Caesar's Head

One week ago, I was on a motorcycle ride with some friends.  Among other roads, we rode Hwy 276 up to Caesar's Head State Park in South Carolina.

Caesar's Head is one of my favorite places in the universe.  For whatever reason, I love this road.  Here are two videos that I like, that help show what kind of road it is.

"Ceaser's Head Run... To the top", by p1pobodysnerfect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOOhm_pXhl4
This is heading up from the foothills up to Caesar's Head on the ridge.










"Carolina Moto Maps : Ceasar's Head Supermoto", by carolinamotomaps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95L0cQTewjI
This is from Caesar's Head down the mountain.

Math Question of the Day

I love this one, from Someecards.com:
http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMi00MjcyYjcyM2JiZTNkNzBj

 

Where are all the planes?

Flight Radar knows!  This is a great mapping app.

Flightradar24.com
http://www.flightradar24.com/

Change the settings, have it display a flights to/from information as well as speed and altitude.  Zoom in on a major airport, such as Atlanta.  Fascinating.

Whom to Blame? Look in the Mirror.

Provocative article:
"Who May Tax and Spend?" by Walter E. Williams
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/14695

You can't properly analyze the debt our country is racking up without understanding our Constitution.  Most of us, including elected officials, don't.

From the article:

The first clause of Article 1, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, generally known as the "origination clause," reads: "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills." Constitutionally and by precedent, the House of Representatives has the exclusive prerogative to originate bills to appropriate money, as well as to raise revenues. The president is constitutionally permitted to propose tax and spending measures or veto them. Congress has the authority to ignore the president's proposals and override his vetoes.

Knowing which branch of government has the ultimate taxing and spending authority is vital. No matter how Obama's presidency is viewed, if we buy into the notion that it's he whose spending binge is crippling our nation through massive debt and deficits, we will naturally focus our attention on the White House. The fact of the matter is that Washington has been on a spending binge no matter who has occupied the White House. In 1970, federal spending was $926 billion. Today it's $3.8 trillion. In inflation-adjusted dollars that's about a 300 percent increase. Believing that presidents have taxing and spending powers leaves Congress less politically accountable for our deepening economic quagmire. Of course, if you're a congressman, not being held accountable is what you want.

Most members of our Republican-controlled House of Representatives say they're against Obamacare. If they really were, they surely would attach a legislative rider or some other legislative device to the Department of Health and Human Services' appropriation bill to ban spending any money on Obamacare; they have the power to. But they don't have the political courage to do so, and their lives are made easier by the pretense that it's the president controlling the spending. And we fall for it.

Amen.

Song of the Day: Ingrid Michaelson - Do It Now

Ingrid Michaelson - Do It Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liBr59f8drI

Song of the Day: Brandi Carlile - That Wasn't Me

What can I say?  Brandi is the real deal.

Brandi Carlile - That Wasn't Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNmo8I4dEQE

Google "Invented" the Internet (?)

Great article from Wired:
"If Xerox PARC Invented the PC, Google Invented the Internet" by Cade Metz
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/08/google-as-xerox-parc/all/

They are just touching the tip of the iceberg with respect to what people say about Jeff Dean.  Absolutely hilarious stuff (better than what they shared in the article) ... that I probably can't share.

The article went on to talk a little bit about Google's data centers.  Fascinating to see how Google's data centers are viewed from outside.  The article had some interesting errors, but one thing they got right was this: "We don’t know much about what the company’s now uses inside these top secret facilities, but you can bet its a step ahead of what it did in the past."   :)