Happy Labor Day

Probably no real posts from me today (although I know not to PROMISE this - you never know) but I wanted to take a moment and wish all Mod-Blog posters and readers a happy Labor Day. I hope and pray you are happy, safe and able to rest. And that you are not facing the wrath of Hurricane Gustav.

Revelation Generation Photos

Yesterday, CRChair and I went down to Frenchtown, NJ for the Revelation Generation (Rev Gen) concert. I thought our Mod-Blog readers might enjoy seeing some photos I got of the event. And who knows? Maybe next year a few of you might come along if you are in the area.

Interesting tidbit for photographers among you. SLRs were banned from the event, so this was taken with the waterproof minicam that I use when biking.

Biking update - August 29, 2008

This has not been the best week for weight loss. After a good ride along the Stratford Beach last Saturday with Mr. and Mrs. Bowhunter (and the Bowhunter babies), my diet and exercise regimen mostly left my own control for several days. Sunday, Mom's employer took us to a Bridgeport Bluefish minor-league baseball game with an all-you-can-eat picnic buffet (I was reasonable, but veggies were not part of the menu). Then Monday we had a coach's meeting for this upcoming year of Bible Quizzing, where birthday cupcakes (with butter-creme icing) were on the menu and it would have been impolite not to have one. During both days, exercise was impossible due to the schedules which added to the inability to bring down my weight. Anyway, enough excuses - or explanations, whatever - the point is my weight stayed pretty much flat this week. Toward the end of the week, I was able to control my eating and my exercise again, so things began returning to my old low. Hopefully, this next week will be better.

Tomorrow probably will not be better, as we are going to Revelation Generation, a concert for Christian rock bands in New Jersey, and again my schedule and my options to eat will be largely outside my control (especially since no outside food is allowed). There is a decent chance, though, that I will have a chance to get some exercise, at least in the form of walks. But Sunday and the Labor Day Monday will be in my control, and it looks like we will have a real chance to get some biking in. We're thinking of trying the Shelton Trail and I just got a book on the rails-to-trails in New England which may broaden our riding options quite a bit. It would be fun to be able to try a few trails in Rhode Island or the other neighboring states. And at least one of the trails is 40 miles long, so it would be a good way to build muscle and endurance in preparation for next year's Ididaride. Please keep praying I stay on the plan and keep losing weight. My target is at least 20 pounds away, still, and ideally I'd like to get there and push beyond it by this time next year.

McCain picks Sarah Palin for veep

In a move that is somewhat surprising, John McCain has picked Alaska governor Sarah Palin for his running mate. I don't know much about the Gov., but this seems like an interesting pick. Strategically it makes sense in that they can now pick up those voters who really wanted a woman on a ticket and are currently ticked at Obama for not picking Hillary. Granted many of those voters really just wanted Hillary and not a generic woman. Nonetheless, this will add some intrigue to the race at the least. The VP debate will be more interesting now.

In defense of Grover

I had never thought of this, but perhaps, Grover is the most tragic muppet of all time.

Gotta love the Mythbusters

This one is for St. Patty whose love of paintball is legendary.

Lockdown your Mac

Laptop theft is rarely an issue for me. When traveling, it is rarely far away from me, unless it is back in the hotel room and safely hidden away. But there are times when I need to leave it unattended for a time in a public place now and then. For those times, it is nice to have an app like Lockdown (formerly iAlertU) which provides a simple car-alarm-like interface for your Mac. You can set it to trigger when the laptop is moved, when power is unplugged, or when other operations occur. You unlock it with a simple password - chosen by you. It can even e-mail you a photo of whoever tried to take the device.

If you needed proof that "digital" is not always better...

...look no further than this article.

There is a commercial about the coming "digital switch" next year for television which brags "You know digital makes everything better." We need reminding that a "digital" solution is only as good as the developer who wrote it and the hardware behind it. I am wondering how many people will be without TV at all next year, when their new digital TVs or digital tuners are load tested for the first time, and the manufacturers stop answering customer service calls.

Protesters vs Police

I have been saying to friends that many post-9/11 reactions need to be rolled back, no matter who the next president is. We have gone too far in our reaction to 9/11 in many areas, and now need to regain some perspective. One of the areas must be the treatment of protesters around political conventions. In 2004, we saw huge new restrictions placed on protesters in the name of safety and protection for politicos. But now these restrictions have escalated to the point that it is impossible for person A protesting person B to get anywhere near them. And the police are encouraged to do whatever is possible to contain protesters. Consider this article and this video from Denver.

Now, Denver has the added excuse of the last Democratic Convention there having turned ugly, and threats from some demonstrators beforehand to do the same. So, I cut them a lot of slack. But the fact is that the Republican Convention will be as locked down, in Minneapolis. Protest is a fundamental thread of the American experience, and more needs to be done to allow it at these monuments of political theater. A political convention where no dissenting voice is allowed is simply a show with no heart and no point.

Runners saves chipmunk, gets friend for life

I know with the Democratic Convention on I should be posting hard-core political news, but I just can't bring myself to care. Instead, check out this cute story of a runner who discovered an abandoned baby chipmunk, saved it, and now has a pet/friend for life. Somehow, I could imagine Bowhunter (especially if Mrs. Bowhunter were with him) doing this.

