Showing posts with label getting a grip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label getting a grip. Show all posts

Friday, August 3, 2012

First Montauk, Now This: East River 'Monster,' Another Dead - Thing

"Dead East River 'monster' confounds New Yorkers, animal experts"
Philip Caulfieldn, New York Daily News (July 25, 2012)
"A gnarly, dead carcass snapped by photographer Denise Ginley has the Parks Department claiming it's just a pig, while naysayers are crying 'foul.'...

"...A bloated, pig-like carcass spotted beneath the Brooklyn Bridge over the weekend has spooked New Yorkers buzzing about mutant river 'monsters.'

"Photographer Denise Ginley shot pics of the rotting, sand-covered corpse on Sunday. 'My boyfriend and I were walking along the East River on our way to a farmer's market when we spotted it among some driftwood on a small stretch of sand below the Brooklyn Bridge that you can barely call a beach,' she emailed the Daily News...."

This particular dead critter looks like a pig, sort of: judging from the photos, it's about the right size, has ears that are sort of pig-like. What's at the end of the legs? Maybe not so much:


(Denise Ginley, via New York Daily News, used w/o permission)

"
(Denise Ginley, via New York Daily News, used w/o permission
"Photographer Denise Ginley shot pics of the rotting, sand-covered corpse on Sunday while strolling with her boyfriend along the Manhattan side of the East River."

"
(Denise Ginley, via New York Daily News, used w/o permission
"Photographer Denise Ginley thinks it is odd that the Parks Department so quickly said the creature was a 'discarded cooked pig' and that the department 'threw it out.' "

A Pig: With Hands?!

No, the Lemming does not think that this is a mutant space-alien Elvis impersonator. Maybe a pig's hooves look like that, after being exposed to the elements for long enough.

Or maybe the Parks Department officials are city folks, and never got closer to pigs than a supermarket's meat department.

Or - maybe this is Elvis! (July 30, 2008) Or, not.

"East River Monster Is Either a Raccoon or Dog or Rodent (or Monster)"
Joe Coscarelli, New York (July 26, 2012)

"When the New York City Parks Department tried to tell us that this fat little blob of horror was a pig, we said hell no because we have eyes and our paranoia will not be placated. Instead, we came up with conspiracy theories about chemicals in the East River, offshore animal testing, and the Jurassic Park–style breeding of many more Montauk Monsters. Then, just in case, we asked the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, where a wildlife expert told Daily Intel through a spokesperson that 'the carcass in the picture you provided appears to be a raccoon.' Hmmm. Maybe?

"But the experts do not agree.

" 'Obviously, all of the hair is gone and the carcass is greatly bloated due to decay, so all of the typical body-form clues are absent,' said our source. 'But the overall body appearance, coupled with the hands/feet, look like a raccoon.' The original Montauk Monster also got called a raccoon, but who knows how deep this thing goes) The wildlife people aren't making any promises anyway: 'We cannot say for certain though without examining the carcass in person.' It's too bad the Parks Department 'just threw it out.'..."

So, is the east river monster a drowned dog, a deceased raccoon, a mutant pig, or something else? In the Lemming's considered opinion: maybe.


(Denise Ginley, via New York, used w/o permission)
"...But this doesn't look like a dog paw to us either...." (Joe Coscarelli, New York)

Actually, "pig" seems unlikely. The ears are sort of pig-shaped: but the - paws? Hands?

What's at the far end of the front legs for mammals that don't have hooves is fairly standard hardware: so all that the Lemming will commit to is that the east river monster almost certainly is a mammal, and comes from Earth.

And Now, Something Crazy

On the other hand, it would be so cool if this was the body of an escaped prisoner from a top-secret space alien government black ops undercover mad scientist frankenfood biotech CIA plot.

Involving Elvis.

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Friday, February 3, 2012

Mayan Apocalypse Transition: Book a Galactic Cruise; or Take the Cosmic Bike Tour

"Cashing in on the 'end of the world' tourism"
Blane Bachelor, FoxNews.com (January 30, 2012)

"For doomsday theorists, Dec. 21, 2012 could mean the end of civilization, according to some interpretations of the Mayan calendar. But for some tour operators and property owners, the end of the world also means a chance to cash in on the apocalypse hype.

"In the most prominent countries of the Mundo Maya - Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador - the tourism industry is gearing up for a record year, with dozens of Maya-themed offerings designed to lure visitors.

"The Guatemalan city of Tapachula will feature an 8-foot digital count-down clock in its main park, Mexico's Riviera Maya are planning reenactments of a popular Mayan ball game and the Sacred Mayan Journey, in which hundreds of paddlers travel in canoes to the island of Cozumel to pay homage to the goddess Ixchel. In all countries, there will be special solstice and equinox ceremonies, Mayan-themed workshops and music festivals...."

Let's look at some of the ways folks can spend money this year:
  • Get married
    • "Mayan Marriage of Many"
      • Join 35 other couples on an "actual Mayan ruin in Belize"
      • Ceremony held December 12, 2012
        • Plenty of time to spend more money
    • All this for only $14,030 to $24,030
  • Bike tour
    • Ancient Mayan villages in Guatemala's Lake Atitlan
    • Experience climbs of up to 1,200 vertical feet
    • Single-track, rocky, narrow trails transport you "to your own cosmic realm"
    • Starts December 17, 2012
    • Only $1,790
  • Get groovy
    • "Mayan Galactic Alignment" cruise
      • "Celebrate the ascension of humanity into a higher vibration"
      • Spend five days aboard the Carnival Triumph
      • Visit sacred sites along the Yucatan Peninsula
      • Witness the end of the Mayan calendar
        • "The epic metaphysical event of our lifetime"
      • Enter "the 'World of the Fifth Sun' together"
    • Spend $999
      • Or more
  • Visit Belize
    • See each of the country's main archaeological sites, including
      • Altun Ha
      • Barton Creek Cave and Caracol
      • Spend $25 for a Maya 2012 Passport
        • Available through Dec. 21, 2012
      • Plus expenses
    • Camp overnight at the Maya site of Caracol
      • Never before available
      • Witness sunrise at
        • Solstices
        • Equinoxes
      • Limit 100 guests per event
      • Cost?
        • Good question
        • 'How much do you have?'

