There is no 'N' in strumpet, you Diplodocus.

August 10, 2006

I am SO done with Michelle Malkin

She called out one of my friends today. Called her a "sad moonbat" without even reading her post because like we have all been doing, she lamented the new airline restrictions in the UK and the need for them.

Some of you know Helen, and you know she is neither sad nor a moonbat. She may be a self-described "crunchy granola vegetarian", but if anything, my dear friend is almost entirely apolitical.

I too am appalled by the idea that I would have to trust my cellphone, ipod, and laptop to the honesty of baggage handlers; that my nieces and nephew wouldn't be allowed crayons or snacks on a long, boring flight; that I can have my contact lenses, but not the solution I need to put them in my eyeballs; that racial profiling is a cheap shortcut in the battle against terror.

That Malkin calls such honest sadness "whining" and "moonbattery" is beyond me.

I think we should ALL be sad. I think it should strengthen our resolve to tear these motherfuckers a new asshole. I think it should make us more focused on using ALL the resources we can to identify the dickwads who would do this and find out what they intend before they do it.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:20 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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1 Malkin's entering Coulter territory, I've stopped reading her regularly (or with anything other than a grain of salt). Name calling, while fun, really has no place in politics. At some point, I'm thinking someone is going to have to have a Sister Solja (sp?) moment with the likes of Malkin/Coulter.

Posted by: KG at August 10, 2006 12:48 PM (m/1e2)

2 Malkin's worse than Coulter. Coulter uses nastier invective, but only after researching her targets carefully to make sure they really did do whatever it is she's attacking them for doing. Malkin shoots in the dark.

Posted by: Xrlq at August 10, 2006 01:00 PM (pvbzO)

3 I read Helen's entry, and later Malkin's, and think she's so totally wrong for insulting Helen like that. I don't agree with all these restrictions, because that's exactly what the terrorists want for us, to live in fear. My only concern is that my DH looks Arab, even though he is Cuban/French, so I sadly expect a lot of profiling in our future...

Posted by: Amanda at August 10, 2006 04:01 PM (EAn57)

4 Test

Posted by: Jay at August 11, 2006 06:03 AM (/wOg3)

5 Some of us were done with her long ago, and done with the whole blogospheric plague of lockstepism.

Posted by: Jay at August 11, 2006 06:04 AM (/wOg3)

6 The test was because last night it wouldn't allow me to comment, so I saved it and was going to put it in a post if necessary. Yay for it working now!

Posted by: Jay at August 11, 2006 06:05 AM (/wOg3)

7 What's wrong with a little whining now and then? Some never started with Michelle.

Posted by: aaron at August 12, 2006 05:55 AM (8dJDM)

8 I'm with both you and Helen. WHen I do travel I have enough Radio Frequency gear, electronic sweep devices and other assorted items for my job that I almost always end up being poked, prodded, searched, and 98% of the time questioned as to what I'm doing when i get somewhere. I'm positively dreading even the thought of taking on a project over-sea's after this little shindig. I'll make it a requirement to travel by boat. Even if its a damn freighter.

Posted by: BloodSpite at August 12, 2006 06:59 PM (i81Vx)

9 I ran into this attitude the other day. I commented to someone: "I think I'm done with flying. I'm not worried about being blown up, but I am sick of taking my shoes off, being patted down, etc. And now - when on flights to and from Britain, they won't allow books, at least for now. I can't fly if I can't have something to read while I'm stuck in an aluminum tube for hours upon end. And don't get me started on the no-water rule." and he pulled the "oooh, then the terrorists win" card. NO. I have chosen not to fly because I am scared but because I am FED UP. There IS a difference. He also pulled the, "oh, you're just whining" card. Okay then. Say we decide to try to make them "stop hating" us. And part of that requires me to wear a burqa to work. Is my refusing to do that "whining"? I think there's a point where we have to say, our quality-of-life is worth something. It's okay to be mad as hell because some of the little comforts of life are being taken away and new discomforts added. I hope for a day when the Islamofascists (and other terrorists) are gone, and we don't have to put up with this crap any more. I don't believe it will happen, but I hope for it.

