RIP Tom Clancy

Sadly one of my favorite writers Tom Clancy died today at the age of 66. He was most known for the creation of the Jack Ryan character that was the star of a bunch of his books from the mid-80s to today with five movies created based on the character. I have been reading his books since I was in Jr High with some of my favorite books being Red Storm Rising, The Sum of All Fears and Executive Orders. I have long looked forward to each new novel, reading through them in just days. I recommend reading any you can get hold of with a special focus on the Jack Ryan series. While his post 2001 politics often mucked up the books, they were still entertaining reads. His last Jack Ryan novel, Command Authority, will be out at the end of the year. While my mini write-up is frankly crap, I do recommend reading AV Club's look back at this fantastic writer an enduring character that will soon be as well know as Jason Bourne and James Bond. Thanks you John Clancy for the great childhood reads that carried on into adult. Your creativity will be missed.

Republicans Successfully Shut Down US Government

After threatening it for every law, every month, for years, the GOP has finally successfully shutdown the US government. The last time they did this was 17 years under the leadership of Newt Gingrich. This time they are doing it under the pseudo-leadership of Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz. The cause, of course, is Obamacare. Basically this is a hail mary pass to try and end the law that Republicans have been running against for the last four years while offering absolutely nothing as an alternative. Literally. It has been asked on their solutions, their answer on how they would improve health insurance is to improve health insurance. I wish I was exaggerating. That answer isn't a plan. It isn't even a good sound byte. So due to their lack of a concrete plan they have failed to get the support they needed to repeal Obamacare. Now they are hoping to use a shutdown to get the same result. Its kind of the political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum.

Now to be fair, for once the GOP isn't marching into lockstep over a cliff. It turns out that the "suicide caucus" of 80 House Republicans, representing only 18% of the US population, are leading this charge. Sadly this isn't a situation the framers of the Constitution were prepared for. Who would think that the minority party would devolve into a bunch of children? Can you imagine the outrage the GOP and their followers would have had if the Democrats had even suggested such actions under George Bush? Yet because their team is doing it, suddenly its ok. The Daily Show kind of summarizes my disgust and view on this whole thing.


Sadly those making these decisions are mostly removed from the consequences of it. After all, the average income of Ted Cruz and his ilk is measured in millions. Just a quick reminder, all members of Congress are part of the 1%. The government shutdown impacts the other 99%. For them its no biggie if millions of Americans are suddenly not getting paid, if basic functions that serve people, kids, families and businesses are not getting done. As long as they get what they want, screw the rest of us. Republicans believe in survival of the richest, I just wish the rest of America would wake up (and be less stupid) and realize this belief isn't how you lead a country. I wish they would then vote accordingly and wipe the actual danger that is the GOP out of public office, or at the very least get rid of the 20% far right crazy that is currently driving the series of bad decisions that is harming all of us.

The Story of Metroid

Kotoku has posted a two part article that any Metroid fan will enjoy reading. For those that are not familiar, Metroid is the name of the video game franchise from Nintendo that follows the adventures of Samun Aran who was basically the first major female hero in video games. In the last 25 or so years, only about 8 games have been released for the franchise that have expanded on the universe. As is often the case with Nintendo franchises, there is a continuity to it even if playing the games may not make that entirely clear (like the Zelda series). This confusion gets worse as so much time passes between games that its hard to create the mental continuity of that universe. At the links below is now the unofficial chronological story of the Metroid universe based on the games that finally provides coherence. Even if its not technically official, the details are rich enough to be able to map the entire series events. It sounds dry but its not as it reads like a short story with lots a fantastic fan art on each "page".
Part 1 | Part 2

New iPhones 5c and 5s Announced

Tuesday Apple announced the next iteration of their iPhone line of devices. Only the iPhones and iOS 7 were discussed so its assumed the next iteration of the iPad line will likely be introduced next month in time for Christmas shopping season. Below are the details on the two models but the gist is the iPhone 5 has been discontinued. Instead you can get the iPhone 5c which really is the iPhone 5 put in a strong plastic shell with 5 different color options. After that you have the iPhone 5s that has next generation A7 chip, has a fingerprint scanner, other hardware improvements and constructed as the old iPhone 5 was but now has two additional styles of gold and white. If you are interested in watching the full presentation, you can find it here.

Everything Wrong with The Riddick Movies

In time for Riddick, hitting theaters today, Cinema Sins has posted their "Everything Wrong With" take on the previous two movies - Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick. As usually the observations are amusing and spot on but in this case I don't mind the multitude of mistakes as enjoyed both films.

Iron Man 3 Honest Trailer

I was considering ranting about Syria, but honestly with how politics work (aka governed by corporate dollars), its inevitable. A dance will be done but the US will bomb and invade at some point because the military industrial complex will want the extra few billion in revenue for doing it. So instead of focusing on that noise, lets just enjoy ourselves with some humor. In this case with the latest Honest Trailer from Screen Junkies that makes fun of Iron Man 3. In addition, the voice in the "Honest Trailers" series narrates what random people are doing in movie trailer speak.

San Diego Comic Con 2013 Panel Links

About two weeks ago, the movie, TV and comic book world converged at San Diego Comic-Con 2013. Held from July 18-21, 2013, the con has essentially been taken over by Hollywood to promote upcoming movies, reveal a few tidbits of news (mostly movie titles), and talk about the next season of TV shows. The comics and toys still get their time but usually not nearly the same volume of press attention. Any case this year was chock full of panels. In the past I tried to link to all of them but frankly the effort vs read count is way to low to put that kind of effort in so instead I am linking to a bunch of YouTube channels I used to watch many of the panels that interested me. Check them out, might find some great stuff like Joss Whedon's panel, Marvel movie panel and bunch more.

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Lego Steampunk Castle and World Trade Center

Here are two creations made from Legos that almost seem like works of art. The first is called "Steam Castle Falls" that was shown off at an expo in Rosheim, France. Created by Arnaud Besson, Olivier Curto, and Jimmy Fortel, the wonderful creation is made up of over 20,000 Legos and took over four months to build. The result is a diorama that is just full of medieval details and design. Click here for pictures or more at the links for each buidler's flickr accounts.

The other awesome piece is a re-creation of One World Trade Center complete with light effects. Design by Lego Discovery Center in Westchester County, New York, the piece is 12 foot tall, 110 pounds and comprised of 4,873 bricks. More images of it can be found here.

