One Last October Surprise: Sadaam Claims Iraq Accepted the Ultimatum Before the War

It is amazing how many people are trying to influence the USA election this year. Now a ex-Sadaam official is claiming that Iraq accepted the U.N. Ultimatum before the war, but the Marines cut the phone cord never let the announcement out.

Couple of hours before the expiration of the Bush ultimatum, Saddam ordered Colonel Amer, his strongman, to facilitate Shaltout's broadcast of the communique. Colonel Amer ordered Allaa Mecky, the head of the Iraqi Channel 2 television, to accompany Shaltout and help him broadcast the communique."
It was very late at night and CNN in Baghdad was closed. So they went to al-Jazeera, and Shaltout told al-Jazeera Washington correspondent Hafez Almirazy on the air that he had the Iraqi government's official reply to the Bush ultimatum. Moments after Mirazy asked him for a brief, the plug was pulled on the transmission. Shaltout has a copy of that interrupted broadcast.
Shaltout said that when the Americans arrived in Baghdad, he offered his assistance to U.S. military officials. Instead he was arrested by Marines who went to his hotel suite taking his documents.

I guess 8 PM on October 31 still counts as an "October Surprise." Thing is, even if true it won't change any minds. Sadaam had run out of chances years previously.

More voting machine madness

Texas is the next site of voting bugs and conspiracy theorists.

Early voting runs through Friday, November 3rd.
KFDM continues to get complaints from Jefferson County voters who say the electronic voting machines are not registering their votes correctly.
Friday night, KFDM reported about people who had cast straight Democratic ticket ballots, but the touch-screen machines indicated they had voted a straight Republican ticket.
Some of those voters including Lamar University professor, Dr. Bruce Drury, believe the problem is a programming error.

Yes, it is going to be an interesting week until November 7 is over.

Finding Joy in All Days

I might actually buy a tablet PC when it can do this!

This is a fascinating little video on the future of interface design. It is a bit like the interface from the movie "Minority Report", but realized in a non-Hollywood form. I suspect that we'll be seeing a Mac with this interface sooner than you might expect, because it does "Just work".

And so it begins...

Florida is having problems with their voting machines already. If you thought the 2000 election was "fun", wait to see what the conspiracy theorists come up with this time. Here's hoping the issues really are "rare" and "scattered" and no one really has cause to challenge the results. Otherwise, we are in for trouble and a nation which feels democracy itself is broken.

Giving the lunch lady the finger

When I was in college I frequently was the guy responsible for making sure everybody swiped their ID card to go up to the cafeteria. This would have made my life way easier. Finger print scanners have been around for a while, but I've not heard of using them in this way. Having your finger print attached to an account in order to pay for your lunch is an ingenious use of the technology. I can understand how it would help with the rush - as well as the number of people that will always forget their ID cards.

Honesty gets Bill into trouble again

Bill, Cosby that is, has stepped into hot water yet again for speaking the truth about race relations - - particularly the education of black students. Cosby has been on the war path as of late about how black culture has let down blacks. He seems to be of the opinion that it's not white's responsibility to make sure black students grow up to be profitable members of society - in fact it's the parents responsibility (woah, what a concept). He's obviously stepping on a lot of toes, particularly the affirmative action types, which will always get a person into trouble.

Interestingly there are several prominent blacks that are criticizing the black community within America for squandering the benefits brought by the civil rights movements. Another theme, from the same people, is how white (read liberal) guilt has handicapped the black community from reaching the heights that they have the potential to reach. It's very interesting that there seems to be a quite conservative core within the black community developing. I hope they succeed, because I think that would be really a good thing for the community.

Using Google Maps for Evangelism

This has to get points for creativity, though I am not sure that I can foresee how anyone would find their heart made more open to God thru seeing something on a satellite photo.

Prices inching back up

Prices inching back up
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Truer than I'd like to admit

FoxTrot on Electronic Voting

President Bush Repeals Posse Comitatus?

This website from an admittedly liberal-leaning group claims that a new law was signed today by President Bush that essentially repeals the posse camitatus law which forbids the use of the military on American soil. They claim that the new law would allow a president to declare martial law and imprison "undesirables".

For the current President, "enforcement of the laws to restore public order" means to commandeer guardsmen from any state, over the objections of local governmental, military and local police entities; ship them off to another state; conscript them in a law enforcement mode; and set them loose against "disorderly" citizenry - protesters, possibly, or those who object to forced vaccinations and quarantines in the event of a bio-terror event.

The law also facilitates militarized police round-ups and detention of protesters, so called "illegal aliens," "potential terrorists" and other "undesirables" for detention in facilities already contracted for and under construction by Halliburton. That's right. Under the cover of a trumped-up "immigration emergency" and the frenzied militarization of the southern border, detention camps are being constructed right under our noses, camps designed for anyone who resists the foreign and domestic agenda of the Bush administration.

Normally, I wouldn't report on such alarmist talk from an anti-Bush site, but I have a feeling this may wind up being a matter of considerable discussion and debate over the next week as we lead up to the election.

