Eric Schlosser at the Ruminator, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Many interesting revelations came from seeing Schlosser, in town to flog
his latest book, Reefer Madness. First was that he considers
Fast Food Nation, the excellent book that put his name on the
bestseller list, to be primarily a business book. This helps explain what
connects the two books, as well as the upcoming book on prisons that
Schlosser is currently researching. Schlosser talked quite a bit about
the inadequacies of the mainstream concept of the Free Market as a force
that improves society.
Most obviously in violation of the freedom of markets, given the subject
matter of Reefer Madness, are the restrictions imposed for
allegedly moral reasons, such as the outlawing of marijuana while more
dangerous substances such as alcohol and and tobacco are allowed, and
even subsidized.
Fast Food Nation also fits into this critique in a few ways. The
amazing control over suppliers, franchisees, urban planners, and the
general populace exerted by McDonalds and fellow large fast food
purveors illustrates how shallow the 'competition' and 'freedom' can be
in our economic system. The horrendous safety of the food produced, for
both the workers who produce it and the consumers who eat it, argues
against the claim that our market naturally rewards consumers with
better products and improves communities' well-being.
[/book_review]
Create CSS programatically (ha)
The designers I work with think that saying something happens 'programatically' is the funniest thing ever, and I haven't quite figured out why. Anyhow, here is the script referenced in the title. I keep meaning to spend a little time getting a grip on the basics of CSS, so this sort of thing is of interest.
[/media/weblogs]
Fri, 23 May 2003
The designers I work with think that saying something happens 'programatically' is the funniest thing ever, and I haven't quite figured out why. Anyhow, here is the script referenced in the title. I keep meaning to spend a little time getting a grip on the basics of CSS, so this sort of thing is of interest.
[/media/weblogs]
GEICO and Savage Redux
While I did imply that I'd written GEICO about Michael Savage a few months ago, the truth is that, before sending the letter, I wanted to make sure I could actually switch insurance. Trouble was, their rates really were much better than their competitors'. So, having recently renewed my auto insurance, I present the email I actually am sending:
[/media]
Wed, 21 May 2003
While I did imply that I'd written GEICO about Michael Savage a few months ago, the truth is that, before sending the letter, I wanted to make sure I could actually switch insurance. Trouble was, their rates really were much better than their competitors'. So, having recently renewed my auto insurance, I present the email I actually am sending:
My partner and I have held GEICO insurance on our vehicles and apartment for four years, and have been very happy with the rates and service. Recently, however, we have become distressed to hear that GEICO advertising dollars are helping fund the radio talk show hosted by Michael Savage. We are disgusted with Savage's attacks on women, gays, and immigrants, and are very upset that some of the money we spend on insurance is being used to support his hate speech.
Three years ago, in a press release regarding advertising on the "Dr. Laura Schlessinger" radio program, GEICO stated that "GEICO is and has been an insurer for everyone. . .we take seriously the feedback we receive from our policyholders". Is this still GEICO's advertising policy? If so, then surely Michael Savage's program should be treated like Dr. Laura's was.
We urge GEICO to join the national advertisers, including Kraft and Proctor & Gamble, who have already withdrawn advertising from Savage.
Sincerely, etc.
[/media]
Good Lord
Props to David Morris for summarizing the current fascination with 'the one true god'. Though not quite as contemporary as Morris' examples, it's also worth mentioning H.W. Bush's infamous quote: I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. Morris' solution of changing 'god' to 'gods' in public discourse doesn't seem like much of an improvement, though, especially given the point he makes early on about the many belief systems that don't feature a deity.
The problem here, I think, is that the worldviews of monotheism and of (scientific) rationality are two entirely different sorts of things. If your beliefs are grounded in the god of the Bible, Koran, or Talmud, then there's nothing you'll learn from science or philosophy that will change your basic worldview. If, however, you believe that rationalism and / or the scientific method are the way to understand our world, then you think that the existence or absence of god or gods can't be proven. Your theory about god or gods will be based on the evidence you're aware of. It's for this reason that I find the 'atheist' approach somewhat unsatisfying; I'd think that people whose belief systems are grounded in rationality would be more likely to say something like "I don't think the existence or nonexistence of a god or gods can be known" than "there is no god". I guess that the unknowability view is technically agnosticism, but the popular meaning of that term seems more of the tormented today-I-believe-in-God-but-yesterday-I-didn't-and-tomorrow-I-won't-again-etc. school.
[/rant]
Tue, 20 May 2003
Props to David Morris for summarizing the current fascination with 'the one true god'. Though not quite as contemporary as Morris' examples, it's also worth mentioning H.W. Bush's infamous quote: I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. Morris' solution of changing 'god' to 'gods' in public discourse doesn't seem like much of an improvement, though, especially given the point he makes early on about the many belief systems that don't feature a deity.
