For more mobile mousers, visit this week's Carnival of the Cats.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
As Seen in Cat and Driver Magazine
For more mobile mousers, visit this week's Carnival of the Cats.
Big Things are Afoot!
All kinds of crazy things are happening at the 'Post these days. First, I'm changing jobs. I'm staying with my current organization, but I will be moving up into a purely marketing post. I used to split my time between marketing and administrative duties, but I've managed to invoke the Mystical Powers of the Feline Theocracy™ and obtain a totally cool position.
The second is that the kids and I are working on a game that we will be offering over the Internet shortly. It won't be a computer game, instead it's a geography-economics educational game that you will be able to download and print out at home. I wasn't sure how they would take to it, but the kids have really loved doing game design.
There will be lots of blog posts coming up about both of these subjects. A lot of it will deal with learning how to make the most of Google Earth.
We're having so much fun around here that there aren't buckets enough to hold it all!
The second is that the kids and I are working on a game that we will be offering over the Internet shortly. It won't be a computer game, instead it's a geography-economics educational game that you will be able to download and print out at home. I wasn't sure how they would take to it, but the kids have really loved doing game design.
There will be lots of blog posts coming up about both of these subjects. A lot of it will deal with learning how to make the most of Google Earth.
We're having so much fun around here that there aren't buckets enough to hold it all!
Friday, February 09, 2007
Please, No Comments
Please do not put any comments in this post. None. Not one. Not even a tiny one. Nope, no need for them. I won't read them even if you do. So it would be a waste of your time. To leave a comment. In this post.
World Happiness Map
Dig this.
Click on it for a bigger version.
The conclusion? Democratic capitalism makes you happy. The happiest places in the world are Canada, the US, Ireland and Australia. All of them are free, prosperous, democratic, capitalist countries. Yes, there are a few happy statist countries, but very few. Our cultural superiors in France and Germany are less happy.
Har har har!
Source.
Click on it for a bigger version.
The conclusion? Democratic capitalism makes you happy. The happiest places in the world are Canada, the US, Ireland and Australia. All of them are free, prosperous, democratic, capitalist countries. Yes, there are a few happy statist countries, but very few. Our cultural superiors in France and Germany are less happy.
Har har har!
Source.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Is it OK if a Developing Nation Wrecks the Environment?
Brazil is a developing nation. If global environmental regulations are enacted, should they be exempt?
You can't make ethanol from trees and every politician and journalist is pestering us to use more ethanol. Cut down the forest. Developing nations need help catching up with the US in earnings. Cut down the forest. The poor people in these countries can make more money logging than they can otherwise. Cut down the forest.
Does this make sense? If we're all part of a globally connected environment, then doesn't logging the Amazon hurt everyone?
US citizens could make more money if we suddenly decided to scrap most of our environmental regulations, too. Should we cut down our forests and trash our rivers?
One last issue, and this is the biggest of all for the Kyoto crowd. How do you know how much CO2 (or pollution in general for that matter) nations like Brazil and China emit when it's clear that their governments are not able to control local practices? This logging is illegal and the rampant environmental destruction in China isn't part of their 5-year plan. Isn't it in their best interests to lie? Since the Chinese press is controlled by the Chinese government, how would you ever find out the truth?
You can't make ethanol from trees and every politician and journalist is pestering us to use more ethanol. Cut down the forest. Developing nations need help catching up with the US in earnings. Cut down the forest. The poor people in these countries can make more money logging than they can otherwise. Cut down the forest.
Does this make sense? If we're all part of a globally connected environment, then doesn't logging the Amazon hurt everyone?
US citizens could make more money if we suddenly decided to scrap most of our environmental regulations, too. Should we cut down our forests and trash our rivers?
One last issue, and this is the biggest of all for the Kyoto crowd. How do you know how much CO2 (or pollution in general for that matter) nations like Brazil and China emit when it's clear that their governments are not able to control local practices? This logging is illegal and the rampant environmental destruction in China isn't part of their 5-year plan. Isn't it in their best interests to lie? Since the Chinese press is controlled by the Chinese government, how would you ever find out the truth?
