In Summary:

Yesterday I was finally indexed on the Google New England search database. Hurrah. To all the people who came to my site in search of whatever they were looking for, I am sorry it probably wasn't here.

I started this blog back in July, posting about 1.5 times a month since then. I realize now the title is very confusing as it is not clear what it means. Au Contraire. It is perfectly clear what it means: nothing. I thought contrasting post-modern with present-day was funny, that this is a collection of mostly unrelated, "meandering," thoughts, and "wit" was a little self-conceit. Truthfully, I do not understand in the least what post-modernism is, nor am I interested in finding out. Anyone who can't see that I have created a funny contradiction with my title needs to get a life and stop reading Ayn Rand, or something like that. The only real implication of any post-modernism is the web address, which is a result of someone having already taken meanderings.blogspot.com. So please stop not sending me e-mails to an address not displayed prominently anywhere from no one complaining about me being post-modern or not post-modern. And stop sending me junk e-mail too.

Now for non-post-modern denial writing/typing. My archives are on the fritz. Blogger is having problems.

I intend to continue meandering for a while. I may even have a link page eventually. Maybe I'll evn find an arch-nemesis, in the spirit Andrew Sullivan vs. Paul Krugman, Junkyardblog vs. Democrats.com, or Kausfiles vs. New york Times. Proposal 1: Conservative blogging vs. Meanderings, an attempt to make an intelligent somewhat leftist blog.

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Mission Statement Proposal: To build an intelligent somewhat-leftist blog, one post at a time.

NF

Update: I have just noticed that not only is Meanderings already taken, but it is a sorry excuse for a weblog. I'm starting to feel like Guster. I intend to brighten the shade of gray on the title bar so it contrasts better at some point. So long for now.

Wow, the euphoria has already worn off. That was quick.

I'm #1!

Holiday Book Recommendation:

When you think of John Grisham, what comes to mind? Legal thrillers, right? How about one of the funniest and most heartwarming Christmas written in the last few years? If you have been having your doubts about Christmas, satisfy your inner Scrooge by reading Skipping Christmas. This book is great, and is a funny book for the whole family. As Grisham's first non-thriller book, it is definitely a good sign of things to come.

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"His left foot sank into five inches of cold slush...He yanked his foot upward and slung dirty water on his pants leg, and standing at the curb with two frozen feet and the bell clanging away and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" blaring from the loudspeaker and the sidewalk blocked by revelers, Luther began to hate Christmas."

-Skipping Chrismas, by John Grisham

Microsoft: Card-Carrying Member of The Axis of Evil?

You'll love this.

(From the help section of Windows Media Player Series 9)

Special features
The following Windows Media Player features are available only on computers running the Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional operating systems.

Features:
Add static lyrics to a file
(has nothing to do with processor power)

Add synchronized lyrics to a file
(Mostly work for the user, same as above)

Advanced Tag Editor
To add or edit media information by using the Advanced Tag Editor
(I don't have a clue what this is)

Automatic VCD playback
To play a VCD
(I think there talking about DVD-like things)

Color Chooser
To change the color of the Player
(What the hell is so special about that!?!)

Commands available when right-clicking a digital media item in Media Library or My Computer:
Add to Playlist
Copy to CD or Device
Queue-It-Up
(These were all available in the beta that I upgraded from, which ******ed me off)

Create and edit auto playlists
(This wasn't in the beta, but would be freaking awesome)

DVD playback
(I don't play DVDs, but DVD-players are getting so they come with nearly all computers. They're asking for a beating for this one.)

Enhanced audio playback (High Definition Compatible Digital (HDCD®) decoding and playback, multichannel audio playback, volume leveling, crossfading, Quiet Mode)
(I liked crossfading and volume leveling, also in the beta. Quiet mode was ineffective but on XP you can adjust it. Argghh!)

Enhanced Copy from CD (Windows Media Audio Lossless)
Compressing copies of CD tracks to use less disk space
(I think they're trying to fool people into thinking only XP can do this)

Enhanced Copy to CD (data CDs, Microsoft HighM.A.T.™ CDs, volume-leveled audio CDs, erasing CDs)
(I thought Microsoft was still trying to take over the market by giving away stuff that you normally pay for. Or is that only their policy for loyal Microsoft (slaves) customers?)

Enhanced user interface (full color, full-screen audio and video controls)
(I don't really care that it is only in XP at this point)

Find media information for music copied with another program
(This will only be useful for the people who are using non-microsoft players. So their plan is to make sure everybody using non-microsoft media players will use Series 9 and XP?)

Info Center View
To view information about content
(I have a visceral urge to rip someone's throat out but cannot because they have sapped my strength with their sadistic XP (arm twisting) marketing)

And I'm ignoring the last few that are XP-only because I they're nothing special and I stopped being angry after "enhanced user interface."

