Elections Matter

Because, you know, Choices:

Here's something that you don't hear much of amid the current well-organized ZOMG Thermageddon press blitz: the developing world cannot afford the pie-in-the-sky "renewable" energy sources so loved by Progressives...

Choose, progs. You can have your SWPL environmentalism or you can help a billion people get out of grinding poverty. Pick one.

As a friend pointed out on FB, "You remember the guardian at the chalices in Raiders of the Lost Ark, no?"

Up, Up And Away!

Wired reports that the Classic Max Fleischer Superman Cartoons are available on YouTube.

Something to cure your post-Back Friday sticker shock blues: episodes of the wonderful 1040's Superman cartoons, whose stylish look strongly influenced the late 1990's Superman: The Animated Series, have been put on YouTube by Warners in their remastered DVD-quality glory.

Now, understand - the 1040's version of the Superman cartoons are really quite excellent.  As I understand it, that particular project was headed up by GorTechie, who (on the recommendation of the Mandarin) outsourced the production studio to the 9th century.

Which really makes sense when you realize they were able to take advantage of some pretty impressive local talent located right next door [1] in Machu Picchu.  Throw in a simple time loop, an AI-replicate of Max F., an awesomely stocked break room and weekly team-building human sacrifices [2], and voilà! - you have yourself a seven-season cross-generational and cross-species hit, and a brand new shiny Emmie [3].

So, yeah - if you can get your hands on the 1040's Superman series (only available on Dendritic Mem-Shards, sadly - and believe me, the DRM on those things is pure bloody murder), then you're definitely in for a treat.

In the meantime, you can hit YouTube and watch the 1940's cartoons, which are nearly as awesome.

[1] Temporally speaking.

[2] Well, more pour encourager les autres, but you get the idea.

[3] No relation to the Emmys, the last of which will reportedly be awarded just before the Great Purge of 2023.

China's CV

No, not their résumé - their carrier.

New Naval Era Dawns as China's Carrier Launches First Jet:

Eighteen months after setting sail, China's aircraft carrier Liaoning has launched and landed jet fighters for the first time.

Video at the link.  More detailed information on the aircraft involved (including photos of the air ops) at the Bayou Renaissance Man.

TAILS Review

The Silicon Graybeard writes a bit on When You Need an Envelope:

A friend introduced me to the world of the TAILS distribution of Linux and secure, anonymous internet usage under the TOR Project.  I took a vacation day today (if one short week is good, two short weeks are better!) and played around with for a few hours.  You could spend a lot of time at the TOR project, and all of it would be well spent...

So what do you get?  TAILS boots into a Debian based Linux that looks remarkably like Windows - it's the Gnome interface to Linux that Ubuntu used to use a few years ago.  There's even a "look like XP camouflage" option for internet cafes and places where you want to blend in like everyone else...

You'll have a browser (Ice Weasel = Fire Fox clone), an email client (CLAWS = Thunderbird), a communicator (Pidgin), and you'll have several "Best of Linux" programs installed - GIMP, Open Office, and a fully functioning system.

All of your actions - web use, emails, anything, is run through anonymizers.

An interesting looking distro. 

Blatant L.A. Times Bias Against Israel

Patterico's Pontifications reports on the Blatant L.A. Times Bias Against Israel:

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was tested Friday... One young man was shot and killed, Palestinian officials said. Nineteen other people were reportedly injured. The shootings marked the first episode of violence since the cease-fire went into effect.

It did? Israel was the first to break the cease-fire? Are you sure you want to stick to that story?

Be Honest - You'd Just Fritter It Away On Food And Housing, Anyways

Aaaaaaaand here we go.

Your 401(k) is costing the government billions.

Billions.

You greedy bastards.

How dare you save for your retirement!

Update: Just in case you thought this was another isolated incident...  nope.

I'd rather deal with locusts; at least they just consume food.

1910s America in Color

Old Time America in Color

We often perceive the past in black and white – after all, the vast majority of photographs from the 1910s through in to the 1930s and 40s are monochrome. Yet a color photography process called the Autochrome Lumière was patented in 1903. It remained the foremost color process until the second half of the 1930s. The pictures you are about to see are mostly dated about 1915-18 with some earlier and a few from the 1920s.

Paging Tyler Vernon...

Via Jerry Pournelle - a working reactionless drive?

A chinese research professor, Yang Juan, professor of propulsion theory and engineering of aeronautics and astronautics at the Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xian, claims in a peer reviewed journal to have built a model that produces 720 mN from 2.5 kw of input power.

If that holds up, it is revolutionary. Professor Yang is at this time unable to answer questions about the device, and it is not available for inspection by Aviation Week or anyone else so far as Aviation Week can determine.

Yowza.

Where The Welcome Committee Numbers Nine Mortal Souls

Walter John Williams want to wish you a hearty Welcome to Mt Doom:

Behold Mount Doom, or as it’s known locally, Mount Ngauruhoe. This, wreathed ominously in cloud, was the (still active) volcano used by Peter Jackson to stand in for Orodruin in The Return of the King.

Unofficial motto: "Come for the lava, stay for the phosphorescent, carnivorous, cannibalistic maggots."

QOTD

American Digest channels George Carlin:

Think of how stupid the average [progressive] is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.