This is kind of cool. Using water to create a display device. Obviously there are some limitations to what you can display as in you are limited to information that can "flow" from top to bottom and unless you go to extremes, you are limited to two color monochrome displaying but cool none the less.
The link is to an animation of the concept, enjoy.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The hypocrisy of bio-fuels
A recent study by the Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen shows that the official estimates have ignored the contribution of nitrogen fertilisers. They generate a greenhouse gas - nitrous oxide - that is 296 times as powerful as CO2. These emissions alone ensure that ethanol from maize causes between 0.9 and 1.5 times as much warming as petrol, while rapeseed oil (the source of more than 80% of the world's biodiesel) generates 1-1.7 times the impact of diesel. This is before you account for the changes in land use.
And using bio-fuels mean that somewhere someone is going hungry. Stop using bio-fuels. Do it for the children.
The next time you hear an environmentalist say NO to fossil fuels, ask them about nuclear power. If they say NO to that too, then they are indeed a hypocrite because nuclear power does not emit any CO2 and could generate an enormous amount of electricity. When was the last time the U.S. built a new domestic nuclear power plant? A very long time ago. If you want clean energy, go nuclear, do it for the children.
And using bio-fuels mean that somewhere someone is going hungry. Stop using bio-fuels. Do it for the children.
The next time you hear an environmentalist say NO to fossil fuels, ask them about nuclear power. If they say NO to that too, then they are indeed a hypocrite because nuclear power does not emit any CO2 and could generate an enormous amount of electricity. When was the last time the U.S. built a new domestic nuclear power plant? A very long time ago. If you want clean energy, go nuclear, do it for the children.
He is a bit of an idiot but this is just funny...
"Somebody told me the other day that the Secret Service has orders that if George Bush is shot, they're to shoot Quayle. There isn't any press here, is there?" -- John Kerry, Nov. 16, 1988
TV bugs must die!
It is getting to the point that I can no longer watch the History Channel, Discover Channel and a number of the other not quite mainstream cable stations. The reason for this is not the content. Most of the content on these off channels is quite good, interesting and well made. I particularly enjoyed "Ice Road Truckers" (even though is was an idea ripe off of "Dangerous Catch"). The reason I may have to boycott these channels for a bit is their annoying habit of showing large, active, invasive screen station bugs during the various shows.
For anyone that does not know what I am talking about, a screen bug is that small station logo that appears in the lower right corner of the TV screen while you are watching a show.
Some stations have reasonable, small, unobtrusive bugs that do not get in the way but allow you to see at a glance what station you are watching. A number of them are even translucent so you can see through them to the part of the screen that they cover. Others though, take annoying screen bugs to new heights. I feel that the History Channel is the current "worst offender" in this regard. Their bugs are large to start with, are active, change size and worst of all, at times take up the bottom 25% to 30% of the screen. This completely blocks the show you are watching and is very distracting because the bugs are active and are in many cases, ads for other shows. Normally this is just distracting and bothersome but it is down right fatal to shows that include sub-titles. These bugs completely overlay the sub-titles so you can not read them.
A fear of mine is that with the advent of Tivo and PVRs, that more and more networks will move to these larger, active screen bugs to make up for people zipping through commercials, allowing us no respite from that annoyance. So if any TV execs are reading this (especially History Channel) do us all a favor and kill the bugs!
For anyone that does not know what I am talking about, a screen bug is that small station logo that appears in the lower right corner of the TV screen while you are watching a show.
Some stations have reasonable, small, unobtrusive bugs that do not get in the way but allow you to see at a glance what station you are watching. A number of them are even translucent so you can see through them to the part of the screen that they cover. Others though, take annoying screen bugs to new heights. I feel that the History Channel is the current "worst offender" in this regard. Their bugs are large to start with, are active, change size and worst of all, at times take up the bottom 25% to 30% of the screen. This completely blocks the show you are watching and is very distracting because the bugs are active and are in many cases, ads for other shows. Normally this is just distracting and bothersome but it is down right fatal to shows that include sub-titles. These bugs completely overlay the sub-titles so you can not read them.
A fear of mine is that with the advent of Tivo and PVRs, that more and more networks will move to these larger, active screen bugs to make up for people zipping through commercials, allowing us no respite from that annoyance. So if any TV execs are reading this (especially History Channel) do us all a favor and kill the bugs!
Stop "Making A Difference"
Thomas Sowell makes a number of good points with this article and it is worth a reading. His first point concerns the current, fashionable need to "make a difference" and to "give back" without much care to what kind of difference you are making and to whom you are actually giving back. Good point. Hitler made a difference but most people would agree we would have been better off without his efforts. Those that worked so hard to get DDT banned made a difference too and so far that difference has cost thousands of Africans their lives due to malaria and other insect born diseases. In their rush to "make a difference" many people see the issue as black and white and do not properly weigh the ramifications or consequences of their actions. They are in such a hurry to "do something" that they don't notice until it is too late or don't care that their "something" makes things worse than they were before they got involved but at least they "meant well" and their "hearts were in the right place".
His other point has to do with "giving back" and this need people have to insist that corporations or people of means must "give something back". What they usually, actually mean is to give money to their cause du jour. To give to the right social causes to help the right groups because you OWE it to them as if you are only where you are today because you took from these others. As Thomas points out, to truly give back in a way that helps society and supports the ideals that allow us to be where we are today is to give to those groups and organizations that actively support this country and the freedoms that have made this country possible. Unfortunately, most of those types of groups are not on any progressive 'A' list. Things like "free needle exchange" or "free condoms" is not giving back. Job training programs are. Supporting those causes and organizations that work to help people help themselves are worth supporting with time, effort and money verses those organizations that simply deliver handouts and excuses.
His other point has to do with "giving back" and this need people have to insist that corporations or people of means must "give something back". What they usually, actually mean is to give money to their cause du jour. To give to the right social causes to help the right groups because you OWE it to them as if you are only where you are today because you took from these others. As Thomas points out, to truly give back in a way that helps society and supports the ideals that allow us to be where we are today is to give to those groups and organizations that actively support this country and the freedoms that have made this country possible. Unfortunately, most of those types of groups are not on any progressive 'A' list. Things like "free needle exchange" or "free condoms" is not giving back. Job training programs are. Supporting those causes and organizations that work to help people help themselves are worth supporting with time, effort and money verses those organizations that simply deliver handouts and excuses.
