Posts from — July 2008

It would be nice to see the sun, but we’ve had thunderstorms two days out of three for the past two weeks.

Today wet leaves on a nearby branch managed to knock out my Mother’s power.

I had stop in the middle of something I’ve been trying to finish forever to go over and start her generator and run extension cords to things she wanted powered.

While I’m out collecting the heavy duty extension cords, a fool in an SUV decides to go hydroplaning on the road in front of her house, fortunately towards the other side of the road. Happily he bent a rear axle because he attempted to leave the scene. He now owes the town a sign, the phone company a switch box and the church a lot of landscaping.

This is a problem with SUVs and four-wheel drive, they don’t do a thing for you on water or ice. They are fine in sand and snow, but when there’s zero traction it just means you have twice as many wheels spinning. People buy them thinking that they will make up for poor driving skills in bad road conditions, and they won’t.

Melanie was one of the first people I read when I wandered into blogtopia™, after escaping from the news groups and mailing lists. Her original place at Just A Bump In The Beltway was politics and a great deal more.

After the 2004 elections she shifted to her core loves: faith, food, friends, felines, and the flu. She wrote a personal blog, injecting herself into her words.

The past year had been bad for her on many fronts and when she disappeared for extended periods after being one of the most consistent bloggers around, you could feel the toll of her life.

Susie has more.

Lurch, a milblogger, was in his early 60s when he checked out this year, while Steve Gilliard and Jim Capozzola were in their 40s.

I was going to do this yesterday, but I needed more time.

Position: 29.9 N 62.4 W. [10 PM CDT] Updated
Movement: Stationary.
Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph.
Wind Gusts: 90 mph.
Hurricane Wind Radius: 35 miles.
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles.
Minimum central pressure: 984 mb.

Currently 220 miles Southeast of Bermuda, Bertha is stationary. Bermuda will get rain and gusty wind from the outer bands and high waves. Bertha is moving so slowly that it is causing upwelling in the ocean and bringing cooler water to the surface which weakens the storm.

CBS News reports on the “business” of government: FDA Execs Reap Lavish Bonuses

(CBS) It’s been a bad year for the Food and Drug Administration’s top brass. The agency’s been accused by Congress of mishandling health scares linked to pet food, Heparin, Avandia and now, tomatoes, CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.

But based on their bonuses, you would think it was a banner year at the FDA.

Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., says he was stunned to learn that 28 senior FDA executives took in a combined $1 million in bonuses last year, pushing their pay above that of members of Congress, federal judges – and even some cabinet secretaries.

“They’ve done such a miserable job these last two years, I think they should leave! Not get bonuses of $40,000 [to] $50,000!” Stupak said. “Good grief.”
…

Not all FDA employees hit the jackpot. The biggest bonus among the rank-and-file went to the “Inspector of the Year.” Her take? A mere $2,500.

[Read more →]

Position: 29.4 N 62.4 W. [10 PM CDT] Updated
Movement: North-Northwest [335°] near 5 mph.
Maximum sustained winds: 90 mph.
Wind Gusts: 115 mph.
Hurricane Wind Radius: 30 miles.
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles.
Minimum central pressure: 976 mb.

Bertha is 245 miles Southeast of Bermuda, and is causing high swells and surf.

I Vant To Be Alone

Go away, kid, you bother me!

[Editor: This kitten just can’t believe that Ringo doesn’t want to play.]

Friday Ark

PZ Myers of Pharyngula has been targeted: Now I’ve got Bill Donohue’s attention.

Standard response, i.e. flood of nasty e-mails, death threats, you know, the usual thing, and demands that he be fired. They are astroturfing his university and the state legislature. No threats of rape reported, but then, PZ probably isn’t as big a threat as Melissa and Amanda.

What did he do to bring down the wrath of Donowho? He disrespected the communion wafer.

Frankly the difference between transubstantiation and consubstantiation was one of the elements that led to the Reformation. It is something that causes a great problem for those of us who have lived abroad in non-Christian countries, because the taboo against cannibalism is rather basic to many cultures. While I’m sure that a Jesuit could handle it, is a very bad position for an non-Catholic to be in while forced to represent all of Christianity by virtue of being the only Christian around. I had a gag-reflex response when transubstantiation was first explained to me by a Catholic.

[Read more →]

Those of you who care probably caught the news about problems with the Internet’s Domain Name Servers [DNS]. EBW printed the official security alert, while Badtux provided the penguinized version.

This Tuesday all of the big guns issued patches for the problem, but things did not go smoothly for everyone, as the BBC reports: Net address fix foxes web users

Many users of the ZoneAlarm firewall have been floored by a fix to the net’s addressing system.

Those hit found they could not get online after installing a Microsoft patch to close a security loophole.

Left open the flaw would have allowed malicious hackers to redirect users to fake websites, even if they typed the correct address.

Many net hardware and software firms prepared and applied patches this week to close the serious hole.

[Read more →]

“No one could have imagined” the Secretary of State stepping into the middle of this mess: U.S. vows to defend against Iran missile threat

(CNN) — U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice — responding to Iran’s latest test-firings of missiles — has made it clear Thursday her country is determined to prevent Tehran from threatening the interests of itself and allies like Israel.

Rice was speaking at a news conference in the Georgian capital of Tblisi after Iran test-fired a long-range missile. According to Iranian state media, Iran conducted more test-firings Thursday.

Rice said the United States has been working with allies to “make certain that they are capable of defending themselves” against any threat from Iran.

“We take very strongly our obligation to help our allies defend themselves and no one should be confused about that,” she said.
…

[Read more →]

CBS says Rove Ignores Subpoena, Refuses To Testify.

There is at least one cell in the basement of the Capitol. Congress needs to use its power of inherent contempt and throw Karl in that cell. He will be released when the new Congress is sworn in, but neither the Shrubbery, nor the courts can get him released earlier.

The current DoJ isn’t going to do anything, so do it yourself, Congress. It might help to move your approval ratings out of single digits.

Position: 27.7 N 61.2 W. [10 PM CDT] Updated
Movement: Northwest [315°] near 8 mph.
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph.
Wind Gusts: 105 mph.
Hurricane Wind Radius: 30 miles.
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles.
Minimum central pressure: 980 mb.

Bertha is back down to Category 1, but the sun is out. It has slowed but is still moving to the Northwest. Bermuda is getting swells from the storm, but it isn’t clear if anything else will hit them.

While the numbers are lower this afternoon, the storm is looking stronger from the satellite images.

10 PM There is an eyewall replacement in progress, so some weakening is probable.

Perry Bacon Jr. writing for the Washington Post tells us that Obama, McCain Are Both Proposing Dramatic Changes.

Well, “dramatic changes” are needed in a lot of areas in the US government after more than seven years of the Hedgemony. Unfortunately these two whiz kids are talking about changing one of the few government programs that the Shrubbery didn’t manage to break: Social Security.

The forecasts all say there is no problem with the program even on the horizon until 2041, and depending on the economy, there may not be a problem then or ever.

If you look at Medicare on the other hand, that program is in meltdown. Medicare and the deficit are the two biggest financial problems that the next President needs to deal with, and they keep dancing around those topics.

McCain is on a fool’s errand if he thinks anyone wants to put money in a bear market. I know too many people who aren’t retiring as planned because of what the market has been doing lately.

Balance the budget, and a lot of problems go away.

Go to the Weather Underground and the page features a map. One of the tabs above the map says “Wundermap”.

If you click on it you get a Google map with a lot of possible overlays for all kinds of information. You can zoom in to the area you want and get weather information about the area, and now you can get fire locations and smoke coverage.

Try it out.

Showing the true lack of perception of reality that has characterized the Presidential campaign orchestrated by the media this year, CNN reports McCain, Obama slam Iran’s missile test

(CNN) — Sen. John McCain said Wednesday that Iran’s missile test shows the need for an effective missile defense system, while rival Sen. Barack Obama believes it shows aggressive diplomacy, combined with sanctions, is necessary.

“Ballistic missile testing coupled with Iran’s continued refusal to cease its nuclear activities should unite the international community in efforts to counter Iran’s dangerous ambitions,” McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, said in a statement.

“Iran’s missile tests also demonstrate the need for effective missile defense now and in the future, and this includes missile defense in Europe as is planned with the Czech Republic and Poland,” the statement said.

[Read more →]