Category: Uncategorized

Space Sundays: Four “Shells” Around Two Ancient Wolf-Rayet Stars — At Apep (2XMM J160050.7-514245)

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These paired oddballs are billions of years old, and were spotted (only a thousand or so are thought to exist, in our galaxy of hundreds and hundreds of billions of stars, here alone — among billions of galaxies) with the aid of the JWST. But to be fair, the proper quadrant of the sky in which to look for them was first confirmed… with Earth-based telescopes.

Here’s the latest, from SciNews.com:

…Using the NASA/ESA/CSA JWST with data from ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), two teams of astronomers have captured a mid-infrared image of a system of four serpentine spirals of dust around two aging Wolf-Rayet stars in a system known as Apep (2XMM J160050.7-514245)….

In new research, Macquarie University astronomer Ryan White and colleagues aimed to refine the orbit of the Wolf-Rayet stars in the Apep system….

“This is a one-of-a-kind system with an extremely long orbital period,” White said. “The next longest orbit for a dusty Wolf-Rayet binary is about 30 years. Most have orbits between two to 10 years.” The team’s paper was published simultaneously in the Astrophysical Journal with another paper, led by Caltech astronomer Yinuo Han.

“Looking at the new JWST observations was like walking into a dark room and switching on the light — everything came into view,” Dr. Han said.

These are truly unwasted-grace gossamer beauties, interleaved, and interlaced — on a scale of hundreds of light years across, in all dimensions. Wow.

See the full 41 second NASA animation, below:

Now you know — with a three day stint in Music City, only a week out, now [what wonders will that… reveal? We shall see.]… smile.

नमस्ते

Inner City Press Reports On Ms. McDonald’s Case — Wrongfully Grabbed, In NYC — And Sent (Yet Again!) To Jena/Alexandria, Louisiana…

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The able USDC Judge Vargas in Manhattan has granted habeas, and ordered that Ms. McDonald be returned to Foley Square, by tonight, and immediately released, by Monday morning.

The Noemites claimed they had “too many prisoners to move around” on a holiday weekend — and failed to comply with this clear habeas order. However, the Noemites say she will be in New York by tomorrow, and then presumably released on Monday, without bail or additional conditions by Judge Vargas. Yet here again, the Kristi Noem approach is to make the process the penalty. Damn her. Here’s a bit from Matthew Russell Lee:

[From the opinion:] For over… two years and 10 months, Petitioner “was released and began attending her hearings as scheduled,” including “various hearings w[h]ere the immigration judge ha[d] granted her time to procure counsel.” Petition at 3; Hampton Decl., ¶¶ 13-16. On November 7, 2025, Petitioner appeared at her third master calendar hearing at 26 Federal Plaza. Hampton Decl., ¶ 16. At the conclusion of her scheduled court appearance that day, Petitioner alleges that she was “arrested by ICE/DHS with no explanation and without the presentation of any legal documents….”

[From Matthew’s exclusive reporting:] …On November 26 after 5 pm Judge Vargas ordered “[The Noemites] to transport Petitioner back to the Southern District of New York by November 29, 2025, to immediately release her from custody following that transfer, and to certify compliance with this order no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 1, 2025….”

On November 29 the US Attorney’s Office wrote… “Due to a large number of detainees in movement at Alexandria [Louisiana] ICE did not place Petitioner on her scheduled flight to Mesa, Arizona on November 28. She is now scheduled to leave on November 30….”

Of course, getting eastward out of Arizona to New York may well be hampered by the near foot of snow likely to fall, on the Eastern Great Lakes overnight. So, as Matthew will keep us informed, we will so inform… you. Onward — with a thank you to Matthew Russell Lee… and with more kiddos departing tomorrow from here, for points westward.

नमस्ते

Paul’s Is… Good. But 8 Years… Too Late.

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Every bit of Trump 1.0 was as incompetent as Trump 2.0

But the GOP was once masterful — at hiding his incompetence — back then.

Many of “the magicians” hiding his incompetence quit helping him, when he caused the January 6, 2021… Quasi-insurrection.

So yeah, it is nice that Mirengoff admits 2.0 — nearly in its entirety — is incompetent.

But all these Ringsiders and Powerliners worked to re-elect the crook — knowing full well that he was both incompetent and morally compromised.

Paul makes great mention of the fact that he can’t seem to even run vindictive prosecutions very well…

Meanwhile, over at Powerline, John is celebrating that it took over four years to get a dismissal on just one Georgia count against Trump.

In Comey‘s case, it took less than four weeks. That is because there was no “there there”. But we all saw Trump lie about the 2020 results. It is one thing to question an election’s outcome, Hinderaker — but it is entirely another to lie about votes you never got, and then order your underlings to “go find votes”, long after the election is over.

In sum, it is something else for you to do this without even the slightest basis in fact, all while claiming that you were the real winner.

That is — as John well knows, a felony.

But most of all, my point here is that every bit of the malaise the United States is suffering, now… these guys specifically knew would come — and specifically chose to vote in favor of it all.

They all should be tarred and feathered.

Out.

Good News! — Vaccinations, And PSAs, Have Ended The Recent Chicago Mpox Outbreak, Of Summer 2025…

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The public awareness campaign was every bit as important as getting contacts… vaccinated. The effort throughout August, until last week… has paid off.

And here is that excellent news — from a local Chicago neighborhood paper / outlet, called Windy City Times (historically a paper that covered LGBTQ+ stories the MSM shied away from):

…Mpox cases in Chicago have fallen sharply after a summer spike, and health officials say the outbreak is now over.

Since June, 164 mpox cases have been reported in Chicago, but the numbers have steadily declined over the past month, according to Stephanie Black, MD, communicable disease medical director at the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).

At the height of the spike in September and early October, Chicago saw as many as 14 new mpox cases per week. By mid-November, new infections had fallen to about two per week, which moved Chicago out of what the department defines as an outbreak.

“The outbreak is over,” Black said….

Onward, to more airport pickup runs! Woot.

नमस्ते

Democratic Party Approaches: Still “Winning” New Price Relief — On Widely Taken Drugs In US…

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This is the reasoned, lawful US method for getting drug prices under control. The Democratic Party pioneered this careful measured approach — in 2021-23.

Idiotic, impotent Tangerine 2.0 bluster hasn’t worked. Rounds of negotiations on the first ten, and now the next 15… most widely prescribed meds… have. Here is the latest, from the NYT:

…The 15 drugs include widely used inhalers and treatments for cancer, diabetes and depression. The negotiations were enabled by a law enacted during the Biden administration without any Republican votes.

The government stands to save billions of dollars from the new prices, which take effect in 2027 and will only apply for Medicare. Had the new prices been in effect in 2024, the administration said, Medicare would have saved $12 billion, which would have reduced its spending on those drugs by 44 percent….

…Medicare beneficiaries already will benefit from a cap on their out-of-pocket expenses for drugs taken at home. In 2027, those costs will be capped at roughly $2,200, depending on inflation and Medicare’s drug spending [due to Biden era initiatives]….

Now you know. Onward, smiling.

नमस्ते

NPR’s “All Things Considered” — Yup, Agreed — Sen. Mark Kelly: Trump And Hegseth Don’t Understand The US Constitution…

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NPR’s long running public affairs / interview show ran a segment with US Senator (and former US Astronaut / Commander and US Navy pilot) Mark Kelly online, tonight.

He very patiently — and devastatingly — explained how and why these morons might “investigate all the live-long day“… but he and his colleagues plainly were uttering protected and lawful speech, and redressing valid grievances, on matters of substantial public concern, under US law. Moreover, they are all duly-elected representatives of the people.

It is both their right — and duty — to speak for… the people.

Here’s a bit of it — and a link:

…Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., told NPR “it just doesn’t make any sense” for him to face a military court-martial after he and other Democratic lawmakers released a video reminding active-duty troops that they do not have to follow illegal orders.

On Monday, the Pentagon announced an investigation into Kelly, a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot, for possible violations of military law for appearing in the video. The video was published as legal questions swirl around the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities….

Indeed. Now you know. It was indeed busy, whilst I was away. Onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

OSIRIS Apex Recently Took A “Slingshotter’s Glide” Past Earth, Again — Now Headed Out…

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She’s headed out to Apophis, now (arriving 2029)… smile.

Here’s all the latest, on the extended mission, now from NASA:

…At 1:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 23, NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security – Apophis Explorer) spacecraft flew within 2,136 miles (3,438 kilometers) of Earth.

During approach and as OSIRIS-APEX passed Earth, it looked home, capturing images and data of our home planet to help calibrate its science instruments….

During the spacecraft’s primary mission, the StowCam instrument was used to verify the capsule full of sample from asteroid Bennu was safely stowed and prepared to journey back to Earth. Now, StowCam provides a view of the instrument panel, including the OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter, provided by the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) to create detailed 3D topographical maps of Bennu….

Now you know. Onward with lots of airport pickups in the next day and a half… smile.

