A short list of words whose meanings I never know, despite having looked them up in the past

1. Ersatz
2. Guileless

It's been awhile

But I'm back!

Thinklinkr out of beta

For the past few months, I've been using Thinklinkr to outline writing projects.  I've found it far more effective than outlining tools within Word or WordPerfect.  It is a simple set of tools that very effectively helps me focus and organize my thoughts before writing.  Check it out.

Julie Rover Commits an Act of Journalism

NPR's Julie Rovner had a fantastic story about the Senate's reconciliation process and health care legislation this morning on Morning Edition.  Rather than simply reporting, as most journalists do, that one side says X and the other says Y; Rovner took the time to evaluate the claims being made by those who oppose using reconciliation to pass health care.  Putting aside the issue of whether the proposed changes are good policy (though they are) it was refreshing to hear a news report about a complex area of the legislative process that put the opponents' claims to the test.

E-mail ethics

Due to my e-mail address being just my last name, I get a lot of misdirected e-mails. If someone sending a message to some whose e-mail address is their first initial and my last name leaves off a letter, their message gets routed to me. This often includes resumes, business proposals, and other important (to the sender) messages. Do I have a moral or ethical obligation to get involved or can I continue to safely delete these messages?

Portrayal of Earth in Sci Fi

I've been watching a lot of science fiction lately and thinking back on all the sci fi I read back in high school. Today, the role of Earth in sci fi caught my mind. Earth is always portrayed in one of two ways: the center of it all, i.e. Star Trek or a long-forgotten myth, i.e. BSG, Asimov's Foundation, Firefly/Serenity. Earth is never portrayed in the most logical way, as the home of humanity, but no longer its most important center. Think about how Greece, Rome, and the former colonial powers of Europe are today. I think a sci fi novel with Earth as a nice place to visit, but no longer a major power would be very interesting to read.

Homebrew Batch Two

Ben and I took a trip to Maryland Homebrew on Saturday. I bought a IPA kit. I'll be brewing it this weekend. More details to follow.