Your music appreciation song for the day from Flanders and Swann...alas, no "video" just music.
All together now:
Sing this happy song with me....
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Headlines below the fold
Via FR GGG forum:
Was Chesapeake bay once an asteroid crater?
Inuit oral tradition sheds light on the Franklin expedition ...FR has links for furthur info...(not work friendly)...
---------------------------
Paranoia alert at the WAPO...asking "Is Obama a Muslim?" is now considered hate speech.
I took the author to task for opening spam at work, only to be chastised by an Obama operative saying the professor was checking on Spam as part of her research. Well, duh..... Doesn't matter. Trojan horses and worms don't care if you are a Democrat or Republican....
Of course, calumny works for both sides:
Can politics get any lower? Even Bob Schiefer was upset...
--------------------
Eat Healthy! Have coffee with that Pizza.
-------------
Zap away that migraine? I'll wait to see if it works..
------------------------
And your headline of the day:
Was Chesapeake bay once an asteroid crater?
Inuit oral tradition sheds light on the Franklin expedition ...FR has links for furthur info...(not work friendly)...
---------------------------
Paranoia alert at the WAPO...asking "Is Obama a Muslim?" is now considered hate speech.
I took the author to task for opening spam at work, only to be chastised by an Obama operative saying the professor was checking on Spam as part of her research. Well, duh..... Doesn't matter. Trojan horses and worms don't care if you are a Democrat or Republican....
Of course, calumny works for both sides:
Can politics get any lower? Even Bob Schiefer was upset...
--------------------
Eat Healthy! Have coffee with that Pizza.
-------------
Zap away that migraine? I'll wait to see if it works..
------------------------
And your headline of the day:
Fly-tipping up for third year running
Gift item of the day
SpaceCamp Barbie...
She's a silver label collectable doll ready to learn about Space Shuttle Systems, life aboard the Space Station, how to sleep and eat in space, and more! The dolls come complete with a space camp suit, t-shirt, helmet and jacket. Coming soon to the Space Camp store- the complete outfit and accessories will be available so that you can can be just like Barbie®!
Internet outage
The internet is going on and off....it might be the modem has a bad chip from all the brownouts.
We are fine.
Lolo is happy. Pacman won! with a KO in the 9th...
The bad news is that the sportschannel went off in round 4....so he missed most of the fight.
We are fine.
Lolo is happy. Pacman won! with a KO in the 9th...
The bad news is that the sportschannel went off in round 4....so he missed most of the fight.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
CCTV bands
the UK has 1 spy camera for every 13 people.
So what do you do when you want someone to tape you for free?
LINK
headsup dustbury
So what do you do when you want someone to tape you for free?
LINK
headsup dustbury
Catholic joke of the day
Father O'Malley answers the phone.
'Hello, is this Father O'Malley?'
'It is!'
'This is the Tax Dept. Can you help us?'
'I can!'
'Do you know a Ted Houlihan?'
'I do! '
'Is he a member of your congregation?'
'He is!'
'Did he donate $10,000 to the church?'
'He will.'
your joke of the day from Tiamaria
'Hello, is this Father O'Malley?'
'It is!'
'This is the Tax Dept. Can you help us?'
'I can!'
'Do you know a Ted Houlihan?'
'I do! '
'Is he a member of your congregation?'
'He is!'
'Did he donate $10,000 to the church?'
'He will.'
your joke of the day from Tiamaria
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Headlines below the fold
What was that place in Syria that was bombed by someone...now the UK Guardian says they were making bomb materials for Iran...
---------------------
Anger provoking headline of the day: Ferry sinking was "act of God"...says shipowner, and whines he didn't know the captain, who left port when Manila was under a Signal one, wasn't required to check the destination weather, which was signal three at the time...except legally, the law, although it doesn't forbid it, does insist that the captain has to use common sense and check the weather...whoops, whines the ship owner, why didn't you tell us that....duh.
There has been a huge local response, with government, military, and churches rushing in aid. Right now the need is for easily cooked food, and body bags/formalin, so that the bodies can be buried at home. There are so many bodies that locals are photographing and burying them immediately...some of the bodies are from the ferry, but others are from the 40 fishing vessels that are missing...
The majority of the displace have been housed with family members, and others are sheltered in local schools and public buildings. But there is a huge reconstruction job to be done...
In the meanwhile, the USS Reagan and it's ships are headed there with all those supplies and help that had been sent to Burma but refused. One clueless PInoy politician whines why we need an aircraft carrier with jets, apparantly not being aware that the cranes, supplies, helicopters back immediately ..
The best answer to his cluelessness and criticism of Mrs Arroyo not rushing back for a photo op is this quote:“What would we have preferred? A presidential shoulder to cry on, or a thousand helping hands from a US carrier group who can help victims?” Alvarez said.
“I think the people on the ground, much [as] they want to group-hug with the President, would prefer the GI Joes,” he said.
---------------------
Anger provoking headline of the day: Ferry sinking was "act of God"...says shipowner, and whines he didn't know the captain, who left port when Manila was under a Signal one, wasn't required to check the destination weather, which was signal three at the time...except legally, the law, although it doesn't forbid it, does insist that the captain has to use common sense and check the weather...whoops, whines the ship owner, why didn't you tell us that....duh.
There has been a huge local response, with government, military, and churches rushing in aid. Right now the need is for easily cooked food, and body bags/formalin, so that the bodies can be buried at home. There are so many bodies that locals are photographing and burying them immediately...some of the bodies are from the ferry, but others are from the 40 fishing vessels that are missing...
