Hot in East Texas again

The forecast as of this morning:

We went to the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview last night. When we arrived, there was a Warthog A-10 Thunderbolt flying around and going through it’s paces; this is really fascinating to watch, and looks like it would be lots of fun for the pilot. With the 30mm Gatling gun in the nose, I’d hate to be the target.

The balloonists did a balloon glow, where the balloons are inflated after dark, and the burners are ignited either randomly or in patterns. It’s really pretty – it reminds me most, oddly enough, of a book I had as a very young child which showed colored easter eggs. The colors were so vivid in that book that the picture has stuck with me all these years. The balloon glow is like that, except that it’s dynamic. It’s also interesting because you can go out in amongst the balloons, watch them set up, and see how it works. All the balloonists are friendly, as long as you don’t get in their way. Texas Grandma was a crew member on hot air balloon teams almost every year since the beginning of the event, but not this year.

It was also pretty hot, but last night wasn’t as hot as I have seen it in years past at the races. There was just enough of a breeze to make it comfortable.

It was a good time.

-Popgun

Electric Cars

Here’s an article on Hot Air that posits that electric cars will not reduce pollution. Instead, it will simply cause the pollution to be produced somewhere other than by the car.

They’re right, of course. However, I don’t think this is a bad thing. Think about the complexity and costs associated with this: Every car on the highway must have anti-pollution equipment which must be paid for and maintained – or, we have simpler, cheaper electric cars, and put in whatever it takes at the power plants to contain pollution.

It looks to me like doing the pollution control at the power plant would have several advantages: lower overall cost; central location for maintenance; probably higher efficiency. Also, higher reliability of the vehicles (less to go wrong).

-Popgun

Heaven

I bet the Mac’s in Heaven are free, wireless access is everywhere, and the internet speeds are so fast they can’t be measured. (I guess that would be Godspeed!)

-Popgun

Terrorists Have Constitutional Rights?

The article’s title is “Obama’s Assistant Attorney General Tells Senate: Terrorists Captured on Battlefield Have Constitutional Rights“.

How’s that again? Excuse me! I thought the U.S. Constitution applied to, you know, U.S. citizens. That’s one of the perks, so to speak, of being a citizen. There is a difference between being a citizen, and being a non-citizen – and that’s it: the Constitution of the United States.

If it applies to everybody, why would anyone bother to become a U.S. citizen? This may be a key question, shedding light on what Obama’s administration and other progressives truly want to accomplish.

I don’t know if this is true. But it hints at a movement towards a one-world government.

The progressives are trying to remove the distinction that makes United States citizenship something special.

There’s something truly rotten in the Obama administration.

-Popgun

A Beautiful Day – So Far

Riding in to work this morning was about as perfect as I’ve ever seen. Beautiful weather, temperature perfect, very light traffic – a great way to start off the day!

On a related note, I was reading yesterday that somebody has determined that coffee (well, caffeine) can help prevent and / or cure Alzheimer’s. Especially if you drink three or more cups a day.

On the other hand, a month or so ago, I was reading that three or more cups of coffee a day can cause hallucinations.

And a personal observation: I drink a lot of coffee every morning, I’m in my mid-50’s, and I’ve never had kidney stones. I suspect that there is a correlation.

Looks like I’m not going to have to worry about Alzheimer’s or kidney stones. The hallucinations are y’all’s problem.

Now, if I could only sleep all night….

-Popgun

They’ve Noticed – at Last!

How about that! They’ve finally noticed!

What a bunch of morons! They’re just now beginning to figure out what I saw coming well over a year ago.

Thanks, Roberta X!

-Popgun

Cap and Trade – Political Suicide

Notice to all politicians of any stripe, and Obama in particular, regarding Cap and Trade;

You people have been getting away with shoving unpalatable bills through congress ever since Obama was inaugurated, mostly because the majority of citizens in the U.S. are apolitical – they vote based on popularity (if they vote), and then don’t pay too much attention to what you are doing to them.

HOWEVER, if you pass the Cap & Trade bill, you are about to hit all of us in the pocketbook in a major way. This is going to get the attention of the electorate.

IF you vote to pass this law in any form, we will not forget, and you will be out of a job at our next opportunity. At the next mid-term elections, and at the next Presidential election, the financial rape that you are about to inflict on us will not be forgotten. Count on it.

Those of us who do pay attention will make sure your names are known to every voter we can reach. We are holding you accountable for your actions. Voting for this bill may be political suicide – think about it.

-Popgun

The Declaration of Independence

Lawdog is right. Go read the Declaration of Independence.

We’ve forgotten so much…

-Popgun

The new Ice Age movie

The Silver Horde went to see the new Ice Age movie, Thursday night.

The Silver Horde is our circle of friends, aged between 50 and 65, all of whom have CHL’s (Concealed Handgun Licenses). If any bad guys ever try to jump US coming out of the movies, we’re going to scare the hell out of them, at the very least. (Silver Horde – Terry Pratchett).

Anyhow, it was a cute movie. We all enjoyed it. Not a lot of social commentary, no cussing, just good, clean fun, like the old Bugs Bunny and Road Runner & Coyote cartoons used to be. Definitely not limited by the laws of physics.

Recommended for children of all ages.

-Popgun

Sarah Palin Resigns

I’ve watched the news and Sarah Palin’s speech about resigning the governorship of Alaska. Disclaimer: I am a Palin fan, in the sense that we share a lot of our political views. Whether she would make a good president? I do honestly think she could make a good showing against current talent in that area (ie Obama).

Regarding her resignation: this wasn’t her best speech. I think most of the media have misunderstood her intent. I think that what she was trying to say was this:

• The work of Governor of Alaska is important and necessary work.
• The frivolous and vicious ethics lawsuits that have been brought against her have consumed a lot of Alaskan public money.
• These lawsuits have also consumed 80% (the number I heard quoted) of her time, and her staff’s time.
• She is, because of these facts, unable to effectively serve as Governor; the job isn’t getting done. Alaska needs a full time governor, not one that can only spend an hour a day on business.
• Therefore, she is turning that function over to someone else who won’t be a lightning rod for frivolous lawsuits. Because she feels that the job is important and needs to be done.

I think her use of the phrase ‘lame duck’ was actually referring to her inability to do the job because of the law suits; I don’t think she intended it in the sense it is usually used.

I view her decision as the ultimate in personal responsibility – she wants the job to get done, and the most effective way to achieve that, in this case, is to let someone else do it.

She’s got two ways to go from here – retire from public office, or run for President, sooner or later. Which will it be? I don’t know. But at this point, I think a bid for president is unlikely to succeed, at least in 2012.

What we’ve seen here is the malicious, unethical misuse of the legal system to cause problems and set backs to political enemies to achieve specific goals. The people who brought these lawsuits against her did so without regard to whether that action was good for Alaska or the country.

-Popgun