Volcano Erupts In Kamchatka

It appears that a major eruption is underway at the Shiveluch volcano in the Kamchatka peninsula. The eruption started two days ago and the ash plume has reached 15,000 meters.

Experimenting With The Layout

I've been fooling around with the Blogger layout options and I have found the way to manipulate the HTML to widen the columns. This will allow me to post the wider aspect ratio videos that are becoming more common and also to post larger photographs.

Huge Anti-Obama Protest March In Washington

As many as 2-million people protesters marched to the Capitol in Washington Saturday. That number is quoted in the British Independent.

Hmm. ABC News puts the crowd at "60,000 to 70,000", CBS News says "Tens of thousands", CNN says "Thousands", MSNBC says "Thousands". And yet the British media reports "as many as 2-million".

That huge number may have come from the Democrats.

"It's an old political tactic to get out in front and make wild projections and when they're not met, claim their opponents don't have the juice," said Pete Sepp, a spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, one of the organizers of the rally.

If the 2-million number is anywhere near correct, and it could be, there were more people protesting Obama today than showed up for his inauguration.

No matter, an extremely significant number of Americans showed up in Washington Saturday to protest Barack Obama and his government.

Update: 2-Million or just "thousands"? Some people who were there have done some arithmetic on square footages and security cam images. 2-Million is too high. But there were likely 750,000. That's impressive by any standard.

Update 2: Lots more pictures here. Apparently the some people on the left are downplaying the numbers (quelle surprise) and some are even are trying to claim the whole thing was faked.

NHL Meatloaves

This is what passed for legal repartee in Friday's bankruptcy proceedings over who will get to own the failed Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL:

"Meat Loaf ?" interrupted Judge Redfield T. Baum.

"Meat Loaf," continued Mr. Clark. "He's a big fat guy. He actually had a good voice. He may actually still be around. And I apologize to Meat Loaf, maybe he's slimmed up. The name of the song was Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad. Well, that doesn't cut it for the NHL."

Levitating Mice

By levitating mice we can simulate similar conditions and we can study whether bone loss will actually occur in mice, and that will help us understand more about the bone loss that might occur in astronauts.

Was Tretiak A Spy?

Was the world famous Russian hockey star Vladimir Tretiak a spy recruiter in Canada? Could have been, according to this report.

On This Day In History

I have been occupied all day with the routines of making a living, but the date, September 11, has not escaped me.

I am sure you remember, as I do, exactly where you were and what you were doing eight years ago when you heard the news from New York. I happened to be in Ottawa driving downtown to see a client. I was listening to something forgotten on CBC radio when a young, inexperienced and clearly frightened young woman broke the news.

Here, from HotAir.com, via Damian Penney, is a Twitter stream of rememberances about 9/11 that began sometime last night.

Who Said This Twenty Years Ago?

From The Times of London:

History looks far less heroic when you find out how it happens.

“We don’t want a united Germany.” It would lead to a change in Europe’s postwar borders. “We cannot allow that, because such development would undermine the stability of the whole international situation and could endanger our security.”

Who said this? Perhaps Eric Honecker, the communist leader of East Germany? No? How about Gorbachev or somebody else in the Soviet Politburo in Moscow? Nope. Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of West Germany? Uh uh.

It was actually Margaret Thatcher. Why? Because like the rest of Europe, she was terrified of a unified Germany.

The Caspian Sea Monster

This video appears to be in Russian and I can make out only four words - "Caspian Sea Monster" and "Ekranoplan". We'll get back to the Sea Monster. But what's an Ekranoplan?

Watch this for total technological weirdness from Cold War Soviet aero engineers:



Much more on Ekranoplans including great pix here and here.

Targa Newfoundland Starts This Weekend

The seventh annual Targa Newfoundland begins this Saturday and Targa cars are showing up on the streets around St. Johns today.

I saw a slammed red and white BMW 3-series of the Turks & Caicos Motoring Club on slicks in traffic earlier today.

Just now, outside my window, a trio of vintage Austin Minis with open exhausts (including this one) of the Brick N' Brute team roared up the hill.

Targa Newfoundland runs until September 19 and covers a large chunk of eastern Newfoundland. See a full list of cars and competitors here and the schedule of events is here (pdf).

If you have Google Earth on your 'puter (and you really should!) you can go here and click KMZ files for each stage and leg to see the 2009 routes. Make sure you have Terrain switched on to get the lay of the land.

The Presidency Ages A Man

Glenn Reynolds, commenting on Obama's health care speech last night:

I just noticed that Obama looks a lot older all of a sudden.

I've noticed that too. This is true of probably every US president. Here are two screen grabs from YouTube.










The left is from the Democratic National Convention in 2004. The right is from Obama's speech to students earlier this week.

