September 26, 2013

First computer made of carbon nanotubes is unveiled

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24232896



The first computer built entirely with carbon nanotubes has been unveiled, opening the door to a new generation of digital devices.

"Cedric" is only a basic prototype but could be developed into a machine which is smaller, faster and more efficient than today's silicon models.

Nanotubes have long been touted as the heir to silicon's throne, but building a working computer has proven awkward.

The breakthrough by Stanford University engineers is published in Nature.

September 25, 2013

Treasury Puts a Date on When Cash May Run Out: Oct. 17

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/business/treasury-warns-of-potential-default-by-mid-october.html?_r=0

WASHINGTON — The Treasury has handed Congress an urgent deadline: Oct. 17.

On that day, unless Congress were to raise the debt ceiling, the Treasury would have only $30 billion cash on hand, putting the United States on the precipice of an unprecedented default, the department said on Wednesday.

That warning – and the threat of a financial crisis – have become entangled in the budget and financial negotiations on Capitol Hill, where legislators are already engaged in a partisan battle that has led to a budget impasse that could shut down the federal government on Oct. 1.

Separately on Wednesday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Treasury would exhaust all its extraordinary measures and run out of free cash between Oct. 22 and Nov. 1.

September 25, 2013

had minor surgery on my face (basal cell carcinoma), now chilling to this tune

So my day is getting happier by the second. I hope your day is as well. Peace, love and all good things to all DU'ers.

September 25, 2013

"I didn't know him from Adam's housecat" and other sayings...

Aerow's comment about "grilled them like a Porterhouse" made me think of my mother's expression in the subject line.

You have a favorite your parents or grandparents said ?

September 23, 2013

"the right" versus "the far right", serious question

I know this is not an easy question to answer (definitely not for me), but which groups and ideologies comprise the far right ?

The easy ones to identify, to me, are the KKK and all the other white supremacist groups, the Neo-Nazi groups, National Organization for Marriage, and the John Birch Society. I know I'm forgetting a lot of them.

Which ones are far right to you ? For completeness sake, I'm sure there are far right elements in the Republican Party. Thanks for your time. Oh and f**k the right, far right, and Republican Party.

September 22, 2013

Howard Walker, Michigan State Senator, Tells Radio Host, 'Screw You' At Women's Luncheon (VIDEO)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/howard-walker-screw-you-brian-sommerfield-video_n_3962410.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003



"Screw you" isn't something that one would normally expect to come out of a politician's mouth while speaking at a Republican women's luncheon. But that's exactly what state Sen. Howard Walker (R-Traverse City) had to say to someone who critiqued his vote for Medicaid expansion at an event Monday.

"One thing that the Republican base has been against is any form of Obamacare," said Brian Sommerfield, a conservative radio host who asserts he voted for Walker. "The Emmet County Republican party, the executive committee, voted their disapproval for this and sent you that. … This so goes against the base and the people that you stand for ... we feel totally violated.”

A video, above, that shows the exchange in Petoskey, Mich. was posted by an editor of the site Watchdog Wire.

"You know, screw you as far as weak Republicans, dude," Walker returned to Sommerfield.

September 22, 2013

Stephen King slams Twilight franchise as 'tweenage porn'

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/sep/21/stephen-king-twilight-tweenage-porn

Stephen King, the prolific and best-selling patriarch of the horror novel, has used a rare interview to express disdain for modern pretenders to his title, dismissing the Twilight franchise as "tweenager porn" and calling The Hunger Games dull and derivative.

More predictably, King, who is about to release his 56th novel, is less than impressed by Fifty Shades of Grey, although he does have praise for JK Rowling's "fabulous" non-Harry Potter debut, The Casual Vacancy and compared her style to that of the late Tom Sharpe.

In an interview in the Guardian's Weekend magazine, the 65-year-old author said he had read Twilight, among other modern titles, out of professional interest, and had been underwhelmed. "They're really not about vampires and werewolves. They're about how the love of a girl can turn a bad boy good."

"I read Twilight and didn't feel any urge to go on with her. I read The Hunger Games and didn't feel an urge to go on. It's not unlike The Running Man, which is about a game where people are actually killed and people are watching: a satire on reality TV.

September 21, 2013

Miley Cyrus is punk as fuck

(yes original headline)

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/miley-cyrus-is-punk-as-fuck



Punk rock is like art. You just sorta know it when you see it. After a while, you get pretty good at sifting out the real punk rock from the bullshit. As someone who has wasted his entire life in punk rock—both real and bullshit, I can authoritatively say that Miley Cyrus is the most punk rock musician around right now.

I want to be clear that I say that with 100% sincerity and without the slightest hint of the lame irony that people love attaching to everything these days. This isn’t like handlebar moustaches which people “love” even though they make make dudes look like porn stars from the 1930s. I’m saying I truly believe Miley is punk as fuck. More punk rock than all the mascara-wearing dorks playing the Warped Tour, more punk rock than old-ass bands on their third reunion tours, more punk rock than you or me.

How did Miley Cyrus go from being that cute little blonde TV character to being a punk icon? Well, after her Hannah Montana days where she...where she, um...actually, I don’t know anything about the show now that I think about it. Didn’t she wear a wig and live in a hotel with two creepy twin boys or something? Anyway, after she walked away from that Disney kiddie shit, Miley decided, “Hey, you know what? I’m young, I’m rich enough to sleep on a huge pile of cash every night, and I have the body of a goddamn cheerleader. It’s high time I started enjoying life!” And she did. Emphasis on the “high time” part because to Miley, “enjoying life” means doing copious amounts of drugs, hanging out with every rich hipster in LA, and making videos about doing copious amounts of drugs and hanging out with every rich hipster in LA. And good for her.

The whole time she’s been living her debaucherous post-Hannah lifestyle, she’s had people telling her not to act a certain way or that it’s somehow wrong according to some bullshit set of standards the online community of P.C. fascist bloggers made up. Every other day there’s some überliberal dork writing a piece for Slate or the Huffington Post entitled something like “Is It Racist To Point Out The Sexism Of Something Something Miley Cyrus?” But while they’re all trying to wrap their Ivy League brains around Miley’s latest video where she’s having her ass slapped by black ladies, Miley is already on to the next video where she’s riding a wrecking ball naked, fellating a sledgehammer. Joke’s on you, blogger dickheads!

*more at link*

Never thought of her as punk, huh.

September 21, 2013

Hats/caps in restaurants internets survey

Internets spelled this way courtesy of GWB.

When I grew up, I was taught that usually, one did not wear a cap or hat in an indoor restaurant. Outdoors restaurants were an exception. Restaurants directly on a beach were an exception. Cowboy-related restaurants were an exception.

Does any of this ring a bell with you ? I mean no offense by this survey, simply trying to gain input. Thank you kindly and have a lovely weekend.

September 20, 2013

It's a gorgeous day here weather-wise, how about your day ?

Sunny, low 80's, gentle breeze, yeah muggy as hell, can't have it all, eh ?