Who Loves you and Warned you?

My Man Telly

 You remember your science classes? The heart and dare I say soul of the scientific method of inquiry is the ability to accurately predict the outcome of an experiment. The better the prediction fits with the observed outcome, the more likely the hypothesis was correct. So  ten years ago or more, scientists were predicting that global climate change would create the conditions for sea level increases, temperature increases, melting glaciers and ice fields, heat waves, floods, fires. The list goes on.
Look at the news today. Every single prediction is here now. Every one. Still doubt that there is a serious climate shift in the process of happening before our eyes? Then look again. Below are a few links to today’s news. Not very nice, are they? Fires, heat waves, storms, sea level rising. You get the point? Remember the old Telly Savalas line (no, you are probably too young) “Who Loves ya Baby?”

Well here is the old Woody line: “Who Warned ya Baby?” And who told you it was bullshit? Conservative talk radio. Fundamentalist preachers. Ignorant congress people. The energy industry.  And many of you sucked it up. Well suck this: IT IS HERE NOW AND IT AIN’T GOING AWAY. \Oh yeah, I am not so pissed as sad for all you gits that kept sucking up the poison the deniers spued. Sad gits. So sad. And, if you bought into the truth from the get go as many of you did, thank you. Don’t give up trying to convert the gits. And you have the right to be just a little smug.
Image: http://growthnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/telly-savalas.jpg

News: http://news.yahoo.com/us-summer-global-warming-looks-064915370.html

News: http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-07-03/environmental-outlook-rising-sea-levels

Florida Abolishes Planning for Sea Level Rise!!!

Thanks again, Diane Rehm
The program in the second hour was about the certainty of sea level rise and what can or is being done about it. Many states already have planning processes under way to meet the challenge of from 3 to 5 feet of rise by 2100.
Governor Crist empaneled a commission during his last term to begin the planning for the rise of sea level and to recommend actions to respond to it. Florida is particularly vulnerable due to the long coastline, the degree of building on the coast, and the low elevation of the land. So planning for the certainty of ocean rise was a good and wise move.
Along comes Governor (moron of the decade) Scott and one of the first things he does is abolish the commission and stop the planning process. Why? The conservative line: It is a HOAX!!!
Well Ricky Baby, Science, which you think sucks except when you need antibiotics or safe food, is right on this one, and you are dooming all of Florida, not just your conservative asshole friends, to misery.
Thanks again, Diane, for the timely reminder of just what a PUTZ our governor is.

Image: http://kaystreet.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/rick-scott.jpg
Program:http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-07-03/environmental-outlook-rising-sea-levels

Mermaid: Half fish half woman.

Mermaid As I Would Like Them

I just read a disclaimer from NOAA (1) that mermaids do not exist. I immediately googled “mermaid images” to see what was out there. Interesting. From mummified hoaxes to Walt Disney. Mermaids abound in art, literature, folk lore and many other places.

As a biologist I have had to deal with students questions about mermaids from time to time. Questions about reproduction usually top the list. “How do they DO that if the bottom half is a fish?” Simple answer is “THEY DON”T BECAUSE THEY DON”T EXIST!!!” The lesson is really one of asking the right question. If you ask the right question you can expect to eventually get an answer that is reasonable. For example, if you ask “Why does the sun come up in the morning?” eventually you will be told the real reason. There may be alternative explanations to begin with, but sooner or later the correct one will surface.

But if you ask “Why is the moon made of green cheese?” you will NEVER get an answer that is correct, because it isn’t. The correct question should be “IS the moon made of green cheese?”

"Real" Mermaid Mummy

Back to mermaids. I have a question: “Why are nearly 100% of the images of mermaids shown with bras? Or some kind of breast covering? And where do they get the cloth? There is an answer to these questions. First, they aren’t covered with anything because they do not exist in reality. They exist in mythology. Folk lore. Imagination. The covering? Probably Judeo-Islamic-Christian abhorrence of the female anatomy. I bet if you find really old images of mermaids they are bare breasted. As nature intended. Gotta love nature.

Image: http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/74500/Sea-Mermaid-74883.jpg
Image: http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/23800000/mumified-real-mermaid-random-23800061-500-400.jpg
Image: http://www.alliphonewallpapers.com/images/wallpapers/ckdb446em.jpg

1. http://news.discovery.com/animals/noaa-mermaids-120629.html