Calling it as it is: Senator Ted Stevens (R., Alaska) is a freaking idiot. I am not one to publicly use such language, and I typically don't appreciate people who resort to name calling. But in this case am being reserved, trust me. He oversees committees that discuss technology in which he has absolutely no understanding and either ignores his staffers who advise him or has appointed complete idiots. Secondly, the guy had his home raided by the FBI and IRS tonight and the guy who just rebuilt his home (doubling the size) has plead guilty to bribery and corruption charges. Ted is 83 years old, aren't you supposed to start scaling back in your senior years so that there isn't so much to keep clean? He came out with a statement saying that we need to reserve judgment until all of the facts are in. Yeah, that is what that crook Jeffers (D., LA) from New Orleans said as they were taking out the $90,000 that they found wrapped in foil in his freezer. In fact, doesn't everyone say that...just before they go to jail?

Hurricane News, Driving Me Nuts: I was listening to CNET's News.com which disguises itself as a technology news podcast. But, the folks in San Francisco just can't help but slip in their liberal bias every chance they get. Today they reported on an article in Science Daily which states that hurricanes are increasing because of global warming . Forget the fact that last year was one of the most mild seasons in decades and this year is currently more mild than that. The wizards at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have concluded that all of these wicked storms that we are having are due to global warming. Interestingly the study doesn't include last year and doesn't mention this year. They are looking at averages. Well, the averages are heading downward quickly. So what does that say?

But the thing that really has my blood boiling is what the heck does a report of hurricanes and global warming have to do with tech news? Charlie, I know that you just read the news but show some back bone and tell the News.com folks that you will only read stories that have something to do with technology.

Weather or Not to Predict: In 2005 we saw an incredible amount of hurricanes, more than ever before. Hurricane Katrina (and then Wilma) brought storms to the American coast that awakened many. Hundreds of thousands of people in New Orleans discovered two things regarding this terrible storm. First, many found out for the first time that their city was built below sea level, something that apparently even their city government didn't know. Second, they discovered that there was a large body of water on their southern border (commonly called the Gulf of Mexico, or part of the Atlantic Ocean) and that hurricanes tend to develop there. This was a terrible combination that had never been considered before by the residents of Louisiana. The results of this combination totally caught everyone off guard and a lot of people died, hundreds of thousands displaced.

The cause of these storms were obvious to some, less obvious to others. The press pointed out that hurricanes are the result of global warming and were not cyclical as had been shown through decades of evidence. The reason that global warming was getting worse was of course a direct result of President Bush and his inability to have the Kyoto Accord signed (originally rejected by the Clinton/Gore administration). Because of this failed environmental policy we were told that the nation would face unprecedented hurricanes in 2006 as the environment warmed even more.

Instead of the thirty that we faced in 2005, the 2006 hurricane season showed us just 10 named storms, only two of which touched our shores, and none at hurricane strength. To recap, in 2005 we faced 30 storms and we were told we would have even more in 2006 and instead we had 1/3rd. Those people in charge of such predictions at NOAA should have been terminated at the conclusion of the season. They are paid to make predictions and they obviously have absolutely no skill in this area. None. A 5 year old child could have made a more accurate guess.

But the worse part of all of this is that they have insisted that 2007 will bring more storms than 2005. Fool me once, possibly. But twice? So where are we with all of those storms? Well we are nearly 3 months into the 2007 season and have had two named storms, none causing serious damage, but instead bringing some much needed rain to the south. But, we are told again that we are to receive above average named storms this year. "For the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season, NOAA scientists predict 13 to 17 named storms, with seven to 10 becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. An average Atlantic hurricane season brings 11 named storms, with six becoming hurricanes, including two major hurricanes."

Okay, so once again we will all sit around watching as these people are paid to tell us what is going to happen. Three months into the season I am not convinced that they have the first clue. But you can be sure of this, if another major hurricane does make landfall it will be the blame of global warming, and if it hits New Orleans it will be the fault of George Bush for allowing them to build a city below sea level and not telling anyone.

Absence. Hey everyone, sorry for the absence for awhile. Insane busy. First, got a new laptop that is really awesome! I was driving with my beloved to an appointment and saw debris in the slow lane. I turned around and went back for it and have a new HP laptop to show for it. The person who owned it had no identification for us to return it so we are giving it a spin. Cool! If he calls to claim it (not sure how he would do that) we will be glad to return it, but for now we are just playing. The laptop has Vista which is totally awesome. Mary also loaded a couple of Linux systems which I have had some fun playing with.

The coolest thing was loading my Foxmarks and having this laptop have all of my bookmarks loaded in about a minute. That still is my favorite app of all of the things that I use. I am starting to Twitter, so if you want more than the long diatribes that I normally post here and just want to see what I am up to at the moment, take a look at my twitter. I am going to try my best to keep up with it. I have successfully done it with SMS, so I should be good to go from now on.

Speaking of SMS (texting for the younger set), I hooked up with an unlimited SMS plan with Verizon. How cool! I can send all day long. The only problem is that I am now seeing that my battery doesn't make it through the day, so I might need to do something about that. I have a couple of batteries, so I should be okay.

Off to play with some widgets!

The Truth: I started to write a long letter about "truth" and it turned into a full blown essay, so I deleted it. I was talking with my dad about how some people just scream against everything and won't face the truth. I commented that I was going to do my very best to speak in favor of things instead of against things.

Well tonight I read a quote from Robert F Kennedy Jr. In speaking of people who disagree with him on the issue of global warming he said, "This is treason. And we need to start treating them as traitors." This is the exact kind of inflaming hate speech that the Muslims have become famous for. In fact, this is the exact rhetoric that is being played out by some clerics in Pakistan who insist on Islamic law to rule Pakistan instead of the laws that have been voted by the majority. Their position, as is Kennedy, is that if you don't believe what I believe then you are evil.

The problem is what they call truth and what others call truth. Here are two facts in which we disagree, global warming and abortion. This is not to say that all who believe in global warming believe in abortion, but from my experience that generalization is mostly true. I have yet to find one politician who is pro-life and green. If you know of one let me know.

So, the facts on when life begins is the issue for me. I feel that if there is life then it must be protected. Those on the abortion side would say that life only happens when the baby takes its first breath. When it is growing, moving, and kicking it isn't really alive - it is just a featus. I see an egg dividing and see the process as beginning, there is life. The heart is beating at 22 days, that is life. But, those on the abortion side of the debate feel that the right of the unborn baby aren't as important as the right of the mother and if she wants to kill the baby then that is her right. We disagree.

On the issue of global warming those who hold that the earth is warming and it is all a result of human intervention would also hold that if you disagree you are closed minded and ignorant. This is a position that has baffled me because in my case it is the exact opposite. I am as open minded on this subject as you will ever see. What gets them really mad is that I haven't made up my mind. Because I can look at both sides of the subject and critically look at both sets of data just makes them crazy! Last year we were supposed to have the worse hurricanes ever because of global warming, it was one the the lightest on record. This year they promised that it would be even worse than last years prediction, and here we are in the third month of the hurricane season without a single hurricane to date. The global warming crowd loves to point at the terrible heat wave in the southwest, but won't point out that it is snowing in Buenos Aires for the first time in 89 years. I was in Texas a few years ago when it snowed in South Texas and Mexico on Christmas day, the first time in over a hundred years. But because I see evidence on both side I am to be considered a traitor by Robert Kennedy, and a denier by others. I am just seeking the truth, and that just isn't allow in today's society.

What happened to the day when there was good intellectual conversation about subjects of importance? Why is it that if I don't believe as you believe I am a traitor to some cause? I am glad that there is conversation about global warming, I think that we will discover some great things, and hopefully some terrific inventions that will remove our dependency on foreign fuel. I long for the day when I can drive to work on electric. While I disagree with the religion of Al Gore, I am glad that he has made so much noise about it bringing it to the public's attention. He has shown that you can make a lot of money in this industry and has helped to turn it into the next Dot Com boom.

