Sequim Magazine

40,000 $ oil change

2008-07-31T14:45:00.001-07:00

A rich sheikh had his Lamborghini flown thousands of miles from Qatar to Britain and back - just so he could have the supercar's oil changed.

The anonymous resident had the £190,000 car put on a scheduled Qatar Airways flight from the Gulf nation to London's Heathrow Airport and had it sent straight back after the routine check, the Sun reports. The entire operation is thought to have set the sheikh back around £20,000.

It seems likely that the unusual move will spark concern among environmentalists. "This car doesn’t have a carbon footprint – more of a crater," one worker at the airport told the newspaper. An annoyed cargo handler added: "It would have been far more efficient to fly mechanics out there."

Also expressing her concern, Jenny Evans at anti-aviation lobbyists Plane Stupid said that the five-figure oil check "horrifies me", and Richard Dyer at Friends of the Earth branded the sheikh's behaviour "ludicrous".

The anonymous - and very rich - Qatari did win support from David Price at Lamborghini Club UK, however. "If an owner wants to service his car in that way, it is his choice," he said.

"I'm not surprised. Thankfully the age of excess in some areas continues."

Source: The Sun

Drawing a ray gun............

2007-08-23T14:03:00.001-07:00

A 13-year-old boy has been suspended for three days by an Arizona public
school because he sketched a picture that resembled a gun, something
school officials said they "absolutely" believed could pose a threat.

According to a report by KPHO-TV in Phoenix, it's not the type of
greeting the Mosteller family expected when they moved from Colorado
Springs to Chandler, Ariz., a few weeks ago.

"My son is a very good boy," Paul Mosteller told the television station.
"He doesn't get into trouble. There was nothing on the paper that would
signify that it was a threat of any form."

The principal at Payne Junior High School kept the actual drawing, and
officials with the Chandler Unified School District declined to release
any information about the situation.

"Federal privacy law forbids the school or district from discussing
student discipline," the station was told.

Mosteller said her son was just idly drawing pictures, and ended up with
a fake laser.

"He was just basically doodling and not thinking a lot about it," she
said. "We're not advocates for guns. We don't have guns in our home. We
don't promote the use of guns. My son was just basically doodling on a
piece of paper."

School officials who initially banned the student for five days lowered
the penalty to three days after discussing the situation with the boy's
father.

"I just can't believe that there wasn't another way to resolve this,"
Mosteller told the Associated Press. "He's so upset. The school made him
feel like he committed a crime. They are doing more damage than good."

The drawing did not show blood or bullets. Nor did it show injuries or
target anyone, the Mostellers said. It just resembled a gun.

Terry Locke, a spokesman for the district, told the AP the sketch was
"absolutely considered a threat," and threatening words or pictures are
punishable.

However, the school failed to contact police, and failed to provide
counseling or an evaluation for the student to determine if he intended
it as a threat, officials said.

The student's father, Ben Mosteller, said school officials told him how
serious they considered the situation, and discussed the 1999 massacre
at Colorado's Columbine High School, where two teens shot and killed 12
students and a teacher, and injured dozens more.

That, he said, was extreme and offensive. The family already has
contacted the district's governing board about the incident.

The station said it checked the rules students must follow at school,
and found there's nothing in a portion of the student handbook that
addresses conduct to indicate the drawing of a weapon poses threat.

Participants in a local newspaper forum were irritated.

"If school officials believed this to be a threat, they are in violation
of state law by failing to make a police report. Suspend them," said
"Bobo A."

"This once great land of ours (now someone else's) gets SICKER by the
day. Not the year, not the month, not the week, but by the DAY. Dennis
Prager asked a very interesting question: How did the "Greatest
Generation" give birth to the "Most Stupid Generation?" (my
paraphrase)," added "loamy l."

Prager, a WND columnist, recently reported on the case in McMinnville,
Ore., where students created something called "slap butt day" at Patton
Middle School.

He reported that on one such day in February, "Two boys tore down the
hall of Patton Middle School after lunch, swatting the bottoms of girls
as they ran – what some kids later said was a common form of greeting.
But bottom-slapping is against policy in McMinnville Public Schools. So
a teacher's aide sent the gawky seventh-graders to the office, where the
vice principal and a police officer stationed at the school soon
interrogated them."

The students were read their Miranda rights and hauled in handcuffs to
jail, where they spent the next five days.

All because the Yamhill County district attorney, Bradley Berry, brought
felony sex charges against the two boys. When he finally explained
himself under pressure from the media, Berry told the Oregonian, "From
our perspective and the perspective of the victims, this was not just
horseplay."

But Prager reported the girls, in fact, did regard it as horseplay. And
they claimed from virtually the outset that they had been pressured into
making a case against the boys.

"Our beloved country is flipping out. The effects of The Age of
Stupidity ushered in during the '60s and '70s are omnipresent. It is
highly doubtful that there is a living member of the World War II
generation who could have imagined that seventh-graders would one day be
brought in shackles into an American courtroom for playfully swatting a
girl's buttocks," Prager wrote.
--
*Thomas J. Pitre*
* Thomas Pitre Associates**
* "Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear
bright until you hear them speak. "
http://tpitre.nikola.com*
* Voicemail: 360 775 2434

OUR WEB SITE IS DOWN

2007-08-15T08:12:00.001-07:00

Choices and Voices web site is down. GoDaddy dropped the ball and didn't do what they were asked to do and paid to do...namely, transfer my domain registration. They SUCK.

