Small Thoughts

On a related note, several of the companies you na...

2011-09-17T23:04:55.875-04:00

On a related note, several of the companies you named have a significant investment in tablet machines.

Cryptonomicon is just one of those books that defi...

2011-08-17T13:37:25.112-04:00

Cryptonomicon is just one of those books that defies categorization. It has elements of Sci-Fi (though, more in a Science-almost-Fact sort of way). Cypherpunk Adventure might be the best that I could come up with.

Also, yeah. How is it that Faeries and robots-with-lasers-out-to-destroy-the-world always get lumped together?!

design FAIL. Ouch - either one of those approache...

2011-08-16T09:33:14.849-04:00

design FAIL.

Ouch - either one of those approaches would have been fine, but both together are like pizza and worcestershire sauce.

zeh goggles! zeh do nothing!

2011-08-15T15:48:52.090-04:00

zeh goggles! zeh do nothing!

Supposedly, at least in-state, my fire department ...

2011-08-15T10:31:47.537-04:00

Supposedly, at least in-state, my fire department plate can serve a similar purpose. Does it work? No way to know. But, I was followed to the station by a BCoPD car a few months ago. After I parked and got out of the car (with his cruiser just behind me), he rolled down his window to tell me one of my headlights was out. I *think* that's ticketable, though probably at the cop's discretion. (In this case, I'm glad he mentioned it because I had no idea it was blown.)

I don't have either of the stickers, but I thi...

2011-08-15T07:22:05.523-04:00

I don't have either of the stickers, but I think the worldview has some Hobbesian truth to it: civilization prevents the "Lord of the Flies" situation here, and the cops are a big part of that protection.

In addition to the engine redesigns, they also had...

2011-08-08T11:17:48.358-04:00

In addition to the engine redesigns, they also had to repaint the plane... it was decided that ANA's first two B787s should have a special livery. The photo above is the old design, here's the new: http://news.bioscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/boeing-787.jpg

I didn't read S&P's stated reasoning, ...

2011-08-06T23:02:16.574-04:00

I didn't read S&P's stated reasoning, but the timing would make sense if it wasn't the debt ceiling per se that was TW issue; rather it's the fecklessness of all parties concerned with regard to the necessity of not spending more than we take in. ie, it's not the debt ceiling, it's the debt to income ratio...

Technically, if you miss a vote in the House, your...

2011-08-03T00:01:49.691-04:00

Technically, if you miss a vote in the House, your paycheck can be docked.

There was a column in today's Examiner asking ...

2011-08-02T16:31:50.300-04:00

There was a column in today's Examiner asking whether the members of Congress are earning their paychecks. If I were one of them, I would be embarrassed to be paid so much to do so little.

When I was unemployed, I frequently drove to Wakef...

2011-07-29T09:23:18.455-04:00

When I was unemployed, I frequently drove to Wakefield Park with my (very old) Mountain Bike. There's a partially paved trail from the park to Lake Accotink, which has about a 5-mile loop trail. Good fun. Should try it again (along with the MTB trail) as I have a new mountain bike now.

Technically the park is called "Wakefield&quo...

2011-07-26T16:32:50.768-04:00

Technically the park is called "Wakefield" and the city is Annandale. I grew up about a mile away and we went to the park (and rec center) so many times. We used to pick blackberries (probably illegally) along the beltway and access the site from the park. I hadn't know that they had a Mountain Bike course but I know from your write up not to try it, as my skills (and bike) are surely lacking.

Right. This is racism. How did I miss that?

2011-07-22T15:29:30.318-04:00

Right. This is racism. How did I miss that?

You are just jealous. I am happy for Mr. Robinson,...

2011-07-22T15:26:23.702-04:00

You are just jealous. I am happy for Mr. Robinson, because he took advantage of a law that is still on the books and he is now being hated upon by white racist people who probably don't want a black person to live in that area. White people throughout history have taken over land in America, starting with stealing land from Native Americans. So I am glad that he was smart enough to do what he did. I pray every day that he is successful in keeping that house.

Pitiful human, we will exterminate you. EX-TERM-IN...

2011-07-21T18:44:00.468-04:00

Pitiful human, we will exterminate you. EX-TERM-IN-ATE

"wrongfully accused" -- but that NEVE...

2011-07-19T08:43:59.649-04:00
"wrongfully accused" -- but that NEVER happens!!

I didn't say the system was any good. In fact, it really, truly sucks. However, it sucks a lot less than many other legal systems out there!

We never find anyone 'innocent' under our ...

2011-07-18T10:02:57.674-04:00
We never find anyone 'innocent' under our system. You are presumed innocent. If we cannot find you guilty, you retain that presumption.

Under your line of thought, any accused is not innocent. That stain of accusation means the best you can hope for is 'not guilty.' How would you feel in that case if you were the wrongfully accused?

Ah, but also be remembered: She was found "no...

2011-07-18T09:57:14.694-04:00
Ah, but also be remembered: She was found "not guilty" and not "innocent"!

Now don't go being to hasty here - invalidatin...

2011-07-12T13:26:30.257-04:00
Now don't go being to hasty here - invalidating a lot of the early 1970's might not be the worst idea ever: after all, that gave us Wings and the Bee Gees...

I love it when someone smarter and/or more articul...

2011-07-12T10:51:26.420-04:00
I love it when someone smarter and/or more articulate than I expresses my thinking so well.

I have long believed that "Brain Stew" o...

2011-07-07T15:24:17.368-04:00
I have long believed that "Brain Stew" owes much to Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4."

Also soda consumption can do lots of other bad thi...

2011-07-06T17:20:31.938-04:00
Also soda consumption can do lots of other bad things (yes, my dad wrote this) http://aligntech.ecepartners.com/courses/1692/PDF/AnUpdateOnSodaPop.pdf

Kind of freaky that it's made by a pharmaceuti...

2011-06-29T09:36:21.139-04:00
Kind of freaky that it's made by a pharmaceutical company...

Thanks for the laugh! I've been a fan for a w...

2011-06-21T22:07:13.108-04:00
Thanks for the laugh! I've been a fan for a while. (Pandora introduced me to them) This is my favorite: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSqFqhUzutg

Well, you could go with the spam/ham thing and say...

2011-05-31T09:22:27.644-04:00
Well, you could go with the spam/ham thing and say HIHO! Of course, you're a bit tall to be a Dwarf.