Aptenobytes

Brazil...

There's a very cool thread on skyscraperpage about some abandoned buildings in Sao Paulo

It's kind of cool to see 30 story squats, and sad at the same time

I'll also take this time to congratulate Lula on his win in Brazil. Brazilian voters are showing some decent wisdom, supporting a relatively populist person for leadership, and also voting for the right to bear arms last year.

I think I'm going to go crank some samba and some Brazilian punk

October Surprise?

Saddam Accepted the American Ultimatum Before the US Invasion, According to Rights and Freedom International:
A former political adviser to Saddam Hussein's son said today that Saddam was willing to yield to all American demands before the U.S. invasion of Iraq -- but that the Bush administration refused his offers.

Words fail me.

Aaah, Zippy.

It's been far too long since I gave Bill Griffith proper respect:

Are we having fun yet?

First Day of real snow!

Yay! I love snow.

Personal Stuff

I am soooo middle class and mid-thirties. It's sad really.

I'm missing my sister's wedding in Ontario. Ilana is marrying Ian tomorrow. Congratulations! (I know she reads this, so she'll see that at some point) It sucks that I can't be there, but it just wasn't going to happen without me giving up some luxuries like food and running water. That's the middle class part.

The middle thirties part is that I've returned to the gym, but with that realization that I am not, I repeat NOT, one of the pretty young people. Yeah, that's just not good for the ego.

On another note...

Wonder if this'll work

I'm just curious about how easy it is to link something from YouTube:

We'll see. ;)

That's just wrong on Sooooo many levels

Deep-fried Coca-Cola

Say that with me. Deep-fried Coca Cola.

*Shudder*

Urgh.

I'm getting a little frustrated in my personal life right now. I've kicked ass, I've worked pretty much without a break since February, and I'm a little isolated and a little depressed. What I don't need right now is a bunch of people giving me advice on how I could be doing better. I need some acknowledgment that I have done a fucking awesome job getting the store open on time and then actually selling a fair amount in the first couple of months... maybe even patting me on the back.

Oh well. That's not how the people in my life deal with things....

This years nobel prize

Peace 2006:
Too cool! Grameen bank and Muhammad Yunus gets it for micro-credit. I've been a fairly big fan of the whole concept for years. Nice to see the concept get some credit.

What is also heartening is that this reflects a baseline assumption that peace is inextricably linked with economic and social justice.

Nice to see the Nobel commitee get it right. God knows they've got it wrong in the past.

Scary times

'Course, the scariest thing for me today is that it's my birthday...

On a more serious note, last night while I was washing dishes, I got to remembering stuff. Growing up with the bomb.... I remember having fantasies about what I would do if they decided to drop the bomb.... some of course were Red Dawn fantasies of going off into the bushes and surviving somehow. Some were the typical teenage sexual fantasies (going out with a bang as it were). I was thinking how nice it was that kids today aren't really to aware that the world could end in minutes. It probably changes everything about your world view as you grow up...

With the North Koreans now joining the nuclear club, I wonder how soon we'll be thinking in the real short term again? Non-proliferation has failed. That seems clear. What was once a private club for the US, Russia, France, UK and China now must also include Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea at a minimum. Add in the various nations that could put together a nuclear weapon without effort, like Canada or Brazil, and you have a recipe for getting lots of people all nervous and stuff.

Well, I'm done work now. I'm going to have a birthday drink.

Cheers!