Only on the Internet

Much ink has been spilled about the changes wrought with the coming of the internet. Much smarter people have given much better insight about these dramatic shifts. But let me throw my proverbial hat in the ring.

When you turn on the television you can see sights from around the world. Dig through imaginations on Sci-Fi channel or head to the markets of India on the Travel Channel. You can rent dvds about anything. But it is only on the internet where you can get the latest update on the developments of the People's Liberation Army Navy (China's Navy). Like any old intelligence analyst you can break down the meaning of new mast on a new ship, discuss capabilities, and give your opinion on how the USA should respond. Really amazing.

Your Video of the Day

For all economic freaks:

Gut Punch

The Vikings lost in the most horrible way possible. Fumbles, interceptions, and some lame calls. Still hurts.

Conference Championship Picks

The Vikes survived and thrived last week. But we got another one. I'm picking the Vikings in a close win, but I wouldn't be surprised if they won by 30 or lost by 30. We'll see what team shows up.

Vikings 31 ;  Saints 27

Colts 20 ;  Jets 13

GO VIKES!

Reason #17 that I'm Getting Old

When you read this blog, please be aware of the time it was posted. Then subtract an hour. Then remember that the 24th is Sunday. And then you'll say to yourself, man, unless Redhead in Rapid has kids (which he doesn't) he must be old, cause who is going to get up so freaking early.

Fortunately, the internet exists to confirm my bias and make me feel good about myself. To that end:
Early risers are more proactive than evening people:

Yes, according to Christoph Randler who surveyed 367 student participants and found a correlation between their self-reported 'morningness' (as revealed by their answers to questions about how easy they find it to get up in the morning and how alert they feel) and their self-reported proactivity (measured by their agreement with statements like 'I spend time identifying long-range goals for myself' and 'I feel responsible for my own life'). The correlation was relatively weak (.44, where 1 would be a perfect match) but was statistically significant. 

Yay! Statistically significant!

Money Money Machine...

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court expanded "corporate personhood" and allowed unlimited spending on political campaigns (but not for politicians). Like most change in politics, this news brought lots of hyperventilating...it's the end of the world and Exxon is going to buy all politicians from here to Timbuktu. I'm not so sure. As highlighted in Marginal Revolution, from a paper by Stephen Ansolabehere, John de Figueireido, and James Snyder.

Finally, we illustrate that when one controls for unobserved constituent and legislator effects, there is little relationship between money and legislator votes. Thus, the question is not why there is so little money politics, but rather why organized interests give at all. 

Now there are some problems with this paper because it only accounts for direct campaign contributions (from individuals, PACs, etc...) and doesn't address 507 spending. Nevertheless, the study holds true with my experience of politics. At the end of the day we still have one vote for one person. The hyperventilaters assume that people are idiots. I don't think they are idiots and I don't think this is the end of the world.

Reason #29 Astronomy equals Awesome

I like astronomy and space and stars far away, despite the fact the America's space program is a complete disaster. I even flirted with becoming a physics major in college so that would have a chance at going to space (not great thinking on my part). Anyway, this from popsci just makes me smile:

Future humans won't have to wait to travel to Pandora for the chance to mine unobtanium, because Neptune and Uranus may have diamond icebergs floating atop liquid diamond seas closer to home. The surprise finding comes from the first detailed measurements of the melting point of diamond, Discovery News reports.

Scientists zapped diamond with a laser at pressures 40 million times greater than the Earth's atmosphere at sea level, and then slowly reduced both temperature and pressure. They eventually found that diamond behaves like water during freezing and melting, and that chunks of diamond will float in the liquid diamond.

I hope this is true.

It's the End of the World! OR Sweet Victory!

As you've probably heard, a Mr. Scott Brown is now the Junior Senator from Massachusetts. This surprising for two reasons: (1) his last name doesn't begin with a "K"; and, (2) he's a Republican. Senator Brown has revitalized the formally extinct, Northeastern Republican. The theme over the next few days will be "overwroughtness." Democrats will bemoan the lack of faith of the American people. They will blame Obama for not being liberal enough and their leaders for fecklessness. On the other hand, the Republicans will crow and strut and declare ultimate victory. Both of these sentiments are wrong. This is simply the pendulum swinging and doesn't necessarily herald the inevitable rise of the GOP. Right now, the GOP don't have any better ideas about fixing the major problems facing America. Fortunately for the GOP, the Dems play tribal politics like no one else.

Artillery

The invention of the cannon inaugurated a sea-change in the implementation of war. Castles no longer provided appropriate protection, nor could an army just stand outside the gates of a well defended fort. Napoleon's great contribution to war fighting was his expert use of smooth bore cannons, maximizing the effectiveness of this devastating weapon. Throughout the 19th century cannon technology was improved until it became artillery in the first world war. And on the Western Front, WWI was an artillery war, with rolling bombardments and the "Big Bertha," a German howitzer capable of firing a 2,100 lb shell 16,000 yards.

Artillery continued to play an important role in WWII, Vietnam, and other theaters of operation. However, it soon lost its supremacy in war and though still in use, fell out of popular imagination. Artillery seemed like a tool from another age--useful, but old and crusty. Today, when we think of modern war and the Global War on Terrorism we don't think of artillery and its role in knocking out the bad guys. Fortunately, artillery is still alive and well, kicking butt in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With that in mind check out these photographs of artillery in action and this quote:

There is no exaggeration saying that an Excaliber round could destroy a parked car twenty miles away on the first shot.  The accuracy is incredible, given all the unpredictable winds and other factors the round will encounter during it’s flight through the sky – which literally could be shot on from a crystal clear mountain, taking the round far higher than the summit of Mt. Everest where it could pass through winds going different directions and at very high speeds, snow, and then down through a hailstorm and finally through rain.  

HT: The Best Defense

Today

MLK Jr has become the man for all people. If you want him to be an agitator for social change, he is that. If you want him to be a man who applied his Christian faith to the world, he is that. If you want him to be a man who led his people to the promise land, he is that. If you want him to be a man who is a sinner, he is that. He is a man, so he is full of contradictions and change, and thus he can be all things to all people.

But more than that, he was a man (along with millions of others) who helped America become a better America. He showed us that America can change, and should change, and still be America. Our past does not chain our future. Today is a celebration of change.