The negative temperature in the moon cause liqifaction of air inthe dark region.So that air in liquid and water in icey status in the dark region.but the high temperature in the hot region will exhaust all fluids towards the cold.sothat the moon willremain in the present status if we admit air and w
Monthly Archives: May 2011
Brain-dead Simple Delivereads Beams Compelling Content to Your Kindle Automagically [Blip]
Gizmodo friend Dave Pell wrote us today with a cool new project called Delivereads. More than a play on words, this project will deliver (get it?) daily curated content to your Kindle with almost zero effort. More »
Our Saturday Play Date
UPDATE: SOLVED by John at 12:12
Can you believe it? May is already two weeks old. I’m already looking forward to Autumn, my favorite time of year. It’s about here that I start dreaming of cold, rainy days. Do you remember the smell of burning leaves? I associate that with Fall, although you never smell it anymore. I guess it’s a sign of age, to look around and wonder, “what happened?”
Since I’m not getting any younger, I think I had better start today’s riddle… before I forget what it’s about! You’re in reality today, but you know; reality can get pretty weird.
NASA/ESA Hubble Boomerang Nebula
You think of today’s answer as a “thing” of sorts, but it isn’t. Not really.
It’s something of a concept.
It’s defined more by what isn’t there, than what is.
You could think of this as a destination, although it isn’t really a place.
States of Matter - old education model
We can see the goal, but we’ve never reached it.
This has an opposite.
We can’t get to that, either.
When you get really, REALLY close to this, something weird happens to matter.
We’ve been really, REALLY close.
This has made numerous appearances in SciFi, and can make for some graphically interesting special effects.
NASA/JPL Galileo - the lovely Europa
And there you have it. Hopefully this will give you a moment’s thought. I’m in the comments, as usual.
Awwwwwwww!
Federal Government now starting Wildfires in Texas?
2nd time in Twenty Years
From Eric Dondero:
No, it's not Waco. A little further West.
From Reuters - San Antonio, "Texas county official says "stupid" feds sparked fire" May 14:
A county official in the Texas Panhandle is now blaming a federal agency for starting one of the fires through carelessness.
Tom Edwards, the county attorney in rural Motley County east of Lubbock, said on Friday that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives was responsible on Tuesday for sparking a fire that consumed 150 acres.
"You can quote me on it: That bunch has a real corner on stupid," Edwards told Reuters.
Tom Crowley, a spokesman with the federal agency, said bureau officials were assisting four local bomb squads -- at their request -- to destroy some explosives. Firefighters were on hand, he said. The wind picked up, but the explosives were too dangerous to move, so the officials went ahead and destroyed the explosives.
"Unfortunately, a fragment ignited some grass,” Crowley said.
Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit notes dryly:
The Obama Administration sent aid to Mexico to battle a 386 square mile fire but refused to consider the 2.5 million acre fire in Texas a disaster area.
Just yesterday, Governor Perry issued another statewide emergency declaration.
Sarah Palin Big Win! over Administration
White House caves on off-shore oil drilling in Alaska
Just breaking...
From TheHill "Under pressure on gas prices, Obama shifts on domestic drilling"
President Obama announced Saturday the government would hold annual onshore lease sales in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve; extend the life of leases in the Gulf of Mexico and in some areas off the coast of Alaska for one year; speed up ongoing Interior Department testing in the mid- and south-Atlantic to gauge the level of resources; and establish an interagency task force to coordinate permitting for offshore drilling in Alaska.
From Ed Morrissey at HotAir.com:
After five months of escalating political heat, Obama finally decided that we could drill our way out of our problems — or at least his problems...
the fact that Obama had to protect himself in this manner shows how politically damaging his refusal to expand American production has become, and how damaging it will continue to be.
Photo credit - LA Times 2009
15.6-Inch Dell Ultra-thin Laptop Rising from the Ashes of the Adamo [Video]
Back on February 9, we reported that the Adamo, Dell's sexy-yet-lacking ultrathin laptop, was no more. That didn't mean Dell was done with the genre, however, as it seems there's a new sexy, svelte model on the horizon. More »
Annals of Eugenics Journal, 1925-1954, Now Available Online
The Annals of Eugenics--now The Annals of Human Genetics--has just made its 1925-1954 journal content available online for researchers in the history of science and medicine. Their current issue also features four specially commissioned articles that contextualizing the content, and highlighting the ways in which Eugenics "embodies the history of human genetics as a scientific enterprise and exemplifies the complex relationship of this discipline with wider society [as well as] the somber role that human genetics played in providing what was taken to be a scientific framework to social prejudice during the period."
