Thucyditron

Genghis Khan rock opera

2006-04-18T00:06:28Z

http://www.mongolia-web.com/content/view/48/2/

Road trip to Mongolia anyone?

Life's simple pleasures

2006-01-13T22:59:17Z

I got tagged so here are my five:

1. Learning a new fact that opens up what you thought was a settled debate.
2. Earl grey tea with milk and sugar/honey
3. Dr. Pepper
4. Pie (of course)
5. Sleeping in

if I was allowed 6, that one would be:

6. A 3/3 for 2.

If you are reading this, and you have not done this thing, consider yourself tagged.

Just for reference...

2005-12-16T14:10:48Z

the Constitution does not mean what you think it means. Hopefully it means what I think it means. I will find out within the next 5 hours.

thucyditron @ 2005-11-15T06:18:00

2005-11-15T12:20:25Z

"Will it come to war between them?" asked the maester.
"Ironborn must not spill the blood of ironborn."
"A pious sentiment, Damphair," said Goodbrother, "but not one that your brother shares. He had Sawane Botley drowned for saying that the Seastone Chair by rights belonged to Theon."
"If he was drowned, no blood was shed," said Aeron.

Anyone else have it yet?

thucyditron @ 2005-10-31T00:23:00

2005-10-31T06:23:42Z

Do not buy Civilization IV. Feeding your people is easy, feeding yourself while playing is not.

Just because I'm jealous of all the grad school types...

2005-08-18T18:58:48Z

with their fancy offices and mailboxes. They think they are so cool. Well, as a law student I get a mailbox and a locker! I've also dubbed a second floor library study room as my "office." So what if they wouldn't let me bring a coffee pot inside.

thucyditron @ 2005-08-17T16:44:00

2005-08-17T21:45:35Z

It looks like law school is shaping up to be just like The Paper Chase, including the 70s hair and the flannel.

Norman

2005-08-15T04:18:07Z

I live in Norman now. How crazy is that? I don't know where anything is. But I have cable, high speed internet, a case of ramen, and 7 pairs of clean pants so I really don't need to go anywhere do I?

Who would win in a fight?

2005-08-05T23:28:54Z

Mr. Clean or the Brawny Guy?

Firefly

2005-07-22T15:39:30Z

Sci-Fi has picked up all 14 episodes of Firefly and will be running them at 6pm central on Fridays.

My new laptop should be arriving soon

2005-05-26T16:11:31Z

http://www5.pc.ibm.com/us/products.nsf/$wwwPartNumLookup/_2379DXU.

I'm trying to think of a name for it before it arrives. Right now I'm thinking Brutus, Cassius or Decimus Brutus.

I have a complete draft

2005-04-13T15:22:55Z

Not a final draft mind you but a complete draft.

Going to New Mexico today. I'll be back Saturday. See everybody then.

thucyditron @ 2005-04-11T18:34:00

2005-04-11T23:36:02Z

Can someone pick me up from the airport at 6:30 on Saturday?

thucyditron @ 2005-02-24T22:08:00

2005-02-25T04:08:01Z

March 10: FJFD 2005. Will you be there?

thucyditron @ 2005-02-20T13:51:00

2005-02-20T19:51:01Z

Next chapter of my senior thesis is due tomorrow and what did I do this morning? I bought Knights of the Old Republic 2. Not the smartest thing I've ever done.

thucyditron @ 2005-02-08T21:20:00

2005-02-09T03:20:03Z

I really hope Kinky Friedman makes a good showing the Texas Gubernatorial race. Its people like him that we're going to need to build up any kind of leftist politics in the South.

thucyditron @ 2005-02-04T19:53:00

2005-02-05T01:53:51Z

Having my dog die of liver disease makes me glad human beings get transplants.

Finals

2004-12-14T20:16:54Z

Rahe's final was much easier than I expected. But that final paper is going to kill me. My 20 page paper is due at noon on Thursday and as of 2:15 on Tuesday I have a lot more notes and another outline but still 0 finished content. He said we could talk to him Wednesday and get an incomplete and finish it by January 15. I'm seriously considering it.

thucyditron @ 2004-11-18T16:27:00

2004-11-18T22:27:21Z

easypriest, I can't comment on your journal for some reason so here are my comments on the Land Mines 1AC

Land Mines 1AC

My partner and I strongly agree that the United States federal government should establish a foreign policy substantially increasing its support of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Observation 1: Significance & Harms

A. Landmines are a Global Problem
www.choike.org – NGO Index (Non-Governmental Organizations) 2004
Choike, 04

There are about 60 - 70 million landmines in more than 90 countries, killing or injuring about 26,000 civilians every year. The wide range of these statistics reflects the difficulty of arriving at reliable numbers. While we won’t know how many landmines are in the ground until we’ve actually found them, many landmine casualties are not reported because they happen in remote areas where health centers don’t even find out about them.

B. Landmines Kill Indiscriminately
www.choike.org – NGO Index (Non-Governmental Organizations) 2004
Choike, 04

What makes antipersonnel mines so abhorrent is the indiscriminate destruction they cause. They lie dormant until a person or animal triggers their detonating mechanism. Antipersonnel mines cannot distinguish between the footfall of a soldier and that of a child.

