Stupid TSA story of the day.
While traveling home from Houston on Friday night, I witnessed some of the TSA behavior that so many Americans find objectionable. As I was waiting in the security line, I watched a female TSA agent “pat down” a sweet little old lady (Caucasian, appearing to be in her 70s, speaking with a pronounced Texas drawl) who was absolutely mortified. “Pat down” is in quotes because you and I would have called it groping and fondling. At precisely the same time, a group of four men in their 20s and 30s, dressed in Arab garb, walked through the adjacent metal detector. They gawked at the little old lady being groped while they walked out of security with no other checks. I discovered later that the four young men were Yemeni – and if you're paying attention to the news, you know that Yemen is a hot spot of terrorist activity.
On what planet does this behavior make sense? Only on Planet Progressive, where political correctness trumps security every time...
By the way... Do you know how many terrorists the TSA has caught in their airport screening, in all they years they've been irritating us? Zero. That's right – zero. Not one. Nada. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent, and the only success they've had is in cowing the American public.
Time for them to go. Let's subcontract our airport security to the Israelis!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Ann Coulter Quotes...
A “25 Best” collection. Sample:
This is liberalism's real strength. It is no longer susceptible to reductio ad absurdium arguments. Before you can come up with a comical take on their worldview, some college professor has already written an article advancing the idea.She's the very definition of “pithy conservative”...
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Light Blogging Alert...
I'll be on the road until late Friday night, so you may not see much in the way of posting for a few days...
The Upcoming Sovereign Debt Crisis...
Niall Ferguson (whose books I highly recommend) has an excellent presentation on the upcoming sovereign debt crisis. It's not too technical, and very informative if you're interested in the topic (and you should be)...
People Who Know Me Well...
Sounds Like...
Does anyone else remember “bubble” memory? At one time, we thought it was going to solve all storage problems. Is this the same thing, or is it actually something new?
Airport Security...
I'm going to climb onto an airplane today to travel to Houston, Texas. The San Diego airport was recently equipped with the new “nudie” backscatter X-ray machines, so there's a good chance that I'll either be asked to submit to a virtual stripping, or to a groping of my nether regions. Neither possibility appeals, especialliy when I know that all of this is just “security theater” – it wouldn't even discourage a real terrorist.
This led me to thinking about Israeli airport security, which I've experienced first hand. They manage to accomplish two things that the TSA fails miserably at: (1) they actually add real security to their airports, and (2) they minimally inconvenience the innocent travelers. How do they do this? Well, here's a good summary. Why don't we do the same thing here? Damn good question. Our progressive ninnies would have some problems with the overt profiling, but surely that can't be the entire explanation. Another such factor must be the general ignorance of the American public with respect to the efficacy of the current security measures (many people believe they actually do something useful). My instinct is to follow the money. Where's teh money? It's in the inspection machines and in the TSA infrastructure. I'd be willing to bet that there's a money trail between those two things and the politicians who put it all in motion.
A housecleaning is in order, I think. Probably something drastic is required, like disbanding the TSA entirely, and putting the entire effort back into the airlines' hands, like it used to be...
This led me to thinking about Israeli airport security, which I've experienced first hand. They manage to accomplish two things that the TSA fails miserably at: (1) they actually add real security to their airports, and (2) they minimally inconvenience the innocent travelers. How do they do this? Well, here's a good summary. Why don't we do the same thing here? Damn good question. Our progressive ninnies would have some problems with the overt profiling, but surely that can't be the entire explanation. Another such factor must be the general ignorance of the American public with respect to the efficacy of the current security measures (many people believe they actually do something useful). My instinct is to follow the money. Where's teh money? It's in the inspection machines and in the TSA infrastructure. I'd be willing to bet that there's a money trail between those two things and the politicians who put it all in motion.
A housecleaning is in order, I think. Probably something drastic is required, like disbanding the TSA entirely, and putting the entire effort back into the airlines' hands, like it used to be...
Monday, November 15, 2010
Primer for Congressional Noobs...
And a darn good one, at that. From that well-known intellectual giant, Sarah Palin.
Her political clarity and ever-present common sense are a wonderful tonic for the politically disenchanted. In that sense, the Palin phenomena reminds me of another in my lifetime: Ronald Reagan's rise to the national political stage.
Her political clarity and ever-present common sense are a wonderful tonic for the politically disenchanted. In that sense, the Palin phenomena reminds me of another in my lifetime: Ronald Reagan's rise to the national political stage.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Colliding Galaxies...
What Is This?
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Ho, Hum, this is Getting Boring...
Lakes Entertainment published their latest quarterly report. With respect to the Jamul Indian Casino, it continues to look like a failed project, with their investment being written off over time...
Whiffletrees...
When I first saw an IBM Selectric typewriter, I wanted to know how it worked. I never did figure it out. Today, thanks to Make, I found out – and it was even more interesting than I had imagined. It involves two mechanical digital-to-analog converters, called “whiffletrees”. Awesome geekiness ensues:
Giant Galactic Blobs...
It's fascinating that even today astronomers can discover an object that straddles more than half the sky...
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Progressive Mind...
The androgynous Robin of Berkeley is a “changeling” – someone who once was a full-on progressive, but has since turned their world upside-down and become conservative (or libertarian). Here's the end of a recent post in which Robin describes a conversation with a colleague. I particularly like the quote at the end...
The subject came up about a recent, horrendous crime where a bunch of hooligans in a middle school classroom literally stoned and beat up their teacher during class. Then those same thugs went outside and destroyed her car.This is a great example of the stark cognitive disjoint between progressives and non-progressives. I don't know anyone who would respond to this story in a non-polarized way; you either think like a progressive (like Robin's colleague) or you don't...