The 13 Stages of the Flu
Even if you don't participate in Thursday Thirteens, you need to stop by and read Thermal's this week. Hilarious!
Thursday Thirteen, Taxes Edition
I am currently doing my taxes. Since I am doing them by hand and am not using a CPA or software, I have had the opportunity to peruse several strange forms I had never seen before. What follows is one I thought would be of interest to you.
IRS Form Omicron Delta Crimson Theta.
Federal Tax Relief for Odd Pets Act of 1997
If you have had pets in your home that made your neighbors wonder about you during the previous year, you may be entitled to a tax credit. Please use the following form.
1. Enter the number of invertebrates living with you at least 6 months of the previous year.
2. Add 1 to this number.
3. Subtract the number of mollusks in this group. If the resultant number is zero, stop here and put 0 in line 13.
4. If any of the invertebrates were slugs, please consult form 50281/772, “Tax Reflief for Yucky Pets”. Multiply the number on line 8 of that form by your hat size and enter it here.
5. Add lines 4 and 3.
6. Enter the number of birds of prey that lived with you on June 8 of this year.
7. Subtract the number of arctic songbirds that relied on your for no less than 30% of their upkeep, unless they had an income independent of you in excess of $42,500.
8. Enter the number of sloths in your attic. If you had sloths in residence for more than half the year, but they did not reside in your attic, then divide that number by 3 and add 6 to the number on line 2 unless you had no less than 7 wildebeests or 2 nests of yellow jackets in your living room in which case enter a 4.
9. Enter the number of octopi in any plumbing fixture in your house.
10. If you dressed up your dogs to look like President Martin Van Buren at any time during the year, enter a 2 here.
11. Enter the amount of money you spent on the upkeep of any pet that was utterly noiseless or made a slurpy or squishy noise here.
12. If your taxable income is less than $125,250 if filing single or $3.14159 if filing married, deduct the amount on line 3 of Schedule A from line 11. If not, multiply line 11 by the number of times any house guest asked you if you were insane.
13. Add lines 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. This is the amount of money you can expect to spend on therapy in the coming year. Much of it may be tax deductible on your 2007 taxes.
IRS Form Omicron Delta Crimson Theta.
Federal Tax Relief for Odd Pets Act of 1997
If you have had pets in your home that made your neighbors wonder about you during the previous year, you may be entitled to a tax credit. Please use the following form.
1. Enter the number of invertebrates living with you at least 6 months of the previous year.
2. Add 1 to this number.
3. Subtract the number of mollusks in this group. If the resultant number is zero, stop here and put 0 in line 13.
4. If any of the invertebrates were slugs, please consult form 50281/772, “Tax Reflief for Yucky Pets”. Multiply the number on line 8 of that form by your hat size and enter it here.
5. Add lines 4 and 3.
6. Enter the number of birds of prey that lived with you on June 8 of this year.
7. Subtract the number of arctic songbirds that relied on your for no less than 30% of their upkeep, unless they had an income independent of you in excess of $42,500.
8. Enter the number of sloths in your attic. If you had sloths in residence for more than half the year, but they did not reside in your attic, then divide that number by 3 and add 6 to the number on line 2 unless you had no less than 7 wildebeests or 2 nests of yellow jackets in your living room in which case enter a 4.
9. Enter the number of octopi in any plumbing fixture in your house.
10. If you dressed up your dogs to look like President Martin Van Buren at any time during the year, enter a 2 here.
11. Enter the amount of money you spent on the upkeep of any pet that was utterly noiseless or made a slurpy or squishy noise here.
12. If your taxable income is less than $125,250 if filing single or $3.14159 if filing married, deduct the amount on line 3 of Schedule A from line 11. If not, multiply line 11 by the number of times any house guest asked you if you were insane.