Posted by: ricki at August 13, 2006 02:32 PM (4ei3n)

10 First you type: "I too am appalled by the idea that I would have to trust my cellphone, ipod, and laptop to the honesty of baggage handlers; that my nieces and nephew wouldn't be allowed crayons or snacks on a long, boring flight; that I can have my contact lenses, but not the solution I need to put them in my eyeballs..." Then you conclude with: "I think it should make us more focused on using ALL the resources we can to identify the dickwads who would do this and find out what they intend before they do it." That's what they're trying to do, Miss California Tech, but you're too busy CONTRADICTING YOURSELF. When they try to use "ALL the resources" they can, you are "too appalled by the idea." NO KIDDING it is sad that our lives must be disrupted for Muslim murderers, but I'd rather live a few hours without my bottle of RE-NU or my iPod rather than being annihilated at 30,000 feet. Perhaps you prefer the Re-Nu and the iPod? Malkin understands what we're facing. You clearly do not.

Posted by: Mark at August 15, 2006 09:03 PM (XkuJr)

11 Actually, Mr. way-more-interested in being sarcastic, using resources to the best of our abilities means BEING DAMN SMART about what we're doing, not taking away the freedoms of innocent people. If we start taking these freedoms away, the terrorists win. People like you and Michelle are giving them EXACTLY what they want: To divide us and then conquer.

Posted by: caltechgirl at August 15, 2006 09:06 PM (bM7x1)

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Your daily rant

don't fucking get me started on these quacks.

Here's what got me:
"Head cases

A few neurological differences between women and men from Louann Brizendine's "The Female Brain":

Thoughts about sex enter women's brains once every couple of days; for men, thoughts about sex occur every minute.

Women use 20,000 words per day; men use 7,000 per day.

Women excel at knowing what people are feeling; men have difficulty spotting an emotion unless someone cries or threatens bodily harm.

Women remember fights that a man insists never happened.

Women over 50 are more likely to initiate divorce."

NONE OF THESE ARE NEUROLOGICAL DIFFERENCES!

SOME of them have to do with functionality/ functional outcome, but for FUCK's SAKE, is it AT ALL responsible to say that because a woman is over 50 that she files for divorce because her brain is hard-wired to do so???? I mean COME ON.

MAYBE MAYBE you COULD make the case that women's brains are MORE dependent on the influence of sex hormones than men's and that after menopause function is decreased BECAUSE hormone levels drop.

Sorry to be so mad, but while I am technically a developmental neurobiologist, I am ALSO a neuroendocrinologist. Which means I study how hormone signals affect the brain. This is my field, folks.

It is ENTIRELY not clear that the differences in the way women and men think are at all somatic (body-based) rather than socially nurtured. There is a growing body of evidence that Estrogen and Testosterone drive certain biological processes in the brain, HOWEVER, E and T are both converted to the same physiologically active molecule (they're not that different to begin with). Some of the proposed difference may have to do with feedback mechanisms based on progesterone (P), which women have in abundance compared to men.

The idiot who wrote this book argues that women's brains are "wired for communication". Sure, fine, but IT IS NOT AT ALL CLEAR based on the available evidence that this wiring is a direct effect of having 2 X chromosomes. MUCH of the wiring in our brains, and in fact the very essence of what we believe about learning and memory, is based on our experience. The neurological imprint of experience shapes the pattern of wiring in our brains. If we speak multiple languages as children, for example, we are more able as adults to learn and comprehend multiple languages, as our brains are wired for it. Because Estrogen and Progesterone affect the processes of wiring, that may play a small role, but clearly, experience is the basis of preferential wiring and preferential connectivity.

There are some anatomical differences in the brains of men and women. First of all, men have bigger brains. No shit. They have bigger bodies. They also have bigger feet. the overlap is also pretty significant. There are some small areas within the brain that are smaller or larger between the sexes, most notably an area in the hypothalamus smaller than the end of your pinky that is significantly different between the sexes (except, purportedly in homosexuals....) according to Simon LeVay back in the late 80s/early90s. He's a pretty well respected researcher, even though some of his stuff is pretty controversial, like that study.