Pop-Culture watch: Patricia Heaton vs. Michael J. Fox

The state of Missouri is facing an interesting vote in a couple of weeks. The first is a vote on whether or not to allow any kind of stem cell research. Secondly they get to vote on which person they want to represent them in the Senate - the Democrat that supports all stem cell research and the Republican that is following the party line (which is far too long to explain here). As you might have guessed, any time there is a debate on stem cell research Michael J. Fox has found his way into it. In a very pointed commercial he spews his typical "stem cells can fix anything" line. Hollywood has fallen in line with Michael J. Fox, with the exception of Patricia Heaton (Ray's wife on Everybody Loves Raymond). She, along with several Missouri sports stars and Jim Caviezel (Jesus from The Passion of the Christ) have come out with a commercial that disputes the claims of MJF. It is nice to see some part of Hollywood thinking.

Sports stars tend to have a bye on political stuff, but in Hollywood coming out against stem cell research is like saying George W. Bush is human or the sky is falling. People in Hollywood tend to hold grudges in an odd way and I wonder how this will affect Heaton's career (Caviezel has already been pegged as a religious zealot so his career has already been restricted and this is not going to affect him the same way). She's a good actress - having won at least one Emmy for her work on Raymond - so it would make sense for her to continue getting work. But I wonder if the lefties out there are going to stop hiring her for saying they're wrong. This will be interesting to watch - are they as open minded as they say they are (of course not, but it'll still be fun).

A Dummies Guide to Stealing the Vote

I personally am not a fan of Halloween, but I know many people enjoy being scared. If so, check this out. It is a simple guide (though not a step-by-step) on how to steal an election with the new electronic voting machines in place in most states who have switched over since the 2000 election.

Brevity

Wired posted a great story here. Great writers, six words for stories. Below are my favorites, enjoy them!

Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.
- William Shatner
Computer, did we bring batteries? Computer?
- Eileen Gunn
Dinosaurs return. Want their oil back.
- David Brin
Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.
- Joss Whedon
We kissed. She melted. Mop please!
- James Patrick Kelly

Why are serious bugs in software considered "okay"?

This blogger has up a thought that has been bothering me of late, especially as I work on commercial systems where companies are paying thousands-to-millions of dollars for software.

I mean, look at what they've managed to do: computer users now expect new software to be buggy. That is, we fully expect a newly purchased product, straight out of the box, to be broken. Something that for any other product category would be an outrage is just shrugged off as the normal course of the business. If you bought a toaster that didn't toast, you'd take it back to the store and demand a refund, or at least a working toaster. But somehow, because computers are involved, if a new video game crashes, we just say "Oh, well, that's what I get for buying it before the patches come out."

The author applies this to the Opera browser and iTunes, but honestly I think it applies much more to large commercial vendor-supported software, where the attitude of the vendor is "It is our job to produce the software. It is your job to test it." Why do we accept this?

Honestly, though, I know the answer. It is because we are not willing to wait. If Apple holds off the newest release of iTunes by a month, people are all over the rumor sites demanding to know what corporate bigwig denied them the ability to view movies on their Mac. And if a commercial vendor delays shipping because of a critical bug, a potential customer will just go to their competitor who ships buggy, incomplete software faster. It makes no sense, but it is how we act in the 2000s.

Dems try to explain what's wrong with them

This is a pretty comical article in the fact that it's Democrats trying to use their cerebral sensibilities to explain why the non-cerebral part of the US doesn't like them. It seems clear that the only thing the Dems understand is that they have a problem - which is the first step (only 11 more to work through).

I prefer gas prices like this...

I prefer gas prices like this...
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

...though I would love to see it under $2 per gallon.

Is the iTunes/iPod ecosystem nearing an end?

DVD Jon is hoping so. I am guessing Apple recognizes the end has to come someday, and is prepared for this workaround. If DVD Jon is really ready to sell and is unwilling to sell to Apple first, I'll bet Apple announces January 1 that they will license FairPlay to a limited number of "good faith partners" who pay a license fee directly to Apple.

"Weird Al" Wins

Boston.Com has up a nice (if somewhat fluffy) piece on "Weird Al" Yankovic and his seemingly unending success parodying popular music. With the release of his new album "Staight Outta Lynnwood", he is back on the interview circuit and this article provides a nice brief outline of his career, and is endlessly flattering.

If you ever wondered why Nomad hates football...

Autumn Artistry

Bush Space Policy Moves Us from Star Trek Philosophy to Star Wars Philosophy

Many news sites and bloggers are commenting on the new space policy signed by President Bush. Essentially, the controversial part is the policy moves us from a general statement that space should be free to a specific statement that the USA reserves the right to deny access to space to hostile powers, and that any attempt to deny us access to space will not be tolerated.

