Happy New Year!

We here at Mod-Blog want to wish every writer, reader, commenter, and even the spammers a VERY happy new year. May 2011 be a year of joy, success, and an ever-decreasing number of spam messages.

Nature's greatest glory.

Nature's greatest glory.
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

New Years Eve Sunrise 2010

New Years Eve Sunrise 2010
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Tongues of fire in the sunset

Tongues of fire in the sunset
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

My thoughts exactly on the Snowpocalypse

The Dangers of a Snowstorm

Be careful. It's on the way!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of the Mod-Bloggers out there: writers, readers, and commenters! May the celebration of our savior's birth truly bring you "peace on Earth and goodwill to men".

Did you know you're over $2 trillion in debt?

It is easy to think of "the government" as some vague, faceless entity that is "out there" somewhere. But we have a government "of the people, by the people, for the people" in the words of Abraham Lincoln. And that means, essentially you are the government. Therefore, you are over $2 trillion in debt. And it's only getting worse.

The government's net operating cost, or deficit, in the report grew to $2.080 trillion for the year ended September 30 from $1.253 trillion the prior year as spending and liabilities increased for social programs. Actual and anticipated revenues were roughly unchanged.

The cash budget deficit narrowed in fiscal 2010 to $1.294 trillion from $1.417 trillion in 2009. But the $858 billion tax cut extension package enacted last week is expected to keep the deficit well above the $1 trillion mark for another year.

One wonders exactly what you will do when this debt comes due? I am pretty sure winning the lottery is not an option.

Typewriter enthusiasts... wait, what?!

I may be the only Mod-Blogger who did much writing on a real typewriter before word processors and computers took over. I wrote many of my school papers on a typewriter. And, quite honestly, I don't miss it one bit. Stuck keys, smudged ink, puddles of white-out, etc. I much prefer a word processor - even the old GEOS on my Commodore 64.

However, clearly, there are those who miss those days. And they may just be legion!

McGettigan believes typewriters are making a comeback.

"A typewriter makes you more linear," McGettigan said. "On a computer, 'Let's throw all these thoughts on a page and we'll force an order into them later.' You've got to bring a quiet mind to typewriting."

Matt types all his papers for high school on a typewriter, which his teachers love.

He has a blog, "Adventures in Typewriterdom," and he types his entries on antique-looking paper and then scans the pages into his computer.

He loves the feel of the manuel typwriter, the precision and the permanance and sound of the keys and the bell at the end of a line and the routine of the carriage return. "It feels like you're getting work done," he said. "When I pull that paper out I feel like I accomplished something."

Sunset clouds

Sunset clouds
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Sloths...God Does Have a Sense of Humor

Cloud Computing = Careless Computing?

Every technological advance has its downside. The automobile made transportation easy and democratic, but it also have us car crashes. The telephone made communication effortless, but it also made it that much harder to maintain privacy. Nuclear power brought cheap energy, but also brought the nuclear bomb. The question is always, does the upside outweigh the downside.

The newest buzzword in computing is "cloud computing", where companies offer us services over the internet that reduce our dependence on our local machines. A good example is DropBox, a backup/sync service that saves files online and syncs them across any number of computers and your iPhone/iPad/Android device. Having every file you need everywhere you need it can be invaluable. Google has fully embraced the idea of cloud computing, and has recently released a new laptop with ChomeOS - an minimalist operating system which does everything in the cloud. (It is actually useless without an internet connection.)

Internet pioneer and information freedom advocate Richard Stallman has come out against "cloud computing" in general and the ChomeOS in particular because of the loss of freedom and privacy we give up by using these services.

But Stallman is unimpressed. "I think that marketers like "cloud computing" because it is devoid of substantive meaning. The term's meaning is not substance, it's an attitude: 'Let any Tom, Dick and Harry hold your data, let any Tom, Dick and Harry do your computing for you (and control it).' Perhaps the term 'careless computing' would suit it better."

He sees a creeping problem: "I suppose many people will continue moving towards careless computing, because there's a sucker born every minute. The US government may try to encourage people to place their data where the US government can seize it without showing them a search warrant, rather than in their own property. However, as long as enough of us continue keeping our data under our own control, we can still do so. And we had better do so, or the option may disappear."

Be cautious this upcoming year, because everyone is trying to embrace cloud computing. Decide early which companies you trust, and whether the loss of freedom is outweighed by the convenience offered by this new technology.

