Monthly Archive for December, 2008

I’m Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq 0 cmts

It’s no exaggeration to say that at least half of our losses and casualties in [Iraq] have come at the hands of foreigners who joined the fray because of our program of detainee abuse. The number of U.S. soldiers who have died because of our torture policy will never be definitively known, but it is fair to say that it is close to the number of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001. How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me — unless you don’t count American soldiers as Americans.

A veteran US Air Force interrogator, in the Washington Post

Tue

Dec

2008

The coolest upside down paintings composed of spools of thread that you’re likely to see today 0 cmts

via Preik

Cities I visited in 2008 0 cmts

Inspired by Jason Kottke’s yearly list. One or more days and nights were spent in each place. Those cities marked with an * were visited multiple times on non-consecutive days. Those marked with a † were visited for a full day but not a night.

Cambridge, MA*
Santa Ana, CA*
San Francisco, CA
Santa Rosa, CA
Southampton, Bermuda
Bristol, UK
Cardiff, UK†
Glasgow, UK
Edinburgh, UK†
Barcelona, Spain

London, UK
Northport, NY
Brooklyn, NY
White Plains, NY
New Brunswick, NJ
Scotch Plains, NJ
Mashpee, MA*
North Egremont, MA
Salem, MA†
Washington, DC

Mon

Dec

2008

Negligent hikers in New Hampshire may be billed for rescue 0 cmts

Speaking as a former negligent hiker in Washington state who had to be rescued, fine by me.

Sun

Dec

2008

Bailing out of 2008: Dave Barry’s Year In Review 0 cmts

Dave Barry’s “year in review” has — like the year itself — it’s moments.

Sat

Dec

2008

How to hire teachers that are right for the job 2 cmts

Malcolm Gladwell examines the differences between good and bad teachers and discovers that the only predictor of success in teaching is the actual teaching. He says that to improve American education, we must radically change how we find and train teachers, opening the door wide and evaluating ongoing real-world performance in the classroom. He claims that current hiring, salary structures, and tenure tracks must be altered to be similar to the financial industry.

Harvard Square in the snow 0 cmts

Taken yesterday at 3pm, an hour or so into the storm. It is still snowing a bit this morning.

Fri

Dec

2008

Weekend America shutting down January 31st 0 cmts

Slightly less than two years after shaking up the format and attempting to move the show from Los Angeles to St. Paul, followed by months and months of floundering around trying to decide on a hosting team that worked, and then finally giving the job to John Moe last August, but making him move to Minnesota to take it…now Minnesota Public Radio is canceling Weekend America, blaming a bad economy. Moe’s been doing a great job, but the revolving door of hosts and locations couldn’t have done the show any favors. It was fresh and friendly and fun and interesting, and a great way to spend a couple hours on the weekend. I’m going to miss it a lot more than Day to Day.

Tue

Dec

2008