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The Mets did the right thing by designating Julio Franco for assignment today to make room for Lastings Milledge, even if I must admit it was surprising.
Omar Minaya has been so loyal to the people who go way back with him to the his Rangers days, including Franco. I was actually concerned Minaya might re-up Franco for 2008 just to allow him to play until he's 50, even though that would have been absurd.
It's nice to see the Mets are making evaluations based on on-field criteria and divorcing emotional ties.
* * *
In other news, the Mets signed Marlon Anderson, who will be with Triple-A New Orleans tonight. Announcement after the break.
METS SIGN INFIELDER MARLON ANDERSON TO A MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT
The New York Mets announced today that they have signed infielder Marlon Anderson to a minor league contract. Anderson, who was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 9th, will report to New Orleans (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League and be in uniform for tonight
I apologize for lumping such diverse states together under “Midwest,” but to date I don’t have enough readers in any one Midwestern state to give any of them their own attention the way I do with Virginia, NYC and California. Get me more readers in YOUR state and I will happily put more effort into writing about that state. Until then, these are the four Midwestern region states that I get some readership from regularly.
IOWA GROUPS:
First I want to highlight some events going on in Iowa of interest to progressives:
# Aug 19, 2007 ABC News/Iowa Democratic Party Debate The Iowa Democratic Party will co-sponsor a forum for presidential candidates with ABC News and ABC5/WOI-TV. The forum will be held on Sunday, August 19, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa and televised live on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
Where: Des Moines
When: August 19, 2007
The Iowa Democratic Party will co-sponsor a forum for presidential candidates with ABC News and ABC5/WOI-TV. The forum will be held on Sunday, August 19, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa and televised live on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
Detailed information on the time, location and format of the forum will be forthcoming.
I naturally want to highlight Iowa’s local Democracy for America group, Blog for Iowa. Joining this blog will help you connect with fellow progressives in Iowa and help establish a progressive infrastructure in Iowa.
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement: ICCI has helped ordinary Iowans get to work on a variety of social, economic and environmental justice issues they care deeply about. Whether the issue is factory farms, housing or improving neighborhoods, ICCI is there organizing people to make a difference. Find out what you can do for Iowa here. For a calendar of qis all about COMMUNITY.
Drinking Liberally in Iowa: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are four Iowa Drinking Liberally groups (see below). If there isn’t one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don’t like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Iowa groups:
Davenport:
* Meets second and fourth Friday of each month, 6:00 pm onward
* Pat McQuire’s Bar & Grill, 3333 N Harrison St (Set back form Harrison - Next door to the Citgo on the corner of 32nd and Harrison)
* We will also drink liberally in the AM on the 1st Saturday at 9:30am at Mojo’s (corner of Main and 2nd St - downtown Davenport)
* Hosted by Alta Price and Caroline Vernon, quadcities (at) drinkingliberally.org
Ames:
* Every Friday, 5:00 pm onward
* Legends American Grill, 200 Stanton Ave, 7th Floor (in Campustown) (map)
* The group will meet in the large accessible party room left of the elevators unless it is booked by a larger group. We will then be in the Sky Box. Ask a waiter for our location.
* Hosted by Jan Bauer and Brent Wynja, ames (at) drinkingliberally.org
Des Moines:
* Every Thursday, 8:00 p.m. onward
* The Lift, 222 4th St (between Court Ave and Walnut) (map)
* Hosted by Amanda Mittlestadt, Tricia Kell, Dan Chibnall, Cassie Samspon and Matt Jesson, desmoines (at) drinkingliberally.org
Iowa City:
* Every Thursday, 8:00 pm onward
* The Mill Restaurant, 120 E Burlington St (map)
* Hosted by Nicholas Bergin, iowacity (at) drinkingliberally.org
WISCONSIN GROUPS:
First I naturally will highlight Winsconsin’s local Democracy for America group, Democracy for Wisconsin. Democracy for Wisconsin grew from the seeds planted by Howard Dean’s presidential campaign. We believe that strong values and grassroots participation are the key to successfully promoting progressive policies and rebuilding the Democratic Party. Please help us take our country back! Local chapters are listed on their website.
