Google takes a step backwards
by Nick Oliva on 12/14/2007 1:48:17 PM
Here's an odd bit that some PR guy just got a pat on the back for placing in the NY Times. If you give this some thought, you may agree that it's basically an admission by Google that their main "ranking" algorithm sucks. Why isn't "Google"Google's "Wikipedia rival"? But Google asserts that the We... Continue »
been a long time
by Nick Oliva on 11/6/2007 9:24:15 PM
A long time in more ways than one. If you've been to whereIstand.com before, you'll notice some very significant changes. We didn't accomplish everything we set out to have done by this time, but we did accomplish some of the things we didn't. (Yes, that makes sense... read it again.) Well, we hav... Continue »
The underwhelming insignificance of talking to yourself
by Nick Oliva on 9/6/2007 7:25:02 AM
Case #1: Man talks to himself as he walks down the street (and is not "wearing" a mobile phone).... Verdict: Crazy. Excuse me... insane. Lonely, perhaps? Case #2: Man talks to himself as he kneels in front of a porcelain figurine.... Verdict: Communicating telepathically with the almighty being... Continue »
Faith is "unjustified belief"; Atheists have justifications for their beliefs
by Nick Oliva on 6/30/2007 11:36:28 AM
It does not take "faith" to believe in the absence of something, it takes healthy skepticism. How much faith do you have to have to not believe that a Great Cosmic Cat runs the universe? Not much, actually. Religion seeks to overturn the burden that goes with making a statement of fact. Religiou... Continue »
Advancing Technology: Say, "Hello" to my little blog....
by Nick Oliva on 6/29/2007 9:19:17 AM
"Welcome back, Nick!" Gee, thanks! It's great to be back. Of course, I haven't really been gone, just slacking. I'm jumping on the technologee pages and working on getting some issues up here. I think I'm going to kick off with something about that little thing you probably haven't heard about ye... Continue »
Family Values? Depends on the definition of "family"
by Nick Oliva on 3/15/2007 2:25:07 PM
The Fidel Death Watch goes on for my people in captivity and my people in exile. But... who cares? What I really want to know is how many days are left until Bush is gone and the stink of his administration and the abuses of his party are gone with him. Why am I angry about this today? I've been ... Continue »
Is America Founded on Christianity? (updated)
by Nick Oliva on 1/23/2007 3:00:50 PM
While I believe his approach is too strident to actually win over any converts, Richard Dawkins is a brilliant and resourceful genius in the effort to defend civilization against religion: As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it... Continue »
Candidate Clinton!
by Nick Oliva on 1/21/2007 6:19:51 AM
Hillary's hat is in the ring... Let the games begin! She's managed to mirror Republicans in their initial support for Iraq and their subsequent rejection of it.... She's in the mainstream with Democrats on most issues.... But... I thought Americans, as a people, were too bigoted to ignore Lieberm... Continue »
when all you know is frustration
by Nick Oliva on 1/16/2007 6:03:19 AM
I'm in my mid-30's and I have waited (mostly patiently) most of those years to read a headline not unlike this one from today's Washington Post: Castro Reportedly in Grave Condition Well... not exactly. What I'm really holding out for is a headline that reads: U.S. President Signs Leave-Cuba-Alon... Continue »
Are we over the hump yet?
by Nick Oliva on 1/14/2007 7:37:15 AM
One day, consumer electronics will go beyond the revolution phase and begin the evolution one. This will be a good thing. I guess it happens to all individual products by definition, but the real benefit to man will come when consumer technology goes the way of the railroad, electricity, etc. i.e.... Continue »
On Evil-utionists and Other Angry Liberals
by Nick Oliva on 1/7/2007 10:09:52 AM
I've been trying to stay away from spamecdotes, but couldn't resist this one. The Right in this country - in particular, the religious right - is so angry about everything that they've managed to become angry about the anger of liberals. I want to accept this challenge with my own perspective on ... Continue »
Blinded by statistics!
by Nick Oliva on 1/4/2007 10:34:18 AM
Here's a beauty from today's Washington Post:About 25 percent of the technology and engineering companies launched in the past decade had at least one foreign-born founder, according to a study released yesterday that throws new information into the debate over foreign workers who arrive in the Unit... Continue »
Reality Congress: Honesty and openness or eavesdropping and surveillance?
by Nick Oliva on 1/3/2007 5:56:19 AM
Here's something that's both in the loop and out of head: The House of Representatives is often called "the People's House." So wouldn't it be nifty if the "people" could see what was going on in their own house?This is nothing more than C-Span trying to enter the Reality TV fray. Where does honest... Continue »
Friendly Oversight
by Nick Oliva on 12/16/2006 6:47:42 AM
We are finally entering the era of introspection - too soon by far in the backs of the minds of those that beat the war drums. Levin says Feith exaggerated the relationship between Hussein's government and al-Qaeda when the Bush administration was trying to build public support for the Iraq invasio... Continue »
Gimme Drugs!
by Nick Oliva on 12/15/2006 8:43:44 PM
Not long before the Welcome Back Kotter episode where Vinny Barbarino pretends to be a junkie and demands, "Gimme drugs! Gimme drugs!", there was such a thing as the Shafer Commission.... I didn't know about Shafer, actually. I read about it in the comments to Kevin Drum's nail in the coffin of the... Continue »