Climate Change

Scientists have detected an enormous cavity growing beneath Antarctica.

When you read the article it seems scientists have no explanation for why this is happening.

Yet this very same website three months ago explained a hidden radioactive heat source seems to be melting East Antarctica from below.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Heh Heh

- So those Game of Thrones characters are dead for sure - right?

- All mental models are wrong. The map is not the territory (yet some maps are pretty damn useful).

- What if you used dynamite?

- 3 key facts that demonstrate Amazon's retail dominance.

- Autophagy is going to be one the key words to know when it comes to medicine and health in the next decade

- This is an example of why I think Howard Schultz running for President is a good thing. And for the record I'm not a Republican.

Mariano Rivera and the Hall of Fame

Yesterday I stopped at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown for the first time and as luck would have it so did Mariano Rivera.

It is often said that even Red Sox fans admired and rooted for Derek Jeter and while that is true to an extent - the Yankee player who had universal respect and admiration was and is Mariano Rivera.

Have you ever heard of a negative thing about this man? The closest you'd get is silly grumbling that he never went to a Metallica concert or that he was "too Christian" for some people's tastes. I think those criticisms speak volumes more about the poor souls who would utter them than Rivera. 

I had the honor of watching Mariano being led to various Hall of Fame plaques starting with Roberto Clemente. There was fellow Panamanian Rod Carew and various Yankees. The one that touched me the most was when he stopped at the plaque for Jackie Robinson. Mariano understands the debt all players of color owe to Jackie and he knows that it is an honor to be the last player in MLB history to wear Robinson's retired 42. Baseball could not have picked a more humble and respected ambassador to be the last player to wear 42.

The final question Mariano fielded from the press was about 2001 and 2004 in which the Yankees lost to the Diamondbacks and Red Sox respectively in the playoffs. The way Rivera handled the question made me love him all the more. He pointed out that he gave his all every time he put on those pinstripes and every time he took the mound. Sometimes his best wasn't good enough to beat the other team's best. "That's baseball," he pointed out. He had "no regrets" for his career. He had to know the lows of losing to appreciate the highs of winning championships. He was pure class.

Mariano Rivera is the rarest of human beings. An adult how has no regrets for the life he's led. And a New York Yankee who is beloved by Red Sox fans.

The Periodic Table Turns 150

This year will mark the 150th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev's creation of the Periodic Table (March 6th to be exact).

I, personally, put this "discovery" on par with Newton's "discovery" of gravity or Einstein's Theory of Relativity. That's how important I think the creation of the Periodic Table has been to the furtherment of science and our understanding of the world.

Happy Sesquicentennial Periodic Table!

Neil Gaiman's Masterclass

Neil Gaiman is teaching a Masterclass. You can pay $90 for his class or $180 a year for all-access to all the Masterclasses. This is something I'm considering.

Also Vanity Fair has an interesting interview with Gaiman which is worth your time if you're a fan (which I am).

Big League Chew

A version of Big League Chew featuring a female ballplayer is supposed to hit distributors today. All I can think is now people who support girls' sports will have to battle those who think pretend chewing tobacco leads to real-life use and cheek and gum cancer. Well played Big League Chew!

When I grew up we had candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars. They didn't make me want to grow up and smoke (although I do enjoy a good cigar now and again). Personally, most of the people I know who smoke - smoke because they saw their parents smoke. I honestly can't think of a single person who smokes cigarettes that didn't have a parent who smoked. It wasn't because they were subjected to candy cigarettes as a kid. The exception seems to be people who work in the food service industry.

The difference in taste between Big League Chew and real chewing tobacco is no different than the difference in taste between gummi worms and real night crawlers and yet the Little League snack shacks still have gummi worms. Aren't they concerned that the kids will grow up to be like Frank Burns and eat worms?

Maybe the makers of Big League Chew could have gone more PC and renamed the product Big League Shredded Gum. That worked for the folks who changed the name of the cereal Sugar Smacks to Honey Smacks back when sugar was proclaimed the root of all children issues.

Instead they put a female on the packaging - well played Big League Chew!

Patriots

A couple of Patriots nuggets.

