Dems Try to Sneak Shale Oil Ban Past Voters
Harry Reid attempted to pull a fast one.

Obama threatening the licenses of TV stations that run NRA ads
Attacking the 1st Amendment in order to attack the 2nd Amendment?

Al Qaeda-linked suspects emerge in Islamabad Marriott attacks
Qari Saifullah Akhtar, the leader of the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, and Qari Mohammad Zafar, a leader of the Laskhar-e-Jhangvi, have both been implicated as being the mastermind of the Marriott bombing

Code Pink declares victory in Berkeley… by packing up and going home
They claim to be successfully “deconstructing the U.S. military, making the world safe and secure!” by abandoning their protest outside a Marine recruiting station. The Marines remain in control of the battlespace. Like usual.

The Great New Orleans Gun Grab
A must-read for anyone interested in gun rights. In ANY rights, for that matter.

Exonerated Marine to sue Rep. Murtha
Not sure why Murtha hasn’t been vilified for his “cold-blooded murder” claims. Maybe because so many were disappointed he was wrong.

Jet Man flies across Channel on a wing
Yves Rossy made it. Cool.

Contractors Expand As Conscription Fades
Not exactly ‘trigger happy mercenaries,’ but we love ‘em anyway…

Starship Troopers Meets G.I. Joe
Finally the XM25 seems to be going somewhere.

Bush vs. Barney on the Fannie/Freddie thing
Probably should watch the video before everyone blames Bush and the evil GOP.

Passing gas is battery on a police officer?
“The gas was very odorous and created contact of an insulting or provoking nature with Patrolman Parsons,” the complaint says.

Russia Lends Venezuela $1B to Buy Arms
Start calling this the “Trans-Atlantic Rooskie Axis.”

Ford to bring six fuel-efficient European models stateside
The Lefties always seem so eager to imitate Europe, except when it comes to some energy issues. I’d like to see the US go as nuclear and diesel as Old Europe.

Living Well for Less?
Dr. Helen looks at a book about how to live on $12k a year. One suggestion is to get free medical care by volunteering to have new drugs tested on you.

6 Baffling Mistakes Every Movie Criminal Makes
Cracked.com’s lists of movie idiocy should be required reading for all wannabe screenwriters.

An F-22 Raptor takes off from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Aug. 28 to take part in an aerial refueling test using an alternative jet engine fuel -- a first for an Air Force aircraft. The fuel is a 50/50 mix of JP-8 jet fuel and a natural gas-based fuel. (Lockheed Martin photo)

The Air Force’s ongoing testing of coal-based synthetic fuel has been in the news more and more lately, probably due to oil prices. Today, Instapundit points out a recent Popular Mechanics story on the subject.

I’ve been following this for a while, first posting on it in Working the black seam in 2005 and Coal-fired B-52 bombers in 2006, and think this is a great idea.

However, this past spring I pointed out that Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 effectively outlawed the program for fleet use because the production and use of this synthetic fuel creates more greenhouse gas emissions than standard fuel. The fact that the act was for energy independence and security, not environmental feel-good, seems to have escaped someone. The ban allowed for developmental use, so the Air Force continues testing and certifying aircraft to use the new fuel.

There is an effort to repeal the ban, but I don’t think it’s gone anywhere so far. Does anyone know more about the situation? The recent “Gang of 10″ energy bill includes this:

Provides grants and loan guarantees for the development of coal-to-liquid fuel plants with carbon capture capability. Plants must have lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions below those of the petroleum fuels they are replacing;

It sounds as if the ability to sequester excess emissions would be required for this to go forward, and that probably wouldn’t violate Section 526. What that does to the cost of producing the coal-based jet fuel and how much it might impact the USAF program, I don’t know.

UPDATE: I fixed the caption on the picture. Also, the image is from AF.mil.

Fighting intensifies in Pakistan’s Northwest
If this isn’t out of control already, it’s close.

U.S. to Hand Over Security Duties in Anbar to Iraqi Forces
If this isn’t under control already, it’s close. We’ll see if things hold as US troops pull back.

11 headless bodies found near Mexico graveyard
Why we’re not more concerned about the escalating drug war in Mexico, I don’t know.

War a US election plot, claims Putin
Remarks made right after Russia test-fired a Topol RS-12M missile.

Putin chokes chicken supplies from U.S.
That, my friends, is a terrible headline.

Secret Space Shots’ Hidden Emblems
Secret patch for STS-38.

Pentagon Reports U.S. Airstrike Killed 5 Afghan Civilians, Not 90
I find it hard to believe that someone would inflate collateral damage numbers.

LPD 17 underway after mechanical problems
Only two days late for her first deployment. What a bust so far.

Progress on India’s Thorium Nuclear Reactor and South Africa’s Pebble Bed
Bring it on.

Calculate Your Obama Tax Cut
Includes the WaPo graph from a while back which I meant to post on but didn’t because I still can’t figure out how someone making less than $19,000 could get a $567 tax cut.

MADD – a modern Temperance Movement
Like many causes, this is a tough one because critics of MADD are portrayed as pro-dunk driving. That’s not (usually) the case.

New Climate Record Shows Century-long Droughts In Eastern North America
Who would have guessed that the sun influenced earth’s climate?

First Flight of Sikorsky X2 Demonstrator
I continue to believe that this route, and others, are better than the V-22 Osprey route. Too late.

Tanker Bid Moves Toward Endgame
Endgame. Yah. Right.

As Geothermal Energy Heats Up, 5 Next-Gen Projects Take Shape
Though I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it before, I’ve wondered about geothermal on a larger scale. My in-laws heat and cool their house with geothermal and have been pretty happy with it. This would be a way to bring energy generation closer to the energy consumer, cutting out transmission infrastructure woes and losses over long distances.

The Palin call
My guess is that McCain gets a big boost from this choice and the fact that his convention is after Obama’s.

More Palin links and commentary
At Instapundit.

McCain Myths
Some true. Some not so much.

CIA Curtails Contract With U.S. Security Firm in Iraq
MVM, Inc. apparently didn’t provide enough security personnel to meet the Agency’s needs.

Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid’s Limits

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.

That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore’s hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.

The dirty secret of clean energy is that while generating it is getting easier, moving it to market is not.

Secret? It’s a secret that the electric power transmission system is at its limit and moving electricity to where it’s needed is a major problem? That’s a secret to exactly who?

This isn’t a problem limited to alternative energy generation either, though you can (sort of) put a coal, gas, or nuclear plant wherever you want while the wind, water, and sun-based generation has to be built in the correct environment.

Heh:

Wind advocates say that just two of the windiest states, North Dakota and South Dakota, could in principle generate half the nation’s electricity from turbines. But the way the national grid is configured, half the country would have to move to the Dakotas in order to use the power.

Meanwhile, Tigerhawk has some thoughts on the issue.

Linkzookery returns after a two-week hiatus due to technical issues and editorial laziness. A couple of older items are included.

Iraq Poised to Revive Oil Contract With China
So when are we, like, going to start stealing their oil and stuff?

Hangin’ Up The Flight Suit
Pinch is retiring from the reserves after 24 years in the service. Apparently, he finally gave up hope that the Tomcat would be back…

The Death of 1989
The vast, frightening fallout of Russia’s invasion of Georgia

Spy Sat Sharpshooter Apparently Now On The Front Lines
Leak? Or intentional leak?

New film by “Spirited Away” director wows Japan
“Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” appears to be a Little Mermaid-type story. I am a fan of Hayao Miyazaki’s work, particularly Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away. And Howl’s Moving Castle.

Boeing Wins Contract for Truck-Mounted Defense Laser
Boeing will complete the design for the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD), then build and test it on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck.

Indians’ Hands Tied in U.S. Wargame
To protect the secrets of their top-of-the-line Russian-designed Su-30MKI fighters

French Vow to Keep Fighting in ‘Besieged’ Afghanistan
No word yet whether Sarkozy still plans to add 700 more troops to his country’s 2,500-strong contingent.

Grabbing guns in Georgia
By the truckload.

U.S. Warships Run the Gauntlet with Georgia Aid
Three American ships plus some friends via the Black Sea to deliver more aid to Georgia.

Sea unearths secret Nazi bunkers that lay hidden for more than 50 years
Abandoned after the surrender and then buried by sand until now.

Battle over oil-rich city threatens to derail Iraqi elections
Ongoing issue is, well, ongoing nowhere.

Vampire bats kill 38 Warao tribespeople in Venezuela
Rabies.

Zombie Playground
Pic: 4 [5] kids making a last stand.

Poor Planning Doomed Russian Warplanes
Apparently, the Rooskies didn’t target Georgian AA at the start.

Turning roads into solar collectors
They started with the assumption that asphalt gets frakking hot when the sun shines on it. I’ve actually wondered about this before. I wish I had blogged it so I could prove it.

A beacon of hope for unwanted lighthouses
Murdoc’s guess is that the romance of living in a lighthouse would fade by day three or four.

Top 5 Olympic Opening Ceremony Moments China Wants You To Forget
Plus I’ve been told they put something in the swimming pool water to make people swim faster.

Carnival of Homeschooling
There’s More to School Than Textbooks!

Everything You Need to Know About USB 3.0, Plus First Spliced Cable Photos
4.8Gbps

Gunzookery
More links at GunPundit.com.