Friday, May 29, 2009
The Surge Is Working (for Turkish Hackers)!
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/federal/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700619
Thank You For Your US Visit- Insert Retina In Slot...
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/104310,homeland-security-to-scan-fingerprints-of-travellers-exiting-the-us.aspx
Hello From Wikipedia, Tom Cruise...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/29/wikipedia_bans_scientology/
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Memory Cards
They have a humiliation procedure called "cut for Wally" when we play bridge:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/health/research/22brain.html?pagewanted=1&em
For the inverse reason, they won't play poker with me... :)
(Also, in other games, the sotto voce comment comes: Crap! This is one of the games Wally pays attention to!)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/health/research/22brain.html?pagewanted=1&em
For the inverse reason, they won't play poker with me... :)
(Also, in other games, the sotto voce comment comes: Crap! This is one of the games Wally pays attention to!)
Airport-City Rail Links
Common sense:
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-05-25-rail-lines-airport-city-center_N.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-05-25-rail-lines-airport-city-center_N.htm
Getting Your Hands Dirty
My job requires mental and hands-on physical effort every day.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?em
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html?em
Jack Tells It Straight To Blunt
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/C46CA28468940890862575C1007F2A24?OpenDocument
God Help The US Army
O Dear, Sweet Jesus. Please, no:
http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/22/2228245
http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/22/2228245
Gotta Love That Russian Space Co-Operation...
and we traded the supercollider for the ISS:
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/23/1131229
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/23/1131229
I Have Never Said This :)
Like for the last five years or so:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20090523_2195.php
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20090523_2195.php
The Surge Is Working
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1900842,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner
Friday, May 22, 2009
Vraiment?
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Mancow-Takes-on-Waterboarding-and-Loses.html
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/08/hitchens200808
News: Liberty University HAD A Democratic Party Club
Now, the (Jerry Falwell's) university is closing it. No suppression of free speech, nobody lost an election, move along:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/05/liberty-u-pulls-plug-on-campus-democratic-club.html?loc=interstitialskip
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/05/liberty-u-pulls-plug-on-campus-democratic-club.html?loc=interstitialskip
Wonderfully Balanced and Nuanced Fark.com Political Thread
http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4402508&cpp=1
SIUE Scammed
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/04603657B2B3FEED862575BD0052A56C?OpenDocument
Knew I Needed A Video Cam Back In the 80's...
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/21/plane.leak/index.html
4T Demographic Sign
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/05/22/garden.city.kansas.minorities/index.html
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Observations 19 MAY 2009
Most years, I can sense the day that the seasons change. This spring has been so long, gloomy, rainy, and filled with illness, I have not felt it to be truly spring. Like Lucy And The Football, the string of nice days beginning last week was simply too good to be believed. Lucy would yank the football away, and, we would be miserable again.
Today, I started feeling better about it being finally spring. I saw fireflies. Max has had a great set of walks, over which I can slowly relax. (He had his $200 annual exam Saturday, blood panels are still waiting). Tropospheric ducting is starting to occur now, and with it, more DX openings. I may even get around to revising my frequency spreadsheets with new data, as I'm finally feeling I can see TVDX and reach 2M/70 cm contacts. Quite depressing, for mid-May, until now.
You can see the drawn faces at work, tired from both the economy and the bad spring. Many others have been ill, as well.
One of my church study group members is itching to play the markets again. Usually, that's a sign to stay the hell out. (Sorry, TCBY). I also got to chair, for the second time, last week. To say that the format was looser would be an understatement....
On the old board, one side refuses to concede that they've lost, and the other (partially) refuses to concede that government/politics/money/philosophy/life is not as neat, now that they are back in power. Everything devolves into a Philosophy 101/Partisan Pissing Match. The Heat Death of the Universe will occur before they STFU and GBTW.
Most unfortunately, I have to Go Back To Work. The madness continues.
