gets in on the Bush global warming propaganda: AP/SFGATE
The Smithsonian Institution toned down an exhibit on climate change in the Arctic for fear of angering Congress and the Bush administration, says a former administrator at the museum.
Among other things, the script, or official text, of last year’s exhibit was rewritten to minimize and inject more uncertainty into the relationship between global warming and humans, said Robert Sullivan, who was associate director in charge of exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Also, officials omitted scientists’ interpretation of some research and let visitors draw their own conclusions from the data, he said. In addition, graphs were altered “to show that global warming could go either way,” Sullivan said.
“It just became tooth-pulling to get solid science out without toning it down,” said Sullivan, who resigned last fall after 16 years at the museum. He said he left after higher-ups tried to reassign him.
new evidence for my ‘estrogen vision’ theory (you know, the theory for why the boys ask mom where their stuff is; she remembers where she saw it because she has ‘estrogen vision’) Live science
Certain differences seem to be inherent in male and female brains: Men are better at maintaining and manipulating mental images (useful in mathematical reasoning and spatial skills), while women tend to excel at retrieving information from their brain’s files (helpful with language skills and remembering the locations of objects).
The whole thing reminded me of my long-ago roommate, Bob. Bob used to get drunk, come home, eat all ou food, drink all our milk, etc. and not replace it. As you can imagine, this got very annoying and drove everyone else nuts.
Well, one summer week we had all been away, and in our absence, a half-gallon of milk had gone bad (chunky, it was so bad). We bought new to replace it, but the guys were lazy about taking the trash out, and nobody wanted the rotten milk sitting in the can in the kitchen until trash day…so, the bad milk stayed in the fridge, waiting until Thursday – trash day. Except we missed it the first week.
ANyway, I got up on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, and was shocked to see that the bad half-gallon of milk had completely disappeared overnight. And just as I called out down the hall “Who finally put the rotten milk in the trash?”, I heard Bob, retching in the bathroom.
Turned out Bob had come home in his usual inebriated state, and drank the milk, chunks and all. I never laughed so hard in my life, and he finally stopped eating and drinking everyone else’s stuff.
ran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces intended to tip a wavering US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal, US officials say.
“Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it’s a very dangerous course for them to be following. They are already committing daily acts of war against US and British forces,” a senior US official in Baghdad warned. “They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US will and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government].”
The official said US commanders were bracing for a nationwide, Iranian-orchestrated summer offensive, linking al-Qaida and Sunni insurgents to Tehran’s Shia militia allies, that Iran hoped would trigger a political mutiny in Washington and a US retreat.
The Guardian, whom someone is using to push a sinister agenda. Yes, its sources are looney in positing a coming offensive jointly sponsored by Iran, the Mahdi Army and al-Qaeda. Anyone who reads IC regularly will see immediately holes in this story.
At a time when Sunni Arab guerrillas are said to be opposing “al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia” for its indiscriminate violence against Iraqis, including Shiites, we are now expected to believe that Shiite Iran is allying with it. And, it claims that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are shelling the Green Zone.
The parliament building that was hit today by such shelling is dominated by the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and its paramilitary, the Badr Organization. Who trained Badr? The Iranian Revolutionary Guards. And they are trying to hit their own guys . . . why?
By the way, the US has 16,000 suspected insurgents.
Tisdall should ask how many of them are Iranian. (Hint: close to none. What, do they just run faster than the others?) The article even traffics in the ridiculous assertion that Iran is backing hyper-Sunni, Shiite-killing Taliban in Afghanistan.[.]”
“Mars for three and a half years has helped scientists to find strong new evidence that the Red Planet was once wetter and possibly capable of supporting life.
Analysis of a patch of soil that was churned up by the stuck wheel on the the Spirit rover has revealed it is composed of about 90 per cent pure silica — a mineral that would have required the presence of water to form.
The find has surprised and delighted researchers, who said it is among the most significant discoveries made by Spirit since it landed on Mars in January 2003.”
“A widely used diabetes pill raises the risk of heart attacks and possibly death, according to a scientific analysis that reveals what some experts are calling another
Vioxx-like example of the government failing to protect the public from an unsafe drug.
More than 6 million people worldwide have taken the drug, sold as Avandia and Avandamet, since it came on the market eight years ago to help control blood sugar in people with the most common form of diabetes. About 1 million Americans use it now.”
shooter’s energy task force and massive profiteering by the oil companies have nothing to do with this.
l’m sure it will be ultimately proven to be another nefarious lranian plot…
Black gas price Monday?
Gas prices hit an all-time high on Monday. That’s including adjustments made for inflation. That’s worse than after the OPEC embargo and Iran-Iraq War oil shocks.
Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who has been railing about high gas prices for months, immediately called a press conference, noting that “Today is a historic day in a very bad way.”
[…]
Schumer reiterated points he has been making at every opportunity for weeks. “We ought to look at… breaking up the oil companies, undoing the mergers that occurred in the late 90s… Massive investments in conservation… a real energy policy with teeth that… develops a crash program of the kind of alternative fuels that our country needs and demands.”
[…]
Quite the opposite. Nothing more inevitably ensures that alternative fuels will be developed faster or that more investment will pour into energy efficiency or that more voters will elect politicians who decide to follow California’s example on energy issues than the reality of high gas prices….If Schumer really wants to do something proactive, he should figure out how to cushion that blow with a little good-old-fashioned wealth redistribution, while letting the high price of gas work its price mechanism magic.
schumer’s playing that political theatre stage thingy again, trying to stir up partisan discord…but fear not for the american dream or the future of the big 3…the proud, the many in the washington elite are making sacrifices for the good of the nation, the economy, mom, apple pie, and chevrolet:
The sport utility market may be down nationally, but some Washington-area auto dealers say their SUV sales are just fine.
“Our [Cadillac] Escalade sales have not stopped, it is our best-selling SUV,” said David Marshall, a sales manager at Capital Hummer in Greenbelt.
“The clientele that buys Escalades can afford it, so gas doesn’t seem to be an issue,” he said.
Local SUV dealers attribute their continued sales to the economic stability of the Washington region.
“This area is very affluent and our business is somewhat immune to people who consider fuel economy as a motivating factor in purchasing an SUV,” said Steve Browdy, general sales manager at Moore Cadillac Hummer in Vienna.
Mr. Browdy said that despite high gas prices, his sales of Escalades have been so strong that he has trouble keeping them in stock.
“The people who are buying [full-sized SUVs] don’t really care about gas prices,” he said.
The 2005 Cadillac Escalade has a fuel economy of 13 miles per gallon in city driving conditions, according to the Department of Energy.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music awarded the annual Polar Music Prizes, yesterday. Sonny Rollins, one of the truly great jazz composers and saxophonists was feted, as well as Steve Reich.
rt. clik to enlarge
STEVE REICH & SONNY ROLLINS
WINNERS OF THE POLAR MUSIC PRIZE FOR 2007
The winners of the Polar Music Prize Award for 2007, were unveiled on Thursday the 25th of January at The Royal Swedish Academy of Music in Stockholm. The Chairman of the Board and Award Committee, Mr. Åke Holmquist, read the Award Committee’s citations.
The Sonny Rollins Citation
The 2007 Polar Music Prize is awarded to the American tenor saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, one of the most powerful and personal voices in jazz for more than 50 years. Sonny Rollins has elevated the unaccompanied solo to the highest artistic level – all characterised by a distinctive and powerful sound, irresistible swing and an individual musical sense of humour.
The Steve Reich Citation
The 2007 Polar Music Prize is awarded to the American composer and musician Steve Reich. The award recognises his unique ability to use repeats, canon technique and minimal variation of patterns to develop an entire universe of evocative music, endowed with immediate tonal beauty. Inspired by different musical traditions, Steve Reich has transferred questions of faith, society and philosophy into a hypnotic sounding music that has inspired musicians and composers of all genres.
[…]
The Polar Music Prize is an international music prize and awarded to individuals, groups or institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music. The prize breaks down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music.
The senators told Gonzales that the new request came in light of James Comey’s extraordinary testimony last week, which raised “very serious questions about your personal behavior and commitment to the rule of law.”
This Committee has made no fewer than eight formal requests over the past 18 months — to the White House, the Attorney General, or other Department of Justice officials — seeking documents and information related to this surveillance program. These requests have sought the Executive Branch legal analysis of this program and documents reflecting its authorization by the President. You have rebuffed all requests for documents and your answers to our questions have been wholly inadequate and, at times, misleading.“
The six most senior remaining managers of the World Bank on Monday assumed day-to-day control of the bank in a bid to fill the void created by the looming departure of bank president Paul Wolfowitz.
Mr Wolfowitz agreed to give up almost all executive functions on Friday, though he will formally remain bank chief until June 30. His resignation followed the publication of a devastating report into his handling of a secondment package for Shaha Riza, a bank official with whom he was romantically involved.
The board representing the bank’s shareholder governments has been unable to agree to mandate interim arrangements.
Many countries wanted Graeme Wheeler, one of the two managing directors, to take over the running of the bank, but the US insisted there would be no designated interim leader.
gets in on the Bush global warming propaganda: AP/SFGATE
When will this BS ever end?
