Garry's Transitional Blog

Garry's Blog

2006-09-02T12:44:00.002-05:00

Now at a new URL is
Garry's Blog

technorati tags: garrysblog

Giving the Terrorists What They Want

2006-08-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Giving the Terrorists What They Want: "Bruce Schneier writes about how the U.S. is giving the terrorists what they want by reacting with fear.

I'd like everyone to take a deep breath and listen for a minute. The point of terrorism is to cause terror, sometimes to further a political goal and sometimes out of sheer hatred. The people terrorists kill are not the targets; they are collateral damage. And blowing up planes, trains, markets or buses is not the goal; those are just tactics. The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the killing. The real point of terrorism is not the act itself, but our reaction to the act. And we're doing exactly what the terrorists want.

I made a similar argument here when discussing the London attacks and proposed racial profiling programs as a response.

Why do we need terrorists to destroy the cornerstones of democracy with bombs when governments are willing to do it themselves out of fear? Isn't that a sign that the terrorists have w"

Social Conservatives' Obsession with Crime

2006-08-18T08:44:00.000-05:00

Here's another well-done post by Dave Pollard to save the world.

Social Conservatives' Obsession with Crime: "
A couple of days ago I reported a liberal's assertion that conservatives seem 'unwilling or unable to engage in issues that are fundamental to the future of mankind'. In the last few days we've seen evidence of what social conservatives, at least (economic conservatives have different preoccupations), are engaged in, to the point of obsession: Crime, criminals, and punishment. The social conservative media are full of news and hand-wringing about the following issues, all of them crime-related:

The War on Terror (actually a War on the Desperate) -- currently focused, of course, on the heroic foiling of the British criminal airline bombing plot, the heroic Israeli war with criminal suicide bombers and the criminal Hizbollah (who are armed by the criminal Iranians), and why the botched wars against tyrants in Iraq and Afghanistan are not now civil wars and are still 'winnable'. In the minds of social conservatives, Al Qaeda is the master criminal behind all of these activities.
The War on Drugs -- to social conservatives, everyone in this is a war"

technorati tags: politics, crime, howtosavetheworld, htstw, garrysblog

Copenhagen Consensus

2006-08-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

If the world would come together and be willing to spend, say, $50 billion over the next five years on improving the state of the world, which projects would yield the greatest net benefits?

That's the question answered by the Copenhagen Consensus.

Here are the results for 2006 with communicable diseases, sanitation and water, education and malnutrition at the top of the list. Financial instability, conflict prevention and climate change are at the bottom of the list.

technorati tags: copenhagenconsensus, world, health, hunger, improve, garrysblog

About the Dulcimer

2006-08-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Did you know the dulcimer is one of the few old American stringed instruments. Read about it here, and listen to it here. See other instruments on the gallery of the facinating site, OddMusic.com.

technorati tags: dulcimer, oddmusic, garrysblog

BULLSH*T!

2006-08-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

Penn & Teller are brave American Heroes.

BULLSH*T!: "BULLSHIT! Penn & Teller present their rational, libertarian bent views on diverse subjects, now available for free download on Google Video ::: profanity; creationism; alien abductions; conspiracy theories; recycling; gun control; endangered species; religion; the bible; family values; the apocalypse; signs from heaven; the occult; 12-step recovery programs; exercise v. genetics; environmentalism; hypnosis; ghosts; the war on drugs; feng shui / bottled water; college; PETA; and abstinence."

Reaction vs. Response

2006-08-12T08:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Cato-at-Liberty post below. It helps to explain security.

Reaction vs. Response: "See if you can pick out which statement below represents reaction to yeterday’s news of the foiled terror plot, and which statements represent response to the strategy of terrorism.

“This country is safer than it was prior to 9/11.” — President George W. Bush, 8/11/06, quoted in the Washington Post Express.
“We cannot afford no security, but we cannot afford total security, because . . . absolute security could come only at the expense of grounding all the planes and really undermining our way of life. And that would, of course, be a defeat for America.” — Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, 8/11/06, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
“Everything that can be done to protect [travelers] is being done.” — Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, 8/11/06, quoted in the Washington Post Express

As Ohio State University national security expert John Mueller points out in his brilliant Regulation article, A False Sense of Insecurity, ”The costs"

technorati tags: politics, security

The "Threat" and our Liberties

2006-08-11T10:55:00.000-05:00

In his blog, Sic Semper Tyrannis 2006, Colonel W. Patrick Lang (retired) wrote, The "Threat" and our Liberties over six months ago. I think it is quite timely to read this important post once more - especially after hearing of Homeland Security logic.

technorati tags: politics, freedom, liberty

App offers solution for those with disabilities

2006-08-10T09:18:00.000-05:00

Kudos to Apple and Steve Jobs. We need more of this.

