Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Chinese spies may have put chips in US planes

From India Times.com (April 17):

WASHINGTON: The Chinese cyber spies have penetrated so deep into the US system — ranging from its secure defence network, banking system, electricity grid to putting spy chips into its defence planes — that it can cause serious damage to the US any time, a top US official on counter-intelligence has said.

“Chinese penetrations of unclassified DoD networks have also been widely reported. Those are more sophisticated, though hardly state of the art,” said National Counterintelligence Executive, Joel Brenner, at the Austin University Texas last week, according to a transcript made available on Wednesday. [read more]

And The Great Appeaser Obama administration is worried about right-wing extremist groups (you know the ones who support third-party candidates) doing terrorist attacks? Geez.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Israel Preparing for Attack on Iran, Officials Say

From NTI.org (April 20):

The Israeli military is increasing its readiness to conduct air strikes on nuclear sites across Iran, should the new government in Jerusalem decide such action is necessary, the London Times reported Saturday (see GSN, April 17).

"Israel wants to know that if its forces were given the green light, they could strike at Iran in a matter of days, even hours," a high-level defense official said. "They are making preparations on every level for this eventuality. The message to Iran is that the threat is not just words." [read more]

Israel as a nation has a right to self-preservation. I don't blame them for preparing for an attack. What you do if you lived next to a crazy, dangerous dictator who wants to see your nation destroyed?

If Israel defended itself I am afraid that other nations would say the attack was unwarranted and just wanted to start a war. Then these countries would attack Israel. Even the Bible states this in so many words:

The Russian leader then "devise an evil plan" and marshal Iran, Libya, and these other countries to form a military coalition to surround Israel and try to destroy her (Ezekiel 38:10)

Monday, April 27, 2009

Thoughts and Stats on Guns

First here are some stats on gun laws from a Wikipedia article:

  • New Jersey adopted what sponsors described as "the most stringent gun law" in the nation in 1966; two years later, the murder rate was up 46% and the reported robbery rate had nearly doubled.
  • In 1968, Hawaii imposed a series of increasingly harsh measures, and its murder rate tripled from a low of 2.4 per 100,000 in 1968 to 7.2 by 1977.
  • In 1976, Washington, D.C., enacted one of the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation. Since then, the city's murder rate has risen 134% while the national murder rate has dropped 2%.
  • Among the 15 states with the highest homicide rates, 10 have restrictive or very restrictive gun laws.
And here are some gun stats around the world:
  • Violent crime accelerated in Jamaica after handguns were heavily restricted and a special Gun Court established.
  • While having a large amount of civilian owned guns, Norway has a low gun crime rate.
And here are some things to think about:
  • OJ Simpson, Lizzy Borden (the OJ Simpson of her time--she wasn't convicted either) and the killer of the Moore family in Villisca, Iowa in 1912 never used guns in the commission of their crime. Simpson used a knife, Borden used an axe, and the killer of the Moore family who never was caught also used an axe.
  • Most serial killers (like Jack the Ripper) don't use guns when they kill. If memory serves me right the only serial killer to use a gun was Son of Sam.
  • Schools that put up signs that read "no guns allowed" will not stop a crazy nut with a gun. It's like sending a signal to all the unbalanced killers--come on inside we are unarmed.
I respect anyone who owns a gun. Our founding fathers put the right to bear arms in the Bill of Rights because they were afraid of an oppressive gov't. Remember for a dictator to keep the population oppressed all he needs to do is control the press & keep everyone illiterate, make everyone poor, and ban all firearms. If the Jews during Hitler's time had guns maybe there wouldn't have been a holocaust.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Earth Day

This being Earth Day I would like to share some interesting environmental facts I learned. The Economic Times.com website (April 18) reports that:

SYDNEY: New analysis has indicated that contrary to the belief that there is large-scale melting of ice over most of Antarctica, ice is actually expanding in a large portion of the continent. [read more]
And from the Scientific American.com website:
California regulators, trying to assess the true environmental cost of corn ethanol, are poised to declare that the biofuel cannot help the state reduce global warming.

