The problem is, in the view of this child of the '50s & '60s - is that it's not part of a future including flying cars, commericalized space travel, and anti-agathic treatments.

It certainly didn't include a government that was so far in debt that the dollar bills to pay it off might stretch as far as the moon... and back. Or a President determined to leave a legacy of even more debt.

But who really knows what the future holds? I think the people have had just about enough of the right, 'intelligent', 'progressive' people screwing them over in the name of 'fairness' - the Tea Party movement may very well lead to a much better future for all.

At least, so I can hope.

J.

Here in Atlanta, there's rarely a winter where we have snow. So for a break, we decided to hit Snow Mountain, a 'snow park'. The prices? Unpleasantly high. The attractions? Heh... not all that much, all things considered... but it was fun anyway.

The 'snow' they've got is more like ice pellets, about an eighth of an inch in diameter. It packs pretty well, and isn't terribly hard to walk on. There's not all that much to do there - about an acre or two of flattish space for folks to build snowmen and snow forts, and a long tubing hill. Plus the obligatory, overpriced foods and beverages....

The flat space - well, the little guy built a pretty decent snow fort, with my lovely bride and I feeding him formed 'bricks'. The tubing hill was a long wait... but not a long uphill slog, there was a motorized walkway that got us up the hill. But it still took a while - the line was quite long for a short ride down the hill.

But it was worth it! LOL! I haven't been tubing for (counts quickly on fingers, looks embarrasedly at the total...) about 35 years, since wrapping myself around a tree one time, but it was JUST as much fun as I remembered, and while the others did it only two and three times, I waited through the line five times. Guess I'm just a thrill-seeker at heart!

The food? Nothing special - just expensive. They've got s'mores pits - and they worked well enough, though $5 for a little envelope with four marshmallows, 4 graham crackers, and a segment of a Hershey bar (and a roasting stick) is ridiculous.

Once was enough, I'm afraid. Oh, I'd love to do the tubing again if it weren't so busy, but not enough to spend the time and money for it. But if you'd never been in snow? It's worth it.

J.

Monster debuts world's fastest HDMI cable and 3.5mm superthin cable

It's a digital signal, for cryin' out loud. It either gets through at levels sufficient to tickle the receiver, or it doesn't. For pretty much any concievable application, you'll be just as well off buying a $10 HDMI cable as you would be by getting a $200 Monster cable.

But if you've got the money to waste, send it to me. I'll be glad to send you a $10 cable for the discounted price of $160!

J.

One of our favorite shows. Haven't done that in a fridge yet, though...

J.

This woman is a hell of a lot more eloquent and thoughtful than Obama ever was - and she doesn't need a teleprompter when stringing more than five words together. (She may have used one during the main part of her speech, haven't seen that yet. --- Update - no, no teleprompter. And she took a jab at Obama - 'charismatic guy with a teleprompter. LOL!) I watched her in the Q&A session afterwards - and was mightily impressed.

No, she hasn't gone to Yale, or Harvard, or the 'Proper Schools' who turn out our political classes. She hasn't come from the 'proper stock', the inbred, semi-aristocratic families who've tried hard to dominate the Washington culture for decades.

She's lived in the real world, outside the Beltway, in flyover country. Where results actually matter, and the value of an idea is in how WELL it performs when implemented, not how palatable it is to your friends and relatives.

Her ideas are based on what we NEED as a country as a whole, not what she'll spin out in order to get votes. And it's rather surprising to me there's people who have such a terribly, terribly difficult time with that. It's not difficult to understand that the days of 'Promise them anything, and forget the promises after the election' MUST end - and that there has to be something to replace it.

Obama's sure not able to give what's needed. Neither is Pelosi, or Reid. They haven't a clue what the country really needs, they just figure if they promise enough they'll be able to stay in office, rise through the food chain, and eventually be the big fish in the pond. And that sort of thinking has gone on WAY too long...

I listen to Palin, and I think she gets it. I could be wrong, but from what I've read of her, from what I've seen of her history - she gets it.

And she'll get my vote. This woman definitely, decidedly, absolutely has my vote if she runs in 2012. Failing that, I'll give her a hell of a lot of credibility when it comes to the candidate she may support.

The speech is here, at PJTV. You might need to register - but it's free and doesn't take long at all.

Palin in 2012? We should be so lucky...

J.

J.

The potential criminality of the Climategate scandal is exactly the issue that is being investigated by authorities in Britain. The British Parliament has convened hearings to investigate East Anglia University and the Climate Research Unit to uncover unethical and illegal activities. As more information is revealed, the whole Climategate affair begins to take on the makings of a good mystery novel. Like any good mystery or crime plot, the web of involvement is widespread.

But in order for a reader to be drawn in, the author must establish the motive and opportunity for the crime to be believable. To understand Climategate, we must start at the center of the web. At the center is the now-discredited Dr. Phil Jones of East Anglia University and the work he orchestrated at the Climate Research Unit (CRU). This is exactly where the British Parliament has started its investigation for possible criminal wrongdoing. From my readings on con men and grifters, there's always a temptation when a successful con is going to push things just a bit further. When you've got a VERY gullible and cooperative mark (or group of marks...) willing to believe the line, who's got essentially control of the entire world economy - a WHOLE lot of money - then the temptation must have been irresistable to push for as much of what they thought 'good' as possible.

Carbon taxes, hobbling the economies of the world to the whims of the 'knowledgeable' environmentalists. Attempting to instill a near-pathological avoidance of energy use, pushes to force blatantly unacceptable substitute energy sources that were 'eco-friendly' - yet were both not ready for prime time AND actually bad for the poor. (It's hard to escape the effect on the world corn market when we diverted much of the output to ethanol.)

And now, with Climategate, it looks like the scam's blown. But where can you run to when you've been running a scam on the entire world? India's rejected the IPCC And sometimes, even the folks who've been scammed will try to keep the scam going...

It was difficult to believe it was an actual CRISIS because the folks who've been pushing AGW as a 'crisis' weren't actiling like it was one. They were telling us how we had to cut back, save energy, save the planet or we'd all be boiling in our own juices if we weren't careful. Then they'd take their private jets off to the next speaking gig, or retire to palatial estates or very large houseboats - but it was okay because they bought Carbon Credits or owned a company that SOLD Carbon Credits...

The scam's blown. What's going to happen next?

J.

One sign that Washington, D.C., had been home to Obama Mania was the number of independent retailers selling all sorts of Obama merchandise. Every street corner, it seemed, had Obama wares (or Obama wear) for sale. Now, however, most of the winter caps for sale are not emblazoned with the Obama logo. T-shirts depicting our president as a dunking Michael Jordan, a victorious Muhammad Ali, or saber-baring Luke Skywalker (yes, these shirts all existed) are nowhere to be found.

This time last year, the Obama Store was teeming with customers. Ideally situated in the basement of Washington’s Union Station, the store was filled with consumers eager to buy anything with Obama’s likeness while others took pictures of the life-size cut-outs of the president and first lady. Now, the Obama Store is boarded up. Dang. I didn't have a chance to get one of the Obama Skywalker shirts...

Then again, I probably wouldn't have worn it anyway. Funny, though, when I read this article, these lyrics kept running through my mind...

The party's over
It's time to call it a day
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
It's time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up the piper must be paid

The party's over
The candles flicker and dim
You danced and dreamed through the night
It seemed to be right just being with him
Now you must wake up, all dreams must end
Take off your makeup, the party's over
It's all over, my friend

J.

The little guy thinks differently, but he'll learn. He'll learn...

J.

New Hampshire independents abandoning Obama in droves: Poll | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

The crucial independent voters of notoriously independent New Hampshire, the ones who were so vital to Barack Obama's 2008 victory there and nationally, are fast falling out of love with the Democrat.

A new WMUR Granite State Poll of 500 voters by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center finds the president's support has slipped below 50% now. In the early 2008 Democratic primary there, voters preferred Hillary Clinton to Obama, 39 to 36. But come November they gave the Illinoisan 54% to John McCain's 45%.
Now, only 48% approve of Obama's presidential job, and 47% disapprove. The Democrat's decline mirrors a national trend though slightly lower.

"Quick - pile into the Drove and let's get out of here!!"

(Okay, I've got an odd sense of humor.)

J.

BBC - Earth News - In Pictures: a new side to the sloths of Panama

Sloths swim. Who'd have thunk it?

J.

Would you pay the same for an ebook as you would for a paperback? I really have a problem doing that. An ebook has no physical, tangible substance. It has no weight, no heft - no smell. You cannot see it beforehand to determine how thick (or thin) it may be. The cost to store and distribute one is a tiny fraction of a cent. And they're pathetic when it comes to levelling tables.

So why should an ebook cost the same? Royalties for the author? That'd be okay - but we're not talking about royalty pricing with a bit of markup for the distributor, we're talking about darn near the full price of a paper book.

What do you think?

J.

You never think about it - but those little microprocessors and the memory they need are made SOMEWHERE - and this is where.

Enjoy!

BTW, how many microprocessors do you have on you right now? Digital watches, pagers, cell phones, bluetooth earpieces, even thumb drives if you want. What are YOU carrying around, that might have been made at a facility like this?

J.

That'd be great to go backpacking with, once they get the annoying buzzing sound taken care of...

J.

BTW, if you're looking to buy a Nixie Watch - you can get one here...

Think about it, though... if LEDs, CCFs and LCDs hadn't been invented, the old Nixies would be likely the only possibilities for a digital watch display...

All things considered? I'd rather have one of these. Wowsers!

Makes me wonder if you could display text and moving pictures on one of those CRT thingies! Wouldn't THAT be neat?

(LOL)

J.