Posted for later reading

I have lots of stuff to do, so am posting links to articles to read slowly later in the day.

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Attacks on Asians at SouthPhilly high are finally getting some legal pushback.

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Too much government money for electric wheelchairs?
the problem is with the regulation:
"To receive a complex rehabilitation wheelchair, a beneficiary's limitation must be deemed to result from a neurological condition, muscle disease or skeletal deformity."
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Intergalactic Tube style map.

The map displays the vast and complex interconnections of the Milky Way in a familiar way Photo: SAMUEL ARBESMAN / NEWSTEAM

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A UK reporter who has been immersed into the culture of death being promoted in Europe visits the dying in Venezuea and learns about choosing life
Yes, that is one reason that we returned to the Philippines.
(headsup NotDeadYetBlog).

Another UK article discusses another taboo subject: becoming hetero.
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Puppy Cam!

(headsup Lileks).

Or, if you like birds, try Father Z's BirdfeederCam

Musical interlude of the day

Stuff below the fold

Joseph Pearce has a new book on CSLewis...Escape from Puritania.excerpt here.

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Art as seeking beauty and Christianity as Eastern. An interview with Japanese artist Makoto Fujimora.
Blog HERE.
This abstract painting is called the River of Grace.

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Great Balls of Fire!
Webecoist discusses Holy meteorites.

In November, I posted about Tut's fireball, the Libyan glass that was found as a jewel on his mummy. Here's part of the BBC program



Webecoist has an article on meteor craters HERE.

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Cat photo of the day

They found a temple to the Cat Goddess, aka "Sekhmet, who was also associated with Hathor and was often referred to as Sekhmet-Hathor, Sekhet-Hor, etc. She figured in the destruction of mankind myth. Obviously, her ferociousness had been toned down a bit by Greek times:"

Headlines of the day

The really big electoral news: Erap is allowed to run again.

Well, that should mess up Noynoy's plans for an easy election.
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WTF vote in Massachusetts. Good news for Republicans?

My take at BNN: No, the revolt of the moderates (Independents and Clinton Democrats) against the elites running Washington

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Lucid Lynx alpha is available for download.

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Starwars 1, Breast Cancer 0:
Microwave zapping as treatment for breast cancer?

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Mbeki's advice from HIV denialists not to treat HIV patients resulted in 300thousand deaths...
More HERE and HERE.
Conspiracy theories do kill, and a lot of them start in prominent UK or US magazines.

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More earthquakes in Haiti...the Anchoress is following it.

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What's wrong with this picture?

TimeMag says the 86 page report on the Fort Hood shootings doesn't mention one small detail.
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and the really big news:
Sam Waterson finally got his big star.

Musical interlude of the day

For all those docs and rescuers who work hard to help people in need, this song is for you

Religious posts of the day

Say a prayer for those hurt by the earthquake
and donate if you can...

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Docs and moms and earthquake rescuers and others can't sit and "pray" but for Catholics prayer is lifting one's heart and mind to God, not saying words.

So a quote from St. Francis de Sales: "Do not distress yourself about your prayers. It is not always necessary to employ words, even inwardly, it is enough to raise your heart and let it rest on our Lord...

from fountainOfEliasBlog...also for those who "hate" pious hypocrites, they should know that spiritual writers have a list of various types of false piety, although I think John of the Cross describes them a lot better.

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disaster Headlines below the fold

100118-N-4774B-006 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Jan. 18, 2010) U.S. Navy SH-60F Sea Hawk helicopters from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transport water and supplies from the airport to areas around Port-au-Prince. Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage near Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker/Released)

Haiti, the disaster.
Yes, when the airport has one runway, the port is wrecked, the roads are blocked by debris, it's hard to get in supplies.
Alltogethernow: It's the logistics stupid.

(headsup Instapundit)


Photo from Phil Inquirer:
TWO MEMBERS of the Filipino peacekeeping troops attend to injured Haitian children in one of the makeshift clinics that United Nations rescue workers set up in Port-au-Prince.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AFP PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS CENTER IN HAITI

Locating areas in Haiti prone to landslides using the space shuttle.

