Bush Assassination Premiers

A new film is being premiered at the Toronto Film Festival that depicts president G.W. Bush being assassinated and the results of this event. Supposedly the film depicts Bush's death as a good thing. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this film. On the one hand I believe in freedom of speech, which means they should be free to make the film. On the other hand as commenter Tommy Marx says:

There is a huge difference between freedom of speech and ugliness for profit. Making a movie that imagines the death of a living person, especially one who - regardless of how you feel about him - holds a position that should be respected, disgusts me.

Is this yet another sign of the obsession of liberals with the elimination of President Bush at whatever cost. Or is this just someone taking a point of view that is sure to make a few bucks and cause controversy. I think it's the former more than the latter.

Prices still sliding!

Prices still sliding!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

I saw an article yesterday predicting prices closer to $2 than $3 by Thanksgiving. I am skeptical, but hopeful.

The quest for the next Wonder Woman

Most of us at Mod-Blog are fans of Superhero movies, and some even of the comics. One of the questions swirling around the comic-movie press is who will play Wonder Woman in the upcoming WW movie. An odd report today is saying that it is this year's American Idol runner up. I find this highly unlikely, but then again I never thought CSI would be a popular television show. Interestingly enough the only person in the list of possible actresses that could make a good Wonder Woman is Rebecca Romijn - but then she's already a superhero - or antihero depending on how you look at it - from the X-Men movie.

Free Music Downloads that are legal...really

In an interesting move Universal Music Group is planning on offering free downloads of their catalog as well as trying to get several other label's catalogs. The idea is to get people to come to the website to watch ads which will unlock the music to be downloaded. DRM in the downloads will prevent burning and will lock up the music if you don't go back to the site to watch ads. I'm not sure that I will go in for this idea. I'm still fine paying 99¢ for my songs with unlimited use. Call me cynical, but I'm betting this DRM will be cracked within 2 weeks of being introduced, thus ruining the new business model.

Forgive and Forget... Or Just Forgive

Jesus had a lot to say about forgiveness. How often? 70 times 7 (or 77 depending on your translation). Why? Forgive so that you may be forgiven. When? Whenever it is asked of you. It is obviously an important principle, and one that Christians are asked to embrace with all their hearts. This I know.

But I have been wondering recently, when "forgive" should be paired with "forget". It is an expression in our culture to "forgive and forget" when a friend wrongs you, implying that not only do you not demand repayment for harm but also that a grudge is not held in the lon term. But really, the concept goes deeper. It says in scripture that when we repent, our sins are as far separated from us as the East is from the West. The implication seems to be that not only has God forgiven the sin, but that that He has driven it from His thoughts altogether.

I have a friend who wronged me a long time ago. It was not a serious sin, but something which changed my view of them in a significant way. I forgave them the same day, and have not held it against them in future dealings. But it did change our relationship, and has caused me to keep them at some distance since then. Again, it was not a breaking of fellowship (wow, that sounds churchy!). But it has been a barrier between us. What I have started to wonder about is whether God asks more of me than forgiveness here. I am wondering if forgetting is also required. Not forgetting as in destroying brain cells, but rather acting as though the event never happened and trying to build the relationship as though it never did.

Now, obviously, this can not be universally applied (which is part of the problem in my thinking about this). If a man hits his wife, she can be expected to forgive him. But she should never forget, because she needs to protect herself and potentially her children. I have another friend from college who had mental issues, who would repeatedly cycle from being your best friend to your most abusive enemy and back again. That I should never "forget" because I need to be ready to raise the defenses when the "evil side" came out, even if I resolve to forgive each time. And there are other more obvious examples - you can forgive an addict their behavior, but you must never forget because it takes only a moment of weakness for the addictive behavior to resume.

So, the question is really whether it is EVER proper to "forget" along with the "forgive." And if so, what are the criteria for the forgetting to happen? Is it a one-time sin? Is it a sin which does not go to character? Is it a sin for which full restitution has been made? Or does the wise man always remember, and never forget?

I could use some advice on this one.

NJ and CT Top the List of Richest States

According to a recent census study, New Jersey (where I was born) is the #1 richest state in the nation and Connecticut (where I live now) is #2. The irony is that both states are also among the list with the poorest cities in the country. New Jersey tops that list as well with the city of Camden, long known in the region for its extreme poverty and social problems.

Why does it seem like in America the richest and poorest are always side by side? Is it an inherent fact of democratic economics or a quirk of American culture?

Farscape vs SG1

I know currently Muse and Ward are offline, but I thought they'd enjoy this parody of Farscape from a recent Stargate SG-1 commercial. I apologize for everyone else who won't care in the least.

School Daze

Today was the first day of school in the town where I live. As I pulled out of the driveway on the way to work this morning, the high schoolers were on the corner waiting for the bus and the middle schoolers were creeping up behind them, fearful of the larger members of the species. Am I the only adult out there who still feels guilty when I see these kids going to school, and I realize I am not going? It seems like by now (I am 32 and have been out of college since 1996) I should have long ago left this feeling behind. But I still feel like I am playing hooky when they are going, and I am not.

