Weekend Rebel Science Excursion

Notice the lines of strata on the planet in the photo?

Notice that the strata are not blotted out by impacts that formed deep craters, because the strata go deep and all the way through?

Check out the close up for better detail.

The European Space Agency (ESA), which took the photo, has had a space craft orbiting Mars for several years.

A revolution in the understanding of the planet Mars has been taking place as a result of that ESA mission, together with several U.S. missions to the red planet.

I want to talk about a hypothesis or theory, set forth by a well known astronomer, which would support a hypothesis that the strata lines on the object in the photo are there because, under the Exploded Planet Hypothesis or Theory, (EPH or EPT), it could be a photo of a chunk of a planet that blew up long, long, long ago.

Generally strata are laid down by the effects of erosion, either by liquid, atmospheric winds, volcanism of various sorts, or a combination of any or all of those over a long span of time.

If these lines are that type of strata, then it is likely that a very long time transpired during which the deposits that make up the strata were laid down.

Obviously that does not happen on any asteroid, or similar body, nor would such lines be at an angle opposite the gravitational direction as is the case in the photo.

Ok, so now you who didn't guess earlier know that the photo is of Phobos, the largest moon of Mars, and that it is not a photo of a planet.

But is it a chunk of the now missing planet which once filled the great gap between Mars and Jupiter, where now there are only asteroids remaining in the junk yard of rock and debris we call the asteroid belt?

A now missing planet which exploded and left the chunk in the photo to be caught by the gravity of Mars, and to then become a moon of Mars?

The EPH or EPT is an old idea which has been subscribed to by some good astronomers, who were of course criticized by their fellow astronomers because they did not follow the crowd to accept the theory pronounced "okay" by the government.

NASA is the government you know, and they are political you know. You didn't?

Anyway, some missions to Phobos are in the planning stages and we will "soon" find out about the strata on Phobos.

The EPH has had proven predictions in the past. The EPH has been tested enough, in my opinion, to move it up a notch to a theory, the EPT, but not everyone agrees.

The EPT predicts that when Phobos is studied closely and samples of the various layers in the photo are examined, it will be shown that they are, like strata on Mars, Earth, and other planets, the result of deposits over a long period of time.

If so, then the argument that Phobos is a chunk from a larger body or planet as set forth in the EPH or EPT will have been further justified.

Then we wait for the empire to strike back.

The next post in this series is here.

Most Liberal Of Months May Be May

Every so often we post an article about extinct species or those in danger of becoming extinct.

Many times the species which is in danger of becoming extinct ends up being scientific textbooks printed at a particular time.

Perhaps the authors and publishers should learn a lesson from a certain month?

Consider the question: "Is it wise caution, or weak uncertainty, to use the word 'may'?"

"It may be this way", or "it may not be that way", sounds less dogmatic than "it absolutely and categorically is this way, period, end of discussion"; but does 'may' sound flimsy or weak?

We have complained that a lot of extinct textbooks use the former, the dogmatic approach.

In this time of tight money and tight budgets we advocate the liberal use of the word for what may be the most liberal of months: MAY.

Now, on with the show:

But the chemical abundances of the newly discovered galaxies would suggest they are only about 3 billion or 4 billion years old.

"We're not saying there's a complete breakdown in the theory of galaxy evolution, but that these objects do run counter to the standard model," said Indiana University astronomer John Salzer, the lead author of a paper detailing the study in the April 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

(Space dot com, emphasis added). Good. The professor is not saying there's a complete breakdown in the theory of galaxy evolution just because some data turned it all upside down.

Our hypothesis is that he is experimenting with the potential for the increased use of the word 'may' in the future. He may point out that these objects counter the current standard model, which is now obsolete, or he may not; yet.

So, you text book publishers with very, very tight schedules may relax a bit. He may advance that idea next time, but for now you may have some inking room. If fact, you may have the whole month of May.

As one remedy, we suggest not publishing books during the last months of an election cycle, where dogmatism seeks its apex as November nears. As November nears the honour of becoming the most dogmatic of months.

Thus, we suggest publishing scientific textbooks, instead, during more liberal budget months.

Those months in the spring after D.C. has grappled anew with reality; after having abandoned reality during the fall election months; and after having regained it anew when "reform" reaches its crescendo once again in May.

In conclusion, it is certain that there may be a new meaning to "political science" before next May.

