Antarctic methane Mar 17, 2010
Scientists are warning that microbes living under ice sheets in Antarctica could be producing copious amounts of methane which could be released into the atmosphere as the ice melts, causing more global warming via the greenhouse effect.  Or, as Boing Boing put it, "Beware, the Antarctic Methane Fart of Doom!" #science
Legal junk mail Mar 17, 2010
I got a ticket last week for shooting people with a rocket launcher mounted to the front of my car.  Actually, it was because I cut somebody off, which doesn't sound nearly as bad as shooting people.  See how that works?  Anyway, this isn't my first moving violation, seeing that I'm a young male with too many natural brain chemicals and not enough brains to store them all.  But unlike my previous legal run-ins, this one came with legal junk mail.  Within a week, I got five letters in the mail from lawyers who referenced the date of my offense, the location, and the exact law that had been broken.  This seemed a little private to me, but apparently it's "legitimate" in the same way lawyers are "legitimate," i.e. there's nothing inherently illegal about allowing scum-sucking lawyers to access publicly available municipal court dockets for a fee.  This Asbury Park Press article says it's not a new thing (in New Jersey anyway); it's been around since at least 2004.  The article also says, "It is a practice lauded by some as an enterprising way for attorneys to cultivate a client base without expending excessive time and energy on marketing, but derided by others as a demeaning solicitation that casts lawyers in a bad light."  I have news for the lawyers of the world:  Too late. #lifestyle
Early spring Mar 17, 2010
Yesterday the weather in New Jersey was warm and sunny, and ever since the snow's been melting, people have assumed spring is right around the corner.  But I'm a cynic.  Also, I'm kind of a jerk, but that's beside the point.  I've lived in New Jersey my whole life and I know that it doesn't really get warm until like June, which means this cute little teaser of nice weather is simply a cosmic joke to get our hopes up before eventually crushing them with unusually cold and miserable weather.  Mark my words:  It will snow again in 2010 (that rhymes), and this "spring" thing you speak of will disappear as it normally does until around May, when we'll get about two weeks of mild and decent weather before it gets stupid hot. #nature
Extreme temperatures Mar 17, 2010
In the past year, I've experienced the hottest and coldest temperatures of my life.  I was in southern Arizona in July, and it was around 110°F (if you look at a weather map of the whole country, find the little red dot indicating the highest temperature; that's where I was).  I was recently in Vermont where it was -7°F.  And honestly, neither temperatures were that big of a deal.  When it's hot, you sweat.  When it's really hot, you sweat more.  That's about it.  And when it's cold, you wear layers of clothing.  When it's really cold, you wear more layers.  I think it's common to be a little fearful of extreme temperatures, and for good reason:  You can pass out or get frostbite or die.  But it's more likely that you'll just get used to it and/or go back inside. #nature