Who Is Tim Kaine?

Lifted straight from the New York Times (for informational purposes only)...

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia walked through the Senate basement in the Capitol last month.

Hillary Clinton has chosen Tim Kaine as her running mate. Mr. Kaine is a senator and former governor from Virginia, a crucial swing state, with a reputation as a pragmatic consensus builder. But his credentials as a moderate might not energize the Democratic Party’s base.

Age: 58

Experience: Mr. Kaine has represented Virginia in the United States Senate since 2013 and was the state’s governor from 2006 to 2010. He previously served as the mayor of Richmond.

Childhood: Mr. Kaine grew up in the Kansas City area, The son of an ironworker, he is a Roman Catholic and spent a year running a technical school founded by Jesuit missionaries in Honduras during a break from college.

Education: He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Harvard.

Family: Mr. Kaine is married to Anne Holton, Virginia’s education secretary. Her father was the governor of Virginia from 1970 to 1974. They have three children.

How he could help Clinton: Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Kaine could help connect with Hispanic voters. Virginia is a swing state, and his influence could be helpful there in a close election.

How he could hurt Clinton: More of a moderate, Mr. Kaine might not satisfy the Democratic Party’s activist base. His support for trade deals could provide an opening for Donald J. Trump to attack.

Fun fact: Mr. Kaine is a skilled harmonica player.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Closer to Being Found?

A wing flap believed to belong to the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the one that went missing with 239 people aboard while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014, was discovered on Pemba Island near Tanzania in late June, and has now been transported to Australia for examination. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is working with Malaysian investigators to ascertain whether it is from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777. If it is, it would be the second piece of the plane to be positively identified, after a wing piece washed up on La Reunion Island in July 2015.

"The Ryan Express" Didn't Arrive In The Station?!

Okay, so I just saw ESPN's ranking of MLB's Top 10 Players at every position...

I can discard the entire list with just two words: Nolan Ryan. Most strikeouts, most no-hitters, most years played and routinely over 100 m.p.h. pitches -- he was the pitcher that inspired most would-be pitchers to pursue their dreams -- and yet, arguably baseball's best pitcher of all-time was left off the Top 10 RHP list?! That is just shameful, ESPN!

Congrats on finding a way to top the awfulness of your NBA list, but honestly, y'all need to get out of the ranking game after this blatant omission. A 98.8% first-ballot Hall of Famer doesn't even make your Top 10 list for his position? Mind-baffling fail.

Universal's "Volcano Bay"

Looks like Universal Studios in Orlando is about to get a lot more fun!

Starting in June 2017, they will have their own water park ("Volcano Bay") to compete with Disney's "Blizzard Beach" and "Typhoon Lagoon."

The theme? The fabled Waturi islanders have lived on their Pacific isle for centuries worshipping water, and now we can live much like they do... in paradise.

Check out the park's rides, which have already been announced...

Who Is Mike Pence?

Lifted straight from the New York Times (for informational purposes only)...

Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana in 2014.

Donald J. Trump announced on Friday that he had chosen Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana as his running mate. Here is some background on Mr. Pence, who called himself “Rush Limbaugh on decaf” when he hosted a talk radio show and who quoted the Bible when he was in Congress.

Age: 57

Experience: A six-term Indiana congressman, Mr. Pence was elected governor in 2012. He has ushered in big tax cuts and last year drew national attention for signing a “religious freedom” law that critics said allowed businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples.

Childhood: The son of a gas station manager, Mr. Pence was an altar boy and once considered entering the priesthood. He was raised as a Catholic, though he now considers himself a born-again Christian.

Family: Mr. Pence married his wife, Karen, in 1985. They have a son and two daughters.

Education: Graduated from Hanover College, in Hanover, Ind., in 1981 and received a law degree from the Indiana University McKinney School of Law in 1986.

How he could help Mr. Trump: Mr. Pence could appease social conservatives who remain wary of Mr. Trump, who also needs to do well in the Rust Belt. Mr. Pence would give him a strong footing in Indiana, a swing state. Mr. Pence, who is seen as averse to confrontational politics, could provide a counterweight to some of the harsher aspects of Mr. Trump’s personality.

How he could hurt Mr. Trump: Mr. Pence’s conservative positions could turn off moderates and independents. He lacks national name recognition and he failed to deliver Indiana for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whom he supported in the state’s Republican primary, suggesting that his presence on the ticket might not be enough to tip the general election to Mr. Trump.

Fun fact: The Pences are animal lovers and would bring their beagle, Maverick, and their two cats, Pickle and Oreo, to the vice-presidential residence.

Jupiter

First, Pluto. Now, Jupiter? Frankly, I love the new space age we're in!

I can't wait to see what this gargantuan mysterious gaseous planet with it's magnetic radiation belts, 53 moons and original solar system materials has in store for us science-minded folks!!