Snow Falling on Uptown

Even though Snow is wicked, it's still pretty. Picture taken with a 15 second aperture. It was actually late at night, not daylight.

Hmmmmmmm...

Hmmm

The counterintuitive finding contradicts a prominent global climate model that predicts the Amazon forest would begin to "brown down" after just a month of drought and eventually collapse as the drought progressed.

"Instead of 'hunkering down' during a drought as you might expect, the forest responded positively to drought, at least in the short term," said study author Scott R. Saleska of The University of Arizona. "It's a very interesting and surprising response."

UA co-author Kamel Didan added, "The forest showed signs of being more productive. That's the big news."

The 2005 drought reached its peak at the start of the Amazon's annual dry season, from July through September. Although the double whammy of the parched conditions might be expected to slow growth of the forest's leafy canopy, for many of the areas hit by drought, the canopy of the undisturbed forest became significantly greener -- indicating increased photosynthetic activity.

Saleska, a UA assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and his colleagues at the UA and at the University of São Paulo in Brazil used data from two NASA satellites to figure out that undisturbed Amazon forest flourished as rainfall levels plummeted.

Observation 1: More fodder for skeptics. Observation 2: Adds to my own growing healthy skepticism about claims made by a certain UN Panel over the last year about the coming end of human civilization.

Christmas!

Woo hoo! I FINALLY got the Christmas spirit. Peace and hugs.

Tonight I'm going to bake cookies and read a book. Over the weekend I'll finish up whatever shopping is left and make some more gifts.

For next year: I would like people to just tell me what they want (within reason). I don't like the whole shopping thing.

Oh, and I don't want anything (although a big screen TV would be nice but I know it's not happening.). So don't buy me anything. Seriously. I mean it.

So.

Assessment.


What has happened to me?

Winter's here!

It actually looks pretty, with the Christmas lights outside.

Otherwise, no, I hate snow.

A grrrr

Why is dating such an utter suckfest in Harrisburg?

I mean seriously...sheesh.


I am officially no longer looking (even though it's only been 5 months.)

Is It Real? Pennsylvania Bigfoot

I've spent this icy Sunday watching the History Channel's skeptical series on monsters. I like it, which is surprising considering it's the History Channel (better known as the UFOs, Conspiracies, Ira(n)(q) is Evil, Catastrophe Porn Channel) which doesn't always have the best in intelligent programming.

It sparked something that was on the front page of the Harrisburg Patriot News four Saturdays ago. Does Bigfoot exist in Pennsylvania?

The deer hunt is big in Pennsylvania. Actually, most hunting is, as PA is likely the most conservative of all the "Blue States."

It is so big that pretty much all the school districts in the middle of the state close on the Monday after Thanksgiving as the opening of Buck Season is more or less a de-facto holiday. As a result of all these hunters stampeding on the woods at the end of November, every year, there are lots of stories about the Pennsylvania Game Commission lying about the number of deer and the size of the state's herd. Personally I think the deer have figured out where hunters are not allowed to go, as they're not exactly stupid creatures (except in headlights) and there's not a suburban area in the state that doesn't complain about being overrun with deer.

A guy, an average every day hunting Pennsylvanian decided he was going to get the upper hand this year. He scoped out a trail with a 24/7 trail camera in the deepest of Pennsylvania's forest: the Allegheny National Forest in Northwestern PA, which is also the location of one of the very few stands of old growth forest in the state (the logging industry stripped the state literally bare during the 19th and early 20th centuries). He wanted to find a good spot to put his tree stand to shoot some deer. He was not looking for unknown legendary humanoid creatures.

This is what his camera captured. (Note: the site linked asserts that cryptids such as Bigfoot are real. As the photos are copyrighted by the original hunter, you'll have to click the link to see them. FWIW, PA apparently has a lot of sightings, which is not surprising considering how much of the state is actually covered in forest, which is most of it.)

Bear? or no...

I think it's a bear. The pictures were taken in September, at the end of a dry and warm summer. It's possible that the bear has lots of mange, which is the image the Patriot News put up on its front page on November 2.

As to the overall question: I don't know. I seriously doubt that in a world of 6.5 billion humans, a creature like the Yeti, or Bigfoot could exist without being seriously detected. There are 12 million people in PA, and while most of the state is covered in mountains and forests and most of those people live near Philadelphia or near Pittsburgh, very little of it is actually remote. Indeed, the Allegheny National Forest is undergoing some serious and extensive gas and oil exploration these days thanks to the Bush Administration. Is it possible, perhaps, but not very likely. However I do wonder, as another creature alleged to not exist in Pennsylvania may exist indeed: the Mountain Lion, sightings of which have been reported for years, even in the Philadelphia inner ring suburbs in 1995 (an event I remember well, because the woods where this animal allegedly prowled for a week were directly across from where I lived), and by a sitting State Senator who I happen to do a lot of work with in my job.

Anything's possible, but I'm a skeptic.

Climate Reconstruction

A fascinating and spirited conversation regarding past climates is underway at Climate Audit.

If you have issues with Climate Audit because it's allegedly a "global warming denialist site" (it's not, having read the site and Real Climate for several months now) then don't click the link. Or do, and learn something. Climate Audit is highly technical, and you may need a statistics textbook to understand what's going on.