I am of two minds about this. On the one hand, this change in policy was inevitable. Space is ultimately just another frontier, another means of passage. It is no different from the sea, except that there is a whole lot more of it. Eventually, nations will have to compete for access to space, and for the rights to harvest resources from it. The first nation to establish a lunar colony will immediately try to lay claim to the whole place. Welcome back to the Imperial Age.

On the other hand, it has been a good thing that we have held off from recognizing this inevitability as long as we have. It has kept nations from being forced to address the issue, and possibly go to war over patches of airless expanse. Now that this has been put into words, other nations are going to have to assert a similar right. And how long until some nation asserts exclusive rights to all of orbit, and attempts to militarily enforce that right? The way things are going with North Korea, it may happen sooner than you expect.

No More Tag

A school Massachusetts school has banned all contact sports during recess. Their reason? They're afraid they'll get sued when one of the kids get hurt. Personally, with our litigious society, I can't blame them. Still, I think it's unfortunate. Tag is one of those great games that requires no equipment and is easy to just start up. It allows kids to play and become friends when they hadn't even known each other before the game.

Note: Posted while VERY tired. Been a crazy week and today is still going to be a crazy day, so not sure I'll be able to post more than this, but wanted to post something since Nomad can't with his internet down.

"Dirty Bomb" Threat for NFL

I have been debating whether or not to post this, because it could just be giving time to an attention-starved nut. But finally, I decided I had to post something.

A website is claiming that seven NFL football stadiums will be hit with radiological dirty bombs this weekend, but the government on Wednesday expressed doubts about the threat.
The warningt, posted Oct. 12, was part of an ongoing Internet conversation titled "New Attack on America Be Afraid." It mentioned NFL stadiums in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland, where games are scheduled to be held this weekend.
The Homeland Security Department alerted authorities and stadium owners in those cities, as well as the NFL, of the Web message but said the threat was being viewed "with strong skepticism." Officials at the NCAA, which oversees college athletics, said they too had been notified.

At this point, the threat is believed to be the deranged rantings of an immature mind. But since 9/11, we have been reminded to think about the unthinkable. A "dirty bomb" is a conventional explosive wrapped in radioactive materials intended to spread fallout over a wide distance and kill by means of radiation poisoning. A terror weapon in the truest sense, because its immediate effects are likely to be minimal but it could (might, maybe, no one really knows) wind up killing later via poisoning, increased cancer rates, etc.

I really, really hate football, but even I don't think this is funny. If this is real, let the bomber know our anger will be virtually unmatched in history. If this is fake, I hope they find the idiot who posted it and toss them in jail for a long, long time. This is not a case of free speech.

Freaky Example of Extreme Image Editing

This is truly scary. Mouse over the picture to see just how extremely a good image editor can mess with reality and still fool the human eye. If you want another example that is less extreme check out this one. All I can say is I am wondering how long until reality editors start trying to make their models match these impossible edits.

New Hope for Diabetes Victims

My family has a strong history of issues with weight and with adult-onset diabeter (Type 2, type 1 is childhood-onset and is much more dangerous). So I am glad to see the FDA has approved a new medication which can help diabetics with only a once-a-day pill. I am still hoping by the time I am truly at risk to develop symptoms that a cure will exist (maybe cloned pancreases) but for now, this may go a long way toward making diabetes something people can live with.

That being said, improved eating habits, nutrition, and exercise are still vastly preferred as methods to manage diabetes.

Data Center in a Box

In my mother's programming days, a computer filled whole floors of a building. Now, a comparable computer can fit in my watch. I didn't really think my kids would have the same experience until now. Currently, when a business needs a new data center (i.e. place to put all of their servers for a website, etc.) they have to buy a warehouse and fill it with computers, air conditioners, and guys with beards and pocket protectors. Well, now Sun Microsystems has shrunk the whole thing to fit inside a shipping container! How significant is this? This means when Google or YouTube or even your local ISP needs to expand operations, they don't have to buy any more property. They just need to get a bigger power line from the electrical utilities, and have another container shipped in. And Sun claims the efficiencies from this design mean saving huge amounts on power, as well. So not only are you paying less for land, but for electricity as well!

This could change the industry in big ways. It could also mean that claustrophic admins need no longer apply, since they'll have to wriggle inside a shipping container to swap out bad RAM or power supplies.

Citizen or Illegal Alien: Which Is Better?

I don't know if this letter was actually sent, but it's quite funny (in the it's funny because it's too true way):

Becoming Illegal (From an MD. resident to his senator)

The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510

Dear Senator Sarbanes,

As a native Marylander and excellent customer of the
Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have
contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the
process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my status from
U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed
by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's
provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United
States for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a
$2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a
good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before
everyone figures it out.

Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had
to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two
years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I
can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result
for me and my f amily because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien I could begin using the
local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped
paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could
save almost $10,000 a year. Another benefit in gaining illegal status would
be that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her
law school applications, as well as "in-state"
tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United States for my
son.

Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me
of the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car
insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still
have college age children driving my car.

If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become
illegal ( retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms,
I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.


