Four Planet Sunset

Four Planet Sunset
Image Credit & Copyright: Jia Hao

Explanation: This mesmerizing sunset photo was taken from the summit of volcanic Mount Lawu, 3,265 meters above sea level, on July 21. The view looks west, toward the city lights of Surakarta (aka Solo), Central Java, Indonesia. Two other volcanic peaks, sharp Merapi (left) and Merbabu lie along the colorful horizon. Four planets shine in the twilight sky above them. Spread out near the plane of the ecliptic are Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Saturn, along with bright Regulus, alpha star of the constellation Leo.

In fact, these four planets still shine in western skies at sunset, with Venus, Mars, and Saturn grouped much more tightly this weekend and in early August. By August 12, a young crescent Moon will join the four planet sunset.

Whooping Cranes, Canada

(translation below the dutch)

Soms denk ik wel dat de soldaten
Die in de oorlogen gevallen zijn
Niet onder witte kruisen zijn begraven
Maar dat zij kraanvogels geworden zijn

Ze roepen ons uit lang voorbije tijden
Hun hese stemmen roepen in hun vlucht
't Is misschien daarom dat wij zo dikwijls kijken
Diep in gedachten naar de avondlucht

Daar, in de laatste lichtglans van de schemer
gaat een vermoeide vogeltrek voorbij
Ik zie een lege plaats in hun geleed'ren
Misschien is dat de plek bestemd voor mij

Als ik met hen de hemel zal bevolken
Voorbijtrek in het schemerend verschiet
Dan zie ik jullie uit de verre wolken
Dan roep ik jullie, die ik achterliet

Soms, soms denk ik wel dat de soldaten
Die in de oorlogen gevallen zijn
Niet onder witte kruisen zijn begraven
Maar dat zij kraanvogels geworden zijn

Ze roepen ons uit lang voorbije tijden
Hun hese stemmen roepen in hun vlucht
't Is misschien daarom dat wij zo dikwijls kijken
Diep in gedachten naar de trieste lucht

Sometimes I think that the soldiers
That are fallen in the warsWars
Not be buried under white crosses
But that they have become cranes

They call us from a long past time
Their hoarse voices calling in their flight
It's perhaps why we look so often
Deep in thought to the evening sky

There, in the final glory of Twilight
is a tired bird migration over
I see an empty place in their rows
Perhaps that is the place for me to be

If I will fill the sky with them
Passing the dim horizon
I see you from the distant clouds
Then I call you, who I've left behind

Sometimes, sometimes I think that the soldiers
That are fallen in our Wars
Not be buried under white crosses
But they have become cranes

They call us long past time
Their hoarse voices calling in their flight
It's perhaps why we so often look
Deep in thought to the sad air

to do list ...

Nederlands onder het engels

Hello everybody.

Sooo it's Saturday, the to do list for me is not that huge, also time enough for relaxing and a good laugh, the cat realy made my day.. like all days!
It is again a Formula 1 weekend, and there is an applepie in the oven, it smells heavenly.

Take care, enjoy your whee end ;), the nice song under the picture and see you at next cat
TTf N

Hallo allemaal

Zo, zaterdag en een relatief kleine 'to do' lijst, dus tijd genoeg voor ontspanning en een lach. De kat maakt me elke dag wel aan het lachen, en deze is ook weer heerlijk.

Wat ook heerlijk is is de geur van vers gebakken appeltaart, over een half uurtje moet ie klaar ziujn. Ze ruikt heerlijk, dat is alvast meegenomen! En nog wat heerlijks vind je onder het plaatje, dus klikkerdeklik!

Een fijn weekend nog, formule 1 weer )), en tot de volgende Kat

-------

Greenwashing? Sandra Bullock Gets Duped by Big Oil's Restore the Gulf Campaign

Photo: Youtube

Something's Not Right With This Campaign
Not long ago, many celebrities got together to make a PSA for the "Be The One" campaign, urging people to sign a petition to save the Gulf of Mexico on the website RestoreTheGulf.com (very similar to the government's website at RestoreTheGulf.gov, which might have caused confusion). This all seems good, until you look at the fine print and dig below the surface... Which is what DeSmogBlog did. It turns out that the campaign's sponsors are "America's WETLAND Foundation", a front group for oil companies (Shell, BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, etc), and "Women of the Storm", a Louisiana group with strong ties to America's WETLAND (the founder of the former is married to the chairman of the latter). Read on for more details.

Here's the video of the campaign, featuring many celebrities (even Wendell Pierce! He was great in The Wire and Treme...):

The campaign made the rounds last week. We featured it on TreeHugger, it was on Perez Hilton, NOLA, Ecorazzi, etc.

Are They Trying to Have Taxpayers Pay for BP's Mess?
Now aside from the fact that this campaign has been put together by groups funded by Big Oil or with Big Oil ties, the main problem of the campaign is that it seems to be suggesting that taxpayers need to pay for the restoration of the Gulf of Mexico, not BP and the other oil companies and sub-contractors responsible. Nowhere in the petition or in the campaign's press material are oil companies mentioned, and the petition is extremely vague. The full text (if there's one) doesn't seem available on the website. All you see is this:

"I demand that a plan to restore America's Gulf be fully funded and implemented for me and future generations."

This seems to imply that the petition will be used to try to pressure the U.S. Government to pay for this, sticking taxpayers with the bill (or at least part of it). The oil companies would certainly like you to Be The One for that!

Photo: Youtube

Sandra Bullock Disowns the Campaign
The website Think Progress has contacted Sandra Bullock's people to let her know about this, and her reaction was to immediately disown the campaign, at least until it can be determined that it wasn't greenwashing. Her statement says:

Ms. Bullock was originally contacted through her attorney to be a part of the PSA in order to promote awareness of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. At no time was she made aware that any organization, oil company or otherwise had influence over Women of the Storm or its message. We have immediately asked for her participation in the PSA be removed until the facts can be determined. Her commitment to the Gulf region has been apparent for many years and she will continue to pursue opportunities that will bring awareness and support to the plight of the Gulf region.

There's little doubt that Ms. Bullock and the other celebrities who appear in this campaign had very good intentions, and I wouldn't be surprised if after Bullock's public statement others were to follow suit and withdraw their support. The oil groups were pretty subtle (unless you look at America's WETLAND's sponsor page, that is), and that's probably why it work. They didn't come out clearly to defend oil companies, and they didn't explicitly say that the taxpayers should pay for the restoration of the Gulf, but they are still trying to shift blame and take themselves out of the equation as much as possible.