Santa is TOO FAT and must conform
cause you know, it is for the children...
So not even Santa Clause is safe from the march of the progressives. In the UK he is just too fat for modern times and must slim down or go down. Now that Santa has been put in his place, I guess the next item on the list will be to get everyone to give out vegetables for Halloween.
So not even Santa Clause is safe from the march of the progressives. In the UK he is just too fat for modern times and must slim down or go down. Now that Santa has been put in his place, I guess the next item on the list will be to get everyone to give out vegetables for Halloween.
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Charge of the Ultra - Capacitors
Very interesting article on current activity in the area of ultra-capacitors. The ability to store electricity in capacitors to augment or replace batteries. Give it a read.
I wish that every electronic device with a clock on it contained a capacitor to help that device maintain its time through a brown out or quick blackout. Would save me a lot of clock resetting...
I wish that every electronic device with a clock on it contained a capacitor to help that device maintain its time through a brown out or quick blackout. Would save me a lot of clock resetting...
Schumer showing some common sense
In 2004, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft testified before the Judiciary Committee on the question of "torture," and Schumer injected some common sense into the proceedings. Here is what he said:
There are times when we all get in high dudgeon. We ought to be reasonable about this. I think there are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used, particularly if thousands of lives are at stake.
Take the hypothetical. If we knew that there was a nuclear bomb hidden in an American city and we believed that some kind of torture, fairly severe maybe, would give us a chance of finding that bomb before it went off, my guess is most Americans and most senators, maybe all, would say, "Do what you have to do."
So it's easy to sit back in the armchair and say that torture can never be used. But when you're in the foxhole, it's a very different deal. And I respect--I think we all respect the fact that the president's in the foxhole every day. So he can hardly be blamed for asking you or his White House counsel or the Department of Defense to figure out when it comes to torture, what the law allows and when the law allows it and what there is permission to do.
There you have it. You do what you have to do. Adults get that. Adults understand that. If asked "would you torture one criminal in order to gain information to save 1000 innocents", an adult says yes and whom ever is the next president of the US, you better be able to count on to say yes as well. You don't want to have to resort to motivations like torture but you MUST have that option available. Our enemies are currently using it for amusement, we need to be able to use it to save lives. That may not be all warm and fuzzy but it is reality.
There are times when we all get in high dudgeon. We ought to be reasonable about this. I think there are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used, particularly if thousands of lives are at stake.
Take the hypothetical. If we knew that there was a nuclear bomb hidden in an American city and we believed that some kind of torture, fairly severe maybe, would give us a chance of finding that bomb before it went off, my guess is most Americans and most senators, maybe all, would say, "Do what you have to do."
So it's easy to sit back in the armchair and say that torture can never be used. But when you're in the foxhole, it's a very different deal. And I respect--I think we all respect the fact that the president's in the foxhole every day. So he can hardly be blamed for asking you or his White House counsel or the Department of Defense to figure out when it comes to torture, what the law allows and when the law allows it and what there is permission to do.
There you have it. You do what you have to do. Adults get that. Adults understand that. If asked "would you torture one criminal in order to gain information to save 1000 innocents", an adult says yes and whom ever is the next president of the US, you better be able to count on to say yes as well. You don't want to have to resort to motivations like torture but you MUST have that option available. Our enemies are currently using it for amusement, we need to be able to use it to save lives. That may not be all warm and fuzzy but it is reality.
At this time, the Hollywood writers’ strike is still on...
and me thinks, so what? They don't have anything to do with keeping the trains running on time...
Daylight savings time, NUTS
Why is it that we as a people, as a civilized (mostly) nation continue to put up with this screwball idea called daylight savings time? I mean, get real, enough already! I thought we had a real shot to get this thing once and for all, put to bed but noooooo, they just moved the end date around a little bit. This thing is annoying and mostly stupid and we should STOP IT.
I have an idea, why not just split the difference? What do you say? Instead of setting our clocks back an hour when the next change date rolls around, why not just set it back 30 minutes and call it a day? Leave the time set half-way between the start and stop times for the REST of time? This way everyone wins a little something? The time savers get 30 minutes and the rest of us can stop messing with all of our freakin clocks twice a year? What do you say? Would you be willing to sign a petition?
I have an idea, why not just split the difference? What do you say? Instead of setting our clocks back an hour when the next change date rolls around, why not just set it back 30 minutes and call it a day? Leave the time set half-way between the start and stop times for the REST of time? This way everyone wins a little something? The time savers get 30 minutes and the rest of us can stop messing with all of our freakin clocks twice a year? What do you say? Would you be willing to sign a petition?
Life choices 101
Via instapundit.com:
"YOUNG STRIVERS" IN WASHINGTON find that being a "professional world-saver" doesn't pay as well as they'd hoped.
And they're not getting much sympathy.
UPDATE: A reader emails:
Geez, we’ve been dealing with this in academic science for decades now.
I wish these people would do the math: Doing something that’s stimulating and fun, sounds great at a cocktail party, and is supported by charity or tax money means that you will probably be making peanuts. (In my field, there are usually about 200 applicants/permanent position, all with Ph.D.s.)
Don’t like being broke? Do something that makes you a profit center instead of a cost center.
Good advice anywhere.
Sounds eerily similar to this item:
I am 24, live with my parents, can’t find work and am floundering in a sea of debt five figures high. I think of myself as ambitious, independent and hardworking. Now I’m dependent, unemployed and sleeping under the same Super Mario ceiling fan that I did when I was 7.
Why is that, we have to wonder? Well, maybe this can give us a clue:
Upon graduating, I was helplessly launched headfirst into the “real world,” equipped with a degree in history and $32,000 in student loans. Before ricocheting back home, I would learn two important lessons: 1) There are no well-paying — let alone paying — jobs for history majors. 2) The real world is really tough.
I can not help but love this line:
I had no intention of living in a society that was as unfair as this one.
