Education In Iraq

Here's an interesting little article on what happened to the Universities in Iraq after the American invasion and occupation. Have a look see.

On a personal note I'm still alive, well, and working. It's like I'm in some sort of bleh zone but not bad just bleh. Anyhow, have a good day everyone.

Edit: I just took a peek at the analytics of this blog. While it's nothing at all to write home about I noticed there are people from way more places in the world then I initially thought would be looking at this thing at least once. Anyway my gift to you in good will is a hello world program in two languages. :)

// Java
public class HelloWorld {

public static void main(String[] args)
{
System.out.println("Hello world!");
}
}

--
-- PL/SQL
--
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON;

DECLARE

BEGIN
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('Hello world!');
END;
/

Huh.. my day feels a little better. Thanks!

Aging

Did you ever look at the world and say, "Hey that used to be a corn field." or "Hey that used to be a woods with deer." or maybe even, "I remember when mustangs were running there." Looking at those places these days I see businesses and cheap but expensively priced row homes. Human progress is really going forward but the price seems like too much sometimes as the world you once knew suddenly becomes more and more of a concrete jungle.

The world is an emptier place...

Two weeks ago from this Friday my grandmother had passed away. This was a woman who played in the local symphony, got straight A's, was an artist, played the violin, piano, and other instruments in her younger days.

Two events changed her life in a big way. The first was when my grandfather was killed in World War 2. He died on D-day on his first jump from a plane. He was shot and bled to death before his boots hit the ground. This loss combined with an accident in a factory left her in a mental institution for 14 years of my mothers childhood. My grandmother received shock therapy along with other treatments.

She never was declared legally sane but she lived with me for all but three years of my life and was a wonderful woman that lived till she was 90. My Mother (her daughter) and I will miss her.

Today's WTF brought to you by....

The Crystal Cathedral Church! This wonderful mega-church has done well over the years. The pastor Rev. Schuller has built up a nice size church and done really well for himself and his family in the process. Recently the pastors wife fell ill and an email was sent out to members of the church asking for hot meals to be delivered to the church so their limo driver could pick them up and take them to the reverend and his wife.

Check out the WTF, story here. Ooooh does it get better!

Police Response to Occupy Protests

Police response to Occupy protests wound an Iraqi war veteran in Oakland California. Video showing the individual suffered a fractured skull and as protesters tried to give the man aid police fired tear gas in to the group next to the wounded war veteran.

Check it out here on wired.

Update: He's going to need an operation. Check out more here at Boing Boing.

Colbert on O'Reilly's Book

I found out on the Colbert Report that Bill O'Reilly was sending copies of his book to the troops in Afghanistan. What they're doing with this book is most amusing.

That report left me amused. :)

Giving to the Stephen and Melinda Gates Foundation

So I decided to help out with the Stephen and Melinda Gates foundation. It's setup to help American teachers by simply posting a photo.

Here's how I did it.

Truely though I was trying for this when I made the picture.