In the News

Stupidest headline I've seen so far today : "Is China’s crackdown on foreigners about crime or illegal immigration?" (from msnbc.com)

If this particular immigration is illegal, i.e. against the law, isn't that in itself a crime? Unbelievable. I believe our noble fourth estate is about to enter foreclosure, people.

Best Quote of the Day

...and it's only 8:15.

From Michelle Malkin: "Romney gets Rick-Rolled". =D

Being a libertarian (more or less), I don't have unreserved love for Santorum, but I'm impressed that he's soldiered on while being cast consistently as the underdog in the current Republic presidential primary.

I'm not particularly political on this blog very often, so there's your nugget for the week.

Tropical diseases finally get attention

Drug companies are teaming up to tackle hitherto-neglected tropical diseases, from leprosy to tropanosomiasis and many in-between. Thank you to the Gates Foundation for ponying up enough money to get the attention of Big Pharm firms, which usually (and understandably) prefer to focus on developing drugs aimed at rich westerners with first world problems.

Good News In Fighting Slavery

It looks as if Google is putting some of its money and influence to good use: This article in the Sacramento Bee reports that it is funding a three-way effort (by IJM, Polaris Project, and Slavery Footprint) to fight human trafficking world-wide, particularly through educating and mobilizing people in the US.

Is it somehow ironic to mock a legitimate historical news source on my blog?

I've mentioned once or twice before, though I don't dwell on it, my curious and possibly irrational disdain for the New York Times. I'm no Hearst or Pulitzer, so I'm sure the NYT doesn't care what I think. However, it seems that they ought to have at least enough self-awareness to realize that they are heading down the path to becoming the grown-up journalistic version of twee. They are predictable, unoriginal, and drifting ever more toward just floating opinions and lifestyle features in a sea of trend pieces, unhampered by reporting of any actual news. The funniest part about it all is the fact that the Times continues to take itself VERY SERIOUSLY.

Think it's just Deb over in her rural Ohio corner spewing vituperative venom at the sleek and successful folk of New York City? Nope. There's a whole lot of people who notice the same issues and have cleverly let humor make the point for them.

First, from Salon.com, a satirical list of the NYT's "most e-mailed articles of all time". They're almost all brilliant. I love the shameless swipe at the overly-pious and self-promoting Nick Kristof, as well as the milder mention of Paul Krugman, who essentially vomits Keynes in every column and doesn't realize he might want to look into something else for a while.

1. The Minimalist: Ramen Noodles With Salty Packet Sauce
2. Poll Suggests Majority of Baby Boomers Intend to Cheat Death Indefinitely
3. Well: How to Cheat Death Indefinitely: A Guide for Baby Boomers
4. 36 Hours in the Gowanus Canal
5. David Brooks: Research Is for Liberals
6. Well: How to Burn Calories While Getting Your Kid Into a First-Tier College
7. The Pour: Using Oenophile Jargon to Rationalize Ordering the Second Cheapest Bottle on the List
8. Thomas Friedman: I Kinda Wanna Make Out with China
9. Maureen Dowd: Inscrutable Fake Dialogue Utterly Devoid of Context
10. A Thing Happened at Harvard
11. Magazine Preview: A Slightly Different Take on an Increasingly Common Diagnosis
12. Gail Collins: Shucks, I’m Adorable!
13. The Lede: Liveblogging the Assistant Deputy Comptroller’s Debate
14. Paul Krugman: Mr. Keynes, Please Stop Haunting My Dreams
15. Nicholas D. Kristof: Disadvantaged Individual From Developing Nation Overcomes Staggering Adversity to Become a Much Better Person Than Any of You
16. Modern Love: My Unrequited Crush on a Career in Narrative Nonfiction
17. Frank Rich: Newsmaking Politician Is a Hopelessly Out-of-Touch Feckless Hack
18. Tweeting Toward Bethlehem
19. Magazine Preview: Photographs of Michael Pollan and Alice Waters Surrounded by Vibrant, Abundant, Organic Produce Grown Three Thousand Miles Away From New York City
20. Lindsay Lohan Is the Name of a Movie Star
21. Away From the Headlines, One-and-a-Half Wars Apparently Continue to Rage
22. Editorial: The Lifeblood of Democracy and Western Civilization That Is Print Journalism Must Be Preserved at All Costs
23. Vows: B-List Celebrity and Regular Person
24. The Pour: The Best Wines for Getting Your Kid Into College
25. The Minimalist: No-Cook Cheese on Store-Bought Bread

