Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.    -William Shakespeare, “Hamlet“, Act 1 scene 5 At my weblog, Random Fate, I advocate looking deeper than our Cold War/bipolar world bent minds would lead us to believe is sufficient.

…from outside the United States, Spiegel Online, the English language, Internet edition of the German magazine Der Spiegel, is a useful source: On Monday, US President George W. Bush bypassed Congress and installed the pugnacious John Bolton as UN Ambassador. While diplomats are trying to smile graciously, academics and European specialists insist the appointment is a direct slap in the face to Europe and to the UN. To put it in other words, Europe is reacting to this appointment exactly as...

The new development using nanotechnology to combat cancer, or rather, observing the reporting on the breakthrough, may reveal some interesting points in human nature. I briefly examine the slants in the reporting of this non-political topic at Random Fate.

Cross-posted to Random Fate. — Joe Gandelman, of The Moderate Voice, who is kind enough to allow me to post here, has written of his opposition to the apparent rebranding by the current Administration of President George W. Bush of the so-called “Global War on Terror”. Gandelman writes: The idea that this battle is more than just military, is a sound one. But I thought that just a few months ago conservative commentators were up in arms about the BBC and Reuters refusing to use...

…by needless patisan attacks can be found at my weblog Random Fate.

…may yet have larger ramifications, and not only for those affected.

James Wolcott, at his eponymous weblog, discusses in his wry and close-to if not over-the-top fashion the diverging spousal messages of the leaders of the US and the UK. Interesting. He is likely making a foothill (not quite a mountain) out of an ant-mound (not quite a mole-hill), but it is an odd contrast none the less.

At BoingBoing is a brief post titled “Shoot someone? Not Smith & Wesson’s fault. Copy a movie? Grokster’s fault“. The post at BoingBoing makes the point far better than the linked post at The Daily Kos does. An interesting contrast, both in terms of inconsistency in the law and in terms of how the point is made.

Some thoughts on the US flag, its use as a fashion accessory, and the meaning of the victories of Americans in sports can be found at my weblog, Random Fate.

Sometimes, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) misses the larger point in their quest to preserve fundamental liberties. While their goal is noble, on occasion they are misguided. — For additional information on the difficulties involved in this balance, see this recent article at The Christian Science Monitor.

In a recent post at my weblog Random Fate, I stated that President George W. Bush has not been showing leadership but instead has been playing politics at the expense of doing what is right for the nation, but he has an opportunity to do so by turning away from short-term political gain at any cost towards doing what is right for the nation, even if there is a political price to be paid. The Democratic Party now has a similar opportunity to turn away from short-term political gain at any cost towards...

Some brief thoughts on 20 July 1969 versus 20 July 2005 can be found at my weblog Random Fate.

For the non-geeks out there, James Doohan played “Scotty” in the original Star Trek series. In real life, Doohan was a genuine World War II hero. From CNN.com: James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, “Beam Me Up, Scotty,” his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children. At...

…does not seek for partisan advantage. I have cried out for that kind of leadership in my post “Our government is no place for political games for gain at any cost” at my own weblog, Random Fate. Please read and comment on it, especially if you disagree.

…through being distracted by shadow-boxing with fanatics?

…but necessary none the less. James Wolcott condemns our insular outlook, especially as it has been shown in the wake of the terrorist attacks in London, and he makes his point well. — Cross-posted to Random Fate.

A commentary on why Bastille Day should be remembered in the United States can be found at my weblog, Random Fate.

Cross-posted to Random Fate. Technical presentations tend to all follow a similar format, with a brief overview of the object of study, a description of the experiments performed, a presentation of the data, a discussion of the implications of the data, and conclusions along with directions for future work. One oddity I encounter in dealing with the different cultures and languages that are part and parcel of my job is how this format is subtly altered by word choices made under the influence of...

…and instead trying to take a wider view, I have returned from a two week hiatus/vacation with some ruminations upon “The shackles of cognitive thought” at my weblog, Random Fate. While the devil may lie in the details, you cannot see where you are going if you stare at your feet.

I am about to go on a two week vacation. After the news in recent weeks regarding the idiotic remarks of Senator Richard Durbin and Karl Rove, coupled with the ongoing Guantanamo shouting match, the passage in the House of Representatives of an anti-flag burning amendment, and the approval of eminent domain seizures in the name of private development, I need it because otherwise my incredulous anger might consume me. I have some parting thoughts posted on the Guantanamo prison, the Durbin/Rove idiocy,...

…can be found here: High court OKs personal property seizures Majority: Local officials know how best to help cities Thursday, June 23, 2005 Posted: 1450 GMT (2250 HKT) WASHINGTON (AP) — – The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people’s homes and businesses — even against their will — for private economic development. It was a decision fraught with huge implications for a country with many areas, particularly the rapidly growing urban...

I cannot recommend more highly reading this entire post by John Cole: Durbin Wrap Up. To provide an incentive, I give you a quote that encapsulates what I have been trying to convey about the prison at Guantanamo: The fact of the matter is, we just don’t know the whole story. And no matter what the blowhards and the administration apologists (and I used to be one) say, it isn’t liberal ACLU pro-terrorist anti-military crazinesss to demand the facts and to demand that we behave better...

My head just might explode, because I’m in the midst of the meeting-hell-week that I have mentioned at my own weblog Random Fate, so I don’t have much time to write here. Then, Congress goes and does this: House Backs Ban On Flag Burning By THE NEW YORK TIMES Published: June 23, 2005 WASHINGTON, June 22 – The House of Representatives passed a resolution on Wednesday proposing a constitutional amendment that would enable Congress to prohibit the destruction or debasement of the...

…after four decades, the Mississippi court system worked, resulting in a conviction on three counts of manslaughter.

…and recalling there is more to life, I have been trying to take advantage of my expatriate assignment in Europe. A few weeks ago I visited Prague, in the Czech Republic (the western part of the former Czechoslovakia). I have posted a few photos from my trip at my weblog, Random Fate. Enjoy.