Hawking: Aliens Are Out There The venerable British scientist, seen here in 2008, believes aliens are out there, and we should avoid them like the plague. Flickr/Doug Wheller

Stephen Hawking believes we should fear aliens, which would probably come to Earth in search of resources and bent on our destruction.

The venerated cosmologist says in a new Discovery Channel series that he thinks aliens exist, but we should do everything we can to avoid meeting them. Any life intelligent enough to find us would probably be seeking resources, he says. And that would likely be bad news for humans.

“We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet,” he says.

Among billions of galaxies, each containing hundreds of millions of stars, Earth is probably not the only place where life evolved, he says. To my mathematical brain, the numbers alone make thinking about aliens perfectly rational,” he said. “The real challenge is to work out what aliens might actually be like.”

The documentary offers several possibilities, including herds of two-legged herbivores grazing on an alien cliff-face where they are picked off by flying lizard predators, reports The Times of London. Another clip shows fluorescent aquatic animals forming vast shoals in the oceans of Europa.

Hawking, 68, spent three years working on the documentary, which highlights his thinking about several topics, the Times reported.

He’s previously spoken in favor of human colonization of other planets, arguing it would ensure the human race would survive nuclear war or asteroid collisions that could make Earth uninhabitable. But he says aliens with the same motivations would probably not be trustworthy.

“If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans,” Hawking says.

I, for one, would welcome our new alien overlords.

Here is a depiction of Mr. Hawking after the malevolent Aliens got through with him.

Update

 

November 2012

In September 2012, the CBC senior management consolidated weather services, and moved Martin to CBC Toronto to work on the local supper-time and 10 PM national newscasts.

Now Claire is in the same studio as Peeta.  It looks like they may get off their shifts at the same time.  Maybe a nightcap in a hotel room down the street from CBC world headquarters. Or possibly Peeta has a private, fully furnished suite at world headquarters, with a wet bar?  Oh, the possibilities are endless!

 

The constant on air flirtation between CBC news reader Peter Mansbridge and CBC meteorologist Claire Martin is annoying.  Why don’t they just get a motel room?  They could meet in Winnipeg as Claire is in Vancouver and Peter is in Toronto.  2500 miles apart.  Winnipeg is dab smack in the middle of those two cities.

When weather time comes on during The National newscast Peter lights up like a horny schoolboy.  Then Claire comes on and is all bubbly as she acknowledges PETA.  Their eyes glow and the wide smiles are hilarious. 

Peter is married to actress Cynthia Dale ( a former hottie in her own right) but I’m sure he would jump on Claire at the drop of a hat.  If only it wasn’t for that 2500 miles.  There is no information on Claire’s marital status.  When Claire comes on it likely isn’t only Peter that is drooling,  Chantal Hebert likely has dreams of Claire as well.

This flirtatious television relationship gets in the way of Claire’s weather forecasts.  The juvenile banter is exasperating.  Just let us know that it is raining in Vancouver and snowing in Calgary Claire.  And Peter should think about his wedding vows when the feed from Vancouver approaches.

Peter likely goes home and watches clips of Claire.  And I don’t want to imagine what he does to himself when he watches those clips.  I think the Super 8 motel on Fermor by the East Perimeter would be the perfect thing for these two lovey doveys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It can be said that the United States has created many enemies across the world due to its geopolitical policies.  Some of these enemies are absolutely irrational and may be highly dangerous if they acquire lethal capabilities.  Two examples are North Korea and Al Qaeda.  Therefore the U.S. military is developing a strike capability where if the threat is definite and is located, anywhere in the world, it can be taken out by a weapon system launched from the U.S. mainland within two hours.

Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a United States military initiative to develop a system capable of a conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world in 2 hours just as a nuclear attack can currently be carried with intercontinental ballistic missiles. As stated by General James Cartwright, “Today, unless you want to go nuclear, it’s measured in days, maybe weeks” until the military can launch an attack with regular forces. The aim of the system is to provide rapid precision strike capability from the United States mainland to any region in the world in case of a conflict or emergency. The PGS system will be designed to complement Forward Deployed Forces, Air Expeditionary Forces (which can deploy within 48 hours) and Carrier battle groups (which can respond within 96 hours) with a system that can deliver a strike anywhere on the planet or in near space within 60 minutes.

The weapon is seen by some, including the Obama administration, to be a way to reduce the nuclear arsenal while maintaining deterrent and quick strike capabilities. Potential scenarios that would require a fast response currently only available in nuclear weapons include an impending North Korean missile launch or an opportunity to strike Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan. However a major problem with an ICBM-launched weapon is that it may trigger the nuclear warning system of Russia or even China, which caused George W. Bush to shelve plans for the system. It is currently unclear what designs or precautions would be certain to assure these countries that launched missile is not nuclear-tipped. Potential measures include a low-trajectory missile design or allowing Russian and Chinese inspection of missile sites.

Boeing X-51 Hypersonic Cruise Missile.  It could reach speeds of +Mach 7 which is 5,000 miles per hour.

