Science?

Four reasons why you should be reading...

Watts Up With That? Of course, if you don't like the debate on global warming and choose to steer clear of "vile rhetoric" I certainly understand - but also note that Anthony Watts operates a very enforced courteous requirement on his blog. It's very professional and packed with source data if you like to dive into pdfs and spreadsheets. Anyway, here are four articles on the front page from over the weekend: Why does NASA GISS oppose Satellites? Could it be because the temperatures are cooler than those collected at USHCN sites? Watts has a huge group effort job at surfacestations.org documenting how artifical heat sources and poor locations are giving hotter temperature readings than if they were placed correctly. "Shifting of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation from its warm mode to cool mode assures global cooling for the next three decades." That'll throw a wrench in the cogs. Peer reviewed? Definitely worth a quick read. Kidney stones and global warming - No... seriously. See, Rob? It really is GW Bush's fault! If you're a skeptic of AGW, you'll find lots and lots of data-backed information there to help show how the science really isn't settled.

Brad Blauser - Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids

Today I was reading a post and saw B.Blauser, an Aggie, get slammed on an Aggie message board in an extremely classless politically-motivated attack that made my blood boil... and then read his patient, supportive and "christ-like" response. It was very impressive. Anyway Blauser has been posting on the Aggies board for several years about some of the humanitarian endeavors he is helping out in Iraq and I can't believe I haven't posted any of this on FIU before. Brad Blauser (on the right in the above pic) was working in Iraq as a contractor and got involved with 'Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids'. They ask for donations in order to provide wheelchairs to Iraqi kids in need. He posts updates and pictures (some of which are very graphic) of some of the children they help. 95% of these children have birth defects or are crippled as a result of childhood diseases. He has continued his involvement and now has stopped contracting and is a full-time humanitarian. Below is a description from their website. Many children in a number of nations are born with birth defects such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida among others, and Iraq is no different. Also, a number of children have suffered from injuries caused by the war environment. However, because of the environment and war situation in Iraq, there are no services to help these children with their disabilities. Supporters can provide a $2000 wheelchair for only $300 manufacturing cost, with free shipping to Iraq thanks to USAID and the Denton Program. A picture of the child in the wheelchair will be provided to donors who sponsor a wheelchair. Just thought I'd post this here for everyone to read, visit the website and maybe pass this on. Brad and his cause deserve to get all of the pub they can.

Rounding Out the Red Mountain

Forgive the lack of photo material to go along with this post, but I've only recently pulled the camera out of the box it was in for the move to Arizona, and the batteries were dead, dead, dead. Last night, and for the first time in my life I have attended a highway opening. Not the actual ceremony...I wasn't interested in listening to Governor Napolitano run rhetorical or political about the 1/2 cent tax bond enacted in the 80s that made the completion of Red Mountain Highway (AZ Loop 202) possible. No, instead I went for a bicycle ride on the newly laid blacktop, and let me tell you, that road is SMOOTH. Well, I went for a bike ride for a half mile or so, then I dismounted and walked the bike through an ever thickening throng of people. Based on the number of people who attended, you would think the opening of a highway was some form of gala event, and maybe it was. Exhibit booths were set up along both sides of the highway running about half a mile each way north and south of the McKellips Road bridge, with enough free water provided to keep the attendees from dying in the heat of the Arizona sun. Two food vendors were passing out samples to encourage people to swing by their restaurants. One, Famous Dave's Pit BBQ will be getting some business from me soon. I've only been in Mesa for two weeks, and already I miss Texas BBQ. Everyone I passed or spoke to was very friendly, and the party-goers (if that's what you can call them) seemed to be having a genuinely fun time - especially the children. Everywhere I looked, I could see children of all ages on scooters, bicycles, and skateboards. Families brought out tandem bicycles and even one dual tandem bicycle which sat four people two-abreast. The people watching experience was great, the people were great, and the event was just all around good fun.

Way too cool!!

Via

I got nuthin'

We're moving. The lease is up Oct. 31. We're not moving. We're moving. No, we're not. We're moving here >>>>> [start planning, contracting, making lists ...] Wait! We're not moving there. Yes, we are. No, we're not! WTF ?!? NO, WE'RE NOT! [Now what .... ] We're moving there! Terrific! [start planning, contracting, making lists ...] We're going to be a cluster. OK! Sign the lease yet? No. K. When? Coupla weeks. For October 31? Maybe. Shut up! Don't tell anybody! So .... how come you told everybody? So .... how are the negotiations going? I mean, for the cluster thingy. Not so good. Might be a couple of years. Looking at other venues? Thought so. Cluster ... merge ... sure/maybe! Don't do anything? [Crikey! Contractors need 6-8 weeks to schedule!] [Vacation totally screwed.] ClusterF&*%ed .... .... to be continued ....... Sorry, guys.

No.... Everyone knows it's "demons"....

There was a time when every ailment was blamed on demons. You sneezed and someone said "God Bless you." Mind you, it wasn't just politeness back then. It was a serious invocation of God's power to drive the demon from you that has now just become politeness. Thankfully with the advent of better science and a stronger grasp of medicine we're able to set aside a lot of that mysticism and test ailments for what they are, right? Not. So. Much. Global warming may increase kidney stones: researchers More Americans are likely to suffer from kidney stones in the coming years as a result of global warming, according to researchers at the University of Texas. Kidney stones, which are formed from dissolved minerals in the urine and can be extremely painful, are often caused by caused by dehydration, either by not drinking enough liquid or losing too much due to high heat conditions. If global warming trends continue as projected by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007, the United States can expect as much as a 30 percent growth in kidney stone disease in some of its driest areas, said the findings published in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The increased incidence of disease would represent between 1.6 million and 2.2 million cases by 2050, costing the US economy as much as one billion dollars in treatment costs. "This study is one of the first examples of global warming causing a direct medical consequence for humans," said Margaret Pearle, professor of urology at University of Texas Southwestern and senior author of the paper. Call me a skeptic but it says in the blurb "Kidney stones.... are often caused by caused by dehydration." So I'll ask this: Does an increase in temperature make dehydration a fact? No. Does global warming make people unable to hydrate? No. Does a academic have a better chance for funding from liberally minded grants if they include global warming as the cause of anything? Yes. Is this a case of correlation being confused with causation? Indeed, it is. Look, if you want to do a study all you have to do is add "global warming" as a cause and you have a 50% better chance of getting funded because it's the liberal cause of the moment. I think that's a bunch of crap because it wastes resources that could be used for, I don't know, helpful treatment of kidney stones. How about something like " will ingestion of higher levels of potassium cut the formation of kidney stones due to electronegative difference between K and Ca in stone formation." Hell, they may already know the answer to that but it's still more useful than this crap. Still, if you can't beat them , you might as well join them. So, I'm letting it be know that I have a study open for funding. I'll be willing to do my research for a mere $50 million dollars. I'll test the effects of global warming on the erectile function of 35 year old males who gain a sudden windfall sum of cash. I'll even cross test that the effects of global warming on breast implants, a new sports cars paint and of "undocumented immigrants" that do yard work.

Happy Super Science Summer

Saying "I'm bored" around our house isn't a complaint. It's an invitation.