cool decision

Our neighbors to the north are often ahead of us in progressive
thinking. The latest example is a Canadian Supreme Court decision:

"Sunday, Feb 25, 2007….
The Supreme Court struck down one of Canada’s most contentious anti-terrorism provisions on Friday, declaring it unconstitutional to indefinitely detain foreign terror suspects while the courts review their deportation orders.

The court ruled unanimously that the government had broken the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms by issuing so-called security
certificates to imprison people, pending deportation, without giving
them a chance to see the government’s case."

That’s what we’ve been trying to point out in the US as well.

—
~~~Captain Rat
It’s a friendly universe…
Let’s make it a peaceful world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My website:
Cosmic Cabdrivers’ Guide to the Universe
HTTP://WWW.COSMICRAT.COM
360 Blog: http://360.yahoo.com/captainrat23
MSN Blog: http://cosmicrat.spaces.live.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thought for the day:
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on
society. — Mark Twain

Kicking Asteroids

Mark Friday, April 13, 2029 on your calendar. You’ll want to be
looking up, watching the asteroid sail harmlessly past…assuming
calculations are correct.

Meanwhile, I trust someone will be working on the best ways to
redirect errant objects in space, just in case.

Minds capable of conceiving and producing the talking urinal cake can
surely handle that problem.

—
~~~Captain Rat
It’s a friendly universe…
Let’s make it a peaceful world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My website:
Cosmic Cabdrivers’ Guide to the Universe
HTTP://WWW.COSMICRAT.COM
360 Blog: http://360.yahoo.com/captainrat23
MSN Blog: http://cosmicrat.spaces.live.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thought for the day:
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome decree
But only if the NFL to a franchise would agree.

Anna Nicole Smith

The death of Anna Nicole Smith was a tragedy. It is also very sad to
hear some public commentary showing a lack of respect and sympathy.
Those who would make such comments reveal themselves to be petty and
hateful.

Anna Nicole had a gift of great physical beauty, sensuality, and
exuberance that she was willing to share with the world. In return
she was admired and desired by many, and no doubt loved by a few.

There are always those who, due to envy or narrow-minded anti-sexual
attitudes, dislike and disapprove of such a woman. As Swami X used
to say, ‘Let those who want none have memories of not getting any!’

There were those who called her a gold-digger because she married a
rich man. Every woman who ever allowed a man to support her could
also be so accused, whether or not money was her motive. Anna Nicole
brought happiness to an old man until the day he died. Not every
man, even if he is rich, is that lucky.

Despite her beauty, and despite the delightfully bold way she
flaunted her sensuality, one could sense that she was a vulnerable
and genuinely good woman who needed to be loved as well as wanted,
and who had love to give in return.

The world needs many kinds of people. It needs more intelligent,
enlightened leaders, brilliant scientists and artists…and more
women like Anna Nicole Smith.

http://www.annanicole.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Nicole_Smith
—
~~~Captain Rat
It’s a friendly universe…
Let’s make it a peaceful world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
My website:
Cosmic Cabdrivers’ Guide to the Universe
HTTP://WWW.COSMICRAT.COM
360 Blog: http://360.yahoo.com/captainrat23
MSN Blog: http://cosmicrat.spaces.live.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thought for the day:
May your Tongue stick to the Roof of your Mouth with the Force of a
Thousand Caramels.

The Good News

The world is full of bad news and serious problems, which I discuss in my 360 blog and my website. But there is good news, some of which hardly gets noticed.

For example, it was reported this morning on NPR that scientists have discovered a process to turn light into matter and then back into light again. It involves a "cold cloud". While the light is captured as matter, it can be manipulated and massaged, altering its properties. The process slows light to a standstill, which means, of course that it isn’t traveling at the speed of light.

I love paradoxes, don’t you? This is only in experimental stages, but already the implications for practical uses are mind-boggling.

~~~~~~~

Those who think electric cars have to be slow should check out the Tesla. It’s an all-electric high performance sports car. Zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in 5 seconds It’ a beautiful car, though very expensive. Its value to the non-rich is to demonstrate what is possible. We have the technology to ditch internal combustion for cars in a very short time.

If we don’t manage to do that, it will be because we are too apathetic to overcome the resistance of the oil companies.

Lower transportation costs, cleaner air, quiet motors, safer, longer-lasting cars…is anyone motivated yet?

—
~~~Captain Rat
It’s a friendly universe…
Let’s make it a peaceful world.

My website:
Cosmic Cabdrivers’ Guide to the Universe
HTTP://WWW.COSMICRAT.COM
360 Blog:
http://360.yahoo.com/captainrat23

Thought for the day:
Everywhere I look I see NEGATIVITY and ASPHALT …

Appearing to Be Civilized

Watching the British Parliament’s public discussions on CSPAN is
markedly different from watching the US Congress, whether in full
session, committees, or hearings. It’s not just the accent– they
seem to conduct debate in a way that is both more courteous and less
formal.

Tony Blair himself seems intelligent and thoughtful, with enlightened
attitudes toward equality and social justice. It seems odd that
such a man would cooperate with our President on anything, let alone
an unprovoked war.

A hint of the motivation comes later in the discussion on Britain’s
membership in the EU. Blair believes that a strong American
alliance will provide them with more influence within the EU than
their size and population otherwise would.

It is also refreshing to see a sense of humor displayed. Someone
asked Blair why, since he favors religious tolerance, he has not
tried to repeal the prohibition against a member of the royal family
marrying a Catholic. Blair grinned and said "I think I’ll leave
that to the next Prime Minister."

We can’t always have a sense of humor about serious issues, but the
inability to take a joke indicates the need for an attitude
adjustment. A good example is the Boston police who recently jumped
to the conclusion that several lighted signs that mysteriously
appeared as part of a video game promotion, were terrorist devices.
The joke on the police was not even intended, so they only made
themselves look silly. When that happens, it’s much healthier to
laugh at yourself than to get mad.

Now we shall see if MSN’s system of email blog-posting actually
works…

—
~~~Captain Rat
It’s a friendly universe…
Let’s make it a peaceful world.

My website:
Cosmic Cabdrivers’ Guide to the Universe
HTTP://WWW.COSMICRAT.COM
360 Blog:
http://360.yahoo.com/captainrat23

Thought for the day:
I remember Ulysses well… Left one day for the post office to mail
a letter, met a blonde named Circe on the streetcar, and didn’t come
back for 20 years.

captain’s blog, entry #1

Greetings to the elite few who will venture here.  To see more interesting content, see my 360 blog at http://360.yahoo.com/captainrat23.   I shall try to add something here from time to time, the ponderous slowness of Microsoft’s software permitting.

Peace.