Maybe it is that my last milestone was College Graduation (or maybe Getting a Real Job), and I am still single and no one's father. Or maybe it is that I am such a rule-follower that I feel guilty "breaking" any rule which has been applied to me in the past, even when it no longer makes any sense. Or maybe I just miss the days of school, where the day is predictable and you are learning all time.

Am I the only one?

The Iraq War comes home

They say when your friend is out of work then you are in a recession, and when your father is out of work you are in a depression. Likewise, some claim that one can only support the War in Iraq when it is only strangers who have died. If so, then you'd think my support for the war would now be gone, as a member of my church has died in Fallujah.

But strangely, my support is unchanged. What about yours?

Flickr brings geotagging!

I spent a good deal of time last night playing with a new Flickr feature: GEOTAGGING! What is "Geotagging"? It is the ability to associate a LOCATION to a picture. Specifically, to place the pictures you have taken onto a map, so that you can see other pictures from other users from specific places.

Wondering what Times Square looks like? Check out the pics from downtown New York. Wondering if a new beach resort is historic or a tourist trap? Check out the pics it is associated with! This is a potentially powerful new web tool.

I did not bother watching the Emmys...

...so I missed the "plane crash skit" which is the cause of much uproar today. If you want to see what all of the uproar is about you can see it (or at least a large fragment of it at this site. It does seem like a colossal failure of the NBC's Good Taste Police. It is likely more a case of laziness than malice, but the end product is the same thing.

Update at 8:15 AM: Duh, I forgot to also post why it was in poor taste - i.e. the plane crash in Kentucky yesterday where 49 out of 50 passengers died.

Back to School Time, It Is

This is very cute! Your very own muppet jedi master to ride your back and nag you until you are lifting droids into the air! I have absolutely NO rationalization for buying this thing, but if he were made to hold camera lenses, I might have a had time saying no.

Comic Sues Jews for Jesus

Comedian Jackie Mason is suing "Jews for Jesus". They are a Christian organization made up of Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. The organization has been handing out a pamphlet in New York City that has Mason's likeness and name on it. Mason says he has nothing against Christians or this organization in particular, but wants then to stop using his likeness.

Is this why I can't get comfortable at nights?

More on "Lock Bumping"

I posted an article about a week or so ago about "lock bumping", a technique where a blank key and a hammer can be used to open almost any tumbler-based key lock. Engadget has up an in-depth article about what bumping is, why it works, and what really is worth worrying about. This week lays out the challenge. Next week will lay out exactly which locks are vulnerable and which ones on the market are not.

I must say, as a guy who loves physics but is not a physicist, this is fascinating stuff. And scary as anything.

Still moving down?

Still moving down?
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Apple Recalls Millions of Laptop Batteries

After Dell's embarrassing recall of millions of Sony-made batteries, Apple has decided that discretion is the better part of valor and has also recalled 1.8 million batteries. This covers the iBook G4 and PowerBook G4s, which I know many of you are currently using to read this site right now. The design flaw may cause the battery to overheat, and in extremely rare cases to burst into flame. But it should be noted that both of these cases are very, very, very rare.

If you want to see if your battery is covered check out Apple's battery return site. It appears the batteries can be exchanged either by calling apple's support line, or going to an Apple Store. However, you should be aware that they may not give you a new one right away, but may have to send away for it.

Canon Rebel XTi Announced

Canon has announced their replacement for the hallowed Canon Rebel (300D) and Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D). They are calling it the Canon Digital Rebel XTi and while it is only a modest upgrade over the last model, it is a nice machine.

10.1 Megapixel, 2.5" LCD screen, 9999 pictures per folder on the card, anti-dust system, and more. Personally, I do not plan to upgrade to the XTi anytime soon. I just bought an XT recently, and don't feel a need for the extra 2 megapixels. But we'll see how things look in another 2 years or so.

What a Way to Start the Day

This is a photo of the office of an organization that my church supports. The driver evidently fell asleep on his way home from working the night shift at his job. Thankfully, no one was hurt more than getting some scratches. The employee who was in this office had just received a call from his son and stood up and saw the car hurdling toward the building and got out of the way.

Plan B goes OTC

According to CNN, the Morning-After Pill - marketted as "Plan B" - has not been approved for over-the-counter sales to adults with ID. Those under 17 will still have to have a prescription to purchase the drug, though presumably no one will be checking up on adults buying the pills FOR children.

Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I am not against the idea of birth control. On the other hand, I am 100% against abortion. I must admit I am uncomfortable with the idea of this, but am not completely sure it was the wrong move. Of course, it is better than allowing it OTC for children as well.

Did you hear about the hackers who took control of a MacBook via the Wireless Card?

Well, it turns out that the report was at least partially a fraud. It turns out that the hack was not done to the AirPort card inside of the MacBook, but rather to a third-party USB wireless adapter. And the hack has only been accomplished against a third-party driver for the third-party USB wireless adapter. No one has been able to reproduce the hack on the onboard wireless system, nor with an Apple wireless driver.

So, to summarize, unless you happen to be the 1% of 1% of 1% who uses a third-party USB wireless adapter on a laptop with a perfectly good internal wireless card, this is nothing to worry about.

"Weird Al" proves again he is the coolest singer of all time

"Weird Al" Yankovic has long been one of my favorite singers for his wit, and ability to make song after song that is both hilarious and clean. He is keeping his place on at the top of his list by offering his newest song "Don't Download This Song" for download on his MySpace site! You can see his MySpace site here. Fair warning for those viewing Mod-Blog at work or a library: clicking on either link WILL cause the song to play! The MySpace site has a built-in flash player.

Under $3!

Under $3!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

It is sad that this excites me.

The Sony N2 is coming

Mod-Bloggers may remember that I bought a Sony N1 digital camera for QuizWedge's wedding earlier this year. They may also remember that I love that little camera! Well, now allegedly Sony is preparing to release the Sony N2 which will retain the main features of the camera - small size, large touchscreen display for controls, high megapixel count, etc.

...the DSC-N2 will this time come packing a 10.1 megapixel sensor, 1000 ISO sensitivity setting, and the usual 3x optical zoom that's all too common on most consumer shooters...

I really can't recommend the N1 highly enough. It produces high quality shots at a size small enough to bring with you on an airplane without annoying the security folks. So if you are shopping for a new digicam, I'd encourage you to give the N2 a look when it appears on the scene... or just pick up an N1 used on eBay when the early adopters flock to the N2.

Maine Rox

I saw this blog posting and I had to share with everybody. I've been feeling rather homesick all summer and this made it worse, but it was still good. If you have a chance, go to Maine -- it's awesome.

Will August 22 Be Significant?

Some observers of Iranian policy note that Iran's U-turn on its nuclear policy today may be significant in light of Shiite religuos belief.

This year, August 22 marks the holy day on the Islamic calendar that is the day of reckoning for Shiites. Some Shiite sects believe that August 22 could correspond to the end of the world. And just today, after much hype, Iran has announced that it will continue to develop its nuclear program. To followers of Iranian President Ahmadinejad, this is a well-timed affront to Israel, the United States and the world. The United Nations had given Iran until the end of the month to respond, but Ahmadinejad had made it clear to all Iranians and the world that he intended to respond on the eve of August 22.

Jesus said that none knew the time nor date of the End, and I tend to trust him more than any Shiite mystic. But who knows if things may get rough tomorrow as a fanatic tries to make his beliefs come true.

Democrats Shake Up Nominating Process

In a cycle when Democrats are desperate to displace an unpopular GOP, they are taking a HUGE gamble. They are shaking up the nominating process for President considerably.

Nevada and South Carolina will join Iowa and New Hampshire as the kickoff states for the 2008 Democratic presidential nominating contest, under a plan approved Saturday by the Democratic National Committee.
The new calendar means Democrats will hold four nominating contests in January 2008, forcing the party's presidential hopefuls to expand their campaign efforts beyond the traditional proving grounds of Iowa and New Hampshire.
All other states will be allowed to hold caucuses and primaries beginning February 5.

The new calendar is designed to enhance the influence of hispanic and black voters on the process (New Hampshire and Iowa are infamous in Dem circles for their white majorities) and thus allegedly to make the eventual nominee more attractive to the whole Democratic base.

But the traditional "firsters" are not taking this lying down. Both Iowa and New Hampshire are threatening to change their own calendars to retain first-in-the-nation status. It may well lead to a high-profile (and somewhat silly) political war which may weaken Democrats in the 2008 run.

Widescreen on the Cheap?

CT City Forces Banks to do Their Work

The city of Bridgeport, Connecticut is forcing banks to sift through lists of delinquent tax payers and freeze their accounts if they own taxes. The list of those who owe the city taxes has more than 100 thousand names on it. Altogether I believe those who break the law should be caught, why are we forcing these businesses to do the work of the government?

Transformers Movie - Who's in and who's not

The writers of the new Transformers movie have given an interview where they describe which characters have made the cut and which ones haven't. I'm really looking forward to this film. I guess that I've finally reached that age where I look back with nostalgia at my childhood -- sort of scary.

Increase Summer attendance at Your Church

In The Bleachers Comic

Personal accountability and BB guns

Frequent commented and Mod-Blog friend BowHunter wrote in to report on a recent unpleasant experience he had with human nature.

At approximately 3pm on Wednesday afternoon the 16th of August, a crime was committed against the House of Bowhunter. The next-door neighbor’s kids shot my wife’s car over 10 times with a high-powered BB gun. The shots shattered the driver’s side rear window and ruined the paint in every other panel on the driver’s side. The mother - who WAS home with the children at the time - claimed to know nothing about it. The kids claimed they had no idea how the damage occurred. The police firearms and K-9 unit were called and the police dog was able to sniff out the guns - the mother had hidden them! She claims to have been “worried about looking guilty.” The cops were busy informing Mrs., Bowhunter and I of our rights in small claims court when the father came home. He saw the situation, and understood hit family was at fault. He offered to pay for the damages. We accepted that offer (with a price tag of well over $1000) and thanked him for his honesty. He then proceeded to search his daughter’s bedroom, (the most likely angle of the shots) and found numerous BBs hidden under the bed. The mother confessed that she knew about the mischief. And the kid confessed that she had done the deed. My car is currently in the shop and will be fixed in a week or so.

As sad a situation as this is, it makes you wonder about where our society is headed. Feeling guilty is a good thing. It forces us to honor the social contract. But psychologists and lawyers make a living off of telling people they are not guilty, and should not feel guilty. Maybe we should fire the “experts” and accept some of the responsibility ourselves.

Personally, I can't help wondering what the mother in this equation was thinking. Was she scared of the father, the police, BowHunter? All of her reactions seem like she is a slave to fear at this point.

Flying under "Orange" Alert

I'm currently in LA on a business trip and had to brave the Sacramento airport. Although the Department of Homeland Security says we're at yellow, the airport still said orange. Things were pretty calm and it only took me about an hour from the time I parked until I was at my gate. That being said, I was able to skip ahead of the line at check-in because I had an e-ticket. I had even printed out my boarding pass and so all I had to do was check my one bag. The line for scanning me and my carry-ons was longer than I would have liked, but not too long. As with most things, the best way to navigate the airport is to be patient, but prepared. Have your laptop out before you get to the bins, take anything off you think might even possibly set off the metal detector, and don't do anything to annoy the TSA personel.

Of course, that was going from Sacramento to LAX. I'm not looking forward to the trip from LAX to Sacramento (other than getting home) as they recommend arriving 2 hours before the flight instead of 1-1.5 and it's a MUCH larger airport. :(

The Gospel According to the Beatles

There are several of us that hang around this blog that are big fans of the Beatles. I have always enjoyed their music and wondered if there was any deeper content to their lyrics than what is found on the surface. While I have thought about these things I never thought of the Beatles as all that much a "spiritual" group - aside from George's occasional Hindu song. So, when I saw this article on a new book called The Gospel According to The Beatles my interest was piqued. After reading the article I'm not totally convinced, though I am interested enough to get the book and see this guy's full argument.

School Dress Codes Getting Tighter

When I was in high school there was a major debate at my school about whether or not students should be allowed to wear hats in the building. As students we were quite upset when the decision came down that hats in the building were off limits. A few years ago the problem was mid-rift shirts and underwear showing. Apparently now the problem is overly baggy clothes. Because of which schools are clamping down on the dress codes to the point that students are almost wearing uniforms. I never liked the idea of having to wear of a uniform, but they do eliminate many of the problems that come with a more free form approach to the school dress code. Thoughts?

Joe's Lead Grows

A new Quinnipiac College poll shows Joe Lieberman now leading by 12 points in the race for CT senator. This is up several points from the last poll, which also shows the Republican's support has dropped from 6% to 4% (a number which is probably still rather inflated). Most of the bump apparently came from Republicans and Indepdenents who have been galvanized by Joe's decision to keep running despite defeat.

All this while the Democrats are discussing stopping Joe of all seniority if he should win in the Fall. This would drop him from chairmanship of the important Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, should the Democrats retake the Senate.

Better?

Better?
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Prices are down another 3 cents. Without a pipeline. Wondering if this is a sign of decreasing tensions in the Middle East, amounts released from the strategic oil reserve, or a sign of election-year price fixing by the gas companies.

Thriving in our house!

Miniaturized Wolfenstein Written in JavaScript

For those of us who remember Wolfenstein 3D - the first real first-person shooter - this little application can bring back some fun memories. A web developer looking to prove how flexible JavaScript can be has re-written the whole game in under 5K! Check it out and have some fun. Be aware that on the Mac, you need to get out of Safari to use it. Camino is recommended.

T-Mobile looks to replace your landline

Allegedly, T-Mobile is testing a new business model where they hook up a cellular router to your home phone system. This means your current phones can be used on the cellular network and with a rooftop antenna you get much better indoor cellular service than normal. It would also allow T-Mobile to transition to a flat-fee model more like land-line services.

I know several of our readers have already abandoned landlines in favor of cell phones. The only reason I still have a landline is for emergencies - you may recall that during 9/11 cell lines were overloaded but landlines still worked. If TMo can prove their cell service can survive truly extreme conditions, then they might have a chance to convince me to converge.

