The Fierceness Of The New Madrid Earthquake May Have Been Exaggerated

Via SciAm: New Madrid quake analysis rewrites history books

You Ain't Got No Alibi

Naturally this refers to the hideous looking Honda Crosstour.

In fact, all of the new Honda's are rather unfortunate looking. But earlier this week I looked in my rear-view mirror and was startled by the grotesqueness of what was there. It was something like this:



At that moment I knew I had to find out who Honda's chief designer was so that I could run far away from anything they were involved in. The NYT provided all that I needed to know. Would you rather buy something designed by a guy who looks like this:


(Dave Marek, chief designer and senior manager at Honda's American auto design studio)

or this?:


(Jonathan Ive Senior Vice President, Industrial Design Apple)

Come On!

Every Journey Begins With A Step. Or A Pedal

Via NPR: A National Network Of Bike Trails? It Could Happen

"We’ve put almost all of our resources into roads," LaHood says. "If the commitment when President Eisenhower signed the interstate bill had been to high-speed inner-city rail, we'd be in the same position Europe and Asia are in today."


LaHood is also floating the idea of a nationwide interstate biking system — the two-wheel equivalent of Eisenhower’s highway system.

In getting ready to post this I looked around and found that a group has been preparing for a nationwide bicycle route and even has a numbering system in place.

From the NYT: Highway Group Approves Basic Plan for a Network of Bicycling Routes

The group is the Adventure Cycling Associaton and they have frequent updates at their site for the U.S. Bicycle Route System

Here's a proposed map:

Via BikingBis: Uneven support for U.S. Bicycle Route System

Evidence That Republicans Have Lost Touch With Reality

There's been a meme on the interwebs recently called "epistemic closure" that was started by Julian Sanchez - basically saying that conservative republicans have so ensconced themselves in a self-selected world that they have lost touch with reality.

The news recently seems to support this contention.

-James Fallows comments on the similarities between Arizona and China: Yet Another Arizona-China Convergence

-The GOP in the south is warning people from supporting moderate Republican candidates based on a loyalty oath: 'Party Loyalty Oath' would prevent Republicans from backing Crist [Yet these same wingnuts went crazy over a satirical piece about an Obama loyalty oath.]

-Oklahoma passed an anti-abortion bill that puts the government in charge of a woman's reproductive health.

-And Utah, apparently not content with being anti-science and anti-education, will now execute a prisoner by firing squad.

Eating Non-Fat Is Nonsense

Or Atkins was right.

Via SciAm: Carbs against Cardio: More Evidence that Refined Carbohydrates, not Fats, Threaten the Heart

Seed Bombs For Sale

This must be what people mean by "Markets In Everything" - a seed bomb vending machine.

Via TH: Seed Bomb Vending Machine Dispenses Guerrilla Gardening Fun

Carbon Disclosure

Google Finance is now listing the 'Carbon Disclosure Rating' for participating companies in the Key Stats and Ratios window (lower right-hand side when looking at a stock)

Via 3P: I’d Like a Little CDP With My GDP: Google Adds Carbon Data To Finance

Three Species Of Orca

Not one.

See SciAm: Orcas are more than one species, gene study shows

This reminds me of something I saw on television recently that showed Orca's had somehow learned that if they could launch a surprise attack on a Great White Shark and then hold it upside down for 15 minutes then they could have their way with it. It was amazing.

See DailyMailUK: Pictured: The moment a whale delivers a deadly 'karate chop' blow to a killer shark

It Is Hard To Be Ironic When You Are Struggling

Or as this Slate headline says: Are There Really No Hipsters in China?

Irony-resisting Chinese bicyclists have skipped the fixed-gear trend that has swept the rest of the world.

Pat Buchanan Is All Kinds Of Crazy And Un-American

I don't subscribe to my town's newspaper, but my mom still likes to have it around and since she is babysitting for awhile there is always a copy in our house. Earlier this week I was flipping through the pages and saw an opinion column by Uncle Pat: New Tribe Rising?

In this piece he basically says the Tea Party is made up of white ethnonationalists and it is a good thing and everybody else better watch out because this kind of uprising has a long history (though Tecumseh, Hitler, and Milošević were unsuccessful, maybe it was because the right person has not tried it yet).

The conservative blog Little Green Footballs even thinks he's crazy: Pat Buchanan: Tea Parties Are a 'New Tribe Rising'

This kind of tribal thinking is essentially un-American. The promise of America, and what continues to be a goal for Americans, is the concept of the "melting pot" as cliched as that may be - but it is a cliche because it is true. Buchanan is arguing for fascism.

Not only is racial based tribal thinking antithetical to the ideals America represents, but it also makes for bad economics. See TheAtlantic: Why Nations Struggle or Thrive

It's also clear that the most troubled societies -- those with the highest reported levels of suffering -- also, generally speaking, face the highest levels of intolerance.