Yesterday's ManilaBulletin had a map of the Philippines with landslide prone and flood prone regions marked out...we are in the flood prone area, but since our home is on a slight rise, we usually don't get flooded out.
Last year's flood hit a lot of the lower rice fields at harvest time, which is why the Philippines will have to import rice (although we are harvesting winter crop now which might help).

This might help too: Scuba rice.
Scuba rice refers to rice varieties that contain the SUB1 (submergence 1) gene, which allows the rice to survive 10 to 14 days completely under water and is specifically designed to increase yield in flood-prone areas.

other related news:
5.8 earthquake in Caymans may be related to the Haiti earthquake

Family news

Joy is having laser surgery this morning for a detached retina...Chano and Ruby went down to be with her.

I'll email news when we get it, but she'll have to stay quiet a few days at her sister's place in Manila.

PreClovis Man in...southern Idaho?

In 1959 and 1960, Ruth Gruhn ...estimated... human habitation 14,500 years ago...using more advanced technology than existed in 1959, she concluded her original estimate of its first habitation was about right.

Subsequent research has shown that timeline is plausible. In 2006, Idaho State University archaeologists dug up stone tools from Castle Rocks State Park in Cassia County that they estimated were 16,000 years old.

not only was this during the ice age but

Geologists believe the first volcanic eruption at Craters of the Moon National Monument didn’t start until 15,000 years ago, and Clovis culture — until recently believed to mark the advent of humans in North America — didn’t emerge until 13,000 years ago.

more here

Musical Interlude of the day

Turn up speakers and dance!

headsup from TiaMaria

Insomnia download of the day

Want to increase your English Vocabulary?
Librivox has an audiobook of English Synonyms LINK

But if you really can't get to sleep, try Short Non fiction essays LINK which includes such gems as # "Poisonous Cheese" from A Treatise on Adulterations of Food, and Culinary Poisons by Fredrick Accum and # Epicurus by Charles Bradlaugh

stuff below the fold

Good news: The Himalaya glaciers are not going to disappear soon.

Bad News: Gaia can't aim.
Danny Glover now says Gaia is mad at those high carbon people so has taken it out on the low carbon people of Haiti.

Uh, Gaia Florida is that a way...

more bad news: Guatamala has had an earthquake too...luckily not in an area with a lot of people.
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The drug war you never hear about: Iranian police against drug smuggling from Afghanistan.

Also the article mentions rumors of assasinations by the gov't being blamed on the west, while "moderates" are trying to keep things stable (see previous post on this).

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Cyberwar between the Koreas...
As the saying goes: Ain't payback a B*****?

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First it was "Kiroy was here", now it's "secret bible codes"...
presumably if the code was to "Independence day: P's a B" it would be okay.

Spiderman as Bilbo?

if true, good news.

But the One Ring Net says the rumor is not true.

But the article notes this bad news:

Maguire was said to be unhappy with the direction the fourth Spider-Man movie is set to take.

that is bad news for Spidie's friends...sounds like they are trying to change the character again. Sigh. Can't have a patriotic normal guy as a hero in Hollywood now, can we?

Family news

spent the day getting Lolo a checkup...first lab and xray here and then a CT of the head at Cabanatuan...which was normal...

He has been complaining of weakness of his right leg for a week, and now it's getting better, and so probably had a mild TIA back then.

Now that the scan etc are normal he feels better. We went from the hospital to Pizza Hut for a nice high fat high sodium pizza to celebrate before going home.

Musical interlude of the day

Sto Nino festival

The Sto Nino of Cebu->


Yup. Church full today, with lots of kids holding their "Santo Nino" statues. Outside, there is a band, dressed in red, and the float with the Sto Nino on top.

It's children's day, actually the day to celebrate Jesus as a child: reminding us that the Great creator of the universe was once a small boy living in an ordinary family, and that although the rich and famous are considered important by the world, that to God, the most important are the small and helpless: The children.



Unlike the sedate "Infant of Prague" found in US Churches, or even the kingly but smiling Sto Nino of Cebu, here the Santo Nino is a mischevious looking kid with his hands up, as if he's asking you to pick him up. I once spotted him in a local shop "dressed" in children's shorts with a baseball cap. (photo credit)

Often he wears a broad brim hat too, which is the "Spanish" version. You see, the StoNino in Spain and New Mexico is attached to a legend where a small boy brought Catholic prisoners in a Moorish prison some bread to eat. So the Nino is the patron of prisoners and miners.