This is Abraham Lincoln:











The left is April 1860. The right is February 1865. Five years later the Civil War is etched in his face. Can you believe the man on the right is only 56 years old?

CanWest Has It Both Ways

Picked up from Jame's Taranto's Best of the Web Today at the WSJ. Keep scrolling.

And They're Illiterate in Two Languages!

"Canada More Educated Than Most Countries: Report"--headline, CanWest News Service, Sept. 8

As students head back to school to hit the books for another year, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said Tuesday that Canadians are a studied lot, holding more university degrees than most of their international counterparts.

"Half of Canadians Struggling With Literacy: Study"--headline, CanWest News Service, Sept. 8

Nearly half of Canadian adults don't possess enough literacy skills to understand a public bus schedule, read directions on a pill bottle or keep up with technological advances in the workplace, according to the Canadian Council of Learning.

Now Where Did I Put That Old Pratt & Whitney FT12-A3 Jet Engine?

You know, the one that came in old Voodoos and Boeing 707s and, oh yeah, that Canadian tin can... what was it called? Oh yeah, HMCS Athabaskan.

From the Vancouver Sun:

John Wilson never dreamt there might be anything of value inside the old cargo container he picked up for $400 at a Nova Scotia junk yard in 1998.

"I stuck my head in the container and I said, 'Oh my, I'm going to jail. I didn't buy a jet engine, where did that come from?'"

Hubble Is Back In The Business Of Awe

From PhysOrg.com:

Astronomers today declared the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope a fully rejuvenated observatory ready for a new decade of exploration, with the release of observations from four of its six operating science instruments.

Above, Hubble's new picture of the birth of a star in the Carina Nebula.

Prostate Cancer Canada Network National Conference

The Prostate Cancer Canada Network National Conference starts today at the Sheraton St. John's. Brief bios of the key presenters are here. The conference program is here (pdf).

The Troubles Of Annie Leibowitz

She is perhaps one of the greatest portrait photographers of all time. At age 59, that reputation should be enough to ensure comfort for life. But Annie Leibowitz stands to lose it all.

On Tuesday she forfeited on a $24-million loan. The collateral is the copyright to her entire life's work.

This is perhaps her most famous photo.

Jet Takes Off - By Mistake

Can you imagine this nightmare - you are supposed to rev the engines, taxi a short distance and stop. But your co-pilot gives you full throttles. And freezes.

Suddenly you are airborne in a giant 75-ton vintage jet bomber that is not supposed to fly and your pilot's license expired 25 years ago. Pilot instinct has to overcome sheer terror. You have nine seconds.

Here's the video:



And here's the full story from the Times. I guess it must be like riding a bike...

Update: A Times commenter points out that this incident actually happened back in May and was reported at FlightGlobal.com where there are a couple of scary-looking photos.

Isn't Silly Season Over When School Starts?

Apparently not when Barack Obama talks to children.

Here's James Taranto of the WSJ's Best of the Web Today on kooky responses - especially from the right - to Obama's school speech.

Here's video of the speech in full. Obama actually comes on stage at about 2:10. It's pretty harmless stuff and I think Obama's crew may have managed to snooker some of the rowdy right with the old bait and switch. You can read the text here.

Balsillie Upsets Poor NHL Snowflakes

From The National Post:

Balsillie puts Bettman to the doofus test

Balsillie's strategy is transparent. He intends to make an offer so enticing that only a true doofus could refuse it. Clearly this is another example of Balsillie's lack of integrity and unsuitability as an owner of the NHL, which prefers crooks, charlatans and windbags, who have limited understanding of the game and can thus be counted on to treat Bettman like he knows what he's doing.

Is this the beginning of the end of the NHL? Just askin'.

Update: Thursday's scheduled auction for the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes has come down to two bidders: an eager Jim Balsillie versus a reluctant National Hockey League.

Daimnation! Is Back

And that's good news. Daimnation! is the blog of expat Newfoundlander Damian Penney. I missed his point of view while he was off being a new father and it is really good to see he's back.

Is Prostate Cancer Viral?

Researchers at the University of Utah and Columbia University medical schools have reported that a type of virus known to cause leukemia and sarcomas in animals has been found for the first time in malignant human prostate cancer cells.

Nuclear Reactors - The Next Generation

A couple of days ago I blogged about politicians using global warming to boost nuclear power. Margaret Thatcher did it in 1979 (when her inner circle invented global warming for the purpose) and Obama will do it too. From The Wall Street Journal:

For the first time in decades, popular opinion is on the industry's side. A majority of Americans thinks nuclear power, which emits virtually no carbon dioxide, is a safe and effective way to battle climate change, according to recent polls. At the same time, legislators are showing renewed interest in nuclear as they hunt for ways to slash greenhouse-gas emissions.

