Archive for Life - page 27

From Yahoo:  On a farm in North Dakota, a 3 year old wandered away from the house.  When mom noticed the child was missing, authorities were notified and a frantic search began.  Approximately 200 volunteer searchers worked into the night and at 2:30 AM the boy was spotted in a field…with the dog literally babysitting.

They found the dog laying on the boy. “[Carson] said, ‘Mom, I was really scared but Cooper laid on me, he kept me warm,'” said Courtney Urness. Cooper might have been returning a favor for the Urness family. They rescued him when they found him as a puppy wandering by the side of the road three years ago.

Politico: In anticipation of a Russian invasion, young Ukranians prepare to fight for their freedom and autonomy against vastly larger and more powerful forces.

We think we have it bad:

“Many of us are here learning the basics so we don’t get killed in the first minute of the war,” says Tanya, a 38-year old graphic designer and the camp’s coordinator. “Maybe with what we’ve learned we might last one or two days.”

…So you get this:  Rick Wakeman talks about being a Christian

And….now he talks about….just kidding!  He don’t talk at all.  Spoiler: It gets crazy starting at 2:37

Finally…this is hilarious

R.I.P., James Goodson.

My father was a WWII pilot and were he still alive today, he would be 96.  There are not many left of The Greatest Generation and we lose more every day.  God rest their souls – they were faced with a horrific task and they did their duty.

Sidenote:  We learn from Goodson that smoking is good for you:

That June, he was in his P-51 making a strafing run over a German airfield when he was shot down. He fled into a birch forest before collapsing from injuries. He eventually was caught by the Germans and threatened with execution.

He recalled that one captor asked him if he wanted a drink or another indulgence before being shot. Mr. Goodson spied a box of Havana cigars, asked for a stogie and began to blow smoke rings, which he said shocked the German and led to a conversation about their mutual interest in cigars.

“The guy had never seen anything like that,” Mr. Goodson once said in an interview, “and I started teaching him how to blow smoke rings.” Instead of being shot, he was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

“People say smoking costs lives,” he said. “It saved my life.”

Godspeed,  Lt.Col. Goodson.  Rest Well.

Hat Tip:  Althouse     Crossposted at: Men Out Of Work Blog

….it could also be the last”.  D’oh!  In an article published yesterday in The Independent, Steven Hawking (et al.) lay out some of the benefits to be reaped from the development of Artificial Intellligence (AI) and some potential downdsides:

One can imagine such technology outsmarting financial markets, out-inventing human researchers, out-manipulating human leaders, and developing weapons we cannot even understand. Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all.

It’s a short article and worth your time to click over and read the whole thing.  Go ahead, I’ll wait….back? OK, good.  It seems that some very serious thinkers believe there’s a possibility that if AI is developed, human beings could become second-class citizens to it.  Subjugated by a servant of our own creation – that’s some serious irony right there. But…I wanted to tie this into our earlier discussion of “what makes humans human” and “do animals have rights”?  The answers to those questions are usually decided by “the biggest kid on the block”.  Right here, right now that means humans, people.  What if we get knocked down a notch and are no longer the deciders?  Because in a possible post AI future, machines might be asking the question: “Do living things (humans, “organic beings”, “meat machines”) have rights?  Are we going to like the answer?

I’ll bet this is how it goes down

…let’s hope they’re  bringing their own water.  According to The LA Times, California’s population grew by 1%, reaching 38.3 million.  Further, the article states that suburban and rural populations are falling while the increase is occuring in certain urban areas.  Given that most of middle class California resides in the suburbs and rural areas, I don’t think this bodes well.  And it seems to confirm the perception that the middle class is fleeing California.

image credit: PJ Media

Here’s a joke:  “Did you hear that Jerry Brown has come out in favor of a border fence?  Yeah..to keep the taxpayers in!”  Badda-bing!

I hear you – that’s like saying a bird’s body language indicates intention to fly.  Or a fish’s body language indicates intention to swim.  But hear me out, this is important.

What Has Bill Clinton So Stressed About UFO’s?

About a month ago, former President Bill Clinton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live.  As one might think, the interview was jovial and light hearted.  But when the conversation turned to what knowledge Clinton had about UFO’s as Commander-in Chief, Clinton tensed up according to Ben Hanson, host of the TV show “Fact ot Faked: Paranormal Files”:

“Hansen, who has a background in law enforcement and degrees in criminology and sociology, analyzed video of the interview, noting non-verbal cues of stress and evasiveness from Clinton’s posture, eye contact and use of his hands. While Hansen acknowledged he is not an expert in non-verbal communications, he uses the skills regularly in his work.”

additionally:

“Clinton — who had been using both hands as he talked, sitting with both feet on the floor — immediately adopted what Hansen described as a defensive stance, indicative of intention to conceal, when first asked about UFOs. Clinton began gripping firmly both arms of his chair and crossed his legs. For most of the remainder of their conversation about UFOs, Clinton’s right hand stayed firmly anchored to the arm of the chair.”