Hey Conservatives - Don't Let Facts Get In The Way Of Your Opinions

From the FourthBranch.com: Government Spending

This is a map showing which states paid more in taxes than they received back from the Federal government (red states were getters, blue states givers):


and this is from the last election:

There is a very strong correlation, then, between a state voting for Republicans and receiving more in federal spending than its residents pay to the federal government in taxes (the rust belt and Texas being notable exceptions). In essence, those in blue states are subsidizing those in red states. Both red and blue states appear to be acting politically in opposition to their economic interests. Blue states are voting for candidates who are likely to continue the policies of red state subsidization while red states are voting for candidates who profess a desire to reduce federal spending (and presumably red state subsidization).

All of this makes current Republican rhetoric frustrating, to say the least. Republicans tolerated spending under Republican presidents for 30 years, accounting for 59% of our total national debt, all the while benefiting from federal spending at the expense of their counterparts in blue states, only to then go bananas when a Democratic president and Congress spend money to rescue a floundering economy.

[Via Ezra]

An Easier Way To Pick Seafood

GOOD has a new transparency up: Which Fish to Eat?

The easiest thing to remember is first look for U.S. Farmed, then these species: Arctic Char, Barmundi, Catfish, Cobia, Tilapia, Rainbow Trout, Striped Bass (not ill tempered), Clams, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Oysters, and Spiny Lobsters.

They are not listed, but Crawfish are good and sustainable option too.

Slow Cookers Reviewed

Metaefficient picks their top slow cookers: The Best Slow Cookers

That's So Gay

Or as the linked article ends, "mating isn't only about multiplying".

There are more than 450 vertebrate species that get busy with the same gender. So not sure how homosexuality can be considered unnatural.

See the Frontal Cortex: Gay Animals

Life Was Made In Pinedale

Well, just a little bit, the sage grouse part.

See the Sublette Examiner: ‘Life’ filmed near Pinedale

Official site: Life at the Discovery Channel

Brilliant Politics

President Obama made a lot of noise by opening up some parts of the continental shelf to drilling, then a couple of days later the E.P.A. released new fuel economy standards for cars and trucks AND issued rules for how much CO2 cars can release.

Funny that the drilling got all the attention but the E.P.A. are what will really matter.

We are in the midst of a political magician.

See:
U.S. Issues Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Cars

Offshore Drilling's Payoff May Not Be Energy

VW's New Design Language And One Other Thing

Via FC: Volkswagen Unveils Its First Hybrid

Brandishing an iPhone, he added: "Otherwise, why would my friend Steve Jobs design this! Our design is about honesty and responsibility."

The other thing via GCC: Diesels Account for 85% of All Jetta SportWagens Sold in March

TDI killed the ethanol star.

Another Luxury Wagon

Like the Japanese companies, GM will be offering a Cadillac sport wagon to compete with the traditional European station wagons.

See USAToday: Cadillac CTS-V sport wagon bulks up on power

Not sure why anyone would buy a GM vehicle though. Listen to This American Life's podcast about the NUMMI plant if you are ever thinking about buying GM

I hope Ford is paying attention. Perhaps a Lincoln version of the UK's Modndeo wagon?

Teleprompt This

Via WaPo: Obama's 17-minute, 2,500-word response to woman's claim of being 'over-taxed'

Related, from Salon: Is right's obsession with Obama's teleprompter racist?

Mammals Don't Need Maps

And neither do people.

See:
NewSCi:Learning to use nature's GPS

Wired: Make Like a Dolphin: Learn Echolocation

I Have Always Admired Judge Posner

First in the 1990's when I first read his work. Now as an author for The Atlantic.

His writing is prolific yet clear.

He's also a realistic libertarian. And when the facts could not support his opinion he then changed his opinion. Which is difficult. I went through a similar transformation politically. But I am not as smart as Judge Posner so I cannot explain it as well.

See his interview at Harper's: Six Questions for Richard Posner on Capitalism and Crisis

Crash Course On Palestine

The Israel-Palestine conflict is not something I follow closely, but I think I understand it much better after reading Juan Cole's The Map: The Story of Palestinian Nationhood Thwarted After the League of Nations Recognized It

Bicyclist Have A Posse

It is the Federal Department of Transportation.

See FC: Transportation Secretary Announces "Sea-Change" for American Transport: Bikes!

LaHood's announcement... is backed by a set of eight guidelines, which will be sent to state DOT's and communities:

* Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
* Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
* Go beyond minimum design standards.
* Collect data on walking and biking trips.
* Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
* Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
* Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

Which frankly all sounds rather dull, but here's the important thing: LaHood, as Transportation Secretary, is essentially saying, "If you want federal DOT dollars, you better think more seriously about adding bike paths to the projects you propose."

"Christians understand their faith only in privatized terms"

I have been wondering how conservative Christians in America can hold so many discordant views. Reading this helped me understand a little why they are so crazy but not the how.

See HuffPo: Why Conservative Christians So Often Fail the Common Good

Yak Wool

The claim is yak wool is warmer than merino and as soft as cashmere.

Via Metaefficient: Ultrafine Yak Wool Clothing

The company offering this clothing is Khunu.

Making The Plains Less Plain

The NYT Dot Earth blog: Can Wild Bison Repopulate the Plains?

