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...