Honestly, Now

"...(Of honorable note: one hotel operator in the U.S. we talked to is also hoping to cash in on the Mayan events. The 'Live While You're Alive' package at the swanky Hotel Teatro, in downtown Denver, Colo. includes a night in a luxe suite stocked with Dom Perignon and caviar, private butler, a six-course tasting menu with wine for two, limousine service, a helicopter ride, and a $25,000 shopping spree - all for a whopping $35,000. The price also includes an 'if you make it' extra for 2013: a one-night stay in a deluxe room, along with a bottle of Dom.)"
(FoxNews.com)

The folks at Hotel Teatro aren't the only ones who are keeping one foot planted in reality. Maybe it's basic honesty, maybe it's sensible caution - and a desire for repeat business from folks who survive 2012. Or maybe it's something else. Whatever the reason, the Lemming's glad to hear about folks who aren't being entirely wacky.

Can't Make it in 2012? Try Again in Just 5109 Years!

"...Dec. 21, 2012 is significant for the Maya because it coincides with the end of a 5,125-year period in the Long Count calendar. The date marks the end of 13 b'aktun cycles of 393 years each - not the end of the world, many Maya scholars say...."

One reason that so many folks get excited about the end of the Mayan calendar getting to the end of a cycle, or lizard men controlling the world, or End Times prophecies, may be that such things are exciting. Or maybe the lizard men put something in the water that makes humans suggestible.

The Mayan calendar getting to the end of a 13th b'aktun cycle is particularly nifty, the Lemming suspects, because 13 x 393 is a really big number: 5,174. That's a whole lot of years. Particularly for Americans, whose culture seems to encourage thinking of 'long ago' as anything more than a few years back.

The last time that the Mayan calendar passed this particular point, give or take a century:
This time:
Five millennia from now - no, that hasn't happened yet. Never mind.

Looking further in the other direction, folks have been using kitchens for hundreds of thousands of years. At least.

Humanity has gone through lots of b'aktun cycles: and sets of 13 b'aktun cycles. Odds are pretty good that humanity will go through quite a few more. Some folks may get excited each time the calendar clicks over. And if they do, others will be ready to help the first set spend money.

"Apocalypse?" Let's Say "Transition" Instead

"...In order to avoid perpetuating misconceptions about impending destruction, some tour operators have been careful to avoid references to 'end of the world' or 'apocalypse' in their marketing.

"In fact, in Belize, the message has been repackaged as an event celebrating a 'transition' in the Maya Calendar and the Tourism Board has recently come out with its latest brand: 'Where Will You Be When The World Begins Anew Belize? Maya 2012.'

" 'Without being archeologists or historians, from what we see and what we know there's a pretty big misinterpretation of what this calendar [ending] means,' says Jonathan Brunger, operations manager for Adventure Life, which is offering a 12-day 'Celebrate the Maya' tour that includes visits to Maya sites in Honduras and Guatemala. 'That's not going to be a theme of our trip, but I'm sure it's going to be a conversation piece.'..."

From the Lemming's point of view, the end of this particular Mayan cycle is about as momentous an event as taking down the 2011 calendar and putting up the one for 2012. Except that the Maya thing doesn't happen quite so often.

Then there was the Y2K thing, which actually did have something to do with legacy software and early programming strategies. And that is - what else? - another topic.

Somewhat-related posts:
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Monday, January 2, 2012

Planet X, NASA, and the Lizard People From Outer Space

"Apocalypse Not Now: 2012 Doomsday Predictions Debunked by NASA"
Charles Q. Choi, Space.com (December 30, 2011)

"On Dec. 21, 2012, many doomsday believers fear the apocalypse — anything from a rogue planet smashing into us to our world spinning end over end. However, the world should expect nothing more next year than the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, NASA says.

"Many people point to the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar on Dec. 21, 2012 as evidence of the coming apocalypse, but astronomers have been quick to stress that there is nothing to be concerned about.

"According to the ancient Mayan calendar, next year's winter solstice marks the end of a 144,000-day cycle. This cycle, which begins at the mythical Maya creation date, has already been repeated 12 times. The 13th will end in 2012, capping a full 5,200-year Mayan cycle of creation...."

Mayan calendar makers notwithstanding, the Lemming isn't concerned about December 21, 2012. Using the same logic, the world has already ended twice: December of 999, and again in 1999, using our Gregorian calendar.

Using the Mayan calendar has the advantage of being relatively unfamiliar, so let's go with that. The world has, or will, end:
  • August 11, 3114 BC
    • When the Mayan 'long count' last started
    • More or less
  • December 23, 2012
  • Spring, 7138
  • Summer, 12263
  • Autumn 17388
  • And so on
The Mayan long count may have started on August 13, and the Lemming went over that in another blog:

Nibiru, NASA, and the Lizard People

The rest of the Space.com article covers what NASA has to say about some of the elaborations on '2012 doomsday' that folks have come up with:
  • Planet X
  • Cosmic alignments
    • But no mystic crystal revelations, apparently
  • Solar storms
    • Hollywood's done this already
  • Flip-flop Earth
    • A little truth to this one
      • Very little
  • Cosmic impacts
    • Comets
    • Asteroids
    • And all that
    • Again, a little truth to this one
Saying that 2012 won't be much more than the year that keeps 2011 from bumping into 2013 is rather dull, though, so the Lemming suggests something spicier. Not more sensible, or accurate: but arguably more exciting.

That Space.com article is part of a vast conspiracy, involving NASA, punk rock, and shape-shifting, space-alien lizard men.



It's 'obvious:' shape-shifting lizard men from outer space have taken over key parts of Earth's governments and cultural institutions!

That's why we got punk rock, the Beatles, and Willie Nelson!!

Look at British royalty and VIPs: does anyone really believe those are humans??!!!

How could Earth's humans possibly have missed the growing lizard man menace?!!!!

They have been twisting human minds for years: with pop music; weird fashions; hair spray; and infomercials!!!!!

Only a few perceptive, courageous, voices cried out: alerting the populace to this scaly menace from the stars!!!!!!

And, one by one, THESE VOICES HAVE BEEN SILENCED!!!!!!!

It's been mere weeks since new Oddly Enough blog posts mysteriously ceased!!!!!!!!

The Oddly Enough blog actually isn't being updated any more: but that's hardly 'mysterious.' Reuters decided they'd had enough of Mr. Basler's posts: or is Reuters part of the conspiracy, too?

