Archive for May, 2007
I have failed
Without realizing it, I have already failed my blog-a-day promise. I had a streak of about a week going there, but yesterday I totally dropped the ball. Ooops.
I’m working on a good post to publish, but I’m having a hard time ending it. (Much like every essay I’ve ever written, actually.) Hopefully I can get that done today and get back into the swing of things.
Thanks for all the comments–it really makes this whole thing much more fun.
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (4) : May 23rd, 2007
Smoking ban
Seriously now, all joking aside. Wisconsin needs a state-wide smoking ban. I don’t care how many smokers claim that it’s their right to smoke any place they please–once their smoke intrudes on my fresh air (and permeates my fresh clothing) we have a problem. Smoking is very unique in that one persons actions are visible and smellable from across the room. More so, their smellable actions can lead to cancer and an ugly death. All things considered, it’s time that we join the majority of modern metropolitan areas and ban smoking in public, indoor locations.
I’d love to hear a reasoned rebuttal in the comments!
Filed under culture, politics : Comments (6) : May 21st, 2007
Where is the wireless?
I’m disappointed by the rate of progress in the wireless internet field. It’s been over 5 years now since 802.11b really started to take off, and we’re still getting by with kludgey wifi routers and mile-wide security holes.
[Side note: I am able to write this post due to one such security hole. Thanks to whomever is running the open network 'Anothrcld1' in the Prospect neighborhood!]
I’m waiting for the promises of city-wide wifi and bone-head simple wifi access points. Apple has made good progress on the latter, but they represent only a sliver of the market. The big players (Linksys, Netgear, D-link, etc.) need to step up their game and be smart about things like enabling security by default.
Both Madison and Milwaukee have attempted the city-wide plan, but neither has been terribly successful. Last I checked, Madison had a network available to some areas, but the quality was lackluster and the fees too steep. Milwaukee has been bogged down in negotiations with the contractor they hired after multiple missed deadlines and a runaway budget.
Given our sluggish progress with broadband technology in general, and wireless specifically, its not hard to see why the U.S. is falling behind Europe and Asia in technological prowess. We need to reinvigorate the drive for innovation. . . now please, give me my wifi!
Filed under technology : Comments (1) : May 20th, 2007
rent a cops
I’ve had some rather unpleasant experiences with rent a cops lately. a couple weeks ago i was hassled for taking photos at an outdoor, public event. tonight i was confronted by a rental running bouncer duty at the liquor store. he was so proud of his position that he informed me that he carries a gun and will shoot me if i cause trouble.
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (1) : May 19th, 2007
The danger of certainty
[First, a personal note: I packed up my computer & cable modem today as part of my move so I had to get creative to keep my blog-a-day record alive. Bear with me if this post isn't up to snuff as I'm writing under some duress.]
Certainty is a tricky concept. I am certain of a lot of things–I am certain that the earth is round and orbits around the sun. I am certain that gravity will keep me firmly planted on the ground. I am certain that I will get old and die some day. These are pretty universal certainties, and fairly safe.
Now consider some more extreme examples: some people are certain that abortion is wrong and should be a crime. Some people are certain that homosexuality is a sin. Some people are certain that immigration hurts American interests.
What does it mean when you adopt a level of certainty about such topics? Sadly, certainty in this context is an enemy of democracy. It’s nearly impossible to hold a fruitful debate when one (or both) parties is certain that their position is right.
Certainty should be a rare breed in politics. Lately, we’ve seen just the opposite as certainty has come to dominate the public discourse. Be aware and be wary–certainty is dangerous indeed.
Filed under culture, politics : Comments (0) : May 18th, 2007
