Today in history, greetings, and social banter here. (More)
The election of Mikhail I began Russia’s Romanov dynasty today (1613). Also, the first steam locomotive debuted at Wales’ Pen-y-Darren Ironworks (1804), John Greenough patented his sewing machine (1842), Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels published The Communist Manifesto (1848), the Oakland Daily Tribune premiered (1874), New Haven, Connecticut published the first telephone book (1878), the Washington Monument was dedicated (1885), the New Yorker premiered (1925), Waldo Waterman’s Arrowbile made its maiden flight (1937), NASCAR was incorporated (1948), the United Kingdom abolished national identity cards (1952), Gerald Holtom designed the Peace Symbol (1958), Malcolm X was assassinated (1965), President Richard Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China (1972), and Steve Fossett completed the first solo trans-Pacific balloon flight (1995). And the European Greens Party was established in Rome (2004).
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 6:04 am
Yesterday on Campus
Morning Feature – It’s a Mystery! (Meta Monday)
Things We Did This Week – Share your stories of offline political activism.
Furthermore! – winterbanyan with The War on Women
Midday Matinee – addisnana with A Good Deed
Evening Focus – Fiscal Responsibility or Fiscal Suicide?
Campus Question – Should the media call Santorum a liar in big blah ink?
Our Earth – Solved! Mystery That Stumped Ecosystem Modelers
Today on Campus
Morning Feature – Winning Progressive with I Wouldn’t Trust Rick Santorum With My Access to Contraception
Furthermore! – addisnana with An Incomplete History of the Tinfoil Hat
Noontime News at noon
Midday Matinee – Tuesday’s Tale: Mow de Grass!
Campus Question at 6pm ET
Evening Focus at 7pm ET – The Politics of Economics
Our Earth at 8pm ET – Glaciers Reveal Impact of Industrial Revolution
February 21, 2012 at 9:23 am
(In my best Abe Simpson).
Let me tell you about that steam locomotive, I was there when they……Zzzzzzzzz snort Zzzzzzzz………
February 21, 2012 at 6:25 am
Good morning
in case you haven’t seen this Obama feel-good piece
Oh yeah, that’s why we elected this guy.
The nice days are starting to string themselves together in So Fla. Time to fish out the bathing suit.
February 21, 2012 at 6:45 am
What a wonderful, uplifting video, Mike! Thank you for sharing it.
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 6:54 am
Thanks Mike. That is good for a lump in the throat!
February 21, 2012 at 6:56 am
Bright spot in the morning.
Thanks, Mike.
February 21, 2012 at 6:44 am
Good morning, everyone.
We got 3 or 4″ of heavy wet snow overnight. We needed the moisture and it is very pretty and winter wonderland like. Driving home from OFA last night it was a bit slick. I watched one car execute a 360 degree spin.
February 21, 2012 at 6:47 am
Those 360° spins look very different, depending on whether you’re inside or outside the car. I’ve been in both spots, and I much prefer to watch them from the outside…..
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 6:50 am
I agree, as long as I’m not too close to the car making that spin!
February 21, 2012 at 6:56 am
The spinner didn’t hit anyone or anything. He/she was enough in front of me that I could watch and cheer once the car was headed in the right direction. Time has a way of going into slomo for me when I see something like that.
February 21, 2012 at 6:51 am
I’m glad you made it alright.
Wet snow is second to freezing rain on my list of “things I hate to drive in.” Of the three accidents I’ve had in my life, those were the reasons. Nothing major in terms of damage – the worst one needed me to replace the muffler – but never a lot of fun.
February 21, 2012 at 6:57 am
I’m glad you made it home safely. That sounds awfully slippery. Did the drought stricken areas they were worried about get some of it?
February 21, 2012 at 7:19 am
Most of the state got some snow. Some areas got 6″+. Except for the extreme SE corner of the state, everyplace had some degree of drought. We have a snow deficit of about a foot. This is a small dent in the deficit but welcome.
February 21, 2012 at 6:47 am
Good morning! It’s currently 15 degrees here, although it feels colder. The good news is that we’re supposed to warm up today and for the rest of the week. The bad news is that the weather is supposed to turn wet or snowy starting Wednesday.
I talked to one of my cousins yesterday. She’s going over to my aunt’s place tomorrow to help them out, and we spent some time coordinating our response. One of the messages we’re trying to get through to her is that we’re willing to help but we’re not going to do everything. 
In much more cheery news, Stephen Colbert returned to the air last night.
February 21, 2012 at 6:50 am
When “helping” turns into “doing everything” for a grieving person is a judgment call, but I’m going to guess that you and your cousins have a good read on the situation.
Glad to hear that Stephen Colbert is back, and that his mom is feeling better.
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 7:03 am
My aunt is a very dependent person, unfortunately. As my cousin and I discussed, the problem is not only did my uncle encourage that, my father and her mother were always running down there to bail them out of something. Both my cousin and I (we’re the eldest of our generation) have been roped into that at times over the years by our parents. We don’t mind helping out, we’re good about that. The problem is that my aunt is expecting us to take over and do everything for her, including paying for a lot of things. None of us are in a situation where we can do that, and we have our own lives to take care of. We’ve told her what she needs to do, we’re willing to help her do it, but we’re not able to do it all for her.
