Greg In The Desert

• Intel: Antitrust fine violated human rights – New Mexico Business Weekly: – Intel is appealing the record-setting antitrust fine that the European Union levied in May, saying that the fine violated the company's human rights, the Wall Street Journal reports. The exact arguments aren't known yet, but Intel and other companies who are arguing that the fines violate human rights, base their cases on the fact that a political bureaucrat, and not a judge, levy the fines. The bureaucrat is antitrust commissioner Neelie Kroes of the Netherlands.
• The Truth Behind Secret Recipes in Coke, KFC, Etc. | LiveScience – In his book "Big Secrets," William Poundstone revealed a laboratory analysis of Kentucky Fried Chicken: "The sample of coating mix was found to contain four and only four ingredients: flour, salt, monosodium glutamate, and black pepper. There were no eleven herbs and spices — no herbs at all in fact… Nothing was found in the sample that couldn't be identified." So much for the "secret." In fact, the chicken's ingredient statement is available on KFC's Web site.
• Annual New Mexico Photographers Art Show – Mission: The Annual New Mexico Photographic Art Show was created in order to provide an opportunity for the photographers of New Mexico to share, display and sell their images in a premier gallery setting that showcases local artists. The goal in this undertaking is to encourage statewide support of photographic artists and the activities and education of photography. ANMPAS will promote events that will feature the best photographic images from the best New Mexico photographers.

  Who is Eligible: The show is open to all photographers who are currently residents of the State of New Mexico.

• Experiments show ‘artificial gravity’ can prevent muscle loss in space | Science Blog – Now, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have conducted the first human experiments using a device intended to counteract this effect ? a NASA centrifuge that spins a test subject with his or her feet outward 30 times a minute, creating an effect similar to standing against a force two and half times that of gravity. Working with volunteers kept in bed for three weeks to simulate zero-gravity conditions, they found that just one hour a day on the centrifuge was sufficient to restore muscle synthesis.
• Gilbert man stung by scorpion on plane – A Gilbert man was stung by a venomous scorpion stowed away in his carry-on luggage on an Indianapolis-bound Southwest Airline flight. The toxic Arizona bark scorpion and five babies were killed after Flight 2093 from Phoenix landed at Indianapolis International Airport at 12:10 a.m. Sunday, Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said.
• Company Denies its Robots Feed on the Dead | Danger Room | Wired.com – “We completely understand the public’s concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,” stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO. “We are focused on demonstrating that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter. The commercial applications alone for this earth-friendly energy solution are enormous.”
• Teenager wings it with a fake airline – Times Online – A TEENAGE boy from Yorkshire succeeded in persuading British aviation executives that he was a tycoon about to launch his own airline. Using the pseudonym Adam Tait, the smooth-talking 17-year-old told airport and airline executives that he had a fleet of jets. Tait, who said he was in his twenties, even flew to Jersey to attend a 1½-hour long meeting with the director of its airport. Their talks were considered promising enough for a further meeting to be arranged, which was due to be held next week.
• Intel PAC showing no love for former employee, Barela? – It's nice to be incumbent when coming up to an election (Nevada governor Jim Gibbons and Senator John Ensign notwithstanding), and campaign finance reports tend to show that. For example, Congressman Martin Heinrich received $6,000 from Intel's political action committee — the same company that employed Barela. The Associated Press points out, "Intel Corp.'s PAC contributed $6,000. The company is a major employer in the Albuquerque area."
• New SunCatcher™ power system unveiled at National Solar Thermal Test Facility – July 7, 2009 – ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Stirling Energy Systems (SES) and Tessera Solar recently unveiled four newly designed solar power collection dishes at Sandia National Laboratories’ National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF). Called SunCatchers™, the new dishes have a refined design that will be used in commercial-scale deployments of the units beginning in 2010.
• www.KOB.com – APD says it’s swamped with robberies – Albuquerque police say they’re swamped with robbery cases, even though robbery cases overall are down.

I actually saw snow this evening at my house, though it could barely be called snow. None the less I am calling it snow. It was very very light, but they were flakes. It just left the cement a little wet. It was pretty darned cold out, about 20 degrees less than the normals for this time of year. So much for global warming.

I chose to contribute to the green house effect by running a fire in the fireplace for most of the evening.

Another snow storm has come through today and it’s coming down good. I had to drive in it this morning and are reminded why I bought four wheel drive. Of course, four wheel drive does give more control, it does not have keep you from stopping. Even with the four wheel drive I was slipping and sliding around.

I’m staying home for the rest of the day.

[Update 12/29/06 10:07 PM] I can’t believe it, its still snowing! Its been snowing non stop all day, I’ve got about 6 inches of the white stuff on my driveway. A freind called an said he was stuck in Las Vegas when his plane was diverted, earliest he will be here will be sunday.

[Update 12/30/06 12:18 AM] Apparently this is the most snow thats fallen at once in the Albuquerque area. It’s still snowing and has been since yesterday morning. Were looking at another 12-18 hours.

Election officials in Santa Fe, Taos and elsewhere in Northern New Mexico are fielding complaints from early voters who are upset they can’t cast a ballot in the caustic congressional race between Heather Wilson and Patricia Madrid.Residents of those areas must endure televised attack advertisements aired by the candidates on Albuquerque stations, but the 1st Congressional District where Wilson faces Madrid is limited to the Albuquerque area, Torrance County and parts of Sandoval and Valencia counties.”We’ve had hundreds of calls from people who’ve completely forgotten about Tom Udall,” said Denise Lamb, head of the Santa Fe County Bureau of Elections.

Funny stuff.

Power consumption across the U.S. and parts of Canada soared with scorching temperatures to new record highs on Monday, but blackouts were unlikely unless there were major equipment failures, said the industry group that oversees transmission.By mid-afternoon, power demand in the Midwest region and Texas exceeded 2005 records and continued to climb.

It was pretty warm in the Albuquerque area today, unfortunately it was not a dry heat. My swamp cooler wasn’t that effective, still doesn’t use as much power as a regular A/C.

The fact that I’m posting this means it’s not me. Some jerk in New Mexico apparently won the Powerball. My friend, who has been playing this with me for about a year or more, will be pissed. As am I.

ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico Lottery officials have announced that Wednesday night’s $93.4 million winning Powerball ticket was sold at a retailer in the metropolitan Albuquerque area. Additional information about the retailer is not being released at this time.

For subscribers of DirecTV in the Albuquerque area (and perhaps elsewhere) local channels are out. Would it be too much to ask to put their outage information on their website? I had to call the 1800 number and all it said were the locals were out, no status or anything.

Actually they have been pretty reliable, this is the first real outage I can think of them ever having. Still, I pay them a lot of money every month so there should be no outages. At the very least the could give me more info on when it’s coming back.