Afghanistan Remembers Music

I listened to a piece from WNYC’s Radio Lab recently only to form a more concrete relationship with the loss that victims suffer under Taliban rule. From the outside, looking in, the culture seems muddied with the intermingling of past and present times.  Between incomplete reports from the news agencies, history, and modern documentaries, it… Continue reading Afghanistan Remembers Music

The Lone Ranger

We have now officially fallen to a distant 2nd for Balthazar’s adoration. My mother gave him the gift of a lifetime – somewhat inadvertently – yesterday. She had been at a dog party where the requirement was to dress up your animals for Halloween. Among hers, she had some cowboy and villain paraphernalia that fell… Continue reading The Lone Ranger

Falun Gong Cultivation

I recently saw the BODIES exhibit, where it is rumored that the cadavers on display are actually those of the Falun Gong. Could be. But I don’t compare this to ivory blackmarket trade. The prisoners are being executed regardless of whether or not people are buying organs and bodies.

Heritage Family Library

The Heritage Family Library sent me the Young Peoples’ Atlas in the mail recently. This is one of those books that they ask for money in order to put your name in them, thereby granting you some imagined fame. It infuriates me that they’ve sent a product to my doorstep, telling me nothing about it,… Continue reading Heritage Family Library

Canada Ho!

I’m off to Waterloo tomorrow for a project related to work. I’ve never been to New York or western Canada, so this trip will satisfy both. We’re actually flying into Buffalo and driving from there. If I’m lucky, I’ll catch a glimpse of Niagra Falls on my way, though I don’t know that our trip… Continue reading Canada Ho!

Microsoft Forces IE Dominance

Upon attempting to download many new software titles available via Microsoft’s website, the user is confronted with a “Validation Recommended” message. At first glimpse, the procedure is a tell-tale signature of a pending ActiveX application. This won’t work on non-Microsoft browsers, so you’ll probably just close FireFox and open IE with some bitterness. Having done… Continue reading Microsoft Forces IE Dominance