The Final Words

I think because Chapter 9 was called Burlington, Vermont I had more of an interest in reading it, I didn't even skim! I already knew that Burlington was one of the cleanest and healthiest cities in the United States, but it was interesting to read about what makes it just that.

What left me wondering was are there more cities in the United States that are like Burlington? She mentions Minneapolis and the fact that different mayors said they wanted to join in, but is there anywhere that has gone to the measures that Burlington has?

I also found it interesting that China has followed in our footsteps throughout the decades. Maybe if we went to China and said, "Hey, we are doing this right now...wanna join?" Maybe then we could skip those 30 years or so in between the technology advances.

Chapter 10 was kind of boring...once again. I think there were two chapters in which I enjoyed in this book, Chapters 7 and 9. I was expected more of a BANG! for the final chapter, but there wasn't...not for me anyway. A few more degrees and the earth will reach the highest temperature it has ever been since humans have evolved...well we have evolved with the rising temperature. There have always been changes on earth, this isn't the last of it.

To some I am sure this was a great book, but to me I didn't like it. I found it cheesy at times and bias. I found myself skimming a lot because some of the material was uninteresting. I was not a fan of her writing style, she used too many witty lines that got old after awhile. I only learned a little bit out of the 200 pages I read, which probably wasn't her goal. I thought it would be a lot more interesting but I didn't get must out of it.

Chapters 7 & 8

Well these two chapters where the best so far I guess. I don't understand why it took Kolbert so long to do so. Seems to me she needed to extend her essay into a book to make some money - paper is made of trees...a 10 pages article would have killed less trees Kolbert. Okay I am done hating for now.

This is great, the fact that she is telling us that our actions are harmful and what exactly we are doing that is harmful. I enjoyed the part in Chapter 7 where she is talking about everything that we do that causes carbon output - even a website to tell us how much! It was simple, interesting, and to the point. Why didn't she do this in the first chapter? I still like my long hot shower, but now I know that I have a larger carbon output!

Chapter 8 was good because it showed in my mind that it is more important to get governments to do something about this problem than the individual people. With the right information, the individuals can bring the right candidates to power.

I feel that even these chapters could have been cut down some, that seems to be her problem - back to my statement of money making. Did she write this book because she cares about the environment or the other green?

Chapter 5 & 6

Chapter 5 was totally different than what her style of writing has been through the rest of the book. It was even worse than the humor she tries to integrate into her writing. Then in chapter 6 she brings it back. I don't get the point she is trying to make with this. Stick with one style, don't just throw this other one in the middle of it.

I hate the way she tries to relate things, like in the beginning of chapter 5 where she is giving the reader a history lesson...what does this have to do with global warming? I wish she would just get to the point instead of beating around the bush.

I also thought she was trying to say that humans are to blame for global warming, then she goes into how it would happen regardless of what humans did...so what is the big deal? Yes it is happening faster but if it was going to happen eventually, why the worry?

I am still not sure what she is trying to do with this book. I haven't liked it from the beginning and I don't think anything she writes will change my mind other wise. Her style may work for some people but it just gets annoying, perhaps that is why she threw in chapter 5 to show she knows how to write about serious subjects, but it wasn't very successful in my eyes.

Chapter 4

I think where Kolbert was trying to go with this chapter failed. She presented that these animals are dying or in trouble or migrating, but she has no proof that it is because of global warming. Yes these animals are dying off because of climate changes, but does that mean that it is global warming?

It was an interesting chapter, I didn't fall asleep this time, but as I was reading I was thinking 'What does this have to do with global warming?'. Why does it matter if this very limited species of frog dies? Not to be cold hearted, but they were in such a small area did they really contribute to the rest of the world? Butterflies are moving to places they have never lived before, good! Butterflies are pretty and fun to watch! Why not have them in more than one place?

I found the facts about the animals the most interesting, the frogs were pretty interesting because they only came out of the ground to breed and nobody knows much else about them.

