First Looks category archive

Scientific Blogging considers whose prediction of the end of the world is more likely correct: that of the Mayans or of the Norsemen.

We know some people believe that the Mayans predicted the end of the world because one of their calendars, based on precession, ends on the Winter Solstice in 2012 – and we have to give them credit for being able to even calculate the Winter Solstice in 2012 – but 13 was a magic number to Mayans so it seems more likely that instead of going beyond 13 they would just have started over.

The Norse were a lot more serious. They blew up stuff when Ages ended.

Read the whole thing, if only for the cool graphics of the constellations.

Patrick Lockerby at Scientific Blogging:

The Gulf disaster is not an oil spill – it’s a wild well. I hate weasel words.

Follow the link.

When summer is defined, not as an astronomical event (the solstice) but as a climate event, the beginning of reliably summer-like weather, this is what some British researches found:

To determine the onset of summer, they looked for the third day of each year when average temperatures reached 14C (about 54 Fahrenheits–ed.). That may sound distinctly chilly for summer, but comfortably allows for daytime temperatures above 20C (about 64 Fahrenheit; remember, this the UK–ed.).

Records show that in the period 1954-1963, the average date for the third such day was 25 May. By the 1990s, it had shifted forwards to 14 May. By 1998-2007, on average, summer arrived on 7 May. The shift is consistent with global warming, Bigg said. “It’s always very difficult to make direct attributions but scientists say global warming is very likely driven by human activity and I think we can say the same thing.” The researchers saw a similar, though smaller, pattern with summer plant flowering. On average, the first flowering date for 1954-1963 was 29 May. By 1991-2000 it was 26 May.

Lady’s foot slips off brake and hits gas pedal. Car runs into day care. No serious injuries.

What I don’t understand is that the story’s lead included this phrase:

a minivan driven by a pregnant woman

What does her being pregnant have to do with the story?

I can see including it in the body as a little human interest element, but putting it in the lead is weird, as it has nothing whatsoever to do with what happened.

From the Facing South blog:

Despite an army of reporters and officials investigating the Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster, one item has curiously escaped much attention: Shell Oil is running a nearly identical “sister rig” in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which may have the same design flaws that led to the current unfolding disaster.

Extremely detailed description and analysis at the link.

Lipton recycles. More at the link:

There are no paper towels in the bathrooms at Lipton Tea.

Or Styrofoam coffee cups in the cafeteria.

And, on the trash trucks that pull away from the building on West Washington Street – well, there aren’t many trash trucks.

There’s basically no trash.

That’s part of the title of an editorial in the Guardian. A nugget:

BP was in the forefront of lobbying to contain the regulatory framework within which it had to operate in the Gulf of Mexico. Last year it spent $15.9m on federal lobbying on issues like drilling on the outer continental shelf. Even as this disaster unfolds, BP continues to oppose tougher rules of safety auditing, arguing that voluntary compliance is enough. However, this catastrophe is not unfolding off the coast of Nigeria or Azerbaijan, but on home turf and on primetime television. Maybe this time, it will change minds.

Addendum:

Rick Perry (R–Loony Bin) thinks the gusher was an act of God.

Guess he worships at the Church of BP.

I need a drink.

Scientific Blogging, where I found this picture, has links for keeping up with the damage.

As Brendan points out, “gusher” would be a more accurate description than “spill” in this case.

’nuff said:

A private bus that ferries passengers to Shockoe Bottom nightspots to help people avoid drinking and driving was struck early yesterday by a vehicle whose driver was charged with driving under the influence and driving without an operator’s license, officials said.

It’s revolutionary!

Glenn Greenwald has a post about unhappiness amongst the White House Press Corps.

Depending on who exactly is telling the story,

• the reporters think that they are not treated with enough respect,
• the Obama White House is not transparent enough,
• the administration is more likely to give scoops to reporters they like (surprise, surprise),
• Robert Gibbs should make massaging their egos returning their phone calls and emails his A-Number-One priority and not delegate anything to his staff, or
• what-EVUH.

