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The Sun Has First Spotless Month Since 1913
radioweather writes "August 2008 has made solar history. As of 00 UTC September 1st 2008 (5PM PST)
we just witnessed the
first spotless calendar month since June 1913.This was determined according
to sunspot
data from NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center, which goes back to 1749.
In the 95 years since 1913, we've had quite an active sun, but activity has been
declining in the last few years. The sun today is a nearly featureless sphere and has been spotless for 42
days total, but this is the first full calendar month since 1913 for a spotless
sun. And there are other indicators of the sun being in a funk. Australia's
space weather agency recently revised their solar cycle 24 forecast, pushing the
expected date for a ramping up of
cycle 24 sunspots into the future by six months."
As one of the links above indicate, there was a "sunspeck" reported August 21/22, though. Reader MikeyTheK adds a link to a story at Daily Tech on the spotless record.
"Of course atmospheric/climate scientists have considered the impact of the sun. Please, don't assume they're complete idiots."
Just like NASA scientist would never confuse meters with feet.
There are no loopholes. It's either legal or it's not.
How exactly was Obama, as you kids say, 'PWNED'?
He's not really the Sun King?
I drank what? -- Socrates
Barack doesn't even vet Clinton, thinks the Clinton voters will just fall in line, and out comes Palin. While Palin is a different breed of woman than Clinton, feminism is back on the table.
Certainly, most Clinton supporters will vote Obama if they stick to issues, but even Bill Clinton made the "hypothetical" case for John McCain (google "candidate X candidate Y" if you haven't heard it), and if they can identify with Palin, it makes it that much more palatable. What Obama dismissed as being a non-issue lives on and out of his control. (Not to mention the Clintons controlled half the democratic convention that was supposed to be his coronation, but now we are really off topic...)
Barack doesn't even vet Clinton, thinks the Clinton voters will just fall in line, and out comes Palin. While Palin is a different breed of woman than Clinton, feminism is back on the table.
Huh? Palin is anti-feminist, subscribing to Christian fundamentalist beliefs that severely curtail a woman's right to do a great many things. And Obama didn't vet Clinton because she asked not to be vetted unless she was going to be the veep. Since he didn't want her, he went along with her wishes.
The only similarity between Palin and Clinton is that they both have vaginas. On all of the issues they completely disagree. That would be like saying that if Clinton won the nomination, McCain could take that Alan Keynes guy (black republican stunt candidate) as his veep and it would be exactly the same. No frickin' way. The only similarity between the two is that they're black and male.
I'm not saying that there will be no Clintonistas voting McCain because of Palin, but I don't think that there will be a landslide and I think those that do are being contemptibly silly.
Certainly, most Clinton supporters will vote Obama if they stick to issues, but even Bill Clinton made the "hypothetical" case for John McCain (google "candidate X candidate Y" if you haven't heard it), and if they can identify with Palin, it makes it that much more palatable. What Obama dismissed as being a non-issue lives on and out of his control. (Not to mention the Clintons controlled half the democratic convention that was supposed to be his coronation, but now we are really off topic...)
I think the Palin threat isn't so much from Hillary defectors but Christian fundies energized by the chance to "geat a real Christian in the White House," dismissing that every modern president has provided at least lip-service to Christianity, Carter was openly Christian, Reagan stage-acted the role masterfully while undercutting everything Christ stood for, and Bush laid claim to being a born-again evangelist. Much of the Obama advantage will be sheer conservative fatigue, dependably Republican voters being too disgusted to go out and vote. But if the thought of Palin mobilizes them to get out and vote, that could be a real risk. But Clinton defectors? I don't see that as likely.
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne