Happy Birthday, USA!  And hope y'all have a great fourth of July weekend hanging out with friends and family.  I am planning in sailing in the Westlake 'Round the Island race tomorrow (you may remember, the island has a low bridge, which requires capsizing to pass under... stay tuned for pictures) and otherwise having a mellow weekend.

In the last couple of weeks I've started about ten posts with a "happy..." title.  Wonder what that means?  Could mean I am happy, or could mean I'm trying to be happy...  who knows.  The psychology of blogging is a young field with more questions than answers :)

I'm starting to think seriously know about the Death Ride next weekend.  I've been studying the route carefully; this is going to be a trial, no question.  We have five mountain passes each over 8,000' and each with at least an 8 mile climb; the last climb to Carson Pass is over 15 miles.  Whoa.  Does it make sense to say, "should be fun"?  It should be!

(click to enbiggen)

I have to bag a bit further on Obama, really I am deciding I do not like him and will not vote for him no matter what.  In fact he's starting to scare me.  I agree with Eric Raymond, at first I was a bit infatuated with him, but the more I learn, the more I don't like. 

Here's what I mean: Obama willing to 'refine' Iraq withdrawal plan.  This guy has no backbone, he doesn't stand for anything.  Run a poll and he'll change his mind.  Run another and he'll drop a "lifelong friend" and move on to another.  Sigh.

Instapundit called it (in fact, he gave it a name, the 'Obama pivot').  Follow the link for a bunch more, including this clarification.

[ Update: now he denies saying he'll refine his plan.  I can't even keep track anymore, can you?  It raises the interesting question, since I disagree with many of his original positions (such as immediate surrender withdrawal in Iraq), should we root for him to change his mind, or root for him to be a man of principle?  The latter I think.  Yes. ]

Among all the fires burning at the moment in California - and there are many - the most threatening is the "gap fire" North of Santa Barbara.  Doc Searles is blogging all about it, and even has (gasp!) a map of the affected area.  It is hot and windy here at the moment, which of course does not help.  Whew. 

From Inhabitat: Oberlin college is setting a sustainable example in Ohio.  Not only green but beautiful... 

I came across this rather cool video of a large radio controlled B-29 model which launches an X-1 model, which then performs acrobatics complete with smoke.  Rather awesome. 

Pete Mortensen thinks Macs are about to get interesting again.  I thought with the announcement of the iPhone we already had our new Mac model?  He might be right, but it seems like the action has moved from desktops to laptops, and now from laptops to smartphones... 

More positive PR for Wall*E: "Better than better than good".  Man, I have to see it! 

Moo.com: we're a printing company where every one is different.  As in, you make fifty business cards and they are all different!  How cool...  I should make cards with digital slide fields on them!  [ via TechCrunch ] 

Unbelievable: Penn and Teller say Recycling is Bullsh*t.  Watch and see if you don't agree.  Turns out maybe you can fool all of the people all the time - or at least for a long time.  Wow.