betty windsor throws out the first pitch

I think Cricket is like the Queen’s Baseball. I have no idea. In fact, on this topic, I am blissfully clueless. I think they have flat bats and seem to run around bases. But teams get their asses handed to them with scores like 284 to 6. I think sometimes they score 100 points at a clip, but if that is true, why waste your time getting 6? I think games go on for days, too. I know they break for tea. It doesn’t seem that strenuous so I am unclear why they take such long breaks.

I watched this film to try to understand more, but I kept it muted because sometimes I get angry. It felt like listening to the narration would not be a good idea. So mute and watch:



Did you learn anything? Yeah, I agree, it was kinda long. But when I saw the credits mention Fleetwood Mac, I was very pleased that I kept it muted. I saw FM 3 or 4 times in the late 1970s into the 1980s. Mick Fleetwood made my skin crawl. Stevie Nicks made my pants tight. But now she looks like Mickey Rooney. Go figure. Next thing she’ll be selling Medigap Insurance.

Did you notice that the credits included a copyright claim of MMXIII? Methinks someone needs to go back to Roman Number School. Someone wrote or told me that the reason Roman numerals failed as a system was because it lacked a zero. It’s a good point, but incomplete. I think it failed because MDCCCLXXXVIII is a lot longer than 1888. Plus you have to do math to figure out the number. It’s more of an equation than a number.

I still don’t understand Cricket. And I care even less to understand it now than I did just 30 minutes ago.

obama's rough ride

It takes 2,025 delegates to win the dem nomination. Under their system, however, over 19% are unpledged and can enter the convention floor and vote for any candidate they choose. In order for Obama to secure the nomination, he needs to win a supermajority prior to the convention. By my calculations, in order to silence Hillary, he needs to win 60% of the remaining total delegates.

Going to open-source-and-always-fun-if-not-frightful-to-cite answers dot com, I found a context for these numbers. There are currently 4,049 total delegates to the Democratic National Convention, including 3,253 pledged delegates and 796 superdelegates. The total number of delegate votes needed to win the nomination is 2,025.

As an aside, there are currently 2,380 total delegates to the Republican National Convention, including 1,917 pledged delegates and 463 unpledged delegates all but 123 of the unpledged delegates are vote assigned. The total number of delegate votes needed to win the nomination is 1,191. Bottom line to this digression? 19.4% of the dem delegates can vote for any candidate they choose, compared to only 5% of the pub delegates.

I suggest that 2,025 is not the real number to secure the nomination for Obama. It is 2,183. He needs not just a split on pledged, but a supermajority of unpledged in order to lock those folks into casting according to popular vote.

Pick a number to represent the supermajority, but I am going to assume that number of is 70%. Anything less and Herself is on a level playing field. One-half of the unpledged is 1,626; 70% of the pledged is 557. The total Obama needs is 2,183.

According to CNN, here’s the pledged and unpledged dem counts so far: Omaba, pledged 908, unpledged 131, total 1,039; Herself, pledged 877, unpledged 223, total 1,100. There are 1,910 total delegates left, both pledged and unpledged.

With 2,183 delegates coming from primaries and caucuses as the goal, Obama needs 2,183 less 1,039, or 1,144. With 1,910 left to be decided (4,049 less 2,139), Obama needs 60% to achieve the goal.

So now the superdelegates and pundits are talking. Maybe they’ve done the same math and realize that 60% is a tall order. Chris Bowers, whoever the hell he is (even though he is from my home state), says he will quit the dem party if the superdelegate vote goes against the popular vote. Donna Brazile says the same thing.

Conversely, Ann Althouse, “a check on freewheeling democracy.” (Hunh?) Glenn at Instapundit, says he understands the logic (I guess something akin to a judicial function in government), but that Ann’s “attitude is not going to be shared by many people who've spent the last nearly-8 years claiming that winning the popular vote is more important than winning the electoral vote.”

More than interesting … are all of the remaining runway walks proportional delegate allocations? If Herself gets a winner-take-all contest by a couple of points, the 60% climbs quickly.

i got plasma on my but-tocks! *

* sung to the tune of Helter Skelter's "I've got blisters on my fingers!"

I think this means something. In writing about plasma, it reads, “What is plasma? We're familiar with solids, liquids and gases, such as solid ice, liquid water and gaseous steam. But heat atoms more, and they 'split' into free ions and electrons: a plasma.” Sounds important. Splitting atoms, I was taught growing up as the teacher talked to us while we hid under our desks from imminent Russian attacks, was a bad thing.

