What's The Worst That Could Happen?

Climate Wizard of Oz condemns Kansas - Short Sharp Science - New Scientist

Climate change is inevitable; just look at the history of the planet. However, the cause of those changes were most likely never rested in the hands of a single species before now. Especially not one that is supposed the be the most intelligent on the planet - as far as we know...

Anyway, blame it on the politicians,

It's hard not to feel sympathy for Kansas' plight. The irony, of course, is that this state - and many of the other states which will be getting up the closest and most personal with global warming - has dragged its heels the most over climate legislation. Just last week Kansas Congressman Jerry Moran slammed a proposal to cap greenhouse gas emissions. "There is no more devastating piece of legislation for rural America, for the Midwest, for agriculture, for farmers and for small business than this piece of legislation at a time like this economy -- bar none," he ranted.

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However, there are still people that claim that climate change is just a bunch of hot air, including the founder of the Weather Channel who filed a law suit against Gore's claims in "An Inconvenient Truth" back in 2008 claiming fraud:


In support there are, or were, those who said that reports of Antartica melting were hogwash in January '08:


However, a few months later (March '08), a 160 sq. mile chunk of Antarctica ice shelf broke off into the ocean:


Is global climate change real? Do you really want to wait around, maintain the status quo, and find out; or would you rather try to clean things up and make life better? What's the worst that could happen?

Facebook, bah humbug

I haven't been blogging much, something I intend to fix, due to experimentation with Facebook.

What seemed like a good idea at first, hasn't lived up to it's expectations. It would seem that Facebook is more about quizes, polls, gifts, games, causes, and other inane bull shit, than actually networking with family, friends, old acquaintances, and people of similar interests. Additionally, you don't get much room to rant in and are limited to what you can embed in a posting.

So it's back to blogging for now. Here I can post and embed what I want and not worry about sounding like a prude, or a jack ass in front of everyone; 'cause nobody's listening. Everyone I know are all over at Facebook. :P

F U FCC

Here's a little ditty from Eric Idle that pretty much mirrors the opinion of most small market TV stations.

[CAUTION: Language]

Looking Forward

The future will be built on the ruins of the past. Doesn't that sound grim? When you think about it, most people are so stuck on what they know that it's hard for them to embrace change until what they know is gone. So, where better then to look to the future of architecture and city design than in the places that seem to always need rebuilding due to huricanes and earthquakes?

E. Kevin Schopfer, AIA (American Institute of Architects), RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), has come up with the following design for an archology in New Orleans. The biggest question is would people be willing to give up their private homes to live in a complex such as this, and who would it be affordable for the average citizen?



NOAH: New Orleans Arcology Habitat

http://www.ahearnschopfer.com/schopfer/planning/noah/index.html
http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/08/17/heavenly-abode/

In Tokyo, where land is at a premium and is under threat of earthquakes, tsunami, and volcanos; the Takenaka Corporation has proposed the Sky City 1000 archology project. The problem here is money and coming up with the raw materials needed to build it.

Tokyo Sky City 1000


One project that is looking to the future in a not so disaster prone area (depending on how you look at deserts) is the Masdar Initiative. This is a planned city in Abu Dhabi, UAE, a location with a enough wealth and forsight to put together and implement a plan for a city of the future. Masdar City would be an off the grid city that generates it's own power, cleans it's water supply, recycles it's waste, etc. It's quite a move for a country that built it's wealth on the oil industry, to now look to become a leader in renewable energies.

Masdar City

http://www.masdar.ae/en/home/index.aspx

With any luck, the cities, as we know them today, will become roadside attractions like the old ghost towns and reenactment villages, while we live in green cities powered by the sun, wind, geothermal, and/or the waves.

Blah...

Finally, July is over. A rather cool one at that. According to our chief meteorologist told me it was the third coolest on record. I know I hate summers that get too hot and muggy, but this year I think I would have preferred hot and humid days to the 60 to 70 degree days that we have had so far. I'm hoping that August will bring back some of those 80 to 90 degree days so I can appreciate the cool weather this fall.

My friend Jim sent me the season three Torchwood: Children of Earth mini-series. I was quite thrilled with it, and feel that it's on par with the best of the new Doctor Who series. Not sure how they plan on continuing the series with the way that it ended though.


[[!!SPOILER WARNING!!]]

Ianto's dead and Jack's running away from his guilty conscience (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy style) by hitching a lift on a passing spaceship, leaving a pregnant Gwen Cooper to hold the ship on her own. It's a shitty way to leave things to be picked up if a fourth season becomes manifest. I've also heard rumors that John "Captain Jack" Barrowman may be heading stateside for a part in...Desperate Housewives. Gack! I suppose you could fill Jack's shoes with Martha Jones, with Donna Noble as her assistant. It's be an all female cast: Eve Myles, Freema Agyeman, and Catherine Tate.

[[END SPOILERS]]

Jim also sent over two 1990's direct to video BBV Doctor Who spin-off movie series, PROBE and the Auton Trilogy. PROBE felt like an early version of Torchwood with Liz Grant (a companion of the Doctor's from his time at UNIT) investigating Preturnatural crimes and featuring several of the actors who played the Doctor over the years and companions in various roles. The Auton trilogy seems to have had a lower budget that the PROBE videos, but it followed the continuing plots perpetrated by the Autons (one of my favorite Who villians) and contested by UNIT, so I still enjoyed it.

Closer to home, Mike talked me into buying Mercenaries 2 (on the pretense that he would buy Crackdown) so he could get the co-op achievements for the game (ditto for him getting Crackdown). It's nowhere as good as the original, but you still get to blow shit up. It's playable, but I'm also getting lost a whole lot in the plot of the game. Keep it simple, keep it fun!

I've also received all the Fallout 3: Point Lookout achievements, so I'm ready for Mothership Zeta when that comes out this week. Point Lookout was a very good addition to the game, and I was almost sad to have to return to the Capitol Wastelands. However, I know I can go back whenever I want. :)