Operator of dam in Australia ‘invented’ rain data to justify release of water
It appears the operator of a dam in Australia ‘invented’ record rainfall data in order to justify the gigantic release of water that caused the flooding there in January.
Year: 2011
Loreena McKennitt – The Dark Night Of The Soul
An evening pause: A song based on the 15th century poem by St. John of the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz).
Upon a darkened night
the flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest
Full lyrics here.
Tiny church discovers it owns an original King James Bible
A tiny church in England has discovered that its church bible is actually an original 1611 King James bible, “one of perhaps 200 surviving 400-year-old original editions.”
The brightest supernovae yet found
The brightest supernovae yet found.
Supernova 2008am is 3.7 billion light-years away. At its peak luminosity, it was over 100 billion times brighter than the Sun. It emitted enough energy in one second to satisfy the power needs of the United States for one million times longer than the universe has existed.
“Worldwide-temperature increase has not produced acceleration of global sea level over the past 100 years”
From Watts Up With That: New sea level data shows that there has been “no acceleration of global sea level over the past 100 years,” despite the increase in temperatures. Key quote from the paper:
It is essential that investigations continue to address why this worldwide-temperature increase has not produced acceleration of global sea level over the past 100 years, and indeed why global sea level has possibly decelerated for at least the last 80 years.
Senate Democrats and the White House offer $20B more in cuts
Senate Democrats and the White House offer $20B more in cuts.
This is further evidence that the political winds favor trimming the government. However, to find out how serious the Democrats are we’d need to find out some details about their specific proposed cuts.
More on the NASA space war
More on the space war over NASA from Jeff Foust of The Space Review. Also read this Aviation Week article.
Overall, it is still a mess, with much of the money allocated to NASA a complete waste that will not get us into space.
The incremental approach is working
He has a point: Fred Barnes argues that the Republican incremental approach to cutting the budget makes sense politically. Key quote:
The end zone is far away, however, and impatience won’t get Republicans there. Impatience is not a strategy. It may lead to a government shutdown with unknown results. To enact the sweeping cuts they desire, Republicans must hold the House and capture the Senate and White House in the 2012 election. Then they’ll control Washington. Now they don’t.
The MSM Kills the ‘Kill Team’ Story
More proof of media partisan bias: A Democratic President, and suddenly the press isn’t interested in a military murder scandal in Afghanistan.
Frenzy in Washington grows over nation’s debt
Frenzy in Washington grows over nation’s debt.
I like the headline alone, because it suggests the political tide might finally be turning in the direction of actually cutting down the size of federal spending. And the article itself reinforces that sense.
For the birds
An evening pause:
A statistical study says big quakes don’t trigger others far away
A new statistical study has concluded that big quakes don’t trigger others large quakes far away.
Budget negotiations — and the possibility of a shutdown — are coming to a head
Budget negotiations — and the possibility of a shutdown — are coming to a head.
Five anti-hunger organization leaders plan open-ended fasts to protest proposed cuts
The pigs continue to squeal: Five anti-hunger organization leaders plan open-ended fasts to protest proposed cuts.
Russia and Israel agree on cooperation in outer space
Not bigots: Russia and Israel have agreed on a framework for cooperating in outer space.
Johannesburg University Ends Research With Israeli School
Bigots: The University of Johannesburg has ended research with an Israeli School, “a step hailed as a ‘boycott’ by proponents of an international academic campaign to shun Israeli researchers.”
Japan Reopens Space Station Control Room After Quake
Good news: Japan has reopened its space station control room following the earthquake.
The NASA space war mess
The NASA space war mess.
Congress is now looking to flatline or cut NASA budget (or not enact new ones) while also playing its own game of telling NASA to do things it simply does not have the budget to do. A new slow motion train wreck is in the making.
Move on from Sunday in the Park with George
An evening pause: Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin sing “Move On” from Steven Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George.
Stop worrying where you’re going.
Move on.
If you can know where you’re going,
You’ve gone.
Just keep moving on.
I chose and my world was shaken.
So what?
The choice may have been mistaken,
The choosing was not.
You have to move on.
Snow
An evening pause: My farewell to winter.