New NASA Online Calendar Is Totally Confusing

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Reader note: Click on this NASA web site and download the 2010 ISS Calendar. Notice something odd about the dates? Did January 1, 2010 start on a Wednesday? Does February have 30 days? Does March have 31 days? Does April have 31 days? And December 1, 2010 is New Years Day. That's as far as I went. Doesn't anyone check these things before putting them on their web site? WOW! Must be the same group that mixed up miles and kilometers.

Keith's note: I looked a bit further. This calendar shows 24 January as the date that Apollo 8 circled the Moon (it was launched on 21 January - the date that this calendar claims that the Winter Solstice begins), that Challenger was lost on 28 December, that Columbia was lost on 1 November, that Sputnik 1 was launched on 4 March, that Yuri Gagarin's flight was on 12 September, and that Spring begins on 20 October 2010...

In fairness, the website does say "(Note: In order to print the document correctly, please select the two-sided print option in your printer dialog box)" - but there is nothing on the calendar file itself that says that. Indeed, the reader who alerted me to this said "I discovered the error when I went to put the dates of my vacation on it and they didn't match up with my airline reservation dates. I got nervous and checked another calendar and discovered the mistake. That's when I discovered some of the more obvious errors.". Anyone going directly to this link (that happens a lot, you know) will not know this. Moreover, not everyone has a printer that (easily) prints in two sided mode. Indeed when I went to print it, my computer automatically scaled it to fit on an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper - with the pages paired incorrectly - that is because of the way it was formatted (by NASA) as a PDF file.

Ron Paul’s GOP primary opponent takes a shot on Drug Legalization, disses Libertarians

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by Eric Dondero

Ron Paul has a Republican primary opponent for the 14th Congressional District seat in Texas. His name is Tim Graney (photo). He's a millionaire small-businessman from the Katy area (heavily populated Ft. Bend County portion of the District.)

Graney is conservative all-around. He's Pro-Defense on National Security matters, distancing himself from Paul's isolationist/non-interventionist stance.

In a recent interview just released by the conservative blog Jumping in Pools, Graney states:

TIM KNIGHT: Mr. Graney, Eric Dondero of the Libertarian Republican, who has long worked with Congressman Paul, has had enough of his Isolationist views, your thoughts?

TIM GRANEY: This is one of my major differences with Ron Paul and his isolationist/non-interventionist foreign policy ideas. Paul’s isolationist views are a danger to the safety and security of our great nation.

America is the greatest county this world has ever known and we have done more to bring freedom to others in our short existence than any other nation ever has. We tried isolationism before and that lead us into a world war where millions of people died.

Ron Paul has not only been a poor excuse for a Republican, he has been a disgrace and embarrassment to the Republican Party. This clearly showed during the last Presidential election cycle when he basically blamed America for the attacks of 9/11. In another Republican debate, it was even suggested by the moderator that Paul was on the wrong stage. Paul’s views on foreign policy are a danger to the safety and security of America. I do not have a problem with our military bases throughout the world and Paul would prefer to bring them all home, stick his head in the sand and hope the problem we face with radical Islam would just go away. Paul often votes against Israel or in support of Hamas – depending on which way you want to view his votes. He is more aligned with Democrat Dennis Kucinich than Republicans

While Graney's views are admirable, and right on target when it comes to his criticisms of Paul's foreign policy views, he falters greatly on the social agenda.

Continuing from the interview:

I am a conservative, Ron Paul is a libertarian. I do not support the legalization of drugs as Paul advocates. We do not need corner cannabis stores in America. Paul will often equate the war on drugs with the prohibition era. There is a huge difference between having a beer with dinner and taking a snort of cocaine for dessert. We do not need rampant and cheap hardcore drugs in our society.

Even the most hardened libertarian purists would not legalize cocaine right off the bat. That was a cheap and easy shot. Rather, the more mainstream libertarian approach is to support reform of marijuana laws, particularly for medicinal use. It's highly disengenuous and a bit insulting for Graney to jump to the tired old "libertarians will give crack cocaine to school children," argument. And no, there isn't a "huge difference," between a corner cannabis store in a neighborhood and a corner liquor store. In fact, studies have shown repeatedly that alcohol, leads to far more instances of driving under the influence than marijuana.

Moreover his hinting that libertarian are somehow not really Republicans is annoying to say the least.

Of course, I live in the 14th. One candidate is horrendous on foreign policy. The other, takes a really bad stance on an important civil liberties issue, and seemingly disses libertarians in the GOP. I may have to just skip this race on the ballot, or do what so many others often do: Write in Mickey Mouse.

Hey Look, Verizon Wireless Was Shipping Out Free Droid Battery Covers [Free Stuff]

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Did your Motorola Droid battery cover slip off into the night on New Year's Eve, never to be seen again? Did several of your memories from that evening do the same? Well, sorta good news, bad news: I can kind of help with the former.

You see, Verizon Wireless was offering free (free!) battery cover replacements on their website. The inventory sold out quick, surprise, but maybe they'll have more soon. Normally these little guys go for about $5 plus shipping.

