August 17, 2017

Fox News debate on Confederate monuments blows up in their faces.

Priceless!

Abby Huntsman (center) hosts what she intends as a balanced debate about Confederate monuments, but finds to her dismay that Wendy Osefo (left) and Gianno Caldwell (right) are on the same side and the issue on their minds is not statues.

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/346751-fox-friends-guest-anyone-who-defends-trump-is-morally-bankrupt

August 17, 2017

Here's something from Fox News that's well worth watching!

Priceless!

Abby Huntsman (center) hosts what she intends as a balanced debate about Confederate monuments, but finds to her dismay that Wendy Osefo (left) and Gianno Caldwell (right) are on the same side and the issue on their minds is not statues.

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/346751-fox-friends-guest-anyone-who-defends-trump-is-morally-bankrupt

August 15, 2017

Trump Train Tweet, Fixed

Oops! never mind. It seems the original cartoonist is complaining about altered versions of his work, including the altered version that Trump posted on Twitter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2017/08/15/trumps-deleted-cartoon-dramatically-altered-the-message-says-indianapolis-star-creator/

August 14, 2017

Trump says he's considering pardon for Joe Arpaio

That figures!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/08/14/trump-says-hes-considering-pardon-for-joe-arpaio/

August 14, 2017

CNN says "Saturday was Donald Trump's worst day as president."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/politics/trump-worst-day/index.html

This reminds me of the time Marvin the robot was stranded for half a trillion years:

"The first ten million years were the worst," said Marvin, "and the second ten million years, they were the worst too. The third million years I didn't enjoy at all. After that I went into a bit of decline."

This is Trump's presidency in a nutshell.

August 13, 2017

I have some questions about "counterfeit" eclipse viewing glasses.

I have some eclipse viewing glasses that I got from Amazon over a month ago. I tried a pair when I got them and they seem to work just as they should. The sun is reduced to a clearly visible disk and I felt no sign of discomfort or eye strain looking directly at the sun on a clear afternoon.

Amazon just notified several of their customers, including me, that the glasses we got from them aren't properly certified, and they recommend that we not use them to view the sun. (See https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029453375)

Since the glasses don't appear to pass an uncomfortable amount of visible light, is the reason for this supposed danger that they might pass harmful radiation in the infrared or ultraviolet regions of the spectrum? If so, is it infrared, ultraviolet, or both?

If it's ultraviolet radiation, I had cataract surgery in both eyes and my lens implants are opaque to ultraviolet light. Can I expect that to help protect my retinas?

Thanks for any information.

August 13, 2017

Amazon, don't refund my money, send me the right eclipse viewing glasses! You have 1 week to do it.

I received my special eclipse viewing glasses from Amazon over a month ago and I've been reading that they've recently gotten expensive and hard to find, as one might expect. My flight to Nashville leaves one week from today, and yesterday I received this from Amazon:

To: [my email address]
Subject: Important Product Safety Notification Regarding Your Amazon.com
Order #[redacted]
From: "Amazon.com" <order-update@amazon.com>
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2017 08:54:25 +0000

Hello,

We’re writing to provide you with important safety information about the eclipse products you purchased on Amazon (order #[redacted] for Solar Eclipse Glasses CE and ISO Certified 10 Pack by WEBSUN for Direct Sun Viewing Safety Eye Protection Glasses).

To protect your eyes when viewing the sun or an eclipse, NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) advise you to use solar eclipse glasses or other solar filters from recommended manufacturers. Viewing the sun or an eclipse using any other glasses or filters could result in loss of vision or permanent blindness.

Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer. We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse.

Amazon is applying a balance for the purchase price to Your Account (please allow 7-10 days for this to appear on Your Account). There is no need for you to return the product. You can view your available balance and activity here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/gc/balance/

For more information about safely viewing a solar eclipse please see the NASA and AAS websites.

If you purchased this item for someone else, please pass along this information to the recipient.

We hope to see you again soon.

Sincerely,

Customer Service
Amazon.com

August 10, 2017

I just realized one of the main reasons Rachel Maddow's show is my favorite.

There are a lot of good reasons, of course, but the one I just realized is that she never plays videos of Trump speaking. I can't stand to listen to him and I'm always hitting the mute button.

Edit: Oops! I'm wrong. Rachel just played a short video of Trump speaking.

August 7, 2017

Paul Krugman borrows atheist's favorite cat for the role of "Debt Ceiling Cat."

https://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/

August 6, 2017

In apparent desperation Fox News stoops to a new low, asking "Would you even care if he was guilty?"

I don't normally click on Fox News links, but you have to admit this is some powerful click-bait:

Would you even care if he was guilty?

And yes, they're referring to Trump. I couldn't help thinking of that Febreze commercial that goes "sometimes the things you love can stink."