Last week, a report issued by the Public Religion Research Institute, a respected polling organization (background info here), contained a stunning statistic: The percentage of Americans who identify with evangelical churches has dropped from 23% to 14% since 2008, a decline of nearly 40% in a dozen[...]
Archive for July, 2021
Understanding quantum computers
For most people, that’s an oxymoron. Putting the word “understanding” in the same sentence as “quantum computers” doesn’t make any sense, except to a handful of people above our pay grades. Quantum computing is based on the physics of quantum mechanics, which is a[...]
Who cares if photons from 6,500 light years away accelerate like crazy?
“Scientists have long known the Crab Nebula [is] a very energetic astrophysical object …. But recently, [they] discovered it is even more energetic than they thought. Using an array of state-of-the-art detectors on … the Tibetan Plateau, a team … detected light particles with[...]
July 10th, 2021 - 5:15 pm § in News Media, Politics
When impersonating the media isn’t a good idea
“A Southern California man has been arrested after being charged with joining the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol while trying to impersonate a member of the media,” NBC News reported on Saturday, July 10, 2021 (read story here). “Matthew Thomas Purse, 45, was arrested in Irvine[...]
Rightwing inciter
One of the zaniest Republicans in Congress, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC, on the right in photo at left, rap sheet here), “who has lied about being accepted to the Naval Academy and about the car crash that partially paralyzed him,” doesn’t like Biden’s idea of knockin[...]
July 9th, 2021 - 8:46 pm § in Donald Trump, Politics
The 7-step plan to reinstate Trump
No, it’s not a joke. Yeah, I think they’re serious. Read details here. Return to The-Ave.US Home Page[...]
July 9th, 2021 - 6:23 pm § in Donald Trump, Politics
They weren’t tourists and it wasn’t a protest
From a CNN story published on Friday, July l9, 2021 (read it here): “Officer AW stepped out of a tunnel where police were congregated and into the crowd to help Rosanne Boyland, 34, a rioter and QAnon supporter who was trampled by the mob. … “Prosecutors say AW’s body-worn [...]
The sheer joy of Amazon reviews
We all read them, and some of us write them. It’s our chance to strike back at the empire of shoddy goods and services. Sometimes, customer reviews even rise to the level of literature (of sorts). For example: * * * LoveAmazonShopping 1.0 out of 5 stars Junk Junk Junk Junk Junk Junk R[...]
July 9th, 2021 - 10:19 am § in America, Biden, Business, Economics, Foreign Affairs, Misc., Politics
Who’s to blame for gas prices?
Republicans want to blame Biden (see story here), but that’s ridiculous. Gas prices are tied to supply and demand. Bottom line, supply is down from years of disinvestment in oil production, and demand is jumping as America comes out of pandemic hibernation and millions of us resume commuting t[...]
July 8th, 2021 - 11:03 pm § in Biden, Foreign Affairs
Is Afghanistan Biden’s first foreign policy mistake?
Will Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan become his first big foreign policy mistake? It’s likely the Taliban will again take over that country. We know what an Afghanistan run by the Taliban will be like, because they did once before. It will be a place where women[...]