Check their website for more info. [Phonearena via Ubergizmo]



CNN reports Poll finds Majority of Nigerian Muslims support Osama bin Laden

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CNN recently did a report on Nigerian-American reaction to the Christmas Day Bomber Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab. Not surprisingly, the Nigerian-American community is strongly condemning the terrorist attack, and is deeply embarrassed and ashamed of their fellow countryman. There are over 2 million Nigerians in the US.

A Nigerian-American identified as a limousine driver interviewed by CNN said, "all the Nigerians I talk to are shocked, because we don't believe in such a thing..." But added, "I know we have radical Muslims in the north..."

While the vast majority of Christian Nigerians abhor violence, and are favorable to the United States, It's the Nigerians in the Muslim-dominated nothern part of the country, where AbdulMutallab originated from, who are causing great concern. (Nigeria's population is divided virtually equally 50/50 between Christians and Muslims).

Veteran CNN reporter John Roberts then gave some stunning poll numbers just released from the Pew Research Center:

43% of Nigerian Muslims polled believed Suicide Bombings against the West were Justified

54% of Nigerian Muslims polled said they were supportive of Osama bin Laden

While the exact number of Muslims from Nigeria living in the United States is not known, the Detroit Free Press reported on Dec. 30 in an article about the area's Muslims reactions to the Christmas Day Bomber, that "There are about 10,000 Nigerian Muslims in Michigan," alone.

See the full video segment at CNN.

Bevy of Leaked Lenovo ThinkPad Laptops Hit Street Before CES [Lenovo]

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Oops! Someone at Lenovo may have hit Publish a tad too soon, and now we have a quick peek at a number of their upcoming laptops, including the ThinkPad Edge, T410s, W510, and more. CES what now? [Lenovo via Engadget]

The leak contains a section called "new product showcase" and was live as of 12 p.m., EST. This here is the t410.

The T410s, featuring "high performance" and an optional touchscreen.

Sleek ThinkPad with a shiny new veneer.

Ultra portable! Also shiny!

Future office workhorse?

[Lenovo via Engadget]



Pet Collar Air Purifier Can’t Cleanse the Air of Utter Stupidity [Worstmodo]

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An air purifier for pets! What an ingenious idea! It takes that filthy air around Fido's head, sucks it up, and replaces it with clean, refreshing and pet-friendly snake oil!

But wait! That's not all! While the purifier saves your pet from allergens, dander and smoke—possibly from the bong that lead to its eventual purchase—it also coats your dog, cat or small child with spray from a scent dispenser that's meant to relax and calm the little target of your affection. Bonus use: Your roving Rover now doubles as an air freshener. Just ignore the constant sneezing, as that's a feature, not a bug.

All that for a mere $17.20. Vet trips are extra. Total steal. [Technee via Coolest Gadgets]



uk brake, turn, tail wiring for 2006 hhr

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Sir

I just recently relocated to the UK as a DOD civilian. I'm trying to rewire my 2006 chevy HHR turn,brake and tail light configuration. My turnlight needs to be switched to the backup light area and made amber in color. I need to wire each turn signal from the the front or from the

What can you make in an hour?

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I was about to throw away a piece of 2½" dia discoloured Hazel.
Could I turn it into a shootable bow in 1 hour with only an axe?

I found the wood lying on the woodland floor, prob cut down by kids, it was begining to rot at one end.
Could I do it in an hour? Yes with 5mins to spar

Web Personalities Stretch Their Apple Tablet Conjecture Legs [Conjecture]

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Techie people who've been right about Apple rumors in the past have been busy this past week. While there's nothing concrete in either of these posts, their track records speak for themselves, and Apple conjecture is always fun, for some.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball takes the prize for most dedicated. While I was out saying things I could never take back during an uproarious Boston waterfront New Year's Eve party, he was pounding out a thousand or so words about the Tablet, Apple, and why this thing won't be something you just take into the shitter to pass the time with a few graphic novels and TIME Magazine with movies.

Again, conjecture abound, but at the end of it Gruber opines grandly, "I say they're swinging big - redefining the experience of personal computing." I'm forced to agree, not because of some deep, primal urge to support anything and everything Apple does, but because I'm still having a hard time envisioning what a tablet will do that demands people's attention like the iPhone did. Gruber seems to think it's the apps, stupid, and on that point I agree wholeheartedly: Software will define this thing, just as it did the iPhone.

It's on the software front that a far more grounded wave of tablet predictions arrive from ars technica and John Siracusa. Calling his column "cold water" he bats down haptic touchscreens, folding dual screens, and 3D goggles, preferring the software route. And why not? There are already 100 million iTunes customers in place that prove the model works, and they in turn are fed by more than 125,000 App Store developers who currently sell more than 100,000 apps. It's a proven model, and one Siracusa says Apple will rely heavily upon when this thing arrives. For his part, Gruber says "don't bet against" anything Siracusa says. We have an accord!

Siracusa also calls his column an "antacid tablet." As I am unable to traverse the Internet these days without stepping on, consuming, or producing a steaming pile of Apple Tablet news, I am inclined to agree with him. [Daring Fireball, ars technica]



Here are a Few More Florida Summer Beach Memories.

