Doug's Darkworld

Well, I have about a hour to crank out a post. Apologies in advance. I have a couple of partially written posts but none of them inspired me. Not a whole lot inspires me lately, either the world is going to hell in a hand basket, or I am coming down with some sort of terrible disease the main symptom of which is deep dark cynicism permeating everything. Maybe both. However, might as well keep writing, it’s what I do. I’m also happy to write custom blog posts for a price. Or accept donations. Hint hint. Clicking on my name below the introduction above leads to a page with my contact information.

Moving right along. Pussy Riot. Yeah, I have a post about that fiasco in the works. Julian Assange for sure, that’s gotten interesting. A foreigner who is afraid that he might not get a fair trial in the USA, yes, that’s what modern America has come to. Frankly, anyone who thinks he would get  a fair trial in the USA isn’t using the word “think” the way it’s normally understood. In fact he likely wouldn’t even get a trial, he’d just disappear into the American gulag. Granted it’s not as extensive as the former Soviet gulag, but it’s just as ugly. Obligatory comment about the founding fathers spinning in their graves.

See, 200 words already, this is going to be easy. In breaking news, an American congressman is in hot water for skinny dipping in the Sea of Galilee while on a fact-finding trip to Israel. I wish,  really really wish I was making this up. Nope, this is the sort of nonsense that passes for news in the USA today. I guess his naked junk touching the water Jesus walked on is offensive to some. Offensive to the same people that claim Muslims are all crazy. Go figure.

In another imbroglio, a Congressman running for  election to the US Senate said that he sees no reason to allow abortion in the case of rape, becasue women rarely get impregnated when they are “legitimately” raped. This, this is why my brain has to be kept heavily sedated these days. At least Romney and company criticized and disavowed his remarks. Still, it’s shocking that a sitting congressman could be so frighteningly ignorant, not to mention insensitive. And the kicker, brace yourself: Mr Akins is on the House Committee for Science, Technology, and Space. Be afraid, be very afraid.

In real science news, the Curiosity rover has fired up its laser and zapped its first rock! Yes, we have sent a probe to Mars at fabulous expense so it can fire lasers at rocks, is that exciting or what? No word yet on whether the Martians, helpfully illustrated above, fired back. (Thank you Leslie for bringing that fine image to my attention.) Aside from the fun of saying “Pew pew pew” while shooting a rock with a laser, this is indeed real science. The vapour made by the laser can be analyzed to determine exactly what elements the rock is made of. This was just a practise rock, but soon enough Curiosity will roll on to real interesting rocks.

I’m toying with making a web site about the Loch Ness Monster, UFOs, and related items. A web site where I explain the basic logical reasons why each of these is, well, silly. And hopefully without the smarter-than-all-the-kooks attitude that most skeptical websites sport like a badge of honour. Basically a site where people who are genuinely interested but uninformed can find out the basics about such stuff. And so that people who want to debate such things with their more credulous friends can equip themselves with basic, reasonable arguments about same. Good idea, bad idea, stupid idea?

Speaking of weirdness, this video shows some strange finned creature swimming off Skegness Beach in the UK. No, it’s not a hoax, this is real. It’s not however a real mystery, biologists think it’s either a Basking shark or possibly an Orca. The people who make a living promoting the weird of course have their interpretations. I think I’ll go with the biologists on this one. To be honest though, it seems entirely possible that there are still large unknown sea creatures waiting to be discovered, especially since a few have been discovered the past few decades. The Megamouth Shark for example.

Woohoo! I’m gonna make 800 words! Or close enough. Now I can go to the bank which was mysteriously closed by a “plumbing emergency” on Saturday. I don’t want to know. It’s been a weekend for emergencies in my neighbourhood. Sunday I was awakened by the sound of a multiple car crash on my corner. Turns out it wasn’t multiple cars, just two. The first crash was two cars impacting each other. The second crash was one of the cars wrapping itself around a signal/light pole. The third crash I head was the light pole falling onto the car that cashed into it. Fortunately these were new cars so several hundred air bags deployed and protected everyone within a block from serious injury. Even more fortunately the light pole prevented the car in question from crashing into Bill’s Deli on the corner. That would have been tragic.

(The above image has been all over the Internet for years so I suspect it’s effectively public domain. I’m claiming it as Fair Use under US copyright law just the same, yadda yadda yadda.)