I recall a National Geographic article covering the massive volcanic eruptions in 1999 due to the Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean. Maybe these eruptions have slowed down and the water is cooling off. It seems these pictures have been removed from the National Geographic website, I wonder why...
What is the current status of the Gakkel Ridge? Lava + Big Ice Caps= small ice caps...
I try to keep up with it, as there was a M4.7 earthquake on October of 2016. It is a slow moving crack that may be speeding up. If the Magnetic Poles flip, who knows what the effect will be.
I agree wholeheartedly with cayenne8. Tyranny of the majority, in a pure Democracy, is a distinct possibility. CA is a good example of this tyranny. The more conservative parts of CA are overwhelmed by San Francisco, the LA and the SD areas. Maybe the Electoral College should reflect the votes of each Congressional District.
I was introduced to Forrest Mim's books, by browsing through a Radio Shack about 1974. I was into model rocketry and trying to learn basic electronics at the time and found his material very instructive. I consider him a gift to anyone trying to gain insight in electronics, from the level of a hobbyist all the way to a professional.
Fat has a bad reputation, as we have been brainwashed into believing that all fat is bad. We are all children of the trans-fat (hydrogenated vegetable oil) lie, in that it was healthier than saturated animal fats (Hog lard or Beef tallow). We evolved our present brain capacity, primarily due to eating a fair amount of saturated animal fats. That is not to say that too much of anything good, is better.
Now that InterEsterified Fat (IE fat) is gaining popularity as a replacement for Trans-Fat (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils), we are being told that they are healthier than everything else, which there is sparse evidence for.
I saw where a recent Korean study showed that fermented milk proteins may have heart protective abilities. That looks good for Kefir sales and consumption, as well as all of the numerous bacteria within the Kefir and how it is a better way to populate your gut, than fecal transplants.
I also recently read a research article where consumption of trans fats was shown to effect short term memory in young men, that may be why my memory was worse when I was a teenager and ate anything I could find, in the 1970's.
It really looks like, if it is artificial fat, it is likely that mammals are unable to process it safely and the results of long term use could be hazardous to a long healthy life.
They are trying to scare us to get their way. This sounds like what Terrorists resort to, to get their way. These people are no different than Terrorists and they should be treated as such.
I bought my HP25 in 1975, while I was a Senior in HS, and it still works, although it is still a battery hog. The HP calculators of the time were built like tanks. I later moved to a 41CV, which was a little bulky, but very useful. My favorite was a 42S, which was very compact. I bought a used 48SX, which was very usable without being too big. Finally I bought a 35S, which I still use to this day. After having used RPN for 39 years, I feel like a Calculator Curmudgeon now.
Mycologists rejoice! Both Academic and Practical Mycologists are needed by all of the ignorant and uneducated.
A. Phalloides are quite common where I live, and I have been able to visually ID them since I was a kid. OK, I may have made a few mistakes, but a false positive in this area always beats a false negative anyday. After I learned how to do a spore print, I was ready to ID edible mushrooms. I have never picked and eaten a mushroom that I had not ID'ed properly.
There have always been people dying from eating poisonous mushrooms, since the beginning of time. This is no new danger, except for those that do not know what they are eating...
Climate scientist Peter Stott of the U.K. Met Office should have commented that these studies show that in many cases, excess human presence in areas where they have no business permanently living, has increased the risks associated with extreme events that randomly occur. Humans need to learn that life on Earth has not always been pleasant and the building of and living in flimsy structures in Earthquake fault zones, flood zones, and areas where tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes frequent will lead to unpleasant experiences.
What about the volcanoes on the Gakkel Ridge. All the warm water held in the Arctic basin should be contributing to some or even most of the loss of Ice.
I have seen data showing the slow increase in Antarctic Ice versus the slow loss in Arctic Ice.
I tend to be a skeptic on all end of the world scenarios, until an asteroid or comet are heading in our direction.
