Joe's Journal
My Podcast Link
11/17/2013 22:19 #58320
fine Eyetalian diningCategory: food
11/14/2013 22:38 #58304
Mazurek's BakeryCategory: food
I was starving all day at work so naturally I had to look at food porn. Somehow I started on Dunkin Donuts page, and upgraded when I found the website for Mazurek's Bakery. Apparently they've been around since 1933, super old school. It was on 543 South Park Ave, so I had to stop on the bike ride home. I had a hard time choosing but I got three pastry hearts, a chocolate chip cookie and a black raspberry paczki. I wish I took a picture before there was just one heart left.
The lady didn't know what to do while I took the picture
love these pastry hearts
So nice out today
The lady didn't know what to do while I took the picture
love these pastry hearts
So nice out today
11/14/2013 22:25 #58303
Bierklub part dreiCategory: beer
11/14/2013 22:20 #58302
Windows XP is still (not) kickingCategory: computers
Who would have thought I'd be trying to support Windows XP 12 years after it came out?
I was attempting to get QuickBooks working for Squeaky Wheel on a donated computer they had. on opening any new workbook, the error "Unrecoverable Error 20888 41171" would come up and it would crash to desktop. Looking in the .NET error log, it would hang when it tried to write an XML file to the temp folder, thinking it didn't have proper permissions. In XP running as an admin this is pretty much impossible since there aren't granulated privileges like in Vista and after, so there must have been an issue with the .NET install itself.
The installation was a fresh copy of Windows XP, so you think it would work out of the box. somehow though the .NET framework got completly borked. QuickBooks requires the .NET 4.0 framework, which was partially installed on the machine, although Windows was only reporting 3.5 being installed. The installer for 4.0 couldn't rollback the the libraries already installed or finish the current installation. All that I could do was either manually roll back to 3.5 and try again, or uninstall all the way back to the default 2.0 framework. This would have taken forever on a Celeron D, so I just installed an extra license of Windows 7 I had.
Reinstalling is such a Windoes solution to things. I am glad (e:Paul) got me on Fedora.
11/12/2013 09:16 #58290
Veterans DayCategory: holiday
So I was thinking about Veterans Day and how weird the idea behind it is. It's so tightly wound with the cultural worship that seems to go along with the US military. Besides the veterans of World War I and II, what is being celebrated? The day originally marked the armistice of World War I, but it seems to be so far from celebrating peace today.
Why is someone who spent 18 months slogging around a base, or drone bombing random Pakistanis considered a hero, to be protecting our freedoms, to be serving our country? Who in this country are they actually serving, and what are they actually protecting us from? When people use that kind of language they expect that it makes the military exempt from any sort of criticism, disconnected from what they actually do. I don't see what invading Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya, or Somalia did to protect or serve the US. I don't see why we should be proud that $682 billion will be spent this year on an army when our Congress claims we can't afford food stamps, basic research or healthcare. Obligatory cost of war link
I know the military is an employer of last resort for many, making it difficult to blame the soldiers on the ground. But they still choose to take part in a unit that instigates rather than defends. This isn't to say there is no good in the military, or those in it haven't done good where they're deployed - I just don't think signing up for a fighting force is a job worthy of the language and reverence that it currently gets. There are so many people in this country struggling to make it a better place through service and self-sacrifice - we could be celebrating them in the name of peace instead.
Maybe I am jealous of everyone who got off of work.
Why is someone who spent 18 months slogging around a base, or drone bombing random Pakistanis considered a hero, to be protecting our freedoms, to be serving our country? Who in this country are they actually serving, and what are they actually protecting us from? When people use that kind of language they expect that it makes the military exempt from any sort of criticism, disconnected from what they actually do. I don't see what invading Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya, or Somalia did to protect or serve the US. I don't see why we should be proud that $682 billion will be spent this year on an army when our Congress claims we can't afford food stamps, basic research or healthcare. Obligatory cost of war link
I know the military is an employer of last resort for many, making it difficult to blame the soldiers on the ground. But they still choose to take part in a unit that instigates rather than defends. This isn't to say there is no good in the military, or those in it haven't done good where they're deployed - I just don't think signing up for a fighting force is a job worthy of the language and reverence that it currently gets. There are so many people in this country struggling to make it a better place through service and self-sacrifice - we could be celebrating them in the name of peace instead.
Maybe I am jealous of everyone who got off of work.
uncutsaniflush - 11/13/13 17:30
Gandhi has said "Means are after all everything. “As the means so the end." It is the morality of the means that must be judged. It is wrong to use immoral means to achieve a moral end. In such a case, the end, itself, becomes immoral. Certainly, if one applies that standard to the United States and its military action in recent history, the country is a moral failure. The very idea that it is acceptable to kill innocent, unarmed noncombatants during the efforts (such as drone strikes) to kill leaders of organisations that oppose the U.S. is immoral.
