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By infmom, February 26, 2010 1:51 pm

Anyone else ever watch James Burke’s wonderful series “Connections” on PBS, or read the accompanying books?  Burke made grand entertainment out of the simple premise that because this happened, then that happened, and because that happened, something else happened, and lo and behold we ended up with something completely unrelated to the event that set the chain in motion.

Well, that’s what life has been like for me lately.  I think my motto ought to be “It’s a good thing I LIKE doing this stuff,” because so often I have simply had to out-stubborn something till it worked.  (Not to mention that it is also a very good thing that I like learning something new every day.)

So here’s a typical recent chain of connections.

On Twitter, I get into a casual discussion about Twitter apps.  Someone suggests a particular app, but it runs on equipment I don’t own.  I make a casual comment about not owning the equipment.  Another commenter offers me an older version of the item, which commenter recently replaced with a new one.  Ooo.  Lovely.

For whatever reason, however, the item never arrives.  I chalk it up to “Well, it was sure nice to think about while it lasted” and move on.

However, as I think it over, it is clear that yes, I actually did want the item, which is simply too expensive for me to go out and purchase new or even used on eBay.  There is, however, a lesser-featured similar item which does most of the same things and costs noticeably less.

I mull this over.  And realize I’ve had a small inheritance just sitting around gathering dust (and about dust’s worth of interest) for many years, and I could for once in my life quit being the Queen of Older Versions and treat myself to something shiny and new.  I spot the item on sale and I buy it.

In the course of checking out assorted Twitter apps, I idly browse to my blogs and my main web page.  Ye gods.  My main web page has been totally wiped out and replaced with the very first placeholder version I put there when I first established the domain.  I hustle to replace the page, but it won’t replace.  I then copy the code directly from my web page software and upload that and it still isn’t right–all the custom elements provided by the software are missing.

I go back to the software and browse for my theme and…  it’s gone.  I can only conclude that the theme was old and the company discontinued it.  None of my other web sites were affected.

I endure pointed (and absolutely correct) comments from my daughter about people who rely on web page software instead of writing their own HTML.  Knowing that my HTML skills are rudimentary at best (but enough to create a placeholder while I figure out what to do next) I still opt for web page software, but no more NetObjects Fusion, thank you very much.  Relying on good reviews on Amazon, a reasonable price and a rebate offer, I choose Serif WebPlus X4.

The software arrives and, be still my beating heart, actually contains a printed manual in the box!  I’m in love.  This is my kind of software no matter how well it might work.    As it turns out, the software is easy to use, but the templates that come with it are nothing to write home about.  I therefore take my daughter’s advice and start creating my own page, using the software to ease the process along.

I have to create my own graphics, and in the process discover that the font I wanted to use, something I’ve had kicking around since the Windows for Workgroups days, crashes Photoshop Elements 4 like nobody’s business.

I discover that I don’t remember the ftp password to my site, and therefore have to go create a new one.  Then I discover that I’ve left one digit out of the username.  Then I discover I’m trying to upload to the wrong folder.  (See “It’s a good thing I LIKE doing this stuff,” above.)

Finally, the first working version of the new web page is in place.  It looks a lot better than the placeholder even though there is still obviously work to be done.  I have learned new software.  I have bought myself something shiny and new for the first time since I can’t remember when.

And it all started with a discussion about Twitter apps.

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By infmom, March 3, 2009 10:02 pm

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(Crossposted to journal and LiveJournal)

One of the anti-gay-marriage arguments I’ve seen used more than most is the notion that a child who grows up without a father is doomed to failure.  The people I’ve seen carrying on about it are just absolutely, positively incensed at the idea of lesbian couples raising children “fatherless” or (less often) two gay men raising children “motherless.”

The issue of no father, though, seems to dominate their concerns.  I’ve seen more carrying-on about the idea of fathers being necessary and kids without fathers coming to a bad end than about any other “no parent” issue.

Well, of course fathers are necessary (especially in the biological sense).  They’re good to have around.  If a kid has heterosexual parents it’s a good thing to have one of each gender who form a stable relationship so the kids start life with a sense of security.  If a kid has homosexual parents, it’s a good thing to have two parents who form a stable relationship so the kids start life with a sense of security.  Funny how that works out.

But is growing up fatherless a fast path to jail?  I got to thinking about that this afternoon, so I did a little research.