Second, from The Awl, an utterly convincing parody of "The Most E-mailed New York Times Article Ever", by David Parker. If you don't get it, count yourself lucky: It just means you haven't read too much of the New York Times. The first few paragraphs:

It’s a week before the biggest day of her life, and Anna Williams is multitasking. While waiting to hear back from the Ivy League colleges she’s hoping to attend, the seventeen-year-old senior at one of Manhattan’s most exclusive private schools is doing research for a paper about organic farming in the West Bank, whipping up a batch of vegan brownies, and, like an increasing number of American teenagers, teaching her dog to use an iPad.

For the last two weeks, Anna has been spending more time than usual with José de Sousa Saramago, the Portuguese water dog she named after her favorite writer. (If José Saramago bears an uncanny resemblance to Bo Obama, the First Pet, it’s no coincidence: the two dogs are brothers. Anna’s father was an early fundraiser for Barack Obama; José Saramago was a gift from the President.)
Anna takes José Saramago’s paw in her hands and whispers in his ear. He taps the iPad and the web browser opens. José Saramago gives a little yelp.

“It’s entirely conceivable that a dog could learn simple computer functions,” says Dr. Walker Brown, the director of the Center for Canine Cognition, a research facility in Maryland. “Word processing, e-mailing, even surfing the web: for many dogs, the future is already here.”

In Anna’s bedroom, decorated with the trophies and medals common to young achievers, José Saramago is on Facebook, the popular social networking website. He’s helping Anna organize an event to raise money for her greatest passion: sustainable ibex farming.

Read the rest here at the original source. I'm serious. Read it. It's hilarious (if you've read the New York Times).

The Bears Are Back Again

Actually, I just wanted to highlight the fact that if you read the Wall Street Journal article posted yesterday (below), you should not fail to also click on the comments, which are officially FULL OF WIN. I captured a few humorous ones.

The Bears Are Back

People laughed when I was terrified about the possibility of bears in my neighborhood, but IT'S A REAL PROBLEM, YOU GUYS! Black bears may be less dangerous than grizzlies, but they are still dangerous.

PSA: Human Trafficking Reminder

Long-time readers of this blog may remember that, among other things, I occasionally mention the work that is being done to fight slavery locally and around the world. There are many horrible situations that exists, so many that it seems almost hopeless to think of fighting the evil and changing the world for good. But we remember that the Lord is greater than any circumstance, and He has conquered sin and death. Our light shines brightest in the darkest moments. And once in a while, stories come to the front that confirm that rescue CAN happen and evil-doers can be brought to justice.

Nick Kristof just wrote a column detailing the prostitution of young girls in Southeast Asia. Thought it's not always the case, the stories he shares in this particular article have the beginnings of happy endings. [Note: For the most part, I don't promote articles from New York Times, considering it to be a rag of rapidly-fading journalistic integrity, and I don't always agree with what Kristof himself writes, but I will make an exception when he writes about human trafficking, because he is one of the few opinion columnists who consistently draws attention to this difficult human rights issue that many would prefer to avoid and sweep under the rug. In other words, we as people don't have to always agree on everything in order to work together to fight for something that we both believe in.]

I don't intend for this blog to become "grisly human trafficking stories central", but I might occasionally share a few ways that I'm finding to fight slavery and support truth, justice, and mercy in small steps.