Since Magellan left a statue of the Sto Nino in Cebu, they have a huge fiesta there.


El Nino is also associated with the black faced Atiatihan festival.
This fiesta predates Christianity, when the Ati tribe left the Panay Malays settle there, so everyone wears black face of the Ati tribe.

So another day, another fiesta.

Grandmom is always right

Headup SigmondCarl&Alfredblog

One way to prevent car theft

see more There I Fixed It

Musical interlude (Take Two)

Soulful Japan.

Headsup via Chachacha delos cristalis blog

Did ya ever have one of those days?

email of the day from Tiamaria...

Musical Interlude of the day

IT's BLINKY BILL AND HIS FRIENDS



turn up speakers and DANCE!

Factoid of the day

Yesterday I got my haircut.

and who is the patron saint of hairdressers?
Sts. Cosmos and Damian, the twin doctors.
Sr. Mary Martha explains why (because in the old days, barbers were surgeons).

Haiti. Sigh

Haiti disrupts into anarchy...the Anchoress quotes (war correspondent) Michael Yon saying :. This is for the military and those with them. The biggest danger will become the same desparate people you want to help.

so the US is sending 10thousand troops, and the good news: The CarlVinsen has arrived...with 19 helicopters.
with the roads and bridges destroyed, they will be needed.

the Philippines is sending a medical team too.

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Fry bread take two

from the movie Smoke Signals, based on Sherman Alexie's book...

Fry Bread

Smithsonian magazine at link has an article about Navajo Fry Bread.

LINK and LINK are recipes, and below is HelenRoy's way to cook it...



want to die happy? Try using fry bread for making Indian Tacos...

Chicken post of the day

a virtual Robot chick

not to be confused with Robot chicken...
if you live in the US, you can watch RobotChickenStarWars HERE

Robot Chicken Star Wars II Part One - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Stories below the fold

Private security hackers 1, botnets 0.

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Dr.E at PersianParadox reports how moderates are trying to stop violence while instituting reform.
She also notes the Nuclear scientist who was killed by a sophisticated bomb was a known "green"...so whoever did the killing is to be condemned.

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Note to Father Z: They need help translating Lord of the Rings into Latin..

Cat photo of the day

moar funny pictures

actually I have a squirt bottle to keep the cats off the table.
The bad news is that if I'm not at the table, the cats line up and beg fish from Lolo.

Family news

Lolo is traveling to Manila for an interview with the US embassy to see if he is entitled to the veteran's bonus for his service during World War II...
I stayed home to clean house...maybe if we can stop the dogs from sleeping in the bedroom we could have a clean house. Sigh.

Headlines below the fold

APPhoto from Inquirer showing Filipino and other UN peacekeepers helping in rescue.

So much aid is arriving that they had to shut the airport...and the roads are impassible.

half a million dead in Haiti?
It was not the earthquake, it was the poverty, corruption, and shoddy buildings.

Manila experts worry if we are prepared...
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A Little Princess

A little princess is another book by Frances Hodgson Burnett has been made into two movies and one cartoon. But the best version is that with Shirley Temple, which can be downloaded from YOU TUBE or the internet archives HERE.

Turn up speakers and dance:

Podcast of the week

If you enjoyed Julie and Julia you might want to listen to the podcast at the Free Library.
LINK

Headlines of the day

The news from Haiti keeps getting worse and worse.

The US Coast Guard is helping to land planes with supplies and rescue units from all over (airport tower was damaged), and the Carl Vinson is in the area and should be there by tomorrow.
But although the UN Peacekeeper's building was destroyed and some UN personnel have died: however, the 179 Filipino UN peacekeepers are now reported as safe and helping in the rescue.

Aid is pouring in from all over to help.
Yes there is good in the world.
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we've also had another small quake, as has West Papua and the Soloman islands. Earthquake map HERE.

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Read this and shudder.
Witness is related to both clans.
Yes, there is evil in the world.

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The latest health scare, coming soon to a headline near you:
Carcinogenic dust from pavement crack sealent.

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Nigerian president in a Saudi hospital, and some unrest in that country. More HERE.

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DrSanity links to an article that shows the data manipulation that sees all deaths of those without health insurance in the US as death from lack of health insurance, and points out the flaw in this assumption.

I'm glad someone noticed: Because if you go to the ER, they have to treat you, money or no money....yet few people bother to bring that up (of course, this means packed ER's but that's another story).

Part of our medical training was small meetings to discuss journal articles: and often we found what was reported was statistically flawed or contradicted by another article. So excuse my cynicism.

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Walking the Bible

I have the book and there was a PBS series about it too.
Here is a speech about the book.
I like it because it puts the stories into context of our humanity.

The Secret Garden

someone posted the Secret Garden on Youtube
(quick and watch it before the copyright police find out).
And if you prefer a radio version, ">go HERE...you have to convert to MP3 but never mind it's a nice version.

Green Sahara

video HERE


webpage HERE.
The End of the Era

By about 4,500 years ago, the climate began its slow deterioration to present day arid conditions. Humans no longer lived permanently at Gobero but rather migrated through the area with livestock, sometimes leaving a hearth or discarding their undecorated pottery.

there might have been a worldwide climate change 4500 years ago

more here about the climate change 4500 years ago that affected the Harappan civilization.

Insomonia download of the day

On the Nature of Things by Titus Lucretius Carus

or you can listen to the original Gray's Anatomy...
this selection is about the nervous system. for pictures, you have to go to Bartlesby.

Hello Kitty post (take two)

from HK Guy (via Artisan Cakes by e.t.at HelloKittyHell:

Hello Kitty post for the day

Gift item of the day

Playmobil Security Check Point
Product Description
The woman traveler stops by the security checkpoint. After placing her luggage on the screening machine, the airport employee checks her baggage. The traveler hands her spare change and watch to the security guard and proceeds through the metal detector. With no time to spare, she picks up her luggage and hurries to board her flight!

(if you really want to laugh, read the customer comments at the bottom of the page)
(headsup TheCorner)

The sad part is that these folks put up with a lot of hassle and do try their best to keep us safe.

So I will lable this one "everyday heroes".

Family news

Lolo is fine, Chano is building an eco tourism/lecture building, and Joy is trying to get Lolo and my paperwork fixed up in Manila.

as for me:

moar funny pictures

Cellphones are good for you

Using a cellphone may get you into an accident, and there is some worry that over use of a cellphone near your ear (i.e. instead of texting, as we use them here) might cause brain cancer, but now the good news:

Cellphones prevent Alzheimers' disease (maybe):
Microwave radiation from cell phones may protect against and even reverse Alzheimer's-like symptoms, according to a new study involving genetically tweaked mice.

So, if you are a genetically tweaked mouse, this is good news.

Video posts of the day

Shebly Foote's best quotes on the PBS series the CivilWar.


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From History Net:The ten best and worst films about Aviation.
And Guess who came out as number one?

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and the eco friendly way to get rid of your Christmas tree:


and alas, the videos still crash the newest versions of Firefox and Chrome...

Walker Percy

PBS is planning a documentary on Walker Percy later this year.
Percy was an MD who gave up medicine due to TB.
One of his friends was Shelby Foote, the Civil War historian.

I have several of his books here with me, and Tolson's award winning biography

Quotes below the fold

MIAMI -- About 100,000 tropical fish being raised on a fish farm in South Florida couldn't bear the cold temperatures Sunday.

Altogether now:Al Gore Lied, and Guppies Died.

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Class, discuss: Oliver Stone plans to put Hitler and Stalin in Context.

Yes, and next week we'll discuss Ghengas Khan and Attila the Hun's gentler side.

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It's now official: Barbara Ehrenlich says Positive thinking is making us miserable.

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Guess who said this?

Our president... applied the freshness of his independent thought to the critical matters at hand. He had convened his seminar, reviewed the reviews, analyzed the intelligence every which way, thought anew about everything, and lo and behold, he finally emerged to tell us some stuff we already knew.

We are under attack.

There is evil in the world...

Our airports are not safe.

Metal detectors can’t detect nonmetal explosives sewn into underwear.

Our incomplete no-fly lists are more like “Welcome aboard” lists.

We still can’t connect the dots, even when the dots are flying at us like 3-D asteroids...

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In the past, we dressed up before flying. Nowadays, a Philippine columnist advises you to travel in casual clothing before you enter the gulag of flying.