 

X-51 fitted to a B-52 in 2009

Four test flights were initially planned for 2009. However, the first captive flight of the X-51A on a B-52 was not conducted until 9 December 2009, with further captive flights in early 2010. On the vehicle’s first flight, it will be released from a B-52 at 50,000 feet over the Pacific Ocean.  The first flight is planned for spring 2010.

The media and many other members of society have become attached to politically correct terminology over the past few years.  I just do not understand why this is happening.

One term that has burst forward over the past few years is GROW.  The economy grows, a persons investment portfolio grows, a sports franchises attendance grows, an individuals income grows.  Whatever happened to the terms increase or expand?  To me grow means something organic.  How can a trans-national company’s profits grow? 

I think the word expand may be derogatory towards obese people so the political correct police have banned that word. You never ever hear that word anymore.  I guess it connotes ideas like surge, swell, enlarge and broaden. 

But increase is a good neutral word.  Increase the size of the investment sounds better than grow the size of the investment.  But increase is rarely if ever used anymore either.  One of the stranger examples using the word grow was on the radio the other day.  A journalist was describing a refugee camp and said, more refugees may grow the size of the camp.  That just sounds so stupid.

Here are some definitions of grow:

1.

to increase by natural development, as any living organism or part by assimilation of nutriment; increase in size or substance.

2.

to form and increase in size by a process of inorganic accretion, as by crystallization.

3.

to arise or issue as a natural development from an original happening, circumstance, or source: Our friendship grew from common interests.

4.

to increase gradually in size, amount, etc.; become greater or larger; expand: His influence has grown.

5.

to become gradually attached or united by or as if by growth: The branches of the trees grew together, forming a natural arch.

 

 

Another politically correct usage is the pronunciation of the word record.  Like when it is used as music record or he set a world record.   Today virtually all media pronounce the word wreck-kord.  For most of my life it was pronounced recurd.  “Did you buy the new Rolling Stones recurd?”  Not “did you buy the new Rolling Stones Wreck-Kord?”

And members of the media never make a mispronunciation, it is always Wreck-Kord.  When and why did this begin?  I have noticed this now for several years. 

This exclusively happens in Canada.  Americans on the whole still say Wreck-Kurd.   Did a decree from the supreme court come down stating all Canadians must pronounce recurd wreckkord?  Only the deities know.

The Americans never let up when it comes to developing state of the art military technology.  The newest player in the top secret high tech game is the RQ-170 Sentinel Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).  It very much resembles the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber in design.  It’s dimensions are classified but reliable sources determine it’s wingspan is between 65-90 feet.

It was sighted at the Kandahar Airbase in Afghanistan in late 2007.  Why the U.S. would use a stealth UAV in Afghanistan considering the Taliban have no radar has raised some questions.  Some analysts contend that the U.S. is using the Sentinel to spy on Pakistan or Iran.  It is possible it was in Afghanistan to be tested in live theatre conditions.

A stealthy unmanned aircraft system developed by Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works division has secretly joined the US Air Force inventory.

The USAF confirms that the RQ-170 Sentinel is in development, and is expected “to provide reconnaissance and surveillance support to forward-deployed combat forces”, according to a statement released on 4 December.

The announcement comes after a series of images of a jet-powered, stealthy aircraft have appeared on the internet since last April, including a clear shot of the aircraft that circulated widely in early December.

But it was not immediately clear whether the aircraft shown in pictures and the RQ-170 are the same. Besides describing the RQ-170 as stealthy, the USAF released no further technical information about its new UAV, or any photos.

Evening Buzz: Radical Islamic Website Warns ‘South Park’ Creators

CNN Andersen Cooper

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

A radical Muslim website is taking on the TV cartoon “South Park”, after an episode that aired last week depicted the Prophet Mohammed dressed in a bear suit.

Those who run Revolutionmuslim.com, based in New York, issued a warning on the website on Sunday to the “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. “They will probably wind up like Theo van Gogh for airing this show. This is not a threat, but a warning of the reality of what will likely happen to them,” the posting said.

Van Gogh, a Dutch filmmaker, was stabbed to death on a street in Amsterdam by a Muslim extremist in 2004. He became the target of radical Muslims after releasing a short documentary depicting the oppression of Muslim women in Europe. Revolutionmuslim.com included a graphic photo of van Gogh at the time of his death in the posting.

Over the photo of van Gogh, Parker, Stone and others you hear the audio of a sermon by the radical U.S.-born preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, who is thought to be hiding in Yemen. The sermon, recorded some time ago, talks about assassinating those who have “defamed” the Prophet Mohammed.

Islam probably provides a soothing effect to millions of people who follow it.  It provides charity and support to millions of its followers as well.  But when it comes to world religions, Islam leads the way in hatred, intolerance, violence and oppression.  Of all religions the radicals in Islam often seem to lead the way to confront perceived threats and sacrilege. 

