Friday's Walk

(click on photo for greater detail)

Woe to the Middle Class!

This video I just found is a really interesting piece of work. Not full of enough facts and data to satisfy my skeptical nature, but interesting.

It makes me want to read that book...

The Dangers of "Touchy - Feely" Politics

It is quite interesting how all the democrats love Obama (well, half of them anyway), but he really has no track record at all. He can sure talk all sweet and pretty, but how do we know he isnt just all full of talk? He has no actions to support his rhetoric.

But a lot of people dont seem to care; they just like him because he is inspirational. A vague sense of doing good things for america...



Annnnd round 2...


people scare me sometimes...

And shouldn't we be a bit more critical of behavior such as THIS coming from a candidate for president of the US?

Biofuel Farce

This Article outlines the issues with the lofty eco-retarded idea that biofuels (ethanol, etc) are the answer to the world's energy needs. It highlights some interesting aspects that I admit I had not considered.

The Evil Exxon

According to Dr. Mark Perry, professor of economics at U of Michigan, at their 41% corporate tax rate Exxon contributed $27.9 billion to our tax coffers in 2006, paying

as much in taxes ($27 billion) annually as the entire bottom 50% of individual taxpayers, which is 65,000,000 people!

Now, we can point out their outrageous profits that year - $39.5 billion, bemoan the price of gas at the pump (which appears to be driven more by oil traders than Exxon - but that is a topic for another post), or debate the ecological impact their business might have, but rarely do we hear about how much they oil the engines of Washington - that is, apart from their evil lobbyists. I think we should give them their due as responsible tax paying citizens of our land.

btw, the comment section at the bottom of Dr. Perry's article provides interesting and further insight into the actual tax situation for Exxon by some obviously knowledgeable folk, as well as a few different perspectives on Exxon's moral standing by some outspoken embittereds...as is typical of most comment sections!




Thanks to Patterico for the story

Jesus abducted in Grand Rapids

"Jesus was gone..."

But a ransom note was received, reading, in part,

...we are holding Jesus ransom until you clean up the poopie from your weiners...

clean up all your weiner poopie if you want to see Jesus unharmed.

4 weiners; 2 feet of snow. Strikes me as nigh unto impossible to fully comply with the demands of the Jesusnappers. Does this then cast doubts on Jesus' imminent return?




Thanks soooo much to Ace

The World's Hottest Chili

It's 200 times hotter than the jalapeño. Workers handle it with goggles and face masks. And spicy-food lovers can't wait to get their hands on it.

By STAN SESSER
February 2, 2008; Page W1

Guwahati, India

The bhut jolokia chili pepper fires up the imagination, as well as the taste buds. The thumb-sized chilies are so potent they could be used in pepper spray, says the director of India's Defense Research Lab, R.B. Srivastava. "I've been told the U.S. and Israel have considered it for antiriot material," he says.

"Food scientists speculate that hot chilies have an unexpected side effect that boosts their popularity. A publication of the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in New York described it this way: "When capsaicin comes into contact with the nerve endings in the tongue and mouth, pain messengers, called neurotransmitters, are sent to the brain in a panic. The brain, mistakenly perceiving that the body is in big trouble, responds by turning on the waterworks to douse the flames. The mouth salivates, the nose runs and the upper body breaks into a sweat. The heart beats faster and the natural painkiller endorphin is secreted. In other words, you get a buzz."

It's similar to a runner's high, says Bruce Bryant, a researcher for the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, which specializes in analyzing taste. That may explain why plants shunned by starving animals end up in party bowls next to the chips. "We're about the only species who like hot peppers," he says. "You can't even train a rat to like them."

This is a good article - worth the read. Includes a video of a WSJ guy trying one.....