Its as if they weren't ramming enough down our throat already. For a free product, to show this much OS version bias is unbelievable.

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“...he has been known as a tough competitor who seems to value winning in a competitive environment over money.”

-ending of entry on Bill Gates from Funk and Wagnall's '93 edition encyclopedia

“...he is known for his personal and corporate contributions to charity and educational institutions.”

-ending of an otherwise identical entry on Bill Gates from the original Encarta, which was a digitalization of the Funk and Wagnall encyclopedia

Random Thought

The reason the US makes consistently bad foreign policy decisions or none at all because of intraparty or interparty squabbling is that too few people care about foreign policy beyond fighting wars. The only time the masses care about foreign policy that doesn't directly involve our security is when someone throws some domestic issue intio it, such as abortions in China and UN aid for population control, or drugs in Colombia. When was the last time you heard any politician talking about a long-term plan for foreign policy that didn't revolve around defence? The public doesn't care, so we either have no coherent foreign policy or some demagogue stringing people along. The latter has actually happened. Why else do you think we invaded Cuba, Hawaii, the Philllipines, and Haiti, all in 1898?

Bush wants to depose Saddam because Iraq has oil-though not for the reasons you'd expect.

It appears that it will be far safer to simply contain Saddam, rather than overthrow him, in terms of the terrorist fallout his weapons could create. Why did Bush want to overthrow Saddam? I think the reason is oil, but not because oil is money, but because oil is power.

Think about what control of the flow of oil wrought in the '70s with the oil embargoes. Think about how many third-world nations are willing to support the latest Arab jihad in the UN, such as declaring Zionism racist. What reason did any of the nations outside of the Middle East have for supporting a tirade against a nation they have probably never officially communicated with. There is only one reason: the Middle East has oil, and they need it. In the past the Arab world has not shown itself reluctant about embargoes, and their influence is waning now (witness the failure of their secon Zionism is racism resolution to pass) only because they have not embargoed anyone recently.

If we establish a more moderate, pro-Western World government in Iraq, the flow of oil from there should counter the influennce of Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Empirates, and Iran, because it would not be subject to the same political control. This could have far-reaching implication for foreign policy.

However, because of this, Arab terrorist groups will probably do whatever they can to destroy a pro-West government. It is worth noting that the Shah of Iran fell just after an oil embargo.

Time For a Constitutional Convention:
You need only look at the state of judicial policy in the U.S. to realize that something has gone wrong, if it doesn't involve spending large amounts of money(for which there are few unclear constitutional statements), almost everything voted on in Congress and passed by the Executive Branch goes to the Supreme Court. What the Framers would have found to be an absurd amountof judicial interpretation is becoming routine. And it is tearing this nation apart and jamming up our political system. Its not a conservative issue. Its not a liberal issue. I'm talking about abortion, gun policy, drug policy, affirmative action, racial profiling, etc. We need to have politicians be able to pass laws on these issues without being afraid that a justice is going to chew it up. The Framers did not intend the Supreme Court to be the interpreters in chief. They were meant to be safeguarders of our liberty, the rights we take for granted. It's time to have a second Constitutional Convention to Clarify the Constitution. Why did you think the Framers made such provisions for amending the constitution? I'll probaly write more on this later.

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"Peace out, Dawg"
-Zonkers, of Doonesbury

Do a good deed for the world, do a good deed for your soul.

CNN Hedline News hits a new low:
Does the current coverage of the abusive mother in Somewhere, USA strike you as particularly irrelevant? My thoughts are, "there are abusive parents, is this news?"

Time to End Half Measures in Palestine:
Yes, I did just call the current events in Palestine (which is actually just the West Bank, a geographical entity) "half measures." The reason for it is that despite the use of force there have been over half a dozen such incursions in the last year, and it is not forseeable when it will be unnessecary to do so. Also, while Yasser Arafat deserves to be put under house arrest, it accomplishes nothing to do so for any less of a reason than capturing any terrorists that he is harboring. Doing so distracts from the real issues with the situation, such as that the incursions into the West Bank to break up terrorist groups are not a permanent solution.

The problem, surprisingly, is that too much force is being used at once. Why cut steak with a chainsaw when a knife will do? I propose that Israel establishes a permanent Israeli security agency in the West Bank, that will work more discreetly and with greater freedom of initiative than military forces. It is also possible that such an organization could be gradually phased over to Arab staffing and command. As the U.S. has shown with fighting terrorism within our own borders, it takes a person who captures criminals, trained investigators a.k.a. FBI agents, to capture a terrorist, just another criminal.

Notice: I am sorry to say that my mini-history will not be soon forthcoming.

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The most important things are those that don't change life as we know it.

