Thanksgiving was a success. Many of the people who attended the feast are now on the road or are on rails. I had a fun time visiting the Salt Lake Train Station in the wee hours of the morning to put a travel on an East Bound California Zephyr.
The current Amtrak station is a cramped little box. Apparently, taxpayers are busily constructing a new multimillion dollar intermodal hub that will do the train justice. Hopefully, we will soon get commuter rail to Ogden and Provo.
In many ways, I think Salt would have been much better if UTA ran the new light rail along the corridor of the old light right which went past the old train station. The light rail could then turn into the city and go up to the U.
As it stands now, it looks like the light rail will have several slow turns to wind its way to the intermodal hub.
As for the shot at internet commerce. The busiest shopping day of the year netted my web empire $18.00 in commissions. Add that to other ads, and I made just about $30.00. Developing community directories does not pay enough to live indoors.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Monday, November 15, 2004
Dog Eat Dog
I am sad to see Colin Powell leave. The big fear of the world is that Bush will interpret the 2004 election as a right wing mandate and push moderates aside.
Personally, I don't hold with the assessment that the United States is an arch conservative country. It seems to me that the liberal community is split between the classical liberals and what I've been thinking of calling the "world-view" liberal. The classical liberal values liberty first and foremost. They tend to libertarianism. The world view liberal pretends to be in touch with the world spirit and sees the world going through thesis-antithesis conflicts. As such, they tend to see people not as individual units but members of classes, and tend to promote big government.
The US was founded pretty much with the classical liberal view. During the Reagan Administration, the classical liberals had flocked to the Republican Party hoping that it would preserve this classical tradition.
The Bush Clan is more of the true liberal. I suspect that the classical liberals will be systematically driven from the Republican Party by the religious right and true conservative elements like the Bush family. It will be sad to see the Republican party stripped of its moderates as we will be left with a two party system with a right wing Republican Party leaning toward Fascist ideals, and a left wing Democratic Party leaning toward socialism.
On a lighter note. This is a strange product for a dog eat dog world. It is a dog feeding system in the shape of a dog. Does this in fact promote dog cannibalism, or is it just a cute toy for dog lovers. The thing costs $219.00!!!!
Personally, I don't hold with the assessment that the United States is an arch conservative country. It seems to me that the liberal community is split between the classical liberals and what I've been thinking of calling the "world-view" liberal. The classical liberal values liberty first and foremost. They tend to libertarianism. The world view liberal pretends to be in touch with the world spirit and sees the world going through thesis-antithesis conflicts. As such, they tend to see people not as individual units but members of classes, and tend to promote big government.
The US was founded pretty much with the classical liberal view. During the Reagan Administration, the classical liberals had flocked to the Republican Party hoping that it would preserve this classical tradition.
The Bush Clan is more of the true liberal. I suspect that the classical liberals will be systematically driven from the Republican Party by the religious right and true conservative elements like the Bush family. It will be sad to see the Republican party stripped of its moderates as we will be left with a two party system with a right wing Republican Party leaning toward Fascist ideals, and a left wing Democratic Party leaning toward socialism.
On a lighter note. This is a strange product for a dog eat dog world. It is a dog feeding system in the shape of a dog. Does this in fact promote dog cannibalism, or is it just a cute toy for dog lovers. The thing costs $219.00!!!!Sunday, November 14, 2004
Customization
I've been playing with the co-branding feature of IAN. This is my attempt at a co-branded page. The program lets me define the top, sides and bottom of the page, but does not give much info on the size of these elements.
Some of the pages have a nowrap attribute, making it hard to format the left side of the page. Overall, it was an interesting experiment. I now have a little travel site to go along with community color.
Some of the pages have a nowrap attribute, making it hard to format the left side of the page. Overall, it was an interesting experiment. I now have a little travel site to go along with community color.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
At the Pearly Gates
Yasser Arafat enters through the Pearly Gates. He looks around at the angels playing their harps. Fairies dance before Yasser throwing rose petals at his feet.
The roads are made of silver and the buildings of a glittering crytals. Yasser himself is wearing the finest silk clothing with golden trim.
Everyone is happy and everything is beautiful.
Yasser chuckled to himself: "So after all of those years of dirty political deeds, rampant corruption, lies and the brutality of terrorism...I still land myself a spot in heaven!"
As Mr. Arafat gleams with his good fortune.
Yasser sees people approaching and gathering around him. Yasser recognizes the faces. He sees the adoring face of his mother and father. He sees adulation in the eyes of the many children who martyred themselves for his power and cause.
Yasser sighs "Allah is truly great!" The friends, family and adoring admirers gather closer around the great leader.
Just then the bomb that Satan had placed in Yasser's backpack explodes....
The roads are made of silver and the buildings of a glittering crytals. Yasser himself is wearing the finest silk clothing with golden trim.
Everyone is happy and everything is beautiful.
