Paradise Driver

Sunday, April 20, 2008

DUBYA'S GLOBAL WARMING POLICY

THE BEST EXPLANATION I'VE READ

I think this is something that everyone can get a grip on.

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Some more entries for my LEX LUTHOR DOESN'T EXIST category:

Calling the cops after getting robbed in a drug deal just seems so...

I don't know about you but, before going thru a security screening, I always remove anything that might draw attention. Like bazookas, IEDs, low yield nuclear weapons, drugs. It makes life a lot less confining.

This ranks right up there with taking candy from a baby.

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We all remember the Tower of Babel from our Sunday School classes. Something interesting has been noted over the past few years in the study of petroglyphs. It seems that cultures with no known point of contact and scattered widely over the globe used symbols in their wall paintings that would be recognizable by each other. A universal language. To me this isn't too surprising. The concepts being portrayed weren't dealing in the abstract but rather a depiction of real life events. Subject matter that would be common to all humans. The use of visual representation would therefore tend to contain certain common denominators.

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Congress is finally reacting to a GAO (General Accountability Office) report that asserts the US has no comprehensive plan for dealing with al Qaeda in Afghanistan. You might vaguely remember Afghanistan. Its that place we invaded before the war with Iraq. The stronghold of al Qaeda. The base of operations for Osama bin Laden. You do remember him, don't you? Seems like Dubya has totally forgotten. Coming up on 7 years and Osama is still out there, despite Dubya issuing a "Dead or Alive" warrant.

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I bet our Fearless Leader is trying to find a way to emulate Putin. In the control of the press, that is.

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The Soviet Bloc had its curtain. Berlin had its wall and coming soon to a border south of you, America will have its fence. I am not so sure that it is to keep undocumented aliens out as much as to keep us in.

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Enjoy your Sunday.
I hope you can make it back again tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Saturday, April 19, 2008

WHY DO THEY CALL IT...

A "WATER LANDING"?

I have yet to see a widebody jet with pontoons.

"And that will be by credit card only, please."

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

MAUNA KEA

FULL MOON

While the Moon actually won't be "full" until tomorrow, I think 99% is close enough.

These images were captured just before 3:30 AM (local). The Sun hasn't started rising but the Moon is so bright as to make it almost as bright as day. In the view labeled "Northwest" you can see the lights of Kona Town and faintly, on the horizon at the far left, the top of Haleakala on Mau'i.

These images are from the CFHT atop Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet (4,205 m), on the Big Island.

Northeast

North

Northwest

South

You can always see what is happening on the top of Mauna Kea, 24/7, by clicking on the link on the sidebar.

Bigger images available by clicking.

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

ITS SATURDAY

WHY AREN'T YOU OUTSIDE?

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Thanks, Dubya. Does the term "too little, too late" mean anything to you?

The conference on global warming, currently under way in Paris, isn't making much headway. And WE are the roadblock. I wonder if our fearless leader is planning on selling waterfront/ocean view property in Crawford. That would be a legacy for his daughters.

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I am not even going to go there. What is your opinion?

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At least there is a little humanity still left in this world.

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There isn't much left of Aloha Airlines. But their air cargo business is still functioning and handles 85% of all the air cargo in Paradise. Including all US Mail between the islands. This still functioning part of the company is up on the auction block and the 40, or so, pilots want to make sure that their contract rights are preserved and honored. If not, they plan to go on strike.

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Yesterday's midwest earthquake was felt as far away as Nebraska and Alabama. It occured on the Wabash Fault. Which has as little known about it as the New Madrid Fault. Mid-tectonic plate faults have not been studied anywhere near as much as those in the more active seismic areas along the plate's edges. It is even possible that the Wabash and New Madrid Faults are linked to one another. Which, considering their proximity, would not be surprising.

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Most people have never seen the planet Mercury. It is one of the 5 "naked eye" planets in our solar system and is in an inferior orbit around the Sun, compared to the Earth. Normally it is always in the wrong position for us to see it. Well for the next month it will be visible in the evening twilight hours. Try and see it, if you get the chance.

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Enjoy your Saturday. Spend some time with family and friends. Take a moment to look around you. Beauty is everywhere and is seldom appreciated. Hope you can make it back here tomorrow.

Mahalo

Aloha

THE PICTURE GALLERY

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Friday, April 18, 2008

DID YOU FEEL IT?

A 5.2 earthquake struck the southeast area of Illinois, near the southwest Indiana border this morning at 4:36:58 AM CDT (9:36:58 AM UTC). No damage or injuries has been reported. The epicenter was located quite a distance north of the famed New Madrid area.

If you reside within 500-600 miles of that part of the country, please click here and file a simple report about what you felt, or didn't feel. It helps determine the total area affected.

There was another temblor in this area in 1968 that measured 5.4 on the open ended Richter Scale.

You will probably read a lot of news stories about today's quake being a 5.4 also. That was the preliminary report but the USGS sifts through all the data to precisely define what occured and will update the info as the computers eat up the input.

To be honest, in California and Japan, a 5.2 wouldn't even interrupt your daily activity or radically disturb your sleep.

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ADDENDUM

As with any earthquake, there have been some aftershocks, including one that measured 4.6. Most have been in the low to mid 2 range. Which is right on the threshold of being felt.

Over The Limit?
UNDER ARREST!
Please don't drink and drive

"Let's all be careful out there!"

6,666,666,666

IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING

Sometime between May 1st and June 1st, the estimated population of our tiny blue marble will pass this milestone. Thats one hell of a lot of bodies. Here is the current World POPClock Projection. And the current US POPClock Projection.

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About 200 years ago, a guy named Charles Darwin was born. 50 years later he published On the Origin of Species, arguably one of the most significant books of modern man. The vast majority of people, both from industrialized and non-industrialized areas of the globe, don't believe in evolution. They still cling to mythic tales of creation. Here are 24 myths and misconceptions about evolution.

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I remember growing up and seeing images of proposed buildings that we would live in someday. Mile high skyscrapers. Floating cities in the sky. Megatropolises (is that even a word?) below the surface of the seas. Maybe someday but not in our immediate future and definitely not for Joe Average. There are still some proposals out there that are pipe-dreams waiting to be built. Once technology can catch up. Click image for more.

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I guess what they want is for Ted Turner to be publicly executed, the satellite carrying the signal to be shot down and for us to allow them to continue sending tainted pet food and lead based painted toys for Christmas.

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During the days of the "cold war", the subtle propaganda that we received in America showed us that women in the Soviet Bloc made Nikita Khrushchev's wife look good. Then the "Iron Curtain" rusted away and the truth came out. Many of the women, especially from the Ukraine, were drop dead gorgeous. So I can't really fault those sailors recently arrested in Virginia.

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