March 31, 2006

Friday Ark #80

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We will add your post to the list if you do one of the following:

Of course, if our staff goes on strike then we will link only those posts someone tells us about. Time permitting we will continue boardings until the Carnival of the Cats goes up on Sunday.

Do link to the Friday Ark whether you use trackbacks or not.

Visit each border and come back regularly Friday-Sunday to visit new boarders.

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (54 shouts as of 03/30) BTW, the slideshow of the pics folks included is pretty nifty!

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 105th edition will be hosted this week by Life~Florida~Whatever. There are more weekly cats at eatstuff's Weekend Cat Blogging which has many participants who may not be familiar to Ark or Carnival participants. Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 20th edition is up and hosted by the Bootstrap Analysis.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The seventh edition is up at Research at a Snail's Pace. The 8th edition will be hosted at the end of April by Get Busy Livin', or Get Busy Bloggin'.

Arkive editions of the Friday Ark.

Cats

InvertebratesDogsBirdsOther VertebratesIn MemoriamDidn't Make It
Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users: Haloscan started (the end of July) rejecting trackbacks if they were submitted "too rapidly" by the same host. I don't know what the timer is but it is long enough so that it was very difficult to ping everyone that is using Haloscan for trackbacks. I'm sure that they are doing this to try to hold back the tide of trackback spam but it makes the service pretty useless for carnival type posts. Perhaps you can contact them and urge some different solution. Update: Typepad appears to be doing the same thing. Everytime I update the Ark it appears the timers are reset and the long list of MT autogenerated pings fail. Yecchhhh....

Posted by Steve on March 31, 2006 | Comments (15)

March 30, 2006

It's Birdicious!

I and the Bird #20 is up at Bootstrap Analysis!

Posted by Steve on March 30, 2006

What's Controlling You?

This is cool:

A DEVICE that can pick up on people's emotions is being developed to help people with autism relate to those around them. It will alert its autistic user if the person they are talking to starts showing signs of getting bored or annoyed.
At least on first look it is cool.

Mark Kleiman exclaims:

But I'm less excited by the potential benefits than I am dazzled by the idea that a piece of software that runs on a computer small enough to fit in your pocket can be taught to recognize the symptoms of boredom or annoyance, as well as other emotions not expressed by a simple facial expression. The implications for social-psych and anthropology research, to say nothing of marketing studies, should be profound.
Heck, the implications for everyday interactions of many kinds could be profound or even stultifying.

Profound in the sense that anyone who is not a master of body language would find it useful to have this kind of helpful feedback.

Stultifying when everyone is interacting with others based on feedback from this or a similar device rather than directly from the people they are communicating with.

Just imagine the feedback algorithms your favorite government drone might like to have programmed into something like this. They could create a real nation of sheep.

Posted by Steve on March 30, 2006

March 29, 2006

The 50th Edition of Tangled Bank

Tangled Bank #50 is up at The Island of Doubt.

There is no doubt that if you spend time reading this collection, three dozen or so, of science based posts that you will gain a greater understanding of and appreciate for the universe you live in.

Posted by Steve on March 29, 2006

March 28, 2006

Torture...

...is only evil.

Posted by Steve on March 28, 2006

Bible Studies

BlondSense Liz thinks teaching the Bible in school is a capital idea:

There is so much wisdom in the bible. There's lots of good stuff for children's edification. I think the dirty parts ought to be censored though.

Kids need to know just how much God loves them and looks out for them. They need to know that if they follow the Lord,...

She shares some exemplary child oriented selections and requests you let her know your favorite children's bible stories.

Posted by Steve on March 28, 2006

March 27, 2006

Who's Paying?

Jane Galt has written a series of posts on health care that are worth while reading for all. The latest in the series is here and both Tyler Cowan and Arnold Kling quote this sentence:

Have the government pay for all health care expenditures above 15% of adjusted gross income, and cover 100% of health care expenditures by people living under 200% of the poverty line.
Both have suggestions to tweak Jane's proposal and you should also read their posts.

