Here's a few photos, courtesy of General Dynamics.
That's 137 m (450 ft) long
A little profile view
Can I drive...???
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The one that's littoral
My awesome cuz told me about this awesome video today. Meet your tax dollars at work (as opposed to paying for illegal aliens' health care, the welfare system, or state lawyers getting paid to commute TO work)...
Here's a few photos, courtesy of General Dynamics.
That's 137 m (450 ft) long
A little profile view
Can I drive...???
Here's a few photos, courtesy of General Dynamics.
That's 137 m (450 ft) longA little profile viewCan I drive...???
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
The one on a battle ship (OK, technically a destroyer)
Christina and I toured the USS Gridley, one of the latest and greatest destroyers in our Naval fleet. The Navy brought her into Seal Beach for a brief publicity stunt, and I was all about it. Thanks to my wife for finding out about it! The Gridley was christened in February of '06... not that long ago. It employs the latest in ship stealth technology, and touts an incredible arsenal of missiles. Here's an abridged version of our tour...
Hard to believe, I know, that our majestic flag is still allowed to fly free in this state...
From the dock, identifying her namesake and sporting that massive artillery.
An M777 Howitzer, with it's Oshkosh Truck towing truck.
It was a looooooooooong line - free admission. Cool. Finally, got something for my tax dollars...
This jolly veteran was very enthused to talk a little shop with the soldiers on staff. He really wanted to try out that AR-15... In all seriousness, thanks to all you veterans and active duty soldiers out there. We are blessed by your sacrifices, and I pray that God blesses you and your families!
Front ISO view...
Rear ISO view...
Aforementioned missiles shoot out of these doors. The sailors were trying to get all the kids to jump on on the doors and put their hands up as if they were missiles shooting out. It was cute, but also a bit creepy. The reality of the ships abilities started to set in.
Ever wonder what a modern sailor is packin'?
Don't look up... yup there were more on the upper deck.
I couldn't NOT take this photo op... it's very empowering, isn't it?
Gotta' end with the shot of the "newly weds" enjoying an afternoon in the sun.
Hard to believe, I know, that our majestic flag is still allowed to fly free in this state...
From the dock, identifying her namesake and sporting that massive artillery.
An M777 Howitzer, with it's Oshkosh Truck towing truck.
It was a looooooooooong line - free admission. Cool. Finally, got something for my tax dollars...
This jolly veteran was very enthused to talk a little shop with the soldiers on staff. He really wanted to try out that AR-15... In all seriousness, thanks to all you veterans and active duty soldiers out there. We are blessed by your sacrifices, and I pray that God blesses you and your families!
Front ISO view...
Rear ISO view...
Aforementioned missiles shoot out of these doors. The sailors were trying to get all the kids to jump on on the doors and put their hands up as if they were missiles shooting out. It was cute, but also a bit creepy. The reality of the ships abilities started to set in.
Ever wonder what a modern sailor is packin'?
Don't look up... yup there were more on the upper deck.
I couldn't NOT take this photo op... it's very empowering, isn't it?
Gotta' end with the shot of the "newly weds" enjoying an afternoon in the sun.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The one with wrong conclusions
Don't you just love it when someone "reputable" does a "formal" study, and documents it? And then ignorant (no judgments, perhaps even well-intentioned!) people with much power (a loud voice, fancy column, their own TV show, celebrity status, etc...) proclaim the study as the real deal... the cats pajamas... sheer genius... mind-blowing... something worthy of thoughtful consideration in all following discussions on the subject?!?
Well, it drives me nuts.
Many of you are probably wondering, "Is he talking about the latest 'global warming evidence'?" "Or, Pelosi's brainwashed analysts that proclaim the 'accurate' costs of Obamacare?" "Or perhaps relying on one of those folks on Mythbusters as the be-all, end-all of doers of scientific methods determining the ultimate legitimacy of any experiment?"
In some cases, yes. But, in this case, no.