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Posted by David McRee at BlogTheBeach.com
If you are on vacation at the beach in Florida this first week in January 2010, my apologies to you for the weather. High temperatures in much of the state will remain in the 50’s Fahrenheit. That doesn’t happen very often.
If you aren’t on vacation here this week, be glad [...]

Branding skepticism | Bad Astronomy

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Steve Cuno is a skeptic as well as man who knows his marketing — he’s a professional. He’s spoken at two TAMs, both times about how better to market and brand skepticism. His points have hit home with me, because what he says about how we behave as skeptics is something I have seen countless times to be true. He thinks — and I agree — that we need to be more positive about what we know to be true. Instead of only saying "the antivax movement is baloney," (which we know to be a correct statement) we need to promote actual medicine and talk about why vaccinations are important. I try to do that here on the blog, because I know full well how skeptics are seen outside our own circles: naysayers, pointy-headed ivory tower academics, and so on. By being positive, we promote ourselves much better to the public.

Steve Cuno wrote an article for the JREF’s Swift blog which has many excellent points about how we as skeptics need to think about ourselves and our behavior. I think everyone who has ever sat next to an astrology buff at a dinner party or written anything on the web dealing with skeptical topics should read what Steve wrote, and pay attention to it. We could do a lot worse than to follow the lead he’s laid out.


The Coming Decade In 3D, HD Television [3D]

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Ready or not, 3D HDTV is going to take the television scene by storm in the coming decade, at least according to our buddies over at HDGuru. Here's why they think the future is more Avatar than anything else:

First, even though manufacturers might be rushing things, considering their last lovechild, Blu-Ray discs, hasn't really taken anything by a storm, let alone a slight tropical depression, there are some consumer-friendly caveats to consider before grinding those teeth in anger.

Take price, for example. HDGuru predicts set prices will be largely in line with current HDTV offerings. Initial pricing for a 40-inch 3D-ready 240Hz LED LCD will check in at about $1300, whereas a similar non-3D set from Samsung is currently for sale is $1,250.

The other elephant in the room, as least when it came to HD, is programming. While full-time HD programming has been around since HD Net launched in September 2001, it took until the end of the decade before this particular TV watcher could safely say all he watches on TV anymore are HD-only channels. Luckily—if you like where 3D is going anyway—that shouldn't be a problem for 3D in the 2010s. HDGuru assures us that the influx of PS3s on the market, coupled with 50 DirectTV 3D channels before the end of 2010, will ensure there's ample 3D TV available for the new sets that Sony, et al, will demand you buy for the best viewing experience. Sports, the original driver of HD content, will also come into play here, no pun intended.

As for HDTVs, 3D aside, the future is unsurprisingly cheaper, thinner and more portable. That's kind of how tech works, and beyond 2010 you can expect to see an influx of thin, LED edge-lit TVs that go larger than 60-inches. On the opposite end of the spectrum, expect more Zunes. That is, "Zune" in the sense that portables sporting HD visuals will become ubiquitous—who knows what fate will befall Microsoft's shiny player.

Lastly, this one's for Mark Wilson, who got headaches watching a great Avatar flick in 3D: HD glasses might eventually become unnecessary. At an expected $70 a pair, they won't be missed, but this prediction may take a while and will arrive first in the form of a single-viewer laptop at the end of 2010.

Again, predictions all. Nothing firm, but nothing too unbelievable either. There are more at HDGuru to parse and dissect and flame. Why don't you leave a few of your own in the comments? [HDGuru]



Muslim Youth burn 1,137 Cars across France on New Year’s Eve

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Violence stems from mass immigration from Northern Africa

From Eric Dondero:

According to LaDepeche.Fr (Times) the final number of vehicles burned across France on New Year's eve totalled 1,137.

The number of burnings in Paris itself seems to have decreased, while in the "banlieues" (outskirts of the city), and other French cities, the number has held steady or increased.

Straussbourg, for instance, is seen as "hotbed for Muslim activity," with a North African immigrant population of nearly 20%. The eastern French city saw an increase in car burnings and overall violence. (Source - Blogger Dinah Lord)

USAToday reports:

Car burnings have become common in poor suburbs that ring France's big cities, such as protests last summer shown in the photo above.

But fails to identify the culprits as mostly Muslim immigrants from North Africa (Algieria, Tunisia, Morocco).

The French press is more explicit.

From NovoPress - France, Dec. 31:

The Services Department of General Information (SDIG) have listed the areas where the outburts may be particularly violent. Coincidentally, these hot spots are areas of multi-ethnic cities in Corbeil, Argenteuil, Trappes, Chanteloup-les-Vignes, Mulhouse, Strasbourg, etc.. Burning cars, defacement of public property, aggressiveness towards the French people, is particular to New Year's Eve ... this phenomenon dates back two decades.

It is registered in the logic of attacking some of the symbols of France and moments of celebration of the French people: La Marseillaise, the national holiday, the feast of music, etc.. A clash of cultures directly related to mass immigration from outside Europe in France.

Translation by Eric Dondero