Keith_Indy on Jul 29 2008 | Filed under: Keith's Page, Technology, Travel
It was a busy weekend here at the homestead. Although it wasn’t actually at the homestead, we traveled to beautiful Mansfield OH, to take in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event. Other than being hot, and humid, we had a great couple of days dodging golf carts and scooters, while ogling over the most [...]
Keith_Indy on May 19 2008 | Filed under: Keith's Page, Society, Technology
Yes, after extensive research I can now offer to the public an almost guaranteed way of decreasing the amount of gas used in a week. While YMMV (Your Millage May Vary) I saw a 13% increase this past week using this new breakthrough.
I’m so confident about this breakthrough, that I’m also going to thrown [...]
Keith_Indy on Apr 24 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Keith's Page, Technology
Here’s an ad some of you may not have seen. But now (wonder of wonders) since Indiana is a battleground state in the Democratic primary, it’s been getting plenty of air play during the local news programs.
Hillary Clinton:
Right here over 200 Hoosiers built parts that guided our military’s smart bombs to their targets.
They were [...]
MichaelW on Apr 21 2008 | Filed under: Environment, MichaelW's Page, Technology, energy, science
Hoystory poses a thought-provoking question with potentially dramatic consequences for the concept of “peak oil”:
What if “fossil fuels” weren’t made of fossils at all? What if the earth naturally made petroleum? What if gasoline was a renewable resource?
Imagine the howls from the environmentalist left if there was no such thing as “peak oil.”
In answer of [...]
Lance on Apr 19 2008 | Filed under: Environment, Lance's Page, Technology, energy
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addthis_title = ‘The+Air+Car’;
addthis_pub = ”;
Sphere: Related Content
Lance on Apr 12 2008 | Filed under: Art, Baton Rouge, Culture, Lance's Page, Music, Photography, Technology
A worldwide celebration is happening tonight. Yuri’s Night!
The local arts organization I am a member of, Art Mob, is supporting our local version. Unfortunately Art Mob’s sight is having trouble, but the temporary site can be found here. I just spent the afternoon at a juried art competition and art walk we organized, “Smock Paper [...]
Joshua Foust on Mar 24 2008 | Filed under: Technology
I’ve never understood the hype behind hybrid cars: sure, they look funky, and they have slightly higher mileage numbers than their conventionally-fueled counterparts, but they just never made any sense. An extra $5k for a car that saves a few gallons of fuel won’t ever be recouped over the probable lifetime of ownership… which is [...]
Joshua Foust on Feb 29 2008 | Filed under: Technology
Last week, a Pakistani ISP blocked YouTube in response to a video that apparently involved a cartoon pig defecating on the word “Allah.” Fine, whatever—there clearly is no appreciation of Trey Parker and Matt Stone in Islamabad. But the way they did it, which involved replicating a nasty redirect up the chain to several root-level [...]
Keith_Indy on Feb 11 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Environment, Keith's Page, Technology, energy, regulation
And by eventually, they mean decades down the road.
This is a perfect example of government getting in the way of the innovation we need to dig ourselves out of our fossil fuel dependency.
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1362/1/
If you want to build a wind farm in Minnesota right now, you’re in for a nasty surprise. A 612-year nasty surprise in [...]
ChrisB on Feb 07 2008 | Filed under: Chris' Page, Media, Religion and theology, Society, Technology
After their success getting the Muhammad cartoons banned, some Muslims have now set their sights on wikipedia. Recently a large group of Muslims have started an email campaign asking wikipedia to remove their images of their holy prophet Muhammad, even going so far as to start an online petition that has received over 80,000 [...]
Lance on Jan 31 2008 | Filed under: Blogs, Lance's Page, Technology
When I finish typing this and hit publish, the blog will send out a ping, and then the enters the strange ecosystem of the internet:
Imperceptibly and all but instantaneously, your post slips into a vast and recursive network of software agents, where it is crawled, indexed, mined, scraped, republished, and propagated throughout the Web. [...]
Lance on Jan 28 2008 | Filed under: Lance's Page, Technology
I know many of you have always wanted to cause us harm. This is your chance to do it, virtually of course. I’ll start with allowing you to do something more gentle, like a protest!
Then go up to the little bar, select your tool of choice, and rain destruction upon as us you feel fit. [...]
ChrisB on Jan 24 2008 | Filed under: Chris' Page, Religion and theology, Technology
So making the news today, a group of hackers calling themselves Anonymous, has declared “war” on the Church of Scientology. It started with distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on CoS and CoS sponsored websites, but moved on today to claims that the group had hacked Prolexic, which is a company employed by Scientology to [...]
Lance on Jan 24 2008 | Filed under: Lance's Page, Technology
Tyler Cowen wants to know:
Eli Lehrer informs me that Tide has a high market share even though it is more expensive than most other brands. This source says the market share of Tide is about forty-four percent, with the sum total of all Proctor and Gamble products (Gain and Cheer are two others) accounting [...]
Lance on Jan 23 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Lance's Page, Libertarianism, Technology, Urban planning and development, regulation
From Peter Gordon:
This morning’s WSJ op-ed (“Gas Taxes Are High Enough”) by Mary E. Peters, Secretary of Transportation, suggests that this appointment belongs on the plus side of the ledger. She is the highest-ranking federal transportation official to openly embrace electronic road tolls on major highways. Highway congestion is often cited as a market failure [...]
Lance on Jan 23 2008 | Filed under: Blogs, Culture, Lance's Page, Media, Technology
I don’t know if the eccentric Sam Zell can turn around Tribune, but he is always entertaining:
From: Talk to Sam Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 11:03 AM Subject: Censorship, the First Amendment and the Fourth Estate
Everyone,
I learned on the first leg of our [...]
Lance on Jan 23 2008 | Filed under: Blogs, Lance's Page, Technology
Good for them:
Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, just secured a $29.5 million B round of financing. Congrats to Matt, Toni, and everyone else at Automattic. $29.5 million is a monster round, considering that Automattic has so far grown by sipping daintily on a $1.2 million first round secured in 2006. I can’t wait to [...]
Lance on Jan 18 2008 | Filed under: Lance's Page, Technology
Via Instapundit we see it may come true:
Imagine running your laptop nonstop from New York to Tokyo — crunch some numbers, work on a memo pop in a few DVDs — and then do a full day of meetings, using your machine throughout the day and into the night. Imagine doing all this [...]
ChrisB on Jan 16 2008 | Filed under: Chris' Page, Technology
Scientists have progressed one step closer to my dream of being the laziest person in the world by way of controlling computers and robots with my mind. Neuroscientists at Duke University teamed up with a robot in Kyoto, Japan to take us one step closer. Back in 2003 they were able to hook up electrodes [...]
Lee on Jan 13 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web, Foreign affairs, Society, Technology
In a bottom-up rebellion in Sicily, a group of Palermo youths have started a social networking site called Addiopizzo, which provides public attention and mutual support for Sicilian businesses which publicly refuse to pay the mafia “protection” money. Evidently it’s starting to deplete the mob of what has long been its most stable revenue source.
[...]
Lance on Jan 11 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Investing, Lance's Page, Media, Technology
A fascinating look at the development of the iPhone and its impact upon the structure of the telecom industry. More than being a snazzy and popular device, the iPhone has changed how the relationship between players in the telecom industry works. There are long term economic, and yes, investment ramifications in this change.
addthis_url [...]
Lance on Dec 16 2007 | Filed under: Lance's Page, Technology
This seems to have really improved the speed at which I browse:
Speed up Firefox. If you have a broadband connection, you can speed up your page loads. This allows Firefox to load multiple things on a page instead of one at a time. By default, it’s optimized for dialup connections (why??). Here is what [...]
Joshua Foust on Nov 15 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Notes on the war, Technology, social science
Cross-posted to The Conjecturer.
Defense & The War
What, they’re accused of only murdered 14 people? Let’s see if the White Rabbit can break his weeks-long silence to defend them this time.
Well, at least they’ve finally joined the war.
Oh great. With friends like these… who says we’ll ever fix Iraq?
Max Boot has a problem, and the only [...]
Lance on Nov 06 2007 | Filed under: Environment, Lance's Page, Technology, Urban planning and development
Very Cool:
The City Car, a design project under way at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is envisioned as a two-seater electric vehicle powered by lithium-ion batteries. It would weigh between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds and could collapse, then stack like a shopping cart with six to eight fitting into a typical parking space. It isn’t [...]
MichaelW on Nov 01 2007 | Filed under: Media, MichaelW's Page, Technology
Why is it that news sites refuse to publish the documents upon which they report? I mean, even Glenn Greenwald produced the emails he was mischaracterizing. Why can’t The Washington Post do the same with the infamous “snowflake memos” it has managed to obtain? If it did so, it would answer questions [...]
Keith_Indy on Oct 26 2007 | Filed under: Culture, Keith's Page, Society, Technology
Self - Check
Spouse - Check
Kids - Check
Pets - Check
Important Papers - Checks
Satellite Receiver - WTF
The nerve of some corporations!
When this Azola couple got back from their honeymoon, they had about an hour of matrimonial bliss before being forced to flee as their house was engulfed in flames. So you can understand they had some things [...]
Keith_Indy on Oct 23 2007 | Filed under: Culture, Economics, Education, History, Keith's Page, Religion and theology, Society, Technology
Sometimes information like this makes me sit back and think “whoa” (sounding to much like neo in the matrix.) Not only is this a small world (which we often forget,) but it is becoming an exponentially complex and interconnected one.
glumbert - Shift Happens
The Singularity is Near.
Heck, I read sci-fi, and try to keep up [...]
Joshua Foust on Oct 19 2007 | Filed under: Culture, Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Technology
Still posted first over at The Conjecturer.
Defense & The War
More on the internal battle over imperial anthropology.
Around the World
Also have you seen the possibly-NSFW Shaolin balls conditioning video? Basically, they are the world’s greatest fighting force—well beyond the ninja. I already knew this from David Carradine. Now I know this from YouTube.
Barnett Rubin asks if [...]
Keith_Indy on Oct 18 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Keith's Page, Technology
When I first heard about this story about a fugitive being caught after 35 years, I didn’t think twice about it. Until I saw a detail about the Intelligence Fusion Center being involved.
State investigators say the very things that helped a convicted Indiana murderer stay under the radar for more than three decades were [...]
MichaelW on Oct 15 2007 | Filed under: Media, MichaelW's Page, Technology
The MSM (or “Legacy Media” or whatever term floats your boat) is suffering at the invisible hands of technology, which has prompted the rise of not just cable news, but also blogs and online magazines. Blogs in particular often draw snarling reactions and comments from major MSM players, mostly because the MSM is routinely [...]
Joshua Foust on Oct 10 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Foreign affairs, History, Law, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology, regulation
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer.
Defense & The War
Dear God. The USAF thinks it will win counterinsurgencies by copying the Viet Cong? These guys are almost as bad as the PMFs. In a must-read analysis, Abu Muqawama concludes, “This, America, is your uniformed military leadership. Be proud.” Oh I am.
“The reliable replacement warhead is a symptom.” [...]
Joshua Foust on Oct 08 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, History, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology, social science
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer.
Defense & The War
Finally, after years of occupying their country, we’ve liberated Iraq from the burden of living in fear for collaborating with us.
P.W. Singer (again) on the devil’s bargain of PMCs. I like how he wonders how a force can be cost effective when it’s more expensive and so detrimental to [...]
Joshua Foust on Oct 03 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology, regulation
Repeated at The Conjecturer.
Defense & the War
P.W. Singer on how no one is really asking the right questions about Blackwater and PMCs in general. Contrary to other arguments, it is a question of legality and accountability, since even employees accused of and fired for committing crimes like murder have not been prosecuted for it. But [...]
Keith_Indy on Aug 31 2007 | Filed under: Keith's Page, Military Matters, Technology
Joshua brought up this little tid-bit in his last post…
There is also a rather shocking exhibit of an underreported side effect of the war: advances in medical technology now allow survivability after injuries that once were fatal. Which means a new generation of the crippled and maimed are coming home.
There have been “advances” in battlefield [...]
Keith_Indy on Aug 30 2007 | Filed under: Keith's Page, Law, Society, Technology
When threats are phoned in, how seriously should they be considered?
At my last company, one of the buildings we had offices in would get a bomb threat called in 2 or 3 times per month. Now, the company gave us the latitude to go wait outside the building until it was cleared, or we [...]
Joshua Foust on Aug 25 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Society, Technology
Throwing rocks at HAMAS over at The Conjecturer.
Defense & The War
More on what The Surge is accomplishing: “Despite some evidence that the troop buildup has improved security in certain areas, sectarian violence continues and American-led operations have brought new fighting, driving fearful Iraqis from their homes at much higher rates than before the tens of [...]
Joshua Foust on Aug 24 2007 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Media, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology
Cheating on your ex-boyfriend at The Conjecturer.
Defense & The War
So, according to President Bush, if we leave Iraq, the communists will triumph? Like how they won the Cold War? I don’t get it. The argument from civil war doesn’t move me much, either—the only thing keeping Iraq from civil war before was a tyrant; short [...]
MichaelW on Aug 13 2007 | Filed under: Environment, Media, MichaelW's Page, Technology
My favorite class of all time was a course on chaos theory that I took my senior year in college. I think it was listed as part of the Chemistry Department’s curriculum (hey, whaddya know, it still is!), but it also involved physics and statistics (and thankfully, little math). My fondness for [...]
Keith_Indy on Aug 09 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Keith's Page, Technology
And proud of it!!!
Sen. George Allen makes a good point.
Contrary to some pundits, Americans are not “addicted to oil” but are instead addicted to freedom - freedom of movement especially, former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) told a large crowd of college conservatives last week.
In my high school, and I’m certain, in many other [...]
MichaelW on Jul 20 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Law, MichaelW's Page, Notes on the war, Technology
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
– U.S. Constitution, Art. 3, Sect. 3
The [...]
Keith_Indy on Jul 16 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Environment, Keith's Page, Technology
The increase in the amount of bio-fuel production, specifically ethanol, is driving up the costs of anything that feeds or is produced with grain. This is leading to higher prices for milk, ice cream, cereal, and a host of other staples. The UN is also having a harder time buying grain to feed [...]
Joshua Foust on Jun 28 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology
Defense
It saddens me to see that a general neglect of our soldiers has a long and storied tradition in this country. I honestly think us to be better than that.
Uh-oh, is our new strategy in Iraq geared for cutting and running? Those defeat mongers at the Pentagon must want Al-Qaeda In Iraq to win. Except [...]
Keith_Indy on Jun 25 2007 | Filed under: Developmental economics, Domestic Politics, Economics, Environment, Keith's Page, Technology
Instapundit links to an article in Reason about how the increased production of ethanol is leading to higher prices for food.
I also think it could lead to increasing reliance by America on foreign grain. Which, as we saw with the pet food recall, could mean a riskier supply. You can poison grain, but [...]
Keith_Indy on Jun 21 2007 | Filed under: Keith's Page, Technology
Well, all the attention crashed their web servers, so they’ve hosted the simulation on YouTube.
I must say I’m impressed with the animation. You can certainly see why a collapse was near inevitable with what looks like 1/3 of the major inner columns destroyed or damaged. And this story makes me wonder how some [...]
Keith_Indy on Jun 21 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Keith's Page, Louisiana Politics, Technology
Gee, parts of N’Awlins are still under sea level (and unlikely to change.) You would think the above headline was a given.
And why does it NOT surprise me that what the local leaders were most concerned about…
As part of the report, the corps plans to make available a Web site that allows New Orleans [...]
Joshua Foust on Jun 19 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology
Defense
The Vatican-embassy in Baghdad is too understaffed and too restricted to be useful, Ambassador Crocker told SecState Rice. He said we are either at war or we are not at war, and the priorities of the Department must reflect that. Naturally, he’ll be ignored.
Taxi to the Darkside, a documentary about the “accidental” death of an [...]
Joshua Foust on Jun 12 2007 | Filed under: Developmental economics, Domestic Politics, Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer.
Defense
Could the shakeup at JCS be an indication of a possibly positive move toward skepticism on Iraq? Possibly. I’m more intrigued with putting two Navy guys in charge of our insurgency campaigns—what kind of insight might they bring a more traditional land warrior cannot?
Then again, the DoD does have a habit of [...]
Joshua Foust on Jun 01 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Foreign affairs, Hugo Chavez, Media, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology
Cross-posted on The Conjecturer.
Defense
The IDF is generally thought of as one of the world’s top armies—though it lacks expeditionary capability (which is usually a function of solid logistics), its warfighting is top notch. Not so, according to the Winograd Commission, which examined IDF policies in the wake of the Hezbollah war last year. Why [...]
Joshua Foust on May 30 2007 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Military Matters, Notes on the war, Technology
Cross-posted at The Conjecturer.
Defense
An entire security detail was abducted in Baghdad, in a secure area, leading to questions about the extent to which local security forces are collaborating with the insurgents, whether private companies are appropriate agents, and the whole legitimacy of the operation.
An excellent post on the continued need for civilian control of the [...]
Keith_Indy on May 16 2007 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Environment, Keith's Page, Technology
I’ve often commented that I don’t really trust computer climate models because they’ve seemed to me to be missing a lot of variables. So, it’s a little satisfying to see this article, which shows that MIT researchers are enhancing the model to more accurately account for a significant variable.
Global climate models are missing a [...]