I can't tell, is this brilliant or just stupid?

At the moment, I am leaning toward stupid. But you decide.

Happy Birthday, Shadowmom!

We here at Mod-Blog want to wish regular poster and wonderful parent SHADOWMOM a very happy birthday! May this day be blessed, and this next year be one of joy and peace in your life.

Prices slightly down

Prices slightly down
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

I am wondering if the lack of a price spike here after the oil pipeline shutdown is due to the gas companies fear of an election-year turnover in Congress. Because they have raised gas prices over far less in the last year.

Smokers can be discriminated against in Europe

The European Union has again revealed that a "liberal democracy" can be just as oppressive and discriminatory as governments not pretending toward equality. The High Court has ruled that employers can refuse to hire smokers even if the smoking only takes place in the privacy of their own homes.

Is it the boss's business if you have a cigarette after dinner? After an Irish job ad stipulated that "smokers need not apply," that question was put to the European Commission, which decided that employers refusing to hire smokers do not breach European antidiscrimination laws.

How long until this is extended to the overweight, the religious, etc.?

Noonan: Joe Lieberman Steps Outside the Two Parties

Peggy Nonnan has up an interesting article on Joe's decision to run as an Independent. Essentially, she feels it is the right move to win the imagination of the public, who is tired of the extreme partisanship within both parties.

This is a potentially powerful route for Mr. Lieberman to take--a break from both major parties, a declaration of personal independence, a canny attempt to take advantage of the growing intraparty frustrations that are rising in both parties, and an attempt to get out from under what is Mr. Lieberman's biggest problem, his insiderism, the sense that he helped create the reality that has today's voters feeling pessimistic and frustrated.

I saw the first post-primary signs for Joe yesterday. They seem to show confidence that the race is just beginning.

War on Terror: The Islamic Crusade

Currently, I am listening to a course-on-CD on my way to and from work called "World of Byzantium" which is a history of the Eastern Roman Empire from the time of Constantine. The last part of the course is a section on the Crusades, which were essentially (at least from the perspective of Constantinople) an attempt to secure the Middle Eastern territories of the Roman Empire by borrowing from the "barbarian" Western Kingdoms of the Middle Ages. The East had run out of strength to defy the Turkish Muslim armies, and knew that there was plenty of strength and ferocity left in the West (from Proto-France, Proto-England, Proto-Germany, etc.) The Emperor of Constantinople appealed to the Pope to send Christian warriors to the aid of the "New Rome," and instead of the few thousand trained soldiers that were expected, there was a flood of young men seeking adventure, fortune, and salvation on the way to Jerusalem. They ravaged pretty much everything along the way to Jerusalem,!
including eventually Constantinople itself, and wound up leaving on the Islamic World an image of the West as ravening hordes of amoral killers.

Today, OBL attempts to rally his troops by referring to American forces as Crusaders, because it brings back these historical memories. But nothing could be much further from the truth in Iraq. The soldiers there are professionals, controlled by a strong central authority, supplied by American monies, and with the intention of leaving once a stable government of Iraqis is firmly in place.

Instead, I am stricken by how similar the Crusades of the Middle Ages are to the current Islamic Jihad of today. Both are created and fueled by simple domestic concerns of local rulers. In the case of Byzantium, it was the Byzantine Emperor's need for troops to prop up his weak kingdom. In the case of the Middle East, it was the Saudi king's need to placate radical Mullahs and redirect calls for reform away from their power base. Both are fueled by ambitious young men with dreams of glory and salvation. The Crusaders set out based on promises from the Pope that death on Crusade would mean remission of sin. The Islamic Terrorists set out based on promises that martyrdom means immediate entrance into heaven. Both saw a response far in excess of that expected by the leaders. The Emperor of Constantinople hoped for a few thousand to reinforce his position, and received on the order of 30,000 men bound for Jerusalem. The Saudi kings hoped to simply consolidate and diver!
t dissent of a few troublemakers, and instead allowed the founding of major movements in Al-Qaeda and others. Both are distinguished by a marked lack of understanding of the warrior for those he fights against. The Crusaders marched to Jerusalem and established a series of kingdoms along the way, thinking they could found new empires on the backs of the Islamic locals. Instead, they found that Islam brought together the conquered peoples into a united army that after only a few decades wiped out the Crusader states. The Terrorists attacked the WTC, the Spanish subways, and other symbols of a mechanized and secularized West, thinking this would break the spirit of our people and send us into retreat out of the Middle East. Instead, we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, and now have no interest in tolerating the more extreme impulses of Syria and Iran.

Many people have been talking about the current conflict being World War III. And to an extent, I tend to agree with them. But I think, after hearing this course, that they are off. This is not World War III, but instead the Islamic Crusade. This has two lessons for us, assuming the present Crusade is like the last one:
(1) We can not expect the current rulers of the Islamic World to help us in this war, because the conflict's very existence shows how little they understood the forces moving their own people, and
(2) The key to victory is patience, because ultimately the battle plan of the terrorists is based on a misunderstanding of Western Culture and this will cause them to make moves which will open them up to final defeat.