Famous last words, "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan."

No really. The Washington Post is reporting that these were the last words of Richard C. Holbrooke, President Obama's chief diplomat in Afghanistan. Our final thoughts tend to be those which have haunted us for some time. Clearly, the inner circle is ready for the war to end. But they can't find a way out, which does not make it appear Osama Bin Laden or the Taliban have won.

It is days like these that I am MOST happy I never chose politics as my career.

Curing obesity... doesn't reduce health care costs

A cornerstone of the new Health Care Reform law (and virtually all Health Care reform proposals) is the assumption that ending bad behavior will reduce overall costs for everyone. It seems intuitive - if treating obesity-triggered diseases is expensive, eliminate obesity. But a new study suggests this is not the case as a longer lifespan offsets any short-term savings.

Of course, we should all be trying to be the best version of ourselves, so no one should take this as an excuse to stop exercising and gorge themselves on sweets. But it is a reminder that we should temper our zeal for policy-making with a humility that admits there will always be unexpected consequences that we can not predict.

Human greed knows no bounds... but shame is there right behind it

This story doesn't require much commment.

A British father faked a burglary at his home and claimed his daughter’s Christmas presents were stolen in a bid to get more gifts from sympathetic neighbors, local media reported Monday...

Unemployed Wood then posed for photographs for his local newspaper with his two-year-old daughter Abbey, saying Christmas was ruined.

However, he admitted the scam to police hours after the newspaper story was published, saying he could not live with the shame of using his little girl.

Crimes like this are always found out, whether thru good police work or thru good old feelings of shame. If you're in a tough spot, don't go to the low road. Ask for help. You can usually find someone willing to step up.

Video of the Metrodome Collapse... FROM THE INSIDE

Hat Tip to @SarrisW for this one.

Welcome to Cyber War I

For years, we have been speculating about what a real "Cyber-War" would look like. We already know that War looks different in the Computer Age - smart missiles, GPS-guided troops, real-time reporting from the warzone, combatants communicating via Twitter - but we have not yet really faced a full-on war between two Cyber Superpowers, in the mold of either World War or the Cold War.

But Wikileaks is giving us a glimpse into what a real Cyber-War is like as anonymous hackers release their ire onto any and every organization which refuses to support Julian Assage's release of U.S. Diplomatic Cables. Amazon, Paypal, MasterCard, and VISA have all been attacked, and there are now rumors of pending attacks on Facebook and Twitter for taking down Wikileaks accounts. Hackers are ideologically-motivated and decentralized - literally spread around the world - so it will be difficult to locate and stop them all. And yet, law enforcement and military agencies have a vested interest in proving they can respond effectively.

In the end, Wikileaks may be remembered not for the diplomatic info which was released - which appears to be more embarrassing than damaging, for the most part - but for the real-world practice it is giving the world for a real Cyber-War. The lessons learned here - both by attackers and defenders - will allow us to harden our defenses for the future, and truly understand just how vulnerable we are.

FYI: The President is NOT your Friend. And He Shouldn't Be!

It is funny how the flow of politics works. Two years ago, the Democratic Party was literally in lockstep, riding the Tidal Wave of the 2008 elections. Republicans were in disarray, and everything seemed to be coming up Donkey. 2010 is the complete opposite, as Republicans are riding the Tidal Wave and Democrats are in disarray. This has lead some prominent Democrats to criticize or even curse out the president, as he tries to find a modus vivendi with the new Conservative majority.

Here's the reality, legislators of both parties, THE PRESIDENT IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. No president is. The whole system is set up to put the branches of government at odds, in order to preserve the rights of the People. So, the Executive SHOULD be looking out for his own ability to govern, and NOT worrying about your ability to get stuff done without him. You've seen what perfect party unity has gotten you - extremely unpopular bills passed despite CLEAR signs that the American people were against you - so maybe it is time for a little disunity to allow sanity to return.

Here's hoping a return to divided government means a return to humble government. And a government where checks and balances are seen for what they are - our most valuable hedge against tyranny (whether of the sinister or the well-meaning).

I miss these days

How can addiction destroy a nation?

In the drug legalization debate, there are many sides to come at it from. Societal costs, difficulty of enforcement, libertarianism, etc. But it is important to remember that addictive substances should also be feared for the distortions they can put onto economies. Consider this situation in Yemen with their national addiction, Qat.