Supreme Court Upholds Gay Marriage

Today the Supreme Court of the United States did something surprising. In a 5-4 decision, they ruled that the 1996's The Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional. The law prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages even when legalized in states. While most anti-gay focus on the "married" part, the law has repercussions that extend into taxes, death benefits, health care coverage and host of other legal issues that other marriages simply did not have to worry about. In essence the ruling is saying the federal government is not allowed to discriminate based on sexual preference. The case regarding gay marriage is ultimately about a founding and constant principle of this country - equality for all.

The ruling occurred because of an unexpected jumping of sides from Justice Anthony Kennedy, who while Republican, tends to go back and forth across the political dividing line, wrote the majority decision. In other words he behaves like a Justice should and makes me wish the other 8 were just as unpredictable as he tends to be.

XBox 180's On DRM

In a blog post Microsoft has reversed course on their universally disliked DRM policy and declared that how things work now on the XBox 360 will carry over to the XBox One. Before the reversal, the policy was that publishers would have absolute control on your ability to loan out games, sell games or buy them used. Even if the publishers allowed you to sell them, they would also have final say on what retailers you could sell too. In other words the days of trading games with friends, giving them away or just making a few quick bucks when done with them would be over. Now some fans would say that it would not be that bad but the reality is if publishers could do it, they would make the used game market illegal. They have zero interest in encouraging it and would have used Microsoft's technical solutions to try and prevent it. On top of that they had a 24 hour check in to homebase to verify your copy of the game was legit. If could not check in, then your system became an attractive piece of furniture until it could.

The result of this decision resulted in a pretty consistent buttwhupping by the gaming press and fans with many wondering if MS knew what they were even doing anymore. This was followed by a so-so E3 Press Conference that showed off the XBox's traditional bread and butter of shoot em ups and sports game that pretty much everyone ignored in light of their DRM policy. The final nail in the coffin is when Sony used their own press conference to use that DRM policy against them while also beating them on price. The resulting consensus is if going to buy a next gen system, skip the XBox One.

Nintendo E3 2013 Press Conference

Tuesday was Nintendo's turn to show off their slate of planned releases for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. To no surprise Nintendo has thrown in the towel on 2013 and conceded the year to the new consoles 6 months before they come out. Instead their focus seems to be on 2014 where they do seem to have a solid slate of new games but most will not be out until late summer or Holidays 2014.

The only big game for 2013 for the Wii U isn't even vaguely original but a remake of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. A fine game but its intentional cartoon design means that graphically the only real change will be smoother animation and widescreen but not a real dramatic improvement that makes it worthwhile to buy the system or buy the game all over again for $60. However, 2014's slate includes some pretty good looking games starring a slate of Nintendo classics. Games include Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Super Smash Bros (which does something useful with classic MegaMan since Capcom is unable), and Bayonetta 2.
The Wii U eShop will also get a bunch of smaller games exclusive to them that have a lot of varied game play. A trailer for those games is here.

E3 2013 Microsoft, Sony Press Conferences

Monday was the first day of E3 and it was a doozy. Microsoft's XBox One was attempting a bit of a comback as the last month of public relations has been very poor thanks to a decision to give control of support to used games and lending games to publishers. The same group that historically have long wanted to ban the selling of used games. This choice was further compounded by Microsoft's decision to assume their customers are thieves unless they prove otherwise by having the XB1 check in every 24 hours. Meanwhile, regarding the Playstation 4, Sony offered no comment on their used game policy or potential to phone home simply saying that they would reveal the system, price and details like that at their E3 press conference. To start lets summarize the information from the two main press conferences from Sony and Microsoft the videos of which are below.

Microsoft

Apple's WWDC 2013 Introduces iOS 7

Today Apple held their WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) that is used to introduce their next six months of products to the world. The keynote address showed off their updated late of laptops, new Mac Pro desktop, OS X Maverick update and iOS 7 for iPhone and iPads. The biggest news is for iOS 7 which is a radical change (for Apple) in how iOS 7 looks and feels. The over all result clearly takes design cues from Android and Windows 8 but with few flourishes from Apple. The announcements did not provide updates to iPad, iPhone, or iPod line of products as that will likely come in October when iOS 7 is expected to be ready for release. Lets get into some of the details.

iOS 7

The Government Is Really Spying On You

After 2001, at the behest of the President George Bush, Congress passed a bunch of laws that were designed to find terrorists by any means necessary including spying on phone calls, email and internet activity, often with little or no oversight. While vocally Congress talked about how these immense powers would never be abused, it would never be used to spy on Americans and other noises of "trust me!". Of course since them we have learned that Americans have been spied on from the very beginning and that FBI and other agencies would use their powers not so much to stop terrorists but as fishing exhibitions against whoever they were targeting for whatever reason. Long story short, people were given power and they abused it. The old adage about power made real. Yet despite know people will abuse the power they are giving, we still act amazed when we discover it is happening.

Everything Wrong With Superman Returns

Next week finally brings a new Superman film to theaters with The Man of Steel. So CinemaSins decided to release Everything Wrong With Superman Returns in 6 Minutes or Less. The film, released back in 2006, was a bit of a critical debacle. Which is actually a shame because Brandon Routh actually did a good job in the role of Superman/Clark Kent as did most of the cast (except Kate Bosworth who excelled at looking good but not making a good Lois Lane). Sadly the problem was the story and the inconsistent rules of the story when it came to Kryptonite. The choice to essentially retell the first Superman movie while lathering on the homage in boring ways was just to much for the actors to overcome. A little homage is great but when go so far as to lift the entire story and retell it again, it can be a bit much. Also, no kids. Really, thats just plain dumb.

Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters Trailer #2

Below is the latest trailer for Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters which is a sequel to Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. The books are a fun read and I like the first film (does hurt that Alexandra Daddario is gorgeous) so I plan on checking it out.

How Iron Man 3 Should Have Ended

An amusing take on some of the story ideas from Iron Man 3. I especially like the idea of the super powered Pepper Potts replacing Stark on The Avengers.

Lifesize Lego Star Wars X-Wing

To promote the Cartoon Network's The Yoda Chronicles, LEGO has built its largest model ever with their life-sized Star Wars X-Wing made almost entirely from Lego. The stats on this model are very impressive. It contains 5,335,200 Legos, weighs 45,980 pounds, its dimensions are 11"H x 44"W x 43"L, and took 17,366 hours (4 months) to build. It is a replica of the X-Wing set #9493 but at 42x larger then it. It includes a scaled up version of the mini-fig Luke and R2-D2 made out of more Lego bricks. The model is designed so it can be broken down for transportation. It premiered today in New York's Time Square and will spend the rest of the year at Legoland California Resort. A hand-on tour of build can be found at Brothers-Brick and a look at the Time Square event and video of the build is at Gizmodo.

Xbox One Announced

Today Microsoft officially revealed the Xbox One, the next generation console that will compete directly with the Playstation 4. Much like the PS4 announcement, Microsoft focused almost entirely on the entertainment and TV aspect of the system with only a slight mention of games. This decision by both companies makes a lot of sense really since E3 is just weeks away and will be entirely focused on video games. Unlike the PS4 announcement, Microsoft showed off more then a controller, they showed off the system itself (image left). No price point was provided with a release date expected around Christmas 2013.

Specs:
- 8-core Jaguar x86-64bit AMD CPU, DirectX 11.1 graphics
- 8GB DDR3 RAM (think old was 512MB)
- 500GB HDD (old started at 4GB and went up), not swappable but external storage supported
- Blu-ray drive (old system was HD-DVD)
- 3.0 USB, 3 802.11N antennas
- HDMI 1.4 passthrough (so HDMI in from cable box, out to TV)
- 1080p and 4k video, 7.1 surround sound

The Wolverine Trailer #2

A new trailer for The Wolverine, coming out on July 26th. If the lovely woman in the beginning looks familiar, that is Famke Janssen as Jean Gray, the character that died in X-Men 3 and Logan loved. As for the movie itself, I have to admit, can't say I am excited about it. It looks like it might be good but for me the block comes from the comics. I never liked the "Samurai" Wolverine stories that took place in Japan. They all were variations of the same "I must restore my honor!" while killing a bajillion ninjas. Still such a story on paper gets boring over and over but done will on the big screen can be an enjoyable action film. I will likely be there opening weekend regardless of my reservations.

Pacific Rim Theatrical Trailer

This is probably one of the films I am most looking forward to this summer. The scale and scope just makes it seem like it will be a really fun film. Because of the scope, I am giving serious consideration to seeing it in IMAX as might be one of the few films worthy of that extra large size.

Man of Steel Trailer #3

Below is the latest Man of Steel trailer. I am a comic book nerd but have to admit I can't get excited about this film. Part of it is little confidence in Warner Bros to get it right (to many executive cooks in the kitchen interfering) and part of it has to do with the trailer itself which just makes the film seem depressing and boring. This isn't to say I will not see the film, its just not achieving that level of excitement where I am ready to pre-order tickets for a 12:01a showing. Instead I will simply watch it whenever I get around to it.

Linkfest - RIP Roger Ebert

It has been a while since the last linkfest. Sadly this one starts with the dead of a legend, goes to a great Lego creations, then comments about Veronica Mars movie, Google Reader closure, and finally a fan made trailer for Calvin and Hobbes.

R.I.P. Roger Ebert (6/18/1942-4/4/2013)
Today the entertainment industry lost a legend in the form of long time movie critic Roger Ebert. The 45 year veteran of the Chicago Sun-Times didn't have an opinion he wasn't willing to share (about all forms of entertainment), died today from cancer. To say Ebert loved the movies would be an understatement. Probably not words in the dictionary that can describe that love. Even when he hated the movie, I suspect he loved that it existed and added a little bit to the collected culture even if seen by few. Ebert, the other half of Siskel &, rose to fame starting with his review television show in 1975 that eventually morphed into "At the Movies" with its famous thumbs up or thumbs down reviews. Even after losing his lower jaw in 2006 to cancer, the critic continued to share his opinions about all forms of entertainment. Well except video games which he didn't consider art to the consternation of video games fans worldwide. That his opinion on the subject matter shows that even the current generation of kids knew who he was and cared what he thought. There really doesn't exist a critic today of his caliber and fame and in this age of dispersed entertainment, I doubt there will be one again. While Ebert probably didn't influence many of our entertainment choices, I suspect his influence on Hollywood was quite large. So by relation, the impact of Ebert on our day to day entertainment choices will likely never be known. Condolences to his family, I suspect he will be watching from on high, watching ever movie that comes out from now until the end of time.

The First Honest Cable Commercial

For your amusement. Note: Not safe for work.

Playstation 4 Announced

Sony has announced their next generation console and if it lives up to the promise of its presentation, then console future is looking pretty good. And that is before Microsoft announces their next gen (rumor is anywhere from this year's E3 to next year). The press conference was about two hours long and ironically did not show the actual final product, provide a price or a release date other then Holidays 2013 (so likely early November 2013). Instead it was about its potential features and possible launch games but still a hell of a start.

Specs:
- custom 8 core x86-64 AMD Jaguar CPU with 1.84 TFLOPS AMD Radeon graphics engine (current gen is at 1.76 TFLOPS)
- 8GB GDDR5 RAM (for comparison the PS3 has 512mb so a 16x increase in RAM)
- Build-in hard drive (sizes not announces)
- 6x Blu-ray/8x DVD drive
- USB 3.0 ports (number not specificed)
- Ethernet, b/g/n Wi-fi and Bluetooth 2.1 (essentially same as PS3)
- HDMI, analog AV-out, and optical S/PDIF audio output (so essentially same as PS3)
- DualShock 4 controller with touchpad, gyroscope, accelerometer, vibration, lightbar with 3 LED lights, mono speaker, micro USB port, headset port, battery
- Playstation 4 Eye with two 1280x800 camera, 85 degree field of view

Linkfest - Goodbye Arcades and the PS2

For once a linkfest without politics. Mostly because just don't feel like talking about it since the year has opened with more of the same. If had hope that Senator Reid would grow a pair and alter the filibuster rules to return to the more transparent "Mr. Smith" style that Republicans eliminated in 1971 (I think) then might be more involved but I suspect this year will end up looking like last year. In any event, below is a look at the Superman S-shield, goodbye to the PS2, death of the arcade, data caps sucking, behind the scenes of the Avengers and Red 2 trailer.

120 Superman S-Shields from 75 Years
An interesting infographic that shows off the Superman shield from every year including the variations that would pop up from year to year and in movies and cartoons. Of note is while the shield mostly remained static for 60+ years, the last 10 years brought about the most constant change in design which makes since only because DC is constantly engaging in gimmicks to maintain their audience. As for the picture to the left, those represent the highlights of the 120.