Finally, an image is worth a thousand words. Here are the main sponsors of America's WETLAND (recognize any of these logos?):

Via Desmogblog, Think Progress

More on the BP Gulf Oil Spill
Tropical Storm Bonnie Goes to Early Grave, Oil Cleanup Resumes
Tropical Storm Bonnie Nears Oil Spill, Could Delay Surface Operations by 2 Weeks
BP Relief Well 'days from completion', Oil Seepage Traced to Other Well

Ponies, Mongolia

Eclipse on the Beach

Eclipse on the Beach
Credit & Copyright: Guillaume Blanchard

Explanation: As the New Moon's shadow slid across the southern Pacific on July 11, people gathered along the white, sandy Anakena Beach on the north side of Easter Island to watch a total solar eclipse. The experience was captured in this tantalizing composite image, constructed from a sequence of 50 consecutive exposures. At their center is the totally eclipsed Sun surrounded by a shimmering solar corona. From the well chosen viewpoint, palm trees appear in silhouette against a darkened sky and the faint light reflected in the water. Of course, towering above the onlookers, at the boundaries of land, ocean, and sky are Moai, the island's mysterious monolithic statues.

Sunset, Shadowrise

Sunset, Shadowrise
Credit & Copyright: Peter Ward (Barden Ridge Observatory)

Explanation: From central Australia, this serene 360 degree panorama follows a clear horizon as twilight began on May 28. At left, a bright western sky is still illuminated by the setting Sun. But sweeping right, toward a view centered on the countryside's dominating sandstone formation called Uluru or Ayers Rock, the sky takes on progressively darker hues and subtle colors. Behind Uluru is the shadow of planet Earth itself, a dark blue arch rising in the east. Cast through the dense atmosphere and still close to the horizon, Earth's long shadow is bounded above by a pinkish glow or antitwilight arch. Known as the Belt of Venus, the lovely color of the antitwilight arch is due to backscattering of reddened light from the setting Sun. On that night, a nearly full Moon also rose above Earth's shadow in the eastern sky.

Giraffe and its shadow

Giraffe and shadow - Zoo London

just the way

Nederlands onder het engels

Good afternoon world, here's your favorite cat again.

Isnt love sweet? It can be bitter as well, hehe, but in fact.. it is sweet :) and Bless the world that it are not only the machos that impress :)))))).
It's a tough day for me today, but I manage and I guess that I will sleep way better next night, so that I might have to tell again a little bit more!

Stay tuned, stay happy, TT f N :)

--------

Halloooo allemaal

Zo, het was een zware nacht, dus het is worstelen door de dag vandaag, maar ook dat gaat wel weer lukken en ik weet zeker, als ik vannacht lekker slaap (dat moet wel lukken), dan ben ik morgen weer een stuk meer mezelf :).
Of, misschien, misschien ben ik dat nu ook wel, alleen heb ik niet zo veel te vertellen.

Ach, wat kan liefde toch mooi zijn he :) hahaha :) heerlijk, zo een plaatje. En godzij dank is het niet alleen groot en macho wat kan imponeren!

Een fijne dag en tot de volgende Kat, die ook nu weer van een heel toepasselijk liedje is voorzien

The Trifid Nebula is Stars and Dust

The Trifid Nebula is Stars and Dust
Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler; Data Acquisition: Ryan Hannahoe

Explanation: Unspeakable beauty and unimaginable bedlam can be found together in the Trifid Nebula. Also known as M20, this photogenic nebula is visible with good binoculars towards the constellation of Sagittarius. The energetic processes of star formation create not only the colors but the chaos. The red-glowing gas results from high-energy starlight striking interstellar hydrogen gas. The dark dust filaments that lace M20 were created in the atmospheres of cool giant stars and in the debris from supernovae explosions. Which bright young stars light up the blue reflection nebula is still being investigated. The light from M20 we see today left perhaps 3,000 years ago, although the exact distance remains unknown. Light takes about 50 years to cross M20.

Camel, Socotra Island

July 28, 2010

a long way

(Nederlands onder het engels)

A good day to you all, I wish.

Yes, it is a great day, I got some NCE mail in my postbox, a child borne and a card from my daughter, that had done about 38 days to come to me LOL :)

And further, I do have far less more pain than yesterday at my knee, did even walk a bit outside again, also soon I am a real man again. Talking about real man... I LOVE that cat!

Take care and enjoy the song under the picture, I love it, TT f N

---------
Een heel fijne dag wens ik jullie allemaal.
En voor mij is het een fijne dag hoor.
Er waren twee heel leuke berichten in de post, een geboorte-kaartje EN een kaartje van mijn dochter, dat kaartje had er ruim een maand over gedaan om hier te komen, maar goed, het is er :)

Met mijn knietje gaat het een stuk beter, ik ben zelfs even kort buiten geweest, jaja, nog even en ik ben weer een echte man. Over echte mannen gesproken, ik houuuuuuuuuuu van Garfield! :):):)

Tot de volgende kat maar weer en geniet van het plaatje onder het plaatje!

The Milky Way Over Bryce Canyon

The Milky Way Over Bryce Canyon
Credit & Copyright: Ben Cooper

Explanation: What are those strange rock structures? They are towers and walls of sedimentary rock that are particularly plentiful in Bryce Canyon in Utah, USA. The rock columns may rise higher than 50 meters and are called hoodoos. On the far left is Thor's Hammer, perhaps the most famous hoodoo. The tall rock columns were carved, most typically, when a unusually dense cap of rock provided a layer of protection to rock underneath from rain-based erosion. In the above panoramic picture taken earlier this month and compressed horizontally, the foreground rocks were momentarily illuminated by a roving spotlight. Visible in the background are a few water clouds a few kilometers away hovering over the nearby Earth. Visible well beyond that are thousands of individually discernible stars averaging a few hundred light years away in the nearby Milky Way Galaxy. Far in the distance lie billions of stars that are thousands of light years away and compose the faintly glowing arch that is the visible central band of the flat disk of our Milky Way. Over many years, wind and rain will eventually cause the tops of the hoodoos to topple, whereafter the underlying column will likely completely erode away.

A beautiful day - Een mooie dag

Hello lovely world, on this nice and not that rainy day, no, still no weather for the beach.
Poor Jon, but in fact I think that that idiot 'full of muscles and empty brains' person is the pitty one. Yes, it might be clear, I do not have anything with muscles. Content counts -lol- and even tho that that might be a bit under-valued in Jon, he has the wonderful cat at his side, so he will never be the looser, even if the girls' eyes might be impressed by the wrong view for a moment.

