a crank’s progress

It’s that time of year again. The declared goal is 50,000 words over the month or 1,500/day but as you might be able to recognize, that doesn’t get you to 50,000. It’s actually 1666.667, so call it 1700 or so and be done with it.
I was pondering what I would write when I sat down [...]

Reuters AlertNet - Cheney links rise in Iraq violence to US election
american democracy is what’s delaying Iraqi democracy? Only from the warped mind of Dick Cheney
(tags: iraq democracy electioneering)

Important. And pass it on…
file me under cheap, lazy, and otherwise reluctant.
(tags: law writing rights)

The excellent Architectures of Control blog tackles the “water damage sticker” in your [...]

The Cossacks Work for the Czar, Steve!
this post is preceded by five (5) demanding the impeachment of the incumbent and his coterie of malicious goons. Not that there’s anything wrong with that . . .
(tags: politics)

Thank God for George W. Bush
(tags: wilshipley Iraq politics electioneering)

The illusion of choice
This is a phrase I have [...]

Some Avoid the Holga, Others Embrace It:
Who buys a Holga expecting results like a Hasselblad? If they do, they will be disappointed. Control over a camera isn’t always a good thing. Think about how many cameras are sold for hundreds and hundreds of dollars a piece - and the majority of the photos are garbage. [...]

An open letter to the “Gang of 500″
That’s quicksand, that ain’t mud.

(tags: journamalism electioneering values)

[W]e get precisely the government we deserve.
If the Greedy Old Perverts retain control for another two years, what will they do? If the slim margin of 2004 was a “mandate” what will a passing grade in the midterms empower them to [...]

FreeAfterRebate.info - Cellink USB 1.1 Mini Bluetooth Adapter:

I mean, for $7.00, how bad can it be? Best I can tell, BlueTooth runs at 3 Mbits, best case. USB 1.1 runs at 12. So perhaps this is worth looking into.

squashes @ fall city farm

Originally uploaded by paulbeard.

Holga 120: $20
roll of Arista.edu Ultra (née FortePan 100): $1.69
Opportunity to chaperone field trip to working farm: a few hours
Image of textured/colored squashes/gourds: priceless

Look through the list and see if anyone from your state appears.
–AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
–AZ-01: Rick Renzi
–AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
–CA-04: John Doolittle
–CA-11: Richard Pombo
–CA-50: Brian Bilbray
–CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
–CO-05: Doug Lamborn
–CO-07: Rick O’Donnell
–CT-04: Christopher Shays
–FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
–FL-16: Joe Negron
–FL-22: Clay Shaw
–ID-01: Bill Sali
–IL-06: Peter Roskam
–IL-10: Mark Kirk
–IL-14: Dennis Hastert
–IN-02: Chris Chocola
–IN-08: John Hostettler
–IA-01: Mike Whalen
–KS-02: Jim Ryun
–KY-03: Anne [...]

The Deepest Northerners demystify winemaking
“But despite the casualness of our initial procedure, it has NOT gone off, vinegarified, or done anything else it shouldn’t have.”
(tags: wine magic thegoodlife food howto)

Charlie’s Diary: Let’s put the future behind us
someone who knows what he’s talking about discusses the nature of SF as a genre. haven’t read it but [...]

Two Random Thoughts:
About our trip to Vietnam.
1. God, I hope in 30 years John and I will be going on a nice trip to Iraq to stay in a fancy hotel and wander around looking at historical buildings.
Will there be any left?
2. While listening to vietnamese hip-hop in the car from the airport, and [...]