The majority of the displace have been housed with family members, and others are sheltered in local schools and public buildings. But there is a huge reconstruction job to be done...
In the meanwhile, the USS Reagan and it's ships are headed there with all those supplies and help that had been sent to Burma but refused. One clueless PInoy politician whines why we need an aircraft carrier with jets, apparantly not being aware that the cranes, supplies, helicopters back immediately ..
The best answer to his cluelessness and criticism of Mrs Arroyo not rushing back for a photo op is this quote:“What would we have preferred? A presidential shoulder to cry on, or a thousand helping hands from a US carrier group who can help victims?” Alvarez said.
“I think the people on the ground, much [as] they want to group-hug with the President, would prefer the GI Joes,” he said.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Nano Donuts
liver cells love donuts, so this might enable medicines to get targeted just into these types of cells...
Journal reference:
- Lois Alexander et al. Dunking doughnuts into cells—selective cellular translocation and in vivo analysis of polymeric micro-doughnuts. Chemical Communications, 2008; DOI: 10.1039/b805323e
Book of the week
Bad jokes and puns, anyone?
Yup...these jokes were probably old when the book was written a hundred years ago...
Yup...these jokes were probably old when the book was written a hundred years ago...
The stork is a bird with a great big bill;
He brings us the babies whenever he will ;
Then comes the doctor, and when he is through,
You find that he has a big bill, too.
He who courts and goes away,
May court again another day;
But he who weds and courts girls still
May go to court against his will.
Some men divide their lives between
trying to forget and trying to recover
from the effects of trying to forget.
Recipe of the day
EpiLog has some recipes and instructions on making sour dough starter.
In the US, I used to make bread because I didn't like what was available in our rural supermarkets. Here, we eat rice three times a day...
In the US, I used to make bread because I didn't like what was available in our rural supermarkets. Here, we eat rice three times a day...
Stuff below the fold
Rewriting the story of the Mayans...no, Apocolypto was wrong, but so were a lot of other stories about these tribes.
-----------------------
Evidence? Evidence? we don't need no stinkin' evidence...
no, it's not the Bush war on terror, it's the MPAA...and their fight against privacy in the name of copyright has some frightening implications, but unless you read BoingBoing or the geekblogs, you probably are unaware of what's going on...more HERE.
-------------------------------
Duct Tape to the rescue:
MikeTheMadBiologistBlog reports another leak: Q fever from a CDC level three lab in Atlanta..
and after the lead was discovered, they fixed it with ductape...
Well, that makes me feel safe.
-------------------------------
Anesthesia makes post op pain worse...one of the things about untreated pain is it leaves a "ghost" on the nervous system, meaning later pain is worse. Anesthesia only keeps you unaware you are hurting, and the local changes continue...this may explain why some studies that show if you give a CoxA painkiller before surgery, you don't need as much painkiller after surgery.
------------------------------
And finally: The Marines have Underware problems.
Wicking polyester longjohns are forbidden in the military because polyester underware burns/melts (if you get caught by an explosion), but cotton doesn't work as well.
So they are working at new underware.
Hmm...how does it work for Bras? Are underwire bras also forbidden? I mean, sports bras are fine, but as a D cup, I can tell you they don't work well...
For that matter, does body armour come with curves?
Enquiring minds want to know...
-----------------------
Evidence? Evidence? we don't need no stinkin' evidence...
no, it's not the Bush war on terror, it's the MPAA...and their fight against privacy in the name of copyright has some frightening implications, but unless you read BoingBoing or the geekblogs, you probably are unaware of what's going on...more HERE.
-------------------------------
Duct Tape to the rescue:
MikeTheMadBiologistBlog reports another leak: Q fever from a CDC level three lab in Atlanta..
and after the lead was discovered, they fixed it with ductape...
Well, that makes me feel safe.
-------------------------------
Anesthesia makes post op pain worse...one of the things about untreated pain is it leaves a "ghost" on the nervous system, meaning later pain is worse. Anesthesia only keeps you unaware you are hurting, and the local changes continue...this may explain why some studies that show if you give a CoxA painkiller before surgery, you don't need as much painkiller after surgery.
------------------------------
And finally: The Marines have Underware problems.
Wicking polyester longjohns are forbidden in the military because polyester underware burns/melts (if you get caught by an explosion), but cotton doesn't work as well.
So they are working at new underware.
Hmm...how does it work for Bras? Are underwire bras also forbidden? I mean, sports bras are fine, but as a D cup, I can tell you they don't work well...
For that matter, does body armour come with curves?
Enquiring minds want to know...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Nasa Image of the day
and the NASA headline of the day:
Black holes have simple feeding habits.
At the center of spiral galaxy M81 is a supermassive black hole about 70 million times more massive than our sun.
History headline of the day
Historians have dated Ulysses' home coming...April 16, 1178 B.C.
yes, a lot of the stuff is made up based on oral tradition, but the details of the stars and eclipse fit the estimated time of the Trojan war...
yes, a lot of the stuff is made up based on oral tradition, but the details of the stars and eclipse fit the estimated time of the Trojan war...
Headlines below the fold
Sigh. It looks like that Filipine ferry turned over before passengers could get out...My report on BNN...
-------
and yes, the US Navy is there to help the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard,: the USNS Stockham arrived today with much needed search and rescue helicopters...a
Patrol planes are also being sent down, and should arrive in Clark today on the way to the Visayas.
