BurningbirdRecovered from the Wayback Machine.
DSL is still a problem. The phone company will be coming out to test for a short in the line, and I’m on modem until then.
Also working on ThreadNeedle, which I want to finish and put out so that others can grab and manipulate and improve. Big whoop.
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Heat index in St. Louis today was 105. That’s 1-0-5. Rather than out finding new paths, I’m keeping my San Franciscan acclimated butt inside, playing around with the new version of MT.
Stavros – someone is watching you. Hee Hee.
(Now, you’re all supposed to go over to Empty Bottle and see trackback in operation. Who else wants to play?)
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Dave Winer can sometimes be over the top at times (in truth, so can I), but he’s not far off the mark when he writes, “…foreclosure. That’s what MS is doing with everything we hold dear.”.
What Dave’s talking about is Palladium, Microsoft’s newest innovation.
What’s it all mean? Well, think about that machine you’re using to look at this post. Now think of it modified to include a “security chip” that will most likely, among other things, have a unique identifier that lets anyone know, anyone, where you’ve been and what you’ve done with your machine. In addition, that nice open protocol that you used to gain access to the Internet? Well, kiss it good-bye and see it replaced with something developed under the benevolent auspices of Microsoft.
This is the worst piece of technology-related news I’ve heard in a long time. This is also an example of how corporations can manipulate the US while the American citizens are hiding with their heads in the sand.
While we give Bush et al high marks for “doing a good job”, our beloved president and his gang are selling this country to the highest bidder – in this case, Bill Gates and Microsoft. And as we let the Bush gang manipulate and discard the Constitution and our freedoms in order to wage “war on terrorism”, so now we’re allowing Microsoft do the same to wage war on hackers.
More:
Microsoft’s Palladium: A new security Initiative
Palladium: Microsoft’s Big Plan for the PC
Who trusts Microsoft’s Palladium? Not me
Microsoft Security: Will it be different this time?
Cringely: I told you so
The Big Secret
Why Intel loves Palladium
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Jonathon juxtaposed two quotes within a posting – a serious one from a woman questioning whether she would ever meet the man of her (overly perfect) dreams; and a rather humorous exchange between guys on IRC.
In response to a comment attached to the posting, Jonathon also stated:
An alternative reading of the (ironically) juxtaposed quotes might draw attention to the earnest self-centeredness of the woman compared to the easygoing self-deprecating humor of the men. Or to the failure of thirty years of feminist theory to effect a truly fundamental change in men’s thinking.
Leaving aside questions of earnest self-centeredness and self-deprecating humor based on choice of quotes, I wanted to focus on Jonathon’s statement about feminist theory effecting fundamental change in men’s thinking.
I’m not surprised that thirty years of feminist theory, or practice for that matter, haven’t instituted major changes in the male thought processes – feminism was never about changing men’s thinking. It was always about changing women’s thinking.
We can’t say to men, “Look, you have to change your evil ways and start treating us equally”, when we’re not willing to make changes ourselves. And we definitely can’t expect to have our cake and eat it, too.
For instance, do we as women see ourselves as nurturers first, and then as unique human beings? If we do, then we women haven’t achieved the growth and change we need to make. Women are far more interesting and capable then just being baby incubators and brood mares. As part of our complexity, we can be excellent mothers and wonderful mates, but that’s not the sum and total of what we are. Until we start respecting our own uniqueness and individuality, we can’t demand that men look beyond the stereotype we’re perpetuating.
We say that society puts women into a position and keeps us there, but if all women said “Enough of this bullshit”, society wouldn’t have a chance. If we women as a whole rejected the stereotypes, refused to compromise ourselves, didn’t play the “woman” game, change – real change – would occur. And it starts with us, not the guys. It was never about the guys.
Saying that change must start with men perpetuates male-centeredness and denies women any say in this change – yet again another, albeit extremely subtle, stereotype.
And as for humor….
IRC Quote 1834:
[09:50] Hey, anyone who knows Japanese, what does “kikurimu” mean?
[09:52] “I am a preteen with bouncing breasts.”
[09:53] There are probably three or four words for that.
[09:53] Sort of like the Eskimos having so many words for snow.
IRC Quote 6918:
I don’t like pamela anderson type breasts
Their remote controls are annoying and not well documented.
IRC Quote366
“Too few women on the internet?
There are lots of women on the internet,
only most of them are naked and in JPG-format.”
Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
A quick update because connection charges are ruinously expense at the hotel (Silver Legacy, Reno).
Long trip was cancelled and I’m heading to St. Louis direct. The move this last week was, well, horrible. Thankfully the folks at Delancy Street (non-profit foundation that employs people in various positions), came through and rescued me today, packing up the rest of my stuff. I am sicker than a dog is all I can say.
Heading to St. Lou in easy stages.
Thanks to everyone for the incredible efforts with Thread the Needle, or ThreadNeedle, or Needley. The great thing about this project is it’s the first to be designed via the weblogs.
One thing I have been stressing with TheadNeedle is no popularity – no rank – no listing of buzz – nothing of that sort. We’re here to have a conversation, to connect. Quality of conversation should matter, not quantity of links.
Am I out to lunch on this one issue? Should popularity of threads be denoted in some way?
Looking out hotel window at a massive thunder storm rolling in. I get to drive through my first t-storm tomorrow. Cool.