Saturday, February 16, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Why Do Meteors Like Siberia So Much?
Earlier today a meteorite exploded over Siberia, near the city of Chelyabinsk. The meteorite, called a bolide, was captured on cell phones and video cameras by numerous observers, many of whom immediately uploaded their videos to YouTube.
The explosion caused an intense flash of light, a loud boom and a shock wave that broke windows over a large area. More than a thousand people were injured, mostly by broken glass caused by the explosion's shockwave, as they rushed to see what caused the flash.
The Chelyabinsk event calls to mind the Tunguska explosion of 1908. That meteorite flattened all the trees in 770 square-mile area. People have theorized all sorts of causes for the Tunguska incident, from mini black holes to alien spacecraft. But as the Chelyabinsk event shows, the most likely explanation is just a larger bolide, estimated to be 100 meters across.
So why do meteorites like Siberia? It's big. Siberia covers almost 10% of the earth's land surface. It's 77% of Russia's territory, and also includes parts of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China.
It's estimated that the Chelyabinsk bolide was the size of an SUV, just a few tons. A bolide is a meteorite that explodes in the atmosphere with an apparent magnitude of -14 or brighter. Apparent magnitude is an astronomical term that describes the relative brightness of celestial objects. Magnitude is a logarithmic scale, and negative numbers are brighter. The sun as seen from Earth is about magnitude -27, or 400,000 times brighter than the full moon, which is almost magnitude -13. Planets like Venus and Jupiter are magnitude -4.89 and -2.94 at their brightest. The brightest star, Sirius, is magnitude -1.47, and the dimmest star visible to the human eye is about +6.50 under the best expected conditions.
Because there are nuclear weapons facilities nearby, there was initially some concern that the Chelyabinsk event was some kind of nuclear weapon. Russian news reports have repeatedly stated that "background radiation is normal."
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the Internet in general get a lot of heat for spreading rumors, misconceptions and lies across the world at the speed of light. But in this case cellphone technology and the Internet served to provide direct and immediate evidence of a natural cause for an event that in different times, say November, 1962 during the height of the Cuban missile crisis, could have sparked nuclear war.
The Chelyabinsk event comes on the same day that an asteroid, 2012 DA14, will pass within 17,000 miles of the earth (the two incidents are apparently unrelated). That's closer than geosynchronous communications satellites orbit the earth.
DA14 is estimated to be 45 meters across, or half the size of the Tunguska bolide. If it were to hit the earth, it would have the potential to kill thousands. But since most of the earth is covered by water, and a lot of the earth's land surface is empty like Siberia, the chances of a major death toll are low.
But the explosion over Chelyabinsk is a concrete reminder that the threat of asteroids and comets hitting the earth is not just science fiction. A relatively small asteroid could kick up enough dust and smoke into the atmosphere to start an ice age, as some scientists believe happened 2 million years ago. Sixty-six million years ago a bigger one hit the earth and wiped out the dinosaurs. At some point we will know that an asteroid or comet is going to hit the earth and we'll actually have enough time to do something about it.
And we should make sure we're ready. NASA has the Near Earth Observation program to track such objects and predict their paths. President Obama's plan for an asteroid mission is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing. And it's exactly the kind of thing you need a big government and international cooperation to do, because no business or single country should be held responsible for protecting the planet.
With all the arguments about the deficits and tax cuts everyone should take a step back. Some things are bigger than our petty squabbles about who really won a mandate in the last election. Instead of wasting all our energy on bickering we should start building things, going new places and making the world a better, safer place.
The explosion caused an intense flash of light, a loud boom and a shock wave that broke windows over a large area. More than a thousand people were injured, mostly by broken glass caused by the explosion's shockwave, as they rushed to see what caused the flash.
The Chelyabinsk event calls to mind the Tunguska explosion of 1908. That meteorite flattened all the trees in 770 square-mile area. People have theorized all sorts of causes for the Tunguska incident, from mini black holes to alien spacecraft. But as the Chelyabinsk event shows, the most likely explanation is just a larger bolide, estimated to be 100 meters across.
