Author Archives: Thinkwing Radio

About Thinkwing Radio

Mike Honig is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He moved to Houston in September of 1977 and has been there ever since. Mike's interests are politics, history, science, science fiction (and reading generally), technology, and almost anything else. Mike has knowledge and experience in many diverse fields, sometimes from having worked in them, and sometimes from extensive reading or discussion about them. Mike's general knowledge makes him a favorite partner in Trivial Pursuit. He likes to say that about most things, he knows enough to be dangerous. Humility is a work-in-progress.

Old-fashioned ‘Shock & Awe’: French Trooper In Mali [Photo]

Since ancient times, putting fear into the hearts of your opponents — essentially inspiring ‘shock and awe’ — as a way of weakening them mentally and emotionally have been standard tools of warfare. The photo below (explained in the linked article) would certainly be an excellent example of this practice.

Viral: Eerie photo of French soldier in Mali upsets military officials

Viral: Eerie photo of French soldier in Mali upsets military officials

Why this photo should “upset” military officials is beyond me. Frightening your enemies so they put up less resistance and even run away is an old, standard military tactic. It’s even, perhaps, ‘kind’ in the sense that scaring them away may be more merciful than killing them in the field (unless you choose to slaughter them in retreat, of course).

In any case, given the bloody butchery inherent in war, scary masks should be the least of any military’s concerns. Heck, maybe the French should even consider using this as a recruiting poster.

What is the role of a U.S. Marshal?

Donald V. Crowley created the painting “Justice” as a tribute to the U.S. Marshals Service’s 200 anniversary in 1989.

We see and hear about them all the time in movies and TV shows about the Old West, but what are they in modern terms?

Click here to learn about the responsibilities of U.S. Marshals in modern America, and their place in law and law enforcement.

Cat Soothing Crying Baby To Sleep [VIDEO]

Cute as hell, but I don’t recommend trying this at home:

Petting Charts For Cats And Dogs

Petting Charts For Cats And Dogs

Petting Charts For Cats And Dogs

Dusty, the Klepto Kitty [VIDEO]

I’ve become one of THOSE people. Cat videos.

I’ve learned of this one from a caller at KPFT-FM 90.1 Houston. He even has his own Wikipedia page.

“Dead” Satellites Can Be The Newest (And Nearest) Valuable Resource To Harvest From Space [VIDEO]

In an era when companies are seriously talking about mining asteroids, there is an enormous untapped resource in space which is as close as low Earth orbit (LEO), and which is otherwise classified as ‘space junk’: Dead satellites. Continue reading →

What Bill Clinton Wrote vs. What Bill Clinton Said

Bill Clinton & Barack Obama (2012-Sept-5)

One of Bill Clinton’s most (in)famous speechifying moments was in 1988, when he got his biggest cheer for the statement, “… In conclusion…”

At the Democratic National Convention, on September 5, 2012, Bill Clinton gave one of the greatest speeches of his life, and perhaps one of the best in political history.

Maybe one of the most remarkable aspects of that speech is how much of it was not in the prepared remarks.Yes, Bill Clinton may not be a great believer in Shakespeare’s quote that “Brevity is the soul of wit,” but nobody cared on that night of September 5th.

Below, I am belatedly adding my link to Atlantic Wire’s painstakingly detailed article showing where Bill Clinton departed from the prepared text, and what that text actually said.

It’s long (as befits Bill Clinton), but fascinating and incredibly impressive.

What Bill Clinton Wrote vs. What Bill Clinton Said (Dashiell Bennett, Sep 6, 2012. The Atlantic Wire)

People of the Lake – Al Jazeera English [VIDEO]

The Aral Sea, located between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, was once the fourth-largest lake in the world – an immense body of fresh water covering a surface area of 68,000 square kilometres.

Two port cities were located on it – Aralsk in Kazakhstan and Moynaq in Uzbekistan. Both featured thriving fishing communities and the lake itself held some 22 different varieties of fish – four of which could only be found in the Aral.

