Select Headlines: Democracynow.org 1/31/2011

Democracy Now!

On the Egypt protests:

* Massive Protests in Egypt Enter Seventh Day; General Strike Called

"The Muslim Brotherhood was out in full force today. At one point they began chanting "Allah Akbar" only to be drowned out by much louder chants of "Muslim, Christian, we are all Egyptian."

Check out Democracy Now!'s man on the ground in Egypt, Sharif Abdel Kouddous' report on the country he came home to Saturday. Well done to the Egyptian people, indeed!

Oh, Ok Then...

Watch VP Joe Biden tell unemployed Americans to "Hang in there." Thanks....ass-hat.

Tens of Thousands Gather to Protest US Backed Governments in Egypt and Yemen

Democracy Now! is doing a spectacular job covering the protests in Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia. These started out as peaceful protests and were sabotaged by government paid thugs. Tens of thousands of  people, in both countries, are demanding that their US backed governments step down immediately. 

Cella Energy Gets It!

via lclark.edu

The UK-based company has developed a synthetic fuel that could bring the price of gas down to $1.50 per gallon. fark.com

URGENT: SHIT IS GOING DOWN IN EGYPT

The Egyptian government has shut off much of the internet in the country after the AP posted a video of a man being shot.

Market/Monetary System = Animal Cruelty

It's not that the hay or medical treatment  didn't exist, the money to buy the hay and medical treatment didn't exist. Good on ya, Montana, for stepping in. news.yahoo.com

Yemen gets it!

Thousands demand change in Yemen!

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward Parts 3 - End

You've watched it by now, right? If not; What are you waiting for? Go watch, now! 

I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that this really is the next step in our social evolution. We must follow through on a resource based economy if for no other reason than we have the ability to. Why in the world would we not take immediate action to ensure the survival, recovery and future abundance of our planet and our species.

Today, In Positivity 1/25/11

via wix.com

Your weekly dose of positive news via Happy News.com 

One couple's smart camera trick and a Paris cabby's determination pay off. eastoregonian.com

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward Part 2 - Social Pathology

I don't have much to say about Part 2, except "Watch it!" 

A few stand out points:

The rise in our health care costs are shown as a rise in GDP, which is supposed to be good. 

Do You Know the Full Story Behind the Infamous McDonald’s Coffee Case?

Now you do.

 

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward Part 1 - Human Nature

Be prepared to take breaks here people. The film is about 20 min shy of 3 hrs, but it's all good stuff, so it's worth the effort to make it through. Here we go!

Awww old people in lurve!

Childhood sweethearts reunite at 92, get married!

You might as well do something productive at work so...

Back up! Official this time!

Update: The video on YouTube has been taken down due to copyright infringement...I don't get it. Isn't the information more important? In just the 2 hours I was watching the film more than 4,000 additional people began to watch it. Please explain.

Watch Zeitgeist: Moving Forward with me!

Zeitgeist: Addendum Review

 

So, I thought I should watch the 2nd Zeitgeist film (above) again before I re-watched #3. Before I became completely engrossed, I managed to take a few notes. Here's what stood out:

"We must be prepared to consider radically new views of reality."

Thanks to Lady V for posting this fascinating link to a 1982 experiment performed in order to determine the nature of reality. A University of Paris research team led my physicist Alain Aspect found that, "under certain circumstances subatomic particles such as electrons are able to instantaneously communicate with each other regardless of the distance separating them. It doesn't matter whether they are 10 feet or 10 billion miles apart."

Free Your Mind....

This Saturday the Colorado Chapter the Zeitgeist Movement premiered the latest installment of the Zeitgeist film series, Zeitgeist: Moving Forward. I'm very excited about the possibilities of a resource based economy, the central idea presented as a solution to the enormous disparity between the rich and poor throughout the entire world. In a world where the richest 10% of adults own 85% of the world's total assets, and the 90% of adults left are condemned to struggle for the remaining 15% by the greed of the elite, we must consider this as a viable and logical, though radical, solution.

You Have a Tank Wheel Chair!?!?

via techblog.com

This article is about a UK man who received a sick hot tank wheelchair from a friend (some friend!) for Christmas. It seems the authorities are making a bit of a stink because, apparently, it really is a tank! It's width and weight technically make it a tank according to the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. I say have him cover the tread and give him a special permit already!

Spreading the Wealth

Check out the Forbes 2011 list of the best companies to work for. Perks include free daycare, on-site gyms and free vending machine snacks!

Quote of the Morning

via mosaicrpm.com

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function." F. Scott Fitzgerald

BurntErnie: I Will Honk At You...

via autointhenews.com

For those who know me, you know I do take a certain odd delight in following some rules, especially if I think they keep us safe. So, it should come as no surprise that I am a stickler for traffic laws. I know they suck and are a pain in the ass, but when do people get in accidents? When somebody isn't following the rules, that's when! 

I also have this wonderful feature on my car, maybe you have it too, called a "horn", if you will. Because there is never a cop around when you actually want one to be, and I enjoy light vigilantism, I will honk at you if you are endangering me (yeah, that was me!). So if you are driving down Colorado Blvd in Denver, and get honked at by a black Nitro, you probably did one of the following (list taken from honking occasions I had just this morning):

New Feature: Reactions

via thefreedictionary.com

After examining my own blog browsing habits I've added a new feature, at the bottom of each post, called Reactions that allows readers to give me feedback with one click! 

You have three choices (at the moment): Ha!/Schweet: "This was funny/cool/interesting." or "I just plain liked it.", Outrageous!: "I am also outraged/alarmed/concerned by this!" and Not My Style: "I disagree." or "I wish you'd stop posting these". Feel free to clarify in the comment section or just take the time to click. Your feedback would be most appreciated!


Thanks for reading Nerd-N-Ernie!
 

Guilty Pleasures

What!?

My Daily Om for yesterday was about allowing ourselves to feel happy and indulge in our guilty pleasures, without feeling guilty. My favorite guilty pleasure? Sleeping in:). That's why today I will not feel guilty that I went back to sleep after seeing my BF off to work, and didn't get up again until 11:30am. 1) It felt great, 2) I've been up at 5:30am every weekday for the past month and a half (with no naps!) and 3) It made me happy until I started feeling guilty.

Goldman declined to comment.

via tigersoftware.com

I bet they did. Look, I want to believe that the Goldman Sachs' 2008 stock offer timing was just a coincidence....but there's that little voice, you know the one....

Food for thought...

I believe, redefining gender roles is an important step in moving this country, and other parts of the world, along a positive and progressive path. With that said here are two articles, from both the male and female perspective, on some of the gender issues that are important them.

Manifesto of a County Man (via community.feministing.com)

Sex R Us: The Rise of Enlightened Sexism (via alternet.org)

At the request of me Ma....

According to the Pepsi Refresh Project's How it Works page, Pepsi is: "looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Look around your community and think about how you want to change it."

There are several grant amount categories anyone can submit causes to and the ideas with the most votes win. Anyone can vote and me dear Ma asked if I would link to a couple trying to obtain money for Families of SMA. 

I like this idea of people helping people help people...

I'm spotting a pattern here...

Maybe I wore my Rhythm Nation tape out...

On the way home from dropping my BF off at work at 0-dark-30, I heard Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" (1989) and Genesis' "Land of Confusion" (1986). Both songs are over 20 yrs old and yet the subject matter, social injustice and government corruption respectively, are still relevant today.

Today, In Positivity 1/18/11

Via happynews.com 

"Sorry, my ancient winery pre-dates your ancient winery by 1,000 years...ouch"

A man wins $200,000 in the lottery days before beginning foreclosure process.

I never did like Spiderman...

Cracked.com hit's it out of the park again with 6 Famous Movies With Mind-Blowing Hidden Meanings. I'm truly freaked out by #6-Spiderman and kind of impressed with #4-Iron Man 2.

With cranberry juice and a shot of amaretto, tall.

via featurepics.com

My love affair with whiskey began when I moved to Denver and made friends with a bunch of art students. Whiskey benders are a right of passage on Capital Hill...or at least they were for me. I used to be a whiskey sour girl but now I favor Wild Turkey Honey with water or Crown, cranberry and amaretto. So this one's for my homies.

BurntErnie: When is enough, enough?

Via shedfire.com

No, it's not a riddle ala "Why is a raven like a writing desk?", it's what I would like to ask the ass-hatters that seem to being gong on a suing frenzy to get a drink of everybody else's Kool-Aid. Apparently a patent, used to generate news and press releases online, is being used to sue aggregator sites like Reddit and, one of my favorites, Fark. I am all for protecting your intellectual property, aggressively if need be, but this is just throwing poo on a wall to see what sticks....smelly. Are there judges that don't see right through this and throw the cases straight out? Are judges even allowed to do that or have I been watching too much Law and Order?

Harbin Ice and Snow Festival 2011

Beautiful ice castles made from ice carved from a frozen river. China wins at making me feel like my ice castle looks more like an ashtray...again.

Happy(?) MLK Day

Via my good buddy Sloan:

Ten OTHER Things Martin Luther King Said 

"Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes" or "Pardon My Mess"

via nerc.gov.jo

Dear Readers/Robots from Singapore,

You may have notice I've spent the last couple of days making some design changes to Nerd-n-Ernie. I'd like to thank my good buddy Sloan for designing my logo and background and for explaining my customization features! Please be patient with me as I fine tune everything and finish my Manifesto page, which will hopefully intrigue you to stick around. I plan on being back up to regular post levels (cuz I've been blogging for like 2 weeks now...very steady) by Wednesday, January 19, 2011, so check back in soon!

Thanks for checking out Nerd-n-Ernie!

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Stop the insanity!

People is animals too.

Ok, to those who use the violence in the wild animal kingdom to justify the violence of human society, peep this. As an added bonus, follow this link to NPR's 2005 story about the baby hippo "adopted" by a tortoise after the 2004 tsunami.   

Exercises in Fultity: Power Play

Office Job by ed7in5 via Creattica.com

Exercises in Futility is the working-out of the story of the last 3, or so, years of my life. A lot has happened: I moved over 300 miles away from my family for a new job that ended horribly, redefined myself as a person, fell in love for the first time (with that person turning out to the "the one"), and learned some hard life lessons that have shown me what is really important in this life. And if I stayed out all night more than I should have and met some fantastic, crazy new friends on my journey there, so be it! Let's listen in, shall we? Continued from Exercises In Futility: Brave New Girl

I got to spend September through November copying sets of Operations and Maintenance Manuals (some over 14 3” binders long) for the Mechanical Engineering Dept. The paper I went through...the horror...the horror! It was menial work, but it was still getting me noticed. I went through mundane task after mundane task, just plugging away at whatever they put in front of me. Truth be told, I actually enjoyed it. It was all order and logic, two  languages I spoke fluently, and I felt useful. The projects I completed were boring, but necessary, and all had gone way too long without doing. I was hard not to get a small Jesus complex of sorts as it became apparent these "little" things habitually fell through the cracks and it was a huge relief to management to have them taken care of. Everyone grew used to seeing my face pop around the corner asking, "Is there anything I can help you with?" I was working hard to make sure anyone with any sway knew I was down for the cause.

More insight on the Arizona shooter

CBSNews.com

Today, In Positivity 1/11/11

(via pinstripealley.com)

I feel a lot of negativity in the country at the moment, so here are a couple of links from HappyNews.com. Every story is positive (or just really cool)!

I've always affirmed, when I eventually have more money than I needed to spend, that I would love to be a patron for the research and development of convenient, portable and cheap water filtration, for countries who's people have limited access to  clean water. So this report on just such an innovation, currently being used in Haiti, was encouraging to see!

BurntErnie: I've had enough of this woman...

Check out my fellow blogspotter's experiment upon finding a truly heartless comment on Sarah Palin's FB page following the shooting in AZ. It seems they make a habit of deleting comments critical of Ms. Palin, but comments justifying the murder of an innocent child are just fine. What is it going to take for the American people to wake up about this woman. obamalondon.blogspot.com

I hate to say it, but Michael Moore had a point when he Tweeted:

 

One thing to look forward to when we become the United States of China ;).

Squirt bottle optional, but recommended.

Please, allow one Chinese mother to enlighten you on the soft ways of Western parents and, in turn, the vast superiority of the iron fisted traditional Chinese parenting. She has a few good points, like when she says "Western parents are concerned about their children's psyches. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently.". I think that is a valid point in that children are more resilient, psychologically, then we "Westerners" give then credit for. Some very well adjusted people had really messed up childhoods. Though I don't know that I'll be disregarding my (theoretical) children's psyches (the children are theoretical, not their psyches). The list of things her children were never allowed to do will make you weep for them!

 

Perhaps the author is onto something when she writes, "What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work...". However, she then goes on to say the solution to under performance is, "always to excoriate, punish and shame the child." though, "When Chinese kids do excel, there is plenty of ego-inflating parental praise lavished in the privacy of the home.". After forcing myself to read the whole article I'm too disgusted to comment more...just ew. wsj.com

Snow Day!!!

View from right outside our basement apt window this morning!

Over 5" of snow fell in some parts of the Denver Metro area last night, so I get an extra day off with my BF! Posts will be slower but they will go up! Happy Snow Day!

It has begun....

Information war, anyone? news.cnet.com

"Drinking is associated with a 10.1 percentage point increase in the probability of exercising vigorously..."

Finally, justification! consumerist.com

“I WAS ATTACKED AT L’ENFANT METRO SUNDAY AT 7:15 PM. NO ONE HELPED. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.”

This is horrible.

“I know it might not be safe, yet it’s either we live together, or we die together, we are all Egyptians...”

(via questioneye.wordpress.com)

I've just read about the Egyptian Muslims who acted as "human shields" to protect the Coptic minority's Christmas Eve Mass.  The way the Egyptian people are talking gives me a lot of hope for the future of the global community. english.ahram.org.eg

Interactive Census Coolness

Check out this interactive census map from The New York Times. NYTimes.com

"If you compound our growth rate, we'll be the size of Citibank in three years."

Peer-to-Peer lenders, like LendingClub.com and Prosper.com, might change my mind about where this cold uncaring world is headed. Imagine, people helping and trusting other people! Earning a 10% return doing it ain't bad either. The types of loans that, one lender found, defaulted the least is particularly interesting. abcnews.com

Exercises in Futility: Brave New Girl

Office job by ed7in5 via Creattica.com

Exercises in Futility is the working-out of the story of the last 3, or so, years of my life. A lot has happened: I moved over 300 miles away from my family for a new job that ended horribly, redefined myself as a person, fell in love for the first time (with that person turning out to the "the one"), and learned some hard life lessons that have shown me what is really important in this life. And if I stayed out all night, more than I should have, and met some fantastic, crazy new friends on my journey there, so be it! Let's listen in, shall we? Continued from Exercises in Futility: The Backstory 

For three weeks I worked hard and, more importantly, fell in love with Denver. The Mile High City was full of “my kind”. The beginning of my second week there, my brother asked one of his army buddies, Mick Slash,  to show me the city and get me out of my hotel room for a couple of hours. I can still remember how foreign and magical the, now so familiar, metropolis seemed as we merged onto the freeway.

Underwater sculpture park!?

Check out this National Geographic report on an underwater art installation designed to provide relief to the tourist-stressed natural reefs of the Caribbean.

Ahhhh so freakin cool!

A renaissance church in Naples, Italy has a secret coded concert for strings engraved on it's  stone front! 

Take note Denver...

I'm all for biking, I think it should be encouraged, but I know bikers here in Denver make me nervous, as a driver. I have seen them do some insanely dangerous things like darting through cars to cross at red lights and making turns directly into cars they would have seen if they had slowed their roll a bit. So I like that the NY Post is reporting that bikers in NYC will now be subject to the same traffic laws, or more importantly, the same consequences for breaking them as cars are. I'd love to hear about Denver stepping up their game in this area as well.

Solidarity, Montel!

Come on Wisconsin. Why do people have to be such d!cks about pot? It's not like every old person you know didn't smoke it in the damn 60's. Also, check out this Washington Post article about the U.S. looking to Portugal for better ideas on handling the "War on Drugs". Portugal decriminalized the use of all drugs in 2000, choosing to provide treatment instead of prosecuting drug offenders. You'll be intrigued by the results.

Today, in Scandal!

Bank of America agrees to pay 2.8 billion to Fannie and Freddie for selling bad loans (The comment thread is fantastic). USAToday

Some people's kids. stripes.com

Classy. mynorthwest.com

Epic. Fail. fark.com

Exercises in Futility: The Backstory

Office Job by ed7in5 via Creattica.com

Exercises in Futility is the working-out of the story of the last 3, or so, years of my life. A lot has happened: I moved over 300 miles away from my family for a new job that ended horribly, redefined myself as a person, fell in love for the first time (with that person turning out to the "the one"), and learned some hard life lessons that have shown me what is really important in this life. And if I stayed out all night, more than I should have, and met some fantastic, crazy new friends on my journey there, so be it! Let's listen in, shall we?

Stagnant, stale, inert, stationary, unmoving; These words oh so accurately described my life just over three years ago. I was 23 years old, living with my parents and working as a temp in Gillette, WY. I was, and still am, unmarried and childless or a “failure” according to this small town of less than 40,000 people where there are more drive through liquor stores then churches but the judgment still flows as freely as the booze. I was living with my parents, along with the younger 2 of my 5 siblings, on 40 acres about 5 miles west of town. I'd fallen into the very familiar role of "second mom"; running my younger sisters around to practices, when my parents couldn't, and volunteering with their high school band. 

I floated through my days and weeks with no direction other than to do it all over again tomorrow. I'd accumulated all the trappings of mid-west success; The latest cell phone, a brand new car, as many trips to Maurice's as I could stomach and cash left over for the boredom trips to Wal-Mart. My parents had raised us all to work hard and do our best and I loved nothing more than fulfilling other people's expectations of me. Naturally my competence (i.e. ability to read and count change) stood out to employers and by 23 I had topped out, for a female in the heavily industrialized economy, attaining my first “corporate” management position at 21. I really had no where to go but out.

“It will not change the price of bread, but it will help us understand the age of the universe..."

How nerd-cool is this little Canadian girl? I like that she is totally unimpressed with herself.

Remember that Carnival cruise ship....

Okay, so most of this site is pretty radical but for arguments sake, check this sh!t out. Chinese EMP Attack/Test

Jamie Kilstein....is my hero:)