Bernie

Time for "Standby" to Stand Aside

One of my pet peeves in modern life is the sheer number of devices that glare at me at night, even when they are off. My Playstation 2 has a bright red light, my VCR and DVD players glare a bright clock at me, even my sound system has a bright red LED glaring at me. And those are just the devices in my bedroom! All of these LEDs are part of the standby power system on these devices, which allow devices to start up quickly from "off". It turns out that these systems are not without a cost and without waste.

All that power adds up. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that standby power accounts for 1.5 percent of OECD member countries' residential electricity use. This is only an average, though; highly industrialized and wealthy countries like Germany have a much higher number, about 4 percent. That's 20 terawatt hours (TWh) of "wasted" electricity each year in just one country.
Over the course of a device's lifetime, the cost of all that standby power can actually exceed the cost of having the device on. The IEA estimates that each watt shaved from a unit's standby power measurement will save buyers $3 to $8 over the course of that product's life.

The IAE is trying to put forth the "1 Watt Initiative" to ask all electronics manufacturers to commit to standby modes that use 1 Watt or less. That is real money, and a real savings in power used by our country.

The Joys of Autumn

The trees are ablaze with color where I am, but I was suprised to see during a trip to New Jersey this weekend that their hills are all green. And my mother took a trip to upstate NY and the trees are all brown. I guess Fall is moving in waves this year.

Nuke the Whales

Russia is planning on building some floating nuclear power plants to power areas of their country that are hard to get regular power too. Although this seems like a weird idea at first, I think this is a decent idea to solve their power needs.

Trip to Liberty Island

Trip to Liberty Island
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Trip to Liberty Island

Trip to Liberty Island
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Funny Quote

Personally, I found this funny, but then again, I've slept at the office before (the floor and a folding table to name two places at the office). The quote is from a Slashdot post in regards to a guy who was offered a job at both Microsoft and Google and wanted to know which one to choose. One poster said, "As Marilyn Monroe once said, 'A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night.'" A response, "You've obviously never slept on the floor in a server room."

The comment can be found here. Warning, Slashdot has many comments that are NOT kid-safe.

The triumphant return of Roger Ebert

Some time back Roger Ebert revealed that he was suffering from cancer and had to undergo surgery for it. He hasn't posted a review of a movie since June. Today he posted his first review since then and it's a good one. He reviews The Queen - a movie I intend to see if only because of my obsession for all things British (even though it does look like a terrific movie that will receive numerous Oscar nominations, which is odd because there are no homosexuals as lead characters). Nonetheless, welcome back Roger -- it's good to have you back.

Hey There

Although the news is a few days old, I found it interesting that not only are we photographing Mars, we also happened to photograph us photographing Mars.

The only reason I don't miss Houghton

A well known fact is that most of the posters here at Mod-Blog attended Houghton College. I think that I can honestly say that it was some of the best years of each of our respective lives. The one thing about Houghton that would get to me each year was the huge amount of snow. Now don't get me wrong, snow is great -- the first two or three times at least. One of the things that would happen on a couple of times a year is a really huge snow storm. Well, the Buffalo region has gotten their first storm of the season and boy oh boy was it a whopper. The only good thing about a snow storm this early in the year would be that CRCHAIR would have to start wearing pants and put the shorts away rather than freeze until December. Other than that, snow this early is a bad thing, very bad indeed.

Still dropping

Still dropping
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

The Amish Forgive

I was floored by a paragraph in this article. Many are donating to help the Amish families with medical expenses and coping with their loss.

The Amish asked that a portion of the donations be shared with Roberts’ widow and three small children. Her husband was their sole source of income.

I must admit, I think I would have a hard time doing the same thing had a similar situation happened to me and my family.

North Korea Threatens More Tests

North Korea is upset that Japan isn't letting any North Korean ships into Japanese ports. In return, North Korea has issued a vague "strong warning" to Japan to stop. They're also threatening more nuclear tests if the UN puts more restrictions on them. In the meantime, South Korea is preparing for an attack by North Korea.

I've got two ideas on this.

1. North Korea is like a little kid. "If you don't do what I want I'm going to keep annoying you by testing nukes"

2. The first nuclear bomb test failed and they're looking for an excuse to test more in an effort to get it right.

Small aircraft crashes into Manhattan Building

It feels like a min-flashback to 9/11/01, but a small aircraft has crashed into a high rise in Manhattan. Not much info yet, but so far it appears to be a simple accident versus an act of terrorism. Fighter planes have been scrambled over U.S. Cities, but they are merely precuationary.

Please be praying for our leaders and the firefighters on the scene as they try and figure things out quickly, but carefully.

Cure Your Wounds With Honey

Sometimes old "home remedies" are complete nonsense. Othertimes, they actually work. Honey was "used by ancient Sumerian physicians, touted in the Talmud and praised by Hippocrates" to treat wounds. I know that local honey is also supposed to be good for combatting spring allergies.

