The Roadrunner would be proud

What could be more fun than launching anvils?

Coins from a dead man's eyes

Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.

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High-speed Digital

If you have $200,000+ available then test out the new Weisscam HS-2.

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It does 4000fps at 720p and 2000fps at 1080p

The perfect computer memory

ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY, an organisation that carries out research for the US Department of Energy, have discovered materials that could have far reaching implications for the electronics industry.
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It's in the field of electro-magnetic memory where these materials may find a home in the coming years. Memory chips based on multiferroics could theoretically offer static memory that doesn't require constant refreshing, holds data over loss of power and is fast to both write and read... the holy grail of computer memory.

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Web surfing is good for the brain?

Adults with little Internet experience show changes in their brain activity after just one week online, a new study finds.

The results suggest Internet training can stimulate neural activation patterns and could potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults.

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The Funeral

My father no longer gasps and struggles. He departed this temporary home on September 29th and we laid his bones to rest on October 2nd.

The visitation and funeral provided me the opportunity to see friends from my old hometown that I had not seen in decades.

My brother in law is a former minister and did an excellent job presiding.

The former preachers wife from my hometown church sang beautifully. It was truly stunning.

A former co-worker of my father and several grandchildren offered some inspirational, personal memorials.

My thanks to everyone who was there to say goodbye to Daddy.

A Summary of Pop Culture

Border patrol cuts!

Even though the Border Patrol now reports that almost 1,300 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border is not under effective control, and the Department of Justice says that vast stretches of the border are “easily breached,” and the Government Accountability Office has revealed that three persons “linked to terrorism” and 530 aliens from “special interest countries” were intercepted at Border Patrol checkpoints last year, the administration is nonetheless now planning to decrease the number of Border Patrol agents deployed on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Why don't we just open the border? Why continue pretending that anyone in authority is actually concerned about borders?

As sovereignty dissolves

From an Imprimis article by Jeremy Rabkin

Where does this trend away from the sovereignty of national constitutions lead? I do not think the danger is a world tyranny. I think that idea is fantastical. Rather what it will lead to, I think, is an undermining of the idea that national governments can protect people, with the result that people will start looking for defense elsewhere. We saw this in an extreme way in Iraq when it collapsed into chaos before the surge, and people looked for protection to various ethnic or sectarian militias. A similar phenomenon can be seen today in Europe with the formation of various separatist movements. We’re even hearing loud claims for Scottish independence.

I hope he's right about the 'world tyranny' thing.

South Carolina 16 - Ole Miss 10

Guess Ole Miss wasn't really a #4 team after all.

Dollars? For what? Wallpaper?

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed concern as early as March over the safety of his country's huge US bond holdings now worth more than 800 billion dollars, making it the largest creditor to the United States.

Then, Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, who supervises more than two trillion dollars worth of dollar reserves, the world's largest, raised the stakes by calling for a new reserve currency in place of the dollar.

We can accuse the Chinese of doing a lot weird and senseless things but they ain't stupid. The US is on a debt path that absolutely can not be sustained and the Chinese know it. They believe the dollar is seriously in danger of becoming worthless and they could be right.

Follow the rules please

"Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow," Obama said.

Well who would of thought that Iran would break the rules?

Hmm, hmm, hmm

Lots of oil

The oil industry has been on a hot streak this year, thanks to a series of major discoveries that have rekindled a sense of excitement across the petroleum sector, despite falling prices and a tough economy.

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Folks ain't buying it no more;

Fifty-six percent (56%) of voters nationwide now oppose the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the highest level of opposition yet measured and includes 44% who are Strongly Opposed.

Emphasis mine.

I guess the Democrat plan to label all opposition as violent and racist is not quite as affective as they had hoped.

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Samurai Justice

The intruder's left hand was nearly severed -- Mr. Guglielmi described it as "hanging on by a thread" -- and the man suffered a severe cut to the upper body. The 49-year-old suspect, whom police described as a habitual offender, died at the scene.

What a way to go. Skewered.

the suspect had 29 prior arrests, mostly for burglary and breaking and entering, and had been released Saturday from a Baltimore County jail after serving about a year for auto theft.

29 prior arrests! Perhaps a justice system that dealt more harshly with criminals would have saved the suspects life.

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Watch the kids from a satellite?

GPS tracking of the kids;

Parents will be able to see their child's location on Google maps by texting 'wru' to a special number, or clicking 'where r you' on the secure website linked to the device. The street address and postcode will be displayed.

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What is health care?

The term 'health care' gets thrown around quite a bit these days but it's really a very vague term. If I could wave a magic wand and grant everyone the right to health care what would that mean? Would that include a right to food? One can't stay healthy without food. What about water? If we have a right to health care does it mean I can demand a Doctors attention every time I get a headache?

Missile defense! What missile defense?

President Obama dismayed America's allies in Europe and angered his political opponents at home today when he formally ditched plans to set up a missile defence shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Why should this action by Obama surprise anyone?

But it (missile defense) had hobbled relations with Russia, which considered it both a security threat and an unnecessary political provocation in its own backyard.

Why would Russia consider defense a threat why should we care?

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Update:

In an April speech in Prague, Obama hailed the “courageous” Poles and Czechs for agreeing to host ten missile interceptors and a radar site, respectively. When the Czechs signed the initial deal for the radar installation last July, a suspiciously timed “technical difficulty” reduced Russian gas exports to Prague by half. Last November, Russia moved missiles to Kaliningrad, bordering Poland. Now, Polish and Czech courage gets its perverse reward.

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You Lie!

Joe Wilson was right. President Obama did lie.

Ole Miss watch

The Rebels have now climbed to #5 in the AP poll.

1 Florida (56) ----- 2-0 1491
2 Texas (1) -------- 2-0 1404
3 USC (1) ---------- 2-0 1396
4 Alabama (2) ------ 2-0 1328
5 Ole Miss --------- 1-0 1145
5 Penn State ------- 2-0 1145
7 Brigham Young ---- 2-0 1122
8 California ------- 2-0 1058
9 LSU -------------- 2-0 951
10 Boise State ----- 2-0 945

Hopefully the Rebels won't have as much problem with Southeastern Louisiana as they did with Memphis for three quarters. If they don't come out strong they'll get passed by Penn State - unless Penn State somehow manages to blow it against Temple. They could possibly get passed by BYU also.

Although Alabama remained at #4 their total points went up by 172 since the pre-season poll. They're getting very close to Texas and USC who are practically tied.

Florida and Texas have both lost a few points since the pre-season poll.