This is a picture of plasma. Looks hot. I guess those atoms got themselves heated up big time. Looks like the sun, eh? Here’s another apparently important statement: “All plasmas react more strongly to electromagnetic forces than gravity. Hence 99.999% of the visible Universe reacts more strongly to electromagnetic forces. And all space plasmas produce magnetic fields.” OK. So I don’t have to worry about forgetting to pack my magnet if I ever go to space. I’ll just drive by some plasma and pick one up. That’s a good thing. One less thing to worry about.

This picture looks important, too. I’m not a mathematician, and I slept in my own bed last night so I don’t have any mental super powers from drinking Holiday Inn kool-aid, but I think this tells me that there is not a reliable relationship between density and temperature. It does seem, however, that the higher densities produce the higher temperatures. That’s good, I guess. It’s nice to learn that lightening would burn my sorry ass quicker than a fire. I’ll tuck that bit of knowledge away. I hope I never need to make the choice.

Plasma also seems to be unstable by all sorts of views. That doesn’t sound good. Did you know that plasma instabilities can be divided into two general groups (1) hydrodynamic instabilities (2) kinetic instabilities? Neither did I. I think that’s interesting. Not sure. They also use terms like “sausage instability” and “hose instability.” That concerns me. Plasma seems like it’s an important thing. I don’t care that they have to reduce its analysis to food products and garden implements to understand it. Makes me feel uncomfortable. Do those use those terms for the new guys? Is that an indictment of the educational system? “I’ll tell you what really happens after you’ve been here a few years. For right now, think of Jimmy Dean link sausage.” “Hey, ever water your yard? Yeah, same thing.” That makes me very uncomfortable.

There is also something called a ”plasmoid.” Think of it as a hemorrhoid. It’s in the tail of a comet, can be ball lightening, etc. Yeah, just like that thing sticking out your asshole. Here’s a picture. That thing on the left is your asshole. The plasmoid is off to the right, kinda dangling out there.

Class dismissed.

cranky

Like origami? I don’t. Not enough focus. Makes me want to act out. Origami pisses me off. I used to make these printed CD envelopes when I gave music to my twin until I got so fucking angry one time trying to fold it that I took it outside and lit it on fire. I’m amazed the link is still in my favorites. Anyway, if you like origami, this is a well-done site.

Like clowns? You’re sick. You should be locked up. Clowns are scary. People that dress up as clowns should be lined up and shot. I wouldn’t even waste the time to put them in a line. Shoot them right on the tricycle you found them. Here’s your nightmare – you’re welcome – Evil Clown Generator. Do a screen shoot of the final and trim in PhotoShop.

You like to play the piano? I don’t. I got two hands but can only use one at a time. I would be ok if it were a one-handed instrument. What’s up with two scales on one instrument? Seems unfair. I’m into fairness. One scale per instrument. It’s like the vote-early-and-often bullshit the dems do. Anyway, here’s a good source for free sheet music.

Want to see the chronology of all sorts of different mathematics and related stuff? I don’t. In my world, I am content with D.C. (During Clyde), and have no problem with ignoring B.C. (Before Clyde) and A.C. (After Clyde). That is not my narcissistic side talking. Well, ok, it is. But so what? It’s confusing being me all the time! I mean, I certainly am not me all the time, but that’s just a reaction formation. Anyway, here’s a long list of chronologies to fill in the blanks in your knowledge such as, Chronology of Time Measurement Technology, 270BC, Ctesibius builds a popular water clock.

Like Stephen Hawking? Yeah, he’s ok, but he reminds me of that guy from My Left Foot. Scares me. I read Brief History and have an audio book of his autobiography. He’s got a personal website now. Ever hear of Black Holes? Yeah, that’s him. Makes me think of some movie where that Three’s Company guy was playing the devil and said, “You like trees? Those were my idea.”

How bored are you? Here’s a webcam where you can watch paint peel. No shit. Be sure watch it with a bottle of aspirin and an empty glass.

You comfortable? I’m not. This story tells about a sun hurling through space at 1.6 million miles an hour. It’s nine times the size of our sun. Says it happens a lot. That scares the shit out of me. A whole fucking sun screaming through space like some cosmic fastball. WHOOSH! “What the fuck was that?!?” I’m toast. I’ll probably never sleep again.

My colon is asking to void. I have to go.
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