Cheap Cars to Drive

Two years ago, when I bought a new car, I decided to go for a fuel-efficient vehicle which would give me few problems, rather than the most feature-packed model out there. It has worked out well for me with the spike in gas prices. And more and more it has been validated, as with this Consumerist article that rates the top 10 cheapest cars to drive. My Vibe came in #7.

10. Suzuki SX4
9. Kia Rio
8. Toyota Corolla
7. Pontiac Vibe
6. Scion xB
5. Nissan Versa
4. Toyota Yaris
3. Hyundai Accent
2. Chevrolet Aveo
1. Honda Fit

Those WERE the Droids I was looking for...

Those WERE the Droids I was looking for...
Originally uploaded by contentwritingadvice

This is brilliant. Wish I had thought of it.

Iraqi PM: We have an end-date for American Troop presence

The Iraqi PM is claiming that an agreement has been signed to get the last American troops out of Iraq by 2011.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSLP66354720080825?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

It will be interesting to see how this changes the US Presidential race, if at all.

Drinking Age Debate

The Amethyst Initiative is attempting to get college presidents to sign a petition to have a reasoned national debate on lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18. Those signing are not necessarily saying that the drinking age should be lowered, but rather agreeing that there should be a debate on it. What do Mod-Bloggers think about lowering the drinking age? In some countries, the drinking age is even lower than 18. Is there something about Americans that makes it in our best interest to keep the drinking age at 21? On the one hand, I'd hate to lower the drinking age only to have binge drinking move from a problem on college campuses to a problem in high schools. On the other hand, 18 year olds are allowed to vote and fight in the military. An article on the issue I think sums up the conundrum in my mind well:

The issue for many people is that 18-year-olds who can vote, marry, sign contracts in some states and join the military should be able to drink. We understand the seeming contradiction but can't get beyond the evidence that the current minimum drinking age saves lives.

Every dog owner has seen this

AARP Irony

AARP is being sued for, get this, age discrimination. Brady, 63, says that she has not been able to advance at AARP due to her age.

What To Do With USB Keys

I recently acquired four 2GB USB keys. My plan was to get one from a free webinar I attended and carry it around for transferring the random file. Due to problems with shipping them out which ended with me not getting one, they sent me four to make up for the delay. I now have three more than I need for my original purpose. I know that there are some good tools out there that specifically run off of USB keys. What have Mod-Bloggers run across that would be handy to have? I figure a bootable USB key with recovery tools would be good to have, but don't know enough about them to know what to choose.

Cuban kicks referee for disqualification

He is now disqualified for life from all future Tae Kwon Do events. I am hoping the Quiz Team I coach doesn't get any ideas the next time I am Quizmaster.

Obama/Biden 2008

Capping off a day of "suspense" with the most predictable choice conceivable, Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate.

Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.

Obama announced the pick on his Web site with a photo of the two men and an appeal for donations. A text message went out shortly afterward that said, "Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee."

Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

Be watching today for feigned shock and betrayal from communities which wanted an all-minority ticket at his choice of "another old white guy" for veep.

Biking Update - August 23, 2008

This was a strange week for weight loss. I started at a new low and ended at a new low, but they were only 0.4 pounds apart. So, while there was weight loss, I am not sure whether to call it "significant" or "within the margin of error." But either way, I prefer a small loss to a small gain. :-) And, as I have to keep saying to myself, "When you are looking for long-term weight loss, weight that is slow to melt off is slow to come back." Patience is a virtue because it is so incredibly hard. Or at least that is why it is a virtue that is praiseworthy.

Not a lot of biking this week. Saturday is our usual big day for riding, but instead this week we took Shadowmom down to the Galloping Hill Inn which is a hot dog stand in Union, NJ where our parents used to go on dates (back when it was called "Petersons" after the two brothers who founded it right after WW2). We met Ward, Muse, and Baby E there for a nice day together. Baby E is getting so big (I know, I know, it is required to say this about EVERY baby, even though all they do is "get big") and is far more ready to smile and interact now than when we saw her this summer. Ward and Muse looked great, and happier in their new home. It was a day without biking, but we did manage to get in several hours of walking around Target and Circuit City, and probably burned off several thousand calories trying to figure out the traffic patterns in Union! They say the brain burns more calories than you'd think.

The rest of the week was better for biking, although I got sick toward the end of the week which grounded me for a few days. I took my first long ride around the neighborhood this week. I had been kicking myself for driving to places to bike, since one of the reasons to bike is to save gas. So, I figured I could simply find some roads around the house. Unfortunately, Shelton, CT is a place of busy, winding, and illogical street layouts. So after 20 minutes of biking up hills, around blind turns, and alongside SUV drivers on their cell phones, I gave up and came home, mentally exhausted. I am sure it will improve as I get used to the streets - I have no sense of direction, do I need repetition to build knowledge of landmarks - but for this season, I think most of my biking will be "drive to bike" arrangements. It has been wonderful, though, to feel cool breezes for a change! Our ride home from Captains on Wednesday was downright chilly!

Tomorrow, we're hoping for a ride on the Trumbull Trail or along the beach in Stratford. Here is hoping it is the start of my feeling better, and the next jump-start for weight loss.

Lottery is False Advertising?

