heiser.net

Those Ripples in the Dirt

Christopher Heiser — 2009-07-13T15:26:00-08:00

Wow, I don't know how many times I've thought about this phenomena: when you're driving on a dirt road and you see ripples in the surface. I had always understood this had to do with the natural frequency of suspensions, but it turns out it's a property of the material itself. Some excellent research has shown that this effect arises regardless of the speed, weight, or even the shape of the object in contact with the ground. I'm always inspired by basic research like this...

NASA Launch Abort System

Christopher Heiser — 2009-07-11T22:24:49-08:00

Very cool.

Hybrid Ferrari

Christopher Heiser — 2009-07-11T15:56:24-08:00

A bit of old news, but worth posting: despite repeated denials, Ferrari now confirms that they will show an F450 hybrid concept at the LA auto show this December.

Rain Law

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-30T22:26:59-08:00

I was just chatting with someone about the subject of water rights, which is timely given the legal changes in Colorado on the subject. What amazes me is the labyrinthine set of laws and contracts among states that govern how rain water is to be divided. Las Vegas, for instance, purchases water rights from many of the other states in the Colorado River Compact--as far away as Wyoming. Rapid growth, drought, and depleted aquifers are going to make this one of the top issues in the coming decades. Get ready for it.

I Palindrome I

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-30T20:11:19-08:00

Demetri Martin takes the palindome prose to a new level. Thanks to Dr. Kahle for the link.

Some more thoughts on MJ

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-29T3:28:00-08:00

Over the weekend I was pondering how Michael Jackson was a superstar in a way that was singular in its occurence; there was never before and will never be a pop icon like him. His rise was timed perfectly with the emergence of three major transformations in western culture: an explosion of (cable) television content, the rise of megacorporate sponsorship, and the emergence of brand marketing as applied to individuals. He caught this multifaceted tidal wave perfectly, and rode it with absolute confidence--and capturing the imagination of an entire planet along the way.

His passing spawned millions of spontaneous sidewalk tributes and brought reactions from world leaders, great thinkers, and countless everyday people from across the globe. David Segal at the NY Times captures some of the reasons why fame may never be the same again after MJ.

I know those who were vexed by his eccentric and aberrant behaviors, and those on the other hand who saw him purely as a tragic figure. There are strong feelings on both sides.

I don't think it ultimately matters. Love him or hate him, his impact on the world as a musician, dancer, entertainer, and enigmatic superstar was undeniable and without equal.

The King of Pop is dead. Long live the King!

DSLR Must-Have

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-29T4:11:35-08:00

If you're going DSLR, get this.

FIFA

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-28T15:18:42-08:00

I'm at the 29th minute. I don't care if the US wins, just making the final is a huge achievement. But seeing them up 2-0 over Brazil in their first FIFA final is surreal...

The New Rules

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-26T13:45:19-08:00

I'm sure that some view the new rules of engagement in Afghanistan as aimed for PR consumption. But I think it's quite remarkable for a military leader to grasp the difference between tactical victories and strategic defeat. I can only imagine what it will be like to withdraw from an urban firefight--especially if US casualties are involved--but the alternative is clearly not tenable. When your security force kills over 800 civilians each year, you are not winning any hearts or minds.

MJ

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-25T21:09:00-08:00

Michael Jackson is dead. Today, and long after his passing, his songs and performances will stand among the greatest this world has ever witnessed. I still remember sitting crouched next to the radio waiting to tape his songs from the Weekly Top 40. His life and career were as large as they were complicated and troubled. But take that all away and he was ultimately an unparalleled superstar. Godspeed, MJ.

Fun Fact

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-24T1:13:35-08:00

Over 60% of the railway laid in the US has been abandoned.

Google Apps to the Desktop?

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-22T4:59:00-08:00

A group has used Adobe Air to make desktop versions of Google apps that don't require you to launch your browser. It's really amazing to me to see HTML, a markup that was designed for document portability, be used as the defacto interface design tool. Man, Faisal must be pissed.

I'm Still Waiting For The Tough Medicine

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-18T0:56:04-08:00

This wonderful article written by a former chief economist for the IMF does a great job of putting the finger on the problem with our "recovery" plan, and showing just how unbalanced the financial sector has become in its size and influence in our government. One lovely passage was this:

Regulators, legislators, and academics almost all assumed that the managers of these banks knew what they were doing. In retrospect, they didn’t. AIG’s Financial Products division, for instance, made $2.5 billion in pretax profits in 2005, largely by selling underpriced insurance on complex, poorly understood securities. Often described as “picking up nickels in front of a steamroller,�� this strategy is profitable in ordinary years, and catastrophic in bad ones. As of last fall, AIG had outstanding insurance on more than $400 billion in securities.

That's right: nearly half a trillion dollars of bad debt written by a single company. Does anyone have any idea what we could accomplish with half a trillion dollars? Cure cancer? Put every high school student through college? The magnitude of this failure is difficult to comprehend, and I have yet to hear a) why it happened and b) how we're going to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Still waiting.

Slumdog Update

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-18T0:49:59-08:00

Well, the found at least one of the child stars a new home. Fingers crossed for the second one. Thanks to Todd for the link.

A Better Banished Time

Christopher Heiser — 2009-06-15T15:04:28-08:00

Rush fans will love to hear the story of the origin of "Red Barchetta" and how the author of the inspiring work met up with Neil Peart some 35 years after his original Road & Track article was published. Thanks to Aaron for the link.