gregladen | December 21, 2008The largest waves in the Pacific Northwest are getting higher by seven centimeters a year, posing an increasing threat to property close to the shore. And the strange part is: Scientists aren't sure why.
...
"Over a decadal scale, the increases in wave height ... have significant impacts on both erosion hazards and coastal flooding hazards and those currently exceed the influences of sea level rise," said Peter Ruggiero, "And they probably will over the next decade or two unless something drastic happens."
Details at wired.
gregladen | December 21, 2008Drillers accidentally hit a pocket of molten rock underneath a working geothermal energy field in Hawaii, a lucky break for geologists that could allow them to map the geological plumbing that created everything we know as land.
The unprecedented discovery could act as a "magma observatory," allowing scientists to test their theories about how processes transformed the molten rock below Earth's surface into the rocky crust that humans live on today.
"This is like Jurassic Park for magmatic systems," said Bruce Marsh, a geologist at Johns Hopkins University. "You can go to museums and see…
gregladen | December 21, 2008"Yesterday the voters spoke. We prevailed," ... [my opponent could opt to waive the recount.]
"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," He said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in [his opponent's] position...
Oh. No, wait, sorry. I got that backwards. The above quote was Norm Coleman telling us that Al Franken should bow out of the senate race back when Coleman was ahead by between 200 and 300 points, and prior to the legally mandated recount. Now that the recount is virtually over and it is Franken ahead by between 200 and 300…
gregladen | December 21, 2008"Yesterday the voters spoke. We prevailed," ... [my opponent could opt to waive the recount.]
"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," He said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in [his opponent's] position...
Oh. No, wait, sorry. I got that backwards. The above quote was Norm Coleman telling us that Al Franken should bow out of the senate race back when Coleman was ahead by between 200 and 300 points, and prior to the legally mandated recount. Now that the recount is virtually over and it is Franken ahead by between 200 and 300…
gregladen | December 21, 2008"Yesterday the voters spoke. We prevailed," ... [my opponent could opt to waive the recount.]
"It's up to him whether such a step is worth the tax dollars it will take to conduct," He said, telling reporters he would "step back" if he were in [his opponent's] position...
Oh. No, wait, sorry. I got that backwards. The above quote was Norm Coleman telling us that Al Franken should bow out of the senate race back when Coleman was ahead by between 200 and 300 points, and prior to the legally mandated recount. Now that the recount is virtually over and it is Franken ahead by between 200 and 300…
gregladen | December 21, 2008This, I've gotta try:
Build a three-screen workstation for $230 or less. ... This involves taking the video output of a laptop and running through a widget that gives you two (or four, for a bit more money) additonal screen, which, in turn, you've bought really cheap somewhere.
There are open questions as to how windows would be managed on this extra real estate; This method may not be as smooth as the multi-head systems when you have an internal video card. Worth a look, though.
Or, just buy one of these: Lenovo to release ThinkPad laptop with 2 LCD screens
gregladen | December 19, 2008The details are not yet worked out, but the Bell Museum in Minneapolis, thanks to the inspiration and efforts of DNA artist and Twin Cities' answer to Ira Flatow, Lynn Fellman, and Bell Museum events organizer, Twin Cities Celebrity and spectacular Cafe Scientifique Host Shanai Matteson, will have a special Darwin Day Celebration and YOU are invited!
When official verbiage becomes available, I'll post it. For now, here is what I can tell you:
The date is February 12th. That is Darwin's 200th birthday. The location will be the Bell Museum in Minneapolis, East Bank Campus of the University…
gregladen | December 19, 2008Internet connectivity between Europe, the Middle East and Asia is reportedly seriously affected by a series of cable cut.
Jonathan Wright - director of wholesale products at Interoute which manages part of the optical fibre network - told the BBC that the effects of the break would be felt for many days.
"This will grind economies to a halt for a short space of time," he said "If you look at, say, local financial markets who trade with European and US markets, the speed at which they get live data will be compromised."
bbc
The cause of the breaks is not known, but seismic activity is…
gregladen | December 19, 2008From Neuranthropology:
We've decided to host something that has not been done before - the first yearly edition of The Best of Anthropology Blogging. An increasing number of anthropologists are blogging about their work and their ideas, sharing how anthropology in all its forms is relevant to the wider world.
We are going to bring that together into one great "Best of" package. It is time to show off what we do! And then get some press for it!!
Here are our submission guidelines....
... and, for the details, go HERE.
gregladen | December 19, 2008Update: Franken is ahead by 249 votes !!!
UPDATE: DONE with the Franken re-entered (some withdrawn) ... now looking at some ballots that were set aside earlier.
UPDATE: ... bam... the canvassing board just threw out consideration of all the duplicate ballots except seven that have some reasonable 'on the face' cases.
UPDATE: The small number of duplicate issue but addressable "on the face" is done.
UPDATE: They are now going through miscellaneous challenges, of which I don't think there are too many. I think for various reasons that this is going to be mainly reductions in Franken's…
gregladen | December 19, 2008One hundred movies that if you have not seen, perhaps liked, perhaps think represent something either important or entertaining, and remember, then you are probably not me.
I'll make a deal with you. You can tell me to watch any movie that is not on this list and if I have not seen it, I'll put it on my Netflix Cue. I'll watch it as soon as I can and report back. But then you have to pick a movie on this list that you have not seen, watch it, and report back.
Feel free to make your own list and challenge the rest of us with it.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
All Quiet on the Western Front…
gregladen | December 19, 2008W. Mark Felt, who was the No. 2 official at the F.B.I. when he helped bring down President Richard M. Nixon by resisting the Watergate cover-up and becoming Deep Throat, the most famous anonymous source in American history, died Thursday. He was 95 and lived in Santa Rosa, Calif.
details
gregladen | December 19, 2008
Same guy:
Taylor Mali (hat tip wfr for the deeper story)
We are the most aggressively disarticulate generation to come along in, like you know, a long time ago.
And this one he wrote for me:
Because I nerd to be challenged menstrually.
gregladen | December 19, 2008... This is why we fight the war on Christmas. Watch. Then lock and load, baby.
Hat tip Doc
gregladen | December 19, 2008I've got a meme below the fold. This is lifted from Facebook, where it was posted by Miles Kurland.
SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 219 movies on this list. Copy this list, then paste it on facebook or on your blog. Then, put x's next to the movies you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click publish at the side.
Having known miles for many decades, I would have thought HE'd be the one with the life, but apparently not ... My total is a measly 60.
( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x)…
gregladen | December 18, 2008We've been doing a lot of math in our house lately. Amanda is working out the relationship between ATPase production and force in muscle (turns out that requires piles of math) and Julia is learning Algebra. Meanwhile, I've mainly been cooking dinner. Like this:
OK, OK, so that one does not work so well. This one is infallible:
gregladen | December 18, 2008
Actually, it's Lefortovo Tunnel, Russia.
Don't go to Russia. And if you do, stay out of the tunnel.