My colleague insisted that the youth beat their teacher to a bloody pulp because they were victims of racism. I said that they were a bunch of sociopaths who should be punished to the full extent of the law. We never spoke again, and I dropped out of the group. Since then I’ve realized it’s better if I keep my unpopular views to myself (or just share them with readers like you!). It’s a waste of time and energy to educate people who are that deluded (which is pretty much everyone in Berkeley, Oakland, etc.).
So I do my own thing and spend a lot of time chatting online with new conservative friends. It can be hard for me at times. But I try to remember what the Buddha said, “Loneliness is better than the company of fools.”
Battery Problem Approach?
One of the biggest problems with alternative energy approaches (especially solar and wind) is how to store energy produced at one time but needed at another time. This is what batteries do, so the problem is often called the “battery problem”. The batteries available today don't scale up to the very large sizes needed, and they're not very durable.
Here's a new approach to the problem, from MIT labs...
Here's a new approach to the problem, from MIT labs...
Security Theater Watch...
Maybe, just maybe, it's beginning to unravel.
I have to fly to Houston next week, and I'm not looking forward to my airport experiences...
I have to fly to Houston next week, and I'm not looking forward to my airport experiences...
History of the World...
Via my mom, this slightly condensed history of the world:
Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.
The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives
Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.
Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement...
Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly BBQ's and doing the sewing, fetching, and making art. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.
Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. They became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.
Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass for obvious reasons.
Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare..
Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.
Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Bud or Miller. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, engineers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.
Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Quote of the Day...
Guess who said this, and when:
I want the people of America to be able to work less for the government and more for themselves.That was said by Calvin Coolidge in 1924. Where's Cal when we need him?
I want them to have the rewards of their own industry - this is the chief meaning of freedom.
Until we can reestablish a condition under which the earnings of the people can be kept by the people, we are bound to suffer a very severe and distinct curtailment of our liberty.
These results are not fanciful, they are not imaginary, they are grimly actual, and real, reaching into every household in the land. They take from each home annually an average of over $300.00, and taxes must be paid. They are not a voluntary contribution to be met out of surplus earnings. They are a stern necessity. They come first.
It is only out of what is left, after they are paid, that the necessities of food, clothing, and shelter can be provided and the comforts of home secured, or the yearnings of the soul for a broader and more abundant life gratified.
When the government affects a new economy, it grants everybody a life pension with which to raise the standards of existence. It increases the value of everybody's property, raises the scale of everybody's wages.
One of the greatest favors that can be bestowed on the American people is economy in government.
Sailing Faster than the Wind – Downwind!
Well, apparently not!
Very, very cool, guys...
Is It Time?
Allysia Finley writes about California's political insanity. Her conclusion:
We've tried to help you, California. Some spent millions on campaigns to entice you to change your reckless behavior. And you told them to kick rocks.Is it time to leave, before the place turns into another Detroit?
So here's our final warning: When you inevitably crash and burn, don't count on us to bail you out.
Logical Fallacies...
A complete graphical taxonomy of logical fallacies, with links to explanatory text. Excellent!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Welcome to the Future...
I am most decidedly not a country & western music fan. But I love this video...
The Democrats Are Toast...
The Etiquette of Cancer...
Christopher Hitchens, as you may know, is a long-time writer and commentator (as well as many other things). Often interesting, usually quite funny, I've enjoyed many of his pieces even when I didn't agree with his premise or point.
As you may know, Mr. Hitchens was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He's fighting it with every means at his disposal, but nonetheless his prognosis is not good; esophageal cancer is a nasty one. But he's still writing, perhaps even more than usual – and he's writing (and talking) prolifically about what it's like to have terminal cancer. I've read every one of these I ran across, and each time came away impressed by both Hitchens' insight and the strength of his character. Here's a typical example: a compelling piece in Vanity Fair on what it's like for a cancer victim to deal with other people who know about his illness.
I hope that fate deals Mr. Hitchens the hand of a winner, and that he survives his battle against the Big C. The world could use a bit more of his forthright and blunt style, whatever side of whatever point he may be arguing. And we could certainly use more such admirable public figures...
As you may know, Mr. Hitchens was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He's fighting it with every means at his disposal, but nonetheless his prognosis is not good; esophageal cancer is a nasty one. But he's still writing, perhaps even more than usual – and he's writing (and talking) prolifically about what it's like to have terminal cancer. I've read every one of these I ran across, and each time came away impressed by both Hitchens' insight and the strength of his character. Here's a typical example: a compelling piece in Vanity Fair on what it's like for a cancer victim to deal with other people who know about his illness.
I hope that fate deals Mr. Hitchens the hand of a winner, and that he survives his battle against the Big C. The world could use a bit more of his forthright and blunt style, whatever side of whatever point he may be arguing. And we could certainly use more such admirable public figures...
Montana Bear Tragedy...
Via my mom:
This is a very sad story about a bear. Everybody should heed the warning to not feed wildlife because they become dependent and cannot forage for themselves anymore. This is such a tragedy to see what they have done to our country's wildlife! The photo at right captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect US wildlife. Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party, as they have apparently learned to just sit on their ass and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance. This photo is of a self-identified Democratic black bear in Montana named ... Bearack Obearma.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Message...
Here's a simple, concise, and beautifully written summary of what happened in this year's elections, and what needs to happen in 2012:
Hmmm...
That ability to communicate a conservative message so clearly...does that remind you of anyone???
The meaning of the 2010 election was rebuke, reject, and repeal. We rebuked Washington’s power grab, rejected this unwanted “fundamental transformation of America,” and began the process to repeal the dangerous policies inflicted on us. But this theme will only complement the theme of 2012, which is renew, revive, and restore. In 2012, we need to renew our optimistic, pioneering spirit, revive our free-market system, and restore constitutional limits and our standing in the world as the abiding beacon of freedom.Written by Sarah Palin in the National Review. You know Sarah – she's that woman whose intellect the left (and half the right) loves to despise.
