Science!

First, we learn that a tiny planet with the mass equivalent to Jupiter tightly orbiting a pulsar (a rotating neutron star) is composed primarily of carbon.  At the densities involved, the planet has collapsed into a girl's best friend; diamond.  That's just cool.  It's like a Larry Niven story come to life.

Next, we learn that although the CERN supercollider has yet to destroy everything in a universe-shattering ka-boom, the boffins may have manged to end some lucrative sources of grant money.  It seems that a study of the effects of cosmic radiation upon cloud formation in the Earth's atmosphere appears to indicate that said radiation may play a very significant role, like 50%, in cloud formation and the effects upon the planet's climate.

Here's the money quote:

... we've found that the vapours previously thought to account for all aerosol formation in the lower atmosphere can only account for a small fraction of the observations – even with the enhancement of cosmic rays.

Those "vapours" are also known as greenhouse gases.  Translation:  that giant microwave oven sitting 93 million miles away might have a bigger impact on global temperatures than the incandescent lightbulb in your living room lamp.

Inconceivable!  We have already been told by no less a personage than Albert Gore that "the science is settled" and that denying anthropogenic global warming (AGM) is morally equivalent to denying the Holocaust.  What is wrong with these scientists?  Don't they know that the proper role of Science in the AGM franchise is to accept grant money to further the propoganda machine, thus generating more grant money?  It's the bedrock of the environmental-industrial complex that Dwight Eisenhower warned us all about.

The whole AGM conspiracy is right out of the sixteenth century.  First we have the concept of "carbon credits" where businesses pay money to buy the right to produce gases that will supposedly destroy us all.  It's  just like the indulgences sold by the Roman Catholic Church.  I pay money in advance to commit a sin and everything is forgiven.

We even have heliocentrism making a comeback against the forces of scientific orthodoxy.  To paraphrase Galileo, "It still warms."

Pulled Over By the Po-Po, Thank God !

I took my kids, the neighbors' girl and our dog to a local park tonight.  This park is on the edge of town, which means that streetlights are pretty much non-existent.  After play time was over I piled everybody into the car and headed for a local convenience store to buy some tea.

I pulled out onto the road to drive to the store.  Almost immediately I noticed somebody was tailgating very closely.  I thought I may have pulled out too close and made the other driver angry.  My primary concern was that the other driver was pissed off and looking for trouble.  And me with three children in the car.  I decided to drive non-stop to the convenience store just down the road, even if it meant running the stop sign which I just NOW noticed.

Well, as soon as I blew through the stop sign the blue and red lights of the local PD came on.  On the minus side; I was probably about to get a ticket.  On the plus side; nobody was going to try and rob us.  I considered the ticket a fair trade.

I worked out my personal SOP years ago.  I immediately turned the interior lights on and retrieved my wallet.  Then I rested both hands on the wheel until he approached.  I handed both licenses to the officer.  He asked if I was.  I said yes.  He asked where.  I pointed with my left thumb.  The only awkward moment was when he asked to see my insurance card, which was in the glove box.  It's my wife's car.  I keep mine in the center console so I don't have to reach while assembling the standard documents.  My daughter opened the glove box calmly and slowly handed me the envelope with the insurance and registration cards. 

I explained that I was paying more attention to him behind me than I was to the stop sign in front of me.  He walked back to check the licenses.  The other police car, which I had not even noticed, pulled away.  He came back and asked me to be more careful.

Then he thanked my for exercising my constitutional right to carry.

God bless Texas! 

Does the shoe pinch?

Our Intern-in-Chief has sent down a new set of requirements for ICE to impose on anyone unlucky enough to live in a border state.  The new executive order requires ICE agents to contact service providers and ask them to:  1.  Report any homes occupied by more than four persons as potentially indicating illegal immigrant occupation.  2.  Fill out client profile reports to help law enforcement track illegal immigrants, and 3.  Authorizes home visits by ICE agents to anyone suspected of participating in illegal immigration.

Sounds pretty Orwellian, huh?  Nobody in America would stand for this, right?  Well, substitute "BATFE" for "ICE" and "firearm sales" for "illegal immigrants" and you're looking at an actual executive order.

It's a good thing that we live in a free country where we can trust our government to trust us, isn't it?