Which reminded me of the idea from several years ago to re-wild the American plains with African wildlife as a replacement for the native American species that disappeared during the Pleistocene. See: Bring African wildlife to U.S., say ecologists

The Japanese Will Finally Get Some Wagon Wheels

Audi, Volvo, BMW, and MB are getting some competition in the luxury wagon category.

See the NYT: New York Auto Show Preview: Acura TSX Sport Wagon

and it looks much better than the Honda Crosstour (not that would be hard to do).

The Latest On The Original Dog

Via NPR: Dogs Likely Descended From Middle Eastern Wolf

...dog skeletons 12,000 or 13,000 years old have been found in what is now northern Israel. "They're found in burials with humans in a very clear human context."

Vermont Public Radio Interview With Neko Case

At VPR

Singer-songwriter Neko Case recently bought a farmhouse in the Northeast Kingdom. She joins VPR's Neal Charnoff to to talk about why she moved to Vermont, what her songs mean to her, and her upcoming benefit concert for Catamount Arts.

Out Of Nowhere, Some Liz Phair

She wrote a piece for The Atlantic: Exile in Greenville (includes some of the playlist she listened to while on the trip)

And a blogger posted his version of Phairities.

Google Maps Expands

Look what Google has done: Biking directions added to Google Maps

and as The Atlantic explains: Why Google Maps' New Biking Directions Could Be Huge

I tested it to see if it would put me on the Leelanau Trail for a trip from Traverse City to Suttons Bay:

Does Anyone In Utah Find This Ironic?

recently in the news, the state of Utah is considering less education:

Utah Eyes Cutting 12th Grade To Save $60M

and so it is not a surprise that this leads to wackiness:

House Resolution Passed in Utah: Climate Change a Conspiracy

Life Is Bigger

Some of the TED talks this year are about living a healthy life.

CNN: Uncovering secrets to a longer life

This talk is about "Blue Zones"

The premise of Blue Zones is: identify the optimal lifestyle of longevity and you have a de facto formula of longevity.

And via BB: "We can eat to starve cancer"

Some Future Materials That Appear Amazing

Via inhabitat: Space-age Aerogel Insulation Now Cheaper and Available in Sheets

Via PhysOrg: Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything

Via 80beats: Engineered E. Coli Bacteria Produces Road-Ready Diesel

Can't Say These Stories Redeem WalMart

I still prefer quality over always low prices. But still, these make my head spin a little:

FC: Will Walmart's "Sustainability Index" Actually Work?

and 11 Ways That Walmart Is Changing Retail -- for Good

TheAtlantic: The Great Grocery Smackdown

Update - how could I forget the story of Snapper lawn mowers and WalMart. From 2006, see The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart Stories like this are why the superstore cannot be redeemed anytime soon.

More People Sounding Like Noreena Hertz

Refreshing to hear leaders talk about a "third way" or what others have called compassionate capitalism; what Noreena calls Co-Op Capitalism.

Slate: The French president declares that capitalism can be made kinder and more humane. Good luck with that!

The Guardian: Business as usual will sink capitalism

More Seafood News

Following up to the the last post, The Latest From The Seafood Watch Program.

TheAtlantic: Save a Reef--Eat a Lionfish

FC: Target Steps Up for Sustainable Seafood

The Latest From The Seafood Watch Program

I always have the Seafood WATCH pocket guide in my wallet. Be sure to get the new 2010 version.

And now there's an iPhone app.

But the big news is reported by SciAm: Sea Change: Environmental Group Gives First-Time Nod to Sustainable Salmon-Farming Method

Jeff Varasano Is Serious About Homemade Pizza

All it takes is 16 easy steps, a coal or wood fired brick oven, and making your own cheese and sauce.

Yet I love the authenticity of web sites like this.

See: Jeff Varasano's Famous New York Pizza Recipe

Biofuel News

Some recent articles:

SciAm: Is Algae Worse than Corn for Biofuels?

RenewableEnergyWorld: Obama Unveils Plans To Boost Biofuel Market

MSNBC: Bacteria Rebuilt To Make Oil

Regarding the Algae biofuel story, the study does not appear to be very well done as it assumes algae would need to be fertilized from a non-renewable resource. However, most research with algae biofuels is in the area of using waste water and other manufacturing effluent such as carbon dioxide as the nutrient sources. In fact, the Algal Biomass Organization released a statement disputing the study. See GCC: Algal Biomass Organization Questions Findings of Recent Algae Life Cycle Study

I Want To Believe

That this picture is of alien technology (but it isn't).



See The Sun: Space UFO Baffles Boffins

Alton Brown Makes A List Of His Five Favorite Cookbooks

Via the WSJ: Best Cookbooks

His list is:

The Joy of Cooking

The Frugal Gourmet

Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Outlaw Cook

Ratio

The Miami Reputation Continues

Big Ben was last year's winning quarterback and for this year the winning team has connections back to the cradle of coaches.

See The Oxford Press: The Miami RedHawks’ Super Bowl

Even The Animals Are Moving To Colorado

The great state of Colorado is gaining population (which is the topic for another post).

