http://seth.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Seth Williams en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:44:57 GMT 2010-01-01T23:44:57Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977424720 Doug H's photo  sparked a fun discussion thread, which lead me to remember this good old tounge twister: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? . . . Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:24:14 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977424720 Seth Williams 2008-08-19T03:24:14Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977423868 So, as I'm watching the Pats in their pre-season game tonight, I'm struck by how much they're struggling. Granted, they're mostly plaing second and third string guys, but this just doesn't . . . Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:08:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977423868 Seth Williams 2008-08-18T02:08:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977423858 A mere year and two days ago, my wife and I purchased an old home in an even older New England town. While the exact date of the house isn't known, my neighbor informs me that he's seen etchings . . . Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:51:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977423858 Seth Williams 2008-08-18T01:51:34Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977422899 How about the ability to jump to a specific comment? Currently, when browsing my own comments, or the comments of a friend (either in their profile or my feed area), I can only jump to the post or the . . . Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:42:14 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977422899 Seth Williams 2008-08-16T14:42:14Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977421597 It would be wonderful if we could categorize groups in much the same way we can categorize friends. That way, Gather could implement functionality for users to sort groups by type when searching for content . . . Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:58:08 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977421597 Seth Williams 2008-08-14T18:58:08Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977420262 Note: I have chosen not to edit this but rather repost as-is, simply because it's one of the few pieces I've ever written that feels "finished" to me (although perhaps others may take . . . Wed, 13 Aug 2008 03:06:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977420262 Seth Williams 2008-08-13T03:06:52Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977420167  Here's a gem: The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson . . . Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:17:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977420167 Seth Williams 2008-08-13T00:17:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977419835 I've heard it often said that MLK, Jr. once said (in fact, was once the central theme of one of my posts):   "If your opponent has a conscience, then follow Gandhi. But if your . . . Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:54:14 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977419835 Seth Williams 2008-08-12T16:54:14Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976749804 There has been a lot of pixels spilt over Rep. Pat Kennedy's recent run-in with the law for driving under the influence (yes, being on drugs--perscription or otherwise--is being "under the influence"). . . . Sat, 06 May 2006 13:13:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976749804 Seth Williams 2006-05-06T13:13:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976734099 Well, it's not often that I scream at the TV, but I found myself willing to make an exception for Howard Dean's performance on MSNBC yesterday. He was on talking about the latest ginned-up outrage . . . Sat, 04 Mar 2006 03:02:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976734099 Seth Williams 2006-03-04T03:02:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976731141 The article "The Problem with Oil" took a look at the nation's oil balance sheet and illustrated the scope of the problem America is faced with. America imports over half of the crude it . . . Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:38:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976731141 Seth Williams 2006-02-20T00:38:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976729961 Fox News is reporting that Arizona is considering deploying national guard troops to the border with Mexico. I've posted before my feelings about border security, so anyone who has followed my posts . . . Wed, 15 Feb 2006 01:16:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976729961 Seth Williams 2006-02-15T01:16:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976729957 NOTE: the following is the result of an assignment I had for one of my politics classes at university. It fairly well sums up a lot of what I've had to say before about the Iraq war by applying the . . . Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:50:00 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976729957 Seth Williams 2006-02-15T00:50:00Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976727306 Some time ago I reported that a NH legislator planned to introduce a bill that would lower the drinking age to 18 for members of the armed forces. Well, it seems that the bill has been rather roundly defeated . . . Wed, 01 Feb 2006 22:06:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976727306 Seth Williams 2006-02-01T22:06:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976725711 Those who subscribe to the oil imperialism political theory often state that we should neither deal with odious regimes who have oil, nor work to destabilize those odious regimes. Yet advocates of . . . Thu, 26 Jan 2006 05:56:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976725711 Seth Williams 2006-01-26T05:56:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976724621 Jan 23 1793 2nd partition of Poland (between Prussia & Russia). Poles begin to notice a pattern. 