Category: Facebook

It hit 93 degrees in LA this afternoon. We get November heat waves sometimes…

https://www.climatecentral.org/news/what-climate-experts-think-of-trumps-win-20860

It hit 93 degrees in LA this afternoon. We get November heat waves sometimes, yes, but globally 2016 is on track to be the hottest year on record, beating the record set *last year*. 2011-2015 has been the hottest 5-year period on record.

Trump has publicly called climate change a hoax and stated his intent to cut clean energy programs, reduce environmental regulations, increase use of coal, and back out of the Paris climate treaty. People who actually study climate are…not encouraged by this.

Some things (books, magazines) have a longer turnaround time for printing, binding and distributing than,…

Some things (books, magazines) have a longer turnaround time for printing, binding and distributing than, say, newspapers (or the web). If there are two likely outcomes to a big event (like an election), the way to get on shelves first is to prepare *both* editions ahead of time and put on sale the one that matches the actual outcome.

On Facebook

A bit last-minute: We’re doing the FARE Walk for Food Allergy again this year,…

A bit last-minute: We’re doing the FARE Walk for Food Allergy again this year, raising money to support research, awareness and education about food allergies. In the past few years they’ve funded studies to explore the causes of food allergy and develop new therapies, outreach programs to make it safer for allergic people to visit restaurants, or just be at school or the workplace, efforts to make epinephrine more available, an anti-bullying campaign, and more.

Here’s the link to our team fundraising page: http://www.foodallergywalk.org/la2016/maycontainnuts

On Facebook

Careful not to name Mylan specifically, but good to know

A Statement from the CEO of FARE
The recent concerns raised about epinephrine pricing practices have led to questions on FARE’s relationship with commercial organizations. As CEO of FARE I think it’s important to address these questions.

Careful not to name Mylan specifically, but good to know: “We have therefore decided that until meaningful competition exists in the epinephrine auto-injector space we will no longer accept donations from companies marketing these devices.”

Why it’s so hard to get rid of Argentine ants.

Meet the worst ants in the world

Why it’s so hard to get rid of Argentine ants. Also some interesting insights on how founder-effect genetic bottlenecks can change the behavior of species as they move into new ecosystems. In their original habitat, each colony fights each other ruthlessly. But when a colony hitches a ride on a ship or train and expands in a new region, all that region’s ants descend from the same colony and read each other as friends, not foes.

On Facebook

An interesting look at desalination in the Middle East

Israel Proves the Desalination Era Is Here
One of the driest countries on Earth now makes more freshwater than it needs

An interesting look at desalination in the Middle East and how to deal with drought in lands that are already dry to begin with. Israel and Jordan are also working on a joint project on the Red Sea with the intent of sending the brine discharge to the Dead Sea.

On Facebook

I think we have enough evidence by now that “just do what they say and you won’t get hurt” isn’t even true

North Miami police shoot black man who said his hands were raised while he tried to help autistic group-home resident

What. The. Fuck.

I think we have enough evidence by now that “just do what they say and you won’t get hurt,” aside from being what you tell hostages instead of supposedly free citizens, isn’t even true.

And why did they even have weapons drawn if the caller thought the patient was threatening suicide? Don’t shoot yourself or we’ll shoot you? Really? Does that work?

This is a clear case where de-escalation was necessary — and someone was already doing that. They should have stayed back and let him, not get in the way, screw things up further, and handcuff the victim while he’s bleeding out. He’s lucky to be alive.

On Facebook

This is something that had been kicking around in my head as well, but @absurdistwords puts it into words better: “What is harrowing about this case is that clearly if the victim wasn’t there this would be about an autistic man killed with a toy truck.”

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So the official story is that the officer was trying to shoot the disabled man with the toy truck and missed. As if that makes it any better.

Note: I think this was the post after which my cousin unfriended me on Facebook.