New Police Tool Scans License Plates

The Police have a new ally in their fight against crime. A tool that read license plates quickly and scans the police database to see if there are problems with the registration or other issues. The tool can also be used to scan for specific license plates which can be useful during an Amber Alert situation.

My Man Mitt Endorses Foley for Governor

Mitt Romney endorsed Tom Foley for Governor in Connecticut yesterday. Citing Foley's experience turning around companies that are financially troubled, Romney says that Foley is the candidate most likely to be able to be effective in working with a legislature that is controlled by the other party. Foley is seeking the Republican nomination. The Republican field is crowded right now with Foley and Lt Governor Michael Fedele the current favorites.

Bomb Blasts Rock Moscow

Two suicide bombers detonated 2 bombs today in Moscow at a train station. Chechen separatists have claimed responsibility for the terrorist acts. This is the first time in a while that those seeking the independence of Chechnya have resorted to mass violence. Officials in Russia are on high alert as more attacks are feared.

Freshman Democrats Padding Their Bipartisan "Cred"

Freshman Democrats in the House of Representatives are finding new ways to appear less partisan. About a dozen of these Representatives voted "No" on the vote to adjourn the Congress for Easter recess. This will make them appear to be less tied to their party as it counts in the statistics as a vote not with the house leadership. This last vote included two Freshman Democrats from Connecticut: Jim Himes and Scott Murphy. I guess this falls under "Figures never lie, but Lyres figure."

Reid Votes "No" on Healthcare...Again

Senator Harry Reid (the Senate Majority Leader) voted "No" yesterday when the roll was called to pass the Health Care Bill in the Senate. He quickly realized his mistake and corrected his vote to "Yes". This is the second time this has happened. In December, when voting on the original Health Care bill, he also voted "No" and had to change his vote to a "Yes". For a man who is in a tough re-election battle, the perception that you are not as sharp as you used to be is not helpful whether that perception is reality or not.

Whalers Coming Back to Connecticut?

A businessman is trying to bring the Hartford Whalers back to Connecticut. Howard Baldwin has already opened an office in Hartford and is starting by trying to remerchandise the logo and name of the franchise as well as trying to get back together the fan club for the team. I for one would love to see the team back in Hartford. I think the state could support the team as I don't know many hockey fans who currently go into New York City or Boston to watch live hockey, so I don't believe they would be competing with other teams for ticket dollars. The City of Hartford has been trying to revitalize their downtown the past few years and this might be something that puts the icing on the cake.

Is Marijuana Use at Epidemic Levels in College Football?

In an article for CNN/SI, more than one NFL executive said that one third of the players that have first round grades for this year's NFL draft have admitted marijuana use. Some of the players from states with medical marijuana laws didn't even know that the NFL frowned on marijuana use. There are many people who argue that marijuana should be legalized because it is not "addictive". I would argue, why do so many people who generally are law abiding habitually use a substance that is illegal if it is not addictive?

Perspective on the Health Care Bill

In light of the hyperbolic rhetoric coming out right now, I felt it was important to jump in with some perspective about the recently-passed Health Care Reform Act.

1. This act is NOT Pearl Harbor or even 9/11. It is NOT an attack on America. It is America working out its way in the world.
2. This may be a Bad Thing (TM), but we have survived bad laws before. See "slavery", "prohibition", and "complex income taxation." Repeal and reform are only a simple majority in Congress (or the Supreme Court) away.
3. There are good moral arguments to be made for and against government stepping into Health Care Reform. See "denying preexisting conditions" and "rationed care" for either side of the debate. People of good conscience can disagree.
4. We chose this. We = The American People. We elected President Obama and a majority in both houses of Congress who were clear in their intentions here. Believe it or not, this is Democracy in action.

So, let's calm down and ratchet the rhetoric back to Warp Factor 2. If we're unhappy and feel this needs to be ammended/repealed, Mid-term elections are just around the corner. Give to your chosen canidate in time and money.

Back to your regularly-scheduled blog fast. :-)

ACORN is No More

The liberal advocacy (or activist) group ACORN is officially going out of business. It's leadership board announced plans to close all of its offices by April 1st. ACORN was thrust into the spotlight during the election in 2008 as conservatives accused the group of using illegal or immoral tacticts to help Barak Obama become President. They also had a serious scandal when two undercover journalists caught workers in an ACORN office giving advice on how to avoid paying taxes on money made from prostitution.

And There Was Much Rejoicing...in Minnesota

Joe Mauer signed an eight year, $184 Million contract extension today with the Minnesota Twins. Mauer, one of the best players in baseball had one year left on his contract with the Twins. Actually, all of baseball can breath a sigh of relief. If a team like the Twins who just built a new ballpark, couldn't keep their best player and face of the franchise, then all of baseball would suffer as the Yankees, Red Sox, and perhaps Cubs would be the default destination for all great players once they reached free agency. No league can survive if all the talent is only in a couple of franchises.

Who Chose These Seeds?

