Arthur C. Clarke

I am a big fan of his work, and am sorry to see him depart. For any of you how are absolutely dependent on any satellite technology, especially GPS, thank Mr. Clarke.

Geosyncronous Orbiting Satellites (also called "Clarke-Orbits") were his idea.

I Just Don't Get It

There's this guy... He owns his own business -- Professional Dog Waste Removal.

In our area, he's known as "Mr. Scoop". What does he write on his tax return as his occupation? What does he tell new acquaintences he does for a living?

His job is to go around and pick up your dog's droppings. Come on... Exactly how lazy have we gotten as a society, that we don't have the time or energy to pick our dog's droppings...

In my neighborhood, there are 4 people with signs in their front yard, so I'm guessing he has 4 customers, just in my neighborhood.

I've got a dog -- a BIG dog. And he sometimes has other dogs over to play with him in our back yard. Yet, using the device on the right-hand side of the picture, I'm still able to somehow muster enough energy to go into the back yard on a weekly basis, and spend all of 15 minutes removing not only his droppings, but those of his friends' as well. Does this make me a Professional Dog Waste Removal Engineer?

I don't begrudge this guy (or anybody in this business) anything. If there are people with more money than brains, and want to pay him $10/wk for a single visit to pick up droppings, more power to him.

I just don't get it.

Movie Review: The Wickerman

The wife and I rented a movie this weekend called The Wicker Man. This is not the original (didn't know there was one until just a couple of minutes ago, but the 2006 version starring Nicolas Cage.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do yourself a favor and do NOT rent or even watch this movie. The best part of the movie was the credits. The wife kept watching because she thought it was going to get better. I kinda stopped watching the movie, and complaining about the movie about 30~40 minutes into it... Had the feeling I was ruining it for the wife with my semi-constant complaints, so I quit.

Now she wished she had quit to.

Her last words were: "That's it? It doesn't get any better?"

It's Finished

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 750+ pages of text.

I just now finished it.

My review - seemed a little rushed at the end... a little weak at the end, but overall a very nice addition to the collection.

Does Harry live or die? Is Snape good or evil? I know... do you?

I didn't like Vick before...

But IF what he is accused of is actually true -- he's innocent until proven guilty -- I hope they F'ing fry him; I realize they won't actually, but they should.

Admittedly, I would consider myself an animal person, I love them. Some people don't. I can live with that... I can even almost understand it. These people simply chose to not have pets or be around animals in general. Fine.

But to breed an animal for the sole pleasure of fighting to the death (in some if not most cases), I find truly deplorable. Then to strangle, electrocute, hang, or beat an animal to death because it can no longer compete...

IF he did what he is accused of, I would have no qualms if they did any of those above to him and his co-defendants.

Only days left...

Until the offical release of the book... The big question is should I read the book before it's offically released or not?

Scooter has Skated...

I can't take credit for the Tag Line "Scooter has Skated..." the wife came up with that.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted on March 6, 2007 of four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to FBI investigators.

George W. Bush, has determined that his 30 month jail sentence was just too harsh for these actions, so he commuted the jail time of the sentence, but left the $250,000 fine, and probation.

So, let me get this straight... For the record, our legal system is NOT supposed to be one of retribution, but one of deterence and rehabiliation. So... The idea is to make the possible sentences be such that nobody would want to commit the crime in the first place, and should they commit said crime, to change their thinking/behavior such that they won't do it again.

So... that being said, what The Great and Powerful George W. Bush is really saying, is that spending 30 months in jail, paying a $250,000 fine and having 2 years of probation is just to much for what he did.

Let's revisit what he did (supposedly). He commited perjury, obstructed the justice system, lied to the FBI (, and covered the VP's ass.)

Yep, I suppose having to spend 30 months in prison for covering the VP's ass, is just a little too harsh.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Libby just got a job with Halliburton along with a $250,000 signing bonus.

I am, however, surprised that Scooter didn't just get an outright pardon.

Help explain this phenomenon to me

So reading this article about gas rationing in Iran (ain't karma a bitch), I'm really confused about something.

The citizens are upset about fuel rationing -- I get this.

What I don't understand is why do people in these situation seem to feel it necessary to riot and destroy either their own neighborhoods (as demonstrated many times in both the US and Europe) or destroy the item they are upset about being taken away.

If you are experiencing the rationing of a commodity, such as gasoline in this instance, why would you then riot and destroy gas stations?!?!?

Not that I advocate rioting or destroying any property, but direct your anger toward something that makes sense -- government buildings for instance. AGAIN, I do not advocate this, but at least I could begin to understand.

Brother's Visit

Last Thursday, my brother came up for a visit/dinner/other things...

At any rate, at some point during dinner, the conversation some how turned to "stupid groups of people." He informed me that there is a group of people who believe that the Earth is flat. Today... Right Now... There are people out there who believe the Earth is flat!!!

So, half believing him, I google it... and sure enough...

Wikipedia Entry
Interview with Charles K Johnson - leader of Flat Earthers. He died in 2001.
Official WebSite

If you are a FEer (I assume FE stands for Flat Earth, but who knows... remember these people think the Earth is flat, so FE might stand for anything), please contact me... I really need to understand how this is possible.

The next day, while talking to a friend, I discover another group of people who believe the Earth is hollow. Apparently, the lost tribes of Israel, after having escaped the Assyrians, migrated to the inner Earth. These tribes are highly advanced and peaceful.

The HEers (Hollow Earthers) are launching an expedition to the North Pole in 2008 to find the hole at the North Pole. I can either try to remember to give an update here, or you can follow the adventure yourself by tracking it on their website:

OurHollowEarth.com

Other topics of dinner conversation:

- David Gilmour v. Roger Waters... which side do you fall on? The wife is clearly in Gilmour's camp, as she refers to Waters as a Opportunistic Backstabber. I, however, am a realist, and fall in the Waters' camp. I like Pink Floyd's music better with him.

- Greatest Bands ever. My brother contends that Nirvana is among the top 5 bands, and that there is some countdown show on MTV that agrees with him... Not that I like all of these bands, but off the top of my head, I can think of: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Metallica, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, The Grateful Dead... Nirvana... Nope!

- Greatest Philosopher -- Socrates v. Plato. My vote would be for Aristotle (even named my snake for him), but given the choice between only these two... Socrates. I mean, he was the first... the mentor to Plato, and indirectly Aristotle. Plus, without him, we wouldn't have the Socratic Method. And after all, isn't the cornerstone of Western Philosophy and Culture based upon the Socratic Method? (once you google Socratic Method, you'll get this...)

- Friedrich Nietzsche - Talk about a pessimist. Being that Nietzsche is an atheist and holds similar views as my brother on other subjects, the wife gave my brother one of Nietzsche's books to familiarize himself with.

-XBox Elite... so what? Nothing big here, as far as I'm concerned.

1 Post, 2 Stories

Several others have pulled this off, so I decided I'll give it a try.

Did some landscape work around the house this weekend and took today off to finish some of it up. That being said, I needed a vehicle to transport some trees and some bushes. So I call up Sean and ask to borrow his beater truck.

Being the friend Sean is, he says no problem. However, since his truck's vehicle inspection expired in October of 2005, and knowing my recent run in with my vehicle inspection he makes the statement that he is not responsible for an fine or citation that should be incurred, if I'm stopped by officer Todd W (or anybody else for that matter).

OK.

So, I'm driving up Route 74 towards Dover square, while on my way to a nursery north of Dover. Dover square is under construction, and I'm patiently waiting 6 cars back from the sign turner (the person who's only job in the world is turn the sign from STOP to SLOW to STOP to SLOW... all day long).

Picture it, I'm south of the square, heading north. I'm far enough back from the square that I can't see it clearing, but again, I'm only 6 cars back from the sign turner. Sitting there, I watch 4 or 5 groups of cars drive by me -- we haven't moved yet.

Being a normal 4 way intersection, I'm thinking this means that the other 3 directions have been allowed to move... Why not us.

Story 1 - At this point a police car from NYCRPD comes driving by us in the opposite direction... He's driving slowly and looking at the line of cars in front of me... I can only think that he's checking out our inspection stickers. At this point, my thinking "Oh CRAP!", but I'm trying to watch him out of the corner of my eye, yet seem to be nonchalant about the whole situation.

He drives by me, and I can see no visible sign of recognition of anything. So I watch him in the side view... As soon as he passes me, I see brake lights. CRAP! Then he continues on. Every couple of cars I see brake lights, and at any point in time, I'm just waiting for him to somehow turn around and come back up to me. I can't see how this is possible, but until he disappears, I just don't feel comfortable. Finally he disappears down the hill and around the corner. Gone. WHEW!

Story 2 - By the time the police car disappears, another group or 2 have started to pass by me. The line of cars that extend behind me is at least .5 miles if not longer. Some people are turning around and finding other ways to get to where they want to go, but I want to head directly north... I'm not headed in any other direction. Eventually I wind up being 2nd in line to the sign turner. I'm close enough to have a "conversation" with the sign turner... Goes a little something like this.

"When are we going to get a chance to go?"

"When I turn my sign. Have I turned my sign, yet?" -- I wasn't the first to have a conversation with her.

"I've seen 6 or 7 groups of cars go by. They're coming from somewhere. Why don't you turn your sign so we can go. It's not even our lane that's under construction."

"There are other lanes of traffic, and a signal to deal with. You'll get your turn."

"I don't think you understand. 6 or 7 groups of cars means that the other lanes have each gotten to go, probably more than once, while I've been sitting here, patiently waiting for you to turn your sign."

"You'll go when I turn my sign."

"Why don't use that walkie/talkie thing and ask when we can go. I realize there's a reason you turn a sign for a living, but come on... "

30 seconds later, she turns her sign. While driving by, we exchange pleasantries and wish each other a great day.