Hmmm...
That ability to communicate a conservative message so clearly...does that remind you of anyone???
Lies and Damned Lies...
The dark blue line represents the unemployment levels then-candidate Obama confidently predicted would result from his stimulus plan. The light-blue line is what he predicted would result if his stimulus plan wasn't passed.
His plan was passed and is now being played out.
The red dotted line are the “actual” unemployment numbers. Note that they are worse than what he said would have happened if we didn't pass his plan. So if we buy his own logic, his plan made the unemployment worse, not better.
The teal dotted line is Timmy Geithner's current forecast for unemployment – still at 8% for the 2012 campaign. That can't make his boss too happy.
And naturally, since these numbers are provided by the government, they are significantly “cooked” through many “adjustments” (this is not an Obama innovation; this has been going on for decades). The worst of these is simply leaving out all those people who have been unemployed longer than six months (and that's a lot of people!). The convenient, but clearly incorrect, assumption is that these people have given up looking for work. Depending on which source you choose to believe, including these people would add between 8 and 12 percentage points to the government-published numbers, making the real unemployment rate somewhere between 17% to 21%.
A Class Act...
There are many things I didn't like about George W. Bush, and many things I did like. Amongst the latter: his general adult demeanor and frequent demonstrations of classy behavior. These are prominently on display in his recent interview with Oprah. I sure miss that part of W...
Way Back in 1890...
...Nathaniel Grigsby had it figured out (click to enlarge the right-hand photo so you can read it). More information here, and Snopes confirms it.
Obama Asks For It...
...and gets it.
The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a long-standing joke paid for largely by U.S. taxpayers. Current members include such exemplary human rights examples as Iran, Cuba, Libya, and North Korea. Until Obama's administration, basically the U.S. held its nose, forked over its share of the payment, and studiously ignored the UNHRC.
But the Obama administration decided to be more participatory, sending three State Department representatives to be grilled by the UNHRC on questions about the U.S.'s human rights performance. Naturally, the UNHRC members gleefully took the opportunity so stupidly provided, lecturing the U.S. representatives. For example, the North Korean representative told the U.S. “to address inequalities in housing, employment and education”, and to “prohibit brutality…by law enforcement officials.”
But it got worse. After three hours of such treatment, Michael Posner (Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor) said “thanks to very many of the delegations for thoughtful comments and suggestions”.
I'm sure the UNHRC members have greatly increased respect for the U.S. after this experience...
The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a long-standing joke paid for largely by U.S. taxpayers. Current members include such exemplary human rights examples as Iran, Cuba, Libya, and North Korea. Until Obama's administration, basically the U.S. held its nose, forked over its share of the payment, and studiously ignored the UNHRC.
But the Obama administration decided to be more participatory, sending three State Department representatives to be grilled by the UNHRC on questions about the U.S.'s human rights performance. Naturally, the UNHRC members gleefully took the opportunity so stupidly provided, lecturing the U.S. representatives. For example, the North Korean representative told the U.S. “to address inequalities in housing, employment and education”, and to “prohibit brutality…by law enforcement officials.”
But it got worse. After three hours of such treatment, Michael Posner (Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor) said “thanks to very many of the delegations for thoughtful comments and suggestions”.
I'm sure the UNHRC members have greatly increased respect for the U.S. after this experience...
Friday, November 5, 2010
Sweet Tweet...
One reason I'm so excited about working at Service-now.com is nicely summed up in this tweet by Matt Stansberry, a reporter for TechTarget:
Just talked to like the hundredth Service-Now customer gushing about how awesome that company is. It's freaky. Need to find some angry ones.Our customers love our product and they love our company. Both of those things are conscious objectives, and striving for them is deeply engrained in the company's culture. We worked hard, in effect, to get that tweet!
Antikythera Mechanism Replica...
Redistricting...
I've posted before about the importance of this year's election results to the redistricting process about to take place (because of the 2010 census and the population shifts it records). Here's two other people thinking about the same thing...
Peggy Noonan has an interesting column up at the WSJ, well worth your time to read. The column covers several issues related to Tuesday's election, and concludes with this:
Here is an old tradition badly in need of return: You have to earn your way into politics. You should go have a life, build a string of accomplishments, then enter public service. And you need actual talent: You have to be able to bring people in and along. You can't just bully them, you can't just assert and taunt, you have to be able to persuade.
Americans don't want, as their representatives, people who seem empty or crazy. They'll vote no on that.
It's not just the message, it's the messenger.
Deep Impact Zooms Past Comet Hartley 2...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Kids...
Via reader Dave H.:
In my case, substitute cabernet for the beer, and you've pretty much summed up my view of the relative importance of children (I don't have any) and the more important things in life...
In my case, substitute cabernet for the beer, and you've pretty much summed up my view of the relative importance of children (I don't have any) and the more important things in life...
More of This, Please...
If this rhetoric foreshadows actual future action, I'll be a happy camper...
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Well, All Righty Then!
The obvious good news is that the Democrats lost the House, and that's really, really good news. In fact, that's such good news that you'd think whatever else happened, I'd be riding a wave of good cheer.
But wait...it gets even better. The Democrats lost big time in state races: governorships and legislatures. This bodes well for the 2012 election, and has a long-term impact for a reason many people don't know about: the redistricting that will happen over the next two years because of the 2010 census. In most states, some combination of the governor and the state legislature control redistricting (aka gerrymandering). Many fewer such redistrictings will be controlled by Democrats, thanks to this election.
So then why am I not feeling terminally cheerful this morning?
Well, for starters, there were some big disappointments from across the country, Democrats who kept or won their seats even in this year of the rebellious electorate: Reid, Boxer, Frank, Dingell, Coons, Blumenthal, Manchin, Hanabusa, Brown, and so on. Some of these were wins against the, er, less plausible opposition (Angle, O'Donnell, etc.), but still...big disappointments. For example, I don't understand how Frank could win if he were running against Attila the Hun, resurrected by genetic engineering miracles...and yet he did.