Jane's proposal with some tweaks has a lot to recommend it but the framing, yes, the framing needs to change. It needs to change for this and all other discussions that include a phrase similar to "..the government pay..." Everyone needs to be clear that the government really does not pay for anything. It takes money from you and I, the payers, and gives the money to someone else, the payees.

So, one thing missing from the above statement is the mechanism for and the rate at which the government is going to take money from you and me and distribute it to others. Once this is defined then let the payers decide whether they will fund this.

Posted by Steve on March 27, 2006

March 25, 2006

Is cheney An Alien?

Jaquandor makes the case.

As to the defibrilator: I suspect one of the palace eunuchs carries it in a briefcase chained to its wrist.

Posted by Steve on March 25, 2006

March 24, 2006

Friday Ark #79

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We will add your post to the list if you do one of the following:

Of course, if our staff goes on strike then we will link only those posts someone tells us about. Time permitting we will continue boardings until the Carnival of the Cats goes up on Sunday.

Do link to the Friday Ark whether you use trackbacks or not.

Visit each border and come back regularly Friday-Sunday to visit new boarders.

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (54 shouts as of 03/23) BTW, the slideshow of the pics folks included is pretty nifty!

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 105th edition will be hosted this week by Scribblings. There are more weekly cats at eatstuff's Weekend Cat Blogging which has many participants who may not be familiar to Ark or Carnival participants. Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 19th edition edition is up and hosted by the Science and Politicsr. The 20th edition will be hosted by Bootstrap Analysis.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The sixth edition is up at Science and Politics. The 7th edition is scheduled for March 31 and will be hosted by Research at a Snail's Pace. You've got time to get those submissions sent in!

Arkive editions of the Friday Ark.

Cats

InvertebratesDogsBirdsOther VertebratesIn Memoriam
Didn't Make It
Exceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users: Haloscan started (the end of July) rejecting trackbacks if they were submitted "too rapidly" by the same host. I don't know what the timer is but it is long enough so that it was very difficult to ping everyone that is using Haloscan for trackbacks. I'm sure that they are doing this to try to hold back the tide of trackback spam but it makes the service pretty useless for carnival type posts. Perhaps you can contact them and urge some different solution. Update: Typepad appears to be doing the same thing. Everytime I update the Ark it appears the timers are reset and the long list of MT autogenerated pings fail. Yecchhhh....

Posted by Steve on March 24, 2006 | Comments (19)

March 23, 2006

Wookie....

...with blaster.

Posted by Steve on March 23, 2006 | Comments (1)

The Republican Way

John Cole's description is pretty accurate:

The right wing of the Republican party has sold the libertarian/centrist wing of the party a bill of goods, and the modern ‘conservatives’ are clearly nothing more than statists who, rather than redistributing wealth like their brethern on the left, instead have decided that the state must have excessive rights in order to ‘protect’ us all from whatever the imagined fear du jour might be. Meanwhile, no one is left protecting us from the religionists and the the state itself.

In the new Republican era, only fetuses , tax shelters, and ‘traditional’ marriage deserve protection. According to the actions of the current Republican party, the rest of us need to be wiretapped, monitored, have our homes inspected for whatever reason without warrants, and are incapable of making decisions on our own.

He does give the left more of a break than deserved as they would like to control and protect us from every imagined ill that repugs haven't latched on to and, sadly, both are strongly vested in many areas.

For example, the drug war. The case which kicked off John's post was a 4th amendment case, Georgia V Randolph, in which the Georgia Supreme Court had ruled that the seizure of some cocaine was unconstitutional. Lawyers and pundits have spending many words over the privacy and search issues involved in the case. In a free country, one not proctored by the above mentioned dems and reps, this case would never happen. Unless, say, Randolph stole his cocaine. Otherwise there is no legitmate crime here.

Posted by Steve on March 23, 2006

March 22, 2006

Working Technology

Shades of contraptions long gone here is a nifty gif showing the detailed workings of your computer. How far/long can you track one of those blue data bits.