I will be using this BLOG, henceforth. -tp.

I want to be known as a Sequimarian...

2007-05-25T07:08:00.001-07:00

T. Pitre, Sequimarian said...

I prefer to be known as a Sequimarian, rather than a Sequimite or Sequimer. Sequimarian has a more elegant tone to it than something that approaches another name for a member of the isoptera insect family.

Sequimarian approaches Centarian, which I hope to be someday. It is also near to librarian, which also has a more elegant sound to it. Not to forget the Bostonian, or the Bostonian Librarian, for that matter.

The suffix, "ian" means: related to or resembling, and we -- as residents, certainly are related to Sequim.

Regarding bike racks. Excellent idea, along with areas marked for scooters, electric cycles, electric trikes, etc.

There is never enough room in front of or adjacent to store fronts. I've been waiting for the BENCHES that someone suggested some time ago. It's nice to walk downtown, but if there is no place to sit, then it's a problem, like Las Vegas, because they want you inside, sucking up smoke and dropping quarters in their slot machines.

I hope we can have a shaded walk, with tulips planted in brick planters that serve as benches. Boulder has had this in their downtown core for years, and it is one of the most "walker" and people-friendly towns I've ever been in.

Let's set our goals a little higher for the downtown core. A little piece at a time is less costly, but the little piece at a time approach has not worked in so many ways. I'm referring to our lime green crosswalks, the Texas cattle guard "gate" at the W. end of town, planters in the middle of the road, cut-outs, high plants blocking views on major roads, no turn lanes, etc., etc. All these were attempts to control traffic, beautify the core, but failed in so many ways. Do it right the first time, I hope.

T. Pitre
Sequimarian
8:22 PM

No Thanks to Thanksgiving

2006-11-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

By Robert Jensen, AlterNet. Posted November 23, 2006.

One indication of moral progress in the United States would be the replacement of Thanksgiving Day and its self-indulgent family feasting with a National Day of Atonement accompanied by a self-reflective collective fasting.

In fact, indigenous people have offered such a model; since 1970 they have marked the fourth Thursday of November as a Day of Mourning in a spiritual/political ceremony on Coles Hill overlooking Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, one of the early sites of the European invasion of the Americas.

http://www.alternet.org/stories/44661/

3-1-1

2006-11-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. Passengers can greatly affect their experience at the airport by preparing in advance. This includes: Packing liquids, gels and aerosols in checked baggage whenever possible, using 3-1-1 for carry-ons, arriving early and ensuring they are not traveling with prohibited items.

For individuals who must carry liquids, gels and aerosols through the security checkpoint, it's as easy as 3-1-1.

All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a 3 ounce or smaller container.

These containers must be placed in a 1 quart, clear, plastic, zip-top bag.

1 bag per passenger placed in a plastic bin for screening.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=161&z=1

Cellphone as Tracker: X Marks Your Doubts - New York Times

2006-11-19T03:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/business/yourmoney/19digi.html?

_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

Deep Fried Coca Cola Batter and other goodies.

2006-11-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

Coca-Cola-flavored batter. He then drizzles Coke fountain syrup on it. The fried Coke is topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry. Gonzales said the fried Coke came about just from thinking aloud. http://dethroner.com/index.php/2006/10/11/latest-state-fair-death-snack-deep-fried-coke/

300+ U.S.casulties:Forward Base Falcon "Coverup"!

2006-10-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

by Brian Harring Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006 at 12:34 AM

Over 300 American troops, including U.S. Army and Marines, CIA agents and U.S. translators were casualties and there also were 165 seriously injured requiring major medical attention and 39 suffering lesser injuries 122 members of the Iraqi armed forces were killed and 90 seriously injured members of same, were also evacuated to the U.S. military hospital at al-Habbaniyah located some 70km west of Baghdad.

Source: http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2006/10/53584.php

God Loves my New Lexus

2006-10-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

God Loves My New LexusThe sillycool car that parallel parks itself, plus other proof that an uber-deity mocks us allBy Mark Morford

The new 2007 Lexus LS, the ridiculously silent uber-cush ultra-lux Valium-on-wheels hunk of $75,000 Japanese transportation from Toyota's most prestige brand, can now parallel park itself.

Here is the YouTube video. Here is the full breakdown of this car's astounding luxury features. Here is what you do: You pull up alongside the car just in front of a parking space. You put your car in reverse, which activates the rear camera and sensors. A diagram of arrows appears on the nav screen. You indicate where you want the car to go. You press Park and let go of the wheel.

Then: Take a sip of your Remy Martin and send $50,000 to the Republican Party as you silently give thanks to the Gods of Saudi Arabia and megacorporate conglomerates that your tax bracket is so stratospheric that it still affords you a massive V8 luxury automobile in the age of war and oil ravages and unchecked gluttony and the meltdown of Antarctica. The steering wheel starts to spin and the tires start to turn and millions of years of human evolution converge onto a single surreal moment, and in about 10 seconds, the car has parked itself.

And there you have it. Proof of God. Proof that God, clearly, has a wicked sense of humor. Proof that God drinks far, far more heavily than you. Proof that God sees the deep irony of life, and war, and oil, cars, cognac, parking spaces, everything, and laughs demonically. There is simply no other explanation. ...

