Postcards from the Bleeding Edge
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Maryann Ramsay Taht, of Huntington, Ct., passed peacefully away the morning of October 17, after a brief illness. She spent her last days in the company and comfort of her loving children at her son’s home in Raleigh, NC. Maryann was born January 26, 1937 to Marie Purner Ramsay and Douglas Ramsay of Audubon, NJ. She is predeceased by her high school sweetheart and husband, William David Taht. She is survived by her daughter Laura Jane Taht and her partner, Linda McCarthy, of Boulder, CO and son, William Michael Taht, and his wife, Eileen of Raleigh, NC. She is also survived by her sister, Susan Estelle Ramsay of Hudson, NH, and her sister Jane Ramsay Hill, of Cinnaminson, NJ, plus several nieces and nephews, a grandson, and her long time friend and companion, Dave.
Maryann was a warm, caring, talented woman with a love for life, family, friends and her community. She will be fondly remembered for the beautiful quilts that she made for so many of us.
There will be a celebration of her life for family and friends at her home in Connecticut on Friday evening, October 22 from 5-8 pm.
Her family requests that memorial donations be made to the American Lung Association, 61 Broadway, New York, NY 10006 or Heartland Hospice of Raleigh, 3117 Poplarwood Ct., Ste. 114, Raleigh, NC 27604
I'll add more of my own remembrances when I feel up to composing them. I haven't quite come to grips with this yet. She was a sharp, insightful lady with a sense of humor that was at once edgy and robust.
¶ 5:44 PM 1 comments
Monday, October 18, 2004
To the Terrestrial Globe
- By a miserable wretch (W.S. Gilbert)
Roll on, thou ball, roll on!
Through pathless realms of Space
Roll on!
What though I'm in a sorry case?
What though I cannot meet my bills?
What though I suffer toothache's ills?
What though I swallow countless pills?
Never you mind!
Roll on!
Roll on thou ball, roll on!
Through seas of inky air
Roll on!
It's true I've got no shirs to wear;
It'strue my butcher's bill is due
It's true my prospects all look blue -
But don't let that unsettle you!
Never you mind!
Roll on!
[It rolls on.]
¶ 5:10 PM 0 comments
- By a miserable wretch (W.S. Gilbert)
Roll on, thou ball, roll on!
Through pathless realms of Space
Roll on!
What though I'm in a sorry case?
What though I cannot meet my bills?
What though I suffer toothache's ills?
What though I swallow countless pills?
Never you mind!
Roll on!
Roll on thou ball, roll on!
Through seas of inky air
Roll on!
It's true I've got no shirs to wear;
It'strue my butcher's bill is due
It's true my prospects all look blue -
But don't let that unsettle you!
Never you mind!
Roll on!
[It rolls on.]
¶ 5:10 PM 0 comments
Some political Science Fiction in an era of Sci-Fi made real
I just finished reading Bruce Sterling's book: "Distraction". It's the story of how a political consultant manages his post election life in a world of infowar and genetic engineering. Although Sterling places his story in 2044, much of what he describes could be happening now, or as early as our next election, if we have one.... And for those concerned with the idea of Bush wearing some sort of radio receiver in the last debate let me recomend Stephen Bury's novel about a technology that ties a politician directly to the whims of the electorate, "Interface".
- Right before the next presidential election, the incumbent proposes to solve the problem of the national debt by simply refusing to pay. This irks a powerful alliance of investors, and they move into action. Illinois Gov. William A. Cozzano suffers a stroke and, as a part of a radical new therapy, has a biochip implanted in his brain. The chip allows Cozzano to make a miraculous recovery--and also gives him access to an instantaneous polling system. He can "sense" the mood of the voters and instantly responds by telling them what they want most to hear.
Distraction is a bit of a muddle, while laden with good ideas, Sterling's super-intelligent lead characters are hard to believe in, or like. Bury's book, on the other hand, is a delight - how he breaks up American demographics breaks me up every time! ¶ 10:40 AM 0 comments
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Today we had a 10 hr long power failure which took out the electric, cable internet, and my phone line. In the e911 debate about the regulation requiring 911 services for voip, I became curious about 911 in the first place.
911 was not a national standard until the late 60s - and was first implemented by a hack to a then-existing phone switch. Here's a link to a copy of the original memo describing the implementation. Based on the language contained therein, I don't understand how it got implemented then.
¶ 10:02 PM 0 comments
911 was not a national standard until the late 60s - and was first implemented by a hack to a then-existing phone switch. Here's a link to a copy of the original memo describing the implementation. Based on the language contained therein, I don't understand how it got implemented then.
¶ 10:02 PM 0 comments