Woman trys to unadopt child

I heard about this story yesterday. A woman in Virginia is trying to unadopt a child now that she knows his psychological history. She was his foster mother, then he sexually abused a couple kids and was declared a sexual predator. Because of this designation she couldn't keep another foster child in the house and her grand daughter could not longer visit her when this boy was in the house. So, rather than giving up the boy and letting the state do what they needed to do, she decided to adopt the boy so that she could have him at the house and keep her foster daughter and her grand daughter could come over. Then the boy went and sexually abused another kid and she found out about the boys horrible past. She says that she didn't know how psychologically messed up the kid was when she adopted him and so she should be able to unadopt him.

My big problem with this whole story is that before she adopted the boy, he had already done some seriously bad stuff. She knew what he had done - she knew that he was dangerous around other kids. Yet in spite of all this she adopts the kid anyway. I understand she loved him and wanted the best for him, but a clear thinking adult should be able to see that this kid needs some professional help. She got herself into this and I don't think she should be able to cry foul and get out of it scott free.

Are They Really That Crazy?

Now that North Korea has proven that they have the bomb, they're threatening to use it. Of course, they're also claiming that they're willing to give up their nuclear program and return to six party talks. I thought in good cop, bad cop it was supposed to be two people, not one crazy leader. Not to mention that North Korea has to know that using a nuclear missile would force retaliation that they couldn't defend against.

Gas prices under 2.30!

Gas prices under 2.30!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Finally! (From my usual BJ's Wholesale Club in Derby, CT.)

Mom is reporting prices of $2.50/gal in upstate New York right now. Strange as when I was in college, NY was always cheaper than CT. I think their taxes went up, and ours went down.

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me...

...that Statler & Woldorf (the old guys in the balcony from the Muppet Show) have their own show on Movies.Com? I miss the old Muppet Show, and the movies that were its descendents. Here is hoping this is the beginning of something BIG!

Pro-North Korean View of Nuclear Test

I don't really have time to comment on this or even really sumarize my thoughts in my own head, but I found an article in The Sydney Morning Herald interesting. Not because it was some great piece of work, but rather because it's one of the few articles I've seen that were pro-North Korea and it didn't even come from North Korea. It even describes Kim Jong Il as rational.

UPDATE 1: Lest anyone think I'm pro-North Korea and agree with the article my comment on "or even really sumarize my thoughts in my own head" is more of a "come up with a why I disagree with this article". :)

Pope to "abolish" Limbo?

One of the stranger moments in Dante's "Divine Comedy" is his piece on Limbo - the highest circle of Hell and the destination of the righteous pagans. The idea is that before Christ there was no way to get into Heaven, but that a man who lived a good life without God (like Socrates) would still not be in for any big punishment for dying in their sins. This has long been part of Catholic theology taught to the masses, though there was never any real evidence for it in scripture.

Well, apparently the new Pope is ready to drop Limbo altogether. The Times suggests it is a "marketing decision" to persuade uncommitted pagans in Africa to go with Christianity, versus Islam which promises infants and others before the age of consent go straight to heaven. Somehow, I have to as much wonder if it is more that the current Pope is one of the most educated theologians of the last few centuries, who might not want to retain ideas with no scriptural basis.

Blog Roll

I've gone through and cleaned all the dead links from the blog roll. That means there is some free space available. If any of our readers have some sites that they visit often and would like to recommend, please make a suggestion for consideration.

I can SO relate to this dream

Is I/T Offshoring Finally Over?

So says one study which shows that fewer companies are planning to do outsourcing in 2007, and more have "abnormally terminated" their overseas contracts in 2006. About 5 years ago, I was working for a major insurance company who attempted to cut costs by moving all programming overseas to India. The per-programmer costs were MINISCULE compared to American coders, so it seemed like a no-brainer. But quickly that company learned that you got what you paid for. Low paid programmers never worked more than the 9-to-5. And when the "9-to-5" was Indian time, that meant the company wound up paying BIG BUCKS for American managers who could keep tabs on the Indian programmers in the wee hours of every night. Overall, costs were only reduced slightly, and employee turnover in both India and American went WAY up.

Compare that to the company I currently work for which Outsources nothing, but does hire H1B Visa applicants when American programmers are not available. This company has low employee turnover, lower costs, and a reasonably high level of quality.

Skywalker Ranch Can Finally Have Vaporators!

The more dedicated Star Wars fans among us (i.e. virtually every poster to Mod-blog) may recall that Luke Skywalker's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were "moisture farmers" on Tattoine. All those big machines in the background of the farm scenes were "vaporators" which gleaned moisture from the arid desert air of Tatooine. Ah, the amazing things imaginable in science fiction, eh?

Well, now it appears George Lucas could install them onto Skywalker Ranch! Wired is reporting on a company called Aqua Sciences which has a device which can pull water even from the driest Iraqi areas, to supply our Marines. If this technology is as good as the CEO says it is, then it is only a matter of time before it is deployed in many arid areas.

