tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77781145266623430532024-12-18T13:16:26.242-06:00A blog dedicated to things of note going round Peter's mind. The content of my contributions reflects my own ideas & personal views and should be properly cited. © Peter Melzer. The inventory thematically lists content.Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-26667355835786726502017-02-02T09:03:00.000-06:002017-02-09T12:10:15.822-06:00

NPR’s the two way ["Groundhog Day 2017: Winter Is (Still) Coming, Punxsutawney Phil Says”] reports today that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania this morning, forecasting six more weeks of winter weather (see footage from the BBC here). Our neighborhood lowland marmot has not shown, though the temperatures have been unseasonably warm. We peaked at 57 °F (14 °C) yesterday, roughly

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-90400552412294911752016-02-02T09:20:00.000-06:002016-03-15T21:01:19.702-05:00

CNN reports Punxsutawney Phil did not cast a shadow this morning, forecasting a short winter. In my nook of the woods the sky was solidly overcast. No chance for Phil’s comrades to see their shadow here either. Keep in mind that according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Phil’s forecast has been worse than chance for the past three decades data was analyzed. Phil would have

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-78574475449270710592015-03-10T14:20:00.002-05:002015-03-14T10:22:39.371-05:00

The 2011 Fukushima reactor accidents are entering their fourth anniversary today. Vast amounts of radioactivity - by some estimates greater than those released during the 1986 Tchernobyl reactor accident - have been dispersed into the environment. Hot spots of contamination keep developing in ever changing configuration. We will keep finding concentrations of radionuclides above limits of

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-34695455803912871892015-02-02T11:44:00.000-06:002015-02-02T21:30:45.662-06:00

The media report that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning (e.g. Angela Fritz's report with the title "Groundhog Day 2015: Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, predicts six more weeks of winter" published in the Washington Post today). Last year, one of Phil's cousins moved into our neighborhood. I was anxious to run my own study with our resident Phil. Alas, that low-country marmoset did

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-13040912641661985932014-03-09T11:13:00.001-05:002015-06-24T11:13:04.734-05:00

function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ja', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL }, 'google_translate_element'); } Introduction Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO for short, is a utility serving roughly 29 million customers. No doubt such behemoth too big to fail

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-87305936026345553782014-03-06T10:14:00.001-06:002014-03-06T10:14:27.707-06:00

Did you ever wonder how your automobile gets around the corner without burning tire rubber on the inside? My wife found this timeless documentary below entitled “Around the Corner” produced by Jam Handy for General Motors almost 80 years ago. The film delivers the clearest and most wonderful demonstration how the problem can be solved. Our first generation 4Runner still works this way, unless we

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-76376037553002904522014-02-02T11:19:00.000-06:002015-01-28T09:26:43.200-06:00

This morning low-land marmot Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, forecasting six more weeks of winter. Though cute, his predictions have been wrong in the previous two years and erratic at best over the past century. Let us see what happens this year on CNN. Addenda Apparently Phil was lucky with his prediction this year. According to NOAA Online Weather Data available at the Southeast

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-86536365182359285972013-12-06T10:59:00.000-06:002013-12-06T10:59:21.800-06:00

In her article with the title “U-Va. board approves basic framework of strategic plan - but not the plan itself ” published by The Washington Post online Nov. 15, 2013, Jenna Johnson reports on the University of Virginia (U-Va.)’s new mission revealed at last week’s board meeting and a five-year strategic plan, known as Cornerstone Plan, to implement the plan. The plan's implementation rests

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-24776988757652809102013-11-22T01:00:00.000-06:002013-11-22T14:15:42.129-06:00

“From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official: President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Central Standard Time, 2:00 Eastern Standard Time, some 38 minutes ago.” Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr., CBS News, Nov. 22, 1963. Watch the full footage leading up to this announcement here. Listen to reporter Robert MacNeil's first-hand account of that fateful moment (source: ‪MacNeil/Lehrer on the JFK

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-37952029759910045022013-11-05T12:22:00.000-06:002013-11-07T08:33:30.962-06:00

function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ja', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL }, 'google_translate_element'); } In his op-ed contribution to The New York Times with the title "Fear vs. Radiation: The Mismatch" published Oct. 21, 2013, Harvard lecturer David Ropeik

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-15875938386093863332013-10-17T09:25:00.001-05:002013-10-18T10:17:08.452-05:00

Though I love good food, I confess it does not rank that high on my totem pole that I would spend a fortune on it. When I lived near a three-star restaurant of world renown called Girardet's, where patrons flew in for a lunch they had reserved many months in advance, we used to frequent other locations where the chef's apprentices were known to cook. The food there was excellent, cost a fraction,

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-17536230267699255472013-10-06T14:11:00.000-05:002015-06-24T11:16:09.676-05:00

Today, Switzerland held the 80th race from Morat to Fribourg. The race commemorates one of two cornerstone battles the Swiss Confederation won in the 15th century against the powers of the time, asserting Swiss independence from feudal taxation. Swiss commoners would remain free citizens unlike the subjects of surrounding countries who would struggle another 200 years to gain this privilege. I