WISCONSIN FAIR TRADE COALITION: The Wisconsin Fair Trade Coalition is a statewide collaboration of labor, environmental, consumer, family farm and interfaith groups founded in 1994 during the fight over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). They are united in a common belief that international trade and investment are not ends unto themselves, but instead must be viewed as a means for achieving other societal goals including economic justice, human rights, healthy communities and a sound environment. The economy exists to help people, not the other way around.
WFTC is the leading state advocacy vehicle to fight for trade policy that is not tilted in favor of multinational corporations and against the interests of Wisconsin ’s — and the world’s — working people. If you want to join the coalition, sign up for the newsletter or find out more, contact them at 608.237.1659; Fax 608.442.1439;
Postal Address: 3129 Hermina Street , Madison WI 53714.
Drinking Liberally in Wisconsin: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are surprisingly few Wisconsin drinking liberally groups! There are currently only two Wisconsin Drinking Liberally groups (see below). If there isn’t one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don’t like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Wisconsin groups:
[Note: seems like Drinking Liberally has been declining in Wisconsin…I mean the MADISON group has died? There aren’t enough liberals who want to hang out and drink in MADISON?? I hope to see some revival of Drinking Liberally in Wisconsin…for now it is only Milwaukee…)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* Second and fourth Wednesday of each month (next meeting October 11), 7:00 pm onward
* Club Garibaldi, 2501 S Superior St
* Hosted by Stacie Rosenzweig, Scott Feldstein and Jason Haas, milwaukee (at) drinkingliberally.org
INDIANA GROUPS:
First, I will highlight the very, VERY important Indiana Progressives PAC. Indiana Progressives believe to win nationally we must first win locally. Their message is positive, practical and progressive! And hopefully will be popular as well! Be a part of Indiana Progressives by registering with their site today. This is exactly the kind of organization we need in Indiana to deliver a populist progressive message right to the voters.
Evolution Education Institute (EEI) is a national professional development program that had it’s origins in the Michigan Scientific Evolution Education Initiative (MSEEI). The MSEEI was administered by the Michigan Science Teacher’s Association and was funded by an Eisenhower Higher Education Competitive Grant through the Michigan Department of Education (MDOE) from 1999-2002. The mission of the MSEEI was to provide Michigan teachers and pre-service teacher education students with the necessary content, pedagogy and support system to effectively teach scientific evolution. The Evolution Education Institute expands upon the MSEEI model and brings it to a national audience. he mission of the Evolution Education Institute (EEI) is to promote the understanding of evolution and natural selection theory within the educational community and society at-large and to advocate for its inclusion in science curricula in a manner commensurate with its importance to modern scientific thought. This issue is particularly important to me (I’m a biologist myself!). So please, help out EEI.
Drinking Liberally in Indiana: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are six Indiana Drinking Liberally groups (see below). I should note that means Indiana has more than some much larger states like Virginia. Makes Indiana sound like fun! If there isn’t one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don’t like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Indiana groups:
Bloomington
* Every Tuesday, 7:00 pm onward
* Upland Brewery, 350 W 11th St (map)
* Hosted by Eric Foster and Chris Herlihy, bloomington (at) drinkingliberally.org
Indianapolis
* Every Thursday, 7:00-10:00 pm
* Spencer’s Stadium Tavern, 802 S West St (SW corner of West & McCarty streets)
* map: http://tinyurl.com/ann6t
* Hosted by Jason Borneman, indianapolis (at) drinkingliberally.org
Noblesville
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* Ram Brewery, 12750 Parkside Dr (near the corner of 126th St and Hwy 37)
* Hosted by Keith Clock and Molly Martin, noblesville (at) drinkingliberally.org
Lafayette
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* Lafayette Brewing Company - UPSTAIRS, 622 Main St
* Hosted by Amy Clinton-Corbett, Mary Nauman, Curtis Parker, Jon Neal, Susan Schechter and Gavin Steiger, lafayette (at) drinkingliberally.org
New Albany:
* Every Thursday, 7:00 pm onward
* “The Red Room” of Rich-O’s Public House, 3312 Plaza Dr (Near the Kroger on Grant Line Rd; and next to Sportstime Pizza)
* Rich-Os is 21+ and “The Red Room” is in the smoking section, though we are able to meet in alternative areas of the Rich-O’s/Sportstime Pizza complex to accomodate under-age attendants and those who are sensitive to cigarette smoke.
* We will now be meeting on THURSDAYS instead of Wednesdays to accomodate the academic work week.