I was thinking about the lottery yesterday (State lotteries in particular) and came to the realization that they are even more deceitful than you'd think. Lotteries are usually sold as being good for state education as in Connecticut all of the proceeds from lotto ticket sales go to education funding. But this ignores the portion of the "winnings" that is paid back to the state in taxes. This money is treated as income so it the taxes goes back into the general fund of the State. So in essence the state is funding its regular budget with help from the lottery. The other piece of false advertising is that although you can "win" say $10 Million, after taxes you only get about $5 million. So you are winning the money from the same organization that is taking it back from you. Shouldn't the state lotteries have to advertise what the post tax winning are since you have don't actually receive the whole lotto jackpot from them? (They usually take the taxes out before sending you a check.) an illustration of this is a women in Greenwich who won a $8.8 million jackpot in November of 2007. She just claimed the jackpot this week and took the lump sum payment of $3.8 million after taxes. So by taking that one time payment, with taxes she actually received less than half of the advertised jackpot. This just seems not only unfair, but like fraud to me.

Writer's Note: I do not play the lottery. I discourage others from doing so for many reasons.

Deep Thought of the Day: Is Global Warming real or a product of cultural narrative?

Fair warning, this post will NOT address the science of Global Warming at all. I am not arguing for or against it here, just making an observation about human nature. Feel free to argue the science elsewhere.

I was watching several DVDs from the "Walking with Dinosaurs" series - a "comfort food" of DVDs for me - when I noticed something. The theory of Evolution has driven us to look at history as a series of responses to events greater than ourselves. Over and over again, Evolution is seen being driven by global events larger than any particular species of ecosystem: ice ages, comet strikes, volcanic activity, etc. Each challenge brings out a different set of evolved characteristics to cope (thick fur, keen eyes, large size, etc.) This narrative - of individuals and groups driven by forces beyond their control - has become a deep part of our cultural psyche.

At the same time, there is a different narrative that is a deep part of our cultural psyche which has arisen from the Industrial Revolution. This narrative looks at the transformations of societies, ecologies, and landscapes of the 20th century, and proclaims that there is nothing that humans can not do. There is nothing that we can not modify to meet our own needs. The individual, in this view, is not a helpless reactor to events, but a DRIVER of events as he or she molds the world around them to fit themselves.

Is it any surprise then that a theory like Global Warming has gained ascendance at the moment? It is the perfect synthesis of these two cultural narratives. Are we at the mercy of forces beyond our control? YES! The planet is warming around us, changing the climate, the delicate balance of ecology, weather systems, etc. We are due to be flooded at the coasts, subjected to droughts inland, and expect a rise in disease at the periphery. But are we also the masters of our world? YES! Humans made this disaster by environmental modification, and humans have the ability to head off this disaster (if we act quickly). The warming is due to the emissions of man-made machines and the deforestation of man-made agriculture. Global warming gives us both narratives in a single story, allowing us to view our world thru a lens that perfectly matches 21st century thinking.

Of course, this does raise a question. Have humans ever been good at doing long-term planning based on an idea that happens to match the current cultural narrative? At some momenta, we may say yes. The American founders created a Republic where none had existed before, because of the ideas of their particular moment in history. But at other moments in history, the ascendant syntheses gave us Communism, Fascism/Naziism, Crusades, Empires, and more. We need to take a step back and look at this idea to be sure that we accept or deny it based on its merits, and not merely because it fits the cultural synthesis we have at the moment.

Blasphemous and hilarious at the same time

Fat does not always mean Unhealthy

I am working hard to lose weight and get into better shape, but I found this article on a new study on obesity to be very encouraging. It has found that fat does not necessarily mean unhealthy, and that with regular exercise overweight people can be more healthy than thin people who do not exercise.

Last week a report in The Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among a representative sample of more than 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy.” That means that despite their excess pounds, many overweight and obese adults have healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risks for heart disease.

At the same time, about one out of four slim people — those who fall into the “healthy” weight range — actually have at least two cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with obesity, the study showed.

This, of course, does not let anyone off the hook. If you are severely overweight because you never get up off the couch, you are still living an unhealthy lifestyle. But it offers hope for those who are trying to lose weight, but never able to get down to the size 0 pushed by madison avenue. Regular exercise alone may make the difference between dying young, and living to see your great-grandchildren.

Funniest unboxing video ever

Good tips if you are starting to bike for weight loss

Regular Mod-Blog readers will know that I purchased a bike earlier this year to use as part of a weight-loss regimen. Before I did so, I asked around all the experts I knew and did some research all over the web. It took a while, but I think I got all the info I needed before I bought the bike. (Even if I do ignore some advice sometimes, like stretching before starting out.) But it was nice to find this article which collects all the advice into one place. It is worth a read if you are considering taking up biking in general, or if you are ready to start a weight-loss plan that includes regular exercise.

Drinking fruit juice nutralizes medications?

Somehow this article feels like something doctors will have to retract within a few years, when they regain their sanity. Otherwise, one must wonder how you are to get as many fruits and vegetables as are recommended for a healthy diet, if you can't have any juices while on medication.