As they see it, corn is no better – and might be worse – than petroleum when total greenhouse gas emissions are considered. [read more]

Not mentioned in the article above is that corn-based ethanol produces as a by product in automobiles is formaldehyde (embalming fluid) and acetaldehyde! Isn't that nice?

Did you know that the co-founder of Earth Day (Ira Einhorn) murdered his girlfriend and put the body in a trunk he kept in his apartment? It's true. Also, the Unabomber and Son of Sam killer were environmentalists.

What? Were you expecting Earth Day advice? Okay, here they are:

  • Put on some green clothing in honor of Earth Day. Wait a sec. I'm thinking of Saint Patrick's Day. Oh, I know. Go wear some recyclable earthy clothes. You know clothes that have natural patterns like leaves, flowers, squirrels, acorns, etc.
  • Go drive a SUV to a natural park and enjoy the outdoors.
  • Go outside and kill a deer. Just be sure not to insult it. They have feelings you know. I better not see you torture it. Remember to tenderize it after killing it. It makes it tasty.
  • Plant a tree. They make good baseball bats and furniture.
  • Buy one of those mercury-filled GE compact light bulbs. Just don't drop it. It might break and then you'll breathe in those toxic mercury vapors. Be sure to follow EPA guidelines when you clean up the mess. Your supposed to recycle those light bulbs by the way when they stop working. I've seen on TV that Apple Computers stopped using mercury in their laptops. Also, a lot of countries have banned mercury used in medical thermometers. Though they are still used in meteorological thermometers. But don't let that stop you. Remember you are saving the environment.
  • Go hug a tree. Just be sure it isn't poison oak.
  • Go hug a polar bear like that woman in Germany at a Berlin zoo tried to do. She's got no brains spunk!
  • Pet a porcupine.
  • Finally, as citizens of earth we must do our part in controlling the magnetic fields of earth, the solar activity of the sun, the tilt of the earth, volcanoes, and cloud cover. After all these effect global warming er I mean climate change.
How's that? Happy Earth Day everyone!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Mitigating Factors in Global Warming and Weather Patterns

Here is a list of factors in global warming and weather in general:

  1. CO2 uptake by plants
  2. CO2 release of plants (decomposition)
  3. Likelihood of methane release from permafrost and ocean sediments due to warming
  4. Temperature influences on the ability of the ocean to sequester CO2
  5. How the atmospheric particles interfere with sunlight reaching earth
  6. How clouds effect daytime and nighttime temperatures
  7. What effects cloud formation (including atmosphere particles)
  8. Solar cycles (sunspots, etc.)
  9. Reflectivity of ice versus ground and changes in earth's ice coverage over time
  10. Impact of melting ice on ocean salinity and resultant changes in ocean currents
  11. Volcanic activity
  12. Shorter-term weather oscillation data (La Nina, El Nino)
  13. Tilt and orbit of the earth
Note everything in bold face mankind can not make and can not control. Especially, items 8), 11), and 13). Even the non-bold face items will be hard to control.

Source: Lies, Damned Lies, and Science (2009) by Sherry Seethaler.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Talking with the "Moderate" Taliban

The Obama administration believes that it can talk with "moderate" members of the Taliban. Really? Are they going to have seances? Because most moderate Islamofascists are dead. Or too scared to talk. Next to killing Americans and Jews, moderate Muslims are next on the list to kill. Especially ones who are apostates--who became non-Muslim.

In his book The Case for Democracy. (2006), Natan Sharansky talks about three groups of people in an oppressive or what he calls a fear society: true believers who believe in the official ideology of the society; dissidents who are ready to challenge, to speak openly, and to be punished for it; and double-thinkers.