* Hosted by Lacy Davis, newalbany (at) drinkingliberally.org
South Bend
* First and third Thursday of each month (next meeting October 5), 7:00 pm onward
* Oaken Bucket, 1212 S Ironwood Dr (map)
* Hosted by Chris Wilson, Thomas Winegar and Ben Runkle, southbend (at) drinkingliberally.org
MICHIGAN GROUPS:
Here are some events in Michigan that might interest progressives:
Tuesday, 3-13-07
State Senator Mike Prusi is hosting a “St. Urho’s Day Reception” Fundraiser at the Governor’s Room, Karoub Building, 121 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI. Paid for by and please make checks payable to: Friends of Mike Prusi, 75 North Shore Drive, Ishpeming, MI 49849.
TIME: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
DONATION: $150.00 per person (Please, no corporate checks)
Wednesday, 3-14-07
State Senator John J. Gleason is hosting his “Annual St. Patrick’s Day ‘Hooligans’ Party” Fundraiser at the Governor’s Room, Karoub Building, 121 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI. Serving Irish Stew and Soda Bread!
TIME: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
DONATION: $175.00 per person
CONTACT: Please RSVP to 517/882-2420 (Ext. 4)
State Rep. Lee Gonzales is hosting a Fundraiser at the Governor’s Room, Karoub Building, 121 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI. Please make checks payable to: Lee Gonzales Team.
TIME: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
DONATION: $150.00 per person
CONTACT: Vicki, 517/402-5742 for additional information
Saturday, 3-17-07
John Edwards for President St.Patrick’s Day Breakfasts
Coco’s Coney Island 79 North Main Street, Mt. Clemens MI 48043 (586)493-9956
Coco’s Coney Island 940 Joslyn, Pontiac MI 48340 (248)745-3866
Dimo’s Restaurant 2030 West Stadium Blvd, Ann Arbor, MI (734) 662-7944
Zef’s Coney Island 1249 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI (Corner of Grand River & Washington Blvd. in the Book Building Lobby) (313)963-4113
Choose from any Breakfast Special at all 4 locations$30 per person
Make Checks Payable to: Edwards for President
For More Information or Directions Call (586)468-5512
Tuesday, 3-20-07
The Senate Democratic Caucus is hosting their annual “March Madness” Fundraiser at the Nut House Sports Grill, 420 E. Michigan, Lansing, MI. Paid for by and please make checks payable to: Senate Democratic Fund, P.O. Box 1111, Lansing, MI 48901.
TIME: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
DONATION: Sponsorships
$10,000 Champion (Name posted at event and 20 tickets)
$ 5,000 Final Four VIP’s (Name posted at event and 10 tickets)
$ 2,500 Elite Eight Winners (Name posted at event and 5 tickets)
$ 1,000 Tournament Team (Name posted at event and 2 tickets)
$ 500 Supporter (1 ticket)
CONTACT: Lisa Williams, 517/763-8609
“Global warming - an inconvenient truth” presentation by Dr. Kathryn Savoie, one of Al Gore’s personally trained ambassadors. Novi Souvlaki Restaurant, Novi Rd & 14 Mile Rd, Novi 48377, 7 PM. Free. This is a regular meeting of Democrats of West Oakland County. For info contact Chairman Jim Gualdoni, 248-624-7228, gualdoni23@aol.com.
Wednesday, 3-21-07
State Senator Raymond E. Basham is hosting a “Spring Luncheon” Fundraiser at the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, 1933 Room, 332 Townsend, Lansing, MI.
TIME: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
DONATION: $150.00 per person
CONTACT: Please RSVP to 734/946-5202
State Senator Deb Cherry is hosting an “Evening Reception” Fundraiser at the Governor’s Room, Karoub Building, 121 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI.
TIME: 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
DONATION: $150.00 per person
CONTACT: 810/701-2492 or pjanderson64@hotmail.com for additional information.
State Senator Gretchen Whitmer is hosting a “Spring Fling Luncheon” Fundraiser at the Governor’s Room, Karoub Building, 121 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI. Paid for by and please make checks payable to: Committee to Elect Gretchen Whitmer, P.O. Box 11063, Lansing, MI 48901.