Seems that the animals like the state too. See:

PhysOrg: Litter of lynx kittens heartens Colo. biologists

NYT: After 90 Years, the Wolverine (Just One) Returns to Colorado

AD Sure Is Popular For A Show That Was Cancelled

That Funke Arrested Development is some kind of something. Boy, this Funke Arrested Development is all anybody's ever talking about. So sick and tired of hearing about how brilliant that Funke Arrested Development is. Overrated

Movieline: Jessica Walter On Archer, Arrested Development, and the Lost Classic Dinosaurs

PopEater: Will Arnett Talks Baby Helmets, 'Arrested' Secrets and Loving Conan

[Update 2/9/2010]
Collider: Ron Howard Interview

Are you surprised at the passion people have for Arrested Development, so long after it went off the air?

Ron: I’m gratified by it. From the very first conversations with Mitch Hurwitz, I was passionate about it and always frustrated that the broad audiences weren’t there to really sustain it on network television. But, it’s been incredibly gratifying. You’re always a little surprised when something really takes off.

Ron Howard image (2).jpgWhat’s the status of the movie now?

Ron: Mitch Hurwitz is working on a story on script. He would direct it. Everyone is hoping. We’re not going to go through with anything we don’t think is up to the standards.

Everyone is chomping at the bit for it.

Ron: Me too. I’m chomping too.

Would it pick up where the show left off?

Ron: No clue. I have no clue as to who’s in it or what the storyline is, but every time I get together with Mitch, he gives me these fragments and they’re all hilarious.

Would you still narrate the film?

Ron: Oh, yeah. They couldn’t stop me. They couldn’t hold me back.

In Russia, Stray Dogs Get Statues

Via FT: Moscow’s stray dogs

Every so often, you would see one waiting on a metro platform. When the train pulled up, the dog would step in, scramble up to lie on a seat or sit on the floor if the carriage was crowded, and then exit a few stops later. There is even a website dedicated to the metro stray (www.metrodog.ru) on which passengers post photos and video clips taken with their mobile phones, documenting the ­savviest of the pack using the public transport system like any other Muscovite.

Why There Is An Internet - A Web Site For Shoelaces

I find this kind of site fascinating because it has passion and is authentic: Ian's Shoelace Site

This web site will show you how to tie your shoelaces with various knots. But it also offers knot variations, knot comparisons and ratings, technical analysis, and so much more. There's even an iPhone/Touch app.

GOBIAS Some Coffee

The Bluth boys are at it again. See FC: Online Buddy Comedy by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett Could Make You URL

The Year Of The Renewable Bike

I've posted links to wooden bike projects before, but 2010 may be the year for these bikes now that the topic is getting coverage in magazines like Der Spiegel: The Ultimate Eco-Friendly Ride

Why Scientists Refer To Climate Instability, Not Global Warming

A couple of examples. The U.K. has been covered in snow this month because the North Atlantic Current has shifted away from transporting heat from the equator to northern Europe. See: Freak Current Takes Gulf Stream to Greenland

Two, from GCC: Global Ice Age Climate Patterns Influenced by Bering Strait

I Will No Longer Stereotype Pre-Fabricated Homes As "Trailers"

Via TH: Small Second Home Design Adapts To Seasons



The Scandinavian countries sure know how to design (e.g., classic Volvos and Saabs, Ikea, the Draken).

TDI Killed The Hybrid Star

Via GCC: Audi, BMW and VW See Strong US Diesel Sales

By Russia, With Love

Thank goodness someone is paying attention to these things.

Via 80Beats: Russia Is Developing a Secret Plan to Divert a Non-Threatening Asteroid

"A Cashier In Cashmere Held Up An Old Map Of Norway..."

(title is from the song 'Salvation Barmy')

I read about buying cashmere at moreintelligentlife.com and this got me thinking about all the different types of wools and I ended up at this very informative page at STP: Guide To Wool

Alpaca sounds amazing though it is well-known that I have had a long time love affair with merino.

And it is also good to remember that cheap cashmere has a high cost that someone else has to pay for.

Two Business Related Posts That I Believe Are Related

TNR: Upper Mismanagement: Why can't Americans make things? Two words: business school.

How did we get to this point? In some sense, it’s the result of broad historical and economic forces. Up until World War I, the archetypal manufacturing CEO was production oriented—usually an engineer or inventor of some kind. Even as late as the 1930s, business school curriculums focused mostly on production. Khurana notes that many schools during this era had mini-factories on campus to train future managers.

After World War II, large corporations went on acquisition binges and turned themselves into massive conglomerates. In their landmark Harvard Business Review article from 1980, “Managing Our Way to Economic Decline,” Robert Hayes and William Abernathy pointed out that the conglomerate structure forced managers to think of their firms as a collection of financial assets, where the goal was to allocate capital efficiently, rather than as makers of specific products, where the goal was to maximize quality and long-term* market share.

The Big Picture: Stocks 1999-2009: Worst. Decade. Ever.

Wired Takes On The Big Questions Of Our Day

Why Geologists Love Beer

Supporting the culture theory is the observation that earth science departments at academic institutions across the world almost invariably have a weekly get-together of some sort that revolves around beer.