Seriously?

'Nibiru, NASA, and the Lizard People' is humor.

Of the tongue-in-cheek sort.

That's what the Lemming intended, at least. Your experience may vary.

Conspriacy Theories: Okay for Stories

Conspiracy theories can make for good stories, some of which the Lemming has enjoyed. When someone starts believing that 'they' are plotting against 'us,' that's when it's not quite so entertaining.

The lizard men isn't something the Lemming made up, by the way. No, they're not real: but the 'lizard man conspiracy' was alive and well a few years ago. The Lemming used it as an example of silliness in another blog, and was so fond of the shape-shifting space-alien menace, that it's popped up fairly often since:As for all those exclamation marks, and other formatting oddities? Thaat was supposed to be part of the humor. The Lemming's posted about sounding crazy before.

Somewhat-related posts:
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Monday, October 31, 2011

Chimps, Genes, and Reading Past the Headline

" 'Junk' All That Separates Humans From Chimps"
Science - SCITECH, FoxNews.com (October 27, 2011)

"We all are the one percent, apparently.

"Scientists have long been baffled by the genetic similarities between humans and chimpanzees, which share up to 99 percent of the same DNA despite our vast differences in appearance and ability -- baffled until now, that is. Researchers have determined that the only thing that separates us from chimps is a tiny bit of 'junk DNA.'..."

No, Really: This Makes Sense

At that point, the Lemming didn't know what to expect. Between folks who desperately want to believe that the universe is maybe 6,000 years old, and others determined to believe that humanity is a cancer in Mother Nature, there's been a lot of nonsense flung around the marketplace of ideas.

That "tiny bit" and "junk DNA" suggested that this article might be of the 'human beings are nothing but hairless chimps' variety.

So the Lemming kept reading. Hey: that's the only way to find out if it's worth writing about.

Turns out, "junk DNA" is what odd bits of code in the human genome were called. The Lemming will get back to that.

"...Led by Georgia Tech professor of biology John McDonald, a new study has verified that while the sequence of genes between humans and chimpanzees is nearly identical, Chimpanzees have certain gaps in their genome. In humans, those gaps are filled with what is known as 'junk DNA.' The findings are reported in the most recent issue of the online, open-access journal Mobile DNA.The research could go a long way in answering a universal question -- what makes us so different?

" 'Let's say intelligence is your ability to compose poetry, symphonies, do art, math and science,' astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson explained at a talk at St. Petersburg College. 'Chimps can't do any of that, yet we share 99 percent DNA.'..."

One of the big questions, given how genetically similar chimps and humans are, is why we're so radically different. Assuming that the answer is strictly in our DNA, that means that the "junk DNA" may not be quite as junky as it's assumed to be.

'We Don't Understand It, So It's "Junk"?'

There's an explanation, of sorts, for how that 1 percent got called "junk." Basically, it's because researchers didn't know what it did. Back to that article, again:

"...For years, scientists assumed the opposite, that this junk DNA did very little. By definition, the sequences have had no known biological functions, such as encoding for protein sequences.

"But McDonald's research indicates these bits of seemingly random code act as important regulators within the human genome, serving as on and off switches, activating important genes and regulating how they are expressed...."

The Lemming isn't sure that it's quite appropriate to call something "junk," because a researcher doesn't understand what it does. On the other hand, "junk" is a whole lot easier to say - and shorter - than something like "seemingly random sequences," so maybe it's a good choice after all.

Anyway, this is a fascinating twist in our studies of human genetics. For the Lemming: your experience may vary.

Somewhat-related posts:
More related posts:
What the Lemming thinks about science, religion, and getting a grip:
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Friday, August 26, 2011

Lemming Tracks: Hurricane Irene and Getting a Grip

Hurricane Irene's wind and rain are hitting North Carolina. Massachusetts got declared a disaster area by the President - and the storm isn't even there yet. New York City authorities are evacuating the city: low-lying parts, anyway.

This is going to be an interesting weekend. The Lemming put links to a few news items under - what else? - "In the news," near the end of this post.

Disaster Declaration: Before the Storm Hits?

Irene is a very real hurricane, and evacuating low-lying areas of New York City could save lives. Even that disaster area declaration - before the storm hits - isn't as daft as it might seem. It's a way to make the state "eligible for federal funds to help in cleanup and other needs." (boston.com) Right now, odds are that Massachusetts will have a lot of cleaning to do.

As far as I know, we didn't get that kind of outside help after last month's storm pulled up trees here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. But there's a lot of city folks in Massachusetts: and they could probably use all the help they can get.

"Things Fall Apart"

Folks getting tense about current events is nothing new:

"...Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world...."
("The Second Coming," W. B. Yeats, via Poets.org)

That was published a little after WWI - which seems to have shaken up a lot of folks. Understandably, in the Lemming's opinion. Since then, we've had another 'war to end all wars,' Vietnam, and Disco. And yet, somehow, humanity is still here.

So far.

If you believe what you see in the movies, killer solar neutrinos from outer space will blow up the Earth next year. But it won't matter, since we're all really living in an scheming computer's virtual reality.

Finding Fault, Getting a Grip

The Lemming's gotten used to dire predictions: secular and otherwise. Taking pages from several playbooks, here are a few 'reasons' why Hurricane Irene is threatening to trash parts of America's east coast. Remember, the Lemming doesn't believe any of this:
  • Hurricane Irene is the fault of
    • Heartless industrialists
      • Who are destroying Earth's climate
        • With hair spray
    • A secret armada of commie cloud-seeding planes
      • No mention of the artificial origins of Irene is in the news
        • Which proves there's a conspiracy
  • New York City is threatened because
    • They voted for
      • Obama
      • Bush
    • They're wicked sinners
    • The end of the world is at hand
      • Preacher Bob Bombast says so
      • Anonymous experts say so
The 'secret armada' story might have found traction a few decades back.

The storm that flushed a residential area away 'just happened' to have been near a cloud-seeding experiment. Survivors sued the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences. The Institute said it was pure coincidence: and a judge agreed.

Win in Court; Lose Public Support

Maybe the IAS - and victims of the storm - were involved in a wild coincidence. In a way, winning the lawsuit was an empty victory for the weather modification researchers.