February 21, 2012 at 7:31 am
Is there some kind of social services person that you could enlist to help your aunt? A lifetime of dependence is a hard habit to break.
February 21, 2012 at 8:23 am
We’ve been working on that, too.
As I said before, what I found when I went down there was just how bad things were, and I thought they’d be bad, but nothing like what it is. The house is mortgaged to the hilt, it’s in serious arrears, and honestly, it’s in such terrible shape that even if I were to suddenly win the lottery I wouldn’t touch it. From the hints my aunt dropped, she thought I’d move down there and stay with them, helping them with all the bills. Besides my job – and yes, I could probably wrangle a transfer to an area marginally closer to them – I wouldn’t stay there in any event.
What they really need to do is to move into an apartment in one of the nearby cities, where they have access to public transportation and services. Which is the point my cousin and I are stressing to them.
February 21, 2012 at 7:00 am
I hope it’s snowy, Norbrook. I’m sure you know as well as anyone that you’re going to need some of that moisture come spring and it’d be nice if it hadn’t already drained away this week. So if it’s gotta precipitate…
Good luck with your aunt. You guys are right. At some point she’s got to take some responsibility or you all will go crazy. Tha’ts not a nice place to go.
February 21, 2012 at 7:02 am
Good morning! We got a very light dusting of snow, followed by some rain overnight. It looks like we will probably have more light rain on and off for the rest of the week. I’m telling you that it feels wrong talking about rain like this when it is still February.
If you didn’t catch this over at the GOS yesterday, here is a table that is quite indicative of the current status of climate change research:
Table 1: Professional Societies and Major Relevant Research Institutions on whether humanity is driving climate change
Humanity driving climate change
National Academies of Science (US)
Royal Society (UK)
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Academy of Science of South Africa
Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Italy
Academia Mexicana de Ciencias, Mexico
Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Germany
Académie des Sciences, France
Royal Society of Canada
Indian National Science Academy
Science Council of Japan
Australian Academy of Sciences
Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts
Caribbean Academy of Sciences
Indonesian Academy of Sciences
Royal Irish Academy
Academy of Sciences Malaysia
Academy Council of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
State of the Canadian Cryosphere (SOCC)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Royal Society of the United Kingdom (RS)
American Geophysical Union
American Institute of Physics
National Center for Atmospheric Research
American Meteorological Society
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
Woods Hole Research Center
American Astronomical Society
American Physical Society
Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO
British Antarctic Survey
Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences
Environmental Protection Agency
European Federation of Geologists
European Geosciences Union
European Physical Society
Federation of American Scientists
Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies
Geological Society of America
Geological Society of Australia
International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA)
International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
Royal Meteorological Society
Royal Society of the UK
American Association of State Climatologists
American Chemical Society – (world’s largest scientific organization with over 155,000 members)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Stratigraphy Commission – Geological Society of London – (The world’s oldest and the United Kingdom’s largest geoscience organization)
Union of Concerned Scientists
The Institution of Engineers Australia
National Research Council
International Council on Science
African Academy of Sciences
Cameroon Academy of Sciences
Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
Kenya National Academy of Sciences
Madagascar’s National Academy of Arts, Letters and Sciences
Nigerian Academy of Sciences
l’Académie des Sciences et Techniques du Sénégal
Uganda National Academy of Sciences
Academy of Science of South Africa
Tanzania Academy of Sciences
Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences
Zambia Academy of Sciences
Sudan Academy of Sciences
ETC ……
Uncertain about extent of human role
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
February 21, 2012 at 7:02 am
The table didn’t come out quite as it should, but perhaps you get the idea?
February 21, 2012 at 9:27 am
Yikes!
February 21, 2012 at 7:11 am
That’s a very illuminating table, Glenda. Thanks!
February 21, 2012 at 7:12 am
Well obviously this shows the spread of the Muslim Communist Environmentalist Phony Theology Conspiracy!
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 7:26 am
I love seeing that some African nations have Academies of Science! Thanks for the list Glenda. It is eye opening and jaw dropping.
February 21, 2012 at 7:19 am
Good morning, folks. Well, the good news is I got the shed finished yesterday. I had a little help – the people that hired me to do the work had taken down the last of the old siding and bad boards over the weekend, and Kidlet and another high schooler helped me yesterday. Shed is finished, and we did a couple other odd repairs.
Now, the bad news. I stepped on a nail yesterday. It went through my boot and into my foot. Didn’t feel it while I was working, but as soon as I got home, took the boot off, and got in the shower, OUCH! I ended up going to urgent care last night, got it looked at, was given a tetanus shot (I was due for one later this year), and given a prescription for an antibiotic ($85 for FIVE pills? Really??). I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow.
February 21, 2012 at 7:26 am
Ouch! (the nail) and Ouch! (the pills). I hope that the wound heals quickly for you, trs.
