In other news... (humorous news items, etc)

[yurell]

And this is why Melbourne is filled with trams ^_^

[Роберт]

But most countries don't have our bicycle infrastructure. And especially in the USA the infrastructure is really built with cars in mind. So cars become a lot more attractive. Also in USA fuel is so cheap gas stations almost pay you to take their gasoline.

But we freak out about how "expensive" it is... it's nearly 4 USD per gallon.

[Angua]

Prince Charles reads BBC Scotland's weather report

I think my favourite moment is when he clicks on to the fact that someone has written it with the royal residences in mind.

[Dauric]

But most countries don't have our bicycle infrastructure. And especially in the USA the infrastructure is really built with cars in mind. So cars become a lot more attractive. Also in USA fuel is so cheap gas stations almost pay you to take their gasoline.

But we freak out about how "expensive" it is... it's nearly 4 USD per gallon.

We freak out about it because our infrastructure is built to require it. If you've got a functioning bicycle centric infrastructure then you have non-gas consuming options, where in a automobile-centric infrastructure the amount you consume will be higher and that total gas bill will be higher even if the prices are lower.

If you're in an area where public transit is used by traffic planers to "reduce congestion" rather than "reduce consumption" then their focus is on public transport that encourages people to use public transit when the road conditions are lousy, but isn't actually preferable at times where there's relatively little traffic.

[AvatarIII]

22 C is the perfect temperature, so 30 C is twice as hot as 26 C.

Actually, since hotness is probably not linear, we need to run some tests. We put test participants in rooms with controlled climate and ask them to tell us on a scale of -100 to 100 "how hot" each temperature is. From several dozen participants, we should be able to get some sort of calibration curve.

by that logic 23 C is infinity times hotter than 22 C

But most countries don't have our bicycle infrastructure. And especially in the USA the infrastructure is really built with cars in mind. So cars become a lot more attractive. Also in USA fuel is so cheap gas stations almost pay you to take their gasoline.

But we freak out about how "expensive" it is... it's nearly 4 USD per gallon.

just a quick conversion shows $4/Gallon = $1.05/Litre = £0.65/Litre

in the UK, Petrol costs about £1.40 per litre, if you're lucky. so over twice as expensive.

but we do have relatively compact towns, which mean bicycling is not to bad, and pretty much every town has at least one train station.

and who wants to drive when if you're lucky enough to find a place to park, it'll cost you £1.20 an hour for the privilege.

[Ghostbear]

We freak out about it because our infrastructure is built to require it. If you've got a functioning bicycle centric infrastructure then you have non-gas consuming options, where in a automobile-centric infrastructure the amount you consume will be higher and that total gas bill will be higher even if the prices are lower.

If you're in an area where public transit is used by traffic planers to "reduce congestion" rather than "reduce consumption" then their focus is on public transport that encourages people to use public transit when the road conditions are lousy, but isn't actually preferable at times where there's relatively little traffic.

I agree with this, and feel it's also worth mentioning that people's budgets will be built around gas prices being relatively modest. If the cost of gas goes from $3/gallon to $4/gallon, and your income doesn't go up as well, then you'll be seeing a decent extra part of your spending money disappear each month. I don't think the freaking out is so much about "FOUR WHOLE DOLLARS!!!" so much as "now I have $40* less to spend on myself each month, and that makes me sad".

* Or whatever, I don't have a car to know how many gallons would be typical for a month.

[yurell]

The US isn't exactly stellar with it's GDP (nominal) per capita or wealth distribution either, which makes it even harder to compare the petrol prices.

[meridian]

I don't think the freaking out is so much about "FOUR WHOLE DOLLARS!!!" so much as "now I have $40 less to spend on myself each monthfood, and that makes me sad".

-- Damn, but I don't miss this part of driving to work.

[Dark567]

f you're in an area where public transit is used by traffic planers to "reduce congestion" rather than "reduce consumption" then their focus is on public transport that encourages people to use public transit when the road conditions are lousy, but isn't actually preferable at times where there's relatively little traffic.

This is because subsides by the US government are granted based on how much congestion a planned transit system will remove. Its really important when the government subsidies just about anything we think about the different incentives it creates.

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/ ... ties_.html

The US isn't exactly stellar with it's GDP (nominal) per capita

Uh... compared to what?

Besides, really you should be looking at income per capita, in which the US does better.

[Nylonathatep]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/09 ... hotograph/

As kids, we were often warned not to look straight at the sun so we wouldn’t go blind. Luckily, the astronomers from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory didn’t heed mom’s warning and have provided us with this stunning image of the Sun showing activity at the huge sunspot complex, known as AR 1476 (Upper-L), that rotated into Earth’s view over the weekend. It measures more than 100,000 kilometers (60,000 miles) across.