This appears to be a follow-up to my 2008 post Geologists Love Beer.

Foods You May Want To Avoid

See Yahoo: The 7 foods experts won't eat

1. Canned Tomatoes
2. Corn-Fed Beef
3. Microwave Popcorn
4. Nonorganic Potatoes
5. Farmed Salmon
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
7. Conventional Apples

Follow Up To Open Source Climate Science

In news that I see as related to 'Climategate' - the Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking for input regarding tax payer supported research.

See Techdirt: White House Wants Input On Public Access Rules For Federally Funded Research

Comments are welcome on the OSTP blog.

Wired Has An Interview With An Expert On Climate Change Denial

Wired: The Psychology of Climate Change Denial

Yet Somehow the TeaBaggers Are Scared Of Obama

Idiots.

Rumsfeld decision allowed Bin Laden to escape: Senate report

Thoughts On Climategate

Lots of summary at TheAtlantic: ClimateGate III: The Mystery of the Missing Data and BoingBoing: More Insight on Those Leaked Climate Change Emails

My thinking is this:
- this is one data set of many
- climate based observations (e.g., sea ice extent, sea level rise, mtn glaciers, species movement, etc) all point to climate change
- based on source code comments the predictive climate computer model has serious problems
- this "scandal" demonstrates why open data and open source software are so important
- it is odd that the climate change deniers who are hyping Climategate are generally the same people who have been silent on the much more troubling problems with electronic voting machine software

Mars News Indicates It Was Once More Earth-Like

NS: Fresh claim for fossil life in Mars rock

Discover: New Map Suggests Huge Ocean Once Dominated Mars’ Northern Hemisphere

Creating Fear In Standish

Thanks to Representative Hoekstra (who, by the way, is no good at keeping secrets).

TNR: Last Standish

Munson ran into Hoekstra at a cocktail party and left a convert. Munson is cryptic about his change of heart, telling me that Hoekstra is "privy to certain information." (Munson
was more candid with The Washington Post: "He told me things that really scared the heck out of me.")

NPR tries to present the facts: FACT CHECK: Guantanamo detainees and US prisons

Real Life Imitating 'The Simpsons'

Many years ago I saw an episode of 'The Simpsons' where Mr. Burns learned the only thing keeping him alive was that every disease was trying to infect him at once and so they all blocked each other.

With this in mind see this at The New Scientist: Common cold may hold off swine flu

"We think that when you get one infection, it turns on your antiviral defences, and excludes the other viruses,"

And this special I recently saw on PBS regarding how descendants the survivors of Europe's black plague carry a mutation that also makes them immune to HIV: Mystery Of The Black Death

Kim Stanley Robinson Developed A New Time Travel Hypothesis For His Latest Book

Interview with KSR at The Guardian: Kim Stanley Robinson: science fiction's realist

The Limit Of Natural Resources

Two items of note.

The Guardian has this story: Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

And the Natural Gas lobby has been on a PR blitz about how great it is that there is a "100 year supply" of natural gas in the United States as if this is supposed to be reassuring. (you won't run out of natural gas but your kids will - hooray!) My immediate reaction was there would be a panic if there was an announcement that the U.S. had a 100 year supply of trees left. Or water. Or air. Et cetera.

You don't have to be a geologist to recognize that 100 years is a very short time frame.

The Gulf Stream Current Is Very Sensitive

When the North Atlantic current that transports heat from the equator to the northern hemisphere gets turned off the heat gets shut off quickly too.

See NS: Mini ice age took hold of Europe in months

Saving The Rule Of Law

Via TheAtlantic: The Test

Perhaps the worst fears of some will be realized; perhaps the trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed will be disrupted or disruptive; perhaps he will be set free. The chances are slim indeed, but if one imagines worst-case scenarios, one must still ask whether that "worst case" is worse than turning our backs on our system on laws and the process guarantees of a free society. On that one, count me with Eric Holder.

Are These Designers Trying To Fail?

Or are they trying to design this decade's Aztek?

What is going on with these oversized hatchback wagons? Who makes a vehicle that is as big as an SUV but with a sloping rear hatch that makes it impossible to put dogs back there? If you want to make a station wagon then make it wagon like!

It is crazy.

My list of today's stupidest cars (without adding the entire Chrysler line due to obviousness):
- Honda CrossTour
- BMW X6
- Toyota Venza

Fast Company Does Not 'Get' 30 Rock And This Is Why Arrested Development Faield

FC: '30 Rock' Ends Product Placement Speculation, Writes Cisco Into Last Night's Episode

Yes, they did. But it was no different than when AD went over the top with their Burger King placement. I'm surprised that the writer missed this. But then not surprised that Arrested Development was cancelled.

No, 30 Rock Is Not Arrested Development.

But it can be in the same ballpark with it and that is the best compliment. For example, other people report on the longing to have something fill the void left by Arrested Development as attested by a Google search for "the new Arrested Development" and most people say "30 Rock".

