Quality links, late workday

From chite, in case you're the activist sort: Chinese Workers Pay for Wal-Mart's Low Prices

Rants by profworm on

What the Founding Fathers would think about mandatory Pledges of Allegiance

Public uproar about JacksonBoob, but no mention of the sexual nature of every song sung during hte halftime show

Elections run and won by the Mediocracy

Quality links from jazzfish, as usual:

NewScientist: For Want of a Word.

Imagine how different politics would be if debates were conducted in Tariana, an Amazonian language in which it is a grammatical error to report something without saying how you found it out - as Alexandra Aikhenvald tells us its speakers tell her. Tariana is in danger of dying. With each such disappearance we risk losing insights into different ways of thinking. Aikhenvald told Adrian Barnett about the race to record languages

Very interesting if you're into linguistics and cultural history; still interesting even if you're not. :)

StAugustine.com: Public records audit. "Public officials, ignorant of the law or paralyzed by suspicion, regularly thwart citizens exercising their constitutional right to inspect public records, a statewide audit has found... But the governor's office was the only one of six state agencies audited that failed to comply with the public records law."

Edmunds.com: Confessions of a Car Salesman. Huzzah for investigative journalism! (It's long--I'm still reading--but apparently it's pretty darn cool. took me until 11:21 to finish, though I made breakfast in the middle of reading--and it really is a great article. Good writing, informative, entertaining, and ultimately helpful. :)


And via thehunter, because I know some of my readers will be thrilled to pieces: Billy Boyd, singing "Beyond the Sea." :)

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Was running a little late this morning, but got a text message from a coworker saying "In about 2". I replied "Minutes or pm?" but got no response. I'm assuming 'pm' based on previous cryptic messages. :)

There's investigative journalism..

..and then there's investigative journalism. From The Wave ("The Bay Area's Best Entertainment Magazine... Ever") we have Blind Date, Leiderhosen, and Me: Deep inside the world of reality dating shows.
People don’t tune in to see true romance, but to see people FAIL and/or look STUPID! (and occasionally “get busy”). Reality dating shows aren’t about true romance; they’re about making good television. And I think it can be agreed that I make good television. That’s why I must infiltrate Blind Date.

Thanks to skamille for this, uh, enlightening story. :)

Wanderlust

It's not often that I get a feeling of discontent about sitting in one place, as I'm generally fine with days or weeks of computer-ing, online chatting, and occasionally going out and doing stuff.

Today, though.. today I want to go. Ideally on a motorcycle, off onto the highways of this enormous country I'm visiting. See the cities, towns, endless outback, take some photos..



But instead, I've gone out to the City Walk, got a phone recharge, went to the mall and bought nothing, listened in on a folk band and a wandering troupe of percussionists, thought about learning the didgeridoo, and returned to my hotel. In an hour, I'll go to work for the afternoon/evening.

Anyone want to get me some time off work, and optionally join me for wandering?

Late work day, <wanderlust

Well, I'm still not sure if Miguel's message meant that I was to come in late or not, as no one commented on my schedule today. At any rate, I was up in a ceiling for most of 2pm-7+pm, and stayed later than my boss, so I'd say it was a successful day. Got most of the in-the-ceiling work that can be done at the moment completed today. :)

Also, the wanderlust has abated somewhat. I'd still like to wander off, but getting out of the hotel to head to work was enough movement to take the edge off.

Dinnertime soon!

Also, my nephew is entirely too adorable. :D (But wait, there's more!)