NaNoWriMo

Here is an organization that puts on a National Novel Writers Month contest each November for beginning novelists. There are no big prizes -- more or less gag prizes actually -- but the point is to have a 30 day deadline to write 50,000 words, no matter what the quality. There is a separate contest for youth writers.

Some day, when I can devote my time to writing 50,000 words...

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano

Eat better food

Here are some articles telling about (mostly) commonly available foods that are good for our health.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/Story?id=5334734&page=1

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/?em&ex=1215662400&en=653a7b27f673249b&ei=5087%0A

GOP computer guru killed in suspicious plane crash just before testifying

Why isn't this story getting more attention in the mainstream media?
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Killed_GOP_pilot_suspected_plane_had_1222.html

New Mac vs. PC ads!

http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/

The whole world says hunger is an outrage -- everyone except...

Once upon a time, 180 nations of the world voted that hunger is an outrage and a violation of human dignity. One nation voted against all the rest. Guess who was that one.

Here is a hint, an excerpt from the United Nations General Assembly report:

Draft resolution XX on the right to food, approved on 24 November by a recorded vote of 180 in favour to 1 against ( United States), with no abstentions, would have the Assembly reaffirm that hunger constitutes an outrage and a violation of human dignity, requiring the adoption of urgent measures at the national, regional and international level, for its elimination.

And elsewhere in the document, there are these details:

By a vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States) and no abstentions, the Committee also approved a resolution on the right to food, by which the Assembly would “consider it intolerable” that more than 6 million children still died every year from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday, and that the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population. (See Annex III.)

By the terms of the text, the Assembly would express concern that, in many countries, girls were twice as likely as boys to die from malnutrition and childhood diseases and that twice as many women as men were estimated to suffer from malnutrition. Accordingly, it would have the Assembly encourage all States to take action to address gender inequality and discrimination against women, including through measures to ensure that women had equal access to resources, including income, land and water, so as to enable them to feed themselves and their families. By further terms of the draft, the Assembly would urge Member States to promote and protect the rights of indigenous people, who have expressed in different forums their deep concerns over the obstacles and challenges faced in the full enjoyment of the right to food.

After the vote, the representative of the United States said he was unable to support the text because he believed the attainment of the right to adequate food was a goal that should be realized progressively. In his view, the draft contained inaccurate textual descriptions of underlying rights.

The Committee also approved a draft resolution on the rights of the child by a vote of 180 in favour to one against ( United States), with no abstentions. Among other things, that omnibus text would call upon States to create an environment conducive to the well-being of all children, including by strengthening international cooperation in regard to the eradication of poverty, the right to education, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and the right to food.

Now, tell that part again about how people don't like us because they don't like our freedoms. And explain to me how the party that has been in power is a pro-life party. Well, actually, save your breath -- I don't want to hear it. Actions speak louder than words.

Oh, I dreamed last night...

... that we were at a party, and Bill Gates made me an offer...