On the dangers of "thinking like a terrorist," Hackbarth muses: "Experts are fine, but the experts let us down Sep. 11, 2001."

Yup.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:19 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 37 words, total size 1 kb.

" . . . it must be time for another round of 'Gender in the Blogosphere.'"

This time Goodman and Althouse get into it. I can't wait for the predictable choruses from aggreived male bloggers about how they can't truly compete, because they don't have breasts.

Ye gads. The only thing more boring than the gender of top bloggers is the race of top bloggers. It's probably just a matter of time before that one starts up, too.

I'm going out for ice cream, myself.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:02 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 95 words, total size 1 kb.

. . . Amazon account.

Kyle Cassidy's new book about American gunowners looks really, really cool. Newsweek's site has an audio-visual digest of the book that contains a little intro from Cassidy himself, along with some recordings of the featured families/individuals from the book: ordinary Americans talking about why they have guns.

Go here, check that your sound is on, and hit the red link. It's good stuff. Best phrase: "wrangling the gun vote."

Hat tip: KC.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:01 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 85 words, total size 1 kb.

"What I really hate is when my husband looks at me while I'm talking and all outward signs point to someone listening. Then I find out a day or two later that he has no recollection of the conversation."

"Hm. I wonder if you could test this by suddenly, in the middle of the conversation—without changing tone at all—talking about your imaginary lover, Alberto. But don't specify "imaginary." Merely switch from a discussion of your son's college prospects to the lovely time you and Alberto had in the sack last week."

I love fireworks in the summer, whether someone is hitting a home run or not.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:55 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 110 words, total size 1 kb.

I finally got to hug Dr. E-Sharp: he was helping his company set up its booth for Siggraph, and it was just crazy. So while Professor Fractal complained that Scanmaster clearly wasn't attending Siggraph this year, Dr. E-Sharp was only a vague rumor to me. (I did see Scanmaster, and he showed me around like he always does. If you want to meet people it's a plus to hang out with eccentric, gregarious businessmen.)

E-Sharp and I trade voice mails, but can't seem to synch up. He's available, he tells me at one point. Of course, this is during the time I'm at the Siggraph Chapter party in the basement of that cool club on 6th and Broadway, chatting up people I haven't seen in 16 years—not since I stopped living with Martin G. Naturally, there's no cell phone reception in the basement.

So it goes. I start to open my voice mails with "this is your stalker. I'll be at thus-and-such around 3:00."

I stop by his company's booth and ask after him. "He's not working right now," the receptionist tells me. "Would you like to leave a business card?"

"That's okay," I reply. "Just let him know that his stalker dropped by."

She smiles. "Are you his wife?"

"Heavens, no," I tell her. "I don't have her class. Or her height."

Fifteen minutes later I run into Martin G., and we take another stroll by the good doctor's booth. Sure enough, the jinx has run its course. The E-Sharps are just standing there. We greet them, and escort 'em to the sandwich shop. Then they head out to the Electronic Theater while Marty and I take a turkey sandwich to Professor Fractal.

This is the most fun I've ever had at Siggraph: I knew I was there for social reasons, but I'd started to get an idea of what things were the most fun, and I no longer needed a tourguide to pick out the most interactive or interesting exhibits, or the coolest technology. So other than scoring a few hugs from the E-Sharps—and catching the Electronic Theatre—I went to San Diego without much of an agenda at all.

Just a hippie girl taking in the sights.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 07:28 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 373 words, total size 2 kb.

one of the featured filmettes was the U2/Green Day "The Saints Are Coming" video.

It's stunning on every level: in its use of computer graphics (check out that water), the sound, the hittability of the lead singers (both generations, but of course Billy Joe Armstrong in particular—mascara notwithstanding), and as a piece of propaganda.

Those who are familiar with the U.S. Constitution will now start discussing posse comitatus, giving Bono a pass because he's Irish, and wondering why on earth leftists are now advocating a return to martial law based on Presidential whim.

But, please: the video was beautiful. It was an artistic/technological achievement, and it tugged at my heartstrings. It made me want to put up one of those posters about how the Navy doesn't need to hold bake sales to buy aircraft carriers. In short, it did exactly what good propaganda does: it made me feel, rather than think.