So why do meteorites like Siberia? It's big. Siberia covers almost 10% of the earth's land surface. It's 77% of Russia's territory, and also includes parts of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China.
It's estimated that the Chelyabinsk bolide was the size of an SUV, just a few tons. A bolide is a meteorite that explodes in the atmosphere with an apparent magnitude of -14 or brighter. Apparent magnitude is an astronomical term that describes the relative brightness of celestial objects. Magnitude is a logarithmic scale, and negative numbers are brighter. The sun as seen from Earth is about magnitude -27, or 400,000 times brighter than the full moon, which is almost magnitude -13. Planets like Venus and Jupiter are magnitude -4.89 and -2.94 at their brightest. The brightest star, Sirius, is magnitude -1.47, and the dimmest star visible to the human eye is about +6.50 under the best expected conditions.
Because there are nuclear weapons facilities nearby, there was initially some concern that the Chelyabinsk event was some kind of nuclear weapon. Russian news reports have repeatedly stated that "background radiation is normal."
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the Internet in general get a lot of heat for spreading rumors, misconceptions and lies across the world at the speed of light. But in this case cellphone technology and the Internet served to provide direct and immediate evidence of a natural cause for an event that in different times, say November, 1962 during the height of the Cuban missile crisis, could have sparked nuclear war.
The Chelyabinsk event comes on the same day that an asteroid, 2012 DA14, will pass within 17,000 miles of the earth (the two incidents are apparently unrelated). That's closer than geosynchronous communications satellites orbit the earth.
DA14 is estimated to be 45 meters across, or half the size of the Tunguska bolide. If it were to hit the earth, it would have the potential to kill thousands. But since most of the earth is covered by water, and a lot of the earth's land surface is empty like Siberia, the chances of a major death toll are low.
But the explosion over Chelyabinsk is a concrete reminder that the threat of asteroids and comets hitting the earth is not just science fiction. A relatively small asteroid could kick up enough dust and smoke into the atmosphere to start an ice age, as some scientists believe happened 2 million years ago. Sixty-six million years ago a bigger one hit the earth and wiped out the dinosaurs. At some point we will know that an asteroid or comet is going to hit the earth and we'll actually have enough time to do something about it.
And we should make sure we're ready. NASA has the Near Earth Observation program to track such objects and predict their paths. President Obama's plan for an asteroid mission is exactly the sort of thing we should be doing. And it's exactly the kind of thing you need a big government and international cooperation to do, because no business or single country should be held responsible for protecting the planet.
With all the arguments about the deficits and tax cuts everyone should take a step back. Some things are bigger than our petty squabbles about who really won a mandate in the last election. Instead of wasting all our energy on bickering we should start building things, going new places and making the world a better, safer place.
They Deserve A Vote
On Monday night, 34 year old Nhan Tran stood at a busy intersection in Oakdale, a suburb of St. Paul, and started shooting. 9 year old Devin Aryal was shot several times and killed in the back of his mother's minivan. Now, Melissa Aryal becomes yet another parent in a collection of far too many who have lost a child to gun violence. And the response from the Right?
It has been two months since Newtown. I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different. Overwhelming majorities of Americans – Americans who believe in the 2nd Amendment – have come together around commonsense reform – like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. Senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent anyone from buying guns for resale to criminals. Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned.
Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun.
One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house.
Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote.
Gabby Giffords deserves a vote.
The families of Newtown deserve a vote.
The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote.
Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight. But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, expand opportunity, and uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government.
We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans the same way they look out for one another, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. We should follow their example.
Indeed, we should. So why hasn't their been a vote?
In listening to the chest thumping bravado and imperial declarations of the gun rights folks, one would think that all changes to existing gun laws will fail. Fine. Prove it. Put your vote where your mouth is, ass hats. The Republicans in the House should put together a bill and vote on it. Harry Reid should do the same thing in the Senate. In short, get it fucking done.
