Striking Writers And Chickens Don't Dance - Optimistic It [a movie] Can Be Done

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MOVIE PLANS CLOSE TO COMPLETION?

Jason Bateman Refuels Hope For ‘Arrested Development’ Movie

Can You Be An Environmentalist And A Divorcee?

You always hear about you can't be an environmentalist unless you're a boring vegetarian. Add this to the list - at National Geographic -
Divorce Is Hard on Environment, Study Says

"A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household," said Jianguo Liu, an ecologist at Michigan State University whose analysis of the environmental impact of divorce appears in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Honey Is Good

Wired.com carries the story - Study: Try Honey for Children's Coughs

Algae To Oil

The NY Times is a little late to the party but reports Algae Emerges as a Potential Fuel Source

Crude oil is simply algae that has undergone diagenesis so commercializing this process seems to have tremendous potential.

The Near Future Of Transportation Is Diesel

Yet another study showing diesel is the most efficient way to power a vehicle - Diesel VS Hybrid VS

Ethanol, which is best?

According to a new study, diesel tops hybrids and ethanol isn't even really in the game.

And a recent report from the Univeristy of Wisoconsin indicates worldwide biodiesel production can increase 20 fold. From my reading of the report it appears that if the United States fully invested in biodiesel production it could provide for 50% of roadway transportation needs. Global potential for biodiesel is "enormous"

Here's the report itself - A Global Comparison of National Biodiesel Production Potentials

Diversity Is Ecomonics, Not Race

I believe economic class says more about diversity than race. Nothing is more annoying than people (usually Caucasian limousine liberals) talking about "how diverse" a place is when all they've done is look around at other faces.

CS Monitor - Values of blacks and whites are converging, survey finds

On the topic of diverging values, 44 percent of blacks polled in 1986 said they saw greater differences created by class than by race. Today, that percentage has grown to 61 percent.

Brandon Inge Gets His Due

For the past two years I have said Detroit's third bagger, Brandon Inge, is the most underrated defensive player in baseball. Not anymore. Steve Phillips puts him on his end-of-year web-gems team on Baseball Tonight and FieldingBible.com reveals his defensive play is near the top of the American League according to their plus-minus rating system (how many more plays a player makes versus the league average)

Another Year, Another Story On The Growing Yellowstone Supervolcano

NatGeo - Yellowstone Is Rising on Swollen "Supervolcano"

Locavore Is Word Of The Year

Oxford’s Word of the Year, and Runners-Up

Daniel Day Lewis In NY Times Magazine

For Megan - NY Times Magazine's interesting profile of Daniel Day Lewis as part of his new movie. The New Frontier’s Man

...his method of working demands near-total immersion in the life of his character. Despite the fact that he is the most eloquent of men, able to speak extemporaneously in flowing paragraphs without the use of colloquialisms, he is unwilling to expose the mechanics of his acting process. “It’s not that I want to pull the shutters down,” Day-Lewis said, as he finished his sandwich. “It’s just that people have such a misconception about what it is I do. They think the character comes from staying in the wheelchair or being locked in the jail or whatever extravagant thing they choose to focus their fantasies on. Somehow, it always seems to have a self-flagellatory aspect to it. But that’s just the superficial stuff. Most of the movies that I do are leading me toward a life that is utterly mysterious to me. My chief goal is to find a way to make that life meaningful to other people.”

...For his films, at least initially, imagining the life of his characters often involves a kind of physical invention of their world. During “Last of the Mohicans,” he built a canoe, learned to track and skin animals and perfected the use of a 12-pound flintlock gun, which he took everywhere he went, even to a Christmas dinner... For “There Will be Blood,” he studied the historic period for nearly two years and became comfortable with the tools of California oilmen circa 1900.

UFO's Go Pop!

Talked about UFO's gaining acceptance recently, and here we go with a story at MSNBC.com - Former pilots, officials call for UFO study

Maybe The Mayans Were Geologists?

Seems like enjoyed beer like a geologist would. NY Times - Love of Chocolate May Have Begun With Cacao Beer

Dr. Henderson suggested that the Mesoamericans fermented cacao first to make beer, eventually discovering, likely by accident, that the fermented seeds made an even better beverage.

Cacao and Chocolate timeline from chocolate.org

Obama's Economics Advisor

NY Times - Bending Ears on Economics as ’08 Nears

Dr. Austan Goolsbee is the senior economic advisor to Barack Obama. He's from the University of Chicago. The University of Chicago has more Nobel Prize winning economists than any other institution.

Review Of The Current Pop-Economics Books

Maybe Money Does Make the World Go Round

The Jedi Templars?

Jedi in Star Wars are Templars in medieval Crusades

Sports On Cable Television

Disclaimer - I do not want football programming on basic cable.

Football on TV is huge. But DirecTV is evil. DirecTV is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Not only does DirecTV call customers on the Do-Not-Call list to ask if they want to hear a sales pitch anyway, but they also carry the Big Ten Network.

The Big Ten Network was launched by the Big Ten Conference in conjunction with Fox Sports which is owned by News Corporation. The Big Ten Conference wants to be on basic cable, at a cost of $1.10 per subscriber. Most cable companies want to place the channel on a sports tier so that only sports fans who want the channel pay for the channel. For comparison, a cable company can carry MTV, the Comedy Channel, and the History Channel for the same price to customers as The Big Ten Network.

This is the complete opposite of how the Fox News channel was launched in 1996. At that time News Corp offered cable operators $10 per subscriber to carry the channel. And 10 year carriage agreements were signed at only $0.13 per subscriber. Fox executives figured that when those 10 years were up they would have a successful channel and therefore demand higher rates from carriers whose customers were now accustomed to having Fox News on basic cable. This "crack cocaine" strategy worked.

Because of the outrageous fees the Big Ten Network is demanding I am led to believe that News Corporation never intended the channel to be carried by cable companies. But if a few companies gave in that is even better because of the extra and unexpected revenue and this would make the cable companies holding off on the channel appear non-responsive. No, the Big Ten Network was launched as a vehicle to drive customers to DirecTV in order to inflate subscriber counts prior to News Corporation selling their stake in DirecTV to Liberty Media.

NFL Network has insane pricing too. The price to a cable company to carry the NFL Network's eight football games is the same as College Sports TV + ESPN2 + ESPNU (and the NFL Network is asking some providers for a 250% raise.) While the NFL is popular (22.5% of the people watching TV saw the end of the Patriots vs Colts game last weekend), why should 75% of people be saddled with fees that subsidize the TV habits of 1/4 of the audience? Today the NFL Network came out to ask cable customers to switch to another provider if theirs doesn't carry the channel for free. This is probably just another ploy to drive subscribers to DirecTV, which has been a long time 17 billion dollar per year whore for the NFL. For example they get 2 million suckers to pay $269 for the NFL "Sunday Ticket" each year. The NFL has a long time love for all things Rupert Murdoch. It all started back in 1993 when he grossly overpaid for rights to the NFC football games. This left 12 big-market CBS stations with a huge hole in their Sunday programming - so they jumped ship to Fox. And so began the meteoric rise of the NFL's popularity and the rise of the Fox channel. Murdoch and Fox have been pimping for the NFL ever since and it appears now that the NFL is returning the favor.

