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Monday, June 15, 2009

Twitter making Internet news finally come into its own right now in Iran

Twenty years ago this month, the broadcast of the crackdown on the pro-democracy protesters in Beijing by the Chinese government was widely hailed as the moment that international television news coverage like that of CNN became a serious factor at long last.

That was CNN in 1989.

In 2009 it is Twitter, of all things, that is marking the end of television's dominance of the news.

Here's the Twitter feed for most of the "tweets" about what's going down in Iran. At this hour there's a massive rally in Tehran by anti-Ahmedinejad protesters. The police have opened fire and killed at least one person. Just about everything we know about all this is coming from regular people who are sending live reports via Twitter.

Remember this well, folks. June 2009 is when people in Iran took hold of the power of "you media" and played it to the hilt. This is real revolution in more ways than one happening at this moment.

I hope this kind of exuberance spreads to more countries. Including my own :-)

EDIT 2:12 p.m. EST: I made a link to this blog post on the same Twitter feed (#iranelection) and right now, The Knight Shift is getting SLAMMED with more international visits than I have ever seen in the five-plus years of this blog's operation (along with quite a few folks from across the United States).

So a hearty hello to everyone who's finding their way here this afternoon, and here's raising up some thoughts and prayers for our friends in Iran who are taking their destiny into their own hands. May they be an inspiration for us all!

Radioactive wasp nests plague dump site

Sounds like a Fifties B-movie, or maybe the genesis of a new Spider-Man villain: the country's most contaminated nuclear waste site has provided building material for swarms of wasps building their nests and now the nests themselves are loaded with radioactive isotopes of cesium and cobalt. The Hanford nuclear reservation near Yakima, Washington is currently being cleaned up and workers are having to deal with the nests, which fortunately have already been abandoned by the wasps.

I must admit: 'twould have been a pretty awesome sight to see the skies of Yakima filled with giant glowing wasps :-P

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Army mecha-nic builds real exoskeleton

Carlos Owens is a mechanic in the United States Army living in Wasilla, Alaska. Five years ago and working without any blueprints, he started laboring on a real-life mechanical exoskeleton much like what we've seen in Aliens, BattleTech and a lot of other science fiction. Four years and $25,000 later, you can see his finished product on the right. It can raise its arms, move its lets and even do a sit-up. Owens is working on two more prototypes and hopes to soon see the day when real mecha will go at it against each other like demolition derby.

Mash down here for more of Carlos Owens and his awesome mecha at the Popular Science website.

I'm pretty sure ABC/Disney won't like this

At this moment, Johnny Robertson of the local cult calling itself the "Church of Christ" (which has nothing to do with the real Churches of Christ) is broadcasting an entire story from ABC's Nightline about real estate scamming in Martinsville, Virginia as part of his What Does The Bible Say? (or as I call it The Martinsville Taliban Show) on WGSR Star 47.

So let's look at the first part of the Walt Disney Internet Group's Terms of Use, with emphasis mine in red font...

1. INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Internet sites of the Walt Disney Internet Group ("WDIG"). "WDIG Sites" include Disney.com, ABCNEWS.com, ABC.com, ESPN.com, DisneyShopping.com, Go.com, Movies.com, FamilyFun.com, and other Internet sites on which these terms of use are posted. WDIG and any and all entities that control, are controlled by, or are affiliated or under common control with, WDIG are collectively referred to herein as "we," "us" or "our".

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING ANY WDIG SITE. By using any WDIG Site or by clicking a box that states that you accept or agree to these terms, you signify your agreement to these terms of use. If you do not agree to these terms of use, you may not use the WDIG Sites.

Note that special terms apply to some services offered on certain WDIG Sites, like subscription-based services, rules for particular contests or sweepstakes or other features or activities. These terms are posted in connection with the applicable service. Any such terms are in addition to these terms of use, and in the event of a conflict, prevail over these terms of use.