Grrrr.

Also, she talks about hormone cycling and clinical trials, and thats no longer a valid excuse. Women MUST be included in ALL trials where a therapeutic benefit to females may be achieved (so, that's everything but things like prostate cancer or ED...). Women who participate in studies that may be affected by their hormones have to keep track of their cycles and note if they are taking any other medications that could alter hormone levels or function, such as birth control, HRT, anti-cholesterol medications (statins especially), and some antibiotics. These factors are generally accounted for, and generally make no difference.

To sum up, while the premise of the book is not entrely bogus, based on her arguments in the interview and the "neurological differences" presented at the end, it is clear that this book is full of inconclusive data and incomplete understanding, and should be viewed as a POSSIBLE explanation for some of the cognitive/ personality/ functional differences between the sexes. And a far too simple one, at that.

Just also wanted to point out that it appears that the author of this book is in fact a "real" scientist, who evidently publishes research about hormones and depression.... So perhaps this book is an extended theoretical paper.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:43 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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August 09, 2006

It was the Joooooooooos!

Cynthia McKinney and her goons blame the usual suspects for her loss yesterday.

OTB has the video from Hannity and Colmes here

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Holy crap you people are creative

I was offline all day yesterday and much of today due to a work excursion, and when I came back, there was a real story in place of the two paragraphs I left!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:05 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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August 08, 2006

Two Paragraph Tuesday

Well, here we go. Let's kick things off with two simple paragraphs, shall we?

Jenny was bored. She looked out the window and gazed over the lawn, and down the lane. Two hours until the mail arrived, the highlight of her day. After the white truck pulled away, she would walk down the lane to the street and see who was sending her junk mail this time. Then back up to the house to be bored again.

Life in the country is so wonderful, they'd told her. You'll love the quiet, the animals, the gentle breezes. Bullshit, she thought. Not even here a week and already everything seemed so bland. Standing up she turned from the window and moved toward the kitchen for a glass of water. A sudden noise made her turn back around. In the lane was a small man, neat of appearance, and moving quickly towards the house. He was clearly calling out, but she could not make out what he was saying.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:15 AM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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1 With visions of Alan Arkin shouting: "The RUSSIANS are coming!" she quickly began moving toward the front door, but when she passed the large mirror above the sofa and caught her own reflection, she decided she might need to throw something on before greeting her new visitor. Moments later, she returned covered in a sheath dress with feet still bare. By that time, the man was alternately ringing the door bell and beating on the door. Hastily, she threw it open.

Posted by: Chrissy at August 08, 2006 05:06 AM (NUhQR)

2 He came closer to the house and then she noticed in her hands an envelope. "I live down the way and I just got this Fed-Ex package delivered to my house instead of yours,by accident. I signed for it & then realized it was yours. This is the Country you know, they don't pay much attention to the signature." I started screaming with joy as I ripped open the "Urgent" package. I knew what it was, what I had waited so long to see. The man, who introduced himself as Abe watched in delight as I squealed and did my girly type of screams.

Posted by: Greta at August 08, 2006 05:09 AM (Cbtbf)

3 It was the specially made Tiara that Jenny had ordered from that weird Tibetan catalog that had been surrepticiously left at her doorstep a few weeks ago in a raging snowstorm. She lifted the Tiara from the package and slowly placed it on her head. Suddenly, the light brightened, the colors became more vibrant, the air itself sparkled. Jenny turned and looked in the mirror - she could not believe what she saw!

Posted by: Beth at August 08, 2006 05:28 AM (9FPYz)

4 It was if she was transformed into a magical princess and he into a magical and charming prince. The shadows danced a waltz and music from someplace far away began to play. Of course, when she opened her eyes and looked into the mirror, what she actually saw was her reflection with a very, very beautiful tiara atop her head. It did sparkle and shine, and it was just what she needed in order to bring her out of her writer's slump.

Posted by: oddybobo at August 08, 2006 06:37 AM (6Gm0j)

5 Abe watched amused at the young woman as her face beamed with excitement. He could tell that the moment she placed the tiara onto her head, she had been momentarily transformed into a fairy tale. He waited patiently until she realized that he was still there. He wondered if he should just slip away back toward his house. But this woman intrigued him and he was fascinated by her reaction. Jenny looked back toward her reflection then noticed Abe again. Slightly embarrassed at her display, she blushed. "I'm sorry, this tiara means a lot to me. It is exact replica of one my grandmother once had. She wore it for her debutante ball. She said she danced all night... I've only seen pictures of it -- it was stunning. I thought it might add a little excitement --" Jenny trailed off as she noticed this very handsome man, smiling and moving toward her. "Would you care to dance, my lady?"

Posted by: Jody at August 08, 2006 07:12 AM (IEpte)

6 Writers have to seek inspiration everywhere, and Jenny was no different. The mailman had become an assassin, the cat had inspired a tiger attack. Still, the pages didn't write themselves, so she wafted, princess-like, into the study and seated herself before her pc. The cursor blinked in a demanding and accusatory manner, as if to say it has been too long. Her heroine was still in the clutches of her dangerous lover and the next plot point beckoned. Jenny moved her fingers to the keyboard, ready to begin, when suddenly a crash sounded from the back of the house.

Posted by: Phoenix at August 08, 2006 07:14 AM (4N2f4)

7 Jenny got up to investigate. She tiptoed cautiously down the hall. "Owwww!", a man's voice called out from the kitchen in back. There was another loud clatter as of pots and pans clashing and falling, like the emptying of Fibber McGee's closet. "Owwwwwww!! That last step was a long one!"

Posted by: Paul Burgess at August 08, 2006 01:42 PM (7EVyU)

8 Recognizing the voice of the man who had brought her the package, she burst into the kitchen. "What in heaven's name do you think you are doing?!?! I thought I asked you to leave so I could get back to my work!" "Sorry, Lass - but you have me too curious to go home now. I thought I could make the two of us a cup of tea and you could tell me about your writing." He shrugged, chagrined and still quite handsome with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "But if you really want me to leave, I'll...."

Posted by: Richmond at August 08, 2006 02:49 PM (e8QFP)

9 But Jenny cut him off, "Sir, thank you for bringing my package. I din't mean to be rude. But I really have a lot of writing to finish and my editor is on my arse for the next few chapters and well, I'm really having a problem." "Maebee I can help?" He replied, bowing his bowler hat and walking towards her computer. The strange neighbor sat down in front of Jenny's computer and began to type...

Posted by: Rave at August 08, 2006 03:17 PM (Fir0Z)

10 Just what does he think he's doing? Jenny wondered to herself as Abe's fingertips flew over the keyboard, striking up yet another kind of music. It was music to her ears, that creative flow, and if she didn't end up having to scrap what this quirky yet handsome man wrote, then it was money in the bank. "There." Abe leaned back in the chair, hands behind his head and a complacent smile upon his face. Jenny leaned in to read that which he had written..

Posted by: amelie at August 08, 2006 03:34 PM (n06OQ)

11 Remember that movie "You've got Mail." Well, I have been the one reading your blog and commenting on it for the past year. I am madly in love with you. We are meant to be together - forever and if you don't oblige...

Posted by: Greta at August 08, 2006 04:14 PM (Cbtbf)

12 The hair on the back of Jenny's neck stood on end. What? How could that be? She had just moved to this barren boring county town. How did this Abe know who she even was? Then Jenny remembered something. She moved here because she was offered the house on a lease to own, steal of a deal. Jenny always wanted to live in an old two story house with a wrap-around porch and this house fit the bill perfectly. Many nooks and crannies in which to explore. Jenny imagined one day her kids (she had none at the moment) playing hide-n-seek throughout the house. So how did mysterious Abe know what she wanted?

Posted by: Rave at August 08, 2006 07:26 PM (Fir0Z)

13 "Women are so gullible," thought Abe. "A sincere-seeming front, exuding confidence, will get you what you want from them, every time.!" Abe noticed just then that Jenny was regarding him with a rather earnest aspect. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he said.

Posted by: Justthisguy at August 08, 2006 08:14 PM (jMRay)

14 Jenny looked down at her bare feet and sheath dress then slowly raised her gaze to meet Abe's eyes. She didn't answer him, but looked at him with seductive eyes and a wry smile. She thought of all those nooks and crannies and wondered what else he knew of her and her house. Her instincts were screaming at her to put the desk between them. Her talisman lay on the opposite corner. Holding his gaze she began to deftly move herself around the desk.

Posted by: beth at August 08, 2006 09:00 PM (X6tm3)

15 Abe had felt just a few moments ago that this was going somewhere but hadn't realized that it was going somewhere so fast. He stood up, ready and waiting Jenny's next move. Jenny came right up to him and without taking her eyes from his asked "You are the owner of this house aren't you"?

Posted by: siany at August 09, 2006 06:13 AM (fa7X7)

16 From Punctilious! Her movements were slow and steady. Abe noticed she was inching away from the center of her desk, where she might logically have stashed a weapon. She was also moving away from the kitchen door. No mad dash for a knife. His sigh of relief was cut short when she reached into the small credenza he had missed on the opposite wall. The object she took out was so mesmerizing Abe found he could not look away. His blood froze when he realized what it was.

Posted by: caltechgirl at August 09, 2006 02:16 PM (bM7x1)

17 Jenny's cold, hard eyes cut through him like a knife. Just her look dared him to deny knowing about the camera and video tape she held out before him. She was shaking with rage. It was building. Burning. Abe's mind was racing. He had to think of an alibi quickly. "Jenny, please. It's not what you think. I know what it seems like but I can explain." With her teeth clenched, she uttered, "I'm waiting." Abe regained his composure, "It's like this..."

Posted by: Sticks at August 09, 2006 03:36 PM (r80Af)

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August 07, 2006

well kiss my grits....

"A site that has a Link Popularity Score of 1,000-5,000 is considered average. A site with a Link Popularity Score of 20,000 is considered popular. Sites with a Link Popularity Score above 100,000 are Internet "Icons"."

well, ok. great. Check this:
Link Popularity Total 303,763

Does that make me triple iconic? I find this highly bogus, especially as:
1) I am no icon. Try Glenn Reynolds. Iconoclast., sure, Icon, No way.
2) The Google hit was zero. Yeah, as if you know, more than half my traffic was fake.

h/t GuyK

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:27 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Memo to self....

Never give a llama your work phone #. Or any phone # for that matter.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I HOPE this means what I think it means!

Reuters: 1 hour, 25 minutes ago
Peaceful succession under way in Cuba: official

Cuba has set in motion a peaceful political succession, dashing U.S. government expectations of chaos following Fidel Castro's hand-over of power to his brother, a leading Cuban intellectual and government member, Roberto Fernandez Retamar, said on Monday.

"They (the U.S. government) had not expected that a peaceful succession was possible. A peaceful succession has taken place in Cuba," Fernandez Retamar said at a news conference.

The writer and member of the Council of State was the first government official to say a succession under Raul Castro was in motion after Fidel Castro relinquished power a week ago following gastric surgery.

Stay tuned. As always, Babalu has the latest.
h/t Smash

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August 04, 2006

Sunny Birthdays!

Happy Happy to two of my favorite Florida ladies: VW Bug and Pam!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:41 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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August 03, 2006

Finally, the MSM tells a good story

The Palm Beach Post recognizes Val Prieto of Babalu, and his wonderful family.

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August 02, 2006

South Park RULZ!

See here.

On a related note, I think we finally know who really SHOULD run Hollyweird: Matt and Trey....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:13 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Happy Birthday, Silent Bob!

Genius filmmaker and blogger Kevin Smith turns 36 today!

And many more!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Must... blog...

Watch this space...

my take on Israel vs Hezboolahboolah

a story rattling around in my head

a must read article on parenting styles and society.

Coming soon!

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