--------------------
McCain's ex jailer supports his bid...
On the other hand, Obama is busy trying to "remake" himself ....uh, fellahs, isn't that supposed to be what the primaries were about? Hillary's people are still mad (yes we are) but the press continues to be google eyed about their messiah... the AP moans "ain't it awful"...and hints we need "change"...hint hint ...
--------------------------
Five left feet. In sneakers....more HERE.
now they think the bodies were upstream and washed down with the spring floods...but the DNA doesn't fit the lumberjacks whose plane was lost there, so the questions remain...
-------------------------
Tsvangirai drops out of Zim re-vote...and seeks asylum at Dutch Embassy... he knows that not only will Mugabe make sure that he wins the vote, but Mugabe will retaliate on entire villages and towns that dare to vote wrong...
Just look at all those leftists demonstrating with the Zim diaspora...hello? Hello? Senator Obama, call your office...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Typhoon report
my report on typhoon is on BNN at link.
we are well, but Joy's home island got hit badly in the visayas
we are well, but Joy's home island got hit badly in the visayas
well, duh
Usually the HNNBlog has leftist talking points (and for historians sometimes a lack of basic historical knowledge). but about half their articles are worth reading so I get it RSS feed.
Today they actually have a report from a security expert on the recent Supreme court decision to weaken laws against terrorism by making the standard of law during war the same as peacetime civilians.
He is the only commenter that says what I had been thinking: That in the heat of battle, more suspects will end up dead.
--------------------
for an opposing point of view, Alan Dershowitz discusses the Dreyfus case, and how bending the law to get the guilty erodes the law. LINK
Today they actually have a report from a security expert on the recent Supreme court decision to weaken laws against terrorism by making the standard of law during war the same as peacetime civilians.
He is the only commenter that says what I had been thinking: That in the heat of battle, more suspects will end up dead.
--------------------
for an opposing point of view, Alan Dershowitz discusses the Dreyfus case, and how bending the law to get the guilty erodes the law. LINK
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Family news
typhoon all day. Winds here hit only 30 to 40 mph...the eye was west of here, near Clark.
Rains heavy and streets flooded but not badly. House is leaking but dry.\
No brown out for a change, but internet was off all day and now is going off and on.I;ve posted this note three times...
we are fine...stayed home and watched tv...cable stayed on too...(usually this goes off with storms).
Rains heavy and streets flooded but not badly. House is leaking but dry.\
No brown out for a change, but internet was off all day and now is going off and on.I;ve posted this note three times...
we are fine...stayed home and watched tv...cable stayed on too...(usually this goes off with storms).
Saturday, June 21, 2008
family news
typhoon is in the southern Philippines.
Will hit here tomorrow afternoon/evening.
We're well inland so should be no problem.
Will hit here tomorrow afternoon/evening.
We're well inland so should be no problem.
stop glamorizing terrorists
another story here is how a hot reporter decided to interview a terror group, got a local "peace" activist to put her in touch with them, and promptly got kidnapped.
Both the government and the network said denied ransom, but by last night a rival network had photos (?cellphone) of money being handed over...
in the meanwhile, the mayor who was a "go between" in the deal, the peace activist, and one of the guides are under suspicion for arranging a kidnapping.
but one of the local bishops has this to say
Both the government and the network said denied ransom, but by last night a rival network had photos (?cellphone) of money being handed over...
in the meanwhile, the mayor who was a "go between" in the deal, the peace activist, and one of the guides are under suspicion for arranging a kidnapping.
but one of the local bishops has this to say
Manila bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. said it is high time that terrorists who want to have their side heard be the ones to approach media and take the risk of being arrested.
"Let no one be lured again by lawless elements who may express a desire to air their side. If they really want to be heard, let them be the ones to take the risk. Let us not glamorize terrorists and bandits and give them a chance to inflict harm on our people," Bacani said in his newspaper column in Manila Standard Today.
of course, when the AbuSayyaf bombs Catholic cathedrals, kidnaps or kills catholic priests, and bombs fiestas celebrating Catholic saint, it's sort of known that the ransom money might not be used to educate children or feed the hungry, but to hire more thugs to kill and bomb more innocent civiians.
multimedia of the week
the CSMonitor has a multimedia page with short subjects.
Worthy to check out if you're tired of hyperventillation on NBC Nightly news.
Best pick: Film on orchestra trying to cope with EU regulations against being noisy.
Worthy to check out if you're tired of hyperventillation on NBC Nightly news.
Best pick: Film on orchestra trying to cope with EU regulations against being noisy.
Hello masterpiece art
from the description of the exhibition:
It takes an artist with Leslie Holt's seasoned, cynical humor and formidable eye to layer such familiar references and make them say something new. With Hello Masterpiece, she has perfectly replicated the conflation of high and mass culture that marks 21st century Capitalism. At the same time, each individual work in the series makes its own commentary on perennial issues ranging from love and beauty, to labor and fetishism. As far as art is concerned, Hello Masterpiece is the complete package. So while you may not like the current state of our culture, Leslie Holt's art makes it a little easier to bear.
----
headsup hellokittyhellblog
Religion joke of the week
Johnny's Mother looked out the window and noticed
him playing church with their cat.
He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it.
She smiled and went about her work.
A while later she heard loud meowing and
hissing and ran back to the open window
to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub
of water. She called out, 'Johnny, stop that!
The cat is afraid of water!'
