Monday, January 02, 2012
skippy's monday night music club
(apparently her fiance has not heard this song...)
Labels: skippy's music club, youtube
new moon on monday
don't forget the raging misogyny of ron paul supporters
gee, maybe ipads and kindles don't interfer w/an airplane's instruments all that much after all
lance mannion reviews "tintin"
this is why gop wants to defund pbs
mainstream news outlets spent a lot of time in 2011 covering the record-breaking year for extreme weather in the u.s. but only a few of them spent much time exploring the link between those events and global warming.
so pbs deserves a special mention for a segment that aired last week looking at how global warming is influencing extreme weather events. as jeff masters, co-founder of the weather underground, explained in the piece: "they all tend to get increased when you have this extra energy in the atmosphere. I call it being on steroids ... for the atmosphere." - grist
Labels: climate change, environment, gop, pbs, science, weather
vermont trying to live up to it's name
vermont has taken a large step forward for us states, outlining in its comprehensive energy plan how it will get 90% of all its energy from renewable sources by 2050. currently vermont gets 23% of its energy from renewable sources, mostly biomass and hydropower which supply roughly 50% of the state's electricity. - treehugger
Labels: climate change, ecology, energy, vermont
Sunday, January 01, 2012
tweet of the day
environmental news stories sunday
smog from celebrations closes philippine airport. - smog from new years eve celebrations was so thick in manilla this year that flights had to be diverted - philippine daily enquirer
anyway...happy new year to all of skippy's readers.
global warming: top stories of 2011. - if 2011 goes down as the year that global warming awareness reached a critical mass, it could be attributed to the spate of unusual weather events around the globe - summit county citizens voice
world pays ecuador not to extract oil from rainforest. - an alliance of european local authorities, national governments, us film stars, japanese shops, soft drink companies and russian foundations have stepped in to prevent oil companies exploiting 900m barrels of crude oil from one of the world's most biologically rich tracts of land - london guardian
diy cesium scanning store may be 'new normal.' - the surreal sight of a do-it-yourself radiation testing facility standing next to a hardware store and an Internet cafe raises a question for japan: is this the new normal? - japan times
ohio connects quakes to injection well. - the state has temporarily halted the disposal of waste produced from shale drilling within a 5-mile radius of the d&l energy brine-injection well on ohio works drive in girard. the announcement was made late saturday following the magnitude 4.0 earthquake that shook the youngstown area around 3 p.m. - youngstone daily business journal
oil rigs may provide bird buffet for sharks. - heaped on a table at the laboratory, the pile of beaks, feet, eyeballs, feathers and whole bird carcasses testified to what may be the oil industry’s most unexpected environmental impact - mobile press register
severe storms led to sewage spills across connecticut. - while power outages during tropical storm Irene and the october snowstorm left much of the state in the dark, they had a less-publicized but possibly more damaging result — millions of gallons of raw sewage spilled into waterways throughout connecticut when backup power systems failed at waste treatment plants - hartford current
wildfires devastate chilean wilderness. - wildfires sweeping through one of south america's most famous national parks are devastating thousands of acres of pristine habitat. so far, more than 21,000 acres of torres del paine have been destroyed by blazes that have yet to be brought under control - london independent
more storms on the way unless we learn to manage the land. - when the bureau of meteorology releases its annual data this week, it will probably announce that australia has just had the second or third wettest year in its recorded history. no surprise. by changing the landscape, we changed the weather - sydney morning herald
nimasa: bonga oil spill requires national, international response. - as efforts to clean the oil spillage at the bonga offshore production storage and offloading vessel continue, the management of nigerian maritime administration and safety agency has said only a national and international response could save ecological and aquatic lives in the oil- and gas-rich niger delta region - lagos this day
new china food safety scandal widens to oil, peanuts. - chinese authorities in a southern boomtown have detected a cancer-causing toxin in peanuts and cooking oil that was only recently discovered in milk, in the nation's latest food safety scandal - afp
