A quick, entertaining piece. What M.C. Escher would do with flash.

[ Yeah, M.C. Escher, combined with with a little Dali and Bosch. Very cool. -k]

The Zoom Quilt: A collaborative art project

Best known for their lawsuits, the RIAA is also responsible for giving out those platinum and gold albums to celebrate high record sales..

[ In fact, that's *all* they're chartered to do. They've evolved into the forward face of the industry, but they need to get their wings clipped a bit, in my opinion. -k]

Racket protection - U and the numeral 2

No model yet proposed explains all observed gully features, the scientists note. However, their data points them toward gully creation due to subsurface water. Carbon dioxide, melting ground ice, dry landslide, and snowmelt models, they explain, "inadequately conform to the MGS observations and are the least likely mechanisms of gully formation proposed to date."

[ Interesting. Am I the only one here who wants to take a vacation to mars someday? -k]

Mars Gullies Likely Formed By Underground Aquifers

Do I put this under terrorism?

[ I wouldn't phrase it that way, but I do consider this to be a pretty serious issue, and I'm of mixed minds on it. I disagree with the assessment of birth control as a form of abortion and, thus, of murder, but knowing that that's the connection being made, I understand their unwillingness to dispense the drugs. To me, however, that is an argument for them to choose a different job, not turn vigilante. Analogous to the manner in which a lawyer is beholden to the strictures of the law, even when they produce unwelcome results, the pharmacist must be able to perform their duties, as directed by a physician, and if they cannot, then I think they're in the wrong line of work.
At any rate, I'm more interested in the results of the action. The danger being that in a small community, the free market solution of taking your prescription somewhere else may not be possible or may require driving hours out of your way. To the extent that the drugs are still available *somewhere* close by, the effect of this is probably small, but I fear that that is not the general case. I expect this to be a major theme in the next weeks and years. -k]

Women denied access to birth control

] As a member of the court, Gonzales ruled with the
] majority that some teenage girls should not be required
] to get parental permission for an abortion.
]
] In his opinion on the ruling, Gonzales wrote, "While the
] ramifications of such a law may be personally troubling
] to me as a parent, it is my obligation as a judge to
] impartially apply the laws of this state without imposing
] my moral view on the decisions of the legislature."

I posted a story about this earlier, which I've deleted. This one is better. Earlier I said that "the radical right doesn't trust him either." More to a point, the radical right doesn't trust him because he was not an activist judge.

[ Good point. The "activist judge" line always struck me as odd, coming typically from people whose moralism pushes them to seek judicial support for their principles. I have mixed feelings about Gonzalez himself, but my baseline assessment is that he'll be an improvement. I'll have to research a great deal more before I can speak intelligently about him. -k]

CNN.com - Gonzales nomination angers abortion foes - Nov 11, 2004

] His final wager had Alex Trebek scratching his head, but
] Kermin was clearly sending a message to fellow computer
] nerds. His wager:
]
] $1337

[ Ha! Sweet. -k]

Thousand Robots: Jeopardy College Tournament Game Won by

] The FDA's Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory
] Committee makes crucial decisions
]
] on matters relating to drugs used in the practice of
] obstetrics, gynecology and related specialties, including
] hormone therapy, contraception, treatment for
] infertility, and medical alternatives to surgical
] procedures for sterilization and pregnancy termination.
]
]
] Dr. Hager is the author of %u201CAs Jesus Cared for
] Women: Restoring Women Then and Now.%u201D The book
] blends biblical accounts of Christ healing women with
] case studies from Hager%u2019s practice. His views of
] reproductive health care are far outside the mainstream
] for reproductive technology. Dr. Hager is a practicing
] OB/GYN who describes himself as %u201Cpro-life%u201D and
] refuses to prescribe contraceptives to unmarried women.

[ This is not the new news it appears to be, but that doesn't change the fact that the guy in charge of this comittee is a doctor who believes contraception is abortion and the Bible is a cure for PMS. Ugh. -k]

Andrew Torrez � Faith-Based Gynecology???

] I've always been a rather staunch small-'c' conservative
] when it comes to the federal constitution. The fact that
] we now have a 27th amendment covering the weighty and
] statecraft-worthy issue of how congress can raise its
] salary strikes me as close to a secular sacrilege. But
] I'm starting to warm to the idea of abolishing the
] electoral college.

[ Marshall tosses around some thoughts on the matter and reiterates that he's in a thinking out loud mode, looking more to start a discussion than to advocate a major position. I offer the article up to this community with the same desire, as it's an issue i've put some thought into as well.

I tend to think, simply, that the EC is antiquated and no longer necessary. I understand the concerns about small states, and I'm not sure I agree with JMM that the current solidly partisan nature of these places is a reason to minimize the issue. They could become competitive someday, after all. I do agree that their disproportionate representation in congress alleviates some of my concern.

Primarily though, I'm against anything which systematically discourages voting. A lot of people would say that's absurd and people who care should vote regardless of how solidly their state is colored, and I certainly agree in principle. But I can't help thinking that there are millions of people in the country who just don't consider their vote to be relevant. I have no data to suggest that a purely popular vote (or any other system, like condorcet or instant runoff) would benefit one party or the other, so I don't consider it a partisan issue. It's an issue of enfranchisement, and making people feel that their voice can and will be heard. Trust in the physical security of our elections is a big part of that too, from paper trails to code audits, but the simple fact of increasing the individual relevance of a vote seems like a huge positive step to me. -k]

Talking Points Memo: Electoral College

] The purpose of this website is to advocate that the State
] of Georgia compile and distribute a Voter Information
] Guide to voters in the State prior to each election and
] primary. This website will explain the concept, why its
] important, and what individuals can do to help make it a
] reality. This website will also act as a clearing house
] for information about efforts to improve voter education
] in the State of Georgia.

I said I'd do something about this, and I am. This website is the first step. Let me know if you have any comments or criticisms. Tell your friends.

[ Good job, Tom! A great first step... -k]

Advocating a Voter Information Guide for Georgia

] Welcome to the new, deluxe, leather-appointed limited
] edition of sorryeverybody.com. We've made a few changes
] around the shop.

Sorry Everybody