rantlust

Posted by hari on October 26th 2007 in Environment, Government, Politics, Rants, Science
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Historically scientists applied very rigorous standards to what they called science. Many things in science are known as theories even though there is hardly anything to dispute their validity. In fact there is very little difference between what is called a law, as in Newton’s laws of motion; law of gravity etc and what are referred to as theories.

However lot of people think of the word theory as in “I have a theory”. Or the way economists use the word theory. For an illustration, I live a few miles away from the Creation Museum which was established to showcase evidence that the theory of evolution is wrong. The folks behind the museum say evolution is just a theory and it is wrong. Opened this year, the 60,000-square-foot museum is so successful they are trying to expand the parking lot.

However the theory of evolution is established science. The annual flu shots are nothing but evolved flu virus. Without doubt scientist knows that the microbes evolve. We also know from documented history that the silk worm used to fly. We know that silk worm or perhaps even cows cannot live without human anymore. We also know that the digestive mechanism of a pig is not very different from humans and that is why insulin made from pigs was used to treat humans.

However now we have people who challenge the theory of evolution. The museum, few miles away from my home, is a case in point. In this environment; it is anybody’s guess what will be the fate of the theory of global warming which is far from maturity. No one knows enough to accept or reject that theory entirely. However that does not mean, the global warming will wait for the mankind to understand the phenomena. The planet might be in peril.

It was not a physicist’s decision to nuke Hiroshima. It would not be and it should not be. The people through their elected representatives make that kind of decisions. Similarly global warming, while being a scientific question, will be decided and acted upon by the political process. Another case, the thing that pops up on your screen, is it a adware or spyware? Who gets to decide that? Engineers?

We can wait until the scientists conclude the science of global warming. But there are two problems with that approach. One, do we have time? Two, without activists, would there be vigorous research to conclude that issue any time in near future?

The (often) sarcastic comment on Al Gore inventing the internet and the current Al Gore bashing for his environmental activism have common lessons. The internet as a technology existed from the 60s. A few computers connected together is not the biggest deal on the world. Be it the defense network or the Stanford to UC network, the stuff was there. However until 90s it never even came close to what is referred as internet today. Far from being just interconnected computers, internet is a way of life today. There is a political, social legal environment that nurtured and brought it to its current form. While no stretch of imagination would conclude it is all Al Gore’s work, the guy’s role is not to be disputed. Not as the engineer or scientist who invented the internet, but as the politician who ‘invented’ the social political framework for internet without which internet is perhaps no internet, just the 60’s internet. Oh’ I exaggerated a bit, so note just the narrow point.

Similarly if the planet were truly in peril, though the science is far from concluding either way, may he will be the person who ‘invented’ global warming.

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Posted by tafkap on October 24th 2007 in Environment, Nature, Photography, Science
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A view from space (courtesy NASA)

For the image (and others) in hi-def see here

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Posted by jcaldera on October 16th 2007 in Food & Wine, Humor, Random, Rants, Society
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We discovered not so long ago that our daughter Natalia is lactose intolerant. This has been an inconvenience because she seemed to develop this intolerance recently, and she loved dairy products. Since we figure out that she was lactose intolerant we’ve been buying soy based products for her. Tonite we bought soy ice cream. And I can’t be any more sorry for her that I am tonite. Soy based ice cream is likely the worse product I’ve ever tasted in my life. Maybe it is the brand or the actual flavor, but it was so terrible that it make me thinks it is just the way it is. The worst part is that Natalia ate it all and she seemed to like it. I didn’t have the heart to put it where it belongs: the trash can.

Thinking about it, at least I can understand why lactose intolerant people would eat it. Now, what in the world is going through the people that makes it a choice. I know likes and dislikes are subjective and sure, somebody must like it for there to be a product, but this is beyond any comprehension. This is an actual aberration. If there is any Vegan reader that can explain to me why they would turn down actual ice cream for soy based ice cream, I hope the answer is like: we don’t eat ice cream for that reason, that would make me respect them at least. But trying to justify that they actually eat it because they like it would be beyond any comprehension.

Since we are in the subject, I’ll give you another piece of information on modified ice cream. The writer of this blog has actually been on and off the south beach diet. As you may know this diet precludes eating ice cream both because of the sugar and because of the fat. So, my love for ice cream is so deep that I am forced to buy the sugar free versions of the ice cream. Agreed that at least this ice cream is eatable. The availability of splenda and the like have make it possible to create a version of ice cream that though doesn’t get to the actual full fat/sugar ice cream is ok. But don’t be fooled ice cream was meant to be tasty not healthy, and it should remain as such.

For those of us that have access to San Francisco and those that come to visit I must suggest Mitchell’s ice creams. Incredible ice creams - no sugar free or soy available… … Go and expect to be in line for about 30 minutes even in the middle of the winter.

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Posted by anupcs on October 13th 2007 in Movies, Reviews
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Mini-reviews of movies I watched recently, in no particular order:

1. The Lives of Others
2. Wild Hogs
3. 3:10 to Yuma
4. The Kingdom
5. Into The Wild
6. The Valet
7. Away From Her

(Read more…)

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Posted by anupcs on October 07th 2007 in Humor, Women
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Roadandtravel.com has an interesting excerpt from the July, 1943 issue of Transportation magazine about how to handle female employees. This was written as a guide to male supervisors and was serious in its intent at that time; it’s hilarious reading this now. Some gems from this list:

• Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters. They are less likely to be flirtatious.
• General experience indicates that “husky” girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.
• Get enough size variety in operator’s uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point cannot be stressed too much in keeping women happy.

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