The NHL is being much more reasonable. For example, Charter Communications is launching the NHL Network this month - but in the Digital Sports Tier. Not basic cable.

What is amazing is that people (including football fans) complain about rising cable rates - but these are tied directly to increased programming costs (who do you think really pays athletes multimillion dollar per year salaries) and when some cable companies attempt to keep costs down these people complain. And it wouldn't surprise me if the same people clamoring for these football networks also want a'la carte television (paying only for the channels they watch). So the cable companies try to offer an a'la carte tier and get hammered for it. It is disingenuous at best.

Bibliography:
2004 Annual Report - Cable TV Economics
Wikipedia-Big Ten Network
Putting Fans First (funded by Comcast)
NFL Network
Murdoch's Biggest Score

Iraq Is The First Peak Oil War

Juan Cole with another terrific must read post - Oil Peak or Peak Oil?

What is clear is that Dick Cheney's desperate bid to grab Iraq for US petroleum corporations and for proprietary contracts to supply the US is backfiring big time. Instead of reducing the importance of Saudi Arabia, Cheney and the Neocons have magnified it. Instead of bringing online a big new supplier (Iraq) they have actually reduced the average production from Iraq as compared to the days of the UN sanctions on Saddam! Instead of assuring the US position as a superpower by assuring it special access to Gulf petroleum through military means, Cheney and his friends have destabilized the key energy-producing regions of the world and are driving some producers to deliberately seek proprietary contracts with China s so as to avoid over-dependence on an overbearing US that openly announces it would like to overthrow their governments. (I'm thinking of Venezuela here; with tweaking the same thing could be said of Iran).

Cheney's militarism is too blunt an instrument for the delicate job of assuring US energy security. Nearly $90 a barrel is not security for us-- it is a threat to our economy. Prices may not stay this high all that long in the short term, since primary commodity markets to fluctuate. But as the peak oil people point out, no new big fields have been found or exploited for a very long time, and demand from China, India and elsewhere is growing rapidly. It is going to be an expensive or cold winter for a lot of Americans. It likely won't be the last. Courtesy in some part, the short-sighted and counter-productive policies of one of the country's most notorious traitors, Richard Bruce Cheney.

Heritage Turkeys

NY Times - Preservation’s Progress

Buy the turkeys at Heritage Foods USA.

Roads As A Refuge

National Geographic - Moose Moms Prefer Traffic to Grizzly Bears, Study Says

Undefeated Miami Hockey Is #1 Team

October 30 - Miami climbs to No. 1 in college hockey

November 5 - Miami Near-Unanimous No. 1 In USCHO.com/CSTV Poll

Alton Brown Regarding Top Chef

Food fight for the next Iron Chef
"Those people are one step up from Denny's," said a fiery Brown. "My mom could do that. There's nothing cheesy or cheap about (Iron Chef)."

You've go to root for Cleveland's Chef Symon!

This Is What Peak Oil Looks Like

Seen at the Peak Oil Optimist. IHT - IEA says oil prices will stay 'very high,' threatening global growth

The unusually stark warning by Fatih Birol, chief economist of the International Energy Agency, about the impact of Asia's emerging giants comes as the agency prepares to issue its influential annual report next week, which will focus on China and India.

In preparing the report, Birol said he had experienced "an earthquake" in his thinking...

Demand for oil in China, he added, would eventually equal the entire supply from Saudi Arabia.

And this post at Raise The Hammer: Yes, We're in Peak Oil Today
And the below image hosted at Raise The Hammer shows all you need to know:

The Verizon Vs Cable Battle

My post at TC Tech Notes - Verizon Gets Better, Cable Companies Get Badder

We Knew It!

(the title is a reference to the Arrested Development episode "Sad Sack")

But you know it is true - we hate the most in others what we most despise about ourselves. MSNBC - Wash. legislator resigns amid gay sex scandal: GOP lawmaker denies he is gay, claims he fell victim to extortion attempt

A Republican state legislator who repeatedly voted against gay rights measures resigned his seat Wednesday amid allegations he had sex with a man he met at an erotic video store while in Spokane on a GOP retreat.

What's funny is that he doesn't deny the sexcapade with the other guy, but he does deny that he's gay. Or as Joh Stewart pointed out with Larry Craig, "I like the gay part but not the lifestyle"




Just add Richard Curtis to to this list - Top Five Republican Gay Sex Scandals

Yet Another Example Of Democrats' Overinflated Sense Of Self Importance

Continuing the series "the problem with the Democratic Party is the democrats".

Democrats end Colbert primary bid

Despite meeting a Thursday deadline to file his entry fee for the Democratic primary in South Carolina, state Democrats then spent 40 minutes discussing how to deal with Colbert's candidacy.

After his bid was rejected by a committee vote, executive member Waring Howe criticised Colbert's intentions in standing.

"He's really trying to use South Carolina Democrats as suckers so he can further a comedy routine," he told the Associated Press.

In addition, Mr Howe said, Colbert "serves to detract from the serious candidates on the ballot".

Not everyone was opposed, however.

"I think you're taking this a little too seriously," state lawmaker Gilda Cobb-Hunter told the committee.

2007 - The Scariest Halloween Yet

Or the end of suburbia as some call it.

America's Big, Fat Housing Inventory: The supply of homes for sale is at a nine-year high, and housing inventories across the U.S. are swelling dangerously

Next Stop: $100 Oil?
Some analysts say record highs are only the beginning. Traders betting on rising global demand could push prices up further

Oil prices jump after inventories fall (right now oil is $93.38/barrel)

The scenario is simple and is happening now. Crude oil production has topped out at 85 million barrels of oil per day while demand growth continues -> Gasoline prices continue to rise -> American consumers get squeezed by paying for their commute to work -> At some point commuting becomes too expensive so families look to move closer to their employer -> There's already a housing glut so these houses don't sell while families who can afford it move into the cities creating an urban housing crisis as there will be more demand than supply -> Businesses go out of business due to energy costs -> America's farmers and urban dwellers get by but suburbanites become isolated without jobs and unable to sell their homes. Sad...

This may be the beginning of The Mega-Nubble. Marketwatch - Global megabubble?

And I'm not the only person thinking about all the scary things today.

This Chart Will Scare You
...let me show you a chart that will really scare the bejeezus out of you …

Arctic News Roundup

Record 22C temperatures in Arctic heatwave that's 71.6 F

Widening Arctic meltdown chills Canadian scientists

A Cycle of Warming Spirals in the Arctic: 2007: A Global Warming Tipping Point?

