Don't crud up my book thread with your pop-culture references and fart jokes. Put them here so we can enjoy them in their natural habitat.

Posted by: Monty at 06:45 AM | Comments (90)
Post contains 39 words, total size 1 kb.

In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, I found myself dredging deep into my memory to recall physics and chemistry classes I took back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. In order to refresh my memory, I dug out a book I've had for a long time: Richard Rhodes' The Making of the Atomic Bomb. The first third of that book is both a history of nuclear physics and a pocket introduction to nuclear physics itself. (I've also got the companion volume about the development of the H-Bomb, Dark Sun.)

One thing that Rhodes' book reminded me is of what a strange and complex man Robert Oppenheimer was. A man whose wife, brother, and friends had at one time or another belonged to the Communist Party; a man of refined, even exquisite intellectual capacity; a nervous, harried, thin man who always seem to be on the verge of fissioning himself. The story of how the no-nonsense juggernaut Gen. Leslie Groves picked him to head up the Los Alamos lab is a fascinating story in and of itself.

I cannot recommend Rhodes' book highly enough. It is written to the level of the intelligent general reader, and the book is as much a history and biography of the leading figures of the age -- Einstein, Leo Szilard, Enrico Fermi, Niels Bohr, Oppenheimer -- as it is of the Manhattan Project itself. I've long believed that many aeons from now, if the United States is remembered for anything, it will be for two things: the development of the atomic bomb; and the landing of men on the Moon. So it seems advisable to have a knowledge of the history of this awesome technology.

Apart from that, I also picked up the Amazon Kindle edition of Thomas Sowell's Economic Facts and Fallacies: Second Edition. This book should be required reading for every citizen in the United States, as a good understanding of this book would prevent a good deal of economic stupidity and misery later on. This book is kind of a gateway-drug to Sowell's other books, especially his more generalized Basic Economics book.

Posted by: Monty at 05:39 AM | Comments (70)
Post contains 357 words, total size 3 kb.

Evening Moron Nation. It is my pleasure to be able to post yet another ONT this fine Saturday evening. So get your cold beverage of choice (or warm one) and pull up your chair and prepare to be entertained and informed.

I came across this article the other day, A Brief History Of Dragons In Cinema. I must admit, overall most dragon movies have been pretty blah except for How To Train Your Dragon (which is absolutely awesome on Blu-Ray) and Dragonheart. Reign of Fire could've been so good but the execution was awful. I guess Sucker Punch has a dragon in it based on this video but I don't think it'll sate the appetite of a good, kick ass dragon movie.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:25 PM | Comments (880)
Post contains 1110 words, total size 9 kb.

The first woman candidate for Vice President.

This is something that I've witnessed in my life, a person hanging on until all of their loved ones are close, just to say goodbye in that way.

Raje said it seemed Ferraro held out until her husband and three children arrived. They were all at her bedside when she passed, she said.

"Gerry actually waited for all of them to come, which I think was incredible," said Raje, director of the myloma program at the hospital's cancer center. "They were all able to say their goodbyes to Mom."

It's just been my anecdotal experience is all, my mom held on for 30 hours in a coma until we could all be there. I was told by her doctor, and I'll admit perhaps it was just a kindness, that he thought she did that on purpose.

I thought I mighta still been in trouble or something. But I was cool.

RIP Geraldine.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 01:22 PM | Comments (280)
Post contains 169 words, total size 1 kb.

Half a million greedy pigs hit the streets protesting budget cuts.

Between 400,000 and 500,000 teachers, nurses, firefighters, council and NHS workers, other public sector employees, students, pensioners and campaign groups from across the UK marched through central London to a rally where union officials and Labour leader Ed Miliband condemned the "brutal" cuts in jobs and services.

From The Daily Mail:

• Hooded anarchists throw paint and set off flares on Oxford Street
• Police targeted with missiles and light bulbs filled with ammonia
• Windows at The Ritz smashed as masked youths run wild
• Anti-capitalist smash banks and cash points in city centre rampage
• Five police officers injured in clashes, one seriously
• Labour leader Ed Miliband likens protest to anti-apartheid movement

Anarchists today broke away from one of the largest protests Britain has ever seen to bring chaos to the streets of London.

The Ritz hotel and Fortnum & Mason were among the buildings targeted in the capital after groups of rampaging youths intent on spreading havoc left the mass anti-cuts demonstration.

Around 500,000 activists and campaigners descended on London this morning to protest at the Government's drastic cuts programme.

Pathetic.

Added: The press seems to be going out of its way to shield the rhetorical value of the protest from the effects of violence. They're calling it peaceful and saying the violence is being perpetrated by "anarchists" who have broken away. Commenter "iknowtheleft" quips:

Anarchists are protesting government spending cuts? Anarchists?

LOL.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 10:53 AM | Comments (308)
Post contains 247 words, total size 2 kb.

Clothing, accessories brand.

Remember when Stallone called Obama a "Manchurian candidate"? I don't think that necessarily means he's a Republican. I do think it means he's a sensible guy and has guts. Guts is good. The audacity of truth. Anyway, Stallone is launching a clothing and accessories line. Which means I'm going to own a lot of clothing and accessories that have Sly, Inc. written on them.

The 64-year-old actor's manly lifestyle brand Sly Inc. will consist of clothing, eyewear, fragrance, eyewear and accessories, all inspired by the characters he made famous: Rocky and Rambo, Women's Wear Daily reported.

"Rocky at the end of the day is a love story," Michael Henry, a retail executive who is backing the brand, told Women's Wear Daily. "While Rambo showcases the other side of masculinity, he's a loner...the line will offer looks for "the rebel and the gentleman."

Stallone said he has been working with tailors and new materials to come up with a line of apparel that will be worthy of the name Stallone.

The line will be "a little premium," according to Henry, but will be available at stores like Macy's that will cater to the "guy's guy."

Also, FYI, Stallone is getting ready to shoot The Expendables 2, and it looks like they're adding to the original cast. Speculation has centered around Kurt Russell, Gov. Schwarzenegger, and JCVD. Any of those guys would be great. All three would be better. A couple of other names were mentioned, but it's hard to see how they would add anything to the cast.

I'll be wearing my Stallone clothes opening night.

Posted by: rdbrewer at 08:50 AM | Comments (106)
Post contains 278 words, total size 2 kb.

It's a thread and it's open.

Here are some very cool space shuttle photos.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:07 AM | Comments (254)
Post contains 22 words, total size 1 kb.

Hola Moron Nation! Thank God it's Friday. I'm still at work but hey, it's an exercise preparing for kinetic action so good times. I just wonder why we aren't giving the pirates a little kinetic action too instead of some Miranda action. Just sayin'.

Well to lead off tonight, I'm going to weave in some music tied to some videos. First up is a shameless plug for the kinetic platform that I fly. That of course is the Mighty P-3C Orion. Music of course is CCR. You can never go wrong with some CCR. Break out the val-u-rite and turn on your speakers and enjoy!

Posted by: Open Blogger at 05:30 PM | Comments (1086)
Post contains 609 words, total size 6 kb.

Er, maybe.

It depends on how a bill officially becomes a law. Is it when the Secretary of State orders its official publication or when something called The Legislative Reference Bureau actually publishes it?

A judge last week issued a temporary restraining order blocking any further implementation of the law while the court considers challenges to its approval. The order specifically blocked (Wisconsin Secretary of State Doug) La Follette from publishing the law.

But the Reference Bureau said it's still required to publish every new law within 10 working days after it's signed by the governor, on the date designated by the secretary of state.

Walker signed the collective bargaining measure March 11 and La Follette had designated Friday as the date of publication. But after the judge's restraining order, La Follette had sent a letter to the Reference Bureau saying he was rescinding his setting of that as the publication date.

Walker's top aide Mike Huebsch, secretary of the Department of Administration, issued a statement saying he had been notified that the law had been published.

"The administration will carry out the law as required," Huebsch said.

John Jagler, a spokesman for Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, said he assumed the action means the law takes effect on Saturday.

It seems the Legislative Reference Bureau is relying on the legal principle of "no backsies".

There's more to how a law officially becomes a law than Schoolhouse Rock let on. Usually though it's just technical stuff like adding it to the official register of laws and publishing notice that happens without any fuss. Well, this being Wisconsin, Democrats and unions...there's going to be fuss.

Either way, I'm sure the Democrats are running to a friendly judge (who isn't on vacation) to get this stopped but we'll have to wait and see.

Via Wisconsin political guy Kevin Binversie

Posted by: DrewM at 03:48 PM | Comments (221)
Post contains 321 words, total size 2 kb.

Bottom dweller.

I always liked how the little girl is getting an advanced education in attention-grabbing public faux-lesbianism.

And if you can't tell or just forgot, that is Katie Couric celebrating, if my memory's right, at a party she threw upon getting the CBS anchor gig.

Posted by: Ace at 01:16 PM | Comments (476)
Post contains 58 words, total size 1 kb.