green will be hot for 2012, flordians predict. - being eco-friendly will be important in art, food, landscaping and across the spectrum of design, floridians predicted. - melbourne florida today
missing maps mean pg&e lines weren't inspected. - pacific gas and electric co. failed to check nearly 14 miles of gas distribution pipelines for leaks for up to two decades when it lost track of 16 maps needed to guide mandated safety inspections of its system in eastern contra costa county. - sfgate
a tempestuous year. - is there a connection between last year’s extreme weather events and global warming? the answers might be a lot clearer if the republicans in congress were less hostile to climate change research. - nytimes
the recession squeeze on buses and trains. - for the average american driver, the time wasted in traffic jams has more than doubled in 30 years. the best way of easing that gridlock — not to mention saving gas, curbing pollution and finally finishing that novel — is public transit - nytimes
new hampshire celebrates 25 years of environmental protection. - the year 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of des and its service to the people of our state. des has played a vital role in protecting and restoring our precious natural resources and public health - exeter news-letter
only new economics can save great lakes . - there is a substantial and growing consensus that planet earth is in trouble and that the prevalent economic model, which has brought us to the point of crisis, will not be the solution to the crisis - ashland current
study: does enduring extreme weather make you vote liberal? - on the heels of a disastrous weather year in the usa, and with the long presidential campaign season looming, a new study finds that people who have endured extreme weather events are more likely to support environmental legislation, even if it means restricting individual freedoms. - usa today
benzene fouling drinking water at suncor refinery, chemicals seeping into sand creek. - toxic petroleum dissolved in groundwater beneath suncor energy north of downtown denver is seeping directly into the bottom of sand creek near the creek's confluence with the south platte river, and piped drinking water at the refinery may be contaminated with benzene - denver post
arnold schwarzenegger's green road back. - in recent weeks, schwarzenegger has begun to return to the spotlight, making public appearances at renewable energy and climate change events, advocating for green technology and touting his energy achievements in the golden state - politico
Labels: brush fires, chile, china, climate change, connecticut, earthquake, food safety, fracking, global warming, gop, new hampshire, new year, ocean, offshore drilling, oil, pollution, transportation
happy new year
93 year old woman who cleaned tennessee state capital for 30 years denied voter id under new law
how right wing conspiracy theories may pose a genuine threat to humanity
mcdonalds closes all their stores in bolivia
Saturday, December 31, 2011
skippy's saturday night music club
Labels: music, san francisco, skippy's music club, youtube
welcome jon swift fans!
secondly, if any of you are wondering, here's the explanation of blogroll amnesty day.
happy new year, and let's hope 2012 doesn't end with a mayan prophecy!
auld lang syne
the 5 dumbest things republicans have done this year
the worst tv of 2011
the year in science
the year in lies
the 10 worst economic ideas of 2011
the top 10 gop moments of 2011
the most under-reported stories of the year
the best celebrity tweets of 2011
10 winning moments for the 99% in 2011
and don't forget 2011: the year in extreme animals
Friday, December 30, 2011
skippy's friday night music club
Labels: 2011, music, skippy's music club, youtube
friday night
"sex and the single girl" turns 50
1,100 year old mayan ruins found in north georgia
we hope you all enjoyed your last christmas...ever!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
skippy's thursday night music club
Labels: music, skippy's music club, youtube
love the irony
Labels: gingrich, gop, thom hartmann, vote, voting integrity
calling governor bobby jindal
a volcano in alaska's aleutian islands sent up an ash cloud thursday that prompted scientists to increase the alert level for commercial aircraft traffic.
the alaska volcano observatory said satellite images at 4:02 a.m. alaska time showed cleveland volcano had spewed ash 15,000 feet into the air in a cloud that moved east-southeast. u.s. geological survey scientist-in-charge john power called it a small explosion. - cbs
progressive
a new poll from the pew research center for the people & the press out yesterday shows that “progressive” is the most positively viewed political label in america, with 67 percent holding a positive view compared to just 22 percent who view the term negatively: - think progress
Labels: democrats, polls, progressives
thursdays
some advice for chuck norris
we're #1!
