From metafilter:
One of the more interesting Senate races in 2004 is shaping up in Florida, where everyone but the electorate appears to know that Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is gay. This open secret — which would help explain how a “dream come true” right-wing politician has a strong gay-rights voting record — calls into question whether respecting a person’s right to “stay in the closet” perpetuates the idea that homosexuality is abnormal. (Via Eschaton).
(as told to me via Mike Cohen)
from ldy’s entry
On June 2, the Federal Communications Commission is planning on authorizing sweeping changes to the American news media. The rule changes could allow our local TV stations, newspaper, radio stations, and cable provider to all be owned by one company. NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox could have the same corporate parent. The resulting concentration of ownership could be deeply destructive to our democracy.
When we talk to Congresspeople about this issue, their response is usually the same: “We only hear from media lobbyists on this. It seems like my constituents aren’t very concerned with this issue.” A few thousand emails could permanently change that perception. Please join us in asking Congress and the FCC to fight media deregulation at:
http://www.moveon.org/stopthefcc/
After the FCC and Congress relaxed radio ownership rules, corporate giant Clear Channel Communications swept in and bought hundreds of stations. Clear Channel has used its might to support pro-war political rallies and conservative talk shows, keep anti-war songs off its stations, coerce musicians into playing free promotional concerts, and bully them into performing at its music venues. In many towns that used to have a diverse array of radio options, Clear Channel is now the only thing on the dial.
Monopoly power is a dangerous thing, and Congress is supposed to guard against it. But the upcoming rule change could change the landscape for all media and usher in an era in which a few corporations control your access to news and entertainment. Please tell Congress and the FCC to support a diverse, competitive media landscape by going to:
http://www.moveon.org/stopthefcc/
You can also automatically have your comments publicly filed at the FCC.
Democracy is built on the idea that the views and beliefs of an informed citizenry are the best basis for political decision-making. Without access to fair and balanced news, the system simply doesn’t work. And media corporations can’t be trusted to balance themselves: news corporations have shown again and again that they’re willing to sacrifice journalism to improve the bottom line. That’s why we need many media entities — to keep each other honest, and to provide the information and ideas that make democracy happen.
Please join this critical campaign, and let Congress know you care.
Sincerely,
–Eli Pariser
MoveOn.org
May 8th, 2003
P.S. Here’s a copy of our recent bulletin on this subject. To sign up for the bulletin, just click here:
http://www.moveon.org/moveonbulletin/
You can read the text of the bulletin here:
http://www.moveon.org/moveonbulletin/bulletin12.html
Thank you for your kind indulgence.
Monopolies restrict our freedom of choice. And monopoly of the media is even more insidious, controlling not only what we can choose, but what we can know.
To sell our reality to the highest bidder instead of encouraging diversification is lunacy.
We each have a responsibility to protect our democracy, and protect our freedoms.
Consider this your call to arms.
Sleeping poorly at night, as the muscle relaxer wears off about 4 hours in, and tension begins shortly after… wake up to an owie, get an icepack, take a pill, and repeat.
I’m very glad that I’m not taking any form of narcotic, despite that. I don’t feel like being hooked on any medication, thanks… I have a strong will, but I prefer not to test it on something that can kill me.
Physical therapy went well – they evaluated my range of motion, and the facility is right next door. I should have a full-blown PT done about Wednesday of Next week I’d like to see if I can get a TENS unit
got gems rather than cash prizes in the scavenger hunt in There… I think the other hunters will be envious of our gain, as I gently persuaded Josie to let us have the actual sailor’s treasure rather than the $T300 prize at a cost of $T49 (or maybe 12 cents) because it cost her 349 to create the item. We’re the toast of There, and I wonder if Whimsy or Chias will be too envious… I suppose if asked nicely, Josie will reproduce the prize offering to them, too.
