Bumper sticker

I saw a bumper sticker that said 'War is not an Answer'.

Let's roll with this for a minute.

I can only assume that because the car was registered in America, more specifically, in NJ, that the driver is not saying 'G-d Save the Queen'. Thus I guess they approved of the American Revolution.

I didn't see any slaves driving the car, nor was there anyone in chains in the backseat. I guess they approve of the Civil War.

Because the bumper sticker was in English, not German, I guess that they approve of World War I and II.

Because they are alive because we have not had a terrorist attack, nor where they wearing Muslim garb means they approve of the current GWOT.

The utter hypocrisy of the owner of the car with this bumper sticker is staggering.

The Arrogance of Boston area Police and Firefighter Unions

Even though unions are dying throughout the country, they are alive and well here in Eastern MA. These 2 items were in today's paper.

1. The Union representing the Framingham MA police department is angry because they were denied a 1.2% pay increase by the city council. The reason for the increase? To settle a grievance filed by the union because police officers are now required to file all police reports on the computer. The raise was to compensate the union members for being "forced" to use the computer. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/07/10/saying_police_stipend_doesnt_compute_voters_scuttle_framingham_settlement/
2. A Boston Firefighter suffered a back injury in March and was requesting disability retirement (a tax free benefit for firefighters in MA). A few months later, he finished 8th in a national bodybuilding competition. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/07/14/on_injury_leave_firefighter_stood_out_as_bodybuilder/

It takes some really big balls to to rip off the tax payers like this, especially with the current economy.

You gotta find them first!

Jesse Jackson said:

In a shocking blast at Brrack Obama that was caught on tape, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, "I wanna cut his nuts out."

Jesse, You gotta Find them first!

Whacko Vs. Whacko

I find this idea simply breathtakingly silly:

Here is why I find this silly (oh... where to begin)

1st off, there is no reason to build these things because the global warming myth is just that... a myth. The world has already begun cooling down as it has cycled from hot to cool for millions and millions of years.

Secondly, Who would want to live on these huge ships with virtually no way of getting on/off? Keep in mind that these things are supposed to just float around in the ocean's currents. There are no engines to propel these things and if there was, imagine the power it would need just to keep it stationary. This power requirement alone would defeat the entire purpose of reducing the carbon footprint that these things are supposed to reduce. If these things are not powered in some way, won't they eventually crash land against land? what then? Perhaps it will be anchored to the sea bottom... but won't this destroy the ecology underneath this huge thing?

Thirdly, Has anyone actually rode out a hurricane in the the ocean? I thought those global warming scare mongers keep saying there will be more hurricanes and other natural extreme weather. If this is the case, they are in for a real rough ride, no matter how big these things are, they will be affected by rough seas. I hope they will pack enough barf bags.

Fourthly, How many people can survive in one of these things? Will there be mandatory birth control to maintain a certain population level? Who gets to decide who can have kids and who cannot? Not only that, it seems that everyone will be given a job to perform, much like a kibutz. While there is nothing wrong with this form of socialism when practiced by a willing but small community, it becomes overbearing and too controlling over people's lives when there are more than just a small community. For instance, on one of these ships, someone has an aptitude to be a dentist, yet there are already too many dentists, thus that person becomes the garbage collector.


And lastly (and there are so many other points) these things will never, ever get built even if everyone agrees it is the only thing that will save mankind. Why? Because there are environmental whackos who will argue that it will irreparably damage the echo system , cause extinction of (fill in the lifeform here) and pollute the air by having so many humans concentrated in a confined space. Jeez, we cannot even drill a small hole in a barren wasteland in Alaska to make us more energy independent. where will this thing get built? Keep in mind that these whacko's philosophy is 'BANANA': Build absolutely Nothing Any Where Near Anything.

Thus, it will be Whacko Vs. Whacko debating how and where these things should be built. the rest of us will be watching and laughing our asses off as if we are reading Spy Vs. Spy comic strips where the black spy is always at odd with the white spy found in Mad Magazine.

