otpid/web huggingface dataset:
Just a quick not to let you all know that I was interviewed, LIVE, for over an hour on one of the most successful audio shows on the Internet about Teachers,  EdTechTalk  and the recording of the show has been posted.  The program is called  Teachers Teaching Teachers.    This was a great interview and we talked about everything from, music in the classroom to  SEO and the  ME Blogger Campaign  (Speaking of, I will have a post of about 5 new bloggers up later today!).
Two interesting decisions have been made, one by a California Judge, and one by the Massachusetts legislature and Governor.  First, "In one of the most significant legal rulings in the tech industry this year, a Superior Court judge in California has ruled that the practice of  charging consumers a fee for ending their cell phone contract early is illegal  and violates state law." I won't go on too long about this because my own sentiments echo many of those cited it the articles on the web. I do think it could be the beginning stages of a shift in the cell phone industry.  AT&T recently announce that it would sell the new iPhone 3G with the option of not signing a contract (and of course not getting the discounted price offset by the contract). In what seems to be yet another coming of age in the cellular industry where "smart phones" are becoming more commonplace and the Phone/PDA hybrid continues to evolve (into yet something else perhaps), there are going to be some changes and I hope that for once, they are consumer friendly.  Issue number two relates to human rights. "Surrounded by cheering, clapping gay-rights activists and legislators, Governor Deval Patrick today signed a bill repealing a 95-year-old statute that had prevented gay and lesbian couples from most other states from marrying in Massachusetts."  I'll first address the important part of this story, a human rights victory. Hopefully this will help springboard these issues into other state legislatures and help to create awareness and acceptance.  Something I didn't understand about the quote above is that the statute that was repealed was 95 years old. I am curious as to how a law like this came to be 95 years ago in a time that I assumed these issues existed on a whole different level.  There was another odd article about how this decision might stimulate the local economy as same sex couples from nearby states might flock en masse to Massachusetts - while this might be true I think it overshadows a genuinely important human rights issue and a wonderful victory (though only a small stepping stone, but progress nonetheless).
Worth reading today is the post by blogger Maggie titled  Fear and Ignorance in El Salvador (and how the women won't have it) .  It starts out like this:  The first thing people will tell you about the gender dynamics in El Salvador is that there is a lot of machismo. But it’s not always obvious and definitely manifests itself in a variety of ways, some fairly harmless, others extremely harmful. The ways in which Salvadoran women deal with this macho, patriarical culture is quite admirable.  So there are definitely degrees and types of machismo here. You find patterns in attitudes and personalities of the men here. Of course there’s grey area and contradictions, but I would say the two most obvious are: The Hero and The Womanizer. There are also a few Total F...ing Mysogynists.  The Hero is overwhelmingly courteous and hospitable. He wants to drive you everywhere or at least guards you while you ride the bus together. He opens doors and always gets the bill. He wants to teach you things: Spanish, how to dance, where to go in the city, philosophy, indigo dyeing....  Read about the other personality types, and the strength of Salvadoran women in the rest of the post  here .
(HealthDay News) -- Lifting or carrying objects -- even light ones -- can cause injury and  pain  if you don't follow the proper techniques.  The National Safety Council offers these suggestions to help prevent back injuries:    Take the time to stretch your legs and back before doing a lot of  carring or lifting .  Wear safety protection on your hands and feet.   Use a stool or sturdy ladder to reach objects that are seated above your shoulders.   Keep your feet solid. Lift with your legs, not your back. Carry the object close to you.  Always get help carrying very heavy objects.   Keep your stomach pulled in and use those muscles to support your back.