Qat, a mild narcotic plant, is chewed daily in almost every part of the country and is an integral part of the culture here. It has become Yemen's addiction, requiring a steady supply to feed the nation's growing demand.
"The farmers here prefer growing qat to growing grapes," laments Mohammed. "Growing qat makes them more money, but growing it also uses up much more water."...
The situation is so critical that, out of the country's 15 aquifers, only two are being replenished. Some members of Yemen's government have floated the idea of moving the capital, as well as desalinating seawater on the coast and pumping it to Sana'a...
When asked if he knows his country will soon run out of water and what that means for future generations, he sighs.
"The farmers here -- we have no future -- we have to rely on God," says Mohammed. "We only have God's mercy to rely on."

Sometimes the costs on society of bad choices do not end with the individual. These bad choices can easily mushroom and draw thousands of others into a trap with no way out.

Army deploys the Pulse Rifle from Aliens

While technology has continued to advance in the areas of communication, computation, and large scale weapons (like nuclear weapons and drones), the humble rifle has remained largely unchanged since the Vietnam war. No longer. The army has announced the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, a high powered rifle with programmable rounds that can be set to explode at any pre-set range.

It also has the advantage of looking like everyone's favorite prop from James Cameron's version of the Alien movies.

Just sayin'

I just had to share. ;-) For more info on Nanowrimo, click here.

Beware: Facebook can cost you more than your privacy

Always remember, anything you post online eventually be seen by anyone. And often it will be the person you least want to see it. Be wise, be careful, and pretend every private post will be trumpeted from the rooftops.

In anticipation of being laid off, she updated her status on Facebook and wrote:
''I speak for myself when I say WoOOOOooooOooooHOoooOooOoo' it was pretty damn obvious something like this was coming. I'm neither stupid nor naive ... and quite honestly it is the best news ever as far as I am concerned!''
'It was not unexpected. I've just hung on by my fingertips to stick around long enough for a nice payout when they could've had me out long ago without a penny! More fool them! Haha! Xx.''
A work colleague saw the posts and told the bank.
The bank responded by ordering her to take part in a disciplinary hearing, where her bosses decided "to sack Furlong without a penny of the money she was expecting," as the Parents Lounge, a UK website, puts it.

A Wordle (i.e. word cloud based on frequency of use) based on my @Nanowrimo novel. (via http://www.wordle.net)

A Wordle (i.e. word cloud based on frequency of use) based on my @Nanowrimo novel. (via http://www.wordle.net)
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Terror attempt at Tree Lighting

One wonders if plots like this one - apparently run by a crazy loner assisted by overseas terrorists - are the reasons that the TSA and the president are so unapologetic about "Grope-Gate". It is one thing to monitor a whole organization. It is another to watch for a thousand crazy lone wolves.

A Corvallis man, thinking he was going to ignite a bomb, drove a van to the corner of the square at Southwest Yamhill Street and Sixth Avenue and attempted to detonate it.

However, the supposed explosive was a dummy that FBI operatives supplied to him, according to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint signed Friday night by U.S. Magistrate Judge John V. Acosta.

Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a Somali-born U.S. citizen, was arrested at 5:42 p.m., 18 minutes before the tree lighting was to occur, on an accusation of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Cookie Monster Auditions for SNL

This was the first lit Christmas tree I had seen a "real" house, on a walk last night.

This was the first lit Christmas tree I had seen a "real" house, on a walk last night.
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

DSC01106

Happy Thanksgiving!

All too true!

From Townhall.com.

Did Korean War II start last night?

There are two potential regional nuclear wars brewing in the world - North Korea vs South Korea, and India vs Pakistan. We had hoped the unthinkable horror of a true nuclear war would act as deterrents to actual war. It appears we may have been wrong. Now the question hangs in the air - will America abandon her ally at this moment of crisis? Or will we all be spared by a sudden outbreak of sanity in North Korea?

North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island on Tuesday, killing one person, setting homes ablaze and triggering an exchange of fire as the South's military went on top alert...The shooting started bushfires at several places in the hills, he told AFP by phone after fleeing the island by ferry for the mainland port of Incheon.
"Frightened villagers rushed to nearby shelters while others were busy running away and crowded the port to escape," Woo said, adding about 1,500-1,700 civilians live on the island.
"When I walked out, the whole village was on fire," another villager was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying. "I'm at the evacuation site with other villagers and I am scared to death."