Linkfest - Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

The year is almost done and fortunately the Mayans were wrong as we are all still here. The problems remain but so does hope for the future. In the last post of the year we look at another cool Lego creation, info on data caps being scam, Wal-Mart hell, great Stephen Colbert interview, Google's year in review, and the Man of Steel.

Lego The Legend of Zelda Map
The image is a Lego re-creation of the map for the classic NES game The Legend of Zelda. From Michael Kuroda, the map re-creation really isn't that large with it being 256 Lego studs wide by 88 studs high.

Data Caps are Cash Cows and Unnecessary
Hit the link to read a little bit about how cable companies and telephone service providers lie when they claim tiered data systems are necessary because of a need for data caps. The reality is the cost to move data gets cheaper every year. Also the cost of the transmission remains the same whether 1 megabyte of data is moved or 1000 megabytes. Long story short, the more you use the internet should not cost you more because it doesn't cost the service providers more. They just pretend it does because its an easy way for them to charge more while providing nothing more thereby increasing their profits. The upper management gets their huge bonuses while having done literally nothing for their customers. Its a scam so next time a company or a politician pretends otherwise, don't believe them.

Newtown: "These tragedies must end."

I am not a parent so I can't grasp what these parents and the community of Newtown, Connecticut are going through. As a human being I am just sad and my heart aches for the pain that has been caused. Twenty-six dead. Twenty of them first graders, children who had not lived long enough to deserve anything but our patience and love. All wiped out because Adam Lanza took several assault weapons from his mom, killed her, and then preceded to walk to Sandy Hook Elementary and began his assault on innocence. We probably will never really know why. I have no words for what happened. I wish I did.

What I do have is anger. This just happens to often and in almost every case it seems to involve weapons of war. Not defense, not even hunting but weapons specifically designed for soldiers at war and thanks to the efforts of the NRA and the Republicans, have someone become classified as needed for home use. Weapons of war do not belong in any home. I know, Fox News and the Republicans will say "Now is not the time." Which is bullshit. They have no problem throwing random darts at the board and blaming movies, TV, video games and anything else they can make up on the fly. We have no idea what interests Lanza had to even hazard a guess on his motivations. If they have time to spew their theories, if many of them can hop on Fox News and decide the solution is to turn teachers into armed guards, then now is most definitely the time to talk about getting these weapons of war out of the hands of civilians and only in the hands of those trained to use them only at times specified by our nation's interest.

Still Here

I am still posting, just have not had anything specific felt like posting on the Eras End blog. Been busy trying to keep up with the Star Trek and The Hobbit news but hopefully start posting again here soon.

Linkfest - America Votes

Hopefully this will be the last political heavy post for a while but who knows for sure. Other then the election there is links to an awesome Lego Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield, Iron Man 3 teaser trailer and cool time lapse of a space shuttle on the streets of LA.

Lego Legend of Zelda Hylian Shield
Hit the link for 7 images of this beautiful and detailed shield built by Remi. Makes you wish that Lego would get the license and release a version of their own. (via Brothers Brick)

Obama Re-Elected
Tuesday Barack Obama was re-elected as President of the United States. He won by a comfortable margin taking 5 out of 6 battleground states (Florida too close to call). He also won the popular vote by a fairly typical margin of around 51% to 49%. Basically it was a repeat of 2008. Despite what the pundits may say, really the DC status quo has been maintained. As a result the gridlock and difficulty in getting anything done will continue. The GOP retained the House and the Democrats still have the Senate by about the same margin so sadly the filibuster will continue to be used to death requiring 60 votes to get anything done.

Remove Ads from Echofon for Firefox (Updated)

Thanks to new limitations that Twitter has forced on third party developers, Echofon had to discontinue their awesome desktop apps including Echofon for Firefox and Echofon for Windows. Twitter is trying to reach point where they are the only source for any tweets and only their apps can be used, which is unfortunate as their apps tend to suck. To me Echofon is one of the best and recommend it for whatever version you can find. If you are lucky enough to find a copy (since they removed it from Mozilla and their own site), below are instructions on how to remove ads from Echofon for Firefox. This might work for the Windows version too but have not tried it. Or to put it another way below is a crack for Echofon without needing an email or license key. If don't already use it, make sure to check out Echofon for iPad, iPhone and soon Android.

1) In a new Firefox tab, type: about:support then hit enter
2) On the screen that comes up, click the button that says "Show Folder".
3) Open the "Extensions" folder

Apple's New October Announcements

Today Apple announced their next slate of product refreshes just in time for Christmas. The iPad mini with 7.9" screen was officially announced. The iPad 3, just announced back in April, has been discontinued and replaced with the iPad 4. The Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro also received updates. Below is summary with links to more details.

iPad Mini The iPad 2 in a smaller shell with different power port and improved front camera - Screen: 7.9", 1024 x 769 pixels
- Size: .68 pounds, 7.78" x 5.3", 7.2mm thick
- Other: dual band Wi-Fi, bluetooth, Lightning port, 10 hour battery life, 1.2MP front camera, 5MP camera, A5X chip
- Price: $329 (16GB), $429 (32GB), $529 (64GB), +$120 for cellular

Linkfest - Batcave, Taxes, Time-Lapse, and The West Wing

This linkfest is politics heavy (election coming up after all) but to start things light there is a look at a cool Batcave. After that the politics kick in with look at why tax cuts without strings do not work, the lies of Romney/Ryan and an essay about failings of both parties. If want to skip the politics, after those links to info on the update Nook HD, a cool time-lapse video, and brief reunion of the West Wing cast. Massive Lego Batcave
Hit the link to view a gallery of a gorgeous Lego version of the Batcave. The huge structure was built by Carlyle Livingston II and Wayne Hussey over the course of six months. It took over 20,000 Lego and weighs more than 100 pounds. It has little touches like built in lighting, motors to the Batmobile turntable, rotating costume and weapon walls, and moving Batplane lift. (via Brothers Brick)

Tax Cuts Without Strings Do Not Work
The Romney/Ryan ticket is proposing a 20% tax cut, mostly for the rich, with little means to pay for it. They claim it will boost the economy. They are wrong. The human condition along is why it will fail, even if ignore the failure that the last six tax cuts had on boosting the economy. This isn't to say a tax cut can't work, but it must be done with conditions or incentives. This is not a new idea, the states do it all the time. They offer tax cuts if corporations move their headquarters, build a factory, create jobs, buy supplies from a company in the states, whatever. That has proven to work.