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-9982202100063542702013-07-12T16:55:00.000-05:002014-07-09T21:52:11.992-05:00

function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ja', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL }, 'google_translate_element'); } 山は動かない [武田 信玄]。 Last Tuesday, Jul. 9, 2013, Masao Yoshida passed away. He was 58. He had esophageal cancer. Until his illness forced him to

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-40255875711598534012013-05-12T09:34:00.002-05:002013-05-14T05:16:32.021-05:00

SimplyInfo.org member Dean Wilke only recently discovered Ora Cohen's article with the title "Israeli firm which secured Japan nuclear plant says workers there 'putting their lives on the line'" published online by Haaretz Mar. 18, 2011. In this article the author reports that the operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station that incurred three reactor meltdowns after the Great Tohoku

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-68217723387281607602013-04-28T15:41:00.000-05:002013-05-01T12:38:23.617-05:00

Introduction On April 25, The New York Times published Gary Gutting's essay with the title "What Do Scientific Studies Show?" written for The Stone. The author argues that much scientific reporting in the media suffers from journalistic misconceptions of the methodological limitations inherent in the reported studies. As consequence, the significance of the findings tends to appear

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-43512399731979341742013-02-22T16:18:00.000-06:002015-06-24T11:11:41.495-05:00

function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ja', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL }, 'google_translate_element'); } The disastrous nuclear reactor accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi (number one) Nuclear Power Station on the Pacific coast 120 miles north of Tokyo is nearing

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-15103971038219973062013-02-02T10:57:00.000-06:002013-05-14T05:21:15.150-05:00

After the abysmal forecast of 2012 (see related post below), Punxsutawney overcast and Phil may have embraced climate change this year. Reuters reports today: "Groundhog predicts early spring." Addendum At this moment, May 14, 2013, 6:18 a.m., we record 32 degrees Fahrenheit in central Virginia. Poor Phil! Related Posts Annotations to Groundhog Day Groundhog Day 2012

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-74316112017602161742012-10-29T11:19:00.002-05:002015-06-24T11:19:13.942-05:00

Sunday morning, Oct. 29, 2012, I walked our dog around the neighborhood, observing much anticipated Hurricane Sandy brewing up ill-foreboding clouds. The wind picked up. Brown leaves were falling like snowflakes, densely covering the street. I wondered whether we had enough batteries, water, food and other supplies for the coming days. My most useful acquisition seems a safety preparedness radio

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-20531330784311019502012-10-24T10:59:00.000-05:002012-10-24T17:57:50.202-05:00

The historical account below is published with the author's permission. I annotated two typographical errors. The document is best read with fullscreen view. The reader may find this option at the right-hand corner of the task bar at the bottom of the text window or may open a new window, using this link.  The lecture revisits the development of the fluorodeoxyglucose method for the

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-87038253349147726552012-10-07T07:30:00.001-05:002015-06-24T11:20:54.145-05:00

The winners of the 79th race (2012) from Morat to Fribourg are: Nancy Koech (#111; 1:03.18:1) and  Shadrack Kimaiyo (#30; 54.52:0),  both from Kenya. Congratulations!!! Related posts Free Will Exists Morat: Triumph of Free Will

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-44735749216062142532012-10-05T08:41:00.000-05:002015-06-24T11:22:40.143-05:00

The diagnosis for autism is based on behavioral differences, the first signs of which can be observed in infants. Autism is classified as a spectrum disorder. That is, its diagnosis covers a spectrum of abnormal behaviors that differ in severity, ranging from people who repetitively self-injure and may be considered mentally retarded to individuals who score extremely high on intelligence

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-82852692226636873302012-09-07T20:21:00.004-05:002012-10-15T09:07:20.705-05:00

The value of higher education is hotly debated in this country. Particularly the worth of doctoral degrees in philosophy is highly questioned. Only a week ago, that is on Aug. 31, the Slate published Daniel Lametti's post, posing the question in the title "Is a Science Ph.D. a Waste of Time?" Dr. Lindemann's Ph.D. certificate. The other day, I happened upon the document shown above. In the

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-91009229291240833842012-03-11T00:09:00.005-06:002015-06-24T11:25:09.639-05:00

function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ja', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL }, 'google_translate_element'); } It has been a year that the fuel cores of three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station on the northeast coast of Japan melted down in the

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-20756630310357816962012-02-20T18:18:00.010-06:002014-08-04T18:31:19.950-05:00

function googleTranslateElementInit() { new google.translate.TranslateElement({ pageLanguage: 'en', includedLanguages: 'ja', layout: google.translate.TranslateElement.InlineLayout.HORIZONTAL }, 'google_translate_element'); } Almost a year ago, three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station on the northeast coast of Japan incurred fuel core meltdowns in

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778114526662343053.post-62575955722882270852012-02-02T17:35:00.010-06:002014-02-01T23:39:34.436-06:00

Punxsutawney Phil divined six more weeks of winter today (read more in the CNN news blog post with the title "More winter weather, Punxsutawney Phil predicts" published today). It is 60.8 ℉, or 16 °C, in central Virginia. The daffodils are in bloom! Today, Sunday Feb. 19, 2012, it seems Phil was right! I seem not to be the only one who finds this winter's weather peculiar. In accord with

Peter Melzerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10404231990274257867noreply@blogger.com0