Tuesday, November 19, 2024

PBS Terra asks 'Why Are Some Cities ATTRACTING Storms While Others REPEL Them?'

I told my readers "I have another PBS Terra video to share, so stay tuned for it" to close PBS Terra asks 'Is This Type of Fire IMPOSSIBLE to Stop?' Watch as Maiya May asks Why Are Some Cities ATTRACTING Storms While Others REPEL Them?

We know that the Urban Heat Island Effect can make cities particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, but a new study uncovered something even more surprising: cities might actually be able to attract, and even CREATE, storms. In this episode, we explore what scientists know about this phenomenon, and what it might mean for where we live in the future.
Not only have I blogged about urban heat islands, I've shown the videos from those posts to my students. I might just show this one, too, if I have the time. I lecture about climate change last and sometimes I run out of time, having to rely on Treasures of the Earth: Power and Chasing Ice, which I show in lab, to do the heavy lifting for me.

Speaking of running out of time, I'm going to pass on this opportunity to share my Hurricane Harvey stories. Darn. It's also World Toilet Day but I think I've written all I want to write about it already. See you all tomorrow with another evergreen entry.

Monday, November 18, 2024

PBS Terra asks 'Is This Type of Fire IMPOSSIBLE to Stop?'

For today's evergreen post, I'm sharing PBS Terra asking Is This Type of Fire IMPOSSIBLE to Stop?

Fires are getting bigger and more homes are burning each year. Firefighters are having to change tactics when it comes to the most destructive fires, but why? Jennifer Blach, Ph.D., just released a new study in the journal, Science, and her findings point to a new type of fire that is the culprit for all this destruction.

In this episode, we dive into this groundbreaking new study to learn why fires are getting more dangerous to humans and what we can do about it. Plus we have never-before-seen animations from NASA that show us exactly how these new fires behave. So tune in to learn about the future of fires and how to protect yourself and your home as fires change.
Having grown up in Southern California and observed lots of fires, I knew the answer was wind before Maiya May mentioned it. Fires with high winds were always the most dangerous. They've become even more so since I moved to Michigan 35 years ago, as I wrote in California's Camp and Woolsey fires air pollution seen from space and felt on ground.
I found out last week that the home where I grew up was in a mandatory evacuation zone. In the 25 years I lived there, that never happened. In addition, I don't recall my family ever telling me that had happened during the three decades I've lived in Michigan until this past week.*
...
*I case anyone is wondering, the house is O.K. It was more than a mile from the edge of the fire at its greatest extent.
I followed up in Massive California fires and two tropical storms in the Gulf of Mexico, two climate-fueled weather disasters.
I saw the damage up close in January 2019, when my mom and I drove from her California house to the sea and back. Once we hit the burnt area, we didn't leave it until we got to Malibu; the fire burned all the way to the coast. I was astounded. It's one thing to watch the news reports; it's another to see it up close and in person.
PBS Terra mentioned the Camp Fire being driven by wind. Strong winds also blew the Woolsey Fire all the way to the sea.

I have another PBS Terra video to share, so stay tuned for it tomorrow.

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Amy Shira Teitel of The Vintage Space explains 'When Republicans Were Democrats: The Party Flip'

I told my readers to "stay tuned for evergreen and holiday posts through the rest of November." I'm following through by sharing Amy Shira Teitel of The Vintage Space explaining When Republicans Were Democrats: The Party Flip, which is about as evergreen as it gets.



Those who have been reading this blog since 2012 may be surprised at Amy using The Vintage Space to examine history that isn't about space, science, and technology, so I'll let her explain in the introduction to the Medium post that accompanies and features this video.
The Republican party today is unrecognizable from when it was established in 1854. The party that abolished slavery and extolled the virtues of individual liberties for all Americans doesn’t quite feel like the same one that celebrated overturning Roe v. Wade. The same is true of the Democrats; the party of slave-owning secessionists and segregationists is hardly the party that today stands for minority, women’s, and trans rights, to name a few. Both parties have evolved, but the significant change came in the mid-20th century with the Party Flip. And it’s not a myth like I’ve seen some people claim.