The Real Problem with Homeland Security

It appears that the Bureau of Homeland Security does many things that are already done by other government agencies. All recent evidence points to a major lack of information-sharing betweeen existing government agencies. Do we really need yet another large organization. What we should do instead is force all info on possible terrorists to be entered into a dataabase of iinfo on terrorism and have it cross-referenced with what other organizations have discover. For example, the FBI informant who was living with two of the hijackers could have told their names to the FBI, whom would then cross-reference it with a joint CIA-FBI-INS database, which would turn up any connections, such as the CIAs knowledge that they were Al-Quaida terrorists, and alert the people who should decide what to do about it.

The main function of Homeland Security should be as an evaluator of the performance of other agencies, and serve as consultants on dealing with terrorism.

How an Invasion of Iraq Can Go Wrong:

It seems as if everyone of note has failed to consider a very bad set of possibilities; what can go wrong in the short-term in a campaign against Iraq. It all boils down to 2 very important points.

1. If it is so likely that Saddam will pass his chemical and biological weapons off to terrorists, what is to stop him from doing it as we invade? What is to stop Saddam from making a donation to Hamas of 20 suitcas sized tubes of nerve gas? If he doesn't give his weapons away right off, there will be no way to account for all of them after his regime collapses. He has had experience at moving his weapons quickly before while evading the inspectors. Any claims that he will not be able to move them over the border are nonsense, as Israel, who is trying to keep people out, has not been able to keep out suicide bombers. Does Syria or Saudi Arabia have better border security than Israel!?! If we invade to keep him from providing terrorists with weapons of mass destruction, how are we going to suceed if most of Saddam's weapons escape during the invasion. Have we asked Israel if it is okay if the next suicide bomber releases several bottles of nerve gas?

2. I can see a very efficient terrorist group forming of ex-Saddam followers. If one does, it will have expertise with military tactics, chemical and biological weapons, and knowledge about producing nuclear weapons. They will also have a vengeful hatred of America. They don't need to even be popular. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on 9/11 by 19 murderers with box-cutters. Think of what fifty people with chemical and biological weapons and military training will be able to do.

Simearth: History in Retrospect

A few days ago I was playing a great game by Maxis called Simearth. In Simearth, you spawn life on a planet, evolve life to sentience and try to get civilization off the planet. I left my sentient carniferns alone for a minute, and they managed to completely annihilate themselves in a nuclear war! There's a lesson here, I'm just not sure what it is...

The Rant

Up till today I have been ardent opponent of the "there's nothing in northern Maine" school of thought. But I have finally had it. I have cast aside my foolish optimism and now see things for what they really are. There is nothing in northern Maine. Nothing but 'townies,' fast food/restaurant chains, an ungodly number of banks, gas stations, chinese restaurants, and computer stores. as well as a Wal-Mart with its own zip code, chain stores, a mall of chain stores, family businesses, too many auto sellers, and a sickening acreage of farms. Nothing but trees, moose, and coyote (I'm fine with the moose, the coyote have got to go). There are no real social avenues, unless you count the roller rink, not that I care. Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary, no culture, no cultural taste other than country music (ugh), nothing. Not even a single allluringly quaint small town restaurant, which is present in upstate New Hampshire. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. There is nothing up here worth seeing except the forest and slopes. A cultural, economic, and social wasteland, and did I mention the townies?

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What triggered this was the realization that Houlton does not have a single real deli. All I wanted was a good sandwich, is that too much to ask!?!

I have just come up with a plan for a September 11th memorial.

Take the entire disaster area. cover it with slate. Build steel frames reminiscent of those in the photos around where the world Trade Center used to be. And inscribe the name of every person who died on the slate, except for the passengers, whose names will be on aluminum plaques near the frames. If space permits there will be biographical information around the names. The effect will be that of stepping into a graveyard that is a city square. It will personify the immensity of the tragedy.

Would you believe that Hotmail does not offer any historical information? This was a revolutionary free internet service, and Microsoft is not even interested in telling about its history. Any reader tips on where I could obtain information on it can e-mail me at natfre -at- hotmail.com.

For all ye interested, my history will talk about the emergence of e-commerce, e-news, web e-mail, personal web sites, Slate.com, and weblogs.

NF

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Isn't the non-automatic updating of the Blogger template annoying?

Note to self, locate somebody with expertise on how to tool with this template.

NF

Here it is, the first entry of Meanderings on Blogspot.com. My first two posts can be viewed here. For those who are curious, the title of this weblog's reference to post-modernism is a joke on the fact that a lot of poeple who use the term have no clue what it means. Coming soon is a brief history of the modern web.

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"As the blind lead the blind, so shall the unenlightened lead the unenlightened. Experience is the best teacher"

NF