Arctic Melt Unnerves the Experts

Mainstreaming UFO's

The groundwork has been laid through movies and whispering for many years. I think there will slowly be growing acceptance over the next decade. For example,MSNBC - NASA to search files on '65 UFO incident

And SciFi will air "The UFO Hunters"

Atlas Shrugging?

NY Times - Formal Search for Adventurer Is Halted

First Jim Gray, now Steve Fossett has been lost. If Steve Jobs disappears it'll be time to start searching for a secret canyon in Colorado.

I am not alone in thinking this apparently:
The Lone Sysadmin - Steve Fossett, Jim Gray… Atlas Shrugged?
Through The Looking Glass - BEE-Witched, Bothered, and BEE-Wildered
Could There Ever Be a Galt's Gulch?

Is Sushi The Zeigeist?

So many sushi articles recently... Nashville Nigiri: Is the spread of sushi to middle-class American malls a good globalization story?

Packet Wars

I have a post on another blog about the broadband winners:

tctechnotes.blogspot.com/2007/10/packet-wars-are-over.html

Tasty Books

Epicurious has launched TasteBook, and just in time for the holidays.

TasteBook allows you to create a pretty hardcover recipe book with 100 recipes of your own or those at Epicurious.com.

Looks to feature Web 2.0 drag-and-drop goodness. How to get started.

We Were Thinking It Too

'From Shilling to Schilling'

Fox conducted a hideous, integrated (into the game!) promotion for Taco Bell.
Red Sox minor leaguer and apparent paid stooge Royce Clayton is shown miked the night before telling Red Sox rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury that America gets a free taco from Taco Bell if you steal a base. Then cue video of rookie stealing second, the theft that buys everyone the yummy tacos.
Then Fox goes to Taco Bell's CEO for an "interview" in the stands with "journalist" Chris Myers.
"Great work," Buck says drolly when the "interview" ends.
Meanwhile, Red Sox starting pitcher Curt Schilling is getting ready to pitch to Todd Helton.
After a pitch or two, as I am internally screaming at the television, Tim says what must be said.
"From shilling to Schilling."
Buck replies succinctly:
"Well said. Curt, and the Red Sox, are leading 2 to 1."

"I Am Not An Alcoholic, I Am A Geologist"

Uncylopedia - Geologist

Geologists are 'scientists' with an unnatural obsession with rocks and alcohol. Often too intelligent to do monotonous sciences like biology, chemistry, or physics, geologists devote their time to mud-worrying, volcano spotting, fault poking, bouldering, dust-collecting, and high-risk colouring.

One of the main difficulties in communicating with geologists is their belief that a million years is a short amount of time and their heads are harder than rocks. Consequently, such abstract concepts as "Tuesday Morning" and Lunchtime are completely beyond their comprehension. (This difficulty generates problems particularly when dealing with the girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse and attempting to explain why you were "gone for so long" or why something is taking "so long to occur.")

Related - A NY Times post on Cask Conditioned Ale: Beer, Naturally

North Peak in Traverse City is a good source for cask conditioned ale (when it is not sold out).

Start With Five Organic Foods

NY Times - Five Easy Ways to Go Organic
1. Milk: One recent United States Department of Agriculture survey found certain pesticides in about 30 percent of conventional milk samples and low levels in only one organic sample.
2. Potatoes: A 2006 U.S.D.A. test found 81 percent of potatoes tested still contained pesticides after being washed and peeled, and the potato has one of the the highest pesticide contents of 43 fruits and vegetables tested...
3. Ketchup: About 75 percent of tomato consumption is in the form of processed tomatoes, including juice, tomato paste and ketchup.
4. Peanut Butter: More than 99 percent of peanut farms use conventional farming practices, including the use of fungicide to treat mold...
5. Apples: ...apples are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables.

Mother Russia May Be Growing

National Geographic - Russia's Arctic Claim Backed By Rocks, Officials Say

Under international law, Russia could lay claim to the potentially oil-rich seabed under the Arctic ice if it can prove that the ridge is part of the country's continental shelf.

Unsafe At Any Speed?

IHT - NASA withholds results from U.S. pilot safety survey

NASA is withholding 24,000 responses to safety questionnaires supplied by airline pilots and others to avoid shaking public confidence in the air transport system, over the objections of the survey's designers.

Star Wars Animation Television Series Getting Closer

TV Guide - George Lucas, Episode II: Star Wars Strikes Back — on TV

Barbecue In Your Slow Cooker

As winter gets closer the prospects for grilling decline. About.com lists some recipes for making barbecue in your Crock-Pot

The Grandmother Hypothesis

Exit the Hygiene Hypothesis (IHT - Have a nice shot)

Enter a new pet hypothesis - the Grandmother Hypothesis.

NY Times articles:
-Evolution’s Secret Weapon: Grandma

-Theorists See Evolutionary Advantages In Menopause

Picky Eaters

The NY Times reports on toddlers with picky eating habits - Picky Eaters? They Get It From You

The most interesting item from the article is:

Most children eat a wide variety of foods until they are around 2, when they suddenly stop. The phase can last until the child is 4 or 5. It’s an evolutionary response, researchers believe. Toddlers’ taste buds shut down at about the time they start walking, giving them more control over what they eat. “If we just went running out of the cave as little cave babies and stuck anything in our mouths, that would have been potentially very dangerous,” Dr. Cooke said.

A natural skepticism of new foods is a healthy part of a child’s development, said Ellyn Satter, a child nutrition expert whose books, including “Child of Mine: Feeding With Love and Good Sense” (Bull Publishing, 2000), have developed a cult following among parents of picky eaters.

Each child has a unique set of likes and dislikes that Ms. Satter believes are genetically determined. The only way children discover what they are is by putting food in their mouths and taking it out over and over again, she said.

As an aside, one way "coasters" (Americans who live on the East or West coast) are different than the rest of us is they have an overinflated sense of self importance. They're like Christopher Columbus in that they live in an isolated sphere and believe they're the first people to discover something. In the article above Mrs. Jerry Seinfeld is credited with writing an entire cookbook about how to sneak vegetables into kid's food.

Her new book, “Deceptively Delicious” (Harper Collins), outlines a series of recipes based on fruit and vegetable purées that are blended into food in a way that she says children won’t notice. Half a cup of butternut squash disappears into pasta coated with milk and margarine. Pancakes turn pink with beets. Avocado hides in chocolate pudding and spinach in brownies.

Fascinating... I'm sure no parent in history has ever thought of this before. Come On! - even the rubber stamp U.S. Patent Office would have to reject this due to its obviousness. Reminds me of another brave NYC writer/conqueror of new lands, Judith Levine, who wrote a book on living without shopping for a year. And by "not buying it" she meant not going out to eat as often as she did, borrowing instead of buying wax for her downhill skis, getting rid of a superfluous old pickup truck, but still visiting the house in Vermont. Come On! She wasn't going to live like a savage.

Alton Brown Interview

There's a magazine for everything. Restaurants and Institutions Magazine - Web-Exclusive Interview: Alton Brown

Mostly about the new show, The Next Iron Chef.

