Loosely Speaking

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Everything Else

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

The Whole Story

The point is, we never know it. I've been reading another book about England's Elizabeth I, this one by David Starkey, published in 2001. One of my previous favorites is Elizabeth Jenkins' ELIZABETH THE GREAT, published in 1958, which seems to have been the main source-book for Masterpiece Theater's ELIZABETH R. Jenkins was clearly a fan of Elizabeth, and was working from material that has since been augmented by new interpretations and readings of that material. Starkey makes frequent... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Horses on the menu

A few months back, a ban was lifted, and it became legal again in the US to slaughter horses for meat. Not everyone was happy with this. Today, I read that Congress has legislated to de-fund federal horse meat inspection: No money for the horse meat inspectors, so no inspectors. The very practical argue that meat is meat, that horse meat is healthier than beef, and is consumed in many parts of the world. Horse meat was eaten in the US during WW2, my mother remembers; and there are too many wild... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

The cost of entertainment

I just watched a movie about a guy who comes back from war and drops off the grid. He doesn't have a cell phone or a car or an address. What he does have, is a strong sense of justice, and the capabilities to enforce justice, as he sees it. This lone wolf is real pretty, too. He has no trouble getting girls. The movie audiences like him. Heck, they love him! What's not to love about this Batman-style vigilante? After all, he may be a loose semi-automatic, but he is on our side! Doesn't that make... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Responding to Kabu's comment

I have met a few online friends face to face, and it has varied between all right, to oh my, let me think about this! to oh no, get out of my car! The first was a long layover meet-up at an airport--she and I went out for a lunch and had a great chat. The second, a friend for a couple of years through sharing writing and common interests, was planned as a week at his and his partner's house while attending a conference. That was too intense, as it turned out, and afterwards, it was several weeks... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Half a bottle

CCT brought up, in previous "comments" that we get careless when we communicate by electronics, like being under the influence of half a bottle of wine. It got me thinking about how we do communicate differently when we are not looking someone in the face. There is the 'anonymity' factor--that people say mean, stupid, provocative and/or rude things, for instance, that they would never say in person, because no one can hold them responsible for it. There's also an 'invisibility' factor, that all... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Not saying what I think about it all...

But I do wonder how many of those in high dudgeon about the surveillance of their calls by the NSA are the same ones who habitually have loud cell-phone conversations in public places. Remember when we either made calls at home, or in a phone-booth? And when we really did dial a number? We kept our calls private and personal, and besides not being overheard, we didn't inflict our personal soap operas on the world around us. Convenience trumps consideration. On Christmas Eve, around 11:30 pm, a... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

If you believe all the messages flying through the airwaves

then Christmas becomes a terrible, anxiety-increasing time of year: you must buy and buy and buy the most perfect gift, which must be expensive and flashy, or your family and friends will be so disappointed, you will have ruined Christmas! If you are the Mom, you must produce feasts and festive between-feasts goodies that probably won't really be very good for anyone, anyway. If you are the Dad, it is on you to assemble. Bikes, doll-houses, furniture... whatever. You'd think it would be easier,... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Why being poor makes me irritable

...one explanation for bad decisions is scarcity — not of money, but of what the authors call bandwidth: the portion of our mental capacity that we can employ to make decisions. Worrying about money when it is tight captures our brains. It reduces our cognitive capacity — especially our abstract intelligence, which we use for problem-solving. It also reduces our executive control, which governs planning, impulses and willpower. The bad decisions of the poor, say the authors, are not a product of... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

micro-loans

Some folks just can't get a loan. Not from a bank because they are too small, too young, too old... or there just aren't banks within reach; not from rich relatives, because they don't have any; not from their government or other 'official' sources. But what about you? Would you lend $25 to someone trying to finish their house, or fix their pedal-cab, or buy materials for crafting, or supplies for planting or raising livestock? KIVA is a crowd-sourcing means of providing people worldwide with... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, November 8, 2013

a warning, if you don't already know about this one

This is the first I've heard of this one. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ransom-malware&WT.mc_id=SA_WR_20131107 Sign in to see full entry.

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