Let the American people see where their leaders stand on the issue of gun violence. I want to see who is going to vote no and stand with the old gun laws that are clearly not effective anymore. You can add Melissa Aryal to the list of people who deserve a simple vote. You can rest assured that there will be more added to the list each and every day that passes until there is a vote.
The time is now.
Fuck you. Don't take away my gun, Hitler.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama said the following.
Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun.
One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved Fig Newtons and lip gloss. She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago, she was here, in Washington, with her classmates, performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later, she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house.
Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote.
Gabby Giffords deserves a vote.
The families of Newtown deserve a vote.
The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote.
Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I’ve outlined tonight. But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, expand opportunity, and uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government.
We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans the same way they look out for one another, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. We should follow their example.
Indeed, we should. So why hasn't their been a vote?
In listening to the chest thumping bravado and imperial declarations of the gun rights folks, one would think that all changes to existing gun laws will fail. Fine. Prove it. Put your vote where your mouth is, ass hats. The Republicans in the House should put together a bill and vote on it. Harry Reid should do the same thing in the Senate. In short, get it fucking done.
Let the American people see where their leaders stand on the issue of gun violence. I want to see who is going to vote no and stand with the old gun laws that are clearly not effective anymore. You can add Melissa Aryal to the list of people who deserve a simple vote. You can rest assured that there will be more added to the list each and every day that passes until there is a vote.
The time is now.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Sheriff Joe's B Movie Solution to Real Life Problem
Apparently inspired by the Magnificent Seven, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona thinks the only thing that will stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. So he's started training armed posses. But it turns out that Sheriff Joe doesn't verify that his posse members are actually good guys.
From a story from KPHO in Phoenix:
Arpaio wants his army of 3,000 volunteer posse members to look like sworn deputies and sometimes perform the same duties. But an in-depth project by CBS 5 Investigates uncovered a number of posse members with arrests for assault, drug possession, domestic violence, sex crimes against children, disorderly conduct, impersonating an officer - and the list goes on.Putting guns in the hands of people and deputizing them is serious business. If these people are incompetent or criminal you've only made the problem worse.
It's just a matter of time before one of these loose cannons shoots some cocky teenager who mouths off, drops his gun when he drops his pants and shoots himself or the kid in the next stall, or molests the very children he's supposed to protect.
If we're really serious about putting people with guns in schools to protect children, we can't do it on the cheap. These people have to be trained, vetted and meet the same qualifications as the police. They have to be professionals and not some goof who likes plinking away at tin cans.
To ensure his posse has a solid basis in law enforcement Arpaio hired washed-up B movie action star Steven Seagal to train them. Seagal, who's 60 years old, claims to have put "hundreds of thousands if not millions of hours" into weapons training. A million hours is 114 years.
Apparently Arpaio's standards do not require his trainers to have a basic grasp of arithmetic. Or his trainees to have a clean criminal record.
The sad thing is that when this blows up in Arpaio's face there won't be any stuntmen, squibs and blanks like there are in Seagal's flicks. It'll be real live kids.
And by the way, Sheriff Joe, if you didn't see the Magnificent Seven to the end — spoiler alert — all the good guys with guns get killed.
Yay!
I'm glad I have a 12 year old and a 10 year old with whom to celebrate Valentine's Day so we can join the rest of the children out there in America who place emotional significance on February 14th.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
SOTU Bite Size Chunks (Part Three)
Here's a segment of the SOTU that won't get much press coverage.
But none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age.
Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3 in 10 four year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives.
Tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America. Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on – by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. So let’s do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let’s give our kids that chance.
It's actually much more than the president is saying. The social cohesion in this country would be vastly strengthened if we started spending more money and time on ECFE. In the long run, it saves us much more money because people that learn the value of an education at a very early age end up being more successful in society.
In short, they become more responsible.
But none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age.
Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3 in 10 four year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives.
Tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America. Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on – by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. So let’s do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let’s give our kids that chance.
It's actually much more than the president is saying. The social cohesion in this country would be vastly strengthened if we started spending more money and time on ECFE. In the long run, it saves us much more money because people that learn the value of an education at a very early age end up being more successful in society.