TIME: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
DONATION: $150.00 per person (Please, no corporate checks)
Wednesday, 3-28-07
State Rep. Marie Donigan is hosting a “Lunch Reception” Fundraiser at the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, 110 W. Michigan Avenue, 12th Floor Conference Room, Lansing, MI.
TIME: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
DONATION: $150.00 per person
CONTACT: Christine Riley, 248/819-1449
Now I naturally will highlight Michigan’s local Democracy for America group, Democracy for Michigan. Joining this blog will help you connect with fellow progressives in Iowa and help establish a progressive infrastructure in Michigan.
Michigan Young Democrats: The next generation of Democrats in Michigan. For information on how to get involved at the local level, please contact Jody Weissler at jweissler@mi-democrats or (517) 371-5410. To get involved with the MYD Executive Board, please contact our President Isaac Robinson at williamisaacrobinson@yahoo.com.
Drinking Liberally in Michigan: Promoting democracy one pint at a time! Drinking liberally is a social organization with chapters nationwide. There are three Michigan Drinking Liberally groups (see below). If there isn’t one near you, you can set one up at the Drinking Liberally website. If you don’t like bars, I have always thought non-drinkers could set up their own drinking liberally groups in coffee houses. Here are the current Michigan groups:
Ann Arbor, Michigan
* First and third Thursday of each month 8pm
* Leopold Bros., 523 S Main St
* Hosted by John Redmond and Jenay Karlson, annarbor (at) drinkingliberally.org
Detroit, Michigan
* Every Tuesday, 7:00 pm onward
* Honest? John’s, 488 Selden St (at 2nd (lighted, secure parking))
* Hosted by Pete Coseo, detroit (at) drinkingliberally.org
Oakland County, Michigan
* Every other Thursday 7:00 pm onward
* Bo’s Brewery & Bistro, 51 N Saginaw St, Pontiac (Corner of Huron and Saginaw inside the Woodward Loop)
* We need co-hosts in Oakland County south, east and west for our Road Trips, please contact me for details.
* Hosted by Ron Wasczenski, oaklandcounty (at) drinkingliberally.org
Click here to go back to THOUGHTS section and Table of Contents for this issue.
Every three years, the Copyright Office conducts a rulemaking to determine temporary exemptions from the DMCA’s anticircumvention provision. The results of the third DMCA Anticircumvention Rulemaking were announced this week. The Copyright Office approved six classes of works that, for the next three years, will not be subject to the prohibition on circumvention of access controls. Those classes include:
1. Audiovisual works included in the educational library of a college or university
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The story of two men torn by the conflicts in their lives and united by their love for the greatest sound the world has ever heard. A film Dedicated to Bud Powell and Lester Young by the original Producers, and by Michael Manning, it is herein also dedicated to the memory of the late Dexter Gordon, brought to my attention in 7th grade Music Class.
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By my very nature, I am a hopeless romantic and I am therefore unashamed to reveal to you that this film brought me to tears of Joy. But you must stick with it. Particularly if you love music as much as I do. In this picture, the Director and Writer convinced real-life Jazz sax legend, Dexter Gordon to play lead in his first-ever film. Dexter portrays an aging, alcoholic black American jazz saxophonist whose life is so self-destructive in the United States, that he travels to France to literally save himself from eminent demise in the late 1950’s. A financially despondent, young French fan who has been studying Jazz to maintain his sanity, and out of pure love for the history and appreciation of the idiom and Dale Turner (Gordon) manages to network his way to actually meet him. In a heart-rendering effort, he reaches out to the Jazz great to spur him on to one last burst of creative brilliance. The film, as noted, was created as a deeply moving homage to bebop musicians Bud Powell and Lester Young. I don’t want to say anything more to spoil the film, but by the time Herbie Hancock appears, that opening scene will predictably move many of you to tears of Joy as well. Let me mention this now, so I don’t get complaints. This is a film in subtitles with English and French. It is also available in a Spanish-subtitled version. In summary, put aside your worries for just one evening, please, and let the power of this movie and it’s music literally lift your heart and spirits to all things that are possible. Outside of the original motion picture “Woodstock”, I have never seen such a tremendous assembly of musicians. If you live in New York City, you will be particularly proud and well represented; I’ll allow that much! Let’s do it: The Cast: Dexter Gordon is Dale Turner, Lonette McKee is Darcey Leigh, Francois Cluzet is Francis Borler, Martin Scorsese is Goodley, Herbie Hancock is Eddie Wayne, and Sandra Reaves-Phillips is Buttercup; New York-based Musicians include: Billy Higgins, Drums; Eric LeLann, Trumpet; Mahavishnu John McLaughlin: Guitar; Ron Carter, Bass; Tony Williams, Drums; Freddie Hubbard, Trumpet; Cedar Walton, Piano; Lyon France-based Musicians include: Palle Mikkelborg, Trumpet; Mads Vinding, Bass; Cheikh Fall, Percussion, Michel Perez, Guitar and Pierre Michelot, Bass. DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY: Bertrand Tavernier and David Rayfiel; CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Bruno de Keyzer; PRODUCED BY: Irwin Winkler. Man, are you guys in for a treat!