There it goes again, that bit about society being unfair because it does not hand a newly minted collage graduate with a HISTORY degree a job in history, paying $100K, where he wants to live and where he wants to work. Boo Friggin Hoo. The real world is like that. It allows you to stand or fall on your own and tends to reward those skills that are needed and it doesn't so well reward those skills that are not so needed. This is called supply and demand. He should have learn about this while in collage but maybe they no longer cover that lesson cause it is so, you know "old school". What in the world did he think he could do out in the real world with a history major? Be the CEO of a video game company? Head of Starbucks? What?
This is also a good one:
Suddenly, living at home didn’t seem nearly as degrading as selling out. But sadly, other graduates don’t have any choice but to work for temp agencies and retail stores to eke by.
Yeah, don't sell out and support yourself at just any old job! That is too much like being an adult. It is much better to stay at home and mooch off of your parents. His closing statement says it all:
My loan payments can’t wait much longer, and soon I must leave home to find work that doesn’t compromise my integrity. Although I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had declared as an accounting major and got a cushy job punching numbers somewhere, I’ll take my history major, my debt and my mom’s cooking any day of the week.
So, an honest day's work compromises his integrity and (having NEVER been an accountant) he knows that accountants have cushy jobs punching numbers all day. Well he showed them didn't he! Living at home, off of his parents with a nearly useless (but apparently fun) history major degree, crying in his pillow cause HE choose to go to school and get an nearly useless degree (but had fun) and didn't immediately get the "grand easy life" he feels he is entitled to. Yep, he is certainly ready for life in the real world. After reading his diatribe, I for one am glad that he had a chance to go off to collage and grow up some. I would have hated to see what he was like before that maturing experience.
Let's see if we could have helped him make some better, more informed decisions if he had asked, shall we?
Well first off, he could have gone to the local community or 4-year collage instead of initially to Alfred University (a pricey private school) and then to University at Buffalo. That decision could have turned his $32K in dept into a slightly more manageable $2.2K to $5.8K per-year. Going high end, that would have been $23.3K. A savings of at least 9K in loans.
Another choice he could have improved on was NOT being a history major. What is the world did he think he was going to do for a living with a degree in history? If we assume he has some brains, then he must have given some thought to what he was going to do the day after he graduated. For history majors that generally means teaching or research. Nether one a career choice known for the big bucks. That being the case, he should have expected to either spend a long time looking for a job in his career field or spend some more time getting a teaching certificate. Can't really tell cause he doesn't really say.
All in all a nice little peak into the mind of the average collage graduate today. Picked a fun degree, went to an expensive school and didn't think much about the cost of the degree, didn't give much thought to what would happen the day after graduation, feels it is the governments job to "fix the problem" with the cost of education, lives at home with mommy and daddy cause he doesn't want to compromise and wants his parent's standard of living handed to him. Well we can't all be Paris Hilton now can we?
"YOUNG STRIVERS" IN WASHINGTON find that being a "professional world-saver" doesn't pay as well as they'd hoped.
And they're not getting much sympathy.
UPDATE: A reader emails:
Geez, we’ve been dealing with this in academic science for decades now.
I wish these people would do the math: Doing something that’s stimulating and fun, sounds great at a cocktail party, and is supported by charity or tax money means that you will probably be making peanuts. (In my field, there are usually about 200 applicants/permanent position, all with Ph.D.s.)
Don’t like being broke? Do something that makes you a profit center instead of a cost center.
Good advice anywhere.
Sounds eerily similar to this item:
I am 24, live with my parents, can’t find work and am floundering in a sea of debt five figures high. I think of myself as ambitious, independent and hardworking. Now I’m dependent, unemployed and sleeping under the same Super Mario ceiling fan that I did when I was 7.
Why is that, we have to wonder? Well, maybe this can give us a clue:
Upon graduating, I was helplessly launched headfirst into the “real world,” equipped with a degree in history and $32,000 in student loans. Before ricocheting back home, I would learn two important lessons: 1) There are no well-paying — let alone paying — jobs for history majors. 2) The real world is really tough.
I can not help but love this line:
I had no intention of living in a society that was as unfair as this one.
There it goes again, that bit about society being unfair because it does not hand a newly minted collage graduate with a HISTORY degree a job in history, paying $100K, where he wants to live and where he wants to work. Boo Friggin Hoo. The real world is like that. It allows you to stand or fall on your own and tends to reward those skills that are needed and it doesn't so well reward those skills that are not so needed. This is called supply and demand. He should have learn about this while in collage but maybe they no longer cover that lesson cause it is so, you know "old school". What in the world did he think he could do out in the real world with a history major? Be the CEO of a video game company? Head of Starbucks? What?
This is also a good one:
Suddenly, living at home didn’t seem nearly as degrading as selling out. But sadly, other graduates don’t have any choice but to work for temp agencies and retail stores to eke by.
Yeah, don't sell out and support yourself at just any old job! That is too much like being an adult. It is much better to stay at home and mooch off of your parents. His closing statement says it all:
My loan payments can’t wait much longer, and soon I must leave home to find work that doesn’t compromise my integrity. Although I sometimes wonder what it would be like if I had declared as an accounting major and got a cushy job punching numbers somewhere, I’ll take my history major, my debt and my mom’s cooking any day of the week.
So, an honest day's work compromises his integrity and (having NEVER been an accountant) he knows that accountants have cushy jobs punching numbers all day. Well he showed them didn't he! Living at home, off of his parents with a nearly useless (but apparently fun) history major degree, crying in his pillow cause HE choose to go to school and get an nearly useless degree (but had fun) and didn't immediately get the "grand easy life" he feels he is entitled to. Yep, he is certainly ready for life in the real world. After reading his diatribe, I for one am glad that he had a chance to go off to collage and grow up some. I would have hated to see what he was like before that maturing experience.
Let's see if we could have helped him make some better, more informed decisions if he had asked, shall we?
Well first off, he could have gone to the local community or 4-year collage instead of initially to Alfred University (a pricey private school) and then to University at Buffalo. That decision could have turned his $32K in dept into a slightly more manageable $2.2K to $5.8K per-year. Going high end, that would have been $23.3K. A savings of at least 9K in loans.
Another choice he could have improved on was NOT being a history major. What is the world did he think he was going to do for a living with a degree in history? If we assume he has some brains, then he must have given some thought to what he was going to do the day after he graduated. For history majors that generally means teaching or research. Nether one a career choice known for the big bucks. That being the case, he should have expected to either spend a long time looking for a job in his career field or spend some more time getting a teaching certificate. Can't really tell cause he doesn't really say.