I know there are a number of more historically educated people among our posters and readers. What do you think of my analysis?

Will the Liquid Explosive Plot Turn Joe's Campaign Around?

What a difference a few days makes. Tuesday, Joe Lieberman loses the CT Democratic Primary because of his support for President Bush and the Iraq War. His opponent is calling for a pullout (he calls it "redeployment" but what he means is "anywhere by Iraq"), and is supported by the majority of voting Connecticut Democrats. Then, Thursday, it is announced that the British have arrested a group of Islamic would-be terrorists who planned to blow up 10 planes between London and the USA. We are reminded suddenly of the vulnerability of our nation to terrorism, and why we are working so hard to create a free state in the Middle East. (1) In order to give hope to Muslim youth so that they have other ways to succeed beyond terrorism, and (2) in order to draw the War away from our shores.

We can only wonder what this news would have had on the Democratic primary. But with the results so close, I suspect that things would have changed significantly. This may wind up being the turning point of the 2006 elections altogether. The DNC has made The War the only issue of this year's campaign, and Joe's loss has cemented The War as the defining issue of the Democratic Party. But depending on what we learn about this plot, it may remind Americans why we are fighting in Iraq. And that might make The War a losing issue for an Anti-War Party.

I *KNOW* This Dog!

DHS: Patch Windows

Clearly the faults of the Windows operating system are now becoming evidently clear to everybody, even the Department of Homeland Security. I love capitalism, but this is one case where capitalism hasn't been good for democracy. The vulnerabilities of Windows are actually putting our country in danger. While a forced reformatting of all x86 computers to linux or Mac OS is not viable - or legal - it does seem like the best option at this point. So, I say the next output from Windows update should be an installer for another operating system that is secure enough to not be vulnerable to attacks from potential terrorists. Then again, if you don't want to deal with all the Windows issues you could always go get a Mac.

A Cautionary Tale: Maurice Clarett

I've been thinking about this story since I heard about it yesterday. Four years ago Maurice Clarett was the top college football player in the country and he knew it. He decided that he wanted to go into the NFL after his freshman year at Ohio State. Unfortunately for him the NFL has a rule that says you cannot be drafted into the NFL until at least 3 years after you graduated high school - this is an effort to get kids to stay in school and get an education that can support them when their football career is done. Well, Maurice thought the rule was good for other people but not him, so he took the NFL to court.... and lost then he appealed...and lost. Anywho, in the mean time he was convicted of breaking NCAA and Ohio St. rules for taking stuff and was promptly expelled, which was fine for him because he didn't want to be at that stupid school anyway. Once he was eligible to be drafted by the NFL he was given another chance by the Denver Broncos. He showed up overweight and with an alcohol problem, which got him promptly cut from the team. Then this January he was charged with robbery and two days ago he was arrested by police for driving erratically. In his vehicle they found 4 loaded guns, an open half full bottle of Vodka, a hatchet and he was wearing a bulletproof vest. At least one of the weapons was hidden in the vehicle which will bring concealed weapon charges and at least one was an illegal assault rifle. He could now be facing decades in jail because of this one arrest, never mind the previous robbery charge.

As I said before, I've been thinking about this story for about a day now and I don't know what angle to take. In an age where sports heros are the equivalent of the Greek Pantheon, it seems clear that a greater effort needs to be made at teaching humility in sports. Clarett honestly thought that he was better than everybody, which is nothing new for an athlete, but also thought that because of that he was above the rules. While, I'm not a fan of the theory in sports that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, only that you tried your hardest (it does matter, this is sports - somebody wins and somebody loses and you play to win). In that theory is something important, what matters most is that you try your hardest not your place in history. When the media, family and friends start talking about an athlete as the best ever or comparing him/her to the greats of the sports an entitlement mentality can be developed and that's what happened in this case. The problem for Maurice is that he isn't above the rules or the law and neither is any athlete. At the end of the day athletes are only human and they are all replaceable.

I've always thought that it was great that Michael Jordan was cut from his freshman basketball team, it brought reality to his game and it made him work that much harder to be the best and never get cut again. In the end that is why people will remember MJ for a lot longer than Maurice - MJ worked hard to get to be the best, MC expected it to be given to him.

RED ALERT: I hope you aren't flying today

For the first time ever, the nation's airlines have had their alert status set to RED. This is in response to a terror plot uncovered by British authorities.

Homeland Security took immediate steps that included barring passengers from carrying liquids, including beverages, hair gels and lotions, on planes. It said travelers in both countries should expect long delays.
A British police source said the plot was believed to involve a "liquid chemical" device.
"Over the last few hours, British authorities have arrested a significant number of extremists engaged in a substantial plot to destroy multiple passenger aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States," the statement released by the DHS press office said.

