Idiotprogrammer Weblog - Part 2

Pseudo-journalists with a camera

June 9, 2010

Simon Owens on how activists with a camera practice gotcha journalism:
But what should be pointed out above all else is that Thomas did not seek out the spotlight to air these views. She did not say them during a speech before a university or include them in one of her columns. She had an [...]

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My Favorite Playlists

June 5, 2010

Latest playlists by Robert Nagle of totally awesome (and totally free) music. Listen and download!

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Review: Feed Your Pet Right, Marion Nestle

June 3, 2010

(Occasionally I do book reviews which start out as a paragraph, but turn out to be longer than expected. I think I will start doing more in-depth book reviews. I usually do a lot of book reviews and movie reviews on my Reading/Writing Section on the navigation bar (2010, 2009, etc).

This is an excellent [...]

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Israel’s brazen actions go unpunished….again

June 1, 2010

I really hate to blog about topical events, but this one irks me in particular. I have been totally overlooking the festering wound in Gaza. If you are looking for reliable sources on the Palestinian side, try Juan Cole’s Informed Consent blog and the blog of Ali Abunimah of the always great Electronic Intifada). [...]

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Linkdump: Healthy Beef, etc

May 24, 2010

Tara Parker-Pope reports on a Harvard nutrition study:
A new Harvard study that found no increased risk of heart disease among meat eaters is generating a lot of buzz for red meat. “A Guilt-Free Hamburger,” reads one headline. “Order the Steak,” begins another.
But the research, published this week in the journal Circulation, is not so [...]

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Some Video Fun: Youth in Asia

May 23, 2010

Noam Chomsky answers Al Jazeera about his recent visa problems with a dry sense of humor.
Ali G did an interview with Noam Chomsky (not to mention Andy Rooney). Here’s his book pitch to several NY publishers, his interview with a feminist and his interview with various art critics. Here’s a great interview with medical [...]

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Out-of-the-box ideas to promote literature

May 18, 2010

Some unconventional thinking about books and authors:
Amazon could easily put a little check box asking whether readers purchasing second hand books wish to pay the author a royalty, which in most cases amount to small change, but make a difference in that the actual number of people who buy the book are tabulated to the [...]

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What will the climate change bill cost Texans (and Americans?)

May 18, 2010

CBO and EIA estimate that cap and trade climate change bill will cost Americans about $170 per household. That’s not including about $100 (on average) a household will save as a result of it.

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Nuclear vs. Solar, Permanent Temperature Increases

May 17, 2010

This thread gives a great discussion about nuclear vs. solar. The comments are more interesting than the article itself. From the comments, here’s a map of the US along with its solar energy generation potential and a fascinating article by Australian Peter Lang about how significantly lower the costs of nuclear power are over time [...]

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Looking forward to Moore’s Novel: An Alternative History

May 16, 2010

Yesterday, I did something I rarely do anymore. I paid full price for three books!
The first was an ebook version of Marion Nestle’s Feed Your Pet Right: The Authoritative Guide to Feeding your Dog and Pet. I have a new dog and admit that pet nutrition makes no sense to me. Hopefully this book will [...]

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Risque URL here!

May 16, 2010

I read a lot of intellectual stuff online. But occasionally I find stuff that is absolutely risque/hilarious. Should I blog about it? Generally I avoid doing so – fearing that a family member or future girlfriend or employer will come across this. For a while, I just kept these risque URLs on stumbleupon bookmarks. But [...]

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testing 1,2,3 Ipad (Ignore this please!)

May 15, 2010

Nothing going on here. I’m just testing the word press blogging app on word press. Wish me luck!
Ok, that was painful. The publish button was nowhere. To correct that, you must confirm you are in edit mode, then hover your focus on Status and change it to publish.
Also, cut and paste has not been implemented [...]

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Interview with U.S. Short Story Writer Jack Matthews

May 13, 2010

In this lengthy interview, Ohio short story writer, scholar and book collector shares his thoughts about writing and the state of literature.

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Two Things about my Father

May 8, 2010

Here are two eulogies about Donald E. Nagle, Yankee-born lawyer who lived (and died) in Houston, Texas. Part One is by son Robert Nagle; part two is by daughter Kathy Nagle Johnson.
For more information about Donald E. Nagle, see this photo-tribute.
Two Things About My Father By Robert Nagle (son)
Two things about my father who died [...]