and rest in peace tarzan's pal, cheetah
jon stewart
![funny pictures - ur momint ob zen. funny pictures - ur momint ob zen.](http://web.archive.org./web/20120103112110im_/http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/funny-pictures-ur-momint-ob-zen.jpg)
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
Labels: animals, cats, comedians, jon stewart
looking back at 2011
good food news of 2011.
the political scandals of 2011.
osama bin laden's death most impactful story of 2011 (say aol voters)
top corporate governance stories of 2011.
the bbc wants to quiz your knowledge of top stories of 2011.
npr's top songs of 2011. can you hum a few bars of these?
time's top 10 of everything in 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
skippy's wednesday night music club
Labels: music, skippy's music club, youtube
wednesday girl
newt gingrich failed to register newtgingrich.com, which is now a dem parody site
buying insider trading information from congress - and getting rich
what's going on with voter supression and the doj?
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
barely out of tuesday
and rebuttal thereof
pot arrests drop in nyc
why we need the consumer financial protection bureau
Monday, December 26, 2011
happy boxing day
what they won't tell you about pepper spray
time's person of the year: the photo you didn't see
and here's the great gop hot air balloon race
orthocracy speaks
"although no well organized orthocracy allows the rules of rule be made explicit, one can infer the outlines of a system of rules behind the veil -- a ruling system."
"the 13 rules of rule
"1. keep them weak.
"2. keep them dumb.
"3. keep them scared.
"4. control all their resources.
"5. divide them, conquer them.
"6. control their rhythm and pace.
"7. control their chemistry.
"8. control their sex.
"9. jack them around.
"10. use coercion routinely, brute force when necessary.
"11. use deception routinely, the big lie when necessary.
"12. none of this can show.
"13. this is the system; there shall be no other."
Labels: oligarchy
Sunday, December 25, 2011
The Only Modern Xmas Story
I arrived, headed for my favorite barbecue stand and, en route, noticed that Mel Tormé was seated at one of the tables.
Mel Tormé. My favorite singer. Just sitting there, sipping a cup of coffee, munching on an English Muffin, reading The New York Times. Mel Tormé.
I had never met Mel Tormé. Alas, I still haven't and now I never will. He looked like he was engrossed in the paper that day so I didn't stop and say, "Excuse me, I just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed all your records." I wish I had....
I waved the leader of the chorale over and directed his attention to Mr. Tormé, seated about twenty yards from me.
"That's Mel Tormé down there. Do you know who he is?"
The singer was about 25 so it didn't horrify me that he said, "No."
I asked, "Do you know 'The Christmas Song?'"
Again, a "No."
I said, "That's the one that starts, 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...'"
"Oh, yes," the caroler chirped. "Is that what it's called? 'The Christmas Song?'"
"That's the name," I explained. "And that man wrote it." The singer thanked me, returned to his group for a brief huddle...and then they strolled down towards Mel Tormé. I ditched the rest of my sandwich and followed, a few steps behind. As they reached their quarry, they began singing, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..." directly to him.
A big smile formed on Mel Tormé's face — and it wasn't the only one around. Most of those sitting at nearby tables knew who he was and many seemed aware of the significance of singing that song to him. For those who didn't, there was a sudden flurry of whispers: "That's Mel Tormé...he wrote that..."
As the choir reached the last chorus or two of the song, Mel got to his feet and made a little gesture that meant, "Let me sing one chorus solo." The carolers — all still apparently unaware they were in the presence of one of the world's great singers — looked a bit uncomfortable. I'd bet at least a couple were thinking, "Oh, no...the little fat guy wants to sing."
But they stopped and the little fat guy started to sing...and, of course, out came this beautiful, melodic, perfectly-on-pitch voice. The look on the face of the singer I'd briefed was amazed at first...then properly impressed.
On Mr. Tormé's signal, they all joined in on the final lines: "Although it's been said, many times, many ways...Merry Christmas to you..." Big smiles all around.
And not just from them. I looked and at all the tables surrounding the impromptu performance, I saw huge grins of delight...which segued, as the song ended, into a huge burst of applause. The whole tune only lasted about two minutes but I doubt anyone who was there will ever forget it.
