Tiki RSS feed for weblogs http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-blogs_rss.php?ver=2 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:51:07 +0100 Tiki CMS/Groupware via FeedCreator 1.7.2.1 http://www.terris.com/tiki/img/tiki.jpg Terris http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=1 en-us Reality in Iraq, White House http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=609 http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g6yZX1Zjrr7k_qgkYBRbqTFybzqAD9HUMLUG0

Don't believe what you hear. 49,700 US soldiers are still in Iraq. There is no end in sight.

Facts related to the Iraq war and the nation's economy as the U.S. combat role ends:
U.S. TROOP LEVELS:
_ March 31, 2003: 90,000 (beginning of war)
_ October 2007: 170,000 (peak of troop buildup)
_ Aug. 31, 2010: Approximately 49,700
COALITION TROOP LEVELS:
_ Number of countries that participated in "Coalition for the Immediate Disarmament of Iraq" at the start of the war: 31, including the United States
_ As of August 2009, all non-U.S. coalition members had withdrawn from Iraq.
CASUALTIES:
_ Confirmed U.S. military deaths as of Aug. 31, 2010: At least 4,416
_ Confirmed U.S. military wounded (hostile) as of Aug. 31, 2010: 31,929
_ Confirmed U.S. military wounded (non-hostile, using medical air transport) as of July 31, 2010: 40,166
_ Iraqi deaths since the 2003 invasion: More than 97,461, according to the Iraq Body Count database.
COST:
_ More than $744 billion, according to the National Priorities Project. To date, $747.3 billion has been allocated to the war since 2003. In January 2010, the Congressional Budget Office projected that additional war costs for the next 10 years could range from $274 billion to $588 billion.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
_ 2003: Estimated 28 percent
_ January 2004: 30-45 percent
_ January 2010: Estimated 15.5-30 percent
COST OF A BARREL OF OIL:
_ Aug. 24, 2001: $23.29
_ Aug. 23, 2002: $26.19
_ Aug. 22, 2003: $27.85
_ Aug. 20, 2010: $74.08
OIL PRODUCTION
_ Estimated prewar level: 2.5 million barrels a day
_ May 2003: 0.3 million barrels a day
_ August 2010: 2.32 million barrels a day
ELECTRICITY:
_ May 2003: 500 megawatts generated nationwide
_ August 2010: 5,880 megawatts generated nationwide
TELEPHONES:
_ September 2003: 600,000 land lines and an estimated 80,000 cellular
_ January 2010: 1.3 million land lines and 19.5 million cellular
WATER:
_ 2003: 12.9 million people had potable water
_ 2010: More than 21.9 million people have potable water
SEWERAGE:
_ 2003: 6.2 million people served
_ 2010: 11.5 million people served
INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS:
_ September 2003: 4,900
_ January 2010: 1.6 million
INTERNAL REFUGEES:
_ 2003: 1.02 million
_ 2010: An estimated 1.55 million people are currently displaced inside Iraq.
EMIGRANTS:
_ 2003: 500,000 Iraqis living abroad
_ 2010: Approximately 2 million Iraqis, mainly in Syria and Jordan
_ June 2010: At least 275,350 refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to Iraq.
NOTE: All figures are the most recent available.
]]> <terris> Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:25:41 +0100 How I Lost my Backbone and Screwed Up Big as a Parent http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=608
About 3 years ago, an old-school CEO started coming down on me for working outside the office. I work an average of 12 hours a day and lately it's been at around 15. I was lucky to get away with working at home 1 day a week, but even that was too much. I couldn't get out of the office before 5.

As an ironic twist of fate, the desire to bring home a steady paycheck for my family interfered with my child's development and, perhaps, her ultimate education and career choices. Between ages 3 and 5, I took Kate regularly to theater preparation classes, knowing that the deck in America is stacked against women who can not act or sing. By the time Kate was 5, she was memorizing lines. But then the CEO storm blew in and fear obscured my judgement. Years went by without Kate receiving any instruction.

