Wikileaks

It's not often that I feel that I know more about a story then the Journal writers.  But knowing what I know, I must say that opinion writer Bret Stephens has taken quite a childish stance on the recent Wikileaks hupla.  I get the feeling he's upset that the Journal didn't get the scoop.

The Times got the scoop.  Of course they claim they ran it by the US gov to get their take on it before moving forward.  Which is very considerate.  But I thought that the freedom of speech awarded certain rights -- particularly for the reason of communicating amongst the populace to discourage an oppressive government.

So if this had been a real emergency, then the Times would have failed.

But it is a real emergency.  That is if you consider that all people are created equal.  (Not all citizens...)  And if you can admit that the reason is more economic than humanitarian...  (Perhaps xenophobia sells it to the masses.)

We don't have troops stationed in Afghanistan to support the women who wish to remove their burqas, Mr. Stephens.  It may be a nice side effect, but I think that providing drinking water to those in need may be a more urgent necessity.  Oh!  But what of the implied atrocities?  Perhaps there's a better way. Wait!  They attacked our country?  Sure they did.  That's a load of bull. It was a small group of jackasses -- not a country.  And the US has a horrible track record of 'correcting' regimes, so I don't have a lot of confidence.  It takes years and years and years and lives and lives and lives...  We've already accounted for so many.

At a certain point the US becomes the terrorizer.  Case points come up time and time again.  The US will obtain no respect from those who employ reason if we continue to protect soldiers who commit errors.

And what of those who imagine they're playing a video game?  At what point does killing someone become alright?  It is not.  I'm sorry if I made your job more difficult, but perhaps I made you more human.

What of culture?  What of civility?  I take it for granted.  And I absolutely do not have the troops on the ground now to thank for it.  They are doing a job.  Hopefully they chose their careers with the intent on providing good, and not just because it was the only game in town, or because they thought they owed a debt.  Most of my friends who have participated in the US military did so out of desperation or opportunity.

Many of the US troops on foreign territory don't care at all about the people that they're there to protect.  And that's where Wikileaks comes in.  It's there [It can be used] to protect the masses from an oppressor by exposing it's secrets.  It seems to have no allegiances to one group or another.  It's, hopefully, beyond that.  And so far it has a perfect track record, unlike the US (not that it's a fair comparison...)

Anyway, much of the knowledge I have of Wikileaks has been derived through 2600 and Democracy Now, which I've been following since my formative years.  Julian Assange is always happy to speak his peace, but Jacob Appelbaum gave a keynote speech at HOPE a week and a half ago.  He gave a great talk about the organization and its intent.  I'm sure Mr. Stephens missed that one...

Watering the Plants

While I was on a 30mi ride down to SC the other day I realized that I still needed to find a way to water the plants while I'll be gone.  I guess most people would just ask a friend or neighbor.  I could always still do that, but they could do it from the comfort of their own cellular phone.  And so could I...  It's really too easy, and I'm sure countless have done it before.  Here's the diagram:



Basically, I'll setup a webserver (Apache?) to ask whether you'd like to water and show you a picture of the patio.  The picture would be generated by my multimedia center (also know as an EnergyROM Touch Pro phone running tinyCAM) and then transmitted up to the webserver via wifi.

I could make it private, but it might be exciting if some random people water my plants for me.  I guess pressing a button with no cache will run a script that enacts the X10 device for 15 minutes or so.

So the web server will interact with a cheap old X10 device to turn a pump on and off.

I have a porch light outside, so I have power but no water supply.  I had been stuck on the whole gravity feed idea but kept getting stumped on how to use a cheap low pressure valve but get enough pressure to water everything.  I picked up a cheap pump for < $20 which should do the trick  I've never used those X10 devices before, but nows my chance.  I'll just hope that no one else in the place uses them since they seem to have zero security.

I should also post the times and durations watered.

Letter to Creative Loafing Servatius

Re: Crash Test Dummies, The Cycling Epidemic, http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/the_cycling_epidemic/Content?oid=996069

Citizen Servatius's short-sighted scrutiny of cycling safety leaves much to be desired. I get it: now that Mayor Anthony Foxx is supporting cycling as a viable means of transportation, the alternative weekly feels the need to support the other side.

But wait – I thought that bicycling commuters produce less emissions, reduce congestion, and foster a greater sense of community? She ignored that, and seems to be a step away from suggesting we rip open Tryon Street to keep those darty peds out of the way, just like in our not-so-distant history.

But Servatius even feels bad for the drivers who run over cyclists because they might have to pay for the injuries. Luckily for her, if you follow http://charlottevelo.com/ you'll see that it's very difficult to hold vehicle drivers accountable, even though it's often an impatient, inconsiderate driver at fault. Drivers easily forget that their cars can be very dangerous weapons. By her logic, if Servatius accidentally shot someone she might blame them for getting in the way.

Watch out! Don't get pregnant! Don't want to catch that 'N1... Her logic escapes me.

By the way, you're 10 times more likely to die from a collision in your car than in a bus. (NHTSA, http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/health/risks.htm )  

Unsolicited advertising

Just a heads-up, a reminder if you will, that advertisments sent to me under the guise of businesses I have deals with, that include prepaid return postage will always yeild a response from me - like it or not. So please don't forget to factor my cost into your advertising calculations. (At least I don't mail bricks.) Also, please remember to recycle, to help offset some of the shipping waste.

Thanks,
Ryan

I'm such a rascal...

Transportation

Heading home.  End of the line on a beautiful evening.  Eventually the train will extend north to UNCC and North Davidson where stuff happens.  That is, as long as the corporations can keep raising pigs and chickens so Bank of America can keep making money and paying taxes and employees (who buy property and pay taxes), so our local government can stay afloat.  Or, that those kids who romanticize trains grow up and want them.

But for now, it stops here.  Just blocks from city center.  Inside the immediate two-square-mile-beltway.  But that's alright with me.  I enjoy riding my bicycle.

I take the train into work when it's too hot, not that I couldn't get away with it, just that I grew-up and have remained accustomed to a certain level of comfort.  I, unlike most people who complain about, perhaps rightfully so, tax dollars spent on someone other than them, chose to live and work along the train line.  In fact, positive transportation planning awarded Charlotte with a check-mark while searching for a city to live in.

But I ride in when the sun is down, or the weather bearable, and I always ride back.  Not only is it thrilling, but it helps me prove to myself that my job is not draining.

As a 21st century shopkeeper, I was informed by another that they wished that they could ride their bike everywhere because they figured it'd be a good way to stay in shape.  I offered that perhaps it would be so long as one didn't mind arriving to appointments moist, or making trips to the grocery a couple of times each week.  And that was that.

I think that if more people are to consider bicycles as a legitimate form of transportation, then more people are going to have to actually enjoy riding bikes.  And I don't think they do.  But I don't know why.  Maybe they think its childish or unsafe.  I enjoy riding through a city with an unobstructed view of the buildings and the lives going on around me.  I enjoy the rush and thrill of pwning the roadway in city traffic.  I envy the elite few who make their living pedaling.  I love that I am being propelled by nothing more than a gear physically manipulated by my living body.  

And my bike runs on vegetables.

And when I transport I grow stronger.

And the contraposition holds true.

The States are an highway wasteland.  If we incorporate safe paths for bicycles more people will be able to enjoy them.  Just lets not render this a class divide.  Lets not put the bikes on the hitch to go for a ride.  Lets enjoy it for real.