Puppy!

There's a new puppy at our house: Boomer, a five month old male Border Collie.  He's not ours, though – he belongs to an Australian couple (Brent and Francisca M.) from Queensland.  They asked Debbie to do “foundation training” on him, to get him ready for an agility competition career.  This was arranged by the breeder, the same one we got our Border Collie (Race) from.  We'll be keeping Boomer until next February; then he'll be making the long flight to Australia.

Boomer is recovering from surgery to repair an injury he got a few weeks ago.  He has some convalescing to do before he's ready for aggressive training.  That's clearly not his opinion, though – he's a ball of fire, ready to start playing with anything and everything right now.

He's getting along great with our four dogs, though our dogs are showing signs of a little jealousy over the attention Boomer is getting.  The cats are another story – Boomer thinks they are just the greatest toys evah!  We've got some training to do on that front :-)

It's fun having a puppy in the house again...

They Walk Amongst Us...

Long-time readers may recall my previous posts on the Unarians (search for “Unarius” in the search bar at upper right).  There hasn't been much news on them in recent years, but they just popped up again – this time because a “weird news” journalist was being profiled, and this was one of his favorite stories.  In that story is a great slide show (one photo below) of the Unarian Cadillac, which is intended to welcome the UFOs when they land.  In Lawson Valley, where I live.  Seriously, that's what these folks believe!

I drive by their property every once in a while (it's off Montiel Truck Trail), just to make sure the Bug Eyed Monsters haven't landed.  Nothing but coyotes so far...

Curiosity on the Move...

Curiosity is making tracks on Mars, heading for some rocks to explore even while still in the process of checking out all its science instruments.  The news continues to be all good for the nuclear-powered rover.  The volume of high quality imagery being sent back by Curiosity is stunning when compared to all the many other robotic exploration missions I've watched over the years.  This is primarily due to two factors: the amazing number of cameras Curiosity carries (it seems like they're everywhere!), and the high bandwidth it has (thanks to the orbiting relay stations around Mars) to send them back home.  A visit to the Curiosity site is part of my morning routine, just to catch up on the latest finds. 

Anyone as old as I remembers that not so long ago people were arguing over whether there were structures (like “canals”) on Mars.  It wasn't until the first “fly by” missions to Mars that that question was put to bed.  Much more recently, the very first (and very primitive) landers started setting down on Mars.  These returned tantalizing views in a few photos, and a little science data.  Fast forward to today, with Curiosity dashing about: the images are pouring in, they're of high quality (and many in color), and an array of varied science instruments is studying features down to the microscopic level.  What an amazing advance in a relatively short time!

We Really Need Some New Bozos on this Bus...

Sheesh...

Acoustic Levitation...

This was completely new to me.  I found a good explanation of how it works.  Watch it in action:

Of All the Possible 4 Digit PINs...

Which one is the most popular?  And which is the least (and therefore most secure)?

I guessed which one was most popular (“1234”), but not the least.  Most of all I was surprised by the shape of the curve of most popular to least popular PINs.  I was also intrigued to see the use of heat maps (like the one at right), a technique I first learned about in the '80s as one of the more effective quick tests of a random number generator.  Altogether a very nice analysis by Nick Berry at DataGenetics...

It's Easy If You Try...

From a collection of photoshopped images, this one caught my eye:

That's our freedom of speech you're playing with there, Obamawon.  Not that you care, particularly...

Solar Filament, Erupting...

An awesome image from APOD:

Science and Political Correctness...

In an article titled The Return of the Ugly, Racist Pseudoscientist with a Small Penis, scientist Satoshi Kanazawa relates his experiences when his scientific investigation ran headlong into political correctness.  It's a dismaying tale for anyone interested in advancing science, but not really surprising – scientists are, after all, as human as the rest of us.  As I read his article (which relates a story in psychology), I was thinking about climate science and how political correctness and financial rewards have distorted the field.  The impact of political correctness on science varies wildly according to the particualr field of science.  For example, political correctness has little impact on nuclear physics, mathematics, or inorganic chemistry – but a lot on anthropology, psychology, climatology.

The only defense I know against this sort of thing is to be a determined skeptic – don't believe anything without reproducible evidence to support it...

A Tale of Two Vasectomies...

I suspect most adult men wouldn't expect an email from their mother with a subject line like that.  In my family, it's well within the bounds of normality :-)  A great joke with an unexpected political twist:

A man goes into the hospital for a vasectomy. Before the procedure a very attractive nurse comes in and takes his vitals, then tells him to take all of his clothes off. When he is fully undressed she instructs him to lie down on the table.

The man obeys. The nurse then takes all of her clothes off and climbs on top and has her way with him.

Upon the completion of the act the man catches his breath and asks what that was all about. The nurse informs the patient that studies have shown that before a vasectomy if the man has an ejaculation, he will be more relaxed and that the vasectomy is easier for the surgeon to locate and sever, thereby making the surgery safer, more efficient and quicker.

The nurse then wheels the patient to the operating room. While they are going down the hall the patient looks through a window to the right and sees six men in a room masturbating. Curious, the man asks, "What are they doing in there?"

The nurse responds, "They are getting vasectomies too, but you have Blue Cross and they have Obamacare."

I sense support for Obamacare rapidly declining amongst men...

Some Travel Photos...

Debbie and I traveled to northern Idaho in the first week of September.  As is my want (:-), I took a few photos along the way.

First up: a bed and breakfast, just north of Grangeville, Idaho.  We stopped and talked with the proprietor and his wife for a while.  They clearly had some fun with this.  The “fire hydrant” at right is actually a functioning outhouse.  The beagle is a room you can rent – note the window just forward of his ear.  Cute.  There are several rooms like this.  We zoomed by, both of us exclaiming...then turned around to come back and check it out.  These are definitely “dog people”!

The main reason for our trip was to visit our property near Hope (which is on the north shore of Lake Pend Oreille).  We hadn't been there for over ten years, and it was high time for us to check up on it.

Our property is in a little “island” of private property inside a National Forest; we get to it from a National Forest gravel road.  Take that road a few miles further and you'll come to the Lunch Peak lookout, seen at left.  This looked much different than our memories of it, but we can't tell if that's because our memories are faulty or if the place has really changed.  Neither of us, for instance, remembered the lookout as being enclosed.  Nor did we remember it being locked and inaccessible.

On the way up and back from Lunch Peak, we stopped at a couple of places to pick huckleberries, which are prevalent in any open area.  They were just beginning to turn red for the fall color when we were there; this made it very easy to spot patches of huckleberries!  They were delicious – juicy, sweet, deep purple.  Yum!

