Bird beats big bang with bit of baguette – The Age

Obviously what happened Thursday at Ft. Hood was a tragedy. Just as obviously, Sgt. Kimberly Munley who got shot while taking Hasan out is a hero. So are others who helped the wounded as the firing continued. So, flying the flag at half staff seems a reasonable tribute to the fallen and the heroes. But…

Why isn’t the flag flown at half mast for the soldiers killed or wounded daily in combat? Don’t they deserve the same tribute for their sacrifice? Aren’t their injuries and deaths just as tragic under their heroic circumstances? Or has the flow of coffins from overseas been too steady from unpopular wars for us to even bother with… them?

I do feel we should be honoring those who died, were wounded and took action under fire at Ft. Hood. I just wonder what it says that we don’t accord the same to the others.

RIO DE JANEIRO – A Brazilian bricklayer reportedly killed in a car crash shocked his mourning family by showing up alive at his funeral. Relatives of Ademir Jorge Goncalves, 59, had identified him as the victim of a Sunday night car crash in Parana state in southern Brazil, police said.

As is customary in Brazil, the funeral was held the following day, which happened to be the holiday of Finados, when Brazilians visit cemeteries to honor the dead. What family members didn’t know was that Goncalves had spent the night at a truck stop talking with friends over drinks of a sugarcane liquor known as cachaca, his niece Rosa Sampaio told the O Globo newspaper. He did not get word about his own funeral until it was already happening Monday morning.

A police spokesman in the town of Santo Antonio da Platina said Goncalves rushed to the funeral to let family members know he was not dead.

“The corpse was badly disfigured, but dressed in similar clothing,” said the police spokesman, who talked on condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to discuss the case. “People are afraid to look for very long when they identify bodies, and I think that is what happened in this case.” Sampaio told O Globo that some family members were not sure the body was Goncalves.

“My two uncles and I had doubts about the identification,” she told O Globo. “But an aunt and four of his friends identified the body, so what were we to do? We went ahead with the funeral.”

I’m gonna milk the Halloween thing for as long as possible.

Life of Muhammad to be filmed, but don’t expect to see him on screen – The Times Online

Walmarts nuclear blunder: Retailer mishandled radioactive exit signs — DailyFinance __ Radioactive signage. Cripes. What next?

Walmart isnt the only retailer getting targeted by the NRC for questionable disposal of tritium-based exit signs. Sixty other companies, including Home Depot HD, Northwest Airlines DAL and Bed, Bath and Beyond BBBY are also facing investigation. And, lest it appear that the government is unfairly targeting commercial and industrial groups, its worth noting that NASA, West Point, the U.S. Postal Service and dozens of other government-owned and administered facilities are also facing investigation by the NRC.

Found by Geoffry Houze.

#145 No Agenda For Thursday November 5th 2009

The WOCU Show

Taking the green thing too far

Never realized there were electric bikes until I stumbled across something that mentioned the Federal tax credit for them. Which led me to the Zero Motorcycle Company. Apparently, they are ultra quiet, like a Prius. I wonder if Al Gore rides one. Have any of you?

The Zero S is a high performance supermoto motorcycle that is revolutionary because it is fully electric. Imagine instant torque and power from a standstill. Imagine smooth acceleration as you race out of turns. Then, imagine never needing to stop at the gas station.

Developed to aggressively take on urban environments and encourage the occasional detour, the Zero S integrates revolutionary technology with innovative motorcycle design. Using Zero Motorcycles’ proprietary Z-Force power pack and aircraft grade alloy frame, the Zero S features an industry leading power-to-weight ratio that increases its range and maneuverability.

Instant acceleration and a lightweight design enable the Zero S to take on any city street, hill or obstacle. Whether accelerating onto the highway or out of the turns, the Zero S is designed for performance.