Arrested Development Love Forever

Jason Bateman, Michael Cera from "Arrested Development" Back Together in Movie

Exclusive Interview with Jason Bateman

For the record, Bateman has yet to dismiss the possibility of an Arrested Development return. "That is certainly on the table and not dead yet; I just don't know when the right time will be," he says, adding that the surging careers of fellow castmembers Cera and Arnett could actually help the effort. "Maybe by virtue of us doing well, it makes the idea of a re-visit -- whether it be in a movie or whatever -- a little bit more of a viable scenario. Because if none of us had careers after Arrested Development, it would kind of reek of 'Oh, these poor people couldn't let it go,' or 'They need to make a check.'"

Eleanor At The Dinner Table

And I Always Thought Watermelon Was Mostly Water

From WH Foods - Breakthrough News: Watermelon: High in citrulline, an amino acid our bodies use to make another amino acid, arginine, which is used in the urea cycle to remove ammonia from the body.

Have You Heard Of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Kenny Lofton Doubters? -Morons!

On July 27th the Indians were a half-game out of first place. Kenny Lofton played his first game July 28th. Cleveland went 36-22 from then until the end of the season and were one game away from the best record in baseball. Kenny was and is the difference.

Bob Harris, - this is better than 1994, you idiot were wrong. Because there isn't a stat for a player smart enough to score from second on a Randy Johnson wild pitch in the eighth inning of a decisive game. Kenny is on playoff teams because he is a winner.

The most recent example: Lofton's sac fly in 12th tops Mariners

The weekend before the trade Tom Hamilton was lofting praise upon Kenny during the broadcast, just about every inning. Upon those rumors I ran into the house to tell Miss Kitty Lofton.


When the Indians got Lofton back I knew then that they were headed for the playoffs. I should have made a bet...

Eco-Lawn

Eco-Lawn:
The Ultimate Low Maintenance Lawn!

Environmentally Friendly!
Drought Tolerant!
No fertilizers or chemicals required!
Less vulnerable to grubs!
Grows in full sun, part shade and even deep shade!
Reduces mowing time or don't mow at all!
Saves you time and money!

And do not taunt Happy Eco-Lawn.

I want to be skeptical of these claims, but they're Canadian and if you can't trust a Canadian then is life really worth living?

Growing Potatoes And Broccoli In Greenland

CS Monitor - In Greenland, potatoes thrive as seal hunting wanes

Saddam Hussein Was Ready For Exile and $1 Billion

Must reading from Professor Juan Cole - Transcript Reveals Impeachable Offenses by Bush

In other words, Bush could have sent Saddam off to exile in Saudi Arabia and avoided the whole war, but refused to do so because of the family vendetta between the Bushes and the Tikritis. Nearly 4,000 US soldiers have died and thousands have been wounded because Bush would not take the deal Saddam offered him. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are dead, and millions displaced.

Going to war unnecessarily is an impeachable offense.

And One Billion dollars or 400 plus billion?

Cost of the War in Iraq

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Tools Link Hawaii And Tahiti

National Geographic - Early Polynesians Sailed Thousands of Miles for Trade

Nature Isn't Fragile. We Are.

Vaclav Havel writes in the IHT - The planet is not at risk. We are

Another Notch In Vinegar's Bedpost

Seen at Rebecca's Pocket - Via NPR.org What Does it Take to Clean Fresh Food?

...the cleaning method that worked the best was the dilute vinegar rinse. It removed 98 percent of the bacteria.

Delusions Of Grandeur

(The entire article at HNN.us is Must Reading)
Via History News Network from Juan Cole - Bonaparte and Bush on Deck

rench Egypt and American Iraq can be considered bookends on the history of modern imperialism in the Middle East. The Bush administration's already failed version of the conquest of Iraq is, of course, on everyone's mind; while the French conquest of Egypt, now more than two centuries past, is all too little remembered, despite having been led by Napoleon Bonaparte, whose career has otherwise hardly languished in obscurity. There are many eerily familiar resonances between the two misadventures, not least among them that both began with supreme arrogance and ended as fiascoes. Above all, the leaders of both occupations employed the same basic political vocabulary and rhetorical flimflammery, invoking the spirit of liberty, security, and democracy while largely ignoring the substance of these concepts.

Come On In Boys, The Water Is Fine

National Geographic - Arctic Melt Opens Northwest Passage

Energy Tipping Point

Via The Oil Drum - Forbes - Oil Exec: Coherent Energy Policy Needed

"We have seen our country pass, in my opinion, the tipping point of energy supply keeping up with energy demand in ways that secure our future," -John Hofmeister, president Shell Oil Company

Miami Going Smoke Free

Miami trustees ratify campus smoking ban

What are the cool kids supposed to do now? And what about the French kids who smoke while riding their bike? Is there no justice?

Australian Government Peak Oil Warning

Report warns of petrol chaos: QUEENSLAND is heading for an oil shock. And it is not a matter of if, but when.

...an as-yet unreleased Queensland Government report warns of massive social dislocation, rising food prices and infrastructure headaches because of rising oil costs.

You Cook Dinner, I'll Cook Breakfast, In Between We'll Just Cook

ResearchBuzz has updated their Cookin' With Google search tool.

http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/tools/cookin-with-google/
Cookin’ With Google allows you to provide a list of ingredients (what’s in the fridge?) and get back a list of recipes that Google finds for you.

It works pretty well.

That's So Gay

From NY Magazine - The Science of Gaydar

Peak Oil Consensus

Peak Oil Test Looming

World oil production may have already peaked at about 85 million barrels daily (mmbd) where it has been stuck for the past year... With current demand near 86 mmbd, the difference has been made up by declining inventory.

Peak Oil Is Here
“The world is consuming more oil than it is producing.”--The Economist, July 14-20 print edition.

The New Energy Pessimism

Recently, however, a spate of high-level government and industry reports have begun to suggest that the original peak-oil theorists were far closer to the grim reality of global-oil availability than industry analysts were willing to admit. Industry optimism regarding long-term energy-supply prospects, these official reports indicate, has now given way to a deep-seated pessimism, even in the biggest of Big Oil corporate headquarters.

What To Eat Every Day

Via Lifehacker -> Best Life - Eat these eight foods every day to cover all your nutritional bases

1. Spinach
2. Yogurt
3. Tomatoes
4. Carrots
5. Blueberries
6. Black Beans
7. Walnuts
8. Oats

That is incredibly close to my diet. Every morning starts with a bowl of hot oatmeal usually sprinkled with blueberries or dried cherries, walnuts or almond butter, and yogurt. Lunch usually includes a sandwich with spinach on it and a whole carrot to wash it down.

Grand Traverse Distillery's Web Site Is Open

Grand Traverse Distillery

They're using local rye and water to produce 'True North Vodka'. I've never tried vodka but will give it a try sometime.

