Shots Across The Bow

Too much time on my hands

Some folks have entirely too much time to waste, so they do things like make fake photos for the web. Check out this quiz and see if you can spot the fakes. I scored 7 of ten on level 1 and 6 of ten on level two.

Via Howard Owens

Amen.

The Cracker Barrel Philosopher linked to this. I'm sending you there to download it. I promise it is worth the time you'll spend.

Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring; Expanded Version

At three hours running time already, why would you need an expanded version of TFR?

I'll tell you why:
More Galadriel
More Hobbits
More Shire
More Arwen
More Aragorn

Clocking in at just over three and a half hours, The Fellowship of the Ring is still not over long. The new material adds to the story and I watched each new segment with pleasure. They were like grace notes that, while not strictly needed in the melody, make a song breath.

The only mild annoyance is that if you don't have a multi DVD player, you have to get up off the couch to put in a second DVD.

The bonus material comes on two more DVDs and I haven't had the chance to go through all of it yet, but I will before Dec. 18th, when The Two Towers opens. I've already got my ticket.

Star Wars:Attack of the Clones-DVD

When the First Star Wars move was released, I rode my bike down to the theater to watch it. I didn't know much about the movie, but I was a huge Trek fan, so any science fiction film had my attention.

Like many others, I came out of the theater supercharged with excitement. The world of movies had suddenly changed. It wasn't the story, which was cribbed from The Seven Samurai, among other sources. It wasn't the acting, which to my uncritical eye was fine, but nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't the dialog, which, outside of snappy one liners and quips was awkward and forgettable. The effects were dazzling, far beyond anything we had ever seen before, but we've seen since then that effects alone cannot elevate a sub-par movie.

So why did Star Wars rise above it's mediocre plot, dialog and acting? Two factors stand out. The first is the editing. The first movie was cut together brilliantly, hiding it's many flaws, and playing to it's overwhelming strengths. We forgave the wooden acting and sappy dialog because we were never given a chance to dweel on it. The cardboard characters were put through their cliched paces with an energy and a vigor that swept us away with them, carried along by the single most important factor in the succes of Star Wars; the score.

John Williams is the man who made Star Wars what it was. His score gave life to the story, created emotional responses where none existed. It's no surprise that the soundtrack remains one of the top selling original soundtracks of all time.

Why do I include all of this in a review of the DVD for Attack of the Clones?

Because the only scene with any emotional resonance in the entire film is when Annikin looks out over the Tattoine desert while we hear the Skywalker theme, echoing the scene in Star Wars where Luke scans the desert and ponders his semingly barren future.

The rest of the movie is sound and fury, action and adventure, without soul. The romance between Amidala and Anakin is forced, with little to no chemistry. The deleted scenes, which coincidentally almost all had to do with the growing attraction between the two lovers, make this even more apparent, although Lucas claims repeatedly that these scenes were removed for reasons of pacing.

Playing on the small screen makes the movies shortcomings even more apparent. No longer overwhelmed by the visual feast, which is truly spectacular, the flaws are thrown into relief. It's telling that the advance reviews of the DVD focused on it's technical brilliance, leaving unspoken the acknowledgement that the actual content was weak. In short, while technically brilliant, this is a fairly lame movie. George Lucas wisely decided to produce Empire and Jedi, allowing others to direct and screenwrite. I can only hope he does the same for the last movie.

Christmas decorating

Sayuncle has decorated his house.

Drive by and see it; honk when you go by so he'll know he didn't waste all that effort...

Give the man what he wants

I just finished reading the text of the letter allegedly sent by Bin Laden.

I think the key paragraph is this one:

The Nation of Martyrdom; the Nation that desires death more than you desire life:

"Think not of those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead. Nay, they are alive with their Lord, and they are being provided for. They rejoice in what Allah has bestowed upon them from His bounty and rejoice for the sake of those who have not yet joined them, but are left behind (not yet martyred) that on them no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allah, and that Allah will not waste the reward of the believers." [Quran 3:169-171]

Let's give the man what he wants.

It's funny though, that a man who desires death more than life avoids it so assiduously.

Simply Surreal

Via Tongue Tied:

Education Department officials in England are attempting to distance themselves from a booklet they launched that tells nursery schools not to play musical chairs because the game is too violent and competitive, reports the BBC.

Towards a Non-Violent Society, a pamphlet produced by the Forum on Children and Violence, argues that musical chairs only rewards the "strongest and fastest"

By all means! Let's eliminate the "Farmer in the Dell" game as well. After all, it glorifies a man who rapes the earth with agrochemicals, ripping food from the land beyond its natural ability to provide, leaving a barren dust plain in his wake. Also remember the 'cheese', who must "stand alone", suffering humiliations galore as the rest of the children dance around and laugh at him.

And of course, instead of the 'cheese' starting the next round as the farmer, thus completing the cycle and finding redemption, the teacher stops the game by ending recess early, and you're stuck with being the cheese all day, until recess the next day.

But then nobody wants to play the "Farmer in the Dell", and they call you the "stinky cheese," and chase you away, and you get mad, and vow revenge. You scheme and you plan and 10 years later, when everybody has forgotten, and you're now in high school, you leave limburger cheese in everybody's locker. Since your nickname is still 'Stinky', everybody knows you did it, so you are caught and expelled from school. Your parents die from shame and you take to the streets, where your vows of revenge are swallowed by a tide of booze and drugs as you sink into a life of despair.

But then an angel drops into your life and lifts you from the despair. You begin to function as a normal, sane human being. You get a job, and things are looking up. You have children and one day come home to find them sing "The Farmer in the Dell." The past comes rushing back as you hear the mocking voices in your head singing, "the cheese stands alone."

You snap and run screaming from the room, but you can't escape the voices in your head, singing:

"The cheese stands alone, the cheese stands alone.
Hi ho the dairy-o the cheese stands alone."

You run screaming though the streets. Children cry, dogs bark, and eventually some nice men in white coats come and pull you out of the tree, give you a shot and take you to a nice place with soft walls and hard nurses. You recover somewhat, and as therapy, they urge you to write about your experiences. They give you a computer keyboard and a blog, and then you start to write about all kinds of things......

I'm sharing too much again, aren't I?

All because of the "Farmer in the Dell."

Vols report card

We beat Vandy!

Woohoo.

But we kept them from scoring!

yippee.

Team grade:C+
Vandy just doesn't provide decent competition for the Vols, even in a bad year. The emergence of the running game spelled doom for Vandy, and our dependable defense was more than a match for Vandy's suspect offense.

Kentucky is another story. Lorenzen will provide a stern test to UT's big play secondary. Our coverage is soft, but quick, which means we make a lot of interceptions, but also that we give up a lot of big plays. Lorenzen will have a field day, unless our defensive line can put pressure on him. Unfortunately, our defense will have all they can handle trying to contain Pinner. The combination will likely overwhelm the Vol defense, and put up 35 points.

Which brings us to our offense, which is beginning to show signs of life behind an improved offensive line, and the running of Cedric Houston. For the Vols to have a chance to win this game, they must launch several long drives, each resulting in scores, keeping Lorenzen and Pinner off of the field. Sadly, every coach in the nation knows that UT can't pass effectively, and Kentucky will stack up to stop the run, with a double team on Whitten. Look for Kentucky to end one more UT streak: KY 35 UT 24

I would so love to be wrong on this one...

A study in sportsmanship

Sunday, Warren Sapp put Chad Clifton out of the game, and possibly the rest of the season with a vicious hit after an interception. Although the hit was clean, it was well away from the play, and probably unnecessary. After the hit, Sapp celebrated the hit, while Clifton writhed in pain on the turf, and continued to do so even as the trainers went out to take Clifton off of the field.. But this is football, and as Sapp said, it's a contact sport. There will be no penalties of fines for Sapp.

After the game, Packers coach Mike Sherman confronted Sapp, who launched into an obscenity laden tirade, shoved a Packers staffer, and challenged Sherman to "put on a jersey if you think you're so tough."

Last night, Coy Detmer had the game of his career, throwing for two touchdowns while running the Eagles offense to perfection. Then in the third quarter, he dislocated his left elbow while being tackled by Chiki Okeafor. He was brought off the field on a cart, but before the cart could clear the field, he was surrounded by his teammates, and most of the 49ers, who wanted to wish him well.

Again, this is football, and it's a contact sport; injuries will happen. But do you celebrate ending a guy's year? Do you relish seeing your opponent carried off on a cart? Or do you play the game hard, but clean? Do you try to win, or try to hurt the other guy?

Warren Sapp has one answer; I like the 49ers answer better.

Blogger's Bash Update

OK folks, we have our final arrangements. The bash will be held on Dec 7th starting around 6PM and we will hold it at Barley's again. I'll call and let them know to expect a group between 10 and 25. If you don't know where Barley's is, the address is 200 Jackson Ave. in the Old City. Take the James White Parkway exit off of I-40. Get off on Summit Hill and turn right down the hill. Turn right on Central, and right again on Jackson. Barleys is a half a block down on your......
right.

Hmmmm. Me thinks that this must be part of the VRWC.....

Looking forward to seeing you all.

Misleading header

read this article in Fox, which claims that scientists are trying to create a new life form

Interesting choice of words, but inaccurate.

The plan will begin with Mycoplasma genitalium, a tiny organism that lives in the genital tracts of people and may cause or contribute to an inflammation of the urethra. All genetic material will be removed from the organism. Scientists will synthesize an artificial string of genetic material, resembling a naturally occurring chromosome, that they hope will contain the minimum number of M. genitalium genes needed to sustain life.

The artificial chromosome will then be inserted in the hollowed-out cell, where it will be tested for its ability to survive and reproduce.

In musical terms, this is like Vanilla Ice claiming the base line from Ice Ice Baby was his because he used it differently.

Scientists in this experiment are not "creating" anything, they are producing a modified copy of an existing organism. Breeders have been doing this for generations, using selective breeding. The tools are becoming more refined; the actual effect is staying the same.

So why use the word "create?"

I see a couple of reasons. First it sounds snazzier than "modifying." Second, in the ongoing war between science and religion, both side seek to pre-empt the terminaology of the other. On one side, scientific creationism. On the other, "creating a partially man made organism."

Note to the science community; if you want to claim you have created something, start in the lab with carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen, plus sufficient quantites of the trace elements you need. Give me a call when you make something from scratch.

If I order a pizza, I don't turn around and call it cooking dinner.

That being said, the experiment itself is a pretty cool one, sure to give us lots of new insight into how the genetic information encoded in DNA is used to regulate an organism.

Islam is a religion of peace...

it says so right here on the label. That must have been a comfort to the folks who were burned alive by a mob.

More than 50 people were stabbed, bludgeoned or burned to death and 200 were seriously injured in the violence in predominantly Muslim neighborhoods, Nigerian Red Cross President Emmanuel Ijewere told The Associated Press.

At least four churches were destroyed, he said.

Many of the bodies were taken by Red Cross workers and other volunteers to local mortuaries. Many others remained inside homes that were set afire by the demonstrators, Ijewere said.

And the cause of this ruckus?

The protests were triggered by a newspaper article suggesting Islam's founding prophet might have chosen a wife from among contestants in the Miss World beauty pageant in Nigeria

Now, for those of you who equate Islamic fundamentalism with Christian fundamentalism, let me ask you a question. We've had images of the Virgin Mary painted in cow feces; we've had books published saying Jesus was gay; we've had singers ripping up pictures of the Pope on national TV; we've seen devout Christians pilloried in our media time and again as helpless morons at best or dangerous fanatics at worst; we've seen sacrilege of almost every kind imaginable put forth as art.

Anyone been burned alive for it?

Didn't think so.

For a bunch of guys who praise martyrdom for Allah

it seems strange that so many of the leaders are captured alive....

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a suspected mastermind of the USS Cole bombing in October 2000, was captured in an undisclosed foreign country earlier this month and is now in U.S. custody, officials said.

The Saudi native is the highest-ranking Al Qaeda operative captured since last March, when the CIA, FBI and Pakistani authorities captured Usama bin Laden's operations chief, Abu Zubaydah, in Faisalabad, Pakistan.

U.S. officials had recently said a senior Al Qaeda leader had been caught, but they declined to identify him. On Sunday, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said the captured terrorist was providing information to his interrogators.

And then they sing like little birdies.

How does Allah reward hypocrisy?

You read it here first!

Remember when I (jokingly) predicted that Jeffords would ask to be a republican again?

Well, I was right!

Despite denials by his staff, Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords did approach several colleagues in the Republican Senate Caucus about returning to the fold. According to several Republican Senate leadership sources, Jeffords himself floated the idea to Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee and to Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe in the aftermath of the Republicans' regaining control of the Senate.

"It wasn't a half-joking conversation," says a Senate leadership staffer. "The senators thought it serious enough to go to their caucus leaders and raise the issue. At that point it became a joke."

You made your choices, sir. Now you get to live with them.

If this doesn't scare you,

you weren't paying attention. The gov't wants to monitor every single purchase made by every single American.

Aldridge said the database, which he called another "tool" in the war on terror, would look for telltale signs of suspicious consumer behavior.

Examples he cited were: sudden and large cash withdrawals, one-way air or rail travel, rental car transactions and purchases of firearms, chemicals or agents that could be used to produce biological or chemical weapons.

It would also combine consumer information with visa records, passports, arrest records or reports of suspicious activity given to law enforcement or intelligence services.

Now, in order to combine the two information sets, there must be a wat to correlate them. In other words, your name will be associated with every transaction. Think about that for a second. Every purchase will have to have your name on it, and will be stored in a data base somewhere.

Scared yet?

Then think about this. How are they going to get your name on cash transactions? We're getting to the point where you will have to show ID to buy a pack of gum, unless you use a credit card. Can a national ID card be too far behind?

How is it that the right to privacy allows a woman to abort her unborn child, but doesn't allow me to spend my money without reporting to the feds?

This cannot be allowed.

I can't wait to see what SKB has to say. We disagree in a lot of areas, but I'm betting we're together on this one....

UPDATE: I just sent the following to Senators Frist, Thompson, and Senator elect Alexander, as well as to the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Sir:

The Pentagon wants to monitor every single purchase made by every single American. They say that they need this information to combat terrorists. I fail to see how tracking my purchases at WalMart is the key to defeating Al Qaida.

The report goes on to say that consumer information will be added to passport, arrest, visa, and other information. Now, in order to combine the two information sets, there must be a way to correlate them. In other words, my name will be associated with every transaction I make, and that information will be stored in a giant database somewhere, accessible to God only knows whom. That information will be analyzed, looking for “suspicious activity” like large cash withdrawals, car rentals, etc. So, if I decide to take a trip to Washington DC, and rent a car to carry my family, and pay with cash because I don’t have a credit card, I might be a terrorist?

I don’t think so, yet a software algorithm just might reach that conclusion, and my life would be open to increased scrutiny, and a complete violation of my rights against unreasonable searches. How is it that the right to privacy allows a woman to abort her unborn child, but doesn't allow me to buy a pack of gum without reporting to the feds?

I haven’t even begun to talk about the abuses possible through the expansion of this system. As an example, it was expressly forbidden to use the Social Security number as an ID number, but last time I checked, it was required to get a driver’s license; to join the military, where it became your serial number; it is used to identify your credit worthiness; many companies use it as your employee number. In short, it has become a de facto national ID. Now imagine the parallel for this new system. The IRS will instantly be interested in this system to investigate tax fraud; tracking and analyzing cash transactions would be an excellent weapon for them. Imagine the uses local law enforcement would have for this system, tracking stolen merchandise and so on.

There are many possible noble uses for this information, I’m not arguing that, but it goes against the grain of everything we stand for as Americans. It is a massive intrusion on our rights as enumerated by the US Constitution.

It cannot be allowed.

I urge you to act now to stop this rape of our fundamental rights, before we lose the very thing we are fighting to protect.

Our freedom.

Holiday Blogger's Bash

Announcing the Tennessee Holiday Blogger's Bash!

We'll meet up around 6:30 on Saturday Dec 7 at a location to be named later. All bloggers, commentors, and lurkers are welcome. Bring your husbands, wives, significant others, or that girl you just met at the bar. (Especially if she has a friend for me...) The last bash was held at Barley's in the Old City, and was a great chance to meet the people behind the pixels. Come on out and let's have some fun! I'll post the location by Friday.

Notice

I'll be tied up (dating has changed) the next couple of days, so bloggage will be light. Check out the folks to the left to help kill the hours until my return...

An apology

I have to apologize to Randy Sanders. I've been giving him a hard time during the season, blaming him for the lackluster Vol offense. After last Saturday, I have to take my hat off to the man and admit I was wrong. I'm here today to tell you that Randy Sanders is an offensive genius.

All year he has been sandbagging opponents, laying back, not showing all of his cards, just so he could unleash two surprise throwback passes against our hated and feared arch rival, Mississippi State. So what if it cost us wins against Florida, Georgia and Alabama; nobody cares about those teams. Randy picked out the key game on our schedule months in advance, and made sure we were ready.

Here's to you Mr. Sanders; you have my most humble apologies.