Johnny looked up at her and said,
'He should have thought about that before
he joined my church.'
your joke of the week from TiaMaria
Friday, June 20, 2008
S.O.S.
"...Eventually the conference plumped for - dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot - a signal that is hard to mistake for anything else in the world of morse.
"SOS is very simple you are not going to hear that at any other time," Mr Eavis says.
But it needn't have been SOS of course. Being broadcast without a pause, the combination of dots and dashes could also have been read as IJS, SMB, or VTB. SOS won the day, coming into effect on 1 July 1908.
Since then it has stormed into popular culture, littered a thousand newspaper headlines and prompted numerous "backronyms". According to who you believed it was Save Our Souls, or Sinking Of Ship, or Send Out Succour or Save Our Ship.
"None of which is correct," says Mr Eavis. "It doesn't stand for anything. It's simply non-stop, there are no spaces."
It is believed the first ship to have sent out an SOS signal was the American steamer Arapahoe in 1909. When the Titanic was sinking in 1912, its operator first sent out CQD and then SOS, alternating. CQD persisted, particularly among British operators, for many years...."
CSI Vancouver: The mystery of the right feet
Right feet, inside of sneakers (sports shoes) keep floating up near Vancouver, Canada...
Police in British Columbia are confounded, saying they have never seen a case like it.
Police in British Columbia are confounded, saying they have never seen a case like it.
The (five) feet have all been recovered along the shorelines in the Strait of Georgia, which lies to the south and west of Vancouver.
They were all encased in trainers, and most are right feet. Police say it is not yet clear if a crime had been committed. They said they had found no evidence that the feet had been severed.
DNA has been collected from the first feet, but police say that there has been no match to anyone on their missing persons database.
Science can be beautiful links of the week
Go out and check the moon...
The full Moon of June 18th is a "solstice moon", coming only two days before the beginning of northern summer. This is significant because the sun and full Moon are like kids on a see-saw; when one is high, the other is low. This week's high solstice sun gives us a low, horizon-hugging Moon and a strong Moon Illusion.
--------------------
Math is all there is...
Stephen Hawking once asked it this way: “What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?” If I am right and the cosmos is just mathematics, then no fire-breathing is required. A mathematical structure doesn’t describe a universe, it is a universe...
Um, fellahs, this is philosophy, not science...
---------------------------
The music of the spheres... the podcast of the week
--------------------------
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Family news
Chano and Joy were in Pampanga at a conference on organic farming...they were interviewed but we didn't see the film clip or story yet.
Internet off all day... Modem seems to feel the heat, or else it's the thunderstorms...works a bit better at night.
Internet off all day... Modem seems to feel the heat, or else it's the thunderstorms...works a bit better at night.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Headlines below the fold
Good news of the day: Pinay newslady released by terror group...no ransom paid, they claim...awaiting full story...
-----
Another Haditha Marine cleared....won't make the headlines...
------
AP is feuding with bloggers...five dollars a word if you quote them....duh. Never mind. There is always AlJezeerah...
------------
Some things are more important than politics:
In the headlines: Israel probably buying Iranian oil...
But the big news is that Israelis are ignoring sanctions to buy their beloved Pistacios...
And the quote of the day:
Every pistachio nut brings Iran another step closer to achieving nuclear capability, and though the US ambassador has placed responsibility for the fiasco primarily on the government’s shoulders, the pistachio crisis may require Israeli citizens to be more discerning in their eating habits.
-----
Another Haditha Marine cleared....won't make the headlines...
------
AP is feuding with bloggers...five dollars a word if you quote them....duh. Never mind. There is always AlJezeerah...
------------
Some things are more important than politics:
In the headlines: Israel probably buying Iranian oil...
But the big news is that Israelis are ignoring sanctions to buy their beloved Pistacios...
And the quote of the day:
Every pistachio nut brings Iran another step closer to achieving nuclear capability, and though the US ambassador has placed responsibility for the fiasco primarily on the government’s shoulders, the pistachio crisis may require Israeli citizens to be more discerning in their eating habits.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
What the scientist really means
Statement Really means
It has long been known... I haven't bothered to look up the reference.
It is thought that... I think so.
It is generally thought that... A couple of other people think so, too.
It is not unreasonable to assume... If you believe this, you'll believe anything.
Of great theoretical importance... I find it interesting.
Of great practical importance... I can get some good mileage out of it.
Typical results are shown. The best results are shown.
Three samples were chosen for further study. The others didn't make sense, so we ignored them.
The second sample was not used. I dropped it on the floor.
Results obtained with the second sample must be interpreted with caution. I dropped it on the floor but managed to scoop most of it up.
Correct within an order of magnitude. Incorrect.
(check the rest at link)
Headsup Improbable research
It has long been known... I haven't bothered to look up the reference.
It is thought that... I think so.
It is generally thought that... A couple of other people think so, too.
It is not unreasonable to assume... If you believe this, you'll believe anything.
Of great theoretical importance... I find it interesting.
Of great practical importance... I can get some good mileage out of it.
Typical results are shown. The best results are shown.
Three samples were chosen for further study. The others didn't make sense, so we ignored them.
The second sample was not used. I dropped it on the floor.
Results obtained with the second sample must be interpreted with caution. I dropped it on the floor but managed to scoop most of it up.
Correct within an order of magnitude. Incorrect.
(check the rest at link)
Headsup Improbable research
Half plushie frog, half musical instrument
At first glance, Keromin looks like a normal stuffed toy frog. But, it's actually an incredibly elaborate musical instrument.
