20 Oct 2003
Atheist Asatrurar

I try to let my blogroll speak for itself. It should be obvious to a regular reader where I get my news and views, and I always post attributions where appropiate.

Apparently, several folks do occassionaly "surf" the blogroll, and I got a curious comment a while ago asking how an old Heathen like me got hooked up with the "atheist blog" - Secular Blasphemy.

I'd never given it any thought at all, to tell you the truth. I just liked the blog, and never for a second considered his atheist viewpoint as anything remotely resembling a "threat".

But it did get me thinking, and I finally put into words some thoughts that've been building for a long time:

Atheist Asatrurar

00:00 /Asatru | 0 comments | permanent link

FTAA Treaty Threatens Innovation

Holy mackerel! I hadn't even heard a rumor of this initiative! Think NAFTA on steroids, with broad application to "intellectual property" law ....

FTAA Treaty Threatens Innovation [Slashdot]

00:00 /Copywrongs | 0 comments | permanent link

Spin Cycle

Well, it's not as far as I would like, but at least they're thinking about paper trails and other auditing procedures, which is a good thing. But, in typical business fashion these days, they still seem more concerned about the PR aspects than about the engineering ones - and that's still a concern.

E-Vote Firms Seek Voter Approval. Bad publicity about electronic voting machines prompts the industry to launch a PR campaign to convince the public their machines are safe. They're also rethinking their opposition to a paper trail of votes. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News]

00:00 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link

Coyotes

Quite a bit of excitement this morning around four: we had slept with the bedroom window open just a crack for the wonderful October night air, and were rudely awakened by the howling of coyotes!

All of us (Willie included, of course) were out of bed in an instant: Kris threw on her clothes, grabbed her rifle and raced to the barnlot - Willie was barking to beat Hel - we left him inside though for fear he'd end up somewhere he shouldn't be.

Meanwhile, I vainly attempted to get dressed - and have decided that that one pair of "34 slim" jeans I have is now on the dustbin of my closet, until I lose some more weight. Do not try to put on very tight pants with a full bladder! It's a recipie for near disaster!

I finally managed to get some britches on, and walked the main pasture "spotting" while Kris covered me. Didn't see anything, and the livestock were seemingly pretty calm (until we come trapsing through their padock at 4 in the morning of course) so the coyote activity must have been further away than we suspected. But it's still pretty nerve racking...

Kris just returned from purchasing 5 new Blackfaced ewes in Iowa on Saturday - the owner wanted to sell the entire flock because of a coyote problem. I sure hope the new girls aren't jinxed! We hadn't seen a coyote since Kris shot on in July, and, honestly, I prefer it that way.

I still think that coyotes got at least some of the barn cats in last years "barn cat debacle", and I know they got at least two chickens. I don't want to lose a ewe or (next spring) a lamb to the little hunters: let them eat rodents and moles and they can live in perfect peace! But if they show up here after my livestock, we'll force feed'em some more lead.

Of course, the other real danger with an exploding coyote population is their tendency to mingle and cross breed with the dogs that wonderful city folks come out here and dump rather than taking to a shelter. This produces a larger, more vicious predator that's called (around here) a "coy-dog" - these have been known to down sheep for fun (they kill but don't feed) and have been reported to attack humans - one little girl near Shelbyville, IN was killed by a pack of these beasts several years ago while riding her bike down a dusty country road.

It's a real challenge trying to strike a balance in all this: I don't want to kill coyotes "just because", but on the other hand I'm worried that if I don't, I'll be contributing to real trouble down the road. I won't poison or bait trap them - I have a real problem with chemical weapons of any sort. I use fly papaer in the barn as opposed to sprays and chemicals, and cats as opposed to warfin for rat and rodent control.

The llama has more or less bonded with the sheep - he should be some help against coyotes, too. As should the donkey (Mouse). It's just an ongoing battle, and the deeper I get into farming, the more I understand the precarious balance we must maintain if we are to survive, let alone thrive, on this planet. We've ignored it for far too long in the West (as in civilization, not geographic area of the US), and it's slowly but surely coming back to bite us in the ass.

00:00 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link

iTunes on Windoze

Well, somebody out there must like it .... maybe I'd better find the time for a look-see.

Windows iTunes Sells A Million Songs In 3.5 Days [Slashdot]

00:00 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link

Watch Out, George

This post, on a rare political topic (OK, it's a rant) got way out of hand (length wise) for the main page, so I moved it over to the stories area in Radio. I will note here, however, that it was inspired by a post found from over at different strings...

So here's my rare politcal rant: Watch out, George!

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

ENUM

Spotted this over at CircleID and on Slashdot If implemented, this would be a really big deal:

ENUM.

Basically it uses a DNS like system to allow phone numbers to be "translated" into URLS's - a huge boost for wireless, mobile computing and an equally inmportant step towards integrating VoIP into the "real" world. It ain't quite here yet, but it's coming ....

00:00 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link

Of Mice and Men

A fine op-ed from the New York Times' William Safire:

Of Mice and Men

Read it!

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Peta, Nemo and Disney

My views on PETA are well known around these parts - but their shame seems to know no depths when it comes to snookering kids into their "vegan lifestyle" ... this is just despicable:

Disney joins forces with pro-fish activists.

"Oohh, mommy, I don't wanna eat Nemo!!! Don't make me kill my friend!"

Gag me.

It's spawned an online petition aimed at Disney, which starts off:

We the undersigned wish to protest in the strongest terms your recent affiliation with the group known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). By allowing them the use of your trademarked and copyrighted animated characters or facsimiles you are furthering their despicable attempts to influence the dietary choices of children far too young to make intelligent choices for themselves.

00:00 /Agriculture | 0 comments | permanent link