As a mid-century historian, I work almost exclusively in this politically strange era where nothing aligns with what we know today, and the lines aren’t quite as black and white as readers expect. It confuses people, and frankly, I sometimes need to get it reframed in my head. Especially as a born and raised Canadian; this isn’t anything I ever learned in school. It’s a fascinating history, and like so many big topics, it needs a lot of context. To start unpacking the Flip, we’re going to look at how the two party system came to be, how their ideologies developed, and how those two major parties flipped in the 20th century. And we’re going to start right at the beginning.
Both the video and blog post compose a comprehensive summary of the evolution of party systems in the U.S. so far. It's a good place to start, especially since it looks like the U.S. looks like it's undergoing another realignment as a result of the re-election of convicted criminal Donald Trump. That's a topic I plan on returning to, but only after the Sunday entertainment feature, which will not be highlights of tonight's Saturday Night Live; that would be topical other than the Thanksgiving sketches and I'm not writing topical posts until the end of the month.

Friday, November 15, 2024

Business Insider explains 'Why The US Loses $800M A Year In Unrecycled Aluminum Cans' for America Recycles Day

Happy America Recycles Day! In my quest to convince America to recycle smarter as well as recycle more, I'm taking a break from the difficulties of recycling plastic and plastic pollution and 'How to Save the World from Plastic' to feature Business Insider explaining Why The US Loses $800M A Year In Unrecycled Aluminum Cans.

Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, but Americans throw out millions of tons of it every year — mainly aluminum cans and other post-consumer scrap. At the same time, US can-recycling rates are falling drastically behind several countries. We went to New York City to meet a career can recycler and to Michigan to visit companies revolutionizing post-consumer aluminum recycling.
The recycling lab I run focuses on recycling aluminum, but I've never posted about it here before. My predecessor wrote it up, which is why I haven't posted the worksheet for it here; I only post the worksheets I wrote. This is also why I've decided not to post the worksheet for Selva Verde: The Green Jungle; I didn't write that one, either.

Just the same, I can use this video, or at least the facts from it, in that lab. What's disturbing is that the U.S. recycling rate has declined since my predecessor wrote it 22 or so years ago. Then, it was 50%. It's now 45%. That means that one of the facts in the worksheet description, that the U.S. throws away enough aluminum to build its entire commercial airplane fleet ever three months, is almost certainly still true, too.

Learning that New York has had a five cent deposit on many aluminum cans since 1983 makes the episode that inspired Life imitates 'Seinfeld' in Michigan recycling scam even more ridiculous. I doubt the five cent per can and bottle difference between New York and Michigan would be enough to recoup the transportation costs, even 30 years ago. Still, seeing that Michigan has an 89% can and bottle return rate is encouraging. I didn't know either of those facts before watching this video, which means I learned two things new today. As I'm fond of writing, it's always a good day when I learn something new, which makes today a good day.

That completes the string of three holidays that began with World Kindness Day and National Gratitude Month and continued with SciShow asks 'Could a Vaccine Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?' for World Diabetes Day. Since this blog passed its page view goal for the month today, stay tuned for evergreen and holiday posts through the rest of November.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

SciShow asks 'Could a Vaccine Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?' for World Diabetes Day

Happy World Diabetes Day! SciShow invites you to 'Actually Understand Type 2 Diabetes' inspired me to see if SciShow had other videos to share about my disease. The channel did (and still does), so I'm sharing one of them, Could a Vaccine Prevent Type 1 Diabetes?

Measles, mumps, and polio are things we can prevent with vaccines, but scientists are looking to add a surprising entry to that list: Type 1 diabetes.
When I first developed diabetes, I attributed it to stress over the election of convicted criminal Donald Trump, including attending protests. I went to the Women's March, then the March for Science, and People's Climate March. Those were fun and I felt like I was doing something useful, but they wore on me. That, along with my condition, are why I'm not planning on attending any protests this time. It turns out I was blaming the wrong trigger; I probably had an infection that I didn't notice by a virus I hadn't even heard of.