Report Card

I spent Saturday out in the cold and the rain helping remove air handlers, support beans and other stuff from the roof at work. I didn't get to see the game, although I did see the highlights the next morning. 3 pass attempts in the first half?

Please!

Prediction for Vandy game: There will be more players on the field than 'dore fans in the stands.
UT 35 Vandy 24

Modern Science at work

A team of British researchers has discovered that television is so popular because it combines sound and vision.

Human brains are genetically programmed to enjoy television, research has suggested.
A Manchester University study found watching television exercised both sides of the brain, making information easier to understand.

Researchers said that the brain also assimilates information best through sound and vision, which is why TV works so well.

Three months and how many pounds to determine that the brain evolved to handle audio and visual information?

Yeesh!

More on fuel cells

William Burton asked an interesting question in the comments on my first fuel cell posting. While I addressed it there, it did make me curious. Could the ancillary benefits of fuel cells outweight the costs? I decided to do a little research, followed by some low rent modeling to see exactly where things fell out.

Let's start with the IC engine. As technology has improved, we have come a long way in IC engine efficiency. Today, a standard engine runs in the neighborhood of 32% efficient, not counting drive train and friction losses, which will be the same regardless of power plant design.

Obviously, this is far worse than the 85% efficiency achieved by the fuel cell. The problem comes when we fuel the cell. Making the hydrogen requires cracking water, and the standard method involves electricity. A steam generating plant, whether fired by coal, fuel oil, biomass or some other fuel typically runs at about 34-38% efficient. So combining the steam plant with the fuel cell efficiencies gives us a range of 28-32%. So, in the best case, we merely equal the efficiency we already achieve, at a greatly increased cost. We're using the same amount of fuel, or better, resulting in the same environmental impact, the same dependence on foreign oil, only we're spending a lot more money to do it.

Now, let's examine solar power for a moment. I did a quick search on the net, and the best efficiencies I could find for solar voltaic conversion was 28.7%, and that was using a terrestrial version of solar modules designed for use on satellites. The cell yielded 2.571V at 12.95mA/cm2 on a 30cm2 area. A standard solar cell usually runs at around 12% efficient, giving 10mW at .6V on a 2 cm2 cell.

Time to pull out our trusty conversion calculator. We'll assume we have economical access to the super cell.

Power=Voltage X Current=2.6V X 12.95mA/cm2 = 33.7 mW per cm2, or 1010mW per cell.

Let's assume a typical power plant size of 700MW.

700MW/1010mW per cell=693 million cells or 746,000 square feet, or just over 17 acres of solar panels. Except it will probably be more like 21 acres, if you figure 20% overhead for operating equipment, framing materials, access paths for maintenance, etc.

My trusty Pocket Ref tells me that 1 horsepower is equal to 746 W so this 700MW power plant will produce 940,000 horsepower. Now to make things easier, we will neglect conversion losses and assume that all available power is transformed from electricity to hydrogen. The true efficiency is probably around 95%, so we aren't introducing much error. However, we do have to account for the 85% efficiency of our fuel cell, which reduces our available horsepower to 800,000. Next, we'll assume that the auto fuel cell is around 100 horsepower. We'll also assume utilization at 10% since cars do sit idle most of the time, giving us an effective horsepower of 10. Now we have a grand total of 80,000 fuel cells per 700MW power plant.

Now, at any given time, there are approximately 175 million cars in the hands of our get up and go population, meaning we will need almost 2200 new solar power plants just for the auto industry alone. 2200 plants at 22 acres per plant, add in another 15 acres (very conservative) for physical plant, parking etc, and you have 48400acres, or 76 square miles of solar panels.

Next we have to consider the costs of constructing a delivery system for the hydrogen, one which is efficient, and safe. Liquids can be piped relatively easily. Designing a nation wide network of pipes to contain hydrogen proves to be trickier, and significantly more expensive.

So, at a rough glance, in order to replace the IC engine with fuel cells, we will need to construct 2200 new power plants, whether solar or conventional, and develop a nationwide delivery system for a very volatile gas. As SKB suggested, there are stabler forms of hydrogen, but none of those forms are suitable for fuel cell use, except methanol, which involves CO2 emissions, negating the chief advantage to the fuel cell. As far as I can tell, the benefits are minimal, compared to the expense.

Proof positive of time travel

Check out this pic from the Age website:

Obviously, people from the future went back in time and left us this message, unmistakable evidence that time travel is possible.

Or it could be a coincidence....

You be the judge.

Fuel cells and other myths

There's a little discussion on fuel cells going over at SKBubba's house, and I wanted to add my two cents worth. I put an abbreviated version of this in the comments section over there.

There is a tendency for people to see fuel cells as the solution to all our energy problems.

"It burns hydrogen, not oil, and produces clean water as it's only emission. How wonderful! We are saved from pollution and the Middle East at the same time!"

Unfortunately, while the above is true, it only represents half the story. There is a little known flaw in this panacea that dooms it to marginal success, if not abject failure. Come with me while we explore...

The Dark Side of the Fuel Cell (Cue the spooky music.)

Our story begins with the laws of thermodynamics. Unlike election campaign laws, these laws are inflexible and cannot be ignored, no mater how much politicians might hope. Breaking them is out of the question, as is bending them, except at the quantum level, but we don't want to go there.

Trust me, we don't.

The first law says that energy and matter can neither be created, nor destroyed, only altered. In essense, you can't get something for nothing, despite what the late night infomercials tell you. The second law says that in any closed system, energy tends to decrease, while disorder tends to increase. In short, you'll never get outt what you put in. Except when you dig a hole For some reason, you always have more dirt than when you started...but I digress. These two laws are iron clad. Unbreakable. Mother nature enforces them with utmost strictness, and you know what a mother she can be.

So, let's see how those laws apply to our happy little fuel cell.

First, hydrogen doesn't play nice. Where oil plays hide and seek, once you find it, it comes along quietly to the refinery. Hydrogen, on the other hand, has to be dragged kicking and screaming away from oxygen, cause they really get along very well. It takes a lot of energy to rip the two of them apart. Just picture two teenagers in the back row of the movie theater necking. While chewing gum. And wearing braces.

Got it?

OK, so now we have separated the hydrogen, and filled up our happy little fuel cell. All is right with the world now, right? So we drive down the road, and our car, instead of burning petroleum as fuel, burns hydrogen.

This brings us to the second part of our tragic tale. Burning is another word for oxygenation, or the addition of oxygen. What we are doing is allowing our teenagers to get back together again. In the process, the hydrogen and oxygen give off energy. How much energy you ask? (OK you didn't ask, but this post would end abruptly if I didn't ask for you.)

Here's where mother nature's cops step in and ruin the party. Law one says that the most energy we can extract from oxygenating (burning) hydrogen is the same amount we used separating them in the first place. Breaking even is the best we can hope for. Law two tells us that we can't even break even, that we will lose energy with each transformation.

Yes, there's a hand in the back?

"If law one says we can't destroy energy, where does this lost energy go?"

Good question, I'm glad you asked. The lost energy is radiated away in the form of heat and light, which are useless to us in this application.

The picture gets even worse when you figure in the efficiencies of the fuel cell, which runs around 83% for the ideal fuel cell.

Finally, hydrogen has a nasty tendancy to oxidize at a highly accelerated rate. In the lab, we call this an explosion. Think Hindenberg. Now picture every car on the interstate at rush hour being the equivalent of a Ford Pinto. Every fender bender would be a potential conflagration.

In essence, we haven't reduced our energy demands at all. In fact we have increased them, so how has that reduced our dependence on foreing oil?

The sad answer is that is hasn't. Fuel cells alone do not provide an answer to our energy problems. So why are we working on them?

Well, fuel cells do have some significant advantages over internal combustion.

• They produce a clean exhaust, heat and pure water.
  
• The conversion from chemical to electrical energy (fuel cell) is significantly (about two times) more efficient than from chemical to thermal (internal combustion), which translates into better mileage. Unfortunately, the increased production costs associated with manufacturing both the cell and the fuel more than offset this advantage.
  
• A fuel cell coupled with small solar panels makes a good, clean back up power supply in stationary applications, ie office buildings.

So, while fuel cells are nice, they don't really buy us much in terms of reducing or dependency on oil. The bottom line is we need a new fuel source, one which is clean, cheap, dependable, and plentiful. The folks arguing for alternative fuels have yet to provide one which meets all of those needs. Solar conversion would be nice, but the efifciencies of solar cells makes the cost per kW prohibitive. Nuclear would work, but I don't see us exploring that path with any real enthusiasm. Hydroelectric would be nice, but unless we put turbines on every creek and waterfall, there just isn't enough to go around.

Assuming that we do crack the provlem of a cheap energy source, there is still the problem of distribution of the hydrogen. Either we lay hundreds of thousands of miles of pipes, or we transport the hydrogen via tankers, with the attendant risk of explosions. Since hydrogen production needs an abundant source of water, we can't spread out our power plants like we do now. Nor can each house have it's own fuel generation station, like some dreamers have proposed. I see another hand in the back...

"Why can't every house have a solar converter, hooked to a fuel cell for it's main power supply?"

You haven't been paying attention. This is the same ring around the rosie we dismissed earlier. OK, hook solar panels on your roof to a fuel cell in your basement. Use the solar energy to produce the electricity needed to crack the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Then oxidize the hydrogen in your fuel cell, and where are you? Even further behind than when you started. You converted sunlight into electricity(minus efficiency and thermo losses) then spent that electricity(minus efficiency and thermo losses) to crack the water, then got back the same energy during oxidation, minus efficiency and thermodynamic losses. You'd be better off skipping the fuel cell, and using simple solar conversion. Fewer losses that way.

Now as mentioned above, a solar/fuel cell combo makes an excellent back up power supply for a building. It's much cleaner, more efficient and significantly cheaper than batteries. However, it still comes up short as a primary power source.

So, what have we learned today?

Fuel cells run on hydrogen which does not exist in large reserves like oil, but must be manufactured.
Hydrogen is tricky to work with and tends to explode at the worst possible time.
Fuel cells, like every heat engine, consume more power than they put out.
Fuel cells alone will not reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In fact, it will increase it in the short run.
We still have to develop some alternative to oil power in order to make fuel cells a viable alternative to the IC engine.

And I have entirely too much time on my hands.....

Simply Surreal

A collection of stories proving we are living in The Crazy Years

Via reason magazine:

Informant Alert!
A kid in Omaha was suspended for not turning in a classmate quickly enough. The classmate handed him a baggie of marijuana. Our hero threw it away, then contacted his guidance counselor as soon as she was available. The principal then suspended him for 5 days because he waited to see the counselor instead of reporting it right away.

The Decathalon. The Marathon. Gymnastics. And Bridge?
the Silver medalist in the world bridge championship tournament was stripped of her medal for refusing a drug test. Apparantly, the Bridge Federation, or whatever they call themselves, wants to make Bridge an Olympic event, so they have to adhere to the rules governing Olympic athletics, hence the drug test.
A card game as an Olympic event?

Johnny can't read or write, but he still gets a diploma.
Nova Scotia has introduced a diploma for kids who can't pass a literacy test after 4 years of high school. The so-called "adjusted diploma" notifies future employers that the bearer is sub-literate. Minister for Education Jane Purves says that it is unreasonable to expect all high school graduates to read and write. Presumably, this lack doesn't stop Canadian students from entering college, or, apparantly, politics.

via the Washington Post:

Don't forget to wash behind your ears

A 6 year old girl had to be rescued from a washing machine turned carnivore.
Where was mommy?

via USA Today

Thankgving dinner's revenge

OBERLIN, Ohio — This is one tough turkey. A 15-pound wild turkey has been pestering residents of this northeast Ohio community and eluding trappers who want to capture it. The bird has chased after schoolchildren and pets, trapped people in cars and left its droppings on porches. "Most people think it's a poor, cute little wild turkey," animal trapper Dave Thorn said. "People begin feeding the wild animals, which is the wrong thing to do because, basically, this turkey has taken over this territory." Thorn said the bird may be roosting in the chimney of Prospect Elementary School, where it has been swooping on the playground. Lorain County wildlife officer Dave Shinko said he has gotten 20 complaints about the bird. He said it will be killed once it is caught and could be donated to a food bank. "But who knows if it's even any good," Shinko said. "I mean, we're not talking Butterball here."

That privilige is reserved for bureaucrats.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Ethics Commission ruled two state-owned bloodhounds, as public servants, cannot serve as pitchdogs in television ads for dog food. Buckeye Feed Mills Inc. of Dalton, Ohio, provides free food for the Division of Forestry's bloodhounds. But the commission ruled Thursday that allowing the dogs to appear in the company's ads would violate the state Ethics Act, which bars public servants from using their public positions for their own private financial gain or the gain of others.

From yahoo:

Not real bright

A Texas man tried to emulate the Dick Van Dyke character from Mary Poppins and slide down the chimney. Hmmmm Mary Poppins and Jackass; two of a kind? You be the judge.

From News of the Weird

For an anniversary tribute to Sept. 11 victims, the city of Jersey City, N.J., planned to release a flock of doves at a downtown ceremony, but since officials waited until the last minute to order the doves, all suppliers were sold out. Jersey City wound up having to use pigeons (which had been caged most of their lives), and observers at the solemn ceremony were forced to witness the awkward birds smashing into office-building windows, plunging into the Hudson River and careening into the crowds. [New York Times, 9-19-02]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly" Mr Carlson, WKRP in Cincinnati

Retailers stuck n the past...

and they want to keep us there too. States are working together to develop plans to allow taxation of items sold over the internet, and traditional retailers couldn't be happier.

In a meeting in Chicago, lawmakers and tax officials from 30 states -- including Virginia and the District of Columbia - endorsed a proposal to simplify their tax laws and enter into a voluntary pact to collect online sales taxes. Maryland officials present at the meeting abstained from today's vote.

"This is a 21st century system that will dramatically improve the morass that currently exists," said Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt (R), a key leader in the states' effort. "I'm confident that this agreement....will mark the beginning of a new phase of this process."

Here's what one trade group rep had to say:

Today's vote is a welcome development for the nation's largest main street retailers, who have argued for years that the current system gives online vendors an edge over so-called "bricks-and-mortar" stores.

"Our ultimate goal is that everybody will have to play by the same rules," said Maureen Riehl, state and industry relations counsel for the National Retail Federation, a trade group that represents nearly 1.4 million stores.

Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door. At least, until retailers of the traditional mousetrap lobby your advantage away.

Flat sales tax

In Washington, the Bush Administration is looking at replacing the income tax with a flat national sales tax.

The administration's plan, first reported by the Washington Post last month, calls for shifting the tax system away from taxing income and targeting consumption instead. The paper reported that administration tax policy wonks within the Treasury Department are still working out the details, and that their progress has largely been kept under wraps.

Some of those who oppose the sales tax say the rate would have to be too high to fund the gov't at current levels:

William Gale, a senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institute, a public-policy think tank, estimates that proposals to replace virtually all federal revenues with a 23 percent tax-inclusive national sales tax rate are based on assumptions that real government spending would decline by $480 billion per year, and that there would be no tax avoidance, evasion or political erosion of the tax base.

"Correction for these assumptions indicates that the required tax-inclusive rate would be over 50 percent," he writes in a 1999 policy paper.

Hmmm. My actual tax rate now runs about 14%, after all my deductions. This guy is saying my tax rate will more than triple if we go to a consumption tax. I wonder, if the rich aren't paying their fair share now, who is covering that other 36% for me?

The poor?

Been there, done that

Iraq has accepted the new UN Security council resolution.

It remains to be seen whether they really mean it this time. I'll hope for the best, but expect more of the same old stuff from Hussein.

"You can look everywhere you want."

"OK, how about this munitions factory?"

"It's a baby formula factory, and you have no need to look at it. Next."

"OK, this chemical lab has the capability of refining and weoponizing bio toxins."

"All we do here is manufacture fertilizer. There is no need for you to look here."

"All right, let's check out the 2 acre storage bunker underneath this palace."

"You are disrespecting our national sovereignty! If you don't have any legitimate places to search, you must leave now."

A Bargain at twice the price

Start with Second City, throw in a scoop of Monty Python, add a dash of grits and you have Einstein Simplified, an improv comedy troupe in Knoxville. (That e on the end of troupe adds class to this blog. Goodness knows it needs it!)

I went to see Einstein Simplified at their regular gig at Patrick Sullivan's Saloon in the Olde City. (I'm just dripping with class, ain't I?) The show is on the third floor, starts at 8:30 and runs until about 10:00 give or take a few minutes. Admission is free, but the group does ask for tips at the end of the night.

You might want to get there a little early. I showed up about 8:15, and most of the tables were full. I found an unused table in the back, and dragged it to the backk of the crowd, swiped an unused seat, and I was in business. I sipped my coke, and checked out the crowd while I waited for the show to start. There were about 50-60 people there, mostly UT students, but some older folks were scattered through the audience.

The show began shortly after 8:30, with the entire company taking the stage. One member acts as MC, running the show while the rest performs the games. If you've seen Whose Line Is It Anyway, either the BBC or US versions, you know how the show goes. What you may not know is that taping for Whose Line runs anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. The tape is then edited to get the best thirty minutes. Einstein Simplified doesn't have that luxury. They work live, without a net. Fortunately, the guys are up to the task. The audience is called on to provide locations, topics, actions, whatever the MC needs to set up the performers.

The show is certainly not a family show, which is fitting, since it's held in a Saloon, after all. There are no mikes, but since the room isn't all that big, hearing isn't a problem, unless you're next to some guy trying to pick up a girl during the show. Who tries to pick up women at a comedy club anyway? I know girls all say they like guys who make them laugh, but have you ever seen a comedian chased down the street by his groupies?

The guys were all sharp, and up to the challenges of live improv comedy. Wes, the token tall guy, has a mind that operates at a 90 bend to reality. When asked to make a joke about prima donnas, he made a joke about pre-Madonnas. Paul is a virtual clone of Michael Jeter, and is just as funny. One of his best bits was as an old man, remembering the past "When I was a young man, the snap of a rubber glove didn't scare me." In comedy, it's a rule of thumb that when in doubt, you go for the dick joke. Last night, Bill was in doubt a lot. Frank unveiled a singing voice fit for the Met; not the Opera House, the ball field. Brad, who is best described as "value sized" got off the best quip of the night when the MC, in order to hurry him along, shouted that there was a stripper in the cake. Brad quickly replied, "There's cake?" Justin was the MC, and Todd was there too. Sorry Todd, I know you got a good bit or two in last night, but my cat ate my PDA, and I had to rely on memory instead of notes for this review. I'll make it up to you next time...

Each game lasts 5-10 minutes, and the show passes quickly. Before you know it, the house lights come up, and the MC is passing around the tip jar. The show is free, and worth every penny; I even tipped 15%. I felt guilty about stiffing the guys, so I came home to write this review.

If you ever get to Knoxville on a Tuesday, go see the guys of Einstein Simplified, and enjoy some good improv. They're funnier than you are, and will tell you so at the end of the show.

That's it! Todd plays a mean acoustic guitar...

By the way, the rude guy utterly failed to pick up the girl. There is justice in the world.

Take a peek to the left

and you'll find an updated picture of your friend and humble narrator.

Something different, for a change.

Redundant? You bet! But I'm a little giddy! You see, I'm going out tonight. Yep, gonna leave the computer behind and actually go out into the world of flesh and blood. Gonna have a little fun to make up for all of this overtime I've been working. There's an Improv troop in Knoxville called Einstein Simpified that performs at Patrick Sullivans on Tuesdays. They work a lot like the guys on Whose Line is it Anyway, so it should be a good time.

Now if I had a date, it would be perfect....

Anybody ever picked up a girl at a comedy club?

War is hell

SKBubba has a piece up that you all should go read, particularly if you favor war with Iraq, as I do.

I continued to dig. Well I tell you, we were under a barrage of what they called them screaming memees, a German artillery piece that they had that was a rocket launched type of thing. We didn't have any such thing as that, but the Germans did. It was fired 15 - 20 rounds just as fast as it could fire. They were like rockets. It screamed and hollered. It made such a noise it would half scare you to death. We were under a barrage of those, so I kept right on digging and got my hole dug except I didn't get it very deep. I just barely got my body below the top of the ground. That was about as far as you could go. It was in an orchard and the ground was hard as a rock. Daylight was coming on us so as soon as daylight came, the Germans really began to pour it on us. Mortars, machine guns. It was one that, well, would scare you half to death, you know. You didn't have that much time to get scared.

There was a little tree next to my foxhole that was as big a round as your leg, I guess; and that tree was completely cut down by machine gun fire. When I finally came out of the hole later on, I looked at the tree. It was laying over and was just the stub. It was mowed down right over my head.

But anyway, we held out until maybe 11 or 12:00 in the day and everybody was out of ammunition. An awful lot of the guys had been killed or wounded.

War should always be the recourse of last resort. That doesn't mean that there aren't times when it is necessary, and I do believe that now is such a time, but it shouldn't be entered into eagerly, but soberly and resolutely.

Vols and Miami

This isn't a report card; it's an autopsy. The Vol offense was pronounced dead shortly after 5PM Saturday evening.
Philip Fulmer:

"I'm obviously very disappointed,'' Vols coach Phillip Fulmer said. "We played against a really good team. Defensively, we probably played well enough, but offensively we did nothing.''

The Vol offense managed 218 yards, 74 on the second play of the game. The rest of the stats are here if you're interested.

I'm not.

Report Card:
Quarterbacks C-.
The offensive line was so outclassed that I can't blame the quarterbacks too much. Clausen performed at about the same level he has all year, which is to say, barely adequate. Banks wasn't allowed to throw much by Sanders, or the Miami defensive line for that matter, and spent most of his snaps running for his life. CJ Leak didn't get enough time to really show us anything.
Receivers D-.
Couldn't get open, and couldn't hold onto the ball when they did get open. Witten was limited to one catch, two if you count the miscall by the ref.
Running Backs C-.
It's hard to run when you don't get a hole. But when you have a 10 yard lead on the nearest defensder, you really should make it into the end zone.
Offensive Line F.
Last week the offensive line played their best game all season. This week they were completely outclassed and outmanned. I'm not going to credit the play of Miami's defense, since Big East powerhouse Rutgers was able to stand up to them for three quarters
Defensive Line/Linebackers B-
The Vol defense bent but rarely broke, limiting Miami to a single touchdown in the second half.
Secondary B-
Once again, Julian Battle seemed to be everywhere. The secondary played soft as usual, but only got burned badly twice. Against Miami, that is an accomplishment.
Special Teams D-
Colquitt shanked a couple punts, but to be fair, his leg was probably getting pretty tired. MArk Jones grabbed a punt on the one inch line, rather than let it go into the end zone for a touch back. Kick and punt overage, usually a strength for the Vols this season, was sub par.
Coaching incomplete.
How much of the team's lack of character can be laid at the coaches' feet? The players have to take part of the blame, but at the same time, Fulmer's continued reliance on the obviously ineffective Clausen has got to put a strain on the rest of the team. Maybe we ran up the middle all day because that's all Sanders believes his offense can do. But when it doesn't work, how can trying something else be worse?
Officiating Not worth worrying about. Yes there were bad calls, like ruling Witten out of bounds when he was clearly in bounds, but that wouldn't have made a difference today.
Overall D.
Next we face a Mississippi State team that is 0-5 in the SEC, and maybe the only offense in the SEC worse than UT's. They look to break into the win column against UT, but as long as our defense continues to play wth a little pride, that won't happen. There are rumors that Clausen is out for the season. This can only help the Vols.
Early prediction:
Tennessee 27 Mississippi St. 6

UPDATE: SKBubba expected me to be harsher than I was. Well, I probably would have been, except Miami really is a great team, despite a couple of lack luster performances. I'm not surprised we looked as bad as we did.

That's America!

What do you do with a muddy T-shirt?

This part of Tennessee is known for it's red clay. We have a few inches of topsoil, but beneath that is several feet of the hardest, stickiest, clay known to man. When I was digging my garden, I prayed to hit on solid rock, just to get away from the clay.

One year for Easter, I had the bright idea that instead of Easter baskets loaded with candy, I would get each child a tree, to plant for their very own. It would be a much nicer celebration of Easter than gorging on candy. I thought it would be nice to have a lasting reminder of the holiday each time we looked at the trees they had planted. While it didn’t turn out quite the way I had planned, I know I'll always remember it, that's for sure!

The kids loved the idea, and so early that Sunday morning, we went out to plant their new trees. The air was crisp and cool, with a slight breeze. The sun had just come out, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky; simply a beautiful day.
Then we began digging.

Well, I began digging. The kids quickly discovered that after the first three or four inches, it became really hard work, and they quickly found other things to do. I dug the first hole in about an hour, working through the clay, removing rocks, roots, the occasional grub, and some things better left unidentified. Once the hole was deep enough and wide enough, I called the first child back over, and we began to plant the tree. We mixed the clay and topsoil with more topsoil from the garden center, (Have you ever bought dirt? You'll never use the phrase "dirt cheap" again if you have), painstakingly breaking up all the clumps and mixing the two soils with a garden rake to achieve the proper consistency, and began back filling the hole. Then we opened the root ball, and placed the tree in the hole. Now, before you put the tree in the hole, you have to form a slight cone in the bottom of the hole, and spread the roots around it. This helps the tree overcome the shock of being transplanted. The only problem is that the tree has been wrapped in a burlap bag for 6 weeks, and the roots have grown into a tangle worse than my son's shoelaces, before we discovered Velcro. I patiently untangled the ball of roots, losing no more than three or four to breakage, and we put the tree in the hole and covered the root ball. We mounded the soil up and then soaked it with water to fill all the gaps, then added more soil, just like it said in the gardening book. We mulched around the base, and then staked the tree to keep it straight.

One down, five to go. (For the math impaired, yes, I have six children.)

The dew had evaporated off the grass, and the sun had climbed a little higher in the sky. The crisp air gave way to a warm breeze that did little to cool me off as I began the next hole. The pleasant morning passed into an unpleasant afternoon, hot and muggy, more typical of July than April. The next three trees became a back-breaking, mind-numbing routine: Cut the sod away, dig through 3 inches of loam, then swing the pick at the red clay, and scoop the pitiful handful of dirt out of the hole. Put the tree in the hole to see if the root ball is covered yet. Pull the tree out of the hole and begin to dig again. Repeat. Chase dog away from freshly planted tree, re-mulch. Continue on new hole. Check depth of hole. Curse the day you ever thought of planting a tree. Stop dog from digging up newly planted tree. Replant newly planted tree. Go back to new hole and dig. No, the dog won't dig here, only where you've already dug. Trust me on this one. Chase dog away from newly replanted tree again. Trip over guy wire, cutting shin and uprooting newly replanted tree. Lie on the ground and curse Johnny Appleseed, and everybody remotely connected with Arbor Day. Get up, replant newly uprooted, freshly replanted tree. Continue work on new hole. Decide that the root ball doesn't absolutely have to be covered completely and plant new tree. Cover with topsoil and chunks of clay, then mulch. Dig up tree to stop child from crying because he didn't get to plant it. Re-plant freshly dug up tree, with said child's assistance. Proceed to next hole. Repeat three more times. Rig lighting to continue digging in the dark.

The day was gone; the yard was covered in darkness nearly as black as my heart. I was tired. The blisters on my hands had broken, re-blistered, re-broken and scabbed over. My back was permanently deformed; only several hours on the rack would get me to stand straight again. I was numb below the waist, except for the cut on my shin. Somewhere during the day, I had begun to loathe nature. As I swung the pick, I dreamed of napalm drenched rainforests, and barrels of Agent Orange, ridding the earth of every tree. I fantasized about strip mines as far as the eye could see, and endless acres of asphalt. But I couldn't disappoint my kids. They were counting on Dad to help them create new life in our yard, and I couldn't let them down. This was a family project and we had to finish it. What could I do?

So, I called them back outside (they had been inside watching TV for the last 4 hours, sticking their heads out and asking me if their holes were ready yet) and prepared to dig the last hole. Then I noticed something. Right near the front of the house was a little depression where the grass grew greener than anywhere else. This little depression was almost the perfect size for the last tree's root ball.

I know what you're thinking; I was thinking the same thing. But I was exhausted, and I didn't care anymore.

I cut the sod, slashed the root ball, dumped the tree into the hole, and put the last of the topsoil and the last of the mulch around the tree, creating a volcano shaped mound that completely disregarded all the advice in my gardening book.

I'm sure that some day in the future, my plumber will curse the idiot who planted a tree on top of the septic tank. I will join him in that cursing, and blame it on the idiot who lived there before me.

So, like I said, the red clay here is bad. It also stains everything from clothing to shoes to small animals. I've spent a lot of time cleaning that clay off of shoes, trying to avoid tracking it inside. My children aren't quite so diligent, so despite my best efforts, my carpet, which was once gray, has assumed a ruddy hue reminiscent of a Burnt Umber Crayola crayon, which isn't too bad because it helps the paw prints from the dogs blend in.

While most people, myself included, look at something like that and see it as a nuisance, others see it as a gold mine.

I have a buddy at work who is of the second sort. He collects dirt and clay from sporting venues and uses it to die T-shirts and Polo Shirts, then sells them as memorabilia. Tractor pulls, short tracks, baseball fields, wherever there's mud and people playing in it, he's there. Think about that for a minute; he's making good money selling dirty shirts.

Is this a great country or what?

Dem strategy for 2004

Some on the left aren't going to take this defeat sitting down. They have a plan.
From Talk Left:

Statistics from the Department of Justice show that 3.9 million felons are currently or permanently disenfranchised. That's a lot of potential votes--enough to affect the outcome of an election.

So what if he committed murder-rape? He is still entitled to a say in our government, right?

Wrong! Any society functions according to a social contract. We agree to be bound by certain rules of conduct in order to enjoy the benefits of association. We codify these rules of conduct into laws, and grant part of the society the right to enforce those laws. Those who fail to keep their end of the compact, ie obey the laws, forfeit their right to participate in the shaping of that society.

That about wraps it up for the Clinton gang...

McAuliffe, Carville, Gore, Ms. Rodham-Clinton and the big man himself are all done. Hillary! may hang on to her Senate seat, but her national aspirations are history. Al Gore is now just a footnote to history, as are all Veeps who don't go on to win the Presidency.
The Democratic Party is reeling from the rejection they faced at the polls. The election that was supposed to erase the 2000 race instead confirmed it. Getting rid of Jeb Bush was "priority one," according to Terry McAuliffe; Jeb won easily. Taking back the House was target two; the Republicans picked up seats. Defending the Senate was considered a foregone conclusion; now it's just gone. I went back to the Democratic Underground website to see how they were taking it. Apparently not too well. This was what I found:

Due to the massive influx of people this morning, we are experiencing serious problems with server overload.
The forums were shut down at 11:00AM ET. Feel free to check back every half hour or so. But please don't hit the
"refresh" button on your Web browser every 5 seconds, or we'll never come back online.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

Use the free time to do something constructive. It's not healty to sit inside stewing over last night's loss.
Go for a walk outside. Or call an old friend. It will make you feel better.

Election notes

For only the 3rd time since the War Between the States, the party of the sitting president has picked up seats in both the House and the Senate during a mid term election. For the first time in 50 years, Republicans hold both the Executive and Legislative branches of our government. While Democrats are screaming bloody murder, this is actually the best thing for the country. Bush finally gets the chance to put his agenda before Congress, which is basically split 50-50. This means that nothing too extreme will pass, as there are plenty of moderate Republicans who will vote across party lines if they see fit. The chief advantage is that Democrats can no longer keep things bottled up in committee. Judicial nominations should come through fast and furious, allowing the full Senate to vote. Extreme candidates will still face an uphill battle, but moderate choices should get approval.

VNS declared that their exit polling data was unreliable. Tell me something I didn't already know.

James Carville put a trash can on his head during CNN's Crossfire. He said that Democrats needed to run on the issues. Oddly enough, Rush Limbaugh on NBC said virtually the same thing, that the Democrats failed to offer the people a reason to vote for them.

In a related story, hell froze over.

New Jersey Democrats have announced that from now on, they will not name a candidate until 3 weeks before the election, in keeping with the New Jersey Supreme Court's ruling that voter choice should be maximized.

Jim Jeffords held a press conference today, announcing that he is rejoining the Republican Party. The RNC held a follow up conference, announcing that Jim Jeffords can go soak his head. Jeffords held a second conference, announcing that he would join the Democratic Party, and that would show those mean Republicans. The DNC held a final press conference, thanking Jeffords for his help, but "Don't call us; we'll call you."

In Florida, Jeb Bush won a second term as governor, despite heavy campaigning by Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Or maybe because of it.

In Tenneseee, Phil Bredesen defeated Don Sundquist for governor. Van Hilleary also ran.

Also in Tennessee, a constitutional amendment allowing a lottery passed, despite energetic opposition by several religous groups. The amendment also allows non-profit groups to hold raffles for fundraising purposes. The coalition of lottery opponents immediately announced a fund raising raffle designed to raise funds to defeat any pro-lottery legislation.

Franchise follies

A collection of stories about glitches in the electoral process:
From Drudge:

Systematic problem statewide in Georgia confirmed: When placing vote, and touching the screen for a Republican candidate, the box is incorrectly checked for the Democrat candidate. Another similar situation is occurring when the review screen comes up and previously marked Republican votes are showing as Democrat votes... is happening in lots of different races, to both parties. Officials fixing problems as they arise when made aware of them... Developing...

and this:

FLORIDA TALKSHOW CALLERS CLAIM MACHINES 'BROKEN', VOTED FOR MCBRIDE, MARKED IT AS BUSH

"I voted for McBride, but the machine counted it as Bush. It did this three times. The polling worker finally said, 'We have to reprogram this machine. Another person was having the same trouble while I was there.'"

So claimed a caller to Southern Florida's WQAM-AM and the highly-rated radio talkmatch, NEIL ROGERS SHOW.

"I pushed the screen for McBride and it marked Bush. They called over a technician, he reset it," claimed a second caller.

"I'll tell you right now, this election is fixed!" roared Rogers, who has been in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market for more than 25 years. "Based on a few early calls, it is going to be a wild, wild time."

"You have not seen anything yet," warned Rogers. "It's not even 10:30 in the morning. This is going to be one of the great disasters of all-time."

As residents of Maryland, Virginia and the District cast their votes in several closely watched races, technical problems plagued some precincts in Montgomery County, Md.

Montgomery residents using the new electronic touch-screen voting machines at all 30 precincts in legislative District 19 saw the word "Democratic" in the header of the ballots, according to Sara Harris, deputy director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.
....
Another elections official, Marjorie Roher, said the step was taken "to preserve the integrity of the votes and to inform voters about what happened."

The notices state: "The ballot is correct and your vote will count. This ballot contains all candidates and questions. However, the heading on the instruction page contains the word "Democratic." This word should not have appeared on the instruction page and this line should have been blank."

from WOKV:

Among those precincts affected was the Mary Singleton Senior Center, the precinct that had the most trouble on Primary Day. Corrine Brown, congressional candidate, was outraged at the problems at the polls and told WOKV NEWS that she was aware of a similar problem at precinct 10J. Both of those polls are in heavily African-American precincts, and she wondered why those precints seem to have the most problems.

Reports from around the city suggest the problem is more widespread than just those precincts, we received similar reports from at least four other polling sites, including one in Clay county, though we understand all machines are now online and processing ballots.

From Boston.com:

Republican Mitt Romney's campaign filed a complaint several hours after polls opened Tuesday, saying union workers were improperly influencing voters in the city's Jamaica Plain section.

Romney campaign adviser Rob Gray said officials with the Service Employees International Union were seen entering voting booths with some voters in Ward 11, Precinct 4 of Jamaica Plain.

from Fox:

Three central Florida counties reported problems with optical scanners. Machines malfunctioned at a South Miami precinct. An electrician was called to a Broward County precinct running on battery power, where voters were reportedly putting their ballots in a box to be hand-counted.

Some who showed up to vote drove off before a precinct in the Orlando suburb of Winter Park, Fla., finally opened 20 minutes late.

Once the poll opened, some voters said they had trouble feeding the optical scan ballots through the machines -- and some English-speaking voters said they were given Spanish-language ballots.

In Cherry Hill, N.J., a computer glitch caused voting machines to malfunction in about three-quarters of the township's 46 voting districts. Some voters had to use paper ballots while repairs got under way

And the beat goes on....

You know, the dudes at the Democratic Underground want us to go pack to paper and pencil ballots, as if voter error and fraud were invented with the voting machine. By that logic, the way to reduce traffic fatalities is to go back to the horse and buggy.

The loons on the left

I was curious. I wanted to know what the hard line democrats would have to say about the killing of Al Qaeda members in Yemen, so I went to the Democratic Underground forums, the habitat of choice for the fringe left. Not too surprisingly, I hit the mother load.

Here's a sampling:

• Is this now our MO to use unmanned drones to bomb anywhere at anytime? What kind of international law does this violate? Are we proud of this? What a sterile way to have a war. That way we don't even have to see the innocent people we kill.
  
• We should've arrested these people and sent them to the UN High Court if they were truly terrorists.

  It is time we get in line and stop pretending that we can decide what is right and wrong. The rest of the World is doing it...why cant we meet them.

  Because of some document written two hundred F*ckin years ago? Please. This is either a planet of progressive laws that we all submit to and support or it is chaos. I choose the former.

  I am ashamed to be called an American today.

• If you make of notice that document
  of which you make speaking of makes not such an authorization. We have in fact of such no war declaration in Yemen. This is of such meaning then that it is of rogue actions by Bush from outside of such the Constitution. If indeed these dead are of to be suspect then capture and trial is of course proper. But making for discard of Constitution is not of such that it is right because our own within American Constitution makes for not this act. Evil makes for this act. It is such of like Bush and evil in that there are making no trials for these men. Please make for no blaming of Constitution.

What?

• My guess is that this was a blown mass murder. With no evidense of military or political position, we have slaughtered undefended civilians. Credible witnesses must have blown the hit. If there was no attempt to detain, there should be murder charges.
  This reflects a high degree of racism on our part. Aribic people are human.
  Those of you giving approval to this must not be thinking of attending an "illigal" anti war rally. Well, you're probably okay if you're white.
  
• So you think...
  ...that the timing of this is just coincidental? The night before an election?
  These guys didnt jump in a car until now?

  Bullsh*t! If they were criminals they should've been arrested. Not blown away with a damned missile.
  

• Who gives a f*&@, eh? After all, they were suspects! No evidence is needed nowadays. Besides, they were brown skinned. Everyone knows that brown skinned people are savages. If they weren't guilty, they would surely someday be! Now stop ypur liberal whining! We have a master race to create! Plus, history has proven that the CIA are above suspicion! They are clean cut, All American patriots! They would never do anything so insidious as eliminating loose strings that could come back to unravel their web of lies. Never!
  Oh say does that star spangled hit man yet inform on his neighbors?

  O'er the land of the enslaved, and the home of the cowardly state police apologists.
  

Thank you for that brilliant analysis, sir!

This from the Washington Times

Mr. McBride's 36-hour weekend sweep of southeast Florida with former President Bill Clinton over the weekend drew lower-than-expected crowds.
Still, Mr. McBride yesterday promised his supporters a victory if turnout is sufficient.
"If we get the vote out, we'll win this election," he said at an Opa-locka rally alongside former Vice President Al Gore.

Tell that to Mr Gore....

Simply Surreal

A recurring feature with stories that prove we are living in "The Crazy Years."

Dem Bones!

Some Ecuadorian chefs use human thigh bones to add extra taste to their dishes and attract customers, according to an investigation by a local newspaper.

Newspaper Extra has sparked a scandal by interviewing restaurant and café owners who admit to cooking with bones taken from cemeteries.

Chef Carlos Acosta has told Extra he has cooked with the leg bones, known as femurs, for 40 years and that many of his colleagues do the same.

The New Generation hits a snag

West Salem High School cheerleader Andrea Boyes thought she had hit upon a great fund-raising idea for her squad — creating and selling Titan brand bottled water at school events.

Last summer, Boyes got a donation of $750 for startup costs, designed a label bearing her school logo, had 6,000 printed, found a supplier and ordered 15 cases, which were delivered last month.

But her plan hit a snag when beverage giant Pepsi got wind of it.

The company’s exclusive contract with the school district allows only its Aquafina brand water to be sold on school grounds.

Oopsie!

The white couple who gave birth to black twins after a mix-up at an IVF clinic are to be allowed to keep the children despite continuing uncertainty over their legal status, a judge ruled yesterday.

The twins are believed to be aged over two. The error came to light only as the parents became aware that the skin tone of their children was different from their own.

Stop that man! He's wearing a skirt!

Gay rights activists are set to converge on a quiet Mexican border town in the wake of moves to criminalise cross-dressing.
Tecate's new town ordinance, scheduled to go into effect in mid-November, bars men from wearing women's clothes.

Men who flout the rule could be arrested and fined.

Transgressors would not face a jail term, although officials said that in practice it may mean imprisoning people at least overnight.

"The majority of votes for this was to avoid Aids, and prostitution if possible," Tecate councilman Cosme Cazares said.

He said s(he) said.

JAMIE McCulloch had a big day yesterday. In the morning, the Gay Games athlete played in the Boston men's ice hockey team. In the afternoon, she was back on the rink for the women's team.

McCulloch is one of a handful of transgender athletes competing at the Sydney 2002 Games who have found themselves in the middle of growing consternation about who they should be competing against.

Coincidence? You be the judge.

Saddam Hussein said Monday Iraq would consider cooperating with a new U.N. resolution on arms inspections as long as it was not merely a pretext for the United States to attack it.

and in totally unrelated news,

Yemen said Tuesday it was investigating the cause of a car blast that killed six alleged al Qaeda members after a U.S. official said the vehicle was destroyed by a missile fired from a U.S. drone.

Monday Yemen said the six, including a key suspect in an attack on a U.S. warship two years ago, were killed when the car they were traveling in exploded in eastern Marib province, but officials have refused to comment further.

"The investigation into the car blast is still under way," a Yemeni government official told Reuters.

A U.S. official in Washington said Monday the missile was fired by an unmanned U.S. CIA (news - web sites) aircraft.

While good for a grin, these two events are unrelated. Hussein's offer is more of his doublespeak, couched in the same vague restrictions we've heard time and again. Of course, the EUros will buy into it, as they continue their accelerating slide into irrelevancy.

We got one!

OK, six, but one big one.

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. forces killed a top associate of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) in Yemen in a missile strike, expanding the war on terror with America's first overt attack on suspected al-Qaida operatives outside of Afghanistan (news - web sites), a U.S. official said Monday.

Qaed Salim Sinan al-Harethi was one of several al-Qaida members traveling by car in northwest Yemen when a Hellfire missile struck it Sunday, killing him and five others. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the attack was believed to have been conducted by a CIA (news - web sites) aircraft, possibly a missile-carrying Predator drone.

The official Yemeni news agency, local tribesmen and the U.S. official confirmed the strike killed al-Harethi. Witnesses said they saw an aircraft, possibly a helicopter, in the area. Hellfires can also be launched by attack helicopters.

You can run, you can hide, but we'll get you eventually.

Note the lack of civilian casualties.

New Polling data

SKBubba has the latest polling data on the Tennessee races.
He always gets the best info....

Deadlock in the Senate

Jesse Ventura appointed an Independant to fill Sen. Wellstone's seat in the Senate until the elections are over, which brings the Senate back to a tie; 49-49-2.
Of course, the Democrats still control all the committees, so I don't expect anything to get done, particularly in the area of judicial appointments, which is too bad.

Live by the car bomb...

Die by the car bomb.

SANAA (Reuters) - A car explosion has killed six alleged members of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, including a key suspect in an attack on a U.S. warship in Aden two years ago, Yemen said on Monday.

Yemen's Saba news agency quoted an Interior Ministry official as saying arms and traces of explosives where found in the car along with communications equipment after Sunday's blast in the Marib oil-producing province, 105 miles east of the capital Sanaa.

No word on whether they found legs as well....

A win is a win.

It's a measure of how bad this season has been that Phillip Fulmer referred to yesterday's game as a "big win." It's a measure of the fans' enthusiasm that we are now saying we have a good chance to beat Miami. It's a measure of this weird season that we actually do have a chance to beat Miami. Just ask Georgia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, or NC State.
This still was not the breakout game the Vols were looking for, although they did take a big step forward. 2 fumbles, multiple penalties, a missed PAT, substitution problems, all continuing problems with the Vol offense. This time, however, they played well enough to overcome the miscues.
Report Card:
Quarterbacks B-.
Clausen generally played well, despite a couple of problems handing the ball off early in the game, which may have been the tailbacks fault. 17-23 for 175 yards is respectable. Add in a bootleg run for a touchdown, particularly on a bum ankle, and you get a winning effort. IOf only we could teach him not to spit on camera...
Receivers B.
Witten had a good day, as did the rest of the Vol receivers. Without Washington to throw to, Clausen had to look for alternate receivers, and they came through.
Running Backs B.
This would have been an A, except for Gerald Riggs' fumble. Cedric Houston showed why he won the starting job this spring. On one particularly gruesome play, a Gamecock defensive player grabbed Cedric's injured thumb in an attempt to strip the ball. I saw his thumb, despite being wrapped and taped, get yanked backwards, yet Cedric held onto the ball. Excellent effort.
Offensive Line A
What a remarkable change from last game. There were holes for the running backs, but none for the defensive backs. The two groups, offensive line and running backs, worked together fed off of each other's improved play. The offensive line made some beautiful holes for Houston and Davis, who hit them cleanly, resulting in the Vols best rushing performance to date. Yes, it was just South Carolina, who ranks 9th in the SEC in rushing defense, but it was still a good performance by a line that hasn't lived up to it's preseason promise. UT is averaging just under 143 yards per game while giving up 21 sacks, a total second only to Kentucky. Yesterday, the line began to redeem themselves. Miami's rushing defense is suspect. We'll see if our O line will continue their comeback.
Defensive Line/Linebackers B
South Carolina had some success running the ball, but couldn't mount a sustained drive. They chalked up 3 sacks, and pressured the quarterback all afternoon.
Secondary A
3 picks, and only one pass over 10 yards adds up to excellent play by the secondary. Julian Battle played very well, racking up 8 tackles, despite being disappointed that he was the only starter not to get a pick yesterday.
Special Teams C-
Too many men on the field cost us a timeout, even though the end result was an improvement. A poor snap cost us points, as did a Mark Jones' fumble, and the usually reliable Dustin Colquitt shanked a punt. Not a good day for the special teams.
Coaching C.
I liked Fulmer's call to go for it on 4th and 1. The players said after the game that the coach's confidence in making that call gave them a spark, and it showed in their performance; the Vols held the ball for 13 minutes in the 4th quarter.
I still have a problem with the screen passes, though. Until the offensive line shows that they can block it effectively, we need to retire that play. Also, I still think we need to get Banks involved in the game. Clausen is one good hit from going out for the season. In a game where the defense is dominating and we have a lead, if Clausen is getting banged up, get him out of there, and get Banks some game time.
Officiating D+.
Multiple missed calls yet again. Both teams were getting away with holding, and there were at least two blatant block in the backs that went uncalled. Add in the mystery personal foul against South Carolina, and once again I understand why Joe Pa is getting ornery.
Overall B-
Bouyed by a marked inprovement in the offensive line and the running backs, UT played it's best game of the season. Granted, it wasn't against a team like Miami, but we looked better than we did against Rutgers, Wyoming, or MTSU. Miami is another story altogether. Yes, they've suffered let downs, and had to win in the 4th, but the fact is they have won in the 4th, every time they needed to. Does anybody think they will take Tennessee as lightly as they took Rutgers? How many times do you think they will watch the '85 Sugar Bowl?
Tennessee will need their best game, a flat Miami, and a few calls going their way to come out on top next weekend. Early prediction:
Miami 31 Tennessee 24

Grotesque

A NJ Democrat candidate is using the DC sniper in her campaign.

Jeff Garcia, a spokesman for Sumers, defended the ad as an attempt to use a recent event to bring the important issue of gun control to the voters.

The commercial opens with a newspaper photo of Muhammad, who faces charges in the shooting deaths that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area this month. That fades to the image of a barrel of a gun on one side of the screen and a picture of Garrett on the other.

The ad says Garrett voted in the Legislature to repeal a ban on assault weapons and to weaken laws covering concealed weapons.

Fits right in with the Wellstone memorial political rally

This man must be stopped!

Forget Saddam, Osama, Kim Jong, and the rest of those guys. The man I'm about to expose has caused more damage to the world than all those folks put together. I'm talking about Mike Darnell, head of Fox's reality TV programming, and the man responsible for bringing us "Who wants to Marry a Millionaire," "Celebrity Boxing" 1 and 2, and "Boot Camp," among others. These offenses alone are worthy of pre-emptive military action, but this diabolical genius has conceived a plot so foul, so utterly horrifying that the devil himself is quaoted as saying "Mike is BAD!"
What is this heartless monster planning?

Memo to Deborah Gibson, Gerardo and any former New Kid on the Block not named Donnie: Call your agents -- now.

Fox is developing a summer reality series that would give washed-up pop idols a chance to kick-start their careers. The show, tentatively titled "Second Chance," would mix the retro appeal of VH1's "Behind the Music" with the talent show and audience interaction elements of Fox's supersmash "American Idol."

The return of Tiffani, Debbie Gibson, Taco, Terry Jacks (arggghhhh!), Menudo, Donnie Osmond, the Bay City Rollers, Scott Baio, everybody who ever sang disco, it's just too horrible to think about.
I urge all of you reading this now, all 10-15 of you, to write to your Congressman, to the President, to the UN, anybody you can think of. Mike Darnell must be stopped immediately, using all available methods. Write today; the sanity you save may be your own.....

From Headlines to Pick-up Lines

From the latest "Trial of the Century!"

<"At one point she was explaining that she was getting in character for a role as a kleptomaniac," Parker testified. "She wanted to see what it was like to shoplift."

According to Rainey's testimony on Wednesday, the upcoming movie was, alternately, Shopgirl, based on the Steve Martin (news) novel, or White Jazz, based on the James Elroy novel. Both movies are indeed being produced. Neither happens to star Ryder.

"The Future" is over.

Kelley Washington is out indefinately, possibly for the season, and according to some rumors, for ever.
Oddly enough, he no longer wants to talk to the media, preferring to preserve his privacy
Looking ahead to tomorrow's game, I predict a low scoring affair, with Tennessee's defense keeping us in the game. 13-10 with the Vols on top, scoring a defensive touchdown and two field goals.

Anthrax Scare in Knoxville

Tennessee Volunteers' football practice was delayed on Thursday for nearly
two hours in Knoxville. One of the players, while on his way to the locker
room happened to look down and notice a suspicious-looking, unknown white
powdery substance on the practice field.

Head coach Fulmer immediately suspended practice while the FBI was called in
to investigate.

After a complete field analysis, the FBI determined that the white substance
unknown to the players was the goal line. Practice was resumed when FBI
Special Agents decided that the team would not be likely to encounter the
substance again.