Yes! Two Girls For Every Boy

Seen on TreeHugger - Man-Made Chemicals Cause 2:1 Ratio of Girls to Boys Born in Arctic

And:

Recently, the historical sex balance of the human race has begun to change around the world as well. Throughout history there has usually been a slightly greater number of males than females born each year, but a paper published in the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences this year said that in Japan and the US there were 250,000 boys fewer than would have been expected had the sex ratio existing in 1970 remained as it was.

My Library, Via Google

Google keeps getting better. For books that have full text available, this is a way to take your reading list with you (e.g., Google's example of Lt Danly's library)

My (own) library on Book Search
Collect, share, and discover books

Claim - For First Time Ever, More Woldwide Service Jobs Than Agricultural

Via Slashdot - After 10,000 Years, Farming No Longer Dominates

CEO Pay

I have no problem with a CEO being paid whatever the Board of Directors believes that person is worth.

Are CEOs worth that much more?

CEO Pay: 364 Times More Than Workers'

But money does not necessarily buy competence or sense.

The CEO Bought a Yacht? Then it's time to sell.

Haunted Mansion: A study proves that the bigger his house, the worse the CEO.

I think a rational CEO would ask for a healthy and rewarding wage yet not too excessive so that money can be used elsewhere in the institution.

For example, at the very successful and growing soap company Dr. Bronner's, "total compensation of executives is capped at five times that of our lowest-paid position".

George Bush Number 1

(Originally at NYTimes.com) George Bush I (1796–1859)

Top Chef #1

Into The Fire - America’s Top Chef Opens A Restaurant (and Lives to Tell About It)

NASA's Images Of Hurricane Dean

Pictures from the ISS and Space Shuttle Endeavour

Mexico's National Oil Company Says Only Seven Year Supply Left

Via The Oil Drum - Mexican Company Predicts End of Oil

What To Feed A Selective Toddler

Sweet potato is a great vegetable for little ones as it is an "...excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron." (www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64)

I use sweet potatoes as a base that can then be used in a variety of ways. Here's how:

2 peeled and cubed (1 inch cubes) sweet potatoes (I also scrub mine first)
1/3 to 1/2 cup red lentils (for protein and minerals)
a little water to cover

options:
chopped carrots
peeled and chopped apple
orange and/or carrot juice to use with the water

Simmer for about 30 minutes until soft; checking to make sure there's always enough liquid.

Pour everything into a blender and puree it. Spread into ice tray cubes, cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap and freeze. Store in a zip-top bag in the freezer.

How I use the sweet potato cubes (after thawing):
-mixed with plain whole yogurt and rice or oatmeal cereal when around 12 months old
-mixed with cottage cheese
-mixed with applesauce(with cinnamon) and yogurt
-make sweet potato ice cream by just softening a cube and mixing it with about a tablespoon of organic vanilla ice cream
-pancakes are made by adding a sweet potato cube to any old pancake batter that you make - I use one cube per 3/4 - 1 cup dry mix from a box and store the extra batter in a glass container in the refrigerator. And I usually spread cream cheese, preserves, or maple syrup on the pancakes while they're hot.

Round And Round

IHT - The rise of the modern roundabout

They may be great for traffic flow but they're terrible for pedestrians.

Your Favorite

Two reports from Neko's recent show at the 9:30 Club

DCist - Neko Case @ 9:30 Club

Rants and Ramblings - star witness

Two things about Neko - 1.) everyone loves Neko Case and 2.) Yes, that is really her voice.

Those Big Shots At The Bluth Company Said They Were Not Optimisitc It Could Be Done

Eddie Wrenn isn't taking ''wasn't optimistic it could be done'' for an answer.

'Arrested Development' fan uprising

A Christmas special in 2009? It would be a festivus miracle...

When Asthma Is Not Asthma

Treatment of Viral Infection-Induced Asthma in Young Children

Kim Stanley Robinson Interview

Wired interviews Kim Stanley Robinson - Sci-Fi Author Kim Stanley Robinson Discusses Our Planet's Future

Jim Gray Update

From Wired - Inside the High Tech Hunt for a Missing Silicon Valley Legend

Although when I first read about this case I wondered if it was the result of a methane hydrate bubble? (Could methane bubbles sink ships? The Farallones Islands are in a tectonically active area.

Minnesotans Versus The White House

While reading about the Minnesota bridge collapse at the Sydney Morning Herald -Questions raised over bridge safety - there was quite a discrepency between the reaction of the victims versus the reaction of the Bush White House.

"Several individuals at the scene, (who were) not recovered, people that were pinned, people that were crushed, that told emergency workers to say hello, to say goodbye," Mr Dolan said.

Truly, these folks are all above average. Meanwhile, from an administration that is below average:

Earlier, White House spokesman Tony Snow said that a 2005 federal report found "structural deficiencies" in the bridge, and said it had been Minnesota state's responsibility for repairing them.

Ok, we get it. You don't want anything to do with this and instead of being classy you distance yourself from the tragedy. This is the lesson the White House got from Hurricane Katrina.

Another Packing List Plus Travel Strategies

 

 

Sent to you by Andy via Google Reader:

 

 

How to Travel the World with 10 Pounds or Less (Plus: How to Negotiate Convertibles and Luxury Treehouses)

via The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss by Tim Ferriss on Jul 11, 2007

The incredible Sony VAIO VGN-TXN27N laptop. This beauty is less than 1" thick and weighs 2.8 lbs. If I add a few ounces of weight with the extended battery (on the right) and trick it out, I can get 15 hours of battery life.

The name of the game in world travel is being "fashionably light."

Hauling a five-piece Samsonite set around the planet is hell on earth. I watched a friend do this up and down dozens of subway and hotel staircases in Europe for three weeks, and--while I laughed a lot, especially when he resorted to just dragging or throwing his bags down stairs--I'd like to save you the breakdown. Trip enjoyment is inversely proportionate to the amount of crap (re: distractions) you bring with you.

Practice in 30-plus countries has taught me that packing minimalism can be an art.

I returned from Costa Rica last Wednesday, and have since landed in Maui, where I'll stay for one week. What did I pack and why? Check out the video... (more...)

 

 

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• Visit the original item
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Decisions Not Made

I need to trust my long term investment instincts.

Stocks I wanted to purchase between 2000-2002 but did not for one reason or another:

Sears


Amazon.com


Stocks I wanted to buy in 1991 but was talked out out of doing by a so-called "professional" who wanted to sell her company's loser of a mutual fund instead:

Apple (bought later at $20/share)


Alcoa

I Believe In Flooding - In The U.K.

England has had severe flooding this past week.

But nothing like what happened 400,000 years ago.

Catastrophic flood split Britain from Europe
Megaflood Of 400,000 Years bp Made Britain An Island

Don't Cry For Me Pinedale

Aspen Times - Who will clean up when the boom is over?