This is sure to be some fascinating stuff.
Full details, as told by Advances in the History of Psychology:
The Annals of Human Genetics (AHG), formerly named Annals of Eugenics, has recently made its 1925-1954 journal content available online for researchers. Among the now controversial eugenics research appearing throughout these issues, researchers can also expect to find statistical publications by mathematician Karl Pearson, whose work at University College London concerned the widely used Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, the Pearson Chi-Square test, and P-value.
The AHG editorial cites “ongoing use and reference to materials”… “and the somewhat limited availability of the original printed copy” as justification for making the content available online. Furthermore,
"Online access to the Annals of Eugenics archive will also be of interest to historians of science. In many ways, the history of the Annals embodies the history of human genetics as a scientific enterprise and exemplifies the complex relationship of this discipline with wider society. The somber role that human genetics played in providing what was taken to be a scientific framework to social prejudice during the period of “Eugenics” is a well-known case of the complex interaction between science and society. The present issue of the journal includes four specially commissioned articles that attempt to contextualize the online publication of the Annals of Eugenics archive. To exemplify some of the major scientific contributions made during that period, the article by J. Ott highlights key papers on linkage analysis published by the journal. The contributions by K. Weiss, G. Allen, and D. Kevles deal with aspects of the history of eugenics and of human genetics, and explore their relevance to ongoing debates regarding the social implications of human genetics research."
You can read the full article by clicking here.
Not all Congress members are happy that Bin Laden was killed
UNBELIEVABLE!!
4 AntiWar Democrats vote against Resolution honoring those involved in the Misson
Houston-area Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a longtime champion of Veterans and active duty Military, joined with libertarian-leaning Michigan Republican Cong. Thaddeus McCotter to initiate a legislative process honoring those associated with the killing of Bin Laden. The Senate side already unanimously "passed a resolution congratulating the military and President Obama for the mission."
What resulted on the House side was an amendment sponsored by Reps. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) It passed near-unanimously with virtually all Democrats joining in with Republicans for the amendment. However, there were four Democrats who voted only "Present."
From The Hill "Four Dems vote 'present' on honoring Bin Laden mission":
After more than a week of deliberation, the House overwhelmingly approved a measure honoring the intelligence community for the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.
The vote wasn’t unanimous, however. Four liberal Democrats – Reps. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Pete Stark (Calif.) and Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) – voted “present” on the measure, which was offered as an amendment to an intelligence authorization bill.
Lee, who opposes the ongoing U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, took issue with language in the amendment that reaffirmed congressional support for anti-terrorism missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan...
The other three Democrats did not explain their vote and did not return multiple requests for comment Friday afternoon.
The Hill goes on to note that "All four have long opposed most U.S. military operations and intelligence-gathering methods in the war on terrorism..."
Interestingly, 3 of the 4 are from California.
The broader Lee-McCotter resolution may be voted on this week.
LTE-Free "Backup Plan" iPhone 4S Could Land This September [Rumors]
If and when an iPhone update arrives this year, it may do so with a small suffix and some new carrier friends. Mainly, you can expect an "iPhone 4S" in September, with support for Sprint and T-Mobile. More »
Top 10 Awesome Android Features that the iPhone Doesn’t Have [Video]
We love both Android and iOS, but the open nature of Android just means it can do things others just can't. Here are our favorite Android apps and features that you won't find on its Apple-clad brethren.… [Lifehacker]
More »
The Hidden Message in Pixar’s Films | Science Not Fiction
I love Pixar. Who doesn’t? The stories are magnificently crafted, the characters are rich, hilarious, and unique, and the images are lovingly rendered. Without fail, John Ratzenberger’s iconic voice makes a cameo in some boisterous character. Even if you haven’t seen every film they’ve made (I refuse to watch Cars or its preposterous sequel), there is a consistency and quality to Pixar’s productions that is hard to deny.
Popular culture is often dismissed as empty “popcorn” fare. Animated films find themselves doubly-dismissed as “for the kids” and therefore nothing to take too seriously. Pixar has shattered those expectations by producing commercially successful cinematic art about the fishes in our fish tanks and the bugs in our backyards. Pixar films contain a complex, nuanced, philosophical and political essence that, when viewed across the company’s complete corpus, begins to emerge with some clarity.