There seems to be no correlation between the Seeds in the NCAA tournament this year and their status in the polls. Usually, the Coach's poll or one of the other polls is a good indicator of where a team will get seeded in the NCAA tournament. An example would be that a team who is ranked around 21st in polls would end up a 5 or a 6 seed in the NCAA tournament. This of these as "suggested seeds". But this year, the NCAA tournament committee which is charged with choosing who is in the NCAA tournament and what their seed will be seems to have ignored the polls altogether. The first case is Cornell. The Ivy League champions have not been a top 25 team all year, but they have been receiving votes in the polls each week and would have been ranked somewhere between 30 and 35. That would make them an 8 or a 9 seed. Instead, the tournament committee made them a 12 seed. Or on the other side take Notre Dame which hasn't cracked the top 25 all year who ended up a 6 seed. The same as Marquette who anyone who watched the Big East all year would agree was a significantly better team. (But deserved the 6 seed that it received.) Another bad seeding was Gonzaga. They were ranking in the top 25 all year and seemed to have been bumped from a 5 or 6 seed all the way down to a 9 seed because they lost in the Championship game of their conference tournament. Hopefully next year the committee will trust the wisdom of crowd when determining seeds.

Happy Birthday to Baby E

Baby E turns 2 today. We thank the Lord for her.

What Every Teach Has Wanted to Do

Watch till the end. You won't regret it. (The video is only 43 seconds long so watching till the end should not be hard)

Walgreens in Washington to Stop Taking New Medicaid Patients

Walgreens stores in Washington state will soon stop taking new Medicaid patients. Walgreens claims that for 95% of the name brand drugs that are sold to Medicaid patients the company is reimbursed less than their costs for the drug, so they are actually forced to take a loss. Walgreens will continue to service existing Medicaid customers.

Unfortunately, much of the talk about the government "cutting" medical costs has to do with lowering the reimbursement rates for doctors and pharmacies. There is a good chance we will see more companies simply choose not to service customers who use forms of medical coverage that are backed by the government.

Steve Forbes Predicts Republican 2008 Defeat in 2000

Steve Forbes without knowing it, predicted the Republican Presidential candidate's defeat in 2008 all the way back in 2000. When asked if his campaign in 1996 cost Bob Dole the election, Forbes responded that "The problem in 1996 was the same as in 1992. There was no clear message articulated by the campaign." Let's not repeat this again in 2012.

If you can not see the video it is probably a problem with CSPAN's website. They are still in Beta. Click here to see the clip at their site. The entire video of the campaign stop can be seen here at C-SPAN.

Reindeer Have no Internal Clock

Researchers in Britain have discovered that reindeer do not have a "Circadian Clock". This is the internal clock that is in most mammals that tells them when to wake, eat and other normal functions. This explains one reason why reindeer can survive in the arctic where there are long times of either dark or light. It is postulated that other arctic animals may have this same trait.

The Ultimate "Folding" Bike?

Bicycles were once made out of only simple materials - steel and maybe aluminum.  Nowadays, you can find bikes makes of titanium, bamboo, carbon fiber, and more.  Now, Joby - the maker of the popular GorillaPod - had produced a bike made out of a series of the same flexible beads that make up their camera tripods.  I doubt this is a bike you'd want to ride around the city on.  But it surely may be the most flexible folding bike of all time!  

Posted via email from The Bike Nomad

Becks Tears his Achilles Tendon

Soccer star David Beckham tore his Achilles tendon on Sunday while playing in a match for AC Milan. Beckham was on loan from the LA Galaxy of MLS. There was no contact with another player at the time of the tear, so it was just a bad accident. Beckham will not be able to play in this year's World Cup and at 34 years old, there is some question as to whether he will play professionally again.

NCAA March Madness Brackets Announced Tonight

The brackets for the NCAA Division 1 mens basketball tournament will be announced tonight at 6pm. As always, CBS will broadcast the selection show, but you can also see the brackets on their website.

Biking Update - March 13, 2010

This was the big week when I got back out on two wheels! The first ride of 2010 was taken along the Shortline in Stratford, CT. I only managed a little over 8 miles before muscle soreness made it clear it was time to stop, but it was a beautiful ride and even the aches were like an old friend. I have also ridden a bit more on the stationary bike in the attic and am slowly starting to get back into shape. Looking forward to a good riding season for 2010. So far the weight is not responding, but I expect more soon.

But probably no biking this weekend due to heavy rains predicted. We'll have to see if I can sneak in a ride after work some day. Otherwise, I'll be seeing a lot more of the attic.

This One is for Bow Hunter

Here is a Sign at a house that Neal Bortz posted to his blog on Thursday.

Kansas City School District to Close 50% of Schools

Kansas City, Missouri will close 29 of its 61 public schools. The district has seen an enormous drop in enrollment over the years and is looking for a way to cut costs. Many parents are upset that their neighborhood school will be closed, but what do they expect? Enrollment has dropped in the public school system over the last 40 years from 75,000 to 17,500. In this economy, cities and towns are looking for anyway they can to cut costs and be more efficient. This seems like a necessary cut.

