Archive for November, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to the US Army Grunt: the man who slugs it out in the worst of weather, under the worst of conditions, for pay that will last 29 days, for those three divorces, children that hate you because of your absences, and for all the other million little things that you endure on behalf of a nation of people... »

Not enough of us listen to the egghead set. Even when they say stuff like, "Hey, we just sent two separate beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time! Isn't that cool!? Woo hoo!" Yes, it is cool. And woo-fucking-hoo, too! It's also important, because it paves the way to smash protons into each other and hopefully generate some... »

Dear Planet Earth and all its Inhabitants, My name in your English language is the equivalent of HighSong, which in my Vinokuk culture isn't a real name but rather a sensation or feeling of tranquility. In my case, it stems from my habit of emitting very high-frequency chirps when excited. Those chirps, when of sufficient amplitude, time and duration, form what... »

Women should have frequent full-body exams, including mammograms and Pap smears, at least once a year, especially those women in the 40-49 age group. Anyone who advocates less than this is an idiot. Or a Socialist. Or Comrade Obama. Or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The USPSTF states the following in The Guide to Clinical Preventive Services 2009: In the trials... »

Fuck it: I've decided to write a memoir online first, then publish it later when I have the time. Since I can't decide on a proper title just yet, I'm calling this one Potty Snippets: A Living Memoir, 95% of Which Might Be True. Another title I have in mind is, Available Balance: -$19.59. It sorta describes my ancient attitude... »

For two thousand years, there have been many attempts to create a Jewish state in Palestine. All to no avail. Even Napoleon laid down plans for it. So did countless others. . . . Sometime in early 1945, a secret meeting was held with President Roosevelt, top Army generals and aides, plus a few staff personnel. All but one are now... »

This week, Japanese researchers revealed a robot that could learn to slice ham, break eggs, mix ingredients together and thus prepare an omelet. The video demonstration showed a technician physically moving the robot's arms and hands the exact way it should during preparation of the omelet. Reminds me of mom doing that with me when I was two. The results, though,... »

The worst job in the world is everything a grunt does. Being a grunt isn't hard; it just sucks. And it sucks 24/7/365 for the duration of a tour. Being a grunt is like serving in a medium-security prison: your time is never yours . . . the iron bars of your cell are only inches away, a grim reminder of your... »

All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing. . . . I see this everywhere: good people witnessing bad things, not necessarily evil, and tuning them out, walking away, doing absolutely nothing. Why? The thinking is, if it doesn't affect them, let it be someone else's problem. Saving one's own ass is an evolutionary adaptation:... »

In December 2005, I bought a Yamaha synthesizer, hoping to create some deep-house tunes to soothe me. I found a few flavors I loved, but got stuck in one chord for days. After careful thought, I knew I could never create the kind of music I wanted, so I sold the synth and discovered iTunes where I found more than... »