C. Landmines Kill Children
Issues in Science & Technology “Time to Sign the Mine Ban Treaty”, Spring 2003, Richard A.Matthew & Ted Gaulin
Matthew and Gaulin, 03

During the 1990s, APLs killed or maimed 26,000 people a year, 80 percent of them civilians. Children, attracted by the toy-like appearance of many mines, proved especially vulnerable.

www.landmines.org.uk/6
Adopt a Minefield, 04

About one third of all landmine casualties are children.

D. Landmines Destabilize Economies
www.landmines.org.uk, “Impact of Landmines” 2003
Adopt a Minefield, 03

The direct and indirect costs of landmine accidents also have a profound economic toll on most mine-affected countries. Medical care is expensive and often unavailable. The costs of surgery, prostheses, and psychosocial rehabilitation deplete a country’s already scarce resources, and families often cannot afford to pay for necessary treatment. And because many landmine victims are unable to return to work after their accidents, they frequently become a financial burden on their families and communities… In addition, landmines hinder infrastructure and economic development by increasing a country’s dependency on international aid, block the delivery of relief goods to areas most in need, prevent the return of refugees and hamper the process of peace and reconciliation.

E. US Inaction Hurts Mine-Ban
International Herald Tribune, March 3, 2004, “Land Mines: Another American Blow to Multilateralism”
Petritsch, 04

Experience has shown that when the United States takes a progressive lead it can have a positive impact. President Bill Clinton was the first international leader to call for a total ban on antipersonnel mines. The current administration, however, by taking a narrow approach on land mines, has failed to seize the opportunity to show global leadership.
An approach based solely on the supposed tactical needs of U.S. forces threatens to undermine a higher standard accepted by most of the world. Undermining this standard will only reverse the astonishing progress that has been made, and result in additional civilian victims. In essence, the U.S. policy runs counter to its stated humanitarian objective.

F. US has Responsibility to Act
Hrw.org “US Also Bears Responsibility for Landmine Crisis” Mar 5, 2001
Human Rights Watch, 01

"The U.S. bears a special responsibility for the landmines crisis," said Stephen Goose, program director of the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch. "Washington is one of the largest producers and exporters of mines in the past, and one of the largest stockpilers today. President Bush should make joining the Mine Ban Treaty a high priority so that the U.S. can fully wield its influence and power to achieve a truly global ban on antipersonnel mines."

The cards are a little short, I assume that's just because Maggie's partner can't read quickly yet but eventually I think some longer cards to contextualize the evidence would be good. I think this observation could be reworked into some more usable sub-observations. I'm seeing something like this:

Observation I: Significance and Harms
A. Global Civilian Casualities
(sub-cards under this)
B. Dead Babies
(sub-cards under this)
C. Crushing Economic Burden
(sub-cards under this)
D. US Inaction increases this global problem
(sub-cards under this)

Some of these might not need sub-cards but I think retagging it anyway might help in extending advantages and flowing.

I think the last card could be re-worked into a Moral Obligation card, even though I am always loathe to include one in a 1AC.

Observation 1: Inherency

A. Bush Administration Opposes Mine Ban Treaty
International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Feb 27 2004, www.icbl.org/news/archive/old/464
ICBL, 04

The Bush Administration conducted a formal review of US landmine policy starting in the summer of 2001. The new policy, which was announced at the State Department in late February of 2004, represents a major rollback of US progress on the issue.
In summary: The US has now abandoned its plans to join the…Mine Ban Treaty by 2006 (as was the Clinton plan), or ever. The use of US self-destructing mines is now permitted indefinitely anywhere in the world. The use of long-lived (or “dumb” or “persistent”) antipersonnel mines is now permissible until 2010.

Hrw.org “New US Landmine Policy: Q & A”, 2004
Human Rights Watch, 04

This new policy is completely out-of-step with the global movement that has been working for over a decade to eradicate the weapon… The new policy undermines the movement's efforts to universalize the life-saving 1997 Mine Ban Treaty by providing justification for other holdout states - such as Russia, India, and Pakistan - to use, produce, or export these indiscriminate weapons.

I might retag this: Bush Administration's Opposition is a Structural Barrier to Solving the Problem. Just get the structural inherency thrown in there.

Plan

I. Mandates
a. The US will cease to use or produce ALL anti-personnel landmines.

I think you need to add that the US is going to sign the treaty. Otherwise I can see a T argument being run that this isn't a foreign policy.

II. Enforcement
The UN will enforce.

III. Funding
Funding will be through normal means.

IV. Legislative Intent
Affirmative Speeches shall serve as clarification and legislative intent.

Observation 3: Solvency

A. Mine-Ban Treaty is Effective
www.landmines.org/GLC/glc.asp?id=sban “Solutions: Mine Ban” 2004
Landmines.org, 04

In the short time the Mine Ban Treaty has been in force, tangible and positive changes have taken place. More than two-thirds of all nations have signed the treaty, effectively establishing an international norm that stigmatizes antipersonnel landmines as indiscriminate and intolerable weapons of war. The trade in landmines has virtually ceased, and more than two-thirds of all mine-producing countries have stopped manufacturing mines and their components. Furthermore, most countries that continue to produce mines have agreed not to export them. By early 1999, more than 30 countries had destroyed over 12 million stockpiled antipersonnel landmines, and many more countries have announced their intention to do the same.