Today, I'm going to take you into the world of an audiophile. Yes, even when it comes to geeks that tweak speakers for fun, things can get very political. On that note, to keep it fun, here are a few shots from some of the speaker geek gatherings over the years...
Friend & host of DIY Iowa 2003, Jim Holtz
A group of guys talking shop after lunch at DIY Iowa 2004
The guys scoping out their "competition" at DIY Iowa 2007
One of the cool things about audio equipment is that perception is everything. And with the surreal complexity of our ears, it's signal processor (our brain), and the issue of subjectivity, everybody has their very own opinion of what is "good" and "bad."
The real subject at hand here is an article I discovered the other day. Since my comments are still being "reviewed" before submittal on the page (I was just a "guest" posting), I'm going to have to post my comments elsewhere so I make sure that the world can know what is wrong with this picture.
The article covers a study that was published in an AES paper, entitled "Audibility of a CD-Standard A/D/A Loop Inserted Into High-Resolution Audio Playback." In short, they were hypothesising and experimenting to find out why the "high resolution" formats (see SACD and DVD-Audio) that have been released in the last few years have not been successful in the mainstream commercial music world.
In essence, they decided to do a double blind test to compare SACD to Redbook CD (your standard CD - 16 bits of resolution, 44.1kHz sampling rate). SACD uses a Delta-Sigma DSP scheme that equates to 1 bit of resoultion at a very high sampling rate (roughly 2.8MHz). In DSP theory, when you digitize something you end up with the "signal" and "noise." And basically, with Delta-Sigma processing, the recovered quantization noise becomes the "signal."
Nowadays, just about all CD players use Delta-Sigma processing to "recover" the 16 bit signal on your CD's into an analog signal. Remember like 10 years ago when you'd go to buy a CD player and you'd commonly see a fancy thing on the spec sheet that said "8x Oversampling" or "16x Oversampling"? Yeah, all that means is that it uses Delta-Sigma processing - for it to work well, it has to be a very high sampling rate. Quite frankly, it's just a much more economical way to make a D/A converter. The traditional D/A conversion process using R2R resistor ladder technique gets very complicated when you require 65,000+ resistors that are EXACTLY the same resistance with a switch in front of each and every one. There are a few very expensive R2R type DACs still on the market today (such as the AD1866), but they are very rare and used in only the best of the best of equipment. That said, some of the best audio DACs in the world are Delta-Sigma type, such as the CS4396.
For the sake of comparison:
8x oversampling Delta-Sigma D/A converter for CD players sampling rate: 352.8 kHz
SACD sampling rate: 2,822.4 kHz
OK - I've lost most of you. But, that's OK.
And then there's PCM - Pulse Code Modulation, which is the method that CD's use for data storage.
So, some folks decided that they wanted to make a format better than CD's. Instead of 16 bits @ 44.1kHz, they created a format of 24 bits @ 192kHz. "Is there really that big of a difference between 16 bits and 24 bits?" Yes.
Imagine sheets of paper. If you took 65,536 sheets, representing the decimal number of 2^16 power, you'd have a stack of paper about 22' tall. Now, if you took enough sheets to make 24 bits worth of slices, you would have a stack over 1 MILE high! (2^24 is 16,777,216) That's A LOT of paper.
But, of course, with resolution the signal that's being converted doesn't change - the number of possibilities that analog signal can be divided into is just increased with a "higher resolution" signal. Its like the difference between watching a DVD (480 vertical lines) and HDTV (1080 vertical lines) broadcast on your screen. The size of your TV doesn't change, but you get a much better picture with more resolution.
For the sake of comparison, resolution of:
Standard CD (16 bit): a stack of paper 22 feet tall
DVD-Audio (24 bit): a stack of paper over 1 mile high
For the sake of comparison, sampling rate of:
Standard CD: 44.1 kHz
DVD-Audio: 192 kHz
Basically, for each time a CD takes a data sample, DVD-Audio takes 4 (roughly speaking).
So, between the huge resolution increase (8 more bits) and taking more than 4 times the amount of data samples, DVD-Audio is clearly (on paper) a better representation of the original analog signal.
Now, let's look at DSD. What is DSD? Direct Stream Digital. Basically, this is the hype with SACD. SACD uses DSD format as CDs and DVD-Audio use PCM format. With DSDS, an analog source from the recording studio is sent into a DSD encoder. This takes the analog signal and performs the aforementioned Delta-Sigma 1 bit sampling process @ ~2.8MHz. This signal is then captured digitally and stored as 1 bit data words (as opposed to PCM that has 16 bit data words). While taking a PCM signal and performing a digital to analog conversion of that through Delta-Sigma processing works quite well (as noted earlier), DSD is the first time that Delta-Sigma has been used through A/D and D/A realms.
And now, back to the article and subject matter.
The gripe I have is the way in which the test was performed. They took a DSD source from an SACD and played it on an SACD player. They then took the analog recovered output from the SACD player and put it into an HHB CD recorder. The recorder contains PCM 16-bit 44.1kHz A/D converters to be able to burn the analog input onto a CD and subsequent 16-bit 44.1kHz D/A converters sending the analog output.
There are several problems with this:
1) The HHB CD player uses "average" D/A and A/D converters.
2) The HHB CD player uses sub-par NJR (New Japan Radio) opamps in the input and output analog signal paths, which are the absolute bottom barrel garbage. So bad, in fact, they are notably worse than the NJM4580 model used in a competitive product (noted here). As a geek that makes a part-time living upgrading "top of the line" DVD and CD players, quite frankly, these types of opamps plague the "audiophile" market and destroy much of the wonders of what the fancy digital electronics produce for us. That's another rant for another day...
3) The ultimate error - they have self-righteously proclaimed that the SACD (DSD) format is superior to PCM in the way that they set up the experiment. The have a DSD source that they decode and then encode the SACD analog output into PCM through the CD burner. To have done this properly, they should have taken an analog source (either from old "analog masters" or from a new live studio master mix) and then split that into a DSD encoder and a PCM encoder. Then, they can compare the DSD "high resolution" to PCM 16 bit. This way, both formats have the same master input, rather than a series path of master mix to DSD digital to analog to PCM digital to analog.
For an analogy that an everyday person can relate to, this is what they did.
The object is to see if people can tell the difference between AM and FM radio signals.
The signal is taken from the output of a CD player; the master source.
From here it is put into an AM modulator, transmitted across the room, and then demodulated. The output of the recovered AM signal is then put into an FM modulator and broadcast across the room again. The FM gets demodulated in another radio receiver. The A and B comparison is between the output of the recovered AM signal and the output of the recovered FM signal.
And here inlies the error. The FM signal was created from the AM signal.
The correct method would have been to send the output of the CD player to both the AM and FM modulators and then compare the outputs of the recovered AM and FM outputs on the other side of the room.
Do you now see the ridiculousness that they tried to pull off?!?!
4) Because the listeners statistically didn't do very well in determining the difference of the two test parameters, they erroneously (and arrogantly) come to the false conclusion that people can't tell the difference between "Redbook CD" and "high resolution audio." The fallacy here is that they're assuming that because they can't tell the difference between SACD and SACD converted into Redbook standard PCM, that they also wouldn't be able to tell the difference between SACD and DVD-Audio (high resolution PCM). That really grinds my gears!
In fact, I think that this study actually proves that SACD is equal to or worse than Redbook standard PCM. Why? Because they put "high resoultion SACD signal" and converted that into Redbook PCM and people couldn't tell the difference. That means, that Redbook PCM didn't do much to "damage" or reduce the perceived quality of the signal. To make an even worse case for SACD, they didn't even use "high quality" D/A and A/D converters or opamps in the chosen CD burner (PCM converter) they tested with.
This confirms what my two respected and well-referenced friends' and my ears have told us for years... Don't get me wrong, there are "good" and "bad" SACDs. There are "good" and "bad" Redbook CDs. There are "good" and "bad" DVD-Audios. It all comes down to the mix and how it was mastered. DVD-Audios that are created from upconverted Redbook CD PCM masters obviously don' t sound much different than the Redbook CD. But DVD-Audios created from the original analog masters of old recordings can be flat-out phenomenol (if the mix was good in the first place).
Well, you may have guessed through various subtleties that I believe that SACD isn't a good format. That's not true - it's just not as good as DVD-Audio. In some ways, I beleive it's better than Redbook CD, but the destruction of the last couple upper octaves gives it away every time. For that reason, I would prefer a well-mixed and recorded Redbook CD over the same SACD of the album. You can just trust me - a well produced DVD-Audio is the best quality audio media you'll get (of a produced album).
The end.
Well, it drives me nuts.
Many of you are probably wondering, "Is he talking about the latest 'global warming evidence'?" "Or, Pelosi's brainwashed analysts that proclaim the 'accurate' costs of Obamacare?" "Or perhaps relying on one of those folks on Mythbusters as the be-all, end-all of doers of scientific methods determining the ultimate legitimacy of any experiment?"
In some cases, yes. But, in this case, no.
Today, I'm going to take you into the world of an audiophile. Yes, even when it comes to geeks that tweak speakers for fun, things can get very political. On that note, to keep it fun, here are a few shots from some of the speaker geek gatherings over the years...
Friend & host of DIY Iowa 2003, Jim Holtz
A group of guys talking shop after lunch at DIY Iowa 2004
The guys scoping out their "competition" at DIY Iowa 2007One of the cool things about audio equipment is that perception is everything. And with the surreal complexity of our ears, it's signal processor (our brain), and the issue of subjectivity, everybody has their very own opinion of what is "good" and "bad."
The real subject at hand here is an article I discovered the other day. Since my comments are still being "reviewed" before submittal on the page (I was just a "guest" posting), I'm going to have to post my comments elsewhere so I make sure that the world can know what is wrong with this picture.
The article covers a study that was published in an AES paper, entitled "Audibility of a CD-Standard A/D/A Loop Inserted Into High-Resolution Audio Playback." In short, they were hypothesising and experimenting to find out why the "high resolution" formats (see SACD and DVD-Audio) that have been released in the last few years have not been successful in the mainstream commercial music world.
In essence, they decided to do a double blind test to compare SACD to Redbook CD (your standard CD - 16 bits of resolution, 44.1kHz sampling rate). SACD uses a Delta-Sigma DSP scheme that equates to 1 bit of resoultion at a very high sampling rate (roughly 2.8MHz). In DSP theory, when you digitize something you end up with the "signal" and "noise." And basically, with Delta-Sigma processing, the recovered quantization noise becomes the "signal."
Nowadays, just about all CD players use Delta-Sigma processing to "recover" the 16 bit signal on your CD's into an analog signal. Remember like 10 years ago when you'd go to buy a CD player and you'd commonly see a fancy thing on the spec sheet that said "8x Oversampling" or "16x Oversampling"? Yeah, all that means is that it uses Delta-Sigma processing - for it to work well, it has to be a very high sampling rate. Quite frankly, it's just a much more economical way to make a D/A converter. The traditional D/A conversion process using R2R resistor ladder technique gets very complicated when you require 65,000+ resistors that are EXACTLY the same resistance with a switch in front of each and every one. There are a few very expensive R2R type DACs still on the market today (such as the AD1866), but they are very rare and used in only the best of the best of equipment. That said, some of the best audio DACs in the world are Delta-Sigma type, such as the CS4396.
For the sake of comparison:
8x oversampling Delta-Sigma D/A converter for CD players sampling rate: 352.8 kHz
SACD sampling rate: 2,822.4 kHz
OK - I've lost most of you. But, that's OK.
And then there's PCM - Pulse Code Modulation, which is the method that CD's use for data storage.
So, some folks decided that they wanted to make a format better than CD's. Instead of 16 bits @ 44.1kHz, they created a format of 24 bits @ 192kHz. "Is there really that big of a difference between 16 bits and 24 bits?" Yes.
Imagine sheets of paper. If you took 65,536 sheets, representing the decimal number of 2^16 power, you'd have a stack of paper about 22' tall. Now, if you took enough sheets to make 24 bits worth of slices, you would have a stack over 1 MILE high! (2^24 is 16,777,216) That's A LOT of paper.
But, of course, with resolution the signal that's being converted doesn't change - the number of possibilities that analog signal can be divided into is just increased with a "higher resolution" signal. Its like the difference between watching a DVD (480 vertical lines) and HDTV (1080 vertical lines) broadcast on your screen. The size of your TV doesn't change, but you get a much better picture with more resolution.
For the sake of comparison, resolution of:
Standard CD (16 bit): a stack of paper 22 feet tall
DVD-Audio (24 bit): a stack of paper over 1 mile high
For the sake of comparison, sampling rate of:
Standard CD: 44.1 kHz
DVD-Audio: 192 kHz
Basically, for each time a CD takes a data sample, DVD-Audio takes 4 (roughly speaking).
So, between the huge resolution increase (8 more bits) and taking more than 4 times the amount of data samples, DVD-Audio is clearly (on paper) a better representation of the original analog signal.
Now, let's look at DSD. What is DSD? Direct Stream Digital. Basically, this is the hype with SACD. SACD uses DSD format as CDs and DVD-Audio use PCM format. With DSDS, an analog source from the recording studio is sent into a DSD encoder. This takes the analog signal and performs the aforementioned Delta-Sigma 1 bit sampling process @ ~2.8MHz. This signal is then captured digitally and stored as 1 bit data words (as opposed to PCM that has 16 bit data words). While taking a PCM signal and performing a digital to analog conversion of that through Delta-Sigma processing works quite well (as noted earlier), DSD is the first time that Delta-Sigma has been used through A/D and D/A realms.
And now, back to the article and subject matter.
The gripe I have is the way in which the test was performed. They took a DSD source from an SACD and played it on an SACD player. They then took the analog recovered output from the SACD player and put it into an HHB CD recorder. The recorder contains PCM 16-bit 44.1kHz A/D converters to be able to burn the analog input onto a CD and subsequent 16-bit 44.1kHz D/A converters sending the analog output.
There are several problems with this:
1) The HHB CD player uses "average" D/A and A/D converters.
2) The HHB CD player uses sub-par NJR (New Japan Radio) opamps in the input and output analog signal paths, which are the absolute bottom barrel garbage. So bad, in fact, they are notably worse than the NJM4580 model used in a competitive product (noted here). As a geek that makes a part-time living upgrading "top of the line" DVD and CD players, quite frankly, these types of opamps plague the "audiophile" market and destroy much of the wonders of what the fancy digital electronics produce for us. That's another rant for another day...
3) The ultimate error - they have self-righteously proclaimed that the SACD (DSD) format is superior to PCM in the way that they set up the experiment. The have a DSD source that they decode and then encode the SACD analog output into PCM through the CD burner. To have done this properly, they should have taken an analog source (either from old "analog masters" or from a new live studio master mix) and then split that into a DSD encoder and a PCM encoder. Then, they can compare the DSD "high resolution" to PCM 16 bit. This way, both formats have the same master input, rather than a series path of master mix to DSD digital to analog to PCM digital to analog.
For an analogy that an everyday person can relate to, this is what they did.
The object is to see if people can tell the difference between AM and FM radio signals.
The signal is taken from the output of a CD player; the master source.
From here it is put into an AM modulator, transmitted across the room, and then demodulated. The output of the recovered AM signal is then put into an FM modulator and broadcast across the room again. The FM gets demodulated in another radio receiver. The A and B comparison is between the output of the recovered AM signal and the output of the recovered FM signal.
And here inlies the error. The FM signal was created from the AM signal.
The correct method would have been to send the output of the CD player to both the AM and FM modulators and then compare the outputs of the recovered AM and FM outputs on the other side of the room.
Do you now see the ridiculousness that they tried to pull off?!?!
4) Because the listeners statistically didn't do very well in determining the difference of the two test parameters, they erroneously (and arrogantly) come to the false conclusion that people can't tell the difference between "Redbook CD" and "high resolution audio." The fallacy here is that they're assuming that because they can't tell the difference between SACD and SACD converted into Redbook standard PCM, that they also wouldn't be able to tell the difference between SACD and DVD-Audio (high resolution PCM). That really grinds my gears!
In fact, I think that this study actually proves that SACD is equal to or worse than Redbook standard PCM. Why? Because they put "high resoultion SACD signal" and converted that into Redbook PCM and people couldn't tell the difference. That means, that Redbook PCM didn't do much to "damage" or reduce the perceived quality of the signal. To make an even worse case for SACD, they didn't even use "high quality" D/A and A/D converters or opamps in the chosen CD burner (PCM converter) they tested with.
This confirms what my two respected and well-referenced friends' and my ears have told us for years... Don't get me wrong, there are "good" and "bad" SACDs. There are "good" and "bad" Redbook CDs. There are "good" and "bad" DVD-Audios. It all comes down to the mix and how it was mastered. DVD-Audios that are created from upconverted Redbook CD PCM masters obviously don' t sound much different than the Redbook CD. But DVD-Audios created from the original analog masters of old recordings can be flat-out phenomenol (if the mix was good in the first place).
Well, you may have guessed through various subtleties that I believe that SACD isn't a good format. That's not true - it's just not as good as DVD-Audio. In some ways, I beleive it's better than Redbook CD, but the destruction of the last couple upper octaves gives it away every time. For that reason, I would prefer a well-mixed and recorded Redbook CD over the same SACD of the album. You can just trust me - a well produced DVD-Audio is the best quality audio media you'll get (of a produced album).
The end.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The one where it took me almost a year
Well, I did it - barely. A day short of a year from the last post. To my loyal followers, I apologize. To my loyal antagonists, consider it grace.
Much of the cause of this delay has been due to the declining state of our great nation; a nation created to be under the covering of God, designed to operate in conjunction with the Ten Commandments and God's plan for His children. As I see our nation's righteous freedoms and liberties continue to be stripped away, it grows difficult to even bother commenting. And at the same time, it's difficult to avoid it as it is always on my mind.
That said (heavy start), not everything I have to share is profoundly deep nor life-changing; just look at the Heineken commercial I posted... last year. Rest assured, fun and amusing tidbits are sure to find their way into my fingers as a type.
Speaking of which, I am watching parts of Short Circuit 2 as I type.
This iconic picture of Number 5 just screams, "More Input!" While many disagree with my sentiments, the Short Circuit 2 is clearly a superior movie to its predecessor. And as big of a fan as I am, I don't think anyone can compare to this guy...
To segue into some amusing statistics, here are the results from a CBS poll after I submitted my votes on Obama's first year in office. Granted, this is from back in January - but, I still thought it disgustingly amusing.
The Economy
Foreign Policy
Health Care
Afghanistan
Iraq
Threat of Terrorism
Energy and the Environment
Social Issues
Bipartisanship
Obama's Overall Job as President
In short, that summarizes to less than 14% of America giving him a "passing grade" (C).
In stark contrast, here is a a clip from a speech in which Allen West (retired Lieutenant Colonel and Commander in Iraq) offers his direct and accurate assertions of the current state of terrorism and Islam and its effects on America. If you haven't seen this, you need to!
And here he is again speaking on the ideals of America... fabulous stuff.
Despite our recent transition out to California, I'm still a Wisconsinite at heart. Thank goodness Mark Neumann has been caught in the act. With respect to the governor's race back home, a great blogger posted a column in the paper that packs a great punch, summarizing some of Feingold's upcoming competition. Stay informed!
And in a final effort to encourage your return, here's a little fun to sign off. We traveled the great journey of 14 miles to Anaheim, CA... yes, we went to Disneyland!
Here is a very excited wife, ready to cash in on her birthday present!
Of course, gotta' get the castle shot.
And what visit to Disneyland would be complete without meeting Mickey!?!?!
Much of the cause of this delay has been due to the declining state of our great nation; a nation created to be under the covering of God, designed to operate in conjunction with the Ten Commandments and God's plan for His children. As I see our nation's righteous freedoms and liberties continue to be stripped away, it grows difficult to even bother commenting. And at the same time, it's difficult to avoid it as it is always on my mind.
That said (heavy start), not everything I have to share is profoundly deep nor life-changing; just look at the Heineken commercial I posted... last year. Rest assured, fun and amusing tidbits are sure to find their way into my fingers as a type.
Speaking of which, I am watching parts of Short Circuit 2 as I type.
This iconic picture of Number 5 just screams, "More Input!" While many disagree with my sentiments, the Short Circuit 2 is clearly a superior movie to its predecessor. And as big of a fan as I am, I don't think anyone can compare to this guy...To segue into some amusing statistics, here are the results from a CBS poll after I submitted my votes on Obama's first year in office. Granted, this is from back in January - but, I still thought it disgustingly amusing.
The Economy
A:
4.77%
4.77%B:
4.56%
4.56%C:
5.27%
5.27%D:
17.80%
17.80%F:
67.60%
67.60%Foreign Policy
A:
6.80%
6.80%B:
4.19%
4.19%C:
7.67%
7.67%D:
21.66%
21.66%F:
59.68%
59.68%Health Care
A:
7.14%
7.14%B:
3.01%
3.01%C:
2.87%
2.87%D:
8.31%
8.31%F:
78.67%
78.67%Afghanistan
A:
5.67%
5.67%B:
13.60%
13.60%C:
25.96%
25.96%D:
22.84%
22.84%F:
31.93%
31.93%Iraq
A:
5.79%
5.79%B:
10.08%
10.08%C:
24.39%
24.39%D:
23.77%
23.77%F:
35.96%
35.96%Threat of Terrorism
A:
6.63%
6.63%B:
4.92%
4.92%C:
9.74%
9.74%D:
21.19%
21.19%F:
57.52%
57.52%Energy and the Environment
A:
5.66%
5.66%B:
5.56%
5.56%C:
12.70%
12.70%D:
21.03%
21.03%F:
55.04%
55.04%Social Issues
A:
6.71%
6.71%B:
4.69%
4.69%C:
10.82%
10.82%D:
18.95%
18.95%F:
58.84%
58.84%Bipartisanship
A:
6.60%
6.60%B:
3.12%
3.12%C:
4.00%
4.00%D:
8.08%
8.08%F:
78.20%
78.20%Obama's Overall Job as President
A:
6.28%
6.28%B:
4.03%
4.03%C:
3.69%
3.69%D:
22.25%
22.25%F:
63.76%
63.76%In short, that summarizes to less than 14% of America giving him a "passing grade" (C).
In stark contrast, here is a a clip from a speech in which Allen West (retired Lieutenant Colonel and Commander in Iraq) offers his direct and accurate assertions of the current state of terrorism and Islam and its effects on America. If you haven't seen this, you need to!
And here he is again speaking on the ideals of America... fabulous stuff.
Despite our recent transition out to California, I'm still a Wisconsinite at heart. Thank goodness Mark Neumann has been caught in the act. With respect to the governor's race back home, a great blogger posted a column in the paper that packs a great punch, summarizing some of Feingold's upcoming competition. Stay informed!
And in a final effort to encourage your return, here's a little fun to sign off. We traveled the great journey of 14 miles to Anaheim, CA... yes, we went to Disneyland!
Here is a very excited wife, ready to cash in on her birthday present!
Of course, gotta' get the castle shot.
And what visit to Disneyland would be complete without meeting Mickey!?!?!
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