Chris Koester's Blog » Uncategorised http://blog.chriskoester.net Practical Computing, Privacy, Home Improvement, and a lot of what-have-yous... Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:09:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Aldous Huxley on Patriotism http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/11/18/aldous-huxley-on-patriotism/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/11/18/aldous-huxley-on-patriotism/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2007 04:42:06 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/11/18/aldous-huxley-on-patriotism/ Aldous Huxley is the author of the classic novel "Brave New World", and was an absolutely brilliant thinker. Huxley’s insight into patriotism cannot be overstated in a world full of flag-waving, unquestioning, magnetic-ribbon-purchasing "patriots".

One of the great attractions of patriotism – it fulfills our worst wishes. In the person of our nation we are able, vicariously, to bully and cheat. Bully and cheat, what’s more, with a feeling that we are profoundly virtuous.

Aldous Huxley – Amazon.com
Aldous Huxley – Wikipedia

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/11/18/aldous-huxley-on-patriotism/feed/ 0 James Madison on Declaring War http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/09/15/james-madison-on-declaring-war/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/09/15/james-madison-on-declaring-war/#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 17:11:40 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/09/15/james-madison-on-declaring-war/ “The executive has no right, in any case, to decide the question, whether there is or is not cause for declaring war.”  James Madison

James Madison was the 4th president of the United States.  He was one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States and is commonly referred to as the “Father of the Constitution“.

Constitition.org – Selected Quotes of James Madison

Via Reddit

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/09/15/james-madison-on-declaring-war/feed/ 0 Charming Video of a Cat with Cerebellar Hypoplasia http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/08/01/charming-video-of-a-cat-with-cerebellar-hypoplasia/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/08/01/charming-video-of-a-cat-with-cerebellar-hypoplasia/#comments Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:42:47 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/08/01/charming-video-of-a-cat-with-cerebellar-hypoplasia/

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/08/01/charming-video-of-a-cat-with-cerebellar-hypoplasia/feed/ 0 Please Help Save Radio Paradise http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/19/please-help-save-radio-paradise/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/19/please-help-save-radio-paradise/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2007 02:04:39 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/19/please-help-save-radio-paradise/ Recent rate changes by the US Copyright Office threaten to put Radio Paradise and other Internet radio stations out of business.  I cannot express how upsetting this is to myself and countless others. With all of the garbage on mainstream radio, Radio Paradise is a beacon of hope.  It is the best radio I have ever heard, and is easily one of my favorite sites on the Internet. But don’t take my word for it.  Head to RP and give it a listen.

The vast majority of music that I purchase comes as a result of hearing it first on Radio Paradise. It is the only site that I use to discover good music. It is not uncommon for me to buy several CDs after a long listen to RP.  Isn’t this good for the music industry and copyright holders? Without RP I will buy less music!

Please help save Radio Paradise. You can find out how to help at RPs home page.

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/19/please-help-save-radio-paradise/feed/ 0 Airborne Cats by Junku – A Flickr Collection http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/15/airborne-cats-by-junku-a-flickr-collection/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/15/airborne-cats-by-junku-a-flickr-collection/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:26:50 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/15/airborne-cats-by-junku-a-flickr-collection/ This is a fantastic collection of cat photos on Flickr.  Click the thumbnail to go to the gallery.

Airborne cats

Airborne cats

One of Junku’s cats died on March 10th 2007.  He took some moving photographs that will tug at your heart strings.  The photos are here.

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/03/15/airborne-cats-by-junku-a-flickr-collection/feed/ 0 Funniest Site I’ve Read in a Long Time http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/05/funniest-site-ive-read-in-a-long-time/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/05/funniest-site-ive-read-in-a-long-time/#comments Tue, 06 Feb 2007 04:57:54 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/05/funniest-site-ive-read-in-a-long-time/ A rare comedic gem on the Web…

thingsmyboyfriendsays.com logo

thingsmyboyfriendsays.com logo

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/05/funniest-site-ive-read-in-a-long-time/feed/ 0 Robot Insurance http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/04/robot-insurance/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/04/robot-insurance/#comments Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:33:40 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/04/robot-insurance/ Hilarious old commercial from Saturday Night Live.

WARNING: Persons denying the existence of robots may be robots themselves.

Get the video in Quicktime format at The Robot MarketPlace.

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2007/02/04/robot-insurance/feed/ 0 Save the Internet! http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/12/31/save-the-internet/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/12/31/save-the-internet/#comments Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:38:00 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/?p=77
SavetheInternet.com

101 Ways to Save the Internet – by Wired

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/12/31/save-the-internet/feed/ 0 UK’s RFID Passports Cracked http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/11/18/uks-rfid-passports-cracked/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/11/18/uks-rfid-passports-cracked/#comments Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:06:56 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/?p=66 This was an absurd idea from the beginning. Instead of improving the security of passports and international travel, these passports have only put people at an increased risk of identity theft.

Guardian Unlimited story – via Reddit

]]> http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/11/18/uks-rfid-passports-cracked/feed/ 0 PostSecret http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/11/02/postsecret/ http://blog.chriskoester.net/2006/11/02/postsecret/#comments Thu, 02 Nov 2006 04:16:26 +0000 Chris Koester http://blog.chriskoester.net/?p=44 This is an amazing art project!

Here’s how PostSecret describes themselves:

“PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.”

PostSecret

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