Linkfest - Romney Gaffes Again

Romney: 47% of Country are Lazy Freeloaders
In a video (link above) authenticated by Mother Jones, Mitt Romney said "...there are 47 percent who are with [Obama], who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. ...my job is not to worry about those people." In short, Romney said anyone who votes for Obama is a lazy freeloading victim. Last I checked, I have not freeloaded, worked full time since I was 16 and fortunately have not been a victim of anything except my own stupidity. The amazing thing is Romney held a rushed press conference where he stood by his comments brushing them off as "not elegantly stated" begging the question of the what elegant version sounds like. Amazing that for a man that can flip flop on any issue depending on what direction the wind is blowing takes stance of refusing to back down no matter what once embarrassed by a mistake. George W Bush behaved that way too often damaging results.

While that was one of the worse, those were not all of the ill-conceived, rich people matter most, comments from the governor. His belief that only the rich don't pay taxes isn't really true, turns out a whole lot of American's across the entire tax bracket spectrum have successfully gamed the system to pay no income tax (emphasis on income as that doesn't include all kinds of other taxes that pretty much everyone pays daily). He going to close their loopholes? Probably not. His disdain for anyone that isn't rich should not be surprising when he admitted in an interview that "middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less." The Census Bureau pegs the real median household income at $50,000. Remember his definition when he says he will cut taxes for the middle class because he really means the rich version of middle class and 99% of us are not in the category.

Nintendo Announces Price, Release Date of Wii U

Yesterday Nintendo held an Apple style press conference where they announced the price, release date and details for their next generation game system the Wii U. The system is basically an evolution of the Wii system first released six years ago. Even though it is "next gen" for Nintendo, graphically it just puts them almost level with the Playstation 3 and XBox 360. Both of which are in their twilight and expected to be replaced in next year or so.

Wii U
- Release Date: November 18th
- Two versions of system, the Basic ($299) and Deluxe ($349)
- GamePad: special controller for system with 6/2" screen, 2 analog thumbsticks, facing camera, gyro sensor
- Basic: White color, one GamePad, 8GB memory, AC adapters, sensor bar, HDMI cable
- Deluxe: Black color, one GamePad, 32GB memory, AC adapters, sensor bar, HDMI cable, console stand, GamePad charging cradle, membership to Deluxe Digital Promotion (digital downloads discount), and Nintendo Land game
- Both systems allow for USB external hard drives, backward compatible with all Wii games and accessories, built in wireless and 1080p output; full specs

Apple Announced iPhone 5, new iPods

As expected, today Apple announced the iPhone 5 with a refresh of the iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle. While the iPad mini was not announced there is enough evidence to indicate that it will probably come in a separate announcement to avoid stealing the iPhone's thunder. The video of the keynote can be found here. Below are the highlights with links to more details.

iPhone 5
- Lightest (3.95 ounces) and thinnest (7.6mm) yet
- 4", 1136 x 640 resolution screen, adds 5th row of icons, sort of a 16:9 ration screen, may have to letterbox (black bars like on TV) for some apps
- adds LTE connectivity worldwide
- iSight: new 8-megapixel camera, improved low light performance, 40% faster photo, Panorama mode, 1080p resolution video but still take photos
- A6 with improved speed, better graphics, better use of battery
- new Lightning dock connector (80% smaller) with reversible design.
- Battery life: Apple gave stats but it looks like it’s about the same
- Colors: Black, White
- Improved Siri, ships with i0S6
- Price: $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB)
- Release date: pre-orders start September 14th, out September 21st
- Comparison to other mobile phones
- Hands-on

Amazon Introduces New Kindle Fire for 2012

Yesterday Amazon announced (video below) an across the board refresh of their Kindle eBook readers. The goal was same experience with faster speeds at competitive prices. From what I saw today it looks like they are meeting that goal. The line breaks down into four main areas - Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire SD, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle. Within each area you have several options on what extras the Kindle will or will not have.

The hardware differences account for the difference in prices and will be broke down below. As far as the operating system, all versions of the Kindle Fire are the same with heavily modified Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Since it is essentially a custom interface created by Amazon, they expanding existing features to better take advance of Amazon Prime and multimedia offering that Amazon has. Whispersync, which was used to sync where you stopped reading across devices, now has been expanded to audio books and games. For audio books it means listen (or read) wherever the audio book last stopped on another device without having to find your place again. For games that means picking up your last save on another Fire device (not seeing this application being nearly as useful as audio one). Another new feature is FreeTime, which provides a kids mode with parental controls. Another expanded feature is X-Ray. It was used to provide wiki like info on selected items in books, now it provides info from IMDB.com for videos and more info for use with textbooks.

RIP Michael Duncan Clarke (1957-2012)

Today Michael Duncan Clarke passed at the age of 54 way before his time. This mountain of a man was never considered A-list by Hollywood standards but that was due to lack of vision, not his lack of ability or skill. He had many memorable roles such John Coffey in The Green Mile, receiving a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination. He was also The Kingpin in Daredevil, Manute in Sin City, Bear in Armageddon, and so many more roles. His distinctive voice brought to life the characters of Kilowog in the Green Lantern series, Commander Vachir in Kung Fu Panda, and Atlas in God of War II.

Honestly I rarely care when a celebrity dies. It’s why most of the RIPs get jammed into one of my link fests. But there are exceptions and Mr. Clarke was one of them. I am truly upset at his passing. Hollywood and film has lost an icon.

I watched the TV series The Finder simply because he was in it. He brought a level of joy to his roles that few actors do. You could tell he loved what he was doing and took pleasure doing it. Something it seems few in Hollywood are capable of. I never read a bad thing about him from his peers. He seemed like a kind soul and it was because of him that I know what the phrase "a kind face" really means. I enjoyed what he brought to every role, and believe every moment he acted in. He was an immense talent and Hollywood will likely never see his like again. He will be missed by his legions of fans. Condolences to his family and friends.

Linkfest - GOP's Legitimate Rape

It has been an interesting week for the GOP. They are coming off of the unexpected press blowup over the term "legitimate rape". A concept the party has quietly supported for decades and often spoken of by the GOP even if not quite such stark terms. Then you have the GOP convention that had the VP candidate get called out for a speech of lies by every news organization including Fox News and a speech from Romney that was remarkable for how unremarkable it was. Other topics include the Samsung vs Apple lawsuit and the end of Nintendo Power.