App offers solution for those with disabilities: " Video: App offers solution for those with disabilities. Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs demonstrates Universal Access, an application that will be bundled with the company's new operating system Leopard. The program has features such as voiceover enhancements, braille support and closed captioning."

technorati tags: apple, disabilities, handicapped, software

North Carolina Becomes First State With an Innocence Commission

2006-08-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

For doing the right thing, I look at North Carolina's Governor Mike Easely as a national hero.

North Carolina Becomes First State With an Innocence Commission: "History was made this morning when North Carolina Governor Mike Easely, a former prosecutor, signed into law a bill establishing an Innocence Commission.

Gov. Mike Easley signed a measure Thursday, creating the country's first innocence inquiry commission -- a state panel that will examine possible wrongful convictions.

'As a state prosecutor for more 15 years, I know that law enforcement's greatest nightmare is to have an innocent person in jail or on death row,' Easley said. 'As a state that exacts the ultimate punishment, we should continue to ensure that we have the ultimate fairness in the review of our cases.

'Its creation gives our criminal justice system yet another safeguard by helping ensure that the people in our prisons in fact, belong there. This is something all North Carolinians can be proud of,' Easley said."

technorati tags: politics, reform, prisons, innocence, garrysblog

M&M's as in memos? Candy seeks corporate business (Reuters)

2006-08-06T11:01:00.000-05:00

Finally, some innovative marketing.

M&M's as in memos? Candy seeks corporate business (Reuters): "Reuters - The candy that 'melts in your mouth, not in your hand' has a new message: this space for rent."

technorati tags: m&m, marketing, garrysblog, candy

Steal this plant: Brazil fights big pharma name-nappers

2006-08-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

I love Brazil. I lived there for a couple of years. The women have got to be the most beautiful in the world - on a par with Greece and Russia (sorry Ms. Puerto Rico and Texans).

Steal this plant: Brazil fights big pharma name-nappers: "Xeni Jardin: BoingBoing reader Chris Spurgeon says,

Brazil is sick and tired of companies stealing their plant names, and they're not going to take it any more! Brazil has a wonderful rep for not just rolling over and accepting the increasingly draconian intellectual property treaties being foisted on developing nations by the first world. Their latest move comes in response to a growing trend. It goes like this:

1) Brazilians spend millennia eating some great tasting Brazilian plant that's also great for your health.
2) Foreign company learns about the plant.
3) Foreign company trademarks the plant name and creates a company to sell the plant (turned into a health drink, or shampoo, or anti-aging cream, or brain-tonic pills, or God knows what else).
4) Some poor guy in Brazil opens up a local business cooking up the plant for the locals. (He uses the plant name in his company's name). He starts a little export business selling his product.
5) He gets the pants sued off of him because some company 5"

The Iran-Israel War

2006-08-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

Andrew Sullivan is dead on target.

The Iran-Israel War: "It's already started, and looks like it will escalate. Only by annihilating the Jews can the Shiite Islamists in Iran realize their dream. And so the war begins. It will end only in either the destruction of Israel and Iran's..."

How Did You Like the Cybercrime Treaty Debate?

2006-08-05T09:06:00.000-05:00

How Did You Like the Cybercrime Treaty Debate?: "Perhaps you weren’t aware of the Senate’s debate over the cybercrime treaty. You would be like most people. The Senate quietly approved the cybercrime treaty yesterday.

The treaty is the product of years of diligent work among governments’ law enforcement departments to increase their collaboration. It lacks a dual criminality requirement, so Americans may be investigated in the United States for things that are not crimes here. And it applies not just to “cyber” crimes but to digital evidence of any crime, so foreign governments now may begin using U.S. law enforcement to help them gather evidence in all kinds of cases.