All in all a nice little peak into the mind of the average collage graduate today. Picked a fun degree, went to an expensive school and didn't think much about the cost of the degree, didn't give much thought to what would happen the day after graduation, feels it is the governments job to "fix the problem" with the cost of education, lives at home with mommy and daddy cause he doesn't want to compromise and wants his parent's standard of living handed to him. Well we can't all be Paris Hilton now can we?
As Glenn Reynolds notes, GOOD POINT ON THE MURTHA SCANDALS: "Just imagine for a moment if this had been Newt Gingrich." Think we would have heard more?
Well that goes without saying. Had any of the Clinton issues been issues for either of the Bush(es) or if any of the recent Democratic scandals been Republican scandals, you would never hear the end of it but because they are Democrats and as such "mean well" and are "fighting for the people instead of evil corporations" then well that makes it all right. It will just be our little secret. Cause EVERYONE knows that Republicans and conservatives are evil whereas Democrats and liberals are just looking out for the little guy and well, you know, sometimes the ends justify the means.
Well that goes without saying. Had any of the Clinton issues been issues for either of the Bush(es) or if any of the recent Democratic scandals been Republican scandals, you would never hear the end of it but because they are Democrats and as such "mean well" and are "fighting for the people instead of evil corporations" then well that makes it all right. It will just be our little secret. Cause EVERYONE knows that Republicans and conservatives are evil whereas Democrats and liberals are just looking out for the little guy and well, you know, sometimes the ends justify the means.
More U.N. sex-capades
Join the U.N. Peacekeepers and get a free round the world sex jaunt vacation! Based on the events of the past few years with peace missions involving U.N. forces, this would seem to be an apt ad slogan. What good are these guys? They stand around watching genocide all the while buying, bribing or forcing their way with the local boys and girls. As others have pointed out, if this story involved the U.S. military, it would not only be front page news all over the world but there would be major calls for an overhaul coming from all corners but as this is the U.N. and everyone KNOWS that they mean well, we will let it slide but just this once (again).
More Fred news
but not as bad as it would first appear.
As was pointed out in the story, Philip Martin was a criminal where as Norman Hsu IS one. I will be curious as to how hard the Dems will kick this one as they are always talking about how a criminal past is just that, a criminal past and they are the ones pushing for easier or automatic restoration of voting rights to released criminals. This could get interesting if anyone is keeping score.
As was pointed out in the story, Philip Martin was a criminal where as Norman Hsu IS one. I will be curious as to how hard the Dems will kick this one as they are always talking about how a criminal past is just that, a criminal past and they are the ones pushing for easier or automatic restoration of voting rights to released criminals. This could get interesting if anyone is keeping score.
Will wonders never cease?
While states such as New York are increasing the risk of such fraud, a half-dozen states have recently adopted laws requiring voters to offer proof of identity or citizenship before casting a ballot. A federal commission, co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, gave such laws a big boost in 2005 when it called for a nationwide policy requiring a photo ID before voting.
From the November 2, 2007 OpinionJournal.com.
Amazing! Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks! The former President that never met a dictator he didn't like agrees that it is a good idea to require a photo ID for voting. I guess it is true, even a broken clock is right twice a day! The integrity of the voting process is paramount for a democracy. If you can not trust the voting booth, you can not trust the outcome. If you can not trust the outcome, you can not trust the government. It seems we know where the former president stands and it seems we also know where Senator Clinton stands as well.
Despite her muddled comments this week, there's no doubt where Mrs. Clinton stands on ballot integrity. She opposes photo ID laws, even though they enjoy over 80% support in the polls. She has also introduced a bill to force every state to offer no-excuse absentee voting as well as Election Day registration--easy avenues for election chicanery. The bill requires that every state restore voting rights to all criminals who have completed their prison terms, parole or probation.
From the November 2, 2007 OpinionJournal.com.
Amazing! Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks! The former President that never met a dictator he didn't like agrees that it is a good idea to require a photo ID for voting. I guess it is true, even a broken clock is right twice a day! The integrity of the voting process is paramount for a democracy. If you can not trust the voting booth, you can not trust the outcome. If you can not trust the outcome, you can not trust the government. It seems we know where the former president stands and it seems we also know where Senator Clinton stands as well.
Despite her muddled comments this week, there's no doubt where Mrs. Clinton stands on ballot integrity. She opposes photo ID laws, even though they enjoy over 80% support in the polls. She has also introduced a bill to force every state to offer no-excuse absentee voting as well as Election Day registration--easy avenues for election chicanery. The bill requires that every state restore voting rights to all criminals who have completed their prison terms, parole or probation.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Voter fraud rates slap on wrist
Three defendants in the biggest voter-registration fraud scheme in Washington history get a slap on the wrist. Does the light sentences have anything to do with the fact that these were ACORN employees and not members of the "vast right wing conspiracy"? Where is Al S., Jessie and Al Gore with their complaints about disenfranchised voters and the need to set an example and the integrity of the voting processes and all that? Oh yeah, I forgot, this was Democratic voter fraud, not Republican voter fraud. In that case, it is all right because they meant well and were just trying to save us all from the evil right wing conspiracy and all that.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Is It Good News Or Bad News...
Basically, Republicans can run a stuffed animal against Hillary and still get 48% of the vote.
Well isn't that good news? Though one should not get too cocky about it as even the cutest "stuffed animal" can develop a tear or two and loose a little luster.
What this does mean (at least to me) is that there is a large core of people that have not bought into Hillary and her "vast number" of ideas for making the country and world a "much better place" for us all to live. Between her and her husband, they have a mountain of baggage that is ripe for exploitation by whom ever winds up being the Republican front-runner and I would normally say, "if we could survive 8 years of her husband, we can surely survive 4 years of her" but this time we have a Democrat majority in congress to contend with. I much prefer governmental grid-lock to the damage that a one party government can do, especially when that one party is the Democrats.
As much as the Republicans have shown them selves to be money whores that can out spend and out party the best that frat-boys can dream up, they generally look like nuns compared to the Democrats. At least Republicans mostly remember where the milk comes from and try to protect the cow whereas Democrats want the milk and a nice porterhouse at the same time and only after the fact notice that they have killed the cow. Dems seem to think that the only answer to every problem is more taxes and more/larger government programs. Give me a red pen and a weekend and I am sure I can fine much to trim out of the government while still leaving it whole enough to function and fill its original role.
