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Voyager Keeps Going...

Posted by spblat on September 26, 2005 11:14 PM

Scientists are finally sure: Voyager 1 entered the heliosheath on December 16, 2004. The heliosheath is the region that separates our solar system from interstellar space. You've heard of the solar wind? It forms a bubble, called the heliosphere, that surrounds the solar system as it orbits the core of the Milky Way galaxy. When Voyager 1 entered the heliosheath, it crossed the termination shock, a boundary/shockwave where the supersonic solar wind slows to subsonic speeds. There's only one more boundary to cross. It's not known when Voyager will cross the heliopause, or if it will still be functioning when it does, but when the solar wind that forms the heliosphere is finally stopped by the impossibly sparse gas and dust that's swirling out there in the impossibly vast space between stars, that's the heliopause--the true edge of our solar system.

I am not what most people think of as a traditionally religious person, but when I contemplate this, it gives me a feeling I cannot describe or put into words. This time, it's not the dread that used to bother me while considering my insignificance in the universe. It's more like wonder, but that word is inadequate.

Part of it is that a group of humans, inconsequential little beings on an unremarkable rock way off to the side of one among innumerable galaxies, have created something that has autonomously made its way so very far from where it started. It's a staggeringly monumental achievement when you look at it (okay, when I look at it) in terms of our apparent irrelevance in the universe. And the other thing is that it is altogether possible that we will never again send an object into space with as great (if hopelessly faint) a possibility of connecting with extraterrestrials. So I'm also moved about the fact that both Voyagers 1 and 2 carry messages from earth designed to tell the universe a thing or two about the inhabitants of the third planet of this one little yellow star out here.

I recently read The Sacred Depths of Nature by Ursula Goodenough. Ms. Goodenough knows exactly the emotions I have failed to describe, because she has experienced them herself, which motivated her to create this fascinating examination of life, the universe and the natural world: she takes us from subatomic particles through the evolution of life, on up to the horrifying scale of the universe. Her approach in the book is to lay out the science at each level, then reflect on the spiritual meaning she finds infused in everything around us. To me, reading her short but powerful book felt nothing short of revelatory.

Further reading:

• Voyager 1 Sends Messages from the Edge
• Heliopause; from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• The Sacred Depths of Nature
• Voyager Project Web Site

(0 comments) | Category: Geek!! , Rants

Really Scary; Not Bedtime Reading

Posted by on September 26, 2005 12:05 AM

I found this article from The Nation magazine while web-browsing tonight. It's about the use of private security by our government, and seems to suggest that if things go according to the conservative plan, the US military will be replaced by these for -profit companies that would be able to not only act as law-enforcement against US citizens, but could also be hired out to any country that wants to pay for their services, without regard to US laws. These companies are being used today in Louisiana (according to the article) and are not beholden to the same laws or scrutiny as government law-enforcement agencies. This is really disturbing and I'm not hearing commentary about this stuff in the news on the radio. Do Americans still care about their basic liberties?

I just don't even know how to react to information like what is in this article. How does one fight stuff like this?

I need to refine this and send it out to congress people. I don't want them to think no one is paying attention. There have been so many reports that don't seem to be getting much play now that the nation has been distracted by Hurricane Rita... I am afraid the government may think they can slip this stuff past us while no one is looking. Here are two of the things I have found. Read at your own risk; it's scary stuff and may make you want to take to the streets.

Here's something else, this one from Human Rights Watch that's worth a look.

Ever listen to This American Life? Download the PDF transcript of the show titled "After the Flood" which was aired on Sept. 9th. Of course the audio version is bound to be more compelling. You can get the show at audible.com.

(3 comments) | Category: Rants

A Minor Katrina Rant

Posted by spblat on September 22, 2005 07:31 PM

A friend and coworker forwarded me this rant extolling Christian virtue while lamenting liberal indifference to the Katrina disaster. Stuck in traffic today, I composed this response.

I have no idea if the ACLU got involved in Katrina relief. I hope not. I would prefer they direct their efforts at protecting Louisiana workers the Bush administration has betrayed by slashing the amount they can be paid by Halliburton and the others lining their pockets, Iraq style, during the upcoming rebuild.

Atheists helping in food lines? You better believe it. We non-believing liberals are caring and loving people who donate and volunteer as much as anybody. You just don't see us wearing it on our sleeves. As the bumper sticker says, "your flag isn't going to get you into heaven anymore."

But forget all that. If you believe in a loving God, that's fine. "Love thy neighbor" is a beautiful thing. My gripe is with our worshippers in chief--Bush, Cheney, Rove and the rest--that couldn't be bothered to truncate their vacations and do the job they were hired for, protect our neediest and most vulnerable citizens when they needed it so desparately.

Had our government's response been remotely adequate, all that outpouring of Christian love could have continued to be directed quietly and effectively toward ending all the hunger, poverty and hopelessness that was still there before this rotten mess.

Hrmph.

(2 comments) | Category: Rants

OMSI Rocks!

Posted by spblat on September 20, 2005 08:08 PM

This Sunday we spent a few hours at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Sam was right: this place rocks. Tons of hands-on exhibits, fabulous material for all ages. Click the pile for captioned photos.