Drinking fruit juice dramatically reduces the effectiveness of drugs used to treat cancer, heart conditions and high blood pressure, scientists say.
Research has shown that orange, apple and grapefruit juice can also wipe out the benefits of some antibiotics and hay-fever pills.
It is thought the drinks stop drugs from entering the bloodstream and getting to work in the body - possibly rendering them useless.
The potential effects are so serious, researchers warned, that if in doubt, patients should swap fruit juices for water when on medication.

Gas prices down

Gas prices down
Originally uploaded by crchair

Bowhunter on the Ididaride

I mentioned in the Shoutbox that Bowhunter achieved a milestone with a 75 mile ride at the Ididaride in upstate New York. He now has up a post on his blog about the event which is worth a look. I am hoping some more of us can go along next year.

New "Get a Mac" Ads

There are three new ads up here, but the one below is by far my favorite.

Another argument for low carb diets

Many years after the low carb diet craze kicked off by Dr. Atkins has diet down, I still find that keeping the number of carbs in my diet low has been key to my weight loss. And it turns out there is yet more evidence to back up this kind of eating plan.

Is Michael Phelps really marketable

I find it odd that people are saying the Michael Phelps could earn as much as $50 million in endorsements because of his accomplishments at the Olympics. I don't discount that his achievements are spectacular, but he's a swimmer and in the U.S. most people only care about swimming once every four years. Perhaps swimmers are a much bigger deal in other countries, but I don't see Phelps' value as a marketing device after the end of September when everybody forgets about the Olympics.

Why can't there ever be a DISCUSSION on abortion?

A "eureka" moment for me on the issue of abortion came on a high school trip to a museum. I sat with a good friend who shared my interest in model rocketry, and somehow our conversation turned to Roe v. Wade. We disagreed on the topic, and I carefully laid out the Pro-Life arguments that I had found so convincing. His response? He actually agreed with me, but "It is a woman's right to choose." OK. I laid out an argument for why I felt that particular argument was specious. He agreed 100%. But "It is a woman's right to choose." We spent the whole 3 hour trip having a "discussion" where he would not answer any of my points with a reasoned, logical, or even emotional response. It was simply the mantra "It is a woman's right to choose" with literally no intellectual backing.

This post on Digg.Com has the same ring to me, and reminds me that for much of the abortion argument while the Pro-Choice side accuses the Pro-Life side of being "ignorant and unreasoning", they themselves are not interested in a dialogue. Maybe it is the radicalism that has emerged on both sides, maybe it is the rise of political correctness, or maybe it is something I truly am not seeing. But I am still waiting for a GOOD Pro-Choice argument based on solid philosophical ground. I understand the concerns about rape/incest/life-of-mother. But most Pro-Lifers are willing to compromise on this. In fact, my own Pro-Life position is that this is a morality issue that should be decided on the STATE level and NOT the Federal level.

Is there any hope for a discussion on Abortion instead of an endless stream of invective and recrimination?

I am all for domestication

I love "mutts" and "mixed breeds" but all the "new breeds" are weird

Biking Update - August 16, 2008

Another good week of weight loss. It was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster because the graph was quite sawtoothed (down one day, up the next, then down again) but overall the trend was in the right direction, and I wound up at a new low since the start of the program. I don't have a lot of exciting examples to show off the weight loss, no new belts or major milestones or clothing changes. But it is still a good feeling to be moving in the right direction.

In the area of biking, however, we did have a major milestone. Last Saturday, I rode with CRChair, Nick, and Nora on the Larkin Bridle Trail, a biking, hiking, and horse riding trail that begins in Naugatuck and ends in Oxford. You may recall the last time we were on the trail, we got caught out in a storm that reminded us all of two things: Noah and how much we liked dry underwear. This time, it was a beautiful day with nary a cloud in the sky (which made the largely tree-shadowed trail even more pleasant). We even saw several groups of horse-riders who were amazed to see us dismount when they came near and pull off to the side of the trail. This, of course, is trail etiquette - apparently horses have a great fear of bike riders and have to be carefully calmed after seeing such a ferocious beast. We also spotted a snapping turtle and lots of wildlife just off the trail. The milestone mentioned earlier is that this time we rode the whole trail, from start to finish and back again. This was a ride of 17.4 miles, by my GPS, which is the longest ride we have done so far. This may bode well for Bowhunter's dream for next year to have us all come along on the Ididaride.

This next week may be a bit more dry on the bike-riding front. For her birthday, we're taking Shadowmom down to the Galloping Hill Inn in Union, NJ. Despite the name, it is a hot dog stand. It is a place that she used to frequent when she was dating our father, and full of good memories with good friends. We're planning to meet Ward and Muse (and La Bambina) down there, too, to get some good friend-time in. But it will rule out any trail-riding for the weekend. Which means, I will have to work hard to get in riding the rest of the week. Please keep praying that I stay on the "wagon" diet and exercise-wise. So far, so good, but I still have a ways to go before my goal.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Buchanan on Obama and Abortion

Pat Buchanan's has up a new commentary that chronicles Barak Obama's ardent support of abortion rights through his career. The most interesting piece of information to me is that that 3 times while an Illinois state senator he voted for a bills that would allow doctors and nurses to either kill or neglect and let die babies who survive abortions and are born. Also, Obama voted against the ban on Partial Birth abortions and denounced the Supreme Court ruling that kept the ban intact. I don't mean to turn this into a debate on abortion, but this article lays out how extreme Obama's views on abortion are.

