Vancouver, BC has just been awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics. Pretty nifty — they’re just a couple hours north of Seattle, so I might actually be able to wander up that way and see some of the fun in seven years or so.
(via MeFi)
Great Wall of China disappearing
This was a little distressing to read about: the Great Wall of China is falling apart.
Dong Yaohui, secretary-general of the Great Wall Society of China, delivers the wake-up call. “Believe it or not, the Great Wall is crumbling, unable to withstand natural deterioration and calamities caused by people.”
Dong, who has personally surveyed huge sections of the structure originally built as a defensive barrier against marauding invaders, says he believes that of the portion built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), less than 20 percent is still intact.
A probe of 100 sections drew the alarming conclusion that a third of the structure has already vanished, subject to the natural ravages of the weather and the encroaching Gobi Desert, as well as the attention of peasants and farmers living in its shadow.
The Great Wall is just one of the many, many places I’d like a chance to visit someday. While it’s not likely that the entire wall is going to suddenly up and disappear overnight, it’s a shame that we’re in danger of losing major portions of such an astounding monument.
People Powered Democracy
The American Prospect has an excellent article looking at just why Howard Dean’s campaign is so successful:
When the history of this past week in the Democratic primaries is written, the relative impact of MoveOn.org, Meetup.com and “smartmobbing” technology on Dean’s ability to raise such an unexpected sum will all feature prominently.
But reading the threads on the message boards at BlogforAmerica.com — the official Web log of the Dean campaign, where donors discuss their reasons for giving and for backing Dean — it quickly becomes obvious that the single most important factor in Dean’s stunning fundraising numbers is the most old-fashioned weapon in any campaign’s arsenal: message.
[…]
On Dean’s blog , the message-board threads have acted as constant, ongoing, real-time focus groups for everything the governor says and does. The campaign takes it all in. Plenty of ideas adopted by the campaign start out on the threads of the Dean blogs, say Dean campaign aides, and the Dean for America Internet team is constantly updating and modifying the site in response to the posts. To follow the blog is to watch the campaign unfold in real time with a startling level of intimacy and transparency; it is to enter a freewheeling, unending conversation where thousands and thousands of Dean’s supporters chew over every aspect of his campaign and strategy, message and image, policies and past record.
In this world, whatever the mainstream press is saying about Dean’s role as the campaign’s angry candidate is rejected. His supporters say that they are drawn to him because they find his message inspiring, upbeat, honest and forward-looking — and because it makes them feel strong again.
A quick summary of the main themes Dean’s supporters returned to again and again during yesterday’s “Deanathon” online fundraising drive shows that they believe his message is more about patriotism and hope than it is about disaffection or rage. Admittedly these comments all come from true believers. But when was the last time any Democratic candidate generated true belief?
[…]
Most of all, these people seemed to be supporting Dean because other people they know and trust are supporting Dean. The Internet campaign magnifies the voices of friends and relatives above the voices of the famous or the powerful.
[…]
Today Howard Dean has demonstrated to his doubters — and they are legion — that he is not just the angriest man in the race. To his supporters, he is also the most optimistic Democratic candidate running. And after raising more than \$7.5 million from them in the last quarter, he has a right to be.
(via mathew Gross)
Up yours!
When the universe gives you the finger, you know it’s all pointless.
Declaration of Independence from OS 9
Seeing as how I honestly can’t remember the last time I had to run a Classic (pre-OS X) application on my box, the Declaration of Indepence from OS 9 is right up my alley.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that Classic and OSX are not created equal, that they are drastically different in so many ways, that among these are file sharing, system crashes, software compatibility, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, we should banish Classic from our computers.
(via Brent Simmons)
Guilty pleasures
It’s a silly, stupid, overplayed song — but I’ve gotta admit, I still enjoy it, and I’d love to hear The Rednex ‘Cotton-Eye Joe’ performed live, with a real band (banjo, fiddle, harmonica, and all).
Just a random thought for the day. ;)
26 Things
The subject list for the 26 Things photographic scavenger hunt has been posted. One month to find photos for everything listed…
Dollars don't equal votes
Mr. Bush raised 3 million Dollars today with a 2000 dollar a plate Dinner which most Americans can’t even think about being able to afford.
Gov. Howard Dean raised 756,000 dollars today (as of 10:30pm EST) with each contribution averaging 66.00 dollars.
Let’s do the math
3,000,000/2000 = 1,500 people
756,000/66.00 = 11,454.5 people
Don’t ever be discouraged by dollars. Dollars don’t equal votes.
We did make history. Politics will never be the same.
— Michael (not me) in the comments on Blog for America.
Geeks and gay queens
Geeks are irritating [people], doesn’t make them bad. They are kinda like gay queens, complete with self-love and temper tantrums, except with a fetish for finickiness rather than young boys.
— carfilhiot, in MeFi’s discussion of Dave Winer’s latest tempertantrum.