“This is a crime against nature. The drought of the Aral Sea is a man-made tragedy.“– Sergei Azimov, a film producer

But then the Soviet Union decided to boost cotton farming by constructing dams

on the two large rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya rivers.

This diverted these two giant rivers away from the sea into the deserts further south to irrigate large tracts of land. It proved disastrous for the Aral Sea.

[To read this entire article and see the video, click on link: People of the Lake – Al Jazeera World – Al Jazeera English]

Interesting insight: “A Chinese Web censor snaps, goes on public rant” (WaPo)

Washington Post blogger Max Fisher discusses the personal struggles of a Chinese web censor, and how the censor’s arguments could make perfect sense in the Chinese media context. ~ Mike

_____________________________________________

Posted by Max Fisher on January 9, 2013 at 6:00 am

This is Weibo, interrupted. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

Spare a moment for the Chinese censor, stuck between a Communist Party that demands strict control and a few million Web users who increasingly expect the ability to speak their minds online.

As controversy over a censored newspaper grows into one of China’s biggest and potentially most significant free-speech fights in years, party officials are likely seeking greater control at exactly the moment that outraged Web users are making that task most difficult. At least one censor on Weibo, the popular Twitter-like service that often serves as the closest China has to a public national conversation, seems to have snapped.

A rant was posted from a Weibo account belonging to @Geniune_Yu_Yang, which is identified as belonging to a Weibo manager, about the pressure from government officials and complaints from regular users. To be clear, he’s not a state employee: Weibo self-censors, employing folks like @Geniune_Yu_Yang to implement the party’s ever-evolving guidelines on what is and isn’t allowed.

The message, translated into English by Global Voices blogger Oiwan Lam, indirectly explains the mechanics of Weibo censorship. He compares Chinese government censorship to a famous scene in the 1988 Italian film “Cinema Paradiso,” in which a priest watches a movie before it can be shown in public, ringing a small bell to indicate scenes that the theater staff should censor. [Read the full article here]

The Cat On The Rack Meows Back [Photo]

Okay, this looks like a modern case of the Feline Inquisition, but it’s actually a common medical procedure for dogs and cats. It just looks creepy as hell.Read on. ~ Mike

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NPPA [Photo] award winner

La Shinda Clark,
©The Philadelphia Inquirer

In the photo, volunteer Cameron Tarzwell, 13, cleans loose hair that has been shaved from an anesthetized cat, Princess, in preparation for an operation.

La Shinda Clark, photographer at The Philadelphia Inquirer and 1995 Scholar, won third place for feature photos in the National Press Photographers Association 2003 Best of Photojournalism contest. In the photo, volunteer Cameron Tarzwell, 13, cleans loose hair that has been shaved from an anesthetized cat, Princess, in preparation for an operation. Tarzwell has been assisting a veterinarian for four years. The photo was one in a picture story on a spaying and neutering program in Chester County in Pennsylvania.

The Evolution of Asian Eyebrows: A (Dia)critical Contemplation, by Jana J. Monji

by Jana J. Monji

January 3, 2013

After watching “Cloud Atlas” and reading the many comments posted on Roger Ebert’s Facebook page, I found myself reflecting on circumflexion and the evolution of the yellowface East Asian eyebrows in cinema, particularly in regards to men. As a former copy editor, I developed this into a diacritical reflection on circumflexion.

A Hovering Accusation of Racism Shadows ‘Cloud Atlas’

I don’t know about you, but I’m have so little body hair that I don’t need to shave my legs, I never worry about waxing my moustache and my eyebrows are so thin I pencil them in. If I didn’t my eyebrows would be little more than en dashes over my eyes. Diacritically speaking, my eyebrows and eyes could be represented as a inverted semi-colon.

I know many East Asian guys who can’t grow more than a dirty-lip look facial hair and should wax and tweeze instead of shave. Their eyebrows might be more like an em dash. This isn’t how East Asian male eyebrows are drawn in for yellowface.