Today, I started feeling better about it being finally spring. I saw fireflies. Max has had a great set of walks, over which I can slowly relax. (He had his $200 annual exam Saturday, blood panels are still waiting). Tropospheric ducting is starting to occur now, and with it, more DX openings. I may even get around to revising my frequency spreadsheets with new data, as I'm finally feeling I can see TVDX and reach 2M/70 cm contacts. Quite depressing, for mid-May, until now.
You can see the drawn faces at work, tired from both the economy and the bad spring. Many others have been ill, as well.
One of my church study group members is itching to play the markets again. Usually, that's a sign to stay the hell out. (Sorry, TCBY). I also got to chair, for the second time, last week. To say that the format was looser would be an understatement....
On the old board, one side refuses to concede that they've lost, and the other (partially) refuses to concede that government/politics/money/philosophy/life is not as neat, now that they are back in power. Everything devolves into a Philosophy 101/Partisan Pissing Match. The Heat Death of the Universe will occur before they STFU and GBTW.
Most unfortunately, I have to Go Back To Work. The madness continues.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Bill Actually Funny
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22493.html
Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday that Dick Cheney
could use some "target practice" after being asked to respond to the former vice president's criticisms of the Obama administration.
"I wish him well," Clinton said in interview with CNN following a campaign stop for Terry McAuliffe, who Clinton picked as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is now running for governor in Virginia.
Seeming to refer to the Bush administration, Clinton said "it's over."
Before turning away from the cameras and back to the rope line, the former president said of Cheney: "I do hope he gets some more target practice before he goes out again," a reference to the 2006 quail hunt during which when then Vice President Cheney accidentally shot another hunter.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22493.html#ixzz0FVgOePPh&B
Former President Bill Clinton said Wednesday that Dick Cheney
could use some "target practice" after being asked to respond to the former vice president's criticisms of the Obama administration.
"I wish him well," Clinton said in interview with CNN following a campaign stop for Terry McAuliffe, who Clinton picked as chairman of the Democratic National Committee and is now running for governor in Virginia.
Seeming to refer to the Bush administration, Clinton said "it's over."
Before turning away from the cameras and back to the rope line, the former president said of Cheney: "I do hope he gets some more target practice before he goes out again," a reference to the 2006 quail hunt during which when then Vice President Cheney accidentally shot another hunter.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22493.html#ixzz0FVgOePPh&B
Evil DRM Agenda, Explained
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4020/pc_game_piracy_why_bother_with_.php
I *Never* Predicted This... :)
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1898166,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner
Another Reason Why I Didn't Go Into Commercial Aviation
They are treated as slaves:
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/14/testimony-indicates-fatigue-possible-factor-in-plane-crash-near-buffalo/
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/14/testimony-indicates-fatigue-possible-factor-in-plane-crash-near-buffalo/
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
For All You Guys That Picked VHF- High
It.
Ain't.
Cutting.
It.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=756148&formid=911&q_num=5200
Ain't.
Cutting.
It.
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=756148&formid=911&q_num=5200
What Could Happen To Some Of My Former Debate Opponents
I ask the participants of Free Republic to enlist, as well:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22449.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22449.html
The Pakistani Nuclear Surge Is Working!
They are not even bothering to hide them:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30648446/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30648446/
If Only We Could Read Those Signs In Russian That They Left Behind...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30708678/
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Surge Is Working!
there is no PTSD:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/11/iraq.violence/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/11/iraq.violence/index.html
Score One For The Badger!
Jackass Ex-UNM boss canned from White House post after frak-up:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hBGKBTkNHi5jtbPeSfeH1m4_FQZgD982HKBG0
White House aide resigns over NYC flyover
By PHILIP ELLIOTT – 2 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House official who authorized a $328,835 photo-op of an Air Force jet used by the president soaring above New York City resigned under fire Friday as the administration tried to move past the embarrassing incident that sent panicked workers rushing into the streets amid flashbacks of Sept. 11.