Government Doctors Save Heart Attack Victim At An Anti-Health Care Rally

Via Ezra Klein: Socialism in action

The Vatican Preps To Proselytize On Alien Planets

Via NPR: Vatican Scientists Seek Evidence Of Alien Life

Noreena Hertz - I Now Have Favorite Economist

Noreena Hertz is now my favorite economist because she points out the main failure in western economies today - and that is that large businesses are allowed to social risk and privatize reward.

Full profile on Noreena at FC (and it is worth the time to read it all): How an Economist's Cry for Ethical Capitalism was Heard

Hertz is now being looked to as something of a visionary in Europe, someone uniquely qualified to rebuild our dilapidated economic theories while helping to create a blueprint for a new kind of capitalism. Her concept of "co-op capitalism" -- an idea she plans to develop further over the next year -- calls for businesses, governments, NGOs, and the public to experiment together to design new, more-adaptive business models and financial structures that take both profit and larger social goals into account. Companies should be financially motivated to behave in ways that benefit everyone. Where government lags, corporations will put pressure on the state; government, conversely, will impose more regulation on corporations as necessary. The key, Hertz says, is to be flexible, creative. "One of Marx's biggest flaws," she says, was trying "to find a unifying theory for every aspect of the world. I don't think that's possible."

Reading Ms. Hertz reminds me the whispering speculation over the last year that had women been in charge none of this economic mess would've happened.

And this leads me to think of the Dana Scully character in the X-Files or reporter Lara Logan in that Noreena Hertz is an extremely bright and fearless woman with a widespread appeal to men and women and who uses that to expand her audience. It is a tricky task.

Run Like A Persistence Hunter

I was riveted when I read an excerpt of 'Born To Run' in Denver's 5280 Magazine and afterward immediately added the book to my Amazon wishlist.

Now the NYT has taken up the paradox of if humans are made for running long distances then why are there so many injuries?

See: The Human Body Is Built for Distance

Running on only artificial surfaces and in high-tech shoes can change the biomechanics of running, increasing the risks of injury.

What’s the solution? Slower, easier training over a long period would most likely help; so would brief walk breaks, which mimic the behavior of the persistence hunter. And running on a variety of surfaces and in simpler shoes with less cushioning can restore natural running form.

Why Are There So Many Pre-term Births In The U.S.?

And if infant mortality is less in Europe then isn't their health care better in that respect?

Via NPR: U.S. Trails Far Behind Europe In Infant Mortality

So This Explains The Teabaggers!

Via PhysOrg: Extremists more willing to share their opinions, study finds

And somehow this seems related to the purging the Republican party is currently in the midst of. See RS: The ideological purge of the Republican party is reaching new heights.

Volvo Applies For Supernatural Status

Next, actually bringing back people from the dead.

See NYT Wheels Blog: Volvo Sets a Lofty Safety Goal

“Our aim for 2020 is that no one should be killed or seriously injured in a Volvo,” said Thomas Broberg, Volvo’s senior safety adviser, in a recent news release.

Dr. Hart And Ardi

Dr. Hart has been studying the African rift valley for a long time and been a part of many hominid discoveries over the past 20 years.

The latest discovery is the oldest hominid yet.

See DaytonDailyNews: Miami geologists part of history-making ‘Ardi’ dig

Freakin' Lieberman

I never liked that Gore picked him as running mate in 2000. It was a bad idea. His latest antics show why.

Harper's: Lieberman Shills for the Healthcare Industry

Slate: The Lieberman Option

I Hate Hate Crimes

Bloomberg: Expansion of Hate-Crime Law Gets Final Congressional Approval

This is a problem. There's no such thing as love crimes. Crime is crime. When it is associated with what someone thinks then that is a problem.

For example, I hate people who drive Pontiac cars; I don't hate [insert a minority here]. But if you cut me off in traffic and later I punch you in the face that is a crime. I don't get extra punishment because I hate you for choosing a ridiculous car; however, if you can convince a jury that I hated you because of your minority status then I get in extra trouble. That's not right.

You cannot legislate morality. You cannot make what people think a crime.

Fox News, The White House, Apple, Verizon, And Strategy

Much hubbub has been made lately about the spats between Fox News and the White House and Verizon/Motorola and Apple/AT&T.

See:
-Droid Does: Verizon Launches Anti-iPhone Ad for Motorola Droid
-Verizon Tweaks AT&T With "There's A Map For That" Commercial
-The Battle Between the White House and Fox News

All of the analysis has been wrong.

Have these commentators never had an ex they wanted to get back or teach a lesson to? Ask a guy who was dumped by his hot girlfriend how he reacted then look at Verizon/Motorola or The White House for comparison. It is the same reaction. These spats and battles are strategy. They aren't trying to break things up completely; they're trying to hook back up by teaching a lesson that they don't need them. No, it is not rational but then people aren't either.

Yes, Fox News is awful and the iPhone's hotness cannot be debated. But that is not the point. Because Verizon still wants the iPhone on their network. And I bet Obama would grant Fox News' Chris Wallace an interview.