But you already knew that if you were following the debate. You were following the debate, weren’t you? "

Digital art that responds to emotional state

2006-08-04T08:47:00.000-05:00

Digital art that responds to emotional state: "David Pescovitz: Computer scientists have created a digital artwork that changes based on the mood of the viewer as expressed in his or her face. A webcam tracks eight facial features and then changes the digital image in response. The researchers from the University of Bath and University of Boston University call the technique 'empathic painting.'

From a press release:

For example, when the viewer is angry the colours are dark and appear to have been applied to the canvas with more violent brush strokes.

If their expression changes to happy, the artwork adapts so that the colours are vibrant and more subtly applied...

“The programme analyses the image for eight facial expressions, such as the position and shape of the mouth, the openness of the eyes, and the angle of the brows, to work out the emotional state of the viewer,” said Dr John Collomosse from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath.

“This kind of empathic painting only needs a"

The Federal Government is Remarkably Efficient (at Throwing People in Prison)

2006-08-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

"The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports some distubing statistics on conviction rates at the federal level:

About 95 percent of federal criminal defendants plead guilty. Of the remaining few who fight in court, nearly nine of 10 are convicted, according to national statistics.

[…]

“The odds are pretty stacked against defendants once an indictment is issued; that pretty much seals their fate,” said Mark Allenbaugh, a Huntington Beach, Calif., lawyer and nationally recognized expert on the federal court system. “Once the indictment is issued, conviction is almost guaranteed.”

Between 2000 and 2005, 99 percent of the 435,000 federal criminal defendants prosecuted nationwide were convicted.

I suppose it’s possible that just about everyone ever indicted at the federal level is guilty, but I doubt it. U.S. Attorneys’ offices tend to be better staffed and better funded than local prosecutors’ offices, and certainly have ...."

A White and Red Lily

2006-07-30T13:03:00.000-05:00

I love photography.

Occasionally, one of my photos on Flickr gets voted for as a favorite. Here's a recent one, my photo of a white and red lily.

It made my day.

technorati tags: photos, photography, flickr, lily, flower, garrysblog

Quote by Alexis de Tocqueville

2006-07-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Alexis de Tocqueville was born on July 29, 1805.

He was a French historian and political scientist. 1805-1859

"The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults."

technorati tags: tocqueville, french, historian, quote, quotation, saying, america, greatness

Google's Great Calendar

2006-07-28T10:06:00.000-05:00

I'm trying out Google's Calendar, and I think it's great. For an online calendar, it's Tops.

technorati tags: top, online, calendar, google, tool

Liberal Blogs and Israel

2006-07-24T10:18:00.000-05:00

Liberal Blogs and Israel: "Why the strange reticence on recent events in the Middle East? David Adesnik has a theory. On a related note, I was biking Saturday past the 'Peace Vigil' held each week in Provincetown. One sign read: 'Stop Israel's Slaughter of Innocents in Palestine and Lebanon.' I have never seen a sign in the weekly vigil calling for an end to terrorism. Strange for those committed to 'peace'."

Mapping Paramilitary Police Raids in America

2006-07-20T00:14:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Cato.org for their excellent policy paper, "Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America." Posted via MetaFilter, it gives me a chill to see the numbers.

Included in the report is a revealing U.S. map, Botched Paramilitary Police Raids: An Interactive Map.

The Map Key includes:

Death of an innocent
Raid on an innocent suspect
Death or injury of a police officer
Other examples of paramilitary police excess
Death of a nonviolent offender
Unnecessary raids on doctors and sick people

technorati tags: police, crime, politics, paramilitary, map, garrysblog

My News Bin Review (My Keepers)

2006-07-17T11:03:00.000-05:00

I scan about 25 blogs each day, and I just checked out my News Bins. So far this year, these have become my "My Keepers." These are posts I found particularly interesting which I have kept for reference.

First, I was amazed at how many have come from How to Save the World. It's author, David Pollard deserves special recognition for his continuing efforts and fine work.

Dave Pollard's environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays.
In search of a better way to live and make a living, and a better understanding of how the world really works.

And now . . . My Keepers

Now How Am I Going to Make a Living?

