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Showing posts from November 16, 2008

Read the Whole Thing

American troops in Afghanistan through the eyes of a French OMLT infantryman . Just stunning. It will make your day.

The miracle machine

The miracle machine that turns cheap plonk into vintage wine . While the title of the article might be overstating even the inventors claims it is interesting. Can we artificially age wine? There is some evidence that vibration = aging. In Dubai they are building The Palm. They use a machine to vibrate the sand to compact it. It has the effect of decades of compacting of the sand making it less subject to erosion and better able to support infrastructure. The inventor claims the same works for not just wine but orange juice and scotch. This could be very big news. I wouldn't recommend trying it on say, beer but it seems plausible. I'll wager Wine Spectator is going to have a field day with this one. It would be a boon to restauranteurs. They could have a unlabeled house brand that has be magicified into shakey goodness. Hell, I'd probably buy one but not for $500 bucks. Move them down to $100 or even $150 and it's a solid investment if it works as advertis

Strange Brew

Strange Brew Why a fitness magazine is reporting on beer is beyond me. Sort of like a Wine Spectator reviewing exercise equipment. That will not stop me from commenting on the article. It's a brief about unique brews and why they are different. They picked some good ones and your's truly has had 3 out of 5 of them. 1.) THE MOST POTENT: Sam Adams Utopias I own this but have not yet opened it. I promised my benefactor I'd wait until he visited before I tried it. To say I've been anxious to try it would be like saying Hube was anxious to see Iron Man. 2.) THE SPICIEST: Cave Creek Chili Beer I love spicy food. I love it when it makes my nose run and my eyes water. I love beer with a passion that is probably not normal. I have a dozen books on styles and brewing techniques. I used to brew (before kids) and even keg my own stuff. I experimented with recipes. One of which I still get requests for 10 years later. My second date with my wife was her coming to my apa

Civic Literacy Report - Civics Quiz

Civic Literacy Report - Civics Quiz : "You answered 30 out of 33 correctly — 90.91 % Average score for this quiz during November: 77.2% Average score since November 20, 2008: 77.2% You can take the quiz as often as you like, however, your score will only count once toward the monthly average." I missed three. I thought the Lincoln/Douglas debates were about the morality of slavery rather than it's expansion. I also said that cutting taxes and spending would jump start the economy. The "correct" answer is spend but cut taxes. Not sure I agree but I understand the position. Lastly I missed one other but I've closed the window and can't remember which one. What's even more alarming is the results of our elected officials v. the average American The latter group probably suffers from a smaller sampling error. That is, outliers have more influence in a smaller sample but that excuses nothing. The Left was freaking out b/c Sarah Palin was a rube an

More on the challenged ballots

You be the judge says Minnesota Public Radio. An interesting visual display of what we're talking about for the disputed ballots. Some of them are pretty darn clear to me. Others? Not so much. I think people need to be more careful. It's amazing that some of the ballots are so sloppy. Were you not paying attention when you voted? Can you stop texting for five seconds to friggin vote?

Power at any price

Al Franken is challenging this ballot . He isn't interested in the will of the voters. He's interested in Al Franken. Anyone, regardless of political persuasion, who cannot see this for the attempted fraud it is, is a fundamentally dishonest person.

Proverbs

While some people don't put a lot of stock in being able to speak a foreign language, I disagree. Speaking to someone in their native tongue goes a long way to understanding them. How someone says something is frequently more telling than what they say. You hear someone sputter and stammer in your language and you can't help but think them a fool. He may, however, be a physicist who just doesn't know English. Proverbs can provide valuable insight into a society or culture. It shows you what they value and what they fear, two main drivers of any society. Many of them have overriding themes across cultures proving that some things are inherently human and not specifically cultural. I remember when I arrived at the French university in Cultured Sophisticated Europe where everyone was enlightened and intellectual. I have to be honest, I was a little intimidated. Imagine my surprise when one of the more common proverbs I kept hearing was "Femmes au volant, mort

Umm...what?

DRUDGE REPORT 2009 : "Scientists find penguin that disappeared 500 years ago..." He was crowned All Time Penguin Hide And Seek Champion.

Yet another reason not to bail them out

Chinese May Buy GM and Chrysler . This is a wise move for all concerned. The Chinese need an opening into the US and buying the OEM saves them the trouble of going through the hoops of importing, crash testing, building physical plant, shipping etc. Built in brand recognition and boom, they're the biggest players in the biggest auto market in the world. This is exactly why we should not be in the business of bailing anyone out. Not the airlines, not newspapers, not banks, insurance or anyone else. These industries may or may not be vital. If they are, they'll spring up in a new form or somehow regenerate. Just as nature abhors a vacuum, so do markets. There's money in them thar hills and people know it. In addition, any interlocking of our economies is good news. It ties our fates together which help reduce tensions. We'd all rather be making money and trading peacefully than shooting at each other. Blood is expensive as the old Mafia axiom goes.

Here we go again

Just got the word. My contract is going to be canceled next week so I'll be unemployed as of 11/26. If any of you are hiring or know someone who is, please let me know. This. Fucking. Sucks.

Catholic Humor

An old priest who for years had faithfully served the people of the nation's capital, lay dying in the hospital. He motioned for his nurse to come near. "Yes, Father?" said the nurse. "I would really like to see Barack Obama and Joe Biden before I die," he whispered. "I'll see what I can do, Father," replied the nurse, and she respectfully forwarded the request to the DNC and waited for a response. Surprisingly, soon the word arrived. Obama and Biden would be delighted to visit the priest. As they made their way to the hospital, Obama commented to Biden, "I don't know why the old priest wants to see us, but the media coverage will certainly help our images." Biden couldn't help but agree. When they arrived at the priest's room, the priest took Biden's hand in his right hand and Obama's hand in his left. There was silence and a look of serenity on the ancient cleric's face. Fina

McConnell reaches out to Lieberman

McConnell reaches out to Lieberman - Ryan Grim - Politico.com : "may instead hold a secret vote among Democratic members on whether to kick Lieberman out of the caucus." The irony is thick in that, Democrats are trying to eliminate secret ballots for union votes. All pigs are equal but some are more equal than others.