My favorite aspect of our property is the water running through it.  As a denizen of the high desert, running water seems quite exotic – and large quantities of running water even more so.  There are three streams running through or alongside our property.  The photos below are all time exposures (20 seconds to 60 seconds) of the three.  As usual, click to enlarge.

One of the days we were there, we drove up to Bonner's Ferry (very close to Canada) to do a little sightseeing. Just south of Bonner's Ferry we ran across this barber shop, called “The Barber Ship”. You can just barely make out the sign in the photo at right.

The entire building is tilted at a rakish angle, as though the Barber Ship were cresting a wave.  However, the floor inside is level – which makes for an odd-looking room in which two of the walls appear to be dangerously tilted.  We found lots of humorous signs all over Idaho, but more in Bonner's Ferry than anywhere else.  We're not sure where this culture of commercial humor came from, but we sure enjoyed it.  We also had a great meal in Bonner's Ferry – so good we had to come back another day for a repeat.  The place was called Papa Byrd's Bistro, and it had spectacularly good soups, the best pizza I've had in years, and an equally spectacular sandwich.  If you're ever up in Bonner's Ferry, don't miss that joint!

The last day we were in Idaho, we made a big loop over into Washington state, back through the National Forest to Priest Lake (in Idaho), then back to Sandpoint.  Just west of Priest Lake, we ran across the Roosevelt Grove of ancient (and giant!) cedar.  If you suffer from arborphilia (as I do), it's a place you won't want to miss.  Trees that are thousands of years old and towering over your head, with the trunks to match.  They look healthy, too (our conifers in San Diego County are suffering from years of drought and the ravages of bark beetles, though on the whole our cedars look better than anything else).

In the parking lot for Roosevelt Grove, we came across a phenomenon we've seen before: butterflies apparently attracted to the minerals on the ground.  Usually we've seen this alongside mudpuddles or on damp earth; here it was on bone-dry soil.  Later in the day we saw even more of them, for miles on the shoulders of a gravel road.  Whatever the reason, we've found you can approach these butterflies quite easily – they appear to be lost in rapture or something, not paying much attention to the large, dangerous humans stalking them with a camera!

Our Beautiful Old Girl...

Just a moment ago, as I was working away in my office, I heard a soft snoring start up behind me.  I turned around in my chair to find Lea, our oldest dog, splayed out on the carpet, and I managed to snap the photo below without waking her. 

When I'm working at home I often find that she's parked herself close by me, seeming to take comfort or pleasure in my presence.  Some might say she's an unattractive dog – her weepy eyes build up dried mucus that we have to constantly clean, and her nose is similarly caked.  Her hair is all scraggly; she suffers from some unidentified disorder that has made her formerly luxurious, curly coat look more like a moth-eaten rug with a hormone problem.  We don't give her haircuts often because it stresses her out, and at her age, she doesn't need that.  She's otherwise actually quite healthy, and considering that she's about 16 years old (already much older than your average field spaniel attains), that's really saying something.

I think she's the most beautiful dog in the world.

Whenever I pay attention to her, she's ecstatically happy and her tail wags as fast as it can go (though that's not so fast these days).  She's always at the door to greet me when I come home, and mourns from the doorway when I leave.  She squeals with gratitude when I give her a treat (which I'm going to do right now - some warm milk).  I can do no wrong in her eyes.  She loves me no matter what mood I'm in, no matter what I'm doing. 

I make a point of spending some time with Lea every day, because I don't know how much longer she'll be with us.  She's given us more pleasure and love than we can possibly reciprocate, though we try.  She's my beautiful girl, and don't you say otherwise...

Amazin' Blaze...

Awesome!

Geek: Fast Inverse Square Root...

There's a well-known “hack” that approximates an inverse square root (i.e., 1/x^0.5, or x^-0.5) with just a few adds, subtracts, a shift, and a multiply – and the “magic” hex constant 0x5f3759df.  On hardware lacking single-cycle floating point operations, this is remarkably efficient compared with the conventional approach.  I've used it myself, about 10 years ago, to speed up calculations in a Monte Carlo bond valuation simulation.  It was one of the few algorithms I've ever used whose inner workings were a complete mystery to me.

But it's a mystery no more, thanks to a lovely blog post on Hummus and Magnets, by Christian Plesner Hansen.  This post also links to a nice Wikipedia article on the same subject. I'm left in awe of the inventor's cleverness – the insight that the floating point's bit pattern could be mathematically manipulated is a classic hacker's trick.  And now I have a new tool in my hacker kit, as I've discovered that the algorithm can be extended to cover any power between -1 and 1.  Awesome!

Steyn Takes the Obama Administration to the Woodshed...

The inimitable Mark Steyn weighs in on the debacle in the Middle East.  An excerpt:

But Hillary Clinton and Gen. Martin Dempsey are guilty of something worse, in the Secretary of State's weirdly obsessive remarks about an obscure film supposedly disrespectful of Mohammed and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs' telephone call to a private citizen, asking him if he could please ease up on the old Islamophobia.

Forget the free-speech arguments. In this case, as Secretary Clinton and Gen. Dempsey well know, the film has even less to do with anything than did the Danish cartoons or the schoolteacher's teddy bear or any of the other innumerable grievances of Islam. The 400-strong assault force in Benghazi showed up with RPGs and mortars: that's not a spontaneous movie protest; that's an act of war, and better planned and executed than the dying superpower's response to it. Secretary Clinton and Gen. Dempsey are, to put it mildly, misleading the American people when they suggest otherwise.

But do go read the whole thing...

It's Wrong...

Via my lovely bride, something that has been much on my mind recently (as I contemplate the outrageous taxes we're about to have stolen from us by The One's administration and his sidekick, Governor Moonbeam):

Oh, Hell Yeah!

Via my mom, these most excellent posters:

If Obama is Elected for a Second Term...

Via reader Simi L.:

I'll say!

Freedom of Speech...

The Obama administration has taken some actions in the past days that should raise the hackles of every American.  Unfortunately, these actions are not surprising.  Even more unfortunately, they haven't raised the hackles of every American – just a few of us nutcases who believe in the importance of free speech.

It started with the official reaction to the Benghazi murders: both Obama and Hilary Clinton, in their comments, criticized the maker of the film that allegedly sparked the events in Benghazi.  Leave aside for a moment the question of whether that assertion is accurate, and assume for the sake of this discussion that it was accurate.  The making of that film, no matter how offensive or abhorrent anyone found it, is a classic exercise of the quintessentially American right of free speech.  The entire point of that right is to allow any American citizen to express how they feel on a subject, especially when that expression offends someone else.  The administration bluntly and directly criticized an American citizen for exercising his rights as a citizen.  That most definitely raised my hackles.  Does it raise yours?