BIG John for BIG people

2006-10-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Regardless of who you are buying for, yourself or a loved one, there are a few things you might like to know about our toilets. The GREAT JOHN is by no means a STANDARD toilet. It was designed from the ground up. http://greatjohn.com/grjodi.html

How much ACTUAL news is on a web site (CNN for example)

2006-10-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/10/19/125148/65 Which is the worse sin, presenting biased news and commentary, or providing total fluff and non-news and masquerading it as actual news?

Horrible Halloweenie costume

2006-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

viewblack.jpg (JPEG Image, 567x504 pixels)

2006-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

viewblack.jpg (JPEG Image, 567x504 pixels)
This t shirt is for sale on the web. Gads.

- Three Health Advantages Of A Vegetarian Diet

2006-10-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

- Three Health Advantages Of A Vegetarian Diet: "Three Health Advantages Of A Vegetarian Diet"

If We All Vanished Tomorrow / What would really happen if all humans disappeared? The Earth grins at the thought

2006-10-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

If We All Vanished Tomorrow / What would *really* happen if all humans disappeared? The Earth grins at the thought: "If We All Vanished Tomorrow - What would *really* happen if all humans disappeared? The Earth grins at the thought"

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Gaza doctors say patients suffering mystery injuries after Israeli attacks

2006-10-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Gaza doctors say patients suffering mystery injuries after Israeli attacks: "Gaza doctors say patients suffering mystery injuries after Israeli attacks " The weapon is US made, I'm sure, and they are doing our
testing for us.

Anti-aging Strategies

2006-10-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

Anti-aging Strategies: "Anti-aging Strategies
by Michael Lam, M.D."

NEWSWIRE

2006-10-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

NEWSWIRE: "Urban Racket and the Quest for Quiet

By Daniel Porras "

Throw away your TV - Ten Top Must Watch Documentaries -Part 1

2006-10-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Throw away your TV - Ten Top Must Watch Documentaries -Part 1

Jennifer Van Bergen: Bush's Military Commissions Act and the Future of America

2006-10-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Van Bergen: Bush's Military Commissions Act and the Future of America: "Bush's Military Commissions Act and the Future of America

By JENNIFER VAN BERGEN

'The legacy of Nuremberg and the solemn undertaking that Justice Jackson gave for the United States at the opening session, are under assault by the Bush Administration, which has embraced a radical world view that rests on a cult of power and a disdain for law.'"

The Seattle Times: Opinion: Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists

2006-10-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Opinion: Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists

2006-10-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times: Opinion: Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists

2006-10-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Opinion: Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists

2006-10-08T14:58:00.001-07:00

The Seattle Times: Opinion: Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists

2006-10-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Opinion: Military recruiters work hard to leave no child off their lists

Public Schools Have Flunked Out by James Erwin Norwood

2006-10-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Public Schools Have Flunked Out by James Erwin Norwood: "Public Schools Have Flunked Out by James Erwin Norwood
Public schools are brain dead and on life support; so let’s pull the plug on them, give them a decent funeral, and let better alternatives take root and flourish.

AARP - Segunda Juventud - Exercise your mind

2006-10-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

AARP - Segunda Juventud - Exercise your mind: "Mindful Exercise. Take care of your brain now, and you could increase the chances that your second youth will be more rewarding—and memorable.Mindful Exercise. Take care of your brain now, and you could increase the chances that your second youth will be more rewarding—and memorable."

Instant Messages, Lingering Paper Trail - washingtonpost.com

2006-10-06T10:33:00.000-07:00

Instant Messages, Lingering Paper Trail - washingtonpost.com: "Instant Messages, Lingering Paper Trail
HP, Foley Cases Illustrate Risk

By Mike Musgrove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 6, 2006; Page A06

People who think their instant messages disappear after being sent should think again."

eMarketer.com - What Makes You Buy?

2006-10-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

eMarketer.com - What Makes You Buy?: "What Makes You Buy?

OCTOBER 6, 2006

Check Out Your Prefrontal Cortex.

By Ben Macklin - Senior Analyst

Advances in the cognitive sciences and more sophisticated brain imaging are giving us an increasingly rich and detailed view of the brain's functions. With these advances it is perhaps not surprising that marketers have jumped on the 'brain bandwagon' to seek a neuroscientific explanation for why some brand or marketing campaigns work better than others.

The new field of neuromarketing apparently came of age two years ago after a study by Baylor College of Medicine was published in the respected academic journal Neuron. The study attempted to put to rest that age-old question: Which do you prefer, Coke or Pepsi?

The subjects in the experiment were given an anonymous taste test of each drink and their brain activity was scanned using a functional MRI (fMRI). The researchers were able to view, in real time, which parts of the brain 'lit up.' The subjects were then given the same drinks but with an image of a respective Coke can or Pepsi can visible to them. Their brains were scanned again.

The results were — you guessed it — 'Coke is it.' This is how the researchers expressed it: 'For the anonymous task, we report a consistent neural response in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex that correlated with"

Don't cash that check! It's a scam - ConsumerMan - MSNBC.com

2006-10-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

Don't cash that check! It's a scam - ConsumerMan - MSNBC.com: "Don't cash that check! It's a scam
Banks team up with questionable marketers to take your money"

The Great Shampoo Scandal | 100777.com

2006-10-05T04:16:00.000-07:00

The Great Shampoo Scandal 100777.com: "REVERSING SHAMPOO
THE GREAT SHAMPOO SCANDAL
by Makoli
September 6, 1998"

USATODAY.com - Newspaper website readership up 31%

2006-10-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

USATODAY.com - Newspaper website readership up 31%

Ananova - Police hunt farting dissident

2006-10-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ananova - Police hunt farting dissident: "Police hunt farting dissident

Police in Poland have launched a nationwide hunt for a man who farted loudly when asked what he thought of the president.

Hubert Hoffman, 45, was charged with 'contempt for the office of the head of state' for his actions after he was stopped by police in a routine check at a Warsaw railway station.

He complained that under President Lech Kaczynski and his twin brother Jaroslaw, the country was returning to a Communist style dictatorship.

When told to show more respect for the country's rulers, he farted loudly and was promptly arrested.

Hoffmann was arrested and released on bail but failed to turn up at a Warsaw court early this week to be tried, and the judge in the case rejected an appeal by defence lawyers to throw the charges out.

A court spokesman said: 'Such a case of disrespect is taken very seriously.'

Instead the court ordered the police to start a nationwide hunt for the man, and interpol have been alerted."

The Truth About Food Expiration Dates

2006-10-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Truth About Food Expiration Dates: "OCTOBER 1, 2006

Top News
By Pallavi Gogoi

The Truth About Food Expiration Dates
Since the spinach scare, food safety is foremost on the minds of grocery shoppers nationwide. Dates on labels? Here's what you need to know

The latest spinach food scare, which has claimed at least one life and sickened 183 other people, took many by surprise. After all, previous E. coli bacteria outbreaks were mostly associated with raw meat.

Nervous folks are peering more closely at dates stamped on the produce they buy from supermarkets. But how helpful are these dates really? Many of them are actually quite confusing. 'Is a food fresh until Feb. 1, 2008, if that's the date stamped on it, and then do you throw it out on Feb. 2?' asks Jeanne Goldberg, professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University. 'It's a very inexact science since those dates include a wide margin of safety.'

The Identity Project

2006-10-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Identity Project: "'Papers, please!'

This mantra of totalitarian societies has become familiar to Americans – not from movies, but from their own government. From police encounters to airport security, from political protests to public buses, your right to move around freely without 'accounting for yourself' is increasingly challenged.

The Identity Project (IDP) exists to uphold the freedom to exist, wander, and live anonymously within our own country if we so choose. We believe all Americans have the fundamental right to exist without seeking or getting permission of the government, to live without constantly proving who we are or why we are here, to freely move around our country. IDP explores and defends these rights.

IDP questions the motives behind, and effectiveness of, identity based domestic security programs and asks whether the degradation of our civil liberties is justified."

Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing - New York Times

2006-10-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing - New York Times: "Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing"

Is he dead yet?

2006-10-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

Accused of killing deputy, suspect shot 68 times

Sheriff: 'That's all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more'

MIAMI - A fugitive gunman accused of killing a Florida sheriff’s deputy was shot 68 times by SWAT team officers who found him hiding in the woods, according to autopsy results.

Police fired 110 shots at Angilo Freeland, 27, the target of a massive manhunt in central Florida following the shooting death of Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Williams Thursday.

“That’s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

Congressional analysis puts cost of Iraq war at $2 billion a week - The Boston Globe

2006-09-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

Congressional analysis puts cost of Iraq war at $2 billion a week - The Boston Globe: "Cost of Iraq war nearly $2b a week

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | September 28, 2006

WASHINGTON -- A new congressional analysis shows the Iraq war is now costing taxpayers almost $2 billion a week -- nearly twice as much as in the first year of the conflict three years ago and 20 percent more than last year -- as the Pentagon spends more on establishing regional bases to support the extended deployment and scrambles to fix or replace equipment damaged in combat."

Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry

2006-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry: "Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry"

The Conservative Voice News and Columns

2006-09-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Conservative Voice News and Columns - check out this site. Balance your views.

Purge Congress

2006-09-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Purge Congress - I just got email from this site. Check it out.

Why Aren't Newspapers Breaking Out of the Box?

2006-09-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

Why Aren't Newspapers Breaking Out of the Box?: "Why Aren't Newspapers Breaking Out of the Box?
Why does the newspaper industry, for the most part, have so much trouble adapting to the changing of the media environment brought on by the Internet and digital communications technologies? Some newspaper new-media managers and workers talk frankly about what they see as their companies' flaws.
"

AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Ann Coulter, 43 or 45, Conservative Commentator, Dies

2006-09-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

AlterNet: Blogs: PEEK: Ann Coulter, 43 or 45, Conservative Commentator, Dies: "Ann Coulter, 43 or 45, Conservative Commentator, Dies

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 6:28 AM on September 25, 2006.
"

The Blog | Gary Hart: The October Surprise | The Huffington Post

2006-09-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Blog | Gary Hart: The October Surprise | The Huffington Post: "It should come as no surprise if the Bush Administration undertakes a preemptive war against Iran sometime before the November election.

Were these more normal times, this would be a stunning possibility, quickly dismissed by thoughtful people as dangerous, unprovoked, and out of keeping with our national character. But we do not live in normal times."