Cultural Divergence After the Crash: Thoughts on The Only Life We Know

Wednesday, June 14, 2006 7:31:34 PM

Regular readers of How to Save the World know that I have been struggling for a couple of years with my novel The Only Life We Know. The novel takes place at the dawn of the 23rd century, a hundred years after a combination of events have conspired to cause our civilization to crash. The human p... [more]

How to Change Hearts, Minds & Behaviours

Sunday, June 11, 2006 8:10:30 PM

My Purpose is Provoking Change. So I'm very interested in the change process. I've observed how easy it is to persuade people about something if they have no preconceived views on it, and how hard it becomes once they've 'made up... [more]

Our Failure of a Prison System

Thursday, June 08, 2006 8:14:56 AM|talkleft

The Vera Institute has completed a bipartisan report on our prison system for Congress. 13.5 million people are jailed each year. On any part... [more]

We know what we are, but know not what we may be.

Saturday, May 27, 2006 4:44:46 PM|sourwookie

Timeline of Trends and Events (1750 to 2100). Large image, lots of info. Via ... [more]

Getting Things Done, Happiness, and Our Strange Sense of Priority

Wednesday, May 24, 2006 4:08:07 PM

I slept in today. Or, rather, I lay in bed, listening to the birds, smelling the Spring air, daydreaming, thinking about what I would write about today, trying to shut out of my mind all the other things I 'had to do'. As a seasoned procrastinator, I knew that when those other things became urgent... [more]

You look like a cross between Gary Cooper and Liberace!

Wednesday, May 17, 2006 2:02:19 PM|blahblahblah

Find your celebrity dopelganger. MyHeritage is another site that uses face recognition on photos y... [more]

Legal guide for podcasters

Wednesday, May 10, 2006 6:04:36 PM|Cory Doctorow

Cory Doctorow: Donna sez, "Remember EFF's great Legal Guide for Bloggers? This guide is the ideal complement. Published by Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, the Stanford Center for Internet & Society, Vogele & Associates and Creative Commons, the guide carves out new ground in addre... [more]

Art? Porn? Who cares?

Sunday, May 07, 2006 11:05:43 AM|dirtynumbangelboy

Every Playboy centerfold, December 1953 - May 2006. [NSFW] Every Playboy centerfold, 1960-1999. [NSFW, via] [more]

What Our Dysfunctional and Evolving 'Information Behaviours' and Information Skills Mean for Our Future

Thursday, May 04, 2006 3:22:18 PM

On the KM speaker/unconference circuit, I am often asked to talk about the dysfunctional 'information behaviours' that impede learning and knowledge sharing. The list of these behaviours, many of them suggested by you readers, now stands at 25: Dysfunctional Behaviours Caused by Information Polit... [more]

Deconstructing KM

Saturday, April 29, 2006 9:22:13 PM|Denham Grey

Steve Barth will be taking KM to task next month in an interesting KnowledgeBoard presentation. Steve levels these charges: Right information, to right people at the right time - is the wrong focus The quest to 'know... [more]

See the world.

Friday, April 28, 2006 11:20:18 AM|monju_bosatsu

See country data plotted as 3d bars rising from the surface of Global-i, an interactive animated globe. For other map visualizations of county data, try Maplecroft Maps, Worldmapper, and Social Explorer's Census Data Maps. Worldprocessor has over 300 beautiful physical globe... [more]

Creating the Jobs We Want

Sunday, April 23, 2006 7:58:33 PM

So you say there are no good jobs out there. You've determined your genius: The place where your gift (what you're really good at) intersects your passion (what you love doing) -- areas 2 & 3 in the above diagram -- but no one ... [more]

Getting Things Done: Fear of Failure

Thursday, April 20, 2006 6:45:05 PM

You say "too late to start"You've got your heart in a headlockI don't believe any of it;You are afraid to startYou've got your heart in a headlockYou know you're better than this. -- Imogen Heap, Headlock So you've instituted Getting Things Done, David Allen's personal productivity methodology. You diligent... [more]

I know that face

Thursday, March 23, 2006 2:03:43 AM|tellurian

Riya ? Face recognition + autotagging. Now in beta [more]

Bad Men

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 5:03:06 PM|Meatbomb

Dictator of the Month. Your one stop shop for all your dictator-oriented needs. Even includes scorecards. From Amin to Zedong, they're all right here, folks. Enjoy some righteous anger [more]