In short, they become more responsible.
SOTU Bite Size Chunks (Part Two)
This one really struck me.
After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again.
Say what? Apple is making Macs in America again? Yes, it is true. That is very good news!
After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, our manufacturers have added about 500,000 jobs over the past three. Caterpillar is bringing jobs back from Japan. Ford is bringing jobs back from Mexico. After locating plants in other countries like China, Intel is opening its most advanced plant right here at home. And this year, Apple will start making Macs in America again.
Say what? Apple is making Macs in America again? Yes, it is true. That is very good news!
SOTU Bite Size Chunks (Part One)
I'm going to be taking the SOTU speech in smaller chunks throughout the day and focusing in on particular passages. First up, is this one...
On Medicare, I’m prepared to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of health care savings by the beginning of the next decade as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission.
Wow. That's certainly going to piss off a lot of Democrats. And it's way past time that he did this!
On Medicare, I’m prepared to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of health care savings by the beginning of the next decade as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles commission.
Wow. That's certainly going to piss off a lot of Democrats. And it's way past time that he did this!
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Two Responses?
So, Marco Rubio is going to deliver the Republican response to the the presidents SOTU speech tonight. And then Rand Paul is going to deliver the response to that response? Or the response to the president? I'm confused.
It's a good thing the GOP is united and firing on all cylinders these days.
It's a good thing the GOP is united and firing on all cylinders these days.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Not Fake
62-Year-Old With Gun Only One Standing Between Nation And Full-Scale Government Takeover
Bailey, who keeps his gun on his person at all times and regularly patrols his property in his truck, has reportedly struck dread into the very highest-ranking members of the U.S. government. According to sources, top government and military officials are fully aware that they remain unable to commence with their oppressive, systematic subjugation of the American populace as long as the 62-year-old owner of a rifle exists.
I guess The Onion stopped running fake news stories...
Bailey, who keeps his gun on his person at all times and regularly patrols his property in his truck, has reportedly struck dread into the very highest-ranking members of the U.S. government. According to sources, top government and military officials are fully aware that they remain unable to commence with their oppressive, systematic subjugation of the American populace as long as the 62-year-old owner of a rifle exists.
I guess The Onion stopped running fake news stories...
Cashing in on the Ron Paul Name
Now that Paul is retired some of his former supporters are trying to cash in on his name. Literally. Paul has filed a complaint with an arm of the UN to wrest control of the RonPaul.com domain name away from his own fans:
But something odd is definitely going on with RonPaul.com. A check of the whois database indicates that the RonPaul.com domain is registered to JNR Corp, which is located in Ciudad de Panama, Panama (the record was last edited yesterday). RonPaul.org is registered to Martha Roberts, DN Capital, Inc., also in Panama City. If these guys are grassroots American patriots, why the Panamanian shell corporations and the Australian domain registration? What are these guys trying to pull?
A Ron Paul presidency was always a pipe dream. By 2012 he was too old to serve. Paul himself was always too idiosyncratic, outspoken and honest about his real opinions. The great thing about him is that he had something for everyone: he was against the war in Iraq, the UN, the Federal Reserve, abortion and the war on drugs. And he was never afraid of angering his own base. Just last week, after American sniper Chris Kyle was killed at a gun range, Paul tweeted:
If the RonPaul.com guys really were Paul supporters, you'd think they would gladly give up the domain names to the guy that they respected and admired so much. The idea of Ron Paul as president was always just a lark, and a fun time was had by all. Let it go. But instead they're trying to extort him out of a quarter million bucks.
This is not a betrayal by Ron Paul. He owes these people nothing. For years they've been cashing in Paul's cult of personality, and now that his star is setting they're looking at declining influence — and revenues. The only thing more pitiful than a has-been celebrity are a has-been celebrity's sycophants. This is their last-gasp attempt to gouge Paul for a few dollars more.
People on the right are constantly yapping about god and county and tradition and principles and rights, but at the end of the day it's always about the money.
