Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - September 16th

Flori-duh is doing what it does best: leading the world in stupidity. 

A few weeks ago, Florida's surgeon general announced a plan to end any and all vaccine mandates for any public-type things. And that stance is supported by the governor, of course.

These "public things" include schools. Who needs to prevent communicable diseases in the classroom?  Make the plague great again! 

Adults get sick and die, that's on them. But kids dying as a result of poor decisions by parents, and worse, the government? That's just sad. 

Funny how the GOP is all about being pro-life before birth, but afterwards, not so much. 

And for what it's worth, the surgeon general of Florida apparently let his medical license lapse, and hasn't been affiliated with any hospital for many years.  Both of which are in violation of the law, given the position he holds.  But why let pesky rules get in the way of an ideological agenda (which I guess is to make everyone sick?)

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Workplace harassment attorney sues Syracuse airport authority for refusing her advertisement


The height of absurdity is that this ad for sexual harassment was not allowed, because:
 
airport leadership told her they believed the ad might be viewed as "threatening" or "intimidating" to men and that "local politicians" might find it offensive.

Right. Better to let men just harass women - just like the guy at the top was convicted of doing. 




100-year-old chemistry rule proven false, textbook updates needed


I love the fact that scientists understand that what we know and observe is sometimes subject to change based on new information. 

It's what mouth breathers use to try and undermine scientific endeavor, because they really do not understand what makes it great. 

Here's a case where a chemist wrote rules around chemical bonds. And that rule held up to scrutiny for about 100 years and thus chemistry always taught it to us. 

But now, we've discovered that this rule is *not always* true and it upends some of what we know. 

I appreciate that the article notes this:

Next time someone says something is impossible, ask whether anyone has actually tried it recently. You might be surprised by what is possible when you stop assuming and start experimenting.

Yes! Experiment and learn! 




Ancient Greek skull rewrites human evolutionary timeline | The Jerusalem Post


Setting aside for a moment that this article was at least partially written by AI and its sourcing is a little hard to track down, the notion that a skull was found in Greece that doesn't (appear to) conform with what we know about early humans and their migratory patterns, is interesting. 

And finding a skull of a humanoid that old and maybe unexpected is always intriguing. 

But some things I noticed while researching the article sources: 
  1. Scientists are apparently a little split on what humanoid this skull descends from and how it got into this cave. So there may be more to this story than we are seeing here. 
  2. People called out the misleading nature of the headline and the story supporting it. Which is a problem in its own right, and 
  3. People in The US, unlike other places that simply want to know more, also reacted to finding a skull from a humanoid that is many tens of thousands of years old with comments like "there is no such thing as evolution," "the earth is only 3,000 years old so the method to date it must be wrong," and "god created man."
On that last point, why can't we simply accept some science and seek to understand more?!



Rare ancient gold discovery made by Florida student at archaeological site


A group of student archaeologists went into the field and were given some parameters on what to do. And one student managed to make a find from 1,500 years ago almost right away. 

Quite a lucky find. And definitely worth sharing. 



US in real danger of losing the moon race to China, experts tell Senate


The US Senate convened a hearing about the space program which they titled "Bad Moon on the Rise."  Because, you know, there are no other pressing needs for the senate to tackle right now.  <sarcasm=high>

The central theme was that without Artemis (the planned moon mission that is waaaaay behind schedule), and the Lunar Gateway Space Station (that is intended to replace the ISS, and which just started construction and "should be" ready for a 2030 space deployment) adhering to the planned schedules,  China will reach the moon before the US manages to get back.

The important takeaway is: 
Witnesses underscored that delays, budget uncertainty, or wavering commitments could undermine both U.S. industry and international alliances, warning that uncertainty could drive partners and suppliers toward China's accelerating lunar mission technologies.

And that right there. That's exactly what this administration set out to do with budget cuts, installing stupid people at the head of the agency, and generally not having a clue what they are doing.

The Senate approved the budget bill and has accepted the "acting NASA administrator" by their process. So its a problem of their own making that they are grandstanding about now. 

Having a Senate committee look into it is nice, but doesn't change the facts. China will win this battle and get to the moon before we return.  And we probably should ask if it matters.  Scientific exploration is a human condition, especially in this era of the US simply not leading.

But hey, maybe we can be first to Mars.

https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/us-in-real-danger-of-losing-the-moon-race-to-china-experts-tell-senate



You can win a dream Disney vacation


Disney is running the Worlds of Infinite Magic Sweepstakes, available through Disney+

Now through October 2, enter for a chance to win a 4-Day, 5-Night dream vacation at Walt Disney World® Resort, The Most Magical Place On Earth. 
 
Here, you'll discover a world made up of infinite worlds. Discover worlds of thrills for those who seek them out, from the coaster climbers of Expedition Everest—Legend of the Forbidden Mountain®, to the daring droppers at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™. Journey through worlds of flavor for every foodie, from the Mickey-shaped treats to seasonal culinary creations, and dining destinations where every course tastes like a dream come true. And enter worlds for Heroes, Villains, Jedis, or Princesses. Because no matter who you are, or what you love, infinite worlds of magic await at Walt Disney World® Resort. 
 
Vacation Package Includes: 4D/5N at Walt Disney World® Resort (Concierge Level Deluxe Room); Coach airfare for 4 people; Ground transportation for 4 people; Four 4-Day Park Hopper® Tickets; VIP Tour Guide for 1-eight-hour day; Four $400 Disney Gift Cards

Disney+ subscribers can enter the sweepstakes from the Disney+ Perks dashboard.

For more information about the sweepstakes, including how to enter if you're not a Disney+ subscriber, check out the terms and conditions.



Bonus: Further underscoring that the generalized media is not about truth or news anymore, we had the guy (whose name I won't mention because the breathless press coverage doesn't extend to me) who was killed at a college campus. The coverage was all about clicks, and getting the scoop. There was very little in the way of facts, and the attention was over the top....and then the whitehouse got involved and that amped it up (to an 11, now that spinal tap is back in the news), with even less in the way of actual reporting. And the fact that it became more about politics was astonishing.

Meanwhile, all of this was overshadowing other shootings, the 9/11 remembrance, and really anything else that might be happening. 

C'mon media, you should be better than that.  Do we really have to focus on this one event as the single most important news of the day/week/month/year?



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