Lions and Tigers and Bears FOR REAL

YOU GUYS! It seems as though my plan to input Animal Control as a saved contact on my phone was utterly prescient. As everyone on the planet now knows, there were wild animals (including, yes, lions and tigers and bears) on the loose in central Ohio the very week after I wrote that, some miles west of my house.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/20/us/ohio-animals-on-loose/?hpt=us_c2 [Please ignore all the idiots posting in the comments section. This event ended up as a tragedy, but it is pretty obvious to any rational observer that it would have ended as a tragedy no matter what the outcome, because it was tragic to begin with.]

I was in California during the time when this whole thing went down, which is probably good, all things considered. I just wanted to post this to remind everyone that it's okay to be wary and alert, and bears (even black bears) DO get aggressive and try to attack people.

Speaking of Sharks

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/10/11/shark-infested-australian-golf-course-believed-to-be-worlds-first/?intcmp=obnetwork

Golf with sharks! But what I really want to know is, are these bull sharks now adapted to freshwater living? They washed up in a river and live in a lake. I must investigate further...

No way!

Watching LOTR today, and I look online to discover that there is a LOTR wedding today!

Many happy wishes to Billy Boyd on his nuptials, and he looks to be having fun with his hobbit home-boys, Elijah Wood and Dominic Monaghan.

World AIDS Day

Today, 1 December, has been designated World AIDS Day by whomever it is that tells the whole world what to do and when to celebrate (probably FIFA, come to think of it). I’m not particularly known for my AIDS activism, although I have been quietly trying to raise awareness of certain aspects of the AIDS epidemic for several years. In fact, I found a post that I wrote 5 years ago pertaining to this very topic, and sadly, very little has changed since then. Perhaps I’m not working hard enough on that awareness-raising stuff. I don’t know.

I think that AIDS has captured the world’s attention in a way that few things, and particularly very few diseases, have been able to simply because not only is it a tremendously harrowing epidemic but it is one that highlights the frailties of our societies and the devastating effects of sin. The suffering of the innocent, particularly the young and helpless; the sex trade and human trafficking; the abuse and marginalization of women; the constant drive of the fallen human race to turn to darkness and destruction rather than healing and hope: In a Ven diagram of the AIDS crisis, all of these issues would be circles having a hefty intersection with AIDS itself. Maybe I should work on making an actual diagram along those lines.

Well, one thing that I know is utterly important is the care of orphans and widows, and at this time, I am seeking to raise awareness of AIDS orphans in particular. So, it being nearly midnight and I being very much in need of sleep, we will continue to discuss this tomorrow.

Haute Couture: Sesame Street Edition

Well, it's more pret-a-porter than haute couture, really, but still: Harper's Bazaar interviews a few Sesame Street style icons.

Side note/spoiler: I'm disappointed at the exclusion of Kermit the Frog. The omission of Miss Piggy is arguably forgivable in that she was specifically a Muppet Show fashionista; I don't know if she ever even made an appearance on Sesame Street. But Kermit? With current industry emphasis on eco-conscious "green" design and production, certainly Kermit is THE indispensable style icon of Muppetry, from Sesame Street to Carnaby Street to any rue in Paris.

News Flash

In a stunning display of understanding of current events, Mr. Al Gore reveals something that no one else has ever known or guessed:
Students in the United States are lagging behind other countries in math and science skills.

Gasp! I'M SO STUNNED! I'm so glad that Mr. Gore is around to provide to the public these shocking revelations.

In other mind-blowing news, Mr. Gore reveals that water is wet and the earth is round.

Paul is dead

Paul the Octopus has gone to that big coral reef in the sky...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/10/26/germany.paul.octopus.death/?hpt=Sbin

NPH has twins (so to speak)

Everyone's favorite amazingly multi-talented person, (openly gay) Neil Patrick Harris, is the new father of twin babies! Babies are awesome in and of themselves, of course, but I also found a fair amount of amusement from this article, which concludes by helpfully pointing out that "the babies were born with the help of a surrogate".

Teh Cyoots Dey Are Overwelmin

Get ready to say "Awwww!" and possibly shed a tear or two at this heartwarming story of US Marines having a heart to care for stray kitties in Afghanistan.

World Cup Football - final match heartbreak

The match went into double overtime, but ultimately, Spain scored in minute 116 to triumph over Netherlands 1-0. Despite their disappointment, however, the Dutch have no reason for anything but pride regarding the way that they played. There were many (including Paul the Octopus) who predicted that Spain would emerge the winners, and while they were vindicated in the end, there were nearly two hours of intense football between two equally-matched teams, with numerous moments when the balance was very nearly tipped in favor of the Dutch team. If the Spanish were really that much better and more dominant, they would have scored early and kept the run of the game (as is their usual custom). Snarky post-game commentary indicated that "the Dutch got what they deserved" because they just weren't up to snuff, and it wasn't the "beautiful and artistic game" that viewers expected. Well, the Dutch were just fine, and there was some good footwork.

My pick for MVP of this final game comes out to be a tie between Stekelenburg (Netherlands goalie) and Casillas (Spain goalie). Okay, there is a reason why they are the goalkeepers for the #1 and #2 teams in the world. They are amazing. Stekelenburg was really the backbone of his side, performing save after save and seeming to be a calm presence that reassured his teammates and urged them forward. Casillas seems at times as if he can actually fly--he gets a lot of height in his jumps and seems to hang there, sometimes almost horizontal. In fact, the one consolation I had in seeing the Spanish team receive the cup was watching Casillas (as team captain) kiss it and hold it aloft, weeping. My impressions of him have always been that he is an outstanding athlete and sportsman and a very decent human being: a great ambassador for his sport, as well as his country.

All in all, it was wonderful to kind of join in with the whole world and celebrate something so universal as soccer/football, and I'm not weeping because I'm already looking ahead to the Netherlands' amazing success in future European and World Cup tournaments.

World Cup Football update - semi-finals 2

Germany and Spain battled it out in a tight match that ran 0-0 for the majority of the time. The Germans seemed to fall back onto a defensive game that stood them well as far as preventing the Spanish from scoring, yet ultimately was their downfall due to their failure to take the game down to the other end of the field and push Spain to rely on their own defense. Spain had a good offensive/defensive balance, yet seemed to have uncharacteristic difficulty in handling the ball. They took multiple shots that flew wide of the goal, and managed to score only when Puyol headed the ball in off of a corner kick in minute 73. That was the only goal of the game, and so the final score was Spain 1:0 Germany.

Now it is Germany vs Uruguay on Saturday, playing to determine who will take third place, and then NETHERLANDS VS ESPANA on Sunday, fighting for ultimate glory and first place in the World Cup. Interestingly, it's Red (or Red Fury-- La Furia Roja) versus Orange (Oranje). This is probably the only time in my life that I would pick orange over any other color.

PS Sorry, Mia! Looks like Germany didn't come through this time. But they might win that game with Uruguay on Saturday.

World Cup Football update - semi-finals

It was a tight match today but the Netherlands prevailed over Uruguay 3-2. I was at work, but was able to follow along via the handy live blog at National Post. The Dutch scored early on but then lost their lead and it was 1-1 for a while. At 70-something minutes, the Dutch pulled ahead again, but it was still a narrow win, as the Uruguay team (props to you, Uruguay!) fought to literally the last minutes.

So now, the Netherlands are through to the final game! They must stay focused and fight for the Cup! Who will my flying Dutchmen face next Sunday? The match for their contender will be battled out tomorrow between Germany and Spain. I'd say that Germany is most likely to be the winner, but this whole tournament has been so unpredictable that it's really anybody's game to win.