Last night we watched CNN for a little while. Mostly it was just babbling in the background while we chatted and looked for something good to watch on TV, but then I saw the face of our very own congressman on screen. I pointed that out to Lin, and we paid attention to what was being reported, knowing it couldn’t be anything good. Our congressman is a moron, and anything he has his hands on tends to be ridiculously stupid. Once again, he has proven this to be fact.

The report was about a documentary called “Karachi Kids” about two American boys being held against their will at a madrassa in Pakistan … a radical madrassa … a hotbed of terrorist training. The horror! Those poor kids, right? Well, that’s what Congressman McCaul thought, and he made it his personal mission to rescue these boys from Pakistan, going so far as to introduce legislation and visiting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf about the matter. McCaul was a man on a righteous mission, and apparently news sources we don’t frequent have been having a field day with this story for some weeks now (Fox News videos here and here.)

There’s just one huge problem. It was all bullshit, and CNN actually did some investigative journalism that caught the mistakes in the documentary’s story, things one might expect one’s congressman to look into before going on a crusade or things a filmmaker might have known while spending three years working on a documentary^† Things like reports stating the particular madrassa in question is often mistaken for one which is considered radical and linked to the Taliban, or the fact the U.S. State Department considers the madrassa in the documentary to be a “moderate institution favored by Pakistani-Americans for its moderate and tolerant Islamic instruction.” Furthermore, the kids’ father was surprised to hear that McCaul had freed his children “without asking him if they needed rescuing.” I’d suggest watching the CNN video for the whole story or read the transcript, which I have stashed behind the cut.

The biggest problem the father had in bringing his children home after their four years at the school? Getting them exit visas. Why was that a problem? Thanks to Congressman McCaul and his meddling, Musharraf rescinded the education visas of all foreign students, and that left them in something of a legal black hole, with their only option for leaving being turning themselves over for deportation or waiting for the government to come take them and deport them. Many other students are now in this same situation. This information doesn’t fully appear in the CNN report, but after reading far too many news reports about the situation, that’s how it all gets spelled out. Thanks, McCaul for “freeing” the children!

And what does Congressman McCaul have to say for himself now? Oh, he’s sticking my his beliefs on the matter, and trust me, I’d expect no less from him. His brain is apparently incapable of making corrections in his thinking in light of new information. He’s definitely one to stay-the-course, no matter what^††. Maybe next he’ll make it his personal mission to rescue all the American students being held against their will in Catholic schools in the USA and abroad! Oh, but I doubt the news outlets would give him nearly as much face-time on camera for a crusade like that. Not enough fear, uncertainty and doubt in a story like that.

Behind the cut, the CNN transcript of the report. I’d really suggest watching the video though, if for no other reason than to hear the ominous voice-overs during the documentary clips and to watch the filmmaker squirm and sweat while having his say about hoe he takes responsibility for the fact his documentary was less than factual.
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1. † I suspect he did know he was full of shit and didn’t care, because he wanted to make a documentary that would get notice and acclaim. [↩]
2. †† Oh please, oh please, can we get someone else elected as our representative? Please?! Gods, how I hate my congressman. [↩]

In case anyone has ever wondered what Lin has been doing for work for a decade-plus (can’t remember exactly how long, that’s how long it’s been), you’ll get your chance to find out Monday night on Dateline.

An upcoming “Dateline Presents” takes a never-before-seen journey into the perilous world of the tower climbers who work on the frontlines of America’s high-tech communications system. They scale heights of up to 2,000 feet, in all types of weather, to install, maintain, and upgrade cell phone, Internet, and broadcast towers coast to coast. And according to figures cited by OSHA, these so-called tower dogs have the highest death rate per capita of any occupation in the country.

Being a boss-like person, Lin doesn’t climb regularly anymore. I did recently get certified as a rescue climber, which involved climbing up and bringing someone pretending to be injured down safely, so he isn’t totally out of the climbing arena, but he’s not up on towers every damn day like he used to be. Thank heavens, I say. See that bit in bold up there? Stress for him and stress for me too — made worse by the fact he was often hundreds of miles away from home. I used to worry so much about him^†.

