Soon after I launched the current version of the site I was ready to redo it again. But that obviously hasn’t happened. In those nearly three years a lot has changed, and some goals that I’d set out to achieve in the next iteration have become exponentially easier to accomplish.

1. Content silos
   I tried and failed in the previous version to break up the content into the types I intended to post (Entries, Links, Books, Quotes, Shirts) but never got it just right. Later I concluded that Tumblr’s execution of Entries, Quotes, Images, Links, etc. was ideal. And with the addition of Custom Posts to WordPress it’s become exponentially easier to mimic that organization.
2. Adaptive design 
   Not having a site that was optimized for mobile always seemed like a failure, but an easily repairable one. As browsers have improved it’s become even easier still. No more excuses.
3. Design
   I hated the old one. It shouldn’t be too hard to come up with something I can at least bare to look at.

And with that, I set off on an unknown journey for an unspecified amount of time with an unnamed destination. My plan is to first strip the site to it’s bones. Work out the WordPress templates first. Then I’ll build from the mobile up. All this to say that this site could get pretty weird for a while. But hopefully doing this publicly will be enough to shame me into giving it the time necessary to complete the project sooner rather than later.

I hope this doesn’t suck, but I know it will. Let’s go!

Yes, there always going to be rich and poor. But we used to live in country where rich owned factory and make 30 times what factory worker make. Now we live in country where rich make money by lying about value of derivative bonds and make 3000 times what factory worker would make if factories hadn’t all moved to China.

Capitalism great system. We won Cold War because people behind Iron Curtain look over wall, and see how much more plentiful and delicious cookies are in West, and how we have choice of different bakeries, not just state-owned one. It great system. It got us out of Depression, won WWII, built middle class, built country’s infrastructure from highways to Hoover Dam to Oreo factory to electrifying rural South. It system that reward hard work and fair play, and everyone do fair share and everyone benefit. Rich get richer, poor get richer, everyone happy. It great system.

Then after Reagan, Republicans decide to make number one priority destroying that system. Now we have system where richest Americans ones who find ways to game system — your friends on Wall Street — and poorest Americans ones who thought working hard would get them American dream, when in fact it get them pink slip when job outsourced to 10-year-old in Mumbai slum. And corporations have more influence over government than people (or monsters).

It not about rich people having more money. It about how they got money. It about how they take opportunity away from rest of us, for sake of having more money. It how they willing to take risks that destroy economy — knowing full well that what could and would happen — putting millions out of work, while creating nothing of value, and all the while crowing that they John Galt, creating wealth for everyone.

That what the soul-searching about. When Liberals run country for 30 years following New Deal, American economy double in size, and wages double along with it. That fair. When Conservatives run country for 30 years following Reagan, American economy double again, and wages stay flat. What happen to our share of money? All of it go to richest 1%. That not “there always going to be rich people”. That unfair system. That why we upset. That what Occupy Sesame Street about.

He/it goes on…

Oil companies get share of our money. It called subsidy. Bankers get share of our money. It called bailout. Defense contrators get share of our money. It called no-bid contract.

If you got rich legitimately – not by gaming stock market or taking advantage of loophole, but by selling product people want to buy – you got rich because of government. Government paved roads you ship products on. Government give your warehouse police and fire protection. Government educate every single person who work for you. Government keep air and water clean and products safe so customers not die before time. Government make sure everyone have comfortable retirement, so they have money to spend on product and not just cat food.

And when me say “government”, me mean “everyone in America”. Because that what government is – it everyone in America pooling resources to provide for greater good. Without that sharing of resources, we not have army, we not have highways, we not put man on moon.

In theory, this country a democracy, where everyone who share resources also have say in how resources used. In practice, ordinary monster have very little say, and super-rich basically do whatever they want and make government do whatever they want. In theory, we have system where everyone pool resources and everyone benefit. In reality, we have system where everyone pool resources, and richest 1% benefit far out of proportion to rest of us.

As me already say, no one using “other people have more money than me” as rallying cry. No one. Me suppose me have to repeat that several times, but as me learn on Sesame Street, repetition is only way to get preschooler to learn, or someone with preschool level of understanding.

[via SF Weekly]

1955-2011

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lot an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

apple.com/stevejobs/

“The problem is that we live in an uptight country. Why don’t we just laugh at ourselves. We are funny. Gays are funny. Straights are funny. Women are funny. Men are funny. We are all funny, and we al do funny things. Let’s just laugh about it.”

— I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This! by Bob Newhart (pg. 174)

Everyone seems to be getting all hyped up about the lines (or lack of) for the Verizon iPhone today. But there are several reasons why this is really a non-story.

Weather

It’s been an abnormally cold winter throughout the U.S. The high in Santa Fe, NM today is 28. In Dallas, TX it’s 34. In Birmingham, AL it’s 29. No one wants to be outside standing in a line. The original iPhone launched on a sunny day in June.

Contracts

The state of wireless service in the U.S. requires costly and lengthy contracts. It would have been foolish to have expected a flood of customers from other networks on day one of the iPhone being on Verizon. As contracts do expire there will be a steady flow of defectors as long as early reports of improved service persist.

Availability

The initial iPhone launch was only available at Apple retail stores, of which there were a couple hundred at the most. The Verizon iPhone is available at all of the Apple stores as well as at the several thousand Verizon Wireless stores.

Pre-ordering

Many existing Verizon customers took advantage of the opportunity to pre-order the iPhone on February 3rd. So you won’t see any of them in any lines. Some of them have already received their phones and are enjoying the improved reliability.

Future models (this is a big one)

This first generation of the Verizon iPhone is just a teaser. There is a 4G iPhone on the way and Verizon is in the process of rolling out their 4G network. Once it’s completed it will be the only legitimate 4G network with the iPhone. The anticipated launch of the iPhone 5 this summer is likely to include a 4G Verizon iPhone. Some Verizon customers will surely be waiting a few more months to take advantage of that improvement in both phone and network quality.

We will never again see the insane lines that piles up in anticipation of the original iPhone launch. Honestly, we should be surprised that anyone was waiting in line for an iPhone today. But don’t be fooled, this won’t have an impact on Verizon’s iPhone sales numbers. Most industry analysts will still be way off .

Mythbusters Adam Savage reminds us that the failures of the TSA and the Porno-Scanners are not a recent revelation.

Eliot Spitzer introduces us to “Operation Hemorrhage” and goes on to explain how the Porno-Scanners are just one more indication that the terrorists are winning and “mocking us.”

A month after Tom Sawyer was forced to board a flight humiliated and soaked in his own urine he finally received an apology from the TSA.

“They need to know what it looks like, how it functions. They obviously do not know,” Sawyer told the newspaper, adding that he refused to fly again for the time being.

“No, no, no. Now a thousand times, no,” he said. “Not until I can get my head around all this.”

[TSA chief John] Pistole vowed to discuss the issue with TSA supervisors to determine what kind of training should be implemented.

So what Pistole is saying is that the agency gave little to no attention to the sensitivities of children, seniors and the disabled when planning the implementation of these policies? Nice.

As Mike Davidson said, “It’s official: it’s not a real scandal unless NMA animates it.”

No x-ray, no pat-down, come on through

I asked The Supervisor, “Per my constitutional rights, I am not allowed to be detained without reasonable cause for arrest.  Now, am I free to go?”

He answered, “If you leave, we will call the APA.”

I asked, “Who is the APA?”

“The Airport Police.”

I said, “Actually, that’s probably a good idea.  Let’s call them and your manager.”

Why Cavity Bombs Would Make the TSA Irrelevant

Three experts I spoke to this weekend — two of whom are currently serving in government in counter-terrorism capacities — believe it is only a matter of time before the technique is tried here. “We have nothing in our arsenal that would detect these bombs,” one told me. “There is no taboo that we can see against this technique. Suicide is suicide, it doesn’t matter how gross it is.”

A Massive Terrorist Target

By attempting to protect one high-value target, the TSA is creating another.

The occasional voices of reason are what I enjoy most about this entire saga. A security official in Amsterdam has called for what other security experts have been begging for during the last decade.

“If you look at all the recent terrorist incidents, the bombs were detected because of human intelligence not because of screening … If even a fraction of what is spent on screening was invested in the intelligence services we would take a real step toward making air travel safer and more pleasant.”

— Marijn Ornstein, chief of security, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam

Young Boy Strip Searched By TSA:

TSA pat-down leaves traveler covered in urine:

“One agent watched as the other used his flat hand to go slowly down my chest. I tried to warn him that he would hit the bag and break the seal on my bag, but he ignored me. Sure enough, the seal was broken and urine started dribbling down my shirt and my leg and into my pants.”

The security officer finished the pat-down, tested the gloves for any trace of explosives and then, Sawyer said, “He told me I could go. They never apologized. They never offered to help. They acted like they hadn’t seen what happened. But I know they saw it because I had a wet mark.”

TSA chief John Pistole speaks on traveler outrage:

Pistole had pledged Sunday to review security procedures in the wake of a public outcry. But he also said the TSA must balance people’s demand for privacy with the need to protect passengers from those who would try to set off bombs on planes.

In other words, we’re not going to change anything. Here’s the interview with Pistole. Pistole may not have been a politician by trade, but he’s picked up the nuance of saying something while saying nothing very quickly.

Update: This should come as no surprise to anyone that’s traveled by commercial jet in the past few years.

Audit Faults TSA’s Training of Airport Screeners as Rushed, Poorly Supervised

The TSA’s screener-training program suffers from systemic problems, including a shortage of on-the-job training monitors, slow or malfunctioning computers, and managers who fail to give TSOs enough time to keep up to date on their their legally-required training.

There was the addition of a 50 Cent verse:

And now The Dallas Observer has collected some famous movie scenes that have been set to Cee-Lo’s masterpiece. The best one is easily the “Shawshank Redemption” version.

[via Kottke and clusterflock]