Heads Up

For some time it had bothered me that Grandpa John and Todd had been fully delinquent in their posting duties on this blog. After acquiring some new equipment, however, I have been able to read their minds and have assessed much accumulated data to realize that neither has much to add to the normal, brilliant commentary that takes place here.

D'oh!

"Conspiracy theorists, beware: That aluminum foil beanie—headwear believed, since at least the 1950s, to stop brain-control rays—may make it easier for The Man to read your mind, according to Massachusetts Institute of Technology grad students. Inspired by fringe beliefs that invasive radio signals can probe citizens’ thoughts and that wearing foil on your head may fend them off, an experiment by four Ph.D. candidates found that certain key frequencies—owned by the Feds, naturally—are actually enhanced by such “protection.”"

"...the subjects wore one of three double-layered foil helmets: the “classical” (foil hood wrapped close to the head), the “fez” (cylindrical, flat-topped hat) and the “centurion” (conical shape with a peak)." (Grandpa John prefers the 'centurion', while Todd favors the 'classical'.)

Way back in the '70's my crew and I discovered that total protection required THREE layers of tin foil covering the head in the shape of a PYRAMID. This, with the proper usage of certain 'medications' and growth of facial hair also allowed for the assimilation of the wisdom of the Universe.

M.I.T., PTUI! Kids still wet behind the ears.

Owen says:

I really wanted to fisk this last night, but I was too busy recording Aaron and Jenna’s podcast. Jib and I were on. It was fun and should be posted soon.

Huh. I think maybe he's getting a little complacent in his success.

So I pounce! Not sure I know what I'm doing, but here we go: my very first fisking!

JS Online Editorial: Heading off a bad summer:

As Milwaukee remembered American soldiers who gave their lives in war, battle zones sprang up within the city this Memorial Day weekend.

Actually, those are called crime zones.

All told, 28 people fell victim to gunshots; four of them died.

Our prayers to them and their families.

The spate of gunfire was an ominous opening to summer. The 28 victims over a warm, three-day weekend make one fear the number of victims a full hot summer will yield.

No, it's the number of shooters we should be afraid of.

One weekend doesn't a trend make...

Thanks, Yoda.

...but the gunfire does amount to a warning shot about what might be.

Ooh, a metaphor mirroring the subject at hand!

Milwaukee must act to head off the worst-case scenario.

Aiming for, what, the second-worst scenario? Are zero homicides the second-worst scenario?

Even if not all involved in the weekend shootings fit this particular demographic, it's clear that the community must address the issue of males in their teens and 20s, when they are most likely to be crime-prone or crime's victims.

Round the bastards up!

But the shootings also demonstrate a well-known truth with which this community has yet to adequately grapple - the proliferation of guns. Yes, it can more forcefully hold accountable - in court - those who use guns, but government can also do more to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Hmm. I wonder how many legally-owned guns in Milwaukee weren't used for illegal shootings over the weekend?

In the weekend's most sensational shooting, the assailant gunned down five people, two of them fatally, in crowded South Shore Park on Monday in what police describe as a domestic dispute.

He was, I understand, an illegal alien. Hey, the JS isn't saying illegal alien hands are the "wrong hands," are they? Because wouldn't that be racist?

Early Saturday, Police Officer Salvador Hernandez was the first on the near south side scene of a homicide that claimed his brother, who apparently was trying to break up a fight.

God, that's awful. I wonder if he knew it was his brother who'd been shot? Again, our prayers.

A fourth homicide - the victim was shot in the head - settled a quarrel on a west side street, also early Saturday.

"Settled" a quarrel. What an odd choice of words. It's true in a back-alley, old-west sort of way, I suppose. But it implies a successful resolution, doesn't it? Why not "following" a quarrel?

One way to keep idle young hands away from guns and out of mischief is to keep them busy with work.

Yes! Busy at work making license plates! Turning big rocks into little rocks!