Terrorism exists in the eye of the beholder. To those perpetuating the "terrorist" actions, terror is an acceptable, justifiable means to a desirable, moral end. If one thinks about it, the very idea of the "Shock and Awe" Iraqi invasion was to instill terror in the hearts of the Iraqis. Thus, it is terrorism.
There has always been a gap, if not outright dichotomy, between the actions taken to protect the U.S. and lofty ideals of American freedom and democracy. It saddens me that nothing has changed and that the U.S. is still killing in the name of . . . It saddens me even more that a Democratic administration is doing the killing.
Gandhi has said "Means are after all everything. “As the means so the end." It is the morality of the means that must be judged. It is wrong to use immoral means to achieve a moral end. In such a case, the end, itself, becomes immoral. Certainly, if one applies that standard to the United States and its military action in recent history, the country is a moral failure. The very idea that it is acceptable to kill innocent, unarmed noncombatants during the efforts (such as drone strikes) to kill leaders of organisations that oppose the U.S. is immoral.
Terrorism exists in the eye of the beholder. To those perpetuating the "terrorist" actions, terror is an acceptable, justifiable means to a desirable, moral end. If one thinks about it, the very idea of the "Shock and Awe" Iraqi invasion was to instill terror in the hearts of the Iraqis. Thus, it is terrorism.
There has always been a gap, if not outright dichotomy, between the actions taken to protect the U.S. and lofty ideals of American freedom and democracy. It saddens me that nothing has changed and that the U.S. is still killing in the name of . . . It saddens me even more that a Democratic administration is doing the killing.
paul - 11/13/13 15:11
We are the terrorists. I mean who killed more innocent people and caused more terror at this point. I am pretty sure its not them.
We are the terrorists. I mean who killed more innocent people and caused more terror at this point. I am pretty sure its not them.
ExBuffalonian - 11/13/13 15:08
It starts to be absurd when our country has drones patrolling other countries, looking for terrorists to attack, bombs their targets, takes out innocent civilian bystanders and considers them acceptable collateral damage. At what point do you have to start asking who's the terrorist? Too many people think they've finished doing their part in this so-called democracy just by going out to vote once every 4 years or so. We should all be asking ourselves these questions and engaging in these conversations. We need to stop assuming people are virtuous just because they served in the military, because that's a very naive outloook. In my book, nobody is above suspicion until proven otherwise.
It starts to be absurd when our country has drones patrolling other countries, looking for terrorists to attack, bombs their targets, takes out innocent civilian bystanders and considers them acceptable collateral damage. At what point do you have to start asking who's the terrorist? Too many people think they've finished doing their part in this so-called democracy just by going out to vote once every 4 years or so. We should all be asking ourselves these questions and engaging in these conversations. We need to stop assuming people are virtuous just because they served in the military, because that's a very naive outloook. In my book, nobody is above suspicion until proven otherwise.
paul - 11/13/13 10:32
I guess I like to fantasize that everyone has at least limited free will in a democracy without conscription. When it comes down to it, the choice is, will you possibly kill people for money or not. We aren't talking about a defensive war in any of the situations mentioned and honestly most of the military people I have personally met aren't that stupid that they cannot be accountable for the decisions.
I guess I like to fantasize that everyone has at least limited free will in a democracy without conscription. When it comes down to it, the choice is, will you possibly kill people for money or not. We aren't talking about a defensive war in any of the situations mentioned and honestly most of the military people I have personally met aren't that stupid that they cannot be accountable for the decisions.
tinypliny - 11/13/13 00:55
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldiers knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldiers knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
uncutsaniflush - 11/12/13 23:18
Not everyone is as clever as you and (e:paul). Many who serve in the U.S. armed forces believe the lies that they are told about God and Country. Don't hate and despise them because of that. Ultimately, every country has a war machine that needs cannon fodder. I don't despise the grunts who do the fighting and the dying. Many of those who survive come back broken physically and spiritually and mentally. My anger is for their masters.
Not everyone is as clever as you and (e:paul). Many who serve in the U.S. armed forces believe the lies that they are told about God and Country. Don't hate and despise them because of that. Ultimately, every country has a war machine that needs cannon fodder. I don't despise the grunts who do the fighting and the dying. Many of those who survive come back broken physically and spiritually and mentally. My anger is for their masters.
paul - 11/12/13 21:56
I feel the same way but the last time random guest said to me, " Sorry paul but anyone that lives in america and doesnt like it needs to cross the border. Go to Canada PAUL. yOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THAT YOU KNOW CAUSE OF THE THOUSANDS OF MEN THAT DIED TO KEEP US FREE. sTOP COMPLAINING OR MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I feel the same way but the last time random guest said to me, " Sorry paul but anyone that lives in america and doesnt like it needs to cross the border. Go to Canada PAUL. yOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO THAT YOU KNOW CAUSE OF THE THOUSANDS OF MEN THAT DIED TO KEEP US FREE. sTOP COMPLAINING OR MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
That pastry heart was so good, definitely better than Dunkin Donuts.