Geek Cookbook...

...that requires exotic (and expensive) lab equipment to follow.  The cookbook ain't cheap, either ($625 list, $422 at Amazon).  It's written by uber-geek Nathan Myhrvold, former CTO of Microsoft.  I'd love to have the time and money to play with this...

Quote of the Day...

Via Simon M., in the Washington Times:

The Obama family has been working hard to show their indifference to the plight of middle America.

I confess to being completely unsurprised by this.  In fact, I'd have been surprised if they had done something that didn't cost an obscene amount of the dollars they've stolen from my pocket.

Throw the bums out.  Starting this November, continuing to November 2012.  Throw the damned bums out.

Healthcare Rationing: It Begins...

Obamacare and Avastin...

P != NP?

If you're of the right geekly sort, you know whereof I speak.  A serious attempt at a formal proof of the above has been (apparently accidentally) released on the web, by an HP scientist named Vinay Deolalikar. Big news, if the proof is confirmed.

For those of you of a slighly less geekly bent, here's the scoop in very general terms: that statement (P != NP) encapsulates something that much of modern computer science is based on, but until now nobody has never been able to prove (in the formal mathematical sense).  In that sense (and in that sense only), it's sort of like Einstein's famous E = MC²...

More McIntyre Revelations...

Steve McIntyre keeps plugging along, shedding more and more light on the otherwise completely opaque calculations (and machinations) of the scientists associated with ClimateGate.  In this lovely bit of reverse-engineering, McIntyre figures out how Mann and his co-conspirators arrived at some of the graphs they used to support their conclusions.  In the process, their highly selective choice of data is revealed.  Of course, they chose the data that supports their conclusions.

Here's an analogy for those of you not familiar with how science is actually done.  It's as if a scientist came across a pile of playing cards randomly lying about on the floor.  After surveying all the cards, the scientist then picks a “sample” of 8 cards, all of which “happen” to be hearts – and then declares “All the playing cards are hearts!”

Wonders...

NASA's Great Observatories observes a pair of tangled galaxies.

I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be an inhabitant on a planet in the neighborhood with a good view of this spectacle...

Decoy Jews...

They're being used by police in Europe to suss out Muslim harassers.  Neo-neocon has some thoughts...

Steve Wynn on Washington...

Via Tom B.:  Steve Wynn is CEO of Wynn Resorts, one of the most successful resort developers in Las Vegas and many other places around the world.  CNBC recently interviewed him, giving us all a view of an articulate businessman making the case for why we should all be terrified of the Obama administration...

The Blind, Pre-Op Transexual Imam...

Iowahawk does it again.  A sample:

Amid the growing crisis, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered a SWAT team of negotiators from the city's Multicultural Affairs Office parachuted to the scene. A brief truce was reached when negotiators pointed out to the Imam Markowicz's status as a pre-op transexual, obviating his religious objections to performing a same-sex marriage. But tensions erupted again after Markowicz - who is legally blind - tried to enter the mosque with a seeing-eye guide dog.

But please do read the whole thing.  After you put your beverage down, though...

November Is Going to be Interesting...

Boy Scouts Greet Obama...

Recently Obama declined to address the Boy Scouts at their 2010 National Jamboree, opting instead to appear on a television show (The View).  Later he addressed the Boy Scouts by remote video.  Here's how the Boy Scouts greeted him:




Popular, ain't he?

The Planet and the Radio Dish...

Via Clay M., this beautiful wide-angle panorama, with the center of the photo looking straight down!  I would love to have the gear and software required to make photos like this!

For some stupid reason, I dropped Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) from my morning reading list some time ago.  That unacceptable situation has now been rectified!

Cold, Cold August...

And it's such a lovely thing!  Last night the temperature dipped to 52°F, and the humidity went all the way to 100% (we were probably fogged in and didn't know it, as we were asleep).  This morning we had gallons of condensation on our roof.  All of this is most unusual for the August or September weather. Even better, the highs during the day have been under 90°F – even more unusual, as generally this time of year we have 100°F+ weather at least a few days each week.

The rest of the country is sweltering, and we're having a cold spell.  Go figure!  But we're enjoying it while we've got it...

Dogs vs. Wives...

Via my mom:

Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives:

1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.
   
   
2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.
   
   
3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.
   
   
4. A dog's parents never visit.
   
   
5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
   
   
6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.
   
   
7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.
   
   
8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
   
   
9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"
   
   
10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
    
    
11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.
    
    
12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.
    
    
13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.
    
    
14. And last, but certainly not least: If a dog leaves, it won't take half of your stuff.
    
    

Ultimate True Test: Lock your wife and your dog in the trunk of your car for an hour. Then open the trunk and see who's the happiest to see you.

What a Phone!

It's a joke, mom.

I love the look of pure joy on the grandma's face near the end...

Update: the New Roof...

Our roofing contractor sent along the photo at right, showing some of the dormer vents that will be on our new roof.  He's fabricated ten of these fireproof convection vents that will help keep our attic cool after the new roof is installed.  These vents will be installed high up on the roof.  There will also be soffit vents that will draw cool air into the attic from under the eaves.  The white areas are still covered with protective plastic; the entire vent will be bright red once installed.

The current plan is for the fabricated panels to be delivered next Wednesday.

Brains and Culture...

Interesting read about brain differences between cultures...

Quote of the Day...

From Peggy Noonan:

Inner pessimism and powerlessness: That is a dangerous combination.

Read the whole thing.

Housing Insanity...

Megan McCardle calls it:

If you want to know why us libertarian types are skeptical of the government's ability to prevent housing market bubbles, well, I give you Exhibit 9,824:  the government's new $1000 down housing program.

Read the whole thing.

Reporter Takes On Black Tea Party Members...

The backdrop is the accusation by Congressman John Lewis, earlier this year, that the “N word” had been hurled at him by angry Tea Party members.  This quickly became a Progressive meme, echoed by the lapdog lamestream media.  In this video, a reporter all caught up in that meme confronts what must be a very disconcerting reality: a room full of undeniably black members of the allegedly racist Tea Party. 

What ensues is instructive on several levels. Watch...