This Made Me Chuckle

Video from Sanctus Real for Forgiven

Here is the new video from Sanctus Real for their new song Forgiven.
Sanctus Real is perhaps my favorite band.

Catholic School Chooses not to ReEnroll PreSchooler Because of Gay Parents.

A Catholic school in Colorado has chosen not to re-enroll a preschool student because the child's parents are lesbians. Here is the crux of the argument by the Dioces "To allow children in these circumstances to continue in our school would be a cause of confusion for the student in that what they are being taught in school conflicts with what they experience in the home." Most opponents of this move argue that the church serves many parents who are doing other things that go against the teaching of the Catholic Church, so why single out this child. (ie. being divorced, using birth control, supporting abortion, etc...) I think the church should make it clear that they would teach the child that what his/her parents are doing is wrong. If the parents are OK with their child hearing that, potentially on a daily basis, then the church should reconsider. The Catholic Church does not hide its condemnation of homosexuality in all forms, so this should not be a surprise to the parents in this case.

Every Good Story and Presidency Needs a Theme

Frank Rich has up a good article in the New York Times on why the Obama Administration has failed so far to pass Health Care Reform or any other major legislation. Rich is most definitely an Obama supporter, yet his analysis seems to be objective when disusing Obama. (Not so much when caricaturing the Bush Administration.) He says that President Obama's main problem is that he hasn't been able to show that any of his proposals are part of a larger plan or philosophy. So, for those who are willing to be persuaded by the President, are only being given the reasons for an individual bill, not how that bill along with others will accomplish a bigger goal.

Ahmadinejad a Truther

Well, the "Truthers" now have a major world figure to add to their ranks. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes that the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center were a fabrication. He did not elaborate, but said "The September 11 incident was a big fabrication as a pretext for the campaign against terrorism and a prelude for staging an invasion against Afghanistan." So congratulations Truthers, you now have a major crazy man as an ally in your fight for "truth".

Biking Update - March 6, 2010

I finally got back on the stationary bike this week, and my weight has responded accordingly. I was reliably below 210 lbs all week, even though I did not exercise every night. And I am looking forward to getting out on the roads shortly! The weather is warming up, and it is about time to get back on 2 wheels.

Apple iPad Official Street Date April 3rd

Apple announced today that the iPad will be shipping on April 3rd. PreOrders will start on March 12th. No word yet on whether this is just for the WiFi version or if it is also for the 3G version.

Shorter Days

It is said that as you get older, time seems to go faster. Well, now you have an excuse. The recent Chilean quake shortened the earth's rotation (day) by 1.26 microseconds. The 2004 Sumatran quake shortened it by 6.8 microseconds.

SNL Presidents for Financial Reform

Funny or Die's Presidential Reunion from Will Ferrell

CT Republicans Hold Debate for Senate Candidates

Last night the 3 main Republican candidates for the US Senate in Connecticut debated at the University of Hartford. The candidates are: Former Congressman Rob Simmons, Former WWE CEO Linda McMahon and Brokerage firm owner/Financial Analyst Peter Schiff. Although none of them stood out, I thought each of them seemed like reasonable and qualified candidates. As would be expected, Schiff had his best moments when discussing the economy and Simmons, who is a Vietnam veteran and former CIA operative, had his best moments when discussing foreign policy. I thought McMahons best line was "I'm not running for office because I need a job." This is one area that she can differentiate herself from Simmons and potential Democratic opponent Richard Bluementhal who both have worked in government for most of the past 20 years.

Taking a Break

I'll be taking a short break from blogging between now and Easter. There is just too much going on in my life, and somethings has got to give. Other Mod-Bloggers may be posting, and I may post something here and there. But overall, you'll probably see less action here on Mod-Blog for the next month or so.

If you're desperate for a Nomad fix, be watching for me on the Twitter feed instead.

Is TV/Radio the Right Stepping Stone for Political Office?

This year could be a good gauge on whether being a radio or TV personality is a smart move before running for office. John Kasich who is a former Republican Congressmen and then a Fox News Channel Host is running for Governor in Ohio. Kasich, who also had an unsuccessful Presidential run on his resume is seen as a strong candidate with a good chance of winning in November.

In Arizona, former Republican Congressmen and former Radio host JD Hayworth is challenging John McCain in the Republican primary for the Senate. Although Hayworth trails in most polls, he is a serious challenger who McCain has been forced to use resources on to combat.

To find someone who was successful in their rise from Radio host the Senate, we don't have to look very far. Al Franken won a Senate seat on 2008 with no prior political experience, having been a political talk show host for under 10 years before being elected. It will be interesting to see if that was a fluke or if it starts a trend. If a trend is set, does this mean that Mike Huckabee or Sarah Palin would have an advantage in 2012?

This one's for Shadowmom

From TheDogHouseDiaries.com.