Short for "GeologicalScienceBlog", subjects will include Geology, Climatology, Environmental Science, NASCAR, Beer, Property Rights, Politics from a Christian Conservative/Libertarian viewpoint, and random thoughts. My background is two degrees in Geology (BS, MS), 8 years of geology/environmental employment and almost 8 years of teaching Geology and Environmental Science on a Junior College level. <68>

Friday, July 03, 2009

Thursday Videos on Friday

'cause with Independence Day being tomorrow, just a reminder of the type of theocracy we might lose our freedom to, not the evil Christians that Leftists love to hate, but Shari'a.

From YouTube user Acts17Apologetics:



Do you think a festival of American Christians or Jews would behave like this? Catholics or Mormons? They might cast a wary eye, but I don't think you would see this level of intolerance.

The recognition of Freedom of Speech and Faith grew out of European Judeo-Christian Culture and was nurtured by the American Judeo-Christian Culture. Shari'a-driven cultures don't recognize the God-given right of Free Speech and Worship for anyone other than "their brand" of Islam.

It is up to us to defend our own culture. Do you think a Shari'a-based legal system would offer any protection for the "protected groups" that AG Holder spoke of the other day, in regard to the "Hate Crimes" legislation?

[I don't have a problem with Muslims that assimilate into our culture, but I would suspect at least some of these folks have allegiances that are with Islam, not the United States.]

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 9:51 AM 1 comments
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Thursday, July 02, 2009

A Really, Really Bad Idea...

with Really, Really Bad Results.

Fox News is reporting on a story from Florida about an idiot that had a Burmese Python in the same home as a baby. [Update: Fox later said it was a 2 year-old.]

You can guess the worst-case end to this story, though I don't think the snake got the chance to eat the baby, just kill it. [Update: The father stabbed the python to make it turn the kid loose, but it was too late. The serpent still lives.]

There should be a special place in hell for such parents, along with those that have Rotweilers and Pit Bulls that kill their their babies/toddlers.

Aside from this safety issue, the Everglades are being overrun by an estimated 20,000 Burmese Pythons, eating the foods normally eaten by alligators (and probably eating young gators). This does not bode well for the future of this ecosystem.

IMHO, There is just something weird about people that collect big snakes.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 9:13 AM 2 comments
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Pigs Have Flown!

Well, well, well.

I am surprised.

Helen Thomas is being a thorn in the side of the Obamanoids during a press conference.

From the CNS News Report - "Helen Thomas: Not Even Nixon Tried to Control the Media Like Obama"

Read about it here.

For the moment, I have a shred of respect for the old girl.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 8:12 AM 0 comments
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Pray for the soldier captured in Afghanistan

Do you think the Taliban insurgents will read him his Miranda rights?

Do you think they will consider the Geneva Convention in his treatment?

Do you think sleep deprivation or waterboarding will be the worst thing to happen to him?

Will Muslim lawyers be running to volunteer to help represent him?

Stay tuned. If he is returned alive at some point, I will be surprised.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 8:03 AM 0 comments
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Thursday Videos - A Clear Voice of Reason

So, when will the MSM wing of the Socialist Party start to try to tear her down, as they have been trying with Governor Sarah Palin, Joe the Plumber...?



Remember, if left unchecked, they can do this to any private business.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 7:53 AM 0 comments
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Thursday Videos - on Wednesday...

'cause some things are just to important (or infuriating) to wait.

By way of Moonbattery (and YouTube user RPFlower13601) comes this video of Democrat NY State Senators refusing to stand or participate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

[Yes we will question their patriotism.]



To see from whom they take their cue, check the photo at this link.

[I seem to remember that, a couple of years ago, a group of Boy Scouts was jeered (and perhaps spat upon) during a flag presentation to open a session in one of the NY State Assembly chambers (by Democrats, of course).]

And now they have succeeded in installing Al Franken in the U.S. Senate.

God help us, seriously.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 7:39 AM 0 comments
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Monday, June 29, 2009

Accusations of Treason

Moonbat columnist Paul Krugman is accusing Climate Realists of treason against the planet, while FrontPage mag has this article about how Barack Obama's desired cuts in missile defense are presented a real and present danger to Hawaii.