For what it's worth, there was a time (after Katrina) that I considered this field for graduate work. Now, not so much, for a variety of reasons I'll get into in a future series of posts.

Summer Vacation

So, what are you doing for Summer Vacation?

I'm going to Austin, TX. July 16-21.

30 Days to Save the Mountains

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/7/7044/34891

Devilstower at Daily Kos has been doing 30 days to save the mountains. Essentially a bill in committee right now would stop mountaintop blasting, which is common in the western part of PA and in West Virginia. It destroys the environment, and while I'm not that much of a 'tree hugger', I hate seeing mountains blown up to get coal just as Pennsylvania finally has a mature forest covering much of it (read up on the history of lumber in PA.) Bush let this happen sort of in response to the Utah mine disaster earlier this year (it's too dangerous, apparently, to mine traditionally, so just blow the mountains up and forget the damage it does to ecosystems and the water that people drink.)

Appalachian Voices is documenting what mountaintop removal does in that region. It's pretty devastating.

http://www.appvoices.org/

It bothers me immensely that Congressman Platts is a cosponsor to this bill but Congressman Holden is not. Does Holden not notice the orange creeks in Schuylkill and Northumberland Counties?

I have written and emailed and called his office. If you all could do the same, that'd be great. He needs to get his name on this bill.

Here is his website: http://www.holden.house.gov/

Here is the relevant contact information:

Washington Office

Congressman Tim Holden
2417 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-5546
(202) 226-0996


Berks County Office
4918 Kutztown Road
Temple, PA 19560
Phone: (610) 921-3502
FAX: (610) 921-3504

Dauphin/Perry County Office
1721 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
Phone: (717) 234-5904
FAX: (717) 234-5918

Lebanon County Office
758 Cumberland Street
Lebanon, PA 17042
Phone: (717) 270-1395
FAX: (717) 270-1095

Schuylkill County Office
101 North Centre Street
Pottsville, PA 17901
Phone: (570) 622-4212
FAX: (570) 628-2561
Thanks!

Alvaro's

Alvaro's is an awesome little bakery at Green and Peffer Street near the Governor's Mansion. The neighborhood is getting re-developed.

I love this place. seems I love the independent small business type places. They make great canolis, and pasta (all home made), and pizza.

Try it. Green and Peffer Street, Harrisburg.

(Oh, and all this eating. I've put on 3 pounds since my last doctor's visit two weeks ago. For a guy who can't put on weight to save his life, this is a great thing. Plus, I can eat again. Thanks, Pepcid!)

Nonna's Nonna's Nonna's!

Can't say enough good things about this place. 263 Reily Street, in Harrisburg. I walked up there for lunch on Friday ( a quick 5 mins---at my pace, which is brisk, from my office). The interior was warm and inviting. They sell soda---Boylan's--that's sweetened with natural cane sugar. Big plus there.

I had the baked ziti, which was so good it was like a party in my mouth.

Nonna's---try it. It'll change your life.

More Restaurant Reviews

Yeah, I'm still eating my way across town.

El Rodeo:

On 22 out in Colonial Park.

Bleh. At least the date was a very good date.

Scotts Bar and Grill:

Super slow service. Pack a sleeping bag.

Guiseppe's Pizza

Awesome. I eat there very often! Only open for lunch, a block from the Jackson House (another excellent place!)

Don't Taze me, Bro!

No matter how you feel about professional Attention Whore Andrew Meyer, we can all agree on the unintentional humor of the statement "don't tase me bro!"

And now it's on a tshirt. Sweatshop free, and Union Made.

Restaurant Reviews in Harrisburg

I'm attempting to *force* myself into enjoying this town since I will probably be here at least 2 more years, and the only way one can do that is by going out.

And Harrisburg loves food. And so do I. I mean I just love to eat (even when I have an ulcer--don't worry, I'm on Zantac.)

First review: La Kasbah

This place is pretty cool. I went there for lunch with a coworker. At the time my stomach wasn't quite back to normal (having had a pretty vicious acid attack the week before that sent me to the doctor's for medicine) but I was still pretty hungry.

I had the lamb kabob platter with carrots and brushetta as the sides. For under 10 bucks too. It was quite tasty, a little bit spicy but not overpoweringly so.

The place itself is painted orange, but a really cool orange. It IS a tad smoky inside but overall this is one of my new favorite places.

La Kasbah
913 N. 2nd Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102

(or check the website linked! They have a carry-out deli!)

Bayou On Second:

I like Cajun food too (yeah, spicy food theme here) and I finally got to try this place out this week. They were out of their special Creole Meatloaf, so I had the Seafood Jambalaya instead.

It was pretty good jambalaya--surprising for PA Dutch land. Spicy, yes, but again, it didn't burn my GI tract.

They don't accept credit cards, however. BYOB.

Recommended (and I'm debating wandering down there for brunch tomorrow.)

Alvaro's Bakery at Green and Peffer Street is also an excellent place, friendly staff too. I bought a pound of macaroons there and took them to a picnic, and they were a hit.

And there's also Da Pitts!

At any rate there's more places I need to eat at, so stay tuned.