Happy Birthday Shadowmom

Happy Birthday to Shadowmom. In my opinion, the best Mom on the planet.

Surround Sound setup explained

I don't own a surround sound setup for my entertainment system, though I would like to. The most recent episode of Systm was filmed at the Dolby headquarters and answers a ton of questions on the proper setup of surround sound. There is a good bit of technical data that is transfered, but also a good deal of basic information. It's worth a watch if you're at all interested in this kind of thing.

Gas prices

9 DIfficult Truths about Weight Loss

It is no secret that I am trying to lose weight with a combination of better diet and more exercise (mostly in the form of biking). But any dieter will tell you that losing weight is never PURELY about eating less and exercising more. This article does a good job of summarizing some difficult truths about weight-loss, and some facts that may help you keep of the weight you have lost.

Mmmm... Text Adventures on the iPhone

Nintendo has begun releasing its older titles under emulation on the Wii, and has seen HUGE sales. So it is nice to see some developers doing the same on the Apple iPhone. Consider this new app for the iPhone which lets you play ye olde text adventures!

Someone tell me when Hitchhikers Guide is out!

The other side of the Russian/Georgian conflict

A new commenter here at Mod-Blog challenged us to take a different view of the conflict between Russia and Georgia than was common wisdom, so it seemed worthwhile to post a pro-Russian editorial that lays out their case pretty well.

Last Friday, after the world’s leaders had arrived at the Beijing Olympics, Georgian troops launched an all-out assault on the region of South Ossetia, which has enjoyed de facto independence for more than 16 years. The majority of the region’s population are Russian citizens. Under the terms of the 1992 agreement to which Georgia is a party, they are afforded protection by a small number of Russian peacekeeping soldiers. The ground and air attack resulted in the killing of peacekeepers and the death of an estimated 1,600 civilians...

There can be little surprise, therefore, that Russia responded to this unprovoked assault on its citizens by launching a military incursion into South Ossetia. No country in the world would idly stand by as its citizens are killed and driven from their homes. Russia repeatedly warned Tbilisi that it would protect its citizens by force if necessary, and its actions are entirely consistent with international law, including article 51 of the UN charter on the right of self-defence.

Honestly, I don't find this convincing that Russia is being "proportionate" in its response, even assuming all of this is true. But it does a good job, I think, of laying out Russia's perspective on the action.

Flood in Togo

One of the people that my church supports is a native of Togo where he is doing Missions work, They have had horrible floods there recently especially in the city of Lome. Here is the most interesting picture that he sent along to us. Please pray for the people of Togo.

Does the road "belong to drivers"?

I have not been biking seriously for very long - and I suspect most real bikers would consider me NOT serious - but I have already seen and heard a few people in cars and trucks who are quite obnoxious. I have seen riding as close to bikes as possible, yelling at them to get off the road, or trying to make them crash. Not good. Luckily, being a large man (who would leave an unsightly dent in the hood of someone's new SUV if they hit me) they pretty much leave me alone.

It is discouraging to see sentiments like this one even among people with good intentions regarding bikers and drivers.

Cyclists must realize that that the road belongs to the driver and they are merely borrowing it.

My father was a lawyer and had a saying "Right of way is something you NEVER have, but are often required to yield." This is a good concept for all of your time on the road. No one "owns" the road, but very often we are required to give up our position on it out of consideration for others. It shouldn't matter if the "others" are a truck, an SUV, a car, a bike, or someone on rollerskates. Our job as road-dwellers is to keep the road safe for everyone.

What do Mod-Bloggers think? Am I right here, or is the road for automobiles and to heck with everyone else?

1/3 of new homeowners owe more on their house than it is worth

This is not good. It creates a situation that will be harder and harder for homeowners to dig themselves out of debt.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a3uzhDOF9FXI&refer=worldwide

I am reminded of a Simpsons quote which suddenly seems less funny. "[Ned Flanders] doesn't believe in insurance. He sees it as a form of legalized gambling." If you stick in "mortgages" for "insurance", it seems to fit all too well.

Microsoft steals from Flickr (and others) in competition

OK, file this under "truth is stranger than fiction." Microsoft - the be-all-and-end-all of DRM - needed a contest to advertise its own internal photo service. So what does it do? It sets up a contest to get iconic pictures of Britain and then allows entrants to steal those photos from anywhere?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10015266-93.html?tag=nefd.riv

Flickr users are apparently especially up in arms, and sponsor Nikon has pulled its support. Microsoft, on the other hand, appears to be unrepentant.

Russia: War is over; Georgia: Then why won't you stop attacking?

I am reminded of old timey wars today, where major battles happen long after a peace treaty is signed. Yesterday, the Russian president ordered a stop to operations in Georgia, because their objectives had been achieved. But today, the Georgian president is claiming that attacks are ongoing, and that his army continues to pull back.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/12/georgia.russia.war/index.html

Honestly, I think we are seeing a Russia looking to reestablish its empire. It is likely that the "War on Terrorism" is about to make way for Cold War II. If so, it'll be interesting to see how Al Qaeda takes the news that they are no longer front-page news. I am eager to hear/read speeches from Senator Obama and Senator McCain on how they would confront such a radically-changed world.