[It seems that the NYT has made it difficult to cut-and-paste quotes from their Op-Ed columns, so they can take it and stick it with their collapsing circulation numbers. So I won't bother any further. The only reason I link to it is so you can seen the mindset by which certain Leftists could use "hate crimes" legislation in the future. If you disagree with the government position on global warming/climate change, you could be put on trial for your viewpoints.]

As a reminder,...an estimated 90 to 95% of the Greenhouse Effect is due to water vapor and clouds. Carbon dioxide - while a Greenhouse Gas - only comprises 0.0385% of the atmosphere and by some estimates, only contributes maybe 4% or so to the Greenhouse Effect.

It is a power grab by a bunch of control freaks.

As for the issue of Korean missiles being "tested" by firing them towards Hawaii appears to be unmet, due to out-of-date software. It seems that present software will only track missiles at half the speed of the current Korean missile-of-interest. It would cost $50 million to bring it up to snuff.

[OK, not sure what is happening. Can't seem to cut-and-paste from FrontPage mag, either. So I soften my insult of the NYT. Will come back to this later.]

The Obama administration wants to cut $1.2 billion from missile defense, calling it "unproven" and "destabilizing" in past speeches.

Yeah, we know what is important in the minds of Libs.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 9:11 AM 0 comments
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Happy 100th Birthday, Shiner Beer

From a broadcast from MyFoxHouston, a report on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Spoetzl Brewing Co., of Shiner, TX.

[I couldn't get the embed code to work, so try this link for the video.]

One minor quibble with the reporter, at the end, he says "Take that Corona", in reference to Shiner now being exported to Mexico.

Actually, the importer of Corona was the savior of Spoetzl in 1989, purchasing the brewery as it was near its "deathbed". I don't recall the specifics, but somehow the purchase of the brewery gave the importer some sort of advantage vis-à-vis Texas beer laws. So as much as one might sneer at Corona, it has played a role in preserving the last of the original Texas breweries.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 1:55 AM 1 comments
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Friday, June 12, 2009

Just Found an Excellent Analogy...

on the GraniteGrok blog:

Stimulus. It's Like Unprotected Sex... Fun right now, who-knows-what repercussions later.

[To the adults in the audience, I shouldn't have to explain further.]

From proprietor Doug's perch in the Granite State of New Hampshire, in this post (which you should go read) he lists just some of the "presents" New Hampshire towns are getting from the stimulus, paid for by the Chinese Communist government and our grandchildren.

Duplicate that by hundreds of towns in the remaining 49 states, to go along with the baskets of our cash promised to others...

The tea should be boiling about now.

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 10:37 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Tuesday Videos - Just Something Interesting That I Ran Across...

while surfing the web.

Scientists and musical historians have attempted to recreate an musical instrument that has been "extinct" for some 300 years, i.e., it has been out of use. It is a long, slender horn called the medieval lituus.

Anyway, the video may help explain it (from YouTube user EPSRCvideo):



From the Wikipedia entry:

..."The lituus was used for a variety of purposes, including as part of classical compositions. Johann Sebastian Bach specified the use of the lituus for his composition O Jesu Christ, Meins Lebens Licht. This motet or chorale prelude, written in the 1730s, is believed to be the only remaining composition that calls for the lituus whose score is available,[1] and certainly one of the last pieces ever written for the instrument.[2] Since there are no known surviving examples of a medieval lituus, the exact appearance and sound is unknown. However, researchers have been able to rely on depictions of the instrument to approximate its characteristics.[3]"... [Emphasis added.]

A partial list of references from the entry.

[1]^ a b c d Staff (2009-06-02), Bach's lituus used for first time in 300 years, Telegraph Media Group Limited, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/5424719/Bachs-lituus-used-for-first-time-in-300-years.html, retrieved on 2009-06-03
[2]^ Staff (2009-05-31), Researchers resurrect extinct musical instrument, RedOrbit, http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1697337/researchers_resurrect_extinct_musical_instrument, retrieved on 2009-06-03
[3]^ a b Ghosh, Pallab (2009-05-30), 'Lost' music instrument recreated, BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8075223.stm, retrieved on 2009-06-03

Basically, the conclusion was that the instrument was cumbersome and difficult to play, that may explain why it disappeared into history.

[Just to show you that I am capable of being impressed by something outside of rocks, beer, politics, and NASCAR.]

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Posted by: on-the-rocks / 5:58 AM 0 comments
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