Keromin is operated by inserting a hand and moving the frog's mouth like a hand puppet. Noise is emitted each time the frog's mouth opens. The exact type of noise that pipes out can be controlled using buttons on the frog's arms.
Keromin gets its name from "kero," the Japanese onomatopoeic word used to describe a frog's croak, and the Theremin, the first ever electronic musical instrument.
old medicine, new tricks
there is a blood test to find prostate cancer early..the big question is if this saves lives.
Long discussion HERE.
The last conference I went to said you find a lot of cancers early, but two fifths would never kill the patient, two fifths would kill the patient whatever you do, and treatment saves one fifth, but you have to do all this nasty stuff to the many more who don't need it.
Now an old drug Proscar might stop cancer from growing...we've used it for years to slow down non cancerous prostate enlargement, but it's expensive and the newer "alpha blockers" work better, so it fell into disuse.
But we've known for years that it lowers the PSA, and there was a question if it "masked" the high PSA level that clued us to a cancer.
Now they are wondering if it would decrease cancer from starting LINK2
Monday, June 16, 2008
Sorry for no posts
It's been hot and between the heat and the thunderstorms our connection goes off and on...
Tonite it's working and I posted a summary of biodiesel on BNN, but since I haven't been able to surf the net, I'm short on jokes today.
Tonite it's working and I posted a summary of biodiesel on BNN, but since I haven't been able to surf the net, I'm short on jokes today.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day
Went to the local restaurant for Father's day.
Thunderstorms every day...yesterday, the lightning and thunder started before the clouds and rain...a farmer whose field is near our field got killed by lightning...he was with his brother under a tree resting and the lightning hit th tree killing him but his brother was okay.
Internet off and on (and electricity off and on).
Thunderstorms every day...yesterday, the lightning and thunder started before the clouds and rain...a farmer whose field is near our field got killed by lightning...he was with his brother under a tree resting and the lightning hit th tree killing him but his brother was okay.
Internet off and on (and electricity off and on).
Saturday, June 14, 2008
God save the ...uh oh
The US decided to give up it's observer status on the UN Human Rights Council last week, to the chagrin of those who believe in international instutitions, no matter how stupid they are.
Well, today's UKTelegraph reports:
Well, today's UKTelegraph reports:
The UN Human Rights Council said the UK must "consider holding a referendum on the desirability or otherwise of a written constitution, preferably republican".
The council has 29 members including Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Sri Lanka.It was the Sri Lankan envoy who raised concerns over the British monarchy.
And there's more:
The UN report was also critical of the UK's treatment of immigrants from Sudan. Syria accused the UK of discriminating against Muslims and Iran complained about the UK's record on tackling sexual discrimination
And, of course, the US is being investigated for "islamophobia"...
(the report is from a UAE paper, where Christian churches exist but don't have a cross for fear of attacks...)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Organic vegie model farm
 |
| 6-11-2008 part one |
clicking on the photo will get photos of the greenhouse/model organic vegetable farm.
There are also photos of the art class held in our meeting room here.
The "we're all gonna die" headlines of the week
Sun Seems Eerily Calm
By Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer
posted: 11 June 2008
09:28 am ET
By Andrea Thompson
Senior Writer
posted: 11 June 2008
09:28 am ET
The sun's surface has been fairly blank for the last couple of years, and that has some worried that it may be entering another Maunder minimum, the sun's 50-year abstinence from sunspots, which some scientists have linked to the Little Ice Age of the 17th century.
Could a new sunspot drought plunge us into another decades-long cold spell?
----------------------
no, not really.
More on the Maunder Minimum HERE.
Mystery of the day
The Archeology channel has a (streaming) talk with some guys searching for Amelia Earhart.
The mystery continues...
The mystery continues...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
HelloKitty Pizza!
HelloKittyHell shows us that HelloKitty has her own brand of pizza.
We have HelloKitty IceCream, shampoo, soap, clocks, purses, dresses etc. but I haven't seen the pizza.
However, Gizmodo has this disturbing report on what is actually inside the Pizza. LINK
tech news under the fold
Spy on terrorists, the ACLU is all over it...spy on a kid downloading a Blackeyed peas mp3 via P2p, and no one worries about civil liberties.
LINK.... and if you live in the UK, they can extradite you to the US for trial
Another aspect is this international treaty to outlaw copyright infringement.
-----------------
Another example of big brother: Sending a helicopter with heat seeking equipment to find people who just want a little privacy.
-------------------
Car idea of the day:
Cloth BMW.
Essentially a slip cover over a protective frame. Like slipcovers, if they get dirty, (or smashed) it's cheaper to replace...
--------------------
Banning plastic bags?
No problem...they are using nanotechology to make paper stronger than steel...
LINK.... and if you live in the UK, they can extradite you to the US for trial
Another aspect is this international treaty to outlaw copyright infringement.
-----------------
Another example of big brother: Sending a helicopter with heat seeking equipment to find people who just want a little privacy.
-------------------
Car idea of the day:
Cloth BMW.
Essentially a slip cover over a protective frame. Like slipcovers, if they get dirty, (or smashed) it's cheaper to replace...
--------------------
Banning plastic bags?
No problem...they are using nanotechology to make paper stronger than steel...
Download of the day
Emily Dickenson's poems at Librivox...
ProjectGutenburg Text HERE.
------
as a doctor I always found this one so true...
