Dave’s Musings
Last week's election was a reminder that voting matters. Extreme right-wing agendas and candidates lost most races. Ohio voters codified abortion rights into their constitution.
Meanwhile some of the candidates who lost lamented their losses by essentially attacking democracy. This is truly what's at stake. A free and fair election is paramount for our republic. We must fight to keep in it, in order to continue to maintain our rights.
Its okay to have differing opinions. It's not okay to undercut our principles. And our democracy.
There is a scheduled Falcon Heavy launch on December 7. This one is to carry a US Spaceforce space plane into orbit. I look forward to trying to see this launch! But on a slightly more amusing note, its funny that their designation for the plane is X-37B, since the ride vehicles at The Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger spin are the XP-37. I sure hope their motto is "To Infinity and Beyond" and that they are preparing to face off against Zurg.  https://spacenews.com/u-s-air-force-x-37b-spaceplane-to-launch-on-a-spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket/ |
Scientists at the CDC (which apparently has mostly returned to being a non-politicized entity) have started a voluntary program to test international travelers for various pathogens. That, coupled with sampling wastewater from airplanes and airport bathrooms, might help understand the spread of seasonal things like the flu, and may provide a better understanding of how to track (and perhaps even prevent the spread of) a future pandemic. This is the kind of critical thinking that was lacking when the pandemic was just starting to affect our lives. Glad to see we are trying some new things, even if they are fairly low tech. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cdc-expand-disease-surveillance-international-travelers |
Disney's 3rd quarter earnings showed that the company has some pretty serious issues. Yes, their profits were high. And yes, there was some growth. But they still are paying off debt they accrued during the pandemic. They are struggling mightily with streaming and other entertainment costs. Theme park attendance isn't where they want it to be (its probably not accurate to say its "down" because it has peaks post-pandemic, but its inconsistent). And linear tv and sports are eating up costs while not providing consistent return. And of course there's still the question of succession planning. Bob Iger's recent contract extension is through the end of 2026, so the company has to find someone and groom them over the course of the 3 years. After the last fiasco, some wonder if Iger can manage it this time. |
Indonesia is a leading global supplier of palm oil. But palm oil production comes at a price to the environment. Indonesia is making an effort to balance that more carefully and plans to return nearly 500,000 acres to forest density, while streamlining the palm oil land usage and production. Like many things run by governmental agencies, the plan has its flaws and detractors. But it is relatively promising and perhaps may help with global warming - and it certainly should help with the way palm oil is cultivated for consumption. |
Latest video | I took a trip to Disney World and tried hard not to use Superchargers. Did I make it? I did not. I take you through my experience, and can see why everyone struggles with EV adoption ... especially if you can't charge! https://youtu.be/L9sBfpwKsxI?si=JPyEFA0WMgifzYwO |
One Little Spark … | While I was in Orlando, I took a short road trip into Ocoee. It's a rural area that was once known for its sugar cane and orange groves. On election day in 1920, the largest voter-related massacre in US history took place here. The details are in the attached link, but in short, a group of black voters had the audacity to vote. A mob of white men sought to stop them using violence and intimidation. Today, there is little to remember it by, except for a plaque in a park. And Florida is avoiding teaching the topic (because politicians are stupid). So we have to do our part to ensure this doesn't get lost to history. I took a few moments to remember the history as I stood there - and now I share that with you. With continued assaults on voters rights, particularly for minorities, and maps that under-represent people that live in an area (typically in favor of wealthy, white people), we need to be on guard, respecting the rights of everyone. And we need to always exercise our right to vote! https://floridahistoryblog.com/ocoee-on-fire-the-1920-election-day-massacre/ |
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