Then the administration asked YouTube to take down the film's trailers.  Google (who owns YouTube) refused.  Good for Google.  Shame, shame on the Obama administration – they are directly attempting to quash an American citizen's right to free speech.  If it's unobvious to you why this should scare you, consider this: how would you feel if an American president succeeded in getting YouTube to remove political advertisements for your party, because they were deemed offensive.  Not the same thing?  Oh, think about that very hard – because in reality those are exactly the same thing.

This morning I read that the alleged maker of the film “voluntarily” allowed himself to be questioned by federal probation officers.  The provocation was clearly the making of the film, an expression of his right to free speech as an American citizen.  The pretense was investigation of a parole violation.  It is obvious to any observer that this is official harassment, plain and simple.  The government is harassing an American citizen because he had the temerity to express himself.

Are your hackles up yet?  Yes?  Good.  Remember this, please, when you vote in November.

Just to be clear to any left-wing freakazoids who might read this piece: I do not endorse the film in question in any way, shape, or form.  I've viewed the snippets up on YouTube, and I find them quite offensive – on an artistic level.  I'm pretty sure I could do better, and I've never made a movie in my life.  With respect to the content, it's easy for me to imagine that Muslims might be offended by it – just as Christians were offended by the “art” showing a cross in urine, or the Madonna as a porn star.  It has messages (I think – the movie is so badly done that I'm not entirely sure I understand those messages) that I don't agree with.  But none of that matters.  What matters is that the maker of that movie is an American citizen, and every American citizen has the right to express his or her beliefs and feelings on any subject – even if those beliefs or feelings offend someone else.  That is one very precious right, one that Americans enjoy almost uniquely (though few Americans seem to know this).  Even Canadians have restrictions on their free speech!

Obama never had any chance of getting my vote in November.  However, if I were planning to vote for him, these recent actions would change my mind – all by themselves, they are more than enough reason to deny him a second term.  I hope there are some other Americans who feel the same way...

Rules of Engagement...

Reader and friend Larry E. writes:

Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson “did not permit U.S. Marine guards to carry live ammunition,” according to multiple reports on U.S. Marine Corps blogs spotted by Nightwatch. “She neutralized any U.S. military capability that was dedicated to preserve her life and protect the US Embassy.”
http://freebeacon.com/reports-marines-not-permitted-live-ammo/

So I guess we never learn from history. I served With Greg on Camp Pendleton before he volunteered for Marine Security Guard. He and others in his detachment were unarmed when they were gunned down in a cafe' in San Salvador.
http://www.msg-history.com/HistoricalItems/HP_SanSalvador_1985_Weber.html

Prior to that, the bombing in beruit was made possible because the Marines there were not allowed to carry live ammo.

Do not send the US military anywhere and then take away their ability to perform their duties and worse, take away their ability to defend themselves.

My son is deployed to Afghanistan. The rules of engagement give every advantage to the enemy. Can anyone explain why we are still there? The President isn't committed to it. Congress isn't committed to it. The country sure as hell isn't committed to it.

Those making these decisions and worse, those in congress shirking thier responsibilities should be in prison.

And instead of being in prison, our citizens keep re-electing them.  This does not say good things to me about my country's future.  I have one last remaining hope, which is that the events of the past four years wake up enough voters that they kick the sniveling socialist bastards out of office.  I know, I know...it is but a very slim hope...

Personally, I advocate for a Patton-style set of rules of engagement: whenever we commit our forces to be in harm's way, we should give them authority to do whatever it takes to get their job done.  There is no way to have a kind or moral war; a war is by definition what happens when those things are lost.  The only sane thing you can do is to win, and win as overwhelmingly as you possibly can...

Snotty Receptionist...

Another geezer joke from my mom:

Yesterday I had an appointment to see the urologist for a prostate exam. Of course I was a bit on edge because all my friends have either gone under the knife or had those pellets implanted...

The waiting room was filled with patients. As I approached the receptionist's desk, I noticed that the receptionist was a large, unfriendly woman who looked like a Sumo wrestler.

I gave her my name.

In a very loud voice, the receptionist said,

"YES, I HAVE YOUR NAME HERE; YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ABOUT IMPOTENCE, RIGHT?"

All the patients in the waiting room snapped their heads around to look at me, a now very embarrassed man. But, as usual, I recovered quickly, and in an equally loud voice replied,

'NO, I'VE COME TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SEX CHANGE OPERATION, BUT...I DON'T WANT THE SAME DOCTOR THAT DID YOURS."

The room erupted in applause!

Do not mess with old retired guys...

What's in the Box?

Via my mom.  Since my 60th birthday recently, she seems to have become an endless source of geezer jokes  :-)

A little old lady went to the grocery store to buy cat food. She picked up four cans and took them to the check out counter.

The girl at the cash register said, "I'm sorry, but we cannot sell you cat food without proof that you have a cat. A lot of old people buy cat food to eat, and the management wants proof that you are buying the cat food for your cat."

The little old lady went home, picked up her cat and brought it back to the store.
They sold her the cat food.

The next day, she tried to buy two cans of dog food. Again the cashier said "I'm sorry, but we cannot sell you dog food without proof that you have a dog. A lot of old people buy dog food to eat, but the management wants proof that you are buying the dog food for your dog."

So she went home and brought in her dog. She then was able to buy the dog food.

The next day she brought in a box with a hole in the lid. The little old lady asked the cashier to stick her finger in the hole. The cashier said, "No, you might have a snake in there."

The little old lady assured her that there was nothing in the box that would harm her. So the cashier put her finger into the box and quickly pulled it out. She said to the little old lady, "That smells like sh**."

The little old lady said, "It is. I want to buy three rolls of toilet paper."

Don't mess with old people!

They Don't Know...

My dogs just don't know.  They don't know about the horrifying events in the Middle East.  They don't know about my work being crazy-busy (after returning from a week off).  They don't know about the November elections.  There's so much that they just don't know.

They do know that their morning walk with me is a joyful time, one that they anticipate with nearly as much joy as the act itself (they nearly lose their minds when they hear the sounds I make when getting ready in the morning).  The three field spaniels know that this morning it's humid (we had a small rainfall yesterday), and their noses are working even better than usual.  They snuff in all the smells of the morning, most especially the “pee-mail” left for them by other dogs and coyotes.  The border collie, as usual, knows about pine cones – which he relentlessly searches out and deposit in front of me so I can kick them, and he can chase them.

Joyous dogs.  Their joy is infectious, lifting my mood.  They do this every morning, without knowing.  They are great therapy.