So, (1) if you do not have to fly today or this week, don't! and (2) do not buy a bottle of water to drink on the plane. The only liquids allowed as carry-ons will be baby formula and prescription medicines, and even those will likely be heavily scrutinized (read: you will be locked in a small room while it is chemically evaluated).

Two Perspectives on Lieberman's Loss

Long-time Mod-Blog friend and commenter Bowhunter has sent in his thoughts on the loss of Senator Joe Lieberman to neophyte Ned Lamont in the CT Democratic Primary.

I believe that there is one and only one reason that Ned Lamont won… and that is George Bush. Never in my lifetime has one person so polarized a nation.

Many say that Joe lost because of his support of the war. I don’t see it that way. Hillary has the same position on the war and we don’t hear cries for her removal. Ned ran a very effective radio commercial that only lightly touched on Joe’s support of the war but was heavy on tying Joe to the Bush administration. The moment that Bush called Joe his favorite Democrat, he was done. That kiss on the cheek during the State of the Union was tantamount to the kiss of death.

It isn’t that Dems hate Joe, it is that they hate George. Call it how you want to but that is the only way that a one-issue candidate with no experience could possibly unseat an 18 year loved and effective incumbent… HATE. Ned will not win unless he can figure out a platform other than “I hate George” and “I hate the War”. The Dems will not win unless they can see that bowing to the extremes in their party is not they way to win a majority vote from the people.

And poor Joe, well, he is just a good guy who is caught up in the middle of the biggest mistake in strategy that I have ever seen.

But while BH is generally in agreement with the thoughts here at Mod-Blog (though I must say that I found Reagan a MUCH more polarizing figure than GWB), it is always informative to see it from the other side of the fence. Consider this post from John Scalzi's blog entitled "Lieberman in Exile".

Look, it's over. Lieberman lost his chance at re-election to the US Senate last night, and come November, he's going to lose again. The difference is that he will lose in November for entirely separate reasons than the ones which caused him to lose last night. Last night, he lost because of his support for an unpopular war, and the general feeling that he's out of touch with his constituency in Connecticut. In November, he's going to lose because he lost last night. He lost fair and square, so his assertion that he gets to have a mulligan isn't going to fly. And shouldn't.

Who would've thought a few months back that the core issue of the 2006 elections would be brought to a head in the little state of Connecticut? But it appears here are where the battle lines are being drawn, and where the fight is moving from theory into fact. It is going to be an "interesting" Fall election season, in the sense of the old Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."

Could Wal-Mart make E85 a true alternative?

Recently car companies - mostly American companies Ford & GM - have started advertising how many Flex Fuel cars, that can run on regular gas or E85 Ethanol, they are making and how that's great for the environment (plus it's 105 octane, which as I understand it is better for cars than the 87 octane most of us run our cars on - maybe BH can clear this up for us). My big statement when I see these commercials is: that's wonderful but you can't buy the stuff anywhere. Well, Wal-Mart may be about to change all that by introducing E85 to all of its gas stations as well as to all the contracted gas stations located in their parking lots. If they were to do that and the price was low enough it could start to put strain on the major gas companies to start selling it themselves. This would likely become more and more the case as more cars are produced that can run on E85, which would also be good for Ford & GM. Perhaps Wal-Mart's clout could help to move Americans away from foreign oil.

Prices not YET hit by the pipeline shutdown

Prices not YET hit by the pipeline shutdown
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Lieberman loses CT Dem Primary

Well, the seemingly impossible has happened. Joe Lieberman has lost the Democratic nomination for Senator for Connecticut. This does not bode well for the fall election campaigns, as it will likely be taken by Democrats nationally as a sign that pure hatred of President Bush is what their base wants. It will likely drive most campaigns negative, which is likely to drive away independent voters.

But the Senator has vowed to run as an Independent. I know if he does so, it is likely I will still vote for him. Ned Lamont would be bad for CT in many, many ways.

A quote can say so much

Lindsay Lohan is one of the most imfamous stars of the current patch of young hollywood. She seems to be on the edge of greatness then does something stupid and once again announces to the world that she is only and will always be a b-list movie star. I think I may have found the reason for this problem of hers in a quote, where she is discussing Marylin Monroe going to Korea to entertain the troops during the Korean war.

It's so amazing seeing that one woman just going somewhere, this beautiful sex kitten, who's basically a pinup, which is what I've always aspired to be

So, that's what's going on. I suppose if being a pinup is the extent of her ambition, then she's reached all of her goals.

Philip K. Dick biopic announced

Many of us here at Mod-Blog are big fans of Sci-Fi. So many of us will be interested to see that a biopic (a fictional film about the life of somebody - think A Beautiful Mind or Shadowlands) has been announced about Philip K. Dick, the man behind such popular books (and later movies) as Minority Report, Blade Runner, and Paycheck. Paul Giamatti has signed on to play the author. This has the potential to be a really good film that people will be talking about at Oscar time the year it is released.

