Inanity, Crumpets, & Fun

National Geographic: Do Chimps Grieve?

2009-10-28T13:41:48Z

[caption id="attachment_74" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption=""CameroonAt the Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue Center, more than a dozen residents form a gallery of grief, looking on as Dorothya beloved female felled in her late 40s by heart failureis borne to her burial." - National Geographic"][/caption]

This photo took my breath away, and at least for me the evidence is absolute that there are animals capable of feeling complex emotions as we do. The grieving on the faces of the Chimps, is for me, undeniable. What do other people think?

The photo appears in the November issue of National Geographic in their Visions of Earth 2009 article.

I am Neda: Revolution, Social Media, and the Tiananmen Square Connection

2009-06-24T16:38:22Z

...She lies in the Tehran street with her headscarf half-off, blood pooling around her jeans and white sneakers.
"Don't be afraid, Neda dear, don't be afraid," a white-haired man says desperately in Persian. Another man presses on her chest, trying to keep her alive.

Scarlet blood gushes from her nose and mouth and courses across her pale face. Men and women scream in horror as they realize she is dead or dying. - AP, 6/22/09

The murder of 27 year old Neda Agha-Soltan at a protest in Tehran likely by Basij militia or Revolutionary Guards has become a tragic yet equally powerful symbol for Iran's struggle for freedom and given her a martyr's status in Iran.In less than 48 hours, the 40 second video was all over YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter with over a million impressions (An aside: Social media has finally justified its otherwise navel-gazing existince). Old media followed soon after, spreading the video world-wide and into the mainstream consciousness. Nearly a week after the video was recorded it is still one of the most-searched terms on the web, and today alone over 14,264 blog posts and news articles have been written about her.

YouTube: Iranian woman killed June 20, 2009 by Ali Khamanei [WARNING: The preceding link contains the real and graphic death of a human being.]

But it didn't take long for comparisons of Tiananmen's Tank Man to start rolling in. I am not sure how accurate these comparisons are given many differences between the two examples, but as powerful symbols of the struggle for freedom they are close. One such difference is that images of the Tank Man have near-universal familiarity and meaning to the rest of the world; In China, however, the powerful imagery of the Tank Man, is largely baffling to the younger affluent and educated generation many of whom had parents at the protests. On the other hand, the images of Neda's death have become a rallying cry for protesters in Iran, and despite complete media control, seems to be having an impact on the greater Iranian population to the detriment of the Islamic Republic's authority.

Furthermore, while the unprecedented protests in Tiananmen Square failed to liberalize the government of China, as the protesters had hoped, they did lead to economic reform. These economic reforms were still a far cry from the freedoms and accountability originally sought and that are still far out of reach. Meanwhile, Iran by some accounts is still fluid situation - although the edge still certainly remains on the side of the Islamic Republic. But the facade is nonetheless cracked and Ayatollah Khomeneican no longer take his power for granted in light of a younger generation that overwhelmingly seeks reform.

I really want to hear what some of you are thinking about all of this.

What do you think of the comparison of Neda to the Tank Man from Tiananmen Square?Is this a fair comparison? What do you think will be the ramifications of the poignant, public display of Neda's sacrifice? Is she the Tank Man of the Internet-generation?

Originally published at Blueblooder.com.

Boston's Long Overdue Reformed PILOT System Is Still MIA

2009-05-19T15:59:29Z

Last week the Mayor of Providence created a controversy by announcing a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) system by which students of local Colleges and Universities pay a $150 fee per semester. This would be the first time a city levied a per-pupil fee to charge local schools for their use of land and municipal services. Naturally, the Universities balked and cried crocodile tears for their students who would suffer as the result of yet another fee. Students and their families already burdened with exponentially increasing tuition joined in too.

If things are bad in Providence, they are much worse in Boston. In 2002, the BRA found that 50 % of property in Boston was tax exempt. This study was conducted before the massive land grab by Harvard in Allston and Northeastern's expansion into Lower Roxbury. It's safe to assume that with these notable expansions along with many others, the amount of tax-exempt land is notably larger than 50%.

Boston gains a tremendous economic and cultural benefit from its large number of colleges and universities. But their presence does come at a high cost that is paid by the rest of us. The worst economy in a generation has caused municipalities to slash budgets for essential services and forced local governments to look for new means of creating revenue. It's hard not to notice that despite being similarly hit by the economy, many schools are flushed with cash and just sitting on hundred of millions (and some even with billions) of dollars. The economic reality has pushed a long-ignored issue to the forefront of Boston's Mayoral race.

Per-Student Fees
I find the per-student tax to be a very interesting approach to a PILOT system. It strikes me as infinitely more transparent and fair than the current system that happens mostly behind closed doors and from the beginning uses a flawed methodology to calculate fees levied on the colleges and universities.

Negotiations begin by looking at the value of property owned by the college or university. The problem with starting with property value, is that it ignores the largest cost to the city which are the students. It ignores that schools over-enroll forcing many more students to live off campus and naturally the many more students who choose to live off-campus. Off-campus students are even more apt to use municipal resources and yet are not accounted for at all under the current system. This is the way I see the advantages and disadvantages of per-student fees broken down.

Advantages:

Accurately taxes Colleges and Universities for impact and use of services in the city

Includes students who live off campus who use municipal and city services more than their on-campus counterparts

A public, accountable, and equitable system across the board. No more closed-room dealings with City and university officials that lead to some schools paying more than others.

Per-Student fees become a separate part of tuition fees rather than squirreled away inappropriately under Student Activity or Maintenance fees

Disadvantages:

Fee paid directly from students

Potentially higher cost to students

Doesn't address needed reform PILOT fees required of Hospitals and other non-profits

It's important to note that any progressive changes to the PILOT system will likely lead to students paying more. So it becomes a question of whether you tax the students directly (per pupil, per semester) or indirectly (an overall negotiated fee to the city). I happen to think the former is fairer to everyone involved.

Where is Boston heading? Good question!
In January, Boston's Mayor Menino announced the formulation of a task force to revise Boston's PILOT program. Thankfully not lost in the Mayor's typical fanfare, was the announcement that the four of the six committee members represent organizations that would pay more under a more aggressive PILOT structure. These members include Robert Brown the President of BU, Zorica Pantic President of Wentworth Institute of Technology, Patricia McGovern the general counsel of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Thomas Glynn the Chief Operating Officer of Partners Healthcare.

The conflict of interest here is obvious. Even moreso to the rest of us left footing the bill.

Originally published at Blueblooder.com.

FP!

2009-03-12T15:29:25Z

First Post!

Now, let's get down to configuring this site.

On Vox: Barack and Michelle Obama do WHAT in the Who now?!

2009-01-22T21:18:29Z

Barack and Michelle Obama do WHAT together?

There are not words, Fox. There are not words.

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: Mmm, books.

2008-12-02T14:22:43Z

Colin showed me his newest book purchase, State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, and I couldn't help but notice who had written an essay on my fair little state of Massachusetts (while noting how little-read I must be since I only recognized a handful of other names who wrote of other states). The essay on Massachusetts was written by none other than the preminent John Hodgman! Moreover, I would discover, he was born somewhere in the tiny Boston burg of Brookline! Aw.

If there was ever someone I wish I was but could never be it would be John Hodgman. I don't think I could even pull off dressing like him, let alone any other aspect of his divine exterior and papercut wit.

Also, this book makes me hot too (and should make you hot too).

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: There are not words...

2008-12-01T20:32:12Z

The new Officially Licensed Red Sox Casket. [Video]

On Vox: Obama: Please Fix Our Broken Government Safeguards

2008-11-30T11:12:46Z

Only a few months ago we had the egregious FDA decision endorsing the use of BPA in consumer products even though it is known to leech from the plastic into our bodies. and that utterly ignores the research that suggests this is quite bad for us. Only after a huge flood of negative press which noted the conflict of interest in the panel that made the decision and which pointed out the mounting evidence against BPA. Today we have the FDA telling us that small amounts of melamine in products for human consumption is okay so long as it is in tiny amounts.

Okay, fair enough tiny amounts don't bother me that much - except that you, the FDA, are charged with protecting us consumers against abuses and negligence on the part of corporations that have repeatedly shown zero regard for the health and well-being of their customers. You are the only line of defense we have. You keep showing us you constantly bow to the pressure from industry lobbyists, make decisions that lack enough evidence to be safely made and even ignore evidence to the contrary of your decisions. The BPA decision ignored more than 100 peer-reviewed studies noting that BPA leeches from plastics and that noted BPA's numerous connections to serious illnesses. Instead the FDA based their decisions on a handful of studies funded by the chemical industry. I've seen 5th graders with a more commanding understanding of the Scientific method and evaluating evidence.

There is no reason for melamine to be in baby formula, medicine, or food. None. Zero. It's called contamination, whether purposefully or not. So why is it that the FDA in all of its brilliance allows it to be present at all when there is not a damn reason why any product should have even the smallest amount of anything poisonous or dangerous in it (especially when it is unlisted) that is fit for human consumption.

The end result is an expensive and innefective Government bureaucracy that can absolutely not be trusted to do the very thing it was created to do. This is by our Government's own admission. The FDA's decisions equates to saying, that carelessness and abuse by Corporations is okay so long as it is barely noticeable or they stack our panels with people sympathetic to their cause, or they outright pay us to ignore it. We should not have to trust the capricious profit-oriented media to keep the FDA in check as they did with the BPA issue. They should be doing their damn jobs to begin with. Their jobs, which I might add, must also include regulating the "dietary supplement" market which has gotten away with misleading consumers and peddling dangerous products for years.

Our Government needs a serious overhaul and often in ways that are overlooked. The much-needed overhaul of patent law and removing the conflict of interest the U.S Patent Office has to approve junk patents so that they can have a bigger budget. The FCC sheer insurmountable incompetence in all aspects of protecting consumer rights, and maintaining a healthy and diverse market of competition that avoids media consolidation.

Please future President Obama: Save us from our own Government.

More Information:

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1074

http://www.eyeonfda.com/

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: Automate your Internet Snarkiness!

2008-11-27T06:19:09Z

This is the best website ever.

Never again be troubled with relying on your own quick wit or anonymity-provoked snarkiness to show some foolish denizen of the Internet their folly of asking questions easily answered by Google.

Have LetMeGoogleThatForYou.com do your dirty work (and soak up that pesky negative karma) while you revel in the knowledge of a knowing you helped your fellow man.

The Internet just gets better and better.

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: OMG ALIEN DISCOVERED!

2008-11-20T04:12:13Z

Image001lw7

Okay, so it's only the rediscovered Pygmy Tarsier. God totally made this sucker in the dark.

Look at those haaaaaands.

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: Hope Wins

2008-11-05T14:53:23Z

We Are Not So Different

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: Life's Biggest Question

2008-10-21T02:51:53Z

What the hell am I doing here?

Okay. Perhaps, put slightly more concretely: What do I do with my life? Mmmm. Again, more specifically: People spend most of their lives at work, so what do I do with the majority of my life? There we go.

The economy sucks and so does the job market, but nonetheless I have begun to pull a reverse-ostrich and start to survey my surroundings. It isn't pretty and I am feeling pretty uninspired and useless with my Liberal Arts degree in a totally esoteric interdisciplinary self-designed major. Go me. So after being woefully unemployed for a few months (after leaving my unfulfilling and underpaying job in non-profit development), I have begun to think about what I am doing and where I am going (which is unfortunately nowhere at the moment).

Obviously, this needs to change. This is where inspiration is key, and a good place to start is getting ideas from other people. So Internet, friends and strangers alike, I turn to you.

So here we go - Choose Your Own Adventure style!

If you know me: When you think of me what kind of work do you think I would be good at or enjoy?

If you don't know me: What do you do for work? Do you like it, why or why not?

For over 9000 points: What would your ideal profession be and why?

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: 30reasons.org

2008-10-09T20:13:42Z

Chaz-maviyane

Art and politics have long had a close association, and have brought us some of the most dramatic and compelling images in history. Whether they are propaganda, political cartoons, or powerful images of events or figures.

In that spirit a group of graphic designers have come together to release an image every day in the 30 days leading to the 2008 U.S Presidential election. It's like a political advent calendar. Awesome.

Check it out: http://30reasons.org

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

On Vox: Fare thee well, El Jays. Sort of. Hopefully.

2008-10-02T22:24:15Z

Alrighty. Let's see how this goes. This is my first attempt at cross-posting from Vox to LiveJournal. Vox has become my primary blogging platform because LiveJournal is owned by evil Russians and because quite frankly the service has always been rather lackluster. Vox is all shiny and nice, you know, like they actually thought about features that would make their product more enjoyable to use. Imagine that!

