Friday, September 27, 2013

Popular Science Settles On Consensus Over Reporting Fact

Popular Science magazine cover that has as an article, "How to Prevent America's Next TRAIN CRASH" - funny, how now Popular Science is about trying to prevent the crash in the flow of America's research funding through shutting off comments that expose fraud. Image Credit: m5.paperblog.com

Popular Science Settles On Consensus Over Reporting Truth Based In Facts

This week saw an actual sea change and weak stomach for debate on consensus over publishing comments that argue for scientific method derived facts and the truth.

This excerpted and edited from PopularScience.com -


Why We're Shutting Off Our Comments

By Suzanne LaBarre - Posted 09.24.2013 at 8:15 am

Starting today, PopularScience.com will no longer accept comments on new articles. Here's why.

Comments can be bad for science. That's why, here at PopularScience.com, we're shutting them off.
----
Another, similarly designed study found that just firmly worded (but not uncivil) disagreements between commenters impacted readers' perception of science.

If you carry out those results to their logical end--commenters shape public opinion; public opinion shapes public policy; public policy shapes how and whether and what research gets funded--you start to see why we feel compelled to hit the "off" switch.

A politically motivated, decades-long war on expertise has eroded the popular consensus on a wide variety of scientifically validated topics. Everything, from evolution to the origins of climate change, is mistakenly up for grabs again. Scientific certainty is just another thing for two people to "debate" on television. And because comments sections tend to be a grotesque reflection of the media culture surrounding them, the cynical work of undermining bedrock scientific doctrine is now being done beneath our own stories, within a website devoted to championing science.

[Reference Here]

"How It Works" - Credit: Popular Science
The 'money quote' has to be:

popular consensus on a wide variety of scientifically validated topics

This is what Popular Science, the magazine and website, bases all of it opinion and articles on ... popular consensus. The fact that Popular Science is shutting down comments to their consensus derived articles proves that they admit to publishing Consensus over Scientific Method derived facts.

Since WHEN is Consensus a substitute for Scientific Method?

Not once is Scientific Method mentioned as the basis of information their articles are based upon. Their statement only alludes to popular consensus and scientifically validated topics.

Further, the editors admit to trying to shape public opinion through their publishing silo with this observation - "commenters shape public opinion; public opinion shapes public policy; public policy shapes how and whether and what research gets funded--you start to see why we feel compelled to hit the "off" switch." - and therein lays the rub.

Who holds the scientific community's feet to the fire when mathematical formulas and data are shaped so that results reflect the intent of the politically-motivated public policy. Follow the money.

The biggest problem with Popular Science is that the editors are nothing more than Progressive-Minded J-School Stenographers who report what has been bought-and-paid-for Consensus objectives, rooted in politically-motivated public policy, as opposed to reporting Scientific Method derived FACTS!!!

Does the mathematical fraud perpetrated by the University of East Anglia ever get reported and calculated into the Consensus equation? At Popular Science, now that they have hit the "off" switch on comments to their published articles - we, at Oblate Spheroid, think not!

Friday, August 9, 2013

Auto Show In The Mountains At Big Bear Lake's 24th Annual Fun Run

Crowds viewing the  classic cars, hot rods, custom paint jobs, wheels, tires and chrome all in one place, the parking spaces in the Village of Big Bear Lake! Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

 Auto Show In The Mountains At Big Bear Lake's 24th Annual Fun Run

Join the Antique Car Club for the 24th Annual Fun Run! The show takes place all around a closed-down Big Bear Lake Village on the South shore of Big Bear Lake. All of the cars in the show are staged/parked in the commercial parking spaces and Chamber of Commerce parking lot in and around the village.

The competition is limited to 500 entries and the admission to the car show is free!

Special commemorative Big Bear Fun Run artwork adorns T-shirts for sale to help raise money for many local charities.  Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

The Big Bear Lake Antique Car Club was founded in 1982 by a group of people who shared a common interest in “vintage automobiles.” The purpose of the club is to indulge this common interest and raise money for charities in the Big Bear valley, California.

One of the greatest spectacles of this vintage motor culture display and the reason the event is dubbed "Fun Run" is when all of the vehicles that are in the show competition take to the road that circumnavigates the lake and drive to both the delight of the owners and spectators. The cars and motorcycles leave at 3:45 PM on Saturday, August 10, 2013 (This time is FIRM) and the West gate will open for the "Cruise around the Lake" or "Fun Run."