In the end, these fights are like a guy trying to get his hot girlfriend back so I will not be surprised when Fox News gets an exclusive interview with Obama and Verizon gets an Apple device.

If only the pundits listened to Jawbreaker and paid attention to 'Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault'

I ran into this guy I knew
But hadn't seen in years.
We went into the neon kitchen and stole a couple beers.
He said his girl had dumped him
But there was another guy.
He said that he still liked her.
All I could say was,
"Why, why, oh why, oh why,
Why is it always like this?
Either you're too mean, or you're too nice."
He said, "I even cooked her breakfast."
So we went into the living room.
Someone was blasting Zeppelin.
It sounded good.
I felt ashamed.
I knew every drum fill.
Anyway, there she sat,
Totally kissing this guy.
They looked good, I mean like in love.
Then I remembered my friend.
He said, "How could you do this?
You said that you needed your space.
He's wearing the shirt that I gave you."
Then she said, "Why, why, oh why, oh why,
Why are you always like this?
If I'm having fun then it's breaking your heart.
Besides, you said I could have it."

Public Options

There's been a lot of hyperbole about the public option for health insurance. So I made a list of services that have thriving private industries that compete with a basic option offered by the government. And in these cases it seems that by the government offering or sponsoring a similar service it is allowing private companies to focus on their core competencies rather than driving private industries out of business.

- the post office competes with UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.
- Social Security competes with all of the other retirement savings plans
- private mercenaries take jobs from the U.S. Military
- electricity in the first half of the Twentieth Century (See: How FDR Enacted his “Public Option”)
- telephone service in rural areas (See: History of Rural Telecommunications)
- Amtrak competes with other commuting and traveling options
- roads are paid for with taxes yet there are still private roads
- School. This may be the biggest one of all. Almost everyone sends their kids to public school (a public option). Use private school and you're elitist; home school and you're a little odd yet earnest. And education is very much in your hands. Like health... how you take care of yourself influences how healthy you are. A government paid insurance plan would still allow people to get their own private insurance but you could still take care of yourself at home if you choose.

So my question for people is: if you're against the "public option" does that mean you avoid all of the public options?

And what is interesting is in reading the history of these various policies all of the arguments were made then as we're hearing now regarding health insurance. Namely, government has no role in providing education/electricity/phone service and that private companies cannot compete with a public sponsored service. It really is like they all work from the same template. Or mad lib.

More Evidence Conservatism Is A Psycological Disorder

After reading all 18 pages of Democracy Corps' study The Very Separate World of Conservative Republicans I'm left wondering when do we stop looking at this as politics and start recognizing that these people are paranoid and need help.

See this earlier post: Is Being A Conservative A Mental Defect?

Example from the study:

An Oppressed, Mocked Minority
Conservative Republicans passionately believe that they represent a group of people who have been targeted by a popular culture and set of liberal elites – embodied in the liberal main-stream media – that mock their values and are actively working to advance the downfall of the things that matter most to them in their lives – their faith, their families, their country, and their freedom...

The notion of a liberal media using its reach and power to advance a radical agenda is a given for these voters. If you do not see and understand this reality, you are not a part of their collective group and you cannot possibly understand the current political environment in our country. This creates an almost siege-like mentality, in which these conservative Republicans are always on the defensive, at all times looking for any slight against them and their beliefs and seeking to link it back to a broader effort rooted in the liberal media.

Although I find it interesting that they now see themselves as the minority after oppressing other minorities for generations. And, they would not be mocked if they stopped this. (yes, I am an elitist.)

Interview With Rick Bayless

I was introduced to Rick Bayless (lots of recipes at his web site!) while watching Top Chef Masters and thought he was very deserving of the win (and I was also pleased that Oprah's smarmy personal chef was knocked out early on). I look forward to using some of his simple Mexican recipes to add some heat this winter.

Via the ChiTrib: Rick Bayless, under fire

Comparing The Government Option In Health Care And Parcel Delivery

The US Postal Service has emerged as the example of a "public option" that conservatives point to when they argue against government sponsored health insurance. See: Post office wrong target for conservatives

Yet, as posted at FiveThirtyEight: Picking on Cliff Clavin, FedEx and UPS thrive despite the USPS but they also hand off packages to the USPS in rural areas where the private carriers don't want to go. And it is the rural population that is more conservative. Perhaps they should think about if they'd get any parcel delivery at all if it weren't for the "public option".

"Just Ring It Up With The Dong Tea"

[Update on 10/26/2009: Hulu has confirmed programming will stop being free at some point]

Hulu is removing Arrested Development seasons 1 and 2.

See TBM: Fox Kidnaps Itself

The article speculates that this is being done to drive DVD sales of Seasons 2 and 3. I disagree - this move seems more in line with Hulu offering paid subscriptions (currently in testing) and FOX's Murdoch love of paywalls to his properties.

See LAT: Will Hulu make you pay to watch?

Fortunately, shortly after AD was canceled syndication rights were sold to MSN. And because of that every episode is available at ArrestedDevelopment.msn.com.

A warning to FOX, content wants to be free. Removing dearly loved content like this will only drive your audience to other outlets.

