Quote for January 30th
cn | 31 January, 2007 03:02
The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult.
- Marie de Vichy-Chamrond,
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Fact of the Day!
cn | 31 January, 2007 01:47
There are 53 Lego bricks manufactured for each person in the world.
source: http://hookedonfacts.com
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For Today, January 28th - a Quote
cn | 29 January, 2007 02:08
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.
- Winston Churchill
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Daily Random Fact January 27th
cn | 28 January, 2007 01:10
Saturn's rings are about 500,000 miles in circumference but only about a foot thick.
source: http://hookedonfacts.com
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Random Fact for January 26th
cn | 27 January, 2007 00:40
The IRS employees tax manual has instructions for collecting taxes after a nuclear war.
source: http://hookedonfacts.comThat's just super. So if we're all trying to survive post-nuclear holocaust brought about by our own government, they're still going to come knocking on our doors to take our money to support them...does that make sense? Do you want to pay for the continuance of the government that brings about nuclear war?
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Auschwitz Liberated 62 Years Ago Today
cn | 26 January, 2007 23:50
From news.bbc.co.uk, where they have an article written at the time:
Little did we know that we had arrived at a place, the name of which would become as well known and remembered as any battle in the war.
The article is a very interesting look at what was being reported at the time and has some sidebars putting the article in context.
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January 25th - random fact
cn | 26 January, 2007 01:35
A car operates at maximum economy, gas-wise, at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour.
source: http://hookedonfacts.com
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Principal Says: Ignorance is Bliss When it Comes to School
cn | 24 January, 2007 17:54
Data is good. If I know where I'm at, I can evaluate it and change. I can do a lot with data, and if I don't have it, it doesn't mean that I'm different than I am. For example, if I think I'm a math whiz, but I fail my algebra test, but my teacher wants me to maintain that confidence so he doesn't show me my grades, that doesn't change the fact that I failed the test. Now I study less because I really believe I'm good at math and I graduate and want to be an engineer by I can't pass a college math test to save my life...that's what I believe about knowing where I'm at...
But not at Hillsborough High School, where the principal pulled an article detailing the school's achievement gap from the student newspaper.
Principal William Orr called the content inappropriate, even though it focused on data the federal government publicizes under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Instead of a story and chart, students found a gaping hole Monday in the Red & Black, the school newspaper.
"If it's something that has a potential to hurt students' self-esteem, then I have an obligation not to let that happen," he said. "I don't think it's the job of the school newspaper to embarrass the students."
So we better not let the students' know that they're not at a level that is competitive with their peers. Yikes. The whole article is a bit disturbing. Though I believe the principal has the best intentions, the reasoning mystifies me. It's like saying - even though they may never work on their education as much and it may limit them a lot in the future, as long as they feel good now, then we must be doing the right thing.
originally found via hit and run blog.
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UK Citizens Not Too Concerned About Civil Liberties
cn | 24 January, 2007 17:46
An article at Homeland Stupidity looks at the overwhelming willingness of Britons to give up their civil liberties for greater security:
A recent study of social attitudes in Britain has discovered that support for civil liberties is on the wane, with the majority of the population seeing infringements on their rights as a reasonable price for apparent security.
The British Social Attitudes Survey, released every year since 1983, reports that the vast majority of British citizens support compulsory, biometric identity cards, are in favour of detentions of terrorist subjects without charge, and support the tagging and wire-tapping of terrorist suspects without charge.
Now, I have all kinds of problems with this attitude, but I guess what I find most disconcerting is that the people surveyed really believe, or at least want to believe to such an extent that they do believe, that they are somehow safer if the government is constantly and endlessly watching them. Will they consider themselves safer when they can no longer criticize the government in any way so long as there are no terrorist attacks. They may be safer from terrorists in that moment, but is that a world in which you want to live?
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January 24th - a freakin' great quote by James Madison
cn | 24 January, 2007 17:41
If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
Of all the enemies to public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other.
War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, and debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.
The loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or imagined, from abroad.
