Russian Devolution

In 1917 Russia, the revolution to overthrow the government was started by the Bolsheviks.

In 2012 Russia, the revolution to overthrow the government is being started by Pussy Riot.

I'm telling y'all here and now: our grandchildren's high school history books are going to be something else...

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Photography at 1 trillion frames per second

My mind is reeling from thinking about the applications possible with this...

A sharp-thinking dude named Ramesh Raskar and his team of techies have come up with a way to take photos... at 1,000,000,000,000 frames per second. That's fast enough to watch an individual packet of photons from a laser moving through a soda bottle and being able to observe how the light particles scatter throughout.

And if you watch the video, you can also see how this technology might find its way into everything from medical imaging to search and rescue.

One thing that comes to mind is that in another decade or so, with enough refinement something like this could be put into a smartphone. The result? Your very own ESPER straight out of Blade Runner.

And then there is the notion of aiming this camera at a house, from across the street or from an aircraft, and being able to search it without having to acquire a warrant...

Well, as with all such things, with anything really, it's not the tool. It's how we choose to use it. And I'm thinking there are going to be some very neat uses for this.

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6 Inches of Freedom: City of Reidsville discriminating against disabled! Pro-Monument protestors given "ridiculous" amount of space! ADA violation could incur $$$ penalties!

The Police Department of the City of Reidsville has as of late last week implemented and begun enforcing a policy of limiting those protesting for the return of the Confederate Soldiers Monument to a six-inch wide raised enclosure surrounding the former site of the monument, The Knight Shift has learned. Those who do not limit themselves to this "area" will be arrested.

This writer has attempted to contact Chief Edd Hunt to learn why. As of this evening I haven't heard from him or from anyone else in the police department. However one source did suggest that the policy came from "higher up".

Obviously there is a question of whether this policy violates the First Amendment of the Constitution, in that it is restricting of the rights of free assembly, of free speech, and also of petition (in the form of protest).

But that might be the least of the City of Reidsville's worries, folks...

Because this policy is also apparently in violation of Title II of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990!

A bit of refresher for those not up to speed (no pun intended). Early on the morning of May 23rd, 2011, the driver of a van crashed into the Confederate Soldiers Monument that had been standing at the intersection of Scales Street and Morehead Street in downtown Reidsville. The monument was erected in 1910 in honor and memory of those from Rockingham County who served in the Confederate army.

Now, you would think that the City of Reidsville - and its mayor, James Festerman - would have done the responsible thing, the right thing, by having the monument repaired and replaced with the insurance money. That's what's supposed to happen in a situation like that. But for the past year Mayor Festerman and the city council have done their absolute darndest to ignore this issue, hoping that it will simply "go away". In place of the monument there is now a plum-ugly planter sitting in the center of what most still refer to as Monument Circle. That hasn't stopped many people - from all walks of life - from standing on the circle to protest the city government's negligence. The protests are still going on strong more than a year later. A group called the Historic Preservation Action Committee (HPAC) has formed to pursue legal action in order to restore the monument.

(I have written about the monument issue previously, in an open letter to Mayor James Festerman and some thoughts about what the monument honestly stands for, in spite of "political correctness".)

But now it looks as if the City of Reidsville intends to wipe out peaceful demonstration in favor of the monument... or at least sparing it a half-foot of liberty.

The Reidsville Police Department is as of last week warning individuals that they must stand on the concrete enclosure surrounding the flower bed at the center of Monument Circle, if they wish to protest at all. Failure to do so (i.e. standing on the brick walkway) can and will result in arrest.

As of this evening, no one in the Reidsville Police Department has been able to tell me what city statute this policy derives from.

Here is Monument Circle this afternoon, looking east from Morehead Street...

I didn't know how much space exactly it was that the protestors now have to stand on (other than it was, as one pro-monument leader told me today, a "ridiculous" amount) until I whipped out my tape measure...

Six inches! Six measly inches in which those standing on the site petitioning for the monument's return must be restrained to, under threat of arrest. The enclosure is almost twice as high off the surrounding walkway.