Obama Fatigue

Recently it seems that people are starting to get tired of hearing about Obama.  Several people in the media have mentioned it and I can't say that I disagree with them.  He does seem to be the all-consuming-force of network news.  The Economist is running a good story on the growing Obama Fatigue that is taking over the nation. 

Mr Obama is undoubtedly an enormously talented public speaker. But his rhetorical tropes can begin to pall, particularly in a campaign that has already gone on for 18 months. How many more times can Americans hear the phrase “Yes we can” without wondering whether they really want to? George Will, a conservative columnist, notes that Disraeli’s gibe about Gladstone might well apply to Mr Obama—he is “inebriated with the exuberance of his own verbosity”.

Olympic Fireworks were CGI?!

This has to count as one of the weirdest stories so far out of the Olympics. The Chinese made a centerpiece of the opening ceremonies a series of "footprints" created in fireworks over the stadium. It was shown on NBC and widely praised as a major achievement. The problem? It never actually was filmed. The whole thing - at least as filmed - was computer-generated imagery.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2534499/Beijing-Olympic-2008-opening-ceremony-giant-firework-footprints-faked.html

Is it just me, or does this smack of the old Soviet propaganda machine? Any achievement is possible if you can simply lie about it in the papers or on the radio or on television. Actually making it happen is secondary. The important part is telling the people it happened, and rubbing the nose of the West in it.

Hopefully, someone managed to get real footage of the event - I have gotten nice shots of fireworks with my little pocket digicam so it would be unimaginable that a studio like NBC couldn't get something. Otherwise, we have to wonder how much else we are getting out of Beijing is really CGI.

How to pick a church

Recently my little sister has been looking for a new church and asking a lot of questions about how to find a new church.  So, I have compiled my thoughts for her in a post on my personal blog.  I'm posting it here for both your comments and in the hope that maybe it can be of help to somebody here.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

What color is the bikeshed?

Anyone who has spent ANY time in business has learned that it is important for any new idea to leave room for the boss to add some obvious enhancement in order to put his/her fingerprints on it or it'll never get approved. This article is an excellent explanation of that phenomenon and gives good reasons why a multi-million dollar project can be approved without comment, and a cheap, simple fix can take months of debate before it is funded.

We all have our limitations

10 great demo tips

This is a great post about how to give a demo of a startup product, but I think that a lot of the tips can be used in other fields - even if you just have to present something.

7. PowerPoint bullet slides are death
——————————————-
Do not make slide after slide explaining your business in bullet points, because it’s really, really boring. Powerpoint/Keynote slides that are not boring include charts, product shots, feature set tables and the like. Things that explain big concepts with ease and grace are great, but bullet points of obvious facts show that:

a) you don’t have the ability to create a compelling story with data
b) you don’t think that much of the person being presented the information

If you ever have to do a presentation, it's well worth the read.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

In case you missed it, Russia is at war...

...with Georgia, a FSU state, over the fate of a breakaway province. Between the Olympics and the American presidential campaign, not a lot of time is being dedicated to this development on TV, radio, or the internet. But it could be very important, historically.

Failing At Fatherhood

I got the following quote a few days ago. Other than being speechless, I'm really not sure what else to say other than his priorities are obviously messed up. It's sad that someone who should be a role model for others isn't even willing to be a role model for his son. Quote edited to make it more family friendly.

"He's how I was when I was younger-but a little sharper... I wanna be [a good father], but it's hard because of the things that I say and the things that I represent. I can only imagine how his teachers feel. Even though I'm talking to him, I'm still just off the other end of the phone. I tell him every time I talk to him that I'm not ashamed of who I am. My son's seen me locked up, [messed] up. I lay around and think maybe I'm sacrificing the wrong end. Maybe I should have sacrificed this for him. It crosses my mind a lot, but I don't know."

- Rapper Jay "Young Jeezy" Jenkins, Vibe, August 2008, pg. 86.

Biking Update - August 9, 2008

This was a fairly good week of weight loss. After being fairly flat last week with the travel-related issues, I lost steadily this week and passed below the next decade in my weight. I am now only a few pounds away from having lost 30 lbs total. Very encouraging! It was also a good week of biking, riding the Trumbull Trail last Saturday, riding down by the River Monday and Tuesday, riding up to Captains Pizza on Wednesday, and day off on Thursday for knee pain/extreme weather. Currently, the plan is to ride the Larkin Trail today with Nick and Nora, if the weather cooperates.

My current weight takes me into a new stage of my weight loss, as I am now back to the weight I was at when I started the Atkins diet about 5 years ago. That was the diet that got abandoned when I had a herniated disk, and had to eat whatever I could get to because I was trapped in a chair much of the time. It is encouraging to know that I am back into familiar territory, and my older clothes now fit well again. I am down to the leanest hole on all the belts I have bought since my back surgery. I'll have to get some thinner belts soon. And I am fitting into suits that I had tailored during the Atkins Diet time. I am still hopeful that I can keep up this new eating plan (smaller portions, little sugar, lots of veggies) better than I did Atkins, so that this weight-loss can be long-term.