Her humor gets old after awhile, it is like she tries to be witty, but it is just annoying. Maybe I am just hating on the author because I feel that the book is just telling us things we already have heard. People talking about global warming is nothing new.

Chapters 2 and 3

I think the biggest piece of evidence the author presents is the movement and melting of the glacier. She talks about how the glaciers melt each year but in recent years the one she is on has shrunk hundreds of feet. The Keeling Curve is also good evidence of the rising CO2 levels in our atmosphere.

It is good evidence but there really isn't anything to compare it to and why it is such a bad thing. I did like the prediction made by Arrhenius about how people in the future would be living under a warmer sky, but I feel that the way I read it...living under a warmer sky is a good thing.

Her writing puts me to sleep to be honest. I really have no interest in the topic of global warming. I feel like she has just taken a side and wants to make sure all her readers believe at the end of the book that global warming is here and it is all our fault. I am sure that some people would enjoy this book, but I find it boring. There is really nothing we can do to absolutely stop global warming and even if there was, I am sure there wouldn't be enough people on board in the world to stop it.

Field Notes

I don't have a huge interest in the concern of global warming, but the author of this book makes it easy to understand and holds your attention while reading. I appreciate anyone who can do this, because if I don't have an interest I usually stop reading.

I enjoy that she goes to Alaska to see the work of the scientists she is writing about. That is reporting, not only interviewing but getting your hands dirty that is how you get the real story.

I also like how she goes to these little towns in Alaska and shows the reader how this warming is changing their worlds as they know them. This brings a whole new perspective to people who can't see the effects right now (like me!).

Ladybugs

It is that time of year when the ladybugs make their grand debut before the cold weather sets in. It is my favorite time of the autumn season. They seem to only be around for a short time before it gets too cold for them to be flying about, but when they are...it is pretty neat...to me anyway.

Walking around on tiny short legs with little antennas, these tiny round red/orange/yellow beetles have black spots which vary in patterns. These colors and spots make predators unattracted to them. If they are threatened the ladybug can secrete a fluid from joints in their legs which gives them a foul taste and they can play dead!

The Coccinella septempunctata is the scientific name for the ladybug. It can live two to three years in the wild (who would have thought!) I didn't know an insect could live that long!

There are over 5,000 species of ladybugs. In Europe they are called ladybird beetles.

Some of these brightly colored creatures have a great appetite which farmers love because they eat plant eating insects which eat crops. Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in colonies of these plant eating insects and when the larvae hatch...they feed on them. These larvae can eat up to 5,000 insects in its larvae stage of life, which is 3-6 weeks. Not all ladybugs eat plant eating insects, some eat plants.

They are also considered good luck in some cultures!

What are Eye Boogers?

I have always wondered what exactly was going on in the corners of my eyes in the morning. I really hate when I clean them out and this string of goop comes with it. What is this and why does it happen?

Turns out the proper name for eye booger is Rheum. It is a thin mucus that is naturally discharged from the eyes when we sleep. You get "crusties" when it dries. This stuff is made up of mucus discharged from the cornea or conjunctiva from the eye, tears, skin cells, and dust. Rheum can also be seen in the nose and mouth after sleep.

This is produced all the time, but is washed away naturally with tears when you blink. This can't happen when you are sleeping because you are not blinking, so that is why you get crusty eye boogers when you wake up!

The process is not useless, it traps dirt, dust, eyelashes, etc...and coats them in this mucus so it won't scratch your eye...what a great thing to have!

Producing eye boogers is very natural, it happens even in healthy people and children. However, if one morning you wake up and there is a large amount of eye boogers or pus, you could have a serious eye infection.

Sorry to ruin the fun of anyone who thought the sandman came at night but...that is science for you!

Stephen Hawking Article Grading

This article was an interesting piece on Stephen Hawking; however, after three or four pages, it all blended together and lost my interest. I understand it is about him making a comeback after a few years, but I would have been more interested in the fact that he has survived ALS for so long.

Have there been studies done about him and is he helping contribute to this cause to help others? I haven't found anything...but if he has lived for over 40 years with this disease and hasn't contributed to finding a cure, I have no respect for the man.

I honestly think we should worry about problems here on earth before we go make predictions of things that we can't even get to in space.

Grading:

1. Lede - It was interesting and got me reading it, I think if it had started with "On a mild March evening..." it would have been better. 18/20

2. Content - I think he answered all the right questions. Again, I would have been more interested in the ALS part of his life...but if it wasn't a big part of his life there is no need to talk about it. After the first three or four pages, I became uninterested. I am not big on the study of space, so once they started talking about it I zoned out. 16/20

3. Organization - I really liked the way it was organized with the subheads transitioning from one subject to another. It was very easy to follow. 19/20

4. Quality of Writing - I liked the writing style. It wasn't full of jargon and it was easy to read. Some things I didn't understand sometimes. The author was very good at the disciptions of things throughout the story whish made it interesting at times. 18/20

5. Clarity of Exposition - The author did well in descriptions but lost me because I didn't have any interest, this could pose a problem in some cases. I understand that Discover is a science magazine, but I probably wouldn't read this article by choice and it doesn't help that I really don't know what they are talking about most of the time. 15/20

Why does the knuckleball dance?

Imagine…you are up to the plate facing the famous Tim Wakefield from the Boston Red Sox. He winds up and throws. You watch the ball leave his hand, but as it comes near you…it doesn’t seem to be spinning…or following the path you expect. You swing... "STRIKE!" That pitch you just missed was called a knuckleball.

The knuckleball is one of the hardest pitches to hit, catch, and throw in the game of baseball. If you have ever played and faced a knuckleballer, you will know that the ball tends to dance and move as it is coming toward you. You probably will not know where it will be when it gets to you…earning yourself a strikeout or a walk.

This pitch is designed to minimize the spin of the ball when it is thrown. This lack of spin causes the ball to change paths and move in the air. If thrown correctly, it can dip, dive, and sometimes vibrate in flight, tricking the hitter. The dancing that the ball does refers to the stitching of the ball randomly changing orientation.

It also has a very slow spin, aiming to have about one and a half to two rotations from the pitcher's release to the catch. The spin is caused by the Magnus effect. This is where the air mass is deflected in one direction and the ball mass is deflected in the other direction. With the knuckleball, the center of mass of the ball is constantly changing direction, and with it the air mass must change too.

With this movement, the seams (stitches) slowly move and cause the air to separate from the ball. The orientations of the seams cause the air to push the ball causing it to go in different directions giving the illusion of dancing.

"Knuckleball" comes from the original grip of the ball; the knuckles gripped the ball instead of the fingers and then pushed with the release. This technique has been altered over time to the pitcher digging the fingernails of the middle and pointer fingers into the ball, with the thumb and pinkie as a support, but still pushing the ball with the release.

When thrown, every pitch can have control problems; however, the knuckleball is one that can be the most difficult to master. If a pitcher can learn how to throw it, it can be a very dangerous weapon in the pitching game. So watch out when you face one…you may win, but you also may lose…especially if you face a guy like Wakefield...don’t worry, he is been on the DL most of this season.

Hasn't Anyone Told You Mr. Bumblebee?

Apparently, nobody has ever told the darn bumblebee that it can't fly. According to scientists, bumblebees are 'aerodynamically incompatible with flight'. The main question is...why doesn't the bumblebee listen?

This conclusion was based on calculations using the aerodynamic theory of 1918-19. This theory basically said that bumblebee wings were too small to create sufficient lift to support it. There are many different "myths" about who discovered that the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly.

A study done in early 2009 at Oxford University, found that the bumblebee's wings work independently from one another. This showed that it the airflow around the wings never joins up to support the insect, but yet...it still flies.

