Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Come on, man!

From today's NY Times:

"When a Congressional investigation revealed in June that Dr. Joseph
Biederman, a world-renowned child psychiatrist, had earned far more
money from drug makers than he had reported to his university, he
said that his interests were "solely in the advancement of medical
treatment through rigorous and objective study."

Court documents reveal that Dr. Joseph Biederman, a renowned child
psychiatrist, pushed Johnson & Johnson to fund a research center
whose goal was "to move forward the commercial goals of J&J."

I wonder when just one of these mother-fuckers will give us just a little tiny bit of mea culpa. Wouldn't it be refreshing to have some unctious/self-righteous "authority" cop out that he was simply a greed-head that didn't give a shit about his oath, etc.

Oh, well, one han wish.

Love.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Reality

The technician checking my pacemaker (still have 7 years' battery life) used the phrase "pacemaker dependent" which means that if if stops, I stop!

I've been working with electronic circuitry for over 60 years and the stark realization that my life depends so closely on wires/circuits/batteries is somehow sobering.

On the other hand, I feel better than I have in a few years - perhaps the recovery from the kidney removal surgery is more nearly complete? Still huff/puff when going up an incline or walking fast very far, but recovery is swift and I still haven't noticed (but then if I were demented, would I?) much deterioration in the mental acuity.

I strangely miss France.

Love.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Sunday?

Libby asked why I lived in such remoteness and part of the answer I didn't give was: "so that in order to know what day of the week it is I must look at the label on my pill box - and assume I was taking the pills for the day currently labeled thereon; after which I might confirm it via my computer corner."

I'm more into seasons than the more usual divisions and they glide right by with the familiar "the days are getting shorter but in a few weeks they will lengthen again and the seemingly perpetual snow covering will soon be replaced by the re-greening of the deciduous trees and the returning plumage of the peacocks."

I spent the end of October in the South of France at a conference of a few hundred geeks all of whom had at some previous time been the "smartest kid in the class." It was really exhilirating as the fabled French Cuisine became the stuff of every meal. I learned why Provence is particularly famous for attention to seeking culinary perfection and that in a remote village of 300 there's a multi-star restaurant and near the "French Grand Canyon" in a village of 100 (neither of those had a bakery, however) we relished a marvelous creperie.

And of course a couple days/nights in Amsterdam, the perpetual street party that dwarfs similar celebrations in New Orleans' French Quarter - more coherent because the binder is cannabis rather than ethanol.

I am immersed in the notion of the World Wide Web Foundation and its implications for "enhancing humanity through technology" and the immense relief suggested by the recent presidential election. Finally, once more a president who can read! Perhaps with literacy will come "real change" - but I doubt it; the inertial forces still overwhelm us until we can have access to the immense wealth of the commons that has been so enriched by preceding generations and is being exponentially expanded both by the float on its worth and continuing gifts of the sort started by Stallman, Berners-Lee, Cunningham, Wikipedians everywhere.

So hang in there. "We Have Overcome" in the first phase and 10^10 will rule.

Love.