I'll Second The Motion For $100/barrel Oil

Bloomberg.com - $100 Oil Price May Be Months Away, Say CIBC, Goldman

This is interesting because higher prices have not increased supply and:
``There are questions about whether the oil industry can keep up with demand,'' U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said last week, commenting on the Petroleum Council report.

Isn't this what happens when oil production has peaked?

Gingerbread Upham Hall

What happens if you kiss your sweetie under this arch?

Miami project one sweet deal

She's Been Described As A "Force Of Nature"

HARP Magazine - The True Confessions of Neko Case

There is none other...

Old Is New Again

Via the Globe And Mail - Reaching old Appalachia by way of punk

Can't See The Bomb For The Water Bottle

Via ISN - Fake bomb eludes airport test

The screeners at Albany International confiscated the water bottle but missed the bomb.

Poor Person's GIS

Google Maps Mashups 2.0

Under the "My Maps" tab.

Realtor's Describe Their Market

Realty Times Local Market Conditions By Local Real Estate Experts

Oil Slick

Oil forecast warns of crisis: rising demand, falling supply

Oil supplies are down and alternatives not yet available

The International Energy Agency is predicting peak oil but not calling that. Regardless, perhaps a corner has been turned in terms of public acceptance?

This Is Food Writing

From Vanity Fair - If You Knew Sushi

Well done Nick Tosches.

Interesting Television News

Articles in Broadcasting And Cable that have recently caught my eye:

Alton in prime time.

Kicked Earlier A Notch
Emeril is sinking like New Orleans, Alton's star is rising.
-----------------------
Stewart to NBC?


NBCU’s Zucker Courts Jon Stewart

Craig Kilborn never recovered after leaving as the original host of the Daily Show. I pray JS won't make the same mistake.

-------------------------
Baseball Is Having A Ball


Fox Sports Sells Out MLB All-Star Game

The network has been commanding prices around $400,000 per 30 second spot, up from $375,000 last year. Last year's inventory sold out approximately two weeks before the game. And while the television ratings of the NBA playoffs were an air ball this spring, both Fox Sports and ESPN have already been banking strong baseball numbers. Fox is averaging an all-time-high 3.7 million viewers for its Saturday baseball package, up from 3.3 million last year. ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball telecasts averaged 3.1 million viewers for the first nine games, up 45% from the 2.14 million average for the 10 telecasts through this time last year.

Eleanor And Her Pictures

In glorious QuickTime:
http://web.mac.com/neebish/iWeb/Eleanor/EleanorPointingToAtlasAndLauryn.MOV

Eleanor In The Bath

Flash is a lowest common denominator video file format. Use QuickTime or iTunes to download/view high quality versions of these videos here:

http://web.mac.com/neebish/iWeb/Eleanor/EleanorSayingByToBath.MOV
http://web.mac.com/neebish/iWeb/Eleanor/EleanorSingingTheDuckSong.mov

News You Can Use - There Were Aliens At Roswell

Roswell aliens theory revived by deathbed confession

I saw aliens at Roswell, claims dead PR man

Lt. Walter G. Haut Roswell base public information officer "Deathbed" affidavit to seeing spacecraft & bodies

My MLB All-Star Game Voting

Thank you for voting. Vote again!

You voted for:

American League
First Base: Hafner, T., CLE
Second Base: Polanco, P., DET
Third Base: Inge, B., DET
Shortstop: Guillen, C., DET
Catcher: Rodriguez, I., DET
Outfielder: Ordonez, M., DET
Outfielder: Sizemore, G., CLE
Outfielder:
Write-in: Curtis Granderson


National League
First Base: Fielder, P., MIL
Second Base: Weeks, R., MIL
Third Base: Jones, C., ATL
Shortstop: Vizquel, O., SF
Catcher: Molina, Y., STL
Outfielder: Freel, R., CIN
Outfielder: Griffey Jr., K., CIN
Outfielder: Soriano, A., CHC

And a prediction. The Kansas City Royals will finish ahead of the Chicago White Sox.

Current AL Central standings:
CENTRAL W L PCT GB
Detroit 46 31 .597 -
Cleveland 46 32 .590 .5
Minnesota 40 37 .519 6
Chicago Sox 33 42 .440 12
Kansas City 33 46 .418 14

Pinedale BLM Office Gets 100,000 Letters

But Wyoming has a state population of just over 500,000. Someone got a letter writing campaign going.

Casper Star Tribune - Most favor conservation for Pinedale management area

Immaculate Wine

From the Record-Eagle - Take home a bottle of Material Girl: Ciccone vineyards names varieties after daughter Madonna

The money quote: "I should've done this 20 years ago,” he said. " cha-ching...

Ford Ascension

Ford is doing many things that will lead to North American success.

Via MSNBC: Ford beats Toyota in quality rankings

Via Autoblog: Ford, Honda score high on safety test

And Ford makes AWD optional on most vehicles. Once they can retool factories to become a true world brand and hence have more fuel efficient vehicles for sale in the U.S. I would not be surprised to see Ford reverse its market-share slide. The question I have is how will they respond to BlueTec diesels and clean diesels from Honda and Subaru?

Who Knew? Or, You Never Know Who May Be A Liz Phair Fan

MSNBC reports superproducer Jerry Bruckheimer quotes Liz Phair in daily conversation.

When Dark Horizons asked Jerry Bruckheimer his feelings about not being a critics’ darling, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” producer quoted the Liz Phair song: “It’s nice to be liked, but it’s better by far to get paid.”

The song is actually called Shitloads Of Money and although first available commercially on the whitechocolatespaceegg album it first appeared on Liz's mythical Girly Sound demo tape, aka Phairities.

CNN Money On The Pinedale Boom

Wyoming's natural gas boom sees growing pains

It may all be in decline in 2009.

Family Updates

The whole family is featured at MLUI.org - Young People Speak Up for Granny Flats

And Eleanor currently has her picture on the front page of the Michigan Land Use Institute as a link to the above story.



Megan received a nice send-off from Jim Lively - Good Regional Planners Are Hard to Find

And Brandon got the "Hooray For Everything" award - G&F recognizes Brandon Scurlock with 'Peer Recognition Award'

FCC's Kevin Martin - "Holy F'ing Shiznitch! What a backassward decision"

Not really, but almost.

Via Multichannel News - Court Stops FCC’s F-Word Crackdown:

“I find it hard to believe that the New York court would tell American families that ‘shit’ and ‘fuck’ are fine to say on broadcast television during the hours when children are most likely to be in the audience,” Martin said. “If we can’t [restrict] the use of the words ‘fuck’ and ‘shit’ during primetime, Hollywood will be able to say anything they want, whenever they want.”

And as noted at the Huff Post The First Amendment Wins One, if Bush and Cheney can speak these words why can't the peasantry?

End Of The New West Boom?

Via The Oil Drum - Is U.S. Natural Gas Headed Toward Excess Supply?