Well isn't that good news? Though one should not get too cocky about it as even the cutest "stuffed animal" can develop a tear or two and loose a little luster.
What this does mean (at least to me) is that there is a large core of people that have not bought into Hillary and her "vast number" of ideas for making the country and world a "much better place" for us all to live. Between her and her husband, they have a mountain of baggage that is ripe for exploitation by whom ever winds up being the Republican front-runner and I would normally say, "if we could survive 8 years of her husband, we can surely survive 4 years of her" but this time we have a Democrat majority in congress to contend with. I much prefer governmental grid-lock to the damage that a one party government can do, especially when that one party is the Democrats.
As much as the Republicans have shown them selves to be money whores that can out spend and out party the best that frat-boys can dream up, they generally look like nuns compared to the Democrats. At least Republicans mostly remember where the milk comes from and try to protect the cow whereas Democrats want the milk and a nice porterhouse at the same time and only after the fact notice that they have killed the cow. Dems seem to think that the only answer to every problem is more taxes and more/larger government programs. Give me a red pen and a weekend and I am sure I can fine much to trim out of the government while still leaving it whole enough to function and fill its original role.
Sicko-Sicko
The first survey of Britons opting for treatment overseas shows that fears of hospital infections and frustration of often waiting months for operations are fuelling the increasing trend.
Almost all of those who had received treatment abroad said they would do the same again, with patients pointing out that some hospitals in India had screening policies for the superbug MRSA that have yet to be introduced in this country.
Of course, none of this will stop the push for socialized medicine in the US, because if there’s one thing progressives excel at it is convincing themselves that any failure of ideology is attributable to the failure of the person or persons leading it — and that all that is required for Utopian policy to prove truly viable is the right kind of leaders: confident and brilliant (by their own lights) elitist bureaucrats who will resist the corrupting influences that “free market types” are always arguing are inherent to such systems.
Besides: it is better to have tried and failed — and in the process, kill or endanger the health and wellbeing of millions — than never to have tried and failed at all.
Almost all of those who had received treatment abroad said they would do the same again, with patients pointing out that some hospitals in India had screening policies for the superbug MRSA that have yet to be introduced in this country.
Of course, none of this will stop the push for socialized medicine in the US, because if there’s one thing progressives excel at it is convincing themselves that any failure of ideology is attributable to the failure of the person or persons leading it — and that all that is required for Utopian policy to prove truly viable is the right kind of leaders: confident and brilliant (by their own lights) elitist bureaucrats who will resist the corrupting influences that “free market types” are always arguing are inherent to such systems.
Besides: it is better to have tried and failed — and in the process, kill or endanger the health and wellbeing of millions — than never to have tried and failed at all.
We don't need no thought control*
Well, the The University of Delaware thinks that your kids do, in fact need thought control. Read the reference link above. This is bordering on the re-education camps used by the old USSR and China to ensure that everyone was "right" thinking.
*Pink Floyd, Another Brick In The Wall
*Pink Floyd, Another Brick In The Wall
Fred, Guns and the U.N.
My own feeling is that the U.N. would screw up the recipe for ice water. The U.N. could not break up a fight between a couple of girl scouts.
I agree 100%. The U.N. is the largest waste of resources, potential and hope that has ever existed. It promises solutions and salvation and only brings corruption and misery. Just ask anyone in Rwanda, Bosnia, or Darfur.
I agree 100%. The U.N. is the largest waste of resources, potential and hope that has ever existed. It promises solutions and salvation and only brings corruption and misery. Just ask anyone in Rwanda, Bosnia, or Darfur.
eMail Joke: Why I hate Fridays
One day a guy dies and finds himself in hell. As he is wallowing in despair, he has his first meeting with the devil...
Satan: "Why so glum?"
Guy: "What do you think? I'm in hell!"
Satan: "Hell's not so bad. We actually have a lot of fun down here. You a drinking man?"
Guy: "Sure, I love to drink."
Satan: "Well, you're gonna love Mondays then. On Mondays, that's all we do is drink. Whiskey, tequila, Guinness, wine coolers, Tab, and Fresca . We drink 'til we throw up, and then we drink some more! And you don't have to worry about getting a hangover, because you're dead anyway."
Guy: "Gee that sounds great!"
Satan: "You a smoker?"
Guy: "You better believe it!"
Satan: "All right! You're gonna love Tuesdays We get the finest cigars from all over the world, and smoke our lungs out. If you get cancer - no biggie, you're already dead, remember?"
Guy: "Wow...that's awesome!"
Satan: "I bet you like to gamble."
Guy: "Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do."
Satan: "Good, 'cause Wednesdays you can gamble all you want. Craps, blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, whatever. If you go bankrupt, it doesn't matter, you're dead anyhow."
Guy: "Cool!"
Satan: "What about drugs?"
Guy: "Are you kidding? Love drugs! You don't mean...?"
Satan: "That's right! Thursday is drug day. Help yourself to a great big bowl of crack or smack. Smoke a doobie the size of a submarine. You can do all the drugs you want. You're dead so who cares."
Guy: "Wow! I never realized Hell was such a cool place!"
Satan: "You gay?"
Guy: "No..."
Satan: "Oooo , Fridays are gonna be tough..."
Satan: "Why so glum?"
Guy: "What do you think? I'm in hell!"
Satan: "Hell's not so bad. We actually have a lot of fun down here. You a drinking man?"
Guy: "Sure, I love to drink."
Satan: "Well, you're gonna love Mondays then. On Mondays, that's all we do is drink. Whiskey, tequila, Guinness, wine coolers, Tab, and Fresca . We drink 'til we throw up, and then we drink some more! And you don't have to worry about getting a hangover, because you're dead anyway."
Guy: "Gee that sounds great!"
Satan: "You a smoker?"
Guy: "You better believe it!"
Satan: "All right! You're gonna love Tuesdays We get the finest cigars from all over the world, and smoke our lungs out. If you get cancer - no biggie, you're already dead, remember?"
Guy: "Wow...that's awesome!"
Satan: "I bet you like to gamble."
Guy: "Why, yes, as a matter of fact I do."