— James Madison
How timely is that?
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January 23rd - Fact of the Day
cn | 23 January, 2007 12:03
The average home creates more pollution than does the average car.
source: http://hookedonfacts.comSo when the politicians finally convince everyone that we need to destroy our automobiles, will the go after our homes next? Note that it is the politicians who are doing the convincing, not the scientists...
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January 22nd Fact of the Day
cn | 22 January, 2007 23:43
Apples are more efficient than caffeine in keeping people awake in the morning.
source: http://hookedonfacts.com
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Congress Trying to Silence Grassroots Movements in America?
cn | 21 January, 2007 23:06
Mark Fitzgibbons of GrassrootsFreedoms.com accuses Congress of attempting to track and, as he accuses, silence grassroots movements in the US...
Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself.
The bill would require reporting of 'paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,' but defines 'paid' merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers.
On January 9, the Senate passed Amendment 7 to S. 1, to create criminal penalties, including up to one year in jail, if someone 'knowingly and willingly fails to file or report.'
Now, the government can justify this in any way they want, but when it comes down to it, is it right for the government to track any and all major efforts to organize political movemnts? It seems to me to be a conflict of interests and another step towards authoritarianism. I haven't found this reported in any major media outlets yet and holds major First Amendment Rights implications.
There's a piece at hillnews.com about the bill as well citing former Federal Election Commission Chairman Brad Smith:
“It’s a disaster, generally, the notion that the government should be checking up on attempts by citizens to communicate with citizens,” Smith said. He argued that lawmakers are seeking the identity of firms paying for constituent calls for purposes of retaliation: “Can you think of any other reason that members of Congress need to know who’s running grassroots ads in their district?”
However, the piece at hillnews.com finishes with this:
As for the [Free Speech C]oalition’s rhetorical combat with Public Citizen, MacCleery characterized the specter of a lawsuit against grassroots rules as an attempt to generate a false opposition to reform.
“It’s almost like they’re flacks,” she added, “like they’re good at creating the appearance of controversy where none exists.”
Both sides have good points, yet when it comes to passing laws with such potentially sweeping effects to one's ability to critique or even oppose the government, we must proceed cautiously and the media must be diligent in its reporting. Otherwise, we as a nation will only move one unimpeded step closer to a police state.
You can also read a very right-leaning report here. However, I would not call the report balanced in any way, shape, or form, but certainly gives a perspective not covered in the other sources, yet in agreement with the final statement - that this is a dangerous bill.
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Religion Doesn't Rule the Grand Canyon, Seems as if Environmental Group Lied
cn | 21 January, 2007 22:32
A while back I posted about a the accusation that Grand Canyon National Park did not allow its employees to talk about the age of the Grand Canyon because of pressure by certain regligious and/or government groups, an accusation which was originally leveled by an organization called PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility). As it turns out, the data was flawed. Boingboing reports:
It seems that PEER's shocking opening statement that park employees are being silenced to serve some big shots' religious agenda is, well, dubious to say the least. Skeptic magazine publisher Michael Shermer investigated after readers suggested that eSkeptic, which posted highlights from the PEER release, might not have been skeptical enough.
Boingboing references and links to Shermer's site, where Shermer essentially claims that PEER tried to stonewall him, but eventually released a revised statement about the issue, removing the accusation that park employees were forbidden from discussing ceratain scientific beleifs about the Canyon.
It would seem - if we can trust this data - that PEER, an environmental group whose stated purpose "is solely directed by the needs of its members" sees it necissary to lie in order to achieve some result...but what result would they be going for with this misinformation? It wouldn't be to change the policies of the park, because the policies of the park apparently already allow the practice they are bringing up...I would guess it's a subtle jab at the religious right and the administration, who were the parties accused by PEER of forcing this rule, which doesn't even exist....
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Fact of the Day, January 21st
cn | 21 January, 2007 22:25
One percent of Greenland's population lives in a single apartment building!
source: http://hookedonfacts.com
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