Another source of disappointment: even though I knew the odds were agin me, I still held out hope for a Democrat trouncing of epic proportions. Specifically, an even bigger loss in the House, and loss of the Senate as well. And most especially, the loss of those safely ensconced Democrat “icons” that so visibly represented the Obama agenda (Reid, Pelosi, Frank, etc.). We didn't get that epic trouncing.
But the major cause for my disappointment is closer to home. California appears to have mostly opted out of the anti-Democrat electoral rebellion. Boxer beat Fiorina. Brown (Governor Moonbeam, for god's sake, folks!) beat Whitman. Pelosi won her seat with 80% of the vote. In any just world, surely there are only two votes Pelosi should have been able to count on: hers and her husband's. And I'm not too sure about his. The proposition to defer our state cap-and-trade system went down in flames. Bottom line, the wackos overwhelmingly won here in California.
So, a mixed reaction to the election, though logically I should be turning cartwheels. Debbie and I will continue carefully reading the tea leaves to see if we will end up staying in California, or leaving for less demented territory. We're not considering leaving anytime soon, mind you; this is more a long-range planning exercise. One thing that occurred to me as I mulled over the impact of this election on California: the results make it substantially more likely that California will need a federal bailout of some kind – and at the same time make it less likely that the U.S. Congress will be receptive to the idea. This is a recipe for Golden State fiscal disaster, and in the not-too-distant future, too...
But wait...it gets even better. The Democrats lost big time in state races: governorships and legislatures. This bodes well for the 2012 election, and has a long-term impact for a reason many people don't know about: the redistricting that will happen over the next two years because of the 2010 census. In most states, some combination of the governor and the state legislature control redistricting (aka gerrymandering). Many fewer such redistrictings will be controlled by Democrats, thanks to this election.
So then why am I not feeling terminally cheerful this morning?
Well, for starters, there were some big disappointments from across the country, Democrats who kept or won their seats even in this year of the rebellious electorate: Reid, Boxer, Frank, Dingell, Coons, Blumenthal, Manchin, Hanabusa, Brown, and so on. Some of these were wins against the, er, less plausible opposition (Angle, O'Donnell, etc.), but still...big disappointments. For example, I don't understand how Frank could win if he were running against Attila the Hun, resurrected by genetic engineering miracles...and yet he did.
Another source of disappointment: even though I knew the odds were agin me, I still held out hope for a Democrat trouncing of epic proportions. Specifically, an even bigger loss in the House, and loss of the Senate as well. And most especially, the loss of those safely ensconced Democrat “icons” that so visibly represented the Obama agenda (Reid, Pelosi, Frank, etc.). We didn't get that epic trouncing.
But the major cause for my disappointment is closer to home. California appears to have mostly opted out of the anti-Democrat electoral rebellion. Boxer beat Fiorina. Brown (Governor Moonbeam, for god's sake, folks!) beat Whitman. Pelosi won her seat with 80% of the vote. In any just world, surely there are only two votes Pelosi should have been able to count on: hers and her husband's. And I'm not too sure about his. The proposition to defer our state cap-and-trade system went down in flames. Bottom line, the wackos overwhelmingly won here in California.
So, a mixed reaction to the election, though logically I should be turning cartwheels. Debbie and I will continue carefully reading the tea leaves to see if we will end up staying in California, or leaving for less demented territory. We're not considering leaving anytime soon, mind you; this is more a long-range planning exercise. One thing that occurred to me as I mulled over the impact of this election on California: the results make it substantially more likely that California will need a federal bailout of some kind – and at the same time make it less likely that the U.S. Congress will be receptive to the idea. This is a recipe for Golden State fiscal disaster, and in the not-too-distant future, too...
Morning Walk, on the Morning After...
We stayed up late (for us) last night to watch the election returns. Despite that, we woke up at nearly our normal hour, and we whipped out the iPad to see what happened in the election (more on that in another post). By 4 am I was out with the dogs for our morning walk.
The wind was shrieking through the trees, warm and dry. The forecast is for a mild Santa Ana wind today, with temperatures approaching 100°F. Somehow it seems fitting for this wind to appear right after the election, given the results from California...
But I digress. The sky was clear and moonless, and the Milky Way was the most prominent feature. I feasted my eyes on it. The dogs didn't like the dry wind at all; they were all eager to get back into the house. No crickets or frogs were in evidence; I imagine them all cowering in the deepest recesses of their burrow-bunkers, fearing what the wind might turn into. This year, given the earlier rains, the risk of wildfire is very low. Not non-existant, but low.
I'm in a funny mood, simultaneously cheered by the repudiation of the Democrats, but profoundly disappointed by some of the individual results...
The wind was shrieking through the trees, warm and dry. The forecast is for a mild Santa Ana wind today, with temperatures approaching 100°F. Somehow it seems fitting for this wind to appear right after the election, given the results from California...
But I digress. The sky was clear and moonless, and the Milky Way was the most prominent feature. I feasted my eyes on it. The dogs didn't like the dry wind at all; they were all eager to get back into the house. No crickets or frogs were in evidence; I imagine them all cowering in the deepest recesses of their burrow-bunkers, fearing what the wind might turn into. This year, given the earlier rains, the risk of wildfire is very low. Not non-existant, but low.
I'm in a funny mood, simultaneously cheered by the repudiation of the Democrats, but profoundly disappointed by some of the individual results...
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Drugs Harmfulness: the Source...
Reader Doug S. sends in an online page (free registration required) with the source study for the interesting chart on drugs harmfulness I posted about the other day. It's a legitimate, published study; their methods are fully described. After reading it, I'd call this study very interesting support for the proposition that drugs legalization is unlikely to be any more dangerous to society than (the already legal substances) alcohol and tobacco already are...
