The Good Times (a free Santa Cruz weekly) just ran a cover piece on Twitter and general disgust at this idea of micro-blogging.
“The phenomena is growing so fast that 2009 may come to be known not as the year America swore in its first black president or nationalized its banks, but the year America learned to think and communicate in 140 characters or fewer.”
“What was once just a colorful special-needs classroom on the Internet is starting to look like a steel spike aimed at the heart of what remains of our ability to construct and process complete grammatical sentences and thoughts.”
- Alexander Zaitchik
While I agree the limiting communication down to one-hundred and forty characters is not beneficial to good human communications, I believe many simply fail to understand that Twitter has the ‘TINYURL’ feature to solve this exact problem.
I can write a lengthy blog of much deliberations and manifestations … then I might Tweet of this link to the Tweeters that Follow this Twitter user.
And suppose someone is quite pleased with this confine of characters. Then they need never open a full-blown weblog, and be satisfied with micro-blogging to their heart’s content.
All else sounds like a natural side-effect of the impounding growth of Net-Culture.
Net-Snobbery.
I am also mildly offended that Zaitchik seems to not ever become familiar with the Terms of Service and Site Policies of the very topic of his article. It may not be so but it appears he simply didn’t do his homework.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Water-Boarding is Torture
It disturbs and disgusts me that so many American conservatives refuse to address all empirical evidence regarding practices like water-boarding while supporting these failed and immoral policies enacted under the Bush Presidency in the aftermath of the attacks of 2001.
Political partisanship aside, our nation has long stood as a global role model of a free republic and a just democracy by which the policies of fledgling democracies might observe and hopefully mimic.
A country claiming moral superiority must have reflective policies as pertaining to these morals. Any country that approves of a policy such as legal water-boarding of detainees cannot hope to claim any degree of civic morality inherent to it’s soil.
Redefinitions of torture as acceptable in any form is counter-intuitive to sound American policy making, in my view. Within political debate the same attempts are contrary to the Spirit of The Constitution itself. Not to mention the practice is specifically banned by the Military Code of Conduct and the Geneva Convention.
Pre-Season Predictions - Now The Reality............
On Friday 8th August 2008, I published on this site my pre-season football predictions for the forthcoming season (2008/09).
The teams I thought may win or gain automatic promotion from each of the four top flight football leagues in England, along with the odds supplied courtesy of Coral Bookmakers.
Premiership Winners: Chelsea 15/8
Championship Automatic Promotion: Birmingham 6/1 & Wolves 12/1
League One Automatic Promotion: Peterborough 11/1 & Carlisle 16/1
League Two Automatic Promotion: Darlington 9/1 & Wycombe 10/1
Now with the final weekend of fixtures approaching for those teams in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 here are how things stand:
The Championship:
Birmingham - Currently 2nd. A last day victory will see them join Wolves in the Premier League next season. Should results conspire to go against them, then a play-off place is at least guaranteed.
Wolves - Champions before the final game of the season.
League 1:
Peterborough - Currently 2nd (automatic promotion guaranteed).
Carlisle - Currently 21st & fighting to avoid relegation with one game to go.
Can escape at the expense of Northampton or Brighton if results go their way this weekend.
League 2:
Darlington - Currently lying 12th and but for a ten point deduction handed out mid-way through the season, they would be in a play-off place going into the final game this weekend.
Wycombe - Currently 2nd with one game to go. Their destiny is in their own hands. A point at the weekend will guarantee automatic promotion. Defeat this weekend combined with a victory for Bury will mean they will have to settle for a play-off place.
The Premier League season concludes on Sunday 24th May.
The teams I thought may win or gain automatic promotion from each of the four top flight football leagues in England, along with the odds supplied courtesy of Coral Bookmakers.
Premiership Winners: Chelsea 15/8
Championship Automatic Promotion: Birmingham 6/1 & Wolves 12/1
League One Automatic Promotion: Peterborough 11/1 & Carlisle 16/1
League Two Automatic Promotion: Darlington 9/1 & Wycombe 10/1
Now with the final weekend of fixtures approaching for those teams in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 here are how things stand:
The Championship:
Birmingham - Currently 2nd. A last day victory will see them join Wolves in the Premier League next season. Should results conspire to go against them, then a play-off place is at least guaranteed.
Wolves - Champions before the final game of the season.
League 1:
Peterborough - Currently 2nd (automatic promotion guaranteed).
Carlisle - Currently 21st & fighting to avoid relegation with one game to go.
Can escape at the expense of Northampton or Brighton if results go their way this weekend.
League 2:
Darlington - Currently lying 12th and but for a ten point deduction handed out mid-way through the season, they would be in a play-off place going into the final game this weekend.
Wycombe - Currently 2nd with one game to go. Their destiny is in their own hands. A point at the weekend will guarantee automatic promotion. Defeat this weekend combined with a victory for Bury will mean they will have to settle for a play-off place.
The Premier League season concludes on Sunday 24th May.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Like A Pixar Fanboy in Pixar HQ
Just a quick one. If you're noticed my latest Tweets in the sidebar, you'd know I'm in San Francisco. And visiting Pixar Animation Studios. To be among the first people in the world to watch their new movie Up. Together with the new short, Partly Cloudy. AND also to watch the new Toy Story 3 trailer!And everything was just AWESOME.
And Pixar Studios was great. From the giant Luxo lamp outside; the Cars logo on the road leading into the car park; the silhouettes of Woody and Bo Peep on the toilet signs instead of the usual stick people; the models of Mike, Sully, Guido and Luigi greeting you at the entrance, and an actual flying remote controlled version of the flying house from Up (complete with balloons!)... I was like a kid in a candy store! I'd seen pictures of it in books before, but actually being there was just awesome. And the best part is, I'll be going back there for interviews and for a better look tomorrow, and I can't WAIT!
Oh, and Up was absolutely BRILLIANT. Heh heh. Not-Review later when I'm sure I can post it...
Miss California and the Question of Gay-Marriage
Carrie Prejean (Miss California): ”I think it‘s great that we live in a country where you can chose same-sex marriage or [gay-marriage]. .. In my country, and in my house, marriage is between a man a woman,”
I see these words as fair and respectful statements to make, in such a position. In her country, her state and her house she views marriage as an exclusive right for heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the state laws of California currently reflect her point of view over my own. Just as she said herself, I also believe the true beauty of American democracy is the right to chose. The right to chose to repeal the ban on gay-marriage in my case. This battle is yet to fought.
Another vital element of this American Beauty lies in the fundamental Freedom of Speech found not exclusive to this single event, by any means. It can be found all around us.
In the media-aftermath, Perez Hilton (pageant judge) revealed that he desired a more educated response.
Hilton: “What she should have said is: .. ‘We live in a country where the states decide on some laws and the federal government decide on other laws.’”
Hilton is most likely unaware that recent statistics on civic education in America are at all time lows. I doubt he intended to be so, but the question was asking for civics knowledge in a time when such an item is a precious commodity.
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Recent Carrie Prejean Interview From Alan.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
Singer Neha Bhashin from Kavithai Gundar
South indian directors fascination with busty chic's led this petite girl to wear padded bras and that is why they are looking thrice the size than she actually possesses
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Mandira Bedi Photos in Pool
It's really hot, very hot this year. You just cant keep yourself out of a cool swimming pool, when you have open options to take a taste of the blues. Same does, Hot Mandira Bedi, a shot taken during the free times of IPL.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
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