Hilarious

So, I am supposed to be studying, but this was just too funny not to post. I swear to you this did not come to me via some stupid forwarded email, it is from a friend who goes to LSU Dental School in New Orleans. This cake was ordered for a dental student on her 27th birthday a few days ago. Her friends thought that it would be a clever touch to have a tooth drawn on the cake. Well, the rest of the story plays itself out in pixels. Enjoy.....

Why Cutting Weapons Programs Won’t Be Easy

By Ken Silverstein

Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s recent decision to cut big ticket weapons systems (even as he was increasing defense spending by four percent overall) was met with predictable howls of outrage from members of Congress. Those protests, needless to say, have nothing to do with concern about protecting the country– unless you’re dumb enough to believe that the Pentagon can build a workable missile defense system– and everything to do with protecting the defense companies who provide so much money to members of Congress.

Here’s an interesting small-scale example of how the system works, involving Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, and General Dynamics:

Step 1, April 23, 2008: General Dynamics makes a $4,000 contribution to Wasserman’s personal Leadership PAC, Democrats Win Seats (and it kicks in another $1,500 in early 2009).

Step 2, May 22, 2008: General Dynamics opens a small office in Wasserman’s district.

Step 3, September 20, 2008: General Dynamics makes a $5,000 PAC contribution to Wasserman.

Step 4, Wasserman announces her fiscal year 2010 appropriations requests, which includes $9.7 million for a General Dynamics project at the company’s new Florida office.

Multiply that process 535 times and you get a defense budget.

(via HARPER'S)

we live in a fake empire.

Where's Sousa?

Has one seen J.P. Sousa?- Not the ole chap who is opposed to the talking machines, but our good compadre in the confederacy of dunces? Every once in a while, I get a text message from him, but that is it. I understand that he has a real job and a polish girlfriend, but I have this terrible feeling that we have been neglected.

Where are you Joder? Come out come out wherever you are!

Please report any sightings to the blog

Ideas Worth Spreading

I apologize that my posts have been reduced to merely adding a link that I find interesting, but things are kicking into high gear. 23 days until my Obligations exam.
Anyway, it is worth your time to check out this website. It is a collection of hundreds of talks from the TED (Technology, entertainment, and Design) conference. http://www.ted.com/index.php/
I recommend the ones with Ueli Gegenschatz Michael Pollan and Saul Griffith
There are some really amazing ideas coming out of these talks. If we all peak around on it, we can make sure that we don't miss any of them.