Revenge of Hump Day 2016-02-17
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The February 17th, 2016 Edition of REVENGE OF HUMP DAY! Page 1 of 108 Welcome to the February 17th, 2016 Edition of REVENGE OF HUMP DAY! This week has not started off on a good note. One of the leading lights on the Supreme Court, Justice Antonin Scalia, passed away at the age of 79 while on a hunting trip in Texas. I have been listening to a lot of information about Justice Scalia and his impact on the United States for almost 30 years. But I found out a whole lot about the man I admired. One of the things that surprised me was that Justice Scalia’s best friend on the Court was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. They are from the far ends of the political spectrum but found time to enjoy each other’s company and to cultivate civility between themselves. Justice Scalia had 9 children and a ton of grandchildren. But the one thing that struck me was the nickname the grandkids had for him. The called him Pop-Pop and that is something that shows the love in that family to me. Justice Scalia will be missed by all who love this precious country and work to keep it safe. Sleep well Pop-Pop, you will be missed. Another really important thing that happened this week was that scientists have measure gravity waves from the collision of two black holes in our galaxy. The existence of gravity waves was predicted by Albert Einstein in his ground breaking General Theory of Relativity in 1915. Scientists have been trying to figure out how to produce this effect for over 100 years but Mother Nature beat them to the punch. I am a science geek and admit it, but some of you out there aren’t and sometimes need a little help figuring out what the nerds are having an orgasm about. In that case, try this website, “Einstein's Gravitational Waves, Explained for Dummies”, to help you. It sure helps me to understand the details of this important discovery. http://www.gq.com/story/einsteins-gravitational-waves-explained-for-dummies One important thing I would like to point out to you is that one of our own, Robert Lightfoot is having some terrific medical problems and there has been a fund set up to help him pay for his medical expenses. I have listed the information as the first article of this week’s missive and I hope that you will read it and give generously to help one of our own. So, on that “Important Note", why don't y'all sit back and relax because here's the best in gossip, jokes and science for your reading pleasure! Uncle Timmy <G>~<O>~<S>~<S>~<I>~<P>~~~<S>~<T>~<A>~<R>~<T>~<S>~~~<H>~<E>~<R>~<E>~<!> ROBERT'S TRANSPLANT FUND. From LibertyCon’s Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCon/?fref=nf Created February 10, 2016, Linda Lightfoot, WAYCROSS, GA https://www.gofundme.com/arn64vr8/donate Hello – I am Linda Kay Lightfoot and my husband is Dr. Robert C Lightfoot. I’m a Reference Librarian and he is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice/Sociology at South Georgia The February 17th, 2016 Edition of REVENGE OF HUMP DAY! Page 2 of 108 State College in Douglas and Waycross, Georgia. I’m here to raise money to help with my husband’s kidney & liver transplant and all the unexpected expenses. Robert and I have been married nearly 24 years and he is truly the love of my life. He’s put up with all my health problems, so now I’m taking care of him. Donate NowSHARE ON FACEBOOK All my health problems pale in comparison to his recent problems. On September 2, 2015, Robert was teaching on the campus in Douglas, Georgia when he collapsed in class with severe breathing difficulties. [A Shout-out for the all students who made him comfortable, called for help and notified the college administration.] He was placed in ICU, and remained there until Sept. 18. I learned that he had had double pneumonia for months, and he now had a gram-negative septic blood infection. I received a call at work the following evening to tell me he sedated, on a respirator, and that his kidneys were shutting down so I gave permission for dialysis. The septic infection had damaged his kidneys, liver and pancreas. Over the next days I lived in the ICU with Robert, hoping for a positive sign. The doctors found the right combo of antibiotics and the infections began to subside. They removed the ventilator and eased off the sedation. He finally woke up around the 14th. He was transferred to Jacksonville, FL for 3 weeks for therapy and to get his medicines adjusted. The February 17th, 2016 Edition of REVENGE OF HUMP DAY! Page 3 of 108 He came back to Waycross to a nursing