If you use a browser other than IE you can get the sound version here.

From Living the Scientific Life via Pharyngula.

Posted by Steve on March 22, 2006

March 21, 2006

Was codpiece's Victory Proclamation On Target?

Greg Palast says that the aircraft carrier message was right on and that The Mission Was Indeed Accomplished:

Get off it. All the carping, belly-aching and complaining about George Bush's incompetence in Iraq, from both the Left and now the Right, is just dead wrong.

On the third anniversary of the tanks rolling over Iraq's border, most of the 59 million Homer Simpsons who voted for Bush are beginning to doubt if his mission was accomplished.

But don't kid yourself -- Bush and his co-conspirator, Dick Cheney, accomplished exactly what they set out to do. In case you've forgotten what their real mission was, let me remind you of White House spokesman Ari Fleisher's original announcement, three years ago, launching of what he called,

"Operation

Iraqi

Liberation."

O.I.L. How droll of them, how cute. Then, Karl Rove made the giggling boys in the White House change it to "OIF" -- Operation Iraqi Freedom. But the 101st Airborne wasn't sent to Basra to get its hands on Iraq's OIF.

Go read on...

Via The Sideshow.

Posted by Steve on March 21, 2006

Return to the OK Corral

Hmmm, I can visualize the increase in main street gunfights now:

A year after Florida became the first state to allow citizens to use deadly force against muggers, carjackers and other attackers, the idea is spreading. South Dakota has enacted a similar law, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels plans to sign such a measure today, and 15 other states are considering such proposals.

Dubbed "Stand Your Ground" bills by supporters such as the National Rifle Association, the measures generally grant immunity from prosecution and lawsuits to those who use deadly force to combat any unlawful entry or attack. Several states allow people to use deadly force in their homes against intruders; the new measures represent an expansion of self-defense rights to crimes committed in public.

This should apply to intruders like these as well!

NB: That south dakota is on this list does not constitute any reason to put that state back into your travel plans.

Posted by Steve on March 21, 2006

March 20, 2006

Breaking The Camel's Back

How bush piles the straw on as he breaks the camel's country's back.

Via onegoodmove.

Posted by Steve on March 20, 2006 | Comments (1)

March 17, 2006

Friday Ark #78

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

Alert: The Friday Ark crew will be traveling this weekend. After 1:00 PM PST on Friday and until Sunday night updates will be intermittent and may not be complete.

We will add your post to the list if you do one of the following:

  • Leave a comment or trackback to this post,
  • Use the Carnival Submission Form,
  • Email Modulator or
  • Our extensive staff finds it during our weekly search of the web

Of course, if our staff goes on strike then we will link only those posts someone tells us about. Time permitting we will continue boardings until the Carnival of the Cats goes up on Sunday.

Do link to the Friday Ark whether you use trackbacks or not.

Visit each border and come back regularly Friday-Sunday to visit new boarders.

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (54 shouts as of 03/16) BTW, the slideshow of the pics folks included is pretty nifty!

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 104th edition will be hosted this week by Music and Cats. There are more weekly cats at eatstuff's Weekend Cat Blogging which has many participants who may not be familiar to Ark or Carnival participants. Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 19th edition edition is up and hosted by the Science and Politicsr. The 19th edition will be hosted by Science and Politics.

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The sixth edition is up at Science and Politics. The 7th edition is scheduled for March 31 and will be hosted by Research at a Snail's Pace. You've got time to get those submissions sent in!

Arkive editions of the Friday Ark.

Cats

InvertebratesDogsBirdsOther VertebratesIn MemoriamDidn't Make ItExceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users: Haloscan started (the end of July) rejecting trackbacks if they were submitted "too rapidly" by the same host. I don't know what the timer is but it is long enough so that it was very difficult to ping everyone that is using Haloscan for trackbacks. I'm sure that they are doing this to try to hold back the tide of trackback spam but it makes the service pretty useless for carnival type posts. Perhaps you can contact them and urge some different solution. Update: Typepad appears to be doing the same thing. Everytime I update the Ark it appears the timers are reset and the long list of MT autogenerated pings fail. Yecchhhh....

Posted by Steve on March 17, 2006 | Comments (13)

March 16, 2006

Tomorrow's Ark: Alert

The Friday Ark crew will be traveling this weekend. After 1:00 PM on Friday and until Sunday night updates will be intermittent and may not be complete.

Do try to get your boarders submitted early this week if possible.

Posted by Steve on March 16, 2006

Fluttering Wings

I and the Bird #19 is up at Science and Politics.

To enhance your pleasure Bora has organized the multitude of posts to 4 categories: Science and Conservation, Natural History, the art of birding and birdwatching, and Magnificent Photography.

Let's see, if you read on post per time out today you can just about finish these by the end of the last game tonight.

Posted by Steve on March 16, 2006

Will the Price of Ice Cream Be Going Up?

Most likely.

Kip explains why.

Posted by Steve on March 16, 2006

March 15, 2006

March Madness and 3 Nights Camping

Yep, going to spend lots of time watching basketball for the next 3 weeks and more than many because I'm goin' to be watching both the men's tournament and the women's tournament!

If you hurry you can spice up your men's tournament watching by joining the competition to win a few nifty prizes over at Coyote Blog. Note that last year's winner was an 11 year old.

Go pick a bracket and join the fun!

Posted by Steve on March 15, 2006

Fun on the Tangled Bank

GrrlScientist pulled a near allnighter preparing the 49th issue of Tangled Bank for our edification and enjoyment so go take advantage of her work!

The breadth and number of science and medical articles is almost overwhelming so expect to find yourself planning to set aside some time to fully enjoy the experience.

Yea, there's an article or two about sex for those so inclined.

You will also be more comfortable swimming in the Amazon River basin knowing that:

...recent investigations "could find no candiru allegedly removed from a human urogenital or rectal orifice preserved in a reputable museum, hospital, or academy for scientific identification"...
I leave it as an exercise for the reader to head over, find and read the post providing this jiucy tidbit.

tbbadge.gif

Posted by Steve on March 15, 2006

Crystal Balling Google

A hilarious look at the power of Google 20 years in the future (R: Language).

Via Good Morning Silicon Valley.

Posted by Steve on March 15, 2006

March 14, 2006

Googledromes?

Yet another google game:

What’s a Googledrome? It’s a search on Google.com which yields the same top result no matter if it’s spelled forward or backward.

Here are the rest of the rules and the place to comment if you find a Googledrome

Posted by Steve on March 14, 2006

It Is Easy to Find the Ark!

Myers reports on a misguided fellow looking for an ark on Turkey's Mt. Ararat.

It is clear that he has made his project much to difficult. Knowledgeable folks know that the Ark has been boarding every Friday for 77 weeks at its regular port of call.

Posted by Steve on March 14, 2006

Will bush Get A Bigger One?

Will bush accept this invitation?

Bolivian President Evo Morales, a coca farmer who has called himself a nightmare for Washington, has invited President George W. Bush to visit the country, a Bolivian official said on Monday.

Probably only on the condition that he gets a bigger guitar with more inlaid leaves than condi.

Posted by Steve on March 14, 2006

March 13, 2006

condi's New Guitar

It is quite pretty:


(Click for larger image - 100 KB)

And, it is decorated with inlaid coca leaves.

It's great how she supports the farmers in Bolivia.

Posted by Steve on March 13, 2006 | Comments (1)

Swimming Ants?

Well, why not?

North Queensland scientists have discovered a new type of ant, believed to be the only species that can live, swim and navigate under water.

Bora suggests that this discovery will be great fodder for the 4 AM slot on the sch-fi channel.

Posted by Steve on March 13, 2006 | Comments (1)

March 12, 2006

Carnival of the Cats #103

It's up at Justin's Random Thoughts.

Posted by Steve on March 12, 2006

March 10, 2006

Friday Ark #77

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We will add your post to the list if you do one of the following:

  • Leave a comment or trackback to this post,

  • Use the Carnival Submission Form,

  • Email Modulator or

  • Our extensive staff finds it during our weekly search of the web

Of course, if our staff goes on strike then we will link only those posts someone tells us about. Time permitting we will continue boardings until the Carnival of the Cats goes up on Sunday.

Do link to the Friday Ark whether you use trackbacks or not.

Visit each border and come back regularly Friday-Sunday to visit new boarders.

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (51 shouts as of 03/09) BTW, the slideshow of the pics folks included is pretty nifty!

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 103rd edition will be hosted this week by Justin's Random Thoughts. There are more weekly cats at eatstuff's Weekend Cat Blogging which has many participants who may not be familiar to Ark or Carnival participants. Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 18th edition edition is up and hosted by the The Bird Chaser. The 19th edition will be hosted by Science and Politics on 3/16. Get your submissions in!

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The sixth edition is up at Science and Politics. The 7th edition is scheduled for March 31 and will be hosted by Research at a Snail's Pace. You've got time to get those submissions sent in!

Arkive editions of the Friday Ark.

Cats

InvertebratesDogsBirdsOther VertebratesIn MemoriamDidn't Make ItExceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users: Haloscan started (the end of July) rejecting trackbacks if they were submitted "too rapidly" by the same host. I don't know what the timer is but it is long enough so that it was very difficult to ping everyone that is using Haloscan for trackbacks. I'm sure that they are doing this to try to hold back the tide of trackback spam but it makes the service pretty useless for carnival type posts. Perhaps you can contact them and urge some different solution. Update: Typepad appears to be doing the same thing. Everytime I update the Ark it appears the timers are reset and the long list of MT autogenerated pings fail. Yecchhhh....

Posted by Steve on March 10, 2006 | Comments (21)

March 9, 2006

Prepare for Aging or Prepare for Living?

I know my choice!

Nevertheless, the belief that aging is an immutable process, programmed by evolution, is now known to be wrong. In recent decades, our knowledge of how, why, and when aging processes take place has progressed so much that many scientists now believe that this line of research, if sufficently promoted, could benefit people alive today.Indeed, the science of aging has the potential to do what no drug, surgical procedure, or behavior modification can do-extend our years of youthful vigor and simultaneously postpone all the costly, disabling, and lethal conditions expressed at later ages.
These writers are on the modest end of gerontology research but even the programs they propose will do more to solve the problems with health care systems here and abroad than all the quibbling going on over how to get someone else to pay for your health care costs. Let's earn the longevity dividend.

Read the rest here.

Posted by Steve on March 9, 2006

Hmmm, What To Do On PZ's Birthday

Well, one good thing to do will be to read all the articles at Animalcules 1.3--PZ birthday edition.

These little critters may not be cephalopods but you, I, PZ and his cephalopods carry plenty of them around with us.

Oh yea, Happy Birthday Dr. Myers!

Posted by Steve on March 9, 2006

Stopping Thugs and Terrorists

State sponsored terrorism needs to be stopped:

Springtime is on the way and already hundreds of farmers are tending pale-green shoots of Afghanistan's chief crop and economic mainstay: opium poppies.

It looks to be a bumper year. Some 320,000 acres are blanketed in rows of sprouts that eventually produce almost 90 percent of the world's heroin.

But drug agents are counterattacking. An army of 500 tractor-driving Afghans hopes to plow the plants under before producers grow powerful enough to corrupt the country's fledgling government.

These 500 thugs and their sponsors have no higher standing than common thieves and murderers.

If the Afghani government will not live up to its sole responsibility which is to protect the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of its citizens then these farmers have every right to form their own protective associations and deal appropriately with those who would destroy their property, land and lives.