Legitimate Rape
It is weird how all it takes is a poor phrase to get people to wake up to a truth that has been around for a very long time. GOP's Rep. Todd Akin made the mistake of saying exactly what he thought of the idea of there being exceptions to abortion for rape or incest by saying in an interview "...from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." He later said he "misspoke" for the phrase he used but never apologized for what he meant which is if a woman got pregnant, she wanted the sex and therefore could not have been raped. The idea that pregnancy is proof of no rape has been around for literally centuries. At one time the victim by law would be forced to marry her rapist if she had got pregnant. That thinking is also shared by almost the entirety of the GOP who have made the concept of no exceptions central the the RNC platform for Romney's election and was part of a bill that his VP candidate Paul Ryan write and tried to push through Congress. Below are a few videos that illustrate just how stupid the whole concept is.

Linkfest - Lying Ryan

Been a while since did a linkfest. This edition is about the odd choice of Paul Ryan as GOP VP choice, links to amusing Calvin & Hobbes animated gifs, Lego's 80th Anniversary, Lego Serenity, movies trailers and a disturbing nursery song.

Mitt Romney Picks Paul Ryan as VP
For reasons that confound me, Mitt Romney has picked Paul Ryan as his Vice President. Usually the VP is designed to fill in a voting gap that the candidate can't achieve to help put them over the top be it a state or demographic. Ryan is a far right conservative with a media profile based desperate to make the election more exciting than it is by simply repeating myths about him. Tea Party/Religious right vote is a lock no matter what, after all not like they can explore the alternative of voting for Obama so not sure why make this extra effort to please them. He will do nothing to help Mitt Romney get moderates and undecided. If anything he will send them screaming in the other direction. Paul Ryan deeply believes in the Ayn Rand philosophy that society only functions best when society is geared towards the goal of making rich people richer. This was very well demonstrated with his Budget Plan that would reduce the top 1%'s tax burden to less than 1%. An example being his running mate Romney who under their collective plan would go from paying around 13% to .082%. To pay for a tiny portion of this $4.7+ trillion cost of his plan, he wanted to cut social security by 20% (or privatize it) and turn Medicare into a voucher program. His big claim to fame is a screw you budget proposal that literally takes from the poor and middle-class and gives to the rich. His other conservative thing is supposedly being a deficit hawk. Despite the fact he voted for the Bush tax cuts, two wars, bank bailout and more that added around $7 trillion and counting to the deficit. He supposedly wants less government in your life yet is happy so support laws that would make birth control illegal and, any abortion illegal even in cases of saving mother's life, rape or incest. Not exactly a small government idea. About the only reason I can think he made the choice is money. Ryan will be a money making machine as conservative flood Romney and Super PAC coffers. In general, the more money you spend on an election, the greater your chances are of winning. That is ultimately the Romney plan - simply buy the election.

Calvin and Hobbes Animated Gifs
Hit the link for a selection of gifs that turn certain panels from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip into motion.

NBC Olympics Opening Intro and Closing Ceremony Credit Montages

Update: Updated post for 2014 Sochi Olympics is here.

I love watching the Olympics. I like the drama of it, I like seeing the close races, the victories and more. While I feel for those that lose, what I really love about the Olympics is the pure joy of victory and pride. If you think about it, how much real joy do you see in life each day, month or even year? During the Olympics for two weeks we get to see that expression of pure joy over and over and over again. I am not ashamed to say it brings tears to my eyes, especially when see the athletes' family and friends react with their own moments of joy. It is a wonderful to watch and just makes me look forward to the next Olympics two years later.

In the United States, the Olympics Games television rights are owned by NBC (starting in 1988 for Summer Games, 2002 for Winter Games). Their many hours of coverage always begins with a poetic introduction that shows off the host country and ends with their Olympics Closing Ceremony credit montage that summarizes the games in spectacular fashion. The credits montage is something I look forward to as Olympics fatigue sets in. With the 2012 London Olympic Games coming to a close today, it seemed like a good time to look at NBC Olympic intros and closing montages over the years in reverse order.

NBC Olympic Closing Credit Montages2012 London Summer Olympics Closing Credit Montage
Not online yet.
Music Credits: "Finale" by Randy Edelman from movie "Dragonheart"; "Titan's Spirit" by Trevor Rabin from movie "Remember the Titans"

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Closing Credit Montage
Music Credits: "Finale" by Randy Edelman from movie "Dragonheart"; "Titan's Spirit" by Trevor Rabin from movie "Remember the Titans"

San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) 2012 Panels Links

Below are around 250 links to as little over 100 panels from the 2012 San Diego Comic Con. Even more panels were held but this is all I could from fans and studios that posted them online. The panels cover various television shows, movies, video games, comics, and more. They may include a necessary cut to remove copyrighted footage like trailers, gag reels and other fun stuff that if left in might result in the entire panel video being removed. Did try to post actual panels where comics where the subject but failed to find any.

If see "complete", that means panel wasn't broken up into parts, that is the entire panel, if see "press" that refers to any press conferences that were also held during the con, Nerd HQ refers to a podcast video on the related subject, and if just see an actor name that means a video interview. The panels I recommend most are the Firefly 10th Anniversary, anything Joss Whedon, Fringe, Powerful Women in Pop Culture, TV Guide Fan Favorites and THR Actor Roundtable. Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments along with links to any panels (or better copies) that you might have found.

Linkfest - Grand Finale

This weeks linkfest includes a goodbye to a great children's author, Emmy nomininations, cool Lego builds, launch of 135 shuttles, Oz trailer and a dig at the usual GOP hypocrisy.

R.I.P. Donald Sobol
Donald J. Sobol, the author and creator of the Encyclopedia Brown children's books, died at the age of 87 around July 11th. He wrote more than 80 books with 29 of them Encyclopedia Brown books from 1963 with the final book called "Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme" coming out in October. I remember reading his books as a child, always trying to find a new one that I had not read before at the library. His books are the reason I developed a love of reading. A love that continues despite the mini-war my English teachers had waged on it. I think it’s time I do some catching up on those stories, just to see what mysteries I have missed. Thank your Mr. Sobol for teaching me to love reading.

