"Murphy was an optimist!"
Full Moon Tonight February 18, 2011 3:09 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeMy spine tingles. My face is flush. My energy is high. I can tell that tonight the moon shall be full. Something tells me that somewhere in my ancestry someone had a thing with a werewolf.
add a commentThis does not make me proud February 17, 2011 6:34 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Security, Touchy Subjects, United States, World PoliticsThe land of the free, the promised land, the place people once longed to visit or immigrate is quickly becoming the land to stay far away.
going to the US is more unpleasant than going to Soviet era Russia or even Iran 10 years ago. Sure, you sometimes have to bribe people, but at least I’ve not had gear stolen off me during security checks or had people break my gear without at least compensating me.
And taking pictures. Well, let me put it like this: you are 20 times more likely to get hassled for whipping out your camera anywhere in the US than in, say, downtown Teheran.
I offer this as an observation from the outside. The US is isolating itself and it is becoming a very, very unpleasant place to visit. I often talk to fellow travellers and even a lot of business types in nice suits often relate how they’d rather not travel to the US if they could help it and that they’d rather work with people in Europe or Asia. I can relate to that.
[Source, Reddit, Why I stopped travelling to the US and I largely stopped doing business in the US.]
My fellow Americas. Can we please return to the pre-9/11 sensibilities we once had?
add a commentCall to action: WordPress Developers Please Comment February 17, 2011 9:33 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : PHP, Programming, Software, Technology, WordPressHello WordPress developers! (me included). When you make a theme, I implore you, please use a simple html comment at the top of each page to identify the template. For example: <!- – TEMPLATE: single.php – -> would allow someone unfamiliar with your theme to look in the generated source and see which template(s) are influencing the output. Yes, experienced WordPress developers should already know which files are being used but we don’t write themes only for experienced developers. And even experienced developers get stuck, tired, or would like things to be sped along and a simple comment, <!- – TEMPLATE: page.php – ->, would help tremendously. Thank you!
add a commentGot a long stabby thing? February 17, 2011 8:05 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Humor, PhilosophyEveryone should enjoy their job as much as this crew!
VIDEO: Today show panel cracks-up
add a commentI just wet myself! February 16, 2011 12:41 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Gadgets, TechnologyI must have an interactive mirror in my house!
Interactive Mirror from Alpay Kasal on Vimeo.
A special thanks to Makezine for making me aware of LitStudios and their fantastic work with "dielectric glass mirrors with LCD panels built into them."
2commentsSpoken by a juggler February 16, 2011 11:23 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Juggling, Quoteadd a commentOh hell, I left my balls at home.
The Past Clings Forever to the Future February 16, 2011 8:53 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Philosophy, PoetryThe Past cannot be undone
And will always haunt The Future
We extol ourselves,
“Learn from the past”
While brooding with regret
Frustrated, lacking the ability to forget
The desire to move forward; hampered
By our bygone action which shackles us
Immobilized
Frozen
Unable to escape its grip
The Past is one with us
No separating from it
No forgetting
Perpetually haunted by its ghosts
When at last, you have forgiven yourself
And believe yourself to have moved on
The Past latches on like a Tigress
Pouncing upon Her prey
Not even Death provides absolution
For you take The Past to your grave
And worse
Leave some for those left behind.
The simple solution to keeping The Past at bay
Be inhuman
Never make a mistake.
To remove any doubt, WMDs evidence was a lie February 15, 2011 10:55 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Touchy Subjects, United States, War, World PoliticsIn case there is still any doubt, Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi has admitted to lying about Iraqs weapons of mass destruction. As I read this and watch the video, as an American citizen I feel heavy in my chest; despite my protests at the time, I feel guilty.
The defector who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons programme has admitted for the first time that he lied about his story, then watched in shock as it was used to justify the war.
[Source, guardian.co.uk , Defector admits to WMD lies that triggered Iraq war]
You should watch the video.
3commentsHappy Valentine’s Day! February 14, 2011 11:52 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cathy, Daily Life, Family, Holiday, Valentine's DayI placed the ladder from the 2nd floor to a ledge above the downstairs landing effectively giving the staircase a ceiling with a narrow opening for travel from downstairs to upstairs.
What I said, "Watch out for your head!"
What I heard: *bonk!*
That’ll be one more trip to Godiva today.
add a commentIt works the same in any country. February 6, 2011 9:41 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Touchy Subjects, War
Image source http://i.imgur.com/6v7tR.jpg
Naturally the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country. –Hermann Goering
Did he really say it? According to Snopes, yes.
add a comment60 Minutes Wikileaks Statement Does Not Match Data February 2, 2011 9:35 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Touchy Subjects60 Minutes Vanity Fair Poll asks: "What do you think of the activities of WikiLeaks?" and from the answers concludes:
Only 9 percent of Americans think that WikiLeaks is a good thing. Twenty three percent think that it is destructive but legal and 22 percent think it is treasonous. But despite being prominently in the news for weeks for leaking classified documents from The State Department, and worse, for an organization that depends on notoriety to ply its trade, 42 percent of Americans aren’t sure what WikiLeaks is. [Source, CBSNews.com, 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll: February Edition]
I’m not sure how their polls work but this statement was published on January 30 for a February poll. At the time I took in, the numbers were entirely contrary to the picture and paragraph they reported with 81% saying wikileaks is a good thing, 9% destructive but legal, 9% treasonous, and only 2% not sure what wikileaks is. Perhaps they sampled their poll early in the results. I view this as some of the manipulative reporting that misleads the average news consumer. Think of the number of people who don’t click the vote button to see the real results. If CBSNews wanted the numbers to remain static, they should have closed to the poll.
Return to the Fellinis January 31, 2011 8:03 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeAfter spending 5 days between Washington, DC and New York City, waking up in Knoxville feels a lot like falling asleep at a big circus and waking up in a sideshow carnival.
Yes, we the freaks; we are the oddities.
add a commentBlip! January 21, 2011 7:09 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Announcements, Of InterestCostco is on the radar again…
add a commentFlorida produces a winning 2012 presidential candidate January 18, 2011 5:09 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Politics, Touchy Subjects, United StatesRyan Lipner wants to be president of the United States but he is only 27 and the Constitution requires a candidate to be 35 years old or older. Is he qualified?
Lipner is known for his obsession with Hallmark stores as a teen and for opening branches without the company’s permission, leading him "to grand theft, bankruptcy, imprisonment, and possibly insanity — all before his 18th birthday," according to a 2001 New Times story.
He at least sounds qualified for Congress.
3commentsDeep Thoughts January 18, 2011 11:36 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Deep Thoughts, PhilosophyUltimately, it’s about understanding.
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