shyspeak.netshyspeak.netSpeculation and perspective on current events relating to society, technology, religion and politics. Articles
An Inconvenient Truth for Environmentalists
2008-06-07 20:14:00 Al Gore and other global-warming doomsday fanatics are on a crusade to save the planet by reducing carbon emissions. A great article in Wired warns that the problem is more than just a single-minded focus on CO2 and requires those who truly wish to save the planet to first change their perspective. This ... More About: Politics , Truth , Business , Technology , Culture
Ever Wonder Where Internet SPAM Comes From?
2008-06-07 04:59:00 From Technology Review: The greatest amount of SPAM originates in China, Brazil, Turkey, USA and Germany; these are the worst offenders with a combined total of approximately 500 million SPAM emails annually. These five countries account for nearly half of the world’s email SPAM! Incredible! What can be done? In ... More About: Internet , Spam
Air Force Senior Leadership Fired!
2008-06-06 16:15:00 For the first time in history, both the civilian and military leadership of a military service have been fired. Yesterday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates requested the resignations of the Secretary of the Air Force , Michael Wynne, and the Air Force Chief of Staff, T. Michael Mosley, for failing to secure the country’s nuclear arsenal. ... More About: Politics , Senior , Military , Leadership
Building A ?Prosumer? Relationship
2008-06-04 03:26:00 Electronic or ?e? commerce is built on a networked landscape. Understanding how to traverse this complex landscape is the key to business success. An essential rule to follow in this network age is incorporating relationship technology to the e-marketplace. A business following this simple rule will gain a competitive edge. Relationship technology is ... More About: Business , Building , Essays
After 20 Years, Obama Quits United Trinity Church
2008-06-02 00:38:00 Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has quit Chicago’s United Trinity Church of Christ where he was a faithful member for 20 years. Why and why now? In a letter to the church’s new pastor, Rev. Otis Moss III, Obama wrote, “We make this decision with sadness. Trinity was where I found Christ, where we were ... More About: Politics , Rants
A Compromise Over Michigan Delegates?
2008-06-01 01:54:00 The Democratic Party approved a compromise over the Michigan delegates, granting Senator Clinton 34.5 delegates and Senator Obama 29.5. Although, based on the ratio of votes, it appears to be a fair split based on the primary votes Clinton actually won, but the Michigan Democratic Committee took it one step further using the result of ... More About: Politics , Rants
Kids Strike-out with Major League Baseball
2008-05-29 17:33:00 Major League Baseball is putting the screws to little leaguers who play under the names of the big league teams. How ridiculous is that? Essentially, MLB is telling uniform makers that not only are the big league logos trademarked, but the actual team names, as well. Which means, if the little ... More About: Kids , Strike , Major
Move Over Mozart, Here Comes Al Gore!
2008-05-29 07:31:00 An opera by Al Gore ? Are you serious? Well, Gore won’t actually be writing the opera, but an Al Gore opera is actually being written for La Scala’s 2011 season (h/t Opera Chic): “[A]n opera has been commissioned to composer Giorgio Battistelli for the 2011 season, based on An Inconvenient Truth, the best-selling ... More About: Politics , Milan
Obama: 1,978 Delegates (and then some!)
2008-05-29 06:51:00 Earlier this week, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama , received an endorsement from Fidel Castro . That means, in addition to the 1,978 delegates he currently holds, Obama has been endorsed by: Castro Hamas Hugo Chavez Mahmoud Ahmadinejad The New Black Panthers Louis Farrakhan With friends like these, who needs enemies? More About: Politics , Rants
A Lazy Afternoon?