When the Soviet Union existed dissents were sent to jail or were sent to "re-education" camps to become true believers. This where the term to be "politically correct" comes from. Natan Sharansky was a dissident and he was sent to jail. In the Taliban, Al Quada, Hamas, etc. they do not bother to re-educate you--they just kill you.

Of the three, I believe double-thinkers has the most members. A double-thinker is someone who is not a true believer but is too afraid to speak openly against the fear society. I believe this the group that Hillary was referring too. The trouble is to turn them into a dissident you have to get them away from the fear society, make them a brave dissident, and re-locate them back into the society. Good luck on that one. If double-thinkers were brave to begin with they wouldn't be double-thinkers but dissenters. Not that double-thinkers are cowards, but it is hard to be brave in an oppressive society. Especially when you could lose your life.

Finding moderate Taliban is going to be really hard. You be better off killing the true believers then the moderate Muslims (double-thinkers) can be themselves.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Tax Day

Today is the day where Americans gamble their income away. Not gambling at a casino but sending a check to the IRS. Who knows where it goes after that. You might as well throw your money out of a helicopter. You have a better chance of knowing where that money is going.

When a parasite lives off a host it takes enough food from the host without killing it. Because if the host dies the parasite dies. Gov't might take a lesson from the parasite. Don't kill off the private sector. The income stops if it does.

Here are some interesting notes about taxes:

  • To get the Great Pyramid built, the Pharaoh King Khufu told anyone who helped build the pyramid they would have to the option not to pay any taxes while building the pyramid. Or they could get a wage. Historians are debating which it was. Makes you wonder what the ancient Egyptians taxes were. [read more]
  • Quran 9:29, "Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission." Sounds like Mohammad was a gangster. A protective tax? Isn't that extortion?
  • Legend has it that Lady Godiva rode naked on her horse to protest her husband's oppressive taxes. Evidently just talking to him did no good. Even then men and women had communication problems.
  • Before the Revolutionary War, the colonial government had only a limited need for revenue, while each of the colonies had greater responsibilities and thus greater revenue needs, which they met with different types of taxes. Those were called the good old days. [read more]
And here is some interesting quotes about taxes (these people sound like militia men especially that Heinlein dude, and that Paine guy):
  • He who builds a better mousetrap these days runs into material shortages, patent-infringement suits, work stoppages, collusive bidding, discount discrimination--and taxes. -- H. E. Martz
  • If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep. -- Will Rogers
  • When there's a single thief, it's robbery. When there are a thousand thieves, it's taxation. -- Vanya Cohen
  • Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss. -- Robert Heinlein
  • What at first was plunder assumed the softer name of revenue. -- Thomas Paine
  • We are told that this is an odious and unpopular tax. I never knew a tax that was not odious and unpopular with the people who paid it. -- John Sherman
  • Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a refund from the IRS, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. -- Author unknown, from a Washington Post word contest
You can also read my blog from 2007 on taxes. It discusses the Flat Tax and the Fair Tax + some other stuff.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The ACLU Agenda

I am for socialism, disarmament, and ultimately for abolishing the state itself as an instrument of violence and compulsion. I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal. --- ACLU founder Roger Baldwin
  • All legal prohibitions on the distributions of obscene material--including child pornography--are unconstitutional.
  • Pornographic outlets can locate wherever they please--whether next to churches or day-care centers or near residential neighborhoods.
  • Tax-funded libraries should not restrict access of children to pornography on the Internet.
  • Parents should have no legal recourse when it comes to shielding their children from exposure to hard-core pornography.
  • The military cannot enforce even the most basic codes of conduct--such as discipline for disrespectful behavior toward a superior officer.
  • The military cannot stop open displays of homosexual behavior within its ranks.
  • Parents cannot limit their children's exposure to, or participation in public school classes and assemblies, any topic--except Orthodox Jewish or Christian teachings---that violates the family's core religious and moral beliefs.
  • Public schools cannot observe recognized religious, historical, and cultural holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Hanukkah, despite hundreds of years of American tradition.
  • All legislative, military, and prison chaplaincy programs should be abolished.
  • All criminal and civil laws that prohibit polygamy and same-sex "marriage" should be done away with.
Scary, but true. An interesting book. Source: The ACLU vs. America by Alan Sears and Craig Osten. (2005)