Why should anyone be given such an insanely tiny amount of public land - technically park land - in which to peaceably assemble and exercise their right of free speech? Especially when there's a whopping FIFTY-THREE INCHES of brick sidewalk on which they can safely stand?

But in doing this the City of Reidsville is also - as best as I can tell - in gross violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Specifically, Title II of the ADA, which pertains to discrimination on the basis of disability by state and local governments.

Six inches of "free speech zone"? Deviation from which will result in arrest?

Because I cannot for the life of me figure out how a person whose mobility is limited to a wheelchair, or a motorized scooter, or even one who must employ crutches or some other aid, can protest under such a ludicrous policy and not be arrested. For nothing more or less than the obligations demanded by their individual circumstance.

If the City of Reidsville insists upon limiting protest to those six inches of cement, then per the ADA it has the legal obligation to construct equal access to those with disabilities. Ever seen a wheelchair ramp leading up to a six-inch wide strip of concrete? Me neither.

But I can see this much: the City of Reidsville is discriminating against disabled individuals on top of some possibly egregious violation of constitutional rights. And for actively violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, that alone could make the City of Reidsville liable for $50,000 in penalties. Perhaps even as high as $100,000. Maybe even a lot more, if it's found that the city government is committing multiple violations of the ADA.

Mayor Festerman, members of the Reidsville City Council, I ask you...

...is it really worth trying to shut up the majority of public opinion about the Confederate Soldiers Monument with six inches of free speech? Is this attempt at political correctness honestly worth possibly losing a hundred thousand dollars of money that Reidsville doesn't have?

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A question about Paul Ryan

Longtime readers of this blog know that I'm for fiscal conservatism and letting the free market be responsible for itself, without government interference. Meaning that among other things that I've never thought anything favorable about government bailout programs.

A few days ago Mitt Romney, the assumed Republican candidate for President, announced that Paul Ryan would be his running mate in this fall's election.

Paul Ryan is being touted as a "Tea Party conservative".

Okay, well then...

Why should this blogger, or anyone else for that matter, vote for a Romney/Ryan ticket when Ryan:

- voted for the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)

- voted for bailouts of $14 billion for General Motors and Chrysler

- voted for bailouts of Bank of America, BB&T, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and other banks

- voted for bailing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

- voted for the insanely expensive Medicare Part D

?

The auto industry bailouts alone have honked me off to no end. As they should every citizen of this country.

So I'm sincerely asking supporters of Paul Ryan: how is his voting record indicative of someone who holds to financially conservative and responsible values? More to the point: why should I or anyone else vote for Ryan based on his record?

Don't even bother offering up bullcrap about "You're voting against Obama". I am not now or ever have voted for Obama. I need to know why I should vote for Romney/Ryan.

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A word of wisdom from a minister friend

"The Law is a widower constantly seeking a girlfriend, and usually finds one at church."

Something that James Hodges, a very dear brother in the Lord and Baptist minister (and also bona-fide sci-fi novelist!) wrote.

I thought it was more than well worth sharing with my own readers.

James also recommended studying Romans 7:1-6 as that seems to be what led him to that terrific analogy.

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Review of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

It's taken me two visits to the theater before my thoughts have settled enough about The Dark Knight Rises to articulate them.

So what did I think of this, the final installment of Christopher Nolan's take on Batman?

More after the jump!

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The Highlight Reel: Aaron Goins Jr. lays it down about pro wrestling and culture (especially pro wrestling)

Last week I brought two blogs to your attention: Once Upon A Time In My Head by Doug Smith and Life Lessons in Hope, Faith, & Love by Vanessa Tachenko. Well, it's been brought to my attention that another friend also has a blog and I think y'all will be mighty entertained by it!

From the twisted mind of Aaron Goins, Jr. (I mean that in a good way) comes The Highlight Reel, and as it turns out Aaron has been working on this one for going on three years now! But it's never too late to discover a good blog. On his, you'll find Aaron's musings, rants and ravings about everything from the state of professional wrestling and other sports, to his thoughts on movies and television and other happenings in our culture. Aaron and Doug are good friends and reading their blogs, I can't help but imagine the two of them having a no-holds barred talk show on premium cable. Maybe someday that will happen. If it does, it'll be in part because they were showing us their good commentary and mad skillz already.