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ENJOY!
Ugly Betty executive director/actress Salma Hayek, 40, and her fiance, Francois-Henri Pinault, PPR CEO, are expecting their first child together any day now, but the mom-to-be is also focusing on her television show and production/distribution company Ventanazul, with partner Jose Tamez. Ventanazul is a label that is trying to make mainstream English-language films using Latinos.
When asked if she would be moving to Paris, where her fiance resides, following the birth of her child, the Emmy-nominated actress said,I’m going to stay and run this company. I had to make a choice…I
could just say I will give it all up and be a housewife in Paris. But I
said "No." I was so lucky because I found myself a man who is a great
businessman. And he loves it that I work this hard. He has a lot of
respect for what I do…He knows how important this is to me. This
is a mission. We have been working for this all our lives. It’s a
breakthrough and in my lifetime, I want to see a change.Source: Los Angeles Times
GEECL CBM will serve customers in the West Bengal region. Click to enlarge. Source: GEECL
Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd has begun the production and sale of coal-bed methane (CBM), the first such commercial project in India. GEECL is targeting initial production of 1.5 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD); estimated in-place gas in the block is 1.92 trillion cubic feet (TCF) per Netherland, Swell and Associates, Inc. (NSAI) on 1 June 2007.
While GEECL’s initial confirmed customers are industrial operations in West Bengal (the site of the project), the company forecasts high demand for CBM as an alternative fuel for transportation. Demand in Kolkata alone could reach 35 MMSCFD. Other West Bengali district vehicle demand could tally an additional 10 MMSCFD. Vehicle demand in neighboring Jamshedpur (200 km away) could reach 18 MMSCFD, according to the company.
Production of CBM. CLick to enlarge. Source: GEECL
GEECL uses a hydraulic fracturing process in which a fracturing fluid is first injected into a targeted coal seam. The fluid causes a pressure build-up that propagates the fracture away from the well. Once the fracture has propagated, the operator injects a gelled fluid carrying a proppant (usually sand) to prop the fracture open. Fracture propagation and proppant injection are a continuous process.
After proppant placement, fluids are pumped back. The proppant remains in the fracture, along with some of the entrapped fluids. The operator extracts water to reduce the hydrostatic pressure in the formation so that gas flow can commence.
The CBM readily separates as pressure decreases, allowing it to be piped out of the well separately from the water. Water moving from the coal seam to the well bore encourages gas migration toward the well.
The amount of water produced is high, although it varies from deposit to deposit. The product water must be disposed of; it is not re-injected into the field as in some oil production. The application of the water is determined in part by its composition—the type and amount of total dissolved solids (TDS). But CBM product water generally has a moderately high salinity hazard and often a very high sodium hazard based on standards used for irrigation suitability.
In the US, the Powder River CBM wells have one of the higher water-gas ratios, according to the USGS, at an average 2.75 barrels per thousand cubic feet (MCF) of gas. (Earlier post.)
As of June 2007, GEECL had drilled, perforated and fractured 23 wells and installed the pumps. Nine wells are currently in production, delivering 991 thousand cubic feet (MSCFD) per day, along with 8,030 barrels of product water—a current water-gas ratio of 8.1 barrels of water per MCF of gas. Over time, the water ratio decreases and gas production increases as the beds are dewatered.
With the fourth largest coal reserves in the world, India could be one of the largest producers of CBM. Estimates peg the country’s total CBM resource base at around 16 TCF.
India’s Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) has approved investing $150 million for drilling 100 production wells in four years.
