Leave it to the Japanese to find another amazing use for the Internet. Watch bug fights online!

Watch this one: Wasp v. Grasshopper

Japanese Bug Fights! originally appeared on kyle's blog on April 12, 2008.

It happens at about 3:11.

I could get used to a nominee that thinks cable news is stupid.

Obama has a great line for Chris Wallace originally appeared on kyle's blog on April 4, 2008.

We arrived at Forsyth Technical College’s West Campus and waited in line to get in. Outside, someone was driving by in a car and a trailer. The trailer had a missile on it with “No More War” written on the side I believe. A school bus drove by a bit later and someone inside yelled “Obama!” As we waited, people came up and hawked their Hillary ’08 trinkets. Finally, the line started to move and people entered the building.

I expected there would be some security, but I didn’t imagine they would confiscate my keychain Leatherman. Even the TSA allows my Leatherman on flights now! The security guy saw the tool almost immediately and said I either had to give up the tool or go put it back in my car. Faced with the option of losing my tool or walking all the way back to the car and risk not being able to get back in, I gave up my tool. At this point I’m invested in seeing Hillary. She just cost me a Leatherman!

Once inside, walked past the stage and found a spot on the bleachers. A smattering of media were fenced off in the back. Local news anchors filed their reports while we waited for Hillary. 5:30 came and went. Some people went through the crowd and handed out campaign stickers and Hillary signs. Anyone who wanted a sign was able to get one. Especially if you were sitting beneath the flag like here:

It wasn’t until almost 7pm before Hillary appeared. When she finally showed, the crowd exploded.

After the applause died down, she gave a speech that lasted the better part of an hour. She did a survey the issues: the economy, the war, healthcare, educational issues, foreign policy. She pointed out one of the babies in the crowd. All the bullet points were hit.

The speech couldn’t sway my pro-Obama friend but it played well to the receptive crowd.

After the speech, Hillary did the routine of shaking hands, signing autographs, and taking pictures. Her assistant Huma Abedin made an appearance at this point. Yes, she is amazing in person.

Now if I can only make it to an Obama rally to have a point of comparison….

The only downside of all this? Now that I’ve tried using my Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens at more events, I’ve realized a wider aperture would be nice. Something like this Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8. That is going to be a problem…..

A Democratic Rally in Winston Salem? A Hillary one?? originally appeared on kyle's blog on March 29, 2008.

Can we say bracket buster? Holy shit! This is why March Madness is the best! Go Davidson!

Wow, Davidson Beats Georgetown! originally appeared on kyle's blog on March 23, 2008.

Also, fuck West Virginia.

Now THAT was an amazing game! originally appeared on kyle's blog on March 22, 2008.

How to Lose $7.2 Billion: A Trader’s Tale – WSJ.com

The unwinding of Kerviel’s $75 billion in bad bets may have caused the market downturn that week as well. The New York Times speculates on the broader market damage that may have resulted from these transactions.

Société Générale’s Sales May Have Incited Market Plunge – New York Times

How to lose $7.2 billion dollars originally appeared on kyle's blog on February 3, 2008.

Al Gore has made his sharpest attack yet on the George Bush presidency, describing the current US administration as “a renegade band of rightwing extremists”.

So sure, this might bring out more support for him running for the Presidency again.  But this next quote seems to diffuse that some:

..the former vice-president calls himself a “recovering politician”..

Who knows.  It would have been nice if we saw this Al Gore during the 2000 election.  Maybe that would have been enough to put him clearly over the top.  Maybe not.  It would have been nice to see him with this energy and enthusiasm regardless.

Whoever runs, I hope they have the energy and credibility they’ll need to rally the Democratic base.

It should be simple enough.  We just need a politician who has some semblance of a vision for the environment, isn’t corrupt, and has the charisma to inspire the nation for the things that need to happen in the very near term.

What things?
I’m talking about investing in social programs like a significantly better healthcare system.  Perhaps a national program would be the most efficient.  Evidence seems to suggest such a universal system would at least raise national health, as it seems to in the UK.

I’m talking about having an open discussion on how US foreign policy has changed.  This goes from discussing the trade-off between civil liberties and national security needs, the current war in Iraq, and the current sparing between the US and Iran.

I’m talking about investing to prepare in areas of technology where we may soon fall behind.  Things like alternative energy sources, theraputic cloning, and hover boards.

Yes hover boards.  Lots of them.   Like this one

Someone please come and try to pull this off.  Sure, all the money and power that comes from selling out is great, but just try.

So where were you in 2000? originally appeared on kyle's blog on May 30, 2006.