Last night Kate was in a play. Her role involves walking on and off stage. Just being in the theater and seeing the process is tremendously more insight than I ever received. But I can't help thinking that if it were not for my backing down to corporate oppression, that Kate would have had a least a few spoken lines. I failed and I knew better.

We all experience epiphanies, especially when we're parents and so much - THE FUTURE - is riding on our decisions. What I can't believe is that I've been free of this CEO for over a year and I completely forgot to put Kate back into theater classes. Prisoners become with comfortable with their prisons. Now that I've realized my huge mistake, I will correct it.

It's never too late. Except if you're a woman and want to have your own biological child. Even then, you can either adopt, become a teacher, or wait for grandchildren.
]]> <terris> Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:47:02 +0100 God Damn America http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=607
  • US out of Afghanistan. We can't afford to educate all the religious cave dwellers across the planet. Not until every American is smart enough to not vote for Republicans, Democrats, or Libertarians. Blackwater doesn't want that and GE's shareholders are happily profiting from selling bombs.

  • Stop drilling in the US for oil that goes to China and elsewhere. It's our oil, we need it, it cost us dearly, and corporations don't pay their fair share. If the Democrats were serious about changing things, there would be solar panels on my roof right now, made possible with a federal grant available to all homeowners at a substantially lower cost - and orders of magnitude more effective - than the last stimulus. Or BP's writeoffs for last year. But let's face it: PG&E doesn't want that.
]]> <terris> Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:44:25 +0100 Last day of Kate's second school http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=606
I stumbled this morning upon a "to do" list written by Kate a few years ago. The list includes:
  1. Frisbee
  2. Soccer
  3. Chinese checkers
  4. Football
As my child continues to develop into an evil teenager, I can feel some comfort that I was there most of the time.

But I wish my play-time friend would stay the same forever because I forgot that I enjoy soccer, football, and water balloon fights. She's not gone yet but I can see the end, which makes every minute when she's not hurling psychological abuse at me all the more cherished.

All things considered, I would have avoided the folly of the experience entirely, and I would not do it again. What's done is done. Who wants to play?
]]> <terris> Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:20:32 +0100 Comfortable discomfort http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=605 ]]> <terris> Sat, 19 Jun 2010 02:53:33 +0100 Coping http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=604 http://networkedblogs.com/4U2Vp

I dream a new dream of peace, hope, beauty and joy with all my relations with love and understanding. I dream this for you, your family and community too. I share my dream with you as I heal . . . you heal . . . with peace and compassionate understanding.

]]> <terris> Thu, 17 Jun 2010 06:16:34 +0100 Every Summer Wasted http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=603
Overpacked schedule.

Deadlines.

I'm grateful for the people who've helped me.

But.

What's the point to living if I can't live?

I hate it here.

I wish I was dead.

I wish I was never dropped here in the first place.

]]> <terris> Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:35:00 +0100 Anthrax back in the news? http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=602
http://www.newsgarden.org/columns/anthrax/anthraxtargets.shtml
]]> <terris> Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:42:52 +0100 Building modern software http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=601 Storage: Cassandra and SSDs

Processing: Scala

Deployment: Nimble (see also OSGi and Infiniflow)

Display: GXT (GWT + extJS)

Tools: Bamboo, Crucible, Confluence, Fisheye, JIRA, Greenhopper, Mercurial, Eclipse (of course)

]]> <terris> Fri, 11 Jun 2010 05:07:24 +0100 Debt and the Perpetually Working Class http://www.terris.com/tiki/tiki-view_blog_post.php?blogId=1&postId=600
As long as rich white men who think the world owes them everything control the Federal Reserve System, we will continue to drown in gallons of imaginary red ink in return for HBO, American Idol, living with our middle-aged children, and a chance to win the lottery.
]]> <terris> Thu, 27 May 2010 16:27:58 +0100