Mad Macedonian

Ron Rosenbaum VS. A Nony Mous the Commenter

In 2 recent postings, to his Pajamas Media Blog, Ron Rosenbaum tosses in his 2 cents on Anonymous Commenters:

I just can’t believe that the average human being is as creepily vicious as the average commenter...

Anonymity allows the the inner thug and thick-head to emerge with no fear of being shamed or embarrassed by their ugly deficiencies. They can be low brow creeps and not get caught. It’s why bank robbers wear masks. Of course not all the most moronic are anonymous; some are too stupid to know how stupid they appear and so proudly affix their real names to their lame remarks. But in general I think if you administered an IQ test the anonymous would score significantly lower. They’re the special ed class of blogging. Like monkeys in a cage they seem to be unaware that there are other ways of expressing their views than throwing feces.

He gets cranky at both Liberal and Conservative miscreants. ;-D

One thing must be said: Not all Anonymous Commenters are bad, and the identity of many can be easily found by following links to their Blogs, or even Blog Profiles, under certain commenting systems.

Read the rest, and the comments: Come Out Anonymous Cowards! This is Your Chance

Well, his rant, and his challenge, went over well. ;-D

4 days later he writes again:

Thank you, cowardly anonymous commenters for so perfectly proving my point about your thuggish and abusive and yet oh-so-timid nature. More than anything it’s clear you can dish it out, but you can’t take it. So many of you act like little playground crybabies when you’re the target of criticism, SO upset that your self-evident cowardice is being exposed. It made me laugh over and over again.

By the way some of you seem to have reading comprehension difficulties as well and missed the point that it is the hostile abusive commenters whose anonymity I was calling cowardly -  not the ordinary commenter who disagrees. Talk back all you want but don’t be so infantile and timid that you won’t use your own name when you’re sounding so bold and brave and bullying.

Read the rest, and the comments: Thank You, Thank You!

 

Joining Genealogical Societies: A Long Overdue Step to Help in My Research

Almost 20 years ago, when I 1st began to explore my roots, I sent off for information about several State, and Regional, Genealogy Organizations with focuses on New England, Indiana, and Kentucky.

As much as I wanted to join I somehow never found the extra money to begin memberships and, besides, I wasn't exactly making much progress in my research anyway. ;-D

The years went by, and, slowly, I began to find bits and pieces to my Family History, and discovering mysteries galore.

Events of the last year, including helping an Uncle get a DNA Test, and finding documents, and info, on Ancestry, added to the mysteries, and recently, as I began to make connections with fellow researchers in the GeneaBlogosphere, on Facebook, and on Twitter, it occurred to me that now was the perfect time to join some Societies, if I was ever going to do so.

In the last month I've joined 3 organizations, and made plans to attend my 1st Genealogy Jamboree, in late June:

For 20 years, or so, the Indiana Genealogical Society has been on a mission...

"Fostering an interest in all peoples who contributed in any way to the establishment and perpetuation of the state of Indiana.

• Searching for the reasons and forces behind the migration of early settlers into the state of Indiana.
• Preserving and safeguarding manuscripts, books, cemeteries, and memorabilia relating to the early settlers into the state of Indiana..."

And More.

The website has much to offer, including databases, and a Members Only Section.

The Society also has a Blog, begun in 2007.

There are other sites related to Indiana that I've been collecting, and plan to check out, but joining this group is a good start to learning about the state.

The Kentucky Genealogical Society was born in 1973, and its purpose is "to foster the science of genealogy through educational and research programs, and promoting projects to preserve, produce, and disseminate knowledge of genealogical or historical value."

The Society considers one of its most important roles to be "the preservation of Kentucky's records, further development of genealogical lineage aspects of these records and published data to assist those with ancestral ties to this area."

 The website has much to offer, including databases, Projects, and a Members Pages Section.

There are other sites related to Kentucky that I've been collecting, and plan to check out, but joining this group is a good start to learning about the state.

While my most recent ancestors have ties to these 2 statesand, in 1 case, to Texas, and further back there are ties to other states, including Pennsylvania, my journey must begin in Ca. because my Mom, and her Mom, and siblings, "Got Their Kicks on Route 66" ending up in Ca. beginning in the late 1940's. ;-D

In the late 40's, and early 50's, they were laborers, in Northern and Southern Ca, and even possibly Oregon, and Washington, as well.