That is true, I confuse clerks all the time by paying in bills with an amount of change that allows the change I receive to be quarters.
Any change to something cheaper would most likely make the coins less durable, such as aluminum pennies and nickels.
The best modification of our system would be to revalue the dollar, so that a copper (bronze) penny would be worth somewhat less than it's value in copper. Say like 10 old cents to 1 new cent and 10 old dollars equal to 1 new dollar. The only psychological damage would be due to everyone being paid one tenth as much in new dollars. As far as I am concerned, the exchange factor could be 25 to 1, rather than 10 to1, then dimes, quarters and half dollars could revert back to 90% silver as thy were pre 1965. This would require countries to balance their budgets every year to keep monetary values stable.
I am sure this would never occur, as inflation is preferred by governments so that their true debt cost is smaller after a few years of inflation.
I am not sure if paranoia is the correct term. I think the correct summary of this research is "Ignorance is Bliss, until the Wolf appears."
I liken the Blissful to the ignorant sheeplike creatures that are oblivious to anything except their own selfish needs. I see the reasonably fearful as sheepdogs that are looking out for the safety of all the stupid sheep. Dogs have been successful over time because they are "fearful" for their group's protection. The sheep need this protection or they will go the way of the Dodo bird, much as the "blissful" will. We must not confuse paranoia with logical and protective fear. The first humans only survived because of their ability to recognize threats and to associate "fear" with the need to prepare to fight or to flee. Apparently a good portion of humans have somehow lost this protective fear, or maybe they are too lazy to prepare for anything.
I occasionally support the work of researchers looking for new drugs. I see them generate reams of data, looking for evidence to support the efficacy of a new drug. The basis for using Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and any other COX-2 inhibitor, is that they only inhibit the COX-2 enzymes, which are responsible for pain and inflammation. These drugs did not inhibit the COX-1 enzymes, that are related to stomach protection and blood clotting. If you had pain and inflammation before the COX-2 inhibitors arrived, you would take a NSAID (Non-Steriodal Anti-Inflammatory Drug such as Aspirin, Sodium Naproxen, Ibuprofen, etc.). These drugs would inhibit your COX-2 enzymes, to relieve your pain and inflammation, while at the same time inhibiting your COX-1 enzymes, thinning the mucous lining in your stomach and reducing your blood's ability to clot. As long as you didn't develop gastric problems or bleed to death, you were in good shape, but there are a large number of people that do have gastric problems or blood clotting disorders that NSAID's aggravate. Hence, Merck and many other drug companies were looking to market a drug that would only inhibit COX-2 enzymes. Bingo, they found several new drugs that met the new requirements. This is where the problems began, because these drugs worked too well. These Drug Companies are now being sued for intentionally marketing a pain reliever without the COX-1 inhibiting side effects of the older NSAID's such as aspirin.
In my opinion FWIW, the vultures(ie. attorneys) have decided to sue Merck and others for making a pain killer that worked too well, without the side effects of previous pain killers. Never mind that some of the side effects of the older NSAID's, exacerbated stomach ulcers and prolonged clotting times. Part of the problem is that the drug companies, the doctors and the patients saw the COX-2 inhibitors as a solution to the problem of joint pain without the side effects of previous generation of drugs. What they did not see was that when they gave up the older NSAID's, they also gave up some of the side effects that were occasionally beneficial, especially for those people at an increased risk for heart attacks due to atherosclerosis.
Sure, the drug companies are not angels, but a business cannot succeed without innovation. They probably spend more money on drug advertising than they should, but lawsuits such as these will only decrease the profit margin and minimize new research. Nothing is 100% safe and effective without harmful side effects. The critics always have 20/20 hindsight, but the people with foresight rarely do.
Let me get a little more caffeine to my brain and then...