"Barry Goldwater famously said that 'extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.' But I suspect even the late Arizona senator and 1964 GOP presidential candidate might be creeped out if he knew about the privatization of Big Brother. Is it OK for private groups to infiltrate domestic citizen's groups? Is spying in defense of liberty a virtue or a vice? A recent revelation is in a new story from Mother Jones that reveals that a leading gun control advocate, Mary McFate, is apparently the same person as Mary Lou Sapone, 'a self-described 'research consultant,' who for decades has covertly infiltrated citizens groups for private security firms hired by corporations that are targeted by activist campaigns. For some time, Sapone also worked for the National Rifle Association.' She was active in anti-gun groups." (07/30/08)
I had a chance to see the pre-alpha of the newest game in the Total War series.  Having played many a game of Shogun, and tinkered a goodly bit with all of the subsequent titles, I was interested to see what was coming with this iteration.  The game is set in the 18th century, when empire-building was all the rage, and the lifesblood of commerce and military was naval trade/warfare.  As such, a wholly new naval component is being added with Empires, in addition to some big changes in the land engine.  Let's start, however, with the brand new "if by sea" news!
My Mom called yesterday to tell me that your long struggle with cancer had finally come to an end. If there is any kind of cosmic karmic justice at work in this universe we inhabit, you will be reincarnated as a koala bear. Koala bears have few worries beyond hanging out in trees, sleeping, eating, and basically just taking it easy, which sounds like a pretty good life to me. Which is exactly what you deserve.  But enough about your next incarnation, what about the one you just left? I don't know much about your life growing up in Germany, only that you met your husband when he was stationed over there during WWII. The two of you got married and you came back to the States with him...or vice- versa . You left everything behind to be with him and found yourself in Houston  Yee -Haw Texas where you raised up two sons and a  daughter .  We moved in next door to you sometime in the late 70's or early 80's. I don't remember, I was just a kid.  You nicknamed me "Snapper" the first time you laid eyes on me. It sounded like " Schneppa " in your thick German accent. You offered up no explanations for this nickname, and you were the only one who ever called me it, but it stuck for good. I don't think you ever used my real name. And why would you when you could call me a great name like "Snapper?"  It would not at all be an exaggeration to say that you helped raise me. They say it takes a village, a statement that's doubly true when you're talking about single parents, and you were citizen # 1. I floated freely between my own house and yours. When my mom wasn't home, you kept an eye on me to make sure I didn't burn anything down. And because you had never learned how to cook in small quantities, you always had tons of great leftovers hanging around. Come to think of it, it  might've  been partly your fault that I was a fat kid, but I won't hold it against you.  So yeah, that koala bear thing...I'd say you earned it. Thanks for everything.
An AP newswire  article  by Pamela Hess, via  SFGate.com , reports that:      President Bush's new executive order revising rules for intelligence agencies expands the national intelligence director's powers and may further erode the CIA's traditional autonomy.    The order,  revised in secret and signed Wednesday , is drawing criticism from civil liberties groups and even lawmakers from the president's own party.    House Republicans on the intelligence committee walked out of a Thursday morning briefing by the national intelligence director, Mike McConnell, on the order to protest what they consider the White House's pattern of disrespect for congressional oversight.    The committee believes it has not been consulted or informed about critical intelligence matters. These include the executive order; Israel's bombing of an alleged Syrian nuclear facility last summer; changes in U.S. intelligence on Iran; the administration's warrantless wiretapping program; and the CIA's destruction of interrogation videotapes.    "This president is making it impossible for Congress to do oversight of the intelligence community," the committee's top Republican, Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, told The Associated Press. "The only effective oversight that can be done is out of the executive branch. And this is the fox guarding the chicken coop."      More  here .      <!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9811979653044601";
No, I am not talking about Jeremey Miller's reversibility. I am talking about another matter all together. I have an API that perform an operation. The problem is that based on the result of this operation, I may need to cancel that operation.     The main issue here is that in order to reverse this operation, I need to expose too much information to the client, which I rather not do. Let us take the following interface as an example:         public   interface  IActionStack {
Breaking news, I guess.....  Manny Ramirez was traded to Los Angeles (the Dodgers, not the good team in LA) this afternoon.  Basically, the trade involves a few minor-leaguers and the Pittsburgh Pirates (boy, isn't THAT redundant).  But there's a kicker....  Boston is still going to pay Ramirez through the end of the year, a total of 7 million dollars.  How badly does a team want to get rid of you if they trade you AND pay you?
