Union of Concerned Scientists We still need to defuse nuclear weapons because nuclear threats are still not an option. Nuclear war is not an option. Sixty years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the most blatant threats of nuclear war has been made by Russian President Vladimir Putin. But these are far from the … Continue reading 60 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, nuclear threats are still not an option
Category: planet earth
long COVID is disabling to most people who have it
Four out of five people with long COVID struggle with normal day to day activities. This is an alarming statistic, combined with the fact that estimates of between 10 and 20 percent of those who catch COVID end up with Long COVID. Both sets of statistics come from the CDC--why do they keep on scaling … Continue reading long COVID is disabling to most people who have it
the furor over Planet of the Humans
You may have heard about the documentary Planet of the Humans. You should definitely see the movie, but read this post first.
why Mercury retrograde might be real even when it isn’t real
If Planet Mercury's age was the equivalent of one day, the Greco-Roman pantheon from which the name comes from would have appeared only within the last one-tenth of a second of the day. As such, if someone tried to talk to Planet Mercury about its retrograde motion and its impact on our travel and communication, the ancient planet would likely respond, "Wait, what?"
everything we know about politics is wrong (paranoia run amuck version)
Soundtrack in my head: Talking Heads, "Life During Wartime" geralt / Pixabay In my last three posts I talked about the revelation of the mass surveillance program in which our emails, internet searches, and mobile phone data are collected, stored and subject to review by the U.S. government at any time. It could be said … Continue reading everything we know about politics is wrong (paranoia run amuck version)
what a difference a year makes with the weather–or does it?
A tale of two views of the same street, but different weather, a year apart: This time last year, we had May weather in March, including some 80°F days. This year, still a lot of snow on the ground, with our most recent snowfall on Sunday. So this means global warming's over, right? (Ba-bump, crash). … Continue reading what a difference a year makes with the weather–or does it?
funny, i don’t remember “Indian Summer” being this creepy
Soundtrack in my head: Beat Happening, "Indian Summer" I don't know what it is about this fall's "Indian Summer" but there's something about it that seems, well...strange. Brief spells of summer-like weather in October or even November aren't unusual. Perhaps it's because this year's Indian Summer is so cloudy as to be gloomy. Might it … Continue reading funny, i don’t remember “Indian Summer” being this creepy
okay, okay, i give up! i’m getting an air conditioner!
Soundtrack in my head: INXS, "Burn For You" Maybe it was stubbornness, but I don't think it was pride. After all, I'd owned an air conditioner before, and it wasn't a terrible experience. But for nine summers I'd resisted getting an air conditioner. Really, I just didn't feel like spending the money, even though it … Continue reading okay, okay, i give up! i’m getting an air conditioner!
correction: it’s NOT all fun and games before the polar ice caps melt
Soundtrack in my head: School of Fish, "3 Strange Days" This picture reflects what Madison WI usually looks like during the first or second week of May. It looks like fun and games. The lawns are green and ready to be mowed, and the tree buds are turning into real leaves. But with the last … Continue reading correction: it’s NOT all fun and games before the polar ice caps melt
is this now silly season?
Soundtrack in my head: Tommy Roe, "Dizzy" Years ago I read a short story by Robert Heinlein called "The Year of the Jackpot." It was written in 1952 and the story takes place in 1962. It is about a statistician who makes notes of trends and plots them on a graph, which he refers to … Continue reading is this now silly season?