Archive for the ‘Bloggishness’ Category

Here’s an interesting site that takes every state presidential political poll that comes in and projects it on a map of the United States, giving a winner for that day. It makes far more sense than national polls, which mean nothing with the Electoral College in play.

There’s a new Star Wars preview out online for Revenge of the Sith! Thanks to Nathan for the link.

If you ever find your favorite search engine down, here’s a Google mirror site.

And finally, a wonderful photo taken by our friend Bishop while driving through Crichton.

It’s rare that I get excited about a news-ish event. China is announcing plans to build 30 Nuclear reactors in the next 15 years. This has got to be the coolest thing I’ve ever heard of China doing.

Before you go crazy, check out this article. For a short summary: This isn’t your father’s nuclear reactor. This is what should have been built from the beginning, unfortunately there was too much greed.

These reactors are meltdown-proof. The design is such that the laws of physics keep the reaction in check. It’s been demonstrated… They’ve cut the cooling system off, and sat back and watched it do what it’s supposed to do– cool itself off and slow the reaction.

This is the first rational step I’ve seen toward a sustainable energy solution in a long time. This solves more than just the problem of fossil-burning power plants, it answers the question that nobody seems to be brave enough to ask– “Where is the hydrogen going to come from?” These reactors are particularly well suited to generate the hydrogen needed for fuel cells to power things like emissions-free cars.

Now we just have to figure out someway to undo the psychological damage caused by the mass media and nutcases and show the world safe nuclear power.

I just worry that we’re probably too late, and the global weather situation is going to be painfully obvious to all the nay-sayers in the next 20 years.

Berck

Berck is flying tonight…and has been flying pretty much all day. His instructor is bound and determined that Berck will have his check ride on Monday. If he flies all day tomorrow, that might just happen. Zack let Berck come home for thirty minutes tonight to grab a bite to eat, and then he was out the door again.

In the interest of true blogging, I thought I’d hand out some sites:

Bubblewrap

Politics

And a picture that might make you smile.

In the interest of actual blogging, here are some websites I’ve found interesting lately.

The new pics of Phoebe are spectacular.

Amid the orgy of Reagan remembrances, this article stuck out to me as a lesson on the importance of sticking to one’s convictions.

And for those of you who don’t /., here’s an amusing site of a guy who’s already used a third of his gmail storage.

Excerpts from email written in 1995 or 1996 by Joanna.

Benjamin wanted to write a secret message in white icing between two
of the layers, so I made him make some cream cheese icing.

Someone just rapped at my window. I pulled back the
partially closed curtain to reveal Nathan peering at me from the other side
of the glass. This might not seem odd, except that my room is on the second
floor. “You gonna elope with someone tonight?” he asked. I pulled back the
curtain further. He was standing on a ladder leaning against the side of the
house.

I was talking to Paul on Thursday about my anxieties about the future, etc. After going through the different possibilities, I said. “And then maybe I’ll just meet this really great guy, get married, and become a wife and mother.” He lifted an eyebrow and replied, “It would take an incredibly wonderful guy… to put up with someone like you.”

I’d also like to take the opportunity to (maybe, if it’s possible) embarass Ben. Here’s what’s probably his first webpage.

In other news, our once blue house got painted “taupe” today. It’s just
kinda tan really. Looks okay.

Joanna adds commentary. “Every house that we’ve ever moved into has been yellow, and Dad has painted it blue. Until we moved into a house that was already blue, and he painted it taupe. And every kitchen we’ve ever had has been green, and he’s wall-papered it blue. Until we moved into a kitchen that was blue, and he wall-papered it green.”

Afterward, mom and I were the only ones left in the living room. She
said, “So tell me about Berck. There aren’t very many people you’d get
up before 8 on a Saturday morning after 3 hours of sleep the night before
to drive an hour and a half to go see.” I nodded as my sun burned face
turned even redder. I told her about walking 7 miles and debating about
DNA and stars. “Does he have a crush on you?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“Ah. What do you do about it?”
“Tell him to forget it.”
“Be sure to deal with him gently but firmly.”
I nodded.