"If you intend to rob me, stab me or punch me in the neck because you think I looked at you funny, I recommend you glance at my waist before lifting the pull tab on that can of whoop-ass. I may be carrying a handgun. Nearly everyone in our state can legally keep guns in their home. I am one of the few, the proud, the Georgia Firearms Licensed -- one of a reported 300,000 Georgians permitted to carry a gun in public. Unlike the 9.2 million-or-so Peach Staters who do not possess firearms licenses, I'm legally permitted to carry a gun pretty much everywhere I go -- walking my dogs, sipping a latte at my neighborhood coffee shop, buying deodorant at Target. Firearms licenses are easy to get in Georgia. All you need is a clean criminal record, about $40 and a couple of hours to spend at your county's probate court." (07/30/08)
Yitzhak Rabin murdered to empower Shimon Peres to divide Jerusalem?              "Israeli Penal Code – 1977, Section 97(b) A person who, with intent that any area be withdrawn from the sovereignty of the State or placed under the sovereignty of a foreign state, commits an act calculated to bring this about, is liable to life imprisonment or the death penalty."   Israel has this law on the books, but will they enforce it  before it's too late?   The worst offender is Shimon Peres.   Yitzhak Rabin  exposed Shimon Peres as  "an indefatigable subversive."  Yet, shamefully, Shimon Peres has survived to this day, protected by the corrupt Israeli oligarchy that are servants to their German-Jesuit masters, as the  Jewish homeland  continues to be dismembered, the Third Temple dismantled, and Jerusalem undermined!    Isaiah 3:12   As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths.    Isaiah 9:16   For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.   Shimon Peres  has collaborated with the bloody  Roman Catholic Cult  (aka the Babylonian Mystery religion) and Germans to transfer Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem to them, fulfilling their dream that will become the world's worst nightmare!    Treacherous Israeli leaders  deserve  the death penalty!  Apparently, too many Israelis (and Jews in self-imposed exile) prefer lies and delusions to the plain truth of the Bible and history. Clearly, the sheep are on their way to the slaughter the German-Jesuit EU prepares!    Lying Visions of Peace    Paint Israel Black: Jews to Lose Jerusalem!    Europe to Take Out Iran For Jerusalem    Woe to Ariel! (Jerusalem to Suffer EU Occupation)    Exposing the German-Vatican Plot to Occupy  Jerusalem    EU to Conquer Anglo-Saxons and Jews    Shimon  Peres Came to Power Over Rabin's Dead Body    The Secret Nazis Covet the Temple Mount    Mount Zion Under Siege: Who Will Be King of the  Mountain?    Vatican Linked to the Assassination of Yitzhak  Rabin?    UN Resolution 181: Blueprint of the Beast?    Israel's Only Way Out: Follow Kahane!     www.DavidBenAriel.org
I've been going back through  the Coens ' less successful (commercially or critically) films recently, including   Miller's Crossing   (1990),   Barton Fink   (1991),   The Hudsucker Proxy   (1994), and   The Man Who Wasn't There   (2001). I've yet to see   Intolerable Cruelty   (2003) or   The Ladykillers   (2004). Of those four,  The Man Who Wasn't There  is the best, followed, in order, by  Barton Fink ,  The Hudsucker Proxy , and  Miller's Crossing  (yawn).  The  IMDb  summary ties up all the plot's various loose ends better than I could:    1949, Santa Rosa, California. A laconic, chain-smoking barber with fallen arches tells a story of a man trying to escape a humdrum life. It's a tale of suspected adultery, blackmail, foul play, death, Sacramento city slickers, racial slurs, invented war heroics, shaved legs, a gamine piano player, aliens, and  Heisenberg's uncertainty principle . Ed Crane cuts hair in his in-law's shop; his wife drinks and may be having an affair with her boss, Big Dave, who has $10,000 to invest in a second department store. Ed gets wind of a chance to make money in dry cleaning. Blackmail and investment are his opportunity to be more than a man no one notices.    What a cast! It's seems as if everyone wants to work with the Coens. You've got  Billy Bob Thornton ,  Frances McDormand  (of course married to Joel Coen),  Tony Soprano   James Gandolfini ,  Scarlett Johansson , and  Tony Shalhoub  mixed in with Coen stock actors like  Jon Polito  and  Michael Badalucco . I love the black and white and would agree with a comment someone makes in one of the DVD's special features that the film could not have been made in color. It fits in nicely among the classic noir films it emulates, such as   The Big Sleep   (1946) and   Double Indemnity   (1944). Here is the trailer:             A music video ("Down But Up" - Ganga):            And some screen captures:          This is not a film I'd recommend to anyone who is trying to quit smoking.      The Butch      The Flat Top      The Ivy (as in  Ivy  League)      The Crew      The Vanguard      The Junior Contour      The Executive Contour