And it was a privilege to see it on a big screen, without the loss of resolution one always experiences with You Tube.

(Professor Fractal: "I hate You Tube. What about all those people who are posting their videos to You Tube, and deleting the originals? When better quality is available, where will they be?"

Martin G.: "If they are deleting the originals, it serves them right a few years down the line if they are stuck with horrendous-quality clips.")

Anyway, if you're in San Diego for Siggraph, be sure to get a ticket to the Electronic Theatre (or the Computer Animation Festival—whatever they're calling it these days).

It's longish (even grueling, as one nears the two-hour mark), but always—always—worth it.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 06:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 288 words, total size 2 kb.

Unfortunately, today will be my last day at Siggraph; I'll have to make it count.

My very favorite exhibit in Emerging Technologies was "Globe 4D," put together by some whip-smart Netherlanders at the Universitat Leiden. In the middle of the display is a an ordinary globe atlas; surrounding it is a lazy Susan sort of device that allows one to track changes the occur, or occurred, or might occur, over a matter of time. (That is, one can historically track what has happened with continental drift, and which tectonic plates will be crashing against each other in the future—and therefore what continents will be merging in the next few million years. Or one can simply look at the effects of light on Earth, by tracking the days and seasons. Or one can look at what could happen if water levels rise. [Hint: Florida and Holland could be in trouble.)

Posted by: Attila Girl at 10:22 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 153 words, total size 1 kb.

on behalf of See Jane, her new entertainment watchdog group that looks at issues of gender disparity in children's entertainment. So far, most of their research has focused on strict counting of characters in shows, which I don't find useful. What I find more interesting is the mushy, subjective stuff: how many strong female protagonists are there, for example? The number of "extras" in a cartoon that are male doesn't matter much to me.

And, needless to say, I'm in favor of neither government mandates on these issues, nor arbitrary guidelines that place handcuffs on writers and story editors. There are enough restraints on creativity in the world of children's programming as it is.

Nonetheless, it's worth keeping an eye on, so to speak: the idea of female visibility/freedom implied in a group like See Jane is another one of the fundamental liberal values that we need to promote. It is yet another Western notion that is under threat by Islamo-Fascism.

Just as I seek to make common cause with moderate Muslims, so I also intend to continue my dialogue with feminists who are seeking to enhance female visibility, support continuing opportunities for women, and fight the spread of Sharia law and other fundamentally sexist, oppressive political systems worldwide.

Very often, of course, the moderate Muslims and the creative feminists will turn out to be the same people. And that is delightful.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 10:05 AM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
Post contains 240 words, total size 2 kb.

1 In comedy, a woman can hit a man and people will laugh. A man hitting a woman is never treated as anything but the horrendous crime it is. Unless Geena Davis is interested in correcting that double standard, I am not interested in her organization.

Posted by: John at August 07, 2007 04:06 PM (ZNOPy)

2 I bet you pictured her with a cell phone tower on her head, right?

Posted by: Darrell at August 07, 2007 07:02 PM (xEZec)

3 I actually think there is a lot to be done in the arena of violence against men by women--so much domestic violence goes contrary to the establised myths. (And that's not even getting into gay-on-gay domestic violence.) But Davis is speaking as a concerned parent: her goals are long-term ones regarding how we educate our girls to grow up into independent women. And that is, in fact, one of the Western world's strengths vis a vis the Islamofascists: our boys (and girls) are brought up by women who know what they need to know, and can teach them a good part of what they'll be using to get by in the world. The I-F's still expect "a servile womb to breed free men." And, D, I'm not sure: I can never see Ms. Davis's face. It's just too far up there. Thank goodness for television monitors.

Posted by: Attila Girl at August 08, 2007 05:32 AM (Dbg3S)

4 The I-F's still expect "a servile womb to breed free men." Um, no. Servile wombs, yes. Free men? no. At least not in the sense we understand "free".