The truth is out there, lets find it together without bashing each other just because we may disagree.

True Leadership: For many years I have enjoyed the study of leadership. I have read dozens of great books by everyone from Maxwell to Guiliani to Kiyosaki. One of the things that I learned from reading from Guiliani is that leadership stays the course when you know you are right, but you seek the counsel of others (hopefully wiser than you) when making difficult decisions. This is a very difficult balance, one that I don't always get correct. I admire those leaders who stand up for the right thing, even when it flies in the face of what is popular.

Amoung those that I have recently found to show strong leadership are (in no particular order):

Fred Thompson. He recently commented on a "nay" vote for a Senate bill in which he was the single descending vote. The vote (exact bill escapes me) was to protect children. In my mind it was something like a federal "Amber" law. He voted no, not because he disagreed with the bill - he totally was in favor of it. He voted no because he didn't think that it was the government's business to pass a bill that the states had already passed. He saw this as nothing more than bureaucracy. Good move Fred.

John Edwards: He has taken a lot of flack from other bloggers for taking $55,000 for a speech about helping the poor. I think that even I attacked him at the time. But, he has shown the heart of his beliefs, and I don't think that he should be faulted for that. You know where Edwards stands on things.

Bill Proenza, Director of the National Hurricane Center: Bill gets my vote because he didn't resign under pressure from his subordinates. Apparently he said something that they didn't like and sent around a petition to get him removed. Bill stuck to his guns. [Note, Bill backed down under pressure of his subordinates and resigned today, so never mind.]

Al Gore!!!: I have bashed on poor Al for a while, but he has a couple of terrific leadership qualities that I admire. First, how tough is it to have your son arrested on the night before one of your biggest events. But, Al prevailed and he pulled off the event (although the reviews of the actual event were terrible). But, Al is the truest capitalist that I know. Since leaving the White House he has increased his networth from an estimate $2m to well over $100m, all in just 7 years. That is totally amazing! I can think of no other individual who has made that much money without taking a company public. He has correctly identified a market that is willing to pay for his speeches and he has capitalized on that enormously. There were jokes about him buying a Shoney's franchise when he left Washington, and now he charters private jets every day flying all over the world. What a turn around!

Dick Cheney: Dick wins the award for creative ways to keep his job. When challenged to show his logs as to who visited his office, he claims that he is no longer a part of the Executive branch and doesn't have to abide by those laws. Steve Jobs needs to try that the next time the SEC looks at his back dating of stock. So he keeps his job by totally denying that he has the job to begin with. When Bush was asked about this he just replied "What's a Vice President?" This is akin to "You can't fire me, I quit!", except in this case he didn't really quit, he just says that he is totally above the law and doesn't have to do anything that anyone says.

Changing the Name Doesn't Change the Meaning: I just read an interesting article about how the new PM of the once great United Kingdom has decided that we should first no longer call it a war against terrorism, and secondly we shouldn't refer to terrorists as Muslims. Okay Mr. Brown, let me ask you a question. When you heard that there was a car bomb a few blocks from your new home on Downing Street, and another found a short walk from the other, was your first thought that it was a group of radical Buddhists? Was the Church of England trying to make a point? Did you possibly think that the Jews were going on some strange offensive? Oh, I know, its those wacky Scientologists. No sir, unless you are a total moron living on some strange isolated island (which might be the case), your immediate thought was that this was planned by a typical cell of Muslims who wish to terrorize your country. And it would have come as no surprise to have found out that it was indeed the case in the following days. Fortunately for you, your own intelligence agency had been tracking these people ahead of time and were able to make the arrests quickly.

You can stop calling it whatever you want, but the fact remains that what it is, is what it is. These people who attack innocent people for the purpose of striking terror are indeed terrorists. There may have been a time when this was the IRA, but in the last 20 years that hasn't been reality. If a bomb explodes in most places of the world today the immediate thought is that the responsible party is most likely from that peace loving people known as Muslims. Show me a radical group of Pentecostals and I will gladly write a retraction.