As former Army Secretary Louis Caldera took the fall for the flyover, the White House released the findings of an internal investigation that portrayed him as out of the loop in a cycle of missed messages and questionable judgments as plans for the photo shoot proceeded.
Caldera said he didn't know the plane, known as Air Force One when the president is on board, would fly at 1,000 feet during the April 27 photo promotion, according to the investigation findings. He also failed to read an e-mail message describing the operation and seemed unaware of the potential for public fear, the findings said.
Local officials had been notified in advance. But it was a shock to New Yorkers who looked up to see the Boeing 747 and its fighter jet escort flying near the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan's financial district, a terrifying reminder of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in which jets brought down the two towers of the World Trade Center.
The Federal Aviation Administration told local officials in advance of the flight, but asked them not to disclose it to the public, the White House report said. There was a prepared statement for the FAA's New York regional office and for the Air Force in Washington to release if anyone called to ask about the flight.
In his resignation letter, released by the White House, Caldera said the controversy had "made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office," which is responsible for presidential aircraft. "Moreover, it has become a distraction in the important work you are doing as president," he wrote in the letter addressed to President Barack Obama.
Last month, Obama called the flight a mistake and vowed it would not be repeated. Obama had no statement Friday; White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president had accepted Caldera's resignation.
Caldera's office approved the photo-op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts. The Air Force estimated the photo shoot cost taxpayers $328,835.
White House officials said the purpose of the flight was to update the official photo of the plane. In releasing its report and the resignation letter, the White House also released a photo of the blue-and-white plane high above the Statue of Liberty, with New Jersey in the background.
The White House report, which did not address officials' conduct outside the White House, portrayed Caldera as deaf to concerns. After the flight, Caldera met with top administration officials and was asked if the White House had been notified. "The director responded yes, someone had mentioned it to him," according to the report.
Later in the meeting, a White House official presented Caldera a letter accepting responsibility. He made some edits and took responsibility because he thought it was the "standup thing to do."
The White House report also indicated the operation was packed with potential opportunities for administration officials to call it off.
Deputy military director George Mulligan said he first told Caldera about the proposed photo shoot on April 20 — a week before it was scheduled to take place. The same aide also said Caldera should notify deputy chief of staff Jim Messina because it was an unusual move.
Caldera told officials he didn't recall the conversation. Ultimately, Caldera didn't tell Messina or Gibbs. "When asked why he failed to do so, he did not offer a coherent explanation," according to the report.
Caldera also told officials that he didn't read an e-mail detailing the flyover plans until it was over. Mulligan, Caldera's second-in-command, sent him an e-mail message on April 24 advising him again to tell Messina and Gibbs about the photo shoot.
Caldera said he hadn't seen the e-mail because he has two official accounts. He also said he was suffering from severe muscle aches and had been prescribed pain medication.
The report said Mulligan believed "the breakdown was the lack of public notification." Col. Scott Turner, head of the White House military office's presidential airlift group, said "the FAA had taken the lead on public affairs and coordination," according to the report.
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown declined to comment.
Friday's release is hardly the end of the matter for the White House. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a review at the Pentagon; the Air Force is conducting its own review as well.
In a May 5 letter to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Gates apologized for the incident, saying "we deeply regret the anxiety and alarm that resulted from this mission."
McCain posted the letter on his Web site Friday.
"I am concerned that this highly public and visible mission did not include an appropriate review and approval by senior Air Force and (Department of Defense) officials," Gates wrote.
Gibbs said Obama has ordered a review of how the White House Military Office is set up, and how it reports to the White House and the Air Force.
That review, to be conducted by Messina and Gates, will also offer recommendations to Obama designed to ensure that such an incident will not happen again, Gibbs said.
When Obama appointed Caldera, who was Army secretary in the Clinton administration, he said: "I know he'll bring to the White House the same dedication and integrity that have earned him the highest praise in every post."
