Ramblings and Travels

Reagan’s Star Wars idea has long been derided as pie in the sky, impossible, waste of funding. As a nation, we’ve approached it from a few different perspectives: missile interceptors (hitting a bullet with a bullet) from land or sea (I like the sea based ones, far more mobile), ground based lasers (Tom Clancy’s Cardinal in the Kremlin approached some of those issues). Now, finally, an airborne laser has knocked a test ICBM down.

Sure, it was versus a liquid fueled rocket, not a solid fuel one (Soviet style was liquid, the US has used solid fuel for a long time), which is easier to detonate, in the air or during maintenance on the ground. Easier to environmentally dispose of though. Anyway, it’s a good first start. We can debate the economic logistics of it, but if it can help keep missiles on the ground and out of the air, great. It probably is useless for a long while against a Cold War style missile attack (MAD), but against a potential rouge state with a dozen missiles? This will certainly help some people sleep easier at night.

Tether capability with android-wifi-tether Wireless Tether for Root Users – Droid Forum – Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum

I’m posting this as a reminder of something I want to read later on, and it might be useful to other people out there.

Read it once, then read it again. Print it out and read it while you implementing  it.

With the idea that if you’re being talked about, even in a bad way, it’s good for you, a former legislator from South Dakota says he has copyrighted his name. From jail. So anyone writing an article about him will owe $500,000. More than a little ridiculous of course, since merely writing a news story about someone or something is not copyright or trademark infringement.

Source: New York Times

Ex-Lawmaker Convicted of Rape – Name Is Copyrighted – NYTimes.com

I’m torn. Do I try to abuse his name, and not pay the “fee”, or do I refuse to give him publicity? I usually side on not giving publicity or attention to those who are looking for it, but then I feel as if I’m being pressured into not using his name. Still, the guy is a convicted felon.

Ted Alvin Klaudt is the guys name. Sosumi

While most of the Angeles National Forest is still closed, Angeles Crest Highway just reopened after closure due to high winds, falling rocks. Sweet. Looks like one can go into the areas not burned by the fire then, and drive through the fire zones.

I’d like to get up there before the snows arrive, and they close the road again for winter.

If only the weekends weren’t packed already this month.

I’ve been in the wait and see mode for buying a home for almost 5 years. Prices are cheaper now than 5 years ago, or at least so some people say. Also, depends on the area you’re looking in, I’m primarily interested in eastern LA county, northern Orange County.

So why not, after this housing crash, buy soon, and take advantage of that 8 grand housing credit? One, the housing credit is artificially inflating prices, and I’d prefer not to have the credit and pay proportionately less
in property taxes. Two, the housing crises isn’t over yet.

The at homes risk of foreclosure are still increasing, to 14.4% in Quarter 3 of 2009, vs 13.2% in Quarter 2.

Calculated Risk: MBA: Record 14.4 Percent of Mortgage Loans in Foreclosure or Delinquent in Q3

Also, in California, the foreclosure rate to unemployment rate is still in the “danger Will Robinson” zone.

So despite the slight increase in prices in the past few months, I’m still content to wait and see.

An easy day at the launching ramp.

This is a test post from the android app wp2go

Nobody ever expects a hurricane to show up!

Least of all like that at day break!

Just the other day I was commenting that I wanted Santa Ana winds to blow into town, and get rid of the June Gloom that stuck around for August. Now, we have a chance of thunderstorms today. Not bad I suppose, just so long as it doesn’t tease us. Either become a booming thunder head, or go away, don’t just stick around over our heads mugging up the day.

The Associated Press: Tropical Storm Bill forms in the Atlantic

Watch out world, here I come on a rough and stormy day!