Pain has an element of blank;
It cannot recollect
When it began, or if there were
A day when it was not.
It has no future but itself,
Its infinite realms contain
Its past, enlightened to perceive
New periods of pain.
ProjectGutenburg Text HERE.
------
as a doctor I always found this one so true...
Pain has an element of blank;
It cannot recollect
When it began, or if there were
A day when it was not.
It has no future but itself,
Its infinite realms contain
Its past, enlightened to perceive
New periods of pain.
Unicorn?
ROME - A deer with a single horn in the center of its head — much like the fabled, mythical unicorn — has been spotted in a nature preserve in Italy, park officials said Wednesday. "This is fantasy becoming reality," Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, told The Associated Press. "The unicorn has always been a mythological animal."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Lolo's birthday
I'm trying to figure how to upload films from Chano's webcam. This is one of the videos from Lolo's birthday party.
Grandkids in the news
headlines below the fold
Abu's need money again, so kidnap another journalist.
ABS CBN is asking for a news blackout, but it sounds like she wanted an interview...
-------------------
900 plus Indiana National Guardsmen called out to help with floods.
Well, at least the local papers noticed...
--------------------
Pet Hamsters banned...in VietNam..
The bigger story is that they were smuggled in, and not checked for disease, so the story notes this:
The animals are just one of many imports that escape adequate scrutiny or epidemiological control in Vietnam.
A recent survey alarmingly showed that most anti-malaria drugs - in Vietnam and other countries of the region - were fakes traced back to China.
it's not just the Heparin...
a lot of docs wonder about the relationship between the counterfeit drugs (which contain only small amounts of medicine) and the local malaria resistance that is causing worries....
-----------------
ABS CBN is asking for a news blackout, but it sounds like she wanted an interview...
-------------------
900 plus Indiana National Guardsmen called out to help with floods.
Well, at least the local papers noticed...
--------------------
Pet Hamsters banned...in VietNam..
The bigger story is that they were smuggled in, and not checked for disease, so the story notes this:
The animals are just one of many imports that escape adequate scrutiny or epidemiological control in Vietnam.
A recent survey alarmingly showed that most anti-malaria drugs - in Vietnam and other countries of the region - were fakes traced back to China.
it's not just the Heparin...
a lot of docs wonder about the relationship between the counterfeit drugs (which contain only small amounts of medicine) and the local malaria resistance that is causing worries....
-----------------
I've heard of forgetting where you parked your car, but this is ridiculous
Vietnamese authorities say they are mystified as to who owns a Boeing 727 which has been abandoned at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport.
Your tax dollars at work
Manga comic books...
Seaman Ohara travels to Japan...
Actually, it is an educational manga, trying to spread the word that nuclear powered aircraft carriers are not dangerous...up to now, only conventional carriers visit Japan, but with the retirement of the USSKittyHawk, all carriers are nuclear powered.
(headsup StrategyPage)
----------
Trivia question:
In what movie did Pat Morita play a priest named Father Ohara, complete with Irish accent? Answer HERE.
Seaman Ohara travels to Japan...
Actually, it is an educational manga, trying to spread the word that nuclear powered aircraft carriers are not dangerous...up to now, only conventional carriers visit Japan, but with the retirement of the USSKittyHawk, all carriers are nuclear powered.
(headsup StrategyPage)
----------
Trivia question:
In what movie did Pat Morita play a priest named Father Ohara, complete with Irish accent? Answer HERE.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Siopao and snacks
JapanPhotoBlog has a report on a dumpling filled with pizza sauce and meat.
It looks like a variation of Siopao, a pork filled dumpling that we eat here as snacks. RECIPE HERE.
TPB writes: Compared to real pizza, pizzaman actually doesn’t quite cut it, but compared to Japanese pizza, it might be a step up!
Well, if this is an example, I might agree:
Some of the toppings included on this pizza:
- mayonnaise
- king crab
- shrimp
- beef w/ demi-glace sauce
- broccoli
- onion
- corn
- egg
- potato
Stuff below the fold
WaPo admits Bush Didn't lie...the Anchoress summarizes HERE.
-----------
Strategypage has Iraq news that isn't being noticed.
-----------
A Protestant reformation in Algeria.?
------------------
FARC on it's last legs? Even Chavez is telling them to quit...the BBC news had a long segment on the news here about this...kidnapping down to one a day from 10 a day five years ago...
----------------
Canadian David Warren discusses propaganda and thought crime trials ...
first they came for the bloggers, then they came for MarkSteyn...
what's next?
.
----------------
-----------
Strategypage has Iraq news that isn't being noticed.
-----------
A Protestant reformation in Algeria.?
------------------
FARC on it's last legs? Even Chavez is telling them to quit...the BBC news had a long segment on the news here about this...kidnapping down to one a day from 10 a day five years ago...
----------------
Canadian David Warren discusses propaganda and thought crime trials ...
first they came for the bloggers, then they came for MarkSteyn...
what's next?
.----------------
The incredible microegg
"... "What looks like a fertilized egg, flows like water, gets stuffed with catalysts and exotic nanostructures and may have the potential of making the current retail gasoline infrastructure compatible with hydrogen-based vehicles of the future – not to mention also contributing to arenas such as nuclear proliferation and global warming?"
The Bulletin, the monthly magazine of The American Ceramic Society, carries their answer (PDF). Unlike many press releases, their work is truly very different than other existing research in that it represents a whole new class of materials that can be used for diverse storage purposes, by having properties similar to both a liquid and being solid in form. The new material consists of tiny hollow spheres, known formally as Porous Wall-Hollow Glass Microspheres (PW-HGM). ..."