1849 Mrs. Elizabeth Blackwell becomes 1st woman physician in US, discovers concept of glass ceiling. . . . Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:50:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976724621 Seth Williams 2006-01-23T03:50:31Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976723955 Some (mostly factual) things that happened this week in history. Jan 16 1493 Columbus returns to Spain on his 1st trip 1776 Continental Congress decides that blacks can die for the revolution, approves . . . Thu, 19 Jan 2006 07:15:10 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976723955 Seth Williams 2006-01-19T07:15:10Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976723919 Just a bit ago Bill O'Rilley (yes that Bill O'Rilley) was commenting on recent posting on some websites questioning Rep. Murtha's purple hearts. He rather strongly condemned suggestions that . . . Thu, 19 Jan 2006 03:18:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976723919 Seth Williams 2006-01-19T03:18:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976723699 Conservatives are advocates of limited government, and the Republican Party is the contemporary home of American conservatives. The classically conservative view is that the federal government's proper . . . Wed, 18 Jan 2006 03:43:39 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976723699 Seth Williams 2006-01-18T03:43:39Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722569 There are many way you could tell the story of Doug Flutie. One could go on about his stats—passing yardage, completion percent, rushing, and so on. You could tell about his years in the Canadian . . . Sat, 14 Jan 2006 09:59:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722569 Seth Williams 2006-01-14T09:59:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722494 Whether it is an attempt at comity, or political ineptness, the Republican Party is failing to act as a majority party. They have majorities in both chambers of Congress, and the presidency—yet they . . . Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:21:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722494 Seth Williams 2006-01-13T19:21:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722436 I'm in a daze--after almost fourteen years, I'm finally doing something that I'd put off for all too long. Something that will make a positive change in my life. I'm finally going back . . . Fri, 13 Jan 2006 04:51:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722436 Seth Williams 2006-01-13T04:51:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722054 On his blog, Eugene Volokh discusses the "annoy someone and go to jail" law recently passed by Congress--which states that anonymous comments on the internet that annoy someone can be punnishable . . . Wed, 11 Jan 2006 06:14:53 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722054 Seth Williams 2006-01-11T06:14:53Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722049 Out of respect, I won't use his name—I know of whom I write, and that is good enough. The first time I met him was in elementary school, and it is not when we became friends. I remember walking . . . Wed, 11 Jan 2006 05:18:17 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976722049 Seth Williams 2006-01-11T05:18:17Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976721383 There are  few things in public discourse that really get my blood up more than the flinging of labels as a means to demonize and silence one's opponent. Of all the emotive words that can be flung . . . Thu, 05 Jan 2006 18:14:19 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976721383 Seth Williams 2006-01-05T18:14:19Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976721152 From time to time, the term "fascist" gets bandied about, but what is fascism? It's always been difficult to pin down a definition, with some claiming it's a right wing ideology and some . . . Tue, 03 Jan 2006 22:22:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976721152 Seth Williams 2006-01-03T22:22:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976721143 It would be nice to be able to create tables, but apparently that part of HTML code doesn't work on Gather. Tue, 03 Jan 2006 20:50:08 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976721143 Seth Williams 2006-01-03T20:50:08Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976720914 I heard it remarked recently that, since the invasion of Iraq, President Bush has gotten us into a clash of civilizations. Well, if it's true that there is a war of civilizations, it didn't start . . . Sat, 31 Dec 2005 19:56:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976720914 Seth Williams 2005-12-31T19:56:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976720829 At just under 57,000 square miles and over 144 million people, Bangladesh is a country with about half the population of the United States living in a land area about the size of Wisconsin. When one adds . . . Fri, 30 Dec 2005 17:53:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976720829 Seth Williams 2005-12-30T17:53:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976720702 Earlier today Fox News reported that the ACLU has filed a lawsuit against behavioral profiling at Logan Airport in Boston. A quick Google search revealed several stories between last November and now mentioning . . . Thu, 29 Dec 2005 06:45:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474976720702 Seth Williams 2005-12-29T06:45:36Z