Michael Flynn's Blog, page 99

Quote of the Day

Why We Villify Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan....

"One common way of denying that prudence is required for leadership is to cast political decisions as essentially easy. Politicians need not be prudent men, we think to ourselves, because any moron can just look at problem X and see what needs to be done. If we simply point out that people are starving, or uninsured, or immoral, or uneducated, or oppressed, or attacked then what we should do (or whether we should do anything at all) is assumed

More Things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio

Dark Energy, We Hardly Knew Ye

www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/08/14/0901627106

Since nonlinearities alone could actuate dissipation and decay in the conservation laws associated with the highly nonlinear radiation phase and since noninteracting expanding waves represent possible time-asymptotic wave patterns that could result, we propose to further investigate the possibility that these corrections to the Standard Model might be the source of the anomalous acceleration of the galaxies, an explana

Today's Headline

Biggest Bust in State History

"Massachusetts Woman Admits Hiding 19 Bags of Crack in Bra"--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 17

The On-Going Crisis

Inglorious Indeed. 
 The following appeared in an article in this morning's USA Today (America's newspaper of record) regarding the remake of the 1978 Italian flick Inglorious Basturds: 
 "Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is another time warp, a historically egregious nod to war flicks, film noir, and the 1978 Italian drama of the same name (only spelled correctly). 
Only spelled correctly?  Did the reporter, Scott Bowles, really have to add that parenthetical there at the end and reveal yet one

Colorado Inside Out 1858

My Brother Wins an Emmy

OK.  A regional emmy. 

OK.  Technically, it was the producers of the program that won the emmy. 

KBDI TV does a news review show called Colorado Inside Out.  A couple times they did "historic" versions, in which the reporters wore historical costumes and covered the events of the time.  The emmy winner was the 1858 version, in which my brother played William Byers, founder of the Rocky Mountain News. He wears a top hat, ascot and striped topcoat with tails.  The whole show

Watt's at Interior

OK, Here's Another....

The Copper Clapper Caper

Now This is Funny

Earthquake Critic

Headline of the Day

"China Opens Trial of Earthquake Critic"--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 12

A fault-finder.


When Stars Collide
"Dozens Hurt in Big Dipper Crash"--headline, BBC Web site, Aug. 11
 

 
When Elk Join Hezbollah
" ‘Elk Explosion' in Southern Sweden"--headline, Local (Sweden), Aug. 11
 

Now This is Scary
"Pee-Wee Herman to Return After 20 Years"--headline, MSNBC.com, Aug. 11
 

News of the Tautological
"Skywatchers to See Streaking Meteors"--headline, Associated Press, Aug. 11 

Now Why D

The Autumn of the Modern Ages - Part I

"Many of the conclusions that were drawn from the old account are still around, but the basis they stood on has vanished."

One of the characteristics of the Modern Age that has recently ended was that it was the Age of Science.  But this must be understood.  It was the Age of a Particular Kind of Science.  In the broader sense, Science covers a great deal more territory than the reductionist account that has proven so useful for so long.  Whether the Postmodern version of science will be as frui

Public Service Announcement

Request for Informants
The following appeared on the White House blog on August 4th: www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care.  These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation.  Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see somethi