Ocean Odyssey: An Adventure into Leviathan’s Realm

It is a tale reminiscent of Homer and a voyage worthy of Odysseus himself. Today on Discovery Enterprise we will undertake a sperm whale’s-eye view of life under the sea and an extraordinary journey that will take us from the Grand Banks and into the abysmal depths of the ocean into a realm where perhaps Jonah and few other intrepid explorers have ever dared venture forth. Ocean Odyssey takes us on an adventure spanning eighty years deep into the world of this planet’s largest living mammal, exploring the vast undersea landscape from which all life once emerged.

We have named our planet the Earth, but our world is truly an Ocean planet. Those of us currently involved in the Atlantica Expeditions have named this vast new and uncharted kingdom – Aquatica.

Aquatica is a world covered in water, and hidden beneath the waves is a dominion far richer and mysterious than any found on land. Here we can find magnificent mountain ranges higher than the Himalayas, chasms deeper than the Grand Canyon and vast plains broader than the Serengeti.

Those of us involved in the Atlantica Expeditions are committed to the long term goal of maintaining the health and vitality of this planet in all its realms – land, air and sea. Each of these realms is integral to the future habitability of our world. Vital in meeting this end is our commitment to the permanent settlement and continual monitoring of the health of our planetary ocean.

The dream of exploring and permanently settling Aquatica is the central vision of our undertaking, with the immediate, global commitment to extended ocean monitoring and the sustainable development of its immense resources for all humankind. We also seek to venture there to teach every culture innovative and powerful systems of thought, carved from a profound visionary environmental philosophy – to preserve and protect this vast ocean realm. It is a philosophy vital to our species’ long term survival on this planet and wherever else humanity will one day settle in this vast Cosmos.

So, after viewing today’s video feature please take a tour of the Atlantica Expedition’s website and learn more about our project.

Ocean Odyssey Part One

Watch BBC Ocean Odessey part 1 in Educational | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Ocean Odyssey Part Two

Watch BBC – Ocean Odessy Part 2 in Educational | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Frank Sartor for Premier?

Thats what the newspapers are saying. I think its a fight for the wooden spoon but I suppose a year or so as Premier would increase his superannuation payout. He does have some support:

But he has dedicated supporters outside politics, including Sydney Writers’ Festival chair Sandra Yates, who said she found him to have “terrific leadership qualities”.

I somehow think the support from the chair of the Sydney Writers’ Festival is not going to carry much weight with the mortgage belt voters.

Go get ’em Barry!

Drop Dead California

Thats what Peter Schiff thinks Obama should tell California:

During the height of New York City’s financial crisis in the 1970’s, President Gerald Ford had the good sense to turn down Mayor Abe Beame’s request for a federal bailout. The refusal prompted the famous New York Post headline, “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” More than 30 years later, as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a similar plea to Washington, I hope President Obama will show similar restraint. Unfortunately, given Obama’s recent string of unwise economic decisions, it’s hard to imagine that his judgment will suddenly improve.

A federal bailout would spare California from having to make spending cuts needed to bring its budget into balance. The matter has become urgent since California voters rejected several tax-hiking ballot initiatives. Rather than taking the vote as a signal to dramatically curtail spending, the state turned to the feds. If they get a free pass, the politicians can avoid fixing any of their past mistakes or preparing California for the future…

Its worth reading in full, if for nothing else an excellent example of clear economic writing. Its relevant to Australia too. The government gave the banks a 100% government guarantee on their deposits so State governments are finding it harder to raise capital , forcing them to either raise interest rates on their bonds or ask the Feds for a bigger handout.

The USA really is in decline

At least parts of it are. They are thinking of bulldozing entire city districts. :

Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic “shrink to survive” proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline.

The government looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature.

Local politicians believe the city must contract by as much as 40 per cent, concentrating the dwindling population and local services into a more viable area.

The radical experiment is the brainchild of Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County, which includes Flint.

Having outlined his strategy to Barack Obama during the election campaign, Mr Kildee has now been approached by the US government and a group of charities who want him to apply what he has learnt to the rest of the country.

“Shrink to Survive”. Hmmmm… Perhaps California could try that.

Future Fusion

I have been hearing about the promise of nuclear fusion all my life, but it still remains a dream. Thats why I’m a supporter of the much more practical nuclear fission as a replacement for fossil fuels.

However at least one form of nuclear fusion may provide commercial electricity in our lifetime and open up the solar system as well. The Polywell Fusion Reactor was invented by the late Dr Robert Bussard and shows some promise. M Simon gives the current status here.