The likely transition of the U.S. gas industry from an era of a very tight supply and demand balance to an era of excess supply also relies on a surge in imports of LNG, beginning toward the end of 2008

Ba-Bye BSG

Fourth Season’s Last for Sci Fi’s Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar, You Will Be Missed

Moore and Eick speak up about Battlestar Galactica's future and more

Eleanor And The Boat

The Legacy Of Monica

Lewinsky almost brought down the Clinton presidency. Goodling will relegate Bush's to the trash-heap of history.

Truthout.org - DOJ Goodling Testifies Before Judiciary Committee

And how bad are you if you make John Ashcroft look responsible?

Chicago Tribune commentary - The redemption of John Ashcroft

Bush will not fire Gonzalez. Attorney General Gonzalez is the firewall between Bush and the law of man. So despite witness tampering, perjury, and illegal hiring practices Gonzalez will stay. The President and the loyal Bushies believe that God acts through them; I guess even if that violates the U.S. Constitution. However, in neocon mythology I thought the creation of the United States was the will of God therefore wouldn't the Constitution be the other word of God?

Cato Institute Is Against Software Patents

Same argument can be made for patenting life forms.

Against Software Patents

Native American Elm Trees For Sale At Home Depot

As heard on NPR - Venturing Back on the Market with American Elms

Ash trees were planted to replace the Elms, and now Elms can be replanted to replace the infested Ash trees.

Elm trees native range (image from the USDA):

Is Subaru Planning A Diesel Hybrid?

Wardauto claims they are! If it were a less reputable publication I would be skeptical.

Subaru's Boxer Diesel

...Subaru is linking with Toyota Motor Corp. for the development of a hybrid-electric powertrain for its gasoline and diesel boxer engines.

However, Subaru's iconic all-wheel drive system does not easily adapt to Toyota's front-wheel-drive-based Hybrid Synergy Drive used in the Prius. To counter this, Subaru now is considering utilizing a version of the rear-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain used in the Lexus GS 450h sedan.

A diesel-hybrid Outback should get better mpg than even the 40city/60hwy projected for the 2008 VW Jetta SportWagon.

Carbon Taxing Getting Closer?

Via washingtonpost.com - Tax on Carbon Emissions Gains Support

Butanol Gets Some Love From The MSM

CNN.com - Biobutanol: Better than ethanol?

Misty Day

<a href="http://www.record-eagle.com/webcams/holiday.jpg">From the
Record-Eagle webcam</a>

Music List

The most important albums of the 1980's:

Purple Rain - Prince
Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys
Like A Virgin - Madonna
Minor Threat - self titled

(1984 was the most important year of the decade apparently)

The most important song and music video of the 1980's (if not of all time):

From 1986, "Walk This Way" - Run DMC with Aerosmith

Face Of The New West

Even in Pinedale, WY - develop gas and oil but within reason.

From the Casper Star Tribune - Public comments: Slow development

Alton Brown's Motorcycle Is For Sale

Alton Brown's K1200R

Asking price is $15,500.

Doctors And Generals

The United States has a private medical system and a military that must report to civilian commanders. In other words, a public military.

Bush said today "Politicians in Washington shouldn't tell generals how to do their job"

and in terms of medicine:
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last week that outlawed a certain abortion procedure could be a first step of greater government intrusion into private medical decisions, doctors said on Monday.

How's that for logical consistency? Actually not surprising as the military is being privatized and every politician calls for some way for health care to be socialized.

Why Being Pro-Business Is Not Always Pro-Free Markets

From Cato - Regulatory Excess in the States

...businesses are in favor of regulation when it means they can raise prices on consumers and/or disadvantage competitors.

And in a slumping housing market should govenment protect apartment building owners through regulation of private property?

Traverse City Record-Eagle - Granny flats rule runs into criticism

Hey! High Five...

<a href="http://www.nationalhighfiveday.com/">National High Five Day</a>

All about the High Five at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

High_five">Wikipedia</a>

What is not reported anywhere is that I decreed 2003 "The Year Of The
High Five".

1.1 chickens per mile

ConocoPhillips and Tyson will soon begin processing animal fat into
diesel fuel right alongside crude oil.

Read about it at TreeHugger:
<a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/

the_schmaltzmob_1.php">The Schmaltz-Mobile Is Coming, One Chicken-
Mile At A Time</a>

Housing Decline Continues

Found via ;SeekingAlpha - National Association of Realtors press release - NAR: Tighter Lending Standards Good for Housing, But Will Dampen Sales

The national median existing-home price will probably slip 0.7 percent to $220,300 in 2007, following a 1.0 percent rise last year.

I think the housing bubble was driven not just by the need for investors to put their money somewhere else other than technology stocks but also by the terrorist attacks in September, 2001. There were two responses - physical and psycological. Many Americans moved to new towns where they would feel safer. And I believe people wanted to own a tangible asset. People feel safer now -> stock market is up -> house prices are recovering to normal levels.



The problem is not Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM) or the lending institutions. The market will take care of financiers that made unwise loans. And ARMs are one tool out of many for buying a house. People were free to choose an ARM or a standard 30 year mortgage. Perhaps panic was a component of people choosing ARMs? -so they could get a house before the next attack. Afterall, shelter is one of the basic needs.

How To Be A Hypermiler

At MotherJones.com - This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk!

And 39 MPG in an Acura MDX!

Easy techniques: go slow, coast downhill, time for green lights and avoid braking (idle = zero mpg).

Just Like Major League

The Indians are playing some home games in Milwaukee. It is fitting as the old County Stadium served as the location for most of the on-field scenes in Major League.

From the IHT - Baseball: A warm welcome for Indians

Almost 20,000 fans came out to the first game! There were 16,375 baseball fans at the second game last night.

Reviving Chestnut Trees In Ohio

Planting seeks to revive chestnut's place in Ohio

"...the planting is in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Miami University."

And naturally Ohio University students will be doing the physical labor as directed by the Miami University folks.

Scientists Love Neko Too (but not astrology)

I don't care what frakkin' sign Neko Case is born under!

Hunting Versus Energy

Via The Casper Star Tribune - Drill or hunt?

I see this as who has more rights - the People or Corporations?

GAO - Oil Production Will Peak Sometime In The Next 30 Years

Via EnergyBulletin.net - GAO: U.S. needs a peak oil strategy

Uh-oh:

Key alternative technologies currently supply the equivalent of only about 1 percent of U.S. consumption of petroleum products, and DOE projects that even under optimistic scenarios, by 2015 these technologies could displace only the equivalent of 4 percent of projected U.S. annual consumption.

Oxford Named A Top 50 Commuter Town

From the Oxford Press - Oxford recognized as 'Best Place to Live'

I always thought Oxford was a nice town. Especially for bike rides on country road and finding unique fossils.

Exposed Mantle On The Sea Floor

Via Scientific American - Missing: a huge chunk of the earth's crust

More information at the Classroom@Sea Project's Drilling the Mid-atlantic Ridge.

Impermanence Syndrome

Via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Big lots hurt farming more than sprawl, land-savers say

"It's hard for farmers to drive around a McMansion . . .