Of course, many environmentalists will then decry the loss of important ecological "drylands", second only to "wetlands" in their plans for preservation.

Survival of the Fittest?

The People's Cube hits the nail on the head about the differences between conservatives and liberals while providing some comic relief along the way. Although they're dealing in parody, and certainly uses hyperbole, the piece does a good job at highlighting a very deep core difference in the way in which the two worldviews operate.

No One is Safe From the Left Slime Machine

Especially not a moderate like Lieberman. Hugh Hewitt makes an interesting observation about the tatters of the left's credibility, courtesy of Kos.

Pelosi Wants to "Clean Up" Government

Nancy Pelosi does a good job reminding us that the Democrats 1) Haven't learned a thing and 2) Have a real sense of humor. She is salivating over the possibility (She thinks very like possibility) that her party will take control of Congress in November. Her claims about what the Democrats will do if they take power are so funny that I've considered just a few of them below:

Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

Right, she's going to sabotage her own party? This is so laughable as to obviously be voter-baiting. The Democrats are so deep in the pockets of left-wing education groups and fringe environmental groups that they will never be any more free of lobbyists than the Republicans will. Only the rabid fringe of the any party believes that this will be stopped by the Democrats taking office.

Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step.

Right, because the redistribution of wealth is more important than encouraging business.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds — "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

Yes, that's the way to spend government money. On shaky science that hasn't actually proven to be useful. It's wrong to spend money on an endeavor of re-shaping an entire region of the world in the hopes of spreadingfreedomn and peace, but it's okay to use government money to work on abortedfetus's and build up irrational hope in a cure that no one can be guaranteed of.

Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era. Details will have to be worked out, she emphasized.

"We believe in the marketplace," Pelosi said of Democrats, then drew a contrast with Republicans. "They have only rewarded wealth, not work."

"We must share the benefits of our wealth" beyond the privileged few, she added.

More of the Democrats'favoritey Marxist philosophy. Those who have worked hard should expect the government to take from them and give to others. State enforced charity. That is the platform of the Democratic party. "We believe in the marketplace...As long as you take what you earn in that marketplace and give it to others who aren't benefiting from that marketplace."

Instead, she wants to put Hastert and other Republicans under oath and make them say what they knew of Foley's actions, when they learned it and what they did to stop him.

The potential for political gain is clear to her.

"It's an opportunity for growth among women" for the Democrats, she said. "They don't always vote and this could be a motivation."

With married women, in particular, it's a huge issue, she added.

Among older voters, too.

"If there's an ethical issue, seniors take a hike" and abandon politicians they blame, she said.

"If we hold onto seniors we win the election."

Wow! This is such a gimme. Too bad the press won't pick that one up. Notice how she's not at all affected by the moral implications or anything else about the case EXCEPT in how it affects the Republicans politically. Imagine if Hastert came out and said somethingsimilarr? It would be far beyond the pale. And yet, here's the Democratic leader speaking to the press and openly suggesting that she is only concerned about this because of the political gain that her party will receive. But remember, it's the Republicans who are immoral, manipulating, and dirty.

Debating Conservatism

Andrew Sullivan is, in many ways, hardly in a position to try and "save" the Conservative movement. But, that is the task he has taken in his new book. There is a great debate between he and David Brooks about the basic assumptions of Sullivan's book. You can watch the video, or download it for the iPod. I think Sullivan makes some good points, but even more, I believe that Brooks appropriately takes him to task over some of his recent absurd fascinations with comparing Evangelicals to Islamic militants. Overall, a good listen and worth the time for anyone considering the future of the Conservative movement post-George Bush.

The Democrats Do Have Ideas!

Or at least, they claim they do. For all the writing, there is *gasp* very little in the way of ideas being put forward. Most of these are so vague as to not really count as any sort of agenda. Or at least, I'll say that if the President was this vague during the SOTU speech, the Democrats would claim that he hadn't said anything.

Ironically, the one hard and fast idea that Biden puts down? Increase taxes. You have to give it to the Dems, at least they're consistent on that one! Of course, growing up with Biden as my Senator, I know better than to be suckered into his newer "rational" persona. He was, after all, the biggest backer of Hillary's most radical ideas early in the Clinton years. He's bucking to be the number one Democrat but he's little more than a snake oil salesman pandering to the middle.

Pakistan and the War on Terror

For the US, fighting the War on Terror means sending troops outside the country in order to protect the country. It's important for us to remember that in some countries, like Pakistan, supporting the War on Terror means making your country more volatile for the goal of a better country in the future.

A New Kind of "Fake Tan"

Scientists are working on a way to prevent people from using a tanning bed. No, it's not changing the culture to have people not worry about being tan. Instead, they're using a plant derivative called forskolin. Forskolin will cause the body to tan which provides greater protection from the sun. The scientists claim that their aim is to reduce melanoma. These scientists are working on a cream, but others have done human tests with injections. Perhaps they should switch to jellyfish?

