The Old Dog Barks

Que Sera Sera. Wired reports: Republicans Order Navy to Quit Buying Biofuels

“On Monday, the U.S. Navy will officially announce the ships for its demonstration of the “Great Green Fleet” — an entire aircraft carrier strike group powered by biofuels and other eco-friendly energy sources. If a powerful congressional panel has its way, it could be the last time the Navy ever uses biofuels to run its ships and jets.”

“In its report on next year’s Pentagon budget, the House Armed Services Committee banned the Defense Department from making or buying an alternative fuel that costs more than a “traditional fossil fuel.” …”

Some folks disagree: “This idea that we can match [the price of] crude oil — I think it’s such a bullshit question,” Tom Todaro said back in October. “A car with airbags costs more than a car without. Society decides how valuable those airbags are. Society can decide the value of renewable fuels.”

I say good for the Repubs. How are the rest of us ever going to afford the bio-fuels we will be forced to buy because of the new EPA gas standards going into effect if the Military sucks up all the good stuff?

You have time to prepare so no excuses. Sky and Telescope has the details: May 20th’s Annular Eclipse of the Sun

“The upcoming annular solar eclipse will be the best such event visible from the U.S. in decades — with a stunning “ring of fire” observable from California to Texas.”

“Eclipse-lovers haven’t experienced a “central” solar eclipse from U.S. soil in nearly two decades (1994, to be exact). But those of you out west will soon have a good chance of seeing one on May 20, 2012, when the path of an annular eclipse covers a wide swath from northern California to the Texas Panhandle.”

I watched the 1994 eclipse through a pair of welding goggles with two layers of new #5 glass. It was a very good view. Do not watch directly when the sun is high in the sky without serious eye protection! A pair of sunglasses are not enough!

This year you just might have a chance to sneak a view as the sun is setting. The Sky and Telescope article has a map with details for most US areas. For me in Michigan the eclipse will be about half way over by the time the sun hits the horizon. I go a mile from my home to a spot where the view is unobstructed. You really need to click the link to find the eclipse time for where you live.

Plenty of time so to make certain the weather cooperates. I might even get some photos if I can figure how to shield the camera.

Junk Science pointed me to this eye opening story at NPR:

Just What’s Inside Those Breasts?

“When writer Florence Williams web designer Julia was nursing her second child, she read a research study about toxins found in human breast milk. She decided to test her own breast milk and shipped a sample to a lab in Germany…”

“You can totally drive yourself crazy, and I don’t recommend it. And that’s one of the reasons I’m not so hypersensitive about trying to rid my house of these things. I just think, ‘The anxiety isn’t really worth it. It’s not worth the health benefit.’ … We can only have so much control over the chemicals we’re exposed to.”

Julia does not need to worry. What ever the problem is the rest of us will pay for it. Some less willingly than others. It is a shame she had to send to Germany for the analysis; head start and universal college loans should have fixed that by now.

We never really lost the posts and other text but It took uploading more than 100 pictures and videos and relinking all of them to restore the graphic content. It was quite a job. I must have spent 30 or 40 hours, could have been more I wasn’t getting paid by the hour, in total.

Never so Few is the writing site for the New Texas Universe and we haven’t been doing much writing there recently but the first novel is published and planning goes on for another.

With Alchibah Colony coming to life I am not sure when we will find the time. Still if we had the time we again have the place.

Breaking News from the Saratov region of the former Soviet Union. A weekly feature of The Old Dog Barks.

In Mountain burned grocery store

In the village of Mountain Krasnopartizanskogo area due to faulty electrical equipment caught fire on the trading floor at the grocery store area of ??55 square meters. m Engels in the basement of a five-story house burned down five meters of power cable.

His mother was killed in prison Artem Sotnikova act in the State Duma

Yesterday the State Duma of the Russian Federation met the mother who was killed in the infrared ? 13 (Engels, Saratov region), Artem Sotnikova with LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky. About the results of its “Look-info” said State Duma Deputy Anton Ishchenko.

Sergei Lisovsky does not believe in the collapse of the industry

With a sense of satisfaction, I note that at that time in the narrow circle of people suffering from heart of industry, a detailed analysis, one might say, a report for each industrial site, I was able to allay fears of a fraction.

