Posted on May 17, 2008 at 1:42 p.m.

Well back when I had a job I used to bike 100 miles a week to work, until I was hit with a truck. Then they packed the entire office off to India where the paid the workers 1/10 of what they were paying us, less than that when you include the bennys they didn't have to provide the workers in India. Anyway now my commute is from the coffeepot in the kitchen to the computer in my bedroom, not much chance to use a bike there. I still use the bike to go to the grocery store.

On Friday May 16 is National Bike to Work Day shut up and do it

Posted on May 3, 2008 at 12:20 a.m.

I couldn't make it to the debate, but did anybody ask the question of what as yet unobserved phenomina has been predicted by ID "science", and under what circumstances this previously missed data might be observed? This has been the point about ID that has always bothered me, as far as I have been able to determine ID says "G-d made everything, all at once, in the recent past" and then has nothing more to say. If I'm wrong, I would be delighted to know what ID has to say about what happens after the sudden creation, and also how to explain the fossil record, most especially all the species that are extinct now and have nothing remotely like them in the modern world.

Opus

On Expelled forum provides intellectual discourse on controversial film

Posted on April 26, 2008 at 12:18 a.m.

Before I was a bicycle builder, I studied science and the scientific method. One of the bedrocks of the scientific method is a true hypothesis will not only explain observed phenomina but will predict phenomina that has yet to be observed. Evolution predicted that as conditions changed rapidly reproducing creatures would be observed to evolve to change with their changing environment, and that was found to be true. That's how we got antibiotic resistant diseases, among other things, like different breeds of dogs. ID predicts nothing, because it isn't science, it's religion gussied up in pseudo-scientific babble.

On Movie review: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Posted on April 25, 2008 at 11:52 p.m.

And i forgot to mention that ticket revenue doesn't go to the cities any more since the state passed anti-speedtrap legislation several years ago (over a decade). Now most ticket revenue goes to the state, after a convoluted formula determines how much the city had to spend to enforce that law. Writing tickets is supposed to be revenue neutral for cities, but in truth tickets are a drain on resources, and most cops won't even bother except for really egregious offenses. If you want to know who to blame for that, just look to Sen. John Corynn, who also legislated red-light camera fees away from cities.

Opus

On Reducing Dallas jail's "debtor prison" function would save money, reduce overcrowding

Posted on April 25, 2008 at 11:42 p.m.

From the DMN article the city is spending just shy of $50 per day (or any part of the day) per prisoner, and getting $0 revenue per prisoner, with an average of 250 prisoners per day. By my calculations that's $4.5 million down the tubes every year. By having 3X as many judges and courts (3 shifts per day) subtracting salaries and utilities from that shows they plan on spending $3.5 million to save $1 million...

Now as for whether or not that's a good idea, I'm what is legally referred to as a vulnerable road user. I was hit with a truck (yeah, the guy was using the truck as a weapon) a little over 6 years ago and still feeling the effects, many of which are the result of the wreck being hit-and-run and not having access to rehab above the absolute minimum required to get me walking with a cane. I'm sure there was something the driver was doing prior to deciding to hit me with his truck that would have been against the law, and had he gotten a ticket maybe I would have 2 good legs, instead of one good and one along for the ride.

Opus

On Reducing Dallas jail's "debtor prison" function would save money, reduce overcrowding

Posted on April 18, 2008 at 2:30 p.m.

ID is Not Science. If ID was science then there would be things that could be predicted from ID that haven't been observed yet, but ID predicts nothing, it's just creationism wrapped in a pseudo-scientific wrapper. Evolution actually has nothing to say about how life began, because since life is all around us now it is impossible to create an experiment uncontaminated by previous life chemicals to demonstrate how amino acids became self-replicating structures. How life began is a philosophical exercise, not something that science can explain with our current level of knowledge. ID supporters jump all over this as a "flaw" in evolution, but it's not a flaw, it's just what happens when you can't generate experimental data to support or dispel a hypothesis.

And may you be touched by His Noodeley Appendage ;)

Opus

On Gala World Premiere: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Posted on April 12, 2008 at 12:48 a.m.

I used to be a pilot, many years ago (during Bush 41) and many FAA rules and regs can be contradictory, to say the least. I have no doubts that the lawyers and engineers at AA thought they had decyphered the AD and were in compliance with it until the inspectors came, with a totally different interpretation of the same document.

As an example is the rule that allows Ultralights to exist; Pt. 103. Basically there are 3 parts to this rule, empty weight can be no more than 253 pounds, fuel can be no more than 5 gallons, and top speed can be no more than 55 knots, with minimum flying speed no more than 23 knots. Ironclad rules, each and every one, right? Well no, there's a weight allowance for floatplanes and flying boats, and extra for amphibians, and since electric planes weigh the same when their batteries are discharged and fully charged they are limited to the weight of 5 gallons of fuel for their batteries, unless the all-up weight is less then 253 pounds with the batteries, in which case the batteries can weigh whatever. And the exceptions to the top and minimum speeds are just as confusing as the weight exceptions. The only rule I have seen in Pt. 103 that hasn't been given an exception has been the 5 gallon limit on fuel for ultralights that are not electric powered, which has resulted in some rather short flight times for the jet and small turboprop powered ultralights, including one bird that made every landing unpowered because it would burn 5 gallons in about 15 minutes, including taxiing from the ramp to the end of the runway. He finally started pushing the bird to the end of the runway by hand and starting the engine there so only the last little bit of the landing was made without power. He would actually run out of jet fuel just flying once around the airport like a normal plane. Where that bird shone was when he used that turboprop to climb as high as he could until the fuel ran out and then he was high enough to glide for as long as an hour on the thermal lift. To make the speed limit on my bird I had to tinker with the propellor until I got it to fly 55 knots wide open in level flight, but it would also climb quite briskly at 54 knots...

So, in conclusion trying to follow the FAA's rules, unless they come out with a supplemental rule that explains the first rule, can be an exercise in futility.

Opus

On American Airlines' Gerard Arpey apologizes for cancellations, explains FAA nitty-gritty at press tele-conference

Posted on April 7, 2008 at 4:49 p.m.

All I have to say is I haven't been able to fly since my hip was put back together with 3.3 Lbs of stainless steel, raising a complaint about it got me on the "no fly" list so that even now that the hardware is sitting on my dresser instead of inside my leg I can't clear security.

On North Richland Hills nipple-ring wearer gets award

Posted on March 23, 2008 at 6:38 p.m.

Sovereign Immunity is a load of bovine byproduct. The twisted thinking of GW aside, we are a democratic republic, not a monarchy. In the US the people are sovereign, not the government that represents them.

On City of Keller's legal fees more than double that of Keller ISD

Posted on March 17, 2008 at 6:10 p.m.

The whole thing is just F-ed up. To quote Father Guido Sarduci "You no play-a the game you no make-a da rules" Of course he was talking about the Vatican deciding on contraception for Catholics, but the same principle applies...

On Teetotaling Colleyville surgeon appointed to alcohol commission