Okay, that was my moral speech -smile- have a wonderful day, until next cat, and under the picture is a (I think) wonderful clip

TTf N

---------------

Goede middag allemaal

Het is een mooie dag, niet te veel regen, af en toe zon, maar natuurlijk niet genooeg voor een gezellig dagje strand.
Arme `Jon, ik heb bijna medelijden met hem, maar natuurlijk is de echt zielige figuur die klerenkast, een hoop spier maar verder helemaal niks natuurlijk. Nee, ik heb het niet zo op mensen die het van uiterliujk (machts)vertoon hebben moeten, maar dat weten jullie al langer dan vandaag.

En Jon, soms is ie niet al te slim, maar als het er op aankomt heeft hij toch wel de kat als maatje, dus die redt het wel, zelfs als de dame in kwestie misschien wat te lang door de gebakken lucht geimponeerd is :)

Zo, dat was mijn preek voor vandaag, tot de volgende kat maar weer, en onder het plaatje zit een heerlijk liedje!

Not for the first time - Niet voor het eerst

it is time for a small poem again. The dutch translation is below the english.

As many of you know, I love to write. And I need to write. About the things that affect my life, the things that I have to face, the things that I have to go through.

Now, we all know the bad thing that cancer can do. Not only to the victim, but to the people around them as well. We all know people who passed away from it, or who are suffering from it. We know it, and we .. have to .. live with it.
But every time I hear such a bad message, it hits me again. And that's where this poem is about.

Yesterday I heard the news from one of them, that he is in his last few weeks.
This morning I heard of one of them, that the doctors can not do much for him.
Two in two days. I need to write about that.

Below the translation of these lines are the words that I wrote.
------

Ik heb een gedichtje geschreven, weer eens.
Zoals de meesten van jullie wel weten, moet ik mijn emoties, wat mij raakt in het leven, van me af schrijven. En ook nu moest dat weer.

Gisterenavond hoorde ik dat de buurman is opgegeven, nog een paar weken te leven heeft.
Vanmorgen hoorde ik ook weer van iemand, die uitbehandelt is en waarschijnlijk nog een paar maanden te gaan heeft.

Kanker is zo een ongrijpbare, onbegrijpelijke ziekte.

Tijd dus om er weer eens een gedichtje over te schrijven. In gedachten bij de mensen die al gingen, die nu gaan, en met een onzekere blik naar voren, wie de volgende zal zijn.

Onder het engels staat de nederlandse vertaling

--------------

Not for the first time


I know
It is not for the first time
And definitely not the last
But every time it hits me again
and probably, every time stronger

How often did I hear such message
How many lives did it disturb
How many tears have been shed
Shall I ever learn
To accept this

I saw it approaching for a while
Yesterday I knew it for sure
Today, a message from one more
Ah, I do not count them for a long time
I just remember the names
And, most of all, the human behind

I know
It is not for the first time
How many times will I hear it again
I take a very deep breath
Should almost swear about it

I cant change it
But as a very poor comfort
I share a tear in the sadness
The unreachable enemy
Who splashes life into pieces

Abd every time when I hear such news
It slaps me right into my face
That one slap might not hurt too much
The pain comes by the many repeats

I know
It is not for the first time
but it hits me deep
every time again

________________------------------------______________

Ik weet
het is niet de eerste keer
En ook niet de laatste
Maar steeds raakt het me weer
en misschien, telkens meer

Hoe vaak heb ik dit bericht al niet gehoord
Hoe veel levens heeft het verstoord
Hoe veel tranen zijn er gestort
Zal ik ooit leren
Het te accepteren

Ik zag het al aankomen, enige tijd
En gisteren hoorde ik het definitief
En vandaag, hoorde ik het van nummer twee
ach, ik tel al lang niet meer mee
Onthou slechts de namen
en vooral, de mens daarachter

Ik weet
Het is niet de eerste keer
Hoe velen malen zal ik het nog horen
Ik slaak een diepe zucht
Ik zou er haast van vloeken

Veranderen kan men het niet
Maar als schrale troost
Een traantje delen in het verdriet
Een vijand die niet je niet kan vatten
Die levens uit elkaar doet spatten

En elke keer, bij zo een bericht
Krijg ik een slag in mijn gezicht
Die ene klap doet dan wellicht niet zo zeer
De pijn komt door het telkens weer

Ik weet
Het is niet de eerste keer
Maar het raakt me
elke keer meer

Wood Frog

Kepler-satelliet vindt planeten 'zoals de Aarde'

Kepler-satelliet vindt planeten 'zoals de Aarde'

Amper zes weken nadat de Amerikaanse ruimtevaartorganisatie NASA een nieuwe observatiesatelliet in gebruik nam, heeft het ruimtetuig al zo'n 700 vermoedelijke planeten ontdekt. 140 daarvan zouden qua grootte overeenkomsten met de Aarde vertonen.

Dit NASA-beeld toont de radius van 'planetenjager' Kepler
om bewoonbare werelden op te sporen.

Volgens de vroegste resultaten van planetenzoeker Kepler, een kleine NASA-satelliet die de ruimte in kaart helpt brengen, komen planeten zoals de onze veel vaker voor dan tot op heden werd aangenomen.

Kans op 'nieuwe Aardes' neemt toe

Voorbije onderzoeken gingen ervan uit dat de meeste planeten buiten ons zonnestelsel gasreuzen zijn, zoals Jupiter en Saturnus. De nieuwe informatie die planetenjager Kepler doorspeelt, wijst er op dat er ook heel wat 'vaste' werelden bestaan. Astronomen zeggen dat met deze ontdekking de kans sterk toeneemt dat we ooit werkelijk Aarde-achtige planeten zullen vinden.

Tot nu toe kondigde de NASA formaal nog maar vijf nieuwe exoplaneten - buiten ons zonnestelsel - aan op basis van de Kepler-missie. De betrokken onderzoeksteams moeten de Kepler-data nog verder onderzoeken vooraleer officieel kan worden bevestigd dat het wel degelijk om planeten gaat.

Identificeren

Maar hoopgevend zijn de data hoe dan ook. "De informatie wijst erop dat onze Melkweg (die meer dan 100 miljard sterren telt) meer dan 100 miljoen bewoonbare planeten bevat, en dat we binnen afzienbare tijd de eerste van deze planeten kunnen identificeren", zegt Dimitar Sasselov, astronomieprof aan de Amerikaanse Harvard University en betrokken bij de Kepler-missie. "Er is nog veel werk aan de winkel, maar de statistische resultaten zijn duidelijk: er zijn planeten zoals onze eigen Aarde."

Happy 61st, Roger Taylor

Happy 61st birthday Roger Taylor!

