images create phantasms in the mind...

so McCain has selected 'Superwoman' to be his VP...she hunts, has a pilots license, has five kids,heads Alaska's National Guard, and is kinda hot, too. If McCain wins, she will almost certainly become the President- McCain goes to bed by 8pm....six months on the job, and he will be worn out.

In 1928, most of the nations of the world signed the 'Kellogg-Briand Pact,' which outlawed all 'war.'

This treaty was ratified by the US Senate, and is still part of US law.

Needless to say, this pact never amounted to much.

Obama was a US senator for about two years, and before that, an Illinois state senator for a few years.
I've read that Obama only showed up for work in the US senate on 166 occasions.

His running mate has been in the Senate for almost 30 years...hhhmmm.


McCain was once directly repudiated by Barry Goldwater. McCain's temper tantrums are so intense and legendary, those on the receiving end of them come away with the impression that there is something wrong with him.

Between the two major candidates, Obama is the most corrupt, considering his newcomer status to politics. Michelle Obama is as corrupt as Baruch- she got a giant pay raise while sitting on some corporate board (Walmart?) during a time when Baruch was funneling money into this company, due to his political connections while this company gave generously to his election campaign (Kickbacks). (I've forgotten the exact sequence of events, but you get the picture).

Votes are earned.

Recent data indicates that the last ice age iced up the northern hemisphere in less than 12 months. I find this very hard to believe.

Why no coverage?

Earlier this year, a Japanese scientist unveiled easily reproducible cold fusion. Energy crisis solved. This news event was not widely reported...

Deuterium gas was forced to produce excess heat, using a palladium and zirconium mix- all at room temperature.

The scientist's name is Yoshiaki Arata. He made the announcement in Osaka, Japan, in Arata Hall-

- you read that right- he's so highly reputable, the University lecture hall is named after him.

Vagus nerve electro-stimulation for weight loss

Some recent medical attempts to treat obesity have had limited success- the surgical tie-off of the stomach comes to mind (a very risky method). This was improved upon by the stomach clamp- a rubber ring would be wrapped around the stomach, shrinking it in size, and could be easily removed if needed.

But a new/old method seems to have the most potential- the electro-stimulation of the Vagus nerve. A pocket watch sized device is inserted into the persons upper chest, and electric signals are deliberately and routinely sent to the peripheral ends of the Vagus nerve in the neck. This nerve is critical for the coordination and functioning between the brain, abdomen, and the stomach. Scientists have known for awhile that stimulation of this nerve can shut off the impulse to eat..

Devices that stimulate the Vagus nerve have been in use for almost 15 years- the treatment of depression being one such application. Now, obesity might be felled with the use of this small manually manipulated machine. Premature diabetes, heart failure, and early stroke might become things of the past...
The cost for the procedure is $25,000, but will go down in the near future.

Houston based Cyberonics and Johnson & Johnson are the main groups behind this potential weight loss breakthrough.

Below: a pic of a recent fire near me...the yellow tape people wouldn't let me get any nearer....

a pic of the Killers lair, a week after the other pics of the same spot...some punks put up some vulgar graffiti during the gap in time...today, the bad language on the walls has been eliminated, and replacement pics of the same scene will be issued in a few weeks.

1812

The US did not win the War of 1812. This surprises most Americans- we use to teach our schoolchildren that we soundly whipped the British in the 1812-1815 conflict- usually using the Battle of New orleans as the prime example our victory...But for whatever reasons we went to war with Britain in 1812, we initially launched an invasion into Canada, which was promply soundly repulsed. The Brits then burned our capitol, Washington D.C., and the Canadians in turn invaded the US.

All in all, we lost most of the military engagements. Britain needed to concentrate on beating Napoleon in Europe, so she came to the parley table- the US was eager to end the war as well, and was VERY lucky not to have to concede any territory to Britain. The subsequent Treaty of Ghent was signed, and the status quo that existed before the outbreak of hostilites returned, more or less ( during the negotiations, the delegates learned that the Brits had been defeated in the Battle of Lake Champlain....and the sea assault on Baltimore had failed. These events enabled the Americans to bargain from strength, and keep all its territory).

General Andrew Jackson's victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815-one month after the peace treaty was signed- seems to be the main cause of the creation of the myth that we won this war. Even though we sort-of lost the war, we ended up almost winning the peace, through the very generous terms we received- and it did not hurt that we could remind the British that they could be beaten ( Battel of New Orleans) at least some of the time.

If Jackson had lost New Orleans, prominent politicians in New England were prepared to dissolve the union and secede. The country would be no more...Federalists objected to the war all along, as it incured disruptions upon commerce, and raised taxes. The news of American victory, and the arriving peace delegates, quellched the fires of national dissolution in the nick of time.

Below are some more of my photos...about a mile from home, there is a warehousing district where I often ride my bike-in the evening it is quite desolate... I enjoy the solitude ( I ride about 100 miles a week).

Other pics include: a shot of my local DMV...a science museum; a stately manor....and some of my neighbors homes. The last pic is a monument to General Lee, the non-slave holding Confederate gentleman who was eventually defeated by the northern slave-holding alcoholic, General Grant. (Grant owned two slaves).