Hangar One, the onetime airship station that has long symbolized California’s Silicon Valley, won’t be destroyed after all. The US Navy will allow it to stand - without its clothing.   More than two years ago, the Navy designated Hangar One for demolition, after discovering that the mammoth Mountain View landmark was poisoning nearby wetlands. But some feisty blimp garage lovers fought to save the structure, and yesterday, as reported by the San Jose Mercury News, the Navy said it will leave the hangar’s steel skeleton in place while removing its toxic siding.
Yes, that's right!  I did go back and watch "33" with the commentary and the specific scene with Lee is slightly different but the image of him smirking is there and more pronounced.  There are some very psychadelic looking frames.  Playing with the light indeed! What is odd about the commentary is that when they get to this scene; they spend a lot of time talking about filming actors in helmets, playing with the light, how this makes their faces look different, makes them look like they have gone to another place.  At the end of the scene, the director says "I never saw that" and Ron Moore quickly moves the converstion elsewhere. Ron Moore says "Danny came up with a little slow-mo at the end."  I'm always curious about flashbacks, because they represent an editing choice.  So I tend to look at them in slow-mo to see what the filmaker is pushing into the subconcious.  Ron Moore also says at the end of the episode that when he wrote the 5 season storyline arc that "it" all started here (I assume meaning the episode). There is also a very odd comment that the director concerning Jaimie's portrayal of the character "that he (Lee) is haunted by the event and not by Grampa Joe and the twins."  I wonder if the final cylon has to be a tie in to inform the new Caprica series in some way.   I also watched Razor with the commentary again because they talk about the writing process and RDM also reiterated that writing in the beginning is more constructed and thought out and the process becomes more organic and flexible as you go along.
Hmmm, this is interesting and I see how this could fit.  I can also draw parallels between Ellen's and Caprica's behavior.  For some reason this choice just doesn't resonate on an emotional level for me.  As I understand it we are promised a "strong emotional resonance" with the final cylon.  But the storyline could really go anywhere.  Pretty soon you will have me going back to the 5 gods theory.  Hahaha.
John Boehner (R-Ohio)     Kenneth Corbin  writes  on  internetnews.com :      On the eve of the Federal Communications Commission's   expected vote to punish Comcast   for blocking peer-to-peer traffic on its network without properly informing subscribers, the agency is taking some fire from Congress.    In a letter sent today to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) questioned the commission's legal authority to intervene and argued that the unregulated market is moving to solve the problem of network management.    The expected vote at tomorrow's FCC meeting stems from Comcast's blocking of peer-to-peer traffic from BitTorrent, and its alleged failure to provide adequate notification to its subscribers.      More  here .      <!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9811979653044601";
There was lots of discussion, particularly in the AFR, today about 'green protectionism'; this, the growing push for trade-exposed industries to be treated differently as a result of emissions trading. Now one part of this is whether an industry is so trade-exposed that their production would be significantly curtailed as a result of the ETS. That is a very thorny question and a receipe for rent seeking.   That said, if there are such industries and they are significant emitters, then doing nothing about them or opting for poor solutions  like free permit allocations will not solve  the problem. And the problem as I see it (and  have written about previously ) is not about investment, jobs, national champions or any of the rationales that have given protectionism its highly deserved bad name. The problem is that our emissions policy will be rendered less effective if we do nothing about them. If  these industries curtail production (and emissions) and that production resurfaces elsewhere in the world we are not engaging in effective climate change policy because it is a global problem . If we are going to have an ETS, it is incumbent upon us to make sure it is effective in reducing emissions worldwide.