Shame...
Both parties do this sort of spinning, but this is particularly egregious:
Somehow I don't think this is going to make much difference today...
The Obama administration has secured pledges from senior Mideast leaders to continue their fitful peace negotiations until after next month's U.S. midterm elections, largely to avoid handing the Obama administration an embarrassing diplomatic setback before the Nov. 2 elections.So the peace talks have been a big flop (no surprise there, given the history for the past 80 years or so), and Obama doesn't want the flop to register on the election.
Somehow I don't think this is going to make much difference today...
Monday, November 1, 2010
Unemployment Index...
According to Google's Unemployment Index, things are looking better recently. The numbers (twiddled, as reported by the government) are still pretty grim, so I have no idea why. Click to enlarge the graph below.
Drugs Harmfulness...
The chart at right (click to enlarge) shows the various drugs ranked by harm to the user (most harmful first). Alcohol tops the rankings both by harm to users and to society.
First question that occurs to me: is the overall “harm score” normalized to per capita, or is it an aggregate score? If the latter, then alcohol's position at the top is hardly surprising. If the former, then these results are certainly surprising to me!
This study's results support the position of many drug legalization advocates (including me): the drugs prohibited today aren't any more harmful than the perfectly legal alcohol and tobacco. The illegal drugs have been demonized, much as alcohol was before Prohibition...
Morning Walk...
The air was beautiful this morning, cool and relatively dry. We woke an hour or so early, and the dogs and I were on our morning walk at 2:20 am. I'm glad I went early, because I got to see some unusual sights...
For starters, the waning moon was just barely visible above the mountains to our northeast. It's only about a third lit now, and it was further dimmed by being close to the horizon. As a consequence, the Milky Way was still visible stretching overhead. Jupiter was just above the southwestern hills, and my old friend Orion was high in the sky. The Big Dipper is fully visible, too. An altogether glorious sky this morning...
Yesterday Debbie and I attacked the dried brush in our main yard. We cleared a bit over an acre, with me whacking away with a steel-bladed brush-cutter, and Debbie rolling up the cut brush into a few big piles. As soon as we can get a burn permit, we're going to do our bit to contribute a little more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere...
The dogs found another spot visited by a night-time beastie. It was hard to persuade the three field spaniels that they should leave; they wanted to inhale that beastie's scent indefinitely. Meanwhile, Race was madly running about all over the area we cleared yesterday – he was loving the unobstructed running space...
I would have enjoyed a longer walk this morning, but work beckons...
For starters, the waning moon was just barely visible above the mountains to our northeast. It's only about a third lit now, and it was further dimmed by being close to the horizon. As a consequence, the Milky Way was still visible stretching overhead. Jupiter was just above the southwestern hills, and my old friend Orion was high in the sky. The Big Dipper is fully visible, too. An altogether glorious sky this morning...
Yesterday Debbie and I attacked the dried brush in our main yard. We cleared a bit over an acre, with me whacking away with a steel-bladed brush-cutter, and Debbie rolling up the cut brush into a few big piles. As soon as we can get a burn permit, we're going to do our bit to contribute a little more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere...
The dogs found another spot visited by a night-time beastie. It was hard to persuade the three field spaniels that they should leave; they wanted to inhale that beastie's scent indefinitely. Meanwhile, Race was madly running about all over the area we cleared yesterday – he was loving the unobstructed running space...
I would have enjoyed a longer walk this morning, but work beckons...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Brrr... A Cold Morning in the Chaparral...
We slept in this morning, so I didn't walk the dogs until about 6:30. At that hour, the eastern sky was just starting to lighten, and I could dimly see the yard. It was 44°F (7°C) outside, and 100% relative humidity, making it feel quite cold for these parts. The dogs seemed to enjoy this very much; they were all quite frisky.
The best part for me, though, was that our yard looked almost like it was covered in snow. It obviously wasn't snow, at these temperatures – it was, instead, a very heavy dew backlit by the dawn. Just beautiful.
The best part for Mo'i was completely different. Ever since he caught a gopher yesterday, each time we take him outside he makes a beeline for the gopher hole from which he pulled the doomed gopher. That's the first time in perhaps five years that he's caught anything at all. Each time he revisits that gopher hole, he goes into his “waiting” stance, wherein he stands stock still, with his jaws just a few inches from the top of the hole, waiting for an unsuspecting gopher to stick his head out. When he was younger, he'd do this for hours on end, never giving up. I have to drag the poor guy off his gopher watch so we can walk. I wonder how long this will keep up?
The best part for me, though, was that our yard looked almost like it was covered in snow. It obviously wasn't snow, at these temperatures – it was, instead, a very heavy dew backlit by the dawn. Just beautiful.
The best part for Mo'i was completely different. Ever since he caught a gopher yesterday, each time we take him outside he makes a beeline for the gopher hole from which he pulled the doomed gopher. That's the first time in perhaps five years that he's caught anything at all. Each time he revisits that gopher hole, he goes into his “waiting” stance, wherein he stands stock still, with his jaws just a few inches from the top of the hole, waiting for an unsuspecting gopher to stick his head out. When he was younger, he'd do this for hours on end, never giving up. I have to drag the poor guy off his gopher watch so we can walk. I wonder how long this will keep up?
Service-now.com in the Financial Times!
Ok, it's only a side-bar. Ok, it's only mentioned in passing. Still, our little (but fast-growing!) company got a nice, positive mention in the Financial Times (the U.K.'s rough equivalent of the Wall Street Journal). The article itself requires (free) registration, but here's the relevant clip:
Perhaps the most striking example is the Trust’s use of software-as-a-service (SaaS). One area where SaaS has made a real difference is in IT service management: Mr Bramwell and his team now use Service-now.com’s hosted applications to respond to user computing problems.Mr. Bramwell is an employee of the Wellcome Trust in the U.K.