With this in mind I joined another Society.

Genealogist Saves Photos from Dreaded SPPA Disease!

Growing up I remember Mom putting the family photos in these phot albums with wonderfully collorful designs, and when I grew up I used the latest version of the same type of albums.

The Sticky Page Photo Album!

The last albums of this type that I bought were over a decade ago.

A few years ago I began to remove, very gently, photos from the oldest albums, and putting them in envelopes by year.

Luckily I never lost a photo.

Yesterday I Honorably retired the last 3 such albums, the one in the bottom center, being the oldest, next to the 2 open ones on its left.

You can see the brown edges of the sheets and, trust me, there were pages that looked far worse.

Luckily I lost only 5, insignificant, photos(Pictures of places I've been to) out of a couple hundred or so.

The open album, on the right, is not a sticky, and I will eventually get similar ones for all my photos.

So why all the fuss?

I never really understood the details myelf, undertanding only that there was a risk of irreparable harm coming to important family treasures.

The "magnetic" sticky glue can eventually eat through the pictures, and sometimes cause them to rip when you try to remove them from the album.

If, like me, you never knew of a safe way to remove the pictures, then what I did is what you try, with varying degrees of success.

However, today, I've found advice that can be considered as alternatives:

1. Nancy Ellen Carlberg, in her 2001 book called Overcoming Dead Ends, suggests "using a hairdryer to heat the pics for easier removal.

2. 3 hours ago I tweeted the Following:

#Genealogy With Sticky Page Photo Album (SPPA) Disease pics can B so affected by the glue they R damaged irreparably. Have U lost Pics?

One response I got was from the Geneabloggers who wrote:

The best way to deal with those old "magnetic" albums is to scan the entire page then split up into individual pics.

Have you lost pics?

Do you have tales about saving photos?

Share your stories in the comments!

****5/27/09 - UPDATE****

Ack! Please no hairdryers or freezers!

That's the immediate reaction that Sally Jacobs, The Practical Archivist, had...after 1st saying "Excellent job on the rescue!" ;-D 

In a comment, that I am promoting to Update Status, she proceeds, at length, to edumicate:

Hairdryers are too hot and freezers are too wet to be safe on your photos.

It absolutely WOULD hurt to give this a try. Dry photographs are *not* the same entity as sopping wet photographs.

What is a "best-last chance" in one case is unnecessary and risky in the other.

Sorry to be so bossy about it, but it breaks my heart when someone who is trying to help only makes matters worse.

Your best bet for simple safe removal is a stainless steel tool called a "micro spatula." You can Google that word and find several styles to choose from.

You can even read an ode to the wonder tool that is the micro spatula.

As The Practical Archivist, I've written about The Chemical Sandwich of Doom (My term for these horrid albums). That article also includes information on a kit I created to help you rescue your one-of-a-kind photographs safely.

Here's wishing you all a safe and happy rescue!

Her post, and her blog (Here's hoping she returns to blogging soon!) are a wonderful resource not just for Genealogists, but photographers in general.

****END UPDATE****

Tuesday Travels

As Nikita reported I went on a multi-purpose excursion to the wilds of Burbank and Los Angeles, the other day. ;-D

Starting at 5am I took busses, and Metro Commuter Trains, to get to, and from, my destinations.

There were several purposes to this adventure, from genealogy to food tasting, and I will be doing write-ups over the weekend, with pictures.

Now We Know Why Stray Cats Love LA!

Nikita here!

Daddy went to Los Angeles, and Burbank, today, and took a couple of pictures which will blow your mind!

 

He found proof positive that Pigeons can read! ;-D

The Pigeons of Los Angeles have for decades had a reputation for daredevil, verging on the suicidal,  behavior.

Daddy says that anyone who drives a car, truck, bus, Motorcycle, or Bicycle, in the historic Downtown area, can vouch for how these birds dare you to run them down in the street, and somehow have a knack for leaping out of harms way at the last possible moment.

Are they stupid, or is there something else at work here?

A possible method to their madness?

 

Daddy was walking on 6th Street, between Hill and Broadway, when he came upon an amazing spectacle at an alley newsstand.