Caldera's resignation takes effect May 22, but he is done at the White House Military Office. He said he will use the two weeks of his employment to complete the necessary steps to leave the White House.
Associated Press Writer Michael J. Sniffen contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hBGKBTkNHi5jtbPeSfeH1m4_FQZgD982HKBG0
White House aide resigns over NYC flyover
By PHILIP ELLIOTT – 2 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House official who authorized a $328,835 photo-op of an Air Force jet used by the president soaring above New York City resigned under fire Friday as the administration tried to move past the embarrassing incident that sent panicked workers rushing into the streets amid flashbacks of Sept. 11.
As former Army Secretary Louis Caldera took the fall for the flyover, the White House released the findings of an internal investigation that portrayed him as out of the loop in a cycle of missed messages and questionable judgments as plans for the photo shoot proceeded.
Caldera said he didn't know the plane, known as Air Force One when the president is on board, would fly at 1,000 feet during the April 27 photo promotion, according to the investigation findings. He also failed to read an e-mail message describing the operation and seemed unaware of the potential for public fear, the findings said.
Local officials had been notified in advance. But it was a shock to New Yorkers who looked up to see the Boeing 747 and its fighter jet escort flying near the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan's financial district, a terrifying reminder of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in which jets brought down the two towers of the World Trade Center.
The Federal Aviation Administration told local officials in advance of the flight, but asked them not to disclose it to the public, the White House report said. There was a prepared statement for the FAA's New York regional office and for the Air Force in Washington to release if anyone called to ask about the flight.
In his resignation letter, released by the White House, Caldera said the controversy had "made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office," which is responsible for presidential aircraft. "Moreover, it has become a distraction in the important work you are doing as president," he wrote in the letter addressed to President Barack Obama.
Last month, Obama called the flight a mistake and vowed it would not be repeated. Obama had no statement Friday; White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president had accepted Caldera's resignation.
Caldera's office approved the photo-op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts. The Air Force estimated the photo shoot cost taxpayers $328,835.
White House officials said the purpose of the flight was to update the official photo of the plane. In releasing its report and the resignation letter, the White House also released a photo of the blue-and-white plane high above the Statue of Liberty, with New Jersey in the background.
The White House report, which did not address officials' conduct outside the White House, portrayed Caldera as deaf to concerns. After the flight, Caldera met with top administration officials and was asked if the White House had been notified. "The director responded yes, someone had mentioned it to him," according to the report.
Later in the meeting, a White House official presented Caldera a letter accepting responsibility. He made some edits and took responsibility because he thought it was the "standup thing to do."
The White House report also indicated the operation was packed with potential opportunities for administration officials to call it off.
Deputy military director George Mulligan said he first told Caldera about the proposed photo shoot on April 20 — a week before it was scheduled to take place. The same aide also said Caldera should notify deputy chief of staff Jim Messina because it was an unusual move.
Caldera told officials he didn't recall the conversation. Ultimately, Caldera didn't tell Messina or Gibbs. "When asked why he failed to do so, he did not offer a coherent explanation," according to the report.
Caldera also told officials that he didn't read an e-mail detailing the flyover plans until it was over. Mulligan, Caldera's second-in-command, sent him an e-mail message on April 24 advising him again to tell Messina and Gibbs about the photo shoot.
Caldera said he hadn't seen the e-mail because he has two official accounts. He also said he was suffering from severe muscle aches and had been prescribed pain medication.
The report said Mulligan believed "the breakdown was the lack of public notification." Col. Scott Turner, head of the White House military office's presidential airlift group, said "the FAA had taken the lead on public affairs and coordination," according to the report.
FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown declined to comment.
Friday's release is hardly the end of the matter for the White House. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a review at the Pentagon; the Air Force is conducting its own review as well.
In a May 5 letter to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Gates apologized for the incident, saying "we deeply regret the anxiety and alarm that resulted from this mission."