Satan: "Good, 'cause Wednesdays you can gamble all you want. Craps, blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, whatever. If you go bankrupt, it doesn't matter, you're dead anyhow."
Guy: "Cool!"
Satan: "What about drugs?"
Guy: "Are you kidding? Love drugs! You don't mean...?"
Satan: "That's right! Thursday is drug day. Help yourself to a great big bowl of crack or smack. Smoke a doobie the size of a submarine. You can do all the drugs you want. You're dead so who cares."
Guy: "Wow! I never realized Hell was such a cool place!"
Satan: "You gay?"
Guy: "No..."
Satan: "Oooo , Fridays are gonna be tough..."
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Shy Millionaires
This is the sort of thing that sets my teeth on edge. This general perception that it is not only fair but just to forcibly take from one group of people to give to another group. As this one commenter said:
I'm not ideologically opposed to taxing wealth, mainly because I know a lot of fat cats that aren't working. But it seems to me that there's no pragmatic way (or at least, not one we've discovered yet) to penalize them without also hitting a lot of people who are working.
Not ideologically opposed to taxing the wealthy cause he knows a "lot of fat cats that aren't working". So what? This commenter feels that they should be penalized for having wealth and not working. I believe that is what most people in this country or even the world would like to be able to do and that is the nut of it. Jealousy and envy and the sense that most of the rich must not have worked for their wealth or don't deserve it and so we MUST make it right by taking it away from them. Grow up already. You "generally" have the life you deserve and earn. If you are not happy with your lot in life, do something about it. Get off of your butt and make the changes necessary to improve your future. If you look hard enough, you can find DAILY stories about people that started with NOTHING and now have their own business and are making a fair, honest and successful life for themselves and their families. Anyone can do it if they want to and are willing to put in the effort and take the chance. Will it be easy? No of course not but most of the things in life that are worthwhile take effort. So, do me and the rest of us a favor, stop your petty whining about the evil rich and either get off your butt, work hard and become one of the evil rich too or just sit down and shut up.
I'm not ideologically opposed to taxing wealth, mainly because I know a lot of fat cats that aren't working. But it seems to me that there's no pragmatic way (or at least, not one we've discovered yet) to penalize them without also hitting a lot of people who are working.
Not ideologically opposed to taxing the wealthy cause he knows a "lot of fat cats that aren't working". So what? This commenter feels that they should be penalized for having wealth and not working. I believe that is what most people in this country or even the world would like to be able to do and that is the nut of it. Jealousy and envy and the sense that most of the rich must not have worked for their wealth or don't deserve it and so we MUST make it right by taking it away from them. Grow up already. You "generally" have the life you deserve and earn. If you are not happy with your lot in life, do something about it. Get off of your butt and make the changes necessary to improve your future. If you look hard enough, you can find DAILY stories about people that started with NOTHING and now have their own business and are making a fair, honest and successful life for themselves and their families. Anyone can do it if they want to and are willing to put in the effort and take the chance. Will it be easy? No of course not but most of the things in life that are worthwhile take effort. So, do me and the rest of us a favor, stop your petty whining about the evil rich and either get off your butt, work hard and become one of the evil rich too or just sit down and shut up.
Code "how rude and disruptive can we be" Pink
While watching the video I was just starting to wonder where the tasers were, then there they were! Why is it that you only see lefties protesting in this manner? This "in your face", "my way or the highway" type of activities (though to be honest some of those pro-choice protesters can get pretty fired up too)? This is just more of that "the ends justifies the means" for the "community based reality" folks.
And John at PowerLine makes a VERY good point, where was security when these people were filing into the meeting room? Folks that get ejected from meetings like this for being disruptive should face some sort of penalty. Yes they have a right to be heard but that was not the point of this meeting. They could have protested outside of the meeting or waited for a Q&A portion of the meeting. Instead, because their opinion is more important and the only "right one", no one else matters. It is all about their rights to the exclusion of everyone else's. Why debate when they can just shout you down, get in your face and make a big scene because you know, they care.
And John at PowerLine makes a VERY good point, where was security when these people were filing into the meeting room? Folks that get ejected from meetings like this for being disruptive should face some sort of penalty. Yes they have a right to be heard but that was not the point of this meeting. They could have protested outside of the meeting or waited for a Q&A portion of the meeting. Instead, because their opinion is more important and the only "right one", no one else matters. It is all about their rights to the exclusion of everyone else's. Why debate when they can just shout you down, get in your face and make a big scene because you know, they care.
Media myths about the Jena 6
Read this article and then see if it sounds vaguely familiar. It certainly reminded me of another recent incident involving a racially charged episode involving young people that was jumped on by the media and held up as a prime example of the racism that "still" exists in this country until that is, the dust settled and the true facts of the case came out, to include DNA evidence (or the lack there of) and other witnesses and video that placed key defendants in other locations, etc.
As with the Duke Lacrosse case, the truth about Jena will eventually be known. But the town of Jena isn't expecting any apologies from the media. They will probably never admit their error and have already moved on to the next "big" story.
Yeah, that is the one I was thinking of and he is right, I do not remember reading/hearing a lot of apologizing by all of the media and pundits that jumped on the bandwagon cause you know, they were white and she was black and so they HAD to be guilty. Now with this case, they are black and he is white and well they were provoked and all so it was JUSTIFIED!
As with the Duke Lacrosse case, the truth about Jena will eventually be known. But the town of Jena isn't expecting any apologies from the media. They will probably never admit their error and have already moved on to the next "big" story.
Yeah, that is the one I was thinking of and he is right, I do not remember reading/hearing a lot of apologizing by all of the media and pundits that jumped on the bandwagon cause you know, they were white and she was black and so they HAD to be guilty. Now with this case, they are black and he is white and well they were provoked and all so it was JUSTIFIED!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Not Their Fault
This is quite the amusing piece of literature and has a number of quotables to include:
Legend has it that, when he was a young boy, Richard Mellon Scaife's father would take him for ice cream cones, but before he handed a cone to young Richard he would take a large bite out of it. "That," he would exclaim, "is what taxes are!" No wonder the young Scaife grew up hating taxes. His boyhood experiences with ice cream cones taught him that taxes were stealing something from him, without returning any benefits.
and this one is a hoot:
This may come as shocking news for those of you in the upper 5 percent, but many middle class families can no longer afford health insurance, nor can they afford to pay their medical bills out of their own pockets. And this is NOT THEIR FAULT.