George Washington’s father died when he was 11.
Thomas Jefferson’s father died when he was 14.
Andrew Jackson’s father died three weeks before he was born.
Andrew Johnson’s father died when he was 3.
Rutherford Hayes’ father died 10 weeks before he was born.
James Garfield’s father died when he was 17 months old.
Grover Cleveland’s father died when he was 16.
Herbert Hoover was orphaned at age 9.
Franklin Roosevelt’s father was an invalid throughout his childhood.
John Kennedy…  well, we all know what kind of father old Joe Kennedy was.
Richard Nixon’s father was abusive.
Gerald Ford’s father was abusive and his parents separated 16 days after he was born.
Ronald Reagan’s father was an abusive alcoholic.
Bill Clinton’s father died 3 months before he was born and his stepfather was an abusive alcoholic.
Barack Obama’s father abandoned his family and his parents were divorced when he was 3.

So that’s 15 out of the 43 men who became president who had absent or abusive fathers.  It may be more than that; that’s just my quick run through easily available sources.  But even at that, it’s 38%.

Somehow I think that ought to be considered, next time people start thrashing around insisting that fatherless children are on a fast track to doom.

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By infmom, November 27, 2008 9:43 am

Since the presidential election in the USA, there has been more than the usual (if you can imagine that) grousing, thundering, and carrying-on about “the liberals.”  Mostly from the same blowhards who crowed like Chanticleer back in 1994 when they used clever PR and glittering generalities to fool the American public into thinking they had the answers.

And, unfortunately, the teaching of history is so boring in so many American schools that the people who listen to blowhards don’t have any foundation for telling them they’re full of manure.

So let’s consider the liberals.

Without the liberals, the USA would not exist.  The liberals of the day believed it was their duty to overthrow the established colonial governments, and they put it in writing.  Can you imagine today’s conservatives, fuming about the election of a “liberal” president, gladly throwing in their lot with a bunch of radicals who wanted to dump the King?

Without the liberals, women would not have the right to vote.

Without the liberals, slavery would have lasted a lot longer in the USA.

Without the liberals, contraceptives would be illegal (dispensing them to unmarried people was still illegal in many states well into the 1970s).

Without the liberals, Barack Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham could never have married.  The year their son Barack Jr. was born, interracial marriage was still against the law in sixteen states.

Without the liberals, Barack Obama Jr. might only have had the option of a “separate but equal” segregated school.  He might have been prevented from voting.  He might never have been able to run for public office.

Without the liberals, girls would still be second-class citizens in school and it would be legal to give all the benefits to boys and stick the girls with the leftovers because they were just girls.  Women could still be legally barred from most occupations.

Without the liberals there would have been no tax cuts during the Kennedy administration. The conservatives of the day fought against them tooth and nail, because they were adamantly against deficit spending.

Would you really want to live in a place where the liberals never pushed for human progress?  There are still such conservative oases out there–only problem is, most of the people in them hate Americans, even the conservatives, and it’s anyone’s guess how long any American seeking to escape the liberals would live.

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By infmom, November 9, 2008 11:54 am

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In the aftermath of the election, I have seen people who normally are even-tempered and courteous writing messages that ought to be labeled with a skull and crossbones or a Mr. Yuk symbol.  These folks are livid that Obama won the election and they are predicting dire consequences for pretty much the entire universe.

Where on earth do they get this sour point of view?  Judging by what I’ve seen, Fox News is a primary culprit, but there are other “conservative” news sources contributing to the flow of bile as well.  When Chris Wallace appeared on the Daily Show the other night, they played some clips of his Fox News colleages snickering about Obama’s aunt, the alleged illegal immigrant, and cattily wondering if she’s registered to vote.  Chris Wallace had the good grace to look embarrassed.

Many of these same people greeted Dubya as a newfound saviour and gloated that their guy won, and told those of us who predicted he’d be a disaster to suck it up and get with the program.  Now that the predictions have come true, they’re telling us Obama will be worse.  Buh?

Oh, if Molly Ivins were only still with us.  She’d set them straight in short order.

Last year, I wrote a series of posts titled “Ten ways to take a stand against ignorance.”  There is a prologue of sorts here, and the main series starts here. One of the things I suggested was that we learn something new every day. In today’s Productivity 501 blog, one that I read every day precisely because it’s a good way to learn new things, author Mark Shead says much the same thing: Stretch yourself.