Speaking of which, CVB stands for Group B Coxsackieviruses, which I found out from Vaccines against Group B Coxsackieviruses and Their Importance at the National Library of Medicine. It was published last year, so the research into human vaccines SciShow described is still ongoing. I'm not up to examining the paper in detail, but the abstract mentions that CVB has been implicated in the development of not only type I diabetes, the disease I have, but also myocarditis, which I don't have but which runs in my family. It may be too late for a vaccine to prevent me from developing diabetes, but it could save me from myocarditis.

That's it for today's health holiday. Stay tuned for America Recycles Day. I love holidays!

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

World Kindness Day and National Gratitude Month

Happy World Kindness Day! I begin today's observance with Destination Celebration Show's World Kindness Day & National Gratitude Month.

Immerse in a day of compassionate gestures and appreciative reflections in this episode of Destination Celebration, aired on November 13, 2024. We initiate the day with World Kindness Day, as hosts Marlo Anderson and Latoya Johnson highlight the transformative power of kindness, encouraging small acts of goodwill that can make a significant difference in our world. Then, in the spirit of National Gratitude Month, we explore the profound impact of expressing gratitude, fostering an attitude of thankfulness that can enhance our wellbeing and relationships. Whether you're an advocate for fostering kindness or a believer in the power of gratitude, this episode offers a heartwarming mix of humanity at its best. Join us on Destination Celebration for a day of kindness in action and gratitude in abundance.
Here's the description of National Gratitude Month from National Day Calendar.
National Gratitude Month in November encourages us to embrace the power of gratitude. What are you waiting for? Give gratitude a try!

#NationalGratitudeMonth

Gratitude is more than simply saying “thank you.” Gratitude’s amazing powers have the ability to shift us from focusing on the negative to appreciating what is positive in our lives. Practicing daily gratitude gives us a deeper connection to ourselves, the world around us, and to our Creator.

Everything in our lives has the ability to improve when we are grateful. Research has shown that gratitude can enhance our moods, decrease stress, and drastically improve our overall level of health and wellbeing. On average, grateful people tend to have fewer stress-related illnesses and experience less depression and lowered blood pressure, they are more physically fit, they are happier, have a higher income, more satisfying personal and professional relationships, and will be better liked. Grateful kids are even more likely to get A’s in school.

If everyone practiced daily gratitude, we could change ourselves and the planet for the better. Everyone would be much happier. Love would grow and hate would decrease. And the world would know true peace.
There is also a World Gratitude Day on September 21st, which is already a special day to me. Add that to World Rivers Day next year.

KUSA/9News has more in Celebrating World Kindness Day.

Etiquette expert Thomas Farley has ideas on how to celebrate World Kindness Day.
This world definitely needs more kindness.

I'm closing with a song, World Kindness Day Anthem by The Lyrical Lanterns.


Stay tuned for two more holidays that hold significance for me, World Diabetes Day and America Recycles Day. I love holidays!

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Seth Meyers takes closer looks at Democrats pointing fingers over the election

I promised "some comedy" for today, so I'm sharing two segments from Late Night with Seth Meyers, beginning with last night's Bernie Sanders Rips the Democratic Establishment; Trump Allies Claim Massive Mandate: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the progressive political world pointing fingers over Trump’s victory, with Bernie Sanders saying Democrats abandoned the working class and pundits saying Democrats were too woke.
Bernie Sanders is pushing back at those attacking the left, which Seth examined in last week's Dems Pledge to Contain Trump; Musk Profits from Trump Win; Pundits Blame the Left: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at Trump's campaign confirming he will begin mass deportations on day one of his presidency, his allies promising to get revenge on their enemies and the Justice Department winding down the criminal cases against him as Democrats descend into fighting and finger-pointing.
I still think convicted criminal Donald Trump sounds like Crazy Frog when he says "Bing, bing."

