Daily Archives: October 28, 2010

Increased storminess with global warming may follow different patterns in N v S hemispheres

Weather systems in the Southern and Northern hemispheres will respond differently to global warming … the warming of the planet will affect the availability of energy to fuel extratropical storms, or large-scale weather systems that occur at Earth’s middle latitudes. The resulting changes will depend on the hemisphere and season, the study found.

More intense storms will occur in the Southern Hemisphere throughout the year, whereas in the Northern Hemisphere, the change in storminess will depend on the season — with more intense storms occurring in the winter and weaker storms in the summer. The responses are different because even though the atmosphere will get warmer and more humid due to global warming, not all of the increased energy of the atmosphere will be available to power extratropical storms. It turns out that the changes in available energy depend on the hemisphere and season, according to the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

source

If you are gay and you marry a gay person, it’s like you married a dog

According to Rebecca Kleefisch Republican, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin Lt. Governor.

“This is a slippery slope,” Kleefisch said. “In addition to that at what point are we going to be okay marrying inanimate objects? Can I marry this table or this, you know, clock? Can we marry dogs?

“This is ridiculous,” continued Kleefisch. “And biblically, again, I’m going to go right back to my fundamental Christian beliefs marriage is between one man and one woman.”

Wisconsin is obviously full of morons. Chances are they are actually going to elect this Michel Bachmann clone and throw out Russ Feingold. Wisconsin, would you please move so you are not the next state over? Thank you very much.

 

Yet another bogus anti science “watchdog” group rears its very ugly head

This seems to be another case of an immature snot-nose sociopath using the leveling power of the Internet to be important-seeming, and accusing stem cell researchers of fraud with highly dubious evidence that reflects more on the accuser’s low level of training and inadequate knowledge than anything else. ERV, spotting the parallels with the “Your Not Helping” fiasco, nails it. Here.

Who is Erik Paulsen, anyway?

Erik Paulsen is my representative to the US Congress. This is his first term. He replaced a very centrist Republican (Jim Ramstad) who retired honorably. I worked for the Democratic Party (DFL, we call it in Minnesota) candidate, Ash Madia during that election. Ash was a good candidate but he was inexperienced (which may or may not have been a factor) not quite waspy enough for this very waspy district (which may or may not have been a factor), and although his politics matched those of the district’s constituents quite well (at least as well as the long-lasting Jim Ramstad’s politics did) he was probably viewed as too liberal and people chose the “centrist” candidate Erik Paulsen.
Continue reading Who is Erik Paulsen, anyway?

Understanding Michele Bachmann in the context of Human Evolution

i-43618a1b871c8cb3deea154e29185dda-barking dog.JPG

This barking dog is not very smart. But it could make a good Republican.
The only thing harder to understand than Michele Bachmann is the Republican Party. Bachmann is hard to understand in this way: How can a person with her mind be an elected member of congress?!?!??? The Republican party is hard to understand in this way: How can a party that is trying to become more rather than less relevant keep putting Michele Bachmann on the podium in places like the National Party Convention and, most recently, at CEPAC??!?!?!?
Continue reading Understanding Michele Bachmann in the context of Human Evolution

The Minnesota Third Congressional District: Vote for Jim Meffert

I am represented in the US House of Representatives by Erik Paulsen. I’ve not heard much from Erik since his election two years ago because he doesn’t tell us much. But I don’t need to hear from him, really, because he is, for all intents and purposes, a clone of Michele Bachmann, the nutbag who represents the yahoos of the district next to mine. As I’ve previously blogged (and I’m reposting this later today) Erik Paulsen votes in lockstep with Michele Bachmann, differing only in trivial ways. So, if I want to know how the guy who represents me in the House is doing, and what he is up to, I just check the news, which tends to cover Bachmann pretty throughly because she is such a freak of nature, and see what she’s doing. And Erik will be there sniffing her butt and doing whatever she tells him to.

Not that I disdain the guy or anything. But officially, this blog endorses the DFL Candidate Jim Meffert for the Third.

And, I quickly add, I do not endorse Jim because he is not Paulsen. When he started his campaign, I contacted his staff and intensively grilled them regarding Meffert’s position on each issue. He and I are pretty much in agreement on everything, and I will be very happy to be represented by him in Washington. Meffert will make an excellent Congressperson.

The race is close, according to certain polls. If you’d like to help a guy out, click here and send Meffert ten bucks or so.

Conservatives need to keep gays marginalized otherwise what incentive would they have to refrain from all the gay sex they want to have (instead of just some of it)?

Got your attention? Good. Have a look at this:

Libertarians are generally characterized by (misplaced) arrogance. Liberals are generally characterized by…well, I don’t actually know, but I’m sure I’ll get suggestions. Conservatives are generally characterized by fear.

It informs all their policies…. Read the rest here, at “A Movement of Cowards.” It is an excellent discussion of the way fear motivates. Fear motivates us all at times and to varying extent, but it mainly works on the cowards. Like Rand Paul and his head stomper, and Michele Bachmann and her ilk in the House.