Nice Beaver

Via PhysOrg: World's biggest beaver dam discovered in northern Canada

"Several generations of beavers worked on it and it's still growing,"

Charcoal Versus Propane In Terms Of Fuel Costs

As I was grilling burgers last night I wondered if it really made sense for me to splurge for a Napoleon PT 450 RBI.



I could buy a lot of charcoal for the price of a new propane grill. I wondered though, over the long term, what is the price of a tank of propane versus a bag of charcoal?

Google found this: The Home Barbecue: Charcoal or Gas

A 5 gallon cylinder of propane costs anywhere from $15-$35 to fill (or swap) depending on the time of year and your location. You may get 12-20 meals out of a single tank depending on how big the meal and what you're cooking. That works out to an average of about $1.35 per meal. The 21-lbs bag of charcoal I just finished lasted about 12 meals at a cost of roughly $10, or $0.83 per meal. With the lighter fluid adding about $0.15 per meal. Monetarily, it is much cheaper to barbecue with charcoal.

So, it looks like there won't be a Canadian made Napoleon grill in my near-future.

Presented By The Law Of Uninteded Consequences

Via INFRASTRUCTURIST: Is the Low Gas Tax Costing You More Money on Car Repairs?

Here's the math from the link:
Car repair costs due to roads in poor condition = $300 - 400
Raising the gasoline tax to pay for road repair, cost to the average driver = $150

More About Honda

My family had 1987 and 1998 Accords and they were great cars. The 1998-2001 is probably the best general purpose used car you can find.

But as I hinted about with the Crosstour post - there's something up at Honda.

And here Edmunds summarizes it: What's Wrong At Honda? Maybe Everything

Another analyst said many recently launched Hondas are "sloppily designed, not very good to drive and even worse to look at."

2010 Sunscreen Safety

I wrote about sunscreens in 2009: Sunscreen Safety

The Environmental Working Group has released their 2010 Sunscreen Guide

They only recommend 39 out of 500 tested sunscreens. Those are:

All Terrain
Aquasport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30
TerraSport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30
KidSport Performance Sunscreen, SPF 30

Badger
Sunscreen for Face and Body, Unscented, SPF 30
Sunscreen for Face and Body, SPF 30 Lightly Scented
Sunscreen for Face and Body, SPF 15 Lightly Scented

Beyond Coastal
Lip and Face Screen, SPF 30

California Baby
Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Lotion No Fragrance, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Lotion Everyday/Year-Round, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30+, Citronella
Sunblock Stick Everyday/Year-Round, SPF 30+

Caribbean Solutions
Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard, SPF 25
Sol Kid Kare Natural Sunscreen, SPF 25

Desert Essence
Age Reversal SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen

Episencial
Sunny Sunscreen, SPF 35

Estion
Sunscreen with Zinc, SPF 38

Jason Natural Cosmetics
Sunbrellas: Mineral Based Physical Sunblock, SPF 30+
Sunbrellas: Chemical Free Sunblock, SPF 30+
Earth’s Best: Sunblock Mineral Based, SPF 30+

Kabana Skin Care
Green Screen Organic Sunscreen Fragrance Free, SPF 20
Green Screen Organic Sunscreen, SPF 22, Skin Tone Tinted

L’uvalla Certified Organic
SPF 20 Sunscreen Face/Body

La Roche-Posay
Anthelios 40 Sunscreen Cream

Little Forest
Sunscreen Lotion For Babies and Kids, SPF 30+

Loving Naturals
Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Miessence
Reflect Outdoor Balm, SPF 15
Purple Prairie Botanicals
SunStuff, SPF 30
Sun Stick, SPF 30
SunStuff, SPF 15

Soleo Organics
All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
Soleo Organics/Wyland Organics All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
Soleo Organics/Atlantis Resort All Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+

thinkbaby and thinksport
Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Trukid
Sunny Days Face and Body Stick, SPF 30+

UV Natural
Baby Sunscreen, SPF 30+
Sunscreen Sport, SPF 30+
Sunscreen, SPF 30+

Vanicream
Sunscreen Sport, SPF 35

Again?

More evidence of my hypothesis that we accuse in others what we fear most about ourselves.

(I'm simply going to keep updating this post)

8/12/2011 Update:
Via TheAtlantic: Indiana Anti-Gay Legislator Caught Cruising Craigslist

Phillip Hinkle, a Republican state representative, reportedly offered $80 to an 18-year-old man he met on Craigslist, "for a couple hours of your time," plus a tip "for a really good time."

5/19/2010 Update:
Via NPR: Indiana Congressman Quits Over Affair With Staffer

Did he really have to say this though?

"sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff."

Referring to your "staff time" is a well-trod trope. Didn't any of the Congressman's people watch The West Wing? "Ah, C.J., the President's going to take a little personal staff time right now."

Via CNN: Anti-gay rights activist resigns after trip with male escort

Via Jonathan Turley: Florida Senator Under Attack For Looking At Nude Pictures During Abortion Debate That's right - a republican was looking at topless women during a debate about abortion.

3/15/2010 Update:
Via NPR: Utah GOP Leader Quits After Hot-Tub Confession

The worst part is this:

Lawmakers responded with a standing ovation for his honesty and embraced him, a move some found offensive given the nature of what Garn was saying. In hindsight, the ovation may not have been the best move, but it shouldn't be misconstrued to indicate support for unethical behavior, Clark said Saturday.

Via NPR: Calif. State Senator Says He's Gay After DUI Arrest

The Republican, who consistently voted against gay rights measures during his 14 years in statewide office, came out in an interview with KERN radio in Bakersfield, the area he represents.

Via WaPo: Palin says her family went to Canada for health care when she was young

And so when Limbaugh accuses Pelosi of acting "like a mullah" it is clear that he is using his platform to cast the first stones and by doing so insulate himself from the truth that his listeners are the ones committing acts of violence. (What I mean by 'insulate' is no one will get into a "no I am not, you are" spat with the conservative media since it is so childish.)

The republicans are in desperate need of a reasonable elder statesman.

Elections Matter OR Evidence That Government Agencies Matter

Elections matter because of who the elected officials appoint. When those people are competent then government can be effective.

What is prompting this for me is how Energy Secretary Steven Chu told BP how to get images of their failed oil well. That's right - a government official helped a private company because the government knew more.

See TheAtlantic: How Steven Chu Used Gamma Rays to Save the Planet

An eternal fact of Washington is that government gets much more attention when it performs badly than when it performs well...


Now consider Chu, the Nobel Prize Winner who has been at BP headquarters in Houston with a team of government scientists trying to figure out how to stop the leak. According to a government official, BP initially "dismissed" Chu's gamma ray suggestion, but came back a week later and admitted "Chu's right."

Ha! And I believe this is an example of epistemic closure:

How Oil Spills And Dog Fur Are Like Chocolate And Peanut Butter

They go great together!

Matter of Trust will accept clean fur, wool, human hair, and nylons and use these resources to create effective oil mats. See: Hair Mats Information

I have a dog with a two layered coat and can brush out garbage bags full of fur from him. I've never known what to do with this hair, though I leave some on the ground for the birds and squirrels, this seems like a much more responsible option.

There's more on the story at the San Jose Merc News: Unusual weapon against oil spill: tons of hair and fur

Matter of Trust is collecting clippings from thousands of salons, barber shops, even pet groomers across the country, along with pantyhose and stockings — all to be used to help mop up the oil threatening wildlife and livelihoods in its path.

Hair booms (gobs of clean hair stuffed into panty hose) or hair mats (hair woven into 1-foot squares) can be dragged along the coast to sop up the oil, wrung out and used again.

Hair booms work because each strand has scales on it, and those scales attract oil molecules, said Ingrid Setzer, the Floridian leading the collection campaign. The oil sticks to the scales, Setzer said, and the water filters out.

Slick

In the past I have read about the idea of purposely releasing oil or other material onto the ocean's surface to abate approaching hurricanes.

Could the Gulf Of Mexico oil leak could protect the area from hurricanes this summer? If the slick gets dispersed far enough then it may be possible to snuff out Caribbean born hurricanes. Dr. Jeff Masters has more on the topic: How oil might affect a hurricane

Science Supports The New "Compassionate" Capitalism

Is this - More People Sounding Like Noreena Hertz -a growing trend?

Via NewSci: Ernst Fehr: How I found what's wrong with economics

Twenty years ago, Fehr had a seemingly sensible idea - that a deep-seated human preference for fairness might play an important role in economics. He thought it might explain why companies - even in countries without a minimum wage - don't offer jobs paying wages far below the standard, despite research showing plenty of unemployed people would willingly take the work. It doesn't happen, he suggested, because companies know that workers hired at a lower wage feel they are being cheated, causing them to grow disgruntled and work less hard.

"Yeah Capitalism!"

What Jesus And Ayn Rand Have In Common

If they showed up today and saw what was going on in their name they'd never stop throwing up.

Hannah And Her Sisters Scene

Chris Leonardi | MySpace Music Videos

I often wonder if the Tea Baggers realize that when they talk about "going Galt" do they also know that Ayn Rand was a pro-choice, fiercely anti-religion amphetamine addict who had no problem with government provided health care?

Likewise, Adam Smith recognized that capitalism needed a way to account for social costs and justice. See Esq: Adam Smith, Socialist

"When the regulation, therefore, is in favour of the workmen, it is always just and equitable; but it is sometimes otherwise when in favour of the masters."

The Fierceness Of The New Madrid Earthquake May Have Been Exaggerated

Via SciAm: New Madrid quake analysis rewrites history books