He seems to have found proof that Pigeons are a hell of a lot smarter than they let on. ;-D

While Downtown LA is for the Birds, it thereby also is a popular Buffet for Stray Cats, making it a whole lot easier to find a meal, in good, as well as bad, economic times.

Daddy says the Human homeless problem, especially around Skid Row, may get all the headlines, but there is a whole secret world, made up of elements of the Animal Kingdom, that can be seen if only one opens their eyes, and really looks around. ;-D

Man Called Weird for Walking to Work?

I grew up walking everywhere.

Kind of a neccesity when the parents don't own a car. ;-D

Despite owning Bicycle and a Bus Pass, I have, in years past, inexplicably, to many, made the trek to work on foot from time to time.

In Pomona, in the 80's and 90's, I lived 3 miles from work, and often walked both ways, reading a book the whole time. ;-D

For 3 weeks, one time, when I worked in Chino, I walked 6 miles each way when I couldn't afford a Bus Pass, or to get my bike fixed.

When I live in Costa Mesa I often walked 2 miles each way to and from my job.

What reminded me of this was an old story in The Onion, from 2001. ;-D

Weird Coworker Apparently Likes Walking Two Miles To Work Every Day.

I'm weird, and damn well proud of it! ;-D

The New Star Trek Film 2: Confessions of a Trekaholic

Where the hell to begin?

Today I saw the new Star Trek Film... twice.

I hadn't cried at a Trek Film in so long I'd forgotten which one it was, and told a couple of fellow attendees that it was at the end of Wrath of Khan.

I was wrong. Must be getting senile in my old age. ;-D

From CONFESSIONS OF A TREKAHOLIC, by yours truly, in The Best of Trek #15, Edited by Walter Irwin and G. B. Love, and published by New American Library in June 1990:

I approved wholeheartedly of the way Spock died, but for one who can't swim, being in a room of bawling, and squalling Trekkers can be a harrowing experience. I know it was dark in there, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was 3 ft. of water in front of the screen by the end of the movie.

As for me I didn't shed a tear. I figured that the highest tribute I could pay to Spock was to stay calm and realize that he would have felt it illogical to feel sorrow for someone performing such a logical act.

After the next film, this old piece of mine said, "I wholeheartedly approve of the solution to the search despite the direction that Star Trek will now have to take. Change and growth are neccessary, I think, if Star Trek is to continue in its growing popularity and meaning."

Spock, and I, have both grown, and matured, in 25 years, in ways that neither of us could have imagined at that time...For 1 thing I no longer have a treasured jacket with iron-on letters on its back (And Federation Patches on its shoulders!) that read: PROUD TO BE A TREKKIE!, VULCANS DO IT LOGICALLY?, and SORRY, THIS PLANET OCCUPIED! ;-D 

The thoughts above, about change, are relevant to the discussion of the new film that I began in Part 1 of this series, but before I return to that I want to share my thoughts, some written in 1986 that would make me a published Trek Author 4 years later, and others 1st written elsewhere in 2003.

It is my hope that these words remind old Trekkers of why they are Trekkers to this day, and  help newcomers understand why they are, or soon will be, as attracted to this universe as we are.....

Way back in the 1970's and 1980's I was a Star Trek fan, and book collector.

I still am a fan, in 2003, but no longer have the books, or even read them because of the cost, and the fact that so many are now published each year.

I remember, at the time, being desperate to get a subscription to a Texas based fanzine called TREK.

I'd send in the little coupons found in novels and wait for my subscription to begin.

Never happened.

Finally, in desperation, in 1986, I wrote a lengthy letter to the editor, and sent it with another coupon. ;-D

The letter was autobiographical in nature and told about how and why I became a Trekker and built one of the most complete book collections around.

The piece was entitled "Confessions of a Trekaholic".

Time passed, and passed, and then one day, in Fall 1990, I came home from working at the bookstore, to find a letter in my mail from a dude in Florida.

He said that he had read my piece in THE BEST OF TREK #15 and loved it.

My first reaction was, "What Piece???"

My second reaction was to remember that there was 1 copy of the book still on the shelf at work, and that, when it had come in a few months previous, I'd ignored it because I'd quit reading the series at #12.