Lightning did not prevent Hollande meet with Angela Merkel

The new French president, Francois Hollande, barely got to be it has to get used to the role of head of the Fifth Republic. Immediately after his inauguration, he went to Germany for talks with Angela Merkel.

U.S. and Russian intelligence services seized in Afghanistan for more than 4 tons of drugs

More than 2 tons of heroin were seized in Afghanistan during a joint raid by Russian and American intelligence, said at a news conference in RIA Novosti head of the Federal Service for Drug Control Viktor Ivanov.

In Nizhny Novgorod, began the trial in the case of the scientist-necrophiliac

In Nizhny Novgorod, began one of the most shocking and loud process in recent years – the trial of nekropolistom known scientist-linguist Anatoly Moskvin, in whose apartment last fall, were found 26 dolls made from mummified bodies of children.

In China, selling “fake” pig ears

Chinese police investigating the cases of selling fake pig ears, in fact, made of gelatin. Fake ears were found in the market in Guangzhou.

General Motors recognized the paid advertising on Facebook inefficient

One of the first advertising on Facebook has decided to abandon the automaker General Motors. Marketers believe the company that paid advertising on social network site has little effect on car sales.

The expedition to Mars could go to the Russian nuclear engines

Major technological contribution of Russia to an international expedition to Mars could be nuclear engines, as well as methods of adaptation and the health of astronauts, said a member of the special commission believes NASA manned flights Edward Crowley (Edward Crawley)

Set a new record for quantum teleportation

Group of Chinese physicists from the U.S. at Cornell University succeeded in establishing a new record for quantum teleportation of photons on the open air: they were able to transfer them to a distance of 97 kilometers.

Russian scientists are urged not to be afraid of global warming

Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences reports that Russian scientists are predicting the imminent end to global warming. According to scientists, the process of global cooling, and in a short time on Earth comes decrease of temperature.

The new ultra-IR spectrometer will separate flies from cutlets

Researchers from the Institute of Photonic Microsystems Fraunhofer Society (Germany) have developed a new infrared spectrometer volume of 2.1 cm?, Which is one third less than usual refined sugar cubes. The device, influencing the product near infrared radiation to a depth of several centimeters, can determine its composition and water content, and transparent film for vacuum packaging does not become an obstacle for him.

And that was the week in Saratov.

The outlaw Don and I were talking only Sunday about the escalating cost of new weapon systems and the years, even decades, it takes to go from the prototype to production if they make it that far. I brought up the F-35 as a case in point. Two days later and it’s gotten even worse.

U.K.’s F-35B Decision a Blow to Franco-British Defense Cooperation

“British officials say their decision was taken because the cost of the new electromagnetic catapult for the F-35C has doubled and that Lockheed Martin has said the F-35C can only be delivered in 2023, whereas even if the F-35B has less range and can carry fewer weapons, it should be ready by 2020 — in time to equip the Royal Navy’s brand-new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier.”

This is an aircraft that won the new fighter competition in the early 90′s. Congress only weeks ago ordered the defense department to give a firm date for when the the jet will becoming operational. No firm date, no firm funding. But it’s not an easy task when for each year that passes eighteen months are tacked on to the new final ultimate delivery date.

If you run a blog you are probably good at backups. If not better start. But sometimes backups are not enough. We had a problem at Never so Few and needed to restore the site. We have done this before so it should have been easy. It wasn’t.

The Dog had a good copy of all the posts and pages but none of the images saved. I have backups of most every image posted. But I need to upload hundreds (not sure how many hundreds, I’m still working on it) of them and link them all back to the post they belong to. And I am on dial-up. Spent all day today at it after getting a start a few days ago. I am a third of the way home. I hope. So far only one image lost and that can probably be found again later.

Save backups of all your Upload Folders. You will not regret it.

These I found interesting enough to save without finding the time to post about.

– Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles
– Spam: India leads world in junk emails
– The Vice Emulator by the Vice Team
– Baby Dinosaur Found in the Catskills
– Diary of a Spy
– Whipple shield
– March to the Moon Image Gallery
– As Blue Dies, What Happens To the Jobs?
– Maxim Gun Captured by Sgt York Found in Town Library!