They say this is "the power of its own ignorance" that it doesn't know it can't fly. Really...who cares if they technically can't fly...isn't that what is great about nature? Somethings should be left unanswered.

Lede of the Week

The title is what caught my eye for this one: The New Weapon Against Climate Change: Condoms and I am sure I have gotten your attention now!

"Forget, for a moment, all those fancy geoengineering schemes that would alter the face of the planet in an attempt to reduce global warming’s impact. Population scientists argue that a cheaper and simpler strategy is to hand out birth control to those who want it–especially to people in the developing world, where birth rates are booming."

This is a lede that makes me want to finish the article, which I did and found an interesting theory. Why is birth control the answer to global warming? As the article goes on to explain...less people=smaller carbon footprints. So protect our planet by protecting yourself!

Holy Burning Bush!

Days are getting shorter and the weather is getting cooler. There is at least one thing to look forward to, the brilliant colors of the trees around us in the Adirondacks. However, there is a plant that may take the show from the rest.

The Burning Bush gets its name from the fiery colors its leaves turn in the autumn which can be amusing to the human eye. The Burning Bush is also known as the Winged Euonymus because of the corky ridges that protrude from its branches. The scientific name is Euonymus alata; Euonymus meaning spindles and alata meaning winged in Latin. Some think it gets its name from the Bible, when Moses comes across a burning bush in the desert, but most likely it is because of the spectacular show it puts on in the autumn.

This plant produces a purple fruit that grows in clusters and split open when they are ripe revealing bright red insides that adds to the burning effect.

Some species of this plant can grow to over 15 feet high, with dwarf species growing slightly smaller.

It is originally from Asia, giving it an invasive status here. They were brought over to North America in the mid-1800s as oriental decorative plants.

The Burning Bush can be a problem for native species of plants, because they take over large thickets of natural forest. The original plant can produce many unwanted seedlings; because of those unwanted seedlings, there have been mass over takings in the eastern United States of these plants. Once their root system is in place, it can be very hard for other plants to grow.

Many people enjoy having these plants in their yards because of the brilliant colors they produce in the autumn. They are very easy to take care of, but they can overtake an open space if they are not monitored properly. They lose their leaves in the winter like many trees and shrubs in the Northeast, but they come back in the spring to get ready for their autumn show all over again.

Lede of the Week

"Hawaii Tries Green Tools in Remaking Power Grids

NAALEHU, Hawaii — Two miles or so from this tiny town in the southernmost corner of the United States, across ranches where cattle herds graze beneath the distant Mauna Loa volcano, the giant turbines of a new wind farm cut through the air.

Sixty miles to the northeast, near a spot where golden-red lava streams meet the sea in clouds of steam, a small power plant extracts heat from the volcanic rock beneath it to generate electricity."

I found this lede very compelling to read. Without reading the title I am drawn into this story; I want to know what is happening and why. It is very descriptive and sets the perfect scene to make the reader want to read more. It is always nice when you can be sent somewhere in the beginning of a story, instead of being dropped right in without knowing what is going on.

The Cheiracanthium Inclusum

While walking down the sidewalk one morning, I saw a small yellow spider crawling across the cement. I believe this spider is the Yellow Sac Spider or a Cheiracanthium Inclusum.

These spiders are usually found outside, but when the weather gets cold they tend to move inside. They also tend to be nocturnal, so it is interesting that I saw one during the day. (It was early in the morning, which may explain it.)

The yellow sac spiders are about a quarter-inch long, they can be beige or pale yellow, and they have two rows of four eyes. They do not have markings like that of a Black Widow or the like, but its front legs tend to be the longest legs. They have these long legs to help them find prey in the night.

The Yellow Sac Spider is one that can be found around the world, it tends to be shipped in agricultural products that make their way into households. These type of spiders do not make webs, instead they are free range hunters. Usually they will spend the day in their sac-like silk nest (which is where the name Sac Spider came from) in protected areas and hunt at night. These nests are usually found in high places.