I hopped on my bike, pedalled like crazy back to work, and dashed madly into the store, making a beeline for the shelf where the book was located.

There it was, on page 173, that long forgotten letter in all its glory! :-D

The feelings that came over me at that moment must be the same for all writers who see their work in book form for the first time.

I felt awe, pride, and a sense of accomplishement.

Oh, and a feeling of annoyance because they never told me the piece was ever published in the magazine in the first place!

I would never have known about it if some fellow Trekker hadn't thought to write me a letter.

I sold so many copies of that book over the next 8 years to Trek fans who, when they learned I was one of the authors in the book, asked me to autograph their copy.

Ahh... fame. :-D

Cool! Nikita and I Get an Award!

I have been blogging since the spring of 2002, and along the way, though my audience has been small, I've learned that the effect of my writing has impacted people all over the world.

I learn this, from time to time, in e-mails, and comments to posts, and to links to my writing by other bloggers.

I ( And Nikita, my Cat, and Co-Blogger ) have made many friends (and, yes, even pissed off some people on occasion!), and met some interesting people in person, over the years, and in recent months, as I have begun to dive back into my Genealogy research again, I've made some new friends.

Greta, of Greta's Genealogy Blog, has been so kind as to give me the Friendly Blogger 2009 Award.

My 1st Award! Very cool! ;-D

I would like to pass it on to the following bloggers whose efforts have helped define Friendliness in the Age of the Internet.

1. Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, whose long ago article led me to write him, and whose response back to this new blogger, many years ago, has inspired me in many ways.

His is the most popular, and influential, site in the Blogosphere for a reason.

Think of Glenn as, in his words, a Card Catalog in a Library - He steers you to places, stories, and information of an amazing variety, from A to Z on the subject scale, and helps others ( Including honoring me twice. ), reach a vast audience with their words, and ideas, that they could never dream of.

2. N. Z. Bear, of The Truth Laid Bear, and creator, over a decade ago, of The Ecosystem, widely considered the Definitive Blog Ranking System on the Internet today.

I joined in 2002, and moved on a few years ago, but there is no denying that, for many bloggers out there, in all sorts of categories, The Ecosystem, helps them make friends, and influence people.

3 X 2. Andrew Ian Dodge, of DodgeBlogium, the caretaker of the Carnival of the Vanities since 2007, shares this award with its brainchild. ;-D

Silflay Hraka was the founder of the 1st, and longest running, Blog Carnival in the Blogosphere, The Carnival of the Vanities, in 2002.

It's his fault ( How it all began! ), and we are the better, and friendlier, for it, and for Andrew for keeping it going.

It has been a while since I last submitted, from either of my blogs, and I regret that, and plan to make up for it soon. ;-D

 

The New Star Trek Film: One Trekker's Preview

I'm in Love!!!

Over the weekend I spent a couple of hours exploring the official website for the new Star Trek Movie, watching all the trailers, and clips, and reading all the backround material, and notes about the characters, and plot.

The last 2 days I spent reading every freakin' Film Review I could find, including all 30+ at Rotten Tomatoes.

Yes, yes, I KNOW I'm a Trekaholic, and have been since the early 70's.

If you weren't, why the hell not? ;-D

If you aren't, all indications are that you soon could be. ;-D

I can't wait!

I was blown away, simply awestruck by all that I've seen, and read, and so I bought 2 Sunday tickets to the film, 1 for the Imax. ;-D

To anyone who complains that it's not canon, and kisses goodbye to the previous 45 years, I say...maybe, maybe not, I'm not sure yet, but even if they do, so what?

I see nothing wrong with that.

The majority of fans of the canon will still embrace it, and a re-invention for a new generation of fans to discover, and embrace, like we all did, is just what the franchise needs to boldly go forward.

The characters have much that we are familiar with of the orignals, but with new faces, and unique new twists to spice things up.

Star Trek has always been about friendship and relationships, adventure, discovery of new worlds, and cultures, diplomacy, and politics in the future, and none of that will change, just be presented in new, intriguing, and entertaining, ways.

It's the, um, logical thing to do. ;-D

Beam me up, Scotty! ;-D

Please continue with: The New Star Trek Film 2: Confessions of a Trekaholic

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? 2

Back in December Johnathan Pearce, of Samizdata, speculated on the answers to this question if it was asked of American politicians, journalists, preachers, Literary, and TV characters, and celebrities.