That service has replaced in-house applications running on the Trust’s servers and costs the charity about one-fifth of what it did.
“We are looking at more SaaS models, not just with total cost of ownership savings in mind, but also because of the business continuity and disaster recovery guarantees that these offer,” says Mr Bramwell.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Quote of the Day...
From Dave Carter, writing over at Ricochet:
...are political ads designed to entice viewers to jam railroad spikes in their ears? It seems that I see the same ads at least 117 times per hour. From what I can tell, all of these nefarious candidates have engaged in every diabolical act except the sinking of the Lusitania and there is some conjecture about that. Are voters really deemed to have the IQ of bread mold?I'm no expert, but it sure seems that way to me, Dave. What scares me is that targeting those with the IQ of bread mold may actually be the right thing for those politicians to do...
The Lawyer's Party...
Via reader Simi L., who is on a political education roll today:
The Lawyers' Party
By Bruce Walker
A LAWYER WITH A BRIEFCASE CAN STEAL MORE THAN A THOUSAND MEN WITH GUNS. This is very interesting! I never thought about it this way.
The Democratic Party has become the Lawyers Party. Barack Obama is a lawyer. Michelle Obama is a lawyer. Hillary Clinton is a lawyer. Bill Clinton is a lawyer. John Edwards is a lawyer. Elizabeth Edwards is a lawyer. Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate). Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen, went to law school. Look at leaders of the Democrat Party in Congress: Harry Reid is a lawyer. Nancy Pelosi is a lawyer.
The Republican Party is different. President Bush is a businessman. Vice President Cheney is a businessman. The leaders of the Republican Revolution: Newt Gingrich was a history professor. Tom Delay was an exterminator. Dick Armey was an economist. House Minority Leader Boehner was a plastic manufacturer. The former Senate Majority Leader Bill First is a heart surgeon.
Who was the last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford, who left office 31 years ago and who barely won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, running against Ronald Reagan in 1976.
The Republican Party is made up of real people doing real work, who are often the targets of lawyers.
The Democrat Party is made up of lawyers. Democrats mock and scorn men who create wealth, like Bush and Cheney, or who heal the sick, like Frist, or who immerse themselves in history, like Gingrich and Hastert.
The Lawyers Party sees these sorts of people, who provide goods and services that people want, as the enemies of America. And, so we have seen the procession of official enemies, in the eyes of the Lawyers Party, grow.
Against whom do Hillary and Obama rail? Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, hospitals, manufacturers, fast food restaurant chains, large retail businesses, bankers, and anyone producing anything of value in our nation.
This is the natural consequence of viewing everything through the eyes of lawyers. Lawyers solve problems by successfully representing their clients, in this case the American people. Lawyers seek to have new laws passed, they seek to win lawsuits, they press appellate courts to overturn precedent, and lawyers always pharse language to favor their side.
Confined to the narrow practice of law, that is fine. But it is an awful way to govern a great nation. When politicians as lawyers begin to view some Americans as clients and other Americans as opposing parties, then the role of the legal system in our life becomes all-consuming. Some Americans become adverse parties of our very government. We are not all litigants in some vast social class-action suit. We are citizens of a republic that promises us a great deal of freedom from laws, from courts, and from lawyers.
Today, we are drowning in laws; we are contorted by judicial decisions; we are driven to distraction by omnipresent lawyers in all parts of our once private lives. America has a place for laws and lawyers, but that place is modest and reasonable, not vast and unchecked. When the most important decision for our next president is whom he will appoint to the Supreme Court, the role of lawyers and the law in America is too big.
When House Democrats sue America in order to hamstring our efforts to learn what our enemies are planning to do to us, then the role of litigation in America has become crushing.
We cannot expect the Lawyers Party to provide real change, real reform or real hope in America Most Americans know that a republic in which every major government action must be blessed by nine unelected judges is not what Washington intended in 1789. Most Americans grasp that we cannot fight a war when ACLU lawsuits snap at the heels of our defenders. Most Americans intuit that more lawyers and judges will not restore declining moral values or spark the spirit of enterprise in our economy.
Perhaps Americans will understand that change cannot be brought to our nation by those lawyers who already largely dictate American society and business. Perhaps Americans will see that hope does not come from the mouths of lawyers but from personal dreams nourished by hard work. Perhaps Americans will embrace the truth that more lawyers with more power will only make our problems worse.
The United States has 5% of the world’s population and 66% of the world’s lawyers! Tort (Legal) reform legislation has been introduced in congress several times in the last several years to limit punitive damages in ridiculous lawsuits such as spilling hot coffee on yourself and suing the establishment that sold it to you and also to limit punitive damages in huge medical malpractice lawsuits. This legislation has continually been blocked from even being voted on by the Democrat Party. When you see that 97% of the political contributions from the American Trial Lawyers Association goes to the Democrat Party, then you realize who is responsible for our medical and product costs being so high!
Punishment...
Via reader Jim M.:
How do you catch a unique rabbit?
Unique up on it, of course.
How do you catch a tame rabbit?
Tame way.
How do crazy people go through the forest?
They take the psychopath.
How do you get Holy Water?
You boil the Hell out of it!
What do fish say when they hit a concrete wall?
Dam!
What do Eskimos get from sitting on the ice too long?
Polaroids.
What do you call a boomerang that doesn't work?
A stick.
What do you call cheese that isn't yours?
Nacho cheese.
What do you call Santa's helpers?
Subordinate Clauses.
What do you call four bullfighters in quicksand?
Quattro Cinco
What do you get from a pampered cow?
Spoiled milk.
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Frostbite.
What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches?
A nervous wreck.
What's the different between roast beef and pea soup?
Anyone can roast beef.
Where do you find a dog with no legs?
Right where you left him!
Why do gorillas have big nostrils?
Because they have big fingers!
Why don't blind people like to skydive?
Because it scares their dog.
What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic?
Sanka.
What's the difference between a Harley and a Hoover?
The location of the dirt bag.
Why did the Pilgrims' pants always fall down?
Because they wore their belt buckle on their head.
What's the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver?
A bad golfer goes “Whack. Dang!”
A bad skydiver goes “Dang! Whack.”
How are a Texas tornado and a Tennessee divorce the same?
Somebody's gonna lose a trailer.
Why does the ocean roar?
You would too if you had crabs on your bottom!
Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
More Governor Awesome!
Oh, how I long for a Governor Awesome of our very own (out here in California)...
Economic Incentives Work!
A fascinating story about a clear case of economic incentives working. The larger lesson is why we need a more business-friendly environment – one with the right incentives ” to restore economic growth.
I did a double-take when I saw what web site this story appeared on: the National Public Radio site, of all places. Someone there is likely to be fired over this variance from the standard progressive line, in which all market incentives are bad...
I did a double-take when I saw what web site this story appeared on: the National Public Radio site, of all places. Someone there is likely to be fired over this variance from the standard progressive line, in which all market incentives are bad...
A Before-You-Vote Reminder...
Via my mom, some imagery to remind you of what you need to do come Tuesday:
A Different Slant...
Forwarded by reader Jim M.:
A Different Slant On The Obama PresidencyThe real message here, of course, is vote! That is, if you haven't already done so...
One 82-year-old lady "loves" Obama and she may have a very good point. She says that Obama is amazing, and is rebuilding the American dream! She gives us an entirely new slant on the "amazing" job Obama is doing, And she says that she will thank God for the President. Keep reading for her additional comments and an explanation.
When discussing Obama, she says:
1. Obama destroyed the Clinton Political Machine, driving a stake through the heart of Hillary's presidential aspirations - something no Republican was ever able to do.
2. Obama killed off the Kennedy Dynasty - no more Kennedys trolling Washington looking for booze and women wanting rides home.
3. Obama is destroying the Democratic Party before our eyes! Dennis Moore had never lost a race. Evan Bayh had never lost a race. Byron Dorgan had never lost a race. Harry Reid - soon to be GONE! These are just a handful of the Democrats whose political careers Obama has destroyed. By the end of 2010, dozens more will be gone. Just think, in December of 2008 the Democrats were on the rise. In the last two election cycles, they had picked up 14 Senate seats and 52 House seats. The press was touting the death of the Conservative Movement and the Republican Party. However, in just one year, Obama put a stop to all of this and will probably give the House - if not the Senate - back to the Republicans.
4. Obama has completely exposed liberals and progressives for what they are. Sadly, every generation seems to need to re-learn the lesson on why they should never actually put liberals in charge. Obama is bringing home the lesson very well:
Liberals tax, borrow and spend.
Liberals won't bring themselves to protect America.
Liberals want to take over the economy.
Liberals think they know what is best for everyone.
Liberals are not happy until they are running YOUR life.
5. Obama has brought more Americans back to conservatism than anyone since Reagan. In one year, he has rejuvenated the Conservative Movement and brought out to the streets millions of freedom loving Americans. Name one other time when you saw your friends and neighbors this interested in taking back America !
6. Obama, with his "amazing leadership," has sparked the greatest period of sales of firearms and ammunition this country has seen. Law abiding citizens have rallied and have provided a "stimulus" to the sporting goods field while other industries have failed, faded, or moved off-shore.
7. In all honesty, one year ago I was more afraid than I have been in my life. Not afraid of the economy, but afraid of the direction our country was going. I thought, Americans have forgotten what this country is all about. My neighbors and friends, even strangers, have proved to me that my lack of confidence in the greatness and wisdom of the American people has been flat wrong.
8. When the American people wake up, no smooth talking teleprompter reader can fool them! Barack Obama has served to wake up these great Americans! Again, I want to say: "Thank you, Barack Obama!" After all, this is exactly the kind of hope and change we desperately needed!!
Negative Campaign Ads...
One of the many consequences of the typical American's ignorance of history is their perception that politics today is cruder, nastier, and more partisan than ever before. The truth is that campaigns today are quite civil by comparison to the campaigns of yesteryear. My introduction to that truth was reading about the Presidential campaign (including contemporaneous pamphlets and advertisements) of Lincoln versus Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell in 1860. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a dedicated proponent of free speech – but even I was taken aback by some of those campaign materials!
What occasioned the above observations was this video, passed along by reader Doug S., that aims to educate on that same point:
What occasioned the above observations was this video, passed along by reader Doug S., that aims to educate on that same point:
Friday, October 29, 2010
Slightly Revised Constitution...
Originally from SGT Phillip DePalma, via reader Jim M.:
"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights."
ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from!
ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!
Texas vs. Obama...
Via my mom:
President Barack Obama was in the Oval Office when his telephone rang.
"Hello, President Obama” a heavily accented southern voice said. "This is Archie, down here at Goliad Texas , I am callin' to tell ya’ll that we are officially declaring war on ya!"
"Well Archie," Barack replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"
"Right now," said Archie, after a moment’s calculation "there is myself, my cousin Harold, my next-door-neighbor Randy, and the whole dart team from Hooters. That makes eight!"
Barack paused. "I must tell you Archie that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."
"Wow," said Archie. "I'll have ta call ya back!"
Sure enough, the next day, Archie called again. " Mr. Obama , the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!"
"And what equipment would that be Archie?" Barack asked.
"Well sir, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Harry’s John Deere tractor."
President Obama sighed. "I must tell you Archie, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also I've increased my army to one and a half million since we last spoke."
"Lord above", said Archie, "I'll be getting back to ya."
