October 27, 2009 Vblog

-Hi Ma

October 16, 2006 VBlog

I've been kind of bored with blogging lately. My camera crapped out so I was losing the photographic inspirations that make blogging interesting.  Additionally, home time and work time has increased, especially with the onset of winter. I still got wood to move and attic insulation to lay out (today). So, since that I have the day off I thought I'd give something different a try.  Plus I want to add more things for my family to see and also leave behind some candid recordings to add to the original intent of this blog, journal.

My early morning vBlog for today:

-joe

Slingshot Thougts

I have had a few Slingshot Thoughts floating around in my head recently and I figure I got enough of them built up that it is time to let ‘em loose.

Regarding the economy and money

(1) To protect your 401 K, pull it all out and transfer it into Second Life’s Lindens. There is actually exchange rate kicking around and stock market. People are spending real money on virtual items ranging from horned helmets to property and homes. Since the whole community/ world is virtual it should somehow be shaded from the real world economy. Then take it all back out when the DJA swings up again.

(2) The US Treasury Department has been bitching about how expensive it has become to mint coins, Pennies especially. So how about we just out source the production of coins to China? We seem to be sending everything else that way, and if it costs less, it costs less. Right? However, I'm sure there must be some federal law to squash this brilliant idea.

President Elect Obama
First 2 weeks, speak with the leader of every nation on earth, even if just to say ‘Sup dude?’

A Mission to Mars
I think that as humans we must attempt this. To do it I think we send three identical ships with teams of experienced Navy sub-mariners to set up a colony. However, the first real step would be to have a working magnetic shield to protect them from deep space radiation. No need to send them there only to return looking like Morlocks.

That’s all for now.

SlingShot Thought -9-8-08

So I am sleeping and I have this thought about politics and vice presidential candidates. I'm sure it's not a new idea but one to re-state anyway.

Why exactly do the Presidential candidates get to pick their own veep? The whole process of the campaign is just a big long job interview. Shouldn't the guy who comes in second become the VP?

Doesn't that make sense logically? I mean currently we have two real contenders running. Each one pretty much represents one side or the other. Collectively most of the voters will be voting for either one guy other the other.

The candidates always say they will work with the other side to get past partisan politics. I think it would be a great kick in the ass if say Obama said something like ' And if I win, I will take on John McCain as my Vice President.' or vise versa. It may really unify the government and people.

Wasn't this the way in the past? Someone with a better knowledge of US history help me out here.

****I found the answer***

The Constitution originally provided that the presidential candidate receiving the second largest number of electoral votes be declared vice-president; this method of selection was superseded by that prescribed in the 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804. The vice-president is chosen for the same term and in the same manner as the president; if, however, no candidate for the vice-presidency receives a majority of the electoral votes, the election is thrown not into the House of Representatives, as with the presidential office, but into the Senate, which then chooses by a majority vote one of the two leading candidates.

********************

I like the original way better.

My World

Today I will be sharing another entry from my grandfathers journal. One of his own 'Slingshot Thoughts' if you will.

'A Weird Thought'

Saturday: September 18, 1971

In this day of long hair and mod clothes, it may be the in thing, but somehow I'm not sure how in this thing may be.


It could be that the age of leadership is dead, and we are in the mist of the age of followers going around in circles looking for a leader.


In the past, we have had Elie Whittney and his famous 'Cotton Gin', Fulton and the 'Steam Boat', the Wright Bros. and the 'Airplane', Einstein and his 'Equations of Relativity', Von Brown and his 'Space Flights'.


Today, who have we got to lead us into tomorrow? Have we reached a stagnant time period? What is the answer? Religion, love, trust, parenthood or togetherness or is the answer near -- Death!!

--Ed

After I read this I noticed that the people my grandfather thought of when he was referring to 'leaders' are all scientists or inventors. Interesting, considering that I believe my self to be a scientist. Perhaps I would have provided some faith for him that the future does or will indeed have leaders to step forward.

SlingShot Thought *geology*

Tonight I was stumbling through some sites and came across the UBasics and found their solution to the answer "What happens if i dig straight down?"

I first did the obvious thing of finding out that from my house I would end up in the sea south-west of Australia. Great.

Figure Left: Yellow slashes show Chain trend. Green slash, lower frame, Valley trend.

Then, I quickly started just swinging the map around to find where Land and Land would meet. I soon discovered that the hot spot responsible for building the Hawaiian Island chain is located approximately opposite of the Great Rift Valley of Africa. The trends of the Chain and Valley are very nearly similar.

My SlingShot Thought is: Are these features related to internal processes within the earth cores? Some type of...equation balance? force balance? What role does mantle convection come into play? Why have I never noticed this before?

If anyone has thoughts to add or documents for me to understand this potential connection better, please comment.