Archives: August 2003
Sat Aug 30, 2003
Santa Cruz Secrets
When I am 97, still living in Santa Cruz and still spry, I hope that a local reporter asks me for my list of Santa Cruz treasures, just like they asked Susan Strulo.
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Today's Top SC Story: Koi Murderers
Two men will stand trial for killing Porter College's pet koi.
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Dog Days
The week before my birthday always seemed too short but too long. Summer is done, the days can be counted until school starts, but the habit of summer is too well worn. That is not the reason I have not written all week. I am a little embarrassed to say that we have access to four laptops here, some work-owned, some we-owned. Three of them went to the hospital this week. Mine went to Applecare and returned, all in the same week, but still is just as sick. Instead of red flickers of light as it had on Monday, it now has yellow flickers. Thank goodness for one-year warranties. So this week I've been reading books instead of webpages.
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Sat Aug 23, 2003
Anything by Gore Vidal
I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to discover Gore Vidal. Last week I watched a PBS special about him, The Education of Gore Vidal. I started with his essays, a collection on sexuality, and then started Burr, a novel about a man I have always been interested in, since Junior High, as I attended Alexander Hamilton Junior High, and Aaron Burr, who killed him in a duel, was always Alexander Hamilton's dark twin in my internal files on The Founding Fathers. Someone has an essential Gore Vidal index, no doubt to help people who want to get Master's degrees critiquing him. What a waste. Just read his work.
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Lots of Gay News Today
The Mercury brought us this interesting story where people are saying that the changes that will take place in christian churches because of queer people in their congregations will be like the Reformation. I wonder. Or will it be more like the national church organizations that split in half over slavery and the war between the states? I'll try to stay optimistic.
Locally, the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz has released a survey of the LGBT community.
More...
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Unlucky, Afflicted, Abandoned Orphans
I'm at book nine of A Series of Unfortunate Events: "The Carnivorous Carnival." I love these books: funny, addictive, intelligent, short. Book Ten comes out next month, books eleven, twelve, thirteen -- who knows when. And the movie will be released next Christmas. Jim Carrey plays the villain, Count Olaf. He will have more to work with than he did in "The Grinch." Too bad it will all be ruined with a fast-food franchise tie-in. I'll just try to enjoy it while I can.
Daniel Handler is a scary genius.
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Mon Aug 18, 2003
The Price of Freedom
Has there been any other nation which would value freedom so much that this isn't illegal?
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Girls Generally Don't Want to Have That Kind of Fun
While googling "LUG" (Lesbian Until Graduation) today, I came across this discussion thread. Someone saw an Ann Landers letter about a mom who didn't know what to do about her 15-year-old daughter who was invited to a all-girl nude slumber party. The comments range from the making of snuff films, declarations that Landers was a socialist, the threat of lesbian recruitment and the homosexual agenda, and the common-sense idea that Ann was being put on, that 15-year-old girls NEVER want to see each other naked--in groups anyway. I can certainly attest to that. While I would have given anything to be recruited by a lesbian in high school, there was no way I would want to be naked in front of the girls at gym. I doubt girls have changed that much.
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The Secrets of Getting the Job
This link was sent to me in my Earthlink newsletter, it seems to be making the rounds. The Headhunter is a pretty good site, and I think I mostly believe what it says. I like the idea of hiring good drivers. More...
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Convenient TCP/UDP port listing
This is a nice page to consult when configuring a firewall-type device.
[6] comments (813 views) | link
Sun Aug 17, 2003
The Catalyst Sold?
Last week's Sentinel brought us a deeply researched story giving public facts on the rumor that the Catalyst has been sold to the owners of a San Jose club with a strict dress code.
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Thu Aug 14, 2003
A Day in Court
As you know, everyone is talking about gay marriage this month. I have no need to link anything, there are more than 1500 stories about "lesbian marriage" on google/news right now. ("Lesbian Network Analyst" "didn't match any documents.")
If The State truely had an interest in preserving marriage between a man and a woman as the foundation of our civilization, divorce would be outlawed.
More...
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Wed Aug 13, 2003
Those Poor M$ Slaves
Here at the university, my brother and sister desktop support folks are busy patching machines and we're pulling the plugs on they that got sick with "MSBlaster."
It seems like those straight women who complain for years about a series of bad boyfriends. "Oh, he beat me up again." I want to say to the IT folks what I say to straight women: "There ARE alternatives." But still, they go back, time and time again.
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Tue Aug 12, 2003
How Wrong We Are
Oh, yummy: a whole book of common mistakes in English usage. I found this looking up the meaning of "bi-weekly"and "semi-monthly" again. (They mean the same thing; that's why I forgot the difference.) He has good advice on this one. Yes, it means every two weeks, but no one remembers that, so just say "every other week" if that is what you mean. More...
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Are wireless networks safe?
My job at work these days is focused on building a wireless network at UCSC. People have asked us if it is safe. I have a few flip answers for them, but am starting to wonder. Right now, I'm just collecting URLs. More...
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Fri Aug 08, 2003
Recursivity
I've always been fond of definitions which "were" the "thing" they were defining. Godel, Escher, Bach is about this sort of thing. I am not usually fond of the web "quiz" where you fill out a multiple-choice test and learn something inane like which character from Matrix you are, because they are so uncreative and stale. But Which Poetry Form Am I is quite tasty.
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Thu Aug 07, 2003
Superheroes at the Office
Yes, of course I have met Action Item Man at my office. Don't you have one at yours?
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Fun for Evolutionary Biologists
Today I received a spam, Subject: "Get her wild". Inside the spam was an ad for an all natural product. Its first feature? "Dramatically Enhances Organism."
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Tue Aug 05, 2003
Away at UC Irvine
Monday and Tuesday of this week I'm at a conference of IT-types--all from the University of California. A great conference; I try to go every year now. Yesterday's keynote was amazing. What are those dang professors going do to the network next? UCCSC
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A Lovely Hoax
A little site about the Cottingley Fairies I always loved how artistic and beautiful these girls' photos were.
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Sat Aug 02, 2003
The Tragic Circumstances of President Chaney's Ascension to Power
I found a very interesting essay detailing President Bush's day, September 11, 2001. Among other questions it explores: Was Bush targeted for assassination that day and did the government know it and not do too much to prevent it? More...
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