Blue vs. Red...

For the past 100 years or so, U.S. politics have been essentially a contest between two political parties: Republicans and Democrats.  While other parties and independent candidates have most certainly run, not one of them has ever achieved even political importance, much less dominance.

The “movie” below shows graphically which parts of the country voted for Republicans (red) and for Democrats (blue).  The saturation of the color represents the degree of dominance.  The movie starts around 1920 and ends in 2008.  It would be interesting indeed to see this movie extended to include the 2010 elections!

Settled Science...

The term “settled science” appears in the IPCC reports and has become a key catch-phrase in the AGW debates.  The basic notion put forth by AGW proponents is that the (alleged) consensus of “professional climatologists” must be true, as the magnitude of the consensus indicates that all scientific debate on the topic has been “settled”.  Ergo, to all skeptics, they say STFU.

Well, anyone even modestly acquainted with the history of science knows that there are many, many examples of “settled science” (using the notion described above to define the term) that turned out later to be bogus.  One of my favorite examples is from geology, where in my lifetime the theory of plate tectonics completely overturned the “settled science” of stationary continents. 

This morning I came across a delightful list of such examples.  Many of the entries were reminders for me, such as the relatively recent discovery that stomach ulcers are caused by bacteria (but the previous “settled science” attributed them to stress).  Many other entries were entirely new to me.  The simple existence of this (eminently verifiable) list is a wonderful refutation of the AGW proponents notion of “settled science” – and a reminder of the permanent importance of skepticism to science...

The More I See of this Guy...

...the more impressed I am.

Very Cool – But a Nightmare for Some Folks...

Flying snakes.

Oh, Boy...

Most of my readers know that I work in the software industry.  This industry has the rare good fortune to suffer only the occasional bout of government interference.  That may be about to change.  I'd say that the chances of the government doing a good job at this, without undue burden on software companies, is approximately the same chance as the Post Office offering friendly and effective customer service, or the TSA providing real security instead of security theatre.  If this bill passes, you can bet that software innovation will gradually migrate to a friendlier locale...

Rainy Morning...

Up at 3 am as usual, and out with the dogs for our morning walk at 3:20 am.  When I opened our front door, I was surprised to hear a light patter of raindrops on our roof.  The dogs, of course, couldn't possibly care less whether it was wet outside.  They bounded out, happily, to do their morning business – and came back in only reluctantly.

It is amazing just how wet a dog can get on a five minute walk!  You'd think our mutts had been swimming...

Kristallnacht...

Just over 62 years ago, on November 9, 1938, the Nazis unleashed Kristallnacht on their Jewish citizens.  This is a short video piece, with contemporaneous footage.  Via reader Simon M.:




If you listen to the Arabs and Iranians today, you can't help but realize that 62 years later, this could happen again...

Down South...

Bill Cosby has some fun with a Southern accent and some confusing geography.  YouTube has dozens of such video clips of Bill Cosby, and every one of them I watched was just as funny.  Via my mom:

Rescued Baby Hummingbird...

Via my mom:

Drug Problem...

Click the thumbnail at right to read this newspaper clipping.  It's probably not what you're expecting!  Via my cousin Mike D.

I had this kind of drug problem when I was a kid...

Honoring the Fallen...

A video news story you won't want to miss.  I have to link, as the video is not embeddable.  Via my mom:

An Excellent Story...

It combines SR-71s, pilot machismo, and geekiness.  And it's allegedly a true story.  What more could you possibly want?

Happy Dog Story...

At 12 years, Lea is our oldest dog (the photo at right is four years old).  She's still in good health except for a condition that affects her coat, but she's definitely showing signs of age.  It's harder for her to get going in the morning, and she can no longer jump up on our bed as she used to.

So she gets a little special treatment now and then, and I make sure to pay attention to her each morning.  Over the weekend, Debbie had the other three dogs at an agility meet (where they took 3 first places and 1 second place) – so Lea was home with me with no dogly companions.  I made her a treat that she really enjoyed: I broke up a couple pieces of bread into small pieces, soaked them in milk, and warmed up the resulting concoction.  Dog heaven!  She dug into that with much more gusto than she normally expends on her food.  It was obvious how much she enjoyed that treat.  Sure felt good to make our old girl so happy...

A Tree...

Via reader Jim M., who obviously knows the sorts of photos I like:

Bobcats...

Via reader Jim M.:

Lie Detector...

Via my mom, who points out that it's just as applicable today as when it was made:

What is This?

Dunes on Mars.  Via APOD (of course!).  Click to enlarge.

Inspirational Poster...

I Want One!

More Governor Awesome!