Indeed, the topic came up on Diane Rehm’s Friday News Round-Up last week and was rapidly laughed off when one of the guests, a reporter, pointed out that he or she (I can’t remember which) suspected that the American people really don’t care if the White House Press Corps’ noses are a little out of joint.

I lost patience when they were complaining that Mr. Obama dared attend his daughter’s soccer game before a lot of them had shown up for work, rather than commending him for trying to make a moment for fatherhood. (See Note) Let the man have some privacy (well, as much privacy as the Secret Service would allow) with his kid, for Heaven’s sake).

Greenwald points out that, according to several reports he has heard, reporters are afraid to complain publically for fear of retaliation (that is, someone else might get the scoop) and wonders

National political reporters are furious over various White House practices involving transparency and information control, but are unwilling to say so for attribution due to fear of “retaliation,” instead insisting on hiding behind a wall of anonymity (which Politico, needless to say, happily provides). Isn’t that a rather serious problem: that the White House press corps is afraid to criticize the President and the White House for fear of losing access and suffering other forms of retribution? What does that say about their “journalism”? It’s the flip side of those White House reporters who need the good graces of Obama aides for their behind-the-scenes books and thus desperately do their bidding: what kind of reporter covering the White House would possibly admit that they’re afraid to say anything with their names attached that might anger the President and his aides? How could you possibly be a minimally credible White House reporter if you have that fear? Doesn’t that unwillingness rather obviously render their reporting worthless?

They are called “Villagers” because they think it’s all about them.

Note:

According to the story at the link, which seems sane compared to the loonies were tried to claim there was no game, most of them were planning to show up by 11:30 to be with Mr. Obama for something else on the schedule. Mr. Obama decided at the last minute to attend the 9:30 game. By the time the White House staff had rounded up the reporters who were present and loaded them in a van, the game was over.

This makes much more sense than the reports from the wingnut loony bin claiming there was no game.

Speaking of the wingnut loony bin, Shaun Mullen has another round up of the week in wingnuttery.

Someone’s unhappy:

Disturbing? Yes. Illegal? Probably not.

That’s what police, residents and free-speech experts say about a truck seen driving around the city displaying handmade signs disparaging women. The placards, stuck to the back of the dark purple pickup, include messages such as “All women are Satan” and “A perfect woman is a dead woman.”

The display is protected as free speech, according to prosecutors and state and local police.

Follow the link for a picture and a rather good discussion of the difference between obnoxious speech and threatening speech.

What I suspect to be most persons’ immediate question–What’s bugging him anyway?–is not answered.

In other news, the owner of license plate 14CV88, who was in the news last week, explains his choice of the plate. I updated my original post to include his explanation, . . .

Addendum:

. . . as well as a link to Raw Story’s deconstruction of his explanation; it is, er, rather shaky on several points.

Dick Polman rounds up some strays.

Via Mudflats.

All about what he’s learned about controlling stink bugs in his garden, which isn’t much because there’s not much that can be done, but he can get you headed in the right direction.

I would suggest not conducting any experiments to determine whether the little stinkers are aptly named. They are and they do.

A little earthquake just up the river from here; I’d be surprised if anyone on the surface noticed it.

I was in a 4.something-I-think-4 once in San Francisco. I had traveled there by train for a conference. (One of the bennies in traveling on a business pass was being entitled to a private room in a sleeping car.)

It was my first night on the ground after three nights en route (leave Philly in the evening, arrive in Chicago in the morning, kill a day, leave in the late afternoon, arrive Oakland late the second morning–it is a big country).

I woke up dreaming I was back in the sleeping car rocking in the berth from crossing rough switches. It lasted about as long as it would take to cross two tracks at slow speed leaving a station.

I realized what had happened, figured it was over, and went back to sleep. The next morning, the desk clerk told me that a number of persons had come down at three o’clock and checked out.

I have always wondered, where did they go at three o’clock in the morning? Another hotel in downtown San Francisco?

More here.

In a follow-up story about the Philly-area road rage guy who killed himself this week:

Ferman said that in the first suicide note, Yannarell . . . professed his love to those close to him. Authorities were working to figure out who they were.