We now have an opportunity to make progress and rectify some of the wrongs of the past.  It won’t happen overnight, but if we-the-people pull together, we can prove to the naysayers that it’s long past time they pulled the plug on Fox News.

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By infmom, October 8, 2008 1:54 pm

At the end of last year, I wrote a series called “Ten ways to take a stand against ignorance.” Many of the suggestions there are especially important during election years.  An informed electorate is the best defense against political claptrap of all kinds.

After seeing some of the idiotic finger-pointing and “yes you did, no I didn’t” carryings-on from this current United States presidential election campaign, I offer the following suggestions (in conjunction with the other ten) for anyone who wants to become a better informed voter.

1.  Do not rely on one source for most, or all, of your news.

It is essential to pay attention to multiple viewpoints, because no one source has a lock on the facts.  If you see a comment that intrigues or annoys you, go see what some other news source (preferably one that leans toward “the other side”) has to say on the matter.  There’s guaranteed to be more to it than any one news source offers.

2.  Do not take one side’s word for what the other side thinks or does.

If you didn’t see the original, make it your business to find out what it was, before you form an opinion.  Filtering all your information through someone else’s biases leaves you no option but to think like they do.  Make up your own mind.

3.  As an adjunct to items 1 and 2, become a fact checker.

There are many web sites available to help you, such as snopes.com and factcheck.org.   Don’t just nod at things that sound plausible.  The people we agree with can slip hogwash past us faster than anything.

4.  Pay attention to what the candidates actually say.

Do not try to explain away or excuse statements that make no sense.  If you can find transcripts of interviews and debates, read them.  What might sound good while a candidate is saying it may turn into gibberish when you see it written down.

5.  Do not be too quick to condemn “flip-flopping.”

Intelligent people change their views if new information makes it feasible.  People who stubbornly cling to the same old views regardless of how the situation changes are living proof that Emerson was right:  A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.  The person who’s willing to keep learning and willing to change his or her opinion is light-years ahead of the person who says “I know all I need to know” or “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts.”

Help yourself, help your country

It helps to have a working knowledge of recent history, but that’s not something that is accomplished overnight.  Too many of us were bored silly in history classes in school.  Too many of our classes had to slog through ancient history for too long and never got close to the present day.

Call your local public library and ask to speak to a librarian.  Ask for a good book on 20th century history.  Make sure your preferences are clear.  Not too long?  Not too technical?  Not too focused on single issues?  Whatever will appeal to you–ask for it and listen to the recommendations.  Then, of course, read the book.  Once you have a feel for what happened in the 20th century, you can better appreciate what makes sense in the 21st.

Above all, regardless of your choice of candidate, make it a point to go and vote on Election Day.  In many states it’s not too late to register if you haven’t already.  If you think it’s too difficult for you to get to the polls, request an absentee ballot.  It’s not too late for that, either.  Let’s stop putting dimwits in office, by not being dimwits ourselves.

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By infmom, December 21, 2007 10:16 am

The simplest way we can each take a stand against ignorance is to support nonpolitical organizations whose purpose is the expansion of human knowledge.

For example, you can subscribe to the National Geographic or Smithsonian Magazine or other similar publication (and, of course, read the magazines each month when they arrive). By doing so, you support research and historical preservation and you also have a great opportunity to learn new things.

Get a membership to a local museum or gallery. And visit it often enough to make your membership worth while. You may think you’ve seen the same old exhibits enough already, but you might surprise yourself by looking carefully at what you’d always walked past before–and thus learn something you never knew before.

Join the “Friends” organization at your local public library. If you haven’t been in a library lately you will be amazed at what’s available there these days. And the Friends always get special access and special goodies.

When it comes time to buy gifts for your friends and family, shop from the catalogs put out by those nonpolitical, knowledge-expanding organizations.  Or from places like the Discovery Store, or the Wireless or Signals catalogs, which have a great selection of shows from PBS along with their regular gift items.

If you already have a membership to one or more organizations like that, consider upping your annual donation to the next level. I consider the amount I spend on my Smithsonian Contributing Membership every year to be money well spent, even though it’s been 20 years since I’ve actually been in Washington, DC.

It’s a simple step. You don’t even have to leave home to do it, if that’s your choice. But it says you want to push back the barriers of ignorance in whatever small way you can.

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