Lutetia: the largest asteroid yet visited

Lutetia: The Largest Asteroid Yet Visited
Credit: ESA, NASA, JAXA; Montage: Emily Lakdawalla (Planetary Society)

Explanation: As humans explore the universe, the record for largest asteroid visited by a spacecraft has increased yet again. Earlier this month, ESA's robotic Rosetta spacecraft zipped past the asteroid 21 Lutetia taking data and snapping images in an effort to better determine the history of the asteroid and the origin of its unusual colors. Although of unknown composition, Lutetia is not massive enough for gravity to pull it into a sphere. Pictured above on the upper right, the 100-kilometer across Lutetia is shown in comparison with the other nine asteroids and four comets that have been visited, so far, by human-launched spacecraft. Orbiting in the main asteroid belt, Lutetia shows itself to be a heavily cratered remnant of the early Solar System. The Rosetta spacecraft is now continuing onto comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko where a landing is planned for 2014.

Swinging "Cow Wash" Means Happy, Healthy Cows and More Milk

Photo via Daily Mail, credit SWNS

Everyone loves to get their back scratched. And for cows hard at work in dairy farms, a little rub against the "cow wash" goes a long way for getting cleaner both cleaner and calmer. The swinging brush stimulates blood circulation and improves milk production, while also relaxing the cows and helping to keep diseases from spreading. The invention by DeLaval is already popular in Swedish farms and is now making its way to the UK. Check out a video of cows enjoying their brush-up.

The cow wash is a free-swinging brush that starts rotating when a cow rubs up against it. The cow can move around the brush as it pleases, getting rubbed wherever it wants - along its sides, back, and head.

The Daily Mail writes that the cow wash increases milk production by about 3.5% through improving blood circulation and decreasing the likeliness that cows will suffer disease. The company has already sold 30,000 cow washes in Sweden, and is moving on to the UK.

The cows definitely seem to enjoy it!

Though there are serious environmental issues with raising cows for milk (let alone beef), it's not likely that we'll see an end to dairy farming. So hats off to the dairy farmers who are doing all they can to make sure their cows are happy, healthy, and treated humanely.

Follow Jaymi on Twitter for more stories like this

More on Happy Cows
Brit Study Says Organic Grass-Eating Cows Give Healthiest Milk
Dairy Cows Give More Milk When You Say Their Name
How to Be an Eco-Friendly Milk Consumer

Zephyr Solar Plane Lands After Over 2 Weeks (!!!) in the Air, Setting New World Record

Photo: Qinetiq

22.5 Meters of Wingspan and Just 50 Kilos
The Zephyr can stay in the air for so long because it is powered by the sun. Extremely thin and light solar panels cover its wings and are used to recharge lithium-sulphur batteries, which are used to power the aircraft's engines at night. And with a 22.5-meter wingspan, the Zephyr has a lot of surface for solar panels and a lot of lift relative to its 50Kg weight (thanks to a carbon-fiber body).

Some are calling the Zephyr the first "persistent" airplane. More poetically, we're entering the era of "eternal flight".

See also: The 'Eternal Aircraft' Zephyr Solar Plane Aims for 14 Days in the Air

More Green(er) Aviation
A Boeing 777 Hypermiled Across the Atlantic
MIT-Designed Futuristic Airplanes Use 70% Less Fuel Than Current Models
Green Hornet: F/A-18 Super Hornet Fighter Plane Flies on 50/50 Biofuel Blend
Best Video You'll See Today: Solar Plane Crossing the Alps

3-glasses of beer

I think this is the best joke I'd hear in a very long time!

3-glasses of beer

A man walks into a bar in London and ordered 3-glasses of beer
and sits in the backyard of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in
turn.

When he finishes, he comes back to the bar counter and orders 3 more.
The bartender asks him, "You know, beer goes flat after I fill it in the
glass; it would taste better if you buy one at a time."

The man replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in
Dubai, the other in Canada and I'm here in London.

When they left home, we promised that we'll drink this way to remember
the days when we drank together.


The bartender admits that this is a nice custom and leaves it there.

The man became a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way.
He order 3-Beers and drinks them in turn.

One day, he came in and ordered only 2-Beers All the other regulars
notice and fall silent.


When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says,"
I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my sincere
condolences on your great loss. "

The man looked confused for a moment, then he laughs .... "Oh, no,"
he, said, "Everyone's fine - both my brothers are alive" .


The only thing is;

I quit drinking

Saving the Earth by Shrinking Humans

yes.. Let's make us smaller
We start with you

Image: The Incredible Shrinking Man

If you have run out of controversial topics for dinner conversation, or websites to stumble upon, here's one for you. The Incredible Shrinking Man project researches and reviews the "implications of genetically downsizing the human species to better fit the earth." You might think this ranks somewhere between the lunatic fringe and a last-ditch gamble to avoid the extinction of humankind in a sci-fi novel. We did. That was before we meandered through one of the most thought-provoking sites on the web.

The Incredible Shrinking Man is the brainchild of Arne Hendriks, who has left the safe territory of previous projects like The Repair Manifesto and the Instructables Restaurant to dedicate himself to answering the question: why not reverse the trend towards tall? The result explores fascinating topics like prejudice against short people, redesigning infrastructure for a shorter race, and the science of height.

For example, how did Chinese cultural values change from the popularity of foot-binding to achieve tiny "Lotus feet" to the trend for painful leg-extension surgeries, sometimes necessary to get ahead in a society where minimum height requirements prevent entry into schools and professions. In western culture, healthy children are being turned into medical experiments in which 100-200 thousand US dollars of hormone treatment can buy an inch or two of height. Is it worth it for $789 per year per inch in increased wages?

Bonsai livestock and cheap trans-atlantic flights are just two examples of infrastructure impacts from engineering shorter people. Scientific challenges also receive review, like how to preserve brain mass and maintain the delicate duties of growth hormones in functions other than height while shrinking body size.

Given the historical dangers of attempts to engineer the human race, and the widespread protests against genetic engineering of other species, the Incredible Shrinking Man will certainly remain a purely theoretical premise. But this fascinating, mind-broadening, stumble-worthy collection provokes sensitivity towards diversity of size, as well as awareness of the resource requirements of the human race. Thankfully, the popularity of Lotus Foot has waned. But the era of "Lotus Footprint" is upon us...whether we like it or not.

More on Short People:
Little People, Big World
Let's Get Small

More on Cultural Change:
Making Stuff Cool, Making Stuff Uncool: Why Cultural Change is Key
Small is Beautiful

Pearl before swine

LOL

That sound like my knees now and than

Peanuts

Time

Hello lovely people

Nederlands onder het plaatje

It's about time again for a small blog here, and as you see our dear Garfield did steal my motto! :)

Na, this Monday is definitely not the most productive, but that's fine, there are plenty of things coming up this week, official ones, and less official too, so I will have enough to do and enough to look forward to, as ever.

Pretty warm again, ah well, this summer is a true summer, I shall not complain and carry the (heat)load as man (argh, why do I need to do so 'macho' now and then? )

Okay, time to go. TIme waits for nobody and that's the song under the picture, enjoy, and have a wonderful start in the week!

Hoi hoi allemaal

Het is weer eens de hoogste tijd voor een kat en een krabbel hier, en de Garfield van vandaag is wel weer erg leuk, het zou mijn lijfspreuk kunnen zijn.
Hoewel vandaag niet de meest productieve dag is heb ik toch de nodige dingen voorbereid, van de week krijg ik nog een paar vervelende en leuke klusjes, dus de tijd zal wel voorbij vliegen, zoals altijd.

Omdat de tijd voor niemand wacht heb ik onder de Garfield een toepasselijk liedje gestopt.

Geniet van een weer warme dag, met een lach

The Antennae Galaxies in Collision

The Antennae Galaxies in Collision
Credit: NASA, ESA & B. Whitmore (STScI) et al.; Image processing: Davide De Martin

Explanation: Two galaxies are squaring off in Corvus and here are the latest pictures. But when two galaxies collide, the stars that compose them usually do not. That's because galaxies are mostly empty space and, however bright, stars only take up only a small amount of that space. During the slow, hundred million year collision, one galaxy can still rip the other apart gravitationally, and dust and gas common to both galaxies does collide. In this clash of the titans, dark dust pillars mark massive molecular clouds are being compressed during the galactic encounter, causing the rapid birth of millions of stars, some of which are gravitationally bound together in massive star clusters.

Galaxies in the River

Galaxies in the River
Credit & Copyright: Martin Pugh

Explanation: Large galaxies grow by eating small ones. Even our own galaxy practices galactic cannibalism, absorbing small galaxies that get too close and are captured by the Milky Way's gravity. In fact, the practice is common in the universe and illustrated by this striking pair of interacting galaxies from the banks of the southern constellation Eridanus (The River). Located over 50 million light years away, the large, distorted spiral NGC 1532 is seen locked in a gravitational struggle with dwarf galaxy NGC 1531, a struggle the smaller galaxy will eventually lose. Seen edge-on, spiral NGC 1532 spans about 100,000 light-years. Nicely detailed in this sharp image, the NGC 1532/1531 pair is thought to be similar to the well-studied system of face-on spiral and small companion known as M51.

Water as Human Right Threatens to Split World Body

by Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS - A long outstanding proposal to recognize the right to water as a basic universal human right is threatening to split the world's rich and poor nations.

A long outstanding proposal to recognise the right to water as a basic universal human right is threatening to split the world's rich and poor nations. (photo by Flickr user Gary Edenfield)

Opposition to the proposal is coming mostly from Western nations, says Maude Barlow, a global water advocate and a founder of the Canada-based Blue Planet Project.

"Canada is the worst. But Australia, the United States and Great Britain are also holding up the process," she said.

"I am loath to see this as a North-South issue, but it is beginning to look like it," Barlow told IPS.

If the draft resolution is eventually adopted by the 192- member U.N. General Assembly, "it would be one of the most important things the United Nations has done since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," she said.

The two-page draft, described as "historic", recognizes "the human right to water and sanitation," and is being initiated by Bolivia.

A final text of the draft, currently under discussions, is expected to be presented to the president of the General Assembly, Ali Abdussalam Treki, by the end of July - if it clears the political hurdles.

Speaking off-the-record, a diplomatic source told IPS: "This is something very dear to developing countries."

It is true that there is actually no legal basis for declaring the right to water and sanitation as a basic universal human right, and issues like definitions and scope have to be worked out. He said the argument being made is there is already an ongoing process in Geneva that is meant to work on this, and that the General Assembly "is jumping the gun".

"Overall, water and sanitation are such critical issues that we must work towards consensus on this resolution. Anything less than consensus would undermine the very importance we attach to them," he warned.

Barlow pointed out that nearly two billion people live in water-stressed areas of the world and three billion have no running water within a kilometer of their homes.

In a letter sent to all 192 U.N. ambassadors, she said that when the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights was written, no one could foresee a day when water would be a contested area.

"But in 2010, it is not an exaggeration to say that the lack of access to clean water is the greatest human rights violation in the world," said Barlow, who once served as Senior Adviser on Water to the 63rd President of the U.N. General Assembly in 2008-2009.

She said Canada has blocked even the most modest steps toward international recognition of the right to water and has worked behind the scenes to derail advancement toward a binding instrument.

Government officials have not explained their position except to say that such a convention might force Canada to share its water with the United States.

However, this is a complete "red herring" and the Stephen Harper government knows it, she added.

The truth is that a right to water convention at the U.N. would act as a counterweight to those who want to sell Canada's water for profit and is a more likely explanation of Canada's continued opposition, Barlow said.

Ann-Mari Karlsson of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) told IPS her organization supports the human right to water and sanitation.

"But we concur with the views of the U.N. independent expert that the right to water and sanitation are components of the rights to an adequate standard of living and that these rights are protected under Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights," Karlsson said.

She said it is important that a U.N. resolution on the right to water and sanitation should state this clearly, "which as far as we can see, the current draft does not".

What is more, the importance of sanitation in this context cannot be underestimated.

Karlsson said water and sanitation are closely linked, and the world is more off track to reach the Millennium Development Goals on access to sanitation than it is for access to water.

"There should be an adequate reflection of this in the resolution," she added.

Anil Naidoo, also of the Blue Planet Project, has already briefed China and the 130-member Group of 77 developing countries in promoting the draft resolution.

"International and local community groups fighting for water justice have long been calling for leadership from the U.N. in clearly recognizing that water and sanitation are human rights," said Naidoo.

"As this moves forward we are demanding that the language of the resolution remain strong and leave no doubt that water and sanitation are human rights," he added.

Andersson of SIWI told IPS: "We are not against privatization on principle. Our main concern is that the state should take its responsibility to regulate and monitor activities by private actors so that everyone has access to affordable drinking and household water and sanitation."

Whether the provision of water and sanitation is carried out by public or private actors is not relevant to the status of water and sanitation as a human right, she declared.

Meanwhile, a coalition of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Council of Canadians, Food and Water Europe, Corporate Europe Observatory and the Blue Planet Project, has appealed to members of the European Parliament seeking their political support.

"In light of the European Union's recognition of water as a human right, it will be crucial that the EU play a key role in promoting this key resolution at the United Nations," says the letter.

Copyright � 2010 IPS-Inter Press Service

Water as Human Right Threatens to Split World Body

by Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS - A long outstanding proposal to recognize the right to water as a basic universal human right is threatening to split the world's rich and poor nations.

A long outstanding proposal to recognise the right to water as a basic universal human right is threatening to split the world's rich and poor nations. (photo by Flickr user Gary Edenfield)

Opposition to the proposal is coming mostly from Western nations, says Maude Barlow, a global water advocate and a founder of the Canada-based Blue Planet Project.

"Canada is the worst. But Australia, the United States and Great Britain are also holding up the process," she said.

"I am loath to see this as a North-South issue, but it is beginning to look like it," Barlow told IPS.

If the draft resolution is eventually adopted by the 192- member U.N. General Assembly, "it would be one of the most important things the United Nations has done since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," she said.

The two-page draft, described as "historic", recognizes "the human right to water and sanitation," and is being initiated by Bolivia.

A final text of the draft, currently under discussions, is expected to be presented to the president of the General Assembly, Ali Abdussalam Treki, by the end of July - if it clears the political hurdles.

Speaking off-the-record, a diplomatic source told IPS: "This is something very dear to developing countries."

It is true that there is actually no legal basis for declaring the right to water and sanitation as a basic universal human right, and issues like definitions and scope have to be worked out. He said the argument being made is there is already an ongoing process in Geneva that is meant to work on this, and that the General Assembly "is jumping the gun".

"Overall, water and sanitation are such critical issues that we must work towards consensus on this resolution. Anything less than consensus would undermine the very importance we attach to them," he warned.

Barlow pointed out that nearly two billion people live in water-stressed areas of the world and three billion have no running water within a kilometer of their homes.

In a letter sent to all 192 U.N. ambassadors, she said that when the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights was written, no one could foresee a day when water would be a contested area.

"But in 2010, it is not an exaggeration to say that the lack of access to clean water is the greatest human rights violation in the world," said Barlow, who once served as Senior Adviser on Water to the 63rd President of the U.N. General Assembly in 2008-2009.

She said Canada has blocked even the most modest steps toward international recognition of the right to water and has worked behind the scenes to derail advancement toward a binding instrument.

Government officials have not explained their position except to say that such a convention might force Canada to share its water with the United States.

However, this is a complete "red herring" and the Stephen Harper government knows it, she added.

The truth is that a right to water convention at the U.N. would act as a counterweight to those who want to sell Canada's water for profit and is a more likely explanation of Canada's continued opposition, Barlow said.

Ann-Mari Karlsson of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) told IPS her organization supports the human right to water and sanitation.

"But we concur with the views of the U.N. independent expert that the right to water and sanitation are components of the rights to an adequate standard of living and that these rights are protected under Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights," Karlsson said.

She said it is important that a U.N. resolution on the right to water and sanitation should state this clearly, "which as far as we can see, the current draft does not".

What is more, the importance of sanitation in this context cannot be underestimated.

Karlsson said water and sanitation are closely linked, and the world is more off track to reach the Millennium Development Goals on access to sanitation than it is for access to water.

"There should be an adequate reflection of this in the resolution," she added.

Anil Naidoo, also of the Blue Planet Project, has already briefed China and the 130-member Group of 77 developing countries in promoting the draft resolution.

"International and local community groups fighting for water justice have long been calling for leadership from the U.N. in clearly recognizing that water and sanitation are human rights," said Naidoo.

"As this moves forward we are demanding that the language of the resolution remain strong and leave no doubt that water and sanitation are human rights," he added.

Andersson of SIWI told IPS: "We are not against privatization on principle. Our main concern is that the state should take its responsibility to regulate and monitor activities by private actors so that everyone has access to affordable drinking and household water and sanitation."

Whether the provision of water and sanitation is carried out by public or private actors is not relevant to the status of water and sanitation as a human right, she declared.

Meanwhile, a coalition of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Council of Canadians, Food and Water Europe, Corporate Europe Observatory and the Blue Planet Project, has appealed to members of the European Parliament seeking their political support.

"In light of the European Union's recognition of water as a human right, it will be crucial that the EU play a key role in promoting this key resolution at the United Nations," says the letter.

Copyright � 2010 IPS-Inter Press Service

Shaping NGC 6188

hmmmmm :)

Shaping NGC 6188
Credit & Copyright: Piotrek Sadowski

Explanation: Dark shapes with bright edges winging their way through dusty NGC 6188 are tens of light-years long. The emission nebula is found near the edge of an otherwise dark large molecular cloud in the southern constellation Ara, about 4,000 light-years away. Formed in that region only a few million years ago, the massive young stars of the embedded Ara OB1 association sculpt the fantastic shapes and power the nebular glow with stellar winds and intense ultraviolet radiation. The recent star formation itself was likely triggered by winds and supernova explosions, from previous generations of massive stars, that swept up and compressed the molecular gas. A false-color Hubble palette was used to create the this sharp close-up image and shows emission from sulfur, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in red, green, and blue hues. At the estimated distance of NGC 6188, the picture spans about 200 light-years.

BREAKING: Flow of Oil Halted for First Time Since April

Well.. let's not cheer too much and let's for sure not be thankful for this disaster. F*** BP and the other multinationals!

Flow of Oil Halted for First Time Since April [Updated]

What's missing from this picture? Oil. Photo: BP

This Doesn't Mean We're Out of the Woods (Yet)
As announced earlier today, BP has started the pressure test on the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. While the test is running, the flow of oil is stopped, something that hasn't happened since April. Engineers are now monitoring the pressure coming out of the well; If it stays high, this means that the well is probably intact and has maintained its physical integrity despite all the SNAFUs. If it drops, there's probably another leak somewhere underground, making things much more complicated from now on. We'll have to wait a few more hours to find out which it is... And even if it worked, it's far from over ( as Philippe Cousteau says). Read on for more details.

The stoppage came 85 days, 16 hours and 25 minutes after the first report April 20 of an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 workers and triggered the spill.

Between 95 million and 185 million gallons of crude oil have already spilled into the Gulf, according to government estimates.

Update: As of Friday morning at around 8:45 AM, BP says that "it is encouraged by results [of the pressure test] so far". Kent Wells, BP's vice president, says the pressure is good inside the new cap. But the tests aren't over...

The current test is scheduled to take place in 6-hour increments for 48 hours. Engineers are remotely monitoring the cap for pressure changes and watching for signs of leaks.

If all goes well, the tests could wrap up Saturday afternoon.

Via HuffPo

More on BP Oil Spill
BP's Anti-Leak Equipment was Leaking...
This Can't Be Good: BP Delays Pressure Tests and Stops Drilling Relief Well
BP Says New 'Top Hat' is About 150 Feet From Oil Leak
Could the Russian Mir Submersible Stop the Oil Leak?
BP Cleaning Up Less than 1% of the Oil it Promised the Feds

Cat Rehab Weans Feral Felines Off Endangered Birds

Cat Rehab Weans Feral Felines Off Endangered Birds

It may be a long way from the forests of Japan's Ogasawara Islands to the high-rise apartments of Tokyo, but a special cat rehab helping feral felines find their way by putting to rest their wild side. For the last 15 years or so, the islands have been virtually overrun by an ever growing feral cat population that has a problematic appetite. Turns out, the felines have developed a habit of dining on the islands' wild birds, threatening several endangered species. Now, in an attempt to intervene, officials have begun collecting the cats hoping they'll put down the feather and get back on the can.

According to the Daily Yomiuri, officials from the Tokyo Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA) have been teaming up with locals in their cat collecting efforts in hopes of preserving the island chain's unique ecosystem. It's so worth saving, in fact, that the Ogasawara Islands were selected as candidates to receive a World Heritage Site designation, which has only added impetus to solving the cat crisis.

Several bird species are under attack from the feral cats, including the Bonin flying fox and the endangered Japanese wood pigeon.

Once the cats have been rounded up, they're then sent to Japan's main island, Honshu, where they undergo rehabilitation aimed at making them suitable pets. Getting the wild, bird-eating cats accustomed to domestic life again, however, is no easy task. A spokesperson from the TVMA explains the rehab process to The Telegraph:

It is unusual to turn wild cats into domestic pets. The process involves firstly putting the cat in a cage and then placing the cage in a place where people often pass by. The cat is touched every day and after about a month, can normally be held. The whole process can take up to three months.

Once the cats have finished rehab, they can then be adopted. So far, more than 100 newly tamed cats have found new homes -- and they don't seem to miss their old ways. "Maybe because they missed people, the captured cats show affection once they're tamed," said Yasushi Komatsu, vice chairmen of the TVMA.

Considering the far less humane options thought of by other nations to deal with invasive species, Japan's cat rehab seems to offer a real win-win solution. It just goes to show that with a bit of extra effort given to preserving the lives of endangered species, the lives of those endangering them can be spared too. And who knows, maybe this cat rehab can teach us all a valuable lesson.

More on Solutions to Invasive Species
42 Tons of Rat Poison to be Dropped on Island Paradise
Island Once Overrun by Rats Now Buried in Bunnies
Australia's Invading Camels Soon to Be Croc Food

Paul de octopus heeft eigen iPhone Applicatie

De inmiddels wereldberoemde Paul de octopus uit Duitsland heeft vanaf nu een eigen applicatie voor de iPhone. Paul werd bekend vanwege zijn reeks goede voorspellingen voor het WK voetbal in Zuid-Afrika. uTouchLabs.com vond het een goed idee om de hype rondom het beest als basis te gebruiken om een nieuwe applicatie te ontwikkelen.

Ask the octopus oftewel vraag het de octupus doet eigenlijk wat je zou verwachten. Je vult twee zaken in die je wilt vergelijken met elkaar en vervolgens zal Paul naar de bodem van de zee gaan en een keuze maken uit ��n van de twee glazen dozen.

Uiteraard is de keuze volstrekt willekeurig en heeft de digitale Paul geen voorspellende gaven (iets wat ook te betwijfelen valt bij de echte Paul ). Downloaden kan hier.

Andes Sunset Eclipse

those pictures are always awesome

some however are superb and this one is one of hem

what a picture, I love it so much

Andes Sunset Eclipse
Credit & Copyright: Janne Pyykk�

Explanation: On July 11, after a long trek eastward across the southern Pacific Ocean, the Moon's shadow reached landfall in South America. In a total solar eclipse close to sunset, silhouetted Moon and Sun hugged the western horizon, seen here above the Andes mountains near the continent's southern tip. To enjoy a good vantage point, the photographer hiked to a windy spot about 400 meters above a lake, Lago Argentino, climbing into the picture after setting up his camera on a tripod. At left, the sky outside the shadow cone is still bright. Below, the lights of El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina, shine by the lake shore.

the last sound -- het laatste geluid

Politie houdt Twitteraar aan wegens opruiing

Door Joost Schellevis, zondag 11 juli 2010 12:25, views: 22.478

De Haagse politie heeft een 18-jarige man aangehouden, omdat hij op Twitter 'opruiende teksten' zou hebben verspreid. Na de WK-wedstrijd van het Nederlands elftal tegen Uruguay zou hij mensen hebben opgeroepen om rellen te schoppen.

Er is in Nederland tot dusver nog nooit iemand vervolgd voor het plaatsen van een opruiend Twitter-bericht. Volgens de politie Haaglanden is de 18-jarige man zondag opgepakt en zal hij in ieder geval tot na de WK-finale van zondagavond vast blijven zitten.

De 18-jarige man zou afgelopen dinsdag, na de zege van het Nederlands elftal op Uruguay, op Twitter hebben opgeroepen om op het Jonckbloetplein in Den Haag 'te komen rellen'. Het is onbekend wat de man precies zou hebben getwitterd. Volgens de politie maakten 'meerdere Twitteraars' zich schuldig aan het plaatsen van dergelijke berichten, maar voor zover bekend zijn er nog geen andere arrestaties verricht.

De politie kondigde eerder deze week al aan om mensen te laten vervolgen die na de wedstrijd opruiende berichten zouden hebben getwitterd. Na de wedstrijd is het ook tot rellen gekomen in de wijk Laakkwartier, waar het Jonckbloetplein deel van uitmaakt. Volgens Frank Paauw, de plaatsvervangend korpschef van Den Haag, moet de impact van Twitterberichten niet worden onderschat, zo zei hij tegen Elsevier.

Google logo: 2010 FIFA WK voetbal: Finale

Op de Nederlandse homepage vandaag niet de winnaar van de internationale Doodle 4 Google competitie vanwege het WK maar een speciaal logo met daarin de Nederlandse en de Spaanse vlag verwerkt. In het logo is tevens het stadion te zien en wie goed kijkt ziet het Nederlands Elftal opgesteld staan evenals het Spaanse elftal. Aan het logo is de zoekopdracht "2010 FIFA WK voetbal: Finale" gekoppeld.

Alle logo's van Google vanwege het WK 2010, inclusief de nationale Doodle 4 Google winnaars zijn te bekijken in het overzicht: Google Doodles Voetbal.

Het wordt in ieder geval een historische dag vandaag die hopelijk feestelijk eindigt vanavond. Bovendien is Mani de parkiet veel geloofwaardiger dan Paul de octopus .

Wat betreft de andere zoekmachines heeft alleen Yahoo een speciaal logo geplaatst. Dit is hetzelfde logo als tijdens de opening van het WK. Mochten de andere zoekmachines besluiten nog een logo te plaatsen worden deze later hieronder toegevoegd.

Yahoo (Statisch)

T-Mobile zet mobiele antennes in wegens WK-finale

Door Arnoud Wokke, zaterdag 10 juli 2010 12:12, views: 17.839

T-Mobile zet mobiele antennes in om de verwachte piek in bel- en sms-verkeer aan te kunnen tijdens de finale van het WK voetbal zondagavond tussen Nederland en Spanje. Dergelijke antennes worden gewoonlijk gebruikt voor grote festivals.

De mobiele antennes moeten de capaciteit vergroten in gebieden, waar de provider de grootste druk op het netwerk verwacht. Ook worden extra mensen ingezet om het netwerk in de gaten te houden, meldt GSM Helpdesk. De mobiele antennes worden veelal gebruikt om de druk op het netwerk te verlichten tijdens grote evenementen als festivals. In die gevallen is gedurende een of enkele dagen extra capaciteit nodig.

De providers zien pieken in bel- en sms-verkeer rondom de wedstrijden van het Nederlands elftal op het WK voetbal in Zuid-Afrika. Het netwerk van Vodafone ging grotendeels plat na de zege van Oranje in de kwartfinale op Brazili�. Veel mensen konden die hele avond niet bellen of sms'en en ontvingen ook geen oproepen en berichten. Vervolgens besloot Vodafone om rondom wedstrijden van het Nederlands elftal dezelfde procedures te volgen als rond Oudejaarsavond.

De grootste pieken in bel- en sms-verkeer vinden plaats vlak voor en vlak na de wedstrijd. Ook vlak na doelpunten van het Nederlands elftal lijken veel mensen elkaar op de hoogte te stellen. De finale van het WK voetbal begint zondagavond om half negen.

Summer In The City: Urban Strategies for Keeping Cool

Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

Really, when you look at most of the lists of ways to keep cool, you would think that everyone in America lived in a detached house in the 'burbs. But lots of people live in cities and apartments where suggestions like "don't use the dryer" or "plant a tree" are not relevant. How do you keep cool in the city?

Go to the pool or the park. Most cities have public amenities designed to help citizens beat the heat. People used to go places to get cool, rather than our modern way of disappearing into our private air conditioned world. In New York, the Public Works Administration built eleven new pools in the Great Depression as stimulus projects.

Visit a Museum. Most are climate controlled to protect the contents; You will never find a better balance of temperature and humidity.

Find a Fire Hydrant
This classic is still going strong. Time Out New York gives instructions on how to open them, noting that "Of course, it's illegal, wastes 1,000 gallons of water per minute and causes a serious lack of water pressure for you and your neighbors. TreeHugger Matt tells us that, where he lives in New York, "A good number of fire hydrants are opened around me right now. I have to say, after tut-tutting for a second about wasting water, I had to stick my head in."

The Village Voice had some other good urban strategies for getting cool, such as hitting the bookstores "Head to the mag section for things like Swim World Magazine or Mountain Living Magazine for extra-temperate reading material. "

Grocery Store Freezers "There's nothing like opening a clear glass doorway into a bounty of frozen veggie burgers."

Though they tip into the bizarre with suggestions like Open Houses: "Your apartment might not have AC, but the potential townhouses of rich people do. Many real estate companies list open house dates on their websites."

Over at Planet Green, Matt made some very good points about how we now try to adapt the environment to us instead of us to it:

People have lived without air conditioning in hot places for thousands of years by adapting themselves to the heat--remember that the widespread air conditioning use has only become the norm in the past 15 years or so, Stan Cox rightly points out. This was (and is, in many places in the developing world) done by adjusting the time of day when work is done, avoiding the middle of the day, and by creating buildings that stay cooler without using external energy inputs

Take a siesta in the hottest part of the day. If you've got a body of water nearby, take a dip. Avoid strenuous activity and stay hydrated. When it's this hot sweating is perfectly natural and not dangerous--you should probably be more concerned if you aren't sweating a bit when it's 100�+.

Now that's a good urban strategy.

Quotes of the Day: On the Evils of Air Conditioning

Cover, Henry Miller's Air Conditioned Nightmare

Air conditioning is not only an environmental problem, it is also a social problem. In the post Air Conditioning and Urbanism, I wrote:

We should consider also the insidious effect of central air- how it enables the development of parts of the country previously uninhabitable and which would still be but for the constant cooling, and how it is destroying the street culture of areas already established. How we are sacrificing neighbourhood and community by forcing our immediate personal climate to adapt to us instead of us adapting to it.

Andrew Cox, author of Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World (and Finding New Ways to Get Through the Summer), is quoted in Planet Green:

Over about the past twenty years, when I would find myself in neighborhoods--in Florida, Georgia, Kansas--in summer, and would find the yards, sidewalks, and parks devoid of all human life. It was a sharp contrast to the scene when I was growing up in Georgia, and neighbors, especially kids, would spend all day outdoors, together, all summer long. At the same time that the isolating effect of air-conditioning was becoming apparent to me (and, I assume, to others), we were all becoming aware of the threat of global warming. Here, air-conditioning seemed to play a pivotal role, since with hotter weather, we would be relying even more on air-conditioning, which, through increased fossil fuel and refrigerant use, would accelerate warming, creating even greater demand for air conditioning."

William Saleton wrote about it in Slate:

Air conditioning takes indoor heat and pushes it outdoors. To do this, it uses energy, which increases production of greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere. From a cooling standpoint, the first transaction is a wash, and the second is a loss. We're cooking our planet to refrigerate the diminishing part that's still habitable.

Barbara Flanagan wrote a great rant in ID magazine a few years ago, called A Cold Day In Hell:

What happens when humans treat themselves like dairy products chilled behind glass?
Civilization declines.

The proof is in Barcelona. Spend five glorious weeks in its barely mitigated heat, as I did last summer, then return home and refrigerate yourself in the relentless mono-temperature now anesthetizing the continent. Conclusion?

A/C is the killing frost sure to wilt the last fragile shoots of American culture.

Cameron Tonkinwise of The New School tells us that air conditioning kills.

Not necessarily because it falls out of buildings onto people's heads, (although that does happen) but because they are the result of lazy design. He calls them weeds, view destroying and inefficient.

"The window air conditioner allows architects to be lazy. We don't have to think about making a building work, because you can just buy a box."

More in The Deluded World of Air Conditioning Revisited