Reliance Industries (RIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the country’s two biggest exploration and production companies of conventional oil and gas, have also begun recovering some gas from coal beds. RIL has estimated in-place gas reserves of 3.65 TCF, and ONGC has reserves of around 1.2 TCF.
RIL is likely to start commercial production by the end of 2007; ONGC is planning commercial production in 2008.
Resources:
2006-2007 GEECL Results presentation
Posted by Zuri Kemp, Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer
Thinking about becoming a Google test engineering intern? Want to help us organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful — but you’re not sure what it’s really like here? Over the next several months we’ll be featuring articles by former Test Engineering interns. Until then, here’s a top-10 list of adjectives to describe software engineers at Google:
Global - Google has engineering offices (and, of course, customers) all over the world. So not only do we have engineers from everywhere, every engineer gets the chance to make software that will be as great in Singapore as it is in Finland.Comfortable - Engineers need to be comfortable to be effective…and Google gives us the equipment to be comfortable. And if our muscles get tight from sitting, we can get an on-site professional massage.Flexible - Getting work done is more important than what time we work.Unhampered - We’re a company designed by engineers for engineers, so functional merit tends to outweigh other considerations at decision-making time.Entertained - We have lots of fun activities. Every winter, there’s a company-wide ski trip. Every summer, there’s an all-engineer picnic on the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. Google has bought out theaters for opening days of films like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.Listened to - Google has a very open environment and truly values each employee’s opinions. Every Friday, there’s a company-wide meeting where Larry and Sergey (our founders) report on significant events and have an open-to-all Q&A session.Stuffed - In most offices, Google provides free gourmet-quality breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you come in too late to get breakfast (or you get hungry between meals), you can always head to the nearby mini-kitchen and grab some fruit, cereal, and tea (or crisps, chocolate, and espresso for the less healthily inclined). Cutting-edge - We have the audacious goal of organizing the world’s information — and to meet it, we’ve built the largest distributed computer system in the world and written some of the world’s most widely-used software. High-impact - People in every country and every language use our products. Dependable - We try to keep a high bar for hiring, so you can depend on the ability of your teammates to handle most any engineering problem.If all of that (and this) wasn’t enough to convince you that Google is a fantastic environment for a software engineer in test, consider being able to “make and break” cool Google products. That is exactly what test engineers at Google do. We not only manually find flaws in software engineers’ code, we also build smart, home-grown tools that effectively break and test the limits of web software.
While the deadline for Test Engineering internships for this summer is past, we want to help you make a decision for your internship next year. Stay tuned to our blog, we’ll be posting a regular series on Test Engineering internships at Google.
Some of the films I’ve seen at the festival have been amazing. Kabul Transit was the first standout documentary I saw (outside of the Future Filmmakers Showcase, which had a couple of very good documentaries produced by high school students). The filmmakers took an unusual approach to document their time in Afghanistan, which conveys the fragmented lives of the people they met, but it works on a deep emotional level. You come away with the idea that the residents of Kabul are amazingly inventive, resilient people who will get through their struggle in spite of the “help” provided by the U.S. military and NATO.
Brothers of the Head is an adaptation of the 1977 Brian Aldiss novella that is presented in the style of a documentary, which is entirely appropriate, as it was directed by Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton who have previously made documentaries about Terry Gilliam films, e.g. Lost in La Mancha. The approach works quite well, especially in that they coached their cast individually to create the characters, helping to generate the spontenaiety of the performances. I can’t predict the commercial potential of this film, since it will be very difficult to market to American audiences, but folks like me who feel nostalgic for the British punk rock invasion of the 1970’s should find it terrific.
I saw two documentaries back-to-back the other day, Under the Rollercoaster, about Mae Timpano, a woman who, until 1988, lived in the house beneath the Coney Island Thunderbolt ride. I thought the idea of a family living in a house like this was made up by Woody Allen for Annie Hall, but he apparently was inspired by Mae.
The Creek Runs Red is a documentary about the toxic mining town of Picher, Oklahoma, one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s first Superfund cleanup sites. After decades of cleanup work, the project has done little or nothing to reduce the levels of lead in the town’s drinking water and the EPA finally decided earlier this year to simply buy out all the residents with chidren under 6 years of age. Your tax dollars at work.