McCain posted the letter on his Web site Friday.
"I am concerned that this highly public and visible mission did not include an appropriate review and approval by senior Air Force and (Department of Defense) officials," Gates wrote.
Gibbs said Obama has ordered a review of how the White House Military Office is set up, and how it reports to the White House and the Air Force.
That review, to be conducted by Messina and Gates, will also offer recommendations to Obama designed to ensure that such an incident will not happen again, Gibbs said.
When Obama appointed Caldera, who was Army secretary in the Clinton administration, he said: "I know he'll bring to the White House the same dedication and integrity that have earned him the highest praise in every post."
Caldera's resignation takes effect May 22, but he is done at the White House Military Office. He said he will use the two weeks of his employment to complete the necessary steps to leave the White House.
Associated Press Writer Michael J. Sniffen contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Living Through An Extinction Level Event For Media
http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking-the-unthinkable/
Freezing Pensions
http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/retirement/2009-05-11-more-companies-freeze-pensions_N.htm
Purina Building Doggie Show Arena
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/92E9EBDF0F0735EF862575B0008199DB?OpenDocument
It Was Stupid, they Knew It, And they Went Ahead And Did It Anyway
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/education/story/59F8BB642DD01DAC862575B1001A45A1?OpenDocument
Open Source Textbooks
Eat this, college bookstores:
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/10/1815215
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/10/1815215
The New Conservative Party
Not like I've been predicting this for three years over on the old board or anything:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22340.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22340.html
Last Hubble Service Call
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/10/AR2009051001513.html
Greatest GOP Recruiter EVAR!
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/11/cheney-powell-no-longer-a-republican/#more-51072
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/04/21/cheney/index.html
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/05/11/cheney/index.html
and, in Ohio:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22341.html
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/04/21/cheney/index.html
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/05/11/cheney/index.html
and, in Ohio:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22341.html
Friday, May 8, 2009
Education Woes
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/0C4D8933A9AA4F7B862575AF00831654?OpenDocument
Not Like I Could Have Told Them About This
they could have just read Kipling, too:
http://www.slate.com/id/2217900/
http://www.slate.com/id/2217900/
For My Debate Opponents At The Old Forum
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-nickolas/gops-growing-minority-sta_b_199069.html
For My Debate Opponents At The Old Forum
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/liberal.republicans/index.html
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Darth Sidious, In Seven Perspectives
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1003995-1,00.html
So, You Really Want To Be On Facebook?
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895740,00.html
For My Former Debate Opponents, With Love
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1896588,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-cnnpartner
Rush Takes Colin Powell Off His Facebook List
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/05/07/limbaugh-to-powell-become-a-democrat-2/
Ah, Rush, the latest response to "go become a Democrat" has been "OK, no problem"...
Ah, Rush, the latest response to "go become a Democrat" has been "OK, no problem"...
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tech Flamewar Bait
http://www.infoworld.com/d/adventures-in-it/true-believers-biggest-cults-in-tech-433?page=0,0
I Told You So
Jerry will love this:
http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2009/05/03/end-personal-finance?page=full
http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2009/05/03/end-personal-finance?page=full
Monday, May 4, 2009
And You Thought Tokyo Had It Bad With Godzilla
http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/05/03/1751250
GHCQ Building Mass Surviellance Facility
The Brit version of the NSA Thinks Big:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/03/gchq_mti/
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/03/gchq_mti/
Texting-Why 160 Characters?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/05/invented-text-messaging.html
The Seven Deadlies, Mapped For The US
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/mar/26/one-nation-seven-sins/
Notice how The South maps out for Lust, Pride, Wrath, and Envy... :)
Notice how The South maps out for Lust, Pride, Wrath, and Envy... :)
Friday, May 1, 2009
SecDef Gates Cancels Major Parts Of FCS
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-04-30-vehicles_N.htm
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