The morning sky this morning was like lead crystal – black, black background with bright stars dotting it.  The Milky Way, crisp and textured, extends from the northeast horizon to the west.  Orion is high, Sirius low in the east.  Venus is also bright and low, north of Sirius, while Jupiter is overhead, close to the Pleiades.  A glorious morning for stargazing.

Sometimes I wish I didn't know some things...

Life Expectancy...

I've long known that the widely published “life expectancy” numbers are very misleading at best, and greatly understate the age the average person living today can expect to attain.  However, I had not previously seen a good explanation of why these published numbers are “wrong”...

Obama in His Own Words...

Embassy Attack...

Headlines on this morning's news are all about the killing of our Ambassador to Libya, and three others.  The news reports are contradictory, but it looks like the four died in a rocket attack on their car, as they left the U.S. Embassy – itself the target of a mob attack.  This all instantly reminded me of 1979, and the mob attack on our Embassy in Tehran, Iran – and Jimmy Carter's pathetic response.  Somehow I expect the same here.

The blogosphere is, as you might imagine, full of thoughts on these events.  The best post I read was this one from Dave Carter, the truck driver/philosopher on Ricochet.  An excerpt:

Did you get that? We condemn the people who offended these cretins,….not the cretins. Pardon me, but just what in the hell is happening to our country? Is this the inheritance purchased at Normandy? Bunker Hill? Khe Sanh? Brave men risked their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor so that an American President could grovel with this pathetic, weak-kneed, sickly, statement? What a despicable statement of historical ignorance and what an awful confession of outright cowardice!

Well said, Mr. Carter. Well said.

Don't miss the whole thing...

Cop vs. Lawyer...

Via my mom, who reminds me (as if I could forget!) that she's part Scottish:

A London lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a Glasgow policeman.

He thinks that he is smarter than the cop because he is a lawyer from LONDON and is certain that he has a better education then any Jock. He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the Glasgow police's expense!!

Glasgow cop: "Licence and registration, please."

London Lawyer: "What for?"

Glasgow cop: "Ye didnae come to a complete stop at the stop sign."

London Lawyer: "I slowed down, and no one was coming."

Glasgow cop: "Ye still didnae come to a complete stop. Licence and registration, please."

London Lawyer says: "What's the difference?"

Glasgow cop: "The difference is, ye huvte come to complete stop, that's the law. Licence and registration, please!"

London Lawyer says: "If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I'll give you my licence and registration and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don't give me the ticket."

Glasgow cop says: "Sounds fair. Exit your vehicle, sir."

The London Lawyer exits his vehicle.

The Glaswegian takes out his baton, and starts beating the living daylights out of the lawyer, and says, "Dae ye want me to stop, or just slow doon?"

She's part Scottish, but we don't want to know what other part is...

Gold...

A few weeks ago I posted the story of Victoria Arlen, a paralympic swimming competitor whose family is friends with Frankie T. (a colleague and friend).  In that story, we left off with Victoria slated to compete in the London paralympics.  Yesterday she took the gold medal in the 100m freestyle competition, setting a new world record in the process.  Awesome!

Here's the video of the 100m freestyle final:


And here's the award ceremony.


What a set of smiles on those competitors!

Back Home!

We got home late last night, greeted by four ecstatic dogs who fell all over themselves trying to say hello to us.  After a short night's sleep, I'm back at work again.  It will probably take a day or two for me to get my act together on the blog...

From the Road...

We're up in Sandpoint, Idaho.  This morning we're headed out on the trail, doing a little hiking in the beautiful mixed conifer forest at around 2000', just north of Lake Pend Oreille.  We last saw this area around 12 years ago, and we were stunned to see just how much the trees had grown in the interim – the flora is exhuberant up here, especially by comparison to what we're used to in southern California...

Light Blogging Alert...

I will be on the road for the next week or so.  Posting will be intermittent.  There may be photographs from the places I'm visiting...

Obamanation...

McNaughton is at it again, with “One painting that says it all”.  Don't miss the roll-over feature on his web site.  Via Doug S...

Cloud Computing...

I work for a “cloud” company.  “Cloud computing” is a term my colleagues and I use every day, and we all understand what the term means.  But apparently I'm living inside a bubble, and didn't know it...

The GIMP Goes Native...

If you're an amateur photographer who likes to edit your photos, but you don't want to pay for PhotoShop, then you may already be familiar with the GIMP – a capable photo editor that is free, open source software.  It's available for many platforms, including the Mac – but until now it has always required the X11 system to be running on the Mac.

Well, now the GIMP has gone native – you can download a .dmg file that installs a version of GIMP that runs natively on OS/X.  Yes, it includes both single- and multi-window views.  No more X11 and it's associated oddnesses.  Just native OS/X application goodness!

Quite a Night...

It was quite a night at the Republican National Convention – a whole series of speakers with only one sour note (McCain) amongst them.  Several of the speeches were excellent: Condoleeza Rice, Susana Martinez, Mike Huckabee, and (most especially) Paul Ryan. 

At this point in my life, political speeches rarely arouse emotions in me – I'm too busy thinking about what was just said, or (more commonly) not said.  I watch out for weasel words and empty, unfulfillable promises.  Ryan's speech got to me; somewhere along the line I lost my detatchment and got immersed in the speech, transfixed.  This man is giving me hope that real policy change might be possible...

Ryan's speech had many great moments. One of my favorite was this one:

College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life.

That's just perfect. A not-so-subtle jab at Obama and an invitation to young voters, all in single, memorable sentence. “...fading Obama posters” instantly brought an image to mind that will endure.

Then there was this:

None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers – a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us.

Listen to the way we’re spoken to already, as if everyone is stuck in some class or station in life, victims of circumstances beyond our control, with government there to help us cope with our fate.

It’s the exact opposite of everything I learned growing up in Wisconsin, or at college in Ohio. When I was waiting tables, washing dishes, or mowing lawns for money, I never thought of myself as stuck in some station in life. I was on my own path, my own journey, an American journey where I could think for myself, decide for myself, define happiness for myself. That’s what we do in this country. That’s the American Dream. That’s freedom, and I’ll take it any day over the supervision and sanctimony of the central planners.

That's an articulation of a big idea – freedom – into a political fight where the conventional wisdom is that big ideas don't play, don't work.  Well, this one works for me, and I hope it works well in this campaign.  If the Romney/Ryan campaign uses big ideas to win the White House, that's got the potential to change the way future presidents campaign.  In a good way, a very good way.

Ann Althouse summed up her reaction to Ryan's speech this way:

Ryan did a brilliant job. It was much more than a fine speech and an excellent delivery. He embodied that speech. We saw a brilliant candidate.

I agree completely.  Neo-neocon, writing about Ryan's speech, said this:

If I were Obama, I’d be feeling just a litle bit shaky now—even if I were a narcissist. Or maybe especially if I were a narcissist.