नमस्ते

More Lies, From Miller/Trump/Noem — Regarding Abrego Garcia’s Asylum Options — About Costa Rica…

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Yawn. As we work our way closer to the evidentiary hearings on December 8-9, 2025 in Music City, more and more sworn filings are appearing — to document Kristi Noem’s ongoing and brazen lies — about Mr. Abrego Garcia (and his asylum status for various friendly foreign countries — willing to accept him, and his family — and offer safe a haven until Trump is out of office at least).

This is just one more in a long string of them — Noem wants to send him to Liberia — where he has no contacts, and might be in grave danger. To malignantly justify the cruel attempt, the government continues to claim that Costa Rica has not agreed to accept Abrego on a humanitarian basis — and that any such asylum transfer will require long negotiations with the US government (Noem / Trump / Miller). That is a facially preposterous lie. But of course, if the able judges (in Tennessee and/or Maryland) allows it, Trump will just refuse to negotiate in good faith, throw up his hands and demand to send Abrego to Ghana or Liberia.

And so, here is the truth of it all, in court filed pleadings — form officails in Costa Rica. Here is the pleading, in Nashville, overnight — and the Wa Po statement:

…A high-ranking Costa Rican official said late Friday that the country remains willing to accept the deportation of Kilmar Abrego García, rebutting the Trump administration’s claims that the only possible destination for the Salvadoran immigrant is the West African nation of Liberia.

Security Minister Mario Zamora Cordero told The Washington Post that he had informed the U.S. Embassy in San José in August that the government would accept Abrego on humanitarian grounds and provide him legal residency. He reiterated that Costa Rica has the “highest human rights standards” and would receive Abrego “under humanitarian conditions that guarantee the full respect for his rights and liberties.”

“That position that we have expressed in the past remains valid and unchanged to this day,” Zamora Cordero said in a statement, responding to questions from The Post….

[And from the pleading:]…The government has made no secret that it is willing to punish Mr. Abrego by any means, even when that involves falsehoods and violations of law—and it now seeks to deport him to a distant third country in Africa where he does not speak the language, has no connections, and questions remain as to whether he would live freely. The government has tried again and again: first Uganda, then Eswatini and Ghana, and now Liberia. In his immigration proceedings, Mr. Abrego has designated Costa Rica as his country of removal, as is his statutory right. See 8 U.S.C. § 1231(b)(2)(A)(i).

That country had previously offered written assurances, as of August 21, 2025, that it would accept Mr. Abrego as a refugee, grant him legal status, and prevent his refoulement to El Salvador….

Now you know. What a pack of reprobates these folks are. Onward — estar agradecido — té gracias!

नमस्ते

PSA: Don’t Sell Your Merck Shares To Tutanota LLC!

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From time to time, disreputable people try to fleece mostly retirees out of their long held blue chip stocks.

This is one of those times. An entity called Tutanota is offering only $65 a share for Merck stock, and will only buy up to one million shares.

The rub is that Merck common stock is trading at nearly $100 on the New York Stock Exchange as of Friday afternoon, and will likely open very near $100 on Monday morning.

So if you’re thinking about selling, use the New York Stock Exchange, your E*TRADE account or your favorite broker. Do not transfer your shares into this deceptively priced mini tender. Here’s the latest on it all:

…Tutanota LLC (Tutanota) has commenced an unsolicited “mini-tender” offer, dated November 10, 2025, to purchase up to 1,000,000 shares of Merck common stock at $65.00 per share. The offer price is approximately 24.66% below the closing price of Merck common stock on November 7, 2025 ($86.28), the last trading day before the date of the offer, and approximately 31.56% below the closing price of Merck common stock on November 20, 2025 ($94.97), the day prior to this release.

Merck does not endorse Tutanota’s offer and recommends that Merck shareholders reject the offer and not tender their shares in response to Tutanota’s unsolicited mini-tender offer. This mini-tender offer is at a price below the closing price for Merck’s shares (as of the day prior to this release) and is subject to numerous conditions, including Tutanota’s ability to obtain financing. Merck is not associated in any way with Tutanota, its mini-tender offer or the offer documentation….

Now you know, and stay bundled up against the cold tonight… and hope for a win. I know I will. I’ve got all my ski gear with me! Grin!

नमस्ते

Hinderaker Whines; GOP Dies On The Vine. And, MTG May Run For President — Fracturing MAGA!

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Hinderaker largely misses the import of Marjorie Taylor Greene announcing that she won’t seek another term in the US House, this morning.

John fusses about the mess she is making primarily for Tangerine 2.0. What he entirely misses is that she is doing so with the intention of announcing a likely independent candidacy for the presidency in 2028.

Obviously, she will siphon off what would be GOP voters — for whatever miscreant that party runs come 2028. That’s what John should really be worried about.

Onward, grinning.