(If you're looking for high-res versions of these photos for any reason, install Hello and look for "Spblat".)

(0 comments) | Category: Family

Home at Last!

Posted by spblat on September 20, 2005 07:39 PM

Now it's starting to feel like a place to live. Dig?

(0 comments) | Category: Geek!!

Burnout Revenge

Posted by spblat on September 18, 2005 11:18 AM

There's more to this post - click here!

Some people are on a constant quest for realism in driving games. They want real (and customizable) cars, real speed and handling characteristics, sophisticated opponents and real tracks.

If you are one of these people, you will hate Burnout Revenge as it has none of these things: it's the "Anti-Gran Turismo".

There's more to this post - click here! (0 comments) | Category: Geek!!

Logitech RULES

Posted by spblat on September 12, 2005 11:14 AM

All the complaining I've been doing lately, it was time to say something nice.

1. My Harmony 676 Remote has brought me "remote nirvana." My hopelessly complex home theater system is managed entirely by this one remote. And my kids and wife have no problem running the whole thing. I'm serious, this is one of the most amazing products I have ever owned.
2. The battery door got broken last month by a certain 4 year old. Today I called to purchase a replacement. They took my shipping address and told me my new battery door was on the way before I had a chance to get out my credit card. Yes, they're sending me a free replacement.

This is how I want my world to be. Go buy something from Logitech.

(0 comments) | Category: Geek!!

An Infamous Anniversary

Posted by spblat on September 11, 2005 01:26 PM

Call him a raving lunatic if you like, but I'd say he's more right than wrong.

"...on this sacred day of remembrance, do you think we honor or shame those who died on 9/11/01? If we learned nothing and find ourselves today every bit as vulnerable and unprepared as we were on that bright sunny morning, then did the 3,000 die in vain?"

-- Michael Moore, September 11, 2005

(0 comments) | Category: Rants

All Victory Moving - The Aftermath

Posted by spblat on September 8, 2005 02:48 PM

Update: (9/11/05) Here's some new damage that hadn't been seen before. I'll start the claims process next week.

---

OK, the movers came last night. Click the pile for extensively captioned photos.

Next: the claims process to try to recover some of what was damaged. I have posted details on my experiences with All Victory Moving and Storage on a separate website:

http://www.movingscam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=42791#42791

(If you're looking for high-res versions of these photos for any reason, install Hello and look for "Spblat".)

(1 comments) | Category: Family

Our National Disgrace

Posted by spblat on September 6, 2005 07:55 PM

"Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter.)

-- President George W. Bush, televised remarks, Sept 2, 2005

"Mr. Bush's performance last week will rank as one of the worst ever by a president during a dire national emergency. What we witnessed, as clearly as the overwhelming agony of the city of New Orleans, was the dangerous incompetence and the staggering indifference to human suffering of the president and his administration."

-- Bob Herbert, NY Times, Sept 5, 2005

"We are learning the hard way about the cost of entrusting emergency response to the political cronies and contributors who people this administration."

-- Daniel Schorr, NPR, Sept 5, 2005

Q I just want to follow up on David's questions on accountability. First, just to get you on the record, where does the buck stop in this administration?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President.

Q All right. So he will be held accountable as the head of the government for the federal response that he's already acknowledged was inadequate and unacceptable?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President's most important responsibility is the safety and security of the American people. He talks about that often. That is his most important responsibility. Again, there's going to be plenty of time to look at the facts and determine what went wrong and what went right and how the coordination was between the state and federal and local authorities. Right now we've got to continue doing everything we can in support of the ongoing operational activities on the ground in the region to help people.

Q Well, the President has said that this government can do many things at once: It can fight the war on terror, it can do operations in Iraq, and aid and comfort people in Louisiana. Can it not also find time to begin to hold people accountable? It sounds, Scott, as if the line that you're giving us -- which is, you don't want to answer questions about accountability because there's too much busy work going on --

MR. McCLELLAN: Wrong. No, wrong.

Q -- is a way of ducking accountability.

MR. McCLELLAN: You don't want to take away from the efforts that are going on right now. And if you start getting into that now, you're pulling people out that are helping with the ongoing response, Terry. Not at all. The President made it very clear, I'm going to lead this effort and we're going to make sure we find out what the facts were and what went wrong and what went right. But you don't want to divert resources away from an ongoing response to a major catastrophe. And this is a major catastrophe that we -- and we must remain focused on saving lives and sustaining lives and planning for the long-term. And that's what we're doing.

Q And there are people in Louisiana and Mississippi who are doing that job very well. Your job is to answer the questions.

MR. McCLELLAN: And I have.

Q By saying you won't answer.

-- White House Press Briefing, Sept 6, 2005 (Keep reading, it gets even "better".)

"We’ve secretly replaced the White House press corps with actual reporters."

-- Jon Stewart, July 2005. But will it help?

(5 comments) | Category: Rants

We Moved!

Posted by spblat on September 4, 2005 09:57 PM

We did it! Click the pile for photos. There's some video too that we promise to edit and post someday.

Next: our stuff arrives, sometime in the next week. Stay tuned.

(If you're looking for high-res versions of these photos for any reason, install Hello and chat with "Spblat".)

(0 comments) | Category: Family