On my way home tonight the Blue Torpedo turned over 10,000 miles. Not bad after 16 months of near daily driving. That’s only 625 miles a month. That’s a little over 20 miles a day. It just so happens that my commute to the office is 10 miles each way. So I guess I’m saying I drive the Blue Torpedo to work and back and that’s about it. Looking at it another way, I don’t get out much besides going to work.

I like the PT Cruiser, she gets good mileage and she turns a few heads. The comments I get the most though are “Dude, are you sure that car is big enough for you?” Like because I am a big boy I need to drive around in a Toyota Sequoia or something. The car fits me just fine thank you.

Today’s APOD is just gorgeous: APOD: 2004 November 17 – Aurora Over Wisconsin

And check out the photographer’s home page for more spectacular photos.

Scientists are bracing for a second Bush term and drawing battle lines against an administration seemingly devoted to negating the advancement of science. From global warming to stem cell research to the campaign against science education in schools, scientists expect the worst from an administration that bowed out of the Kyoto Treaty, thwarts stem cell research, and promotes a recursive religious agenda. Some even expect retribution from a vindictive right wing administration at loggerheads with scientific establishments across the country. Another breakdown for the reality based crowd I guess.

NASA’s test flight of the X-43A scramjet was a smashing success today. The experimental jet topped out at Mach 9.6, nearly 6,800 mph. The flight smashed its previous record-breaking flight of Mach 7. At speeds like that, a flight from Guam to the United States would take only a couple hours.