You acknowledge that these terms of use are supported by reasonable and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you acknowledge that such consideration includes your use of the WDIG Sites and receipt of data, materials and information available at or through the WDIG Sites, the possibility of our use or display of your Solicited Submissions (as defined below in Section 3, entitled "SUBMISSIONS") and the possibility of the publicity and promotion from our use or display of your Solicited Submissions.

2. USE OF CONTENT

All information, materials, functions and other content (including Submissions, as defined in Section 3, entitled "SUBMISSIONS") ("Content") contained on WDIG Sites are our copyrighted property or the copyrighted property of our licensors or licensees. All trademarks, service marks, trade names, and trade dress are proprietary to us and/or our licensors or licensees. We may change the WDIG Sites or delete Content or features at any time, in any way, for any or no reason.

Except as we specifically agree in writing, no Content from any WDIG Site may be used, reproduced, transmitted, distributed or otherwise exploited in any way other than as part of the WDIG Site, except that where a WDIG Site is configured to enable the download of particular Content, you may download one copy of such Content to a single computer for your personal, noncommercial home use only, provided that you (a) keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices, (b) make no modifications to the Content, and (c) do not use the Content in a manner that suggests an association with any of our products, services or brands. Any business use, "re-mailing" or high-volume or automated use of WDIG Sites is prohibited.

In the event that we offer downloads of software on a WDIG Site and you download such software, the software, including any files, images incorporated in or generated by the software, and data accompanying the software (collectively, the "Software") are licensed to you by us or third-party licensors for your personal, noncommercial home use only. We do not transfer title to the Software to you. You may not distribute or otherwise exploit the Software or decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise reduce the Software to a human-readable form.

So... did Johnny Robertson, the Martinsville Church of Christ, WGSR Star 47 and its general manager Charles Roark acquire express permission from Disney and ABC to use their copyrighted material wholesale?

Probably not. They are clearly committing an act of blatant copyright infringement. But hey: we're talking about people who haven't cared about things like laws, ethics and personal responsibility before. Why expect it now?!

(And now Robertson is repeating his year-old lie that one area church is engaging in child pornography, sans any evidence supporting his wild claim.)

First pics of Chad and Koren's wedding!

Ashton Hobbs is posting a wazoo-load of photos on Flickr of Chad and Koren's wedding yesterday. Click here for the "Chad Austin Wedding" set.

Great work Ashton :-)

Iranian irony

I find it a sad commentary that many Americans are watching the people of Iran rejecting the farce of that country's elections a few days ago...

...when we ourselves for the most part are all too accepting of how managed and controlled our own nation's elections are.

Could we ever take to the streets and demand real freedom to choose a destiny apart from that which the two-party kleptocracy and its willing associates have determined for us?

Few things would make me happier than to see the American people wake up and demand that.

14-year old lady discovers supernova

A few days ago this blog wrote about the fairly nearby star Betelgeuse and how it might be approaching supernova. Want to know how honkin' powerful that blast could become?

On the right is a recent photo of the galaxy UGC 12682. It's 70 million light years away from the Earth. And prominently labeled (as if it even needed it) is the newly-found supernova SN 2008ha.

It was found by 14-year old Caroline Moore of Warwick, New York and a member of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team. Despite its vast distance, Supernova SN 2008ha is still 25 million times brighter than our own Sun.

So try to imagine something that bright, only a mere 600 light years away. And it's thought that the progenitor star of SN 2008ha wasn't even all that massive to begin with: many astronomers are saying that dear Miss Moore has discovered one of the most peculiar supernovae to have ever detected.

Hit here for much more information about Carolina Moore and SN 2008ha.

And if you wanna see how dedicated this young lady is to her field of interest, take a looksee at Caroline sitting amidst her astronomy gear...

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Back from Chad and Koren's wedding

Man, what a day...

I want to say first of all that Chad is the man for running a 5 kilometer race at 7 a.m. on the morning of his wedding day. He finished at a pretty good time too (the race not the wedding day... nevermind :-P)

Anyhoo, just got in and I'm frazzled, but there will prolly be pics and some YouTube video (if I can get the consent forms signed :-) up on the blog soon. In the meantime, know that it was a wonderful ceremony and celebration afterward, and all involved definitely feel like not only some new friendships were made, but new family across the board. And let it also be known that New Hampshire is certainly a place that knows how to produce some interesting characters :-)

More later. 'Til then: Congrats Chad and Koren!

A few hours from now...

...my lifelong best friend Chad Austin officially goes off the market, when he takes the vows and weds his lovely lady Koren Borchers.

I got conned into being videographer (something about payback for what we put Chad through in his portrayal of George Lucas a few years ago) so there'll be plenty of pictures later, and maybe some YouTube video.

The rehearsal last night went great! Lots of new friendships being made along with family. We are all excited about Chad and Koren getting to have their special day.

More later! In the meantime, y'all please keep the happy couple in yer thoughts and prayers :-)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

THIS is the Danville Police Department officer who killed a helpless Dachshund...

Murrill McLean, Danville Police "officer", who shot and killed 11-pound miniature dachshund "Killer" earlier this week.

This is the "cop" who was so afraid of a tiny little dog that was only barking at him, that he used lethal force. This guy, who looks like six-foot something and all tough.

Apparently he's also an enlisted soldier who's about to begin a tour of Iraq.

Hide your puppies, people of Baghdad. Better keep your children out of the street too, if you don't want Officer McLean shooting first and asking questions later.

Want to make this better, Chief of Police Phillip Broadfoot? Then Murrill McLean had damned better make a heartfelt public apology to the family before the weekend is out and tender his resignation from the Danville Police Department. Either that, or fire his butt as an example for everyone else in law enforcement: that those of your profession must be held accountable for their mistakes, however much they might regret making them in the first place.

EDIT 10:28 p.m. EST: Here's another photo of Murrill McLean of the Danville Police Department (in addition to many others that I've come into possession of)...

There's so much wrong with this pose that I'm not gonna begin to comment about it. But y'all can if you feel so led.

EDIT 06/12/2009 09:08 a.m. EST: This post is receiving a lot of traffic and I have been asked for the source of this photos. They were plenty easy to find: Murrill McLean has a Facebook page that as of this writing is still publicly accessible for anyone in the Greensboro, North Carolina area and he has posted most of these on a Flicker account as well.

Betelgeuse shrinking, may supernova soon

The star Betelgeuse in Orion, one of the best-known stellar objects in the sky, has shrunk by 15% over the past decade and a half. Bear in mind the size of Betelgeuse: if our own Sun was placed at the center of this star, its outer surface would extend just past the orbit of Jupiter. Or at least it used to not very long ago.

Some astronomers are wondering if Betelgeuse is shrinking because it's used up hydrogen as its main fuel and is now "burning" from helium and other heavier elements. Which would mean that it's in the final stages of a star of its class. When it starts trying to fuse elements like iron and such, some positively hideous astrophysics come into play and Betelgeuse's internal energy is going to overwhelm its immense gravity...

...and we'll get to see a rilly big bang called a supernova.

The supernova of 1054 (the event that created the Crab Nebula) was recorded all over the world, including by Native Americans in what is now the southwestern United States. It was so bright that it could be seen during the daytime and reportedly even cast shadows at night.

If Betelgeuse goes supernova - and some are saying there's a likelihood that it might happen within the lifetimes of many people reading this - then it would very likely dwarf the brilliance of Supernova 1054.

I can't begin to imagine how awesome a sight that would be.

'Course, if Betelgeuse does go supernova, it's probably already happened since the star is around 600 light years away. In which case we're just now finding out about it... but it won't make it any less spectacular "when" it finally happens :-)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

NOT AGAIN! Danville, Virginia "cop" murders mini dachshund!

This is the second time in as many days that this blog has reported a story like this. The first was from Ohio, where two big Blue Ash Police Department officers tasered, then shot and killed a five-pound dog that they said was "threatening" them.

Now comes word that the same thing has happened just across the state line from here in Danville, Virginia.

