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Showing posts from January, 2008

Mars -- Debunking the Debunkers

In any scientific investigation, it's always important to keep an open mind. Otherwise, the important details can sneak right by while you're too busy hollering that they don't exist. I've been researching dugg reports of strange phenomena lately. Things like the woman, the canals, and the face on Mars. Just about as often as there is a report of a strange phenomenon, there's another report that claims to debunk it. In reading these 'debunkings' I noticed that most of them use the same logical fallacy. It's called the ' argument from fallacy ', and here's how it works: If P, then Q. P is a fallacious argument. Therefore, Q is false. And here's a further example from wikipedia: Tom : "All cats are animals . Ginger is an animal. This means Ginger is a cat.". Bill : "Ah you just committed the affirming the consequent logical fallacy. Sorry, you are wrong, which means that Ginger is not a cat".Of course, Ginger cou

Space Exploration, UFOs, and Martian 'Features': Let's Go Take a Look!

Martian Rock(Sculpture?) While 'digg'ing around the internet this week I found this article about a recent picture sent back from the Mars rover Spirit. The author was in an inordinate rush to dismiss the image as a case of pareidolia , which is defined as perceiving vague or random stimulus as being significant. Amusingly enough, pareidolia is a type of apophenia , which is what this article may wind up being categorized as. As an example, of the phenomenon, he sited the back of the New Hampshire quarter. I've lived in the Southwest for much of my life, and I've seen my fair share of rocks that look like something else . However, the above picture of the Mars 'sculpture' goes beyond this. All the other rocks look worn by the wind like sandstone does here. However, the rock of interest has not only NOT been worn in the same manner as the others, but is in a recognizable shape. Why? The author goes on to cite another 'expert' who says the 'statu

Boulder, Colorado: The Week in Pictures!

Boulder had a lot of beautifully varied weather this week. The blog went a little picture heavy to capture what was going on up here. Here's a summary. Most of the pictures were taken on Dakota Ridge and in Sanitas Valley. For more detail, see the post links: Monday, everything was covered with snow! By Tuesday, things were warming up and a cloud was pulling moisture from one of the area lakes. We had a gorgeous sunrise as well. Wednesday, the clouds were almost gone. Thursday, the fox was out playing By Friday, it was so warm, even the manikins were going topless. Which led to thoughts of the sunny Grecian Isle of Samothraki and the Sanctuary of the Great Gods

Samothraki and the Sanctuary of the Great Gods

Last Autumn I visited the small island of Samothraki, Greece in the northeastern Aegean Sea. The island is beautiful with rocky beaches, mountains, dense forests, and natural waterfalls all packed into a small space. View Larger Map But, what initially drew my attention to it was the Sanctuary of the Great Gods . Alexander the Great's mother and father met there during a initiation. I wanted to find out if there were any links between modern-day Masonic ceremonies and the ritual initiations performed there. The site is beautiful! The layout doesn't fit with the east-west layout of today's lodges. Almost every building on the site was situated north-south. Of course, with the gorgeous views of the sea to the north, who could blame them! This site of temples and meeting halls is also where the "Winged Victory" statue was found. The statue "Winged Victory", which now resides in the Louvre was found on Samothraki and recently featured in the movie Ange

Copasetic Fox, Sanitas Valley, Boulder, Colorado

A few foxes have wondered into town lately. This one was just hanging out in Sanitas Valley this morning watching the world go by.

La Búsqueda El Diario Secreto: El conexión de la Familia Gates

Pieza I La Busqueda El Diario Secreto: Página 47 y la conexión de los francmasones Pieza II La Búsqueda El Diario Secreto Página 47 y los Santos Juanes Pieza III La Busqueda El Diario Secreto:  El conexión de la Familia Gates Pieza IV Presidentes, Los Masones, y National Treasure: Book of Secrets Hice más investigación en las conexiones Masonicos en la película nueva La Búsqueda El Diario Secreto ayer. Primero, una sumario 1. El contento de página 47 del Diario Secreto es aún un secreto en el finís de la película. 2. Masonry y especialmente el Ritos Escoses trata del 47th problema de Euclid también llamó el teorema de Pythagoras. 3. El Rito Escoses lectoras del grado fue escribo a Albert Pike. Él mentido por todas partes de las película. 4. El referencio primero que encontré a 47th problema de Euclid en Morals and Dogma, las lecturas del Ritos Escoses a Albert Pike, fue en el grado veinte. El referencio segundo fue encontrando en el grado veinticinco. En la película, Patr

Sanitas Valley Morning

The Sanitas Valley/Dakota Ridge Series, Boulder, Colorado Part I Part II Part III Part IV Sanitas Valley has almost completely cleared up after the recent snow storm. Only a few errant clouds are hanging around.

Sunrise from Dakota Ridge, Boulder, Colorado

The Sanitas Valley/Dakota Ridge Series, Boulder, Colorado Part I Part II Part III Part IV After yesterday's snow and falling temperatures over night, this morning's sunrise was incredible!

Cloud Manifestation in Boulder Colorado

The Sanitas Valley/Dakota Ridge Series, Boulder, Colorado Part I Part II Part III Part IV Cloud Forming From the top of Dakota Ridge in Boulder, Colorado on Tuesday morning: What initially looked like a rain storm dumping on a lake turned out to be exactly the opposite! This picture at sunrise shows a cloud being formed over a small lake east of Boulder, Colorado. The picture was taken from the top of Dakota Ridge. Detail View There's an interesting article on cloud formation at Wikipedia . It makes me wonder if the cloud formation was accelerated by particulate matter from the nearby smokestack. Video View

Boulder on Monday Morning

The Sanitas Valley/Dakota Ridge Series, Boulder, Colorado Part I Part II Part III Part IV It's snowing in Boulder, Colorado this morning! All the trees were flocked along Dakota Ridge and Sanitas Valley. A black fox was making his way along the side of the valley in the snow.

Top Ten Movie Reasons to Vote

With new elections every day in the countdown to the presidency, Renaissance Adventures brings you the Top Ten Reasons to vote At The Movies 10 You have to try because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived. Anthony Hopkins in Meet Joe Black 9 You told me once that you were a patriot, well now its time to step up! Batman to Amanda Waller: Justice League Unlimited 8 We have two lives: the one we learn with and the one we live with after that. Glenn Close in The Natural 7 "I love you and that makes you mine!" It's your country! Vote! George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany's 6 "You'll like that one... It has a surprise ending". Pierce Brosnan in After the Sunset 5 "Remember the Maine!" "Who could forget it!" Like it or not, its your country and your war. Vote! Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 4 "Every person's life touches so many others." Every vote counts! Henry Travers as