To George Carlin

Here’s a toast to George Carlin. I first heard a George Carlin album when I was about 10. We used to hang out at a friends house and his older brother had “Class Clown”. As an impressionable youth, I was immediately hooked. That set me on my quest to be a stand-up comic (see my Monty Python post a few weeks ago). It was great being a 5th grader who could recite “The 7 Words you can’t Say on Television”. …s$#@, p(&&, f^%$ , c&$%, c(*&s*&^%$#, mother%$#&^% and T(*&. The heavy seven, the ones that will infect your soul, curve your spine, and keep the country from winning the war”

Since you haven’t seen the HBO Special “The Amazing Jimbo”, it’s safe to say I never made it as a comedian. But that doesn’t keep me from trying. I figure if I tell enough jokes, sooner or later, one of them has to be funny based on the Laws of Probability (sorry Eldridge).

Here’s to you, George.

Economic lesson 101 (again)

If we want to reduce the price of gas, we must do one of the 2 following things: Increase supply or reduce consumption. These are our only choices. Since we don't have control over China's, India's or any other country's consumption, we are left with exactly one choice: increase supply.

(for you liberals, was this lesson slow enough for you to understand?)

Let me see if I can get through to you with this example of basic economic supply vs demand principle.

You run a lemonade stand. It is outside and operates 365 days per year.

• On a hot summer day, there is a line to purchase your product. You can increase your price and people will still pay for a cup (High demand, unlimited supply).
• On a cold winter day, there is no one lined up, even though you have reduced your price to almost cost and you fear that your ingredients will spoil (low demand, unlimited supply).
  
• On a hot summer day, you find your supplies running out. Your customers begin bidding up the price to get a cup. (High Demand, limited supply)

This is how it works, like it or not. At the moment, the oil industry is experiencing a hot day with limited supplies.

Sue Opec?

Thomas Evans writes in the New York Times that suing OPEC would be a good idea. the idea is that OPEC has broken the US anti-trust laws and therefore can and should be sued.

THE president of the United States has the power to attack, and perhaps destroy, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the illegal cartel that has driven the price of oil over $130 per barrel. This can be accomplished without invasion or bombing. No special legislation is needed. The president need simply allow the states to seek relief in the Supreme Court under our antitrust laws.

ooookaaay... Lets go with this. Let's sue them. After all, it must be a good idea to bite the hand that supplies us with the majority of our oil. And win or lose this lawsuit, we will succeed.... succeed in pissing off the oil producers so much so that the global oil prices will be reduced. How? Because when America's share of the oil is redistributed to the other countries that have NOT pissed them off, there then will be ample supply for everyone else, just not Americans.

Let me give Mr. Evans an analogy, I will sue Tavern on the Green because their prices are too much for me to afford. During my lawsuit, I get a bonus and now want to take my significant other to the best restaurant in the city, so we go to Tavern on the Green who recognizes me as the jerk who is suing them. Should I expect good service? Should I expect any service at all?

Bottom line, suing OPEC will not create one more drop of oil. It will not reduce the price of gas. It will not solve our energy problem. In fact, it will do just the opposite. It will decrease our supply of oil because OPEC doesn't have to sell oil to us. Thus, it will drastically increase the price of gas and further exacerbate the problem.

On so many levels, suing OPEC would be extremely stupid. But for loony liberal logic, I guess it makes sense.

Geeky Engineering Stuff

My fellow “Reality Distillates” should have known that would only be a matter of time before I threw in some engineering geek stuff. Here is a wonderful book that I recommend. There is a lot more to ceramics than making birdbaths and bathroom sinks.