The first passage is fairly true. Now a days, taxes are what the government takes out of my pay without returning equivalent benefits. The current level of government spending is out of control with no end in sight. Government programs are breeding like rabbits and their budgets are growing. You would be hard pressed to find any government programs that have been disbanded. It don't happen. They just continue to grow and spread.
The second passage is telling as well. I would wager that this glut of middle class families that can't afford health insurance have plenty of color TVs, cars, homes, pools, boats, vacations, X-Boxes, computers, cable boxes, etc. Hell, look at the published standard of living for the "official poor" in America. Most of them live better than I did when I was a kid and we were considered middle-class (lower but still in there). This is just more of the "no consequences" attitude that permeates much of society today. Give me what I want, now and I should not have to give up anything to get it.
They don't want to give anyone, no matter how needy, a bite of their ice cream cone.
There is a big difference between offering someone a bite and having someone take it at knife point which is what taxes are, generosity at the point of a gun. It is one thing to help support the basic functioning of society and quite another to in affect reward poor planing and poor life choices with handouts and bailouts. This all goes back to life choices. You generally get the life you earn. If you can not afford health insurance, what are you willing to personally give up to get it, fewer nights out at the movies, cable TV, delivered pizza, what? It seems that for a lot of people, the answer is nothing.
Legend has it that, when he was a young boy, Richard Mellon Scaife's father would take him for ice cream cones, but before he handed a cone to young Richard he would take a large bite out of it. "That," he would exclaim, "is what taxes are!" No wonder the young Scaife grew up hating taxes. His boyhood experiences with ice cream cones taught him that taxes were stealing something from him, without returning any benefits.
and this one is a hoot:
This may come as shocking news for those of you in the upper 5 percent, but many middle class families can no longer afford health insurance, nor can they afford to pay their medical bills out of their own pockets. And this is NOT THEIR FAULT.
The first passage is fairly true. Now a days, taxes are what the government takes out of my pay without returning equivalent benefits. The current level of government spending is out of control with no end in sight. Government programs are breeding like rabbits and their budgets are growing. You would be hard pressed to find any government programs that have been disbanded. It don't happen. They just continue to grow and spread.
The second passage is telling as well. I would wager that this glut of middle class families that can't afford health insurance have plenty of color TVs, cars, homes, pools, boats, vacations, X-Boxes, computers, cable boxes, etc. Hell, look at the published standard of living for the "official poor" in America. Most of them live better than I did when I was a kid and we were considered middle-class (lower but still in there). This is just more of the "no consequences" attitude that permeates much of society today. Give me what I want, now and I should not have to give up anything to get it.
They don't want to give anyone, no matter how needy, a bite of their ice cream cone.
There is a big difference between offering someone a bite and having someone take it at knife point which is what taxes are, generosity at the point of a gun. It is one thing to help support the basic functioning of society and quite another to in affect reward poor planing and poor life choices with handouts and bailouts. This all goes back to life choices. You generally get the life you earn. If you can not afford health insurance, what are you willing to personally give up to get it, fewer nights out at the movies, cable TV, delivered pizza, what? It seems that for a lot of people, the answer is nothing.
The Global-Warming Debate Isn't Over Until It's Over
This article is a bit of a retread of this post but it is a good summary and has some good lines like:
"If you must declare a debate over, then maybe it's not."
That certainly seems like what is happening here. Gore and Co. have claimed that there is a crisis and that there is a consensus, end of story. What they don't tell you is that a) science is not driven by consensus, it is driven by facts and 2) there are a large number of scientists that absolutely do have a problem with man-made global warming and that they are not getting a chance to be heard because of Gore and Co.
"If you must declare a debate over, then maybe it's not."
That certainly seems like what is happening here. Gore and Co. have claimed that there is a crisis and that there is a consensus, end of story. What they don't tell you is that a) science is not driven by consensus, it is driven by facts and 2) there are a large number of scientists that absolutely do have a problem with man-made global warming and that they are not getting a chance to be heard because of Gore and Co.
Sharp Drop Seen in US Deaths in Iraq
Will wonders never cease? A positive story about Iraq by the AP? But don't worry, they were still able to find some less than positive news to include, to you know, keep it "fair and balanced".
"While U.S. death figures appear to be in sharp decline, the number of Iraqi civilians and security forces show a less dramatic drop. And any significant attack — by insurgents or civilians caught in the crossfire — could quickly wipe out the downward trend."
Funny thing is, I just don't recall any prior AP stories that discussed the rising death toll including a similar caveat that "any significant offensive operations by US forces -- could quickly wipe out the upward trend". I must have just missed those...
"While U.S. death figures appear to be in sharp decline, the number of Iraqi civilians and security forces show a less dramatic drop. And any significant attack — by insurgents or civilians caught in the crossfire — could quickly wipe out the downward trend."
Funny thing is, I just don't recall any prior AP stories that discussed the rising death toll including a similar caveat that "any significant offensive operations by US forces -- could quickly wipe out the upward trend". I must have just missed those...
Volunteer radar gunslingers nail speeders
Not sure how I feel about this cause a neighbor with an ax to grind could cause a lot of trouble. I'll tell you though, I would sure like to have a ticket book! I could go through that thing in no time. I am not as concerned with general speeding as I am with obeying all of the other rules of the road. My biggest two beefs are with drivers that don't use their signals when turning or changing lanes and with drivers that don't turn on their lights in the rain. The first is to help inform the other drivers of your intentions and the second is a BIG safety issue. You don't turn your lights on in the rain for you as much as you turn them on for everyone else. Rain cuts down on the general visibility and by turning your lights on, it is easier for everyone else to see you.
Reid reviving 'amnesty' for illegals
"reviving and fast-tracking plans to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens"
Will they NEVER learn? Are they just hoping that we are all to stupid or easily distracted to notice when they try to pull this kind of garbage?
Just a few months after intense pressure from U.S. citizens triggered the rejection of President Bush's comprehensive immigration plan, a compromise supported by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. – the DREAM Act proposal by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. – is being rushed through the Senate.
