Sir Arthur Eddington

Einstein left, Eddington right both opposed the notion of cosmic black holes

Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, OM, FRS was a British astrophysicist of the early 20th century. He was also a philosopher of science and a popularizer of science who opposed the idea of black holes.

where did all the black holes go?

Exactly 40 years after famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking brought event horizons and black holes into the public eye, he is now claiming that black holes don’t actually exist. Instead of all-consuming event horizons and black holes which nothing can escape from, Hawking now proposes that there are “apparent horizons” which suck in matter and energy — but only temporarily, before eventually releasing them again.

jpr: I was a student when  the black hole idea first hit the colleges,  now there gone? 

where can the snow birds go this winter?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2536278/Spectacular-photographs-moment-Niagara-Falls-FROZE-polar-vortex-saw-record-breaking-temperatures-tourist-mecca.html

It's going to be 81 in Miami today and 77 in Los Angeles. The mid- to upper 70s forecast for Palm Springs, Calif., is great weather for the Palm Springs International Film Festival going on this week. On Maui in Hawaii it's in the 70s, although it is supposed to rain today. It looked pretty nice yesterday, though, at Kapalua Golf Club in Lahaina. And it's 71 in Phoenix.

When I was 10 I descended into a hole.

(Anonymous) said he'd pay us to help clean the cistern;  my brother says it was a septic tank.  The pay rate was never stated.   We worked for him a number of times, always with the promise of "PAY".  We loved the idea of having money.  I can't remember if he ever actually paid us, at least not me.  I remember once getting a red soda and a creamy cake.  Nonetheless we always did the work, hoping.

maybe there's a soda pop up there somewhere

He told us that he was too big to fit into the the square hole leading down into the tank.  My brother and I descended easily into a dark damp vault, big enough to hold 10 or twelve kids like us..  The only light came from the hole up at the top..  We didn't have to see much , just enough to scrub.- the walls, ceiling, and  floor, with bleach and a stiff brush.  I don't know if we were in there for hours or days or an entire childhood. When I finally exited I was tired and woozy and had lost the ability to do math.

Cricky! NFL has same status as my Church!

The NFL generates $9,000,000,000 in revenue each year and they pay no taxes.  They are classified as a Non-Profit organization, the only professional sport to hold that status.  And to boot, many cities/counties build stadiums at their own expense for NFL teams to use.  Seems like a good place to start the revolution.

Nebuchadnezzar II

Nebuchadnezzar II (c 634 – 562 BC) was king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, who reigned c. 605 BC – 562 BC. He is credited with the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and for the destruction of the First Temple. He is featured in the Book of Daniel and is mentioned in several other books of the Bible. 
His tomb is in North of Babel City in the Heart of iraq.

jpr: Saddam Hussein called  himself a son of  Nebuchadnezzar.

After the Super Bowl: A Big Clean Up

While fans were enjoying the Giants and Patriots play football in the Super Bowl, another team in blue uniforms worked in the background. The 75 men and women of Republic Services (NYSE:RSG) of Indianapolis collected and hauled away about 500 tons of waste and recycling from the football stadium, the Convention Center and the Super Bowl Village

"The truth is the Super Bowl long ago became more than just a football game. It's part of our culture like turkey at Thanksgiving and lights at Christmas, and like those holidays beyond their meaning, a factor in our economy."
 Bob Schieffer