Welcome back CG. All is well.
new evidence for my ‘estrogen vision’ theory (you know, the theory for why the boys ask mom where their stuff is; she remembers where she saw it because she has ‘estrogen vision’) Live science
I knew it had to be biological.
You’re on to something…
was wondering whatever become of Lenoard Nimoy?
certainly not what I expected. In search of…obese naked women?
for today, anyway: here
I like the ‘Stop Stealing Food – I spit in mine’ one … lol
The whole thing reminded me of my long-ago roommate, Bob. Bob used to get drunk, come home, eat all ou food, drink all our milk, etc. and not replace it. As you can imagine, this got very annoying and drove everyone else nuts.
Well, one summer week we had all been away, and in our absence, a half-gallon of milk had gone bad (chunky, it was so bad). We bought new to replace it, but the guys were lazy about taking the trash out, and nobody wanted the rotten milk sitting in the can in the kitchen until trash day…so, the bad milk stayed in the fridge, waiting until Thursday – trash day. Except we missed it the first week.
ANyway, I got up on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, and was shocked to see that the bad half-gallon of milk had completely disappeared overnight. And just as I called out down the hall “Who finally put the rotten milk in the trash?”, I heard Bob, retching in the bathroom.
Turned out Bob had come home in his usual inebriated state, and drank the milk, chunks and all. I never laughed so hard in my life, and he finally stopped eating and drinking everyone else’s stuff.
Yesterday in Lebanon, today in Iraq.
Iran, al-Qaeda and Sunnis teaming up! Be very afraid!
Iran’s secret plan for summer offensive to force US out of Iraq
And I see Steven D made a front-page story out of this.
Read it, and follow his link to the Seymour Hersh New Yorker article.
I wouldn’t buy into this.
Underscored by Professor Juan Cole. It’s a silly, sinister article:
(scroll down end of page)
Mars rover finds evidence of water
“Mars for three and a half years has helped scientists to find strong new evidence that the Red Planet was once wetter and possibly capable of supporting life.
Analysis of a patch of soil that was churned up by the stuck wheel on the the Spirit rover has revealed it is composed of about 90 per cent pure silica — a mineral that would have required the presence of water to form.
The find has surprised and delighted researchers, who said it is among the most significant discoveries made by Spirit since it landed on Mars in January 2003.”
To Your Good Health.
Make a pill, design the ill
How to avoid Jet Lag – Viagra could perk up jet lagged travellers
“Travellers flying across the Atlantic could beat jet lag by taking Viagra, research on hamsters has suggested.
Scientists have discovered that the impotence drug helped the animals to cope when their body clocks were disrupted in a similar fashion to jet lag.”
After 8 years on the market, FDA issues alert
Diabetes pill tied to heart risks
shooter’s energy task force and massive profiteering by the oil companies have nothing to do with this.
l’m sure it will be ultimately proven to be another nefarious lranian plot…
schumer’s playing that political theatre stage thingy again, trying to stir up partisan discord…but fear not for the american dream or the future of the big 3…the proud, the many in the washington elite are making sacrifices for the good of the nation, the economy, mom, apple pie, and chevrolet:
lovely, the have more’s…BuchCo’s base.
lTMF’sA
For a good time please go look at this: My Generation
Their story: here
Holy cow – now we’re all grey panthers.
IN DENIAL:
Identity Crisis or Feeling Lonely
Sen. Joe Lie-ber-man (I-CT) has threatened to join the GOP, Again.. Joe, you haven’t been a Democrat for a very long time. The Party abandoned you. So if you make it real, what will happen to your Independent Party of one?
Come September.
Bush: September “important moment” in Iraq
Come Christmas
Bush plans a 2nd surge, could double force by Christmas (H/T: Huffpost)
Like a bump on a log
Clarence has no questions. Justice Thomas sat, or slept, through 68 hours of oral arguments in the Supreme Court’s current term.
Unquotables, from the President’s man
Zinsmeister: `I’ll Never Hire Another Woman Because They Just Get Pregnant And Leave’ (H/T: Thinkprogress)
Don’t know if anybody saw this, but Hugo Chavez told the Pope
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music awarded the annual Polar Music Prizes, yesterday. Sonny Rollins, one of the truly great jazz composers and saxophonists was feted, as well as Steve Reich.
rt. clik to enlarge
l’m not familiar enough with Reich’s work to comment, but Rollin’s has long been acknowledged as a true master.
Kudos!
lTMF’sA
Via Thinkprogress
Specter and Leahy gives Abu Gonzales until June 5th.
And this is your last chance young man.
World Bank tries to fill leadership void