Scientists are masters of understatement:
Findings of relatively slow tree migration rates in response to historical changes in climate (potentially < 100 m per year) are unfortunate in light of model predictions of how fast tree species will need to migrate to track current climates under climate change scenarios.*
Dead Conifers on West Mesa after Cedar Fire (May, 2004) Photo by Heather Karnes-Schmalbach
Dead trees in Thornham, Norfolk
Aerial view of the once lush forests of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.
Dead trees show the beetles' paths through an otherwise healthy forest. (USDA Forestry Service)
Peter Essick/Getty Images
Dead ponderosa
*Aitken, S N, S Yeaman, J A Holliday, T Wang, and S Curtis-McLane. “Adaptation, Migration or Extirpation: Climate Change Outcomes for Tree Populations.” Evolutionary Applications 1, no. 1 (2008): doi:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2007.00013.x.
Scientists are masters of understatement:
Findings of relatively slow tree migration rates in response to historical changes in climate (potentially < 100 m per year) are unfortunate in light of model predictions of how fast tree species will need to migrate to track current climates under climate change scenarios.*
*Aitken, S N, S Yeaman, J A Holliday, T Wang, and S Curtis-McLane. "Adaptation, Migration or Extirpation: Climate Change Outcomes for Tree Populations." Evolutionary Applications 1, no. 1 (2008): doi:10.1111/j.1752-4571.2007.00013.x.
I had a fantastic birthday. I made red velvet cupcakes and someone brought a chocolate-pomegranate cheesecake that was unbelievably good (I ate the leftovers for every meal until it was gone). Someone made me a blue coffee mug that is so pretty it makes my coffee taste better. Then, everyone at least pretended to enjoy playing Balderdash, which is one of my very favorite games.
Christmas was pretty good, too. I wore a lovely dress, so that put me in a great mood straight away. I spent most of Christmas at my grandmother’s – via Skype. While I wish I could have spent more time with my brother and sister, Christmas-on-Skype is way more pleasant than Christmas-in-person with my family.
I got all kinds of fantastic gifts: lemon and lime curd (time to bake scones!), lots of adorable (and warm) socks (who doesn’t like green argyle?), The Settlers of Catan (which might be more fun than Balderdash), garlic stuffed olives (I eat them by the jar), and fancy whole wheat flour that makes delicious eggnog pancakes and perfect bread.
I know you’re feeling terrifically guilty for forgetting to get me both a Christmas and a birthday present. Luckily, you can assuage that guilt and save the world AT THE SAME TIME: Just head over to Population Connection and donate! Population Connection is all about curbing population growth. Their work makes it clear that they understand the connection between women’s rights and reduced fertility rates.
If saving the world isn’t your thing, but you think I’m awesome, the Migraine Research Foundation is another good place to send your hard earned money. I’d like for there to be new drugs for me to try once I get health insurance again. Or a better explanation for the root cause than “something happens and the brain stem doesn’t like it.”
If you don’t have cash to spare, but do any of your shopping online, you can still support the Migraine Research Foundation through Giving Pal.
I had a fantastic birthday. I made red velvet cupcakes and someone brought a chocolate-pomegranate cheesecake that was unbelievably good (I ate the leftovers for every meal until it was gone). Someone made me a blue coffee mug that is so pretty it makes my coffee taste better. Then, everyone at least pretended to enjoy playing Balderdash, which is one of my very favorite games.
Christmas was pretty good, too. I wore a lovely dress, so that put me in a great mood straight away. I spent most of Christmas at my grandmother's - via Skype. While I wish I could have spent more time with my brother and sister, Christmas-on-Skype is way more pleasant than Christmas-in-person with my family.
I got all kinds of fantastic gifts: lemon and lime curd (time to bake scones!), lots of adorable (and warm) socks (who doesn't like green argyle?), The Settlers of Catan (which might be more fun than Balderdash), garlic stuffed olives (I eat them by the jar), and fancy whole wheat flour that makes delicious e
From Karen Armstrong’s A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
God created adam, a single man, to teach us that whoever destroyed a single human life would be punished as though he had destroyed the whole world; similarly to save a life was to redeem the whole world. This was not just a lofty sentiment but a basic legal principle…. To humiliate anybody … was one of the most serious offenses, because it was equivalent to murder, a sacrilegious denial of God’s image. The right to liberty was crucial: it is difficult to find a single reference to imprisonment in the whole of rabbinic literature, because only God can curtail the freedom of a human being. … Jews were not to think of a God as a Big Brother, watching their every move from above; instead they were to cultivate a sense of God within each human being so that our dealings with others became sacred encounters.
From Karen Armstrong's A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
God created adam, a single man, to teach us that whoever destroyed a single human life would be punished as though he had destroyed the whole world; similarly to save a life was to redeem the whole world. This was not just a lofty sentiment but a basic legal principle.... To humiliate anybody ... was one of the most serious offenses, because it was equivalent to murder, a sacrilegious denial of God's image. The right to liberty was crucial: it is difficult to find a single reference to imprisonment in the whole of rabbinic literature, because only God can curtail the freedom of a human being. ... Jews were not to think of a God as a Big Brother, watching their every move from above; instead they were to cultivate a sense of God within each human being so that our dealings with others became sacred encounters.
Climate change is a big, big problem made worse by population pressure on scarce resources and strong, worldwide interdependence. This recent article in the Guardian does a good job of connecting problems in one part of the world to those elsewhere and outlining the very large scope and scale of the disaster we’re facing.
There are many, many things we can do to make our future better and reducing our birthrate is one of the best. Luckily, discussing this strategy is becoming less taboo. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a topic in Copenhagen and is violently opposed by major religious groups who can’t bear to give up the idea that women are baby making machines.