What will we learn from the Amish school shooting

I've been looking for something to say about this particular despicable act of humanity since I heard that it happened. It hit me kind of hard since I used to live within miles of where it happens. I've spent many years living around the Amish, so for some reason I feel particularly disgusted by this event. Yesterday I briefly saw a story about how the father of one of the girls that died was offering forgiveness to the shooter and his family - that story has since been pulled, but I found this one that proves to be better.

While all communities suffer grief over terrible things, the Amish are showing us that even though someone external to their situation came in and injured them, forgiveness is possible and necessary for healing. In a culture where "don't mess with my family or you'll get it" is seen as a tremendous statement of loyalty and security, the Amish are once again showing us that the way of Jesus is never easy but always better - love your enemies, forgive, turn the other cheek. While I disagree theologically on many things with the Amish, those things fade to the back when I see them do as our Saviour tells us to do. They make me proud to be a Christian and considered among them.

China Can't Stop North Korea

Or so they say. Of course, the truth is that they have no incentive to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. The Chinese are not our allies and certainly don't have the West's best interest in mind. They are more interested a stronger North Korea because of the economic issues that they would have to deal with if North Korea were to collapse under heavy sanctions.

Prices still falling

Prices still falling
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

This was NOT my usual discount place, hence the smaller apparent change.

Now *THAT'S* a storm

One of the things I miss living out in California is the thunderstorms we'd have in Connecticut. I know they're nothing in comparison to some other parts of the country, but they're more than I have here. For a time, I didn't think we got thunder and lightning in California. Well, in proof that Earth is still the most hospital place in the solar system, check out a photo from the Hubble telescope of a storm on Uranus that would engulf two-thirds of the US!

Time-lapse Music?

R. Luke DuBois has done to music what science films have been doing to nature for some time: compressing a long period of time into something that can be taken in in a much shorter period of time. Instead of watching a glacier melt in science class in 5 minutes, DuBois has taken the hits of 1958 - 2000 and squished them together into 37 minutes. iTunes has the album up for purchase and after listening to the samples, aside from the "hey, this is different" factor, I can't imagine purchasing this album and I have a pretty wide taste in music.

Interesting Quote

My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?

- Charles M. Schulz

Paradise

"Unbelievable" is the only word that some of the Amish family members could say as we stood around the bedside of one of the girls who was shot execution style in Lancaster Co., PA. In the midst of the horror that cannot be quantified, so much confusion characterized the hours and minutes following the siege. Children lay dying from their wounds in various hospitals, as parents were driven hospital to hospital in hopes of finding their children...hoping to find them alive. For the family that I sat with, this was not the outcome. As their child lay dying, they were told that another child in another city was also dying, and that she could be theirs as well. More family arrived in one city, as others were rushed to the second city. All of this so different from the usual day-to-day of the Old Order Amish of Lancaster Co. As I learned of the story, I did not think that it would directly affect me, until one family was placed in my care. As we shared our faith in the ultimate power of God, we found more similarities than differences. I wondered how they felt though, as they walked into the hospital. So many others watched them take the long walk through the hospital and to the ICU, the clothing being the evidence that this family was affected, that this family had a child dying behind the double doors. I also wondered about other chaplains in the other hospitals. I happened to be on-call last night, so I was somehow there in the midst of one family's pain. It was a long, long night, as more tests were done to confirm what we feared. Yet after a while it seemed that this ultimate ending was not to be feared, but to be accepted. I thought of Christ on the cross as he said "Today you will be with me in paradise". So strange, the places we find ourselves; so far away, the places we long to be. I have no words about the man who did this, or the meaning that we could attach to this event. There are no words. Last night I was invited into the sacred circle of those who perhaps normally would not invite a person like myself in. I was told that Amish communities face the dilemma of working vs. spending quality time with children, just like so many other American families. In the darkest hours of the night, all need sleep, all need quiet, all need food and drink, and all need to know that we are loved, and that we are not alone. The young girl who died at my location last night was not alone, and will remain so deeply loved.

Thoughts on a Decent LCD Monitor?

I'm looking to buy an inexpensive LCD monitor so that I can work from home just as efficiently as from the office (and therefore justify working at home). A coworker found a deal on a 17" Famous Brand that seems to fit what I want (at least 1280 x 1024 resolution, though 1600 x 1200 would be nice), 17", and inexpensive. Only problem is I can't find any reviews other than at Tiger Direct, which happens to be selling this monitor. Anyone heard anything about them? Any thoughts on a different LCD Monitor?

The deal can be found at Tiger Direct. It costs $94.99 after rebate.

UPDATE 1: Since posting this, the decided to raise the price to $109.99. I'm inclined to not buy this now just because they changed the price. Note, the rebate didn't change, they just decided to increase the price. Possibly because the item is popular.