2008-05-28 23:02:00 …wherein my granddaughter asks me to open a box of candy band-aids: Granddaughter: “Bee-Pa, would you open this for me, please?” Me: “Now you know your mommy said you couldn’t have any more candy…” Granddaughter: “But they’re not candy, Bee-Pa.” Me: “They’re not? What are they?” Granddaughter: “They’re band-aids; you put them on your arm ... More About: Afternoon , Lazy
Big Surprise: Iran Isn?t Cooperating With IAEA
2008-05-27 05:33:00 The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran is withholding information relating to its nuclear program. The report actually accuses the Iranians of a willful lack of cooperation based on, among other things, their refusal to answer allegations that their nuclear program may be intended for military use, rather than the generation of energy. According ... More About: Politics , Terrorism , Middle East
Is Privacy a Reasonable Expectation in the Internet Age?
2008-05-20 05:21:00 The Internet , as a growing innovation, touches nearly every part of our lives. It improves communication, eliminates physical barriers, enhances education, stimulates commerce and keeps us connected. The Internet is a wonderful tool, full of information on practically any subject and disturbingly, practically any person. The Internet, though generally accepted by most, ... More About: Technology , Privacy , Essays
Fight a Speeding Ticket
2008-05-19 04:30:00 I remember when a speeding ticket was a flat rate of $25, which didn’t amount to much more than an inconvenience. Now a speeding ticket can run you a couple hundred bucks or more. In a recent issue of Wired there was an interesting “how-to”…this one discussed how to beat a speeding ticket ... More About: Misc , Fight , Speeding , Ticket
Once Again, Obama Flaunts an Impressive Knowledge of Geography
2008-05-18 07:21:00 Barack Obama on why he’s trailing Hillary Clinton by 27 points in Kentucky : “What it says is that I’m not very well known in that part of the country” … “Sen. Clinton, I think, is much better known, coming from a nearby state of Arkansas. So it’s not surprising that she would have an advantage in ... More About: Politics , Rants , Knowledge
The Risk in Developing New IT Systems
2008-05-17 22:17:00 Moore?s Law would suggest that information technology (IT) used to build systems today is superior to yesterday?s technology. However, new is not always better. Certainly, today?s IT is smaller and faster, but that doesn?t necessarily make it superior to the technology used in legacy systems. In fact, implementing new IT systems carry ... More About: Risk , Essays , Systems
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!
2008-05-17 06:47:00 In a comical response to President Bush’s (Barack-attack) comment “…some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists…” Barack Obama in pure Kerry “I was for the war before I was against it” flip-flopping style said, “George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists.” Referring to the President’s comment as ... More About: Politics , Terrorism , Middle East , Pants , Fire
Are Cell Phones the New Cigarette?
2008-05-16 03:18:00 There is still a great deal of controversy surrounding the role of cell phones in cancer development. The cell phone industry insists that cell phones are safe, and conflicting scientific evidence hardly refutes their claim. Only time will tell if the cell phone is the new cigarette. So, what does the research ... More About: Cell Phones , Phones , Healthcare , Cell , Essays
Can?t We All Just Get Along? Evolution vs Intelligent Design
2008-05-14 05:25:00 The controversy surrounding the teaching of intelligent design alongside the theory of evolution in our schools is simply remarkable to me. I also don’t understand why Christian activists think that if creation can’t be taught exclusively, it must be must be taught in tandem with evolutionary theory. Truth be told, I’ve never had ... More About: Intelligent Design , Design , Evolution , Intelligent , Essays
Obama Has Visited 57 States (with one more to go)
2008-05-11 01:24:00 Imagine BHO on Fox’s Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? … Jeff Foxworthy: “So, Mr. Obama , you’ve chosen 1st Grade Geography as your category and here’s your question: How many states are there in the continental United States ?” Barack Obama: “Well, Jeff, I’ve visited 57 states with one more to go, so that ... More About: Politics , Rants
The Met?s Peter Gelb One of TIME?s 100!