The TSA's "Grope-Gate" is strengthening the Tea Party

There are times when President Obama looks like a true genius - parsing and analyzing the national mood with piercing insight. And there are times when he truly seems to be tone-deaf to the American people.

"Grope-gate", the policy of enhanced scanning and invasive pat-downs by the TSA at airports, has triggered a chorus of outrage. It started small, with a few malcontents looking to stir the pot on civil liberties issues, but it has steadily grown as anecdotes about hands down pants, medical equipment pulled out and destroyed, and people being threatened with jail or massive fines for attempting to opt out have filled the news. In light of this outrage, a savvy politician had two choices: (1) decry the bad policy and call for change, or (2) release the intelligence that showed why such intrusions were necessary.

Instead, President Obama has supported the invasive procedures without giving any concrete evidence of their necessity (or effectiveness).

The result is likely to be a Republican Congress even more bold and unbending than would have been seen otherwise. The Tea Party rose with a very simple (some would say simplistic) narrative: "Government has gotten too big and wants to intrude into every aspect of your life." Instead of defusing this idea, the TSA policies give a concrete picture to what "government intrusion" looks like - it is agents taking naked pictures of you and making fun of them, or literally feeling you up and punishing you if you say "No." This, more than anything else, is likely to become to defining image of President Obama's America for 2011. And unlike the economy, it is nothing he can blame on anyone else. It was a policy that was ordered under his watch, for conditions that developed under his watch, and a policy which he has publicly endorsed.

Your move, Republicans. Almost anything you can do or say from here will look like the calm and reasonably approach in contrast.

Happy Birthday, CRChair!

Feel free to leave any birthday wishes here in the comments.

A Trip to See the Bowhunters

Click here to see the pictures of our trip to the Bowhunters. Pictures include those of Camp Mont Lawn which is run by the Bowery Mission, Bushkill Falls, and of a birthday party for their oldest with a clown.

Two NCAA Football Teams to Use the Same End Zone

Big Ten officials have decided to have Northwestern and the University of Illinois both use the same end zone on offense when the square off at Wrigley field. The reason for this strange change is that the teams are concerned that the one end zone was too close to the right field wall at the stadium that is usually only used for baseball. So whenever there is a change in possession that doesn't immediately lead to a touchdown, at the dead ball the ball will be repositioned so that the offense will always be heading toward the West side of the field. This seems like a good compromise that will lead to some fun memories both for the fans and for the players.

Secretary of Transportation would disable cell phones in cars

I try to give the benefit of the doubt to both sides, but there are times when someone says something that simply makes no sense. Consider for this point, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood who is proposing requiring car companies to actively jam all cell phones in cars in an effort to end "distracted driving."

The US government may require cars to include scrambling tech that would disable mobile-phone use by drivers, and perhaps passengers.

"I think it will be done," US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said on Wednesday morning, according to The Daily Caller. "I think the technology is there and I think you're going to see the technology become adaptable in automobiles to disable these cell phones."

LaHood is on a self-described "rampage" against distracted driving, and if making it impossible to use a mobile phone while in a car can save lives, he's all for it...

This means not only would it be illegal to use the cell phone while driving, but it would also be impossible for you or your passengers to use it. If implemented as proposed here, it would also jam data connections (or else drivers could simply switch to Skype) which would mean the end of Pandora or other music streaming services in the car. And, of course, it would mean the end of being able to contact emergency services from your vehicle.

There is a time and place for government intervention, and "distracted driving" is definitely a problem. But let's be reasonable and realize that such whole hog solutions create more problems than they solve.

If you wonder why we call him Bowhunter...

Sadly True

Windows Virus targetted Iranian Nuke Facilities

It is no longer a thought experiment. The age of Cyber-Warfare has begun. The only question is, who created this thing? The USA, Israel, France, Russia? I'm betting there is a tell-all book already written, waiting for the right moment.

The malware, however, doesn’t just sabotage any frequency converter. It inventories a plant’s network and only springs to life if the plant has at least 33 frequency converter drives made by Fararo Paya in Teheran, Iran, or by the Finland-based Vacon.

