Broadcast Energy Transmitter

In a recent announcement, computer chip maker Intel presented a wireless energy transmitter that would eliminate the use of power cords for everyday electronic devices. Imagine placing your ipod or phone on your desk where it would charge up wirelessly! No more cords!

Hearing this news reminded me of a childhood classic of mine: G.I. Joe: The Movie. Perhaps the greatest animated movie of all time, Cobra-la and GI Joe struggled to control the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (BET). This machine provided wireless energy to anything in range of its beam.


We live in an amazing world! The impossible is now reality.

Trading Blows

Yesterday, both campaigns traded blows after a John McCain interview where he was unsure about how many homes he owned. The Obama campaign sprang into action and touted that McCain is "out of touch" with the American public because of his lavish lifestyle. You can watch the Obama ad here. A few short hours later, the McCain campaign responded with the ad below.


I personally think that it is a load of bologna. Both men are successful and enjoy privilaged lifestyles. For example, according to Obama's tax returns he earned over 4 million dollars last year alone! On the other hand, most of McCain's wealth comes from his wife Cindy and her family trust. In addition, McCain's homes are all listed under Cindy McCain's name and not her husband.

After a month of being pummeled by the McCain campaign, the Obama camp seized the opportunity to attack Sen. McCain. As Obama's poll numbers continue to plummet, it was a welcomed distraction to the campaign trail.

Speed Walking???

Can anyone provide a good reason why Speed Walking is an olympic sport??? Maybe in 2012, they can ask Mr. T to make things a little more interesting.

File Under: Bizarre

I often check the Drudge Report for breaking political news. Today, I stumbled upon two flat out weird stories.

Creepy Funeral in Puerto Rico

Meet Yoda the Cat

Crazy stuff!

Thoughts On the Civil Forum

On Saturday, I attended the Saddleback Civil Forum. It was an energizing evening and a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch both presidential candidates on the same stage. Rick Warren was the moderator and posed questions related to leadership, faith, worldview, and character. Each candidate was interviewed separately by Warren and the order was decided by a coin toss. Here is how I interpreted the responses from each candidate:

Obama

• Overall, Obama's performance was solid. He appeared comfortable talking about his faith in Jesus and his shortcomings in his early adult years. Compared to previous Democratic nominees Obama is attempting to break the mold. However, that might worry many secular-progressive democrats.
• Perhaps Obama's biggest mistake was his definition of human conception. He stated, "Its above my pay-grade." I felt that was a very weak response and will hurt him with the evangelical vote. This apparently a grey area for him...and he waffled on this question.
• Obama affirmed that marriage is between a man and a woman. 
• Obama's loose references to scripture citing "thinking of the least of these..." to give him the basis for his massive social agenda (socialized medicine, wealth redistribution).  However, I believe that is a distortion of scripture to apply concepts intended to the individual to the state.
• Biggest surprise: throwing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas under the bus. Clarence Thomas is the only african-american justice in the Supreme Court. 
• Biggest mistake: his definition of human life. 

McCain

• I felt that John McCain outperformed Senator Obama and provided a unmistakably clear contrast between the two.
• McCain's style was direct and unequivocal. 
• On abortion: human rights begin "at the moment of conception."
• On gay marriage: it is a sacred bond between a man and woman. 
• He took full advantage to discuss the conflict in Georgia, the need for offshore drilling, activist judges, national security, and the need to keep taxes low. 
• Often, McCain mentioned his time as a POW during the Vietnam War and how that experience shaped his faith and his character
• Biggest surprise: citing that the failure of his first marriage as his worst moral mistake
• Biggest mistake: his definition of "rich"

After watching the debate twice, I believe that McCain ruled the night. Speaking in front of a crowd that was more receptive to his ideas allowed him to settle in and showcase his personality. For someone who has not had the coziest relationship with the evangelical community, McCain took a giant step forward to strengthen the Republican base. Obama, on the other hand appeared uneasy on questions such as the Supreme Court and abortion. He was at times indirect and lacked definitiveness in his responses. 

With the 2008 campaign a statistical tie, both candidates will be engaged in a dogfight for every vote. Warren's vision to achieve civility may have been fulfilled for at least one night in the summer of '08. But I wonder if this forum will be remembered as the last moment where both candidates and the nation were one. 

The Premiership is Back!

It was a long summer but the English Premier League is back again! Last season, I decided to adopt Chelsea as my football club. Things are looking bright as they have added Portuguese national coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to steer the ship. The club also added Portuguese legend, Deco from Barcelona to the club. Perhaps the biggest deal was the resigning of Frank Lampard to the richest contract in premiership history. Earning 34 million pounds over five years, Lampard's weekly salary is roughly 130,000 GBP (about $243,000 USD). Read more about Lampard

Here's to another exciting season! Go Blues!

Saddleback Civil Forum Moments

Tonight, I had the opportunity to attend the Saddleback Civil Forum in Lake Forest, CA. I went with James and we had a great time. Special thanks to Ange for setting that up! I will post my reactions to McCain and Obama tomorrow but I wanted to jot down a few of the fun moments from this historical evening.

• The beach volleyball court at the "refinery" 
• The background vocalist who reminded James of Jason Bateman
• The legion of Secret Service personnel patrolling the Saddleback Campus. I saw them emerge from my friend Amy's area known as "the edge" after performing a security sweep. The agent gave the "thumbs up" signal and all was well.
• The gigantic drum kit cage in tent 3. 
• Complete audio outage during the Star Spangled Banner. 
• The whistling then singing of the national anthem by the group in tent three.
• James' and my feeble attempt to start the "U-S-A" chant after the anthem.
• Me educating the lady in front of us about the story of John McCain
• The armada of buses that took FOREVER to arrive after the event. 

All in all, it was a great afternoon and I was glad to be a part of this small sliver of the 2008 campaign. I will have more tomorrow...