] They enroll in institutions of higher education seeking
] wisdom, intellectual stimulation, and a degree that they
] hope will be their passport to self-reliance in the "real
] world." But in universities across the country, thousands
] of graduate and undergraduate students find themselves
] performing tasks that are on the ethical borderline of
] what is expected of them as students, research assistants
] and fellows.
]
]
] With a growing number of universities facing budget cuts
] and under increasing pressure to find new ways of making
] profits, student labor is grinding the wheels of
] America's academic machinery. They man phones,
] photocopiers, teach undergrad courses, grade papers,
] conduct research, analyze data

ABCNEWS.com : Are Students Slaves for Their Professors?

Very pointless...yet somehow compelling.

virtual bubble wrap

] This collection of web pages documents Brad's activity on
] the system and the people who's lives he effected, from
] the first day he logged on MemeStreams to the day he
] passed on.

Brad

] This Thursday, January 15 the Secretary of State's Voting
] Systems Panel will meet in Sacramento to discuss the
] status of Diebold and its voting systems in California.
]
] {snip}
]
] Back in October 2003, Diebold sought state certification
] of its newest voting machine, the Accuvote-TSx, a lighter
] version of its current model, the Accuvote-TS, used in
] Alameda and Plumas counties. But just before
] certification was taken up by the Secretary of State's
] Voting System Panel (VSP), the Secretary of State's
] office learned that Diebold had installed an uncertified
] version of its software into Alameda's voting system
] prior to California's historic, October 7 recall
] election.
]
] {snip}
]
] Because Diebold's actions in Alameda were a violation of
] state law, the Secretary of State ordered an audit of all
] 17 California counties using Diebold voting equipment,
] which includes touchscreen as well as paper-based optical
] scan systems. Preliminary results of that audit were
] released at the December 15, 2003 VSP meeting.
]
] The audit found that Diebold had installed uncertified
] versions of software or firmware in all 17 counties it
] services in California. In five counties, the audit
] showed that the versions of software Diebold reported to
] auditors that the counties were using were not the same
] versions as the auditors found in use in those counties.
] In three counties, including Los Angeles, which used
] Diebold touchscreens for early absentee voting, the
] software used was not only uncertified by the state but
] was not approved by the federal government, either.

I can't say that I'm suprised...

--Abaddon

Diebold Illegally installs uncertified E-Voting software

jessica wrote:
] Decius wrote:
] ] ] Some pictures of Brad Blines (aka CrankyMessiah)
] ]
] ] Flynn asked us to host these for a few days because several
] ] people have requested them.
]
] I've been thinking a lot over the past week or so about our
] community, and I've been thinking how amazing it is in this
] day and age that people can become so tightly knit and have
] such a family-like atmosphere even though they've never met.
]
] Many MANY MANY years ago, Nick had told me all about IRC and
] he was having these friendships with people online. I thought
] it was ridiculous. How wrong I was. We have the opportunity
] now to talk to people all over the world, and it's amazing
] that people across the country can have the same likes and
] dislikes and sense of humor. You'd be friends in real life,
] but for geography! It's incredible. The world is getting
] smaller, very quickly.
]
] When I heard about Brad, it was a painful shock. He wasn't
] just a nickname on a screen, he was someone whose insights and
] humor I enjoyed, and it was painful to hear that he has moved
] to a different plane of existence. It's still painful, a
] member of my community is gone.
]
] But seeing the pictures, that brings the nickname, the
] insights, and the face together. A real person.
]
] I'd love to meet other members of our community. I'd love to
] talk to them, I find people truly fascinating, and I'd love to
] share likes and dislikes, senses of humor, etc. But again,
] geography.
]
] Tom, I'm wondering how you and Nick (and everyone else on
] MemeStreams) feel about having some space to post pictures if
] anyone wanted, to put a face to the names. Just a thought..

[Well put Jessica. I was very much moved by how everyone on memestreams reacted to the passing of Crankymessiah - memestreams is like a homebase in the vast internet. I love how I can come here and see what friends of mine that are living all the way across the country are thinking about on a daily basis. I know I am biased (being "Tom's sister" and all) but I really feel that memestreams has become part of my daily life as well as the people who take part in it - I would feel like something was missing if it was taken away.
Hats off to Tom and Nick - Keep up the good work guys. - Nano]

RE: Brad Blines Pictures

] The Institute of Medicine on Wednesday recommended for
] the first time that the government provide universal
] health insurance, attempting to spark an election-year
] debate on a decades-old problem that keeps getting worse.
]
] The president and Congress should set 2010 as the
] deadline for providing coverage to all, according to the
] institute, part of the National Academy of Sciences, a
] private organization chartered by Congress to provide
] scientific advice to the government.

ABCNEWS.com : U.S. Urged on Universal Health Insurance

Good brew:)

Food Network: Good Brew

] RIP Brad. Hopefully you are sharing your sence of humour
] with some good spirits, on the other side.

Another site that CrankyMessiah used pays it's respects. There is a link here to a picture for those who wanted to know what he looked like.

FAZED - Slorum - CrankyMessiah Thread

New Life Lodge
Alumni Association
P.O. Box 430
Burns, TN 37029

To Whom It May Concern,

Please accept this donation offered in memory of our friend Brad Blines. Brad was a part of our online community, called MemeStreams. One of the features of this community is that it tracks the popularity of the posts members make to it. Out of some 800 members, there are only three people in the community who have a higher popularity score then Brad, and they are the people who created the software the community runs on. This fact should illustrate the significant impact that Brad has had on our lives. We owe many smiles and laughs to his posts and comments over the past year. His presence will be missed by all of us.

Sincerely,
Tom & Marie Cross

For CrankyMessiah...

It is with an extraordinarily heavy heart that I post that my good friend, Brad Blines, died on Thursday morning of a heroin overdose. Folks on memestreams will know him as crankymessiah. People from the 'scene' in Nashville will remember him from the days of Dragon Park, countless concerts and shows, and Predators games.

Brad was one of the lights of my life. We shared the same giddy excitement over music, film, and creativity that few people can understand. We had that kind of brotherly relationship where you don't really have to say anything to hear the other person. I hope that I will be able to still hear his infectious laugh in my head for the rest of my life.

Goodbye my friend.

Brad Michael BLINES
Nashville, TN
Age 35
January 8, 2003
January 8, 2003. Survived by parents, Michael and Diana Blines; sister, Kristin (Richard) Vik; grandmothers, Bonnie (Lloyd) Holt, Ruth Allen; nephews, Ethan Richard Vik, Brennan Michael Vik. The funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home with Bro. Doug Varnado officiating. Pallbearers will be Chris Scheele, Richard Vik, Michael Dodson, Rich Husband, Jim Folger, Ernie Simon. The Interment will follow at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the New Life Lodge. Visitation will be Friday 5-9 p.m. and Saturday 1 p.m. until service at HARPETH HILLS FUNERAL HOME, 9090 Hwy. 100, 615-646-9292

[Sad day in the Memestreams community. :( - Nano]

I am sad, and unhappy...