Yet another day of stifling heat, but this time with rising humidity too! Time for a break. Here's a tremendous cover of the great Clash song Rocking the Casbah, by Algerian rocker Rachid Taha. Except that probably Taha and his band of Algerian outcast rockers inspired it…see below. From The Guardian (in 2007): The French-Algerian singerContinue reading “The semi-true story of “Rocking the Casbah””
Monthly Archives: August 2012
Possible good news: El Niño conditions developing
For those of us who are suffering through seemingly endless heat and dryness, to hear of a possible change in the forecast is comforting, and yes, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center does see increased chances for an El Niño this fall. Supported by model forecasts and the continued warmth across the Pacific Ocean, thereContinue reading “Possible good news: El Niño conditions developing”
Average August 2012 temperature in Phoenix: 100.2
As of today. That includes night: hasn't once fallen below 90 in weeks. Map from a resident who — looking for a cool spot — cleverly overlaid a heat image of the city on a Google Earth map. After charting the cooler green locales (see link) Mark concluded he should live in the Phoenix Country Club.
21st century megadrought in the West
A new climatic projection for the western states and northern Mexico looks at drought over the past 1200 years and out to 2100. A graph from the study at Nature Geoscience tells the story best, as usual: Here's the caption, slightly edited: Reconstructed summer PDSI [Palmer Drought Severity Index] from 800 to 2006, five-year mean.Continue reading “21st century megadrought in the West”
Obama to blame for drought: John Boehner (R – Ohio)
Today John Boehner, who leads the Republican majority in the House, pointed the finger of blame at President Obama for the drought withering the Midwest. No, really. According to the Financial Times (reg. required) he said that "…the president continues to blame anyone and everyone for the drought but himself.” Okay, maybe he just omittedContinue reading “Obama to blame for drought: John Boehner (R – Ohio)”
How to be a nerd (at the Ojai Playwrights Conference)
Had a chance to write a story on the "word nerds" at the Ojai Playwrights Conference, the lucky young people taught by always eloquent and funny teacher/founder Kim Maxwell. Story should be of interest to anyone who likes comedy, I think. Here's the quote that best explains the class and Kim, in response to theContinue reading “How to be a nerd (at the Ojai Playwrights Conference)”
Global Weirding: bizarre summer storm in the Arctic
Via Dot Earth, a fascinating discussion of a truly weird summer storm over the Arctic Ocean. Here's what it looks like from the NASA satellite Aqua, with Greenland's ice sheet at lower left: Andrew Revkin points to the uncertainty about what this means for Arctic sea ice, but to me the expert William ChapmanContinue reading “Global Weirding: bizarre summer storm in the Arctic”
A great reporter tells her father’s story on the front page
Julie Cart is a terrific, award-winning environmental reporter, whose work I have been reading and admiring for many years in the Los Angeles Times. Today she tells, on the front page, the story of her father's secret life as a project manager in a top secret surveillance satellite system. But there's more, and it's mostlyContinue reading “A great reporter tells her father’s story on the front page”
Did Truman Capote set off the breast implant craze?
From George Plimpton's vastly engaging oral biography Truman Capote: In which various friends, enemies, acquaintances, and detractors recall his turbulent career. In this interview, Maria Theresa Caen, married to the famous wit and columnist Herb Caen, recounts how in the 60's she and Herb took Truman Capote to the first legal topless bar in SanContinue reading “Did Truman Capote set off the breast implant craze?”
Extreme temperatures shock climatologists Hansen, Mann
Michael Mann is a climatologist famous for bringing together a complete chronology of warming over the last 1000 years, using both instrumental records and historical proxies. Everyone has seen his "hockey stick" chart, though not all have been able to face the facts. The attacks motivated Mann to write a fierce response, called The HockeyContinue reading “Extreme temperatures shock climatologists Hansen, Mann”
Kit Stolz 