The problem here, I think, is that the worldviews of monotheism and of (scientific) rationality are two entirely different sorts of things. If your beliefs are grounded in the god of the Bible, Koran, or Talmud, then there's nothing you'll learn from science or philosophy that will change your basic worldview. If, however, you believe that rationalism and / or the scientific method are the way to understand our world, then you think that the existence or absence of god or gods can't be proven. Your theory about god or gods will be based on the evidence you're aware of. It's for this reason that I find the 'atheist' approach somewhat unsatisfying; I'd think that people whose belief systems are grounded in rationality would be more likely to say something like "I don't think the existence or nonexistence of a god or gods can be known" than "there is no god". I guess that the unknowability view is technically agnosticism, but the popular meaning of that term seems more of the tormented today-I-believe-in-God-but-yesterday-I-didn't-and-tomorrow-I-won't-again-etc. school.
[/rant]
Pistol packin' Minnesota
Guns, guns, guns. No I haven't read through the whole thing, but I think I've seen enough to redirect my attention here, even though the best claims only "The 9mm V-50 rating is 1,775, the velocity(1,775 feet per second) a 9mm bullet has a 50% chance of penetrating the armor." I'd really prefer lower percentages, given that it's perfectly legal to tote stuff like so:
( the desert eagle .50 ).
Though perhaps a more realistic threat is the
Glock 30, touted by the manufacturer as the answer to civilian concealed carry needs. Available for a much more reasonable $512 + S&H, as opposed to $1200+ for the abovementioned deagle.
[/general]
Mon, 19 May 2003
Guns, guns, guns. No I haven't read through the whole thing, but I think I've seen enough to redirect my attention here, even though the best claims only "The 9mm V-50 rating is 1,775, the velocity(1,775 feet per second) a 9mm bullet has a 50% chance of penetrating the armor." I'd really prefer lower percentages, given that it's perfectly legal to tote stuff like so:
( the desert eagle .50 ).
Though perhaps a more realistic threat is the
Glock 30, touted by the manufacturer as the answer to civilian concealed carry needs. Available for a much more reasonable $512 + S&H, as opposed to $1200+ for the abovementioned deagle.
[/general]
Reuse Recycle
Another organization making good use of old technology, educating, giving access to people who might not otherwise. Nice. I wonder what, if any, similar orgs might be active in Boston? Anybody?
Addendum 6-04: Slightly closer to home is SF's CELLspace, with a not dissimilar vision.
[/general]
Fri, 09 May 2003
Another organization making good use of old technology, educating, giving access to people who might not otherwise. Nice. I wonder what, if any, similar orgs might be active in Boston? Anybody?
Addendum 6-04: Slightly closer to home is SF's CELLspace, with a not dissimilar vision.
[/general]
Coming Soon
I understand that there's going to be some fascinating blogging here sometime today.
[/media/weblogs]
Thu, 08 May 2003
I understand that there's going to be some fascinating blogging here sometime today.
[/media/weblogs]
Art Programs Are Super Helpful For Kids
Or so Ira Glass relates. Looks like there's plenty of evidence and material. Something to look into.
[/general]
Fri, 02 May 2003
Or so Ira Glass relates. Looks like there's plenty of evidence and material. Something to look into.
[/general]
Dear Editor (of the strib),
You've printed some factually incorrect material in William Blazar's Keep nuclear power in state's energy portfolio. He argues that Minnesota should continue using nuclear power because 'nuclear plants have no air emissions'. I wonder where Blazar thinks the uranium that powers nuclear plants comes from? In fact, uranium ore requires extensive mining operations, refinement and transportation, all of which consume plenty of fossil fuels and produce their share of air and water pollution.
Blazar's further claims that nuclear power is 'efficient' and 'cheap', and that a permanent storage facility is 'on the way', are also far from clear. He ignores the issues of nuclear weapons proliferation and vulnerability to terrorist attack, both of which have profound consequences for our state's safety. As vice president of our state's Chamber of Commerce, Blazar should be ashamed to have delivered such an inaccurate and one-sided argument.
( in response to http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/3858257.html )
[/rant]
Thu, 01 May 2003
You've printed some factually incorrect material in William Blazar's Keep nuclear power in state's energy portfolio. He argues that Minnesota should continue using nuclear power because 'nuclear plants have no air emissions'. I wonder where Blazar thinks the uranium that powers nuclear plants comes from? In fact, uranium ore requires extensive mining operations, refinement and transportation, all of which consume plenty of fossil fuels and produce their share of air and water pollution.
Blazar's further claims that nuclear power is 'efficient' and 'cheap', and that a permanent storage facility is 'on the way', are also far from clear. He ignores the issues of nuclear weapons proliferation and vulnerability to terrorist attack, both of which have profound consequences for our state's safety. As vice president of our state's Chamber of Commerce, Blazar should be ashamed to have delivered such an inaccurate and one-sided argument.
( in response to http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/3858257.html )
[/rant]
Thank God for the Lawyers
For they are sometimes smart and vicious enough to go after villians such as telemarketers.
[/general]
For they are sometimes smart and vicious enough to go after villians such as telemarketers.
[/general]
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