Posted by: I R A Darth Aggie at August 08, 2007 06:08 AM (1hM1d)

5 "are brought up by women who know what they need to know, and can teach them a good part of what they'll be using to get by in the world" Geez Attila I have read this at a couple of times and still cannot make any sense of what these women know. Please enlighten us all what values are imparted in the western world that eliminate domestic violence. And speaking of your knowledge about other cultures, let me know how many muslim countries you have been to and what kind of statistics you have gathered while you were doing your PHD.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at August 08, 2007 11:23 PM (mdszq)

6 Well, there is the fact that when domestic violence does occur in the West, it is treated as a serious CRIMINAL matter. How about that?

Posted by: Darrell at August 09, 2007 10:32 AM (oOHHZ)

7 Don't get me wrong Attila, I am just asking where you get your information from? Is there a class offered in Harvard or MIT called Islmo-fascism 101 that I missed out on? Where the west is compared with the east and it is proven once and for all that one way is better than the other. Did you do your research in different cultures and are now ready to publish your results? Or do you make this stuff up on your own, assuming that since this is your blog nobody will dare challenge you. And now to you Darrell, treating it as a serious criminal matter has solved the problem according to you? And we should not even bother with it, at least here in the West? Gimme a break!

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at August 09, 2007 02:07 PM (mdszq)

8 Azmat, (1) I'm not big on formal schooling/credentials. If you want to read someone who has a doctorate, I could certainly provide you with some pointers. Or you might try searching "blog Ph.D.," or some such. (2) My entry wasn't about domestic violence at all, but if you're interested in studying the rates of domestic violence among Westerners (including Muslims) vs. that among fundamentalist Muslms, and those who live under Islamist regimes, you could start by researching laws in the different countries/populations involved. [a] You might compare the rate of "honor killings" within populations; You might look at how many battered women's shelters there are in Muslim countries, vs. in Western/Westernized countries. You might look at what percentage of women in battered women's shelters in, say, London, are women from traditionalist Muslim households vs. those who are from other demographics (e.g., Hindus, non-believers, Jews, and Christians). Domestic violence is a difficult problem to solve. I'm not certain we'll ever completely eliminate it. However, the rate is bound to be lower among groups that do not promote the murder of one's own daughter as a "necessity" under certain circumstances (e.g., she's been raped, or she was seen talking to a man--or, heaven forfend--actually dated one). This is, of course, just a theory of mine: I haven't set about proving it, or published it in a paper. Call it a hunch.

Posted by: Attila Girl at August 09, 2007 06:15 PM (VgDLl)

9 Treating it as a criminal matter EVERY TiME IT OCCURS is a start. Better than treating it as a birthright, wouldn't you say? Got any degrees from Harvard or MIT, Azmat? Be honest now . . . And, btw, if the East is so superior, what are you doing here? Airline screwup? I'm still confused.

Posted by: Darrell at August 09, 2007 06:22 PM (jX1sL)

10 I am needed here ! And I never said anything about superior, its all the same to me. And who told you that domestic violence was a birthright, just another of many lies, that you have accepted without question. As far as the Law is concerned, you are making my argument for me. "our boys (and girls) are brought up by women.." If they are brought up in such a manner then why would you need such tough Laws? And Attila, You want me to look at statistics, I suggest you do the same and while you are at it visit some other countries and gain some perspective, I plan to go to India and Pakistan this Christmas, you are more than welcome to be my guest Just pay for your ticket I will take care of the rest. I am so glad to see you acknowledge your theory and hunch. You are on the right track if you are able to recognize that you have made up this bias opinion without any evidence. 1. Honor killings happen in every culture 2. how many battered women's shelter? What does that prove that there are more battered women here, because there are more shelters here? 3. Percentage of women from muslim countries, would probably be lower per capita, check it out. Even though it is an inappropriate sample.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at August 09, 2007 06:58 PM (mdszq)

11 I'd love to see your examples of honor killings among Jews, Christians, Hindus and athiests. Or among Europeans, Indians, blacks or Buddhists. In short, I'd be interested in any honor killings among the above demographics within the last 100 years. And I'd love to go to India and Pakistan! Unfortunately, I can't afford a ticket right now. Dang!