This, of course, led to his readers to have at it with regards to what similar worthies, from around the world, and throughout history, would say, in the comments.

To hilarious, thought provoking, effect. 

I could not resist joining in the fun. ;-D

I had actually done more than 11, but set the list aside, and forgot all about it!

I found it this morning, and decided to do a follow-up before I forgot again (With 11 new ones added for President Obama, in honor of his first 100 Days in Office!). ;-D

1. As the Book of Common Prayer Says:

If any man can show just cause why the chicken may not lawfully cross the road, let him now speak, or else, hereafter, forever hold his peace.

2. Aesop: Any excuse will serve a chicken.

3. Ibycus: A chicken needs no reason, nor a friendship.

4. Laurens Van Der Post:

A. Chickens are on their own journey, presuppose their own change, and movement, and one tries to stop them from crossing the road at one's eternal peril.

B. Chickens are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they MUST cross the road.

5. Confucius Say:

A. If a chicken, in the morning, crosses the road, it may die in the evening without regret.

B. The chicken may be made to follow the path across the road, but it may not be made to understand why it did so.

6. Diogenes the Cynic: Looking for an honest man.

7. Marcus Aurelius Antonius: Nothing happens to anybody which he is not fitted by nature to bear.

8. John Heywood: Chickens must needs go whom the devil doth drive.

9. Ben Franklin: God helps them who help themselves.

10. Samuel Johnson: Curiousity is one of the permanent, and certain, characteristics of a vigorous chicken.

11. Oliver Goldsmith: The Chicken, to gain some private ends, went mad, and crossed the road.

12. Nathan Hale: I only regret that I have but 1 chicken that wanted to cross the road.

13. Beethoven: It wanted to seize fate by the throat.

14. Oliver Wendell Holmes: The Rooster has his will - but the chicken has her way!

15. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.: Upon this question a page of history is worth a volume of logic.

16. Freud: The great question...which I have not been able to answer, despite my years of research, is "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

17. Irving Berlin: Anything you can do, the chicken thinks it can do better.

18. Dale Carnegie: It wants to win friends, and influence farmers.

19. Mae West: Goodness had nothing to do with it.

20. Andy Razof: Why should I care...It ain't misbehavin'.

21. Peter Arno: I consider your question unethical, and lousy.

22. Andy Warhol: To become world famous.

23. Phil Ochs: I'm sure my anser wouldn't interest anybody outside of a small circle of friends.

24. Jack Weinberg: We have a saying in the Free Speech Movement that we didn't trust anybody asking that question.

25. Billy Collins: Of all the questions you might want to ask about chickens the only one you ever hear is...Why did the chicken cross the road?

26. David Allen Stockman: None of us really understands what's going on with all these chickens.

27. Oliver Stone: Crossing the road is good! Crossing the road is right! Crossing the road works! Crossing the road will save the chicken!

28. James Carville: It's the economy, stupid!

29. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: I suppose it could have stayed home and laid eggs all day.

30. President Barack Obama: He can't seem to be pinned down on where HE stands on this question when pressed by the Mainstream Media...

A. In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about the hope of a chicken.

B. With the changing economy, no one has lifetime employment.

C. When we think of the major threats to our national security, the first to come to mind are nuclear proliferation, rogue states and global terrorism. But another kind of threat lurks beyond our shores, one from nature, not humans - chickens crossing the road.

D. We`re not going to baby sit a chicken.

E. We have real chickens crossing the road. These chickens must be found. They must be pursued and they must be fried.

F. There are patriots who oppose chickens crossing the road and there are patriots who support chickens crossing the road. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

G. The Bush Administration`s failure to be consistently involved in helping answer this question has been both wrong for American Farmers, as well as badly damaging to our standing in the Agricultural Community as a whole.

H. Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.

I. If the chicken is crossing the right road and it's willing to keep walking, eventually it'll make progress.

J. I don't oppose all chickens crossing the road. What I am opposed to is a dumb chicken. What I am opposed to is a rash chicken.

K. Focusing your life solely on making it across ANY road shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of the chicken. Because it`s only when the chicken crosses the RIGHT road that it realizes its true potential.