That time of the year is once again upon us. I will participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as a way to raise money to help eliminate the scourge of breast cancer. If you're participating in the race, or have already donated, thanks. If not, and you would consider sponsoring me, please drop me an email and I'll send you the link to my personal page. As someone whose life has been touched by breast cancer, I hope for the day when this disease has been eradicated.

For the record, I receive no benefit from donations in my name. My picture won't appear in the paper, my ugly mug won't be on TV and I don't get a paid vacation or any such thing if I receive a certain amount of donations. Sponsoring me only gets your money routed to the right people.

Thanks for your attention. This post will remain at the top of this blog until race day, which is May 10 here in Richmond.

Update: People are very generous. I've reached my, admittedly modest, fund raising goal. However, there's nothing to stop you from giving more. Really, it's a great cause.

Update: Thanks, Bill. It's much appreciated.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 11:59 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Found this link via Jerry Pournelle and couldn't resist sharing some excerpts:

The UK Telegraph reports on April 30: “Global warming will stop until at least 2015 because of natural variations in the climate, scientists have said. Researchers studying long-term changes in sea temperatures said they now expect a "lull" for up to a decade while natural variations in climate cancel out the increases caused by man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The average temperature of the sea around Europe and North America is expected to cool slightly over the decade while the tropical Pacific remains unchanged. This would mean that the 0.3°C global average temperature rise which has been predicted for the next decade by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change may not happen, according to the paper published in the scientific journal Nature.”

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“This whole climate change issue is rapidly disintegrating. From now onwards climate alarmists will be on the retreat. […] All indications are that we are now on the threshold of global cooling associated with the second and less active solar cycle.” – May 2, 2008 - By Professor Dr. Will J.R. Alexander, Emeritus of the Department of Civil and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a former member of the United Nations Scientific and Technical Committee on Natural Disasters

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“Their entire global warming scare was based on around two decades of warming in the late 20th century so if that is followed by 20 years of stasis and cooling, which one of those two episodes represents the trend? How can we be sure that there is ANY trend?” - Australian John Ray, Ph.D., who publishes the website Greenie Watch said on May 2

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3) UK Astronomer Dr. David Whitehouse, who authored the 2004 book The Sun: A Biography, said on May 1, 2008: “Isn't it curious that over the next decade man-made global warming will be cancelled out by natural cycles. It's nice that Mother Nature (not the journal) is helping us this way but it does beg the question as to whether the man-made effect was all that significant if it can be nullified this way.”

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4) Astrophysicist Piers Corbyn, founder of the UK based long-term solar forecast group Weather Action, said on April 30: “It is noteworthy that this 'prediction' in the journal Nature coincides pretty well with various solar-based predictions including the solar-magnetic based prediction we issued from WeatherAction in Jan this year - i.e. cooling till 2013 at least. It seems like the 'Anything But the Sun' faction of UN IPCC works by copying what has already been predicted by a number of solar-based forecasting techniques and then attributing the cause to something earth-based. That way they hope to save the lie that man's irrelevant earth-based efforts could cause climate change. Of course the long term cooling change expected in sea temperatures referred to in this paper in Nature as 'cause' is nothing of the sort it is a consequence of the changes in sun-earth magnetic and particle links. The Nature article is in effect saying that 'Climate Change causes climate change'. Give us a break! Why is there a 22 year cycle in the solar magnetic links and also the same cycle in world temperatures? The reason is that the earth-sun magnetic links drive world temperatures (and this understanding enables successful long-range weather forecasts to be made). The pillars of pseudo-science writing in nature believe their 'sea cycle' is the driver of what happens so they will have to tell us that that the sun's magnetic field is driven by the Earth's oceans. Does anyone buy this? Application of the scientific method to science would be a good idea!”

There's a lot more there which you might want to look at, unless your brain is so calcified with the answer you know to be correct that you can't be bothered to look at any actual data.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 11:51 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I predict that Hillary will win Indiana by 10 tonight. Also, I predict that Obama will survive in NC, despite the water that his campaign has been taking on. So call it Obama by 2 tonight.

If my predictions are off, well, what did you expect for nothing? Anyway, feel free to weigh in with your predictions in the comments.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:33 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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From LC Brendan at the Emperor's site comes this missive which simply must be read if you believe that you have the right to protect yourself. If you don't believe that, well, I hope that all is well in the land of pixies and fairies which you currently inhabit. Just hope that the goblins don't come out after dark.

Entire article is included below the fold, owing to its length.

more...

Posted by: Physics Geek at 07:21 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Or maybe it's dead trees. Yes, definitely dead trees.

An idea whose time has come: increasing your carbon footprint. Excerpt:

Carbon Debits - Increasing Your Carbon Footprint...

Making a carbon debit is a delicate matter taking both skill and time. Our carbon debiting process starts with our FECON spinning shredder and a driver who has vendetta against trees. Add any tree and about 20 seconds and a carbon debit is born!

On a Mission - Taking Away Al Gore's Carbon Credits...
We are on a mission to take away every one of Al Gore's meaningless carbon credits by simply providing carbon debits. Help us make this dream a reality by purchasing one of the packages below. Don't let Al Gore assuage his guilt with meaningless penance, heap it back on with carbon debits – every one of which we will let him know about.

Included is the image of your carbon footprint certificate, which I've placed below the fold.

more...

Posted by: Physics Geek at 06:57 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Looks like Gandalf the Grey will return. Excerpt:

McKellen Reprising Gandalf In Hobbit

British actor Ian McKellen told Empire magazine that he will reprise the role of the wizard Gandalf in Guillermo del Toro's upcoming movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, the Reuters news service reported.

The 68-year-old star played the part in the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. Mexican filmmaker del Toro has been named to direct two films based on The Hobbit, which Jackson will produce and co-write.

"Yes, it's true," McKellen told Empire. "I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part, and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it's not a part that you turn down; I loved playing Gandalf."

Del Toro, whose credits include Pan's Labyrinth, will move to New Zealand for the next four years to work on both Hobbit films with executive producer Jackson, according to New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

The studios have said that filming will begin in 2009, with tentative release dates set in 2010 for the first film and 2011 for the sequel.

Hmm. By 2010, my son will be 8 years old. Considering that I read The Hobbit for the first time at that ripe age, I think that I forsee a father/son outing. After, of course, he's finished reading the book. Lucky for him, I have a copy lying around the house.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 12:26 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So Jeff Goldstein is going behind enemy lines at the Democratic National Convention. No word yet on whether Ann Coulter will show up as his room with a 6-pack of Mickey's Big Mouth again. Stay tuned.

Posted by: Physics Geek at 08:34 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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