2Dress down. I mean, show as much skin as your sense of decency would allow, hoping screeners would get a clue that you’re not hiding anything explosive. I’m talking garter or drawstring shorts, T-shirts (some actually wear camiseta), slippers (preferably flip-flops), which are easier to shed because for some mystical reason, the screeners ask you to take them off anyway even if they see your feet.

Archeology links of the day

Note: The FR articles often link with other articles discussing the topic, but might be filtered out at work because it is political forum.

Ancient Taiwan FRLINK
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Statue of Black Pharaoh found

A Black Pharaoh

• Royal Nubia lies under sand
• Rare Nubian King Statues Uncovered in Sudan
• Surprise Finds At Egypt Temple "Change Everything"
• How Pharaoh Sailed To Karnak
• Black Pharaohs
• SSU exhibit explores archaeology in ancient Nubia [Savannah State University ]
• In The Reign Of The Black Pharaohs

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El Dorado? Earthworks in the Amazon.
FRLINK
1491

Right now I'm reading Pox Americana, about the Smallpox epidemic of 1770's
It includes a section tracing the disease spread up trade routes to Canada.
LINK
Related link

Boring rants linked for your enjoyment

despite brown outs and parties I have written a few rants at BNN.

• Missing the Panty Bomber because PC Rules, 08 Jan 2010

• Is the Comelec Break In connected with the “Hello Garci” Scandal?, 07 Jan 2010

• The Case of the Anthrax Letters is still Open, 06 Jan 2010

• The Hobbits versus the Nanny State, 04 Jan 2010

• How did the “Panty-bomber” get a US Visa?, 29 Dec 2009

• The Breastfeeding Madonna, 29 Dec 2009

JANE AUSTEN, JANE AUSTEN!

Jane Austen's Ipod...songs in the collection of lovely Jane.

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and have you read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,or the latest book Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters?



and quick, before the copyright police find out:


And finally, A podcast on the science of Love.

Cat post of the day

Archeology headline of the day

Deciphered etching sheds new light on Bible's origin ...

Galil said this discovery disproves the current theory, which holds that the Bible could not have been written before the 6th century B.C.E., because Hebrew writing did not exist until then.

Moreover, he added, the inscription was found in what was then a minor, outlying community - so if scribes existed even there, Hebrew writing was probably sufficiently well developed to handle a complex text like the Bible.

When Heroism isn't in the headlines

Arman Bonifacio, one of the divers who was bringing bodies up from one of the latest Philippine ferry disasters has died of a heart attack.

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And a Filipino seaman who had a stroke on his vessel was airlifted to Sitka Alaska for hospital treatment by the US Coast Guard.

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Just thought that you might want to know that despite all the headlines about crime and selfishness, that ordinary folks are still risking their lives to help others.

Musical Interlude of the day

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

The snowiest city in New York State is actually Syracuse. Here are the ten snowiest weather stations in the 48 lower states:
1 Blue Canyon, Califonia 240.8
2 Marquette, Michigan 128.6
3 Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 116.7
4 Syracuse, New York 111.6
5 Caribou, Maine 110.4
6 Mount Shasta, California 104.9
7 Lander, Wyoming 102.5
8 Flagstaff, Arizona 99.9
9 Sexton Summit, Oregon 97.8
10 Muskegon, Michigan 97.0

See, move to the Philippines and enjoy the tropical weather...
of course, we have earthquakes, typhoons, terrorism and dengue fever, but nobody's perfect.

Octapus Blogged at Salihan Crafts
Free pattern from Lion Brand
Details @ Ravelry

Headlines below the fold

The latest anime hero: Kanzou Kun

The character is part of a drive by the Tokyo Metropolitan government’s health and welfare department to raise awareness of all sorts of liver issues, including hepatitis.

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or if you want your very own happy liver, check out Happy Crochet's site at Etsy.

Attention Homeland security

Attack of the Kamikazi Iguanas
Video HERE.

The "We're all gonna die" post of the day

culprit of the week: A supernova.

"..New studies show the star, called T Pyxidis, is much closer than previously thought at 3,260 light-years away - a short hop in galactic terms.

Risk ... impression of T Pyxidis

So the blast from the thermonuclear explosion could strip away our ozone layer that keeps out deadly space radiation. Life on Earth would then be frazzled.

The doomsday scenario was described yesterday by astronomers from Villanova University, Philadelphia, US.

They said the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite has shown them that T Pyxidis is really two stars, one called a white dwarf that is sucking in gas and steadily growing. When it reaches a critical mass it will blow itself to pieces.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2795981/Supernova-may-wipe-out-the-Earth.html#ixzz0bta3n3On

headsupJonahGoldberg

Craft item of the day

Knit yourself some cute cuddly bacteria...

patterns at
loxosceles.org



headsup JugalbandiBlog.and Craftzine.

Philippine Stuff below the fold

Arroyo spent over P400 million in Pampanga "for the construction of roads, drainage canals and municipal buildings in her home district in Pampanga just 12 months before she runs as its representative in the House in May."

Bishop claims ConCon part of Gloria's "hidden Agenda"...the idea is that she will run for Congress, become prime minister under the new constitution, and then be immune from lawsuits for all the questionable things she did as president.

Heavily guarded Comelec offices were ransacked...

"For his part, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said authorities should identify the people behind the latest break-in as it would appear that it was related to the massive cheating committed there in 2004 and 2007."

the voter documents found with the guns in the southern province where that massacre occured were moved to the Comelec offices...and the officer who issued them just dropped dead of "heat stroke" while at the the hajj...

Is there a Hello Garci link?

During the 2004 presidential election, Ms Arroyo won most of the votes in Maguindanao. In one town, her rivals did not even get a single vote....

what do I think about all this?
Don't ask me...I voted for Hillary.

Ah, they joys of Flying

I can almost understand why prize winning reporter Michael Yon got stopped at an airport for not telling the TSA his salary (suspicious looking fellah, and recently in Afghanistan)...

But Joan Rivers?

What, are middle aged Jewish Comediennes now on the terrorist watch list?

or maybe with all that plastic surgery and botox she no longer looked like her passport photo?

Headlines below the fold

StrategyPage has the history of the last decade, and predictions for the year to come LINK
Unless you watch 24, you may not know where the worst conflict of the last decade was: It was in the easternCongo region of Africa.

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An unsung hero has died in China:

Beijing (AsiaNews) – Coadjutor Bishop Leo Yao Liang of Xiwanzi, Hebei province, died in hospital Dec. 30 at the age of 86, almost one year after his release from a 30-month detention. Authorities have tightened security ahead of his funeral.

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Travel writer picks his favorite places, most of which are in Oregon or Berlin.
Guess visiting Cabanatuan, Ruidoso or Bartlesville aren't posh or exotic enough for travel writers.

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and finally:
Feeling the deep freeze?

Don't forget to remind Chicken Little to wear his coat...

The Mr Bean hacker

"...

An unidentified hacker briefly hijacked Spain's official website for its presidency of the European Union, inserting a large smiling picture of comic character Mr Bean..."

Cat photo of the day

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

More questions about the Anthrax letters

Michael Barone notes:

Here’s some news I missed.Edward Jay Epstein reported on December 21 that the FBI’s anthrax case has fallen apart. ... Epstein reports, it turns out that Dr. Ivins did not have access to the sophisticated form of anthrax used in September 2001.

and even in 2008, NYTimes reporters noted that even if he had access to this strain of anthrax (which was a common barnyard strain used to make vaccines), he lacked expertise in weaponizing the anthrax...

(Technical note: Anthrax tends to clump up...to weaponize it you have to grind up the spores, and then add something to stop the clumping...all in an environment that protects you from inhaling the spores, something that is a bit expensive to do.)

Of course, if you are an insomniac, you already "know" about this...LINK2...

Of course, one doesn't have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder if the investigation hounded an innocent scientist to his death.

Musical interlude take two

What do you do when you get stuck with an abandoned airbase that was devestated by Mt Pinatubo?
You hold a Hot Air Balloon Festival...
and make Clark into an investment zone.
This year's Hot Air Balloon Festival is scheduled from Feb 11-14...
And yes, they sponsor camping and eco tourism from there...

one is reminded of the Mark Steyn quip:
The other day an internet wag, Glenn Crawford, deftly summed up the different cultural approaches to unpromising climate, in this instance between the Afghan plain and Nevada. Third World solution: eke a living out of the desert. American solution: 'Viva Las Vegas!'