Enough of laughing at current events so I don't cry. Stay tuned for three holidays, World Kindness Day, World Diabetes Day, and America Recycles Day. I love holidays!

Monday, November 11, 2024

'The Commandant's Own' and USMC West Coast Composite Band for a drum corps Veterans Day 2024


Happy Veterans Day! As I have done since 2014, I'm celebrating today as one of my marching music holidays. Since Drum Corps International (DCI) hasn't yet uploaded its official video, I begin with Virtual Assistant Director's USMC DCI Finals Performance.


DCI normally uploads their videos on November 10th, the Marine Corps Birthday, but that was a Sunday. I expect they'll get around to it today. If so, I might replace this video with theirs. At least it should have a good description!

DCI did upload U.S. Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment on Veterans Day last year after I had composed the 2023 Veterans Day post, so I'm sharing it now.

From Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., the United States Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment features “The Commandant’s Own” United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, The United States Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, and the Official Color Guard of the Marine Corps. These featured units kicked off the NightBEAT edition of the 2023 Drum Corps International Tour, July 30, 2023, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
The unofficial video I used cut off before the "Star Spangled Banner" and march off the field, so this makes up for it.

"National Emblem" is a good march to play after the national anthem, but people expect "The Marines' Hymn." For that, I turn to Luis of Music213's USMC West Coast Composite Band - The Marines' Hymn - 2024 Pasadena Rose Parade.

The United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band performing The Marines' Hymn at the 135th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Monday, January 1, 2024. This composite group brings three Marine Bands together from around Southern California; Marine Band San Diego, the 1st Marine Division Band and the 3D Marine Aircraft Wing Band. The band members are fully combat-trained and many have been on combat deployments. This fine band has marched in the Rose Parade for over 20 consecutive years.
Before the band, we have the USMC Mounted Colo[r] Guard. It is the only equestrian unit that carries the American flag.
I was disappointed that the Ohio State Band didn't do their trademark precision turn, so I'm glad the Marines performed it.

That's a wrap for today's marching music holiday. Stay tuned for some comedy before I return to holidays, World Kindness Day, World Diabetes Day, and America Recycles Day. I love holidays!

Sunday, November 10, 2024

'SNL' reacts to the election

I promised a special election edition of highlights of last night's Saturday Night Live and the episode delivered, beginning with SNL for Trump Cold Open.

The cast of Saturday Night Live shares their remarks on the result of the 2024 presidential election.
This is a joke, but the cast is displaying the same kind of worry that Jimmy Kimmel exhibited in 'You're Not Alone' and 'Now What?' Closer looks at Trump's re-election from Colbert, Meyers, 'The Daily Show,' and Kimmel. I just hope this doesn't qualify as "obeying in advance." That would be a bad sign.

Weekend Update: Trump Wins 2024 Election, Becomes First Felon Elected President tackled the orange elephant in the room head on.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Trump promising a "Golden Age of America" in his presidential victory speech.
I have two reactions to the "Golden Age of America" remark. First, as Colin Jost mentioned, it refers to the Golden hour just before sunset, which is the joke. Second, convicted criminal Donald Trump has long had a very bad case of "L'État, c'est moi." As far as he's concerned, he is the country.

Science and animals were the subjects of the next segment, Weekend Update: 43 Monkeys Escape Research Facility, Moo Deng's New Rival.

Weekend Update anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che tackle the week's biggest news, like Starbucks releasing their "Merrier Together" holiday cups.
Every time I hear "40 monkeys" (actually 43), I think of 12 Monkeys, which makes this both on topic for collapse and decline and, along with the news about Diddy and the simultaneous release of Gladiator 2 and Wicked, qualified this post as the Sunday entertainment feature.

Follow over the jump for more highlights of last night's show.