Yeppers, I'm still around here, even if I do turn up more in the filk community.  Anyway, just made up a list of useful links for US election information, both general and local (LA - I live here and most of the links I use myself are local).  Anyway, Google can tell you about any local to you wherever you happen to be.  The list is on my website here - if I have to update it I don't want to have to remember where I put the info.  In particular there are judicial ranking pages (and for LA a few specific to the current elections) to defog the general "who the heck are they?" problem with judicial elections.  Good luck, and don't forget to vote in November!

Wow the first...

Wow! mystery signal from space finally explained

June 7, 2017 by Bob Yirk

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the Center of Planetary Science (CPS) has finally solved the mystery of the "Wow!" signal from 1977. It was a comet, they report, one that that was unknown at the time of the signal discovery. Lead researcher Antonio Paris describes their theory and how the team proved it in a paper published in the Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences.
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And Wow the second (Leastwise Wow is what I said when I saw the article.)

Physicists Finally Have Proof That Two-Dimensional Magnets Exist

BEC CREW 8 JUN 2017

(Science Alert) Since the discovery of graphene in 2004, there's been a proliferation of strange new two-dimensional materials. In all of them, scientists have been chasing one invaluable property - magnetism, which is crucial for data storage, medical devices, and electricity generators.

After years of searching, many suspected that true two-dimensional magnets might not actually exist. But now we finally have proof - physicists have created the first ever 2D magnet, and it's got properties we haven't even seen yet.
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Addendum about the latter, did you know you could use sticky tape to peel layers off a graphene crystal until you're down to one atom thick? And then put them BACK the same way? Me either. Scotch Tape Forever!

Currently going through the transferred files and correcting old broken links when possible (not all even still exist at other links after all) and fixing formats on Youtube embeds which don't quite match LJ and stuff like that there.  This will take awhile - I'm currently halfway through 2006. 

The Kickstarter funded and then some - if you want to continue to follow this project, there's a website at http://www.pleistocenepark.ru/en/ .

From LiveScience

Fossilized Tick Reveals Perfectly Preserved Red Blood Cells
By Tia Ghose, Senior Writer | April 4, 2017 10:18am ET

The only known example of ancient mammalian red blood cells preserved in amber may exist, thanks to a bit of monkey business.

The cells were found in a fossilized tick that had been gorging on a blood meal when it was unceremoniously removed midfeed and plunked in sticky amber. A subtle feature on the tick's back suggests that an ancient monkey that was grooming one of its friends removed the tick.

"Two tiny holes indicate that something picked a tick off the mammal it was feeding on, puncturing it in the process and dropping it immediately into tree sap," study co-author George Poinar Jr., an amber expert and professor emeritus at Oregon State University, said in a statement.
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Not only RBC but a batch of parasites and things - see the rest of the article.

Article in International Business Times about the project I mentioned in my last post. Got this for supporting it (ok, ten bucks worth, but what the heck - I like the idea whether it happens or not, goodness knows...) If you do want to support it, there's only 10 days to go...

Today's Hubble Release, a 30th Anniversary image of Supernova 1987A. Which you may recall took place in the Magellanic Cloud which is really about as close as i care to be to a supernova... :)

Here is what years of expanding supernova cloud looks like...

Meanwhile, what the &*)( happened to the embed video system here?  Not EVERYTHING is on You Tube, guys...

Darryl Hughes and Monique MacNaughton have an Indiegogo campaign up for producing the last two books in the Chevalier the Queen's Mousketeer series (yeppers, two more!)   Especially if you aren't familiar with this series of children's stories, go look at the site which has a lot of examples, reviews and whatnot.  This is the same series the on-line version of which appeared in the Recommended List for years.

Apparently Marcus has asked this to be shared around, so I suspect that includes posting it in here:

The Battle Hymn of the Bowling Green Massacre
Marcus Bales•Sunday, 5 February 2017

No eyes have seen a massacre occur at Bowling Green
As non-existent soldiers met with students never seen
Where Kellyanne's imagination lit her silver screen
Her lies go marching on.

Dilatory allegory
Predatory oratory
Don't believe her lying story
Her lies go marching on.

Her fictional protesters faced her fancied fascist troops
Her tragic death-toll changed into a legendary 'Oops'
As all they did was wave their well-spelled signs in peaceful groups
Her lies go marching on.

Dilatory allegory
Predatory oratory
Don't believe her lying story
Her lies go marching on.

She said it went uncovered by reporters of the news
That stations pulled their on-air talent with their camera-crews
But worse, she's acting pouty that there's no deaths she can use.
Her lies go marching on.

Dilatory allegory
Predatory oratory
Don't believe her lying story
Her lies go marching on.

She has offered up her bullshit as if lying were a sport;
Each time she moves her lips she tells a tale that lacks support.
Is there no fact she won't traduce, no truth she won't distort?
Her lies go marching on.

Dilatory allegory
Predatory oratory
Don't believe her lying story
Her lies go marching on.

In the mists of ghostly silence such a massacre occurred
That its trumped-up date is celebrated by no deed nor word --
And to find that she’s not fired for this kind of shit's absurd.
Her lies go marching on.

Dilatory allegory
Predatory oratory
Don't believe her lying story
Her lies go marching on.
©2017 Marcus Bales

Spotted this on NPR. Apparently there is a yearly student painting competition, the winners of which get hung in the Capitol in DC for about a year until the next set of winners. One such, "Untitled#1" by David Pulphus went up last June, and apparently a group of Republicans have decided it was "offensive" and have been alternating taking it down with members of the Congressional Black Congress putting it back up. I can see what "offended" them, I also rather like the painting myself; nice use of symbolism. Follow the link for the story and a look at the painting. Great way to make sure everybody sees it, guys!