Everett Family Blog

Skeptic's Guide to the Universe

2011-11-29T11:13:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite podcast is Skeptic's Guide to the Universe.

I have been listening to it for years.

Last week I bumped into this article/video: Umbrella Man.

Great video by a great filmmaker named Errol Morris.

I sent it to my brother Steve, but had just listened to the Skeptic's Guides and thought "I should send it to them"...

This morning while driving to work I got excited when during the latest podcast of Skeptic's Guide, they were talking about the JFK assassination and then Umbrella Man was brought up, the link being sent to them just today from a listener.

Right at that very second, my iPhone rang with an alert, my daily morning text from Mrs. Wonderful (Sandra, my wife). While driving I couldn't really rewind back, so once I got to work, I re-listened.

Sure enough my name was mentioned as sending in the link at roughly the 6:45 min mark.

Very cool

Link to the actual podcast: http://media.libsyn.com/media/skepticsguide/skepticast2011-11-26.mp3
Link to the show notes: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid=1&pid=332

I would highly recommend the podcast!

Here is my message to them:

Long time listener to the podcast, thank you for providing me an hour of week of solid skeptical (in my mind, common sense) thought.

I just saw this video about the Umbrella Man on the nytimes.com site. I thought the story truly drives home the ideas of not seeing conspiracy or sinister things in events or actions, when you can never dream up all of the non-sinister things that could explain it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/opinion/the-umbrella-man.html

Thanks again for the show,
Tim

San Jose Shark's Season Can't Start Soon Enough

2011-08-26T16:44:00.001-07:00

One of the new additions this summer: Martin Havlat

What is a Rating Agency (S&P)

2011-08-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

What exactly is a rating agency such as Standard and Poor's (S&P)?

How credit agencies work from Marketplace on Vimeo.

Obama as Chess Master: 'Think of Him as Bobby Fischer' - The Atlantic

2011-08-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

Interesting article...

Obama as Chess Master: 'Think of Him as Bobby Fischer' - The Atlantic

The start of the article:

I've published a series of harsh assessments of the savvy and game plan that the Obama Administration brought to the debt-ceiling fight. For a change of tone, here is a reader's argument today that such judgments are both hasty and unfair. In fact, by this view, we're watching a master vision unfold.

Worth considering in full. Some alternative views soon -- I'll save them for later because this is long enough as is and deserves its own space. The reader writes:
>>It's pretty clear to me that Obama is the chessmaster. Stop looking at this politically - let's look at policy. Obama has been a master of accomplishing things, even with the Tea Party Terrorists hell bent on shutting down the government and ruining the full faith and credit of the United States.

Brain is an interesting thing

2011-07-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Check out the below video clip, goes to show you that what you see is all based on how your brain puts the information together.

Welcome to Titusville

2011-07-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Interesting video on the effect of the end of the shuttle program on a nearby town.

Welcome to Titusville from Ride5 on Vimeo.

My Green Lantern Bothersome Question and Answer

2011-06-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

With the new movie Green Lantern coming out, it raised a long time question of mine.

Why does the Green Lantern that crashes on Earth need a spaceship? Abin Sur, the alien that gives his ring to Hal Jordan is the only Green Lantern that seemed to use a spaceship. All other Green Lanterns just fly around the universe with the power of the ring.

It seems he was told his ring would fail him and cause his death, thus he started to rely on other things, which actually lead his ring to fail him. Moral of the story: never listen to people who predict the future. :)

The answer via wikipedia.org

Spaceship

The question was raised of why Abin Sur needed a ship, but in the Green Lantern Origins serial, it is stated that out of paranoia of the prophecy of his destruction, he navigated the cosmos in a ship filled with weapons, not trusting the powers of his ring, as the prophecy stated that his ring would fail him when he needed it most.

Pre-Crisis explanation

In the story "Earth's First Green Lantern," Jordan revealed that he wondered that himself and asked his ring to explain.

The ring told the story of how Abin Sur discovered a parasitic energy being species that fed on sentient beings' "I-factor," a substance that enabled inventiveness, attacking civilizations and stalling their development. Sur captured them to stop their destruction, but one of their number had escaped and vowed to free his brethren. To do so, he tracked down Sur's planet and created a disaster to force him to appear to stop it. Since Sur did not mask himself, the being recognized him immediately and followed him to his home. As Sur neglected to charge his ring before going to sleep, he was unable to stop the being from taking control of him.

With the being in control of his body and about to force him to go and free his fellows, Sur tricked the being into thinking that he would not be able to do so because the ring would be low on power after the trip there while in reality the ring's charge is purely time based. The being decided to have Sur take a ship to the destination, but before leaving, Sur managed to get a hold of his invisible power battery. On the ship, Sur piloted the ship and waited until he moved into a green colored planetary radiation belt which allowed Sur to charge his ring without the being noticing. Thus armed, Sur battled and captured the being. However during the fight, the ship wandered into Earth's radiation belt. With his ring useless, Sur lost control of the battered ship and crashed. Mortally wounded, Sur sought out his replacement and drew Jordan to him.

According to Jordan, this account prompted him to keep a secret identity as a security precaution and to carefully navigate around Earth's radiation belts.

Post-Crisis explanation

In Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2 (1986) story "Tygers", writer Alan Moore answered the question with a story of how the hero once visited Ysmault, a prison planet for an ancient race of demons, the Empire of Tears, vanquished millennia ago by the Oans. He was on a rescue mission and felt he could not wait for instruction from the Guardians.

While there, Abin Sur met a demon named Qull of the Five Inversions, a humanoid with a gaping mouth in his chest and a tongue-shaped head, crucified by three glowing spikes topped with the symbol of the Green Lantern Corps. This unholy messiah predicted the hero would die when his power ring ran out of energy at a critical moment, while he was fighting an opponent or unprotected in hard vacuum. Abin Sur, worried by this prophecy, began using a starship for interstellar voyages, as an additional safeguard.

A decade later, fleeing his enemy, his spaceship collided with a girdle of yellow radiation around Earth that rendered his starship and his power-ring useless within moments. Had he relied on his ring alone, he realized, he might have tested the planet's magnetosphere before rashly entering it. Thus, while Legion may have wounded him, it could be argued that it was Qull that was actually responsible for Abin Sur's death, having sown the seeds of doubt in the Green Lantern's mind.
[edit] Green Lantern: Secret Origin
Main article: Green Lantern: Secret Origin

In the Secret Origins arc (Green Lantern vol. 4), Abin Sur's final fate was tweaked again to incorporate elements of the Parallax impurity. Still forced to use a starship due to his growing fear of impending death, Abin Sur dies while escorting Atrocitus, another prisoner of the Empire of Tears to Earth in his search for the Black Energies foretold to bring on the Blackest Night. Atrocitus successfully manages to free himself and Abin Sur is left to choose between a crash landing on Coast City, or a riskier one in the desert nearby. Abin Sur chooses sacrifice, and lands in the desert. He dies of his wounds after warning Sinestro, still a loyal Lantern at the time, and designating Hal Jordan as his successor.

Joe Thornton Interview Post Game 7

2011-05-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Western Conference Finals! Here Comes the San Jose Sharks

2011-05-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Intense series with the Detroit Red Wings! 6 out of the 7 games were won by a single goal. Next: Vancouver Canucks.

fyi: Logan Couture is the real deal!

Game 3 Round 2 of Stanley Cup - Hat TRICK!!

2011-05-05T15:08:00.001-07:00

Why airports' "liquid and gels" rules are absurd

2011-04-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

I have never pulled my zip lock bag of toiletries as required according to the TSA rules while going through security at the airport. I enjoy the "show of security" and hoping there is more real security going on than it seems, but I am not an optimist.

Below is a story from salon.com about the topic. Enjoy!

Why airports' "liquid and gels" rules are absurd

As of yesterday, the last thing I had in mind was another airport security rant. But you know how these things go. Just when you think you've seen the worst, you encounter something so head-spinningly stupid that you feel compelled, even obligated, to write about it.

And by you, I mean me.

The safety-scissors incident in Bangkok was depressing enough.

This time, again traveling off-duty as a passenger, I was snagged at a checkpoint for not having my liquids and gels sequestered in the approved, one-quart zip-top bag. Mind you, I never travel with my liquids and gels sequestered in the approved, one-quart zip-top bag, but normally this isn't an issue. I carry a zip-top with me just in case, but until now I've never had to use it.

Read the rest at: Why airports' "liquid and gels" rules are absurd

When You Argue with Fools…

2011-04-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

I find the human's ability to easily ignore rational, logical, and even scientific information to be amazing and at times sad...

Quick blog post from a skeptic blog called "The Rogues Gallery"

Today, the White House released President Obama’s birth certificate, ostensibly to quiet the debate and steer people into focusing on issues that really, you know, matter.

It won’t make any difference.

Read the rest at:When You Argue with Fools…

Love the Stanley Cup Playoffs

2011-04-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Jumbo Joe in a "History will be made"

Second Round.... Here Comes the Sharks

2011-04-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

Exciting game though I would not be disappointed if the Sharks would just blow out teams instead of trading goals and winning in overtime... Love the Slide!

Amazing Comeback Last Night

2011-04-20T15:58:00.000-07:00

I was thinking "What else can I watch on TV?" after the Sharks went down 4-0 at the beginning of the 2nd period. Fortunately, I couldn't come up with anything... and the Sharks started to score and score and score.

Throwing Like a Tim Lincecum - The Atlantic

2011-04-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Visit the link to read the entire article: Throwing Like a Tim Lincecum - The Atlantic

San Jose Sharks Stanley Cup Playoff!

2011-04-12T11:16:00.001-07:00

The playoffs start on Thursday, always a great time!

Team Coco and the Talking Babies Translated

2011-04-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Google Car

2011-03-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

I spotted one of these cars driving by work the other week... very cool. I love the idea of getting into a car and having it drive itself. Though similar to automatic transmissions, I want the ability to manually shift with a clutch. I would want the ability to actually steer and drive the car at times.

Logan Couture, He is the Real Deal

2011-03-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Wally, my favorite character in Dilbert

2011-03-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's Star Wars

2011-03-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Engineer Guy's Video's

2011-03-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

Interesting view on Engineering in every day items... http://www.engineerguy.com

Favorite Thing at a Comic Book Store

2011-03-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things when I used to collect comic books was the weekly visit to the comic book store to experience the other customers, from the cashier wearing a replica light saber on his belt, to the customer hanging out at the cashier stand imitating Sesame Street Count as the cashier is going thru the comics...

so thanks to the internet, there is a blog to get my amusement from: http://ourvaluedcustomers.blogspot.com/

Pixar Zoetrope

2011-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

The family and I saw this exhibition last summer in Disneyland, very impressive to see in person.