Early Snow

Denver - and Golden - is getting a big early snow - about 19 inches in my backyard as of 9 am and more is forecast. I do like the variability of Colorado weather!

Smile!

As most anyone who knows me knows, I smile a lot. I've always believed that it is a great way to make it through the day, but I recognize that was based upon nothing other than my feelings and some popular wisdom. But here's a reinforcing opinion that actually has some references that support the theory.

http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/a-language-of-smiles/?ref=science

So I'll keep smiling - and I suggest you do the same

Questions

Here are some mind stretching questions for those among you with a physics bent - http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18041-seven-questions-that-keep-physicists-up-at-night.html?full=true

Debt

I've always admired Victor Davis Hanson, a professor of Classical Greece and recognized expert on ancient Greek and Roman history. He is particularly well known for "The Western Way of War" which attributes western victories to western cultural attitudes. Here - http://pajamasmedia.com/victordavishanson/allfallingdown/ - is an excellent article that strongly agrees with my views of the danger of public debt - and that a major source of public debt is government entitlement programs.

Threats

All the political and social noise about climate change seems to me to be misdirected. A much more real threat is described in this - http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18046 - article in "New Scientist". And unlike climate change, it's pretty firmly established that a collision with a comet can result in massive extinctions - just ask T. rex.

Free speech, the UN, and blasphemy

It seems to me that the President's oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States would require that ANY Administration vote against an exception to free speech based upon negative racial or religious religious stereotyping. Yet, according to this - http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/10/column-just-say-no-to-blasphemy-laws-.html - the Obama Administration has done just that.

Evolution

Very interesting article on the evolution of flying reptiles and some general implications to evolutionary theory. It more or less supports that evolution can happen rapidly - in a geological sense - when an opportunity arises. The site for the article is: http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displayStory.cfm?story_id=14637291&source=hptextfeature