Bits and Pieces

  
This is about little hunks and chunks of stuff which rang my chimes as I cruised the internet this morning. The first note is enough to gag a maggot.

Artists for Gaia

If you have your barf bag handy, I suggest you click here for a piece by David Thompson on a ten day excursion by some artists to the pole. Let him tell you about the super-sensitive artistic temperament when exposed to the rigors of polar life. They allegedly traveled there to gain inspiration for their talents in this “threatened” part of the world.

Hasan in Medical Malpractice

In the law, certain relationships are sacrosanct and protected from the prying eyes of district attorneys and other investigators seeking evidence of wrong doing. E.g., a wife cannot be forced to testify against a husband or vice versa; attorney-client is a privileged relationship; a priest may not share information gathered in a confessional; and medical personnel must hold data gathered in confidence.

Major Hasan, in a rush to supply grief to returning Iraqi vets, allegedly wanted to bring charges against the soldiers who, during counseling, shared information about their activities in theater. Sitting in judgment, he heard the tales and determined that they should be subject to discipline for their activities. To pursue this course required that he share the incidents with other persons in violation of the current code of conduct.

For more information on this behavior, go to the Dallas Morning News. Of course no one wants to call him a terrorist for aiding and abetting an enemy.

Are you Smarter than a Fourth Grader?

Al Gore would definitely fail this test. Here we have an interview with Conan O’Brien on the tonight show which taxes everyone’s gullibility to match Gore’s ignorance.

On the Corner at National Review, John Derbyshire furnished some information which is a dependable look at the temperatures on the interior of the earth.

“The geothermal gradient is usually quoted as 25–50 degrees Celsius per mile of depth in normal terrain (not, e.g., in the crater of Kilauea). Two kilometers down, therefore, (that's a mile and a quarter if you're not as science-y as Al) you'll have an average gain of 30–60 degrees — exploitable for things like home heating, though not hot enough to make a nice pot of tea. The temperature at the earth's core, 4,000 miles down, is usually quoted as 5,000 degrees Celsius, though these guys claim it's much less, while some contrarian geophysicists have posted claims up to 9,000 degrees. The temperature at the surface of the Sun is around 6,000 degrees Celsius, while at the center, where nuclear fusion is going on big time, things get up over 10 million degrees.

If the temperature anywhere inside the earth was 'several million degrees,' we'd be a star.”

On a side note, the much maligned George Bush utilizes geo-thermal energy for heat in his home on his Texas ranch. It is cited as the most efficient of all non fossil fuel oriented sources for consistent heat. It requires no wind, sun, or running rivers to work. Can the world’s champion of ecology and Nobel recipient claim the same for his extravagant house?

As I said, just a few things I found which blow holes in some preconceived notions.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon