NASA is shooting things at comets, just to see what happens

And they're naming their devices after cheesy disaster movies.

From their press release:

The Deep Impact spacecraft's 820-pound 'impactor' is scheduled to
smash into the Tempel 1 comet on July 4, Eastern Daylight Time (late
July 3, PDT). Scientists hope to learn more about comets by observing
the resulting cloud of debris following the impact. Scientists believe
the impact will form a crater on the comet.

Ames' Vertical Gun Range is used to simulate the physics and
mechanics of planetary 'impact cratering' and micrometeorite impacts.
For Deep Impact, studies included crater-scaling experiments.

The Vertical Gun has been used to conduct tests related to many other
space missions including Apollo, Mariner 9 to Mars, Mariner 10 to
Venus and numerous others.

Earlier: "It is not appropriate for the U.S. to not be the world's prime space-faring nation."

Schaivo redux

The report generally supported the contention of Schiavo's husband, Michael, accepted by judges in six courts over the years, that she was unaware and incapable of recovering. It also countered arguments by her family, who badly wanted to win custody of Schiavo, that she was responsive and could improve with therapy.

These are dark, dark times

Forty percent of Americans think Bill O'Reilly is a journalist; 27 percent believe Rush Limbaugh is one.

In the poll taken before the Deep Throat revelation, only 30 percent said they considered Bob Woodward a journalist. What the heck did they think he was, a game show host?

As for O'Reilly and Limbaugh...I have pretty much the same thing to say about them as I did about Pat Buchanan last week.

Vote to Restore Hetch Hetchy!

Nearly 100 years ago, the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley -- inside Yosemite National Park -- was stolen from the American people by San Francisco for the city's exclusive use of the Valley's water and power. Today the Valley remains under San Francisco's tyranical control.

Vote in the San Francisco Chronicle poll to restore Hetch Hetchy.

Even if you don't live near Yosemite, this valley belongs to YOU and is meant for your recreation, inspiration and enjoyment -- if you are a US citizen -- because it's in a national park.

Over the years, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has selfishly retained control of the Hetch Hetchy Valley and water system, even though millions of people who live outside the city rely on the system for their water; only one-third of the users of Hetch Hetchy water live in San Francisco!

On top of that, San Francisco PUC has collected tax money from the residents of the cities surrounding San Francisco that use the water, and have funneled that money into the city's general fund, instead of using it for the intended purpose of maintaining the Hetch Hetchy system. As a result, the pipes and pumps have fallen into grave disrepair, putting the whole region at risk of a massive water shortage if a large earthquake hits. The cost of fixing the system continues to skyrocket into the several-billion-dollar range.

Still, San Francisco visciously fights against efforts to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley, even though it would result in the water being stored closer to the millions of people who use it, make the system more stable.

A highly local issue

This man hates children.

We already figured this was the case. See his argument againt the modest parcel tax increase here. Nice work, Jack. You helped get the schools screwed.

Here's proof (see fifth item).

My favorite new blog

It's by an "anonymous" person who may or my not live and/or work in or near Mountain View.

Now this is a funny post. It made me laugh, anyway.

God hates fags

A quote from this Chron story about people from Kansas (yes, the state) picketing against gays in Central California: "Strip away their titles, and those churches are all talking about the same big lie," Phelps-Roper said, "that God loves anyone."

Um, maybe I'm mis-remembering what I learned in Sunday School, but isn't the big message of Christianity that God does love everyone?

Let's summarize.

Bush is against stem-cell research, in favor of war and in favor of global warming. He also loves the death penalty. So much for the "culture of life."

Why hasn't this guy been impeached yet? We don't even need Deep Throat to help us this time. We just need the Downing Street Memo and some notes from an aide in a global-warming brief.

Pat Buchanan is...

...oh, why even bother at this point.

Memorial Day is for baseball...

I am getting my money's worth out of the MLB Extra Innings package. I watched parts of the White Sox, Red Sox, Pirates and Reds games, and all of the Cubs-Dodgers game, of course. I had forgotten how phenomenal Vin Scully is. He talks so slowly and melodically, and seemingly never stops. And there's never a wasted word. And sometimes, he even uses those really big, good words that I love. I had to look one up, even! It was "tattersall." I'm guessing that neither Bob Brenly, nor Joe Morgan nor any of the other idiots who call baseball games on TV know what tattersall means. I might start recording the Dodger games just so I can listen to Vin Scully. No inane jokes, no uncorrected errors...ah....

Cubs look flat in win

This Cubs team is bad. Even in tonight's win (against one of the worst teams in baseball) they look like a group of guys who are already thinking about their plans for the All Star break. Note tonight's ninth inning, which began with two weak ground-outs and ended with "lead-off" hitter Correy Patterson swinging at a ball in the dirt.

This team has no bullpen (as evidenced by Friday night's choke), a fragile rotation and an offense spottier than a car windshield after a drive across a Minnesota interstate.

But at least they won, and so Sandberg the cat got to do his happy dance.

Is it just me, or is the news weirder than usual this week?

Woman who "found" finger in Wendy's chili is searched.
Jimmy Carter hosed by Bushies.
Warden's wife comes home after 11 years with escaped inmate.

And my pick for weirdest of the week, from Bay City News, a local wire service:

WOMAN ACCUSED OF DATING GIRLS GETS COMPETENCY EXAM

An 18-year-old woman accused of pretending to be twin 12-year-old
boys and simultaneously dating two adolescent girls will undergo a
psychiatric evaluation to determine her competency to stand trial in San
Mateo County Superior Court.
Lakesia Michelle Mason pleaded not guilty in March to 13 counts of
lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14 for her alleged relationships with
a 13-year-old girl and an 11-year-old girl.
She denied the special allegations of substantial sexual conduct
with a child under the age of 14 and allegations that the offenses were
committed in more than one jurisdiction and that the crimes were serious
felonies. Mason also pleaded not guilty to providing marijuana to a minor.
The alleged crimes took place in San Francisco and Daly City.
Today in court, Mason's defense attorney raised questions about
Mason's competency to stand trial for the alleged crimes.
According to the state penal code, a person cannot be tried or
punished for a crime while that person is mentally incompetent.
Superior Court Judge Craig Parsons today assigned Mason to undergo
a psychiatric evaluation by two court-appointed doctors. Criminal proceedings
against Mason are suspended pending the outcome of those reports.
According to Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Raffaelli, the two
young girls involved in the case met Mason at a park. Mason befriended the
11-year-old and later introduced the girl's 13-year-old friend to her "twin''
brother. Mason then allegedly became involved with both girls.
Mason was arrested on Jan. 17 after the brother of the 13-year-old
saw his sister hugging Mason, who he thought was an older boy. Police soon
learned that Mason was a woman.
After charging Mason for her alleged relationship with the
13-year-old, the prosecution learned of Mason's alleged relationship with the
11-year-old.
Mason is scheduled to return to court for receipt of the doctor's
reports on May 6.

--Dwana Bain

Opening Day

While it's always nice to see the Cubs rip into somebody 16-6, I'm not going to base any predictions about the rest of the year on today's game. Javier Vazquez had nothing. not a little, but nothing. And if the offense was looking uncharacteristically good, Zambrano was looking uncharacteristically bad. His control was off and he got overcondifident, which one can be forgiven for doing when one has a seven-run lead. But the fit-throwing wasn't a good sign.

I fully expect the exact opposite in tomorrow's game: the Cubs will return to their weak-hitting ways which, combined with a Maddux start, will make it a virtual pitchers dual (though I'm thinking whoever's starting for AZ won't really have the tools to duel with Maddux).

Oh--I think I heard there was a basketball game today, too.

Arizona "Minutemen" take aim against illegals

This NPR piece from Friday is no joke. These armed citizens express their feelings about illegal crossings, including one who says Mexicans coming into the country cheapen her citizenship. She makes about as much sense as the folks who argue that gay marriage will somehow weaken straight marriages across the country.

Dual loyalties?

"There are Sox fans (like myself), and there are Cub fans (for no apparent reason). A Sox fan hates the Cubs. A real Cub fan (and there are some of these around) hates the Sox but not as vehemently as the Sox fan hates the Cubs. The `bandwagon' Cub fan (and there are lots of these) doesn't really care about the Sox (or doesn't even know they exist)."

I really don't care about the Sox and have nothing against their fans; I'm too busy hating the Cardinals and their a-hole fans to have much hate left for the South Siders.

Conservative journo suggests righties get into the news biz

(from Romenesko)
Conservative Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel columnist Patrick McIlheran writes: "The blogosphere and National Review are dandy, but ultimately they repackage news, not
originate it. If conservatives want news they can believe, they must
involve themselves in the daily reporting, photographing, editing,
headlining and producing of news as eagerly as do liberals. Honestly, it's
not a hard field to get into. It's fun, and you'll find there are other
conservatives, too (as well as a lot of reasonably friendly liberals)."

Yeah, he's right that it's fun, and not usually hard to get into (depending on your circumstances) but he skipped over the fact that you have to be willing to make less money than a new teacher does.

Make end-of-life decisions for yourself, while you can

If any good comes of this Schiavo mess, perhaps it will be that more people make their wishes known to more of their loved ones.


An end to it all
The issues raised by the Terri Schiavo case linger and are as complicated as life itself
Make decision for yourself--now

By Hesham A. Hassaballa
a Chicago doctor and freelance writer
Published March 27, 2005

There are countless Terri Schiavos across the nation, and the same difficult issues are being grappled with every single day.

I have witnessed many of these heart-wrenching situations as a pulmonary/critical care physician, and it has profoundly affected my thinking about end-of-life issues.

As a physician in the 21st Century, I have witnessed medical technology advance to such a degree that diseases that once killed can now be cured with little effort or at least treated successfully.

HIV is one. When I was a young lad in medical school, I would rarely see a patient with HIV over 30, and frequently they came into the hospital deathly ill. Now, however, I am routinely consulted on patients with HIV well into their 50s who have more "routine" medical illnesses.

Yet for all the advancement in medical technology, I have also seen a person be stricken with a disease that simply does not respond to treatment. Sometimes, in fact, the treatments administered can do much more harm than good. Mind you, this is not malpractice--it's just reality.

The most difficult cases for me, however, are the patients who, while surviving the disease's initial onslaught, are left with permanent organ damage, the most serious of which is the brain and nervous system.

Frequently, they are left neither fully alive nor fully dead.

This is where the difficult questions arise: Do we continue to "do everything," or do we "let nature take its course"?

The answers are not easy.

Continuing to "do everything" may come at a high price and with pain when subjecting the patient to complications of medical procedures and side effects of medications. Allowing "nature to take its course," on the other hand, can be an equally heart-wrenching decision, with feelings of guilt and remorse for relatives who perceive that they have "given up" on their loved one.

Yet these very difficult questions must be answered by every single one of us--here and now--when we are of sound mind, if not body. I cannot tell you how horrible a situation it is when a doctor approaches frightened and terrified family members--watching their loved one be in extremis--and ask them, "Should we do everything?"

Quite often, the family says, "do everything, doctor."

Yet that either may not be the most medically appropriate choice, such as in a patient with a terminal condition, or may not be what the patient truly wanted for himself or herself.

I have made my decision already: If there is no hope for my meaningful recovery, then I do not want my life sustained; please, let me die in peace and dignity and return to my Creator.

But that is not a decision I should be making for my patients. Rather, it is a decision for every free-willed human being and--most important--one that should be clearly delineated to our doctors and loved ones.

When I bring up end-of-life issues with my patients, they frequently fidget uncomfortably. It is such an important issue to discuss, however, that a brief moment of uncomfortable silence in a doctor's office is well worth it.

Whatever the decision, it has to be made, and it should be made between oneself, one's god, and one's family.

Governors mansions, state legislatures, houses of Congress and Oval Offices should never have to get involved.


Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune

Sports reporters screw up Dusty coverage

This is interesting on many levels. The coverage issue is intriguing; why doesn't anyone want to ask Dusty about racism? He's been prefectly willing to share his feelings on race before.

The second interesting issue: is Chicago so racist that a black manager can't make it? Chicago is pretty racist. There is no disputing that. But I've never known criticisms of Dusty to be unwarranted or seemingly racist in any way.

Why are Americans fat?

The answers are many; some complex, some simple.

Have you been shopping for china or stoneware recently? I have. The trend is toward HUGE plates. Salad plates are the size of what I'd consider a dinner plate, and what passes for a dinner plate these days is the size of a serving platter. Bowls are deep, cavernous pits. Check out your local Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrell, etc., when you have a chance. These huge dinning pieces have the insidious effect of making you want to fill them up. It's the little things that are making people so big.

Yesterday I was tooling around the touristy part of San Francisco on my bike, from Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 to the Golden Gate Bridge visitors' center. I saw a fair number of tourists on rented bikes, but I also noticed a new trend: people are renting these little miniature roadster thingies called "Go-Cars." You can also rent a Segway and get around town on that. Just another example of laziness and the trend away from exercise as recreation.

Preserving wild space is good for the economy!

This is a fascinating article from Outside Magazine (which contains consistently great writing). Basically, economists are finding that preserving wild spaces for recreation and air and water quality makes more economic sense than drilling, logging and mining in most cases.