The Seattle Times: Health: Latest energy drink gets some bad buzz

2006-09-23T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Health: Latest energy drink gets some bad buzz: "Industry experts seem less alarmed than drug experts and say marketers for energy drinks merely are trying to take on a 'street attitude' and stand out from the crowd.

'They are going after the savvy, sophisticated 20-something male. They used to show extreme sports, like skateboarding. Now they are taking on a street attitude,' said Sarah Theodore, editor of Beverage Industry magazine."

The March of Nanotechnology - New York Times

2006-09-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

The March of Nanotechnology - New York Times: "ENJOY WITH A CANDY CIGARETTE If your friends aren’t boring and longwinded enough, just serve them a new energy drink called Cocaine.

Yes, it’s real. A company named Redux Beverages last week introduced the product, which it called “the legal alternative” to the expensive, illicit and life-destroying drug.

Redux promises that “doing Cocaine” yields a better rush than drinks like Red Bull, but without the comedown. The effects last five hours, the company says. The drink is 350 times as strong as Red Bull, thanks to having more simple sugars and vitamin B-12.

The man responsible for Cocaine is Jamie Kirby, chief of Redux Beverages, based in Las Vegas. He told the Australian news site News.com.au that the drink’s kick also relies on “some psychological effect.”

One woman who tried Cocaine, the energy drink, told the site, “I don’t like the tingly feeling in my chest. I feel my heart racing and I’m not being paranoid ... I feel looped.”

Except for the lack of paranoia, it sounds as if Redux at least got the formula about right." Holy batcave!

Conscious Choice: The Mystery and Magic of the Labyrinth

2006-09-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

Conscious Choice: The Mystery and Magic of the Labyrinth

Open Loops: How to Deal With An Irate Person

2006-09-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Open Loops: How to Deal With An Irate Person: "How to Deal With An Irate Person

Many times, during the course of a day, we have to deal with irate people. Whether we are in Customer Service and dealing with angry customers or school administrators dealing with angry parents, handling an irate person and being able to lead them to a more calm — and logical — state can be a very desired skill.

The most common mistake that people make is to assume that when someone is out of control, we should calm our voices to model the desired state we wish the person to have. The assumption is that the other person will match us and a calm and logical conversation can then take place. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. Instead, because of the calm demeanor, the complainant doesn’t feel heard. Their rationale is that since the listener is not as outraged as they are, they must not have been listening or they don’t believe what was shared. The result is no trust so the person remains angry and outraged.

A better approach is called “Pace and Lead”. The first step is to match the complainant’s emotional intensity. This is not agreeing with the person. This is simply responding with the same emotions that are being presented. If a person is complaining that the delivery person scratched the new dryer as"

ResourceShelf » Prompt, free access to argument transcripts

2006-09-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

ResourceShelf » Prompt, free access to argument transcripts: "Prompt, free access to argument transcripts

September 15, 2006 at 12:32 am · Filed under Legal and law enforcement, United States

Prompt, free access to argument transcripts
“The Supreme Court will begin making available, without charge, the transcripts of oral arguments, on the same day that an argument has been held, the Court announced Thursday. This is one of the most important innovations, in terms of public access, by the new Chief Justice, John G. Roberts, Jr. For years, the idea of same-day release of transcripts of every argument has been rejected despite repeated requests from the media and other public entities.”"

Schneier on Security: Renew Your Passport Now!

2006-09-20T05:16:00.000-07:00

Schneier on Security: Renew Your Passport Now!: "September 18, 2006
Renew Your Passport Now!

If you have a passport, now is the time to renew it -- even if it's not set to expire anytime soon. If you don't have a passport and think you might need one, now is the time to get it. In many countries, including the United States, passports will soon be equipped with RFID chips. And you don't want one of these chips in your passport.

RFID stands for 'radio-frequency identification.' Passports with RFID chips store an electronic copy of the passport information: your name, a digitized picture, etc. And in the future, the chip might store fingerprints or digital visas from various countries.

By itself, this is no problem. But RFID chips don't have to be plugged in to a reader to operate. Like the chips used for automatic toll collection on roads or automatic fare collection on subways, these chips operate via proximity. The risk to you is the possibility of surreptitious access: Your passport information might be read without your knowledge or consent by a government trying to track your movements, a criminal trying to steal your identity or someone just curious about your citizenship."

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Companies wake up to blogs' barking

2006-09-20T03:44:00.000-07:00

Guardian Unlimited Technology | Technology | Companies wake up to blogs' barking: "Companies wake up to blogs' barking

Andrew Clark in New York
Tuesday September 19, 2006
The Guardian

Dell learned recently about the growing power of the blogosphere when it recalled 4.1m laptop batteries after a video that showed one of its computers bursting into flames was posted on the internet. The brief clip zig-zagged through cyberspace and went from cult viewing to national television."

AnnoyingCoworker - Let your coworker know about their annoying habits!

2006-09-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

AnnoyingCoworker - Let your coworker know about their annoying habits!: "
Have you ever had a coworker drive you nuts and you just wanted to tell them about it but didn't have the guts?
Your coworker will NEVER know it came from you! Completely untraceable!
Use a habit below by clicking on it! "

Drug Policy Alliance: Congress Considering Strip Searching Students

2006-09-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Drug Policy Alliance: Congress Considering Strip Searching Students: "Congress Considering Strip Searching Students
September 18, 2006

Imagine an America in which school officials could strip search every student in their school based on the unsubstantiated tip that one of them might have a joint. Congress is voting on a bill Tuesday or Wednesday that could make these police state tactics more common."

