I am either going to build  a quad core system or buy a new laptop. Since my Dell laptop died I have been using this old "thing" A Compaq Presario 1247 with an AMD K6-2 processor, 4gb hd, 156mb RAM (8mb of which is video memory) Gentoo Linux with Afterstep window manager, and Firefox or Lynx web browsers.  I get online with a USB Linksys Wireless G device.  Since I use this "thing" only to get online I don't have anything else installed on it. 

Next machine will have Gentoo as well, and some sort of 3-D desktop enviroment.   What is amazing is that "The Thing" actually does almost everything I want to do online pretty good.  Generally I read Olyblog, a couple of other webpages like OpenCarry.org or slashdot.org check my email, and some research. 

Also I have a plugin for firefox that blocks nearly ad in webpages.  Even The Olympian's website now comes up for me ad free!  All in all not bad for some old POS computer I rescued from the trash. 

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The Nuremburg tribunal, which is basically American, expressed high ideals, which we profess. Namely, of all the war crimes, aggression is the supreme international crime, which encompasses within it all of the evil that follows. It's obvious that the Iraq invasion is a pure case of aggression and therefore, according to our ideals, it encompasses all the evil that follows, like sectarian warfare, al-Qaeda Iraq, Abu Ghraib, and everything else. The chief U.S. Prosecutor Robert Jackson, addressed the tribunal and said, "we should remember that we're handing these Nazi war criminals a poisoned chalice. If we ever sip from it we must be subject to the same principles or else the whole thing is a farce."

Okay, I really want to try this again, only without all the arguing that pretty much blew the first attempt out of the water. I contributed a lot to that, so I am pointing no blame at anyone.  

Here is an introduction to SB 6860

SB 6860 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6860&year=2008

"Institutions of higher education, as defined in RCW 28B.10.016(4), shall not adopt any rules restricting or prohibiting the possession of firearms in any institutionally owned or controlled lands, buildings, or facilities by any person licensed to carry a concealed pistol.

This bill, which would end discrimination against lawfully armed college students and facilty by allowing any concealed weapons permit holder to carry a handgun at an institution of higher education. I started this again because I have chatted with the activist who wrote this bill, Kevin Schmadeka and because the public hearing for this bill will be Thursday.

Rick made an effort to demonstrate he feels this is ethically unacceptable in a place of learning, and I made an effort to show that this is a violation of a person's right to bear arms, equal opportunity protection under the law, and in the case of TESC's social contract seems to fly in the face of the statement that students share the same civil rights as other members of society.

"The problem always is, how can you, as an individual activist, really make a difference? The world is so vast, so complex, sometimes you despair of making any kind of difference. I think the real lesson to be learnt from what Henry has done is that you can make a difference." ~Peter Singer

I'll only be able to watch the commercials on the internet because the Armed Forces Network (AFN) feels the need to subject me to "Don't beat your wife; don't beat your baby" commercials.

And I'm sorry, but it's awesome that Fox Sports has current and former NFL players speak a portion of the Declaration of Independence prior to the game.

Interesting to note Pat Tillman's widow's portion was:

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,

I'm hoping the Giants win. I could tolerate Boston teams while they were losing (and even went as far about six years ago to start rooting for the Celtics in the playoffs) but now I despise them. The Red Sox, Patriots and Bruins are all on top of their respective league. Even Boston College started off strong enough to be in national title discussion this past season.

Edit: Holy crap, there's updated AFN commercials. It's basically a PSA, though. A Navy admiral talking about an organization called "America Supports You." At least he mentioned "today's game," so the commercial was filmed specifically for today.

Edit 2: You do have to respect any team that comes out to "Crazy Train," though.

[via omjp]

“Taking Action at the Capitol – and Beyond!”

HEALTH CARE COALITION OF THURSTON COUNTY

Monday, February 4, 2008

7:00 to 9:00 PM

Olympia Timberland Library
313 8th Ave. SE
Olympia, WA 9850

[via omjp]

The Olympia-based Citizens Movement to Impeach Bush/Cheney will meet again THIS COMING MONDAY FEBRUARY 4 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Olympia Center, 222 Columbia NW in downtown Olympia. Instead of our usual meeting room, we’ve been scheduled for Room 103.

We’re developing the evening’s agenda to help make more progress on all four of our major strategies:

~ Reaching out to the public in many ways to inform them and build the impeachment movement
~ Focusing public pressure on our local Congressmen, Brian Baird and Adam Smith to persuade them to support impeachment
~ Urging the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and other Congressional leaders to support impeachment
~ Supporting SJM 8016 and HJM 4027 in our Washington State Legislature, which would have our Legislature urge Congress to support impeachment

Arthur S. Caton was born June 28, 1852 in Ohio. His parents were immigrants from Ireland. He married Dottie Moore Sept. 11, 1873 in Delaware, Ohio.

By 1880 the Catons were living in Jackson, Ohio, where Arthur was in the dry goods business. It would appear that he somehow connected with Prohibitionist Party supporter John R. Chaplin (also born in 1852), and was in on the ground floor of the Olympia Development Company.

Chaplin is a well known figure in the history of Olympia, and the subject of a previous OlyBlog post. He organized the Olympia Development Company in Ohio and part of the profits were earmarked to support his People's University in Olympia.

Arthur S. Caton arrived in Olympia about 1906, around the time the People's University was folding up, and started out as the Manager of the Olympia Development Co. His base of operations was always on the Westside. He did move around the Harrison-4th Ave. W. area for awhile before settling in the 4th Ave./Milroy block about 1915, when the area was still open farmland.