People who are aware of what is about to take place, set up perches around the roads waiting to see and hear their favorite vehicle(s) and greet them with enthusiastic waves. This cruise for the participants who are driving takes about 30 minutes ... but for the spectator, the parade of the "Fun Run" or "Cruise around the Lake" lasts over an hour.

Route map of the actual Big Bear Fun Run ... the rolling display is why, for 24 years, this car show remains a must do summertime Southern California attraction. Image Credit: Big Bear Fun Run

The run will go West from the Village entrance on Hwy. 18 for about 4 miles and North across the Dam, turn right or East on Hwy. 38 through Fawnskin (for about 5 miles). Then continue on Northshore, turn right on Northshore lane, pick-up their commemorative mugs, and turn right on North Shore (Hwy 38) to Stanfield Cut-Off and turn right, go across the cutoff road to Big Bear Blvd. and turn right, and back to the Village. Any roadside perch is a good spot to see all of the vehicles as they roll around the Lake.

When the cars that were on display, take to the road for the roughly 15 mile parade, clock-wise around this San Bernardino mountians 'blue jewel', this is when the fun really begins ... what a treat. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2013)

The cars parade through Fawnskin on the North shore of Big bear Lake here on August 13, 2011. Image Credit: vegaslugnut via YouTube

For 23 years, people have come up to the mountain air and Ponderosa pines of the San Bernardino national forest and enjoyed the classic cars, hot rods, custom paint jobs, wheels, tires and chrome all in one place, Big Bear Lake! Come on up and bring a camera because this is the kind of event around the Oblate Spheroid that never disappoints.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Umbrella Public Relations Stunt Achieves World Record Claim

Umbrella display: Located within the volcanic region of exotic Hainan Island, Mission Hills Resort Hainan marks a magnificent addition to Hainan's tropical island paradise. Boasting an exceptional variety of world-class lifestyle, recreation and wellness facilities, the Resort is poised to be one of China's most sought-after leisure destinations. Caption and Image Credit: Mission Hills Resort Hainan

Umbrella Public Relations Stunt Achieves World Record Claim

Yesterday, at what has been billed as the world’s largest golf facility, Mission Hills Shenzhen, China, people holding umbrellas on the fairway of a picturesque golf link, claimed a world record by creating a “human” displayed QR Code.

Close-up detail. Image Credit: Mission Hills Resort Hainan

The QR Code was formed by nearly 2,000 staff carrying umbrellas and an aerial photograph was taken from a height of 270 feet so that the code could be used in Press Releases.

The purpose of this PR effort is designed to promote sustainable eco-tourism ... and in celebration of Mission Hills' 20th anniversary, the Group is giving away twenty 3 day / 2 night Romantic Premier Spa Suite Getaway packages at Mission Hills Haikou Resort on the tropical island of Hainan.

When users scan the QR Code, they will be directed to a campaign website to answer three simple questions related to sustainable eco-tourism. Those who complete the questions with the correct answers will be entered into the draw for a chance to win one of the Mission Hills Micro Holiday packages valued at US$2,600.
(ht: PR Newswire)

Say Hi to the world, 1,369 people love Taiwan, the arrangement of the world's largest human OR Code, hands in the air to empty footage Say Hi to let the world see Taiwan, to show the enthusiasm of the people of Taiwan. Caption and Image Credit: Wen Shiren Cultural Foundation and the Taiwan Foundation (taiwansayhi.com)


QR display detail - Wen i Taiwan ‧ wonderful movie tidbits Say Hi to the world activities Video posted January 16, 2013. Image Credit: Wen Shiren Cultural Foundation and the Taiwan Foundation (taiwansayhi.com)

This is not the first time people holding umbrellas stand in a predetermined pattern in order to form a QR Code upon which folks with camera/QR enabled smart phones could scan the code created and be directed to a website to qualify or buy something of value or interest. At the beginning of December last year, 1369 people raised black, white and blue umbrellas to form a QR Code directing people to a website that promotes Taiwan culture and tourism - http://www.taiwansayhi.com.
(ht: 2d)



** Article first published as Umbrella Public Relations Stunt Achieves World Record Claim on Technorati **