Matt Jones' Random Acts of Verbiage

I wasn’t going to post about this, but then Instapundit made me change my mind. Earlier today I read the HotAir post: Rosie Melts Down on the View. In there is this clip of The View which, among other things, shows that Rosie O�Donnell is a Truther (shocking I know).

Before I go on, let me say this: anyone who believes in any of the conspiracy theories regarding the September 11th attacks is extremely ignorant. I am quite tempted to say they are idiots… but I will stay with the more pc “ignorant.” A long while back Popular Mechanics wrote an amazing piece: Debunking The 9/11 Myths (which eventually became a more complete book of the same name). If any part of you believes any of the nonsense, go read that article.

Back to Rosie. Here is what she claims in her rant on The View:

I do believe that it�s the first time in history that fire has ever melted steel. I do believe that it defies physics that World Trade Center tower 7�building 7, which collapsed in on itself�it is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7. World Trade [Center] 1 and 2 got hit by planes�7, miraculously, the first time in history, steel was melted by fire. It is physically impossible.

She makes numerous other idiotic statements, this is just one. She also challenges any physicist to come on and tell her something different. I REALLY hope someone takes her up on that offer. Until then, the fine folks at Popular Mechanics have offered up Rosie O’Donnell 9/11 Conspiracy Comments: Popular Mechanics Responds. There they shut her down. Read the full thing, but here is a brief quote:

Towers 1 and 7 were approximately 300 ft. apart, and pictures like the ones here and here offer a clear visual of how small that distance is for structures that large. After further studies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) told PM that debris from the 110-floor North Tower hit WTC7 with the force of a volcanic eruption. Nearly a quarter of the building was carved away over the bottom 10 stories on its south face, and significant damage was visible up to the 18th floor (see p. 24 of this report).

And that is just one one piece that opposes Rosie, there is much more. Think it will shut her up? Doubtful. So sad.

I’ll have to say, as frustrated as I got watching the clip (and it is EXTREMELY frustrating) I laughed quite a bit when Rosie made the ironic comment in reference to the mainstream media: “In America we are fed propaganda.” That made me laugh. Was she listening to her own rant?

As a PS, check out the lovely hypocrisy of Travolta. “Do as I say, not as I do!” Again, shocking, I know.

UPDATE I: Rosie completely misses the point of everyone making a big deal of her truther comments.

If the very act of asking is so destabilizing for people, than I have to wonder whether the fabric of our democracy is indeed so raveled it is beyond salvage.

Oh, please! It isn’t the fact that you question things, it is the fact that you ignore the reality of situations and choose to believe things that make no sense at all. I think her mind is “indeed so raveled it is beyond salvage.”

UPDATE II: Wait, she actually was wrong, who knew? Oh right, most intelligent people did.

I stumbled across this video on YouTube a while back and thought it was pretty amazing. Ollie Larkin at Motion Control Time-lapse has produced an amazing time-lapse video called Lapses in Light that I think you will like.

If you would like, you can see a larger version here or a high-def version (for a donation) here or visit Lapses in Light at YouTube.

Almost three years ago I posted that I had been accepted to Seattle Pacific University but that I would go to Regent College first. In that post I had claimed that after Regent I would come back to attend SPU. Well things changed a little and I had changed my mind (largely due to cost) and would try to go to WWU instead. Little did I know that that would not work out and I would spend a year in Bellingham in limbo. I figured I would apply to SPU again and see what would happen.

I am quite happy to announce that my original plans will be coming true; I have been accepted to SPU’s ARC and Masters program!

I am pretty excited to start this fairly intense program (certification and a masters in five quarters instead of 2 years) but will also be somewhat sad to leave Bellingham. I have become more involved with my church here and have really been enjoying working with YoungLife. It will be hard to leave them, but very nice to be back in Seattle.

So come mid-May I will be hauling all my crap back down south!

Hat tip to Kristin: The book artwork for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has been released. So what exactly are Harry and He Who Must Not Be Named looking at? And what is your take on the name Deathly Hallows?

Preorder it at Powell’s Books!

www.planet-earth.com

I caught a few of the Discovery Channel’s premiere of Planet Earth, an eleven part documentary mini-series that looks at the many wonders of nature around our globe. Originally produced and shown on the BBC, it made its way across the Atlantic to provide some amazing views of our planet. Both the BBC and the Discovery Channel versions are available on DVD (the only difference that I can see are the narrators: David Attenborough (BBC) and Sigourney Weaver (DSC), there may be more differences, but I am not positive).

I was really impressed by the cinematography and quality of the shots. The combinations of gorgeous vistas, interesting animals, and technology that allowed for some great aerial filming made for a great viewing experience. I would love to see the series in HD (which is available), that should be incredible! Here is the list of the episodes and the various landscapes they cover. Be sure to check out www.planet-earth.com for some great interactive features to go along with the series. One of the cooler things there is that you can download a Google Earth - Planet Earth KML file that will allow you to see where many of the episodes were filmed along with additional information and video clips. So if you have Google Earth, check that out! (See some images at the bottom of this post.)

One of the (many) cool scenes was of a shark breaching as it attacked a seal. How freaking awesome and terrifying is this?

Incredible! If you have the chance, check the series out! And if anyone wants to get me an HDtv to watch it, I would be greatly appreciative!

Read more…

It is time once again for Space Saturday! This week I bring you two images of the Sun! The first I had meant to post at the beginning of the month, but you know how things are. The image comes from the STEREO spacecraft when it witnessed the Lunar transit of the Sun:

448×346 - 1000×1000 - 1600×1600 - 2400×2400
Credit: STEREO - Source: Stereo Eclipse and STEREO Images

When we view a solar eclipse from Earth, the Moon happens to be at the perfect distance to block out the entire sun; because one of the the STEREO spacecrafts orbits the sun at a slightly closer distance to the Sun, it was able to catch a slightly different eclipse (technically I think it was considered a transit). I think the image is amazing not only because of the moon’s presence, but because of how amazing the sun looks! Check out the really large image to see some of the amazing features. There is also a very cool video of the transit: small, medium, and large. And there is this bonus movie that is composite of data from the spacecraft’s coronagraph and extreme ultraviolet imager. The sun is definitely a crazy place!

On that note, the second image I want to share shows one of the crazy things that goes on out there: a giant solar flare!

Credit: JAXA’s Hinode spacecraft. Source: New Phenomena on the Sun

It’s enough to make you leap out of your seat: A magnetic vortex almost as big as Earth races across your computer screen, twisting, turning, finally erupting in a powerful solar flare. Japan’s Hinode spacecraft recorded just such a blast on Jan. 12, 2007.

Cool, eh? Check out two video clips that show the storms in action: Clip #1 - Clip #2. And here are a few other cool video clips of the Sun. Good stuff!

For my other astronomy pictures, check out my Space Saturday Archive!