Enthusiasm for weather modification experiments waned after the 1972 storm - and the Lemming doesn't think that's a coincidence. Too many folks where too uneasy, and weren't willing to risk more lives.

B-Movie Divine Retribution?

About commies fiddling with Hurricane Irene, or the storm being a sort of B-movie divine retribution? The Lemming doesn't think so. 'End of the world' predictions, secular and otherwise, make nifty stories - and that's about it. The Lemming's posted about apocalyptic angst before:Ending on a serious note, Hurricane Irene is a serious storm: and will almost certainly continue to be, whether it ends by setting new records or not. What's important right now is getting ready, in the case of folks who still have a few hours to work with; or staying out of the way of rain, floods, lightning, and flying debris.

Related posts:In the news:
Background:
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Monday, June 27, 2011

Olympic Committee Rules for Social Media: Common Sense; or Signs of a Vast Conspiracy of Space Aliens?

"Olympic Bosses Set Guidelines for Tweeting Athletes"
Erik Malinowski, Playbook, Wired (June 27, 2011)

"The International Olympic Committee has released guidelines on how athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London may engage in social media, an effort clearly designed to avoid the sort of confusion that occurred nearly 18 months ago in Vancouver.

" 'The IOC actively encourages and supports athletes … to take part in "social media" and to post, blog and tweet their experiences,' the guidelines state (.pdf). 'Broadly speaking, the IOC wants people to share their experiences through social media. As a general rule, the IOC encourages all social media and blogging activity at the Olympic Games as long as it is not for commercial and/or advertising purposes.'..."

So far, so good. It's nice to think that the International Olympic Committee can learn. And apply what's been learned.

"...Well, if anything, it should certainly curtail the type of promo-only tweeting we often see from Olympic athletes. But beyond scaling back on this sort of commercialism that could distract from the competitions, IOC officials undoubtedly expect this move to cut down on some of the questions that arose during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia...."

The Lemming suspects that part of the trouble is that the big shots who get to be on international committees are around the Lemming's age. Nothing wrong with that, by itself. But the Lemming stayed in touch with what 'the help' were doing: quite often by being 'the help,' and that's another topic.

That meant that the Lemming knew how to use a typewriter - a vital skill for 'clerical' types, not so much for success-track executives. Manual typewriters: the Lemming's that old. Being able to type maybe 50 words a minute ('good enough,' barely) gave the Lemming a head start when the Disk Operating System, and computers with stunningly huge internal memory1 came along.

The Lemming's rambled on about this before:

"Olympism?!"

"...IOC honchos are expecting the athletes (as always) to best on their best Twitter behavior.

" 'Postings, blogs and tweets should at all times conform to the Olympic spirit and fundamental principles of Olympism as contained in the Olympic Charter, be dignified and in good taste, and not contain vulgar or obscene words or images,' the rules stipulate...."

The Lemming was not aware that "Olympism" was a word. In context, it's pretty clearly a noun, probably meaning something like 'of or pertaining to the Olympics.' And if it wasn't a word before, it is now. Languages - living ones - change, grow, develop. Someone really should let the folks running France know that. And that's definitely another topic. (Another War-on-Terror Blog (June 6, 2011))

The Olympics, Vast Secret Conspiracies, and the Lemming

Back to that article. Last time. Promise.

"...Additionally, no website URLs will be allowed to contain the words 'Olympic' or 'Olympics' in the primary domain, unless they have been pre-approved by the IOC. And, as before, fans and athletes will not be allowed to post audio or video of any events to Twitter, Facebook or personal blogs...."

The IOC controls what folks can name their domains?! Okay - maybe that's part of what's been getting sorted out, as intellectual property laws and customs are catching up with today's information technology. Well, moving in the right direction. Maybe.

It occurs to the Lemming that the 'no Olympic/Olympics' in domain names may be sort of rough on folks who want to start something online about ancient Greece, or Mount [redacted], or Greco-Roman mythology.

Well, as we say here in Minnesota - it could be worse.

Or - - - maybe Wired let a little-known aspect of the Vast Global Worldwide Conspiracy of International Oligarchic Control ("IOC" doesn't stand for International Olympic Committee, although dupes of the lizard-men think that's so - - -
IOC STANDS FOR INTERNATIONAL OLIGARCHIC CONTROL - WHO ARE
THE REAL RULERS OF EARTH!!!!!!!

They're the ones who killed John Lennon, and put the face on Mars, and faked the moon landing to cover up the real reason that Kennedy was killed: which was so Elvis could elope with Marilyn Monroe, who had been hiding in plain sight disguised as Jackie Kennedy - who couldn't have married Onassis, since he's one of the shape-shifting space-alien lizard-men who really run the world.

You See??!!! IT ALL FITS TOGETHER!!!!!!!!

Maybe the Lemming shouldn't joke about that - somebody might believe it.

Or the lizard-men might be upset.

Or something.

Related posts:
Not-so-related posts:
1 The early hard drives paled in comparison to the later titans - which sometimes could store as much as 30 megabytes of data!
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Sunday, June 12, 2011

How to Not Sound Crazy - or - THE PARANOIDS ARE AFTER ME!!!

"Tips for Not Appearing Crazy on the Internet"
Frank J. Fleming, Pajamas Media (June 12, 2011)

"How conspiracy nuts, basket cases, paranoid loons, and other half wits can fool the rest of us into thinking they make perfect sense.

"Do crazy people have a right to be heard? I think they do - as long as they're American. But even with crazy people's well known infiltration of the internet - appearing in any blog or news comments section or online forum they can access - they still have a lot of trouble getting people to listen to them.

"In a recent column, I touched on the topic of conspiracy theories, which of course brought in lots of crazy people to the comments section. As I looked through the responses, I noticed how easy it was to scan them or just read the first sentence and say, 'Well, this one is a crazy person.' And lots of people scan like this, because crazy people have this habit of self-identifying on the internet that allows sane people to skip over what they have to say before even getting to the crazy point. Thus crazy people never even get heard.

The advent of the internet should be a Renaissance for crazy...."

The problem, it seems, is that even on the Internet: crazy people write like crazy people. So, sometimes, do sane people.

The Lemming doubts that a crazy person1 will read Mr. Fleming's article, take careful note of his advice: and start writing in a sane, coherent way. Not often, anyway.

