Aron Ra on Pence

As if Donald Trump isn't bad enough, he went and picked a moron named Mike Pence as his Vice Presidential candidate. Pence is about as regressive as they come, so I guess he's perfect for Agent Orange.

In the video below, Aron Ra, noted Texas atheist, dismantles Pence's homey lies and bullshit.

Here is Aron's note accompanying the video: 

On July 11th 2002, then-Representative Mike Pence testified before the House of Representatives that public schools should teach the theory of evolution as if it were only one of multiple hypotheses regarding the origins of species. Now that Trump the Chump has chosen Pence the Dense as his vice presidential running mate, I felt obliged to address now-Governor Pence's willful ignorance and deliberate misrepresentation of evolution.

Rude election

It's been awhile since I've heard from the Rude Pundit. Here he checks in on Hillary's rather comprehensive plan to deal with mental health. About the only comprehensible thing about any of Donald Trump's plans is that they are INcomprehensible. I don't know how anyone in their right mind can even vote for Trump, so it looks like a plan on mental health would be a good idea. 

The Rude Pundit

Hillary Clinton Is Running for President, Too

by The Rude Pundit

While we are all mesmerized by watching the ongoing train crash into a dumpster fire on top of a mountain of shit that is the Donald Trump campaign, we seem to be missing any coverage at all of what's been going on with Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, aka "The Evilest Harpy Ever to Swoop from the Heavens to Devour Our Children and Our Testicles" or whatever right-wing media and Trump are calling her now. 

Believe it or not, she has a campaign, too. I know. Hard to believe. And things happen with it that have nothing to do with love emails to ISIS or the Clinton Foundation digging a tunnel right to the State Department's door or whatever we're supposed to believe now. And some of those things happened just in this last week or so of watching Trump dance the merengue on the dreams of immigrants.

For instance, Clinton proposed a "Comprehensive Agenda on Mental Health," something you'd think Donald Trump's family would want him to get in on. A chunk of it already has bipartisan support in that the GOP-controlled House passed some of what she is proposing. Her full plan is incredibly detailed, with projected costs included, in a way that you'd never see on that other guy's website for his idiot hordes. It's smart and insightful, and it has real reform and compassion behind it. So no one gives a shit. If she had said, "Lock up the calm nuts and shoot the criminal ones in the streets like they're rabid dogs," the media would have been all over it, discussing the merits of such an extreme action.

Clinton also proposed a public health fund for things like the Zika outbreak. Yeah, "Rapid Response Fund" isn't as glamorous as "big, beautiful wall," but, you know, probably a great deal more useful. 

She was also recently endorsed by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, which has never endorsed a candidate in its 15 year existence. Oh, and the Teamsters endorsed her last week, making it the final of the 5 biggest unions in the United States to do so, none of which seem to be bothered by email bullshit or faux Foundation shenanigans. Or even Benghazi.

Yeah, in a normal campaign, where we actually treated the candidates in a normal way, we'd have a discussion about some of these things and their implications should Clinton become president. 

But when one thing sucks up all the oxygen in the room, the rest of us suffocate.

(Aside: Your hatred of Clinton is noted and scornfully dismissed with "Well, then lick Trump's balls." Feel free to say I'm a shillary for Killary, if that's what gets you off.)

Original.

expand your mind

Here's an interesting YouTube video: 10 Times Atheists Blew Our Minds. It won't convert any faithiests, but you never know.

Telic shoes

I think I have finally found the shoes that I have been needing for my feet. This is beyond the orthotics that I picked up in May from my Podiatrist. Those orthotics are great when I have to wear "real" (closed-toe) shoes. But I wanted something I could easily slip on and off around the house and I think I have finally found them. (click the pic)

With an assist from my sister in Colorado, I discovered Telic shoes. It's a Colorado company and they are amazingly comfortable and Made in the USA. They have multiple styles, kinda like Crocs, but they have so much more padding they are just awesome.

A blurb

Being called “America’s recovery shoe” and winner of the ‘Readers Choice Awards’ for Best Comfort Shoe, Telic is a revolutionary new product with unparalleled comfort.  

Telic uses a new material called Novalon™; a body-heat activated, waterproof, feather-light material that is durable, elastic, and pillow-soft.  Contoured to support the arches of your feet, all styles feature a deep heel cup with great medial arch and metatarsal support.  

Telic's award-winning comfort makes for the perfect shoe during long days on your feet, or the perfect recovery shoe after a hard day’s work.

They are a little expensive, but worth every penny.

on vacation

I'll be out of pocket for several more days as we are on vacation and the internet upload speed here is very slow.

September stargazing

I can't wait until we can move south and actually be able to see the stars at night again! 

Closest Star, Proxima Centauri, has a Planet

An international team of astronomers including Michael Endl of The University of Texas at Austin have found clear evidence of a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun. Above, an artist's impression of the planet's surface. (Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser)

Stargazing Summary

Some of the big constellations of autumn begin to push their way into the evening sky this month. Pegasus, the flying horse, is well up in the east at nightfall by month's end, with Andromeda, the princess, to its left. Under especially dark skies, you should be able to pick out M31, the Andromeda galaxy. Venus, the Evening Star, inches higher in the western sky at sunset. And Mars begins to eke away from Antares and Saturn, although they remain fairly close throughout the month.

More stargazing information »

Radio Program Highlights

If you want to start hearing the StarDate program in your area, you can request a station to carry our program by emailing the request to stations@stardate.org.

September 1-4: Faint giant. The giant planet Neptune is at its best this week, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about some "Neptunes" in other star systems. Join us for the planet Neptune, plus a "wimpy" dark matter particle and more. 

September 5-11: Beginnings and endings. A spacecraft that's been tagging along with a comet is about to wrap up its mission, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about a mission to an asteroid that's ready to get started. Join us for Rosetta, Osiris-Rex, and more.

September 12-18: Worlds beyond. Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets in other star systems, with the tally increasing by the month. We'll talk about some of those discoveries, how they're made, and their implications for life on other worlds.

September 19-25: Invaders from Mars. The man who created the Martian invasion was born 150 years ago this week, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about a bright source of X-rays and the beautiful autumn skies. Join us for H.G. Wells and more.

September 26-30: Galactic halo. The Milky Way arcs high overhead on these early autumn nights, and we'll have details. We'll also talk about a region of the Milky Way that extends far beyond its beautiful spiral arms. Join us for the Milky Way's halo and more.

Program schedule »

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This Month in StarDate Magazine

In our September/October issue, get the latest on the search for a large, unseen planet some astronomers think is lurking in the Kuiper Belt, and meet pioneering 19th-century British astronomer Elizabeth Brown, who traveled to Russia to study a solar eclipse.

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