Posted by Steve on March 9, 2006

March 8, 2006

Single Payer Hackery

In the comment thread for one of Drum's typical single payer blurbs is this about how the US health care system sucks compared to the Canadian system:

She is also able to get to see her G.P. typically on the same day, an experience I have yet to enjoy here in the US. Instead, I'm told to go to an urgent care clinic where I pay more out of pocket.
Perhaps this guy should get a different GP! My family is routinely able to get in to see our GP on the same day. The rest of his comparisons are pretty much anecdotal apples and oranges.

As to Drum:

1) Well, yes the government incented and dominated US system has big issues. As usual Kevin wants more of the same.

2) He has the solution for both Canada and Britain's systems: Decent funding levels would make both of them a lot better. Yep, if it ain't working throw more money at it.

Kevin, some day the money is going to run out....oh yea, as the bushies demonstrate on a daily basis it already has.

Posted by Steve on March 8, 2006 | Comments (1)

Reforming scotus and congress

Professors Lund and Learner, George Mason University, have a number of suggestions for reforming the us supreme court. First on their list is this:

Take away their law clerks. Each justice now has a personal staff of several top law-school graduates who serve for one year. These intelligent, energetic, and intensely ambitious young people are itching to do the hard work of studying precedents and writing opinions. It should be no surprise that modern justices have frequently assumed the more pleasant role of dictating big thoughts and deep feelings to the clerks, and editing the drafts they write.

Truly old-fashioned judges would study the precedents themselves, discuss the law with their colleagues instead of with their handpicked votaries, and write their own opinions. The Supreme Court once heard hundreds of cases each year, without law clerks to help. Today’s justices should be able to manage the 70 or 80 they consent to decide each term.

This may be a very good idea but before this happens congress should eliminate their own batch of aids and acolytes. They could then study the issues themselves, discuss proposed legislation with their colleagues and write proposed legislation themselves.

Assuming we keep them around!

Via Professor Bainbridge.

Posted by Steve on March 8, 2006

May I Feel Your Implants?

So, can subdural implants be made erogenous?:

Shannon Larratt says the next step is to make implants functional in some way. "There's crossover with people doing RFID work -- there's a large number of people that want to build active implants."
My first reaction to seeing the pics is that these are pretty ugly. YMMV.

Via BoingBoing.

Posted by Steve on March 8, 2006

Sperm plus Egg....?

PZ answers the question:

"…scientifically speaking, when a sperm and egg comes together, what happens? Is death created?"
If fact, he provides answers from multiple perspectives: mathematical, patriarchal, cytological, forensical, genetical and developmental.

As an added bonus you also get the answer to this thought problem:

if a fire breaks out in a fertility clinic, who do you save — a Petri dish with five blastula or a two year-old child?.
I didn't realize that this was even a possible issue but apparently it creates a challenge for some.

Oh yea, read the comment thread as well...always full of good material at PZ's place.

Posted by Steve on March 8, 2006

March 7, 2006

Why Pay'm?

Brian calls'm Spineless Bottom Feeders and asks:

Why are we paying these 535 people?
Hey, their big money comes from the folks they feed at the trough with.

An institution not focused on securing the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of its citizens and primarily devoted to stealing from some and giving the money to others and often to themselves via those others ought to be eliminated.

Posted by Steve on March 7, 2006

When An Author's Autograph is Worth Nothing

Just why the hell would anyone stand in line for not an autograph:

Author Margaret Atwood has grown weary of the traveling that comes with promotional book tours. Such tours are grueling, and her experience with delivery drivers who hold out an electronic device for a signature gave her an idea: maybe there was a way to create a system whereby she could sign a book from a distance.

She teamed with Matthew Gibson and several others to produce the device, naming the firm Unotchit pronounced “you no touch it.” The device was given its first-ever public demonstration on Sunday, and despite technical glitches that had to be overcome, they managed to get the device working.

This gives a whole new meaning to autographed first edition and no enhancement in value: either emotional or financial.