And I still can't stop laughing that Ron Paul is going all UN his supporters' ass.
The authors of RonPaul.com see the move as the ultimate betrayal from a politician who, more than many others, depended on an astounding level of grassroots support on the Internet in order to keep his longshot presidential campaigns running.It's a little ironic that the famously isolationist libertarian would go to the World Intellectual Property Organization to resolve a tiff with his supporters. But Ron Paul is completely within his rights to demand this domain name. WIPO is how such disputes are resolved. The guys at RonPaul.com are at best bitter disillusioned diehards, and at worst cybersquatters or extortionists.
"Last month, after Ron Paul expressed regret on the Alex Jones show over not owning RonPaul.com (in an interview titled "Ron Paul: The Internet Is Our Last Chance to Awaken America"), dozens of supporters urged us to contact Ron Paul to work out a deal," the owners of RonPaul.com write.
They say they offered Paul the use of RonPaul.org as a "free gift" but wanted to keep RonPaul.com. Their price, should Paul really want RonPaul.com, was $250,000.
But something odd is definitely going on with RonPaul.com. A check of the whois database indicates that the RonPaul.com domain is registered to JNR Corp, which is located in Ciudad de Panama, Panama (the record was last edited yesterday). RonPaul.org is registered to Martha Roberts, DN Capital, Inc., also in Panama City. If these guys are grassroots American patriots, why the Panamanian shell corporations and the Australian domain registration? What are these guys trying to pull?
A Ron Paul presidency was always a pipe dream. By 2012 he was too old to serve. Paul himself was always too idiosyncratic, outspoken and honest about his real opinions. The great thing about him is that he had something for everyone: he was against the war in Iraq, the UN, the Federal Reserve, abortion and the war on drugs. And he was never afraid of angering his own base. Just last week, after American sniper Chris Kyle was killed at a gun range, Paul tweeted:
Chris Kyle's death seems to confirm that "he who lives by the sword dies by the sword." Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn't make sense.In short, Ron Paul has enough baggage to sink the Titanic even if it had missed the iceberg.
If the RonPaul.com guys really were Paul supporters, you'd think they would gladly give up the domain names to the guy that they respected and admired so much. The idea of Ron Paul as president was always just a lark, and a fun time was had by all. Let it go. But instead they're trying to extort him out of a quarter million bucks.
This is not a betrayal by Ron Paul. He owes these people nothing. For years they've been cashing in Paul's cult of personality, and now that his star is setting they're looking at declining influence — and revenues. The only thing more pitiful than a has-been celebrity are a has-been celebrity's sycophants. This is their last-gasp attempt to gouge Paul for a few dollars more.
People on the right are constantly yapping about god and county and tradition and principles and rights, but at the end of the day it's always about the money.
And I still can't stop laughing that Ron Paul is going all UN his supporters' ass.
Best Picture: Les Miserables
I'm not much for musicals but Tom Hooper's Les Miserables is absolutely stunning. All of the actors are dazzling. Who knew that Russell Crowe could sing?
Anne Hathaway completely gives every iota of her heart and soul to her portrayal of Fantine and I have to admit I was moved to tears by her performance. It was devastating.
I remember how I rolled my eyes when I saw the trailer and thinking, "Again, with this story?" Boy, was I wrong!
Anne Hathaway completely gives every iota of her heart and soul to her portrayal of Fantine and I have to admit I was moved to tears by her performance. It was devastating.
I remember how I rolled my eyes when I saw the trailer and thinking, "Again, with this story?" Boy, was I wrong!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Good Words
The party right now is a holding company that's devoid of a soul and it will be filled up with ideas over time and leaders will take their proper place. We can't be known as a party that's fear-based and doesn't believe in math. In the end it will come down to a party that believes in opportunity for all our people, economic competitiveness and a strong dose of libertarianism
--(former Utah Governor, Ambassador to China and GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman)
Agreed. But how long will it take to clear out the clown car?
--(former Utah Governor, Ambassador to China and GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman)
Agreed. But how long will it take to clear out the clown car?
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