Even more specifically, Stuxnet targets only frequency drives from these two companies that are running at high speeds – between 807Hz and 1210Hz. Such high speeds are used only for select applications. Symantec is careful not to say definitively that Stuxnet was targeting a nuclear facility, but notes that “frequency converter drives that output over 600Hz are regulated for export in the United States by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as they can be used for uranium enrichment.”

Balancing Priorities

From here.

Windows Phone permanenty modifies MicroSD Cards

Microsoft was known in the past for its attempt to "lock in" users to their products with proprietary file formats and other tricks, that make it difficult for users to go elsewhere. But for the most part, they have changed their tune in recent years, for example changing to XML-based versions of Microsoft Office documents which are easily reabable by OpenOffice.Org and other competitors.

But now, there is news that apparently Windows Phones - lacking internal Flash storage like the iPhone - is permanently modifying any MicroSD cards used in them so that they can never be formatted or reused by any other device.

Samsung have documented the feature for the Focus, saying that inserting a MicroSD card into a Windows Phone can be considered a “permanent modification” adding ”it will no longer be readable or writable on any other devices such as computers, cameras, printers, and so on”.

Microsoft too has warned of the permanent change, though it’s not entirely clear exactly what the OS is doing to the card.

So, if you are considering a Windows Phone, please be aware any SD card purchases should be considered a one-time expense that can't be recouped by reuse. It's a very strange way for Microsoft to have gone.

We salute you!

To any Mod-Blog readers who have served in the Armed Forced, we want to take this Veteran's Day to say it clearly: Thank you for your service. For putting our safety and freedom above your own. For dedicating your lives to others, so that we can live our lives here on the homefront. You are appreciated and remembered every day. But especially today.

Readers are encouraged to leave your own words of thanks in the comments.

You Want to What?

All I can say is "Wow!"

EMBED-Wheel Of Fortune Solved With One Letter - Watch more free videos

Moderation is never easy

We're watching you

From here. My feelings exactly.

Obesity is contagious

This is one study that will come as no shock to anyone who's tried to stay on a diet while hanging out with sugar-loving friends. They have found that having obese friends is likely to lead you into obesity as well.

The more obese friends you have, the more likely you are to become obese, a new study suggests. This confirms previous research that gaining weight may be socially contagious...

"We find that having four obese friends doubled people's chance of becoming obese compared to people with no obese friends," says Alison Hill, the study's lead author and a Harvard researcher.

About the rising incidence of obesity, she says, people have gotten better at gaining weight in recent years, but not at losing it.

David Rand, a Harvard research scientist who also worked on the study, says that the more obese people you have contact with, the more likely you are to become obese.

From my experience, the opposite is true as well - have a few friends working to lose weight or maintain their weight-loss makes you much more likely to be losing weight. Why? Simple - it's easier to exercise together, just as it's easier to pig out together. Whatever you make the center of your social calendar becomes central when you're craving human contact.

I'll do anything... except the one thing you want me to do

President Obama had admitted that the results of this week's elections were bad for him - a "shellacking" is the term he used. Clearly, the nation wants a change in course from the last 2 years, and has handed the reins of the House to the Republicans. But with a divided Congress, compromise and negotiation will be critical. So, what is the president's idea to start negotiations?

To take the one thing Republicans are sure to want off of the table completely.

"At a time when we are going to ask folks across the board to make such difficult sacrifices, I don’t see how we can afford to borrow an additional $700 billion from other countries to make all the Bush tax cuts permanent, even for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans," the president said. "We’d be digging ourselves into an even deeper fiscal hole and passing the burden on to our children."

Obama noted the importance of extending the tax cuts in the lame-duck session, but focused the address on digging in against the full extension sought by Republicans and some Democrats.

Well, clearly the president is eager to take back the "Party of No" label he had previously stuck onto the GOP. Unfortunately for him, I get the sense that many Democratic congresspeople are more ready to compromise in order to win back the electorate.

You're not fooling anyone

From here.

TV Execs hate Hulu

It is no secret that Hulu exists for one reason only - television companies are more afraid of an Apple iTunes monopoly than anything else. But it is still disconcerting to see comments like these from a Dish TV executive which disparage the service as "destroying the industry".

...broadcasters should instead reserve catchup episodes for authenticated TV Everywhere services, and only make them available freely after 30 days. “If people decide that they don’t have to pay for pay TV, then one of the pillars (of the TV industry) starts crumbling,” he said.