The original goal when getting the bikes was simply to ride up to Captains Pizza each week for Guys Nite Out (our friend-time/small group with Nick, St. Patty, and Bowhunter). We are doing that every week, plus a lot more riding as well. I did some back-of-the-envelope calculation and I think I am averaging about 30 miles a week on the bike now, which means I have ridden at least 120 miles since getting the bike and probably a lot more. Not bad. The next goal is to start biking up to Wal-Mart once a week, which is at least twice the distance to Captains and uphill most of the way. If we keep this up, maybe next year we can do the Ididaride event with Bowhunter.

More bad airline decisions

Recently we've been ripping on the airline industry, so in line with that here's a post about an airline canceling all tickets bought on third-party websites that sell tickets. So, rather than making lots of money they have chosen to make no money. Hmm....intelligent.

Olympics on your iPhone (or other smartphone)

If you have an unquenchable desire to watch the Olympics and an unlimited data account on your smartphone, then this is for you. You can combine the two and make yourself so very happy. Plus, unlike the computer browser version, you don't need to install MS Silverlight.

What would an Iraqi withdrawal plan mean to the Presidential race?

Barack Obama has made a cornerstone of his campaign that he is the only candidate out there who opposed the Iraq War from the beginning and who will get U.S. troops out. It has been central to his popularity among the core of the Democratic Party, and was the wedge that got the foot in the door for a rookie senator from Illinois. And, it has been a critical defining difference between Obama and John McCain.

But now it appears a formal withdrawal agreement with the Iraqi government is close. It could be signed in the next month or so, and it would put real (though tentative) end dates for U.S. combat troops and advisory troops in the country.

If such an agreement is signed, how will it impact the campaign? Will Obama see a sudden drop in popularity, as his key issue becomes moot? Will John McCain see a bump in the polls with an end to the War now in sight? Or will Hillary Clinton use it at the Democratic Convention as an argument to overturn the original delegate totals because "facts have now changed"?

What do Mod-Bloggers think the impact of such an agreement would be?

How Do You Back Up Your Photos?

I've gotten to a point where I've almost run out of room on my hard drive again. One of the culprits is my pictures folder. Some of the pictures, such as wedding pictures, I obviously want to make sure I never lose. How do Mod-Bloggers back up their critical photos? Right now, the solution I'm looking at is Flickr Pro plus 2 backup CDs / DVDs. One to be kept here and one to be kept in another location.

On another note, I was happy to find out that if you let your Flickr Pro account lapse, they still keep all of your photos, they just don't show them to you until you renew. My heart stopped and then raced for a few minutes while I worried about that. Glad to have the account renewed with all of the pictures and a free 3 months for renewing to boot.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Free Anti-Phishing Protection

I posted this to Twitter already, but it seemed worth re-posting here. This article is a good explanation of what OpenDNS is and how it can be used to reduce the risk of phishing (i.e. fraudsters luring you to a fake site that looks like a real one in order to harvest personal info).

I installed Open DNS to our Airport this morning, and I must say it is MUCH faster than the DNS servers offered by our ISP as well.

Baby's first Guys Nite Out

Baby's first Guys Nite Out
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

(Sent from my 3G iPhone)

WiFi Comes to Airplanes Again

Delta has announced that they'll be offering wireless internet access on domestic flights, powered by GoGo. Costs will be $9.95 for shorter than 3 hour flights and $12.95 for flights lasting at least 3 hours. Alaskan Airlines and Southwest Airlines are testing a different technology. It appears that American Airlines either already has or is planning on using the GoGo service as well. While having wireless internet in the air would be nice to pass the time, the bigger issue really is battery life. I'd prefer that they actually finished putting AC outlets in every row before they started offering something like WiFi. And at $9.95 / $12.95, would it be worth it to you?

Deep Thought of the Day: A Universe of Laws

It is not uncommon when talking with my athiest friends for them to use the lawlessness of nature as one evidence against God's existence. They point to the randomness and seemingly immoral interaction of predator and prey, rot and decay, death and destruction as evidence that a legalistic God like the one shown in the Bible simply can not be the one in charge. If He were, the argument goes, things would be a lot more orderly.

So it has stricken me recently, while watching some programs on the Discovery and History channel, how profoundly ordered, consistent, and - if you will excuse the expression - legalistic our universe is. Consider animal behavior. As scientists look more and more at extinct animals like dinosaurs, the more they recognize what they see as being consistent with the behavior of animals alive today. Predators act like predators (aggression, territoriality, ambush over long chases, etc.) and herbivores act like herbivores (herd behavior, size over aggression for protection, etc.) Or consider stellar phenomena. While we are recognizing more and more kinds of stellar events, we are seeing more and more how they fit into existing laws of gravitation, nuclear fusion, entropy, etc. The fact is that while there is a huge number of possible phenomena to observe, they are all governed by a small number of "laws" whose interaction produces them.

This seems absolutely consistent with the Biblical God who "spoke" the universe into existence. It is not proof of God, but it is consistent.