I know he knows what he’s doing, and being as safety-minded as he is, I knew he was going to make sure he and everyone else would be as safe as possible, but shit happens and people die. There are hundreds of ways to die in that field, and none of them are peaceful and quiet. We’ve known some climbers who have died, and let me tell you, that adds some stress to both workers and their families when it happens. After all, everyone else will be right up on the towers again the next day, sometimes the very same tower, but life and work have to go on.

And the name “tower dogs”? We don’t know where that is used, but it isn’t around here in Texas anywhere. I guess we’ll find out about that term on Monday night. We just call them tower hands or, sometimes, climbers.

It’ll be an interesting look into something I doubt many people really think about too much. Deadliest job in America and necessary for everyone to have their communications bells and whistles, and in the end, it’s quite a thankless job. So check your local listings and watch it!

1. † Not that his not climbing regularly makes the stress all that much less. Construction sites, in and of themselves, are dangerous places, and anything involving heights and heavy metal is very dangerous indeed. You don’t want to know the effects of a wrench falling hundreds of feet and hitting something or someone, in other words. [↩]

A janitor whom a university official had accused of racial harassment for reading a historical book about the Ku Klux Klan on his break has gotten an apology — months later — from the school.

Sampson’s troubles began last year when a co-worker complained after seeing him reading a book titled “Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan.”

The book’s cover features white-robed Klansmen and burning crosses against a backdrop of Notre Dame’s campus. It recounts a 1924 riot between Notre Dame students and the Klan in which the students from the Catholic university prevailed.

And…

“You used extremely poor judgment by insisting on openly reading the book related to a historically and racially abhorrent subject in the presence of your black co-workers,” Lillian Charleston wrote in a letter to Sampson.

A brief message on this subject to all the moronic officials and complainers involved at IUPUI: Fuck … you.

I really can’t put it any better than that. I don’t even need to rant about it, do I? Surely, any human being with at least two brain cells to rub together to create a thought can see how utterly ridiculous it is to claim that reading a book — a history book in which the KKK gets its ass handed to it, no less — is in any way racial harassment.

Oh sure, now they have finally apologized, but there shouldn’t have even been anything for them to apologize for, seeing as reading a book that resides on the shelf on the very library Sampson works in is nothing to get in an uproar about.

We are fast becoming a nation of morons and idiots, doomed to repeat history endlessly, because we are verboten to read about it, study it, or talk about it, for fear of offending some easily offended ignoramus. There is apparently no way to stop it, because it seems to me the stupid outnumber the intelligent by vast numbers. We are doomed to become the dumbest people on the planet, if we aren’t already there.

So, back in middle school — yes, middle school — when I read Mein Kampf, was I racially harassing myself?! Or was I interested in and learning about history?

Today’s word to be reclaimed into the English language is…

chink n.

1. A narrow opening, such as a crack or fissure.
tr.v., chinked, chink·ing, chinks.

1. To make narrow openings in.
2. To fill narrow openings in.

2. A slight, metallic sound, as of coins rattling in a pocket.
intr. & tr.v., chinked, chink·ing, chinks.

To make or cause to make a slight, metallic sound.

I was reading some more stories on the whole Salmonella Saintpaul stupidity and ran across a news story with the sub-title “Failure to definitively link recent outbreak to a food source has exposed chinks in U.S. safety system.” It’s a perfectly valid use of the word “chink” and didn’t even make me bat an eyelash. Even though I know better than to do so, I clicked through to the comments on the story, and sure enough, there were a couple who were outraged about the use of that particular word.

I’m not usually hung up on being politically correct, but the use of “chinks” over the more popular and less offensive “kinks” seems a bit off.

Yes, well, there would be a difference between a chink and a kink. A chink is not a kink, and a kink is not a chink. The concepts are entirely divergent. While the word “chink” was adopted as a racial slur in modern history, it was a perfectly valid, harmless and completely descriptive word long, long before then, and when used properly it remains a perfectly valid, harmless and completely descriptive word … for a crack in a wall, a curtain, a mountain, someone’s armor, or whatever else might have a chink in it.