There's a list of points, each of which is discussed. Sanely. With humor.
  • Caps lock is your enemy
    • EXCESSIVE EXCLAMATION MARKS, TOO!
  • i can haz proper grammar?
  • No long screeds
    • Especially in comments left on other people's blogs
  • Proofread
  • Don't be surprised when people have opinions different from your crazy one
  • No living person is Hitler
    • And the world isn't ending
  • Respond to an actual point
    • Not just something that's been mentioned
Here's the final bit of advice, or, rather, encouragement, Mr. Flemming gives to crazy bloggers:

"...And yet he's still treated by many as a serious pundit because he has the discipline to make it so it's not blatantly obvious to a casual reader that he's Kleenex-boxes-for-shoes, the-squirrels-are-spying-on-me, kung-fu-fighting-invisible-ninjas crazy.

"So give it a try in the comments, crazy people. Use these tips to try and make yourselves look sane as you argue that we still need to investigate WTC-7 or that there are many signs that Obama's birth certificate is fake or that Ron Paul is the last hope for America. Get yourselves heard, crazy people! "

And remember: THE PARANOIDS ARE WATCHING EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE!!!!!

Not-completely-unrelated posts:
A tip of the hat to Londiniensis, on Twitter, for the heads-up on this article.

1 The Lemming's a bit "crazy," sort of. See:
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Lemming Tracks: 'My Mind's Made Up, Don't Confuse Me With the Facts;' and Climate Change

EXPERTS ALL AGREE:
HUMANS MAKE CLIMATE CHANGE! 
EARTH IN IMMINENT DANGER!!*

*Experts in the carefully-selected "21 Club," that is.

That's a select group of hand-picked experts - who were selected because they are convinced that human beings are killing Earth. Or say they are, anyway.

It reminds the Lemming of the 'good old days' at college, when dissenting opinions were called 'racist,' 'homophobic,' 'hate speech' - or the ever-popular 'intolerant.'

That wasn't, in the Lemming's opinion, much better than the older 'good old days' when dissenting opinions were labeled 'communist,' 'pinko,' or 'un-American.'

Dissenters Need Not Apply

Here's what got the Lemming started:

"Google is diving headfirst into the climate-change debate with a '21 Club' of hand-picked experts that the search engine giant hopes will drive the conversation -- and guide investments -- in climate change.

"But it's a discussion that even the club's members say is meant to be one-sided.

" 'If Google included people who challenged that debate, they would be wrong to do so,' said Matthew Nisbet, an associate professor for the School of Communication at American University and one of the 21 Google Science Communication Fellows.

" 'As to whether climate change is happening, humans are a cause and it is a problem -- there is no scientific debate over that,' Nisbet told FoxNews.com.

"A review of the 21 Club confirms Nisbet's comment. The group includes meteorologists, communication specialists, and even weather forecasters, as well as few scientists who research climate change for a living. None argue that the planet isn't in imminent danger...."
(FoxNews.com)

Let's not be too hard on the 21 Club, though. There's a recession going on, and funding for silly science may be getting scarce:

"...So what's Google up to, anyway?

"Part of the motivation seems to be funding new climate change research.

"Jack Gold, a research analyst, told FoxNews.com that promoting new research often ends up generating new product ideas. He said having good models for climate change can also feed into the company's own data visualization efforts.

"The company likely sees the search term 'climate change' popping up in search results, too. 'They are probably reacting to what people are interested in,' Gold said...."
(FoxNews.com)

Don't Shoot the Messenger: Demonize Him

The old adage, 'don't kill the messenger,' is a sort of admonition against hurting the person who cares enough say what you don't want to hear. These days, to the best of the Lemming's knowledge, even nitwit supervisors seldom actually kill employees who try to keep the company afloat - and that's almost another topic.

Demonizing folks who don't say what they're supposed to, though: that's another story. In the Lemming's opinion.

"Demonize?" Demonization is "to represent as diabolically evil." (Princeton's WordNet) It's not limited to one sort of beliefs - and, in the Lemming's opinion, besides being wrong, demonizing folks who don't say the 'right' things does not help others understand what's really going on.

Culturally-savvy Americans, at least, will recognize that FoxNews.com is not politically correct. They have a (distressing, to some) habit of not agreeing with the Huffington Post or The New York Times' editorial positions. They're 'obviously,' 'racist,' 'homophobic,' and 'intolerant.' Or something pretty much icky.

That sort of name-calling is, in the Lemming's opinion, an example of demonization.

So is, again in the Lemming's opinion, selling coffee mugs that say "Islam is of the devil." (A Catholic Citizen in America (April 1, 2011))

Junk is Useful: Silly Science, Not So Much

The term "junk science" has been around for a while, to describe weird assertions that get taken seriously - apparently because somebody says they're 'scientific.' More about that at junkscience.com.

The Lemming respectfully submits that the term "junk science" is unfair to junk. "Junk," "the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up" (Princeton's WordNet again), is - as the folks who recycle know - potentially useful.

"Junk science," in the Lemming's opinion, isn't: except perhaps as raw material for comics and folks who make a career of countering the crazy claims.

The Lemming thinks that "silly science" is a preferable term, since "silly" means: "ludicrous; foolish; lacking seriousness; given to frivolity; inspiring scornful pity; dazed from or as if from repeated blows." (you guessed it: Wordnet again)

From the coming ice age and the 8 x 8 water rule, to climate change: "silly science," in the Lemming's opinion, captures the essence of 'expert' opinions that can't endure close examination or debate.

Where Have All the Trilobites Gone?

It the Lemming's opinion, it would be a trifle disconcerting if Earth's climate wasn't changing. The Lemming's opined about that before:
Bottom line? Change happens.

And the Lemming doesn't think that it was supposed to stop around the early 19th century - and that all change since then was somebody's fault.

But, like the blog's name says, the Lemming is "apathetic." And that's another topic.

Related posts:
In the news:
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Thursday, February 10, 2011

Lemming Tracks: Anonymity, Blogs, and Making a Point

What do the Governor of Louisiana, the next eruption of the Yellowstone caldera, blogging, and anonymity have to do with each other?

Not much, actually. But an anonymous comment on a post in this blog got the Lemming to thinking. It was this post:
A little earlier today that prolific correspondent, Anonymous, left this comment:

"Who is the moron that wrote this article? If you are going to write an article about the volcanic activity in Yellowstone, you should at least know that it is the NW corner of WYOMING...not Colorado. It makes you look stupid!"

