A new planet has been discovered somewhere visually near the Big Dipper with temperatures spiking to 2,240 degrees. It’s about four times the size of Jupiter. According to Gregory Laughlin, an astronomy professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz:

When it comes closest to its star, it becomes one giant “brewing storm” complete with shock waves, Laughlin said. The radiation bombarding the planet is 800 times stronger than when it is farthest away.

Then just as quickly, the planet slingshots away and radiates the heat to the cool vacuum of space. It glows cherry red and the temperature plummets, Laughlin said. “Utterly bizarre.”

Telescopes have seen what appears to be red beings with pitchforks wading through fiery lakes and posting vacancy signs.

In related news, another hot planet has been found, and astronomers are arguing over it’s size and significance.

If you find this fascinating, NASA wants your opinion on where to look next. You could win a photo of mysterious object you choose, something like this I’d imagine: A Black Hole Overflows From Galaxy Centaurus A. That’s awesome.

Since I’m on a roll here, Continue reading Space News: Hell Discovered →

Are you familiar with the GoDaddy commercials? Have you heard of that some Christians are pulling their web sites from GoDaddy servers because the last batch of Super Bowl ads were too suggestive?

When I was looking for a host for this site, the GoDaddy ads pushed me away. But then they were recommended to me by one or two good people I know, and their offer was better and easier than other places I looked. So you are reading this blog by way of GoDaddy servers. At the moment, I plan to remain uncomfortable with their advertising instead of taking the blog somewhere else, but I wonder if I should go ahead and move it.

This from a guy who wanted to boycott Disney for supposedly suggestive content in their cartoons. Am I acting inconsistently with my worldview by passively condoning GoDaddy advertising? What do you think?

Today was pretty busy too, but not as busy as yesterday. I managed to find time to have a couple Thoughts.

Thought One: I don’t understand why so many conservatives are upset about the government’s TV converter coupon program. Honestly. Continue reading Two thoughts →

Though essentially a lazy guy, I kind of like busy days. They go by fast, bringing me that much closer to the lonely, sordid death that awaits me, and the sweet rest that will surely follow (unless the Catholics are right).

One drawback of busy days is that I generally come out of them without anything to blog about. Unless the busy day was interesting in itself. Which this one wasn’t.

So I shall link to things.

First, the nasty one. How can anyone read this story and not believe in the existence of evil?

Of course, Christians used to have witch trials five centuries ago, and that proves that this woman and Sarah Palin are indistinguishable.

In cheerier news, the Swedes are contemplating building new nuclear reactors, after years of mandatory The China Syndrome revivals. This has got to be big news, because (as everybody knows) Swedes are remarkably slow-witted. If they’re getting the message, everybody else must be pretty well won over.

Finally, courtesy of this list at SEO By the Sea (courtesy, in turn, of Conservative Grapevine), I learned that people in Guangzhou, China can read this blog. I’m rather surprised. Disappointed, in a way. What do we have to do to be considered running dogs of imperialism?

I don’t blame you for avoiding the news lately, but I wanted to point out this article on the House pork-barrel, Tax-the-Future bill passed a few days ago. The Senate has not passed it yet, and maybe Republicans will vote against it like their House counterparts did. But in the House version of this bill, money for school renovation will not be allowed on facilities open to “sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity.” $6 billion is allotted for this.

Doesn’t that “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion? Why should the Fed have any prohibitions on such money?

Mathew Staver of the Liberty Counsel said, “President Obama’s version of faith-based initiatives is to remove the faith from initiative. [Obama] a completely different view on faith” from what he said during his presidential campaign.”

Good thing I went to the movies Sunday. Not only did I see a movie I liked, but I also saw an announcement that I considered worth dissection.

You’ve noticed, if you go to movies at all, the overkill theaters are marshalling to get people to TURN YOUR CELL PHONES OFF! There used to be announcements like that about not smoking in the theater, but smoking’s not even on the radar anymore. Today the scourge is cell phones, and I see the point. There are some who just don’t get the message; and they disturb everybody. However, I think the people who miss four announcements are probably unlikely to respond to a fifth.

But one of the announcements was pretty clever. You may have seen it. Continue reading Wake-up call on mute →