Nothing is uglier than 5 acre grass lots. I'd like to see binary zoning. Urban or rural.

Finally - An Easier Way To Follow Congress

Heard on NPR's 'On The Media' radio program - OpenCongress

The Huddle Closes

Via the Lima News - Regulars say goodbye to Lima tradition

I have fond first date, make-up date, and family dinner memories at The Huddle.

Goodbye Potato Soup.
Goodbye Energizer Sandwich.
Goodbye dedicated staff.

Miami U Is A Primate Research Hot Spot?

Via MSNBC.com - Senegal's Weapon-Wielding Chimps

A couple of Miami University anthropology professor's are quoted in this article. I forgot how big the anthro department is. One of my secret escapes was hanging out in the anthropolgy museum for awhile.

Australia Developing Climate Migration Corridor

Via Stuff.co.nz - 2800km coastal route for Aussie wildlife to escape warming

The governments' proposed initiative will stretch from the Victorian Alps through to Atherton in Queensland and will include existing national parks, state forests and other Crown land. Currently, however, the corridor is broken by hundreds if not thousands of private properties. The hardest links to restore are expected to be in the Upper Hunter and parts of Queensland, where large tracts of land have been cleared for agriculture. Once complete, the Alps to Atherton wildlife corridor will be among the longest in the world.

Human Migration News

Via Reuters - Experts doubt Clovis people were first in Americas

Summary: Clovis people were in North America 13,000 years ago and co-existed with other populations.

Via Scientific American - Not Milk? Neolithic Europeans Couldn't Stomach the Stuff

Summary: Europeans began dairy farming 8000-9000 years ago. Between 8000-5000 years ago the gene for lactase-persistence went from no more than 40% of the northern European population to close to 90% in some areas.

A Simple Guide For Choosing XC Skis

Found via SoundMoneyTips - EMS.com - Choosing Cross-County Skis

I'll eventually need to buy something from Karhu or Fischer for the kind of offtrack skiing I want to do around Sleeping Bear.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Unveils Their 'GreenCars' Lists

Found via TreeHugger - GreenerCars.com: Highlights of the Model Year

Guest + Hurwitz = Comedy Gold

Via Hollywood Reporter - Guest spot for ABC's 'Thick'

Does The President Fail Purposely? (Psychoanalysis)

Via Truthout - Why Bush's Inner "Reality" Has Poisoned His Own Troop Plan

Economists Believe Housing Prices Still Falling

Via MarketWatch - Housing still falling, midyear bottom in sight, economists say

Subaru Set To Unveil Their Turbodiesel Flat Four

Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel Engine Set for Geneva Premiere

Due for its first vehicle application early next year...

Please come to North America little diesel engine.

"Our Town" Performed By Iris Dement And Emmylou Harris

One of the all-time great songs...

What Looks Like Wolverine And Cooks With Foam

Top Google search results for Chef Wolverine Foam

Western Goes Main Campus

From The Enquirer - Western College to change in 2008

NPR Listeners' Top 10 CDs Of 2006

NPR Listeners Pick the Best CDs of 2006

Neko Case should be number one and Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins number two.

Midwest Cougars Migrating From The Dakotas

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press - State cougar sightings seem to be increasing

Immigrants Help Create Jobs

Via USA Today - Immigrants behind 25% of start-ups

Angelina Jolie As Dagny Taggart?

Via IHT - The challenge of distilling Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"

Randall Wallace, who wrote "Braveheart" and "We Were Soldiers," is working on compressing the nearly 1,200-page book into a conventional two-hour screenplay. Howard and Karen Baldwin, the husband-and-wife producers of "Ray," are overseeing the project, and Lions Gate Entertainment is footing the bill.

NOAA Finally Links Greenhouse Gases To Warming

Via NYT - Agency Affirms Human Influence on Climate

The Housing Bubble Is Global

Via IHT - Real estate bubbles: How worried should we be?

And a global housing slowdown could be traumatic. Indeed, the world is flat (like the housing market).

Edun Live To Launch At Miami

Via Dayton Daily News - Miami to launch new student-run business Tuesday

What caught my eye was this:

Edun LIVE is a sub-brand of Edun Apparel Ltd, the label founded in 2005 by U2 singer Bono, his wife, Ali Hewson, and clothing designer Rogan Gregory, a 1995 Miami graduate.

What? Bono better keep that on lock-down. Rogan and I were good friends for a couple years in college. But I don't remember him being a snazzy dresser - he was into the hot ladies however so that may explain this career path.

Links To Homemade BBQ Contraptions

Via The BBQ Blog - Flower Pot BBQ Smoker

More Drilling Proposed For The Pinedale Area

Via the Billings Gazette - BLM study examines Pinedale Anticline

The energy industry has proposed to quadruple the number of natural gas wells and triple the surface area impacted. But how do they get from that to "innovative"?:

Industry officials have said their proposal is an innovative approach to balancing energy development with preservation of the area's natural resources.

Christian Fundies Rudely Get Their Opinions Interrupted By Facts

Via NPR - Ellison to Take Oath on Thomas Jefferson's Quran

Using Thomas Jefferson's personal copy of the Quran is a brilliant move by Rep. Keith Ellison.

Stupid Cows

The western blizzards are making the going tough for cattle ranchers whose livestock is starving to death.

But not to fear, there's a massive publicly financed rescue operation underway.

Via MSNBC - Military helps cattle stranded by snow

And if cattle do die insurance and government will compensate ranchers for their losses.

However, the bison are fine:

The 20,000 bison on ranches in southeastern Colorado, western Kansas and Oklahoma were unaffected by the storm, partly because bison use their head and hump “like a big snowplow to get down to where the forage is"...

Bison also provide a healthier meat than cattle.

Better eating, better for you, and easier to manage. So why are we still eating cows?

Google Tries A New Way To Weed Out Applicants

Via The New York Times - Google Answer to Filling Jobs Is an Algorithm

Google has always wanted to hire people with straight-A report cards and double 800s on their SATs. Now, like an Ivy League school, it is starting to look for more well-rounded candidates, like those who have published books or started their own clubs.

Desperate to hire more engineers and sales representatives to staff its rapidly growing search and advertising business, Google — in typical eccentric fashion — has created an automated way to search for talent among the more than 100,000 job applications it receives each month. It is starting to ask job applicants to fill out an elaborate online survey that explores their attitudes, behavior, personality and biographical details going back to high school.

The questions range from the age when applicants first got excited about computers to whether they have ever tutored or ever established a nonprofit organization.

The answers are fed into a series of formulas created by Google’s mathematicians that calculate a score — from zero to 100 — meant to predict how well a person will fit into its chaotic and competitive culture.

Placebo Security

Via The Inquirer - TSA 'security' measures are internally inconsistent

...the TSA put in place placebos to make us quake in fear, cheese us off, and generally do nothing for our security. If you look at what they do, it flat out does not work, much less do what they say.