Anonymous was right, by the way. That post (or article) had Yellowstone in the northwest corner of Colorado. The Lemming corrected that error, and acknowledged Anonymous' contribution.

Anonymous was also right in asserting that factual errors "make you look stupid."

The Lemming - Unmasked!

I've taken to writing in the third person for this blog, and referring to myself as "the Lemming." Mostly because I think it's fun.

I am not trying to hide my identity. My name and a brief description are in this blog's sidebar, with a link to my Blogger profile.

Since I live in the United States, and don't feel that shape-shifting, space-alien lizard-men are 'really' behind what I don't like - letting folks know my name and a little about me isn't a problem.

Besides, I live in a small town in central Minnesota. I love it here - but in a place like this 'privacy,' in the sense of faceless anonymity, is nearly impossible to maintain. And that's almost another topic.

For the rest of this post, I'm dropping into 'first-person' writing. It's easier, and - well, I'll get to that.

Being Anonymous: Good Reasons

Not everybody lives in America. Most folks don't. Some folks, wherever they live, are afraid that some malevolent force is out to get them.

Sometimes those fears are, in my opinion, unfounded. That's because I don't think that space-alien lizard-men, the Illuminati, or the CIA are trying to control by brain with subliminal messages - or whatever the latest fad in conspiracy theories is.

Maybe I'm wrong about that. But I don't think so. And that's another topic.

Sometimes those fears are, again in my opinion, all too reasonable. Some folks living in Egypt, for example, seem to be trying to end a regime that's made a point of removing folks who won't play the president's way from society. Others in Egypt like things the way they are - and that's yet another topic, for another post.

The point is that folks living in places like Egypt have very good reasons for hiding their identities: if they don't agree with whoever's running the country, and want to express their thoughts. Without dying unexpectedly, or simply disappearing. Egypt's not the only place that's run by opposition-averse leaders. Iran and Burma/Myanmar come to mind as examples. In my opinion, again.

Those links are to my Another War-on-Terror Blog, which is also 'apathetic:' in the sense I've defined for the 'apathetic' Lemming.

Being Anonymous: Not-So-Good Reasons

I think some folks use the (apparent) anonymity of online correspondence as a way of venting spleen without fear of reprisal. It's 'honest,' in the sense of the term used by pop psychologists in the '60s and '70s: but I don't think it's a particularly effective way to communicate.

I rant online occasionally. This post is, in a way, a rant. But - and this is an important distinction, I think - I don't rant anonymously.

If I did, my words would have little or no context. Someone reading them wouldn't know what sort of person had written them.

And that's important. In my opinion.

Not in the sort of 'socioeconomic class distinctions' way that has been - and is - a part of many cultures. I don't think that what a person says is more or less important, based on how much money the person has, or who the person's ancestors were.

I do, however, think that a person's status and experience makes a difference.

For example, someone who has worked as a delivery clerk might reasonably be expected to have more practical knowledge of that occupation than someone who hasn't.

Then there's the possibly-still-contentious matter of whether or not dealing with people for decades brings with it the potential for developing some understanding of how folks behave.
Personal Safety: Important
As I wrote earlier, some folks need to maintain anonymity online - because they live in a part of the world where dissenting opinions are severely sanctioned.
Spitefulness Without Consequences: Not So Important
For someone whose goals are similar to those of a person who throws doo-doo at passing cars - anonymous comments may also be appropriate.

For anyone trying to make a point - and be taken seriously - I think that anonymous comments may not be the best option. Particularly if the comments can be interpreted as being offensive.

I've written about this sort of thing before:

Want People to Take You Seriously? Drop the Attitude

Whatever a person's view on "Afgainistan," the Taliban, and whether the CIA or Al Qaeda represent a greater threat to American citizens, I think it's a good idea to remember a few things:
  • People aren't all alike: We don't all
    • Dress alike
    • Look alike
    • Prefer the same foods
Deal with it.

Since anything online that's written in English may be read by people in over a hundred countries, I think it's a good idea to leave terms like "towelhead" or "ignorant westerner" at home.2
" 'Towelhead,' 'Retard,' and Talking Sense in a Global Society"
Another War-on-Terror Blog (February 24, 2009)
Bottom line?
  • There are nearly 7,000,000,000 people alive today
  • A remarkable fraction of them understand English
    (April 4, 2008)
  • My experience has been that folks don't like having offensive terms hurled at them
    • Generally
      • There are a few who thrive on abuse
        • Still one more topic
It's my considered opinion, as someone who's been dealing with people for over a half-century, that hiding behind a screen and hurling insults isn't the most effective way to make a point.

But that's just my opinion.

Sort-of-related posts:
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Monday, February 7, 2011

Apathy is Rampant, But Who Cares? - The Sequel

The Lemming has explained "Apathetic Lemming of the North's" name before:
That won't stop the Lemming from going over the same ground again, more or less.

Or recycling a post title.

Words Have Meanings

So much depends on what words mean - and what the folks in charge want them to mean. Like "apathy."

An online dictionary gives a pretty good definition of apathy:
  1. An absence of emotion or enthusiasm
  2. The trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally
    (Princeton's WordNet)
Maybe the Lemming really is "apathetic," sort of. That "absence of emotion..." is pretty close to the way that the Lemming tries to approach concerns.

It's not that the Lemming doesn't have emotions - it's that the Lemming thinks it's better to think with the central nervous system and feel with the endocrine, than the other way around.

The Making of an Apathetic Lemming

Growing up in the '60s didn't help. The Lemming was (almost) caught up in some of the fads of the time: and is still concerned about pollution and recycling. Concerned, not scared silly.

Which is, from some points of view, frightfully 'apathetic.'

Part of the problem, in the Lemming's opinion, is that the Lemming has a pretty good memory. And a habit of paying attention to what folks say.

The part of the world where the Lemming grew up had some - colorful, to be polite about it - end-of-the-world Bible thumpers who ranted about the commies, Catholics and coming Armageddon.

A Report From the Department of Unintended Consequences

The Lemming took a long, hard, look at communism: and decided that it looked good on paper, but probably wouldn't work with large groups. Eventually, the Lemming became a Catholic.

Crisis Du Jure, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf

When you see "soupe du jour" on the menu, that may mean that the restaurant serves a new sort of soup each day - or wants you to think it does.

When headlines, professors, and anonymous experts serve up a crisis du jure - the Lemming pays attention.

Sooner or later, that lot could get one right.

So far, though - not so much.

Then there are the Bible-thumpers and their perennial proclamations of the coming end of the world. In about four or five years, the Lemming noticed. The deadlines came and went - and the end-of-the-world crowd didn't seem to notice. They were, back in the Lemming's 'good old days,' too busy being excited about the latest prediction of Armageddon.

The secular analog of Bible thumpers? The Lemming's posted about that before. Fairly recently:
Which is why the Lemming doesn't run around like a chicken with its head cut off, beset with worry that the coming ice age, food riots, nuclear winter, global warming, or - the current thing we're supposed to be hysterical about - climate change, is gonna kill us all.

As the Lemming wrote before: "The boy who cried wolf (AKA The Shepherd's Boy and the Wolf) found out that after a while, folks stop listening. Or, rather, did: back in Aesop's day."

Delicate? Pandas, Maybe: Nature, No

And, of course, destroy the delicate balance of nature - which was dealing with periodic ice ages and the occasional asteroid impact for hundreds of millions of years, before every crippled grasshopper was humanity's fault.

Starting somewhere around the middle of the 19th century, generally. Which is almost another topic.

Is it important to avoid dumping raw sewage in the drinking water? Yes.

Does safely removing asbestos matter? Yes. Was it a good idea to use asbestos as insulation? As it turns out, no.

Does this mean that the Lemming writhes in agony, fearing the imminent destruction of poor, defenseless Mother Nature? No:If not getting caught up in the latest intellectual fashion means that the Lemming is 'apathetic' - that's something the Lemming can live with.

And has, for some time.

Related(?!) posts:
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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Betelgeuse Blows in 2012? 'Don't Bet on It'

"Dying Star Betelgeuse Won't Explode in 2012, Experts Say"
FoxNews.com (January 21, 2011)

"The super-giant red star Betelgeuse in Orion’s nebula is predicted to cataclysmically explode, and the impending supernova may even reach Earth -- someday.

"But will it happen by 2012, as recent news reports suggest? Probably not, experts told FoxNews.com. While the second biggest star in the universe is strangely losing mass -- and has already become a red giant, meaning it is destined to explode and become a supernova -- there's no reason to believe that it will happen anytime soon.

" 'The story is pretty "Hollywoody,"' said New Jersey Institute of Technology professor Philip R. Goode. In reality, the stars eventual explosion is inevitable, but no one knows when it will happen, he explained -- 2012 is pure conjecture...."

The article quotes Phil Plait, of Discovery News, who pointed out that Betelgeuse is too far away to do us much harm.

There's also a (very) short discussion of why Betelgeuse is about to blow: basically, it's running out of fuel.

The Lemming's written about Betelgeuse before. Also the various and sundry 'end-of-the-world' fads of the last thousand years or so.

Back to P. Plait: He's quoted, again, saying that Betelgeuse is expected to explode 'soon' - by cosmic standards. That's somewhere between right new and maybe 100,000 years from now.

The article ends with: "...Goode agreed. 'If you want to bet on it, it's better to try the lottery,' he said."

The 'Betelgeuse in 2012' thing reminded me of a recipe I made up for a post a few years back:

Recipe for fear and panic:
  • Take one handful of journalists
  • Add a pinch of facts
  • Fold in one gallon of assumptions
  • Shake vigorously
  • Serve before facts rise to surface
    (October 10, 2007)
To be fair, the Lemming thinks there are some journalists who know how to use Google, and know the difference between a star and a planet. And that's another topic.

Sort-of-related posts:
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Beware Warmonger Imperialist Space Aliens!?

"Study: If We're Not Alone, We Should Fear the Aliens"
Mike Wall, Space.com (January 10, 2010)

"When considering the prospect of alien life, humankind should prepare for the worst, according to a new study: Either we're alone, or any aliens out there are acquisitive and resource-hungry, just like us.

"These two unpalatable options are pretty much the only possibilities, according to the new study. That's because evolution is predictable, and alien biospheres should thus produce intelligent creatures much like us, with technological prowess and an ever-increasing need for resources.

"But the fact that we haven't run across E.T. yet argues strongly for the latter possibility — that we are alone in the universe's howling void, the study suggests.

" 'At present, as many have observed, it is very quiet out there,' study author Simon Conway Morris, of the University of Cambridge, told SPACE.com in an e-mail interview. 'And given many planetary systems are billions of years older than ours, I'd expect us to be best grilled on toast back in the Cambrian.'...

"...Are we alone?

"The prospect of greedy, imperialistic aliens is a troubling one, but Conway Morris thinks another scenario - also depressing - is more likely to be true...."

Suppositions/Assumptions: Big Ones

Mr. Wall did a pretty good job of discussing C. Morris's ideas. On the other hand, the Lemming notes some whacking great assumptions on Morris's part that might have been highlighted a bit more:

"...Life on Earth has exploited just about every conceivable niche, tolerating extremes of temperature, salinity, pH and pressure. Conway Morris makes the case that Earth life thus exists close to the physical and chemical limits of life anywhere....

"...Further, Conway Morris says, evolution operates predictably, producing relatively predictable outcomes. These two suppositions argue that alien life, if it exists, should be fairly similar to terrestrial life, generating intelligent beings much like us. These aliens may look unfamiliar, but any differences would be skin-deep...."

'Now That We Know All There is to Know'

In the Lemming's opinion, it's a trifle imprudent to assume that humanity's current state of ignorance represents all there is to know about the universe. Maybe that's because the Lemming has seen notions touted as 'well-known facts' get relabeled as 'antiquated ideas' too often to be impressed by today's 'well-known facts.'
Life Can't Possibly Exist Except Where We've Found It?
The Lemming remembers when it was pretty well-known that life couldn't exist in Yellowstone's hydrothermal vents: and folks didn't even know about the even more obviously lifeless ones on the ocean floor. (April 12, 2010, October 2, 2009, May 24, 2009) So the idea "that Earth life thus exists close to the physical and chemical limits of life anywhere" is, in the Lemming's opinion, an assumption.
"Evolution Operates Predictably:" Maybe
As far as "evolution operates predictably" goes: maybe it does. It's the Lemming's opinion that humanity doesn't know that. Yet.

There's some reason to think that the evolutionary process tends to produce similar results. An example of "convergent evolution" was, at least at one time, sharks and porpoises. These animals fill roughly the same ecological niche, and look pretty much alike. And both look pretty much like another large predator, the lion.

Wait a minute. A lion looks like a shark or a porpoise?! In a way, yes. All three animals are:
  • Predators with sharp teeth
  • Very roughly the same size
  • Bilaterally symmetrical
    • Like all animals
      • Except the ones that aren't, like
Even the general appearance of these large predators is quite similar. Sharks, porpoises, and lions are a lot longer than they are wide or tall, have two eyes and mouth at one end, a lump of nerves near the eyes, and a long control cable running the length of the creature, protected by a relatively hard segmented sheath.

From one point of view, the chief difference between sharks, porpoises and lions is that two live in water and the other doesn't.

Now, where was the Lemming?

Discussing the possible nature of intelligent life in the universe. Assumptions or suppositions that:
  • Humanity knows all there is to know about conditions which can support life
  • Evolution follows a predictable path
Right. Picking up at that point:

"...These two suppositions argue that alien life, if it exists, should be fairly similar to terrestrial life, generating intelligent beings much like us. These aliens may look unfamiliar, but any differences would be skin-deep...."

That may be true.

Intelligent life, people, everywhere, throughout all space and time, may think and behave pretty much like the gregarious, noisy, risk-taking upright bipeds that live on Earth.

Or, not.

The Space.com article is, in the Lemming's opinion, balanced. There isn't the 'be afraid, be very afraid' approach that's marinated so much fashionably-intellectual discussion recently. And that's another topic.

The article's informed, too: recognizing the scale of the universe, and possible implications of the fact that we're not currently employed as slaves in the lint mines of a galactic overlord. Or selling souvenirs to tourists from Arcturus.

Which is another topic. Several.

E.T., Klaatu, and Cthulhu

Mike Wall, writing for Space.com, also discusses ideas of Albert Harrison, a psychology professor at the University of California, Davis. Harrison isn't a starry-eyed optimist about space aliens, but he's not a pessimist either, it seems:

"...though he doesn't advocate letting our guard down, Harrison is not quite as worried about aliens' possible malignant intentions as Conway Morris is. It's not necessarily inevitable that alien civilizations advance to stages of interstellar imperialism, cruising the cosmos for resources, Harrison said.

"Despite the atrocities leading the news every night, societies here on Earth seem to be trending more toward peaceful coexistence, Harrison said. And even if an alien civilization got greedy and imperialistic, there's no guarantee it would be able to run roughshod over its neighbors...."

There's more - and the Lemming thinks Harrison's notion of a sort of natural 'checks and balances' makes sense. Let's remember that even the Assyrians didn't last all that long.

Or maybe H. P. Lovecraft got it right.

We've seen quite a range of space aliens in the movies, including:
Then there's Cthulhu.

The Lemming hasn't read the H. P. Lovecraft Cthulhu stories, but gathers that Cthulhu and quite a few of the Dreaded Old Ones weren't so much opposed to humanity, as indifferent. Which was still bad for humanity.

It's like when a squirrel wanders into a transformer. The utility company isn't engaged in a pogrom against squirrels: the incinerated critter just made a wrong turn.

Related posts:
Two dozen centuries of assumptions, summarized:
About the mind of the alien:
More in this blog:
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Monday, January 3, 2011

Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide Now! Or, Not

Born during the Truman administration, the Lemming developed an acute awareness of environmental concerns during the '60s. To this day, the Lemming firmly believes that it's a bad idea to dump raw sewage in rivers; and that if a waterway catches fire, there's something wrong.

That, in the Lemming's opinion, is common sense.

Then, there's this sort of thing, adapted by the Lemming from a Pennsylvania publication:

Dihydrogen Monoxide: Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!

Ignorance? Or conspiracy? Deeply buried in government records is this grim statistic: 9,072 people died in 1992, as a result of contact with dihydrogen monoxide! The body count was even higher the next year!

Yet dihydrogen monoxide use continues in America: permeating the land, the air, and our homes!

Dihydrogen Monoxide: Facts

Dihydrogen monoxide, the basics:
  • Is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain
  • Contributes to the "greenhouse effect"
  • May cause severe burns
  • Is fatal if inhaled
  • Contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape
  • Accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals
  • May cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes
  • Has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
  • As
    • An industrial solvent and coolant
    • A fire retardant.
    • An additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products
      • Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
  • In
    • Nuclear power plants
    • The production of Styrofoam
    • Many forms of cruel animal research
    • The distribution of pesticides

The Dihydrogen Monoxide Threat: Seriously?

Is this nearly omnipresent chemical as dangerous as it sounds? Yes, and no.

This Wikipedia article gives a pretty good explanation for why Americans are, despite the very real risks, still using dihydrogen monoxide:

"Dihydrogen monoxide hoax" Wikipedia "The dihydrogen monoxide hoax is a deception that involves the use of an unfamiliar name for water ('dihydrogen monoxide'), then, by listing some negative effects of this chemical, attempts to convince people that it should be carefully regulated, labeled as hazardous, or banned. The hoax is designed to illustrate how the lack of scientific literacy and an exaggerated analysis can lead to misplaced fears.[1]"Dihydrogen monoxide", shortened to 'DHMO', is a name for water that is consistent with basic rules of chemical nomenclature,[2] but is not among the names published by IUPAC[3] and is almost never used...."

Water? WATER?!!

Is water dangerous? Yes. The Lemming lives in Minnesota, where reports of death by drowning are a sadly-familiar part of the news. That drowning death statistic, by the way, is from a United States Census publication.

Does the Lemming think that water should be banned? No. As explained elsewhere, the Lemming is apathetic. Even if some federal bureau of hyper-cautious regulations decided to limit water to injections administered by licensed health care providers: folks would still need the stuff.

And, happily for everyone who enjoys swimming, water skiing, or taking showers, we're not likely to see a ban of dihydrogen monoxide any time soon. At least, the Lemming hopes not.

Enviro-nuttiness and the Lemming:
Somewhat-related posts in other blogs:
A tip of the hat to a family member, for the heads-up on that Wikipedia article.
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