2012 Emmy Nominations Announced
Hit the link to see what favorite TV shows were nominated for the 2012 Emmy Awards. The winners will be announced on September 23, 2012. Few surprises in the list with the safe choices (those who offend least) occupying most of the categories. A few surprises include Lena Dunham for Girls (decent choice), Veep (really? not that funny a show), Don Cheadle (could do the role in his sleep), Kathy Bates (really? not enough to fill the category?), Ashley Judd (more proof that "movie stars slumming it" always get Emmy love even when not deserved) and lots of love to Sherlock (sweet). Sadly that mostly awful American Horror Story was also given lots of nominations. While a fan of the lovely Connie Britton, it doesn't deserve to win a single category. I am sure there are lots of snubs but except for Fringe, I can't think of any I care about.

Linkfest - Happy July 4th

Happy July the 4th! This week's link fest remains politics free with links to an amusing Star Wars parody music video, Atari's 40th, Snorkisms, YouTube 301 views, and SDCC schedule.

RIP Andy Griffith
An icon died today as Andy Griffith died at the age of 86. For your parents’ generation he was known as the town sheriff in The Andy Griffith Show. For me, I grew up on him as defense attorney Matlock. His 60+ year long career included movies, specials, radio, and a whole lot more. Condolences to his family.

The Star Wars That I Used To Know
Take the Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" music video, and some Star Trek fan frustration and here is the result. Pure gold, if only to hear "George Lucas" sings his response to the complaints.

Obamacare Lives and Why It Matters

I said for over a year now that the Supreme Court would overturn the individual mandate of Obamacare. I figured it was automatic with the charge being led by Chief Justice John Roberts. I could not have been more wrong. Not only did the court uphold the law 5-4, but Roberts was the swing vote. Even more amazing, it was upheld by the legal reasoning that the government has a right to tax and the penalty of not getting health insurance is the equivalent of a tax. The ruling was so unexpected both CNN and Fox News initially got the ruling wrong, declaring it overturned. This is good news for Americans even if 50% don't know it. Oddly it seems most that are against are the ones that most likely will need it at some future date. However, always keep in mind that the Republicans have years to come up with their own solutions and as always, the best they could come up with is "tax cuts". That is their Band-Aid for everything.

Fox News and the GOP have spent a tremendous amount of time and (tax payer) money fighting Obamacare but rarely do they explain why it’s bad and what the alternatives are. It comes down to "its socialism" and wrong. Ask anyone for specifics on why it’s wrong and can guarantee that maybe 1 out of a 100 can provide an informed response beyond the basic talking points of it simply being wrong just because the talking heads say it is. Did you know that thanks to Obamacare, you cannot be denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition? Did you know your kids can't be either (yea before they could be)? What about knowing if your child wants to get a graduate degree or just hurting from this down economy, they can stay on their parents insurance until 26 years old? Again Obamacare. I am aware of a ton of die-hard Republicans taking advantage of that. What about free mammograms or a ton of other maintenance tests that use to cost a lot and soon no longer will. Free tests means people will detect problems before they become a whole lot more expensive and possibly a burden on the tax payer (more below on that). When people ask about these kinds of individual aspects of the law, Americans are overwhelming for them (in 80% range). Add they are part of Obamacare and suddenly that numbers dives to around 50% range. That makes no sense except you have to remember that Fox News folks rarely are giving any actual information to form an informed opinion.

Linkfest - New Apple, Microsoft Tech

Time for more stuff that grabbed my interest (or linkfest to keep it simple). This week found the cool image of a Lego mini-fig, Apple and Microsoft has new toys that might be worth buying (but not really), some Game of Thrones fun and upcoming movie trailers. What do you know, another week without politics.

Anatomy of a Lego Man
Hit the link to view images and breakdown of how this kind of creepy split section of a Lego man was produced by carving and painting polyurethane foam. The final result from artist Jason Freeny is a little over a foot tall but pretty cool looking. His equally bizarre art of the anatomy of a gummy bear can be found here.

Apple WWDC 2012 Announcements
Last week Apple held a developer's conference to announce a refresh of MacBook Pro and Macbook Air along with an update to OSX and iOS6. Over all it was a ho hum event. The Macbook Air is getting a speedier processor and tweaks but essentially the same product. The MacBook Pro is improved with a much thinner look and Retina display (whose resolution is so tight that it reaches point where can't really read the text). That small size and screen resolution level you will never use or need will set you back around $2200. The iOS6 update, which will not work on first gen iPads and first three generations of phones, is really nothing major. The big changes is Siri to iPad, Facebook integration, phone tweaks, safari update, and removal of Google Maps for Apple's own solution. Most of which jailbroken iOS and Android devices can already do.

E3 2012 Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo Press Conferences

This week Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo teased their plans for the next year in video games. For Nintendo, it was an important show as they plan on releasing the Wii U for the Christmas holiday season as a means to finally compete with the other two graphics wise while still offering that unique Nintendo library. The show could be summarized as march of the sequels. Games shown off include Crysis 3, Black Ops 2, new Medal of Honor, Resident Evil 6, Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed 3, God of War: Ascension and the list goes on. The Wii U for all intents is just an improved sequel to the Wii.

Nintendo's Wii U sadly disappoints. For all intents it is an updated graphics chip with a fancy controller that most will probably stop using pretty quickly once they buy the pro controller for the system (think Nintendo's version of the XBox 360 controller). The idea is sound but at the end of the day if people wanted to use a tablet device to play video games they would just play games on a tablet. The system is set for release by Christmas, no price yet but I suspect the $250 to $300 range. The system also is the first time Nintendo seems to embrace the existence of the internet but it still remains a tightly controlled sandbox around the Mii experience.

Linkfest - Death in 3s

For once a non-political post but sadly one with posts of dead entertainers with a mix of movie trailers.

Kathryn Joosten, Dead at 72
Over the weekend, TV lost a fan favorite with the death of Kathryn Joosten at the age of 72 after a long battle with lung cancer. She came onto my radar do to her memorable character of Dolores Landingham on The West Wing, a character that died all too soon in the series. She popped up again and again on TV, often for brief but excellent roles including another favorite of mine in Scrubs. Her final role was on Desperate Housewives which ended its series run in May. Never knew her personally but she did what I think any entertainer wants... to be remembered for their work. I remember hers and was looking forward to her popping up again on TV. I guess now we will just have to stick with our memories and repeats.