I contend a lot of this hatred stems from the fact that Islam is embedded in countries that are economic basket cases for the most part.   A downtrodden people will use any vehicle as their pedestal.  And many people in so-called Islamic countries use their religion as a force of outrage.

Nikolai Sergeyevich Valuev is one big bloody boxer.  The Russian from St. Petersburg is 7 feet tall and weighs 330 pounds.  He is a former two time WBA champion.  He almost appears to be a Sasquatch that suffers from mange which has caused him or it to lose its hair. 

Arch rival and the last man to beat Valuev, Englishman David Haye described him like this: “He is the ugliest fricking thing I have ever seen. I have watched Lord of the Rings and films with strange looking people, but for a human being to look like he does is pretty shocking.”

Some pics of this giant beast boxer.

But David Haye wasn’t intimidated and he fought the Giant toe to toe and ultimately beat him to become champion.

Environmentalist and esteemed scientist David Suzuki held a press conference today calling on the Iceland volcano that is spewing millions of tons of ash into the atmosphere to cease and desist immediately. 

The volcano named Eyjafjallajökull (try saying that rapidly 5 times in a row) has affected air travel across most of Europe and many other parts of the world.  Airlines have been leery of flying through the ash. In the past ash particles have shut down jet engines.

Suzuki said this brutish volcano has spewed more toxic emissions into the atmosphere in the last week than all the cars in the world did in the last year.  Suzuki lamented that high-flying geese could be knocked from the sky.  The lungs of mountain goats will get coated with ash causing the goats to black-out and fall off mountains, Suzuki asserted.  The eminent scientist then declared that this contemptuous volcano is disgorging more pollutants into the air in an hour than 30 million flatulent cows do in a decade.

When a reporter refuted Suzuki’s logic stating that a volcano is a natural phenomenon that possesses no conciousness of its own and can’t make rational decisions, Suzuki blasted back, “poppycock!”  He said “the Earth is a living, breathing entity, and every part of it knows what in the hell it is doing!”  Suzuki then started rambling in an ancient Egyptian dialect and had to be restrained and taken away in a straight jacket.

A Suzuki aide later said the professor had a bad reaction to his latest diet.  He said Suzuki was trying a life extension diet consisting exclusively of  seafood stew, beets and rutabagas.  And that Suzuki had an allergic reaction to the rutabagas immediately prior to the press conference. 

Don’t be scared if you see a few more clowns on city streets next week.

The World Clown Association is holding its annual convention in Winnipeg from April 18 to 23 at Canad Inns Polo Park. Several clowning competitions during the convention will be open to the public, and conventioneers have also arranged a charity basketball game between clowns and some Winnipeg sports and media personalities.

However one Clown had to be apprehended at the airport after various illegal devices were found in his clown trunk.  Troubles the Clown had to be pepper sprayed and ultimately tasered four times by local police before he was cuffed and brought to the Remand Centre.  While inspecting his clown trunk authorities discovered a hammer, handcuffs, knives, chloroform, pliers and an evil looking voodoo doll.  Troubles will appear before a provincial magistrate on Thursday.  Below is a recent photo of the bad clown.

It has also been reported that several convention clowns were seen lurking near a West End daycare.  Freelance photographer Edgar Rubinstein looked into the reports and provided these photographs.

Hangovers are a horrid part of existence.  They make you question your sanity as to why you indulged in that debauchery the night before.  But as social animals many people use booze, beer, liquor or any other type of alcoholic drink to let loose and relieve the stress.

That is the strange part about drinking.  You basically go from sweet ecstasy to the pits of hell in a 12 hour period.  The intermediate part is a deep comatose like sleep.  But when that alarm goes off in the morning the brain and body will let you know you acted very badly the night before.  And you will pay with great suffering.  Especially if you have to get into work. 

Easy tasks become confounding stress filled predicaments.  When you speak to co-workers you call them by the wrong names.  And the constant rush to the water cooler to fill the bottle up, which in turn leads to constant trips to the can.  And your work performance diminishes to that of an intelligent chimp.  The constant self-loathing, mumbling rabid insults about your own stupidity to yourself.

So we conclude that we will never do that again.  Until the emails start that the gang wants to get together to watch a big hockey game. And the sauce will be flowing hard again.

Here are some possible cures:

Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. It is best to stay in bed so call in to work if you have to, tell them you have the stomach flu. You will sound so horrible on the phone they may believe you (unless they saw you at the bar, not a good idea then).

Replenish your body with fruit juice and water.

Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.

Drink orange juice for Vitamin C.

Drink a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.

Eat mineral rich food like pickles or canned fish.

In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy.

Drink a Bloody Mary. While the popular phrase “hair of the dog that bit you” may sound logical with a shot of whiskey left in the bottle next to your bed, it’s only temporary. Try a Bloody Mary instead, while your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins. If you drank the last of the vodka make a Virgin Mary. Another spicy morning after drink option is Hair of the Dog, in which gin and hot sauce are sure to bite your hangover back.

Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.

In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand.