Leftist bias vs. reality

I was listening to a tech podcast where a couple of California were making fun of Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Let’s compare Texas under the leadership of Gov. Perry to California under Governor Moonbeam.

Let’s start with unemployment for January 2013

Texas: 6.3%

California: 9.8%

The federal U3 rate for January was 7.9%

So Texas was under the national rate by 1.3% while California was over the national rate by 1.9%

Take a look at job growth in Texas vs. California, and population shifts.  The people California needs to pay its criminally high tax rates are leaving California.  One of the more popular destinations of those fleeing Governor Moonbeam’s socialist paradise is Texas.


It’s clear that the tech reporters in question were laughing based on their leftist political bias, and not economic reality.

Monday Book Pick: Time’s Last Gift

Time’s Last Gift by Philip Jose Farmer

This classic is back in print, so if you haven’t read it yet, go do so! In the not so far future from now, time travel is discovered. You can only travel backwards in time, and there is a limit of how far back you can go. So a team of scientist is sent back as far as possible, to the early days of Homo Sapiens. So far back, North Africa was lush plains and forests. Here is the plot twist, one of the team members is not quite what he presents himself as. He is in fact, much older than his other team members, since he been given the gift of immortality (or an extremely long life span) by a Witch Doctor he saved from a leopard in the African jungles he was born in. If you haven’t guessed who the tall gray eyed ringer is by now, you haven’t read enough Farmer.

Monday Book Pick Archive

Friday B-Movie Pick: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

It’s a Mary Elizabeth Winstead Hat Trick. In this historical horror/fantasy flick she plays Mary Todd Lincoln. A taller, less crazy, and definitely better looking Mary Todd Lincoln than would be historically accurate. As an escapist action flick, not bad. Good special effects, excellent cast, and it follows the Bond rule of the villain makes the movie. In this case, the vampires are very nasty indeed.

Friday B-Movie Pick Archive

Quote of the Day

“For serious Buddhists, it’s not hard at all to admit the non-attainment of the ultimate metaphysical state of Nirvana — it’s supposed to be hard, and can take a lifetime. (Or, you know, several lifetimes.) But liberals have this notion that believing in liberalism is itself a very efficient shortcut to that exalted state of emptiness of ego. A Kerry-Edwards bumper-sticker gets you pretty much as far as a lifetime of devotion to the teachings of Krishna.”


3D Printer Update

Last time I went on about 3D Printers was back in October 2008.  Time for an update.

There are more options out there than the RepRapEngadet has a “consumers guide” to 3D printers.

What I found interesting is that there are some sub $1,000 models.  Granted, most of those are Kickstarter projects, but it shows that these things are getting some traction in the geek hobby market.

That expanding base also means a greater number of programmed designs as people share their experiments.

One that is sure to cause a stir is Defense Distributed’s plan to design a 3D printable firearm.  They have designed, and printed an AR-15 lower.  They have put over 600 rounds though a firearm using that printed lower in a single day.  They claim that it should be able to handle a 1,000 rounds.

The AR-15 was a good choice.  It is one of the most popular civilian firearms in the US, and as Gun Geeks will tell you, it’s the general purpose PC of firearms.   It is very modular, with the ability to change stocks and uppers easily. It also has a large market of add on accessories, including pink plastic parts for the female (or male who just likes pink) shooters.

The inter-changeable upper (which includes the barrel) is key.  You can convert your .223 AR-15 to 5.55mm NATO, .308 Winchester, .22 LR or even .50 Beowulf.  All the same firearm by current US regulations.

On the lower end of the 3D printing scale, is the EDoodler.  A hand held devices that extrudes a steam of heated material that you can create whole pieces or parts of a larger object.  This is another Kickstarter project which blew past its original goal of $30,000  pretty fast.  They have pledges of over $2 million and still have three weeks to go for fundraising.

Going even lower end, you have InstaMorph.  I know people who swear by this stuff for really Q&D projects.  You heat the stuff up and then are able to mold it.  When it cools, it hardens.  Kinda like a gateway drug for 3D printing.

Originally posted at Urbin Technology

Update: Just how versatile is the AR-15 you ask, here is an upper designed for black powder use! There is even a crossbow upper.

Friday B-Movie Pick: Sky High

Sky High

Going back to 2005 for another Mary Elizabeth Winstead flick. Sky High is the nickname for a floating high school where the children of superheros, super villains  and their respective sidekicks to learn the trade of their parents. It’s a fun, light hearted flick that combines teen angst and super powers. It has a good cast which includes B-Movie SuperStar Bruce Campbell, Dave Foley, Lynda Carter, and Kevin Heffernan as Ron Wilson, Sky High Bus Driver. Oh ya, Kurt Russell is in it too. He plays the father of the protagonist, the uber-superhero of the era. Which provides a whole new level of angst to his son, who has to try to live up to his parent’s reputation as the top of the superhero food chain.

Friday B-Movie Archive

Sometimes the truth will slip out of a leftist’s mouth

Bill Maher, a far left extremist, has a rare moment of honesty:

The Obama administration has been heavily targeting whistleblowers and information activists. What can we do to hold the government accountable for this harsh crackdown?” Yeah, the Democrats, [Laughs], their view on Obama seems to be “God, what he does would be awful if it was a Republican”

Leftist Tina Brown notes in the same program: “…he’d be impeached by now for drones if he was W. Bush.”

Ya, sometimes the truth will slip out of a leftist’s mouth.