Yasser chuckled to himself: "So after all of those years of dirty political deeds, rampant corruption, lies and the brutality of terrorism...I still land myself a spot in heaven!"
As Mr. Arafat gleams with his good fortune.
Yasser sees people approaching and gathering around him. Yasser recognizes the faces. He sees the adoring face of his mother and father. He sees adulation in the eyes of the many children who martyred themselves for his power and cause.
Yasser sighs "Allah is truly great!" The friends, family and adoring admirers gather closer around the great leader.
Just then the bomb that Satan had placed in Yasser's backpack explodes....
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Oh My Gawd!!!!
I can't believe it. George Bush is now stacking the jury in the Peterson trial.
Having just cheated to steal an election. Mr. Bush is now trying to stack the jury in the Peterson trial. I mean, can you think of any other reason that they would change two jurors? I thought not.
The chem trails from the black helicopters will get us all!!!!
Having just cheated to steal an election. Mr. Bush is now trying to stack the jury in the Peterson trial. I mean, can you think of any other reason that they would change two jurors? I thought not.
The chem trails from the black helicopters will get us all!!!!
Friday, November 05, 2004
Novel Work
I have not forgotten my committment to the November is Novel Writing Month program.
Many things happened at the beginning of the month: First, I got caught up in election fever. Yes, I am one of those stat addicts that had to watch the poll numbers come in. Personally, I thought Kerry would win...which is why I voted for Bush. Now that I see the result, I wish I had voted the other way. Especially since Bush is trying to say the election gives him an arch-conservative mandate.
As for the novel. Well, this is a long story. I posted the Ghost of Alma Matterson on rgreetings.com just as a temporary arrangement. My intention was to evolve y-intercept.com into a major literary resource. However, ad rates showed me the project was doomed to failure; so I let both the novel and the site languish.
Anyway, before starting Novel Writing Month, I thought I should start reviving y-intercept.com. IT WAS A COMPLETE PAIN IN THE TUSH I TELL YOU. I had all sorts of annoying little programming glitches attack me while moving the site.
Regardless, I will be moving chapter by chapter to y-intercept.com/alma.html (doing a edit and building a character database en route.
Anyway, sorry for the delay.
Many things happened at the beginning of the month: First, I got caught up in election fever. Yes, I am one of those stat addicts that had to watch the poll numbers come in. Personally, I thought Kerry would win...which is why I voted for Bush. Now that I see the result, I wish I had voted the other way. Especially since Bush is trying to say the election gives him an arch-conservative mandate.
As for the novel. Well, this is a long story. I posted the Ghost of Alma Matterson on rgreetings.com just as a temporary arrangement. My intention was to evolve y-intercept.com into a major literary resource. However, ad rates showed me the project was doomed to failure; so I let both the novel and the site languish.
Anyway, before starting Novel Writing Month, I thought I should start reviving y-intercept.com. IT WAS A COMPLETE PAIN IN THE TUSH I TELL YOU. I had all sorts of annoying little programming glitches attack me while moving the site.
Regardless, I will be moving chapter by chapter to y-intercept.com/alma.html (doing a edit and building a character database en route.
Anyway, sorry for the delay.
Name Change
I decided to change the name of my group of community directories from LinksAlive.com to CommunityColor.com. The new name does a better job describing what I am trying to accomplish with the directory. The purpose of the Community Color directories is to list sites for a geographic region. This makes it easy for people in an area to connect with others in their community.
BTW, I did not choose the name Links Alive. It was given to me. At the time, I really didn't care about the name of the top directory. Now that I am more emeshed in the project, I realize that the dynamics of communities demand that I build more interconnections in the projects, and the top domain is becoming important.
Anyway, I am likely to sell the name Links Alive after I go through the gradual process of changing the directory name.
The name Linksalive always bugged me. People who read the domain name often think "Link Saliva." It also sounds a bit to "link-exchangish" and spammy. The new name emphasizes the diversity of a local community.
BTW, I did not choose the name Links Alive. It was given to me. At the time, I really didn't care about the name of the top directory. Now that I am more emeshed in the project, I realize that the dynamics of communities demand that I build more interconnections in the projects, and the top domain is becoming important.
Anyway, I am likely to sell the name Links Alive after I go through the gradual process of changing the directory name.
The name Linksalive always bugged me. People who read the domain name often think "Link Saliva." It also sounds a bit to "link-exchangish" and spammy. The new name emphasizes the diversity of a local community.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Ohio
It gets down to Ohio...a state that gets down.
The funny thing...if Kerry ekes out a tiny victory in Ohio, then we would have a strange situation where Kerry won the electoral college, but didn't win the popular vote.
That would have been a great ending to our pirate v. pirate race for the presidency.
Everyone would suddenly switch their stance on the electoral college v. popular vote issue when they see it go for or against their candidate.
