The Science Pundit

Today's APOD is just too Saturn cool!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:07:00 +0000

(via)

The ultimate movie monster

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Google honors Cookie Monster!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:48:00 +0000

As many of you may already know, Google often has a themed homepage. Yesterday was Big Bird, today is Cookie Monster. Might there be some Sesame Street anniversary going on? Yes. The show will be 40 years old on the 10th of this month. Expect to see a different character for the next five days (I'm guessing Kermit will be the theme on the 10th itself). However, today's character, Cookie Monster, actually has a further Google connection.

Behold The Google Song--recorded 16 years before the corporation of Google even existed. Enjoy!

(via Bleuz00m)

Robotic seeds take flight!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:57:00 +0000

First there was the robotic dog. Let's not forget the swimming robotic snake. Or my personal favorite: the flying robot penguin. But now we have a new potential overlord, modeled after this.

That's right: a maple seed! "But Javier," you ask, "maple seeds are boring compared to dogs, snakes, and penguins. Why are you so excited about RoboSeed?"

Ah! Just take a look at these Samara-esque monocopters in action.

UPDATE: Speaking of funky robots, behold the skiing robot! It just needs a machine gun and it can chase James Bond down the slopes.

The evolution of a GWD lie.

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Bug Eats Bird!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Protect the Insurance Companies!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:45:00 +0000

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Ahoy mateys!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:08:00 +0000

Happy Talk like a Pirate Day!

QualiaSoup is back

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:20:00 +0000

That's a person who died!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:49:00 +0000

Jim Carroll R.I.P.

Be aware of cyclists!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:53:00 +0000

This video refers to specific laws in Chicago. These all sound like reasonable laws and I assume that most cities have similar laws to some or most of these laws.

I think it being illegal for cars to turn right if front of a cyclist is so important that it should be "federal".

The more things change ...

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:06:00 +0000

... the more they remain the same!

Then:

And now:

(click images to embiggenate)

I Google You

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Performed by Amanda F***ing Palmer
Lyrics by Neil Gaiman

The Face of Insurance Denial

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:25:00 +0000

(via)

Ted Kennedy, R.I.P.

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:39:00 +0000

Peformance

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Barney Frank PWNZ Teabagger!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:03:00 +0000

I've already seen this video on at least six different blogs, but I click to watch it every single time. These people need to be called out for what they are.

How NOT to take the hill.

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Suppose you had joined a fighting regiment because the commander had promised to capture a particular, strategic hill. You were all ready to charge in hell or high water and conquer the knoll! But on the day of the attack, that same commander gathered all his troops together and said to them "While it would be ideal to take the hill, even if we must retreat and settle for holding the side of the hill, the important thing is that we're on the hill." Your mind fills with dreadful images of the enemy lobbing artillery at you from the summit as you hold your victory celebration down below. How does this make you feel?

More on the Sestak Town Hall meeting

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:26:00 +0000

Continuing my earlier post, last night I went to a health care town hall meeting with Joe Sestak. The meeting was held at the Broad Street Ministry, a Center City church that feeds and shelters many of the city's homeless persons. I arrived about an hour and a half before the doors opened, and waited in line with a few hundred others. All the local news outfits were there; perhaps they were hoping to see some melee. There really wasn't any. There were a couple of Lyndon Larouche supporters there handing out their Obama/Hitler pamphlets (when they came by me, I just held the Health Care Reform NOW poster that I had volunteered to hold, up in their faces), but most of the discourse was civil.

The crowd was primarily pro-Reform. Here's a snippet to give you an idea of what the audience was like. (Apologies for the shaky footage--I did not bring my tripod--and the bad lighting.)

For the record, the second part of his answer was mandates. I will upload all the video footage I have later today or tomorrow. I shot the first ninety minutes of the meeting as that's all the tape I brought. The meeting went on much longer even after I left. The congressman said that he would stay until he answered all questions. I left after a little more than three hours of the meeting when only about a third of the original crowd remained. I did not ask a question myself as it was getting late, the church had no air conditioning (though they did offer free water), and most of the good questions had been asked (although in retrospect, I wish I had stood up and asked about how the deal with the pharmaceutical companies would affect the bill.

Joe Sestak is on the committee which is drafting H.R.3200, one of the health bills going through the House of Representatives. He brought a copy of the latest version of the bill with him and discussed the amendments he had added that were not yet online. (Despite some claims to the contrary) Sestak appears to have read and understood the entire bill. He was knowledgeable about details of both the bill and our current health care system, and much like a (gasp!) scientist, he only gave unequivocal answers to issues he could back up with solid studies and statistics. Over all, I was impressed with the presentation.

As I mentioned earlier, the crowd was mostly pro-Reform. Several left leaning groups including SEIU and Move On alerted their members to the event. There were no "teabaggers" bussed in to disrupt the event. There was a minority presence of objectors, but these were mostly invited there by the congressman himself. Sestak sent personal invitations to 123 constituents who had previously contacted him to express their dissatisfaction with the proposed bill. For the most part, they seemed to be familiar with the issue at hand (unlike some protesters we've seen on the news, they appeared to understand what it is that they are against) although their questions were spiced up with right wing talking points and disinformation. And naturally, Congressman Sestak was familiar with their objections and even knew a few of them by name.

The closest we had to the kind of disruptions I've been seeing on the news was this fellow who got frustrated when he wasn't called on quickly enough.

I have a couple things to say about this. First, while I commend him on all his volunteer service, that service does not disqualify him from being a right wing extremist. At best, it means that he doesn't perfectly fit the stereotype of a right wing extremist, but I would imagine that very few extremists (or members of any stereotyped group, really) do. My guess is that he probably is, but I could be mistaken, plus that's a rather subjective judgment anyway.

Second, his concern seems somewhat legitimate, albeit misguided (in my opinion). Clearly he's scared of any change. He wants to keep his current coverage, but is afraid that his employer will drop all plans except for the public option forcing him into an inferior, socialized system. My question for him is what's stopping his employer from dropping his plan for a less desirable private plan right now? That happens all the time. I know. I've seen it happen! Of course your employer will tell you how the new coverage plan is an "upgrade", but when you look at the fine print, the deductibles are larger and the coverage is less extensive. And if you're being treated for something under the old plan, that might just become a pre-existing condition under the new one. It sucks to be you!

The best critical question of the night came from a lady who asked about the health care advisory board (she asked two questions, but her second question was based on incorrect information about the bill). The health care advisory board decides what is covered under the public plan and what is the minimum required coverage for all insurance providers. Her objection was that all the members of the board are either directly or indirectly appointed by the POTUS. I'm guessing that her biggest fear is that she doesn't trust Obama, but as I listened to her ask the question, I imagined what it would be like to have George W. Bush or Dick Cheney select the board members. She is absolutely right that this is too much power in the hands of one person. It is most certainly a bad provision and should be opposed by everyone of all political stripes.

I will post the entire 90 minutes of footage I took on this blog once it has been fully compressed and uploaded. Keep your eye out for it.

UPDATE:
Here's the full 90 minute video that I shot.

Joe Sestak Town Hall Meeting from The Science Pundit on Vimeo.

From last night's Town Hall Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:38:00 +0000

More to follow later ...
Update: here

Happy Bastille Day!

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:30:00 +0000

In keeping with my theme of British actors doing fake, funny, French accents ...

The French are the worst tourists

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:12:00 +0000

According to a new study commissioned by Expedia.com has found the French to be the worst tourists in the world.

French holidaymakers and business travellers were the least generous or ready to tip, and ranked next-to-last for their overall behaviour and politeness.

Pushy French travellers made amends on elegance -- classed third -- as well as for their discretion and cleanliness.

But the French were the least ready to try a new language, unlike US tourists who were most likely to swallow their pride and order a pizza, baguette or a paella in the local lingo.

This of course comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with French castles on the English countryside.

Iranian uprising

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:01:00 +0000

The situation in Iran is getting tenser and tenser. I don't see the Khamenei/Ahmadinejad marionette act surviving much longer. If there was any doubt left that the election was rigged, it was removed yesterday when Iran admitted that in at least 50 cities there were more votes than voters. Of course they're trying to spin it, but as Nate Silver points out, the only explanations that add up are those of fraud.

This leaves only two possibilities: that there was widespread ballot-stuffing or that the results in some or all areas don't reflect any physical count of the ballots but were fabricated whole hog on a spreadsheet.

Between the obviously rigged election and the creation of a martyr for the opposition, the Iranian people have had enough. Mousavi is encouraging his suporters to stand up to the regime, and they are. The Basij militia are acting like thugs and vandals--breaking windows, destroying property, and beating helpless grandmothers (acording to some reports). All this is only inflaming the ire of a people who are increasingly seeing the current Iranian leadership as illegitimate. It's only a matter of time before key elements in the government and/or petroleum industry side with the protesters and refuse to continue supporting the cabal. That will be the death knell of the dictatorship.

There are scores of videos pouring out of Iran as I write this. I've watched many of them, but the one I have embedded below in some senses is the most amazing. I couldn't help but cheer (out loud) on the protesters as I watched it. Can you watch this and not cheer them on too?

Battle w/ Police - Tehran, Iran - June 20th 2009
by mightier-than

note: A great site for updates is Andrew Sullivan.

My Cyborg Name

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:36:00 +0000

Get Your Cyborg Name

(via Mors dei)

Edward Current chimes in on Ida

noreply@blogger.com (The Science Pundit) — Fri, 22 May 2009 13:11:00 +0000