On the left is a photo of Killer, who had been an 11-year old miniature dachshund weighing about 12 pounds. He was regarded as a "friendly, friendly" dog that was not only a companion to the Harper family that owned him, but well liked throughout the neighborhood.

On Monday night a Danville Police Department officer - and I will gladly post the name and home address of this bastard who has no business with a badge if someone will provide it to me - shot Killer dead while at the adjacent property serving papers.

Here's the story as reported by GoDanRiver.com...

According to a news release from Danville Police Chief Philip Broadfoot, an officer shot and killed the dachshund Monday night while serving two outstanding warrants to a neighbor in the 100 block of Berman Drive.

As the officer returned to his car, “he was surprised by a growling dog running through the yard directly at him from the rear, leaving him with just seconds to consider his options,” according to the news release. The options for the officer in that type of situation include running to the squad car; distracting the dog; or using pepper spray, a baton or firearm. The dog lunged at the police officer and attacked him as the officer fired one shot that hit and killed the dog, Broadfoot said.

An investigation by the Danville Police Department found that the dog displayed aggressive tendencies before other people.

“Shooting a dog which is actively presenting a threat to an officer is within the department’s policy,” ac-cording to the release.

Lt. Mike Mondul, public information officer for the Danville Police Department, said that the lag between the incident and acknowledgement from the department was due to an administrative decision.

“The decision was made by department administration that the chief would address it on Thursday,” Mondul said.

Carlos, 14, was upstairs when he heard the gunshot.

“I saw my mom, and she started to cry,” Carlos said.

The children came downstairs, he said, and their mother told them that a police officer shot Killer.Tawaiin drove home from work after getting a call from Carlos about the shooting.

“When I got there, the dog was laying with his guts hanging out,” Tawaiin said.

The officer leaned against his patrol car, smoking a cigarette, and Tawaiin walked over to talk to him. He said the officer told him that he had to shoot the dog because he was barking at him. Tawaiin asked for his badge number and name, but the officer refused to give it to him and said his supervisor was on the way.

His supervisor arrived and couldn’t believe what happened, Tawaiin said.

“(The lieutenant) was very, very remorseful,” Tawaiin said. “He kept apologizing. And he said I know apologizing can’t bring the dog back, but I just don’t know what to say.”

The dog was a member of the family, Tawaiin said. Nicole was 4 and Carlos was 3 when the family wel-comed the new addition.

“He was like a brother to me,” Carlos said.

Killer greeted Tawaiin every time he came home. Whenever a car pulled into the cul-de-sac, Killer barked to let everyone know that someone new was there.

“He was the security guard around here,” Tawaiin said.

Neighbors said Killer was a sweet, mild-mannered dog.

“He just kind of walked up and down the neighborhood and didn’t bother anybody,” said Jenine Edmunds, who lives on the cul-de-sac. “He was just a little house dog.”

Friends and neighbors have asked the Harpers if they will get a new dog.

“You can’t replace Killer. He’s one of a kind.

“I’m still trying to soak it in because the dog had been with us so long. He was a family member. They took a family member away.”

So the Danville Police Department officer killed a harmless dog, then coolly began smoking a cigarette and refused to identify himself.

This asshole "cop" needs to be fired at the very least. And in a saner world and a different age perhaps dragged out into the street and beaten within an inch of his life.

Like I said yesterday, I have no sympathy for anyone who abuses authority entrusted them like this. But no doubt the "internal affairs" of Danville Police will come back after an "investigation" - which we already know will be a joke - and will report that this officer did "nothing wrong". And a family will still be without its miniature dachshund: one of the most playful and harmless breeds around.

Like I also said yesterday: this kind of thing is not going to stop until a lot of the bad cops are dead.

EDIT 06/11/2009 05:08 p.m. EST: What kind of "police officer" is it who would shoot and kill a miniature dachshund that was only barking and was known throughout the community as being a happy, harmless doggy?

Are y'all ready for this?

Click here for more about Murrill McLean of the Danville Police Department.

