Feliz Cumple

Itchy, in furbeastian, commands the computer!

My feline, Itchy, awoke very, very vocally this afternoon. First, it was the usual gutteral growlings, 'nice to see ya,' 'take a sedative'and such. Then he got to the "meat of the matter." I went to open a window for him as this usually soothes his savage beastiness.

But today, this only made it worse! He glared at me with the blazing jackal eyes of Horus. "What do you want of me, Itchy?" "I am only Terran," 'Eeehharehrh!' "Ok, you are correct, technically, I am a Terran, Klingon, Vulcan hybrid, but what is your point, mofo?"

'Burrrraaarrroow." "Really?" 'Eehrrraow" "No way Itchy." 'Aahrrah" "Itchy, you have listened to that Aretha Franklin record forty times today--you expect me to play it AGAIN?!" 'RAUHRAH! 'NAAAR' "OK. OK. I'LL PLAY IT ONE MORE TIME YOU ZOOANOETIC FREAKAZOID!"

"Sorry Itchy, this very limited, irrationally-programmed, super-slooooow Terran 'computer' is not cooperating." Itchy pounced from my lap onto the keyboard. With a few rapid, deft strokes of his back left paw the computer not only unfroze but "All I'm askin' is for a lil respect...when ya com home!" ; the Aretha belted out of the tiny tinny computer speakers.

Itchy crowed 'rr rrr rrrrr rrrre 'pech," in alley-cat harmony. For a cloned Felis montanis hybrid, he had a pretty nice voice, Sometimes his rhythm was off, but hell, he is a fuckin' CAT, and he just woke up.

"Are you happy now, your freakin' majesty?"

He just smiled baring his fangs.

The Terran/Vulcan noted to himself, "I will remember he can do that when the computer malfunctions. To prevent so much goddamn frustration, one of the worst terran emotions."

Call Obama And Make Him VETO the Health Care Fakery

Please join me in calling the President---DONT JUST EMAIL!--- to urge/demand that he veto the "Healthcare Reform" as it is currently devoid of any real REFORM.

Since the overt Fascists, like Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, and weaselly turncoats like Joe Lieberman (as a minority party) still managed to GUT this legislation, imperfect as it was when passed by the House of Representatives--at least the House version retained a bit of REAL REFORM--that of the Public Option, which the public of the United States overwhelmingly demands BE AN OPTION.

The sold-out cowards in the majority party spit on the grave of their late colleague, Ted Kennedy, by assenting on this lousy bait-and-switch.

The White House can be reached at 1-202-456-1111.

Give 'em a piece of your mind! I just did!

A Champion For Human Rights Passes

Senator Ted Kennedy Dead

August 26th, 2009

February 22, 1932 — August 25, 2009

'Liberal Lion'
Ted Kennedy dies of brain cancer at age 77

'The Cause of My Life'
"... we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American — North, South, East, West, young, old — will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege."

'The Dream Shall Never Die'
"... the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives ..." – Senator Edward M. Kennedy, 1980
Democratic National Convention Address

Don't Let The President Cop Out On Public Health Plan!

If you have been keeping track of the news lately, or have attended one of the many public forums/town hall meetings around the country regarding Healthcare reform by the Federal Government, you have noticed as I have, of late a very disturbing spin. That is, the President SEEMED to be cooling his jets on the most important part of the Federal Healthcare reform that HE RAN ON, in his campaign.

That is, the creation of a USA-government-run National Health Care plan, which will FINALLY bring the USA out of the dark ages, in which we were supposed to trust our lives, limbs and happiness to the graciousness and mercy of several FOR-PROFIT-ONLY insurance companies. Well, we see how THAT has worked out, don't we?

Ever have problems getting your prescription filled because your insurance company decided to DROP that particular medicine that an expert has ordered, because THEY say it costs too much?! Or had to switch Primary Care Providers (like your family doctor that you have seen for years, who knows you and your family and provides competent care) to satisfy the requirements of your new job's insurance plan? Most people in the USA who are LUCKY ENOUGH to have any sort of medical insurance, have dealt with these kinds of hassles. There are horror stories galore about how some one's spouse or father DIED because an insurance company "bean-counter" denied the necessary treatment or procedure. This is much of what is heard at the forums/town meetings that President Obama has called for.