Funny, But True Attitude of Most Politicians

From the comic Speed Bump

First Offical Lightsaber Game for Nintendo Wii

The first official Star Wars Lightsaber game for Nintendo Wii has been announce. It will be "Star Wars: The Clone Wars Lightsaber Duels". It allows you to fight in the time of the new movie and TV series. Here is the description:

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a state-of-the-art computer-animated motion picture and television series that bridges the gap between Episode II and Episode III feature films. Under the supervision of George Lucas, Star Wars: The Clone Wars brings a fresh new look to the timeless saga of one of the most celebrated stories and introduces generations of fans to brand new characters as well as classic rivalries and conflicts that delve deeper into the Star Wars mythos. Now everyone can experience the fun and excitement of a Lightsaber fight. Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels immerses you in the characters, locations, and epic duels from the all-new Star Wars animated feature film and TV series. Built from the ground-up for Wii, Lightsaber Duels features an intuitive motion-controlled combat system that puts the Lightsaber weapon in your hand. Mastering the Jedi¿s distinctive weapon is now within any player's grasp."

Congratulations to St. Patty!

Meeting Gunner James
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Our congratulations and best wishes to Mod-Blog reader and friend, St. Patty on the birth of his first child, a son. It was a great honor to visit and meet him for the first time.

Quantity over Quality

This week, I was discussing with a friend the old theory of "quality time" - that it is okay to spend very little time with your kids, if you make sure the time you DO spend with them is significant. He explained how his own observations had shown him that this theory of parenting was clearly wrong, and that he could always tell which kids were most likely to go bad by seeing how much time they spent with their parents on a regular basis.

In the same way, it is good to remember that while we all seek quality, the way to get there in virtually any enterprise is through quantity of time spent. I came across this article which does a good job of explaining why.

Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the "quantity" group was busily churning out piles of work - and learning from their mistakes - the "quality" group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.

I'd strongly recommend reading the whole article - it is short. It reminds us that any enterprise - work, hobby, marriage, parenting - requires the investment of time. Skimp on it, and that enterprise will never grow beyond a certain point.

Biking Update - August 2, 2008

Well, as expected, this was a tough week for the weight-loss plan and for the habit of biking. It was even harder than expected, due to unforeseen circumstances. As mentioned before, we travelled down to Savannah, GA for the wedding of a good friend. While down there, we had the expected difficulties - too much good food, irresistible wedding cake, and lots of sitting around waiting or sitting around admiring the ceremony. I did eat reasonably at most meals, although a little more than I should have, but got very little exercise because of the tight schedule of events for the weekend. What really messed things up, though was the travel home. We were supposed to fly home on Sunday, but were waylaid by thunderstorms from Washington DC to Massachusetts and after 6+ hours of waiting to take off on the ground in Savannah, wound up stranded in Philadelphia. This meant lots of good exercise (walking endless terminals, trying to find an alternative way home) but very little good nutrition and eventually we simply crashed at a hotel after a highly caloric but comforting meal. We drove home on Monday instead, which meant another many, many hours of sitting still and not eating as well as we should. The stress of the flight, along with the exposure to virii from all over this great country then left me sick for two days afterwards, during which I did not biking but mostly slept and slept and... well... slept.

But, when it was all said and done, I did not end out too badly. I was up about 2 pounds from the whole sugary weekend, and I was back almost to my low by Friday morning. At this point, I am back on track and ready to return to the weight-loss routine. I have been good since returning home and returning to work, and we are hoping to get in a good day of biking today. Not sure where, exactly, but we're going to see where the spirit leads. Maybe to an established route or trail, or perhaps to a new road of discover. Please keep praying that I keep up the biking, and keep losing weight!

Hilarity Ensues at the House of Representatives

This is hilarious. The Democrats don't want to vote on off-shore drilling, so they recess for the August break. Some Republicans don't want to recess until there is a vote, so they've decided to keep going. So the Democrats turned off the lights and the microphones. So the Republicans kept going and one Congressman punched a bunch of buttons into the PA system until he got the right code to turn it back on. Then the lights and microphones went dead again. So the Republicans cheered and kept going and sent out a request for a bullhorn. While this started out as a good thing, I worry that it's becoming more and more of a circus and will be look on as foolishness. Still, they haven't done up a picture of the Speaker of the House wearing a diaper like the Democrats did of Newt Gingrich. Original story here, with follow ups here and here.

US Airways Takes Another Step away from Customer Comforts

US Airways announced today that they will begin charging immediately for what used to be their complimentary water, soda, coffee or tea on their flights. Water and soda will cost $2 and coffee and tea will cost $1. I can't really say this is morally wrong or anything, but I think it is poor business. A drink costs them under $1 in materials and on longer flights, the flight attendants aren't doing anything else productive during that time.

Not everything needs a law

For years, airlines have banned in-flight cellular use because of concerns about interference with sensitive instrumentation. Now, finally, the airlines are ready to open up use of some cell phone technology, after hardening their hardware, and now Congress is ready to pass a law banning cellular use on planes because "polls show people don't want to hear people yakking on a long flight."

http://www.itworld.com/mobile-wireless/53980/flight-cell-call-ban-advances-congress

This is a case of Congress doing too much. While I agree that I don't want to listen to Mabel talking to Ingrid about what she had for lunch, I don't want Congress to ban the practice and suddenly also make it impossible for me to check the news via a data connection which bothers no one. Laws are inflexible, whereas people are not.

Please, Congress, do the logical thing and simply pass a law ALLOWING airlines to ban cellular use on airlines, even if the FAA allows it. Then let them figure out what serves their customers the best. Some will cater to talkers, some will cater to those who love silence.