Networks Reveal Their 2012 Fall Schedules

This week the big four networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox) revealed their plans for the 2012-2013 TV season that begins usually around mid-September. While subject to change, the main takeaways is the new shows and those that got cancelled to make room for them. Some favorites have been moved around. So far there doesn't seem to be many standouts with the pattern being an emphasis on comedy and more reality competition. Below is the summary of what is cancelled, new shows, links to trailers and new shows descriptions along with a completely uninformative opinion if a show is dead on arrival (DOA) or not.

ABC
Cancelled: Charlie’s Angels, TBS-bound Cougar Town, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, GCB, Man Up, Missing, Pan Am, The River and Work It
New Shows: Last Resort, 666 Park Ave., Mistresses, The Family Tools, How to Live with your Parents, Malibu Country, Nashville, The Neighbors, Red Widow, Zero Hour
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: all but Zero Hour

CBS
Cancelled: CSI: Miami, A Gifted Man, How to Be a Gentleman, NYC 22, Rob and Unforgettable
New Shows: Elementary, Vegas, Made in Jersey, Partners, Golden Boy, Friend Me, The Hob
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: all but Elementary

Fox
Cancelled: Alcatraz, Allen Gregory, Breaking In, The Finder, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Napoleon Dynamite and Terra Nova
New Shows: The Mob Doctor, Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project, The Goodwin Games, The Following
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: Ben and Kate, The Mindy Project, The Goodwin Games. Mob Doctor has decent chance and The Following will survive the season.

NBC
Cancelled: Are You There, Chelsea?, Awake, Bent, Best Friends Forever, Chuck, Free Agents, Harry’s Law, The Playboy Club, Prime Suspect and The Firm
New Shows: Revolution, Go On, The New Normal, Animal Practice, Guys with Kids, Chicago Fire, Save Me, 1600 Penn, Next Caller
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: all but Revolution

CW
Cancelled: Ringer, The Secret Circle, One Tree Hill (which aired its series finale on April 4), H8R, Remodeled and The L.A. Complex
New Shows: Beauty and the Beast, Arrow, Emily Owen, MD, Cult, The Carrie Diaries
Trailers
Press Release with Show Descriptions
DoA: Emily Owens. Carrie Diaries, Cult. Arrow and Beauty and the Beast will last season but only one will get renewed.

Linkfest - Avengers Assemble

Just realized it has been weeks since posted anything. I guess just have not found much that I felt like posting about but here are a few new things. Most of it is politics related after the break.

The Avengers Smash Weekend Record
In just three days, The Avengers took in a record breaking $207.1 million in the US box office smashing the previous record of $169.2 million held by Harry Potter 7.2. The movie deputed in most other parts of the world last week so now at the end of its first full week out, its total is already a staggering $654.5 million. It did in one week what the most successful movie of 2012, The Hunger Games, took months to make. For those on the fence, you should see it.

It really is as good as people say. The first hour of story building can drag at times but even then the character interactions are entertaining enough to not matter. When the movie shifts to New York though, that is when everything snaps into perfect place. The last hour is just wall to wall action that always servers the characters or the story. There are even a few "Whedoneque" moments of humor that are inserted at just the right moments.

This movie is the epic story telling that Michael Bay keeps trying to achieve with Transformers but falls short because he fails to recognize that spectacle that doesn't serve the story or character is pointless. See the entire tilting building sequence for evidence of this. It had lots of spectacle but could remove entire sequence from movie and have no impact on story or characters. You can't really say the same about the Avengers. Every sequence has purpose, even a throwaway line that is followed up after the credits. When watch do make sure to at least stick around for the mid-credits scene that introduces the villain Thanos. His goal? Make Death fall in love with him by destroying all life. Hopefully Whedon will write and direct the sequel just to see that fight. Next time he might be able to get in the classic "Avengers Assemble" line as could not without it seeming forced and corny. Good call.

Linkfest - RIP Dick Clark

Dick Clark Dead at 82
The legendary TV entertainer Dick Clark died today of a heart attack at the age of 82. Dick Clark was probably known to most as the host of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve. For me, he became part of my weekly television rituals as host of TVs Bloopers & Practical Jokes and various versions of Pyramid. He also hosted American Bandstand for nearly three decades. It is his good humor, goof feelings hosting style that became the norm for television and emulated today by the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Ryan Seacrest. His last television performance was New Year's 2011. I watched him for most of my life every New Year’s Eve. This year's New Year celebration will just not be the same without him.

Final Flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery
Hit the link before for a video of the final flight of Discovery as it was given a bit of the red carpet treatment by being allowed to fly low in Washington, DC as it heads to its final resting place at the Smithsonian. Normally the airspace in DC is restricted to pretty much all flights but the President so brief change was a kind of way for the nation to tip its hat for 30 years of service and the end of the current shuttle missions and really the space program for the foreseeable future.

Linkfest - Illusion of Safety

Supreme Court OKs Strip Searches for Any Reason
In yet another example that the definition of Conservative "small government", the Supreme Court ruled that strip searches are ok for any reason. When it comes to making people think that Conservatives are keeping them safe, it seems government can't get big enough or stomp on enough rights. In the latest ruling, the five Conservative judges once again voted as a block ruling that police can perform strip searches for any reason, including minor traffic offenses. In short, if the police are willing to arrest you and haul you into a jail cell, they can do whatever they want. This doesn't mean you are guilty or they even have evidence. They can simply arrest you, strip search you, decide it was a mistake and release you. Your dignity may not remain intact but hey at least your will feel "safe" from whatever new thing they want you to fear. The justification for the decision was based on Tim McVey (Oklahoma City bombing) being arrested for a minor traffic offense and not getting stripped search. Without explaining how, the Conservative ruling failed to explain how a strip search would have led to the discovering of his car bomb. I guess they figured he kept the car jammed up his rear? This is ironic considering the Five will overturn the Health Care act in June on claims it stomps rights to purchase what you want (never mind states requiring car insurance, home insurance, etc.). To sum it up, to the Conservative Court your body has no rights but you do have the right to not buy stuff you don't want but need. Once again Conservative hypocrisy in action.

Wiretapping for Profit
While they claim to the contrary, the telecoms probably make a pretty decent profit listening in on our calls at the government's request. T-Mobile charges law enforcement (aka tax papers) $500 per month per target. Sprint charges $400 per "market area" and "technology" with a $10 per day fee. No idea what those "per" mean. For AT&T its $325 activation fee, $5 per day for data and $10 for audio. Verizon charges $50 fee and $700 per month per target. The fees pile on after that depending on what others things law enforcement want for targets of wiretaps. Listening in is good for business.