It's not that the Patriots beat up on AFC East opponents (they did) it's that they've beaten up everyone.

Tom Brady's name appears 17-times in the Super Bowl record book.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- This story of Robert Mueller's past is chilling. Shameful!

- I admit I love this shirt! I'm going to have to buy one.

-  Navy's first female jet pilot dies at 65

- Interesting - Bill Simmon's Ringer made $15 million on podcast revenue last year

- Holy crap - the lure of the spider-tailed horned viper

- This 72-year old makes me feel guilty for not going to the gym

- Wow!

Slavery

On this date in 1865 the Congress voted to end slavery. The vote was 119 "yea" and 56 "nay" with 8 Congressmen not voting. It should be noted that every Republican Congressman voted to end slavery (along with 16 Democrats). All of the 56 "nay" votes and all of the not voting (the voting "present" of the day) came from the Democrats.

Just something to keep in mind when you hear the Republicans are the "racist" party.

Howard Schultz for President

First off let me say that I don't like Starbucks. I don't like their coffee (I'm a Dunkin Donuts guy). I don't like their pretentiousness. I don't like their food. I don't like their music. And I certainly don't like their trying for force their politics down my throat when all I want is some coffee.

All that said - I like the idea of Howard Schultz running for President as an Independent.

The Democrats don't like the idea. "Traitor" they squeal. "You're just going to divide the vote and give the election to Trump!" Some have estimated that Schultz could take 7 points from the Democrats (whatever that means).

I think the real fear is Schultz will force them to abandon their most Leftist of fantasies to run on a more centrist platform. He would be the Democratic white male successful businessman saying, "That's crazy!" or "Exactly how would you pay for that?" In short he'd be the adult in the room.

Boycott Starbucks many Democrats are calling out! Good luck with that. When it comes down to it if you force a choice between the Democratic Party and someone's daily grande caffe latte - well don't be surprised to find many urban voters start changing their party affiliation from "D" to "I". And if you picket and protest in front of their daily coffee fix - well don't be surprised if those folks never come back to the fold.

I like the idea of Howard Schultz running for President. Mostly for the entertainment value.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Has science found the cause of Alzheimer's and how to stop it?

- This is so great!

- Can't believe how great the music synchs to this. And yes I am an awful person for laughing so hard.

- Central Planning vs Free Markets in one graph. Yet in the US we now have candidates arguing for government controlled planning of vast sectors of the economy? Plain stupidity!

- Interesting thought. Are the disabled better suited for space travel?

- I think this advice applies to people of any age

- This could be the end for the Mars Opportunity Rover. 15-years is a good lifetime for a rover.

My Walk Up Music

One of the more popular question is "If you played major league baseball what would be your walk-up music?" That's the music that's played before you come up to bat for the uninitiated.

I've always thought it would be great to have God Bless America by Kate Smith as my walk-up music just to mess with the crowd. I'd think it would be funny to see how many people reflexively stood up and removed their caps when it started to play.

For that very reason MLB would probably say, "No you can't have God Bless America as your walk-up music by Kate Smith or anyone else!"

If that was the case - I'd go with Carmina Burana. That would be pretty epic!

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Bob Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet, did a Reddit AMA

- AGAIN! Spider bites Australian man on penis again.

- The battle between Disney and Netflix will be interesting to watch. Buried in this article is the fact that Disney plans a live action Marvel series based upon Loki and starring Tom Hiddleston.

- Heh Heh

- Interesting - scientists create liquid fuel that can store solar energy for up to 18-years.

- I'm a bad person because from hereon I will always think of Ann Coulter as a "throat model"

- Cool memo from Lin Wells to Donald Rumsfeld in April 2001

You're a Creep Charlie Brown

Blast from the Internet past.

Climate Change

This is a very well done and fair video. I have just one problem. The author of the video treats some things that are now variables in the climate change equation as if they were historical constants going forward. The video states that the Sun is getting stronger and this increase in displayed as pretty much a straight line. However, the amount of solar and space radiation that will be getting into Earth's atmosphere will be changing due to the changing of Earth's magnetic poles (and therefore the Earth's magnetic field).