Well…that proves it.  The only question I have now:  Is Clinton one of the Lizard People?

Hat tip:  I saw this somewhere.. Probably Ace of Spades or Instapundit

Oklahoma Inmate Dies After Execution Is Botched.  First, if it’s an execution and the inmate dies, is it really botched?  I mean, come on.  Mission accomplished.

I respectfully disagree with opponents of the death penalty.  They are entitled to their opinion as am I, a proponent of the death penalty.  I believe there are some crimes so serious at to merit the forfeiture of the perpetrator’s life.  In fact, I think that society has an obligation to  execute perpetrators of anti-social violent crimes, after due process of course.  I do not believe in slow, painful executions.  A hanging, firing squad or a bullet to the head would have been more humane treatment of the inmate in the above story than the idiotic lethal injection regimen most states been forced into by the courts.

OK, let’s have the debate:

Execution won’t bring the victim(s) back!  Keeping the perpetrator alive won’t bring ’em back either.

The death penalty is not a deterrent!  It’s not meant to be a deterrent – it’s a punishment.  Using that logic, we should just repeal all laws since they don’t seem to deter the criminals who violate them.

The Bible says Thou Shalt Not Kill!  The 5th Commandment Says Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder.  There’s a difference.  The Bible also says take an eye for an eye.

Alright, time’s up.

We should take no pleasure in the execution of a murderer – I do not.  It is not done for vengeance.  But it is neccessary.  There are evil people in the world and those that commit crimes such as the Oklahoma inmate deserve death.  If there is mercy to be meted out, it will be done at the hand of the Father.

Dinoasurs like me who have an affinity for muscular cars powered soley by our long deceased dinosaur cousins will have to get used to the fact that the sports cars of the future are going to be driven at least partially by electrons.  Of course, those electrons are still produced by our long deceased dinosaur cousins.  But I digress…

Now BMW has unveiled it’s new plug-in hybrid sports coupe for 2015, the i8.  Gone are the days when a BMW’s model number would tell you the specifics about the car – engine displacement, body style, etc. – apparently this one was named after an Interstate Highway?  No matter.  Autoblog gives us a complete and thorough road test of the $130,000 plus coupe which is powered by a 129 horsepower 96 Kw electric motor up front and a 231 horsepower turbocharged 1.5 liter 3 cylinder gasoline engine in the rear.  My guess is they took the venerable 3 liter six and lopped it in half.  A computer decides whether you get gas powered rear wheel drive or electric powered front wheel drive (or a combination of both) based on settings chosen by the driver and the heaviness of the driver’s right foot.  The tandem power plants deliver a combined 362 horsepower and 420 pounds feet of torque which will propel the i8 from 0-60 in a non-hybrid like 4.3 seconds.  This is due in large part to the coupe’s miniscule curb weight of 3,285 lbs. which translates into a horsepower to weight ratio of a shade more that 220 hp/ton.  Not bad.  And looks – wow!  Like a concept car.  I keep asking where are the flying cars that futurists of the sixties promised us – this one doesn’t fly, but looks like it could (or should).

Impressive design, impressive engineering and impressive performance.  I would expect no less from BMW.  However… as deep as it is in design, engineering and performance, it comes up short in convenience and practicality.  There are no cupholders for the occupants of the front seats (!) and with an engine in the front and the back, there is no trunk for your junk.  BMW has yet to release economy figures.  $130K + seems like a stretch unless you’re just trying to out status the neighbors.  I still think for the money I’d have an Audi R-8.  Screw the environment.

Cross posted at the blog: Men Out Of Work

Or what makes a human “human” and an animal “not human”?  Well, it’s not physical charactersitics because there are animals that share our physical characteristics.  Humans have a soul and animals do not?  There is no physical proof of the presence or absence of a soul in humans or animals for that matter.  These questions and rebuttals can proceed ad infinitum.  Eventually the question is begged: Do Animals Have Rights?

I don’t think this stuff up on my own.  Usually someone a lot smarter and more articulate than I am writes something that get me thinking.  And this time it’s no different.  Via Althouse I found this article:  http://althouse.blogspot.com/2014/04/in-his-animal-law-classes-wise-told-me.html

Which in turn led me to this NYT article: “Should a Chimp Be Able To Sue It’s Owner?”

Both of these articles look at the question more from the perspective of “in the eyes of the law, what makes a human different from an animal?”  For one thing a human can communicate with his/her attorney or the court.  If the client can’t then someone is given power of attorney and the right to speak for the one who can’t.    Well that could be done for an animal as well, right?  Hmmm…  One thing seems for certain – humans are unique among the other animals of the earth and I don’t make that statement simply from the arrogance of being the Apex Predator.  And since we are unique, there is something that makes us so.  But exactly what is it?  Up for debate – ad infinitum.

And it will only get more complicated…

What about Robot Animals?