Anyhoo, mash on over to The Highlight Reel for more from Aaron!

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We'll be starving to death... but at least we'll be driving cleaner cars!

The drought in the Midwest is causing the price of food to soar worldwide. Especially for corn and corn-based products.

It could be less though in spite of the recent weather. That is, if more corn were available as feed for livestock farmers. But the Obama Administration refuses to let those farmers and ranchers have the needed corn. Instead, the corn is being used to fulfill government "mandates" for ethanol in gasoline. And it's making corn drastically scarce to those who depend on farming livestock (and who the rest of us depend upon in turn).

We don't need ethanol to survive. We do need food, however.

Can't help but be reminded of the government-enforced devastation that Ma Chalmers and her soybean worshipers wracked in Atlas Shrugged...

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And pray at the Republican convention too, right? Right? Hello...?

A few weeks from now, on the eve of the Democrat National Convention starts in Charlotte, an event called Charlotte714 will be held at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre.

Here is how it's being described by USNews.com...

On the night before the Democratic convention in Charlotte, at the tip of America's bible belt, more than 40 evangelical, Baptist and other Christian churches will host a massive church service in the 20,000 seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

"Charlotte714," as the Sept. 2 event is being called, was inspired by bible verse 2 Chronicles 7:14, which instructs that if people "turn from their wicked ways," God will forgive their sins. The group's website says that with the country's focus on Charlotte that week, in a "morally degenerating culture," it is an opportunity to organize a service that will help "[God's] church return to Him."

So a bunch of evangelical Christians are going to show up at the Democratic convention and pray for people to "turn from their wicked ways".

And I'm assuming that this same group of evangelical Christians will also be having a similar event prior to the Republican convention in Tampa, right?

I mean, why should a group of churches be at one political party's gathering, apparently implying that said party is "wicked" and "evil", and not at the other party's gathering?

Are these evangelical Christians implying that because one political party is "wicked", that the other one must be "good"?

I wouldn't dare make a judgment about any person's condition of his or her soul. But all the same: these Christians, however well-meaning they may be...

...well, they just don't get it. About how corrupt and fallen and broken this world is. Including the United States of America. Especially the United States of America.

These people expect that this country will have a "miraculous turn-around", if only the right people get elected into office. Funny thing: I've seen firsthand "their people" get into office. And nothing happened. Nothing substantially good anyway.

These people perceive themselves as holy warriors in the "Culture War". They should take off the blinders and realize that the Culture War has been lost and it's their OWN fault as much as anyone else's.

If these evangelical types were at all consistent, they would be planning and staging an event no less as massive at the Republican convention also. But, we all know that's not going to happen. And I wouldn't want them to be at the Republican convention any more than I see how they will do any good at the Democrat one.

These people are trying to save the world with political power, and they have become so blinded by might - by their own - that they either can't or they won't acknowledge how they themselves have driven America away from God.

We can serve God, or we can serve power. But we cannot serve both.

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Walt Disney presents... "The Story of Menstruation"

This video turned up on my YouTube front page this afternoon. Why, I've no idea whatsoever, apart from wondering if Google/YouTube is aware of my fondness for old animation. Especially old animation that isn't shown anymore for various reasons.

From 1946, here is the ten-minute long "The Story of Menstruation", produced by Walt Disney ("through the courtesy of Kotex Products")...

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The 3rd Annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam begins TODAY!

It started as one evening's tribute in music and song of the memory of legendary moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton. Last year it became a full-blown event that had to be moved to the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, practically at the last minute because there was so much interest.

And this year, it's gonna be even bigger!

The 3rd Annual Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam kicks off this afternoon at 4 p.m. in Maggie Valley, North Carolina (about 40 minutes west of Asheville). At least fifteen bands will be performing country, bluegrass, a bit of everything in between. There will be tons of food and drink ("...but will there be moonshine?!"), merchandise for sale, loads more.