Sure enough, Archie rang again about twenty minutes later. "President Obama, the war is still on! We have managed to git ourselves airborne! We up an' modified Harolds's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four boys from the Legion have joined us as well!"
Barack was silent for a minute then cleared his throat. "I must tell you Archie that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO MILLION!"
"Well, crap," said Archie, "I'll have ta call you back."
Sure enough, Archie called again the next day. " President Obama ! I am sorry to have to tell you that we have had to call off this here war"
"I'm sorry to hear that" said Barack . "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Well, sir," said Archie, "we've all sat ourselves down and had a long chat over a few beers, and come to realize that there's just no way we can feed two million prisoners..."
Quote of the Day...
George Neumayr, on Obama's recent appearance on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show:
Once upon a time jesters courted kings. Now enfeebled kings court jesters.This captures quite nicely the shame I feel about my President.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
This is So Close!
Democrat: 49
Republican: 45
Toss-up: 6
At worst, it looks like the Democrats will retain their majority in the Senate, but with a much lower margin. At best, the Republicans could gain an outright majority. This is more likely than the poll results indicate, as some of the constituent polls are clearly biased toward the Democrats, probably because of likely voter sampling error. The California polls may be biased toward the Republicans, because young voters may vote in higher-than-expected numbers to support the marijuana legalization initiative.
There's another interesting possibility that emerges if the Democrats end up with a one or two seat majority (and this is actually looking like quite a likely outcome). In that environment, Senators who currently caucus with the Democrats have a huge incentive to switch to the Republicans, as they can likely cut an interesting deal to incent them to switch. For example, one could imagine Lieberman getting chairmanship of a committee relating to foreign affairs or military interests in exchange for switching.
Next Tuesday night will be a cliffhanger. I'm not planning on getting much sleep!
Marine Logic...
My favorite from a collection of posters my mom sent me. Several of my regular readers are Marines (some no longer on active duty); I'm sure they'll appreciate this...
When Farm Kids Get Bored...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Signs of Climate Weirdness...
One of the less attractive features of the chaparral is a little beastie known as a gopher (though it's generally referred to by names I won't repeat here). This destructive little devil bores holes through the dirt, burrowing underneath your favorite plants and eats them from below. You can watch them disappear down into the ground as the gopher gobbles them up, safe in his burrow.
Most of the year, the soil out here is as hard as concrete. The gophers in their burrows are safe from just about anything short of nuclear or chemical weapons. During these times, the soil is so hard that the gophers can't make new burrows.
But after rains, the soil dampens and softens up. Right now if I walk in my yard, my feet sink into the ground a half inch to an inch. The gophers, when they detect this softening, go right to work, digging their burrows at a prodigious rate. Every few feet they drill a hole to the surface so they have a place to kick out the soil they have excavated. You can track the progress of an individual gopher by watching these “tailings piles” build up around the excavation holes.
Right now in our yard (which is about three acres), we probably have about twenty gophers excavating like mad. One of these is boring a hole right across the front of our house, right alongside the concrete slab. I think it must be a particularly stupid gopher, as there is no food available here at the interface between our slab and our driveway. Nevertheless, el stupido gopher is drilling away, leaving a trail of tailings piles across the front of our house.
Debbie has been raking the debris piles flat, so they don't look so bad. I suspect the gopher is delighted by this assistance, as it makes it easier for him to kick more dirt out of those excavation holes. I picture him telling all his buddies about the helpful human he has, filling them with jealousy. They're probably all boring in our direction now.
What I'd really like for Christmas is a Gopher Terminator robot, preferably one equipped with a wide variety of gopher terminating devices. I'm ok with tactical nukes, and certain kinds of chemical weapons are all right as well. I'd rather stay away from the biological weapons. Anybody know a web site I can buy one of these from?
Most of the year, the soil out here is as hard as concrete. The gophers in their burrows are safe from just about anything short of nuclear or chemical weapons. During these times, the soil is so hard that the gophers can't make new burrows.
But after rains, the soil dampens and softens up. Right now if I walk in my yard, my feet sink into the ground a half inch to an inch. The gophers, when they detect this softening, go right to work, digging their burrows at a prodigious rate. Every few feet they drill a hole to the surface so they have a place to kick out the soil they have excavated. You can track the progress of an individual gopher by watching these “tailings piles” build up around the excavation holes.
Right now in our yard (which is about three acres), we probably have about twenty gophers excavating like mad. One of these is boring a hole right across the front of our house, right alongside the concrete slab. I think it must be a particularly stupid gopher, as there is no food available here at the interface between our slab and our driveway. Nevertheless, el stupido gopher is drilling away, leaving a trail of tailings piles across the front of our house.
Debbie has been raking the debris piles flat, so they don't look so bad. I suspect the gopher is delighted by this assistance, as it makes it easier for him to kick more dirt out of those excavation holes. I picture him telling all his buddies about the helpful human he has, filling them with jealousy. They're probably all boring in our direction now.
What I'd really like for Christmas is a Gopher Terminator robot, preferably one equipped with a wide variety of gopher terminating devices. I'm ok with tactical nukes, and certain kinds of chemical weapons are all right as well. I'd rather stay away from the biological weapons. Anybody know a web site I can buy one of these from?
Your Morning Voter Education...
James O'Keefe – the guy who's been making those videos that look shockingly like actual journalism instead of the press release parroting normally seen in the lamestream media – has done it again. This time, he took his video cameras under cover into the New Jersey Education Association's (NJEA) Leadership Conference. The video below is the first volume of the results; it's a graphic illustration of what happens when you get generations of parasites sucking on the public teat. Click over to YouTube to see the rest.
Remember: the teacher's unions (that's what the NJEA is) are, nationwide, the number one source of funds for Democrat candidates. Remember that when you vote.
Remember: the teacher's unions (that's what the NJEA is) are, nationwide, the number one source of funds for Democrat candidates. Remember that when you vote.
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