apple juice

but I love it!

So I’m blogging again…

The Battle Over Climate Science | Popular Science

“In the late 1990s, Mann developed a graph that demonstrated a recent and dramatic uptick in global mean surface temperatures. The hockey-stick-shaped curve has become emblematic to both sides of the climate debate. To the vast majority of climate scientists, it represents evidence, corroborated by decades of peer-reviewed research, of global warming. To climate-change skeptics, the hockey stick is the most grievous of many illusions fabricated by thousands of conspiring scientists to support an iniquitous political agenda.”

If you “believe” in global warming, this article will just be mind-boggling to you. It is funny to even have to say “believe”. We can’t even talk about solutions in this country – we’re still debating whether we “believe” the overwhelming evidence of climate change.

Had a good discussion with Doug the other day about climate change and factors contributing to it. I was discussing my goal to cut back on driving and he pointed out (correctly) that personal transportation is not the majority of the problem. (Though it is about 30% of it)

Luckily, it seems, that presented will silly hot temperatures and brain-eating amoebas, wild fires, droughts, public opinion is shifting on the issue.

So why has it not been made an issue in the presidential campaign? (Rhetorical question) Obama should seize on this and let Romney and Ryan writhe around in denial, trying to speak to their base. As governor, Romney was pretty moderate, but as a republican presidential candidate you have to worry about things, like appeasing the oil and gas industry.

Mitt Romney’s shifting views on climate change

The longer he runs for president, the more doubts Republican front-runner Mitt Romney seems to have about the science behind global climate change.

Hmm…

I’m not sure what prompted looking through my archives this evening, but I realized… this blog is nearly 10 years old!

Hard to believe that I’ve kept this thing going for that long. It started out as a place to post pictures of our puppy, Yeti, and quickly turned in to my little soapbox on the war in Iraq.

Since I don’t have quite as much time alone with my thoughts these days, I haven’t been able to put the same effort in to writing as I would like. Not that there aren’t issues to discuss…

A couple little notes from the archives: I recently objected to some friends saying some harsh things online about President Obama. I had (in my mind) thought that there was no way I had resorted to any sort of childish name calling of President Bush in my online postings. It didn’t take me long to find an example… sorry about that.

I called an Obama presidency on July 27, 2004. I thought I was on record earlier, but that must have been a face to face conversation with someone following a trip to Chicago in 2003…

Well, if you all keep reading, I’ll keep writing, and even if you stop, I’ll still be here.

I’ve made a goal for this school year: to bike to work on Mondays. All year.

So, before the year actually gets underway, the weather today presented a bit of an opportunity in the form of a rainstorm. Let’s try out these fenders! Does this rain jacket actually hold up? Should I bike in these shoes in the rain? Will I get drenched? Am I insane?

The answers to those questions are presented below in list form:

1. No
2. No
3. Yes
4. Not totally.

Luckily wet jeans, socks and shoes are only temporary. Character lasts a lifetime.

How was the actual ride?

Well, I was cruising faster than normal due to the reduced traffic on my preferred bikeways. I did pass one other gentleman who was seemingly oblivious to the deluge. He was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, no helmet, and a european satchel slung over his shoulder.

Being outside in the rain on a bike sounds (aurally) amazing.

The branches that I typically will pass with a comfortable whisper collided with my helmet like I imagine salmon falling from the sky might sound as they hit the pavement. (Wet, slappy)

The fenders were amazing, not a lick of spray coming from below. My lights were flashing and generally making me look like a Christmas tree on wheels, so that was also a positive.

15 minutes door to door, and a big smile on my face when I arrived. (To the laughter of fellow employees)

Things to remember for next time:

Rain pants.

Rain boots.

sonja: It’s time for bed, emilia.

emilia: Let’s have a family snug-fest!

me: is that where we all snuggle?

emilia: mmm, snugglish!

guilty for loving burgers. I wish the costs were upfront at the register. I’m telling you, a carbon tax is a good idea. Free markets rely on good information, and when you don’t have the full story when you make your decisions at the store – we make “sub-optimal” decisions.