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Monthly Archives: January 2010
Endeavour Rolls Out to the Pad
Click here to view the embedded video.
The shuttle Endeavour rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on January 6th. I included an image from a railing on Pad 39A, to me it’s an eerie reminder of another mission where cold weather was an issue.
Does this remind you of anything? Credit: NASA
For now the shuttle is being kept “warm” with heaters and warm air purges. Let’s hope the weather warms before the February 7th targeted launch date.
Video from NASA TV
Custom OLED Artwork Will Shame LED Picture Frames Into Extinction [Oled]
OLED displays are already something beautiful, but this unnamed Japanese company, spied at CES, has taken the technology and turned it into some truly awe-inspiring artwork.
The individual panels seen in the video actually line up to form a flowing scene. The effect is kind of cool, popping into place only when the cameraman views it at the right angle. There's also an elaborate fan toward the back of the booth that we glimpse momentarily, as well as a number of OLED flowers.
Like most things OLED, none of the stuff seen here is cheap. Purported asking price for the first piece is $100,000. The flowers go for a more modest $100 apiece.
Really, it's only a matter of time before society comes around to the idea of moving OLED artwork and something like this is sharing space in a museum with a da Vinci, don't you think? [OLED Info]
kone over head crane
hi gents,
im looking for parts manual for kone overhead cranes, one is 10TONs and the other is 5TONs.
i checked every where. i asked friends and checked on the website. i checked on kone website but i could not get any thing.
would you please advice me where i can find these manuals.
Book Excerpt: Reclaiming the Body in Christian Spirituality
Thomas Ryan on the ritual of the passing of the peace.
Interview with new JREF President D.J. Grothe | Bad Astronomy
D. J. Grothe, the new President of the James Randi Educational Foundation, was interviewed by the folks at Pod Delusion. I’ve embedded the interview below (D. J.’s part starts around the 10:40 mark).
D. J. is a good guy, and I think the JREF is in excellent hands.
Tip o’ the electron to Jon Treadway, and James O’Malley for the embed.
Theres snow escape!
Snow galore - Inner Farne covered
Snow covered - Brownsman and Staple Island
Sunday 10th January comments:
Although its some time before we return, Nick Lewis from Lindisfarne (Holy Island lies 6 miles to the north of the Farnes) took these photographs from the castle battlements, showing the extent of the snow coverage. Snow is very rare on the islands, but it shows the extreme nature of the UK's weather in recent weeks, as the islands are covered, in deep snow!! Glad where not out there....
CO2 Still Driving Climate Change Despite Winter
Brrrrrrrr! It's winter. Happens every year.
It’s been every cold in Minnesota, the U.S. as a whole, and Europe this last month. Meanwhile, human-caused CO2 is still driving climate change. (Discussing that is a very detailed article in the second half of this article.)
Yes — it’s the coldest part of winter, exactly when we expect the coldest weather. Remember last winter? Same thing happened. That’s because of “seasons” which at least half of Americans experience or are aware of. The people who don’t are apparently the climate change deniers, who keep forgetting there’s a thing called “winter”. Winter cold is caused by the less-intense solar power here in the Northern hemisphere, due to the tilt of the earth this time of year as we travel around the Sun. Funny thing though, in winter we are actually closer to the Sun, as a planet. So solar activity and proximity does not cause winter. In addition, much of our cold and warm winter fluctuations depend on occasional el Ninos and La Ninas. Sometimes they even combine to really screw things up. Solar variations only have a mild influence on weather and climate.
I’d be worried if it wasn’t very cold in January, like I was worried 4-5 years ago, when it wasn’t. About five years ago my memory tells me that January was still cold, but not nearly as cold, and for less of an amount of time than in the past. This seemed to be a trend, which I noticed all on my own. But, I realize people have to be careful “recognizing” trends that only last a couple of years because the time period is not long enough to indicate a true trend. Then last year and this one, the weather seems again to be colder, longer, than during the trend I thought I had observed of a warming January over several years.
Weather is only weather, and trends in climate are only observable over decades and centuries. Even then, they may not hold true every year because there are fluctuation years. I learned only recently that the “Little Ice Age” lasted into the 1800s. Since then, people claim we are still coming out of the Little Ice age, but were were well out of it by the time of my memories of my earliest winters in Minnesota, where the snow came up to the roof of my house every December and it was brutally cold. So the end of that cold trend did not affect the cold weather years I remember. Memories are also tricky things, especially memories of weather. You always remember the most severe more than the typical. Even so, I remember winters much colder, that lasted longer, than they are today — even this year. So while the last few weeks have been painfully cold in my area, they are not unusual or strangely cold at all.
The skeptics and climate change deniers I see spreading their disinformation all over the place online, who maybe don’t even realize [...]
Republican leading statewide initiative in California to Legalize Marijuana
He calls himself a "Libertarian Republican"
California is moving towards full legalization of marijuana. 2010 will see a ballot iniative to allow small amounts to be sold for recreational as well as medicinal use. It has the full backing of Republican Governor and former pot smoker Arnold Schwarzenegger. Moreover, the individual leading the ballot initiative is a Schwarzenegger friend, and is also a Republican.
From SF correspondent Richard Paddon, Sphere @ AOL:
Richard Lee, the founder and president of Oaksterdam University, is a veteran activist who also is sponsoring a statewide ballot measure that would allow adults 21 or older to possess and grow relatively small amounts of marijuana. The initiative also would allow cities and counties to tax and regulate marijuana sales and cultivation.
Lee calls himself a "Libertarian Republican." He owns several other businesses in the neighborhood, [Oakland] including a medical marijuana dispensary. He has donated more than $1 million to the initiative campaign.