Flinging Things Into Space

New Scientist has up an article about a proposed ring that could launch satellites into space. The physics behind it are similar to a particle accelarator could reduce the cost / kg of launches by at least 10 to 100 times. The bad news? You have to be able to withstand 2,000 g's and it takes a couple of hours to launch. Another possible use for this would be missle launches that could hit anywhere in the world. Because of this, the interviewee (Alan Epstein [MIT]) says, "The ring then becomes one of the most important targets on the planet."

This seems to me like you'd find it in a Sci-Fi book or movie.

Why the Left Must Not Win

Oliver Stone is a well known nut job anyway. But I have given him credit for keeping his World Trade Center movie mostly politics free. That's about as far as my praise for him can go, though. Especially after he perfectly illustrates everything wrong with the left's philosophy in this recent piece. The key phrase is classic leftist "reality based" thinking at its best:

Terrorism is a manageable action. It can be lived with," said Stone.

That's right. Terrorism isn't something that we should go after with the intent of destroying. Instead, it is another unpleasant thing that we need to deal with, like rain on a picnic apparently.

The left's ability to delude themselves about reality is truly astounding. That Stone, and other liberals, cannot fathom the vast gulf of a difference between IRA terrorists and Islamic Jihadists shows us just how unworthy they are to take lead of this nation. They have no concept of the people we are fighting or of the stakes at hand if we simply allow appeasement to win. The very funadmental thinking behind this quote illustrates everything that reminds me how important it is that the liberals in this country do not gain the power they crave. Every time I read or here liberals talking like this, it reminds me why I can't vote for the Democratic party in good conscience, even if I do agree with them on some other issues.

Hate Needles?

As my wife can attest, to say I am not a fan of needles would be to put it too mildly. Call it a bad childhood memory, but I try to stay as far away from any type of needle I can. If you're like me, maybe some inventors (Lotan, Tamar, Eckhouse, and Shimon) at NanoCyte, Inc. have the solution: user jellyfish. The idea is that you take the toxin out of the jellyfish, insert what you want injected into the person, and give a small shock to the jellyfish so that it injects you with whatever it is you're to be injected with.

They say that it's painless, but so do those people with the needle in their hand...

North Korea to Conduct a Nuclear Test

The BBC mentions that North Korea will conduct a nuclear test in order to deter the U.S. from invading. There's an interesting side article that gives a look at what position the six countries in the six-nation talks each have.

With someone like Kim Jong Il at the reigns, it's not a pleasant thought that North Korea has nuclear capabilities. That being said, I found two quotes comforting, if they actually will stick to them:

Secondly, the DPRK will never use nuclear weapons first but strictly prohibit any threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear transfer.

The DPRK will always sincerely implement its international commitment in the field of nuclear non-proliferation as a responsible nuclear weapons state.

That being said, they claim that we have declared war on them "through the recent brigandish adoption of a UN resolution."

Let's Make It Official: We Condemn Representative Foley's Actions

Many blogs and Democratic sites are asking the question, "Why aren't Conservatives and Republicans condemning Representative Foley the same way they did President Clinton?" Let's make it official. We here at Mod-Blog condemn the inappopriate, unethical, and likely criminal communications that the Florida Republican had with his underage pages. We encourage the Florida authorities, and the Federal authorities as appropriate, to prosecute if there is sufficient evidence.

There? Good enough? No Republican or Conservative is DEFENDING Foley. The reason for a lack of public calls for action is... action has already been taken. The man resigned before being publicly asked to do so. Any further action is in the hands of the police and the courts. Should Hastert resign? We'll have to see what comes out, but at the moment I do not see this as a huge failing on his part. It appears he simply did know know the depth of the problem.

No Smoking...No Really...We Mean It...

Ever wonder why they have no smoking signs by gasoline pumps? I haven't, but evidently a women in Florida hadn't thought about it. She lit up her cigarette near gasoline pumps and caught herself and her car on fire. I guess this is either a good argument against smoking or one for alternative (Non-flammable) fuels.

For the Star Wars fan who has everthing...

...presenting Duck Fadar! Of course, one has to wonder if this is more a snide commentary on the bathing habits of Sci Fi fans.

File This Under "What Are They Thinking"

I am a sci-fi nut, who believes the odds are good that there is other intelligent life out there, even if we'll never speak with it directly. But even I am finding it hard not to laugh out loud at this idea from the French.

Eurotrash goes intergalactic tonight when two naked television presenters host the first programme conceived for aliens and broadcast to a star located in the Big Dipper, 45 light years away...The TV show has been conceived as an idiot's guide to humankind, or close encounters of the nude kind. The hosts will explain how the human body is created - thus justifying their own nakedness - and will tell about the main elements of daily human life.
Cosmic Connexion will talk to sociologists, scientists and space experts, as well as explain to viewers - on earth and in space - about previous attempts to contact other life forms such as the gold and aluminium disc placed on board the Pioneer 10 probe launched in 1972 and last contacted in 2003.
The station has a clear message for viewing aliens: "We have seen your crop circles. Stop by and say hello."

If there are aliens out there, and they do receive the message, one has to wonder if we are telling them more than we realize about our media-saturated society.