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend this year's festivities because of something else that I have to attend to this weekend. But I was at last year's Popcorn Sutton Acoustic Jam and had a rollickin' great time! It's only two dollars for admission. I can not recommend enough attending this event if you can at all make it to Maggie Valley this weekend! Here's the event's official Facebook page. Click on over for more information.

And if you go, please tell Miss Pam that Chris Knight says "Hey!" :-)

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New DOCTOR WHO trailer hints explosive action for Series 7

Or is that Season 33? I mean, look at this new promo art that the BBC has released for the new season of Doctor Who...

That's darn nearly every model of Dalek since the show first began in 1963! If you look toward the left there's even the Special Weapons Dalek, first (and until now last) shown in the 1988 story Remembrance of the Daleks back when Sylvester McCoy was the Doctor.

You can click on that image for a much larger version, bringing every detail of the Eleventh Doctor's grim, bloody visage into stark clarity. To say nothing of Amy Pond unconscious in his arms.

And as awesome as that pic is, well... here's the trailer which hit the Intertubes yesterday:

The first episode of the new season, said to be "Asylum of the Daleks", doesn't have a transmission date yet but widespread word is that it'll premier later this month on BBC One and BBC America.

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Latest 3-D Printing news: Action figures and functional firearms

The realm of 3-D printing is one that continues to bear watching. A few months ago there was some legal action taken by Games Workshop in regard to a printable 3-D version of one of the company's more iconic models. At the time I remarked that the "Dreadnought" in question was worse than lame, that it was craptacular. I quietly wondered how long would it be before the quality of this kind of thing would catch-up to traditional molding and casting.

Ooh-boy...

From computer scientists at Harvard University comes some new software that will let you print highly-detailed and fully-ARTICULATED action figures! And it's pretty insane how the software does it too: it takes an animated 3-D character and automatically figures out where all the movable joints will be, and figures-in how to manufacture those joints in a real-world model. In other words you could take a picture of Shrek and turn him into a fully poseable toy. Or print your own Star Wars: Clone Wars action figures. Which no doubt Lucasfilm's licensing department would have something to say about that (and you thought Games Workshop's lawyers were bad...). But all the same, the Harvard thinkin' dudes are planning to make their software available commercially. Eventually. Click on the link above for some groovy pics and video of the process in action.

And then there's this lil' application of 3-D printing that's sure to put gun control nuts into conniption fits: The world's first 3-D printed gun.

Yes, it really works too.

Apart from the chamber (which remains solid metal), this .22-caliber pistol is entirely printed plastic. It fires 200 rounds with no apparent wear or damage to the weapon. It was manufactured with an older 3-D printer and about $30 of resin, but its gunsmith - who goes by the Internet nom de plume "HaveBlue" - reckons that it could be made for as little as ten bucks.

So in the very near future, it may not be that big of a hassle to go out and buy a guy at all. Just download the 3-D model from a website like The Pirate Bay or Demonoid and in a few hours time you'll have a fully-functional firearm to defend your home and loved ones with. And with the cost of 3-D printers dropping to the point where one can be sitting in your living room...

I can already envision some politicians are going to hear about this and decide "something must be done about it, think of the childrun...!"

When 3-D printers are outlawed, only outlaws will have 3-D printers :-P

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Coming soon: Gears of War Erector Sets!

Craziest thing: I was wondering the other week about whatever the heck happened to Erector Sets. Yes the classic toy that you could make real working bridges, robots and miniature vehicles out of with a crazy assortment of metal beams, screws, nuts and pulleys. I got a used one when I was five years old and still remember making all kinds of wacky things with it! Most of them weren't half-bad. They weren't half-good either, but anyway...

Unfortunately in the past few decades Erector Set has faded because of plastic building toys, electronic gizmos and the like. It sadly looked as if there might be the first generation since Erector's invention by A.C. Gilbert a hundred years ago that had never heard of the toy.

Until this week.

Look! Officially licensed Gears of War Erector Sets!

