Humor

We’ll Call it a Draw

06.22.08 | Permalink | Comments Off on We’ll Call it a Draw



This scene from The Holy Grail never fails to entertain me, there are so many classic lines from “It’s just a flesh wound” to “What are you going to do, bleed on me?” that make me laugh. So, through the magic of YouTube, I thought I’d share and that you might have a good laugh this morning too…

Humor, Innovation

Cream That Egg!

06.21.08 | Permalink | Comments Off on Cream That Egg!



Joseph Herscher, I’m delighted you have too much time on your hands, this is awesome. It’s a big build up for what happens at the end, but credit where credit is due, that was an amazing piece of engineering and thoroughly entertaining. I just love Rube Goldberg devices – it’s a shame the video wasn’t a little higher quality, but even so, it did capture the moment.

Via: Hacked Gadgets

Commentary

Criminal Faith

06.20.08 | Permalink | 4 Comments

Via CNN:

He probably had a congenital condition that constricted his urinary tract where the bladder empties into the urethra, and the condition of his organs indicates that he had multiple blockages during his life, said Dr. Clifford Nelson, deputy state medical examiner for Clackamas County.

“You just build up so much urea in your bloodstream that it begins to poison your organs, and the heart is particularly susceptible,” Nelson said.

Nelson said a catheter would have saved the boy’s life. If the condition had been dealt with earlier, a urologist could easily have removed the blockage and avoided the kidney damage that came with the repeated illnesses, Nelson said.

Benton said a board member of the Followers of Christ church contacted the authorities after Beagley died at his family’s home. The teen had been sick about a week, and church members and his family had gathered to pray Sunday when his condition worsened, Benton said.

OK, the lad may have been 16 and it may have been lawful for him to refuse treatment, but given that this was a chronic condition that predated his ability to make that decision lawfully, he was preconditioned (brainwashed) into believing that a myth would make him well.

This is sick, unethical, immoral, and criminal. If freedom of speech has to have boundaries so then too does freedom of religion, particularly to protect those who are least able to protect themselves, children and the elderly.

Even Atheists, who according to those of faith lack a “moral compass”, can see that this is wrong. Why can’t the believers?

Energy

To Drill, or Not To Drill

06.19.08 | Permalink | 2 Comments
Offshore oil rig near Santa Barbara
Oil Rig off Santa Barbara coast
Attribution: MarineBio.org

That is the question.

And given my position on energy matters, the answer might be a little surprising. First off, I’ll state flatly that drilling will not affect gas prices in the near term at all. Folks, the days of less than $4/gallon gasoline are gone and they are not coming back. We have scarce resource coupled with increasing global demand catalyzed by weak currency because of our collective poor fiscal discipline. As much as anyone would like to believe there’s a quick fix to this issue, there isn’t. Not only that, no single action will break the upward pressure on fuel prices.

So, should we drill? The answer is yes, responsibly, and we should do so not with the idea that it will bring back cheap gas, but with the understanding it might prevent $10/gallon prices in the next couple of years. Is it the long term answer? No, absolutely not. It is nothing more than a band aid solution that might ease some pressure in the mid-term, but it’s no solution. Just because it doesn’t solve the problem though doesn’t mean we shouldn’t consider taking pressure off the markets PROVIDED we use the time such a measure purchases to address the core problem: energy dependence on a finite resource supplied by people who hate us. If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is…

What about biofuels? They too are part of the answer, though corn-based fuels don’t make a great deal of economic sense, they can be part of the solution and provide a bridge toward energy independence. Like drilling, why not? Band aids are underrated as a tool. But, this too is only a measure that buys time, it doesn’t solve the problem.

The only sensible and practical long term approach to the transportation energy problem is a wholesale shift toward electric vehicles over a 20 year horizon. There are some technical problems left to conquer in this move, but it’s the viable alternative that will enable the mobile lifestyle we enjoy with economics that are preferential to the combustion engine technology of last millennium.

Those among you who are familiar with energy will say “but you’re just shifting the problem to the electrical supply infrastructure which is in poor repair and don’t you know 50% of our electricity comes from dirty coal today?” To them I say, you’re right. It is just shifting the problem, but that’s a problem we CAN solve within our resource envelope by applying investment and focus to increasing the harvest of our resources (renewable, fossil, and nuclear) in a reasonable and measured way.

With technologies that exist today, we could be energy independent as a nation within 20 years if only we had the will to do what was required. And, this would create the largest business opportunity of the last 1,000 years if we choose to go down this path. The bad news is, if we don’t choose to do so of our own accord while there are many options to solve the problem, we will be forced to do so because our ability to pay for our present lifestyle will cease to exist.

If you’re interested in details about how we become energy independent over the next 20 years, I refer you to an earlier post on this subject from last year which addresses these issues in detail.

Coastal Stuff

Comment on Rancho Plan

06.18.08 | Permalink | Comments Off on Comment on Rancho Plan
Gracie enjoys Rancho Corral de Tierra
Gracie dog enjoys a hike at Rancho Corral de Tierra

Bill over at Montara Dog Blog sent out an important communication this evening concerning the impending transition of the Rancho Corral de Tierra to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that is upcoming. The current plan has no mention of dog walking as a recreational activity – and it’s one of the best places in the world to be able to walk your dog. So, if you have interest in this activity, make sure to review the plan and comment on it stating your desire to preserve dog walking as an approved and supported part of the plan.

Review and comment here.


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