The sunspot is crackling with M-class solar flares and appears to be on the verge of producing even stronger blasts. The sunspot’s ‘beta-gamma-delta’ magnetic field harbors energy for X-class flares, the most powerful kind. Eruptions in the days ahead will likely be geo-effective as the sunspot turns to face Earth.

[JBJ]

I agree with this, and feel it's also worth mentioning that people's budgets will be built around gas prices being relatively modest. If the cost of gas goes from $3/gallon to $4/gallon, and your income doesn't go up as well, then you'll be seeing a decent extra part of your spending money disappear each month. I don't think the freaking out is so much about "FOUR WHOLE DOLLARS!!!" so much as "now I have $40* less to spend on myself each month, and that makes me sad".

* Or whatever, I don't have a car to know how many gallons would be typical for a month.

Not a bad approximation. The average car commute is around 16 miles* each way, or 640 miles per month total. But of course, # of gallons used is also a factor of fuel economy. Cars Large SUVs getting 16mpg would see a $40 increase in gas costs each month for every $1 increase. Smaller cars with better economy of ~30mpg would see about a $20 increase for each additional $1/gallon. Still, for those averages, fuel costs at current prices just to get to/from work accounts for between $0.50-$1.00 per hour of a person's wages. Longer commute and/or inefficient car = higher costs.

* 2005 report. Couldn't find more current, but I don't think it would have changed that much

[Ghostbear]

I don't think the freaking out is so much about "FOUR WHOLE DOLLARS!!!" so much as "now I have $40 less to spend on myself each monthfood, and that makes me sad".

-- Damn, but I don't miss this part of driving to work.

Well, food would fall under spending for yourself, even if it was for someone you care about, it'd still be benefiting you indirectly. Minor pedantic defenses of my statement aside.. yeah, depending on someone's income level, that extra expense can make the difference in whether or not they make end's meet. It can sting quite a bit.

Not a bad approximation. The average car commute is around 16 miles* each way, or 640 miles per month total. But of course, # of gallons used is also a factor of fuel economy. Cars Large SUVs getting 16mpg would see a $40 increase in gas costs each month for every $1 increase. Smaller cars with better economy of ~30mpg would see about a $20 increase for each additional $1/gallon. Still, for those averages, fuel costs at current prices just to get to/from work accounts for between $0.50-$1.00 per hour of a person's wages. Longer commute and/or inefficient car = higher costs.

* 2005 report. Couldn't find more current, but I don't think it would have changed that much

Thanks for finding that data point. It's also worth adding to that data that it appears to only cover commutes to/from work, and doesn't include other travelling. The grocery store, doctor, big box retailer, hair cutter, your bank, etc. are unlikely to all be a part of your work commute. That's all without going into "fun" trips that people are going to want to make. I wouldn't be surprised if the total average miles driven was an additional 50% (~960 miles/month). Once you start adding in those extra costs, some of the less necessary trips might need to be put on the chopping block, or worse depending on your money situation.

[CorruptUser]

Minor trigger.

Willard Romney, homophobic prep school bully.

Not sure if this belongs here or not.

[Kolko]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/09/picture-post-the-sun-loses-its-shine-in-new-nasa-photograph/

As kids, we were often warned not to look straight at the sun so we wouldn’t go blind. Luckily, the astronomers from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory didn’t heed mom’s warning and have provided us with this stunning image of the Sun showing activity at the huge sunspot complex, known as AR 1476 (Upper-L), that rotated into Earth’s view over the weekend. It measures more than 100,000 kilometers (60,000 miles) across.

The sunspot is crackling with M-class solar flares and appears to be on the verge of producing even stronger blasts. The sunspot’s ‘beta-gamma-delta’ magnetic field harbors energy for X-class flares, the most powerful kind. Eruptions in the days ahead will likely be geo-effective as the sunspot turns to face Earth.

I like that the link gets to cut off to show 'hotograph'

[Soralin]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/09/picture-post-the-sun-loses-its-shine-in-new-nasa-photograph/

As kids, we were often warned not to look straight at the sun so we wouldn’t go blind. Luckily, the astronomers from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory didn’t heed mom’s warning and have provided us with this stunning image of the Sun showing activity at the huge sunspot complex, known as AR 1476 (Upper-L), that rotated into Earth’s view over the weekend. It measures more than 100,000 kilometers (60,000 miles) across.

The sunspot is crackling with M-class solar flares and appears to be on the verge of producing even stronger blasts. The sunspot’s ‘beta-gamma-delta’ magnetic field harbors energy for X-class flares, the most powerful kind. Eruptions in the days ahead will likely be geo-effective as the sunspot turns to face Earth.