Unfortunately, jobs are in short supply, so businesses must search their souls and their budgets to find a way to hire young people, particularly from the inner city. (Suburban young people, typically with more connections than their inner city peers, have an easier time finding jobs as a rule.)

Skills, education, role models - these have no effect on whether or not a young person works. Crime, taxes, infrastructure, disposable income have no effect on the economy and the number of available jobs. The businesses simply have to "find" the jobs to give.

Was this a serious suggestion? Are suburban kids coming into Milwaukee to work at grocery stores and fast food joints?

To avoid a violent summer, community leaders - ministers, block leaders, agency heads - must redouble their efforts to engage young people in worthwhile activities, such as sports, clubs and community service. And parents must guide their children onto the right path.

Um, what do you do when you're fisking something but then you agree with something the fiskee says?

Although, they're probably talking about midnight basketball or some other such dribble.

Of course, law officers play a role. They can't head off every shooting. But through partnerships with the community, they may be able to nip trouble in the bud - for instance, focusing their energies on putting troublemakers behind bars.

Yes! We need to build more prisons!

Police must also strictly enforce gun laws, jailing people who illegally possess firearms.

Stronger enforcement! More jail time!

Unfortunately, the powerful gun lobby ties the hands of cops by blocking laws to keep guns away from outlaws.

Wow. That's not even a little bit true. Wait...here comes the explanation:

Among these are measures to limit bulk purchases of guns and to impose background checks on every gun purchase. Foes of gun violence in Milwaukee must push such measures.

Limit the rights of the law-abiding with measures that won't stop criminals from arming themselves.

How about letting the law-abiding carry weapons, themselves? Oh, right - the Journal Sentinel believes that would only cause more violence.

More violence than took place this weekend? In a city they tell us is already rampant with firearms?

Right.

Nuge

Portion of an interview with Ted Nugent:

Interviewer: "What do these deer think when they see you coming?" I ask him. "Here comes the nice guy who puts out our dinner? Or, there's the man that shot my brother?"

Nugent: "I don't think they're capable of either of those thoughts, you Limey asshole. They're only interested in three things: the best place to eat, having sex and how quickly they can run away. Much like the French."

Interesting point in John Derbyshire's latest column:

Since only around half of U.S. citizens bother to vote in national elections, the other half would, for all practical purposes, be better off as green-card holders, in that they'd be excused jury duty.

State Journal Wrong Again

It is not entirely unusual that I disagree with an assessment by the State Journal. Here is another egregious error made in an article dated August 12, 1923.

"Boscobel is where the Gideons came into existence."

Granted, this may be where John H. Nicholson of Janesville first met S.E. Hill of Beloit on May 31, 1899, and declared to one another that they wanted to do something to get the Word of God available to more people.

However, it was not until July 1, 1899, that they met with W.J. Knight at the Janesville YMCA that they actually named their mission group as the 'Gideons'.

Contrary to the assertion of the State Journal, therefore, Janesville is actually the birthplace of the Gideons. I demand a retraction by the State Journal as soon as possible.

(H.T. Lance Burri's Wisconsin History sidebar.)

Memorial Day

Here's a brief excerpt from an Armstrong Williams Memorial Day article.

"War is confusion. War is detached horror."

"I mention this only to point out that those Americans, who grappled with man’s worst, did so to preserve man’s best."

A 'Memorial Day' will only be meaningful if we continue to strive for man's best.

Bonds Hits 715

Congratulations to Barry Bonds as he hit his 715th home run tonight. He surpassed Babe Ruth's total to move into second place all time. It was a blast over San Francisco's center field fence off a fastball delivered by the Rockies pitcher, Byung-Hyun Kim.

Bonds now sets his sights on Hank Aaron's record of 755. As Hank Aaron is my all time sports hero, I hope Bonds falls short of that total. At any rate, the steroid question would always leave Bond's accomplishments accompanied by a buff asterisk with zits and atrophied testicles.

