Funny/scary video from Portland. Icy street, apparently on an incline, clueless drivers. Add them up, and you get life size curling!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Imam: Beat Your Wife (Wives?) Carefully.
According to this authority, a Muslim may beat his wife (or wives?) but only if he is carefull--no broken bones, no bruises, don't hit the face, and not in front of the kids. Very progressive!
Question: when was the last time any Rabbi, Pastor, Priest, or Minister told you it was OK to beat your wife, and outlined the parameters of how it should be done?
Question: can a religion condone wife-beating and still be a "religion of peace"?
*Before you guys get all huffy on me, let me say that I don't believe that all Muslims are wife beaters. I am certain that some streams of Islam don't condone wife beating. But a sizeable portion of the Muslim world is still stuck in about the year 1200.
Question: when was the last time any Rabbi, Pastor, Priest, or Minister told you it was OK to beat your wife, and outlined the parameters of how it should be done?
Question: can a religion condone wife-beating and still be a "religion of peace"?
*Before you guys get all huffy on me, let me say that I don't believe that all Muslims are wife beaters. I am certain that some streams of Islam don't condone wife beating. But a sizeable portion of the Muslim world is still stuck in about the year 1200.
Ultimate Used Parts eBay Auction
Wow. Just wow. Check out this eBay auction for a collection of vintage cars and parts.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Ethanol: Corporate Welfare for Farmers
A large part of the political support for ethanol--for mixing requirements, CAFE credits, and outright subsidies--is old fashioned "special interest" pandering, nest feathering, corporate welfare.
One aspect of this farmer protection program is the import tariff on ethanol. Currently, ethanol imports are taxed at a whopping $0.54/gal (per gallon!). The effect of this is to protect the domestic ethanol producers, and to keep ethanol expensive. But it isn't the "family farm" that is being protected--the big winners are the huge producers of ethanol, corn, and seed--companies like Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland.
This doesn't make much sense for the bigger picture. Ethanol derived from corn and soybeans is much less energy efficient than ethanol derived from sugarcane, according to a Wall Street Journal article I just read. Corn has an ethanol energy factor of 1.3 (1.3 BTU's out for every BTU it took to produce), while sugarcane has an efficiency of a whopping 8.
If our priorities are to reduce our use of oil, we should be working on getting the cheapest ethanol possible. I guess we'll find out what the priorities of the New Democrat Congress are soon enough--pork, or oil?
One aspect of this farmer protection program is the import tariff on ethanol. Currently, ethanol imports are taxed at a whopping $0.54/gal (per gallon!). The effect of this is to protect the domestic ethanol producers, and to keep ethanol expensive. But it isn't the "family farm" that is being protected--the big winners are the huge producers of ethanol, corn, and seed--companies like Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland.
This doesn't make much sense for the bigger picture. Ethanol derived from corn and soybeans is much less energy efficient than ethanol derived from sugarcane, according to a Wall Street Journal article I just read. Corn has an ethanol energy factor of 1.3 (1.3 BTU's out for every BTU it took to produce), while sugarcane has an efficiency of a whopping 8.
If our priorities are to reduce our use of oil, we should be working on getting the cheapest ethanol possible. I guess we'll find out what the priorities of the New Democrat Congress are soon enough--pork, or oil?
Winter Safety Gear
There have been some reminders recently of how dangerous nature can be, especially in winter, including the Kim family tragedy and heavy snowstorms and avalanches in Colorado.
Everyone should ideally carry a minimal safety kit in their car, which would support basic first aid care and short term shelter. A longer term kit is a must for anyone who lives in harsh or rural areas, where help may be days not hours away.
Since I am a suburban Detroiter, my car safety kit is pretty minimal, as far as supplies go. Some of the supplies I carry:
Some day, when I set aside the time, I will do the legal paperwork to be able to legally carry my 1911 in my car. Around here, the sad truth is, there is more threat from uncivilized men than from avalanches.
Everyone should ideally carry a minimal safety kit in their car, which would support basic first aid care and short term shelter. A longer term kit is a must for anyone who lives in harsh or rural areas, where help may be days not hours away.
Since I am a suburban Detroiter, my car safety kit is pretty minimal, as far as supplies go. Some of the supplies I carry:
- Fix-a-flat goo
- Extending lug wrench
- Reflective emergency blanket
- An old waterproof coat with hood
- An old pair of glove (also comes in handy for repairs)
- Red road flares
- First aid kit
- Mag-lite D-cell LED flashlight (will run a looong time)
- Leatherman multi-tool
- Hand sanitizer
- $50 cash
- Spare headlight bulbs
- Duct tape
- Jumper cables
- A few MREs
- Bottled water (in glass)
Some day, when I set aside the time, I will do the legal paperwork to be able to legally carry my 1911 in my car. Around here, the sad truth is, there is more threat from uncivilized men than from avalanches.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
In-Car TV
The other night, I pulled up to a light next to a Honda Odyssey minivan which had a small TV screen flipped down from the headliner.
On it, quite easily visible to anyone in adjacent lanes, was some sort of porn.
I really don't understand... do people really need to be plugged into TV all the time? Isn't driving engaging enough? And even if they must watch TV at all times, can't the keep their porn at home, where the rest of us don't have to look at it?
On it, quite easily visible to anyone in adjacent lanes, was some sort of porn.
I really don't understand... do people really need to be plugged into TV all the time? Isn't driving engaging enough? And even if they must watch TV at all times, can't the keep their porn at home, where the rest of us don't have to look at it?
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