Monday, April 13, 2009

War on Terror and the Politically Correct

It seems that the politically correct crowd has run amok again. The "War on Terror" phrase has been replaced with "Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO)." Huh? That makes no sense. What freakin' bureaucrat thought that up? Here's a Wikapedia definition of the word "contingency":

In philosophy and logic, contingency is the status of propositions that are not necessarily true or necessarily false. [read more]
Is that helpful? In other words, the phrase OCO is just doublespeak. Someone thought "War on Terror" was offensive to the Islamofascists (oh, I am sorry did I offend them?) Then somebody on Hannity thought "War on Terror" was too general. Fine, I can maybe see that point. So, here are my suggestions:
  • War on Islamic Terrorists
  • War on Militant Jihadists
  • Fight against Islamic Fascism
Oops! I used the word "war." I'm bad. That same person who said "War on Terror" was too general, and thought it should be changed to "War on Al Queada." That's too narrow. It does not include any other Islamofascist group (like the Wahabbists, Hamas, etc.), and it does not include any future ones either.

Then you have the words "enemy combatant" removed from military documents. Come on! Okay, fine. Here are my suggestions for those words:

  • Passionate Muslims with Tendencies to Explode
  • Muslims with Explosive Personalities
  • Rival Warrior
  • Muslims who Disagree with Swords
Okay, I was having a little fun with terms.

Here's the overlooked point. The militant jihadists don't care what we call them. It's just war to them. Being nice too them won't make them change. It just makes you dead. It's not like they are having a bad day or being moody. This is their culture. It's what they do.

Oh did you hear? The Freedom Tower is being now called "One World Trade Center." Isn't that just peachy? Like the Islamofascists are offended by the word "Freedom." Then again maybe they are. But I don't think the words "One World" would make them ecstatic. Probably, "Islamic Trade Center" would be better.

Is me or is the words "One World" a little bit spooky? As in One World Government? Nah, I am just being paranoid.

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

AIG and the AIC

If you look at the bar graph on the Open Secrets website you will see that up to the year 2000, AIG gave both political parties in the Arrogant Incompetent Congress (AIC) equally. This makes sense because if both parties more or less share power equally a corporation wants to hedge its bet. Only in the year 2002 did AIG gave more money to the Republicans than to the Dems. After that year only the Dems got more bribes--er I mean contributions more than Republicans.

Who got the contributions? In 2008 including the House and Senate, 54 Dems got contributions, and 38 Republicans got contributions. Here are some of the people that got bribes contributions from most to least:

Barack "the Messiah" Obama$104,332
Chris Dodd$103,900
John McCain$59,499
Hillary Clinton$37,965
Mitt Romney$20,850
Joseph "Hair plugs" Biden$19,975
Rudolph Giuliani$13,200
Dick "Turban" Durbin$11,000
Charles Rangel$9,000
John Edwards$7,850
Some of the top receivers were people in the presidential race. Again, AIG was hedging their bets. If the AIC is going to make AIG execs return their bonuses, shouldn't any person on the incomplete list above return their money they got from AIG? Makes sense to me.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

The Political Observations of Will Rogers

Will Rogers was a well-loved political humorous in the 1920's. Here is a sample of his observations. All these observations come from a book called The Best of Will Rogers by Bryan Sterling (1979):