I refuse to keep removing words from my vocabulary simply because other people don’t pay attention in school, aren’t readers, and look for offense wherever they can dig it up. I will continue to use words like chink, niggardly, and yes, black hole with impunity. Anyone who gets outraged and offended will simply be mentally noted as being an idiot. If all the whiners had their way, and we removed every word that could possibly offend someone — because they don’t actually know what the word means — humans would have to resort to grunting again as their main form of communication.

In closing, I will leave you with one of my all-time favorite passages from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In this same interlude it doth befall
That I, one Snout by name, present a wall;
And such a wall, as I would have you think,
That had in it a crannied hole or chink,
Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby,
Did whisper often very secretly.
This loam, this rough-cast and this stone doth show
That I am that same wall; the truth is so:
And this the cranny is, right and sinister,
Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.

– Wall, A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Act V, Scene I

Found both Michio Kaku’s Hyperspace and Neil deGrasses Tyson’s Death by Black Hole at Half Price Books, and the prints from Walgreens were of really good quality. Yippee!

Bonus score: Lin suggested we stop at Dairy Queen for ice cream sundaes, and so we did.

I am now going to roll my ice cream stuffed self to the living room, get comfortable on the couch, and read about physics and cosmology. A nice way to spend an overly steamy afternoon.

Oh my god! Neil deGrasse Tyson emailed me back!!! I can’t believe it! I am on top of the world, as one of the people on my Sexiest Scientist List actually emailed little old me!

I’d share the email, but that’d be rude without asking, and it’d be completely silly to write back and ask. I’ll just say it was completely thoughtful and wonderful and such a surprise to receive.

No matter what else happens today, I am already declaring it a great day.

You have to know I am totally doing a major happy dance right now!

For the Wordpress users out there, here are some links to information about ways in which WP has been exploited using iframe injection. Let me say first that it’s been happening to a lot of people, it’s been happening for a while, and from all my reading it seems nobody really knows exactly how it is happening. I’d also like to note that even people who have upgraded to the newest version have had it happen. I repeat: even people using the very latest version have experienced it. It appears to be a problem with having registered users and/or the xmlrpc.php.

iframe injection problem?

wp-stats[1].htm Downloader Virus

An Old WordPress Version Can Get You Banned In Google

There’s more out there to be found on this, but these posts and threads are the ones supplying the most information about how to fix it and what it is. If anyone has any questions, I might be able to answer them.

When I get back from the store, I’ll be doing some thinking about what to do with my web site. I hadn’t planned to do anything drastic with it, but the situation has changed. Now it looks like I either need to upgrade to the newest version of WP, which is still having problems and which has an admin interface I hate, or switch to something else, which just sucks. There’s sure to be at least one whining post today about it.

And thanks again to Ekim for bringing the virus thing to my attention. I’m on a Mac. I wouldn’t have noticed, it would have rolled off the front page, and shortly Google would have banned me for having a web site that infects people’s computers with a virus … and I wouldn’t have known I was doing such a horrible thing. I am so incredibly sorry if anyone had any computer problems caused by my web site being hacked. I feel awful and sad about it. I am so, so sorry.

Once I finished the housework, I hurried back to my computer to email Neil de Grasse Tyson, only one of the coolest astrophysicists to have ever graced this planet, with the links and background on the whole black hole flap going on in Dallas. I thought he’d get a kick out of it. I’ve never written any famous person before, except for politicians. I don’t know why I did. Seems silly now, but too late, right? It’s already in his email inbox. Maybe he won’t read it.

After hitting the send button on that email, I searched the internet to see what other people were saying about the ridiculous show of ignorance up in Dallas, and I ran across this comment:

Johnny Appleseed @ July 9th, 2008 at 8:49 pm

Why use the word “niggardly” in the article. We know it isn’t to show off his English skills. That word may mean stingy but Mr. Webster or whoever didn’t make that word up for a good purpose. The writer didn’t need to use the word and only did it because it contain some form of the “N” word. It wasn’t for good intentions. I don’t care if it’s in the dictionary. The intent wasn’t nice then and wasn’t nice today.

The stupid seems to be thick today. “Mr. Webster or whoever” didn’t make up that word, and it certainly wasn’t made up for nefarious racist purposes. Of course, to know that one would have to be capable of using a dictionary. I’d think even a daft idiot who is able to post comments on a blog would be able to type the word into a search engine and find the definition or maybe even learn about its origins. That would require not going off half-cocked as soon as they are offended, and those types don’t like to bother doing anything resembling research or learning.

Anyway, I think I’ll go find something better to do with my time than sit here and run across more stupid on the internet. I have a bunch of projects, of the paying kind, I need to work on. That would certainly be a better way to spend the rest of my afternoon.

Eeek! What if Dr. Tyson emails me back?! I’m so embarrassed I even emailed him!

And now for your morning fear, uncertainty, and doubt with a big dose of Big Brother:

To a businessman on his way home to be reunited with his family or to a young family going south for a holiday, wearing an EMD safety bracelet for a few hours during a flight is a small inconvenience to ensure their safe arrival.

We feel that, given the choice between taking a flight with the added security of the EMD safety bracelet system and taking a flight without the additional security, many, if not most, passengers would happily opt for the extra security of the EMD safety bracelets.
– pulled from this promotional video

What is an EMD safety bracelet? Why, it’s an Electro-Muscular Disruption bracelet, of course! Yes, the creators of this delightful little piece of security equipment would like to see every passenger on every airplane strap an Electro-Muscular Disruption bracelet to their arms to take a flight. Also, the EMD safety bracelet would contain each passenger’s data and is capable of tracking the whereabouts of said passenger and his/her luggage at all times.

Surely this is just some crazy company with a crazy idea! No one in the US government would be seriously considering this as a security option, right? Wrong.

To make it clear, we are interested in the mobile read/write emitter concept in conjunction with the immobilizing security bracelet, and look forward to receiving a written proposal.
– from a letter written by Paul S. Ruwaldt, Project/Program Lead, Department of Homeland Security

Watch the video linked above and read the news story about it, where you can also find a link to the entire letter written by Paul S. Ruwaldt (which is worth a read as well). I don’t normally read the Washington Times, because I consider it to be a rag of a newspaper, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. No one else is reporting on this yet, but it is making the rounds of the blogs. I’d like to hear it is a hoax, but I fear it’s just one more step on the road we have been on where everyone seems willing to give up all their rights in order to have a sense of safety and security.

I gave up on ever flying anywhere again quite some time ago, so it’s a safe bet I will never be strapping one of these to my arm in order to get on a plane or for any other reason DHS may come up with to use it in other ways. I’d rather live in a shack and eat pine cones and dirt than willingly put on the equivalent of a shock collar controlled by flight attendants ,or anyone else for that matter. I simply will not do it, and no one should.

But people will, and as the video says, “many, if not most.” It’s such a “small inconvenience,” and it makes us safe! Well, no, it doesn’t. It completely robs you of your freedom, furthers the idea that we are all guilty until proven innocent, and I would hate to see what a malfunction or misuse of the system would do to a human being … or an entire planeload of human beings.

My mind is twisted between not even wanting to entertain the idea this is true and being very, very angry. That combination usually leaves me speechless, and it has. I can’t even rant about this. I shouldn’t have to, as I would hope that any freedom-loving human being is as outraged as I am by the mere concept of such a system without me ranting about it. You are outraged, aren’t you? Well, you better be. The slippery slope this country has been on for far too long is fast becoming a free-fall off a cliff. It’s up to us to keep that from happening since “we the people” are supposed to be in charge around here.

Once I have regained the ability to form sentences that do not include curse words, I will be writing my representative and Senators, not that it will help, seeing as they are all neo-con right-wing Republicans who likely think this is an excellent idea. At least it might make me feel better … for a minute or two. I suggest everyone write some letters, because sometimes we have to draw a line in the sand and stand firm behind it. We should have done that some time ago, but now is as good as any to get started taking back our freedom. Unless you like the idea of the “small inconvenience” of being asked to strap an Electro-Muscular Disruption bracelet to your person. If that doesn’t get your ire up, you are either insane or dead. I don’t like the idea of doing it myself, and I don’t like the idea of anyone having to do it. It is simply WRONG.

NOTE: I’d also like to clear up one of the FUD statements made at the beginning of the linked video. To say airport security people were shocked the 9/11 hijackers were able to pass through several security measures is to be disingenuous. Previous to 9/11, it wouldn’t have been at all shocking to security personal at airports for people to pass through security and get on a plane with a box cutter. Or two. Or more. I know this personally, because I used to fly from place to place for my job, and I carried cases — CASES — of box cutters with me in my carry-on luggage, which was the only luggage I traveled with. No one ever batted an eyebrow, because they were not on the disallowed list. I was perfectly within my rights to carry as many of the things as I liked. So, it isn’t at all surprising they had gotten on planes with box cutters. It wasn’t the use of box cutters I found surprising. It was the lack of attention to warning signs that something like 9/11 might happen I thought was surprising. Well, really not even that, but that’s a rant for another time.

Anyway, 9/11 wasn’t caused by people who snuck box cutters onto planes, because sneaking wasn’t required. Any time I was on a plane, I could have outfitted the entire passenger list and crew with their very own box cutter, and security new all about them after checking my luggage, which they always did quite throughly owing to my blowdyer making them think I was carrying a bomb. The failures that allowed 9/11 to happen had nothing to do with airport security checkpoints and box cutters. The failures happened long before the terrorists got to the airport.

UPDATE:

Lampard, the company promoting this insanity, has issued a statement.

We wish to clear up any misconceptions regarding the EMD Safety Bracelet for Airline Security.

First, Lamperd is not the inventor, we are just the contractor to research and develop this product if the funding becomes available. Secondly, the correspondance [sic] in those letters is between the inventor and the agency - Lamperd was not involved.

The bracelets remain inactive until a hijacking situation has been identified. At such time a designated crew member will activate the bracelets making them capable of delivering the punitive measure - but only to those that need to be restrained. We believe that all passengers will welcome deliverance from a hijacking, as will the families, carriers, insurance providers etc. The F-16 on the wingtip is not to reassure the passengers during a hijacking but rather to shoot them down. Besides activation using the grid screen, the steward / stewardess will have a laser activator that can activate any bracelet as needed by simply pointing the laser at the bracelet - that laser dot only needs to be within 10 inches of the bracelet to activate it.

Feel better now? Me neither.

Oh, and that video also mentioned the new hardened cockpit doors aren’t safe enough, because the terrorists might have plastic explosives. Now how the hell would they get that on a plane? We can’t even take bottled freaking water on a plane and mothers are being forced to drink from their babies’ bottles to prove it isn’t deadly! Oh yeah … more fear-mongering in order to make it seem like the “small inconvenience” of a strapped on Tazer is a great idea.

A reminder to myself, and maybe some of my Austin readers would like to go too and learn about having chickens in your back yard.

The THIRD-annual FREE Chicken Seminar will be held at the beautiful Natural Gardener Nursery, Saturday, 9 to 10 AM, July 19th.

The Natural Gardener is at 8648 Old Bee Caves Road, Austin, Texas 78735 (Off of Southwest Parkway, corner of Travis Cook Rd and Old Bee Caves Road).

Chickens not only provide tasty, nutritious eggs, but also, they are great pets: interesting, communicative, smart in their own way, and very humorous! In an informal gathering, chicken keepers will share information with each other and with those who wish to have their own flocks.

Speakers include Carol Ann Sayle, Paula Middleton, and Diana Claitor.

Subjects to be discussed:

Benefits of a back yard flock and recommended size of flock
Breeds of Layers and their attributes
New Chicks: hatching and adoption
Feed Sources (Buck Moore Feed Supply in North Austin now carries certified organic chicken feed)
Hen House Design
Chickens and Composting
Chicken Tractors
Predators
Roosters
Etc….