You'd think. But I'd bet not.

In general, both news and blogs sites are reacting very positively to Ryan's speech – even in some quarters where you'd expect reflexive critique (like, say, MSNBC).  It's hard to imagine how Ryan could have done any better...

If you're one of the majority who didn't watch Paul Ryan's speech, you can find both video and transcript here.

Obama Sends Us Another Message...

...by the way he “honors” fallen soldiers.  A form letter signed by a robo-pen.  Shameful...

Nurses Aren't Supposed to Laugh...

Via reader George P.:

"Of course I won't laugh," said the nurse. "I'm a professional. In over twenty years I've never laughed at a patient."

"Okay then," said Fred, and he proceeded to drop his trousers, revealing the tiniest 'man thingy' the nurse had ever seen.

Length and width, it couldn't have been bigger than a AAA battery. Unable to control herself, the nurse started giggling, then fell to the floor laughing.

Five minutes later she was able to struggle to her feet and regain her composure.

"I am so sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me. On my honor as a nurse and a lady, I promise it won't happen again. Now, tell me, what seems to be the problem?"

"It's swollen," Fred replied.

She ran out of the room.

Just When I Feel a Glimmer of Hope...

...a news story like this one comes along, and crushes that hope like an elephant stomping on an ant.

I don't want to believe that any public official could be that stupid – but this story is multiply-sourced and appears to be completely accurate.  This does not bode well for my country's future...

Stargazer-in-Chief...

When Neil Armstrong passed away, the Obama administration noted the event by issuing a press release with the photo at right – a photo of Obama.  Many, myself included, noted the all-too-typical narcissistic move as yet another in a long series of such self-centered and off-putting moves.

Iowahawk went further.  He snagged a special guest commentary by our stargazer-in-chief.  It's full of classic lines like this one:

But in our shared moment of grief, let us also celebrate his historic accomplishment in becoming the first astronaut eulogized by me, Barack Obama, our nation's historic first African-American president.

It's by Iowahawk, so you know it's satire...and yet, it sounds so real!

Go read the whole thing (it's short), but put down your hot morning beverage first...

Mr. Scam Man...

Interesting Speeches at the RNC Convention...

Artur Davis, Ann Romney, and Chris Christie all gave excellent speeches at the first night of the RNC convention last night.  Artur Davis' speech wasn't carried on most TV channels, so I've posted it below.

I thought all three of them were very effective, each in their own way.  Ann Romney's speech was notable for simultaneously being a very effective political speech, but not sounding like a political speech.  Chris Christie's “hard truths” and “second American century” were but just a couple of the excellent rhetorical devices he deployed.  Another was “Leaders don't read polls – leaders change polls!” – that's one that could be used to describe him.  Artur Davis provided a compelling example of someone who was hoodwinked by Obama in 2008 and is now searching for an alternative.  I sure hope his estimate that there are 6 million more like him proves to be accurate!

A good starting night for the RNC convention, I think.  To the extent that Democrats or Independents were watching, there's a chance it might have triggered some interest in the Republican candidate.  And tonight is Paul Ryan night...

Curiosity: Layers on Mars...

These layered rocks are why Curiosity landed where it did.  They are the prime target of its scientific investigations over the next couple of years...

Popcorn Time!

James Delingpole on Michael Mann vs. Mark Steyn.  What a combination!  How could this get any better?  Here's a little taste, but you really, really need to go read the whole thing:

From obscure beginnings and with little discernible talent, Michael Mann has risen to become arguably the best loved comedy figure in the entire field of climate science, like Fatty Arbuckle, Pee Wee Herman and Coco the Clown rolled into one.

He singlehandedly invented Mann-made global warming using his amazing Hockey Stick curve – the one programmed using the ingenious algorithm whereby, whatever information you fed into it – fudged paleoclimatological reconstructions, the latest football scores, tofu futures – it always came out in the same, scary-looking This Is The End Of The World And We've Got To Act Now By Pumping Gazillions More Money Into Climate Research shape.

Cat Humor...

Via my lovely bride:

A Good Time at Walmart...

Via my lovely bride:

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a 'Viet Nam Veteran' cap. I never had one of these before and I was pretty hyped about it, especially because my friend was considerate enough to take the time to give it to me.

Yesterday, I wore it when I went to Wal-Mart. There was nothing in particular that I needed at the world's largest retailer but, since I retired, trips to Wally World to look at the Walmartians is always good for some comic relief. Besides, I always feel pretty normal after seeing some of the people that frequent the establishment. But, enough of my psychological fixes.

While standing in line to check out, the guy in front of me, probably in his early thirties, asked, "Are you a Viet Nam Vet?"

"No" I replied.

"Then why are you wearing that cap?"

"Because I couldn't find my cap from the War of 1812." I thought it was a snappy retort.

"The War of 1812 huh." the Walmartian queried, "When was that?"

God forgive me but, I couldn't pass up such an opportunity, "1936."

He pondered my response for a moment and responded, "Why do they call it the War of 1812 if it was in 1936?" "It was a Black Op. No one is supposed to know about it." This was beginning to be way too fun.

"Dude! Really!" he exclaimed. "How did you get to do something that COOOOL?"

I glanced furtively around me for effect, leaned toward the guy and in a low voice said, "I'm not sure. I was the only Caucasian on the mission."

"Dude!", he was really getting excited about what he was hearing. "That is seriously awesome! But, didn't you kind of stand out?" "Not really. The other guys were wearing white camouflage."

The moron nodded knowingly.

"Listen man," I said in a very serious tone, "You can't tell anyone about this. It's still Top Secret and I shouldn't have said anything." "Oh yeah." he gave me the "don't threaten me look. "Like, what's gonna happen if I do?"

With a really hard look I said, "You have a family don't you? We wouldn't want anything to happen to them would we?"

The guy gulped, left his basket where it was and fled through the door.

By this time the lady behind me was about to have a heart attack she was laughing so hard. I just grinned at her.

After checking out and going to the parking lot I saw dimwit leaning in a car window talking to a young woman. Upon catching sight of me he started pointing excitedly in my direction.

Giving him another 'deadly' serious look, I made the "I see you" gesture. He turned kind of pale, jumped in the car and sped out of the parking lot.

What a great time! Tomorrow I'm going back with a Homeland Security cap. Whoever said retirement is boring just needs the right kind of cap...

Dark Matter Directly Detected...

By scientists at the University of Michigan...

Curiosity: ChemCam Data...

At right is the first spectrograph made by Curiosity's ChemCam, when it zapped “Coronation Rock” with its megawatt laser.  From this, geologists can read a detailed description of Coronation Rock's mineral make up. 