facility for several weeks and I finally brought him home on Oct. 28th. Unfortunately, I learned over that weekend that he was now subject to high ammonia levels due to the low kidney & liver functions plus he can’t make enough red blood cells on his own. So he went into the local hospital for several days. Since then, he’s been hospitalized numerous times over the past 3 months. When the call comes in that the surgery will occur, we’ll have to drop everything and drive to Jacksonville again. The recovery at Mayo could be several weeks, plus more time at home. We do have insurance to help with the costs, but that doesn’t cover daily things like lost wages, travel funds, meal money, paying our bills, and other things like rooms. Plus there are always things you find you need when you are out of town. We just heard from Mayo Clinic Jacksonville that he’s been cleared to begin the test and evaluation period. So we will be traveling to Jacksonville, FL twice a week for 3-5 weeks. One of his ICU doctors said that Robert must have a very strong will to survive, or he wouldn’t have lived to leave Douglas hospital and eventually come home. Not only that, but he has returned to teaching! He really has a drive to educate people. Robert has a large circle of friends and co-workers who would be devastated to lose him – most of all me. I know everyone says that their spouse means the world to them – but he truly does to me. He is the love of my life, a big teddy bear to hug when I’m down, a strong guardian in times of trouble and my best friend. I HAVE KNOWN ROBERT AND LINDA KAY FOR DECADES AND THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE. DURING THIS TIME OF NEED, PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY TO HELP HIM OUT. TIM BOLGEO <L>~<I>~<B>~<E>~<R>~<T>~<Y>~<C>~<O>~<N> TENNESSEE VALLEY INTERSTELLAR WORKSHOP MARCH 1ST AT THE CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO From: "Les Johnson" [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop Announces Free Public Event PRESS RELEASE February 9, 2016 Chattanooga Mayor Berke Will Kickoff Evening of Interstellar Talks Date: Tuesday, March 1 Start Time: 7:00 pm EST Location: The Edney Building (1100 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402) 5th Floor The February 17th, 2016 Edition of REVENGE OF HUMP DAY! Page 4 of 108 Is traveling to another star possible? If so, then how? These are but two of the questions to be answered at a night of science and science fiction, as a part of the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop (TVIW) Symposium. Scientists and engineers from around the world are gathering in Chattanooga for the 4th TVIW Symposium to discuss how humanity might one day reach the stars -- and to help make this dream a reality. Chattanooga’s Mayor Berke will launch the evening’s scheduled events which are free to the public. 7:00 Welcome by Chattanooga Mayor Berke 7:15 "Interstellar Travel: Is it Possible?" – A talk presented by Les Johnson. Les is a science and science fiction author and a NASA scientist. He was the featured Interstellar Explorer in National Geographic magazine, a technical consultant for the movie, ‘Europa Report’ and is leading an asteroid rendezvous mission for NASA. His "Going Interstellar" anthology describes future interstellar journeys and he serves as the Chair of the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop. 7:45 "Science Fiction / Science Fact: Science Fiction Authors Discuss Interstellar Travel" - A panel with New York Times best selling science fiction authors whose works highlight possible futures in which humans roam the space between the stars. 8:30 Book Signing – All the authors participating will be available to sign copies of their books. Also, representatives from the Hamilton Place Barnes & Noble will be on site to sell copies of the author’s books and other interstellar related titles. Authors who will be participating in the night’s events are: Dr. Gregory Benford - a science fiction author and astrophysicist on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of over twenty novels, including "Bowl of Heaven" and "Shipstar." He is a two-time winner of the Nebula Award and a four-time Hugo Award nominee. Dr. Charles E. Gannon - Prior to becoming a full time author, Dr. Gannon was a Distinguished Professor of English at St. Bonaventure University and a Fulbright Senior Specialist. His is the author of the "Fire With Fire" series and collaborates on the New York Times Best Selling series: the Starfire military sf series ("Extremis") and Eric Flint's Ring of Fire series.