The reality is that Hulu isn't destroying the old TV industry, history is. It is now possible to deliver video directly via the internet, on-demand, and that will eventually allow us all to bypass cable and broadcast television. The question isn't how to stop the process, it is how to profit from it.

Just ask NetFlix. Build a better mousetrap and the world STILL will beat a path to your door.

Congrats, and a Reality Check

Congratulations to the Republican Party (and Tea Party) on winning back the House in a historic sweep not seen in 70 years. Congratulations to the Democratic Party for holding onto the Senate, if only by a seat or two.

As all parties settle down to the business of governing, let's remember a few basic facts that will be all-too-tempting to ignore:

1. This was a HOUSECLEANING, because the People believe Congress has been ignoring their will and best interests.

2. This was NOT a mandate for every Republican idea in the hopper. It was specifically a mandate to FIX THE ECONOMY. Let's not get sidetracked onto other issues, at least until people are going back to work.

3. This was a warning to all career politicians - Left and Right - that if the major parties don't get their act together, voters are ready to embrace a Third Party (in this case the Tea Party) who offers solutions and vents their anger. We see no benefit to hanging onto historical party structures "just because".

So, please govern humbly, and be focused on the task at hand. Or else 2012 will look a lot like 2010, but without a happy ending for Republicans.

Here's hoping...

From here

Largest Movie Monsters

Ever wanted to know where your favorite movie monster ranks in size? NPR put up this graphic that shows that although Star Wars may be our favorite movie series, the mighty Rancor is still smaller than a Marshmellow Man.

Ouch. Sadly true over the last 2 years.

All too true!

Is that you, Cap?

British student invents solar-powered fridge

Never let it be said that an Ivy League education is the only element to success. Consider a British student, who was refused a place in an engineering course at her college for lack of qualifications has invented a cheap, reliable, electricity-free refrigerator for the Third World, which is being eagerly embraced in Africa.

Is this the long-rumored Playstation Phone?

Engadget claims it is. I am interested to see how a game-oriented phone fares in the iPhone/Android/Windows 7 Phone/WebOS war. Nokia's NGage did not last long on the market.

Anti-Outsourcing Bill Dies

Yes, I know it is a transparent attempt to manufacture an issue right before a hostile election, but... why exactly is it a bad idea to pass a bill to limit outsourcing? After all, in an economy with millions unable to find work and thousands having given up on even looking for work, don't we want to encourage companies to keep jobs in America?

The bill included a payroll tax holiday for companies that bring jobs back from overseas, ended tax breaks for plants that shut down to go elsewhere, and blocked companies from deferring their tax bill year to year by keeping money out of the U.S.

I have no doubt that overseas workers can do good work. But this seems to be one of those rare cases where a little protectionism might go a long way.

NEVER thought I'd see this on my iPad. (It is NOT jail broken!)

NEVER thought I'd see this on my iPad. (It is NOT jail broken!)
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Will Republicans be a "minor party" in Colorado?

Sometimes a bad candidate is just a bad candidate. But sometimes, it can be deadly to the future of a political party. Colorado may be teaching a hard and costly lesson.

But if Maes fails to get 10 percent of the vote on election day, his legacy won't be the U.N. bike plot warning or the tall tale of working undercover as a cop in Kansas. It will be leaving Republicans with minor party status in Colorado until 2014.

After weeks of declines in the polls, the TPM Poll Average now shows Maes coming in at 9.3%.

As The Denver Post reported back in September, minor party status means that Republicans wouldn't appear at the top of the ballot with the Democrats in 2012 and 2014. Instead, they'll be listed down with the Libertarian, Green Party and other third-party candidates.

On the upside, it would be a golden opportunity for the Constitution Party whose candidate, Tom Tancredo, could give then Major Party status.

Come one, come all!

Red in the trees.

Red in the trees.
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Texas Republican candidate talks violent overthrow

Emotions are running high as we come into the final days of the 2010 election. Tea Party candidates are passionate, and Democratic candidates are desperate. So it is perhaps not surprising that extreme statements are made. But it is shocking to hear of one Texas congressional candidate openly discussing the violent overthrow of government, if the 2010 elections do not bring about change.

In the interview, Brad Watson, political reporter for WFAA-TV (Channel 8), asked Broden about a tea party event last year in Fort Worth in which he described the nation's government as tyrannical.

"We have a constitutional remedy," Broden said then. "And the Framers say if that don't work, revolution."