I've been to a few book signings over the years and enjoyed hearing authors read from their work and discuss related issues with the audience. This would be ok via teleconferencing which probably will be standard once holographic/virtual presence technology becomes the norm.

There is no way, though, that mechanical scribbling is an acceptable stand in for the author's in the flesh signature.

Posted by Steve on March 7, 2006 | Comments (2)

March 6, 2006

Obese or Skinny?

If you are too skinny or too heavy you have a higher risk of fatal injury in certain car crashes(reg):

Male drivers with a body-mass index (BMI) greater than 35 or lower than 22 were significantly more likely to die after front-end or left-side collisions, compared with men with intermediate BMIs, reported Shankuan Zhu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the Medical College of Wisconsin here.

Moderately overweight men (with BMIs around 28) were least likely to die, compared with their larger or skinnier counterparts,

One reason is that vehicles are not designed for you:
Current vehicle cabin designs are based on a standard crash test dummy in the driver's position with a BMI of 24.3, the authors said.

"These cabin designs may not be optimal for drivers with a different body habitus and may contribute to the higher fatality seen at both ends of the BMI continuum," the authors concluded.

This seems another good incentive to maintain yourself in reasonably good shape!

I wonder, though, if we will start seeing law suits by families of dead heavyweights claiming unsafe design or misrepresentations about safety.

Posted by Steve on March 6, 2006

Sex: Hell yes! Control of Others: Hell No!

Read each and every one of these posts: Digby, Amanda, Avedon, Tena and Echidne. They chew up and spit out a daft person who argues that complete abstention is a woman's only answer to unwanted pregnancy.

Echidne, closes her fine piece with the following:

The truth of course is that our choices do matter, but they matter in a probabilistic sense, not in the sense of being meted awards and punishments by some cruel wingnut god. And humans are human, which means that none of us can control everything in our lives. Not even wingnuts can do that, though they would love to control other people's lives.
Sadly, wanting to control other people's lives does little to differentiate wingnuts from the common liberal. For example, with respect to the war on drugs wingnut and liberal politicians are pretty much indistinguishable. Combine the wingers and the liberals together the result is a beast that would have every aspect of your life under tight reign.

Originally via Atrios.

Posted by Steve on March 6, 2006 | Comments (1)

March 5, 2006

brown Repris

Diane nails the appropriate response:

To all Michael Brown apologists

Please. Spare me the tears.

Posted by Steve on March 5, 2006

They're Partying Now

The 102nd Carnival of the Cats is up!

Who wins the awards? Everyone, because every cat here is a winner.

Posted by Steve on March 5, 2006

It's A Cat's Carnival

Hey now, there is still time to get your submissions in to Laurence for today's Carnival of the Cats at Catcall.

More entries are needed if the raffle is going to happen!

Posted by Steve on March 5, 2006

March 4, 2006

Excellence in Government?

Here is one conference that has clearly failed in its mission:

Excellence in Government 2006 is the premier management conference for those who run our federal government. Each summer the largest assembly of federal officials comes together to develop and discuss best management practices and achieve success through innovative solutions.
Of course, success is relative to the definition of the goal.

Just think: your tax dollars probably pay the expenses for the attendees.

Update: I should have realized when I wrote the title that it was an oxymoron!

Posted by Steve on March 4, 2006

March 3, 2006

Friday Ark #76

We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....?

We will add your post to the list if you do one of the following:

Of course, if our staff goes on strike then we will link only those posts someone tells us about. Time permitting we will continue boardings until the Carnival of the Cats goes up on Sunday.

Do link to the Friday Ark whether you use trackbacks or not.

Visit each border and come back regularly Friday-Sunday to visit new boarders.

Extra, Extra: All Ark boarders are invited to shout out at the Friday Ark Frapper Map. (49 shouts as of 03/02) BTW, the slideshow of the pics folks included is pretty nifty!

Dog folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Dogs hosted by Mickey's Musings.

