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May 29, 2006
Leigh Haddix
Writer Leigh HaddixIt goes without saying that each and every member – past and present – of KIW’s vast worldwide staff are huge fans of Seattle writer Leigh Haddix. We like her sense of humor, her sense of style, and (of course) her flamin' red hair.
Ms. Haddix, a native of Chicago, had a story published in The Seattle Times last month, memorializing her mother, men, and food.
(After Leigh's article was published, one quixotic dreamer on the staff even began a strict regime of wrist exercises.) You can read her article here.
Seattle Times; 10 May 2006; p E1; 'Growing up, dining out: A life in (restaurant) review'
Posted by williamfrick at 10:22 AM | Comments (1)
May 18, 2006
Monkey business
A new study that compares the DNA of humans and chimps indicates that six or seven million years ago the two species sometimes mated and produced hybrid offspring.
Researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard assert that humans and chimpanzees first became separate species about 10 million years ago. DNA indicates that about six million years ago a hybrid species appeared, intimating that humans and chimpanzees were regularly having sex.
"It's a totally cool and extremely clever analysis. My problem is imagining what it would be like to have a bipedal hominid and a chimpanzee viewing each other as appropriate mates - not to put it too crudely."Daniel Lieberman
, a professor of biological anthropology at Harvard, commenting on the Broad Institute Study.
In an initial reaction to the study, KIW’s own anthropology expert states that it appears Dr. Lieberman has never been in a barroom at 2:00 am.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; 18 May 2006; p A10; ‘Humans and chimps: New light shed on big split’
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer; 17 May 2006; 'DNA study maps human-chimp split'
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Posted by williamfrick at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)
May 7, 2006
The Power of Nightmares
In January 2005 the BBC ran a three-part series titled ‘The Power of Nightmares.’
The series has never been shown on US television, although it has been widely discussed in Europe.
The gist of this well-researched documentary is that the world is currently in the grip of two extreme groups – Islamic fundamentalists inspired by Osama bin-laden and his ilk – and Neoconservatives, characterized by US Vice President Dick Cheney and others in the US government.
KIW hopes that every American will see this documentary.
To that end our crack technical staff has put the first hour-long chapter up on the web for you to take a look at.
Take some time, be a good citizen, and give British documentary-maker Adam Curtis a fair listen. We think you’ll learn some history – and perhaps end up looking at the present a little bit differently.
You can download all three chapters here.
Chapter 1 – Baby its Cold Outside
Chapter 2 – The Phantom Victory
Chapter 3 – The Shadows in the Cave
Watch Chapter 1 right now. (You'll need the Quicktime plug-in in your browser - and give it 20-30 seconds to start playing.)
Posted by williamfrick at 7:27 PM | Comments (0)
May 4, 2006
Lesley Hazelton
During the past few months the entire staff of KIW have utilized KIW's extremely-generous-and-practically-socialist tuition reimbursement plan, to enroll in the University of Washington's post-graduate writing program. (We hope it helps.)
From February to March 2006 the staff had the good luck to spend six fun-filled weeks learning things from a remarkable woman named Lesley Hazelton.
Ms. Hazelton is a world-class journalist who has written extensively about the Middle East for Time, The New York Times, The Nation, etc. She is also the author of a number of well-received books on subjects ranging from psychology, to cars, to the-holy-mother-of-Jesus. She knows a lot.
She's widely quoted on many subjects, but the entire staff agrees that we were particularly inspired by a couple of perspectives that Lesley shared about writing and writers:
"Writers say things people aren't supposed to say. Writers cross boundaries."
"Do you want to be a writer? Or do you want to get published?"
Lesley Hazelton, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington; March 2006
Posted by williamfrick at 10:47 AM | Comments (0)
May 3, 2006
V for Vendetta
For those who haven't yet seen V for Vendetta - don't miss it.
KIW's film critic finds V for Vendetta to be the perfect movie for spring 2006. 
One KIW staffer managed to see the film in beautiful Vancouver at twilight on a sunny spring St. Patrick's Day. A day filled with an anti-war rally, parades featuring Asian kids doing Irish folk dances - and street corners overflowing with Irish musicians playing guitars and violins. Ah, Vancouver. . . . only in Vancouver!
"A revolution without dancing ... is a revolution not worth having!"
says Mr. V at one point during the film.
KIW wholeheartedly agrees.
Posted by williamfrick at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)
Freedom's on the march
In February 1918 the state of Montana passed a law making it a crime to say or publish anything . . .
“disloyal, profane, violent, scurrilous, contemptuous or abusive,”about the U.S. government, U.S. soldiers, or the U.S. flag.
That year prosecutors in Montana used the new law to convict 79 people of sedition.
The Montana law became the template for a federal law that was also enacted 1918.
Today, the governor of Montana granted posthumous pardons to all of the men and women who were convicted under that law.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer; 3 May, 2006; p. A6; ‘Montana governor to pardon WWI ‘ seditionists’’
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Posted by williamfrick at 10:40 AM | Comments (1)