Finally, FINALLY finished FALLOUT 3

It was back in February that I first started playing Fallout 3: the next generation follow-up to the classic computer role-playing series of the late Nineties. I have been playing on and off since then, but in the past week or so decided to plow on through to... whatever the heck it was that was waiting at the end.

A little while ago, after logging just over eighty hours of game time since then, I completed Fallout 3 at long last. By my calculation I could have wrapped everything up in about twenty hours, if I hadn't been such a fiend for exploring the Capital Wasteland (what the irradiated ruins of Washington D.C. are called almost three hundred years from now).

And I still didn't get to scout out every location on the map! There's roughly 1/4th of the Capital Wasteland - almost entirely in the northeast quadrant - that I thought I'd be able to get to see somehow, until I got catapulted into the showdown with the Enclave at the Jefferson Memorial.

So what did I think?

Fallout 3 is an unparalleled achievement in video gaming. Never before had I known as much freedom and utterly vast territory to run around in. The story is solid, the characters are rich and well developed, and on a technical level the graphics, sound and programming alone will be a milestone by which games will be measured for many years to come. I also loved the voiceover work, especially Liam Neeson as James and Malcolm McDowell as President Eden.

But the real star of Fallout 3 is the Capital Wasteland itself. Along with Rapture in the BioShock series, the Capital Wasteland is a character all its own. And I think that both Fallout 3 and BioShock have set a new definition for gaming excellence with their sheer geography: in my mind, this is the "virtual reality" that was so vastly hyped a decade ago.

Anyway, I finally finished the game. Won't say that I "won" it, anymore than you could say that you "beat" a book by reading it. And I honestly can't remember any other video game that left me at once feeling a sense of profound achievement and terrible exhaustion. Going to let this one rest for awhile... before playing the Operation Anchorage, The Pitt and Broken Steel add-on content! :-)

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Scene from a hay field

Actually, I was told that it's bails of straw, but farmer though I've been I've never been able to tell the difference :-P

Just something that I thought would make a good photo while out and about this afternoon. That's one of the largest family-owned dairy farms in the country in the background, here in Rockingham County, North Carolina. And that hay straw has been gathered up to eventually feed to the cows.

Maybe I'll post a new picture of this field a few weeks or months from now, when the same straw comes back as spread cow manure.

Blue Ash, Ohio cops MURDER five-pound dog (and how to stop law enforcement abuse)

This is gonna be another post where I'm compelled to use "less polite" language, folks. But I think you'll agree: it's more than warranted.

Here is a photo of Jack, a five-pound Chihuahua-mix dog that until last week was owned by Scott and Sharon Bullock of Blue Ash, Ohio...

And these are the three bullets that Blue Ash Police Department officers shot into Jack this past Friday evening when they killed the dog on the front porch of the Bullock home...

Here's the story from WCPO.com:

Family Outraged After Officer Shoots Their Dog
Reported by: Lynn Giroud
Photographed By: Jeremy Glover
Web Produced By: Neil Relyea
Last Update: 8:46 am

CINCINNATI, OH -- A Blue Ash family is outraged after returning home to find their dog had been shot and killed by a police officer.

The dog was a Chihuahua-mix named “Jack” that Scott and Sharon Bullock had given to their 12-year-old son for his birthday a few years ago.

When the Bullocks returned home from a family member's funeral on Friday, they found blood and three bullets on their front porch – along with a note to call the Blue Ash Police Department about their dog.

The Bullocks were shocked to learn that Jack had gotten out of the backyard and two officers who tried to catch him, ended up shooting and killing him right on the family's front porch.

"He was cornered on the porch and scared," said Sharon Bullock. "The officer bent down bare-handed to pick up Jack, and Jack bit him."

"My five-year-old cried himself to sleep the night before last, wanting his dog," said Sharon Bullock.

"He ‘barks’ for him" added Scott Bullock. "He'd ‘bark’ and Jack would always come to him, so he's outside going ‘Bark bark bark,’ hoping he's gonna come back. It's heartbreaking."

The Bullocks told their five-year-old and three-year-old sons that Jack ran away.