Supporters of the measure have collected 680,000 signatures, far more than the 433,971 required. Lee plans to submit the petitions this month and hopes to qualify for the November ballot. The university's old building a block away will become campaign headquarters.
Lee, who suffers from an illness that leaves him wheelchair bound, is a legal medicinal marijuana user.
Oliver Stone’s new documentary opens up a new Chapter of Liberal Fascism
Hitler, Stalin and Mao from an empathetic view
Jonah Goldberg's best selling "Liberal Fascism," released two years ago sought to link the origins of American liberalism with the progressive era of the early 20th century. Goldberg wrote that it was progressives who helped to ignite movements overseas for Fascism, European style Socialism, Communsim and even Naziism.
Legendary film producer and iconic "new era progressive" Oliver Stone gives an emphathetic view of Stalin, Hitler and Mao, in his upcomming documentary series on Showtime. The film series is called, "The Secret History of America." Stone attempts to tell the story of the rise of the three dictators from their perspective. And in an ironic twist actually ends up agreeing with Goldberg's assertions by emphasizing America's role in helping to spawn the dictorial regimes. Though Stone, unlike Goldberg, puts the blame more on American corporations such as GM and IBM, rather than Democrat politicians of the time.
Stone is quoted by The Live Feed:
"Stalin has a complete other story," Stone said. "Not to paint him as a hero, but to tell a more factual representation.
As for Hitler, Stone sees him as an "easy scapegoat," and adds:
I've been able to walk in Stalin's shoes and Hitler's shoes to understand their point of view.
Stone says when it comes to Fascism and Communism, Rightwingers just don't get it
As if on cue, Stone admits that "conservatives" will not like his portrayal.
"Obviously, Rush Limbaugh is not going to like this history and, as usual, we're going to get those kind of ignorant attacks," said Stone.
And in order to have a greater understanding of Naziism and Communism Stone asserts:
We're going to educate our minds and liberalize them and broaden them. We want to move beyond opinions ...
A Quick One
I know I know I said you wouldn't hear from us again until Cambodia. I lied. Check out this article about the 31 top places to go in 2010 Shenzhen made the list. httpwww.nytimes. com2010 0110travel 10places. htmlpagewanted 2ei5087end92af4d59c070bd7ex1278565200Pretty interesting ehI should clarify a little bit as I think we might have a few readers thinking we're living more o
Make a Normal Claw or Dagger Thief in MapleStory
Rogues must choose what weapon they will use from the very beginning for your maplestory account So its good to know the difference. The difference between claw and dagger thieves is that claw thieves are ranged attackers while dagger thieves are close range attackers. At kerning pq levels claw thieves are preferred because they have more accuracy and can hit more of the monsters. Also another t
My first week in a nutshell
I've officially been here a week and I'm keeping my promise to myself to blog once a week. We'll see how long it lasts. Quite a few things have happened since I arrived here groggy and disoriented seven days ago. It's been an awesome experience so far. For the first few days I was very reluctant to step but a few hundred feet out from the comfortable love hotel I stayed in. My diet consisted of r
Faux village et nouvelles ruines
Salut a nos patients lecteurs oui oui je sais on a pas ete fins ca fait un mois qu'on vous laisse poiroter apres avoir conclu la derniere entree sur un allechant ne manquer pas la prochaine On s'excuse mais on a pas eu l'acces aussi facile au Myanmar et puis pour etre honnetes on avait besoin d'un ptit break de blogue. Je vais donc conclure nos derniers jours au nord de la Thailande avant
The last of Sydney all of Christchurch Onuku and a smidge of road trip
In the end Adam never got to go Hangliding. As with all Sydney weather despite being awful and drizzly most of the time the one time you want a bit of wind not all the wind i the world just a bit there wasn't any. Instead we went to Bondi beach. It seems like the entire world comes to this beach to do beach things whatever they might be. Sydney's bus system is nigh on unintelligable t
Rome in 26 hours
So.... Darren Goldberg aka Nigel something or another from his London blog suggested I keep a blog while in Rome With that being said I'm taking him up on that advice and figure tonight is as good as any since I will be arriving in Rome in approximately 26 hours However I will be leaving my home in Jamesburg NJ in less than 8 hours It will certainly be a day full of traveling Other than t
Life is like a box of chocolates
This afternoon Jodie and I met with our friend Eloise. Eloise took part in the Beijing Easter 2009 Study China Programme and is now studying in Hong Kong. She arrived last week so we thought it would be nice to do some sight seeing and have a good wee catch up Eloise brought along a friend and we all went on a dukling boat tour along Victoria Harbour. It was really strange meeting up again at th
Dungog Yoga in Daily life Retreat
28122009 Direction Dungog. Je prends donc le train de Newtown a Central de Central a Newcastle puis de Newcastle a Dungog ou j'arrive vers 17h30 je crois quelques heures plus tard que prevu effectivement j'ai pas bien compri comment fonctionnait les trains pce jour ci P .Arrivee a Dungog une autre femme arrivait en meme temps. Michael nous attends dans une voiture pour nous ammener ju
Trains Taxis and Hotel Sonneck
The train transitions to Germany were a lot less painful than our trip to France. It took about 5 hours to get from Paris to Schwaebisch Hall but it wasn't too bad. Also the sun was shining all the way to Germany Once we got to the last train station it was time to find the hotel. We took a taxi. It was probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life. The taxi driver loaded our luggage
Barcelona London Sydney
Le 23 decembre 2010 depart pour Londres depuis l'aeroport de Girona. Derniers adieux a Anthony et Mercedes qui m'ont accompagnes jusque la puis Norbert avec qui jai pu parler juste avant de partir... J'ai un moment de melancolie. On embarque. Ca y est je me rend compte que je pars... et je suis a nouveau pleine d'energie pour ce nouveau grand depart Apres avoir somnole dans l'avion dans un