The journey from there to here
Gideon MacLeish's Articles » Page 22
January 31, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
A news story in our local paper comments about complaints by the Mexican consulate that illegal immigrants are being profiled. To that, I have only one word: Duh. See, here's the thing. They're illegal. That's "not here legally" to you lay people. Which means that by their very existence they are breaking the law. And, umm, unless I'm sorely mistaken, profiling criminals is not wrong. In the time I've lived in Nevada and Texas, I've been frustrated by the mountains of extra paperw...
January 30, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
Link I like compact flourescent light bulbs. I really do. In fact, you will not find traditional incandescent bulbs in our house for that reason. And our nominal electric bill (average bill between 30-50 bucks a month) reflects that and other energy saving options that we implement around our house. But I'm going to readily acknowledge that good flourescent light bulbs do not come cheap. The cheapest ones aren't worth buying, frankly, and you have to go somewhere in the $2-3 a bulb r...
January 30, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
I hate the RIAA as a general rule. But it has come to my attention that the RIAA serves a valid purpose, one that it is not generally filling. This article is a plea for officials from the RIAA to step in and police in an area where they are badly needed. See, if the RIAA is going to protect a copyright, it should also work to protect the integrity of the piece. As an art museum would protect an artist's work from defacement, the RIAA should protect the work of its artists. There are some son...
January 30, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
I hate the RIAA as a general rule. But it has come to my attention that the RIAA serves a valid purpose, one that it is not generally filling. This article is a plea for officials from the RIAA to step in and police in an area where they are badly needed. See, if the RIAA is going to protect a copyright, it should also work to protect the integrity of the piece. As an art museum would protect an artist's work from defacement, the RIAA should protect the work of its artists. There are some son...
January 30, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
Brad's recent articles on how to earn more money reminded me of an article I've long wanted to write. After more than 20 years in the workplace, I am sick and tired of hearing people lament that there are no jobs available when my experiences and those of others have proven otherwise. The truth is, there are ways to make yourself valuable even in a tight job market, and while this doesn't mean you'll be working for $50,000 a year, it does mean you'll be working. My rules should apply to anyon...
January 29, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
In the past election, I was often asked about my position on term limits. The Libertarian Party, like many groups, is split on the issue, and it's not uncommon to find a wide variety of positions. I, for one, am solidly against them, for a number of reasons. First, we already have term limits. It's called, the vote. If the people want a candidate out of office, there's a means to remove them, with varying term lengths (except for certain judicial positions...we can revisit that as a sepa...
January 29, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
As I was perusing Wikipedia, I noticed something rather interesting. For some time in the past election cycle, we had a bio posted for me on Wikipedia. The bio was removed, with no mention of why, although I recently found their reasoning (while I saw it, I can't say I agree with it...but it's their site, their rules). But while my bio is absent, that of my opponent is easily available. Why? Because he's considered noteworthy by virtue of holding public office. This is something to conside...
January 26, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
Between work and school, I have more online time than I have ever had. And because of the time I spend online, I have discovered a few things. The one that disturbs me the most is one that has potential for serious tragedy in our small community. See, I cruise MySpace every once in awhile. Though I loathe the site in general, too many of my friends are on it for me to ignore it completely. What concerns me, though, is that I routinely come across 13 or 14 year olds whose profiles list them...
January 26, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
Some months ago, I wrote a poem that I put on this blog site. The poem was titled "Independence Day: A Requiem", and the truth is, I'm the least read poet on JoeUser, so I really don't know how it was. I've come to the conclusion that the consensus is my poetry sucks, so I don't even give it any effort anymore. Anyway, I liked the piece, and that's what mattered. So I posted it to an online poetry site, both to reinforce the copyright and on the off, off chance that someone might find it subs...
January 26, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
In my 2 1/2 years at JU, I have discovered what TV producers, shock jocks, musicians, and tabloid publishers already know: taht normalcy is boring and only through being sensationalist do you get read. See, one of the main life goals for me has always been to be a writer. And, while being a paid writer is admittedly a nice idea, I decided years ago that I would simply settle for being a writer, for having my ideas read and my thoughts heard. But see, here's the kicker. Sans pay, my reward...
January 26, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
I'm not buying a Sony Playstation. Ever. Sony is, in my esteemed estimation, the devil. If Microsoft is not your friend, as the saying goes, Sony is the evil serial killer who raped your uncle and spilled your grandmother's guts out all over the floor while she slowly bled to death watching the steam rise from her entrails. Why this anymosity towards Sony? I'm glad you asked. Two words: PC repair. Customer brings PC in to us. it's a sony Vaio. Nice looking machine, actually. Pretty sharp, ...
January 21, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
Once again, I have been accused of flaming. And, frankly, I don't see it. I've been involved with various online forums for over ten years. I've seen rebuttals, and I've seen flames. I've seen what constitutes a polite response, and what does not. And while my responses have occasionally snippy, I have always been careful to self moderate. So the accusations of flaming are something I take personally BECAUSE I've tried hard not to cross that line. If we cannot offer an opposing comment on ...
January 21, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
And I don't even care to shake these zipper blues And we don't know just where our bones will rest To dust I guess Forgotten and absorbed into the earth below (Smashing Pumpkins, 1979 ) Ft. Hood, Texas, 1978 I don't remember much about that summer, except it was the summer following one of the biggest disappointments of my young life. Mohammed Ali had lost his heavyweight title to Leon Spinks (he would regain it later in the year). The Dallas Cowboys, with Roger Staubach at the hel...
January 20, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
My name is Gid and I...like...to...make...money! Not just some money, LOTS of it! I want to have money to burn, money to roll in, and money to throw out the window of my limousine. I was raised thinking there was something wrong with that. As I grow older I'm realizing that: 1) it is human nature; 2) it can be a good thing when it's done right; and 3) that listening to the lies of those who taught me that wanting to be wealthy was some kind of moral defect have held me back long enough, an...
January 20, 2007 by Gideon MacLeish
I posted this on a hometown message board. Thought it was worth reposting here. Hard to believe it's been almost 30 years (a few small details changed for this blog): Back in the 70's, we had two drive in movie theatres. One on the south side of town(south of the main park, if memory serves correctly), and the other up by the fairgrounds (possibly even on the same site...I wasn't big into taking mental pictures of the places at that tender age). The one up north you didn't go to, and us kids ...