SORRY, BUT MY POSTING ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF ENERGY WAS MISTAKENLY NOT PUBLISHED YESTERDAY.  You can link to it HERE .  But about today, first a digression into Donald Trump, who is on such a roll.  Looks like sentencing on the New York conviction will be delayed until after he un-becomes president again, and the trials in Georgia are in trouble.   So why would he and Elon Musk want to close down the country ?  The bipartisan agreement announced yesterday to continue to fund the government was derailed by the two of them.  Maybe not such a big deal because all essential services will continue, and only the not-so important services will be stopped, like the closing of national parks.  I guess if they kept this up until the new Congress steps in on 3January2025, Democrats can't appoint any new judges, and stuff like that. I was sent the following this morning about Donald Trump.   https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3141422...

First, some   not so good news about our two stranded astronauts on the International Space Station , and worse for Boeing.  NASA decided not to use the Boeing Starliner, and instead, send it home unmanned, to make room for the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore home.  But this cannot occur until February.  Thus, an 8-day mission will end up taking 8 months, if all goes well. Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World ,  by Israel Ka'ano'i Kamakawiwo'ole.  You might have heard it before, for this medley has now been #1 on the World Digital Songs chart, the longest top hit on any of the Billboard charts.  That melodic background comes from a ukulele. Maybe it's because I'm from Hawaii, but I've always been fond of ukulele music.  If I could re-do my life, I would learn how to play one and bring a ukulele off to college.  I do own one now, but it once belonged to my wife, who passed away 15 years ago...

  The following graphic shows all the COVID-19 waves faced by the U.S., and that there is nothing much occurring today. Four years ago, July of 2020, when the pandemic was in full swing: Positivity was around 1% for places like Australia, South Korea, Uruguay, New York, Maine and Connecticut. However Mexico, Nigeria, Mississippi, Nevada and Florida were all higher than 15%. In other words, positivity varied quite a bit around the world and within the USA. On  December 12, 2022,  the final update for the nation: Tennessee  19.3% North Carolina 19% 14 states above 10% 13 states between 5% and 10% California 4.8%, Hawaii 4.2%, Wyoming 3.1% Remainder of states at zero positivity. Again, a spread from nothing to 19.3%, again, no consistency. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center has also stopped tracking positivity. As was the case in the past,  U.S. positivity rates vary quite a bit  today. The states of California, Nevada, New Mexico and Hawaii, accord...