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Archive for August, 2008

America’s “Brain-Dead” Politics

August 31st, 2008 1 comment

Fareed Zakaria on America’s political system.

“We have lost the ability to [accept] any short term pain for long term gain. [...] We have become fat, and dumb, and happy, and arrogant. [...] Just as this world is opening up, we are closing down.”

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Two Projects

August 24th, 2008 1 comment

First major project of this weekend: the deck.

Before:

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After cleaning and sanding:

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Second major project: recovering from installing Windows XP Service Pack 3. “Within hours of its release, Microsoft’s Service Pack 3 for Windows XP began drawing hundreds of complaints from users who claim the update is wreaking havoc on their PCs” I later discovered (source). That was in May, and apparently it’s still not fixed.

A half-project of taking our Jetta in for a flat tire fix provides a striking contrast. “Imagine if everyone provided service like that,” I said to K. “We’d go to pick up our car and find someone in the shop had opened the hood and taken a sledgehammer to the engine: it would look the same, but would never work again.”

Yet another mind-numbing example of the “mystery” of the Microsoft monopoly: crappy products that rule the world.

Categories: general Tags:

Dupont Forest

August 18th, 2008 No comments

Dupont Forest is one of those places K has wanted to go for a long time, but time and circumstance prevented us. School, exams, life…we only last week made it to the state park.

Most notable: waterfalls.

DSC_9391Lower Falls

It’s a short drive from our place, but it seems like a different world. Cool mountain air, wonderful views — the perfect Sunday outing.

We weren’t the only ones to think that.

DSC_9411L and one calm horse

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DSC_9433Sliding

At the top of the enormous rock down which kids were sliding was a covered bridge — I swear it looked bigger from the bottom of the falls.

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The Girl didn’t seem to mind, though.

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God of Gas

August 18th, 2008 No comments

Effective use of knee time.

Forget Congress. Forget President Bush. About four months ago, frustrated by the apparently immutable laws of supply and demand, Rocky Twyman turned to a higher authority in his quest for cheaper gasoline.

The recent dip in prices, he says, is proof of divine intervention.

“Prayer is the answer to every problem in life,” said Twyman, founder of the Pray at the Pump movement, whose members huddle around gas pumps and ask the Almighty to lower gasoline prices.

Group gives thanks to the Lord — for lower gasoline prices – Los Angeles Times

Categories: general Tags:

Satanic Verses 2

August 16th, 2008 No comments

Potential peaceful protests from the Religion of Peace once again silence:

After consulting security experts and Islam scholars, Mr. Perry said the company decided “to postpone publication for the safety of the author, employees of Random House, booksellers and anyone else who would be involved in distribution and sale of the novel.”

You Still Can’t Write About Muhammad – WSJ.com

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