gregladen | September 10, 2008This is a very complicated machine, so it is very hard to say exactly when it "turns on." Some would say that the 'start' is when the first (of two) energy beams starts running around the track like crazed Einsteinian greyhounds, others would say that it 'starts' when there are two beams, they collide, and data comes flying out like eight graders from a large Middle School on the last day of the school year when the final bell rings.
Well, the first beam part has happened. The machine appears to work.
Naturally, this has all the physicist types creaming in their jeans,
Meanwhile, the…
gregladen | September 9, 2008Hurricane Ike appears to be done with Cuba, and remains as a Category One storm. The three day cone is now ashore in Texas, so the predicted location of landfall can be made with increasing certainty with each passing 12 hour period. Conditions for hurricane strengthening are about as good as they get in the Gulf, with nothing important expected to shear at the top, and two or three eddies of warm water to pass over.
The hurricane is currently heading straight west by north west, but will make a right (northerly)turn as it approaches land and will come ashore somewhere along the Texas…
gregladen | September 9, 2008A few political bits and pieces for you to look at.
The Republican Right Wing has successfully convinced the managers of NBC network to dump Kieth Olbermann and Chris Matthews in their role covering the current election. Too bad. That was the only news station I could watch and not puke very few minutes. MSNBC is no longer tuned in on my dial and this blog will no longer post (as I had been doing) MSNBC videos. I will still post videos of Keith Olbermann ranting about whatever, but they will be YouTube videos. This Blog Boycotts MSNBC. And NBC.
Dynamics of Cats exposes, summarizes…
gregladen | September 9, 2008Can you believe it? It turns out that Sarah Palin actually LIED during her speech at the Republican National Convention. I can't believe it!
Man, I wonder if this "governor" should go to prison or something...
gregladen | September 9, 2008Hurricane Ike is currently over warm water south of Cuba, and is heading back onto land. Ike will pass over roughly the same area of Western Cuba that was hit by hurricane Gustav. Once back on land, Ike will weaken again, and then by tomorrow morning Ike will be positioned well over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Even though Ike will be following part way in the path of Gustav, the earlier hurricane's cooling effects on the sea surface temperatures (SST) are now minimal. Conditions in the Gulf for causing the hurricane to strengthen are excellent. As Ike makes its way the long way…
gregladen | September 9, 2008We vote in our primaries today. I know, I know, you already voted in the primaries, and the whole process seems like it is finished. But it isn't. The primaries are today, honest.
If you live in Minnesota, go here to find out where you vote. I vote at the local Lutheran Church.
I think,
This blog endorses Al Franken for United States Senate, Ashwin Madia for United States Congress, In fact, I'll be ad Madia Headquarters tonight working for the campaign.
Those of you who read this blog and are in Minneapolis may find this post at Almost Diamonds useful.
Warning: This blog…
gregladen | September 8, 2008George Bush's Army has been in Afghanistan for years looking for one guy, Osama Bin Laden (no relation). They have not found him het. Meanwhile, archaeologists working in Afghanistan have found a 19 meter (62 feet) tall statue of Buddha.
This is in the vicinity of the Bamiyan Buddhas which were destroyed by the Taleban a few years ago.
There is a fourth giant Buddha, estimated to be about 300 meters long, still hiding in the vicinity, according to reports.
Perhaps the archaeologists should be asked to help find Osama.
More here at the BBC
gregladen | September 8, 2008Seriously.
Let's make a list. Let's get all the 'Nam vets and say, "OK, you folks, you did your job for the country, you're about the right age, we want one of you to be in charge. Now let's get your credential, both positive and negative, and put them together and see which one of you should run the show. There are of course too many of you for all of you to be president, but maybe a couple/few of you." And so on.
My friend Bob, for example. Of all the 'Nam Vets, he's one of the most qualified. He was in the special forces, spent over six years in 'Nam, rose to the rank of officer (and…
gregladen | September 8, 2008Cuba is taking the brunt of the storm as Hurricane Ike travels along its very spine. Remarkably, Ike still had a visible eye this morning, and is showing fewer signs of weakening than expected.
It is remotely possible that will be so ripped up by the time it finished with Cuba and enters the Gulf that it will not reform, but the smart money is on what would then be Tropical Storm Ike reforming to a Hurricane pretty quickly, staring late Tuesday and overnight to Wednesday AM. Mot likely, as people in the Eastern and Central Time Zones in the US wake up Wednesday AM, they will be hearing…
gregladen | September 7, 2008
The Boneyard is at When Pigs Fly Returns
Cancer Research 13 is at Highlight Health
Friday Ark 207 is at The Modulator
Carnival of the Green is on LifeGoogles
The Carnival of Cinema Episode 91 is at Good News Film Reviews
Tangled Bank is at En tequila es verdad
I and the Bird is at Wrenaissance Reflections
Carnival of the Vanities is at Dodgeblogium
gregladen | September 7, 2008Remember how Hanna messed up western Cuba? It now looks like Ike is going to mess up the rest of Cuba. The current track forecast has Ike running right down the spine of the country until exiting just east of Hanna's coverage. Ike's center will move onto Cuba in several hours, and back over water, into the Gulf, early AM Tuesday.
Ike is currently a Category Four hurricane. It will be considerably weakened after it leaves the Cuban mainland Tuesday, but conditions for its restrengthening are in place. Also, while Ike is forecast to remain right over the Cuban mainland for a couple of…
gregladen | September 6, 2008The following are three somewhat drawn out (close to 20 minutes total) videos representing the official response to the Saint Paul RNC police/protester interactions. Here we see the mayor (Chris Coleman) and the Police Chief Harrington giving statements, followed by a question period. The third video, at about 6 minutes, addresses the issue of journalists having been arrested.
Shown in these three videos are what seem to be the two most mealy-mouthed presentations to the press by prominent officials I've seen ... ever, really. I really had no idea Chris Coleman was so inarticulate.
And…
gregladen | September 6, 2008One of the most important elements in the success of the D-Day invasion of Europe ... commanded by the other Ike, General Ike Eisenhower, was that the Allies pretended to prepare to invade from and to a different region of England/France. Like its namesake, Hurricane Ike seems to be trying to fake us out.
Of course, it is a hurricane and thus does not have the ability to actually try to fake us out.
Right now, if the five day forecast is taken verbatim and extended a few more days, Ike is going to strike New Orleans as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane. But the certainty of this prediction is…
gregladen | September 5, 2008Hey, People of Florida! As long as you are going to get wacked by a hurricane, you might as well get a copy of Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen to occupy your time while the power is off.
At the beginning of the summer, I suggested that you start reading all of Hiaasen's books, beginning with Tourist Season. Those of you who took my advice have already gotten way past Stormy Weather. The rest of you better get on it.
Stormy Weather is the usual (but always engaging) Hiaasen look at Florida corruption, politics, crime, environmental issues, and so on, but in the context of the aftermath of…