[Read Full Article Here]

Why Good Writing Matters [in Science and elswhere], by Kathleen Taylor

A woman after my own heart. ~ Mike

“In the fierce competition for readers’ attention, clarity is crucial — and clarity comes from using language well. Ease of reading is also important, because I (and I suspect most readers) are less inclined to struggle through an abstract, let alone a whole paper, if the authors make it hard work. I like to read in a smooth, fast flow, sucking up meaning without having to stop and think about how to interpret every sentence; if I wanted that kind of intellectual workout I’d read French. Translating from science into English can be quite hard enough even if the writing’s limpidly transparent, given the jargon and surfeit of acronyms.” ~ Kathleen Taylor, “Why Good Writing Matters” (January 9, 2013)

http://neurotaylor.com/2013/01/09/why-good-writing-matters/ Continue reading →

SNL: The Undecided Voter (Video)

It’s worth waiting through the ad to watch the video. I promise. ~ Mike

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/undecided-voter/1418227/

SNL: Undecided Voter

KITTYCAM: What Your Sweet, Harmless Little Kitty Is Doing When You’re Not Watching [VIDEO]

Your cat has a secret life when it’s outside. The Kitty Cam project is an attempt to see the world they way your cat does when you’re not watching. The videos are ‘rough’ (cats make poor cinematographers), but as a peek into an unknown feline world, are fascinating.

The National Geographic & University of Georgia

Kitty Cams (Crittercam) Project

“A window into the world of free-roaming cats”

http://www.kittycams.uga.edu/photovideo.html

Election Night Coverage (and Call-In) On KPFT-Houston

3 Replies

I have the exciting privilege of hosting election night coverage tonight on KPFT 90.1 FM from 7PM to 10 (or maybe 11) PM CT. I’ll be joined by some smart and knowledgeable panelists (Charles Kuffner, Leo Gold and Geoff Berg). There will be race updates, interviews with some notable political personalities, and we will be taking some phone calls at 713-526-5738 to discuss people’s voting experiences whether you voted early, absentee, or on “the Day”.

You can also listen live on-line from anywhere in the country by clicking here: http://www.kpft.org/streamkpft_64.m3u

This is by far the most ambitious thing I’ve done on radio up to this point, so if you want to listen to a guy on a high wire without a net for 3-4 hours, tune in and give me a listen! Continue reading →

Election Night Coverage (and Call-In) On KPFT-Houston

2 Replies

I’m excited to announce that I will be hosting election night coverage on KPFT (Houston) 90.1 FM from 7 PM to (at least) 10 PM CST. I will be joined by a panel of knowledgable and entertaining Houston personalities, and guests will include interesting and noteworthy personages.

You can listen and participate live from anywhere around the country by going to KPFT.org and clicking on “Listen Live“.

Tentatively scheduled panelists include Geoff Berg (blogger, and host of KPFT’s Partisan Gridlock) and Houston-based political blogger Charles Kuffner (OffTheKuff.com).

Currently scheduled guests tentatively include:

Lane Lewis: Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party
Gilberto Hinojosa: Chair of the Texas Democratic Party
Brad Friedman: Founder of The Brad Blog, an acknowledged expert on voting rules, systems, and suppression around the United States.
Robert Hooks: Actor, producer, and civil rights activist.
Amanda K. Wolfe: Activist for better mass transit in Houston, and greater transparency and accountability for how Metro’s dollars are spent.

One of the aspects of this show to which I am most looking forward is taking calls from listeners in Houston and around the country in order to hear about their election experiences. Whether you voted in Houston or Hastings-on-Hudson. Whether you voted on election day, or early voted, or absentee voted, we’ll want to hear from you. Was it easy or hard? Was the ballot easily understandable or almost unintelligible? Did you feel welcome at the polls, or were you bothered by poll watchers?

I hope you’ll be listening and participating.