Yellow Sac spiders are biters and they tend to bite in defense. The bite can be painful, but it usually is not life threatening, always seek treatment because the poisonious bite can cause side effects.

Save the Birds and the Rest of the World!

This article, Study Finds Risk to Some Birds Nesting Near Oil Fields in Alaska, it talks about the effects humans are having on the habitats in Alaska. Humans are destroying the earth piece by piece and the number of people trying to stop it is less than those who are doing it.

We seem to be in the middle of a mass extinction according to some scientists. If you think about all the animals that have disappeared since humans have been around. (The mammoth, dodo bird, passenger pigeon. Not to mention animals on the brink of dying out, many animals in Africa, the giant panda, the polar bear, bats, etc.)

Will it stop before it is too late? In my life time plenty of animals will go extinct because of loss of habitat, disease, and hunting. Most of the human race does not realize what we are doing. Lately, I have had a major disliking to what people have done to this earth and are continuing to do. However, I am just one person in a world of millions. Things are already falling apart, but life must go on...I guess.

So I am not weird after all!

In this article called, In Tonsils, a Problem the Size of a Pea, it talks about this strange thing that the human body is doing and it is happening to a number of people in the world. Doctors are calling it tonsil stones or tonsilloliths. These are little whitish, yellow "stones" that form in the pockets of a person's tonsils made up of mucus, dead cells, and other debris that get collected in the pockets. Not everyone has them, but there is a growing number of people who are coming out and saying they do, I am assuming because of previous sickness.

I am one of those people, unfortunately. I suffered from mono about five years ago and every once in awhile when I brush my teeth, a little "stone" pops out of my tonsil and I spit it into the sink. It is a very weird feeling but, it happens so much now that it is a regular routine.

It is also a good warning sign if I am over working myself. When I overwork I tend to get sick. One of the first warning sign of my sickness is swelling of my glands and then I usually have an excess amount of tonsil stones. Right away I know that I need to relax and get a few extra hours of shut eye for a few days. It is one of the many interesting thing that the human body does.

The article states that there isn't a lot known about these little stones and most doctors tell their patients that the "stones" are just food that got stuck, but that is now known that is probably not true. Perhaps this will spark some interest for the ear, nose, and throat doctors of the world to up their game and figure out why these "stones" form and what they are really for?

If you want to see what a tonsil stone looks like, here is a photo, they kind of gross me out so I didn't want it on my page. :)

Cell Phones for Kids

Technology is advancing and with it we have to advance. However, I don't think that giving a toddler a fake cell phone toy is going to help. In this article from the Science Times called They're Old Enough to Text. Now What? the writer talks about the cell phones offered for different age groups of children. Why do children need these phones, what happened to the good old home phone? I am 20 years old and I didn't have a cell phone until I was 17. In the last three years I have seen more children with cell phones than I have ever seen in my life and I don't agree with what I am seeing.

Grade schoolers shouldn't have cell phones, they open a whole new world of danger. The fact that the article had to mention that there are things parents have to talk to their children about the safety of using the cell phone should tell anyone with common sense that CHILDREN SHOULDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES.

Another concern raised in the article was about the LeapFrog Text and Learn. In the article it states, "A talking dog named Scout leads children through various activities, giving parents a little time to check their own toys for new e-mail. The Text and Learn can't actually send or receive text messages, but it may keep little hands out of your briefcase or purse." I would hope that a 3 year old wouldn't be sending text messages. What happened to giving a child a classic favorite toy, like a teddy bear? You have to spend $21 on a toy that looks similar to your cell phone, who got the idea that it would make kids keep their hands off your "toy"?

My whole point in this is, yes technology is advancing, but you don't have to start advancing your children when they are 3. They are still developing their own ideas of the world around them, when they are old enough to write a paper, let them make their own decision to open up the world in another way.

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