The project has received shoestring funding but there’s enough money to go to the next stage. Hopefully in a couple of years time we will know if it really does work .

The video below describes the reactor.

Hitler Victorious

It is perhaps one of the greatest “what ifs” and “might have beens” of history. What if Hitler succeeded in winning the Second World War in Europe? What if Hitler’s Luftwaffe had won the Battle of Britain in September, 1941 and over the succeeding weeks Britain fell under the Nazi jackboot?

Today on Discovery Enterprise we take a voyage through Alternate History and explore the world of Hitler Victorious with our three full length video offerings.

Hitler’s Britain Episode 1
An alternate history of Britain under the Nazi jackboot.

Hitler’s Britain Episode 2
The Brits Fight Back in Churchill’s Secret Army.

Fatherland

All parts in order of ‘Fatherland’, the 1994 TV movie based on the alternate history novel by Robert Harris where Nazi Germany is the victor of the second World War in Europe.

New South Wales is not a dictatorship

One of the most persistent political myths is that we elect the Prime Minister/Premier on election day. Certainly Simon Benson believes it:

The simple reason for this is that the people of NSW have been denied their right to have a say.

When Labor’s geniuses shafted Morris Iemma, they robbed voters of the right to choose who runs NSW. Had Iemma fallen under a bus or been forced to resign for ill-health, no one would have denied the right of the Government to choose a new leader.

But he didn’t. And yet they did.

Here he goes again:

Say what you like about Iemma but at least he was elected by the people of NSW. Rees was chosen by half a dozen unelected mugwumps from the union movement and Labor Party head office to lead a Government which is now more unpopular than Iemma’s at its worst.

Lets be clear. No voter elected Mr Iemma to the position of Premier last election day. The most that happened was he was elected to the seat of Lakemba. The Labor Party caucus then confirmed him as their leader and, as they had the parliamentary majority, he became Premier. They had every right to dump him if they chose and they did. That’s how our democracy works. Unlike the Americans we do not vote for our leaders so lets not pretend we do.

Army Astronauts – Soldiers move from the battlefield to NASA

The Astronaut Corps has within its ranks astronauts not just from the traditional armed services of the Air Force and Navy but also the Army. And, they are not our vanguard defense force ready to defend humanity in the face of an alien invasion. But, its great to know that are boys in green are expanding their presence out onto the ultimate high ground just in case.

HOUSTON — Several soldiers are trading in the gritty battlefields of the Middle East for the glorious majesty of outer space.

In what is already an exclusive club of American astronauts they are an even rarer breed.

There are only four soldiers in the Army-NASA detachment.

They’re trading the boots and guns of the “green Army” for the back rooms at Johnson Space Center.

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Floyd’s Journey – 2001: A Space Odyssey – Orbiter Space Flight Simulator

“As far as he knew, it was the first time that an entire mission had been set up to take a single man to the Moon.” — From Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, Section 2 ‘T.M.A.-1’, Chapter 7 ‘ Special Flight’

Today on Discovery Enterprise I would like to direct your attention to another fantastic Orbiter Space Flight Simulator add-on entitled “The World of 2001” which brings to life the 2001 Universe of Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick.

Today’s Orbiter video offering depicts Heywood Floyd’s Journey from the Earth to Clavius Base on the Moon. You can download a better motion picture quality version of this video from the video section of the “World of 2001” website.

I am looking forward to the day when a RAMA add-on is created for this fantastic spacecraft simulator.

Meatheads and the gravy train

Mark Latham, the man who could have been our Prime Minister, is back in the news. This time slagging the ADF:

Mr Latham accused the nation’s soldiers of having limited intelligence and primeval interests in life”, in a column in today’s edition of The Australian Financial Review.

He said former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon was better off out of the portfolio, with even the most tedious of public duties “better than knocking around with the meatheads of the Australian Defence Force”.

But thats not all, this is what he has to say about his fellow Labor politicians:

“Regrettably, milking the system has become a regular part of Labor’s culture,” Mr Latham wrote.

Mr Latham contrasted the frugality of former Labor leaders John Curtin and Ben Chifley with the modern ALP breed.

“Labor talks a lot about working families but most of its Mps are working hard for the high life,” Mr Latham wrote.

“Their favoured form of infrastructure is the gravy train.”

Mr Latham should certainly now about that. How much super are you getting Mr Latham?