Spinach growers warned about product safety last year / State, federal officials concerned by 20 reports of tainted greens

2006-09-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Spinach growers warned about product safety last year / State, federal officials concerned by 20 reports of tainted greens: "Spinach growers warned about product safety last year
State, federal officials concerned by 20 reports of tainted greens

Stacy Finz and Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writers

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Just 10 months before fresh spinach started sending people to the hospital, state and federal officials warned Salinas Valley growers and packers to clean up their act after a decade of deadly E. coli bacteria breakouts.

In November 2005, the FDA sent a letter to growers, packers, processors and shippers warning them to improve produce safety."

USATODAY.com - Number of E. coli spinach cases hits 109

2006-09-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

USATODAY.com - Number of E. coli spinach cases hits 109 Details of latest recall, etc.

Fake Caller - Type A Message .. Computer Synthezied Voice Calling

2006-09-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Fake Caller - Type A Message .. Computer Synthezied Voice Calling: "Make A Fake Call
Type any message and it will be synthesized in the voice
you choose, we then call your destination number and
we will display the callerID that you specify."

AlterNet: War on Iraq: The Pentagon's 12-Step Program to Create a Misfit Military

2006-09-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

AlterNet: War on Iraq: The Pentagon's 12-Step Program to Create a Misfit Military: "The Pentagon's 12-Step Program to Create a Misfit Military

By Nicholas Turse, Tomdispatch.com. Posted September 16, 2006.

Iraq is driving down the number of new enlistees, and in desperation recruiters are bringing in a motley mix of underage teens, foreign fighters, neo-Nazis, and ex-cons."

THE DARK WEB

2006-09-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

Internet Trolling for Terrorists (Toronto Star) At the University of Arizona, Hsinchun “Chen, a computer scientist, created a project known as the Dark Web”--an Internet program that accesses “the dark corners of websites where radicals hide and attempt to recruit,” reports the Star. Chen says he has amassed “the world’s largest collection of terrorism websites and is one of a handful of experts on contract to the U.S. government. With a technique known as ‘spidering,’ the Dark Web continually crawls through the Internet finding the back doors into chat rooms and protected websites where some of today’s terrorist plots are hatched.”

Don't trash broken stuff; send it back - Lifehacker

2006-09-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Don't trash broken stuff; send it back - Lifehacker: "Don't trash broken stuff; send it back"

NSAT&T - Search

2006-09-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

NSAT&T - Search

Laptop Security

2006-09-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

In light of the recent news of a laptop being stolen that contained private veteran's data, it would behoove anyone to encrypt their important data in case of theft. Get a FREE folder lock for your computer at: http://downloads.pcworld.com/pub/new/utilities/security/folder-lock.exe

TP.

Inside Your Notebook's Battery: Ordinary AA NiMH Cells

Newsvine - No, That's Not a Penis Pump, Mom. Really

2006-08-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Newsvine - No, That's Not a Penis Pump, Mom. Really

The Shrinking Value of the Dollar

2006-08-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

The Shrinking Value of the Dollar The Shrinking Value of the Dollar
The CPI inflation calculator uses the average Consumer Price Index for a given calendar year. This data represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. This index value has been calculated every year since 1913. For the current year, the latest monthly index value is used. In 2002, for example, it took $17.89 to buy what $1 bought in 1913. Note that in 1920, it cost $2.02, and declined in 1925 and through the 1930s, illustrating the effect of the Great Depression, when prices slumped. Prices did not pass $2 again until 1950.

USATODAY.com - States list meth offenders on Web

2006-08-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

USATODAY.com - States list meth offenders on Web

CHIP our troops...

2006-08-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

: "A Florida company wants to get under the skin of 1.4 million U.S. servicemen and women.

VeriChip Corp, based in Delray Beach, Fla., and described by the D.C. Examiner as 'one of the most aggressive marketers of radio frequency identification chips,' is hoping to convince the Pentagon to allow them to insert the chips, known as RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) chips under the skin of the right arms of U.S. servicemen and servicewomen to enable them to scan an arm and obtain that person’s identity and medical history. The chips would replace the legendary metal dog tags that have been worn by U.S. military personnel since 1906."

Your Evil Intent by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

2006-08-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Your Evil Intent by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.: "Your Evil Intent

by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.
It is not enough that the Transportation Security Administration wastes hours upon endless hours of time. It's not enough that they confiscate our Chapstick and toothpaste and claim that it is for our own protection. It's not enough that we must fork over our ID at five different checkpoints before boarding a plane, and have strangers paid with our tax dollars rifle and snoop through our bags again and again."

Videos from Maharishi Univ.

2006-08-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

Videos from Maharishi University of Management

Royal Navy Getting 16 Phalanx Block 1B Upgrade Kits for $57M (defense acquisition, defence purchasing, military procurement)

2006-07-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Royal Navy Getting 16 Phalanx Block 1B Upgrade Kits for $57M (defense acquisition, defence purchasing, military procurement)

Docuticker

2006-07-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Docuticker: "DocuTicker offers a hand-picked selection of resources, reports and publications from government agencies, NGOs, think tanks and other public interest organizations."