Attention Travelers
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But not only will we do our part to protect the environment, we will expect you, our passengers, to do your part as well. The magic comes from our one of a kind "Sliding Scale"—the more you weigh, the more you'll pay. After all, it takes more fuel—more energy—to get more weight from point A to point B. So we will charge passengers based on how much mass they add to the plane. The heavier you and your luggage are, the more trees we'll plant to make up for the trouble of flying you from place to place.
Our Mission
Derrie-Air is the world's first carbon-neutral luxury airline. We will offer our passengers the finest luxury experience in all the world's skies and the freedom to enjoy it with a clear conscience.
LINK
LINK2
Korea Sparkling
We see lots of tourism ads on our cable TV stations, for Malaysia, for Singapore and even for the Philippines.
But right now, there is a new series of ads, called "Korea Sparkling".
To those of us who are older, Korea means Porkchop hill, not a modern country to visit on vacation.
Butthere are many ties between Korea and the Philippines. Here in the Philippines, there are many Korean tourists and students, at the beach at Borachay or in the cool pine city of Baguio. Also, many Pinoys work there, in factories or as English teachers (!).
But I don't know anyone who has just gone there as a tourist.
------
Planet Dianne has a report of her visit there, with photos HERE.
---------
Another big influence from Korea is soapoperas.
PlanetDianne mentions Korean TV dramas...they are played on our local stations during the day here, in Tagalog.
Think of a G (or PG) "days of our lives"...
.and the costume dramas such as "Jewel in the Palace" were on TV in the evening and a big hit.
But right now, there is a new series of ads, called "Korea Sparkling".
To those of us who are older, Korea means Porkchop hill, not a modern country to visit on vacation.
Butthere are many ties between Korea and the Philippines. Here in the Philippines, there are many Korean tourists and students, at the beach at Borachay or in the cool pine city of Baguio. Also, many Pinoys work there, in factories or as English teachers (!).
But I don't know anyone who has just gone there as a tourist.
------
Planet Dianne has a report of her visit there, with photos HERE.
---------
Another big influence from Korea is soapoperas.
PlanetDianne mentions Korean TV dramas...they are played on our local stations during the day here, in Tagalog.
Think of a G (or PG) "days of our lives"...
.and the costume dramas such as "Jewel in the Palace" were on TV in the evening and a big hit.
Monday, June 09, 2008
The castastrophe story of the day
It was dark in New England on May 17, 1780...even Geo Washington noted a problem in his diary.
Nearly 230 years later, MU researchers combined written accounts and fire scar evidence to determine that the dark day was caused by massive wildfires burning in Canada...The researchers studied tree rings from the Algonquin Highlands of southern Ontario and many other locations. They found that a major fire had burned in 1780 affecting atmospheric conditions hundred of miles away.....
"This study was a unique opportunity to take historical accounts and combine them with modern technology and the physical historical evidence from the tree rings and solve a mystery with science," McMurry said.
The Freepers have comments including this link.
I remember the year NewMexico burnt down...we had fires north and south of us, and smoky/dimness outside. But the fires were only 20 miles away, not 200...
Family news
Chano and Joy were busy up on the farm. The Dept of Agriculture sent a lady to give lectures on how to improve organic fertilizer for growing vegetables to the farmers at our greenhouse /model farm. And the farmers are busy mulching and flooding to prepare for planting.
It is very very hot, and the internet has been off. I have been sick from either bronchitis or severe allergy, which is better if I stay indoors.
Lolo is fine.
The mother cat kicked out the kitten, so we had been feeding her outside the window, but then we couldn't find her for two days... yesterday, when we went to the front garden to sit in the gazebo, BadBrad started hunting and barking at the wall...then I heard a kitten. He had chased her over the wall, at which point she fell into the drainage ditch. Luckily it hasn't rained in two days, so there wasn't much water, and I got her out before she drowned.
Ruby will be home schooled again next year. This allows her to go with her parents to tradefairs and visit relatives more often. A bit un structured, but she is artistic like her father so it fits her better than a structured school.
It is very very hot, and the internet has been off. I have been sick from either bronchitis or severe allergy, which is better if I stay indoors.
Lolo is fine.
The mother cat kicked out the kitten, so we had been feeding her outside the window, but then we couldn't find her for two days... yesterday, when we went to the front garden to sit in the gazebo, BadBrad started hunting and barking at the wall...then I heard a kitten. He had chased her over the wall, at which point she fell into the drainage ditch. Luckily it hasn't rained in two days, so there wasn't much water, and I got her out before she drowned.
Ruby will be home schooled again next year. This allows her to go with her parents to tradefairs and visit relatives more often. A bit un structured, but she is artistic like her father so it fits her better than a structured school.
Wake up and live a healthy life
remember to brush your teeth
and blow dry your hair.
Eat a good breakfast
and especially SMILE at everyone you meet.
Your email of the day from Cousin Maddy.
wake up, get a message, a cuppa coffee
and have a stress free day.Your email of the day from TiaMaria.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
My official title
 | My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milady the Right Reverend Boinkie the Abstemious of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
Friday, June 06, 2008
Save the Mural
The mural in the dome of our church needs fixing, and the link is to donate money...
More news is that the priests have changed...Report here.