Posted by: Attila Girl at August 09, 2007 07:10 PM (VgDLl)

12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouztv-tRPKM&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2EFCYc2JhY&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri3BC7KCAUw&mode=related&search=

Posted by: Darrell at August 10, 2007 11:38 AM (PcpOG)

13 Attila, I have personally seen honor killings right here happening every day. You are unable to see it! Let me give you only three examples: 1: A marine comes back home and finds his wife has been cheating on him. He kills her, and commits suicide. I don't know what you call it, I call it honor killing. 2. A young girl that I knew, was kicked out of her house at the age of 16 because she was hooked on drugs. One night she came to her mother begging to please let her in. The mother refused, the next day the girl was found dead! The mother protected her honor, call it tough love, but lost a daughter, that in my books is honor killing. 3. A father killed himself and his family, it came out that he was about to be exposed and out of guilt and shame he killed his whole family. There are hundreds of such stories, and you might not see it as honor killing, because it does not fit your paradigm. Now as far as the links are concerned Darrell, those of us who refuse to think for ourself, use that as a crutch. You are more than welcome to post a dozen links, but just a simple thought from your own brain makes for a far more convincing argument. Unless you want me to think that like other organs in your body, you have decided to retire that organ and replace it with an electronic device. And Attila, If $1500 is a lot of money for you, I can raise that for you. We will raise it on the website. Don't let that be your reason, If you really want to experience the world and are curious and want to know what it is really like, there is always a way. Then again, some don't want to think outside their comfort zone. And maybe you are not willing to confront your bias yet.

Posted by: Azmat Hussain at August 11, 2007 01:46 PM (mdszq)

14 I have mechanical devices too.

Posted by: Darrell at August 11, 2007 07:34 PM (n8JqU)

15 You'll have to give me a raincheck, Az. If only I had fewer clients right now, I'd kill to go to India OR Pakistan. Next time, maybe. D:

Posted by: Attila Girl at August 13, 2007 03:02 AM (VgDLl)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

They made a thoughtful choice: Sean has been blogging for nearly a decade—he started a long time before the terms "weblog" and "blog" were even coined. And with his background in computers and economics, he's going to bring a lot to the table over there in D.C. I just hope he finds the time to continue his own efforts at The American Mind.

I suspect the weather is a bit better in Washington, D.C., versus Wisconsin. And I've long suspected that D.C. would be a fun place to live. Wasn't it Jeff Harrell who said that it was nearly impossible to get lost in the nation's capitol after a few weeks, what with all the famous landmarks everywhere one turns?

I'd be pretty happy with Fred as a candidate. Of course, one never knows what the MSM has up its sleeve: one person I know speculates that there's a lot more dirt on Giuliani than we know, and that the media aren't focusing on it right now because they hope Rudy will be the GOP nominee. That seemed a bit conspiratorial to me, but they are certainly going after Fred with enough gusto that I rather think they don't want him to carry the banner for the Republicans.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 09:20 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 222 words, total size 1 kb.

I take a purse cam with me everywhere I go. It pretty much accessorizes with everything.

Via Insty, who remarks that Michelle Madigan is "not ready for prime time." I'm amazed that she thought she could pull that stunt off.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 12:05 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 42 words, total size 1 kb.

I'm in San Diego, where the people are nice but the internet connections can be spotty.

Having a great time nerd-watching, socializing, and (let's be honest) reading the last Harry Potter book.

This, of course, is all exhausting. There's little time to blog.

Furthermore, one cannot write brilliant entries from the lobby of a Holiday Inn—I saw that written down somewhere, but I've forgotten where.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 11:39 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 71 words, total size 1 kb.

is give war a chance.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 09:36 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 19 words, total size 1 kb.

I rather doubt that.

Come on: You've got to give Obama credit for trying. Remember the milk thing? As I recall, it was George Bush Sr. that got caught in that particular trap, which led to that leitmotif some years later in The West Wing wherein the President and his aides kept trying to find someone who worked in the White House and knew the price of milk. Once the information was located, a memo was send 'round.