The Magic of Ceramics
David W. Richerson, Bonnie J. Dunbar (Foreword by)
ISBN: 978-1-57498-050-9
Hardcover
302 pages
February 2000

Description
What do the following things have in common: the space shuttle, cosmetics, color TVs, concrete, and kayaks? Ceramics! All these items are made of or include ceramics, the most common and diverse of all materials - yet most of us would be surprised at its variety of uses. You will be amazed by how ceramics make possible such diverse products as cellular phones, many of your favorite sporting goods, radio, television, and lasers. You will be surprised by how ceramics are used in medicine for cancer treatments and restoring hearing, in our cars, and even in some cosmetics. This book introduces readers to the many exciting applications of ceramics. By using simplified technical explanations, it answers the question: How do ceramics improve your everyday life? It describes how the ceramic material functions, and why it is superior to other materials, while teaching key scientific concepts like atomic structure, color, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

Table of Contents
Our Constant Companions.
From Pottery to the Space Shuttle.
The Beauty of Ceramics.
Ceramics and Light.
Amazing Strength and Stability.
Ceramics and the Electronics Age.
Piezo Power.
Medical Miracles.
Ceramics and the Modern Automobile.
Heat Beaters.
The Hardest Materials in the Universe.
Energy and Pollution Control.

On sale at Amazon for only $38.65. It is currently #1,711,433 on the Amazon Best Seller list

Celtics win

Stayed up too to watch the Celtics. It was nice to see a unselfish teamwork for a change in the NBA. Maybe NBA teams will realize that hard work and team play win championships (Celtics, Spurs, Lakers, Pistons), not hyped-up, thug culture ball (Nuggets)

Hope and Change

"Hope and Change" - Another Barack Obama Campaign Slogan. Translation: 'I hope I have some change leftover when Obama Leaves Office".

Change We Can Believe In

"Change We Can Believe In" is Barak Obama's catch phrase. The only change I can believe in is what is jingling in my pocket and my in my change jars. If Obama is elected, this will be the only change I'll have left.

Monty Python Ramblings

I was warped at an early age by Monty Python. When I was about 12 or 13, one of the older kids in the neighborhood said that there was show on PBS called Monty Python's Flying Circus and it sometimes showed topless women!!! When you were young back in the "old days" (before the internet or even HBO), catching a short glance at something on a 19" TV was as close to heaven as you could get.

Well, Monty Python did show an occasional quick shot of a topless model, but they were few and far between. While endlessly waiting for them to show some naughty bits, I started to enjoy the humor. The next summer, our cable system started offering HBO and had a free preview for about a month. One of the movies playing that month was Monty Python and The Holy Grail. My friends and I must have watched about 10 times. The killer rabbit and "bring out your dead" had me hooked.

No need to repeat the lines. It's getting late and I have to work tomorrow. But here are some links that may be of interest

http://pythonline.com/daily

This link has the Script to The Holy Grail. Now you can impress your friends by quoting the exact phrases from your favorite scene.
http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/grail/grail.htm

Some more movie scrpt links to Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life. Not all of the links work but there is lots of interesting stuff if you fish around
http://www.mwscomp.com/movies/brian/b-script.htm

Now it's time for an extended rest after writing this prolonged squawk.

Hooked on Real Reality Shows

Two years ago, I got hooked on the Discovery Channel series “Deadliest Catch”. That’s the show that films the crab fisherman in the Alaska. I have no idea why I find it interesting, but I do. The first part of the new season was a little boring but last night’s episode was better. They are now fishing in the winter in the Bearing Sea. The nice thing about networks like the Discovery Channel and the History Channel is that they repeat the show a couple of times during the week, so if you miss the original air date, it will be on again.

There are 2 similar shows on the History Channel that I also enjoy, Ice Road Truckers and Axe Men. They have the same script; follow people around as they do difficult jobs.
Ax Men is finishing up its season and Ice Road Truckers starts a new run of shows next week.

So after a day of crunching data and writing experimental reports as a process development engineer, these shows offer a nice change of pace (and they sure are a lot better than American Idol).

Kids grow up too fast

Recently, I had my kids for the weekend and we in the car. The kids wanted to listen to some music so I pulled out a ZZ Top CD. I asked my daughter, who was sitting in the front, to put the case back in the glove box. She was looking at the cover and said “That’s gross. How can someone go out dressed like that?” I looked at the cover and noticed that there was a 1980’s vintage, big hair girl in the background. I asked her what was wrong with it and she said that the girl hardly had anything on.

As soon as she said that, my 8 year old son chimed in from the back seat, “Can I see?”

The Fallacy of Raising the Gas Tax

More and more, I hear people saying that the government should raise the gas tax to help wean the country off foreign oil. Not only is this coming from the environmentalist side but now it’s starting to make its way into the realm of the conservatives. The logic is simple, use the tax revenue to provide funding for alternative energy research. How can anyone be against that? All we need to do is provide some funding for someone to figure out how to do it.

We live in the greatest country civilization has ever seen. Generations of Americans have used the capitalistic ideals of good ideas and a strong work ethic to improve their lives and the lives of others. Today, however, new technology is expensive so a little capital to jump start the process can’t hurt, right?

In theory, it’s hard to argue with this approach. But as with any good idea, the devil is in the details. And we have one great, big devil (so to speak) in the details of this plan. It’s called Government.

Can anyone name a program run by the Government that is efficient and cost effective? Yeah, I thought so. Let’s look at the track record. Welfare? I guess it helps a few who really need, but how many people fall into the “lifestyle”. Whether it is the inner city or rural America, there are numerous 3rd generation welfare trash sitting on their @$$, pumping out kids, and feeling entitled to your taxes. Social Security? Pork Barrel entitlements from Congress? You get the point.

Can you really expect the Government to efficiently manage a program flush with cash? And can we trust them? Back in the 1980’s, when Mario Cuomo controlled NY, he raised the gas tax to cover the cost of road repairs. The increase was supposed to go into a special fund specifically for roads repair and improvement. Being a naïve conservative, I actually thought this was a good idea. After all, I drove on the roads, and they could use some repairs, so I didn’t have a problem with paying to help keep them up. Two years later, the NY state legislature voted to put the special fund road repair money in with the general fund. Their reasoning was that road repairs came from the general fund so why not put all of it there. But the general fund also paid the rest of the bills so there was no way be certain that the extra gas tax revenues were actually going to road repair or some other mismanaged program. So the tax went up, the roads didn’t get fixed , and NY state drivers are still paying extra.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that we absolutely have to find a way to develop alternative energy. As a country, how can we protect ourselves when we have to rely on an energy source controlled by despots and barbarians, all the while competing with China and India for the resources? Here is a better idea. Let’s use tax breaks to encourage businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in alternative energy. Allow the capitalist system to work. Americans have always been good at innovation, government has not. Let’s streamline the process for building wind farms by not subjecting companies to frivolous lawsuits because it may hurt a subspecies of bat that is nearly identical to other bat populations or it may be ruin the view of the Kennedy’s and other rich socialites when it id placed 20 miles off the coast of Nantucket. Let’s build some more nuclear plants. If the French can manage a national system of nuclear power without screwing it up we should be able to. But whatever we do, don’t give the government more money.

Thats a Nice Candidate You Got There

You know you're in trouble when someone comes up to you and says something like: "Thats a nice restaurant you got there, it would be a shame if it burnt down." Because you know the next line goes like this: "I can make sure that doesn't happen, if the price is right".

Hillary Clinton did exactly that the other day by recalling assassinations and other maladies during this primary. She essentially said: 'Thats a nice candidate you got there, it would be a shame if something happened to him'. The question is, what is her price?

Just for the record....

Al Gore lost the presidential election. Not because he lost Florida, but because he lost his home state of Tennessee. If he won his homestate, it would not have mattered what happened in Florida.

Ironic Politics

This is probably old news to a lot of people but I just heard this so I thought I'd share it.

West Virginia Senator, Robert Byrd, a former member of the KKK, is supporting Barack Obama for President. Just goes to show you how bad Hillary is.


Jesse Helms must be rolling over in his grave.

I Can!

The last I checked, this is America. This country was founded by people who didn't know the word Can't. The pilgrims came here because the could. Our Founding fathers, Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc. fought the British for our freedom because they could. It is the 'I Can' attitude that Americans have that make this country the greatest.

It is the 'You can't' attitude of governments that is the hallmark of Socialism, Marxism and every 2-bit tinpot dictator that suppresses their people from achieving greatness.

The last time an American Politician told us 'we can't' was Jimmy Carter. he was soundly defeated by a man who said ' We can'.