The search was outstanding. Ldy’s Sense of Direction and D’s innate knowledge of There (plus, she unscrambled the final answer first, with ldy only a hair’s breadth behind) caused us to crawl all over There, each of us in our pirate (or later, genie) garb. I treated myself to a new hoverboard… a sort of Atlantean pod racer, with twin sharks as the pods pulling a giant squid behind. When dressed as a pirate in bunny slippers, it’s quite a surreal sight to behold. There has served as a fairly strong time sink lately…visually stimulating, but more so, the people are quite a delight to be around. Sort of similar to the early days of LiveJournal… just a small core, and everyone seems to at least have heard of everyone else. Maybe three degrees of separation at the most there. Actually it has a lot of the macro-social elements of LJ… cliques are formed, different interest groups… people pestering the more artistically accomplished then themselves… but the punks and the whiners are easily dealt with. Press ignore, and they’ll never IM you. If you see them in a community or chat area, they become stick figures that speak nothing but “Woodstock Speak” of logical ors- like “|||| |||| | ||| ||| ||| |||| |||||” so you don’t have to see them say anything particularly offensive. There is one of those players that I can foresee blocking in the near future… not because he says anything bad, but he’s sort of socially retarded, and is a real IM-pest. I’m also glad that my There-stalker has moved on to greener pastures. I’m enjoying the attention of being a spokesmodel for D (and one shirt for Whimsy)… and am quite flattered that sales have been booming. I know I can’t take credit for the designs, and wouldn’t want to… but being out there and being able to promote for talented folks that really like what they do is a good feeling.
Sort of like my new job. I really enjoy working on my current automation project because the people there are enthusiastic, and realistic about the arrival of it. Telecommuting went very well yesterday, and is even better today, now that I’ve stopped the dang thing from going into hibernation every 10-15 minutes. I think I’ll have a process that’s about 80% automated done by the end of next week. (Maybe more so, if the data is only in a subset of different types, instead of a complete crapshoot each time.)
First Day Of PT – 2pm at 203
Hopefully FedEx will get my copy of PCAny to me quickly today. Holy cow.. PCAny requires 1.5 gig free on XP to run, as opposed to 30 meg free on 2000. Yet again, I am glad I have 2000.
An asteroid discovered in 1993 has been renamed for the late Fred “Mr.” Rogers. Here’s the CNN story.
That’s just fine, as long as 300 years down the road, there isn’t some Headline reading “MISTER ROGERS BREAKS FREE OF GRAVITY, RUSHES TOWARD EARTH, ASSURING ARMAGEDDON”
I keep hearing good things about X2. I refuse to get my hopes up… that way, if it is good, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. I rarely nitpick about things as long as they get a good story out, and keep the powers straight.
vampire hint – Torment and 52nd – immolator 1
Sailors Quest –
Alexander
Carlisle
To feel and to sense and to marvel, and to constantly live in anticipation.
Well, I’ve set up a club in There for Fans of Orange Cats. Considering the size of the current beta user base, I wonder if that’s too specific a topic It matters not, I’m confident that at least a few people will join, and it’s nice to have Newtcam accessible through another venture. 🙂
Going to my first PT tomorrow at 2:00… I hope that they have a whirlpool, and therapists as good as my old one. Man, he whipped me into top shape in nothing flat.
Even though I don’t use them as a hosting service anymore I enjoy browsing the photos at freePhoto-i.net Fills my random picture needs nicely.
My being a spokesmodel for D is taking off, and now I also get to augment that now with Whimsy’s Charcoal jersey. The PGM Crew is composed of some truly talented folks. I’m thinking bout making a shipwrecked sailor / tattered guy skin, just to put my hand in, and try it out. Oh, how in need we are of headkerchiefs beards and eye patches there!!
Retromedia – Classic snippets of the part. I’m made nostalgic.
Wubby’s a monster that smells like a rat
That’s taken a bath in an oversized vat
Of Molding tomatoes and flatulent yaks
Who died months ago and are stuck on their backs.
My body is not happy today. Creaky, uncomfortable during the best of times today. Shriekingly painful during the worst. The only thing to do is to use muscle relaxers at the worst point, icepacks and heating alternately. I’m calling workman’s comp tomorrow morning first thing regarding my ability to uses the local physical therapy. (Also right across the street @1212).
I really like that TMBG is doing theme music for Cartoon Network.
Holy cow… Poser 5 is amazing. The new hair and flesh models are especially good, and I think I’ve only scratched the surface.
I look forward to investigating the sketch designer, in particular.
New Quest coming up: Sailor’s Quest.