With this first test run of ChemCam, Curiosity has already returned more hard science data than the ISS has done in its entire existence.  I sure wish we'd concentrate our government spending on space on this sort of mission, and stop wasting it with purposeless manned missions...

A Saint...

Via my mom:

Last Saturday afternoon, in Washington, D.C., an aide to Nancy Pelosi visited the Bishop of the Catholic cathedral in D.C. He told the Cardinal that Nancy Pelosi would be attending the next day's Mass, and he asked if the Cardinal would kindly point out Pelosi to the congregation and say a few words that would include calling Pelosi a "saint".

The Cardinal replied, "No. I don't really like the woman, and there are her issues of conflict with the Catholic Church over certain of Pelosi's views."

Pelosi's aide said, "Look, I'll write a check here and now for a donation of $100,000 to your church if you'll just tell the congregation you see Pelosi as a saint."

The Cardinal then thought about it and said, "Well, the church can use the money, so I'll work your request into tomorrow's sermon."

As Pelosi's aide promised, Nancy Pelosi appeared for the Sunday worship and seated herself prominently at the forward left side of the center aisle.

As promised, and at the start of his sermon, the Cardinal pointed out that Ms. Pelosi was present. The Cardinal then went on to explain to the congregation,

"While Ms. Pelosi's presence is probably an honor to some, the woman is not numbered among my personal favorite personages. Some of her most egregious views are contrary to tenets of the Church, and she tends to flip- flop on many other issues. Nancy Pelosi is a petty, self -absorbed hypocrite, a thumb sucker, and a nit-wit. Nancy Pelosi is also a serial liar, a cheat, and a thief. I must also say Nancy Pelosi is the worst example of a Catholic I have ever personally witnessed.

She married for money and is using her wealth to lie to the American people. She also has a well known reputation for shirking her Representative obligations both in Washington, and in California. The woman is simply NOT to be trusted."

The Cardinal concluded, "But, when compared with President Obama, Ms. Pelosi is a saint."

Flat Lens...

Scientists at Harvard have created a lens that focuses light “perfectly” – no aberrations, phase delays, chromatic effects, etc.  If I'm understanding the article correctly, though, it won't be transforming our cameras anytime soon: the new lenses work only at a single wavelength (color) of light.  For color photos, that makes them useless.  For many kinds of industrial optical systems, though, that makes them extremely useful.  These systems would include just about anything using a laser, most especially fiber optics communications systems...

Curiosity: a Panorama...

Here's a stitched-together mosaic of high-resolution photos, showing the area around Curiosity after its first drive.  Look closely, and you can see the four areas that were scoured by the sky crane's rocket exhaust (Curiosity drove out from between them, where the sky crane set it down).  Awesome!

Wednesday Nght is Pot Pie Night...

... at the Descanso Junction Restaurant.  This week it was turkey pot pie.  Yum!  My lovely bride is wondering why I'm delaying her pot pie consumption by taking this dumb picture...

Note the sign behind her: Enter as strangers, leave as friends.  Yup, that about sums “The Junction” up...

Oh, It's An Acronym!

Via reader Jim M., seen in Texas:

Listen Up, “Birthers”!

I'm Going to Use This Tip...

Separating egg yolks and whites is a pain in the butt.  But check out this ridiculously easy way to do it!  Via my mom:

New Commemorative Pistol from Ruger...

It's called the “Congressman”.

It doesn't work and you can't fire it.

Via Jim M...

Three Blondes Apply to be Detectives...

Via reader Jim M.:

Three blondes were all applying for the last available position on the Texas Highway Patrol.

The detective conducting the interview looked at the three of them and said, "So y'all want to be cops, huh?"

The blondes all nodded.

The detective got up, opened a file drawer, and pulled out a folder. Sitting back down, he opened it, pulled out a picture, and said, "To be a detective, you have to be able to detect. You must be able to notice things such as distinguishing features and oddities like scars and so forth."

So saying, he stuck the photo in the face of the first blonde and withdrew it after about two seconds. "Now," he said, "did you notice any distinguishing features about this man?"

The blonde immediately said, "Yes, I did. He has only one eye!"

The detective shook his head and said, "Of course he has only one eye in this picture!  It's a profile of his face! You're dismissed!"

The first blonde hung her head and walked out of the office.

The detective then turned to the second blonde, stuck the photo in her face for two seconds, pulled it back, and said, "What about you? Notice anything unusual or Outstanding about this man?"

"Yes! He only has one ear!"

The detective put his head in his hands and exclaimed, "Didn't you hear what I just told the other lady? This is a profile of the man's face! Of course you can only see one ear! You're excused too!"

The second blonde sheepishly walked out of the office.

The detective turned his attention to the third and last blonde and said, "This is probably a waste of time, but..." He flashed the photo in her face for a couple of seconds and withdrew it, saying, "All right, did you notice anything distinguishing or Unusual about this man?"

The blonde said, "I sure did. This man wears contact lenses."

The detective frowned, took another look at the picture, and began looking at some of the papers in the folder. He looked up at the blonde with a puzzled expression and said, "You're absolutely right! His bio says he wears contacts! How in the world could you tell that by looking at his picture?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and said, "Well, Hellooooooooooooo! With only one eye and one ear, he certainly can't wear glasses."

Cheap Bastards...

Via reader Jim M.:

A couple were celebrating 50 years together. Their three kids, all very successful, agreed to a Sunday dinner in their honor.

"Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad," gushed son number one , now renowned orthopedist, "Sorry I'm running late. I had an emergency at the hospital with a patient, you know how it is, and I didn't have time to get you a gift.""Not to worry," said the father. "The important thing is that we're all together today."

Son number two, trial lawyer, arrived and announced, "You and Mom look great, Dad. I just flew in from Los Angeles between depositions and didn't have time to shop for you.""It's nothing," said the father. "We're glad you were able to come."

Just then the daughter, a Wall Streeter, arrived. "Hello and Happy Anniversary! I'm sorry, but my boss is sending me out of town and I was really busy packing so I didn't have time to get you anything."

After they had finished dessert, the father said, "There's something your mother and I have wanted to tell you for a long time. You see, we were very poor. Despite this, we were able to send each of you to college."
Throughout the years your mother and I knew that we loved each other very much, but we just never found the time to get married."

The three children gasped and all said, "You mean we're bastards?"

"Yep," said the father. "And cheap ones too."

A Real Waterbed...

Via my mom:

Homemade Lava...

Your awesome for the day!

Curiosity: ChemCam is Returning Great Data...

