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Second chances not gift for all, if a gift at all

I could not help but notice your editorial on Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn’s second chance with his DUI 24-hour jail sentence [“Dorn’s second chance,” April 6] contrasted with the front-page news of the tragedy of Mike Turner’s three-fatality crash over the Easter weekend [“Crash kills 3 friends who loved muscle cars,” page one, April 5].

However, substitute Dorn’s name in Turner’s story and think about the headlines and the public outrage. Although Dorn’s alcohol assessment confirmed his lack of a “drinking problem,” drinking under the influence of alcohol increases the chance that drivers will continue to take innocent lives through impaired judgment.

My sympathy extends to all the families involved. Until we as a society fully comprehend the waste of lives fostered by second chances granted in DUIs, The Times will continue running front-page, tragic stories about the results of impaired behavior.

— Mark Wilson, Seattle

Resignation better example than fine and jail time

School Superintendent Randy Dorn calls his DUI arrest and conviction a teachable moment — for whom? [“School chief Dorn pleads guilty to DUI charge,” NWSaturday, April 3.]

If he really was this “stand-up guy” who chose to face the consequences of his actions instead of trying to “lawyer” himself out of it, he would do the honorable thing and resign. That would set an example for students about consequences for negative actions. An $866 fine and a suspended jail sentence does not send a strong enough message about the horrors of drunken driving.

Resigning an elected office after failing to live up to the enormous responsibilities of that office —while far from the most damaging event that could occur while driving drunk —would still be a learning experience for him and others. If you want to serve the public, you are held to a higher and more demanding standard. If your office represents the children of this state, that bar cannot be set high enough.

If Randy Dorn truly cares about young people in this state, he should resign. Parents, students and citizens of Washington should demand and expect nothing less.

— Ben Stearns, Seattle

Yo cada vez que tengo que hacerme los 1.200 km de rigor al ir a Madrid y bajar a Vigo algún coche para las pruebas, además del viaje (que se me hace bastante ameno) siempre puedes ver curiosidades al volante, desde gente que confunde la A-6 con un servicio público o conductas de lo más extrañas y que en muchos casos ponen en peligro la seguridad de quienes la realizan.

Pero esta vez me llamó la atención un despliegue de la Guardia Civil que me encontré en la A-52 a pocos kilómetros de Benavente (km 38 km). Resulta que es normal encontrarse varios radares móviles tanto en la A-52 como en la A-6, lo normal es que al menos uno en todo el recorrido lo veas, pero hay ciertas conductas que son peligrosas para los usuarios de la vía.

Llegando a la altura que os comentaba, vemos un coche sin camuflar (un vehículo normal rotulado de la Guardia Civil) medio oculto en una incorporación, hasta ahí todo normal, si no fuera porque a unos pocos metros otra unidad de la benemérita parada en el arcén estaba parando a vehículos (me imagino que cazados por el radar móvil anterior) pero los paraba en medio del carril derecho, interrumpiendo la circulación y ya lo más sorprendente fue ver a un agente en el medio de los dos carriles dando el alto a un 4×4 que circulaba por el carril izquierdo.

El milagro fue que no atropellaran al agente, puesto que hay veces que aun ponen conos o señalizan que hay vehículos parados en el arcén del carril derecho y que obstaculizan el paso, pero amontonar vehículos parados y aun por encima que el agente se mueva entre ellos poniéndose en medio de los dos carriles para darle el alto a otro vehículo, eso en una autovía donde la velocidad es 120 km/h es una temeridad.

Pero lo más simpático de todo, fue que después de unos pocos kilómetros, para ser exactos en el Km 30, vemos escondido otro radar móvil en el margen derecho debajo de un puente. No es normal situar dos radares móviles en menos de 10 km en la misma vía. Y hablando de seguridad, yo no se si era un control improvisado o esperaban parar menos coches, o da la casualidad de que todos los parados tenían matricula extranjera (y claro había que pararlos in situ), pero desde luego por un camión en el arcén averiado ponen triángulos, conos incluso, y por una patrulla y tres coches parados ni una sola señalización.

Seguro que en próximos recorridos alguna que otra anécdota más podré ver, y si esto lo veo yo que viajo dos o tres veces al mes, no quiero imaginarme lo de curiosidades que nos podría contar un camionero o cualquier persona que viaje mucho.

Fotos | Diego G. Moreira (las fotos son de un coche de la Guardia Civil en la A-6 y de un radar móvil Citroën C5 en la A-6)

Why did approval take so long?

Why has it taken Seattle City Council two years to finally OK Children’s hospital expansion plans? [“Children’s expansion gains OK of council,” NWTuesday, April 6].

Citizens may not realize how many ways a specialty medical center such as Children’s benefits the whole community and beyond. Not only does Children’s provide first-class medical care to our “small people,” it is also a training arena for many professionals —medical students and residents, nursing students and advanced nursing specialties, occupational and physical therapists, speech and language specialists and others.

Also, Children’s offers ongoing learning opportunities and professional conferences to many groups, professionals and parents. Many times, I have enjoyed and learned new skills while attending conferences on site. Lets get the new building plans moving.

— Mary Kathryn Myers, Kent

Story misleading; war breeds culture of hatred

“U.S. official: Iraq firefight video real,” reads the headline in The Seattle Times [News, April 6]. Could there be a more misleading way to open this story?

Calling the incident a firefight suggests shots were fired by both sides, but readers who actually watch the video will see only a slaughter. No shots were fired by the men on the ground and it is clear most of them were unarmed —not “some” as the story claims.

