Monthly Archives: September 2021

Paleolake:

A paleolake is a lake that has existed in the past. Its origin can be dated back to an era when the climate and hydrological conditions of its area were different than today. These types of lakes may have already dried up or may be in the process of drying up, or have become filled with sediment, and are now significantly smaller in size than they were in the past. These paleolakes are known as former lakes and shrunken lakes. Depending on the manner of water loss, a shrunken lake may actually have divided into two or more smaller lakes. [WorldAtlas]

Or, as used below, palaeolake. Noted in “The other cradle of humanity: How Arabia shaped human evolution,” Michael Marshall, NewScientist (21 August 2021):

Since then, [Michael] Petraglia’s team and others have published many similar findings. “We now know there are about 10,000 palaeolakes of Arabia,” he says. “We’ve only been to a couple of hundred. On 70 per cent of those we found fossils or archaeology.” Hominins even lived in what is now the Rub’ al-Khali desert. At Mundafan Al-Buhayrah, a flat region that was once a lake, the team found stone tools dating from between 100,000 and 80,000 years ago.

Especially heliophysics:

Sunspots located near the sun’s western limb are magnetically connected to Earth. The sun’s magnetic field spirals around like a lawn sprinker–a shape known as the “Parker spiral.” Look at this diagram. Lines of magnetic force coming out of the western limb curve around and touch our planet.

If there is an eruption today while AR2860 is passing through this danger zone, the debris will be funneled back to Earth. The resulting radiation storm could pepper satellites with high-energy protons, fogging cameras and causing reboots of onboard electronics. At such times, shortwave radio propagation can become difficult to impossible. During extreme storms, passengers and crew in commercial aircraft may be exposed to radiation. [SpaceWeather.com]

We have a stable star as the Sun, but it still has its shrieks and outrages.

BTW, this is a cool pic.

I see Erick Erickson is mighty proud of being a radio host:

Six months in and I’m the only 12-3 national host to make number one in a top ten radio market across formats — music and talk — both overall and in the ever precious 25-54 “demo.” (July ratings)

Now I’m number 26 on this list. Thanks very much. As always, where ever you are, you can listen live right here 12pm to 3pm ET every weekday and you can even call in at 1-877-973-7425.

I have to wonder how much he’ll regret what he’s having to do – consciously or unconsciously – in a decade or two.

As I’ve already noted, he’s charged into the Afghanistan withdrawal as if were an uber-angel, calling for the resignations of President Biden and VP Harris, suggesting the 25th Amendment should be invoked on Biden, while claiming Harris has disappeared in the wake of self-made disasters (Jennifer Rubin has a far more positive assessment), all supported with supposed facts.

Me? I’m waiting for facts to be verified. A fair assessment requires “facts” of a stable nature, a clear eyed view of what has happened and what appears to be happening, lots of study, and a self-awareness of fallibility and ignorance. My experience is that initial facts are often wrong, either made up of whole cloth or lacking important context. A number of conservative sources, for instance, cited a report that the Taliban used a helicopter to hang someone. It didn’t take long for the truth to come out: the guy was in a harness and was very much alive.

I don’t know if Erickson cited that particular incident, as I’m having trouble reading his columns – I shake my head so much I get dizzy.

But I do cite these two indisputable points in support of my concern about his future: On August 19th he demanded President Biden resign. This is hardly into the withdrawal itself, even before the deaths of the thirteen heroes by suicide bomber; it’s a hurried call, an attempt to get out ahead of other conservative voices. The pursuit of ratings, if you will.

The second point? This deeply shattered, hate-filled screed motivated by the recently passed Texas anti-abortion law. Based on broken logic and calculated to stir the emotions of its readers, it doesn’t read like the meditations of an intelligent, stable citizen, but the calculated phraseology of an expert at rage communications^[1], with baby-killer this and that. He’s pretending – or perhaps in earnest – to be so blinded by rage that half the post is “baby-killer.”

It’s a great way to keep your audience addicted to those rage hormones. It does nothing to advance the conversation.

But as he lets his pursuit of ratings, rather than truth, shape his messaging, it distorts his image more and more. Not that he was angelic before, but now it’s becoming more and more disturbing.

How long before he calls some poor college freshman a slut?

And will he realize he should be ashamed?

¹ See The Persuaders.

I took this a month or so ago and promptly forgot about it. Now I’m sneaking it by my Arts Editor:

I sure hope that little guy is proud.

Every time I read this headline it made me jumpy, but it took four reads before I finally figured it out. From NewScientist (21 August 2021):

Insect-killing plant found by Australian highway is new to science

Damn, they’re making everything sentient these days!

The anti-abortion law in Texas that permits private citizens to sue anyone who is not the woman but considered involved in the abortion, or apparently even just thinking about it, has gone into effect. Professor Richardson has an interesting, if accurate, summary point:

S.B. 8 puts ordinary people in charge of law enforcement. Anyone—at all—can sue any individual who “aids or abets,” or even intends to abet, an abortion in Texas after six weeks. Women seeking abortion themselves are exempt, but anyone who advises them (including a spouse), gives them a ride, provides counseling, staffs a clinic, and so on, can be sued by any random stranger. If the plaintiff wins, they pocket $10,000 plus court costs, and the clinic that provided the procedure is closed down. If the defendant doesn’t defend themselves, the court must find them guilty. And if the defendant wins, they get…nothing. Not even attorney’s fees.

This is – not literally – a lawyer’s dream, because now everyone in Texas is a potential defendant. All it takes is an allegation that, say, Governor Abbott is considering suggesting a friend get abortion. Proof?

Who cares?

Someone else already sued?

Who cares? Everyone – but the pregnant woman – is a big ol’ piggy bank. You need $10,000, and you know someone who already lost? Sue them again.

All it takes is someone willing to make an allegation. Lawyer costs will ruin defendants, if nothing else.

The first person leaving Texas due to this law may be a pro-choicer, but the second person may be an anti-abortionist burnt by a lawsuit, and pursued by a dozen others.

Jennifer Rubin wants to drag many American voters into, well, adulthood:

But mostly, voters need to elect mature adults, not rage performance artists who use military casualties to demand the president’s impeachment. Voters need to grasp the concept of “no good choices” and “opportunity cost.” In other words, we must be better citizens who insist on better leaders — and then not punish them when they take principled action. [WaPo]

I like the phrase, which I bolded, but I think we first have to give up our addiction to rage performance artists who are simply there to make money off us audiences by telling their audiences what they want to hear, rather than known truths. Once we learn that rage artists are not authentic, are not often rational, and very often are using emotion to manipulate audiences for fun and profit, then we’ll learn to recognize politicians, in both parties, who do not appeal to intellect, but rather brazenly manipulate their audiences.

And discard them.