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Donald Edward Nagle 1931-2010 RIP

May 4, 2010

My father died on the morning of Tuesday May 4,2010. He lived a very happy life. (More photos and information about the funeral will be under the fold. (It may take a while for all the photos to load).

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Toxicology of an Oil Spill

May 2, 2010

Here’s a must-read piece by Ricky Ott on how Exxon Valdez affected people:
During the Exxon Valdez spill, health problems among cleanup workers became so widespread, so fast, that medical doctors, among others, sounded warnings. Dr. Robert Rigg, former Alaska medical director for Standard Alaska (BP), warned, “It is a known fact that neurologic changes [...]

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Sharks with spiffy web sites

May 2, 2010

The next looming environmental catastrophe in the Gulf: Lawyer-sharks threatening to wreak havoc on corporate profits!

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Dog Canyon: Habeas Coyote Corpus

April 30, 2010

Texas journal Dog Canyon just published a great & hilarious essay about why Rick Perry carries a pistol with him during his morning jog

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Many Birthdays concert in Houston Friday April 30

April 29, 2010

On Friday April 30 the Austin band Many Birthdays will be performing at the Lost in Space Fest 2. (Here’s the myspace event description).
In 2003 I raved about an Austin band Many Birthdays whose mp3s I had downloaded on some obscure website.

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No double-hulled ships?

April 29, 2010

I’ve been following closely the recent oil spill in the Gulf. For me, it has practical consequences. First, it could affect the energy industry in Houston (that’s why the local paper is covering it in such depth). Second, it could affect the availability of wild shrimp from the Gulf. Frankly, the wild shrimp has been [...]

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The Good and Bad about Mexican Food (Healthy Meals in Houston)

April 29, 2010

A few days ago I tried a local Mexican restaurant famous for their enchiladas. Their food was remarkably good (albeit a bit expensive). My criteria for Mexican restaurants is extremely high; I’ve lived in Houston and San Antonio for several decades and can’t say I’ve found more than 1 or 2 high quality Mexican restaurants. [...]

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Sexy Viral Video Film School & Other Funny Stuff

April 27, 2010

Here’s a 22 minute special “sexy” edition of Viral Video Film School hosted by the always hilarious Brett Erlich. I wouldn’t watch it while at work, but it’s the kind of “funny clips” show which I could easily see on late night TV. (More videos).
Also, if you’re looking for some sources of mindless humor, [...]

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Climate Vets, Agribusiness Offsets and Profoundly Non-feasible CCS

April 27, 2010

A poll of veterans from Iraq and Afganistan shows that 73% support climate change legislation.
Jeremy van Loon reports that wind energy often can overwhelm the power grid, resulting in too much energy and even customer refunds:
Texas had so-called negative power prices in the first half of 2008 because wind turbines in the western [...]

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Inane Logic of Teabaggers

April 27, 2010

An odd fact: I was once mistaken for a Teabagger. It’s true. I was a proto-teabagger. I was outraged at the bank bailouts especially because it meant shortchanging public services like education. The protest was sparsely attended but focused. I met teachers, investment bankers (!) and a token LaRouche groupie. All in all a positive [...]

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Juicing Up

April 24, 2010

Tomorrow I’ll be traveling to Austin in preparation for Sunday’s Wiener Dog Race.

In preparation for my trip, I am charging my iPad and my Zune and my miniature mp3 player (long story). Also, I need to charge my camera battery and my cell phone. Now that I think about it, I am in [...]

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The Inimitable Catherine Tate & Stephen Moffat

April 22, 2010

While stumbling upon random things on Youtube, I came across this hilarious comedy character called Lauren Cooper (played by Catherine Tate).

Catherine Tate with David Tennant (of Dr. Who). The unspoken joke is that Catherine Tate was the female sidekick during Season 4 of the new Doctor Who show.
Here’s the Cheerleading sketch (my fave).
Wedding proposal sketch.
Billy [...]

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Everybody Draw Mohammed Day

April 22, 2010

Thanks to Molly Norris of Midnight Corndog. For context, see this piece by Dave Itzkoff.

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