Potpourri CLV

It's been awhile since I've done one of these, but I thought I'd take a few free minutes to clear out the blog pile, as Sunday Night Football isn't wowing me this evening.

First off: the 50 fattiest foods in America. And for dessert, cupcakes.

On the more serious side, Lin sent the following speech on the state of free speech in Europe.

With the tools of CGI becoming more and more widespread, it is possible for amateurs to create some pretty decent Star Trek movies. I can't vouch for all of the acting.

I need to investigate/discuss this further, but here's a blog in defense of a liberal arts education. This is worth considering, even when everyone in my circle of fellow bloggers is spun up about the state of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. There IS still a place for English majors, after all...

From Stefanie, a little programming humor(?): Prolog haiku.

This is old (2002), but still worth reading: Penn Gillette on getting groped by the TSA. Along the same lines, here's a worthwhile editorial by Salon Magazine on airport security.

I never get tired of these: random moments of opera staged in public areas. This one is in Palermo, Italy.

Economic news so disheartening you'll want to be sitting down to read it.

Randy Olson, our fearless filmmaker, holds forth on the Science Cheerleaders.

Nothing against the U-2, it's a marvelous airplane. But really, if we retired the SR-71, shouldn't we be moving forward with the next generation of spy plane, not going back to stuff our grandparents built?

Video talk by the Air Force One pilot who was flying on September 11.

My buddy Erika appeared recently on the "Faces of Marshall" feature on NASA.gov. When she starts talking about a certain friend who was very passionate about space, that'd be Your Humble Narrator.

From the Down Under Defense Expert (DUDE), a collection of peer-reviewed papers on anthropomorphic global warming.

From Doc: a recommended "not stupid" site on football analysis.

Interesting article on why the Singularity won't happen.

I just loved this blog by Allie Brosh. Her humor is wickedly funny and her drawing manages to convey emotion if not exactly Michelangelo.

A guide on how to taste wine.

The MaybeLogic Academy...

I still like this: a force field for IDF tanks. Now we need one!

And I guess that'll do for now. I'm rather busy, so if I'm not posting as often, please know that it's for a good cause: promoting Science Cheerleader.com or the International Space Development Conference.

Salud.

Potpourri XXX

For those of you new to this site, this is NOT a porn site, so get that "XXX" idea out of your head. If you want to stick around and get educated and entertained a little bit, by all means, stick around. For the rest of you, I offer another set of odd links and bits that struck my fancy. Read on!

NASA's Mercury MESSENGER planetary orbiter has found signs that the planet Mercury had an active, volcanic past and a highly variable magnetosphere.

AvWeb posted a PDF of a document that looks like an FAA notice to air traffic controllers in the New York City area. Never seen one of these before, but it looks plausible. Still not expecting an apology from the president.

A notice from Robin Henderson, Associate Director at Marshall Space Flight Center, regarding the H1N1 flu:

Message from Robin Henderson, Associate Director
In light of last evening’s Madison County Emergency Management Agency’s (EMA) announcements, I am writing to assure you that we are following Marshall’s Emergency Management Plan concerning Pandemic Disease Events. We are taking all appropriate precautions to ensure the safety and well being of all Marshall employees and their families.
We want everyone to know that there is no medical emergency at this time. Thus far, no H1N1 virus (swine) flu cases have been identified on Redstone Arsenal.
As a precautionary measure, to protect the health of all those under the age of 18, all youth activities and operations on the Arsenal will be suspended through Sunday, May 3. This suspension includes the Marshall Child Development Center. Redstone Arsenal has suspended all Redstone related School Age Services, Youth Services and associated youth sporting events, as well as Chapel Youth events and worship services involving children.
Additionally, the Saturday, May 2, Morale Welfare and Recreation Block Party has also been postponed. As has been announced, Marshall Space Flight Center has issued a liberal leave policy, except for emergency essential personnel, effective today and tomorrow, for those employees who need to care for their children or feel the need to stay away from a public environment. A decision will be made if continuation of the liberal leave policy is necessary beyond Sunday, May 3.

If you and/or a family member have flu-like symptoms – fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea – contact your health care provider. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed. If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid all contact with other people to keep from spreading your illness to others. We are asking that you not go to the medical center with these symptoms as this is contrary to Center for Disease Control
recommendations.

If you and/or a family member becomes ill and experiences any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care:

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not waking up or not interacting, being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough, fever with a rash.

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen,
sudden dizziness, confusion.

For information about precautions, follow this link to the CDC’s Swine Flu Website: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/swineflu_you.htm

Recommendations on any further actions the Center or Agency may take will be released through Marshall communications vehicles. Please be advised that we will utilize multiple communication vehicles to ensure that you are informed and updated as further information or decisions become available. Latest information also is available by phone, call (256)544-HELP, Option 5.

On my end of things, I turned in my emergency contact information to the powers that be so they know who to contact if I get a sniffle. Sigh...I know it's serious. I just shake my head in dismay at the near-overreaction to things.

NASAWatch's snark drives me up the wall, but they do link to some interesting news sites. I suggest reading the news stories connected with layoffs at Kennedy Space Center and possible changes to the Constellation Program's ends and architecture.

An adult beverage recommendation from long-lost-high-school-buddy Joanna: Evan Williams whiskey, just in time for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

New internet nomenclature from Doc:

astroturfing, v. An internet practice whereby companies have employees create artificial “grassroots” movements to gin up support for their products.

Potpourri XXIX

Well, let's see what's lurking in the Bartish parts of the Internet.

This link from Nickomundo: The new 2010 version of the Tiger Woods Wii game has what amounts to Frisbee Golf (they call it "disk golf" to avoid copyright infringements). I'm sorry, but I'm going to put up my Stick in the Mud flag and say that I think that's stupid. But then I'm not a big fan of real-world Frisbee Golf, either. Glad Nick's happy, though.

Space junk might put Space Shuttle Atlantis at risk.

Blimps are back. However, the Defense Department tends to call them "airships" or "aerostats." Probably because "blimp" isn't dignified enough. This from the people who gave us the walkie-talkie (or, as one comic has put it, the "whammie kablammie").

The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) says the President is waiting to hear from you on how to make the government more collaborative. Along similar lines, there's a group called "World Wide Views on Global Warming," which is seeking inputs from private citizens on what to do about it. The internet will make this sort of participatory democracy more common, which will no doubt drive elitists in the world's governments up the wall. Good.

Tip o' the fedora to D2: AOL has some free music--whole albums--up on their site. This includes the whole album of "Songs Around the World," like the "Stand By Me" song I posted earlier.

There's a memo circulating out there that says someone in the White House knew that the low flybys of Air Force One might cause a panic. Obama will never take responsibility, of course. The President has said it was a "mistake," but that is not the same as an apology.

Folks are starting to say nice things about the pollution reduction obtained by an oilseed crop called camelina. Good grief! How long would a year's crop last in the high-density, worldwide aviation business? And has anyone done any long-term studies on the effects of these organic-based fuels on jet engine maintenance? How much cropland meant for growing food would be sacrificed to this...stuff?

New from Hu:

• The Indian armed forces are focusing on guerrilla warfare. They know what sorts of wars they'll be fighting in the future.
• Boeing's Airborne Laser (ABL) program is possibly facing the chopping block, but testing continues nonetheless.
• Pontiac, requiescat in pace.

Guess that's it for now. More to come, I suppose.