Back in the salt mines

For a second day.

A massive upgrade is going into production this weekend, and I have to track each component transmittal to make sure it is properly validated Monday at the latest. Meanwhile I have to come in Sunday noon to make sure the basic functionality still works.

At least I got paid today.

Hallowe'en I was tricked, not treated, as my manager didn't submit a timesheet for me while I was on vacation.

[By Federal regulation I am required to spend two consecutive weeks away from all Bank business.]

And of course I made a special trip downtown just to pick up the check.

Has my cheerfulness seemed a bit forced of late?

The Real Lincoln

Most Americans consider Abraham Lincoln to be the greatest president in history. His legend as the Great Emancipator has grown to mythic proportions as hundreds of books, a national holiday, and a monument in Washington, D.C., extol his heroism and martyrdom. But what if most everything you knew about Lincoln were false? What if, instead of an American hero who sought to free the slaves, Lincoln were in fact a calculating politician who waged the bloodiest war in America history in order to build an empire that rivaled Great Britain's? In The Real Lincoln, author Thomas J. DiLorenzo uncovers a side of Lincoln not told in many history books and overshadowed by the immense Lincoln legend. You'll discover a side of Lincoln that you were probably never taught in school -- a side that calls into question the very myths that surround him and helps explain the true origins of a bloody, and perhaps, unnecessary war.

Israel’s Democracy Dilemma

"It’s none of their business," complained Zitrin Eliezer, an Israeli settler in the West Bank. "Let them give California and Texas back to the Mexicans and then they can come and tell us what to do."

In fact, Eliezer is correct: Israel’s policies aren’t America’s business. At least they wouldn’t be if Washington were not backing Israel against all comers, providing billions in aid annually, arming its distant ally, and offering diplomatic cover for Israel. The price of dependence on America is meddling by Washington.

The U.S. has no choice but to demand, pressure, and whine. As Sept. 11 dramatically demonstrated, America pays a price for being identified with Israel’s policies in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

-- Doug Bandow in TAC

Thanks to keith418.

Pat, where's my hard copy?

I worked for these bastards

Highly paid educrats at the Education Department shocked the city's 80,000 teachers this week by handing out barely literate curriculum guides riddled with grammatical gaffes, spelling errors and misused words.

It's even worse than you can imagine.

Thank you, vivnsect

You might think that you're controlling the tone and volume of the theremin with your mouse, but in fact you're simply controlling the arms of Professor Theremin, whom we've cloned and installed his vital essence within the Shockwave application you see before you.

As soon as I get home from work...

A downloadable desktop WHAT?

Meet the Theremin
( Read more... )

Full story here.

But who would play such a thing?

The Clara Rockmore Homepage

When I first heard Clara Rockmore , images of beauty shot through my mind The Theremin is a beautifull instrument but Clara is a major part of the equation that has given the theremin its amazing mellow tone without her contributions *or foundations!* the theremin would have ended up as a wacky effects box

Full story here.

Rosalyn Tureck? You've got to be kidding!

From the Website of the Tureck Bach Research Foundation
( Read more... )

Full story here.