What bothers me is that it's hard to find the blends of prepackaged salad mix that have arugula and/or mustard greens already in 'em (e.g., the "Portofino" blend by Ready Pac). So one either has to get a whole bag or arugula (and risk that some will go to waste), or live without spicy greens in one's salad.

So give the kid a break, okay?

Of course, had I been stumping in Iowa, I might have stuck with the price of corn. A safer bet—and still delicious.

Posted by: Attila Girl at 01:15 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 179 words, total size 1 kb.

"Yes," I respond. "When I got my first account and asked you how to keep it straight, you replied that the secret was to have two accounts, and use them alternately.

But I never had trouble with the 'running balance' thing. It was trying to reconcile them against the statements that always made me crazy."

"I can't even spell 'reconcile,'" my father replies.

This is the same guy who criticized me in college for not taking enough courses in "the natural sciences." (I used to wonder what unnatural sciences would be, but I never bothered to ask.)

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:07 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
Post contains 123 words, total size 1 kb.

My mother doesn't mind my keeping beer in her fridge, or a bottle of vodka in her closet.

She refuses to let me leave Cheerios there, however.

Of course, what she doesn't know can't possibly hurt her. (Unless she finds it, in which case I'll simply disavow. And, yes—that is, in fact, a word, though one wonders how much currency it enjoyed before the 1960s.)

Posted by: Attila Girl at 04:01 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
Post contains 75 words, total size 1 kb.

It included: (1) more work in the office, which meant coming to terms with The Calculator That Hates Me, and with QuickBooks.

I swear: like learning to drive a clutch again. I felt like I was 17 again. Ick.

(2) Driving across town to take my mother to the chiropractor. I was late in picking her up, so she used the opportunity to give me helpful advice regarding what route to take there, which lanes I should be in on the freeway, and the like. "Okey-dokey," I kept saying. I know she knew I was aggravated, but what can you do? Old habits die hard.

At a certain point I did say, "I think I'll navigate for a while, here."

(3) Dinner back on this side of town with my father, my stepmother, and my husband. Lovely meal, but it made it a long day. Dad, of course, was at his quirky best.

Did I tell you what my best friend in the 80s used to say about my parents? "Five minutes in the same room with either one of them explains sooo much."

I'm not sure she meant that in a good way.

So I'm sorry I'm so dull lately, but I do (sort of) have money in the bank, which is nice. I hate to make it sound like I prefer money to traffic, but . . . well, except for Darrell and a few other Bright Stars out there, the denizens of the blogosphere can't compete with Paying Clients. Not right now.

I'm halfway through re-reading The Half-Blood Prince, in preparation for You-Know-What. And I must get a move on: the husband is line right behind me . . .

Posted by: Attila Girl at 09:09 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 293 words, total size 2 kb.

1 Did I tell you what my best friend in the 80s used to say about my parents? "Five minutes in the same room with either one of them explains sooo much." You know, I like stopping by here, and I don't think I want to be banned, so we'll just leave it alone. Yep, thats it, leave it alone. (P.S, Princess, I cleared out Firefox's passwords here, and I used to sign on here as RWB. I for some stupid reason put my first name in the other day, and repeated it. Just wanted you to know that you didn't have ANOTHER idiot lurking. Kinda like the same idiot twice.)

Posted by: RWB at August 02, 2007 03:43 PM (4j8Ry)

2 I have a handful of die-hard "idiots." I like to think my idiots are smarter than anyone else's, too. Nice to have people stopping by, even when I'm not writing. At least, not online

Posted by: Attila Girl at August 02, 2007 03:48 PM (VgDLl)

3 Any reader do Chinese characters? I wonder if "China rocks!" or some-such could get a billion web-hits with a little word-of-mouth on China sites. Imagine AG's ad rates skyrocketing! Imagine LMA cracking the "top-ten" websites! Imagine! Just think how much premium gin that could mean!

Posted by: Darrell at August 02, 2007 08:29 PM (1qZqZ)

4 Darrell, spoken like a true capitalist! I'm proud of you!

Posted by: RWB at August 03, 2007 12:28 PM (4j8Ry)

Hide Comments | Add Comment