Musical Interlude for the day

Headlines below the fold

Quotation for today from Ralph Peters:
(The terrorists) ask themselves, "What works?" We ask ourselves what the lawyers will say.
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check chart at NYTimes...
altogether now: It's Bush's Fault...
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88 Iranian professors to gov't:
“Nighttime attacks on defenseless student dormitories and daytime assaults on students at university campuses, venues of education and learning, is not a sign of strength,” the letter read in part. “Nor is beating up students and their mass imprisonment.”
Mousavi also protests the arrests and violence.

Iranian filmmakers versus the tyrannies...

Hillary surfaces long enough to make a comment.

in a related item: Tehran24 photoblog reports the gov't took them offline on Jan3...

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I should have stayed in New Mexico...lots of money being sent to non existent Congressional districts and non existent zip codes...

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Factoid of the day: The Amish and Old Order Mennonites will probably be exempt from having to buy health insurance.

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Essays to think about:
Cicero Superstar...
and Spengler on sovereignty.

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Solution: Get them a bus ticket to Lima.
It's not global warming that is causing the deaths from extreme cold: It's poverty...and if there is not enough to eat, it is because of primitive farming techniques can't supply adequate food to people living on marginal land.

All the crap about keeping them in their traditional lifestyles ignores the reality:
Traditionally, such people migrate to better areas...

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And the "It's good to be the king" story for today:
Zuma takes 3rd wife...

Stuff below the fold

Bad News: Will another pantybomber get through? Yup, because of all the bureaucrats who worry more about following regulations than in catching bad guys.

Good News: On the other hand, Alqaeda is having trouble finding anyone who likes them.

====================


Praise the Lord and pass the Mayonaise...
Father Z links to the reason:
the Casimir effect...

Explanation: This tiny ball provides evidence that the universe will expand forever. Measuring slightly over one tenth of a millimeter, the ball moves toward a smooth plate in response to energy fluctuations in the vacuum of empty space. The attraction is known as the Casimir Effect, named for its discoverer, who, 50 years ago, was trying to understand why fluids like mayonnaise move so slowly. Today, evidence is accumulating that most of the energy density in the universe is in an unknown form dubbed dark energy. The form and genesis of dark energy is almost completely unknown, but postulated as related to vacuum fluctuations similar to the Casimir Effect but generated somehow by space itself. This vast and mysterious dark energy appears to gravitationally repel all matter and hence will likely cause the universe to expand forever. Understanding vacuum fluctuations is on the forefront of research not only to better understand our universe but also for stopping micro-mechanical machine parts from sticking together.

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two thirds of people want to buy from a "green" business, according to one poll...

Only two thirds? What did the other third answer: Nah, I live in Minnesota and support global warming?


they also ignore the obvious: If a woman is working full time, and has to spend more time and money (including gas money) to go to an eco friendly store, she won't do it.

Family news

Getting stuff done today because the Fiesta for the Three Kings is tomorrow and Wednesday, and everything will be closed.

Factoid of the day

IN my post on toasting the Professor, I forgot another group who might not want to toast with regular beer...HEH.

And alas, although it might be okay for Baptists, Non alcoholic beer is not Halal.

Another little known fact: Beer is bad for dogs.
But in Australia, you can buy them some non Alcoholic Dog Beer.

Musical Interlude of the day

O, all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm that ever I've done,
alas it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
to mem'ry now I can't recall;
So fill to me the parting glass,
Good night and joy be with you all.

and Joy to thee, Liam...

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Raise a glass....

TORN reminds us: Tonite at 9 pm, raise a glass of your favorite Beer to celebrate the birthday of JRR Tolkien.

How to make a British Toast, according to the Tolkien society:

"For those unfamiliar with British toast-drinking ceremonies:

To make the Birthday Toast, you stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words 'The Professor' before taking a sip (or swig, if that's more appropriate for your drink). Sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.

Disclaimer:
The organisers do not condone drinking alcohol if it endangers the health or safety of the drinker or others, or contravenes the law."

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Gee, how PC can you get?
Actually, in Tolkien, one of the themes is against the petty tyranny of those who try to keep simple folks (like Hobbits) from simple pleasures like drinking, smoking, parties, and wearing colorful waistcoats...