A little something for everyone.

Smithsonian Air and Space Magazine has several articles about the U-2 spy plane and the men who flew them. As the US experienced basing problems, air fields being hard to find, one solution was to launch from aircraft carriers. This is a video showing how that worked.

There is no sound so no need to adjust your volume.

Another plane from the late 50′s and early 60′s still flying today because the newer faster jets are just too damned expensive to buy and maintain. Tell me again about technology and productivity improvements and how they make everything better and cheaper.

That’s how VOA puts it: China, Philippines Intensify War of Words Over S. China Sea:

“A recent flare-up between China and the Philippines about a disputed island has renewed tensions surrounding South China Sea territories. The spat has also highlighted a July deadline for agreement on a code of conduct in the sea between China and Southeast Asian nations.”

Wiki tells us: “The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 square kilometers (1,400,000 sq mi). The area’s importance largely results from one-third of the world’s shipping transiting through its waters, and that it is believed to hold huge oil and gas reserves beneath its seabed.”

The area in contention is in the Spratly Islands.

“The South China Sea contains over 250 small islands, atolls, cays, shoals, reefs, and sandbars, most of which have no indigenous people, many of which are naturally under water at high tide, and some of which are permanently submerged. The features are grouped into three archipelagos (listed by area size), Macclesfield Bank and Scarborough Shoal.”

VOA adds: “On Thursday, China’s state media said most Chinese travel agencies suspended trips to the Philippines in an escalating and nationalistic war of words over a disputed island chain. China also issued a safety warning to its citizens in the Philippines because of anti-China protests expected this weekend…”

“The rising tension came from a face-off last month after a Philippine warship tried to stop Chinese fishing boats in the Scarborough Shoal, but were stopped by surveillance ships from China…”

“But worries are growing about the possibility of greater conflict as China asserts its power and influence to claim resources and the United Sates backs up its ally, the Philippines, with increased arms sales.”

Good reason for aircraft carriers. I wonder if the Philippines might offer us a site for a naval base if we continue to help them deal with this situation? Subic Bay might be a good spot.

From VOA: UN Calls for Immediate Return of Guinea-Bissau Government

“The United Nations secretary-general has called on Guinea-Bissau’s junta to hand over power to civilians immediately.

Guinea Bissau’s military seized power in mid-April and has refused to allow the return of ousted interim president Raimundo Pereira.”

So why should the US get involved you ask?

“Guinea-Bissau has endured numerous coups and attempted coups in the past 30 years. It is also a key transit point for international drug traffickers. The United States has accused some senior military figures of being involved in the drug trade.

Government officials in Guinea-Bissau worry that the impact of economic sanctions will be limited because coup leaders will continue to fund their operations through drug sales.”

It could take some time to get our forces ready to roll as they are quite busy withdrawing from most everywhere else now. But say by mid October they might be rested and available for something so obviously in line with our national security interests.

We get quite a few of these from people wishing to remain anonymous. Here is part of a letter from a regular.

“…leaving his wife at Shady Street , I came across LCD Arkadievsky Palace ofigel and that is located next to the notary. He ran a cafe in delirium tremens. I realized that elite real estate in a big priority! A few days later I went to a two-room apartment with a system of microclimate and Simferopol Piterskaya large/small household appliances.”

I sent off a nice two page reply but I really don’t have time for this. If you want your thoughts posted you need to enter them in the comments section of the blog and not send email. And that goes double for those of you not from Saratov.

The Old Dog and I had been talking about what might have happened on Colony Alchibah after the end of the Blog Novel that got us started. I talked to Jeff Soyer of Alphecca fame and the originator of Alchibah a few years ago about continuing the story but at that time the Dog and I were busy on the Never So Few book and I had another Cardoman novel in progress. So the opportunity kind of slipped away.

A few weeks back the Old One sent Jeff an e-mail wondering again about a restart. Jeff said he was surprised we hadn’t done anything about it sooner and to “Have at it!”

Well — We got a domain registered and the site is up and running on the Old Dog’s server farm. Still more work to do—getting a theme set and various odds and ends worked out, but Colony Alchibah will start anew.

This time around it will be more novel like and some of the old plot lines will be ditched. Many of the characters will continue but there will be room for more. We may even do what Jeff did when he started the original: Ask for volunteers to help with the writing. Time will tell on that front.

Stick around. This could get interesting.

This Week in Saratov there were a number of accidents of which we report only two before going on to the World and Science news.

In the Saratov region on the track “eight” flew into a ditch

On the road between the villages and the Great Forest Neelovka Sodom 41-year-old man was not kept on the road and flew off into the ditch. The car crashed with a thud on the ground and rolled over several times.

In the center of the truck crashed into a house. Photo

A truck knocked the passenger car, dragged her about ten feet of Pervomayskaya, and he crashed into a house at the intersection of Cathedral and Pervomayskaya.

The government of Indonesia does not eliminate the capture of Superjet-100

Infonezii authorities do not rule out the version of the capture of the Russian aircraft Superjet-100, disappeared from the radar, as well as its collision with the mountain in poor visibility conditions. Superjet-100 disappeared from radar screens after a demonstration flight in Jakarta on Wednesday, shortly before the loss of connection, he requested permission to lower the height of 10,000 feet to 6000 and began to turn and fall in the high mountains of 6000 200 feet.

“Al Qaeda” instructed the plane to blow up the double agent

Intelligence officer, who was introduced to the “Al Qaeda” and, presumably, was to blow himself up along with the airliner, was actually a “double agent”, according to news reports. As follows from the statements cited in the media by U.S. officials, the man who according to plan, “al-Qaeda” was to blow up the next flight to the U.S., he worked simultaneously for the CIA and Saudi intelligence.

Lukashenko: Sarkozy received from Gaddafi to $ 100 million

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has announced that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy received from a former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi U.S. $ 100 million for its first the Presidential election campaign.

In Spain, broke the 20 millionth of the Stradivarius cello

In Spain, accidentally broke the work of Antonio Stradivari cello, which were kept in the royal palace. The cost of the damaged instrument exceeded $ 20 million.

Moscow hosts a parade in honor of the 67th anniversary of Great Victory

At the Red Square in Moscow at 10:00 started a military parade to mark the 67th anniversary of Victory in Great Patriotic War. The main difference of this from last year’s Victory Day parade was that all participants are dressed in full-dress, except for the soldiers of the mechanized column.

In Nevada issued the first license “autonomous vehicle” without a driver

Cars without drivers may soon become a reality on the roads of Nevada, who was the first in America to issue a license for such machines. The first such vehicle on the road the state will be a hybrid Toyota Prius, modified with Google.

Scientists have proved that in Crete dwarf mammoths were carried out

Scientists have found evidence that a half-million years ago on the island of Crete was inhabited by miniature mammoths. A team of researchers from the London Natural History Museum claim that a creature called mammuthus creticus, were about the size of a modern elephant calf.

Scientists are trying to read a dog’s thoughts

American scientists from the University of Emery, which is in Atlanta working on a study of the thoughts of dogs. They spend their research using magnetic resonance imaging

Prison guards are robots bdit watchful eye of the 3D

In the South Korean prisons will soon have robot guards, said “UTRO.ru.” At the moment, held the first test robot guardian named Robo-Guard.

The brain is lazy and workaholic is radically different – scientists

Neuroscientists have found that the brain lazy and workaholic different. American researchers from Vanderbilt University conducted a study and concluded that if the amount of dopamine is increased in some areas of the brain, the person is working until you drop.

And that was the week in Saratov.

News from the world of alien abduction. The Independent got the scoop on this one:

“A mountain looming over a French commune with a population of just 200 is being touted as a modern Noah’s Ark when doomsday arrives – supposedly less than nine months from now.”

“A rapidly increasing stream of New Age believers – or esoterics, as locals call them – have descended in their camper van-loads on the usually picturesque and tranquil Pyrenean village of Bugarach…”

“Further, rumours persist that the country’s late president François Mitterrand was transported by helicopter on to the peak, while the Nazis, and, later, Israel’s Mossad, performed mysterious digs there.”

Nine months and counting.