randomWalks

I just discovered that Slate has tons of political cartoons online.

Like Nader but hate Bush? Invisible Broadcast System breaks down the electoral college system to demonstrate that a vote for Nader is just a vote for Nader (and not a vote for Bush) if you vote in one of the many states in which the race is not at all close.

There’s a lot of good stuff over at Kestrel’s Nest right now. Don’t miss this photo of Al Gore explaining how to hypnotize chickens or this note about Bush’s policy on Africa.

Sure, we'll crack SDMI. *After* the record companies and any consumer-electronics companies gullible enough to do their bidding have sunk billions of dollars into hardware and business plans based on it. Hasta la vista, idiots!

2001: A Space Odyssey original cinematic program – somehow this is very important.

Last night the toilet talked. Tomorrow it may listen, and the day after it just might run a drug test.

The latest episode of Poynter.org’s Diversity Digest links to some good articles including a story on the increasing use of interracial people and families in marketing and one about the immigration of Mexicans to the rural American South.

The New York Times carries a pretty fascinating report on employing gender stereotypes to enhance the synthesized speech interfaces coming soon to a portal near you. I wonder when the researchers will determine that I want my kitchen appliances to talk to me in an old Black woman’s voice, my robot vacuum/duster to have a Spanish accent, and my math tutor to sound ever so slightly Asian.

Gardner: At the time, I honestly thought all these people were guilty. I did take offense at the way the dug raid was handled, because of the prejudicial statements made by the law officers, and by people being dragged in front of the camera in their underwear -- and some of the women were in their see-through nightgowns and pajamas. It was really disgraceful. There wouldn't be a white person in this community who was arrested and drug in front of the cameras like that. In fact, there was two white people that were arrested during the drug raid, but they were allowed to come in and bond out -- they weren't arrested that morning and dragged in front of the cameras. They seemed to have been treated different than the people of black skin, and the only reason I can ascertain is cause of their white skin -- because they were involved with the black community.

Goodman: I think it's important to note, Gary Gardner, that you're not exactly known as one who is sympathetic to the Black community.

Gardner: Well, that statement's not exactly right... I'm a person that sometimes uses language that went out 50 years ago. I don't know exactly how to put that.

Goodman: Let's just say you were warned about using certain "N" words on the program. (chuckles)

Gardner: (laughing) Heh, yes ma'am.

My point is simply that I doubt I’ll read kuro5hin for the same reason I hardly read slashdot these days – the homogenous readership of both sites is overwhelmingly ignorant of social issues and therefore, in my humble opinion, in the end any analysis they come up with of technology/culture news is so limited by a lack of any diversity of perspective as to be worthless. We can respectfully agree to disagree about which fast food chain has better french fries, but I will not respect any position which does not hold the liberation of those oppressed by shackles of greed to be priority number one.

Fuck kuro5hin. View source.

That was great listening this morning, nedlog, I’m glad you caught it. McChesney has his own site, from which I learned that he’s a Nader supporter and learned of an intriguing music newsletter which covers “culture and politics, funk and country, hiphop and heavy metal, racism and revolution, jazz and reggae, folk music and ska, censorship and the phony war on drugs”, Rock and Rap Confidential.

Sell by, use by, best by, better by, best if used by, enjoy or freeze by, best before, guaranteed fresh until...

If you publish online you should read Write the Web.

A beginner’s guide to malt liquor, mostly for Linus' amusement. thanks to babygrrl, who’s also down for the cause.

astro(b)logy is sorting weblogs according to their creators' sun signs. I’m personally more interested in the sign of the site. randomWalks is a Sagittarius – keywords: versatile, sincere, searching, broad-minded, outspoken, superficial, jumps between subjects, irresponsible, lucky. thanks, considered harmful.

You can shuffle a deck of cards into oblivion in only 5 or 6 shuffles, but only if you are skilled with the riffle and split the deck into unequal portions. The average shuffler will require seven riffles, while the overhand shuffle is nearly ineffective in randomizing the order of a deck.

bonus links
the perfect shuffle
becoming an invisible illuminatus: phase one, the poker phase – i’m not making this up
poker variants
bullshit + poker =
7 card stud variations
poker FAQ
open directory: poker

As the okayplayer tour passes through, the Washington Post peeks behind the scenes at okayplayer.com

Using CSS as a Diagnostic Tool – brilliant stuff for HTML coders like me.

The latest broken treaty: 147 people were arrested Saturday protesting Denver’s first Columbus Day parade since 1991. “The Italian-American community, which organized the event, has broken an agreement with Hispanic and Native American groups to call it an ‘Italian Pride’ day, using not references to Columbus. Italian-American leaders back their decision to break the agreement saying it violates their rights to free speech.” – from NPR’s summary of this All Things Considered (realaudio) story. The guy who signed the agreement comes out and says he never intended to honor it. My jaw just fell on the floor when I heard this. bonus links why AIM opposes columbus day and columbus day parades the original american hero – the real history of columbus columbus and the imperial ethic – the facts american indian movement (AIM) the state of native america – recommended by beXn creativity and resistance: maroon cultures in the americas indigenous sovereignty nativeweb news digest open directory: indigenous people

Two of Lynda Barry’s One Hundred Demons:

• i am grateful to those who are keepers of the groove -- "Babies always look good when they dance. They have something that is very hard to get back once it is lost and it is always lost."
• the first job i ever had that wasn't baby-sitting -- "Drunk people in the woods at night are upredictable. I hid in my sleeping bag on top of the bus, listening to them power-scream."

Did you know, it's a lot of white people in town that will mistreat you, and don't mean it. Did you know?

Uh-uh ... "and don't mean it," ... why?

Yeah. They have to do it -- to stay white.

Why Freegan

- An Attack on Consumption -
- In Defense of Donuts -

We’re having a party and everybody’s invited.

originally posted by mw