Treason is the betrayal of one's own country by attempting to overthrow the government through waging war against the State or materially aiding its enemies.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Surely we’re close to treason
As defined in the constitution:
And surely T-rump has been working to overthrow the government, has he not?
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Cement that can generate electricity?!
Scientists have added layers of a polyvinyl gel to concrete, in order to increase the ability of concrete to store electrical energy. And because the concrete absorbs heat from the sun, it actually is generating electricity that can be harnessed.
"The biomimetic structure and interfacial selective immobilization mechanism may pave the way for the design and fabrication of high-performance ionic thermoelectric materials."
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Monday, April 14, 2025
Insider trading?
T-rump is accused of manipulating the stock market - via the tariffs - for his own gain. That should alarm us all. I think it's right to at least see if there's "anything there." We deserve to know.
Richard Nixon famously talked about never profiting from his public service and welcomed an investigation. And here 52 years later, all the mouthpieces for el donaldo simply say it's a witch hunt.
I assume they don't want to be reminded that the guy they prop up IS a crook. Because then they'd have to do something. It's easier to just let it bet.
That's just dumb.
Nixons famous line:
And by the way, isn't it interesting that GOP members of Congress may have likewise been complicit.
It's likely there is something to all of this.
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Snowball the giant cat
In 2000 Cordell Hauglie played with photoshop and … well … the results went viral.
There was some amount of (tongue-in-cheek) reporting that blamed atomic radiation. It was featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Good Morning America.
He said later:
"My daughter wanted to send an electronic photo of her cat to her friend. I got a little carried away.
"My daughter wanted to send an electronic photo of her cat to her friend. I got a little carried away.
"[that's the] the dangers of email … if some dumb guy and his dumb cat can go around the world, you've got to be careful".
Photographer Ken Light had a helpful suggestion when you see a photo doesn't feel right.
"Trust the photographer, know the source. Look closely – if photos seem too fantastic, they probably are."
A redux of something I posted in 2016
I firmly believe that it's time to Make America Smart Again. That is, it's time for us, as individuals and groups living in his great nation, to do everything we can to use reason, to think, and to cut though the noise that exists in our lives.
I will be embracing the idea in my corner of the world, and I encourage you to do the same.
Here is my mantra, the five things I will be doing to make myself better. I admit that some of these are affirmations of things I already do, but I wanted to share them and clarify my position.
1. First up: TV. I will not watch reality shows, or any network news. On the former, it's dullness offends the senses and encourages one not to think. And likewise, I won't be following the lives of any celebrity and their absurd behavior. It serves no purpose. Regarding the latter, it is clear that 24 hour news outlets are motivated by profit and are not in the "news" business; they are businesses that are in it for money - and ratings are directly tied to that revenue. It's as pointless as reality tv.
There are still things to watch: educational programming, some sports, and the occasional movie or tv series are reasonable choices that educate and entertain.
2. Before repeating anything, I will seek to learn if it is true. I will not regurgitate any talking points, or mis-represent facts. In short, I will not accept lies, half-truths, or spout any nonsense. It's counter-productive and shows a lack of intelligence to do otherwise. I won't speculate wildly about anything, either, because the truth matters. If you say something to me, I will ask for your sources and will reject what you are saying if you give me the "inflammatory headline" that isn't supported.
3. I pledge to read more. My goal is a minimum of 6 novels, or "good books" a year. There can be fiction and non-fiction among the works I'll read, and I will get to the actual library regularly because it's a tremendous resource we have available. I won't, however, let any one book (however good I think it is) dictate how I think or live; the most it can be is a component of enriching myself.
I will also read more science journals and articles, and will post a link to at least one interesting article a week. On this point, science is the one thing we can look to for meaningful, observable behavior. It has no agenda, it is the absolute truth and it doesn't care if you believe in it or not.
4. Stop the insanity! Social media is out of control. It's a part of the bigger problem. I will use it to let you know about things that are going on at Disney, and to occasionally pass on interesting facts. But I won't be using social media to engage in meaningless banter, or to simply pass judgement. I also can not accept memes as a way of exchanging information. It dumbs us all down, and you won't see them from me. And where it's appropriate I'll reject what you are saying here too.
5. And finally, I will continue to exercise my mind through various activities. Personally, I will look at new entrepreneurial ideas, app development on a more regular basis, and explore my roots as an engineer to remind myself why I got this education. You may have some other things that you are good at and passionate about - I encourage you to pursue them.
Doing these things will make me a better person, and helps me stay sharp and smart. I hope some of you will take a similar view and help to do your part.
Do what you can to use your mind. Make yourself smart, continue your education if that's on your list, and share what you learn. Only then, can we Make America Smart Again.
Here is my mantra, the five things I will be doing to make myself better. I admit that some of these are affirmations of things I already do, but I wanted to share them and clarify my position.
1. First up: TV. I will not watch reality shows, or any network news. On the former, it's dullness offends the senses and encourages one not to think. And likewise, I won't be following the lives of any celebrity and their absurd behavior. It serves no purpose. Regarding the latter, it is clear that 24 hour news outlets are motivated by profit and are not in the "news" business; they are businesses that are in it for money - and ratings are directly tied to that revenue. It's as pointless as reality tv.
There are still things to watch: educational programming, some sports, and the occasional movie or tv series are reasonable choices that educate and entertain.
2. Before repeating anything, I will seek to learn if it is true. I will not regurgitate any talking points, or mis-represent facts. In short, I will not accept lies, half-truths, or spout any nonsense. It's counter-productive and shows a lack of intelligence to do otherwise. I won't speculate wildly about anything, either, because the truth matters. If you say something to me, I will ask for your sources and will reject what you are saying if you give me the "inflammatory headline" that isn't supported.
3. I pledge to read more. My goal is a minimum of 6 novels, or "good books" a year. There can be fiction and non-fiction among the works I'll read, and I will get to the actual library regularly because it's a tremendous resource we have available. I won't, however, let any one book (however good I think it is) dictate how I think or live; the most it can be is a component of enriching myself.
I will also read more science journals and articles, and will post a link to at least one interesting article a week. On this point, science is the one thing we can look to for meaningful, observable behavior. It has no agenda, it is the absolute truth and it doesn't care if you believe in it or not.
4. Stop the insanity! Social media is out of control. It's a part of the bigger problem. I will use it to let you know about things that are going on at Disney, and to occasionally pass on interesting facts. But I won't be using social media to engage in meaningless banter, or to simply pass judgement. I also can not accept memes as a way of exchanging information. It dumbs us all down, and you won't see them from me. And where it's appropriate I'll reject what you are saying here too.
5. And finally, I will continue to exercise my mind through various activities. Personally, I will look at new entrepreneurial ideas, app development on a more regular basis, and explore my roots as an engineer to remind myself why I got this education. You may have some other things that you are good at and passionate about - I encourage you to pursue them.
Doing these things will make me a better person, and helps me stay sharp and smart. I hope some of you will take a similar view and help to do your part.
Do what you can to use your mind. Make yourself smart, continue your education if that's on your list, and share what you learn. Only then, can we Make America Smart Again.
Plant based waterproof materials
Here's a product that is being developed which is based on cellulose and will break down naturally (and relatively quickly) which could upend the single use plastic industry.
As one researcher points out, this is a positive step but changing behaviors away from single use materials should be the ultimate goal.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2475826-plant-based-waterproof-material-could-replace-single-use-plastics/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2475826-plant-based-waterproof-material-could-replace-single-use-plastics/
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