The Bullocks admit they were at fault for leaving their dog outside, and are sorry the officer was bitten, but they say their dog was not a vicious animal and had never bitten anyone before.

They're wondering why the officers didn't call the SPCA to catch the dog.

"They didn't make that phone call other than to come scoop the dog off the porch after they shot him," said Scott Bullock. "Two grown men that can't gather up a five-pound dog – and they're trained police officers – sounds ridiculous to me."

That officer later explained to the family that he was following procedure.

The Blue Ash Police Department has not returned 9News’ calls for comment on this incident.

The family says there were two officers involved. One was bitten. The other officer tased, then shot the dog three times.

Two grown men, serving as police officers, use a Taser on a five-pound dog and then "follow procedure" by shooting it dead.

Dear readers, you know what is going to happen next the same as I do, the same as everyone knows who has read stories like this too damn many times: the police department's "internal affairs" will conduct an "investigation", and then declare that the officers did nothing wrong. To add insult to injury they might even get some kind of meritorious citation for "bravery in the line of duty".

And in case you haven't seen it already, in New Jersey a cop beat a man senseless because the civilian wouldn't zip up his jacket, or something (can't make this stuff up folks).

Let me say this already, lest there be any doubt: I do believe there are many good people out there who serve in law enforcement. Some are even family. But I respect them in regards to their chosen professions because they happen to have strong character and because they have earned that respect. Because they put serving others and using the brains that God gave them ahead of following "procedure" for procedure's sake.

I can not and will not respect them, or anyone else, simply because they happen to have a badge and a gun and a smartly-ironed uniform. I like to believe that those who I can give respect to will comprehend that already without me or anyone else having to say as much.

But then there are the "cops" that have no business at all being in a uniform with a badge and a gun. And these Blue Ash Police exemplify that.

These are the bad cops.

And this kind of thing isn't going to stop in America, ladies and gentlemen, until a lot of the bad cops are dead.

Is that a harsh assessment? Yer damned right it is. But as I see it, upholding the Constitution and laws of this land is something that every citizen is called to do without compensation. And those that do hear the call to uphold the law on a full-time professional basis must be held to a higher standard than the average citizen. If they are not, then they are inevitably going to abuse the authority that is entrusted them.

This kind of thing has gotten way out of hand. And it's not going until citizens send the message loud and clear to those in law enforcement who are irresponsible and corrupt: "We are not going to tolerate your kind any more."

These Blue Ash, Ohio cops think that their badges make them special?

F*#@ 'em.

Like I said, a lot of alleged "law enforcement officers" don't have the right mind or the right attitude to be armed in uniform.

And if they can't be made to understand this, if they persist in abusing their positions...

...they need to be put down like the dogs they are.

Just finished watching THERE WILL BE BLOOD

An excellent movie! This is no doubt the greatest - and most mesmerizing and evil - performance that Daniel Day-Lewis has ever given. From the very first scenes (incredibly and as testament to its powerful story, There Will Be Blood goes almost fifteen minutes before a single word is spoken) I was gripped by writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's tale of greed, corruption, paranoia, religion gone wrong, madness and ultimate ruin.

I'll definitely be buying the DVD for my permanent collection! But it's gonna be a long time before I probably want to go to a bowling alley again...

Monday, June 08, 2009

My cousin, the supermodel

Yes, all the women in my family are this hot!

Awright, not just "hot" either: they are also among the most encouraging and inspiring examples of Christian virtue and character that I have ever been blessed to know. And Rachel and her family are no different. Guess I feel particularly close to them 'cuz I was ringbearer for her parents' wedding all those moons ago. If you were to see them together you could swear that Rachel, her sister and their mom were all sisters! And her dad is one of the most... interesting... ministers that you'll ever likely to meet (ask him about when he goes out on "Visitation" sometime :-P)

Anyway, Rachel is going off to Australia, and one of her friends put together this awesome video on YouTube, and it's too good not to share with this blog's faithful readers. So here she is: my cousin Rachel Hine, supermodel extraordinaire and devout follower of Christ!

Will be praying for you as you head Down Under, Rachel! :-)