Coming to Toys R Us later this month, Erector is releasing four sets based on the insanely popular video game series. Each set also includes action figures of Marcus, Dom, Anya, Locust Drones and other characters from the franchise.

My heart is already lusting horribly for that King Raven model. Maybe if I'm really good this year my girlfriend Kristen will put it in my Christmas stocking (hint-hint :-)

Mash here for more details and tons more pics of the Gears of War Erector Sets. And I'm digging that Armadillo model, too.

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A couple o' blogs to watch

In the last few days two blogs have come to my attention that I'm no doubt going to be visiting a lot from now on, and all two of The Knight Shift's readers might want to check them out too!

First, having its world premiere this week is Once Upon A Time In My Thoughts, presented by good friend Doug Smith! It's brand-spankin' new but already shows heaps of promise. For its initial set of posts Doug is focusing on movies he likes that many others hate, and conversely movies he hates but that other people think are classic! I agree with him: The Godfather, Part III and Gods and Generals are much better than a lot of folks give them credit for... but I can't figure out how anyone can not like It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World! I mean, just Jerry Lewis' very fleeting cameo alone qualifies that film as comedy gold. But anyhoo, I like Doug's style and no doubt others will too!

And then there is this delightful blog that I only discovered late Wednesday night but has already won me over with its writer's beautiful gift of writing, encouragement and inspiration: Life Lessons in Hope, Faith, & Love. I can't put it any better than this: Vanessa Tachenko's site is very much the kind that I would like my own to be but have sadly missed the mark. Vanessa is someone who has embraced the grace of God with abandon and is letting His love be reflected in everything that she commits to writing. If you want to know what I mean, her thoughts on the Chick-fil-A situation is by far the finest essay that I have come across anywhere about that particular connontroversy. A good blog is one that you visit and when you finish reading it, you feel like you're a little better for the the time spent on it. Well, Vanessa's site is time is time well spent indeed...

So if y'all are fed-up with the seeming dearth of posts on The Knight Shift lately (there have been good reasons for that, honest!) then I think you'll be more than satiated with what Doug and Vanessa have to offer :-)

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For everyone caught up in the Chick-fil-A controversy...

...here is a cautionary tale from 1987. Written by none other than legendary screen and comics scribe J. Michael Straczynski, it's The Real Ghostbusters episode "Chicken, He Clucked"!

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I'm NOT eating at Chick-fil-A today...

...and you wanna know why?

Because today I just don't feel like I want to eat chicken.

It has nothing to do at all with the recent statements by the company's president, Dan Cathy, regarding his beliefs on homosexuality and "gay marriage". It was a statement of his personal opinion and he's entitled to have them. Personally, I'm inclined to agree with him, but that's not the point of this post.

So today has been declared "Let's Go To Chick-fil-A And Buy Their Food And Show We Support Traditional Families For God And Country Day Hurrah For Us!" or something. It's in response to the boycott that some "gay rights" groups (I never understood the concept of "gay rights" either: what rights exactly do some homosexuals believe they're being deprived of? I've never seen a "Straights Only" lunch counter in all my years of living in the South of all places...) have called of the restaurant chain.

So of course, hundreds of thousands and perhaps even a million or so self-described conservatives are descending upon Chick-fil-A locations across the fruited plain to rally their support behind Cathy, anti-homosexuality, and whatever else that "conservative leadership" (whatever the hell that means) has decided.

But I'm not going to Chick-fil-A today. And I've been called conservative (and "closet conservative", whatever the hell that means too) a heap of times.

I just don't feel like eating chicken today.

I mean, I've had chicken two of the past three days. Why would I want to go anywhere today to eat more chicken... is that "eat mor chikin"?

Now, is that supposed to be at all indicative of where I stand on this particular issue?

I'm not hungry for chicken today. Any of my conservative friends and colleagues got a problem with that?

And if we have arrived at a place where we feel that we must be a component of collectivized thought in order to "matter", to have any sense of worth in this world, then we've a much bigger problem we should be addressing than one company president's personal beliefs.

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