Go read the whole thing. The rest of us have to abide with this:
If you liked this, please consider joining me in donations to Oxfam America or Heifer in honor of others. Which will still deliver an e-card in time for the 25 December thingie.
*The other was, of course, sung without the slightest sense of irony at soup kitchen being run at a homeless shelter by the cast of Glee.
environmental news stories sunday
trees in trouble: grim future for frankincense. - frankincense is still used today — for perfumes, incense and traditional medicines — but a new study suggests that its future looks grim - weekend edition (npr)
northeast holds front line in climate change war. - up and down the connecticut river valley in massachusetts colleges and major research universities have expanded their course offerings to address the growing interest in meeting the challenges of a ‘carbon-constrained’ future and other questions of environmental sustainability - springfield republican
add vitamin d to scotland's food: experts. - international experts are calling for food in scotland to be fortified with vitamin d, in an attempt to cut the large numbers of people who develop multiple sclerosis at sunshine-deprived northern latitudes - london guardian
fractured earth, polluted water? - in new mexico, water is precious. until we know more about how fracking can impact water supplies, state regulators should require more information about the chemicals being pumped into the ground. new mexico would be better off safeguarding our water before drilling starts, not after. - santa fe new mexican
global warming and malaria: it’s kind of complicated. - al gore’s “an inconvenient truth” may be the first place a lot of people heard about it, but scientists have been worried for a long time about how climate change will affect infectious diseases - climate central
don't take bath this christmas as drought order is issued. - people in the south east are being asked not to take a bath over christmas to save water after the first winter drought order in almost 10 years was imposed - london daily telegraph
reindeer are fading into holiday myth. - in the barren lands of the far north, where caribou numbers have undergone natural fluctuations over decades, the question is whether the declining populations will have the chance and the space to rebound as their ranges face mineral exploration, mine, oil and gas development, and a changing climate - new york times
green christmas more frequent due to global warming. - there was time in the great white north when dreaming of a white christmas would almost always be a dream come true. - canadian press
mercury rule is president obama's christmas gift to america. - the obama administration delivered a last-minute christmas present this week. on wednesday, following a tortured history, the epa finally released new standards that sharply reduce the emissions of mercury - mother jones
sony's bio battery turns waste paper into electricity. - sony has unveiled a paper-powered battery prototype in japan. the technology generates electricity by turning shredded paper into sugar which in turn is used as fuel. if brought to market, the innovation could allow the public to top up the power of their mobile devices using waste material - bbc
great lakes funding & christmas tree debate. - people who are working on cleaning up the great lakes got some good news this week. after months of negotiations, the 2012 federal budget contains $300 million for the great lakes restoration Initiative - environment report
the best christmas gift ever: saving santa from the watery north pole. - this christmas, think about a donation to the ‘where will santa live?‘ campaign, where your dollars will be put to the best use possible for santa and his crew as they get ready to face their new reality of a warmed up north pole. - scientific american
columnist objects to ads depicting santa as a homeless climate refugee. - “where will santa live?” the ad asks. “santa’s workshop is sinking." actually, it’s okay, kids. santa’s coming next saturday night just as he always does - toronto sun
endangered reindeer. - reindeer – also called caribou – are ubiquitous in the world’s northern latitudes, but the populations closest to the north pole are dwindling because of climate change. now there is a push to list the large deer as endangered - living on earth
real christmas trees save water. - fake christmas trees might be convenient and seem eco-friendly at first glance, but their environmental costs – measured in greenhouse gas emissions and landfill space – far outweigh their benefits, say conservationists who urge consumers to "stay real" this holiday season - national geographic news
Labels: christmas, climate change, drought, england, environment, food, global warming, gore, new mexico, scotland, trees, water
oh little town of blogleham
attacks on obama policy shames christianity
"and unto them a snowy-white albino kiwi was born"
newt gingrich's letter to virginia, regarding the existence of santa and claims he said otherwise
and christwire presents 5 christmas things gays have ruined
it's not christmas
merry xmas
Saturday, December 24, 2011
the blog before christmas
nearly 1/3 of americans are arrested by age 23
say hello to the world's smallest frog
all we want for christmas is democrat with a spine