Secret: I have been asleep

Where have I been? I just stumbled upon this gem on Amazon.com: At the beginning of 2005, Frank Warren launched a new blog called PostSecret as an experiment in community art, inviting strangers to mail him anonymous postcards that made art out of their innermost secrets and then posting a selection of the cards every week on his blog. Within a year, his blog was one of the five most popular in the world, and his first book, PostSecret, was one of the surprise bestsellers of 2005. Time Magazine voted his blog as one of the "50 Coolest Websites of 2005." For My Secret, a collectible, paper-over-board book that includes a page of vibrant, decorative stickers, Warren has personally selected never-before-seen anonymous postcards created by teens and college students from across the country. Each card bears an intimate and powerful secret—at turns inspirational, shocking, hilarious, and poetic—that is told through original illustrations, photographs, collages, and other creative means.

Be a Citizen of the World! Donate Now!

Today is the last day to get your donations in to worthy organizations. I can't recommend the International Rescue Committee highly enough. For more than 70 years, the International Rescue Committee has been a leader in humanitarian relief and is a recognized leader in humanitarian emergencies like those in Darfur, Afghanistan, and Uganda. When thousands flee war or repression, the IRC is immediately on the ground to make sure life-saving help gets to those who need it. They provide shelter, clean water, healthcare, and education to displaced people. Most importantly, IRC works with them to make sure they survive their exile in dignity. There work is devoted to Emergency Response, Fighting Gender-based Violence, Anti-trafficking, Health Programs, Post-conflict Development, Programs for Children, and Protection. Of every $1 the IRC spends, 90 cents goes directly to their programs and services that directly benefit refugees and it is consistently ranked as one of the top charitable organizations for efficiency and quality. If you donate now through tomorrow your donation will be doubled.

You mean there's a catch? Sure there's a catch, Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of war has to add more troops.

Remember When Video Killed the Radio Star?

Home(land) and Castle Security

I talked with a buddy of mine who was formerly a cop back east and who now teaches Criminal Justice. He comforted me with these alarming statistics:

The 2nd best "home security weapon" is - by far - a 12 ga. shogun. The 1st best is...NO gun. That's because statistics prove that a "home security" weapon in the home, is - statistically - far more likely to kill (suicide, accident, etc.) the homeowners. That said - and the fact that the home owner/gun owner understands that fact...then, the "self-shoot" statistics drop to nil.

In a comprehensive study of burglars in prison, a "dog" was the number 1 deterrent from home burglary. So much for my two! Also ranking high - number 2 or 3 maybe? - was a car in the driveway.

Also, "cheapo-o" home security stuff -- even FAKE outside cameras -- will send the bad guys to pick on the "house next door." Two fake cameras are around $29.

Cameras and dogs, not guns. Somebody needs to talk to our minutemen boys on the border.

Holiday Spirit from West Valley Denizens

Yesterday my daughter came home to find that someone had kicked in my steel entry door and stolen a bunch of stuff including a laptop computer and accessories, some digital cameras, my journal(!), and some Christmas presents. Turns out that security is all just an illusion. Talking to the guy who repaired the door as best he could on short notice, I was told that really nothing will stop someone who wants to get in. There's a tool that even allows you to rip the front of the lock right off and then easily open the door. You're better off leaving a key so at least you're not out the deductible on your insurance ($500). In this case the perpetrator(s) passed through a gate warning "Beware of Dog"(not even in Latin!) and into a house where two dogs lived, all without a concern. The biggest pain is trying to figure out exactly what was on the laptop and how much further compromising of security it might be. I've just spent two hours changing every single password to every single company I deal with on the web just in case. The thing of it is that when I live on the west side I feel like this stuff shouldn't happen, since clearly I don't have much. Why can't these guys attack the people who can better afford the insurance deductibles? To me this is like a regressive tax on the poor. My children now have to go without because some idiot (idiots?) doesn't want to try to find a job in an economy where it's an employee's market.