Headlines below the fold
In Burma, not only did they stop the US from flying in supplies from nearby ships to the cyclone victims, but a local comedian who took in aid on his own has been arrested.
----------
The President lied, people died...
The revisionists are now claiming that the West was to blame for World War II....
-------------------------
Will the Surge succeed in quelling violence...in Washington DC?
----------------
Vaccine to stop global warming?
repeat after me:
It's the F***s stupid
----------------
----------
The President lied, people died...
The revisionists are now claiming that the West was to blame for World War II....
-------------------------
Will the Surge succeed in quelling violence...in Washington DC?
----------------
Vaccine to stop global warming?
repeat after me:
It's the F***s stupid
----------------
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
family news
Light blogging today.
I went to Manila to get my ID card,and found the servers were down. They took the Photo and refinger printed me (both manual for the file and electronic for the ID card biometrics) and then took a photo in which I look like the witch from hell...
We left at 5am so I couldn't see straight enough to put on my makeup.
We had a starbucks coffee when we arrived at immigration, but then we ate at Sbarro for lunch. I had lasagna since we can't get it here. Here in the Philippines we have spaghetti, with a sweetish tomato sauce (like Spaghettios for kids) and cheddar on top. And at our new mall, we have a Greenwich sandwich shop that serves Pizza...But Sbarro has the same pizza and spaghetti as the US...of course they also serve rice and fish.
Immigration took pretty long mainly because unlike the olden days they don't take bribes anymore...you have to go to each station one after another. Lots of Koreans, a couple white guys, and some who seem to be from the Middle East. No aircon of course.,,or maybe there was but it was so hot I couldn't tell.
When I got home at six pm, we ate, but when I went into the bedroom to put my stuff away,, we found the mama dog sleeping in my soft chair. When we came back aftere supper, she was still there, but had two puppies...
So we got the large wooden drawer and rug out of the closet and moved her and puppies to the floor. Then we had to clean up the chair...which we just reupholstered...luckily it was with fake leather, so cleaned up easiy.
This is her third litter since we had her "fixed"...the operation didn't work for her...at least this time she didn't have them on the guest sofa, or under the porch...
I went to Manila to get my ID card,and found the servers were down. They took the Photo and refinger printed me (both manual for the file and electronic for the ID card biometrics) and then took a photo in which I look like the witch from hell...
We left at 5am so I couldn't see straight enough to put on my makeup.
We had a starbucks coffee when we arrived at immigration, but then we ate at Sbarro for lunch. I had lasagna since we can't get it here. Here in the Philippines we have spaghetti, with a sweetish tomato sauce (like Spaghettios for kids) and cheddar on top. And at our new mall, we have a Greenwich sandwich shop that serves Pizza...But Sbarro has the same pizza and spaghetti as the US...of course they also serve rice and fish.
Immigration took pretty long mainly because unlike the olden days they don't take bribes anymore...you have to go to each station one after another. Lots of Koreans, a couple white guys, and some who seem to be from the Middle East. No aircon of course.,,or maybe there was but it was so hot I couldn't tell.
When I got home at six pm, we ate, but when I went into the bedroom to put my stuff away,, we found the mama dog sleeping in my soft chair. When we came back aftere supper, she was still there, but had two puppies...
So we got the large wooden drawer and rug out of the closet and moved her and puppies to the floor. Then we had to clean up the chair...which we just reupholstered...luckily it was with fake leather, so cleaned up easiy.
This is her third litter since we had her "fixed"...the operation didn't work for her...at least this time she didn't have them on the guest sofa, or under the porch...
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Poetry interlude
It was neither a petal-strewn path
Nor a mountain track that brought me here.
It was neither a blinding blizzard nor blistering sun,
It was neither the dawn chorus nor the curlew’s call,
It was neither the rocky shore nor the open fields,
It was neither the ancient woodlands
Nor the city throngs,
It was neither the boisterous sea
Nor the soughing wind.
No, dear Lord, it was none of these.
For it was love in its wholeness that brought me here
And love and love alone that keeps me here
Where there is shelter and peacefulness,
Light through the night hours
And food for the soul.
3rd Prizewinner in Irish Christian Writers' Fellowship Poetry Competition 2007
Nor a mountain track that brought me here.
It was neither a blinding blizzard nor blistering sun,
It was neither the dawn chorus nor the curlew’s call,
It was neither the rocky shore nor the open fields,
It was neither the ancient woodlands
Nor the city throngs,
It was neither the boisterous sea
Nor the soughing wind.
No, dear Lord, it was none of these.
For it was love in its wholeness that brought me here
And love and love alone that keeps me here
Where there is shelter and peacefulness,
Light through the night hours
And food for the soul.
3rd Prizewinner in Irish Christian Writers' Fellowship Poetry Competition 2007
Everyday heroes
Ross McGiness was given a Medal of Honor postumously for saving his buddies.
My essay HERE
-----------------
Pinoy Dionasis Saguid was killed by mortar attack in the green zone also was a hero: because he chose to work in a dangerous area to help his family.
Sometimes you wonder...
The NYTimes discovers that if you fall off of the top bunk of a bunk bed you can hurt yourself...
WELLL, duh...you finally noticed...
.
.
.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Gift item of the day
A Digital Trumpet.
By simply humming or singing into the mouthpiece, you create accurate notes and tones, with the option of playing along to accompanying songs; 10 songs are pre-loaded (including "Respect" and "When the Saints Go Marching In")
(Headsup YannsTechnotoys)
So you can play along with sister when she sings:
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