Last night, we saw This Film Is Not Yet Rated, a wonderful mystery/detective story/expose about the Motion Picture Association of America, the secretive board that assigns ratings to movies. The film reveals that the ratings board is not at all what Jack Valenti has claimed it was for the past 34 years. Valenti has always insisted that the board consists of average parents of small children, but refused to ever identify them. What director Kirby Dick decided to do was to hire a private investigator to find out who these people were. What he discovered is that while the members of the board are indeed parents, only one of them has any children under the age of 20, and that single board member’s youngest child is 17 years old. He even found out the names and occupations of the members of the MPAA’s appeals board (the body to whom a filmmaker can appeal if they feel his/her film has been unfairly rated). These folks are all men, and with two exceptions, are all presidents and CEOs of theater chains, distribution companies and other major players in the film industry. The two exceptions turn out to be members of the clergy, an episcopal bishop and a representative of the Catholic church. It is both a hilarious comedy and a frightening glimpse into how censorship is practiced in the free world.
During the Question and Answer period following the film, a woman stood up and mentioned that she had actually been on the MPAA board from 1973 to 1977, and described how 20th Century Fox had pressured them to give Star Wars a PG rating instead of a G rating, because at that time, the stigma of a family-friendly G rating might have hurt the film. The studio felt that a G would have discouraged teenagers from going to see it because the lucrative demographic of teenage boys generally tend to avoid seeing movies targeted to smaller children. Valenti’s whole argument for keeping the members of board anonymous was to prevent the studios from putting pressure on the board and influence them to make specific ratings decisions.
Here are some memorable snippets from the intrepid Michael Totten’s recent interview with Professor Barry Rubin, author of (most recently) The Truth About Syria. The book integrates arguments and a debate that have been all the rage at Across the Bay for a few years now. In a nutshell, it’s foolish, even dangerous, to “make nice with Syria.”
Here are some of my favorite “moments” in MJT’s interview:
– The way to [understand Syria] is not to cite the latest interview or op-eds by Syrian leaders or propagandists in the Western media or what one of them told some naïve Western “useful idiot” who traveled to Damascus, but rather to look at what the Syrian rulers say among themselves, what they do, how they structure the regime and perceive of their interests.
– Syria is not a radical regime because it has been mistreated by the West or Israel but because the regime needs radicalism to survive. […] It needs demagoguery, the scapegoats of America and Israel, massive loot taken from Lebanon, and Iraq […]
– If Syria’s regime made peace with Israel it has no excuse for having a big military, a dictatorship, and a terrible economy. The day after the deal the Syrian people will start demanding change.
– Statements like “engagement,” “a common interest in Iraq,” “getting Syria away from Iran,” “the benefits of peace with Israel,” and the reasonableness of Bashar al-Asad get repeated like mantras
– To survive, the minority-dominated, dictatorial, and economically incompetent [Syrian] government needs radicalism, control over Lebanon, regional instability, anti-Americanism, and using Israel as a scapegoat.
At one point, when MJT asks Professor Rubin if he thought the Syrians were behind the latest violent flare-ups in Lebanon, Rubin replies:
I definitely think the Syrians are behind it. Let’s look at the facts:
Step 1: Syria wants to sponsor violence and terrorism in Lebanon to bring that country back under its control and intimidate the Lebanese from supporting an international tribunal to investigate and punish those responsible for murdering Lebanon’s most popular politician, former prime minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 bystanders on February 14, 2005. Since all the evidence points at Syria’s leaders as the murderers, killing the investigation is their highest priority. The timing of this uprising came at the very moment that the UN Security Council was voting to hold the tribunal
Step 2: Organize and order a shadowy group of terrorists, called Fatah al-Islam, to disrupt Lebanon.
Step 3: And this is the scheme’s most clever part, blame the terrorism on your victim, Lebanon’s own government, and your enemy, the United States. Get some gullible or ideologically inclined journalists to talk to Syrian officials, be fed this line, and then spread it throughout the world.
Read the interview in its entirety if you dare; it is illuminating and it vindicates those Lebanese (and friends of Lebanon) who have been sounding the alarm about Syria for at least since Hariri’s assassination (but for much much longer really.) Most importantly, pick up a copy of Barry Rubin’s The Truth About Syria; it is ironclad scholarship in cultural anthropology, behavioral psychology, and the political history of one of the Middle East’s most enduring thugocracies.