Christians surf for porn

This is very depressing, though not horribly surprising. The internet is an anonymous way to access pornography, providing a powerful temptation to "try it out 'cuz no one will ever know."

But, recent research is revealing that no one is immunized against the vice-grip clutches of sexual addictive behaviors. The people who struggle with the repeated pursuit of sexual gratification include church members, deacons, staff, and yes, even clergy. And, to the surprise of many, a large number of women in the church have become victim to this widespread problem. Recently, the world's most visited Christian website, ChristiaNet.com, conducted a survey asking site visitors eleven questions about their personal sexual conduct..."The poll results indicate that 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography," said Clay Jones, founder and President of Second Glance Ministries whose ministry objectives include providing people with information which will enable them to fully understand the impact of today's societal issues.

It shows again the importance of accountability in web surfing.

Normally, I would avoid this kind of news in an effort to provide a family-friendly blog. But this is too important to let it go without comment.

Get ready for HIGHER gas prices

As the largest oil pipeline in Alaska is shut down.

BP Plc is shutting down its giant Alaska Prudhoe Bay oil field due to a damaged pipeline and fears of wider corrosion, slashing West Coast supplies and prompting the U.S. government to consider releasing emergency stockpiles as prices jump...U.S. crude oil prices surged nearly $2.50 to over $77 per barrel amid fears that the shutdown could be lengthy. Shares of BP, already the focus of a criminal probe into a pipeline rupture at the same field in March, were down 2 percent.

Be sure that the GWB administration will be opening up the Strategic Oil Reserve after this. The economy can't take too many more hits. This, more than anything else, is likely to be a deciding factor in the primary elections taking place today.

Live coverage of the Apple WWDC

Today is the keynote for Apple's World Wide Developer Conference, where Steve Jobs will be presenting Leopard (MacOS X 10.5) and possibly new hardware. For live coverage, check out MacRumors where they'll put up an auto-refreshing text site.

More AOL Madness

When my father passed away, many vendors remained clueless about his inability to be a consumer. He was offered new credit cards, membership in organizations, and more magazine subscriptions than you could believe. Finally, the madness ended when my mother yelled at one in a sepulchral tone, "He's dead!!!"

Apparently, this was not enough for AOL. One woman had to get the press involved when AOL would not stop charging her deceased husband's credit card for service.

Of course, the irony was all of this madness was resolved just before AOL announced they were moving to their new free service.

This is very scary

And makes me wonder how long until electronic locks become standard in American homes.

Classic Wildwood Images

This is a great little video I found on YouTube while uploading some videos from Brothers Vacation. It contains video from the 70s and 80s from the Boardwalk. It is amazing how much of this stuff I remember from my childhood.

File this under "Cool And Maybe Useful"

I was browsing on a geek website and came across the Cyclone Washmate, a miniature washing machine intended for use in washing clothes on the road when a normal washing machine is not available. The thing is about the size of a normal-sized bucket, and appears (from the Amazon Reviews) to be fairly effective. Just having gotten home from traveling between various hotels, I can see how this could be INVALUABLE for a person who travels a lot, or perhaps a salesman who needs to clean his shirt from the road.

Instant porting of Windows games to Mac?!

A long-time frustration of Mac users has been the length of time between a Windows release of a game, and its subsequent Mac release. Sometimes, these delays can last years or more, and leave Mac users playing version 1 of a given game while their Windows brethren are up to version 3.

Allegedly, this is all a thing of the past. On the new Intel-based Macs, Transgaming has released "Cider" (get it?) which implements the Windows API (i.e. the stuff that makes games work under Windows) in MacOS X, so that developers can simply drop their existing Windows-based game into it and POOF! Instant Mac game.

This could be a good thing. And perhaps the basis for a "Red Box" module to allow the running of any Windows software on the Mac.

Prices remain too high

Prices remain too high
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

AOL Goes Free

This is one of those things that was destined to happen and finally AOL has picked up on what most of us have been saying for years - nobody (or very few people) is going to pay for AOL over their broadband connection. Starting in September AOL will be free, except for the actual dial-up account. So, if you have another ISP, but also an AOL account for the email then you can stop paying for AOL. They are hoping to replace the revenue by advertising, which seems far fetched to me but they've got experts that say it'll work. I guess we'll have to see.

Welcome to the hottest day of the year!

Where we live anyway. Sigh.

Here's hoping that the power companies can keep up. Luckily, my workplace has a backup generator, so even if the rest of the world is blacked out, chances are we'll have A/C.

Star Wars + Banjo = Love

I never thought that a banjo could add so much to music, but apparently I was wrong. Unfortunately John Williams didn't explore this option when he put together the first Star Wars film.

Wildwood Photos

Well, we're back and slowly re-entering "real life". But if you want to see what Wildwood was like, check out our pics from the trip.