Energy Crisis Now!: April 2006

2006-07-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Energy Crisis Now!: April 2006NEWS ABOUT THE ENERGY SECTOR, PEAK OIL AND OTHER MUSINGS, RANTS, ETC.

World Policy Institute - Arms Trade Resource Center Links

2006-07-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

World Policy Institute - Arms Trade Resource Center Links: "ARMS TRADE RESOURCE LINKS

Defense Contractors

Alliant Techsystems www.atk.com

Boeing Company www.boeing.com/flash.html

General Dynamics Corporation www.gd.com

Lockheed Martin Corporation www.lockheedmartin.com

Northrop Grumman Corporation www.northgrum.com

Raytheon Company www.raytheon.com

TRW www.trw.com/home/main/1,,,00.html

United Technologies www.utc.com

Industry Organizations

Aerospace Industries Association www.aia-aerospace.org

"

Nation Books

2006-07-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Nation Books: "George W. Bush's approach to military spending is essentially a higher-priced version of what went on under the Suharto regime in Indonesia, in which corporations connected to the military and the President's inner circle had the inside track on lucrative government contracts. And there's now plenty of money to go around. The military budget has increased from $300 billion per year to more than $400 billion annually since George W. Bush took office. And the invasion and occupation of Iraq will cost at least another $200 billion over the next three to five years.

US policy is now based on what's good for Chevron, Halliburton, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Bechtel, not what's good for the average citizen. Dick Cheney's ties to arms and oil conglomerate Halliburton are just the tip of the iceberg: At least thirty-two top officials in the Bush Administration served as executives or paid consultants to major weapons contractors before joining the Administration."

Report: U.S. WEAPONS AT WAR 2005

2006-07-06T06:49:00.000-07:00

Report: U.S. WEAPONS AT WAR 2005: "

ARMS TRADE RESOURCE CENTER

U.S. WEAPONS AT WAR 2005:
PROMOTING FREEDOM OR FUELING CONFLICT?
U.S. Military Aid and Arms Transfers Since September 11

A World Policy Institute Special Report
by Frida Berrigan and William D. Hartung, with Leslie Heffel
June 2005"

Weapons Sales Worldwide Rise to Highest Level Since 2000 - Free Preview - The New York Times

2006-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Weapons Sales Worldwide Rise to Highest Level Since 2000 - Free Preview - The New York Times: "The value of [US]military weapons sales worldwide jumped in 2004 to the highest level since 2000, driven by arms deals with developing nations, especially India, Saudi Arabia and China, according to a new Congressional study"

Homeland Stupidity

2006-07-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Homeland Stupidity

Top Twelve Reasons to Eat Locally

2006-06-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Top Twelve Reasons to Eat Locally

NSA spying

2006-06-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

PRIVACY
Salon gives more questions than answers on NSA spying

In Salon yesterday, reporter Kim Zetter penned a story describing allegations by two unnamed sources that the federal government has set up a facility in a closed-off room inside an AT&T “network operations center” in St. Louis -- a site that plays a major role in managing all of AT&T's Internet operations. According to Zetter, the site is the “technical command center from which the company manages all the routers and circuits carrying the company's domestic and international Internet traffic. Therefore, [the site] could be instrumental for conducting surveillance or collecting data.”

We’ve heard a bit about this before. Back in January, Mark Klein, a former AT&T technician, became a witness in a class-action lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation against AT&T, charging the company with illegally taking part in a NSA domestic-surveillance program. Klein alleged the existence of government surveillance operations in AT&T offices in San Francisco an in Bridgeton, Missouri, near St. Louis, according to AT&T documents.

Zetter’s Salon story cites two sources who worked at the Bridgeton facility but who had never actually entered in the room in question, or even -- amazingly -- asked the people who worked in it what they were doing, even though the sources had been told by others at the company that “employees working inside the room were ‘monitoring network traffic’ and that the room was being used by ‘a government agency.’”

From there, Zetter -- who has won several awards for her investigative and feature reporting -- builds a case about what could be going on in the room, which leads to a story populated with more than its fair share of “could be’s” and “might’s,” with a frustrating lack of concrete evidence to confirm the suspicions of the employees, technology experts and former NSA hands she speaks to, all of whom say the operation smells like an NSA program.

Source: Paul McLeary, CJR Daily

Behold, All My Dirty Secrets / Is your home computer a treasure trove of scandalous, wicked material? Great. So is mine

2006-06-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Behold, All My Dirty Secrets / Is your home computer a treasure trove of scandalous, wicked material? Great. So is mine: "Behold, All My Dirty Secrets
Is your home computer a treasure trove of scandalous, wicked material? Great. So is mine"

Joseph Smith

2006-06-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Joseph Smith: "There's two ways to look at Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. On the one hand you can view him as a fraud -- a monomaniacal polygamist, an opportunist who shamelessly exploited his religious followers, who was murdered by an angry mob, infuriated by all his bullshit. On the other hand, you could be a Mormon. In which case, he's the greatest man who ever lived. Your call."

Joseph Smith Page - Magical seer stones and secret polygamy

2006-06-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Joseph Smith Page - Magical seer stones and secret polygamy Good stuff.

