Tuesday, January 30, 2007

And another thing

Now that I'm totally obsessed with Bento and to a certain degree all things Japanese, I am running across more and more, um, interesting things. Take for example this Japanese commercial for a snack called Pretz.



I found this while I was shopping online for cute snacks to put in my Bento lunches, and let me just say that Japanese commercials are the bomb. The whole not-understanding-Japanese thing probably only adds to the mystique (and in some cases the hilarity).

By the way...

I ordered a bunch of Bento supplies the other day. It's a recipe for wackiness. Will post pics when it arrives.

Also learned that when they refer to sushi rice as "sticky" rice, they are NOT kidding.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Another time-honored tradition sacrificed to the PC -gods

Okay, maybe I exaggerate "time-honored tradition" a little bit, but when we're prosecuting sixteen-year-old kids on morals charges for showing a Playboy to a buddy, I think it's a pretty clear sign that we have lost all trace of sense. But that's not the really disturbing part of this story. This kid faced 90 years in prison for having nine images of child porn on his computer. However...

Exculpatory forensics (on the computer) revealed that the nine images were probably downloaded without his knowledge onto his hard drive by a virus. Viruses with this capability are alarmingly common and can invisibly infect an operating system when someone clicks on an email attachment or the ‘wrong’ (not necessarily adult) website.

Last year, during the height of the Mocbot worm, an estimated 265,000 computers were infected daily.

Matt’s attorney vigorously sought to have forensic analysis performed on the computer, which was in possession of the police. With equal vigor, the District Attorney’s office (called the County Attorney’s office in Arizona) blocked access even though the defense had a legal right to examine evidence.

Court records reveal repeated requests for such disclosure.

Forensic analysis of computer files is akin to ballistic testing of a gun or DNA analysis of semen from a rape sample. If a defendant is guilty, then the forensics will bolster or prove the charges. If the defendant is innocent, then the results are essential to establishing a defense.

In a telephone interview, Matt’s father explained, "I don’t argue that they [the police] didn’t have a right to come with a search warrant but I can’t understand not giving someone a right to defend themselves."


Indeed. I bet the parents of the Duke Lacrosse Players are asking themselves the same thing. In that case, the DA, Mike Nifong, withheld DNA evidence that indicated that the woman accusing the three players of rape had DNA of several men on her person and in her underwear, however, NO DNA of the men she was accusing of raping her. This bit of evidence, which would throw the credibility of the accuser into a deep dark hole, was deliberately withheld from the defense.

We all need to be vigilant to these denials of due process and express our outrage, with our words, our blogs, and with our votes. If we allow it to happen to our fellows, we cannot complain when it happens to us.

*UPDATE* -- See this too.

I don't care, I like it.



Blue Hawaiian daiquiri with whipped cream, cherry with stem, and the all-important umbrella. Mmmmmmm.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Hickory Smoke WHAT???

For those of you that didn't get the barbecue sauce reference...

Friday, January 19, 2007

Oooooh, shiny!!!

I have this tendency to find something cool and get obsessed with it, hence about 25 unfinished projects and hobbies around my house. My latest thing is Bento. I don't know why, if I had to guess I would say it's because it appeals to my artistic and creative side. Plus I've taken an interest in making every day life more fun, and what could possibly be more fun than a Hello Kitty Bento Lunchbox? What, I tell you?!?! Cute food! It's freaking adorable! And so is this girl, though she has a kind of little-bit-too-much-Prozac manner about her, but hey. "Bentooooo T-Veeeee!" I'm hooked. The question is, will I ever actually make any bento? Will my next party feature little cheese slices and vegetables cut in flower and star shapes? Will my scrapbooking punches and scissors be washed and converted to nori shape makers? Keep tuning in to find out!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

HA!!!



Via
Kleverkreep.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Public Schools: We Meddle Because We Care!

I am So. Frigging. Glad. that I can send my kid to private school and avoid crap like this:

BLOSSBURG, Pa. — Six-year-old Karlind Dunbar barely touched her dinner, but not for time-honored 6-year-old reasons. The pasta was not the wrong shape. She did not have an urgent date with her dolls.