Call your Senator and let them know that this is wrong for the country and wrong for our future!
Will they NEVER learn? Are they just hoping that we are all to stupid or easily distracted to notice when they try to pull this kind of garbage?
Just a few months after intense pressure from U.S. citizens triggered the rejection of President Bush's comprehensive immigration plan, a compromise supported by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. – the DREAM Act proposal by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. – is being rushed through the Senate.
Call your Senator and let them know that this is wrong for the country and wrong for our future!
HEH
“I was reading an article in the NY Times and thought to myself, ‘imagine if that were actually true?’”
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Go Thompson GO!
He just makes sense. Most notably the following:
End Sanctuary Cities by cutting off discretionary federal grant funds as appropriate to any community...directs its public officials not to comply...regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an alien in the United States.
About time! Cut off municipalities and public institutions at the knees for violating U.S. law. Follow that up with strong penalties against businesses that hire illegals. Turn off the benefits and the monies and most illegals will go home to their own countries.
If they want to be in the U.S., let them come legally with a vested interest in making it here and assimilating into American society.
Yes, I know that this next bit is phobic but SO WHAT!
English as Official Language: Make English the official language of the U.S. to promote assimilation and legal immigrants’ success, and require English proficiency in order for any foreign person to be granted lawful permanent resident status.
If I go to France I am expected to speak French, well this is America where we speak and read and write in English. Learn it, live it, love it. Voting, driving, employment, etc. should all be in English and ONLY English. If you can not speak, read and write English, you can not intelligently function in this country. If you can not speak, read or write English you should not be living here. I don't mean visiting, I mean living. Spending years in this country and working at a job and STILL not able to speak English with any proficiency.
End Sanctuary Cities by cutting off discretionary federal grant funds as appropriate to any community...directs its public officials not to comply...regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an alien in the United States.
About time! Cut off municipalities and public institutions at the knees for violating U.S. law. Follow that up with strong penalties against businesses that hire illegals. Turn off the benefits and the monies and most illegals will go home to their own countries.
If they want to be in the U.S., let them come legally with a vested interest in making it here and assimilating into American society.
Yes, I know that this next bit is phobic but SO WHAT!
English as Official Language: Make English the official language of the U.S. to promote assimilation and legal immigrants’ success, and require English proficiency in order for any foreign person to be granted lawful permanent resident status.
If I go to France I am expected to speak French, well this is America where we speak and read and write in English. Learn it, live it, love it. Voting, driving, employment, etc. should all be in English and ONLY English. If you can not speak, read and write English, you can not intelligently function in this country. If you can not speak, read or write English you should not be living here. I don't mean visiting, I mean living. Spending years in this country and working at a job and STILL not able to speak English with any proficiency.
When disagreement becomes infringement
Interesting article by someone trying to oppose this inane infatuation today's young people have with the brutal murdering Che Guevara with some fascinating spillage into related areas.
Hillary's latest strawman
At this rate one has to seriously wonder who's administration will be more scandal wracked, the first President Clinton's or the second.
The first put in a effort with TravelGate, White Water, Monica Lewinsky, etc. (here is a link to the entire hit parade) but it looks like Hillary is planning on showing that she is no slouch and plans to making a good showing...
The first put in a effort with TravelGate, White Water, Monica Lewinsky, etc. (here is a link to the entire hit parade) but it looks like Hillary is planning on showing that she is no slouch and plans to making a good showing...
Pork seems to be all that congress eats...
This is not a partisan problem any more. The Republicans are as bad as the Democrats and they all act like it is "free" money. I do not believe in term limits, I believe that we deserve the government that we get. If you are willing to continue to vote for the same liars and cheaters that you voted for before, than shame on you but this is getting ridicules. It is time to throw them all out and start over. The government could run so much more lean and mean than it is now and return so much more money to the people that earned it but that would get in the way of the designs of these grandstanding buffoons in Washington. The Republicans lost big in the last election, in part for their free spending ways and it looks like the new Democratic majority is no better. I say vote for no incumbents and lets send a completely fresh generation to Washington.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Initial justice
The perp still has a long way to go to pay for his crime but at least this was a start and based on the current state of justice in America, this may be all the family ever gets in the way of justice.
Had the home owner NOT been armed, this could have turned out to be a far more tragic story as in "Husband and father killed after surprising a burglar in the act".
Had the home owner NOT been armed, this could have turned out to be a far more tragic story as in "Husband and father killed after surprising a burglar in the act".
They wish to be safe in their castles.
It’s not the score of a Hawkeye football game. It’s the number of Democrats versus the number of Republicans in the University of Iowa history department...
'Gun-free' school zones?
Since the 1970s, on school campuses in Israel, policy requires teachers and parent aides to arm themselves with semi-automatic weapons. The result? School shootings have plummeted to zero.
Update: 10/22/07 4:55PM Additional, relevant reading is available here.
Update: 10/22/07 4:55PM Additional, relevant reading is available here.
IMF protesters in DC stick'in it to the man!
This is an ongoing theme with many on the liberal left. Anarchy rains. Don't worry though, it will be excused like all of the prior breakouts of vandalism and assault because, you know, it was for a good cause and they "meant" well but just "got out of hand". Justice for the people and all that. Also, she was probably just a Republican or a corporate oppressor of the underclass.
Collages, opening your mind to all the "right" ideas
whether you want to hear them or not, which is a valid roll for schools of higher education. Part of the point is to present a broad range of ideas with the pros and cons of each so that students can build reasoning and evaluation skills to be used once they leave school and enter the real world. It seems though, as of late, only the "right" ideas are given any air time at today's schools.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Enviro-hypocrites celebrating
Ain't that always the way "do as I say not as I do" cause you know, they are just better than the rest of us and they CARE...
Peace prize committee disbands!
"I truly don't believe they realized how frivolous and absurd they had become, how ridiculous, vapid, self-centered and dim-witted they appeared to intelligent people all over the world, how silly, provincial and uninformed they made the people of Norway look, how bizarre, counter-productive and downright dangerous some of their choices had been and how hackneyed and self-righteous their announcements sounded."
About time! Now if only we could get the UN to do the same!
About time! Now if only we could get the UN to do the same!
Randi's Inconsistent Explanation Defies Credibility
She said she was mugged but it is everyone else' fault that they believed her!
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