WHAM!!! I understand the conspiracy now. The purpose of the economy is to make as much money as legally possible. Therefore businesses must funnel incentives to our duly elected goverment representatives to secure the stability of the national economy. We are unable to control our selfish desires, therefore to ensure the stability of the economy and full employment, the goverment must tax our inability to police ourselves. We are unable to resist the temptations of downloading countless mp3 files and this logically lowers the profits of the recording companies. If the profits are lowered too much, some of the hardworking people in the music industry will lose their jobs. If unemployment rises, the goverment will have to spend more money on unemployment benefits and welfare, which is bad for the economy. Therefore it is for our own benefit that we pay taxes on blank computer media to support our way of life.
I think this could also apply to why every old man is strip searched before he flys to see his grandchildren. He might decide to trim his nails with the scissors on his swiss army knife. This could upset the whole equilibrium of society, by scaring fellow passengers. Then airline passenger levels could drop and more people would be laid off. I think an additional gasoline tax could be imposed, this would help compensate the airlines for any revenue that they have lost since 9-11, as many ignorant people would rather drive than fly.
I feel alot better now that I understand why we must pay these taxes. It is for our own good.
Now if I could just figure out why I have to pay sales tax on beer and liquor, that has federal and state excise taxes included in the retail price...
There are other issues involved here. Does 120 mL of methanol either in a bottle or in a sealed metal container meet the definition of a hazardous material? If so, this would place it under the regulations of the International Air Transport Assoc. (IATA) regulations?
Looking at Table 2.3.A (2002 IATA DGR), I can assure you that methanol in a bottle, other than methanol used in a medicinal or toilet article with an individual vol. of 500 mL or less, will be prohibited. The Regs related to lighters state that only a lighter with fuel or fluid that is fully absorbed into a solid (ie. old style Zippo lighters)can be carried by a person on a flight. It forbids the possession of a refill, lighter or container of unabsorbed liquid fuel, except liquefied gas, on a person, in a carry-on or in checked baggage.
Unfortunately, the only hope is for the rules to be amended. This would require testing of the packaging to assure that it would not leak under any circumstance.
Slashdot Mirror
I recall a National Geographic article covering the massive volcanic eruptions in 1999 due to the Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean. Maybe these eruptions have slowed down and the water is cooling off. It seems these pictures have been removed from the National Geographic website, I wonder why...
What is the current status of the Gakkel Ridge? Lava + Big Ice Caps= small ice caps...
I try to keep up with it, as there was a M4.7 earthquake on October of 2016. It is a slow moving crack that may be speeding up. If the Magnetic Poles flip, who knows what the effect will be.
I agree wholeheartedly with cayenne8. Tyranny of the majority, in a pure Democracy, is a distinct possibility. CA is a good example of this tyranny. The more conservative parts of CA are overwhelmed by San Francisco, the LA and the SD areas. Maybe the Electoral College should reflect the votes of each Congressional District.
I was introduced to Forrest Mim's books, by browsing through a Radio Shack about 1974. I was into model rocketry and trying to learn basic electronics at the time and found his material very instructive. I consider him a gift to anyone trying to gain insight in electronics, from the level of a hobbyist all the way to a professional.
Fat has a bad reputation, as we have been brainwashed into believing that all fat is bad. We are all children of the trans-fat (hydrogenated vegetable oil) lie, in that it was healthier than saturated animal fats (Hog lard or Beef tallow). We evolved our present brain capacity, primarily due to eating a fair amount of saturated animal fats. That is not to say that too much of anything good, is better.
Now that InterEsterified Fat (IE fat) is gaining popularity as a replacement for Trans-Fat (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils), we are being told that they are healthier than everything else, which there is sparse evidence for.
I saw where a recent Korean study showed that fermented milk proteins may have heart protective abilities. That looks good for Kefir sales and consumption, as well as all of the numerous bacteria within the Kefir and how it is a better way to populate your gut, than fecal transplants.
I also recently read a research article where consumption of trans fats was shown to effect short term memory in young men, that may be why my memory was worse when I was a teenager and ate anything I could find, in the 1970's.
It really looks like, if it is artificial fat, it is likely that mammals are unable to process it safely and the results of long term use could be hazardous to a long healthy life.
They are trying to scare us to get their way. This sounds like what Terrorists resort to, to get their way. These people are no different than Terrorists and they should be treated as such.
I bought my HP25 in 1975, while I was a Senior in HS, and it still works, although it is still a battery hog. The HP calculators of the time were built like tanks. I later moved to a 41CV, which was a little bulky, but very useful. My favorite was a 42S, which was very compact. I bought a used 48SX, which was very usable without being too big. Finally I bought a 35S, which I still use to this day. After having used RPN for 39 years, I feel like a Calculator Curmudgeon now.
Mycologists rejoice! Both Academic and Practical Mycologists are needed by all of the ignorant and uneducated.
A. Phalloides are quite common where I live, and I have been able to visually ID them since I was a kid. OK, I may have made a few mistakes, but a false positive in this area always beats a false negative anyday. After I learned how to do a spore print, I was ready to ID edible mushrooms. I have never picked and eaten a mushroom that I had not ID'ed properly.
There have always been people dying from eating poisonous mushrooms, since the beginning of time. This is no new danger, except for those that do not know what they are eating...
Climate scientist Peter Stott of the U.K. Met Office should have commented that these studies show that in many cases, excess human presence in areas where they have no business permanently living, has increased the risks associated with extreme events that randomly occur. Humans need to learn that life on Earth has not always been pleasant and the building of and living in flimsy structures in Earthquake fault zones, flood zones, and areas where tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes frequent will lead to unpleasant experiences.
What about the volcanoes on the Gakkel Ridge. All the warm water held in the Arctic basin should be contributing to some or even most of the loss of Ice.
I have seen data showing the slow increase in Antarctic Ice versus the slow loss in Arctic Ice.
I tend to be a skeptic on all end of the world scenarios, until an asteroid or comet are heading in our direction.
That is true, I confuse clerks all the time by paying in bills with an amount of change that allows the change I receive to be quarters.
Any change to something cheaper would most likely make the coins less durable, such as aluminum pennies and nickels.
The best modification of our system would be to revalue the dollar, so that a copper (bronze) penny would be worth somewhat less than it's value in copper. Say like 10 old cents to 1 new cent and 10 old dollars equal to 1 new dollar. The only psychological damage would be due to everyone being paid one tenth as much in new dollars. As far as I am concerned, the exchange factor could be 25 to 1, rather than 10 to1, then dimes, quarters and half dollars could revert back to 90% silver as thy were pre 1965. This would require countries to balance their budgets every year to keep monetary values stable.
I am sure this would never occur, as inflation is preferred by governments so that their true debt cost is smaller after a few years of inflation.
I am not sure if paranoia is the correct term. I think the correct summary of this research is "Ignorance is Bliss, until the Wolf appears."
I liken the Blissful to the ignorant sheeplike creatures that are oblivious to anything except their own selfish needs. I see the reasonably fearful as sheepdogs that are looking out for the safety of all the stupid sheep. Dogs have been successful over time because they are "fearful" for their group's protection. The sheep need this protection or they will go the way of the Dodo bird, much as the "blissful" will. We must not confuse paranoia with logical and protective fear. The first humans only survived because of their ability to recognize threats and to associate "fear" with the need to prepare to fight or to flee. Apparently a good portion of humans have somehow lost this protective fear, or maybe they are too lazy to prepare for anything.