Buried within that constant and complex goodness is a hidden message.
Now, this is not your standard “Disney movies hide double-entendres and sex imagery in every film” hidden message. “So,” you ask, incredulous, “What could one of the most beloved and respected teams of filmmakers in our generation possibly be hiding from us?” Before you dismiss my ...
Libertarian switches to GOP to run for MO State House seat
SPECIAL ELECTION!
From Eric Dondero:
Republican State Rep. Sally Faith was recently elected Mayor of St. Charles. She had to resign from the Legislature, which has created an opening for her seat. Representatives from the local Democrat and Republican councils will choose candidates to run in a special election.
Among 5 Republicans vying for the seat is Bill Slantz.
From StLToday.com "Five want to succeed Sally Faith in House":
Bill Slantz, the unsuccessful Libertarian Party nominee against Faith last year. Slantz, 55, now wants to run as a Republican. He says there are "an awful lot of similarities" in the views of Libertarians and conservative Republicans.
But he said his main reason for switching parties is to have a "realistic" chance at actually winning an election and serving the public. Slantz is a consultant in broadcast music rights.
Slantz's priorities?
Repeal the state income tax provision of the Missouri Constitution.
All state and local government functions should, where possible, be funded by user fees.
Hmmm… No Humming with LEDs
Complaints about the humming noise emanating from bedside fluorescent lamps in submarines led the U.S. Navy to replace them with quieter LED counterparts. Besides no noise, the LEDs have other benefits including half the energy consumption and significantly longer life. That brings up the question:
Microsoft-Backed E-Reader Tablet Loves to Share with Others [Video]
Few e-readers are as intimate as this prototype from Nicholas Chen. Look how they communicate in that video! The only caveat it's backed by Microsoft Research. We all know what happened the last time they teased something like this. More »
GOP Heavyweight weighing a bid for US Senate – Wisconsin
Up Against a leading Socialist?
From Eric Dondero:
Is it possible? Another Ayn Randian from Wisconsin in the United States Senate? Ron Johnson, newly-elected Senator is a self-described Ayn Rand devotee.
Now news of an un-expected retirement from a senior Democrat Senator has opened up the possibility.
From The Hill:
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement that he was "surprised" by Sen. Herb Kohl's (D) announcement, and that he will "take some time over the next few days to discuss the news with my family and supporters before making any decision."
Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, has become a focal point for national Democrats, who have slammed his proposed budget as the "end of Medicare." Democrats are already framing the 2012 elections as a referendum on Ryan's budget plan, a debate that would be further fueled by Ryan's entry into the Senate race.
Ryan's potential challenger on the Dem side? Stridently Anti-Capitalist former Senator Russ Feingold whom Johnson defeated last November.
Given all the rancor over Governor Scott Walker and the State Budget, this promises to be the toughest fought race in the Nation for 2012.
Advice for when life makes you a little – or a lot – stressed | Bad Astronomy
I’ve written about Astrobites before: it’s a collective blog by astronomy grad students explaining recent papers and research in the field.
Besides the science, they have a category in the blog called "Career navigation", which has advice on how to handle the practical aspects of a career in science and astronomy. All the entries are good, but I want to specifically point out this one by astronomer John Johnson, an exoplanet hunter at Caltech. I met John last year at a panel I hosted last year about the search for planets and life in space, and immediately liked him. He’s smart, funny, nice, and seemed like he had a pretty solid outlook on things.
The article he wrote for Astrobites is about how to retain your mental health while under the ridiculous amounts of stress induced by grad school. But some of what he says can be extrapolated to anything in life. For example,
For most of us, if we were to wake up five mornings in a row with excruciating pain in our right arm, we’d probably go see a doctor and ...
Freshman Rep. Martha Roby delivers Weekly Republican address
Endorses Paul Ryan Budget Plan
From Eric Dondero:
Rep. Roby, a former city councilwoman, now represents Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, including her hometown of Montgomery. A Tea Party favorite, she beat a longtime incumbent Democrat in 2010.
[We in Washington] are talking of measures to ease the pain at the pump. It hit home this spring, when the President promoted Brazilian made energy in Brazil, while his administration keeps energy resources here at home under lock and key. I'm pleased to report the House has passed several measures to expand domestic energy production, to help address the soaring gas prices.