The funny thing...if Kerry ekes out a tiny victory in Ohio, then we would have a strange situation where Kerry won the electoral college, but didn't win the popular vote.
That would have been a great ending to our pirate v. pirate race for the presidency.
Everyone would suddenly switch their stance on the electoral college v. popular vote issue when they see it go for or against their candidate.
Dimple Me Chads
Arrrrgggh...dimple me chads matey.
The swashbuckling duel for lead pirate leads on into the night.
The vote pirates are out tonight. It is not a safe time for the lads and lassies.
Well, shiver me timbers and dimple me chads.
arrggghhhh!!!!!! May the best pirate win.
The swashbuckling duel for lead pirate leads on into the night.
The vote pirates are out tonight. It is not a safe time for the lads and lassies.
Well, shiver me timbers and dimple me chads.
arrggghhhh!!!!!! May the best pirate win.
Lying to Pollsters
Watching the vote count in mesmerizing.
Several reports had talked about the exit polls indicating a solid win for Kerry, but the vote count seems to be going in Bush's direction. I think a large number of people are really upset with Bush, but fear Kerry more...as such I suspect many would lie about their vote. Quite frankly, if an exit pollster snagged me on my way out of the booth, I would tell them all sorts of things.
As for my actual voting. The Salt Lake ballot had a blank that said "Candidate Withdrew". I voted for a person, but I really regret not voting for the candidate withdrew line...as I wish more candidates would withdraw.
Anyway, back to watching numbers...fascinating numbers. yummmmmmm.....
Several reports had talked about the exit polls indicating a solid win for Kerry, but the vote count seems to be going in Bush's direction. I think a large number of people are really upset with Bush, but fear Kerry more...as such I suspect many would lie about their vote. Quite frankly, if an exit pollster snagged me on my way out of the booth, I would tell them all sorts of things.
As for my actual voting. The Salt Lake ballot had a blank that said "Candidate Withdrew". I voted for a person, but I really regret not voting for the candidate withdrew line...as I wish more candidates would withdraw.
Anyway, back to watching numbers...fascinating numbers. yummmmmmm.....
Monday, November 01, 2004
Count Down to Defeat
America will lose this one. We just don't which way we are going to lose yet. Quite frankly, I don't mind Bush that much...it is his father and the Straussian inner core of the Republican party that I fear most. Kerry and Edwards tie everything I dislike about the Democrats in one bundle. I am hoping that GW loses the popular vote but squeaks by in a contested election, and that the parties do a better job of giving us candidates in 2008.
Sadly, the national election is drowning out local elections. Last year at this time, people were crawling all over Salt Lake Sites trying to get at news about local candidates. This year, it seems that the local candidates are taking a back seat to bin Ladin's national election. This preoccupation with world events is just what bin Laden wants to see in the world. By pushing for the invasion of Iraq, Bush is vindicating the theory at the foundation of modern terrorism.
Give a thug a box cutter, remove his concience and you can move the world. This is like Shakespeare's my kingdom for a horse. The word to describe the destroying of the World Trade Center is "praxis." The purpose of a praxis is to put a conflict in the center of the world stage. American loses this election because both candidates have made the praxis and resulting wars the focal point of existence.
The way to win against terrorism is to reject the praxis in the first place. Ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban was the correct action. The second action should have been to work on reforming the UN so that the world would have an organization that could remove Saddam Hussein and other menaces from office.
Instead, we proved that you cannot shock and awe a country into freedom.
We are lefting voting according to which candidate we fear the least. I fear Bush a little less than Kerry. I hope history correctly holds Bush I and II among the worst presidents to ever serve the United States.
My concern is that, while the politicians are focusing our attention to the world stage, the rogues will gain power and rape the land locally.
Sadly, the national election is drowning out local elections. Last year at this time, people were crawling all over Salt Lake Sites trying to get at news about local candidates. This year, it seems that the local candidates are taking a back seat to bin Ladin's national election. This preoccupation with world events is just what bin Laden wants to see in the world. By pushing for the invasion of Iraq, Bush is vindicating the theory at the foundation of modern terrorism.
Give a thug a box cutter, remove his concience and you can move the world. This is like Shakespeare's my kingdom for a horse. The word to describe the destroying of the World Trade Center is "praxis." The purpose of a praxis is to put a conflict in the center of the world stage. American loses this election because both candidates have made the praxis and resulting wars the focal point of existence.
The way to win against terrorism is to reject the praxis in the first place. Ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban was the correct action. The second action should have been to work on reforming the UN so that the world would have an organization that could remove Saddam Hussein and other menaces from office.
Instead, we proved that you cannot shock and awe a country into freedom.
We are lefting voting according to which candidate we fear the least. I fear Bush a little less than Kerry. I hope history correctly holds Bush I and II among the worst presidents to ever serve the United States.
My concern is that, while the politicians are focusing our attention to the world stage, the rogues will gain power and rape the land locally.