Amazing story in Forbes from January, about how a burgeoning wind turbine industry in the Tehachapis may be shut down by the possibility that a wind turbine could kill an endangered California Condor. At this point it’s unknown whether the federally protected bird, which can fly some 200 miles in a day, will avoid hugeContinue reading “Wind turbines threaten condors — or is it vice versa?”
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
Tony Parker, starring in the “Flop of the Night”
Since the great Vlade Divac left the NBA for charity work a decade ago, the prize for best flopper in the Association has been up for grabs. But last night, the ever-clever Tony Parker made a move to take Vlade's crown, transforming a slightly extended elbow brush-by into a flailing backpedaling collapse that took himContinue reading “Tony Parker, starring in the “Flop of the Night””
Midwestern Heat Wave: Attribute to global warming?
A Climate Central reporter tries to tease out the contribution of climate change to the unprecedented heat wave in the Midwest, mentioned above, but the attribution studies have yet to be done, and many questions remain. For instance, the extraordinary leap in temperatures this month in places like Michigan is due in part to theContinue reading “Midwestern Heat Wave: Attribute to global warming?”
Climate: If it’s not a crisis, newspapers can’t be bothered
Talked to my mom last night, and mentioned to her that the Midwest is experiencing a heat wave the likes of which no one alive has ever really seen. The experts have been floored for a week. It's "unprecedented." Thousands of records broken. Jeff Masters' weather historian: "It's almost like science fiction –" BillContinue reading “Climate: If it’s not a crisis, newspapers can’t be bothered”
Climate: How do we tell this story powerfully?
Dave Roberts has a problem with the reaction to the revelation that Mike Daisey rewrote the truth in now infamous anti-Apple story. He thinks the moralizing journos at the NY Times sound a bit self-satisfied: It’s a weird and naive notion that there is a bright line between objective and subjective, fact and opinion, reality andContinue reading “Climate: How do we tell this story powerfully?”
Is “The Descendants” as grand a movie as “Tree of Life?”
Elbert Ventura in Slate argues that The Descendants is a great movie, despite its too-pretty-to-be-true Hawaian setting. Don’t let the soothing uke and sun-dappled sadness fool you—The Descendants is no less interested in the cosmic than that exegete’s delight The Tree of Life. He argues that we overlook its soaring depiction of the natural world, with nature'sContinue reading “Is “The Descendants” as grand a movie as “Tree of Life?””
NSA “to watch everybody all the time” on line
The great James Bamford writes another deeply sourced expose of the NSA, this time for Wired magazine, about an unbelieveably massive, costly, and unconstitutional National Security Agency spy center under construction in Utah (and a twin at Oak Ridge, Tennessee). You won't see better journalism this year, and really should read the whole thing. Here'sContinue reading “NSA “to watch everybody all the time” on line”
Journos cheer: Santorum lives to fight another day
E.J. Dionne wraps it up perfectly, and admits that "For those who like to watch election nights, the Alabama and Mississippi results are a tonic. They’ll keep things going in the Republican race for some time." Yes. But even better is Rebecca Traister's tweet: Yeah, so, Mitt, here's the thing: your party DOES NOT LIKEContinue reading “Journos cheer: Santorum lives to fight another day”
The beauty of nature fading away: Haruki Murakami
In the best speech I have read since the last Vaclav Havel speech I read, Haruki Murakami reflects on the tsunami that hit Japan a year ago and "mujo" — the fading of beauty. If we think about nature, for example, we cherish the cherry blossoms of spring, the fireflies of summer and the redContinue reading “The beauty of nature fading away: Haruki Murakami”
From first idea to immortality in The New Yorker
The cartoon editor of The New Yorker, Bob Mankoff, now offers a blog that looks at the history of this institution of wit. Featured this week is Michael Maslin, who first began submitting to the magazine at age sixteen. Seven years later, he had his first success. They took a cartoon he submitted and gaveContinue reading “From first idea to immortality in The New Yorker”
Kit Stolz 