As Babe Ruth nows falls to third on the all time home run list, I would like to highlight some of his lesser known career statistics.

Ruth PITCHED in 163 regular season games totalling 1,221 innings. He PITCHED 107 complete games with 17 shutouts. He was 94-46 with an E.R.A. of 2.28. In post season games he was 3-0, with 2 complete games, one shutout, and an E.R.A. of 0.87.

In addition to his 714 career home runs, George Herman batted .342, with a slugging percentage of .690 over his major league tenure. (Post season, .326, .744)

No wonder Thomas Sowell considers Babe Ruth the best player ever, by far.

It's a Jungle Out There

How in the world does one include a youtube vid in a post? I have failed repeatedly.

I posted this complaint over at my house but realized I'd probably get a little more play here.

Rove... At It Again

Millions of veterans records were stolen during a burglary of V.A. official's home.

"WASHINGTON — Personal data, including Social Security numbers of 26.5 million U.S. veterans, was stolen from a Veterans Affairs employee this month after he took the information home without authorization, the department said Monday."

Those wascally Wepublicans will do anything to get John Kerry's medical records.

Inflatused Egos

I'm glad to see that high European culture is finally aspiring to that of the Burri family.

In London's Tate Modern:

"Martin Creed’s Work No 401 is a recording of nine minutes of the artist blowing raspberries into a microphone, which is played back on a loop. It can be heard throughout the new Material Gestures wing, which contains works by Claude Monet and Mark Rothko."

"Frances Morris, the permanent collections curator at Tate Modern, said that she expected Creed’s tape to draw ridicule. “Many of these great works of art were originally deliberately provocative and were met with utter derision. We wanted to rough it up a bit and keep it like real life.”"

Nine minutes of looped farting... AMATEURS!

A bumper sticker I saw yesterday:

Frodo Failed: Bush has the ring!

Ha.

Not Barry!

JS Online: Barry will have surgery

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Kevin Barry has suffered a tear in his left quadriceps that will require surgery and might cost him the entire 2006 season, coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday morning.

Way back in 1997, I was an intern at the Racine Journal Times. My very first assignment was to cover the Racine Shriner's 21st annual football banquet, where they were honoring two local football players who had been selected to play in the North-South Shrine Bowl.

Kevin Barry was one of them.

I remember him being big, quiet, and shy. The other guy (Cory Ellis was his name) talked a lot more.

Barry was on his way to Hutchinson Community College, in Kansas. We all know now he ended up at Arizona (or was it Arizona State?), and then with the Packers.

Anyway, that's why I've been rooting for him to earn a starting place, and then a Pro-Bowl selection. My little claim to fame.

I wonder if he remembers that? He wouldn't remember me, specifically, but he may remember the event, and the reporter.

Speedy recovery, I hope, and a long career.

Diversity, Multiculturalism=BAD

Here is the final portion of an article written by Susan Lampert Smith in the Wisconsin State Journal while covering the NRA Convention in Milwaukee.

"Around 2 p.m., we all trooped over to the U.S. Cellular Arena to see Ted Nugent open the convention.

Behind me, three men expressed their admiration for the rocker-hunter-gun lover from Michigan.

"Wouldn't want to be a liberal around him!"

"I think the John Birch Society is too liberal."

"I'm to the right of the Spanish Inquistion."

Were they talking so loud because they could tell I was from Madison? Did I give off Liberal-aroma? Could they smell vegan bratwurst on my breath?

At the Arena, I was glad that no one knew that the last show I saw there was the anti-Bush Dixie Chicks.

I watched NRA president Sandy Froman, who looks like a fourth-grade teacher in her pretty flowered scarf, introduce the crazed looking Nugent. As he ripped into the National Anthem on his Tony-the-Tiger striped guitar, I recalled the last time I saw him live: 30 years ago at Bicentennial Fest at the Rockford Speedway. Who knew he'd become a law-and-order type?

And who knew Nugent would become the answer to the trivia question: Who uttered the naughtiest word ever said over the airwaves of Wisconsin Public Radio? Larry Meiller still chokes when he talks about it.

My reverie ended as Nugent hit the last chords of "The Star Spangled Banner." Suddenly, I realized that I was the only person in an arena filled with flag-wagging, gun-loving people who did not stand, with hand over heart. Suddenly, I felt thousands of glaring eyes.

Suddenly, I felt a little less safe in downtown Milwaukee.

I slunk out a side entrance and didn't relax until I crossed the Dane County line.

Cross-cultural visits are nice, but I feel safer among my own."

Back in the day, people often said that I looked like Ted Nugent...



And a little later on, too...



Cat Scratch Fever, dah, dah, dah, DAH...

Kittyanna Katrina Kallikovski-Mayovich

Statistics and Computer Models

An engineer, a physicist, and a statistician were moose hunting in northern Canada. After a short walk through the marshes they spotted a HUGE moose 150 yards away.

The engineer raised his gun and fired at the moose. A puff of dust showed that the bullet landed 3 yards to the right of the moose.

The physicist, realizing that there was a substantial breeze that the engineer did not account for, adjusted his aim accordingly and took his shot. The bullet landed 3 yards to the left of the moose.

The statistician jumped up and down screaming, "We got him! We got him!"

(Lifted from Wicked Thoughts.)

Immigration Debate

Dick Clark and Don Cornelius recently polled baby boomers about the illegal immigration issue. Respondents were asked to rate the present situation on a scale from 35 to 98.

Typical responses:
"I liked the tune and lyrics, but it was hard to dance to."
"La consonancia y las líricas me gustan, pero era difícil por cuál bailar."

Poll conclusion: No consensus. (Ningún consenso.)

Bumper Literature

Bumper sticker of the day: "My Labrador is smarter than your honor student."

Still the one to beat: "My lawyer can beat your lawyer."

NBA Notes

-There's a rumor goin' round that the New York Knickerbockers are going to fire head coach Larry Brown and pay him a $40 million buyout. If so, that would amount to $2 million per win in total payments .

Since Knickerbocker is a name taken from a Washington Irving novel to indicate one who is a native New Yorker, I would recommend that they change the team name to the Rip Van Winkles and shorten it to the New York Winkles. As an alternative, since the British term for underwear is 'knickers', they may also want to use the name, Pantywaists.

What a mess.

-Former Badger Devon Harris is making his mark for the Dallas Mavericks. Since he left Wisconsin a year early for the NBA, I will still root for the Spurs. David Robinson's shadow still looms large.

Cruel and Unusual

One major criticism of Leftist ideology is that the means that it uses seldom, if ever, remotely achieve the stated goals. More often than not, the original problems are exacerbated. However, Leftist analysis concludes that more of the same Leftist methodology is required with more sacrifice by the unwashed masses. Although the United States is deeply awash in this strategy, much of Europe is even more highly advanced and gives us vision for our future if the similar Leftist ideology continues to flourish here.

It is a serious matter when politicians, judges, and bureaucrats hold to Leftist theory, but potentially fatal when this ideology pervades general culture. In this circumstance the culture moves without its members' knowledge or depth of consideration.

This 'natural' evolution emerged in the sentencing phase of Zacarias Moussaoui trial. I am not concerned about their resulting verdict, but it is quite telling how they arrived at it.

"Instead, a majority of the jurors sided with the defense suggestion that Moussaoui had an unstable childhood and a violent father, and agreed that those were mitigating factors against execution."1.

"If that is what he meant, he has ample evidence to believe it based on forms filled out by the jurors, which included "mitigating factors" that led them to reject the death penalty in favor of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nine of the 12 jurors said that Moussaoui's "unstable early childhood and dysfunctional family" resulted in his having a home life without structure and emotional and financial support, and his hostile relationship with his mother eventually led to him being placed in an orphanage."2.

"Jan Vogelsang, a clinical social worker, said at Moussaoui's death-penalty trial that the 37-year-old Frenchman, of Moroccan descent, was in and out of orphanages for the first six years of his life. As a teenager, she said, he was rejected as a ''dirty Arab" by the family of his longtime girlfriend, with whom he lived briefly and with whom he won dance contests."3.

With these facts and assertions in mind the jury compassionately determined to sentence Zacarias Moussaoui to life in another unstable, dysfunctional cultural orphanage. He will live in prison without emotional support, but with hundreds of abusive and violent 'daddies' who will undoubtedly bestow upon him the moniker, 'Dirty Arab Be-utch'.

Sometimes a rifle is just a rifle...

And sometimes a lightning bolt is just a lightning bold. But Teddy Kennedy might want to considerotherwise, just in case:

Plane Carrying Kennedy Hit by Lightning

BOSTON - A plane carrying U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (news, bio, voting record) from western Massachusetts to his home on the coast was struck by lightning Saturday and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., his spokeswoman said.

Mother's Day

Julia Florence Burri
June 7, 1918 - October 9, 2002

We were very fortunate!

Oooooh. I love this.

The Club for Growth Blog: Summer Reading List

Greg Mankiw offers a summer reading list full of economics books. One of them, which I think is perfect for anyone, is Eat the Rich by PJ O‘Rourke. Here’s a beautiful passage from the book:

“…take the real-world example of two kids who graduate from college with honors. One is an admirable idealist. The other is on the make. The idealist joins Friends of the Earth and chains himself to a sequoia. The sharpie goes to work for an investment bank selling fishy derivatives and makes $500,000 a year. Even assuming that the selfish young banker cheats the IRS - and he will - he’ll end up paying $100,000 a year in taxes: income taxes, property taxes, sales tax, etc. While the admirable idealist has saved one tree (if the logging company doesn’t own bolt cutters), the pirate in a necktie has contributed to society $100,000 worth of schools, roads, and U.S. Marines, not to mention Interior Department funding sufficient to save any number of trees and the young idealist chained thereto.

And if the soulless yuppie cheats the IRS so well that he ends up keeping the whole half million? That cash isn’t going to sit in his cuff link box. Whether spent or saved, the money winds up invested somewhere, and maybe that investment leads to the creation of the twenty-first century’s equivalent of the moldboard plow, the microchip, or the mocha latte. Society wins. Wealth brings great benefits to the world. Rich people are heroes. They don’t usually mean to be, but that’s their problem, not ours.”

What do you think when you see another of those "CEO gets the Golden Parachute" stories?

I think: "How can I get that?"

Semi-illegal, Partially Undocumented Immigration

Jay Leno:

"The heaviest man in the world lives in Mexico, he weighs over 1200 pounds! In fact he tried to cross the border once and was caught by officials in California, Arizona and New Mexico."

It is unfortunate that Leno didn't follow up on the story.

In California, the man marched in pro-immigration protests in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco simultaneously.

Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio arrested him and sentenced him to serve his jail time in a circus tent.

The New Mexico ACLU filed suit to deport him back to Mexico since he crossed the border wearing a 'WWJD?' wristband.

Rivalry and Temporary Detente

I have often found it interesting to learn how a rivalry originated; the Hatfields and McCoys, Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco, the Bears and the Packers, John and Lorena Bobbitt, Wisconsin and Michigan.

In regard to the Wisconsin/Michigan feud, my research traces it back to about 5:00 AM, May 10th, 1865. (General Lee had surrendered to General Grant on April 9.) It was at this point in time that a squad from the Fourth Michigan Cavalry commanded by Colonel Pritchard opened fire on members of Company M, First Wisconsin Cavalry commanded by Colonel H. Harnden. Before it was discovered that they were supposed to be on the same side, Wisconsin troops suffered several casualties, three severely, with two horses killed. Michigan had two fatalities and one wounded officer. They briefly set aside their differences and captured Jefferson Davis shortly afterward. (More details here.)

Those dadgum bushwhacking Michiganders! Even 141 years ago they would do anything to collect the $100,000 reward offered for the capture of the Confederate President. Small wonder that the rivalry continues to this day.

(H.T. Lance via his 'This Day in Wisconsin History' sidebar.)

Jonah Goldberg on Populism:

Politics has a math of its own. Whereas a scientifically minded person might see things this way: One person who says 2+2=5 is an idiot; two people who think 2+2=5 are two idiots; and a million people who think 2+2=5 are a whole lot of idiots - political math works differently. Let's work backwards: if a million people think 2+2=5, then they are not a million idiots, but a "constituency." If they are growing in number, they are also a "movement." And, if you were not only the first person to proclaim 2+2=5, but you were the first to persuade others, then you, my friend, are not an idiot, but a visionary.

Vince: "What the Hell is Going on out There?"

This is Janesville, Wisconsin. It is a UAW union-dominated blue city in a blue state. Our State Representative is Mike Sheridan, (D), the local UAW president. Our State Senator is Judy Robson, (D), a liberal Registered Nurse. Janesville votes for U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, (D), a native son. We vote for U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, (D), even though I'm not convinced he really exists. Janesville voted for Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

Our U.S. Representative is Paul Ryan, (R), who is as conservative as... as conservative as... shoot! I can't think of anyone living with which to compare him. So... "What the hell is going on out there?"

Paul promoted a good Social Security Reform plan, similar in many ways to that which President Bush put forth. They failed... this time. It ain't over. Ryan doesn't give up very easily.

For almost 8 years Representative Ryan has been seeking to change the way House rules have been 'earmarking' pork spending since 1974. The 32 year old rules allowed for the insertion of pork so late in the legislative process that no one had the ability to challenge that specific 'earmark'. They could only vote for or against the entire conference report. You might have to vote against troop funding to deny a $500 million 'poison pill' earmarked for a railroad to be rebuilt closer to Mississippi gambling casinos.

A lobbying accountability bill (H.R. 4975) that passed the House recently by a vote of 217-213 also included provisions to enable any member of the Congress to challenge last minute earmarks inserted into a spending bill as it is finalized in the House/Senate conference committee.

Ryan: “I have been fighting to bring transparency and accountability to the way Congress spends taxpayers' money since I came to Congress. This reform does just that and I look forward to bringing my legislative line-item veto bill to the House floor in June along with other reforms to help us balance the budget. Shining sunlight on earmarks will discourage wasteful spending and help the public hold Members of Congress accountable for any spending projects they add to bills. If an earmark is tucked into legislation, the reforms we approved today would expose it and allow it to be challenged. This is just one step in a series of reforms we are advancing to transform the congressional budget process to save taxpayer dollars and clamp down on unnecessary government spending.”1.

Ryan credits Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and other Republican leaders for standing up against the 32 year old House tradition.

Senator Tom Coburn, MD, (R-OK) called earmarking "a gateway drug on the road to the spending addiction," He is co-sponsoring S.2265, a Senate version similar in purpose to that which Ryan pushed in the House. S.2265 is sponsored by Senator John McCain.

It is good to see that some members of our U.S. Congress are working to control themselves and not just the activities of everyone else.

The African Scourge

The situation in the Darfur region as well as all of Sudan is horrible. Although the reported numbers of deaths generally seem to be inflated, its seriousness cannot be denied. What the U.S. or any world organizations or nations can do is up to much debate.

"About 180,000 people have been killed and 3 million driven from their homes by fighting in the western Sudanese region since February 2003, when rebels from black farming villages took up arms against what they consider discrimination and oppression by the Arab-dominated government."1.

While not trying to belittle Darfur's condition, it is not the most serious problem in Africa. A Darfur solution would bring several valid opinions into conflict, the approach to the more serious killer should not.

"Worldwide, an estimated 300 to 500 million clinical cases of malaria occur each year, resulting in an estimated one million deaths annually in Africa alone. This age-old scourge is endemic to more than 90 countries, putting at least 41 percent of the world’s population at risk for malaria infection. In addition, malaria exacts a significant economic toll in affected areas, reducing economic growth in African countries up to 1.3 percent each year."2. (Emphasis mine)

It looks like some effective help is on the way.

"U.S. government officials are enthusiastically endorsing and funding the use of DDT in sub-Saharan Africa after years of resisting calls from scientists who said the insecticide would be the best weapon for fighting malaria, despite lingering objections by some environmentalists."...(Emphasis mine)

..."The insecticide credited with eliminating malaria in the Western world years ago was outlawed in the United States in 1972 and is banned in most countries because of environmental concerns and unsubstantiated fears it can harm humans."3.

"Symptoms of malaria include fever, shivering, pain in the joints, headache, repeated vomiting, generalized convulsions and coma. If not treated, the most serious kind caused by the P. falciparum parasite, can become deadly within two days. The other malaria parasites cause less serious symptoms, but can weaken a person's immune system, making him/her more vulnerable to other infectious, life-threatening diseases."4.

Thomas Sowell wrote in 'The Vision of the Anointed', pages 144-145, "The banning of DDT was followed by a resurgence of malaria, a fatal disease to many. Even a small country like Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) had 2.8 million people infected with malaria in 1948, before DDT was used. This fell to less than a hundred cases by 1962, after large-scale DDT programs were instituted-- and rose again to 5 million cases by 1969 after DDT was banned."

Again and again and again we see the Green and Liberal wisdom and do-goodism leading to catastrophe with no acknowledgement of their responsibility or change of philosophy or methodology. I assume that Bush is now to be held accountable for this dire situation as well.


Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane

How did I not know about this?

Spider-Man Creator Seeks New Superhero - Yahoo! News

PASADENA, Calif. - The creator of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk is on the hunt for a new superhero, and he plans to find it on reality TV.

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee said Friday that his new reality show "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" breaks new ground.

"I've never lived in a world of reality," quipped the 83-year-old writer.

Eleven wannabe superheros — whittled down from 200 — are set to compete in the show, which is scheduled to premiere July 26 on the Sci-Fi channel. The winning superhero will be the star of a new comic book created by Lee.

The reported catch-phrase for those who don't make the cut? "Turn in your spandex!"

A superhero tryout and I wasn't invited? It's a scandal!

Green Janesville

Janesville, Wisconsin has been dubbed 'Park City'. That's about the extent of its participation in serious environmentalism.

I was surprised to discover, however, that Janesville is on the cutting edge of environmental protection. Oddly our concern for the welfare of Earth starts with our G.M. plant and its 3,800 employees.

"Today, the facility builds the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, Yukon Denali, Yukon Denali XL and Isuzu/GM Low Cab Forward medium-duty truck. In calendar year 2004 the plant produced almost 220,000 vehicles."1.

JaneSUVille!

Most first impressions would assume that Janesville, therefore, leads the league in Earth's demise. Not so fast, my friend.

"CNW Marketing Research Inc. spent two years collecting data on the energy necessary to plan, build, sell, drive and dispose of a vehicle from initial concept to scrappage. This includes such minutia as plant to dealer fuel costs, employee driving distances, electricity usage per pound of material used in each vehicle and literally hundreds of other variables."

"To put the data into understandable terms for consumers, it was translated into a "dollars per lifetime mile" figure. That is, the Energy Cost per mile driven...."

"...For example, the Honda Accord Hybrid has an Energy Cost per Mile of $3.29 while the conventional Honda Accord is $2.18. Put simply, over the "Dust to Dust" lifetime of the Accord Hybrid, it will require about 50 percent more energy than the non-hybrid version."

"One of the reasons hybrids cost more than non-hybrids is the manufacture, replacement and disposal of such items as batteries, electric motors (in addition to the conventional engine), lighter weight materials and complexity of the power package."

"And while many consumers and environmentalists have targeted sport utility vehicles because of their lower fuel economy and/or perceived inefficiency as a means of transportation, the energy cost per mile shows at least some of that disdain is misplaced."

"For example, while the industry average of all vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2005 was $2.28 cents per mile, the Hummer H3 (among most SUVs) was only $1.949 cents per mile. That figure is also lower than all currently offered hybrids and Honda Civic at $2.42 per mile."

"If a consumer is concerned about fuel economy because of family budgets or depleting oil supplies, it is perfectly logical to consider buying high- fuel-economy vehicles," says Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research, Inc. "But if the concern is the broader issues such as environmental impact of energy usage, some high-mileage vehicles actually cost society more than conventional or even larger models over their lifetime."...2. (Emphasis mine)

So... on behalf of the good, compassionate, and caring citizens of Janesville and the employees of our G.M. plant, I gladly accept this year's 'Gaia* Award' for our efforts to save our beloved planet. I would like to thank all the little people that made this labor of love possible.

(*Gaia: The goddess of the earth, who bore and married Uranus.)

Good Headline

I quite enjoyed this Don Surber headline:

"Kennedy Crashes Car, No Kopechne Hurt"

Ouch!


(H.T. Bitsblog.)

Take This, You Baby Blogger Wannabees

(tee bee, there's a special sound effect in this just for you.)

This is why I like Ann Althouse:

Days, weeks, months, years.

Which of these units of time is not like the others? Weeks! Weeks have no astronomical basis. So why do we have weeks? What are weeks for? Why 7? Because it was written in the Bible. Perhaps hardcore atheists should object to this sevenness.

Just a fun post. Go read it.

Another 1960's Flashback

What do the recent Tonga earthquake, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the 2005 Pakistani earthquake, and the collapse of the New Orleans levees during Hurricane Katrina have in common?

After approximately 10,000 hours of arduous research, interviews with countless geologists, vulcanologists, nuclear physicists, seismologists, and one leftist; after processing countless gigabytes of data through 47 separate computer models I have narrowed the above commonality down to two possibilities.

These 'natural' disasters were either caused by 1) the Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Rumsfeld testing of bunker busting nuclear weapons to be used against Iran and/or the deep caves hiding Osama bin Laden or 2) by Madeleine Albright dropping her leg press weights too hard after the last repetition of her last set in her 'Thunder Thighs' exercise routine.

Parents: Don't let your children do drugs. The leftist/conspiratory flashbacks are almost too much to bear.

24 French

Some modes of measurement are hard for me to comprehend. With shotguns, the smaller the gauge, the larger the bore. With lumber, a 2x4 is 1-3/4 x 3-3/4. There is a method to their madness, I suppose. However, when it comes to gastrointestinal tubes, I had to do some research.

With one of my patients, we had to reinstall the g-tube twice within the last week. The first replacement was sized 28 French. That had to be removed and replaced because the stomach to skin surface length was too short. The second style (a Kimberly-Clark!) that we had chosen was 24 French. This particular model offered from 14 French on up to its largest, the 24 French.

I just had to know the medical etymology of the French sizing. To summarize my extensive study, since the French are famous for running and 24 French will run even faster than 14 French, an observant British doctor decided to name the g-tube sizes after them. A 24 French g-tube will move fluids more rapidly than a 14 French sized. (That British physician, Dr. Lord Humphrey Taggert, had such a successful practice that Sir Winston was able to shorten his last name to 'Church'.)

Gastrointestinal tube-sizing language and metering are intuitively understood within the medical and lay communities; no Greek, no Latin. A wise choice of technical vernacular.