Sunni Maravillosa
November 11, 2009
November 6, 2009
15:13
I’m as close to settled on the recipe as I’ll ever be; and if I wait for pictures, I’ll probably never post the recipe. Those who like the crunchy–style granola bars will probably like these ... and they’re easy and inexpensive to make, to boot. read more
November 4, 2009
17:39
Joss Whedon addresses that question at the end of this talk. Most of what leads up to it is pretty good, as well.
( Direct link to vid on YouTube)
He’s reminded me why I used to think of myself as a humanist in my undergrad days ... read more
November 3, 2009
11:14
David Gumpert has become something of a hero to me—not because his blog focuses on the healthful properties of raw milk, but rather because he actively seeks to understand, and to present, all the players’ perspectives in the complicated regulatory dance that has developed around it. Recently, he’s focused on challenges in Wisconsin—an area that doesn’t make the news frequently, but which is suffering economically along with much of this country. read more
November 2, 2009
10:26
The deeper I get into Barzun’s biography, titled A Stroll With William James, the more tempted I am to come to that conclusion. For those uncertain as to what I mean by ecological psychology, it is a radical departure from the information processing theories that currently dominate the field. Too many—both layperson and academic alike—have let the brain–as–computer metaphor become the only way they can conceptualize what goes on in our wetware (see?); but of course, before computers (and even earlier, before machines), there were other ways of approaching this most intriguing set of questions. William James apparently did so in a way that presaged much of the ecological approach. read more
November 1, 2009
12:54
I’ve found something that will likely help with that ... read more
October 28, 2009
11:01
I expect that many freedom-loving individuals would answer that question in the negative; but some would aver otherwise, pointing to the power of a jury as a (perhaps “the”) remaining check on the state’s dominance. I’ve pondered that issue for some time—wanting to be convinced by the arguments, truth be told, but never making it that far. The primary obstacle is the vanishingly small role juries directly play in most people’s lives. How many adults are tapped for jury duty? Out of those who go, how many actually serve? How many times does an average person sit on a jury? I have no numbers to pin to those questions, but it should be clear that I am skeptical that an activity that at best probably commands only a few hours of a person’s life is going to be seen as enormously important to him.
Another assertion that would likely be offered is that juries can make or break laws—and that does affect many people, as we all live under the burden of the laws of our jurisdiction. But again, I have problems ... Jury nullification depends upon at least one informed, courageous person; and the voir dire process actively seeks to eliminate such individuals from juries. That person must also keep his intentions secret until deliberations, else a mistrial could be called. Even that doesn’t guarantee that a mistrial won’t happen.
But—and here’s the heart of the matter—all the jury power in the world won’t make a bit of difference if the judge plays fast and loose with his power in the courtroom. A judge has a variety of means by which he can skew a trial, including what he allows as evidence, lines of questioning the lawyers are allowed to pursue, and the instructions he gives to the jury before they retire for deliberation.
Some judges have apparently become so brazen that they will not allow the jury access to the actual law(s) under consideration in a case. Pete Hendrickson says that’s what happened to him in his recently-concluded trial with the IRS. read more
October 22, 2009
14:44
My friend Mike Gogulski apparently learned that lesson back in September, although he just published information about his unfortunate encounter with some Slovak policemen. As happens here in the USSA with disturbing frequency, Mike called them for help, and instead they turned on him.
I’m not sure what Mike intends to do from here, but he has requested support and I am giving it, by helping to publicize his story and archiving a copy of the report in case his web site is yanked. I can’t at present upload it here for sharing, but will happily email the PDF to those who request it. For now, it and other formats are available in Mike’s blog post I linked earlier; my dear friend Tom Ender has also archived Mike’s report.
If anyone wonders whether Mike is worth supporting, in addition to his fine blog I recommend reading my interview of him. Mike walks the walk, and surely is an inspiration to many. read more
October 19, 2009
11:10
Even though we are now more directly connected to the internets, and no longer have the FAP to fear, I don’t go to YouTube very often. Hell, I’m not here as frequently as I’d prefer—I just don’t have the spare time for poking around there, fun though it might be.
Two of the most special people in the world to me recently helped fill that hole, though. One needn’t be of a certain vintage to appreciate either of them, although remembering the original songs may add a bit of emotional oomph to these versions: read more
October 13, 2009
October 5, 2009
15:15
Finally getting to the long promised story of my trip to California. You were warned. [grin]
It all started months ago when my sister sent me tickets for the airfare. She'd always wanted to do that, but I'd never before agreed to fly... but I had a 2 1/2 year old grandson I'd never seen, and wanted badly to reconnect with my two sons, so I bit the proverbial bullet and accepted. read more
September 30, 2009
12:15
I’ve been tinkering with my computer some, and think I have regained access to my permanent GPG keys. For those who need to reimport my public key, or anyone who’s unsure which key he has, I have posted my public key on the “About Sunni” page. If you have sent me something encrypted recently (within the past two weeks) and did not receive a reply, I almost certainly was unable to decrypt it; please snag the updated key, re-encrypt, and resend. Thank you so much for your patience with me throughout this adventure! read more
September 27, 2009
12:24
Well, not really; but since I’m mangling song titles, I’ll continue in that vein. Although we are several miles closer to the coast than we were, it is certainly not the case that “from here you can almost see the sea”. At least two ridgelines separate us from the ocean. We are, however, on the shore of a lake nestled between mountains. read more
September 16, 2009
13:36
Hello!
Helloooooooo?
Anybody else here? read more
September 4, 2009
11:04
Yesterday evening, I finally cracked. The pressure has been building since ... well, I don’t even remember when Wolfie and I first started talking about it. read more
September 3, 2009
10:26
Just thought I'd jump in and say I'm traveling for a few days and can't always get on line. I'll be writing about my experiences soon, just be warned. [grin] read more
September 1, 2009
12:26
I don’t intend to be one of them, but I will likely not be slithering around here as frequently as I’d like for a while. read more
August 21, 2009
14:19
My friend Peter and I have discussed the speculation surrounding what may lie ahead for this country, and those who live here, a fair bit. Being a much better multi–tasker than I, he has offered a stimulating perspective in a new essay, American Winter. It’s fairly long, full of cogent observations and asides, and I barely finished skimming it before starting to tell you nine about it—so I don’t have any deep thoughts of my own to offer at present. read more
August 14, 2009
11:28
I ask the question not from the context of the reality that the current health care system is shot through with socialism; but from the context of reading that Our Great Leader and his minions object to that term being applied to his proposals. Simply examining the process reveals how completely the socialist model suffuses it. read more
August 11, 2009
12:03
by She Who Loves (almost) All Things Pink and/or Frilly, that today is a celebration day! Relax, enjoy yourself, and be extra good to one another, she requests. read more
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