B. US Participation Solves
Human Rights Watch September 9 2003 “Global Progress on Banning Landmines: US gets Mixed Review”
Human Rights Watch, 03

"We're pleased with the degree of progress around the world this year," said Stephen Goose, executive director of the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch. "But the United States could speed this progress if it showed more leadership on the landmine issue."
The Bush Administration cannot seem to decide if it wants to play a leadership role in ridding the world of antipersonnel mines, or to reverse the progress of the past decade," said Goose. "U.S. participation in the Mine Ban Treaty would make a significant difference in securing the support of other non-signatories."

Overall I think this case is pretty solid. Now it just needs backup evidence for every card. Also after we go and judge a few tournaments we can find out what the common DA's are this year and see how those can be avoided.

About the election

2004-11-04T19:22:16Z

This is my open commentary on the election in general. I will make my filtered posts about the Corporation Commissioner race later when I've had a little more time to gather my thoughts and have some more distance from the events.

To everyone: Thank you for your support in the Corporation Commissioner race and for being supportive of me after the election.

To Democrats who want to leave the country: Don't. I can't believe that one election would be more important to you than your homeland. I find it hard to believe that our homeland has betrayed us, rather we have betrayed our homeland. We can only blame ourselves as Democrats for our performance in the election. We need to realign our party, not abandon our country.

To Democrats who want to leave this state for a blue one: Don't. You are more effective and more needed here. You cannot win a battle from the safety of your own camp. If we want to fight for the American moral center it needs to be done here. Even after Tuesday's crushing defeat I believe that Oklahoma retains a strong Democratic tradition. I refuse to believe that the left is dead in the home of Will Rogers, Carl Albert and the most successful Socialist party in American history. We can bring it back, but not if we abandon this state for others that don't need our help.

To Democrats who are calling Republicans dumb fear-mongering backwards religious bigots: Stop. Not only is this false, but it does nothing for our cause and reflects poorly on us. We need to respect our political opponents. On some issues they may be right. We need to be persuasive and not polemic.

To Republicans who have held their tongues after this election: Thank you. I know it took a lot of self restraint from some of you not to gloat and I appreciate it.

To Republicans who have been mocking Democrats after the election: I think you should stop calling us emo kids and making fun of us. Some of us are having a really hard time with this election. Democrats are naturally emotional about politics because the party has a strong idealist strain. But you have taken an opportunity to give a reassuring pat on the back or reach out a hand in friendship and unity and instead used it to rub salt in an open wound.

Greece Part II: Stuff in and around Athens

2004-10-28T05:45:14Z

Another Greece pictures update.

I was in Greece right before the European Parliament elections.

He is holding the infant Dionysus. He was probably dangling grape leaves from the other hand

For all you Machiavelli fans out there this helmet was dedicated to Zeus by Hiero of Syracusa after he defeated the Etruscans

Okay, I know this picture looks like nothing but that island in the distance is Laurium where the Athenians had the silver mine that payed for the fleet they used at the battle of Salamis. Also, during the dictatorship in Greece it was used to hold political prisoners

This is the Classical Panathenian Stadium that was rebuilt for the first modern Olympics. I think they did Archery here at the most recent Olympics.

thucyditron @ 2004-10-27T23:31:00

2004-10-28T04:31:37Z

I have recently been enjoying real Oklahoma stories by Jeff Rowland. I'm considering buying his new book, I was a Teenage Billionaire Sociopath.

thucyditron @ 2004-10-25T23:53:00

2004-10-26T04:53:30Z

I got a Rhodes interview

thucyditron @ 2004-10-18T10:52:00

2004-10-18T15:52:11Z

When you see this post a bit of poetry in your journal. Meme from a_hollow_year

OLPHAUS MEGALETOR

LORD ARCHON, AND SOLE LEGISLATOR

OF

OCEANA

PATER PATRIAE

Invincible in the Field
The Greatest of Captains
Inviolable in his Faith
The Best of Princes
Unfeigned in his Zeal
The Happiest of Legislators
Immortal in his Fame
The Most Sincere of Christians

Who setting the Kingdoms of Earth at Liberty,
Took the Kingdom of the Heavens by Violence.

Campaign

2004-10-16T23:31:56Z

The campaign will be over in a little over two weeks. It has been a very interesting experience. I may make a series of posts after election day about all the campaign stuff that I haven't been able to talk about. The campaign has been far more stressful than I have let on and if I do end up making these posts it will be because I think I need to talk about it. These posts will be only viewable to a special filter of people who would be interested in seeing them and can keep their mouth shut about what is written in them. Comment if you're interested.