Now candidate Obama is telling us 'we can't'. From AFP via Drudge comes Obama's quote:

"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK," Obama said.

"That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he added.

Obama expects us to freeze ourselves in the winter, and pack our large families into tiny unsafe vehicles. He will dictate to us Americans what we cannot do. This is not leadership... this is dictatorship. this is not the American way, it is the Russian or Chinese way. It is the path towards socialism that us Americans WILL NOT TOLERATE.

If Obama (or any other politician) wants a truly 'I can' society, then allow us Americans to solve our own energy crisis. We can, if only the fedgov will get the F%^) out of our way. We have solutions already, but fedgov will not allow them to be implemented. For instance, when was the last time a refinery was built? (Answer: over 30 years ago.) Why can we not drill safely and environmentally friendly in Alaska? Why can we not drill offshore to tap huge amounts of oil? Why can we not build wind farms 100 miles offshore? Why can we not build nuclear plants? The answer is that the fedgov's energy policy is 'BANANA's: Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

And another thing, who gives a rat's ass what other people think of us? We are the greatest country in the world because we made it. Us American's should not feel guilty about the possessions we have. We work hard for them and if the rest of the world don't like it, it is because they are jealous of us. I am not willing to succumb to this attitude of guilt. If they want what we have, then they need to dump their socialistic governments and become more like us by working hard for it by adopting the'I can' attitude that is being suppressed in most other countries.

On so many levels, Obama should not be elected. In fact, no liberal should be elected. It is the fastest way down the path of self distruction for this country and the world. He is the next Jimmy Carter, only worse. At least Jimmy Carter had executive experience as governor prior to being elected.

Random Thoughts and Useless Information

Started jogging again and have had some time to allow collect my thoughts. To quote Harvey Korman as Hedley LaMarr in Blazing Saddles; "My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives."

• The Boston Globe had 3 main articles on the front page today. The most print went to the hospitalization of Teddy Kennedy. The second largest was an article on how the how the Gay community in California was rejoicing over their State Court's reversal of their gay marriage ban and how they are looking to Massuchusetts for help. No Front page on the Chinese Earthquake that has killed tens of thousands, nothing on huge humanitarian tradgedy in Myanmar. Not even any Obama kissing or Hillary bashing.
• The Globe did have a nice article the Clinton past is catching up with Hillary.
• I've taken an interest in Hockey now that the Penguins are close to making it to the Stanley Cup. Yes, I guess I'm a bandwagon fan, but it's the Hockey Bandwagon, not just the Penguins. I would be hard pressed to name more than 1 winners of the last 10 Stanley Cups (Didn't the Buffalo Sabers lose to Dallas a few years ago?)
• It is the middle of May and the Pirates aren't mired in last place. In fact, they are 1 game under .500 and have a better record than the Yankees.
• Speaking of the Pirates, I'm taking my kids (10 year old twins and and 8 year old) to their 1st major league game over memorial day weekend. We will be in Pittsburgh and go see the Pirates with my brother and his family (no child abuse jokes, please).
• I've come to the conclusion that I don't hate the Patriots as much as I hate Bill Belicheck. The guy comes off as an arrogant @$$hole and I hope spygate continues to black cloud over his head. In a few years, the Patriots will fall back into mediocrity and we'll see how many true New England fans there really are.
• I always liked the Boston Celtics (no NBA in Pittsburgh). It's great to see them doing well I guess you can have a good sports teams without a bunch of trash talking, look at me, thugs. A lot of NBA and NFL players should take a look at how well Garnett, Pierce and Allen play together.

Do you prefer a good Lager to a fancy Pinot or Chardonnay? Like discussing the finer points of a Belgium White or Hefeweizen? When you pour a glass and smell the fruity bouquet, it is more likely the Hops from a pale ale than some grape? Prefer Brew pubs to wineries? Then here is a great site.

http://beeradvocate.com/

These guys know what there talikng about (even if they did give the Boston Beer Works wild blueberry lager a decent rating. Blueberries and beer?? Don't think so)