Meanwhile, back on Mars the Curiosity rover has gone to work.  ChemCam is already returning great science results, starting while the rover was still parked right where the sky crane sat it down.  But now Curiosity has started driving – and the word is that the “mobility system” is functioning perfectly.  In fact, the only problem reported so far is that one (of two) wind speed sensors isn't working, possibly because it's got pebbles on it.  That's a relatively minor issue that shouldn't affect science data gathering at all...

Anti-Obama Ad...

Oh, it's going to be such an interesting election season!

A Taxing Situation...

Recently I consulted with a tax professional about the consequences of changing the state I reside in.  Most likely we will be moving to Idaho when I retire, but we have to build a home there so the residency situation was murky to me.  We'll probably have a home in California for a while, but at the same time have a rented home in Idaho while we're building our “real” home.  For tax purposes, I wondered, which state do I reside in?  Idaho taxes are lower, so it would be better for me to be an Idaho resident.

The tax professional told me something about the stock obtained through exercising my Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) that surprised me: California would claim the proceeds as taxable income no matter what state I lived in, no matter when I sold them.  Furthermore, the state I moved to (she didn't know for sure about Idaho) might also claim the proceeds as taxable income.  I could be taxed on the same income by two different states!  WTF?

Here's the explanation, but the really interesting part is what that explanation implies.  California claims the right to tax the proceeds of stock obtained through ISOs based on when those ISOs vested.  For me, and for virtually everybody else with ISOs, that means the first “n” years of their employment (four years, for me).  In those years I was clearly a California resident, ergo, California claims those proceeds as taxable income.  California is the only state to make this claim, and they only started doing this in the past few years.  All other states claim the proceeds as taxable income based on what state you reside in when the stock was sold.  So someone like me could be taxed by California (because my ISOs vested while I lived here) and again by Idaho (if I lived there when I sold the stock) – for the same income.

Think about what California's behavior implies.  They would only be pursuing such a path if the situation were a common one.  California's high tax rates make moving out-of-state attractive to people who suddenly make a lot of money through ISOs – so California comes up with a way to ensure they collect those taxes anyway!  When this becomes broadly known (it doesn't seem to be as yet), you can bet your sweet bippie that startups are going to think twice about establishing themselves in California – because for a startup, it's all about those ISOs.

What a frickin' stupid government California has! 

Introverts vs. Extroverts...

The differences between working introverts and extroverts is popping up much more frequently in the news, as in this article from Forbes.  I'm not sure exactly why this is, though I have a suspicion: the past few years has seen a distinct trend toward work environments that are very friendly to extroverts, and actually hostile for introverts.  Being a fairly extreme introvert myself, I live this every day at the office.  This paragraph from the article resonated with me:

Make the office space and work day right for everyone – Allow for a mix of introverted and extroverted spaces when shaping an office space. It is important to have areas where employees can interact and communicate. It is equally important however to have space where employees can be alone and work undisturbed. Current offices have moved towards a more open area concept where all employees work in sight of each other and are able to communicate freely, always. To many this might seem like the ideal work environment especially when compared to the stereotypical cubicle farm that characterized previous office designs. For more introverted workers this type of environment can represent serious problems. Introverts tend to recharge their batteries alone, while extroverts tend to gain energy from participating in group situations. Firms need to make sure that they are allowing for both sides of the spectrum and everything in between to get the opportunity to recharge. Creating open office spaces does not allow for areas for introverts to work alone and really center themselves for the day. Work days are now so often characterized by group collaboration and meeting that some employees can often feel overwhelmed with all the interaction. There have also been studies conducted that suggest that these types of open office space can actually prove distracting to many employees and lead to lower productivity. In the end it is important that office space and work schedules offer time for both interaction as well as solitude.

My company's office environment, from my perspective, might have been designed to zero out my productivity.  I do nearly all creative work on the days when I work from home, or in the first couple of hours I'm at the office (before anyone else gets there).  What's the environment?  Well, my cubicle is in a partitioned-off area which seats 8 people.  One of these people sits right next to me.  I can hear all eight of them when they talk (which, of course, is often!).  To my left is a corridor down which many people walk every day; it's openly visible to me.  And of course anyone who walks in or out of our little areas (inhabitants or visitors) is visible to me.  Each of these things is a distraction that is impossible for me to ignore (this comes along with being introverted).  I can help with the voices by wearing headphones and listening to music – but I get interrupted so frequently that by 10 or 11 am this is no longer practicable.  Some people (the extroverts!) absolutely thrive in this environment; I can observe them myself and see the truth of that.  But for me, it's a productivity killer...

A Site for Dog Lovers...

But put your hot morning beverage down before clicking...

No Comment Required...

A Unique Clock...

Very cleverly done.  Via my mom...

A Modern Parable...

Via my mom:

John G. Is 73 years old and owns a small business. He's a life-long Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year has all but evaporated. With the stock market crashing and new taxes coming his way, John assumes now that he will work to his dying day

John has a granddaughter. Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives a flashy hybrid car, wears all the latest fashions, and loves to go out to nightclubs and restaurants. Ashley campaigned hard for Barack Obama. After the election she made sure her grandfather (and all other Republican family members) received a big I told-you-so earful on how the world is going to be a much better place now that her party is taking over.

Having lost both roommates, Ashley recently ran short of cash and cannot pay the rent (again) on her 3 bedroom townhouse... Like she has done many times in the past, she e-mailed her grandfather asking for some financial help


Here is his reply:

Sweetheart, I received your request for assistance. Ashley, you know I love you dearly and I'm sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own...."The Ashley Economic Empowerment Plan." Let me explain.

Your grandmother and I are life-long, wage-earning tax payers. We have lived a comfortable life, as you know, but we have never had the fancier things like European vacations, luxury cars, etc... We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But the plan has changed. Your president is raising our personal and business taxes significantly. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people... Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less for us, and we must cut back on many business and personal expenses.

You know the wonderful receptionist who worked in my office for more than 23 years? The one who always gave you candy when you came over to visit? I had to let her go last week. I can't afford to pay her salary and all of the government mandated taxes that go with having employees.... Your grandmother will now work 4 days a week to answer phones, take orders and handle the books. We will be closed on Fridays and will lose even more income.

I'm also very sorry to report that your cousin Frank will no longer be working summers in the warehouse. I called him at school this morning. He already knows about it and he's upset because he will have to give up skydiving and his yearly trip to Greenland to survey the polar bears.

That's just the business side of things. Some personal economic effects of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You know very well that over the years your grandmother and I have given you thousands of dollars in cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc. But by your vote, you have chosen to help others -- not at your expense -- but at our expense.


If you need money now sweetheart, I recommend you call 202-456-1111, That is the direct phone number for the White House.. You can also contact the White House here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/%C2%A0> ;...