Unusual way of putting it. But yeah, SDO has some amazing imaging (and video!) of the sun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Y6ay-41No
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_3u_0NN7OM

And while watching those, especially the second one, keep this in mind (size comparison)

Spoiler:

[Iulus Cofield]

FBI looks into mercury found in parking lot near PDX

Spoiler:

PORTLAND, Ore. - Authorities are trying to figure out how a large amount of mercury, a highly toxic liquid, was spilled or left in a parking lot of a shopping center Thursday morning near Portland International airport.

Paul Corah with Portland fire and Rescue initially said about a cup of the liquid was discovered but that was later revised to about 10 pounds, which is about 10 cups.

The boots of the security guard who discovered the mercury were confiscated. A 50 foot by 30 foot section of the parking lot was contaminated.

The FBI is investigating the spill, which was discovered at the Cascade Center on N.E. Airport Drive.

Corah said the Portland Fire HazMat coordinator told him it appears that the mercury was placed there intentionally because there was no container or pieces of a container found nearby that would suggest something had fallen off a truck or that the spill was accidental.

Some of the mercury ran into a storm drain but because mercury is so much heavier than water, it collected at the bottom of the drain and was cleaned up by crews before it got in the storm water collection system, Corah said.

This was a weird and random thing to happen in my hometown.

[Роберт]

This was a weird and random thing to happen in my hometown.

That's rather expensive, isn't it? Actually, I guess it's not as expensive as I thought. Still weird as all get out.

[Ghostbear]

Minor trigger.

Willard Romney, homophobic prep school bully.

Not sure if this belongs here or not.

I had read that earlier. While all of the evidence for it is from first hand accounts, it seems to have enough different people independently verifying the story for me to see it as probably credible.

[Qaanol]

Yeah, I’m really not all that interested in what dumb things Mittens did half a century ago when he was below the age of majority.

I’m much more interested in how much of a lying, flip-flopping, pandering, money-grubbing, tax-evading, anti-freedom, anti-helping the poor, anti-woman, anti-healthcare, anti-equality, job-exporting, pro-pollution, vulture-capitalist scumbag he is now.

[broken_escalator]

I'd also like to know his jam preference when eating toast.

[Darryl]

Yeah, I’m really not all that interested in what dumb things Mittens did half a century ago when he was below the age of majority.

I’m much more interested in how much of a lying, flip-flopping, pandering, money-grubbing, tax-evading, anti-freedom, anti-helping the poor, anti-woman, anti-healthcare, anti-equality, job-exporting, pro-pollution, vulture-capitalist scumbag he is now.

What I care about with this is his non-apology. The fact that he refused to own up to something he did is very troubling.

[yurell]

What I care about with this is his non-apology. The fact that he refused to own up to something he did is very troubling.

To be fair, he very well may not remember. What annoyed me, though, is the way that he phrased his response sounded more like 'I'm sorry that this is being brought up now' than 'if I did this, I am so sorry', but that may be my own personal bias reading into his words.

[Ghostbear]

To be fair, he very well may not remember. What annoyed me, though, is the way that he phrased his response sounded more like 'I'm sorry that this is being brought up now' than 'if I did this, I am so sorry', but that may be my own personal bias reading into his words.

Well, there were quotes from the people recalling the story about how the event was burned in their memory. While it's entirely possible that, if it happened, Romney truly can not recall it, I find that fairly unlikely.

Anyway, even the worst adolescent can grow up into a good human being, so the event itself isn't something I'd consider a good gauge of modern Romney. The non-apology does represent a good gauge of modern Romney. If he can't remember the event or it just plain old didn't happen, then no apology is needed at all, and apology for nothing at all is not an impressive trait. Similarly, if it did happen, then such an empty, hollow, indirect apology isn't particularly endearing. Of course, he's stuck in the rock/hard place junction of being a national candidate, but that's his problem.

[Iulus Cofield]

In the AP article on it I read, he implicitly admitted that it happened but denied knowing the victim was homosexual. I'm not too worried by the implications of it. Lots of teenagers are needlessly dickish and some of those teenagers are needlessly dickish in violent ways and that doesn't necessarily make them violent, dickish adults. Some people seem to think leaders who apologize are weak, so the lack of apology could well be a calculated political move to appear resolute or whatever. People who are willing to have concessive leaders are probably more likely to support Obama anyway, what with his diplomatic tendencies.

[Роберт]

To be fair, he very well may not remember. What annoyed me, though, is the way that he phrased his response sounded more like 'I'm sorry that this is being brought up now' than 'if I did this, I am so sorry', but that may be my own personal bias reading into his words.

Well, there were quotes from the people recalling the story about how the event was burned in their memory. While it's entirely possible that, if it happened, Romney truly can not recall it, I find that fairly unlikely.

Maybe it was so common for him to physically assault people that it just wasn't that memorable when he did it this time.


Either way, school-age antics of someone who is much older aren't something I'm too worried about. His current response to people bringing it up is interesting, though.