I occasionally support the work of researchers looking for new drugs. I see them generate reams of data, looking for evidence to support the efficacy of a new drug. The basis for using Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and any other COX-2 inhibitor, is that they only inhibit the COX-2 enzymes, which are responsible for pain and inflammation. These drugs did not inhibit the COX-1 enzymes, that are related to stomach protection and blood clotting. If you had pain and inflammation before the COX-2 inhibitors arrived, you would take a NSAID (Non-Steriodal Anti-Inflammatory Drug such as Aspirin, Sodium Naproxen, Ibuprofen, etc.). These drugs would inhibit your COX-2 enzymes, to relieve your pain and inflammation, while at the same time inhibiting your COX-1 enzymes, thinning the mucous lining in your stomach and reducing your blood's ability to clot. As long as you didn't develop gastric problems or bleed to death, you were in good shape, but there are a large number of people that do have gastric problems or blood clotting disorders that NSAID's aggravate. Hence, Merck and many other drug companies were looking to market a drug that would only inhibit COX-2 enzymes. Bingo, they found several new drugs that met the new requirements. This is where the problems began, because these drugs worked too well. These Drug Companies
are now being sued for intentionally marketing a pain reliever without the COX-1 inhibiting side effects of the older NSAID's such as aspirin.
In my opinion FWIW, the vultures(ie. attorneys) have decided to sue Merck and others for making a pain killer that worked too well, without the side effects of previous pain killers. Never mind that some of the side effects of the older NSAID's, exacerbated stomach ulcers and prolonged clotting times. Part of the problem is that the drug companies, the doctors and the patients saw the COX-2 inhibitors as a solution to the problem of joint pain without the side effects of previous generation of drugs. What they did not see was that when they gave up the older NSAID's, they also gave up some of the side effects that were occasionally beneficial, especially for those people at an increased risk for heart attacks due to atherosclerosis.
Sure, the drug companies are not angels, but a business cannot succeed without innovation. They probably spend more money on drug advertising than they should, but lawsuits such as these will only decrease the profit margin and minimize new research. Nothing is 100% safe and effective without harmful side effects. The critics always have 20/20 hindsight, but the people with foresight rarely do.
"Endeavour to persevere"
Let me see now...
Let me get a little more caffeine to my brain and then...
WHAM!!! I understand the conspiracy now. The purpose of the economy is to make as much money as legally possible. Therefore businesses must funnel incentives to our duly elected goverment representatives to secure the stability of the national economy. We are unable to control our selfish desires, therefore to ensure the stability of the economy and full employment, the goverment must tax our inability to police ourselves. We are unable to resist the temptations of downloading countless mp3 files and this logically lowers the profits of the recording companies. If the profits are lowered too much, some of the hardworking people in the music industry will lose their jobs. If unemployment rises, the goverment will have to spend more money on unemployment benefits and welfare, which is bad for the economy. Therefore it is for our own benefit that we pay taxes on blank computer media to support our way of life.
I think this could also apply to why every old man is strip searched before he flys to see his grandchildren. He might decide to trim his nails with the scissors on his swiss army knife. This could upset the whole equilibrium of society, by scaring fellow passengers. Then airline passenger levels could drop and more people would be laid off. I think an additional gasoline tax could be imposed, this would help compensate the airlines for any revenue that they have lost since 9-11, as many ignorant people would rather drive than fly.
I feel alot better now that I understand why we must pay these taxes. It is for our own good.
Now if I could just figure out why I have to pay sales tax on beer and liquor, that has federal and state excise taxes included in the retail price...
There are other issues involved here. Does 120 mL of methanol either in a bottle or in a sealed metal container meet the definition of a hazardous material? If so, this would place it under the regulations of the International Air Transport Assoc. (IATA) regulations?
Looking at Table 2.3.A (2002 IATA DGR), I can assure you that methanol in a bottle, other than methanol used in a medicinal or toilet article with an individual vol. of 500 mL or less, will be prohibited. The Regs related to lighters state that only a lighter with fuel or fluid that is fully absorbed into a solid (ie. old style Zippo lighters)can be carried by a person on a flight. It forbids the possession of a refill, lighter or container of unabsorbed liquid fuel, except liquefied gas, on a person, in a carry-on or in checked baggage.
Unfortunately, the only hope is for the rules to be amended. This would require testing of the packaging to assure that it would not leak under any circumstance.