Can I get one for my car?

We science fiction fans have been reading about energy beam weapons for a long time -- and Star Wars wouldn't have been the same without all those slashing laser bolts. But in real life, energy weapons have always seemed to have too many negatives to be practical.

Well, it appears the practical is a bit nearer. The Air Force just announced the successful test firing of a high-power tactical laser in flight. And, according to the article, the laser hit what the testing folks aimed at.

Of course, the firing took place out over the White Sands Missile Range, where nothing could be in the way. I'll be interested to hear more about tests in the fog, or jungles, or the murky haze of a muggy coastal summer day -- or in a West Texas dust storm.

Forgotten Pulitzers

While rummaging through the "hold folder" a few minutes ago, I came across this April 15 newsletter from Abe Books:

"It's almost Pulitzer time again. The winners of the 2009 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced on April 20th. With the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction regarded as one of the highest awards a novel can receive, you would think winning one would ensure an enduring literary legacy. The winners enjoy their time in the limelight, but not all become the lasting classics one might expect. In some cases, the books even fade into obscurity.

With the 2009 annoucement just around the corner, AbeBooks has compiled a list of the Top Ten Forgotten Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novels."

There were only three authors whose names I recognized, and only one book I'd actually read. (Advise and Consent, back in the '60s.) I know. I should have read Dressler, but I haven't. I don't think.

While you're at it, take note of the max prices the various books have brought at Abe Books.

Healthcare Reform Debate in a Nutshell?

Free Press Launches FreeMyPhone Campaign

The media reform organization Free Press launched a new campaign today in its grander effort to free up the Internet. Called FreeMyPhone, the campaign "calls on leaders in Washington to open up wireless networks and promote consumer choice."

Campaign on! I don't have any iPhones or Berries of any color -- but I fully support FreePress's efforts to break the stranglehold of the same monopolistic monoliths that have plagued us since we first started sending signals along wires.

Sing Along with Rush!

Enjoy this from HuffPost Comedy.

While you're there, check out the "Palin/Letterman controversy in one minute"

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Rachel and Her Chariot

Mary Lynn in Indianapolis sent me this link to a video story about 89-year-old Rachel Veitch and her 1967 Mercury Comet Caliente.

She's the original owner, and she's put all 540,00o miles on the car's original engine.
While I don't doubt that Ms Veitch is a safe and skillful driver, I was chilled by her description of her last license renewal -- at age 85. The state renewed her license for five more years, without any kind of test. The clerk told her "the elderly" objected to testing, claiming discrimination. That's scary.

I remember a few years back, driving along in some South Carolina city, when an octogenarian woman driving in the adjacent lane sort of drifted into mine, very gently bonked against the side of my car, drifted back into her lane and drove on. She apparently was unaware we'd "contacted" each other. I had son Jonathan and a couple of his Boys' State friends in the car, so we didn't go chasing...

I'm ambivalent about "the elderly" behind the wheel. I'm still a few years away from Rachel Veitch's age, and I'm convinced that I'm as good a driver as I ever was. Never mind that my neck doesn't twist quite as easily as it did 20 years ago, or that I can't always hear the turn signal clicking. I'm doing just fine, thank you. And I should be able to drive as long as I'm able.

Rachel Veitch is right about one thing, for sure. "Able" should include "safe." One way to help ensure safety is to require regular testing at renewal for all -- with shorter renewal and testing frequencies for higher-risk drivers.

Remind me in 25 years that I said that.

Happy Birthday, Joyce Carol Oates

Born this day in 1938, sez the Encyclopedia Britannica, which describes her as an "American novelist, short-story writer, and essayist noted for her vast literary output in a variety of styles and genres. Particularly effective are her depictions of violence and evil in modern society."

True confession time: I've never finished a JCO book. I get bored. I find I can't care about the characters or their situations. I find Ms Oate's style thick and, well, boring.

Here's more from Britannica:

"Oates’s novels encompass a variety of historical settings and literary genres. She typically portrays American individuals whose intensely experienced and obsessive lives end in bloodshed and self-destruction owing to larger forces beyond their control. Her books blend a realistic treatment of everyday life with horrific and even sensational depictions of violence."

Yummy!