Ok, this is about more than Sea Bass, but ya gotta admit, it's a cool title.          I went to a concert yesterday, had me some fun.  I was howling like a madman and grinning like a maniac through the first 2/3's of it.  The other third of the show was pretty fun too, but it was less metal and more of the good time rock and roll type of show.  The show was at The "Nikon theatre" at Jones Beach.  Cool venue, but i did have some minor issues with it, which i will discuss a few paragraphs from now.
With hundreds of images from actual events and fan created art and over seventy audio and video clips from various net sources come visitthe revived The Franchise Shane Douglas Tribute Site! This site was in existance from 2001-2004 and now reopened and revamped for 2008 and the future! Many more additions coming to the website as we work to bring back the site that was number 3 in Google Search on Shane Douglas in late 2003 and neck for neck with FranchiseFanSite.com in image searches.  Author:   toosweet2003  Tags:  Shane   Douglas   Wrestling   WWE   WWF   WCW   nWo   ECW   XPW   NWA   TNA   Posted: 01 August 2008 Rating: 0.0 Votes: 0
I had another medical appointment today to get a second opinion on my injured hand.  Happily the assessment of my chiropractor, my online research and today's diagnosis are all in agreement.  Although I think medical professionals are great I tend to want to see a convergence of a number of independent assessments before I get that warm fuzzy feeling about what's going on.  Interestingly here is what seems to have happened:    I rested my left elbow on the door armrest for 40+hrs of driving and rough roads on the way up north.  This  irritated the bursa  in my left elbow.  By itself this didn't manifest any symptoms.  Riding on the rough muddy Dempster compressed  my ulnar nerve  in the left hand.  This may have been aggravated by the size and padding offered by the grip on my bars as well as the fact I don't use my left hand for shifting or grabbing water bottles as I do with my right hand.  The vibration/shock from the riding also irritated the bursa in my left arm and it started to swell causing me acute pain in that joint, shutting down my triceps muscle in that arm as a protective measure and compressing my ulnar nerve near the elbow.  Some other factors that may have played a part were weight loss removing fatty tissue protecting my joints [I lost quite a bit of weight on this tour] and how I was stretching my neck on the bike [ulnar nerve passes through the left should/neck area].   The bottom line is I'll have a full recovery in the not too distant future...=-)  As far as future tours with the Big Dummy go I think I should be fine keeping the Titec H-bars with the following modifications to my touring setup/routine:    watch out for problems like the elbow resting on the door for 40+hrs of driving - who knew?   pad the H-bars well and use Ergon Grips.  use my left hand for grabbing water bottles so both hands get some time off the bars.  changing positions on the bars frequently - although I felt like I was doing this on my tour.  eat more calories on tour...hahaha...I'm not sure if the doctors actually suggested that or I'm just bending facts to suit my desires, but I plan on rolling with it...=-)       The Lazy Randonneur - www.thelazyrando.com
On  Monday , I talked about a new idea I had for a Loom-like system with public-key-signed balances. Well, I've been madly writing code since then. I'm calling it  Trubanc . There's a  design document , and you can peruse  the code  as I write it. I intend to keep it open source, so that it can be verified. The server is about 1/3 done. When I finish that, and an initial web client, I'll let you know, and  you can try it out, with funny money, of course. Exciting!