13. Add lines 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12. This is the amount of money you can expect to spend on therapy in the coming year. Much of it may be tax deductible on your 2007 taxes.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Environmental Tax Breaks to Developing Nations
Our Missionary to the Frozen Wastelands has written an outstanding post on China's efforts to avoid restrictions on their CO2 emissions. Here's a tidbit. Read the whole thing.
If you didn't do this, but your competitors did, how long do you think you'd survive?
This is exactly what China and other developing nations are asking for. They want us to sign global warming treaties, but give themselves an out. This will force American companies to move manufacturing jobs into their countries. The leader of those countries will practice the same graft, corruption and idiotic economic policies that have kept them "developing nations" and their population will have jobs and stay quiet and busy.
Nowhere in these treaties is there any incentive for China or the rest to become anything other than "developing nations." In fact, the moment they declare themselves developed, they're screwed. They will then have to live up to the environmental regulations and their jobs will be exported to countries that are still "developing."
China is a corrupt, communist dictatorship. The people who sign the treaties in China are the ones siphoning the money off of the state industries and taking kickbacks from the semi-private ones, if not owning them outright. Why in the world would they ever progress if their lack of progress is what brings the money to them in the first place?
Making a virtue out of economic failure and rewarding it with ecologically destructive industries doesn't seem to make sense to me.
China argues that as a developing nation, it does not have the financial resources to shift to cleaner, i.e more expensive, technology and therefore should be exempt from any emissions limits.Globalization has given companies access to manufacturing all over the world. Environmental regulations place a huge economic burden on companies whose plants are in the US. If a similar workforce can be had in another nation where the environmental (or labor) regulations aren't so restrictive, what do you think will happen? Won't jobs be moved overseas where the local environment can be trashed and profits can be made?
If you didn't do this, but your competitors did, how long do you think you'd survive?
This is exactly what China and other developing nations are asking for. They want us to sign global warming treaties, but give themselves an out. This will force American companies to move manufacturing jobs into their countries. The leader of those countries will practice the same graft, corruption and idiotic economic policies that have kept them "developing nations" and their population will have jobs and stay quiet and busy.
Nowhere in these treaties is there any incentive for China or the rest to become anything other than "developing nations." In fact, the moment they declare themselves developed, they're screwed. They will then have to live up to the environmental regulations and their jobs will be exported to countries that are still "developing."
China is a corrupt, communist dictatorship. The people who sign the treaties in China are the ones siphoning the money off of the state industries and taking kickbacks from the semi-private ones, if not owning them outright. Why in the world would they ever progress if their lack of progress is what brings the money to them in the first place?
Making a virtue out of economic failure and rewarding it with ecologically destructive industries doesn't seem to make sense to me.
Orchids, Mr. Bond
Hugo Drax doesn't actually say that line, but my friends and I in college always used it whenever we came across orchids. This little beauty just opened up yesterday.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
The Archbishop of Texas Needs Your Help
Hillary Clinton is an Imbecile
Our Patriarch of the Airwaves has found two great quotes from The Smartest Woman in the World™.
Exxon's profit margin is about 11%. Google's is 32%. Apple's is 14%.
Following the suggestions of The Smartest Woman in the World™, I think we should seize all of Google's assets and give them to the teachers' union to improve public education and we should take Steve Jobs' personal property and give it to the poor.
All in favor, say "Aye!"
If we in Congress, working as hard as we can to get the 60 votes you need to do anything in the Senate, believe me, I understand the frustration and the outrage. You have to have 60 viotes to cap troops, to limit funding, to do anything. If we in Congress don't end this war before January 2009, as president, I will.A war has two sides. There's a word for it when one side unilaterally ends the war. It's called "surrender."
The other day the oil companies reported the highest profits in the history of the world. I want to take those profits and I want to put them into a strategic energy fund that will begin to fund alternative smart energy, alternatives and technologies that will begin to actually move us toward the direction of independence.Well, we now know conclusively that Hillary is ignorant of economics, engineering and physics. The engineering and physics can be found by perusing any of Steven den Beste's posts on alternative energy. The economics is in the Wall Street Journal.
Exxon's profit margin is about 11%. Google's is 32%. Apple's is 14%.
Following the suggestions of The Smartest Woman in the World™, I think we should seize all of Google's assets and give them to the teachers' union to improve public education and we should take Steve Jobs' personal property and give it to the poor.
All in favor, say "Aye!"
Monday, February 05, 2007
Can I Have A Mulligan Today?
So I had to go pick up my high school son who wasn't feeling well. It wasn't severe, he just didn't feel very good. No problems.
I take him home and make sure he's OK and go out to get in the car to come back to work for a bit. The car is leaking coolant. No problems.
I go out to my truck and turn it over. It won't start. No problems.
I bring the car out and jump start the truck, leaking coolant the whole time. I put the car back and notice that the truck is out of gas. No problems.
I get gas and notice that my decals for work have expired.
Sigh. Can I have a mulligan on today?
I take him home and make sure he's OK and go out to get in the car to come back to work for a bit. The car is leaking coolant. No problems.
I go out to my truck and turn it over. It won't start. No problems.
I bring the car out and jump start the truck, leaking coolant the whole time. I put the car back and notice that the truck is out of gas. No problems.
I get gas and notice that my decals for work have expired.
Sigh. Can I have a mulligan on today?
Do Not Open With Sharp Instruction
Today's Wall Street journal has an article telling us that the Chinese government is moving to get rid of their "Chinglish" signs prior to the Olympics. How sad.
Oh well, at least many of them have been captured here.
Oh well, at least many of them have been captured here.
Listen to the Scientists on Climate Change
Kelly, our Missionary to the Frozen Wastelands, has posted an excellent take on the recent UN report on climate change. He only partially agrees with Mark Steyn. Read the whole thing.
What occurred to me as I read it was that this is the same scenario playing itself out in the environmental world as it plays out in the military world. Ignorant politicans and ignorant journalists forming the opinion of a majority of people. Dig this excerpt.
Kelly is right. Read the report for yourself. Don't let others interpret it for you. The more educated you are, the less the press and the politicians can distort your perception of reality.
What occurred to me as I read it was that this is the same scenario playing itself out in the environmental world as it plays out in the military world. Ignorant politicans and ignorant journalists forming the opinion of a majority of people. Dig this excerpt.
Yes something unprecedented is happening, but no it isn't necessary to cripple the global economy to do something about it. In fact, if action is delayed, the costs will be more severe...The key here is to ignore what the politicians and the special interests are saying. And definitely don't listen to the press. Try listening to the scientists. Would you go to a senator, the NYT, or your priest to diagnose a medical condition? Read it yourself! Don't take someone elses interpretation of it.Politicians use data to make themselves look good and their opponents look bad. Journalists use data to make you buy newspapers or watch TV. Neither of them use data to inform you.
Kelly is right. Read the report for yourself. Don't let others interpret it for you. The more educated you are, the less the press and the politicians can distort your perception of reality.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
My Favorite Super Bowl Ads
Most effective:
Where's that insufferable Mac creep now?
Funniest:
Robert Goulet?!? Very weird. I loved it!
Where's that insufferable Mac creep now?
Funniest:
Robert Goulet?!? Very weird. I loved it!
Natural Beauty
The organic and the inorganic. Click on the images for higher resolution versions.
I am so proud of this daisy. She's the daughter of a daisy some friends gave to me years ago. It's beautiful on so many levels.
This is a stone I found while hiking in the desert near Jacumba. It seems to be almost purely a single mineral crystal. The crystal has sheared off in these beautiful, pure white, perfectly flat faces. They shine brilliantly even though they've never been polished. I didn't even wash it. I need to do some more research to identify it.
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