G.O.B.: So is it for sale? I could use it in my act.

Asian Man: Maybe. Sword of Destiny hundreds of years old. Come with ancient story of warning, and...

G.O.B.: Yeah, I make up my own patter. Just ring it up with the dong tea.

Via: The OP (don't call it that)

The Sinful South

I wonder if their religiosity is some perverted way to absolve themselves - a form of cognitive dissonance?

TheAtlantic: Texas Leads the US in Thrice-Married Adults

Wired: American Vice: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins

My Kind Of Revival

Via Slate: What Would John Adams Drink? Get ready for the rebirth of cider in America.

Volvo Is Going To Do It - A Diesel-Electric Hybrid!

This is what I have been waiting for. For an automaker to manufacture a car that is a four-wheel drive plug-in electric hybrid with a biofuel compliant diesel engine all in a station wagon form.

And here it is, via FC: Volvo Offering a Plug-in Diesel Hybrid in 2012

and GCC: Volvo Car Corporation to Introduce Diesel Plug-in Hybrid in Europe in 2012

I just hope the third-row jumper seats are available. It would then be the one car to rule them all.

I have already contacted Volvo in the U.S. to ask that this car be brought stateside.

Real Mayans Tell Westerners To Chill Out

Via NPR: 2012 Isn't The End Of The World, Mayans Insist

I Am Officially Adopting Steamboat Springs, CO As My Second City

It is because of Grizzle-T Dog & Sled Works

Via Life of a Sled Dog

Oil Rules

In other words, peak everything. And more evidence of my hypothesis that the Great Recession was caused by peak oil and exacerbated by the 9/11 attacks as I previously conjectured.

See TOD: What Peaked at the Same Time as Oil Prices? Lots of things

Female Coyotes + Male Wolves

Via SciAm: Wylie Coywolf: The coyote-wolf hybrid has made its way to the Northeast

Prepare Or Panic?

NewScientist has an article about a recent simulation of a three day warning of an asteroid impact.

See: Asteroid attack: Putting Earth's defences to the test

Hummers

New study confirms the obvious - "Americans who believe in rugged individualism and the frontier myth see an H2 as John Wayne on wheels"

And so it is with a great deal of schadenfreude that I read this: GM Agrees to Sell Hummer Brand to China’s Tengzhong

I think this sums it up best:

It's On!

Worstpreviews.com: "Arrested Development" Movie to Shoot in the Spring

Movieline: Alia Shawkat Offers Proof to Movieline That the Arrested Development Script is a Go

David Cross, Tony Hale, and Jason Bateman

These folks can't even do an interview without being asked about a little TV show from four years - behold the power of Arrested Development!

Time.com: Arrested Development's David Cross

NyMag.com: Tony Hale Talks CTRL, The Informant!, and Getting to First Base With Liza

Can you give us an update on the Arrested Development movie?
I talked to Mitch [Hurwitz] about a week and a half ago, and he’s in the middle of writing it. Everybody’s onboard and I think right now it’s just a matter of getting everybody’s schedule on the same page. And then just finishing the script.

MTV: The Arrested Development Of Our 'Arrested Development' Movie Is Just A Myth?

Profiles Of The Current Republican Party

Salon.com: Meet the man who changed Glenn Beck's life: Cleon Skousen was a right-wing crank whom even conservatives despised. Then Beck discovered him

Harpers: Rush, Glenn and the G.O.P.

VF: Levi Johnston on Life with the Palins

Sarah was always in a bad mood and she was stressed out a lot. Sometimes she would wonder why she took the job as governor. It was too hard, she said; there was so much going on. Todd was always out in the garage working on his snow machines and drinking beer or screwing off. (Eighty percent of the time he’s in the garage. Once winter is here, he’s out riding every other day.) He’s not supposed to have beer, because Sarah doesn’t like him drinking. (She only goes to church four or five times a year—mostly on holidays—but Sarah doesn’t drink or cuss much.) So Todd will hide his beer, go out there, and work on his sleds.

Missing The Point

The smug sense of self-satisfaction is part of the degree.

See Cincinnati.com: Miami asks: Does elitist image hurt enrollment?

Some Must-Reads About The Current State Of The Republican Party

First is from TNR: Wealthcare
It is a complete deconstruction of Randites. And I write this as someone who has read every Ayn Rand novel and owns Objectivist books. But since my Ayn Rand acolyte days I have become much more pragmatic (read "liberal").

Harpers: Joe Wilson, Neoconfederate

After reading these articles a line from Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' came to mind:

Isaac: Has anybody read that nazis are going to march in New Jersey, you know? I read this in the newspaper, we should go down there, get some guys together, you know, get some bricks and baseball bats and really explain things to them."

Man: "There was this devastating satirical piece on that on the op-ed
page of the Times. It is devastating."

Isaac: "Well, well, a satirical piece in the Times is one thing, but
bricks and baseball bats really gets right to the
point."

Woman: "Oh, but really biting satire is always better than physical
force."

Isaac: "No, physical force is always better with nazis. Cos
it's hard to satirize a guy with shiny boots."