagine when Rush finally takes one too many prescription drugs - or gets caught soliciting in a men's room somewhere - Karl Rove can fill in.

Is this country great, or what?

Carpe diem

Someone I worked with last week - via email and on the phone - lost his wife last night:

Her passing was not expected and Chris and his two sons were with her at the hospital when she passed... Please think of Kim, Chris and his boys in your prayers.

Damn. All we have is this moment: make it count, and make sure everyone you care about knows it.