  • The bad part about our whole structure of paying our congressmen is that we name a sum and give 'em all the same, regardless of ability. No other business in the world has a fixed sum to pay all their employees the same salary. If some efficiency expert would work out a scheme where each one would be paid according to his ability, we would save a lot of money.
  • If we could just send the same bunch of men to Washington for the good of the nation, and not for political reasons, we could have the most perfect government in the world.
  • This new senator says he is going to use "common sense" in the senate. That's what they all say when they start in. But then, if nobody don't understand you, why, you naturally have to switch.
  • We all joke about congress but we can't improve on them. Have you noticed that no matter whom we elect, he is just as bad as the one he replaces?
  • Politics and self-preservation must come first, never mind the majority of the people in the U. S. A legislator's thoughts are naturally on his next term more than on his country.
  • Never blame a legislative body for not doing something. When they do nothing, they don't hurt anybody. When they do something is when they become dangerous.
  • Senators are a never-ending source of amusement, amazement, and discouragement.
  • A president only tells congress what they should do. Lobbyists tell 'em what they will do.
  • A politician is just like a pickpocket; it's almost impossible to get one to reform.
  • Don't take politics serious, it's just another American racket.
  • What this country needs is more working men, and fewer politicians.
  • In 1612 some wise guy decided that he would like to live off the other Virginians instead of off the forest, so they called him a politician.
  • There is very little dignity, very little sportsmanship, or very little anything in politics. It's only: Get the Job and Hold It!
What he said back then is still rings true today. For more quotations from Will Rogers you can go to BrainyQuote.com and The Quotations Page.com.

Monday, April 06, 2009

Robot achieves scientific first

From FT.com (April 2):

A laboratory robot called Adam has been hailed as the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators.

Adam formed a hypothesis on the genetics of bakers’ yeast and carried out experiments to test its predictions, without intervention from its makers at Aberystwyth University.

The result was a series of “simple but useful” discoveries, confirmed by human scientists, about the gene coding for yeast enzymes. The research is published in the journal Science. [read more]

There was an AI program called Bacon written in 1987 by two computer scientists (Patrick Langler and Gary Bradshaw) that made scientific discoveries using experimental data.

Evidently, the chief creator who made the robots must have a god-complex: He named the robots Adam and Eve. He says: "Adam is a prototype. Eve is better designed and more elegant." Women around the world smile.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Black Cars are Banned

At least in California if regulators get their way. From Wards Auto.com (Mar. 24):

If California regulators get their way, auto makers may soon be forced to rewrite a cliché from the Ford Model T era and start telling customers they can have any color they want as long as it isn’t black.

Some darker hues will be available in place of black, but right now they are identified internally at paint suppliers with names such as “mud-puddle brown” and are truly ugly substitutes for today’s rich ebony hues. [read more]

The regulators want to ban the color black on automobiles because they want to decrease "man-made" global warming. Black colored cars are warmer in the interior in the summertime than white color cars because black colored cars absorb more heat than white color cars (scientifically that is true). Therefore when driving an automobile in the summertime with a black finish you will put your air conditioner more often than with a white color car so the theory goes. Putting on your air conditioner makes your car use more gas. You see where this is going hopefully.

Here's a question: How much more gasoline is used with black colored cars verses light colored cars? That needs to be answered. Also, the sun's rays come through the windows too increasing the interior temperature (probably more than any black paint). This is the greenhouse effect. That factor needs to be eliminated, not to mention the heat of the engine. So those two factors need to be controlled to get an accurate reading.

There is another issue: On cold days driving a black car would be nice because you would want the interior to be warm and would never use the air conditioner. I know California probably does not have many cold days, but if this stupid measure gets implemented in other states (17 other states follow California's regulations according to the article) that do have cold weather people will get upset. They might get upset anyway if their color options are limited.

Finally, what about houses that use black colored roofs? Wouldn't their interiors be warmer than lighter colored roofs? Thus using more air conditioning increasing "man-made" global warming? Something more to be controlled.

By the way, this is not an April Fool's joke. I wish it were, but it's not. The real joke is those regulators. But nobody will be laughing.