Educational Uses For Google Earth

Google Earth Image of St. John's Harbour

I find myself using Google Earth several times every day for a surprising number of different reasons. Now that everyone's getting back to school this week, I thought teachers and students alike might enjoy this essay on how to use Google Earth in the classroom.

It's from Frank Taylor's Google Earth Blog:

Nearly every year at this time, I make sure to remind educators - and students - that Google Earth is a great tool for education. It's not just about learning about geography, Google Earth is a platform that lets you put practically any learning into geospatial context. Not only that, but it is a very versatile 3D presentation tool for teaching things, or for students to present their assignments (and maybe get a great grade for such an innovative way of presenting their hard work!).

And, don't forget that Google Earth isn't confined to Earth. Google Earth 5 also has Sky (perfect for astronomy classes), Mars for Google Earth, Ocean for Google Earth, and the brand new Moon for Google Earth. And, you can add on other planets as well - see Jupiter for example.

Another new feature in GE 5 that could help teachers and students is the touring capability. Here are two great examples of what tours can do that might open your eyes for educational applications: Apollo 11 Tour, and a news overview Tour of Afghanistan. Read more about Tours.

Much, much more here. And if you are just starting out with Google Earth, check out the basics here.

Chuck Norris Facts

If you are tired today, as I am, of everybody having a different version of "the facts", then go get some "truth" here.

I could almost believe that these "facts" about Chuck Norris are written by Jeremy Clarkson.

Lubna Hussein Defies Sudanese Repression Of Women

Remember Lubna Hussein? She was among 13 Sudanese women arrested for wearing trousers July 3 in a raid by the public order police in Khartoum.

Ten of the women were fined and flogged two days later. But Ms. Hussein and two others decided to go to trial. She has now been convicted of public indecency and has been fined $200. But the judge did not impose flogging.

At the time of her arrest she said:

"I am not afraid of flogging. ... It's not about flogging. It's not about my innocence. It's about changing the law. I'm ready to receive 40,000 lashes."

After her conviction she said:

"I will not pay a penny ... We will only be secure once the police protect us and these laws are repealed."

Lubna Hissein is an extremely brave woman. The response to this case by western feminists has been deafening.

Deafening silence.

Jezza Beat Box

A totally pointless mashup of J. Clarkson clips. Well not totally pointless - it is fun!

“Living” Photographs

Nearly a century ago, Arthur Mole & John Thomas made gigantic scale photographs as a part of planned promotional campaign to sell war bonds. They organized photo shoots of massed formations of as many as 25-thousand men at a time.

At left is the Mole & Thomas Human Statue of Liberty , c. 1918.

The logistics of these shoots were enormous. But the techniques that Mole & Thomas developed to preserve perspective in their gigantic photos were ingenious.

In the picture of the Statue of Liberty there are 18,000 men: 12,000 of them in the torch alone, but just 17 at the base. The men at the top of the picture are actually half a mile away from the men at the bottom.

Thoughts about the propaganda value of such photos and lots more here.

Sand Animation Performance Art

I have never seen this done before:

Mind blowing sand animation - of all things - by a young Ukrainian artist named Kseniya Simonova. I believe her performance - for that is what it is - was for a Ukraine's Got Talent TV show. Her performance is dedicated to the 7 million Ukrainians killed by Stalin between 1932 and 1945.

Be sure to watch it full screen.

Van The Man Gets Canned

Van Jones that is. If your only source of US news is the legacy media you will likely have never heard of Van Jones, Obama's "green czar". Up to now that is.

Jones resigned this morning - just after midnight on a Sunday of a long holiday weekend - by email.

William Jacobson writes at Legal Insurrection:

The MSM is treating the Van Jones Affair as just another historical example of the vast right-wing conspiracy, without the slightest note that the MSM was dragged kicking and screaming into covering the story when Jones' resignation made it impossible to ignore.

Jones was forced to resign after a lengthy and growing series of gaffes in recent weeks, including racial slurs against whites, a connection with the so-called 9/11 "truther" movement and his own self-avowed communism. None of which was covered in the main stream media, and none of which came up, apparently, when he was being vetted for the big job at the White House.

Old Pontiacs

Old Cars Weekly presents the oldest Pontiac known to exist ( a 1926) and the oldest Pontiac still with its original owner (a 1955).

My Dad bought a new '55 Canadian Pontiac, a two-door sedan similar to this one.

I remember him telling me that he bought the two-door not because it was stylish, but because it was safer for kids. My mother loved the car and hoped he would give it to her when he traded it on a '58 four-door. No such luck. Mom's first car, a Beetle, was a brand new '63 - a surprise on her birthday.