What is America's Greatest Enemy?

This post has been moved to the Toxins of Power blog.

El Cid vs. Joe Six Pack

Torture: Abu Ghraib

This was revealed by Scott Horton over at The Daily Beast earlier:

In a ruling in Madrid today, Judge Baltasar Garzón has announced that an inquiry into the Bush administration’s torture policy makers now will proceed into a formal criminal investigation. The ruling came as a jolt following the recommendation of Spanish Attorney General Cándido Conde-Pumpido against proceeding with a criminal inquiry ...

Named as targets were former attorney general Alberto Gonzales, former chief of staff to the vice president David Addington, former general counsel of the Department of Defense William J. Haynes II, former Under-Secretary of Defense Douglas J. Feith, former assistant attorney general and current federal judge Jay Bybee and former deputy assistant attorney general and now professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley John Yoo.

(Daily Beast, emphasis added). By my calculations they would be better off to have El Cid do the criminal prosecution of "The Bush Six" listed above, because the death penalty can result under US criminal law.

Spain does not have the death penalty, and thus, El Cid has been described as "soft on crime" according to The Bush Sicks.

America's Berlin Wall - Come On Down

The Berlin Wall of old was built of solid concrete, but was torn down by solid social enlightenment.

A section of that old Berlin Wall is getting some artistic makeover during this anniversary time frame.

America's Berlin wall was built of what was called "solid" rhetoric, ill will, torture, and invasions. It was built by the far right wing Bush II regime, but it is also being taken down by solid social enlightenment, enhanced by the sound defeat that the right wing republican party took in the last two elections.

The switching of parties by a prominent republican who is now Arlen Specter (D-PA), only adds to the reality that the Right Wing Berlin Wall is being dismantled by Americans.

Yes, the ideology of pre-emptive nuclear ("nukyular") strikes, invade first find a reason second, catapulting the propaganda by pentagon payments to the "free press", torture first, ask why second, are all coming down just as the Germans did to the old concrete Berlin Wall.

People are celebrating being able to see across the ocean, yes, being able to see some smiles shining back.

Shining back at us across that vast expanse, for a change.

People are celebrating change we can believe in, here and in Germany.

UPDATE: As Bob Dylan said, speaking of U.S. presidents: these guys go in there with the best of intentions, but I see them crawling out later wondering what hit them (paraphrased).

Specter of Pop Cornyn Saving America

Senator Arlen Specter, by becoming a changeling and a shape shifter, has endangered America.

At least he has according to his former right wing party leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Even before Senator Specter became a danger to America, John "Pop" Cornyn was threatening WW III if the democratic majority in the US Senate tried to seat Al Franken.

At least before the Federal Supremes had a chance to do the Bush v Gore thingy once again.

Never mind the Minnesota Supremes because that could be over in months; the Federal Supremes could take until next year. Yummy Pop Cornyn.

So, perhaps we should get ready to add fireworks to our popcorn plans for this highly recommended election technique documentary movie.

It is Shakespearean baby, and Bigga Badda Boom John Cornyn of the Republic of The Secession State, Texas, is gonna light up your life.

Franken, in the interim, perhaps you could do a Saturday Night Live with Sarah Palin and Ted "Bridge To Nowhere" Stephens.

That would be good for the popcorn industry.

UPDATE: Buy popcorn stock. Arlen Specter, the newest democrat in the Senate, says that Norm Coleman should win in Minnesota and be seated before the Bush v Gore thingy happens.

The Swine Floosy

Since we published the post Death Mostly Ignored, about 90 days have passed.

That article linked to sources which pointed out that about 30,000 children starve to death each day.

So about 2,700,000 children have starved to death since that article was posted.

The floosy MSM press has not mentioned that, or how many people die each year from medical treatment, have they?

The swine flu that has killed over a hundred, but less than two hundred during that time, is what they call breaking news.

Their arithmetic is 200 > 2,700,000, but at least Willie Geist showed they were doing the same exact thing in 1976.

If the MSM is your eye on the world, how well can you see?

Do you believe them when they tell you how popular you are in the world because of all "the good torture" does?

UPDATE: For annual effects of flu, including swine flu, the CDC has figures and pie charts.

The Goebbel Piece Prize

Morning Joe and Pat Buchanan on MSNBC are trying to earn the Goebbel Piece Prize.

That prize is given out for the MSM pundit who repeats the sayings of Joseph Goebbels or displays the Goebbel philosophy the most in one day.

Today they are advocating and justifying torture in a way that would make Goebbel proud of them, and therefore they win the prize.

First, they find a detainee guilty without due process in violation of the US Constitution. Goody Goebbels, one point.

Then after presuming that guilt they compare killing 3,000 people (which they say he did because he confessed during torture) with sleep deprivation.

From there they go to "since we have the right to hang him we can do other things too, especially torture". Goody Goebbels, two points.

They forget that their shameful performance will be around to view on video just like the Nixon tapes are.

Pat Buchanan is incapable of learning any lesson he should have learned while working for Richard Milhouse Nixon.

His legacy in American life is to turn us into NAZI fascist pigs it seems, so he wins the Goebbel piece of crap prize today.

Add It Up And It Still Smells

A simple hypothetical and some simple arithmetic show that something may be fishy in bankster land.

For sake of the hypothetical, assume that there are 2.5 million homes in foreclosure.

Further, assume $2,000 as the median monthly mortgage payment for each home.

In this hypothetical, to get money into banks, and to prevent foreclosure on those homes, assume further that we (government) as a financial rescue plan send a check with the home owner and the bank as payees. That is, both have to negotiate it.

The home owner signs the check and gives it to the bank as the mortgage payment.

It is deposited and thus it is in the bank. In this scheme, the home owner owes the U.S. that amount and will pay a small interest over time; and a lien attaches to the home. It can be paid off early if the home owner wants to do that.

Finally, assume that we will do this long enough to get the home owner through the recession; which we will assume will be a 3 year period of time.

The arithmetic on this hypothetical would be: 2,500,000 * $2,000 * 12 * 3 = $180 billion.

Hypothetical results: 1) the housing crisis would be substantially helped because foreclosures would go down and property values would be positively affected (even if the property value holds even); 2) money would go into the banks; 3) which the banks could then loan out; 4) and the government would have a lien on the property for security.

NOTE: the example is not for the purpose of advocating socialism or the like, it is simply to show a contrasting equation and methodology to assist in the housing crisis.

Instead, under the current bailout plan the government has given ten times that amount or more ($750 billion plus) directly to failing institutions.

Those institutions, which are already in trouble, then use substantial amounts of that bailout for bonuses, send it overseas, and other unknowns.

The government is not in a secure position on the debt either, and home owners have been bypassed and not included so no foreclosures are prevented.

As to the auto industry. Use the same formula for 7,000,000 vehicles a year with a $900 monthly median payment, and the arithmetic results in $226.8 billion going into the banks, and the auto industry sells 7 million cars a year.

So the total looks like $226.8 + $180 = $406.8 billion, which is about half of the give away bailout figure, and we will have put $406.8 billion into the banks, induced 21,000,000 vehicle sales, and saved 2.5 million homes as well.

Surely, then, there must be 50 ways to do it better than it is being done?

The next post in this series is here.

Slipping Into A Secular Slide Zone

The homeless person in the photo will never be you, because you are special.

That is what the Roman Empire told itself and it's citizens. It repeated that mantra right up to the time it became that homeless person.

The footprints of the Roman Empire in history were the lasting thing; the last to go as it was swallowed up in the black hole of government miscalculation and unavoidable demise as a result of replacing fact with fiction.

Clearly we spend a lot of time and effort in the study of those footprints which we call the footprints of history. Why do we study history?

So we do not have to repeat those mistakes? That is hilarious. It is like saying "if we leave Iraq there will be violence"? Hilarious!

The main reason we should study history is to see whether we are moving closer to or further away from our goal of the secular and scientific survival of humanity.

A survival that will require: 1) overcoming our current warlike nature; 2) overcoming our current practice of damaging and destroying the earth; 3) developing highly advanced space travel technology; 4) moving to another planet or planets.

I say that because the fundamentals are: 1) our sun will destroy this planet in the future; 2) this is the only place we can live now; 3) developing the technology will take more time than anything we have ever done; and 4) we have not yet discovered the first planet we must move to and colonize.

So how often do we talk about that in our news, our history, and amongst ourselves?

Religion talks about some aspects of it all the time. Science needs to catch up and the two should make peace and strengthen areas of agreement.