The problem was the letter Karlind discovered, tucked inside her report card, saying that she had a body mass index in the 80th percentile. The first grader did not know what “index” or “percentile” meant, or that children scoring in the 5th through 85th percentiles are considered normal, while those scoring higher are at risk of being or already overweight.

Mmmkay, so public schools, who cry constantly that they do not have enough money to educate the children and contantly trumpet that as an excuse for poorly performing schools, somehow are finding the money to check the body mass of every child and provide them with a "report card" of whether they are fat or not. *geezer* You know, back in my day, the other schoolkids, parents, and pretty much everyone else used to tell the fat kids they were fat for free, we didn't need no tax dollars bein' spent! */geezer* And for god's sake, the BMI? You mean this BMI? Yeah, that's a great idea.

Look, I understand that there's a problem with childhood obesity worldwide, but we need a more reasoned approach than some half-assed (or should I say fat-assed) "report card" that will only serve to make kids feel more out of control about their weight than they already do.

Karen Sick, food services director for the school district, has been phasing in healthier foods despite budgetary obstacles and students who prefer white bread over whole wheat. The school district has revamped its menus, eliminating Gatorade and the powdered sugar from the funnel cakes. But it still sends a nutritionally mixed message: birthday cupcakes are discouraged while cafeterias sell ice cream sandwiches and Rice Krispie treats, which some students buy five at a time.
(Do as I say, not as I do -- am)

The district’s cafeterias recently introduced kiwi and field greens, which drew enthusiastic reviews, but because of the high cost, they are now back to canned fruit and iceberg lettuce. Officials, while trying hard to address the concerns, acknowledge that change may take several more years.

'Kay, here's a thought...how about instead of overpaying a bunch of "professionals" to tell kids and their parents what they already know, how about we instead spend that money to buy better food? Instead of spending money on extra programs to teach children about nutrition, how about we require more physical education?

Christina Bové is the mother of three children who attend the Blossburg schools. She clutched a picture of her 9-year-old son, Christian, in a bathing suit, to prove that he was not “at risk of overweight,” as his 92nd percentile score had indicated.

The letter was inaccurate — and useless, Ms. Bové said. “The school provides us with this information with no education about how to use it or what it means,” she said.

Yeah, cuz, you know, doing something half-assed is better than doing nothing at all. It's for the chiiiiiildren, don'tcha know?

Via Reason's Hit and Run

Hey now...

Where were these parties when I was in college? Then again, I doubt I'd have gone even if I had been invited to one, damn insecurity. I did play strip poker, once. There are only 3 witnesses alive to that incident. One used to read this blog...so if you are reading today, shu'up.

Sunday, January 07, 2007

We'll miss you, Bill

Not that I didn't know that this was coming, but I do have to say I got a little teary-eyed when I heard the official word that Bill Cowher is resigning as head coach of the Steelers. Bill has been a great coach and a major asset to the team as well as the city of Pittsburgh. He's given us fans a great run and some excellent football to watch ('cept for this year, but we got the one for the thumb finally so I'll totally look aside in t his case). Pittsburgh can be tough, and he's given his all to us, so you can't fault the guy for wanting to move on. Bill, we love you, and you will be sorely missed.

Thursday, January 04, 2007

And that's why they make different colored neckties

In today's Erie Times-News Showcase section (that's the weekly entertainment section for those of you not from around here) Gerry Weiss has the following to say about what's on TV tonight:

HIGHLY MISSABLE (IN FACT, WE RECOMMEND IT)

"Hook." Dustin Hoffman. Robin Williams. Julia Roberts. Steven Spielberg. So many Oscars between them, so much talent on the set -- and such a horribly bad film. The tale of a mature Peter Pan is almost laughable in its ineptitude. Give this one the hook. Tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC Family.


Am I the only loser in the world who adores Hook? I found it to be a fun treatment of what could happen to any of us if we lose our childlike wonder and forget how to "play." I saw a story about a man who had embraced career and material gain over fatherhood and family, and the remarkable transformation that takes place when he realizes what is truly important to him. I wish more of today's parents could learn this lesson.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

A word about pie

A little help here?

I read this article linked from Drudge the other day with interest. The gist is that there is a nationwide effort to scan in the irisis of children across the nation in order to assist in identifying missing children. There are some nifty quotes like:

The system can scan an eye and match an iris in 3 to 5 seconds after comparing it with stored images in a national database, Mullin said.


And further:

The system can scan an eye and match an iris in 3 to 5 seconds after comparing it with stored images in a national database, Mullin said.

Mullin and Galveston County Sheriff Gean Leonard appeared together at a news conference at the Galveston County Justice Center to explain how the technology will assist in identifying missing children.


Wow, 3 to 5 seconds, that's great! But, how often is a missing child or elderly person found, alive, and authorities are completely unable to identify the individual? If the child is unfortunately found dead, can a retina scan still be used? Call me cold hearted, but it seems like an awfully large expense ($35,000 x 1,800 sheriff's departments = $63 million, not accounting for upkeep of the database and equipment as well as the personnel to run it all) for what may ultimately be a rather small problem that people are trying to solve with a potentially large invasion of privacy. Of course they do address these concerns at the end of the article:

Leonard acknowledged that some parents might see the iris scans as an invasion of privacy but said he is certain doubters could be won over.

O'Reilly said the CHILD Project overcame privacy objections by programming the database to remove an iris scan automatically once a child turns 18, unless he or she is still listed as missing.

He also said that only enough information to find the parents, or the family in the case of an elderly person, would be entered. Personal information, such as Social Security numbers, would not be used, he said.


Sorry, the idea still skeeves me out. Retention rules can always change, and often do without the consumer knowing (HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley not withstanding). I suppose it could have value in extreme situations such as the chaos surrounding Hurricane Katrina or the tsunami disaster, but in my fairly disaster free corner of the US, I think I will take my chances.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Ah, a new year!

And what a fabulous time to do something novel like, oh, write on my long-dead blog. Life has a funny way of creating directions for us that we never would have chosen on our own. 2006 was a difficult year for us in a number of ways, which I won't bore you with, but despite all the trials and tribulations I would not give it up for anything. Our oldest boy is in first grade, and is beconing more smart and clever by the day. Yet he's still all little kid -- right now he's running around the house in his underwear. Our youngest, at four and a half, is finally coming out of the terrible twos, and is becoming more and more curious about his world. Rhodar and I were able to get away for some couple time, and had a wonderful time enjoying each others' company without any intrusions or demands. We reconnected with the romance, I think, and it's been wonderful.

Having survived the crucible of 2006 has made me more relaxed, more willing to try new things, and more content with the fact that I have a great husband, wonderful kids, a roof over my head and food to eat. In just those things, I am more rich and blessed than most people, and for that I am thankful.

Dr. Helen asks on her blog today if anyone is making any new year's resolutions. I try to avoid them in general, they seem to induce more pressure and guilt than I need in my life. ;) However, I do have a couple:

1. Read more. Currently I prefer science and science fiction. I'll leave the political stuff to Rhodar. He bought me The Battle of Corrin ages ago and I'm finally getting around to reading it. The reviews aren't that great, guess I'm just a sucker for all things Dune. I hope to finish it today. Then I can get back to A Brief History of Time.

2. Help more. Donate more time, provide more help to friends in need, cook more meals for sick folks, that sort of thing. I wasted a lot of time over the last couple years feeling sorry for myself for things beyond my control, so it's time to spend some quality time getting outside myself and doing more to make the world a better place.

That's it for the resolutions. I think those are do-able.

We're spending today putting our house back together after our annual New Year's Eve bash, and other than that I plan on just hanging with the family and not doing a whole lot. Dinner is in the crock pot already (sauerkraut and pork, duh) and I am ready to chill after a busy holiday season. Happy New Year, and I hope 2007 is fabulous for you!