Watson asked if his definition of revolution included violent overthrow of the government. In a prolonged back-and-forth, Broden at first declined to explicitly address insurrection, saying the first way to deal with a repressive government is to "alter it or abolish it."

"If the government is not producing the results or has become destructive to the ends of our liberties, we have a right to get rid of that government and to get rid of it by any means necessary," Broden said, adding the nation was founded on a violent revolt against Britain's King George III.

Passion in political debate is no vice, but reasonableness is a virtue! The Founding Fathers turned to violence only AFTER trying every other possible remedy. It was only two years ago that Republicans controlled the Federal government. We have plenty of remedies left. (And "losing a valid election" is NOT evidence of tyranny.)

Found online and posted without further comment

Pentagon wined and dined the Enemy

It was hard to tell friend from foe in the dark days following 9/11/2001. America's illusion of invulnerability was shattered, and we were desperate to prosecute the attackers while simultaneously reaching out to moderate Muslims. It appears in the rush to reach out, the Pentagon may have invited in the man who is now at the top of the CIA's kill-or-capture list for dinner. And it appears that if they had only asked the CIA at the time, they'd have known it was a bad idea.

Awlaki "was considered to be an 'up and coming' member of the Islamic community. After her vetting, Aulaqi (Awlaki) was invited to and attended a luncheon at the Pentagon in the secretary of the Army's Office of Government Counsel."

Awlaki, a Yemeni-American who was born in Las Cruces, N.M., was interviewed at least four times by the FBI in the first week after the attacks because of his ties to the three hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Hani Hanjour. The three hijackers were all onboard Flight 77 that slammed into the Pentagon.

Awlaki is now believed to be hiding in Yemen after he was linked to the alleged Ft. Hood shooter Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who e-mailed Awlaki prior to the attack.

Yet more evidence that our issue is not knowing our enemy, but that the various branches of the military, intelligence, and law enforcement disciplines are unwilling or unable to share information. And there is little evidence that the DHS has helped much.

PA Democrat admits sponsoring Tea Party spoiler

CRChair had previously brought to our attention a scheme by NJ Democrats to split the Connservative vote by getting a fake Tea Party Candidate onto the ballot. Now, a Pennsylvania Democrat has admitted doing the same. It is a sign of the depth of the Democratic Party's panic over their fortunes on November 2, that their only hope is to provide more Conservative alternatives.

Bryan Lentz, the Democratic nominee running for the seat being vacated by Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), said he knew that volunteers from his campaign helped Tea Party candidate Jim Schneller.

"If somebody's already made the decision to run, I didn't think that 'helping' with the process of signature petitions was improper," Lentz told told the Delaware County Daily Times editorial board in an interview.

Lentz said he could not remember when he learned of his volunteers' work on behalf of Schneller, but he said, "I didn't think it was a bad thing for the process or for my candidacy."

Why does this remind me of Nokia?

New England Foliage

I am home sick today, and not up to any in-depth political or technophile analysis. Instead, here are some photos of the Autumn foliage surrounding us up here in New England.

German businessman bypasses incandescent bulb ban

California has banned incandescent bulbs in an attempt to force consumers toward more energy-efficient alternatives like CFL or LED bulbs. Europe has done the same, but one business found a way around the ban by embracing the inefficiency of the bulbs and reclassifying them from "light sources" to "heat sources".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101015/od_nm/us_germany_heatballs

This is why regulating for non-criminal behavior is a losing game. A smart human will always find a way around the law if they are motivated enough, and there is no moral component to hold them back.

Voters voting against Health Care Reform Bill

Wondering how the Democratic Health Reform Bill is being judged by voters? Nearly everyone who switched sides to get it passed is seeing themselves anywhere from "at risk" to "no hope of victory".

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Dems-find-careers-threatened-by-Obamacare-votes-1228371-105059824.html

Found online and posted without further comment

Check the forecast in Hades...

...it just may be snowing. Verizon has announced they will be selling iPads! The trick is they'll be Wifi iPads bundled with Verizon Mifis. A very cool idea, and likely a hot seller for Christmas.

http://www.9to5mac.com/30465/verizon-gets-ipad-october-28th?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+9To5Mac-MacAllDay+%289+to+5+Mac+-+Apple+Intelligence%29

Are any Mod-Bloggers tempted?

So Happy Together

A friends baby and cat share a nap.