Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wednesday Micro Hits

So the hump day has begun. As such, it's time for my second weekly rollout of my Wednesday Micro Hits. Here is where, instead of rattling off small blog entries of mundane thoughts, I coalesce them into one. Ergo, I only waste a fraction of your time!

1. Debating a AAAS membership. I don't really need a subscription (hard-copy or online) of Science, but their new t-shirt (Ways to Demonstrate Science) is really cool. Can't find a picture of it online yet, but if I do soon, I'll link to it here.

2. According to Google Analytics, I've had 14,434 (~40/day) pageviews in the past year. As a standalone amateur blogger, I'll take that as some good numbers.

3. My tri-society has informed me that I have been a member for five years. I guess if I sit down and do the math I have been in the field for roughly that period of time now. I didn't think it had been that long. I guess time flies when you're having fun?

4. If you think agriculture is contributing to global warming, think again.
The study included carbon dioxide and other gases such as methane emitted by rice paddies. It found that, overall, the intensification of farming helped keep the equivalent of 600 billion tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere – roughly a third of all human greenhouse-gas emissions between 1850 and 2005.


5. I think I'd like one of these for Christmas. However I don't live in a drought-ridden area. At least not most years.
The Waterboxx, invented by Pieter Hoff, is a low cost device that can help plants to survive in drought-ridden areas.


6. To everything there is a season. At least that is what the verse in Ecclesiastes (3:1) says. Then why do we and our medical community spend so much money delaying the inevitable?
Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies.

2 comments:

soil mama said...

1- I don't really get the appeal for AAAS membership if you don't need the mag. I feel like there are too many other societies to join ($$$)

2- 40 page views is pretty good (at least I think it does since I don't know what "good" really would be) have you thought of moving to a bigger venue?

3- I was pretty happy to get my 5 yr sticker a few yrs back, it made me feel pretty cool to put it on my car :)

6- I really don't think spending $ on medical services for the very elderly is worth it. I know it sounds cruel, but after seeing my grandparents suffer for extended periods and not gain any quality of life, it just doesn't seem worth it. I sure don't want to go that way!

Tom said...

In reply to #2, yes I have.

In response to #6, I need to blog about my experiences with my grandfather. He had BOTH chemo and radiation within a week of his passing, AND neither doctor would tell him his cancer was incurable. That was left up to the family.