February 21, 2012 at 7:50 am
Thanks, Glenda. I just have to take care of it for a bit. This is a time where I’m glad I haven’t followed in my family’s footsteps – I’m not yet diabetic, like some in my family.
February 21, 2012 at 7:28 am
Be vigilant about looking for red streaks trs. I once got blood poisoning from stepping on a nail and it can be really serious stuff.
February 21, 2012 at 7:46 am
Watching it carefully, and following the nurse’s advice – soaking for a half hour in a 50/50 mix of peroxide and water twice a day. Also getting it inspected by iriti in the morning and evening. I also have a follow-up appointment with the urgent care folks tomorrow.
February 21, 2012 at 7:36 am
As more bacteria become antibiotic resistant, the price is going up for new antibiotics. I had a nerve infection in my jaw for nearly a year, with excruciating pain. When all the penicillin the dentist gave me wouldn’t work, and he started to make noise about my drug-seeking behavior (yeah, 36 Vicodin over nine months was drug-seeking) I went to my family doc and explained.
She looked things up and said, you’re not going to like this. What wouldn’t I like? The fact that the antibiotic was going to cost me $100 for five pills. I held out my hand and said, “I’ll take it.” It worked.
Your doc must think the amount of time between the puncture and you finding it called for something really strong. They don’t hand out that stuff lightly anymore. Not the new good stuff.
February 21, 2012 at 7:48 am
We talked about why that particular med. The doctor wasn’t concerned about the time between the puncture and my getting treatment. What he was concerned about was the environment it was in (a farm building) and the fact that I had been on another antibiotic for 10 days after my surgery in January.
February 21, 2012 at 7:56 am
All good reasons for concern. I hadn’t thought about the farm element, but that’s huge.
Thanks for explaining, trs. I hope the healing goes well and swiftly.
February 21, 2012 at 7:58 am
So sorry you hurt your foot, trs. I guess because of the hardhat you had to injure the other end?
Seriously, I hope it heals quickly.
At least the shed is finished. If you’d had to go back again, I would have suggested a suit of armor….
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 8:31 am
I wonder if they make steel-sole work boots? I’m getting some new work boots soon, but nothing I have would have protected me from that. I’m just glad it was me and not Kidlet. I would have felt really bad if that had happened.
February 21, 2012 at 8:42 am
In fact, they do!
Took a bit of time to find a selection. They have a steel or composite sheet in the insole, to help prevent exactly the kind of injury you had.
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 8:55 am
Thanks, Crissie! I’ll definitely check them out.
February 21, 2012 at 9:31 am
“Composite sheet,” eh?
Eyeing the “Take,” sign I’ve received from the dugout and disiplined hitter that I am, will let this one go by……….
February 21, 2012 at 7:37 am
Sometime today, Minnesota releases its redistricting maps. Michele Bachmann will be affected. I am waiting to see if I get to be drawn out of her district. She intends to run again and I intend to work my tush off for her opponent even if I am not in her district.
After watching the reaction to Florida’s process and results and lawsuits, I have my fingers crossed that there is some rationality in our process.
February 21, 2012 at 8:05 am
Florida gained two congressional seats after the census, and Democrats slightly outnumber Republicans statewide. We also passed constitutional amendments last year that require districts to be drawn compactly, along county or city boundaries if possible, and without consideration for party or incumbency.
The result … Republicans in our state legislature drew the map with 20 GOP and 7 Democratic House districts.
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 8:48 am
This is why I was so infuriated by the frustrati and the PL’s “stay home and teach Obama a lesson” mantra. What those morons did was play right into the GOP’s hand, by allowing them to take over state houses and governor’s mansions. That gave the GOP control of redistricting in a lot of states, and anyone who thought they were going to be “unbiased” about it needs their heads examined.
February 21, 2012 at 9:40 am
Good morning!
Clouds and 45 degrees with rain in the forecast. Hope all is well, sorry about the nail in the foot t……
Have borrowed a 2 axle trailer and another hydraulic woodsplitter. Yesterday loaded my own splitter and tied them both down securely. Ready to head for church camp on Thursday. Have buttonholed some helpers, hope it goes well and the WX cooperates.
Eldest daughter and SIL out yesterday for lunch. SIL has a college class where they are supposed to eat food grown within 500 miles for a one week period. We gave him turnips, brussels sprouts, lettuce, and spinach from the garden and a jar of pickles from the larder. Hope he doesn’t go hungry!
It’s always good to visit here………
Best, Gardener (aka “Trog.”)……….
February 21, 2012 at 9:46 am
Will the work at the church camp involve blasting? Like the food pantry?
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
February 21, 2012 at 9:52 am
Gardener want big boom…
February 21, 2012 at 9:53 am
Thanks, G. Overall, I think I’ll take getting hit in the head by a gutter. It’ll do less damage there…
February 21, 2012 at 10:32 am
Aw they have a bunch of logs they want converted to firewood and stacked in their shed. I’ve already got a bit over half a day in on cutting them to length.
Seems to me the maintenance man is laying down on the job, we never had to do this before……… They have saws and a splitter out there. “Learned Helplessness,” anyone?