Finding Soulmates to Make a Living With

Wednesday, March 08, 2006 5:46:42 PM

Lately I've been having a lot of sidebar discussions with readers about finding that way to make a living at the intersection of What You Love (your passion), What You're Good At (your gift), and What's Needed (your purpose). Knowing your Genius (where your gift and passion intersect -- areas 2 & 3 in th... [more]

"That's Not What I Meant"

Thursday, February 16, 2006 5:14:40 PM

Wired News has a report on research that suggests the tone, and often the intent, of half of all e-mail is misconstrued by readers. Part of this is the general imprecision of language itself (and our lack of skill in u... [more]

Three Things to Teach Your Children

Wednesday, February 15, 2006 3:18:13 PM

When I say "your" children I don't mean just your biological children, but rather all the young people that you have contact with -- students, recruits, the children of friends. I believe that part of the reason for the dissociation of so many young people today is the fact that we don't talk wi... [more]

Eight Ways Your Innovation Program Can Go Wrong

Monday, February 13, 2006 4:06:45 PM

Innovation & Creativity Model ©2006 Dave Pollard & Meeting of Minds (see explanation at end of this article) The Doblin Group, whose model of the Ten Types of Innovation I've described before, has written an intere... [more]

Dave Pursues His Passion

Wednesday, February 08, 2006 10:22:54 PM

Regular readers will probably be aware that I've recently become preoccupied with finding my Genius (what I'm good at), my Passion (what I love doing), and my Purpose (what there is a great need for) -- and, m... [more]

Finding Where Your Passion, Your Genius and Your Purpose Meet

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 3:37:59 PM

Recently I suggested that perhaps the best way to decide how you want to make a living was to simply ask Who Needs Your Gift Now? The implication of that question is that your Gift is something you both love (it's your Passion) and... [more]

Advice to Innovators: Know What Urgent Problem You're Uniquely Solving

Monday, January 30, 2006 5:17:54 PM

Over the years I have advised many entrepreneurs, worked with a lot of consultants, and coached executives. All three groups repeatedly make the same mistake: They try to introduce 'solutions' that are really interesting, quite feasible, and well within their area of competency, but which fail to ... [more]

Who Needs Your Gift Now?

Wednesday, January 18, 2006 12:32:39 PM

(I've had a recurrence of last fall's back injury, and sitting at the computer brings on spasms -- perhaps it is telling me something? -- so until that improves this blog's articles are likely to be short, and hopefully sweet. -- Dave) Two great inspirations in my life recently, Dick Richards' b... [more]

The Dragons in the Room: Barriers to Change in Organizations

Monday, January 02, 2006 8:36:26 PM

Adam Kahane's latest book Solving Tough Problems stresses the importance of speaking candidly and listening openly, in order to allow resolutions to complex (wicked) problems to emerge. The book is principally anecdotes of Kahan... [more]

Holy snails!

Wednesday, December 21, 2005 10:46:08 AM

Opium

Wednesday, December 21, 2005 10:42:07 AM

technorati tags: newsbin, topposts, keepers, howtosavetheworld, htstw, davidpollard, garrysblog

What is Our Youth's Favorite Site?

2006-07-12T09:28:00.000-05:00

I love eMarketer.

I'm a ex-high-tech researcher, and I've been reading their articles for many years.

eMarketer's article, What is the Youth Market's Fave Site? has important statistics about the Youth Market on the Internet.

Congratulations go to Google who has won our youth - well done!

It also seems Facebook has the girls' interests and ESPN (and Yahoo) has the guys'.

technorati tags: google, facebook, espn, youth, internet, yahoo, favoritesite

Name a Business or Product

2006-07-03T12:46:00.001-05:00

Need a name for a new business or product? Here are four sites offering unique name generator tools:

http://www.wordlab.com/tools/t_index.cfm

http://thesaurus.reference.com/

http://www.domainfellow.com

http://www.rhymer.com/naming.html

technorati tags: name, product, business, generator, tool, free, garrysblog

So You Wanna . . .

2006-07-02T11:59:00.000-05:00

So You Wanna is a facinating site that teaches things you didn't learn in school. I practice yoga and so I tested their So You Wanna Learn the Basics of Yoga page. It had an excellent overview along with graphics for a yoga routine. So You Wanna is very informative and covers many subjects.

technorati tags: soyouwanna, howto, learning, garrysblog