I was hopeful that Copenhagen would lead to real progress. Unfortunately, our world’s leaders couldn’t pass a binding agreement on limiting emissions and temperature increases, even to levels that are still far too high. Goodbye, Tuvalu.
Climate change is a big, big problem made worse by population pressure on scarce resources and strong, worldwide interdependence. This recent article in the Guardian does a good job of connecting problems in one part of the world to those elsewhere and outlining the very large scope and scale of the disaster we're facing.
There are many, many things we can do to make our future better and reducing our birthrate is one of the best. Luckily, discussing this strategy is becoming less taboo. Unfortunately, it wasn't a topic in Copenhagen and is violently opposed by major religious groups who can't bear to give up the idea that women are baby making machines.
I was hopeful that Copenhagen would lead to real progress. Unfortunately, our world's leaders couldn't pass a binding agreement on limiting emissions and temperature increases, even to levels that are still far too high. Goodbye, Tuvalu.
I’m not much of a gamer, but when I was a kid, I played a lot of computer games. I really liked text adventure games, but was blown away in 3rd grade when I discovered Dinosaur Safari. The goal of Dinosaur Safari is to find and photograph as many dinosaurs as possible. You have to sneak up on them because they might run away before you can take the picture. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for them to show up at a site. Five minutes is a long time when you’re 8.
At the time, I thought the game seemed very real – my memories of the game involve sneaking through actual grass. Looking back, the graphics aren’t so impressive.
I loved playing Dinosaur Safari. I could hardly wait for school to be over and was pretty heartbroken if I didn’t find a new dinosaur every day. If I don’t show up to work for the next week, it’s because I downloaded this game.
I'm not much of a gamer, but when I was a kid, I played a lot of computer games. I really liked text adventure games, but was blown away in 3rd grade when I discovered Dinosaur Safari. The goal of Dinosaur Safari is to find and photograph as many dinosaurs as possible. You have to sneak up on them because they might run away before you can take the picture. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for them to show up at a site. Five minutes is a long time when you're 8.
At the time, I thought the game seemed very real - my memories of the game involve sneaking through actual grass. Looking back, the graphics aren't so impressive.
I loved playing Dinosaur Safari. I could hardly wait for school to be over and was pretty heartbroken if I didn't find a new dinosaur every day. If I don't show up to work for the next week, it's because I downloaded this game.
From Karen Armstrong’s A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
In the New Testament, the Pharisees are depicted as whited sepulchres and blatant hypocrites. This is due to the distortions of first-century polemic. The Pharisees were passionately spiritual Jews. They believed that the whole of Israel was called to be a holy nation of priests. God could be present in the humblest home as well as in the Temple. Consequently the lived like the official priestly caste, observing the special laws of purity that applied only to the Temple in their own homes. … They cultivated a sense of God’s presence in the smallest detail of daily life. Jews could now approach him directly without the mediation of a priestly caste and elaborate ritual.
In the church I grew up in, Pharisee was an insult. However, a set-apart way of life and purposeful attempts to bring God into every aspect of life is what my church taught. Unfortunately, most Christians are far more like the Pharisees that were mocked by Jesus in Luke.
From Karen Armstrong's A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
In the New Testament, the Pharisees are depicted as whited sepulchres and blatant hypocrites. This is due to the distortions of first-century polemic. The Pharisees were passionately spiritual Jews. They believed that the whole of Israel was called to be a holy nation of priests. God could be present in the humblest home as well as in the Temple. Consequently the lived like the official priestly caste, observing the special laws of purity that applied only to the Temple in their own homes. ... They cultivated a sense of God's presence in the smallest detail of daily life. Jews could now approach him directly without the mediation of a priestly caste and elaborate ritual.
In the church I grew up in, Pharisee was an insult. However, a set-apart way of life and purposeful attempts to bring God into every aspect of life is what my church taught. Unfortunately, most Christians are far more like the
More evidence that our drug policies are just wrong.
Evolving to eat meat helped humans live longer.
American evangelical influence is likely to cause Ugandan gays to be executed.
How did health care reform turn into a subsidy for health insurance companies?
It makes me livid when good ideas get shut down because politicians are more interested in support from corporations than their constituents. Pharmaceutical companies freaking out about having to become more competitive are how we lost one great cost-saver in the health care bill this week.
HIV is a tricky bastard. A promising microbicide failed to work in large scale trials.
If we found other intelligent life, would we be able to communicate in any meaningful way? I recommend we start trying with octopuses.
A great story demonstrating that the pay gap is alive and well, sexism still has large effects in women’s lives, and that women are just as qualified as men.
I made these pancakes, but with whole wheat flour and extra buttermilk. They will make any day better. I promise.
Sexism makes you worse at math.
Bill Smith, untitle (calibreted arterial system), detail, 2006, mixed media
You aren’t funny, you’re an ass.
Dear Obama, please stop being such a failure.
More evidence that our drug policies are just wrong.
Evolving to eat meat helped humans live longer.
American evangelical influence is likely to cause Ugandan gays to be executed.
How did health care reform turn into a subsidy for health insurance companies?
It makes me livid when good ideas get shut down because politicians are more interested in support from corporations than their constituents. Pharmaceutical companies freaking out about having to become more competitive are how we lost one great cost-saver in the health care bill this week.
HIV is a tricky bastard. A promising microbicide failed to work in large scale trials.
If we found other intelligent life, would we be able to communicate in any meaningful way? I recommend we start trying with octopuses.
A great story demonstrating that the pay gap is alive and well, sexism still has large effects in women's lives, and that women are just as qualified as men.
I made these pancakes, but with whole wheat flour and extra butte
Tags: corporations, diet, drugs, feminism, healthcare, hiv/aids, obama, octopus, religion, sexism, that's queer, tiger woods, uganda |
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