You yourself told me how foolish it is to vote Republican... You said Mr. Obama is going to be the People's President, and is going to help every American live a better life. Based on everything you've told me, along with all the promises we heard during the campaign, I'm sure Mr. Obama will be happy to transfer some stimulus money into your bank account. Have him call me for the account number which I memorized years ago.

Perhaps you can now understand what I've been saying all my life: Those who vote for a president should consider the impact on the nation as a whole, and not be just concerned with what they can get for themselves. What Obama supporters don't seem to realize is all of the money he is redistributing to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (the so-called "less fortunate") comes from tax-paying families.

Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Well guess what, honey? Because we own a business, your grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich. On paper, it might look that way, but in the real world, we are far from it..

As you said while campaigning for Obama, some people will have to carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper... You understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people results in them having less money; less money for everything, including granddaughters.

I'm sorry, Ashley, but the well has run dry. The free lunches are over... I have no money to give you now. So, congratulations on your choice for "change." For future reference, I encourage you to try and add up the total value of the gifts and cash you have received from us, just since you went off to college, and compare it to what you expect to get from Mr. Obama over the next 4 (or 8) years. I have not kept track of it, Ashley. It has all truly been the gift of our hearts.

Remember, we love you dearly.... but from now on you'll need to call the number mentioned above. Your "Savior" has the money we would have given to you. Just try and get it from him.

Good luck, sweetheart.

Love, Grandpa

Blonde Joke...

Via reader Jim M.:

A blonde goes to the vet with her goldfish.

"I think it's got epilepsy," she tells the vet.

The vet takes a look and says, "It seems calm enough to me."

The blonde says, "I haven't taken it out of the bowl yet!"

Worrisome Statistic...

Via reader Jim M.:

25% of women in this country are on medication for mental illness!

That's scary as hell.

It means 75% of the crazy bitches are running around with no medication at all.

Voting in Chicago...

Reader Dr. Simi L. sends along this oldie-but-goodie:

My friend was a staunch conservative and voted straight line Republican until the day he died.

Now, he votes Democrat.

Curiosity: The Photos...

Curiosity has already sent back over 4,000 photos from Mars.  They're all available in this archive...

The Smoothest Con Man Ever?

Well, consider this: he once sold the Eiffel Tower to a scrap metal dealer.  Really!

Financial Impact of Photovoltaic Solar Power...

Mike Sandiford has a very nice analysis of the impact that photovoltaic solar power (i.e., solar panels) has had on Australia's power markets.  The answer was unexpected for me, for reasons that Mr. Sandiford explains well: solar has had a large impact, completely out of proportion to the small percentage of the overall power that it supplies.  The key to understanding why is all about the timing: solar panels supply power during the peak sunlight hours, which happen to coincide with the most expensive electricity on the spot market.  Mr. Sandiford thinks that power operators have very good reason to be afraid of the impact of solar panels...

It's Here!

Oh, I've been waiting for this – the high-resolution video of Curiosity's descent and landing, imaged through the MARDI camera.  And now it's here:

A Strange Feeling...

Way back in 1972, your bloviating blogger had just recently enlisted in the U.S. Navy.  I'd been ordered to the base at Mare Island (on the eastern San Francisco Bay, near Vallejo), to attend schools on digital computer repair.  Later I also attended cryptographic system repair schools as well, on the same base.  On one of the very first days of computer repair school, they sat my class down in a small theater and showed us a film.  This film:


What a strange feeling to see this film again after 40 years!  On certain scenes (like the Oriental lady with the abacus) I could even remember what came next...

Quote of the Day...

Mitt Romney says he'd approach this nation's problems using a lesson he learned while running businesses:

...when you see a problem, run toward it or it will only get worse.

I don't know about you, but I find that a refreshing bit of rhetoric.  The idea of a political leader running toward a problem like tax reform is intoxicating.  Read the whole thing...

Light This Candle...

I remember Alan Shepard saying that.  I listened to that launch on the radio, way back on May 5, 1961.  The mission was called Freedom 7, and it was America's first manned space flight (sub-orbital, but into space).  It was a very exciting and scary event for those of us listening, as in the prior few years there had been a string of spectacular rocket failures.  I remember thinking that Alan Shepard must be borderline crazy to be strapped and bolted into that Mercury capsule.  At one point in the countdown, he got impatient with the delays and implored flight control to “light this candle”...

Peggy Noonan has recycled that remark, in the context of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign...

Ryan Poster of the Day...

Get Lost!

Not long ago, the inimitable Mark Steyn published a piece in National Review Online (NRO) in which he ripped apart Michael Mann (the originator of the infamous “hockey stick” graph that effectively started the global warming wackiness).  Dr. Mann didn't like being ripped apart, so he's now threatened to sue NRO and Mr. Steyn.  Rich Lowry (editor of NRO) responded publicly today.  The best part of his response?  The headline: Get Lost.  The whole piece is great, though.  An excerpt:

So why threaten to sue us? I rather suspect it is because the Steyn post was savagely witty and stung poor Michael.

Possessing not an ounce of Steyn’s wit or eloquence, poor Michael didn’t try to engage him in a debate. He sent a laughably threatening letter and proceeded to write pathetically lame chest-thumping posts on his Facebook page. (Is it too much to ask that world-renowned climate scientists spend less time on Facebook?)

Mr. Lowry goes on to say that this lawsuit (should it actually materialize) isn't the nuisance such lawsuits normally are.  In fact, because of one little word this lawsuit is a golden opportunity.  That word: “discovery”.

Read the whole thing!

Pro-Romney/Ryan Ad, Targeting Catholics...

Impressive production work...

TeleHash...

A new wire protocol with some interesting attributes...

More Climate Nonsense...

...but with a refreshing twist: mainstream media coverage!  Here's the data showing that the earlier reported “unprecedented” ice melt in Antarctica was, in fact, quite precedented.  And here's an article in the mainstream media (British, but still mainstream!) that actually discusses it on a recognizably factual basis.  A true flying pig moment...

Clouds...

The photo below was taken a few minutes ago from Lyon's Peak, a few hundred feet higher than our home.  The layer of clouds you see is currently enveloping our house...

A Telling Remark...

Obama made a joking remark at an event yesterday.  Despite it being intended as a joke, the exact wording he chose is very telling:

It is very rare I come to an event where I’m like the fifth or sixth most interesting person. Usually the folks want to take a picture with me, sit next to me, talk to me. That has not been the case at this event and I completely understand.

Most people would make that joking remark something like this:

Usually when the President is in the room, he's the focus of attention. Folks want to take a picture with him, sit next to him, talk with him. Understandably, that's not the case at this event.

Obama's use of the first person and the phrase “most interesting person” speak volumes about him.  He is a man very full of himself...