Portman group saves the day.

Citizens of Scotland may rest easy tonight. They have once again been saved from the tyranny of beer with scary names. Heretofore, Scotsmen were cowering in terror at the sight of a beer labeled (brace yourself) Skullsplitter. The Portman Group has also made a provisional ruling against Skull Splitter, a beer produced for 20 years by the Orkney Brewery and named after Thorfinn Hausakluif, the seventh Viking earl of Orkney, who had that nickname. It was decided the phrase was associated with violence and also could be a reference to its effect on the drinker's head. Twenty years of horror finally undone. Well done Portman Group! Scotsmen look forward to your next effort; the abolition of haggis.

Do they have openings on Monster?

"News of the hijacking lifted global crude prices above $58 a barrel - meaning that the content of the vessel could be worth up to $116million on the open market." Hmm...Piracy seems to be far more lucrative than 'puter stuff. Maybe I'll change careers. Pro: lucrative Con: Have to live in Somalia Pro: No more office job Con: Unlikely to offer benefits plan Pro: Get to put "pirate" on my resume Con: transitioning back to traditional career probably difficult Pro: get to carry cool guns Con: US Navy very good marksmen Pro: Sat phones and Sat nav. Con: Commuting to work Readers are invited to add other pro/con in the comments

I've been asking myself the same thing

Are you an idiot to keep paying your mortgage? The only answer I can come up with is "yes". I sure wish this had happened when I was unemployed. Would have really been great. Then I wouldn't have any sort of moral dilemma. I'd just blithely chalk it up to unexpected unemployment. Tangental thought: How many of those homes that burned in California were foreclosures? How many homeowners who lost their houses are relieved that they don't have to pay for them any longer?

Canada sobers up

One year on says Mark Steyn. Canada has come to its senses after a few public floggings over their silly anti-discrimination thought crime laws. This is a rare victory on behalf of freedom. Let's hope it continues.

Private or Public School for the Obamas?

Private or Public School for the Obamas? They're going private. That anyone thinks this is anything other than guaranteed is not dealing with reality. They'll cite "security concerns" or some crap. But the truth is they know how awful DC public schools are. I will not listen to a single word against vouchers or charter schools from people who do not send their kids to public schools. That goes double for teachers of public schools and triple for anyone in elected office.

This got me thinking...

House of Eratosthenes has a piece that points out some warning signs to look for when it comes to women. They're all correct if not comprehensive. I was talking to Mrs. Duffy over the weekend about a similar subject. When Did You Know I Was The One? Something like this: Duffy: I know it was on our first date, but when, exactly, on our first date did you know I was "the one"? Mrs. Duffy: You're funny. Duffy: No, seriously, was there anything in particular? Mrs. Duffy: Well, I'd have to say when I first saw you with your cousin's child. (He was about 4 at the time) I knew you'd make a good Dad and women really like that kind of thing Duffy: Really? (I was honestly touched) We drove in silence for a moment. I was thinking and she was waiting for me to explain exactly when I knew she was The One. I decided to torment her, of course, and say nothing. Mrs. Duffy: Well? Duffy: Well what? Mrs. Duffy: *sigh* When did you know I was the one? Duff

Epic Win!

Meh is officially a word. I will now add this to interoffice correspondence, test plans, deployment plans, user manuals and anywhere else possible. It may be of Simpson's origin but it is Dilbertian at heart.

Noah's Blog

Noah's Blog . Call me nerdy. I laughed.

Rampaging Tolerance Assault Troops

One of the things that separates liberals (in the classical sense) from Leftists is their ability to handle disapproval. The former will respond with reason and if unable to convince their opponents shrug and agree to disagree so long as they're left alone. Leftists, on the other hand, freak out. Witness their response to Proposition 8 opponents: seattle.indymedia.org : "This is a few reasons why an affinity group of the Olympia, Washington Chapter of Bash Back! decided to attack their church with glue and paint. Let this be a warning to the Mormon church, dissolve completely or be destroyed. The choice is yours.." Some choice.

Mystery solved.

I finally found where my Dad got all his jokes: The 1,600-year-old work entitled "Philogelos: The Laugh Addict," one of the world's oldest joke books, features a joke in which a man complains that a slave he has just bought has died, its publisher said Friday. "By the gods," answers the slave's seller, "when he was with me, he never did any such thing!"

Funniest thing I've read in a week.

"A s�ance was held with Pro-Life leaders and Focus on the Family members seated around the bones of Joseph McCarthy. Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh used a Ouija board to contact the spirit of Ronald Reagan. Copies of the Drudge Report were smeared with chicken’s blood and read backwards. Newt Gingrich attended via telecom. A dozen Young Republican virgins were sacrificed so Ann Coulter could bathe in their blood. At the stroke of midnight, Dick Cheney shot a man in the face... The ritual failed, however, due to John Ashcroft substituting ketchup when they had run out of chicken’s blood. Current President Bush spent Wednesday evening at home playing Xbox."

The PETA Files

Lindsay Lohan Gets Face Full of Flour PETA members are making a big brave statement about wearing fur by throwing flour at Lindsay Lohan. Wow. I'm so impressed I have to lay down. You want to impress me? Throw a flour bomb at a pack of leather wearing Hell's Angels. See how that works out for ya. kthxbai.