Scientists and climate change advocates should be well aware of these changes by now. Just from the past month:

- Business Insider has a good look at what could happen if the magnetic poles flip including a very informative video.

- Gizmodo - models can't keep up with migrating magnetic North Pole.

- Shifting North Magnetic Pole is affecting everything from cell phones to submarines. (Everything it seems except climate change models.)

- Earth's magnetic field is acting up and geologists don't know why.

Our magnetic fields keep out harmful space radiation but our magnetic fields are weakening while the magnetic poles change. How will this effect the climate? Is there anything humans can do to try to minimize potential harm? Those are the real questions

Try to address the evidence. And try not to be condescending when you do it.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- John McAfee is most likely insane - probably criminally insane.

- I think we should 100% support Venezuela's Juan Guaido. Also think most of our energy should be placed in keeping nations like Russia from meddling.

- Speaking of Venezuela - they are the least free economy in the world.

- Heh heh

- Once Venezuela was one of the largest oil producers in the world. Now they are behind North Dakota.

- First paralyzed human treated with stem cells has now regained upper body movement.

- This is 100% why I get out of bed in the morning

Diet of Worms

Today is he anniversary of the start of the Diet of Worms. This was actually a formal deliberative body in Worms, Germany assembled in 1521 to discuss Martin Luther. 

To most people unfamiliar with history or not steeped in religious theology the Diet of Worms probably sounds more like the title of a Stephen King short story.

Or a very unappealing version of the carnivore diet.

Go Pats!

One week to go until kick-off! Go Pats!

A reminder that Roger Goodell was spotted at the AFC Championship game.

This Week in Musk World

This week in Musk World.

SpaceX hot-fires Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon aboard prior to first orbital launch. Manned orbital missions are getting closer and closer. In other SpaceX news - Elon Musk explains Starship's stainless steel look. There are many thermal property and cost related benefits in going with steel. Not mentioned is how wicked awesome stainless steel looks on a rocket.

Interesting - is Tesla the next great marijuana stock? Their Powerwall could be a boon to growers.

Sentry Mode coming for Telsa cars with Enhanced Autopilot. An ingenious way to utilize the built-in cameras for a 360-degree look at your vehicle while you are away. Cool - Tesla's Sentry Mode will even play Toccata and Fugue in D Minor to ward off would be car thiefs. Kind of amusing that we are the point of talking about these sort of fun enhancements instead of the very survival of the company. Telsa certainly has come a long way.

And finally a Public Service reminder - you don't put gas into a Tesla.

A Little Epiphany

This morning over my first cup of coffee I had a little epiphany. I realized that growing up I was a bigoted "left side of the church guy."

Main Street in Worcester runs North and South. The Church I attended growing up, Saint Peter's, was on Main St. "South" (which was also the name for the general section of the city I grew up in - Main South).

There were three doors to the church in the front and doors on either side. Me, my family and I realized this morning pretty much everyone who lived on the west side of Main Street - meaning the Clark University towards Park Ave neighborhoods - not West Side (capitalized meaning the Tatnuck section of Worcester) - we all used the left side front entrance of the church and sat in pews on the left side of the church. If we ever entered through the middle door in front of the church - we generally made our way over to the left side entrance to the church nave or sat on the left side of the center aisle. I can't recall ever entering the church through the right side front door.

The right side of the church? Well that was for the people who lived on the east side of Main Street (not to be confused with Worcester's East Side which is generally considered to be the Shrewsbury St. section of the city). I'm talking about people who live on Kilby St., Gardner St., and Crystal Park. Those neighborhoods. Those people.

The people from Clifton, Florence, and Dewey Streets - well we consciously or unconsciously self-segregated ourselves from those people. We sat on the left side of the church because we looked down on the people who sat on the right side. We lived on the "right" side of Main Street. The "good" side of Main Street. And we stuck together.

It took me 40-years to suddenly come to this realization.

Sure I knew some of the people and families who sat on the right side of the church. I even dated a girl from Crystal Park. But to be honest I think I always felt the people on my side of the church were superior.

Now I wonder how much different and richer my life could have been if I just sat on the right side of the church every once and a while.