NPR : Canadian Dreams of Ethanol Distilled from Grass

2006-06-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

NPR : Canadian Dreams of Ethanol Distilled from Grass: "Morning Edition, May 16, 2006 · It's been a dream for many years: Distill clean-burning ethanol from grass, the cheapest vegetation. It's not just a dream anymore. An entrepreneur in Canada has a small factory operating already. He claims that he's ready to blanket the continent with such factories."

t r u t h o u t - MultiMedia

2006-06-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

t r u t h o u t - MultiMedia VIDEO

t r u t h o u t | News Politics

2006-06-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

t r u t h o u t | News Politics

Fake Name Generator

2006-06-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

Fake Name Generator

US Senator Maria Cantwell

2006-06-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

US Senator Maria Cantwell will be at the Clallam Democratic Headquarters, 150 S 5th Ave, at 3 pm, Saturday, June 17.

I urge all of you to attend and voice your concern about the future of the Internet. Legislation is currently being considered in the Senate that was passed by the House that will make the Internet much more like cable TV, much more commercial, and controlled much more by only a few companies for both content and capacity.
The current banner of the dispute is Net Neutrality. Civic organizations nationwide have been lobbying for net neutrality, only to have major telecoms control the debate and outcome.

A better motto is: Keep the Internet as a national resource, not a national revenue source.

Please take this last opportunity. Maria Cantwell could easily be a deciding voice.

Wayne Bowen
President, Sequim PC User Group

theboxtank

2006-06-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

theboxtankThe Box Tank

With literally thousands of stores, "Super Centers", "Neighborhood Markets" and other retail outlets, Wal-mart is officially the world's largest retailer. This fascinating Web Log, entitled TheBoxTank.Com, examines how
this movement of "big box urbanism" is shaping American culture today.

Run by a triumvirate of writers from New York City, the blog is regularly updated with news and articles relating to the culture and architecture of "Lifestyle Centers" such as Wal-Mart. The site is also rife with great
links to other interesting blogs and websites, both large and small in size.

Telegraph | News | US 'planning to keep 50,000 troops in Iraq for many years'

2006-06-12T05:37:00.000-07:00

Telegraph | News | US 'planning to keep 50,000 troops in Iraq for many years' Does this come as a surprise to anyone? -tp

CarboNation | FP Passport

2006-06-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

CarboNation | FP Passport How much to make the world CARBON neutral?

Animal School Movie Text

2006-06-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Animal School Movie Text: "Here is the text of our popular movie, 'Animal School'. The story has been reproduced from Preparing Our Children for Success, by Rabbi Z. Greenwald with permission from the copyright holders, Artscroll/ Mesorah Publications, LTD.

*****

Once upon a time the animals had a school. They had to create a curriculum that would satisfy everyone, so they chose four subjects: running, climbing, flying, and swimming. All the animals, of course, studied all the subjects."

ACLU Washington:

2006-06-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

ACLU Washington:ACTION ALERTS FOR ACLU

Guerrilla Gardening

2006-06-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

Guerrilla GardeningSequim could use a group of guerrilla gardeners, I'm sure.

TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows XP/2000 and Linux

2006-06-01T05:12:00.001-07:00

TrueCrypt - Free Open-Source On-The-Fly Disk Encryption Software for Windows XP/2000 and Linux

2006-06-01T05:12:00.000-07:00

'In God We Trust' Scrubbed from Image of Liberty Nickel

2006-05-31T05:43:00.000-07:00

Modified Image on School Yearbook Cover Upsets Some Parents 'In God We Trust' Scrubbed from Image of Liberty Nickel

Parents in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, are expressing anger over an elementary school's decision to remove the phrase "In God We Trust" from its yearbook cover.

Officials at Liberty Elementary School in Colleyville deliberately omitted the words "In God We Trust" from a large image of the new "Liberty" nickel appearing on the cover of the school's inaugural yearbook. The coin features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the cursive "Liberty" inscription in Jefferson's own handwriting, and the national motto along the right edge -- except, that is, along the edge of the coin's image on this elementary school's yearbook.

Janet Travis, principal of Liberty Elementary School, explains that in making the determination, she wanted to avoid offending students of different religions. But for those who preferred, the yearbook came with a sticker that allowed students to put the phrase "In God We Trust" back on the Liberty nickel...

The easiest way to fool smart people - Paul's tips

2006-05-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

The easiest way to fool smart people - Paul's tips: "The easiest way to fool smart people - Wednesday, 31 May 2006
There's a saying among con-men that smart people are easier targets, because they don't think they can be conned. "

Belfast Telegraph

2006-05-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Belfast Telegraph: "Noam Chomsky: Why it's over for America
An inability to protect its citizens. The belief that it is above the law. A lack of democracy. Three defining characteristics of the 'failed state'. And that, says Noam Chomsky, is exactly what the US is becoming. In an exclusive extract from his devastating new book, America's leading thinker explains how his country lost its way
30 May 2006"

EOI Tax Policy - Washington State Income Tax?

2006-05-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

EOI Tax Policy - Washington State Income Tax?: "Discussion Brief: An Income Tax for Washington State?
Contact: Jason Smith, Economic Security Policy Associate, September 2002"

Kosmix

2006-05-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

KosmixUsing KOSMIX (Beta), search US politics.

Gigablast

2006-05-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

GigablastGOVERNMENT SEARCH using Gigablast.