But, there are nearly 50 million Americans that have no health coverage whatsoever!! That's more people than the population of most entire COUNTRIES in the world! Take Spain for example,--they emerged with a socialist/capitalist system after suffering decades under a terrible US-supported dictator (Francisco Franco)--they have a population of 40,491,052. Ever last person is guaranteed medical treatment, for free. It is a human right there, paid for by taxpayers, just like the military, tobacco subsidies and all those huge prisons we pay for in the "free" USA.
In fact the US is the only industrialized, modern nation that denies our own citizens the right to National Healthcare. All the countries in Europe have enjoyed this for YEARS! Canada and Mexico have it! Why should we, the hope of the free world, the great military super-power, not cover Healthcare as a RIGHT? Is this logical? Is this fair? Just? Humane? Hell no!

What we have now is feudalism--corporate feudalism, where instead of the King deciding if the peasants get fed, clothed or have wounds treated, we have the Insurance companies and their actuaries and computers making the decisions. Not even your doctor can practice medicine freely anymore. S/he has to see first what your insurance will cover, then chose the closest option to the proper treatment for your problem.

You may ask, "does he know what he is talking about?" And that is a fair question one should always ask. The answer is "yes I do." Please check my facts--search the information yourself, it only takes a few minutes. And I speak from personal experience, both as a physician and as a patient. I left the practice of Medicine because I could not, under the US rules, practice medicine freely, and in good conscience let accountants and fat-cat CEOs of Humana, Sutter and Kaiser-Permanente (just to name a few) make the decisions for my patients' health instead of me. Why did I go all those years to medical school and residency? To become an expert at what I did. Yet apparently, I should have been an insurance executive or a cop to practice medicine--because those are the people making the decisions about YOUR (and MY) healthcare! As a patient, I have also experienced the very examples I cited above--I know how it is. I also, during Medical School at the University Of Louisville (KY, USA) was privileged to be able to work for two months in a Family medicine clinic in Pozuelo, Spain. Pozuelo is a suburb of the capital, Madrid. I saw that no one had to pay, and no one was turned away. The doctors, we just ordered the correct treatments and it got done--pronto. I also found that the Spanish government was paying the equivalent of $9.00 (1990 figures) to the drug companies for Prozac (fluoxetine) for a patient's monthly prescription, while at that time the average cost in a US pharmacy (with "good" insurance) was $60.00 to the patient. I realized then, as a fourth-year medical student that something was extremely RIGHT in Denmark, but it stank like shit in the USA. I was embarrassed when my colleagues asked about our health-care delivery system's details. In fact, as part of my project there, I gave a 2-hour formal presentation, with slides, handouts, etc. to the staff and the Family Practice residents and med students about OUR system. The doctors and staff could not believe their ears! They were appalled. They asked me, "how does your country spend trillions of dollars on nuclear missiles, and even has three military bases IN SPAIN, and you don't have HEALTHCARE?!" Red-faced, this was a question I had no easy answer for. Finally, I mustered up an answer that led to 2 basic issues--1. Capitalism, that values money more than human life and happiness and 2. Greed, which with the Reagan/Bush era at that time, was publicly and officially a VIRTUE.

So, in my informed opinion, the ONLY answer to the crisis that Mr. Obama has inherited from the people who CAUSED IT (Bush, Reagan, Nixon, Bush etc) is a true National Public Healthcare that we fund via taxes, for OUR benefit. We are supposed to be granted "life, liberty and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS." In my book, free healthcare is ESSENTIAL to the latter.

We MUST force the President, and Congress, especially the Democratic majorities, to pass a real, true Public Healthcare Plan, administered by the government (which by the way would CREATE and support a LOT of jobs)!

Please join me and other outraged compassionate Americans in demanding what is our birthright as a human! Please add your voice, while your throat is still in good-enough condition to speak (seriously.) It is WAY OVERDUE and this is the opportunity to make this vital change. It is now or never.

Mr. Obama Keep Your Promise!

President Obama, during his campaign, promised to end the DEA/Federal Raids on Medical Cannabis dispensaries in California and other states where citizens have voted to legalize this form of medical treatment.

I, like many other proponents of cannabis and cannabic medicine, applauded that as a step in the right direction and a nod towards state's rights. I even, like Ethan Nadelmann of the Drug Policy Alliance, am cautiously optimistic about his appointee for "drug czar," Gil Kerlikowkse, whose first announcement as director of national drug policy was that "we must end the drug war."

Now, just a few months after his tenure began, it looks like the same old

"dog and pony show" once again....WTF?!!?!

That is, the busts of pot dispensaries have continued, with Federal approval. See the article from the L.A. Times below for more specifics.

We must demand that the President keep his promises and that the "drug czar" does also--end the drug war!

L.A. Now

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -- THIS JUST IN

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DEA, FBI, IRS raid two Westside pot dispensaries; officers shoot a pit bull

August 12, 2009 | 3:01 pm

Federal authorities and local police agencies today raided two Westside marijuana dispensaries as well as the residence of the owners.

The raids occurred at a facility on Washington Boulevard in Culver City and on Overland Avenue in Los Angeles. Authorities recovered undisclosed items and are continuing their investigation, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman. The names of the owners whose homes were searched were not immediately available.

During one of the raids, officers shot a dog believed to be a pit bull, but the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear, a law enforcement spokesman said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Torrance Police Department and Culver City Police Department took part in the raids.

Law enforcement agencies have been cracking down on pot dispensaries for some time, but officials did not immediately say what prompted these raids.

[Update] Officials said they reported 200 plants, 100 pounds of marijuana, $100,000 cash and made one arrest. The dog that was shot by authorities was treated by a vet and expected to make a full recovery.

-- Andrew Blankstein

22 nanometer microtubes likely to extend Moore's Law indefinitely

IBM Taps DNA Structures to Extend Moore's Law

Posted by Arthur Cole Aug 17, 2009 8:00:15 PM

It's an interesting development, even if it probably won't have any practical applications for a dozen years or more, if that.

I'm talking about IBM's recent breakthrough in what some are calling "DNA-based chip technology." The company, along with researchers at Caltech, have figured out a means to arrange DNA-like structures on lithographic templates that are compatible with existing semiconductor manufacturing technology. The development is potentially significant because it offers the possibility of using carbon nanotubes in processes of less than 22 nanometers, the level at which most experts agree that current designs cannot cross.

If the design can be emulated in a practical fabrication environment, there is the possibility that we could see the continuation of Moore's law -- the doubling of CPU transistors every 18 months -- indefinitely.

The researchers describe their DNA structures as "origami," and say they can be used to create tiny scaffoldings on which millions of carbon nanotube could self-assemble into what are essentially tiny circuit boards. And the fact that this can be done on surfaces that won't require a wholesale revamping of the chip fab industry means it is likely to find some very willing backers.

Not everyone is jumping for joy, however. Assuming that the process proves to be commercial viable, there will still be quite a long period without any major advances in processing power, according to TweakTown's Sean Kalinich. Leakage on current 40 nm processes have already proven to be so severe that ATI and NVidia find themselves with serious yield problems. At this rate, current designs will have hit the wall long before the IBM scheme comes to fruition.

There's also a double-edged sword at play here, said tech blogger and self-described "crackpot and crank" Louis Savain. While this would dovetail nicely with the trend toward "brain-like neural networks" consisting of large numbers of parallel processors, it does nothing to address the memory bandwidth crunch that results from too many cores vying for too few data busses. If you think things are bad for memory systems coping with several hundred cores, try a few thousand or a few million. The only way to solve that problem is to figure out a way to embed numerous processors directly into the memory substrate.

Despite these concerns, however, the simple truth is that success is rarely total -- that every advancement will inevitably lead to new challenges. That there is now a chance that the 22 nm barrier can be crossed using existing fab technology is an achievement to be welcomed. And if there are additional challenges down the road, well that's what the design community is all about.