But enough about that. Assuming this thing works, I'll be posting more on my LJ. If not, I'll stay on Vox and will be checking my friend's page on the old El Jays.

Originally posted on iheijoushin.vox.com

Satire at its Finest

2008-08-13T02:36:50Z

From the Onion: Chinese Officials: Deadly Virus Sweeping China Is Just Olympic Fever

IOC Shows its True Colors?

2008-08-12T18:32:15Z

From Slashdot.org:

"The International Olympic Committee filed a copyright infringement claim yesterday against YouTube for hosting video of a Free Tibet protest at the Chinese Consulate in Manhattan Thursday night. The video depicts demonstrators conducting a candlelight vigil and projecting a protest video onto the consulate building; the projection features recent footage of Tibetan monks being arrested and riffs on the Olympic logo of the five interlocking rings, turning them into handcuffs. YouTube dutifully yanked the video, but it can still be seen on Vimeo. (Be advised; there is some brief footage of bloody, injured monks.)"

Wow. Just wow. I'm not even going to bother with commentary on this.

hethatishere @ 2008-08-11T09:59:00

2008-08-11T13:59:48Z

Join The China Debate. It's good to see the Internet being used as a tool to educate and discuss issues just as it was intended.

hethatishere @ 2008-08-01T09:54:00

2008-08-01T13:59:13Z

I think my interest in LJ has pretty much died for now.

But after being coaxed and harassed by a number of people, I've decided to try out Twitter since it seems a bit lighter on the commitment and isn't owned by evil Russians. If you're on Twitter and would like to be Twitter pals with me, my URL is here: http://twitter.com/iheijoushin

So long for now LJ. I won't miss you much.

Been awhile; get a useless entry...

2008-06-29T12:40:00Z

Yelp.com > Facebook.com

On Friday night I attended my first Yelp event (it was a 1989 themed prom at Whiskey Park) and it was the most fun I've had since moving back to Boston. There is such an incredible community around this website and Yelpers are ridiculously friendly and awesome. I just can't believe I went to a party I actually really enjoyed...when I usually hate parties.

Here's my prom photo along with obligatory prom goth brigid! Teehee, I have a prom photo now!

If you're going to join Yelp.com to help us improve the site and be a part of this awesome community make sure you friend me! I give lots of compliments.

Back from Montreal

2008-06-02T03:34:10Z

Today I told a waitress that it was "my first poutine" and everyone at the table made fun of me. Jerks

I'm back in Boston after a really amazing time in Montreal which I will report on further at a later time. It's good to be back, but I am sort of not excited for work tomorrow.

I iz not in America!

2008-05-30T00:26:36Z

The very long road trip from Boston to Montreal has finally ended. I was amazed at how this part of Canada looks exactly like Indiana only much, much greener.

But, horray for being in Canada for the first time!

Ireland's Eurovision Entrant - Soooo good!

2008-05-21T11:28:46Z

Watch the horrific (and hilarious) entrant from Ireland this year. For a country that has such a deep cultural connection with music, the country sure seems to have lost its way. Yesterday, Ireland officially failed to qualify for this year's contest in a move that shouldn't surprise anyone.

Yes, that is a DJing turkey puppet on a shopping cart. Eurovision this year is going to be ridiculous.

This deserves its own entry...

2008-05-20T22:20:48Z

FUCK YEAH.

Coolest Concert EVER!

2008-05-20T22:00:51Z

John Williams, our Laureate Conductor, and the brilliant composer and conductor behind films including Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and the Harry Potter series, brings you a night of some of the most memorable movie music of all time. The evening also includes a special appearance by Lynn Redgrave narrating the Harry Potter Grande Suite. Experience the magic of the silver screen, evoked by the drama and emotion of orchestral melodies.

HOLY CARP! OMFG!

This is like my personal geeky fantasy made real! One of the best composers of our age leading one of the best orchestras in the world performing in one of only three musical halls with perfect acoustics in the world and playing some of the most iconic classical soundtrack pieces ever written. AND all the while a synchronized video montage is projected in the background.

To sum up: Live Orchestra lead by John Williams + Incredible acoustics + Star Wars + Indiana Jones + Synchronized Video Montage = Total Geekasm

...But who the hell is Lynn Redgrave?

The first time I laughed for real in two weeks...

2008-05-12T21:54:15Z

...was after seeing this.