novapsyche | Entries tagged with weird weather

Slovak parents fail to block adoption by gay couple -- in England

States look to the past for execution methods -- This, as Tennessee has decided to revert back to using the electric chair.

Warm Pacific Behind U.S. Cold: Study

Canada vending machines pop out marijuana

Olive oil and salad combined 'explain' Mediterranean diet success

Herman Wallace dies after release from 41 years in solitary -- Two days of freedom. :/

Heavy snow pummels west central United States, forces road closures -- It's a little early in October for that! I remember in the mid '90s when El Nino brought premature snow to Iowa in late October, and that was rather unheard of.

Congressman Mansplains The Shutdown To CNN Anchor: 'You're Beautiful But You Need To Be Honest' | Married GOP Congressman makes awkward pass at CNN host, calls her a beautiful liar

Overeating and indigestion blamed for 1,000 turtle doves falling dead in Italy with strange blue stain on their beaks

Snow present in 49 of the 50 U.S. states

The Dark Side of Oxytocin, the Hormone of Love (NYT) -- "The love and trust it promotes are not toward the world in general, just toward a person's in-group. Oxytocin turns out to be the hormone of the clan, not of universal brotherhood. Psychologists trying to specify its role have now concluded it is the agent of ethnocentrism."

Row with Merkel leaves Sarkozy more isolated than ever -- "The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rubbished a claim by President Nicolas Sarkozy that she planned to follow France's example and bulldoze Roma camps in Germany."

More on the Roma forced-deportation controversy: EU forced to apologise as Sarkozy goes on the attack over Nazi 'insult': French President denies blazing row with [European Commissioner President] Barroso but threat of legal action over Roma crackdown remains

Even more: EU nations and Roma repatriation

British village life 'dying out' after pub closures

Wisconsin DA says he's not stepping down amid texting controversy

New York battered by twin tornadoes

What has Wall Street got against Elizabeth Warren?

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert: Dems' Oct. surprise?

Oh, & in case you missed it: Ohio candidate delivers craziest stump speech EVER: Why can't we get this in California? (VIDEO)

Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand: official

Record-high U.S. temps outpace record lows: study

Update on my feelings about current goings-on:

Blagojevich--You talk about bad apples; this one is thoroughly rotten. His impeachment can't come soon enough. As for the Obama connection, I do believe it is totally guilt by association. For example, Detroit is Michigan's biggest city, but when Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick went down for his corruption, I didn't automatically think that Granholm had something to do with it. People forget that the media (especially the 24-hr news media) is still controlled by conservative interests. They have a stake in tainting Obama's image before he comes into power.

Auto bailout--Amazing what a week makes, yes? This item has dropped out of the news in record time. Bush needs to stop making midnight regulations and start devoting his energy toward throwing Detroit a lifeline. It needs to happen before the end of the year.

Hillary Clinton--I still believe that her appointment to Secretary of State is a mistake. Part of me hopes that technicalities keep her from accepting the position. This same part of me is nonplussed with her supporters' sniping at Caroline Kennedy's attempts to secure Clinton's Senate seat. If Ms. Clinton wanted someone in particular to succeed her, then she should have said something to Gov. Paterson beforehand.

The Shoe--I chuckled all Monday evening. That footage was some of the funniest I've ever seen. I am worried about the reporter, however; there have been reports that he has suffered broken bones and internal bleeding as a result of beatings while in custody.

Hibernation--Did you know that bears in Russian zoos have yet to hibernate?

The Fed--The Fed has overseen two of the worst economic disasters in its history: the Great Depression and now this (what some have called the Great Repression). Now they are throwing money at the problem (directly spurring inflation) and cutting rates to the point where they cannot do so anymore. What happens if things worsen and they are unable to act? As someone said today on the news, you can't offer rates in the negatives: you can't pay someone to borrow money from you.

Greenland Ice Core Analysis Shows Drastic Climate Change Near End Of Last Ice Age

Extreme weather to increase with climate change

March is certainly coming in like a lion. (Tornadoes in winter?!)

Tornado Victims in MS, AR and TN in FEBRUARY

In the last year, the major TV networks asked the presidential candidates 2,679 questions. Pop quiz: How many were about global warming?

A) 514--after all, it's one of the top issues facing the country
B) 165--as many as were asked about illegal immigration
C) 3--the same number asked about UFOs

If you guessed 3, you're right: Reporters asked as many questions about UFOs as they did about the climate crisis--the biggest threat to our planet.

I signed a petition urging top TV reporters to ask the presidential candidates about global warming. You can, too.

Here in Michigan, we've had tornadoes and thunderstorms. Some might be wondering where the snow has gone.

Oh! It's in Baghdad.

It's amazing how many trees still have green leaves this far into the year.

Do you think humans will survive global warming?

I've come across a wonderful smorgasbord of links tonight:

America’s Toe-Tapping Menace

Protest in a liberal democracy -- an article original published in Philosophy and Social Action, 1994

The Angry Black Woman -- courtesy of

vylar_kaftan. And so so timely. Because what the frick?

10 Do's and Don'ts for transracially adoptive parents

Felix becomes rare top-ranked storm -- "Category 5 hurricanes have been rare. [Before 2005,] only two years on record had seen more than one Category 5 hurricane. The 2005 season experienced four. [...] The increase in the number of top-ranked hurricanes has provided backing to research showing global warming may produce stronger tropical cyclones."

Mexico trucks to roll on U.S. highways

Texas spiders' monstrous webs baffle scientists -- "'The dominant spiders here seem to be long-jawed spiders but this is unusual. Social spiders build communal nests in the tropics but the longjaws are not social,' said Mike Quinn, a Texas state insect biologist."

Psychiatrists least religious of U.S. doctors: study

Cancer Society Focuses Its Ads on the Uninsured -- "In a stark departure from past practice, the American Cancer Society plans to devote its entire $15 million advertising budget this year not to smoking cessation or colorectal screening but to the consequences of inadequate health coverage."