Cat folks: remember to submit your links to the Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and the 102nd edition will be hosted this week by Catcall. There are more weekly cats at eatstuff's Weekend Cat Blogging which has many participants who may not be familiar to Ark or Carnival participants. Do go shout out at The Catbloggers Frappr Map.

Lair is holding a raffle in conjunction with the 102nd Carnival of the Cats. Get your entries in!!

Bird folks: I and the Bird: A Blog Carnival for Bird Lovers is published every 2 weeks. The 18th edition edition is up and hosted by the The Bird Chaser. The 18th edition will be hosted by Science and Politics on 3/16. Get your submissions in!

For the spineless: Circus of the Spineless. A monthly celebration of Insects, Arachnids, Molluscs, Crustaceans, Worms and most anything else that wiggles. The sixth edition is up at Science and Politics. The 7th edition is scheduled for March 31 and will be hosted by Hmmm, not posted yet. You've got time to get those submissions sent in!

Arkive editions of the Friday Ark.

Cats

InvertebratesDogsBirdsOther VertebratesIn MemoriamDidn't Make ItExceptions (inclusion not guaranteed)

For other current carnivals check out The Conservative Cat's Carnival Page, The Blog Carnival and The TTLB Uber Carnival

Note for Haloscan Users: Haloscan started (the end of July) rejecting trackbacks if they were submitted "too rapidly" by the same host. I don't know what the timer is but it is long enough so that it was very difficult to ping everyone that is using Haloscan for trackbacks. I'm sure that they are doing this to try to hold back the tide of trackback spam but it makes the service pretty useless for carnival type posts. Perhaps you can contact them and urge some different solution. Update: Typepad appears to be doing the same thing. Everytime I update the Ark it appears the timers are reset and the long list of MT autogenerated pings fail. Yecchhhh....

Posted by Steve on March 3, 2006 | Comments (15)

March 2, 2006

Even More is Melting

I don't think this will surprise anyone who has been marginally alert for the past few years:

Joining the growing list of places on this planet that are melting, Antarctica is losing about 36 cubic miles (150 cubic kilometers) of ice every year, scientists reported Thursday.
....
However, computer models run in 2001 predicted that Antarctica would gain ice during the 21st century due to increased precipitation in a warming climate. The new study, based on satellite measurements between 2002 and 2005, shows the opposite.

Antarctica is twice as large as Australia. The ice sheet, which covers about 98 percent of the continent, has an average thickness of about 6,500 feet — more than a mile.

It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to spend lots of money on infrastructure and structures in areas that are going to be underwater a few years down the time line.

Posted by Steve on March 2, 2006

For the Birds

The Birdchaser looks back from 3/2/2036 at:

...bird-related blog posts from 30 years ago provides a window into birding and human-bird relationships at the dawning of the 21st Century

Check out all the oldies but goodies at I and the Bird #18.

Posted by Steve on March 2, 2006

Of Dell and Dopes

I apologize in advance if you saw this absolutely hilarious and ever so been there, done that take down of Dell Tech Support last week in the NYT. I missed it, just read it and must share:

Preparatory Work

So it has happened: you have fired up your Dell PC, and - nothing. Or the dreaded "cannot find boot drive" or something like that. Now you are forced into the unenviable position of having to call Dell Off-shore Hardware Support. Look at it as a journey, one on which you will be tested, much like Job or Arthur Dent. You will descend into the ninth circle, but with the proper preparation, tools and attitude, you will return, a better person for it.

Enjoy the rest!

If you are a Dell owner who ever had a problem you've probably talked to a DOPE. Remember, if they had not been absorbed by Dell they would probably be quite nice, intelligent and helpful folks.

Posted by Steve on March 2, 2006

March 1, 2006

What Are the Odds of...

...well, of making 6 of 7 three point shot attempts in a basketball game. It's doable. This college player made 6 of 8 a while back.

But, this kid playing in his first game of the season made 6 of 7 in 4 minutes. Wow!

Via rexblog.

Posted by Steve on March 1, 2006