“So papa, how do you like the iPad we got you?” [VIDEO HUMOR]

From bisteinee (Youtube)

Papa, how do you like the iPad we got you?

Papa, how do you like the iPad we got you?

So papa, how do you like the iPad we got you?

She: “Hey Dad, I didn’t ask you yet, but how do you like the new IPad we gave you yesterday as a birthday present?”
He: “I like.”
She: “You cool with handling the apps?”
He: “Hm…? What apps? Could you step aside, please?”
She: [Stares]
He: “What?”

Avoid And Report Intimidation At The Polls: Two Suggestions

Bob Krause

Bob Krause ‏@KrauseForIowa

“@CanzoneriSally If you learn of voter intimidation call Election Protection Project at 866-OUR-VOTE. Nonpartisan & doing great work.” #p2

M. Naz

M. Naz ‏@Mozi_N

If ANYONE suspicious confronts you @ a voting location asking 2C your ID, pull out your camera phone,video them&interrogate them instead.

This is how the United States Might Look Under Pure Libertarianism: Rachel Maddow and Richard Engel in Kabul, Afghanistan [VIDEO]

NOTE, 2012-OCT-15: I think it’s important to note that the Rachel Maddow report which I’ve cited below was intended by her to be seen strictly as a commentary on the situation in Afghanistan at that time. The connection which I’ve drawn between her report and a what potential Libertarian future might look like in the USA is strictly my own. ~ Mike

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From The Rachel Maddow Show (Aired July 17, 2010)

The Rachel Maddow Show | Aired on July 17, 2010

U.S. money leads to modern ‘castles’ amid Afghan poverty

Continue reading →

LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE. Then, Remember to VOTE!

NOTE – Additional voter and registration info is available at this tab (and be sure to check sub-menus available at the tab): “VOTER & Political Info And Resources“

No matter where you live, when you go to vote, remember these suggestions:

Know the voting rules and dates for your county (which may vary from your state)
Know the ID requirements (Photo? Voter registration card? Utility bill with address?)
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! Don’t be intimidated by poll watchers whose main objective is to keep you from voting.

Continue reading →

It Ain’t All Bad: Thoughts on the Obama-Romney First Presidential Debate (Oct. 3, 2012)

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There was no joy in Democratic Mudville after the first presidential debate. Romney came across as energized, happy and (even when wrong) confident while, with the exception of the first and last 2 minutes ― obviously well-rehearsed beforehand ― Obama looked distracted and occasionally nonplussed.

It often seemed like Obama was having trouble connecting his thoughts into a coherent idea. He sometimes seemed so taken aback by Romney’s freewheeling statements, denials or refutations that he momentarily verged on speechless.

After the debate, the commentators on MSNBC ― Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Al Sharpton, Chris Hays, Lawrence O’Donnell and Chris Matthews ― ranged from disappointed and visibly stunned (Maddow, Hays, O’Donnell), to freely-expressed anger (Schultz, Sharpton and Matthews).

Clearly from a debate point of view, Obama was not only judged to have lost; he was deemed to have barely shown up.

Such was last night’s unanimous verdict from all the talking heads, whether gleeful Romney-ites, woeful Obamians, or the rare objective observers (one of which was David Gergen on CNN, always a joy to hear for intelligent, balanced thoughtfulness).

There is, however, some interesting counter-thought on this whole “Obama was crushed in the debate” meme. Continue reading →

Duetto buffo di due gatti (“Humorous duet for two cats”) [VIDEOS]

The internet today is like looking something up in the Encyclopaedia Britannica used to be. You begin by searching for information on some obscure or famous battle or person or … something, and you end up browsing the thing like a catalog.

So it was when I was looking for information on foods dangerous to cats. I found a lot of information on that, but I also found these. They’re really funny and cute. By the way, the hard part was probably learning the lyric in Italian (“miau”).

There are more variations on the theme below the break, some quite creative. There is also a link to some background on the musical piece. Enjoy.

Continue reading →