[Iulus Cofield]

Three funny things from over the weekend:

Demand for adult diapers exceeds demand for infant diapers in Japan, also vaguely possibly true alarmist rhetoric about the Japanese ethnicity going extinct

This is the true face of gerontocracy.

Up next on TV: The weather with Prince Charles

So that's what royalty is for.

The AP apparently thinks people need a long, glowing reminder that a self-made billionaire may actually be a capable business in spite of wearing hoodies.

I remain unconvinced that making a website estimated to be worth 100 billion dollars in eight years could possibly indicate competence. For god's sake, he doesn't even have wrinkles yet!

[bigglesworth]

Three forms of gerontocracy! Though the monarchy is only accidentally a gerontocracy, what with no monarchs dying in battle or sickness recently.

[Diadem]

Lots of teenagers are needlessly dickish and some of those teenagers are needlessly dickish in violent ways and that doesn't necessarily make them violent, dickish adults.

While that is true, I would be highly surprised if there wasn't a strong correlation.

[Ghostbear]

Either way, school-age antics of someone who is much older aren't something I'm too worried about. His current response to people bringing it up is interesting, though.

Yeah, I agree with this (I've already said it, in fact!). To me the part that tells us about Romney isn't what he did as an adolescent, it's how he's reacted to the story. Which from my understanding, amounts to:

Media: Hey look at this story about Romney, pretty bad, isn't it?
Romney campaign: Lies and slander! Not a word of that is true!
[a few hours pass]
Romney: I don't remember that event happening; look, my campaign spokesperson thinks I'm a nice guy too! Anyway, here's a vague apology that I would make if the events in the story were true -- which they totally aren't, by the way -- but I'd still like to give a non-apology for this event that didn't happen anyway. Go away, please?

If it did happen, the fact that he didn't decide to apologize for it until after the media brought it up (which is also after person he had done it to had died), is pretty bad. The horribly quick pivot on their reaction to it also further lends credence (in my opinion) to it being true.

Lots of teenagers are needlessly dickish and some of those teenagers are needlessly dickish in violent ways and that doesn't necessarily make them violent, dickish adults.

While that is true, I would be highly surprised if there wasn't a strong correlation.

This is true, but in this instance, we actually have the intervening ~50 years of the person's life to tell us if it did or not. Romney has a lot of flaws, even a lot of character flaws, but I would not say "needlessly violent dick" is one of them.

[Djehutynakht]

Minor trigger.

Willard Romney, homophobic prep school bully.

Not sure if this belongs here or not.

I want to make a joke about the psychological explanation that he bullies others because he's insecure. And that he's insecure because he's named Willard.

But I'm above that.

[Qaanol]

…and I want to make a joke that his name is Mitt so he’s a catcher…

[broken_escalator]

Dogs yawn when they hear people yawn, confirming beliefs that they are adorable.

Spoiler:

Who else yawned after clicking the spoiler?

[Triangle_Man]

Dogs yawn when they hear people yawn, confirming beliefs that they are adorable.

Spoiler:

Who else yawned after clicking the spoiler?

I went and yawned loud.

Goddammit. This is your fault.

I yawned again. Crap.

[emceng]

I wonder if I can do this to my cat. He has very dog like tendencies, and I like looking at his teeth. Then again at one point I trained him not to yawn around me, because I'd stick my finger in his mouth when he did.

[poxic]

My cat once caught a yawn from me. It appeared to irritate her.

[Shivahn]

Cats are the weirdest animals. They're like... super social, but also entirely antisocial. At least that is my experience, what with the cat that will follow me around because he can't stand to be further than two feet from me, then get mad at me and sit facing away just to let me know how pissed he is. But still follow me around when I leave.

[Dauric]

Cats are the weirdest animals. They're like... super social, but also entirely antisocial. At least that is my experience, what with the cat that will follow me around because he can't stand to be further than two feet from me, then get mad at me and sit facing away just to let me know how pissed he is. But still follow me around when I leave.

Because if you're more than two feet away you cannot properly service his needs as head of the household. Each time you walk away he has to follow you to make sure that he will not be caught unawares without his trained monkey servant, who judging by his royal highness's irritation clearly needs more training.

[buddy431]

Sketchers pays out 40 million USD to settle claims that they mislead people about what their "Shape-up" sneakers could do. This follows on the heels of a $25 million settlement from Reebok. The companies are 'barred from making any claims that its products strengthen muscles unless they are "backed by scientific evidence."'

[yurell]

Girl sues school for not getting into law.

[Iulus Cofield]

If they somehow won this case, I would worry that such precedence would pressure schools to graduate at all costs and furthering the decline of western higher education. But they clearly don't have a leg to stand on.

Lost wages "because her daughter moved from Geelong to live with her in New South Wales"? Rent for a house in Sydney? If there is any substance to those claims for damages, I must be missing something pretty important.