2008-05-06 01:23:00 Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera , was voted into TIME’s 100 for 2008! Gelb became the Met’s 16th general manager in 2006, and he immediately launched a crusade to reinvigorate the sometimes stodgy world of opera. His initiatives, most notably the high-definition live broadcasts in movie theaters across the country, ... More About: Time , Peter
Child Abuse and the Moral, Ethical and Legal Obligations of the Healthcare
2008-05-05 04:40:00 Abstract Approximately one million children are abused in the United States each year. The health care worker is in a position to help these children and have a moral, ethical and legal obligation to do so. In the American culture, child abuse is wrong and everyone, including the health care worker, has a moral ... More About: Abuse , Healthcare , Ethics , Legal , Essays
Iraq Shared Investment Act
2008-05-03 16:50:00 Conrressman Allen Boyd (D-FL) recently introduced legislation that would require Iraq to use its ($60 billion) budget surplus and oil revenue stream to help pay its security and reconstruction costs. The Iraq Shared Investment Act would consider the U.S. funding of Iraq’s reconstruction and security a loan to be repaid to the American taxpayer; ... More About: Politics , Business , Middle East
Press Conference Poetry: Obama on Wright
2008-04-30 01:37:00 Today’s press conference was more than simply an (unsurprising) effort by the Obama campaign to pump the water from the sinking ship, it was pure political poetry. These were the Senator’s closing words and a final (contradictory) statement on his relationship with Reverend Wright… (a poem as ridiculous as the man who uttered its words) he ... More About: Politics , Poetry , Press , Press Conference
Blogging Zlín: Part 8
2008-04-25 04:30:00 Today we drove to Kromerí?, a neighboring town, for lunch and to visit the Kromerí? Castle, listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization among the World Heritage Sites. Kromerí? is a beautiful city and was founded in 1260 by Bishop Bruno ze Schauenburku. The “castle” is actually the Archbishop’s ... More About: Europe , Travel , Journal , Blogging , Part
Blogging Zlín: Part 7
2008-04-24 06:50:00 This evening we joined three other North American couples for dinner at the Potrefená Husa or simply “Husa” Restaurant in downtown Zlín. I say “North American” because one of the couples was from Newfoundland, Canada. Potrefená Husa translates as “Crazy Goose” which explains the goose footprints that run up the wall and across ... More About: Europe , Travel , Journal , Blogging , Part
??but nobody told me not to go?
2008-04-22 15:00:00 Mealy-mouthed ex-president Jimmy Carter claims that no one in the U.S. government told him not to travel to the Middle East . However, he did acknowledge that Assistant Secretary of State, David Welch, told him the trip was not advisable. That sounds to me like the U.S. government urging him not to go, doncha ... More About: Politics , Terrorism , Rants , Israel
Blogging Zlín: Part 6
2008-04-22 00:25:00 Yesterday, we spent a quiet afternoon strolling through the city of Zlín. It was Sunday and most of the shops were closed, so we walked through the parks and visited a small carnival. In one of the parks was a WWII memorial. The statue of the Czech soldier was situated between ... More About: Europe , Travel , Journal , Blogging , Part
Carter the ?Piece? Broker
2008-04-22 00:14:00 Former President Jimmy Carter on a one-man crusade to achieve peace in the Middle East has brokered a one-sided, one-piece agreement. Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Carter explained, “Hamas leaders said they would accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 border and the right of Israel to live as a neighbor, provided ... More About: Politics , Terrorism , Rants
Blogging Zlín: Part 5
2008-04-20 07:31:00 So, we woke up about 8:30 am after a very restful night’s sleep. We had arranged for Hanna to make breakfast for us at 9 and, once again, were not disappointed: scrambled eggs, sausage, waffles, yogurt, fresh bread with butter, jam and honey and fresh orange juice and coffee. After breakfast we ... More About: Europe , Travel , Journal , Czech Republic , Blogging
Blogging Zlín: Part 4
More articles from this author:2008-04-19 05:45:00 Cindy and I have returned to the Czech Republic and once again are staying at the Penzion Uno in Zlín. The trip was uneventful after we finally got off the ground in Atlanta (our plane was delayed an hour while maintenance workers changed some “valves” in the engine). This time we flew into ... More About: Europe , Travel , Journal , Blogging 1, 2, 3 |
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