The Republican budget put forward by Chairman Paul Ryan, ends the threat of job-crushing tax hikes.
Note - This website was an enthusiastic supporter of Rep. Roby's election. See LR 2010 - "Another Blue Dog bites the Dust: Martha Roby over Bobby Bright in Alabama."
Libertarian Party experiencing a boom in the bucks
A Political Party Over-Budget?
From Eric Dondero:
While both the DNC and RNC, and their congressional-elect committees, are in the red, the Nation's third largest party seems to be doing rather well.
From a press release, LP.org:
In its most recent FEC report, for the period ending March 31, 2011, the Libertarian Party reported $284,882.95 in cash with $0 in debt. At the same point four years ago, the party reported $21,962.37 in cash with $31,589.74 in debt.
Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle said, "Four years ago, we were $10,000 in the red. Now we're almost $300,000 in the black. That's a big step forward for the LP, and should help us a lot going into the 2012 campaign.
"If our candidates, volunteers, and donors keep it up, 2012 may be one of the biggest years ever for the Libertarian Party.
Anyone who has been around the Libertarian Party or for a few years, or decades, knows how unusual this is. In the late 1990s going into the early 2000s during the Harry Browne years, the Party was constantly plagued by financial hardship, and even a few fundraising scandals.
Hinkle seems to be steering the LP ship to stable financial waters. Which puts the party in an excellent position to gain 50 state ballot acess for 2012.
Note - I served on the Libertarian National Committee for two years, 1986/87. LR Senior Editor Clifford Thies served on the LNC for over a decade, including National Treasurer. He made a failed attempt in 1985 for LNC Chairman.
Photos - LNC Chair Mark Hinkle (CA), Vice-Chair Mark Rutherford (IN), Ballot Access Chair Bill Redpath (VA).
Germany’s FDP pursues a "libertarian" agenda
Tax Cuts & Privacy Rights
From Eric Dondero:
Philip Roesler is the newly elected leader of the Free Democrat Party (FDP). He plans to push an aggressive free market agenda in the coming months.
From M&C.com "Germany's new FDP leader sets out post-Westerwelle agenda":
Berlin - The new leader of Germany's Free Democrats party, Philip Roesler, told his party conference in Rostock Saturday how a renewed emphasis on libertarian ideals would boost the party's poll rating in the wake of the departure of former leader Guido Westerwelle.
Roesler, 38, was elected Friday to replace Westerwelle, who remains foreign minister in the FDP's governing coalition with Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).
The pro-business FDP came to power with a record 14.9 per cent of the vote in the 2009 general election, but approval now hovers around the 5-per-cent mark and the party has suffered embarrassing regional election setbacks.
A central FDP demand is tax cuts, an issue which the party made a main manifesto commitment at the election, but failed to deliver.
He stressed that the FDP and CDU had jointly pledged to reduce taxes, adding, 'We are ready. We are just waiting for our coalition partner.'
He also said that data protection would become a crucial issue as international corporations had growing access to personal information - citing Apple's iPhone, the Sony Playstation and Facebook as examples of this trend.
Roesler was born in South Vietnam, and adopted into a German family as an infant.
Blogger explains what happened
From Eric Dondero:
Eddie Kessler, Tech Lead/Manager at Blogger sent out this message to all Blogger users.
From Blogger at Google Central:
Here’s what happened: during scheduled maintenance work Wednesday night, we experienced some data corruption that impacted Blogger’s behavior. Since then, bloggers and readers may have experienced a variety of anomalies including intermittent outages, disappearing posts, and arriving at unintended blogs or error pages. A small subset of Blogger users (we estimate 0.16%) may have encountered additional problems specific to their accounts. Yesterday we returned Blogger to a pre-maintenance state and placed the service in read-only mode while we worked on restoring all content: that’s why you haven’t been able to publish. We rolled back to a version of Blogger as of Wednesday May 11th, so your posts since then were temporarily removed. Those are the posts that we’re in the progress of restoring.
As I mentioned before, we have been with Blogger for over 6 years now. This happens maybe once a year. This time was a bit severe. Still, we appreciate our relationship with Google. And we are our thankful that they are our server.
Readers should be aware that this is going to happen once in a great while.