Follow the sea trail of a sailor looking for lost treasure and more! Quest runs Wed. – Sunday. Bux prizes for completers.
Ticket Price: T$ 0
Date: May 7, 2003
Time: 8:00 pm – 1:00 am
Got my Speedpad in the mail today…. huzzah!
Vodou’s Veil – South Florida’s Vodou scene
Talked to Dave, and apparently Cathi is 2 months or so along with baby #2!
Wow. Makes sense. Mayah is able to say “Hi Scotto” on the phone. 🙂 I’m so happy for them!! I’m sorry that I ‘m so horked over that I can’t go with Dave to See X2 today, though.
Spending a lot of time in There this weekend, scavenger hunt and wonderful folks…found an incredible lost temple area under a canopy which might make an outstanding new place to live.
Regarding my back, Icepacks are my friend.
I hear the Air show again… not as rambunctious or active as yesterday.
Tomorrow’s Cinco de Mayo… will that affect city traffic in Ft Lauderdale?
Another scavenger hunt in There
Continue reading hunt update
So before you begin a career as an Illuminated Seer, start by seeing how everything is related. Go to Lexical FreeNet and use their connected thesaurus to find all manner of disturbing, amusing, or just plain unexpected ties between words, phrases, and their myriad uses. There may be a test later.
Tyhmä juusto = stupid cheese in Finnish.
Consume Memories on a chip. Won’t the ghouls be happy! The world’s first brain prosthesis – an artificial hippocampus – is about to be tested in California. Unlike devices like cochlear implants, which merely stimulate brain activity, this silicon chip implant will perform the same processes as the damaged part of the brain it is replacing.
Air and sea show is having practice today, and being as close to the beach, it’s loudy-loud. I think it’s the Thunderbirds.
Scavenger hunt is *tricky* but not really hard. I think that with my sis and the pgm crew as a resource, the answers will come together well enough. D got me a swell pirate buggy last night, too, and its helping to sell the pirate outfits as well as making me look quite the dashing avatar.
Was on There last night a bit, played 20q with Dan, too. We added armpit, a cat whisker and space junk to the database. It’s a fun thing.
I didn’t get to chat much There because of numerous social interruptions… but I got some good time in, and a new pirate costume. 🙂
my three vampire spawn are doing well… I’m surprised that I don’t know more LJers that play it.
I shall pass along a good pop-up blocker for those that need it. Even if you don’t play online games, it’s a nice helper for anyone who surfs much online.
Oh, come on. You knew we were going to say it . . .
![[Highlander Badger Piper]](https://i0.wp.com/www.sjgames.com/miniatures/otwa/img/piper.frnt.med.jpg)
After an absence of almost 20 years, Highlander Badgers have returned, kicking off the re-release of the Off The Wall Armies line of bizarre fantasy miniatures. Sculpted in 28mm scale, each army features anthropomorphic animal figures with weapons and gear from different historical periods. These figures are the delightfully strange creations of Richard Kerr, who sculpted all the figures and developed the bizarre universe they come from.
The Highlander Badgers are based on the North American badger (Taxidea taxus), with a culture from the 16th- thru 18th-century Scottish Highlands. Currently available are the Sergeant, the Longbowman, the Humbly (Commoner) with Axe, the Bagpiper, and the Chieftain. Future releases for this group will include the Highlander Cavalry and claymore-wielding warriors.
The Highlander Badgers are brought to you by Gray Cat Studios and Steve Jackson Games, and are available exclusively through Warehouse 23.
The entire Off The Wall Armies line will eventually be available again, and Kerr is busy sculpting another generation of great new figures. Armies will be released approximately every other month. The Otterman Empire is due out next, followed by the Semi-Colonials, Something Fishy, the Snakes of Wrath, and Kat-anas.
*** End press release (slightly edited for opening links in new windows)
Woohoo! Mind you, it’s a little misleading. You have to paint ’em yourself (I think that they should show an unpainted model sample too.), but I think they’re very cool, if a real challenge, paint wise. They look like a load of fun, and close enough in scale to mage knight to mount on a combat dial.
Examples of unpainted vs. painted from the monsters miniatures page
Also cute are the Pokethulhu miniatures. Who can help laughing and then shrieking in terror at scuttle or jigglypolyp?