But if you are a Baptist, Mormon or Muslims: Alcohol free beer is available...

Kitchen Tips

50 Tried and True Kitchen Tips...
yes, stainless steel will remove onion smell from your hands.

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Natural Air Freshener

• Cut an orange in half and remove the pulp;
• Fill the empty shell with some salt;
• Put in a bowl in your fridge
• Lemons also work...
  

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Want better gas milage?
Add a cone to your car...

.

Cat Photo of the day

moar funny pictures

Because Bubble Baths aren't just for Humans anymore

New Year's Resolution Generator

in case you just can't think of any...

headsup Neatorama

Science Stuff below the fold

Good news: The Library of Congress is putting 60thousand of their books on line.

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Podcast of the week: Science and Sushi

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SavageMindAnthropologyBlog asks: In Avantar, what did they eat? read the comments for other interesting questions about it's reality.
Come on now: Would you really like to live in a world without aspirin or birth control pills?

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The invention of the year: The Ear Popper.
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The history of corn;


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and finally: The psychology of hangovers:

Headlines below the fold

Good News: Mayon Volcano is settling down...
Bad News: Another quake in Luzon...no we didn't feel it. Pretty far north of here.Closer to home: Huge firecracker stall fire in Munoz...

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Earth's magnetic pole traveling to Russia, at 65 miles a year.;; adjust your compass...

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The "I see nothing, noooothing" award of the year (so far) goes to Houston Police, who found an unarmed rocket launcher andjihadi writings in an apartment...

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Someone is swiping money donated to the MDC of Zimbabwe, and PM Tsvangirai is insisting they investigate the scam.

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Happy Birthday Ovidio y Onesimo...

my two adopted sons have official "Birthdays" on January 1...
this article notes it is a common practice for those who enter the US and don't have proper birth certificates.

... the article also notes that 80thousand refugees were allowed in the US last year.
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Confirming what was noted in an earlier post here, Planet Iran has photos and information about Chinese anti personnel weapons used against anti government demonstrators.

and, giving equal time to both sides, Tehran24 photo blog has photos of enthusiastic pro government demonstrators there:

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Let's party!

The Philippines is not the only place they have fiestas...This is about the Philadelphia Mummer's parade...more HERE

Headsup from Col Updraft.

Move Over, Ripley: It's St. Margaret vs the Dragon

It's feminism gone amuck: Instead of St George protecting the maiden from the evil dragon, it's St. Margaret doing a medieval version of Ripley vs Alien....


From CantuburyTalesBlog:

Martha, at the prayer of the people, came into the wood, and found him eating a man. And she cast on him holy water, and showed to him the cross, which anon was overcome, and standing still as a sheep, she bound him with her own girdle, and then was slain with spears and glaives of the people.

Wikipedia entry HERE.

Yup. another pagan papist belief in the impossible...of course, as Wikipedia notes:
Her historical existence is dubious; she was declared apocryphal by Pope Gelasius I in 494...
but like today, ordinary Catholics didn't quibble about such things, figuring there was a real saint behind the legend who would help them.

Photos from Wikipedia...
statue from Toulouse is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art...

Scottish Hogmanay

Hogmanay in Scotland is a great festive time, seeped in many customs and traditions. Below are some of these and the reasoning behind them:


New Years Eve Customs

During the day of Hogmanay the household would be busy cleaning so that the New Year could be welcomed into a tidy and neat house....At midnight the man of the house would open the back door to let the old year out and then open the front door of the house to let in the new year. The household would also make as much noise as possible to scare off evil spirits. In harbours throughout Aberdeenshire, at Aberdeen Harbour and throughout the North East Sea fishermen and sailors will sound their horns and these sounds carry for miles.
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A traditional Scottish New Year toast is:

Lang may yer lum reek!

Which means long may your chimney smoke and originated when people had coal fires and if the chimney was smoking it meant that you could afford coal and keep warm.
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And don't forget to play
Whack the Haggis..

Musical interlude (take Two)

a Cornwall homecoming violinist Sue Aston...

Musical interlude of the day

If you like 18th century music, try Youtube's 19th century music page.

Headsup from InsideCatholic who notes that the instrument used is called a "Baryton"...