Stories behind the news

if it bleeds, it leads.

But as the Belmont club points out: The really important stuff can be found in the back pages, but not noticed until it changes your life.

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Warp speed space travel a possibility thanks to Einstein's theory of relativity, astrophysicist says

what's wrong with this headline? Well, Einstein's theory of relativity does not make this possible. Einstein's theory of relativity is one way at looking at reality: A description.

It does not "allow" something to happen, as if it were a law that allows or forbids an action.

An example of scientific illiteracy in the headlines.

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The "ME ME ME" generation gives advice on how to live your life.

Heh. Most of them talk about ME ME ME and fulfilling MY DREAMS. Can you say "narcissism", children?

In contrast: From the Baltimore catechism: The purpose of life is to know love and serve God and our neighbor.

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Remembering the worst day in the Battle of Britain.



Guess they were too busy fighting Nazis to worry about ME ME ME.

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there is an old phrase: The greatest thing since sliced bread.

What I didn't know is that it was a military invention. And Mom Jones reports on other food items that were invented to feed soldiers more efficiently, such as granola bars and freeze dried coffee..

And another piece of food trivia:
 canned stuff was also a military invention, to feed Napoleon's soldiers.

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When suicide is pushed by the press with sympathy, or even as a good thing, the result is more dead people. But another side effect is to push the message that "useless eaters" should kill themselves and not burden their families.

Not Dead Yet, a disability advocacy group, points out the problem that needs to be addressed.

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eight percent of primary care docs don't accept new patients, but if you only have Medicare, the number not accepting you jumps to 35 percent.

Well, when processing the paper work costs more than you are paid (IF you are paid), why go to all that bother?

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I stopped reading SciFi years ago, because it became leftist and nihilistic instead of fun.

the background of the Sad Puppies kerfuffle in Science Fiction and the Hugo award: The PC elites tried a take over, and the geeks went elsewhere. So the non pc geek writers are asking fans to fight back.

WHAT? Weir's The Martian didn't win any awards? Something must be wrong with those who chose the Hugos....

of course, given some recent academy award winners one can see a similar rot in movies. Quick: Did you actually watch Birdman?

Heh. Adam Savage of Mythbusters has a vlogcast about it:




note that he essentially self published on line and later on Amazon.

They also discuss ion engines:  Ion engines...