U.S. troops are still killing civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. It does not mean all our troops are monsters; the nature of the occupation makes these killings inevitable.

Think how we could hate a Muslim occupier who killed unarmed Americans with canon fire from the air. The hatred we are sowing in Iraq and Afghanistan cannot possibly make us safer. The only way to stop this tragedy is to bring all our troops home now.

— Warren Jones, Seattle

Need for health care does not justify right to services

Stewart Jay and Congress are missing a golden opportunity to really shape up America. [“New health-reform law is definitely constitutional,” Opinion, April 4.]

Using the power of controlling interstate commerce, Congress should mandate that all people pay for a gym membership and diet program —Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. —but no free plans or plain, old walking. Self-help and self-responsibility are the antithesis of socialism. Of course, with proper proof, you will get a credit on your taxes. Without proof, you will be fined.

But think how healthy people will be; medical needs, problems and expenses will drop so insurance will cost less. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

Just because people need health care, it does not mean they have a right to it. It is amazing how our national religion is evolution and survival of the fittest, yet in our social arena, some politicians advocate freedom means you have the right to twist your neighbor’s arm to make him pay your bills.

I pay some social taxes because I am not heartless —and because they benefit me too — but merely prepaying everyone’s medical bills through mandatory insurance does nothing to hold down costs.

— Byron Gilbert, Seattle

What Congress ‘wants’ not always constitutional

UW Law Professor Stewart Jay’s commentary concerning health-reform law constitutionality raises some interesting “questions.” How does he conclude that forcing people to buy health insurance from a private company is no different from requiring people to pay taxes for Social Security or Medicare?

He justifies requiring buying the insurance because “Congress wants people to have insurance when obtaining care in order to hold down costs for all.” If Congress really wanted to hold down medical costs, it should enact laws that force “obese” people to join Weight Watchers or the local gym. The reality is what Congress “wants” is not always constitutional.

— Bill Hirt, Bellevue

Ever watch that show How It’s Made on the science channel? It’s a great program that really gives us an inside look at how things we take for granted are produced. Don’t get me wrong as I’m not saying I take the Dodge Viper for granted, hell I’d just take a Viper anyway I could get it. The above video follows the build of the ACR Viper from start to finish. Engine assembly, exterior panel fitment, electronics are all touched on here. To be honest the entire process is actually quite amazing. Earlier today I did a piece on how 2010 was going to be the last hooray for the Viper line so if you are one of the chosen few that are plunking down some hard earned greenbacks for one, at least now, you can see how your baby is made.

Transcultural sexology: formicophilia*, a newly named paraphilia in a young Buddhist male.

*The sexual interest in being crawled upon or nibbled by small insects, such as ants

“Children whose species-specific, juvenile sexual rehearsal play is thwarted or traumatized are at risk for developing a compensatory paraphilia. The case of a Buddhist male exemplifies the cross-cultural application of this principle. His syndrome, formicophilia, was endogenously generated without reference to or influence by commercial pornography. The complete causal explanation of paraphilia will require both a phylogenetic (phylismic) and an ontogenetic (life-history) component. The treatment of paraphilia may combine an antiandrogenic hormone with sexological counseling.”

Image: flickr/jurvetson

Related content:
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Don’t blame necrophiliacs–they’re just devolving into amoebae.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: References to the paraphilias and sexual crimes in the Bible.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Word of the day: cacodemonomania.
Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: You put the deer tongue where?!?

The next incarnation of GNOME Desktop Environment, GNOME 3, is creating a lot of buzz everywhere. Many are already counting on GNOME Shell, that will come with GNOME 3, to revloutionize their desktop experience.

Currently, GNOME Shell is at an active development stage and is not considered stable for normal use. The GNOME developers have come up with a amazing mockup for the System Status Area. The mockup is based on the color black, which is going to be the default color of GNOME Shell. The borders have been made grey and the icon design are simplified to make them easier to recognize.

So, here is the mockup:

[via rm -rf/]

Don’t miss these Related Posts:

• Install Gnome 3 Shell in Ubuntu Karmic Koala [How To]
• Gnome 3.0 delayed till September 2010
• Use KDE Plasma on Gnome with Emerald and Compiz
• Best way to change your GNOME Desktop look
• Show Desktop Keyboard Shortcut for Linux

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As the season turns to spring in the U.S., many soon-to-be college graduates and their soon-to-be employers turn their focus to the job market. In answer to the questions that graduates inevitably face from friends and family – “What will you do with your degree?” – one response should certainly be, “Find work with an exciting startup.”

While some colleges are developing solid entrepreneurial programs, many graduates are still prone to believe that their best post-college employment prospects are to be found with more established companies. To change that perception, the Columbia Venture Company and the NYU Venture Company are hosting the first annual NYC Startup Job Fair.

Sponsor

Since there remains much that higher education can do to nurture startups and to prepare and encourage students to seek opportunities there, the class of 2010 college graduates can and should look to startups as opportunities to launch their careers. Likewise, the class of 2010 and their search for post-college employment can and should provide startups with an opportunity to recruit the best and the brightest to join their ranks.

Just as there are many myths surrounding the risks associated with launching a startup as an entrepreneur, there are many myths associated with joining a startup as an employee – whether as a recent college graduate or as someone with more substantial work experience. However, as Chris Dixon notes, this career move may actually be less risky than one might believe. He cites the following reasons that college graduates should consider joining a startup: