Monthly Archives: July 2009

A Good Practical Immortality (in Yosemite)

Talk of immortality! After a whole day in the woods, we are already immortal. When is the end of such a day? –John Muir, from his notebooks…and here, via Timknows, a picture of a favorite place I and friends will be visiting soon, Washburn Lake, in the Yosemite backcountry. All this to announce that I'mContinue reading “A Good Practical Immortality (in Yosemite)”

LA Times to SoCal: Climate Change is Here. Deal with It.

Over the past couple of years I have been critical of the paper for its all-or-nothing coverage of global warming (where they will run enormous stories about climate change in, say, the Arctic, but neglect to mention consequences here in California the US when covering other less-sexy environmental stories not specifically about climate change.)

Boiled Frogs May Die, but the Metaphor Won’t

A week ago James Fallows declared victory over the boiled frogs metaphor, when the hard-htting Paul Krugman brought up the old saw about frogs who won't jump out of a pot brought slowly to a boil. but didn't fall for it. But tonight on his web-only sketchbook Tom Toles, who can draw as well asContinue reading “Boiled Frogs May Die, but the Metaphor Won’t”

Otto Heino, World’s Oldest and Richest Potter, Dies at 94

All the big papers lead this evening with news of the death of the great Walter Cronkite, whom I often saw but never met…well, not as famous, but just as wonderful a man was Otto Heino, one of the many great potters who have come out of Ojai, who died today. Otto was ninety-four, butContinue reading “Otto Heino, World’s Oldest and Richest Potter, Dies at 94”

Sarah Palin’s to Run on “Drill Baby Drill” Platform

As predicted in this space a week or so ago, Sarah Palin is running for president on a pro-oil and gas development platform. In the the next few months and years, assuming she doesn't flip out and self-destruct, she's going to become Ms. Drill Baby Drill. Inevitably, she will ignore or mock global warming. SheContinue reading “Sarah Palin’s to Run on “Drill Baby Drill” Platform”

Denier “Science”: How to Miss the Forest for the Trees

At the ever-entertaining Watts Up With That, well-known global warming skeptic Roger Pielke Sr. links to the following graph: In a challenge to a NASA/GRL study released last week that shows a sharp decline in Arctic sea ice coverage, Pielke Sr. writes: Since 2008, the anomalies have actually decreased. No, I'm not kidding! That's hisContinue reading “Denier “Science”: How to Miss the Forest for the Trees”