Posts
You know the question: which is more painful, a root canal, or a trip to the DMV?
I recently had the opportunity to do both on the same day, which turned out to be a Friday.
The root canal is worse.
On a Saturday, it might be the other way around.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Time for some politics
It should be clear to anyone who thought about it hard that the North Koreans really had/have no intention of actually shutting down and dismantling/destroying the Yongbyon nuclear plant. The only reason I can think of that they would agree to allow the inspectors in etc is because they had already removed everything that they cared about that was portable...i.e., nothing to see remained behind.
And therefore bringing it all back would be relatively simple, as soon as it was appropriate to do so. Which it now seems to be...
You can figure the same will be true in Iran as well. Excepting that at the moment, they are busy bragging about all their centrifuges, when the time comes that they have to allow inspections, it will probably turn out that they tell us they were lying about how many they had...but that will be a lie too.
So don't be surprised by what's going on in North Korea. It was always going to happen this way. They have no intention of not having nuclear fuel processing capability, and will lie about it every time.
Personally, I think we should have gone with the invasion route a few years ago. You don't seriously think we couldn't invade NK and pound the crap out of them, do you? Station two carrier battle groups offshore, there's plenty of space there between NK and Japan, start the air assault, drop HARM missiles on their radar installations, continuous targeting of the DMZ, Patriot batteries to protect SK (because you know that NK's #1 target is Seoul (#2 targets are in Japan), not us, as in "if you attack us we'll hit your friends"), continuous air assault on all the military installations across the country (which, in fact, isn't all that big), a few diversionary sea landings along the eastern coast (also with close air support), and of course the final ground assault across the DMZ once it and all the troops on the north side have been pounded into rubble.
i.e., no land war until physical installations have been pounded flat.
You also have to figure that NK has left a few goodies behind that are going to blow up later, so we don't want to be standing around waiting at the DMZ.
Of course, what would actually happen would be that as soon as the first CBG started to get close, NK would go all crazy and launch missiles at SK, and probably throw some of their experimental stuff at us. We'd want to begin with a number of Patriot counter-missile batteries, brought in quietly. Then the CBGs. and eventually pound Yongbyon into rubble no large than peas.
And therefore bringing it all back would be relatively simple, as soon as it was appropriate to do so. Which it now seems to be...
You can figure the same will be true in Iran as well. Excepting that at the moment, they are busy bragging about all their centrifuges, when the time comes that they have to allow inspections, it will probably turn out that they tell us they were lying about how many they had...but that will be a lie too.
So don't be surprised by what's going on in North Korea. It was always going to happen this way. They have no intention of not having nuclear fuel processing capability, and will lie about it every time.
Personally, I think we should have gone with the invasion route a few years ago. You don't seriously think we couldn't invade NK and pound the crap out of them, do you? Station two carrier battle groups offshore, there's plenty of space there between NK and Japan, start the air assault, drop HARM missiles on their radar installations, continuous targeting of the DMZ, Patriot batteries to protect SK (because you know that NK's #1 target is Seoul (#2 targets are in Japan), not us, as in "if you attack us we'll hit your friends"), continuous air assault on all the military installations across the country (which, in fact, isn't all that big), a few diversionary sea landings along the eastern coast (also with close air support), and of course the final ground assault across the DMZ once it and all the troops on the north side have been pounded into rubble.
i.e., no land war until physical installations have been pounded flat.
You also have to figure that NK has left a few goodies behind that are going to blow up later, so we don't want to be standing around waiting at the DMZ.
Of course, what would actually happen would be that as soon as the first CBG started to get close, NK would go all crazy and launch missiles at SK, and probably throw some of their experimental stuff at us. We'd want to begin with a number of Patriot counter-missile batteries, brought in quietly. Then the CBGs. and eventually pound Yongbyon into rubble no large than peas.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
iPods
Apple announced a new round of iPods last week. Annette wants the new silver 16GB nano. I got the old 160GB classic, since it was discontinued and it sounds like they won't do another high-capacity unit again.
I have about 100GB of stuff on it at this point, so I have 60GB available...I probably won't ever fill that all the way...I'm not into video on the ipod, although I do have most of Strongbad on it (*that* is why you get a video-ipod).
This is my 3rd one. First I had a 20, then a 60, both of which got filled a little too easily...now, everything I have in terms of music will go to about the 3/4-full point.
Nice.
I have about 100GB of stuff on it at this point, so I have 60GB available...I probably won't ever fill that all the way...I'm not into video on the ipod, although I do have most of Strongbad on it (*that* is why you get a video-ipod).
This is my 3rd one. First I had a 20, then a 60, both of which got filled a little too easily...now, everything I have in terms of music will go to about the 3/4-full point.
Nice.
Jade Empire
Having done an upgrade (well, to Win XP) on the older PC, it turned out that Jade Empire installed ok and played. My son already ran through the game, in roughly a week.
Seems overly linear to me, and I have not figured out the combat system. Don't like it, though...I can't tell whether I am supposed to continue clicking on targets or what.
The voice acting is pretty good, but despite it supposedly being chinese people, they have clearly no accent whatsoever.
Otherwise, it's kinda a Crouching Tiger appearance...
Seems overly linear to me, and I have not figured out the combat system. Don't like it, though...I can't tell whether I am supposed to continue clicking on targets or what.
The voice acting is pretty good, but despite it supposedly being chinese people, they have clearly no accent whatsoever.
Otherwise, it's kinda a Crouching Tiger appearance...
Travel
What is it with women and travel?
You know the story...retirement comes around, and they want to travel.
*I* want to have retirement be my home time--where I can have plenty of hours to work my projects that don't get enough time now, and read, and so on. Travel prevents most all of that.
Travel via driving isn't so bad as travel via flying--I *really* don't like flying. Airports have become such a hassle. If I never fly anywhere again, that's fine with me. Driving, altho slower, I'm ok with.
What I don't know yet is how much she wants to travel when the time comes...part of the problem, I think, is that when at home they can't relax, really let go...gotta worry about laundry, dishes, phone calls, etc.
Gotta learn to let go.
You know the story...retirement comes around, and they want to travel.
*I* want to have retirement be my home time--where I can have plenty of hours to work my projects that don't get enough time now, and read, and so on. Travel prevents most all of that.
Travel via driving isn't so bad as travel via flying--I *really* don't like flying. Airports have become such a hassle. If I never fly anywhere again, that's fine with me. Driving, altho slower, I'm ok with.
What I don't know yet is how much she wants to travel when the time comes...part of the problem, I think, is that when at home they can't relax, really let go...gotta worry about laundry, dishes, phone calls, etc.
Gotta learn to let go.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Getting Old, and what to do
I'm going to turn 50 shortly...already got the letter to join AARP a month ago (and sent it back with the $, so I'm official)...and then, last week, when Annette asked me "what do you want for your birthday (besides sex)? You're turning 50, don't you want something special?"
and suddenly it struck me: The XKE! It's time for the mid-life-crisis sports car! And I've wanted one since I was about 10. Click here for a gazillion photos.
So I've been investigating them online...there's a fair amount of interesting info, history, tales of restorations, plenty of photos, and apparently plenty for sale, from junkers that were literally "found in a barn" to immaculate restorations that are probably *better* than they were when they left the factory; and of course the prices reflect all that, too.
And fortuitously, just this past weekend was the local Jaguar Club annual meet (with judging). About 10 XKEs were there, including the (apparently) #2 show car in the US (VERY nice looking).
It did come in a variety of colors, but British Racing Green is, imho, the only one to have; red, and a pale yellow seem next-most common; I'd be ok with the yellow, or a silver-gray. More convertibles ("OTS") were made, but I have never liked them as well, so I'm getting the hardtop ("FHC" or "2+2").
I'll be getting the series two (68-70) model, probably a 69.
One good reason to get a car like this: evidence that women are turned on by them
I'd probably go for a series 3 (the ones with the V12 engine) except that I really don't like the bumpers on them, those are stupid bumpers. The wire wheels are best, too.
Jags have a rep for problems and breakdowns. Not looking forward to that sort of thing, so it'll be important to start upgrading parts pretty soon.
I've found one this is almost exactly what I want...BRG exterior, but black leather interior (hot!) and no A/C (hot!). If I still lived in Texas, no way I'd buy this one. My first car, when I moved to TX, had black vinyl interior (Dad's fault), and no A/C (my fault). Never again down there.
A little higher-priced than I'd have preferred, but I think I won't have any issues with it right away, which is critical.
Plenty of new stuff to learn...fortunately, with an engineering degree, and some experience in car repairs on another car from '73, I have some existing knowledge...
Should be interesting.
and suddenly it struck me: The XKE! It's time for the mid-life-crisis sports car! And I've wanted one since I was about 10. Click here for a gazillion photos.
So I've been investigating them online...there's a fair amount of interesting info, history, tales of restorations, plenty of photos, and apparently plenty for sale, from junkers that were literally "found in a barn" to immaculate restorations that are probably *better* than they were when they left the factory; and of course the prices reflect all that, too.
And fortuitously, just this past weekend was the local Jaguar Club annual meet (with judging). About 10 XKEs were there, including the (apparently) #2 show car in the US (VERY nice looking).
It did come in a variety of colors, but British Racing Green is, imho, the only one to have; red, and a pale yellow seem next-most common; I'd be ok with the yellow, or a silver-gray. More convertibles ("OTS") were made, but I have never liked them as well, so I'm getting the hardtop ("FHC" or "2+2").
I'll be getting the series two (68-70) model, probably a 69.
One good reason to get a car like this: evidence that women are turned on by them
I'd probably go for a series 3 (the ones with the V12 engine) except that I really don't like the bumpers on them, those are stupid bumpers. The wire wheels are best, too.
Jags have a rep for problems and breakdowns. Not looking forward to that sort of thing, so it'll be important to start upgrading parts pretty soon.
I've found one this is almost exactly what I want...BRG exterior, but black leather interior (hot!) and no A/C (hot!). If I still lived in Texas, no way I'd buy this one. My first car, when I moved to TX, had black vinyl interior (Dad's fault), and no A/C (my fault). Never again down there.
A little higher-priced than I'd have preferred, but I think I won't have any issues with it right away, which is critical.
Plenty of new stuff to learn...fortunately, with an engineering degree, and some experience in car repairs on another car from '73, I have some existing knowledge...
Should be interesting.
Monday, September 08, 2008
an interesting blog by someone else...
Here it is (yeah, that's the guy with the goofy-looking beard/hair inversion I wrote about last week)
Pointing out some amazingly ridiculous things. Dangerous things.
Like this
and this
although that graph is clever, if you compared it against which party controlled congress, it'd be different...Dems controlled Congress while Reagan and Bush 1 were prez...and the President does NOT write budget bills--Congress does. An awful lot of people seem not to remember this (there was a fabulous ObviousMan cartoon on this topic ("The president can't make tax law!"); click here for the homepage)
Pointing out some amazingly ridiculous things. Dangerous things.
Like this
and this
although that graph is clever, if you compared it against which party controlled congress, it'd be different...Dems controlled Congress while Reagan and Bush 1 were prez...and the President does NOT write budget bills--Congress does. An awful lot of people seem not to remember this (there was a fabulous ObviousMan cartoon on this topic ("The president can't make tax law!"); click here for the homepage)
Friday, September 05, 2008
Facial hair
Can someone explain to me why it is that so many guys grow a beard when they lose it up top?
http://stupidevilbastard.com/graphics/seblogo.jpg
http://stupidevilbastard.com/graphics/seblogo.jpg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)