Author Archives: Fausto6951

Western wildfires could still be burning by Halloween.

by Fausto6951 Posted on September 8, 2017

One would think that the demise of ticks and tapeworms would be cause for celebration (especially if your introduction to parasites was, as in my case, an encounter with zombie snails at a mercilessly young age).

But hold the party, say researchers. After studying 457 species of parasites in the Smithsonian Museum’s collection, mapping their global distribution, and applying a range of climate models and future scenarios, scientists predict that at least 5 to 10 percent of those critters would be extinct by 2070 due to climate change–induced habitat loss.

This extinction won’t do any favors to wildlife or humans. If a mass die-off were to occur, surviving parasites would likely invade new areas unpredictably — and that could greatly damage ecosystems. One researcher says parasites facilitate up to 80 percent of the food-web links in ecosystems, thus helping to sustain life (even if they’re also sucking it away).

What could save the parasites and our ecosystems? Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “Reduce carbon emissions.”

If emissions go unchecked, parasites could lose 37 percent of their habitats. If we cut carbon quickly, they’d reduce by only 20 percent — meaning the terrifying (but helpful!) parasites creating zombie snails will stay where they are.

Excerpt from: 

Western wildfires could still be burning by Halloween.

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The New York Times Front Page on Comey Is Truly Remarkable

by Fausto6951 Posted on May 10, 2017

Mother Jones

President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey—the man overseeing the investigation into the Russia scandal—made huge news around the world. Here’s the remarkable front page of Wednesday’s New York Times:

And some other notable front pages:

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The New York Times Front Page on Comey Is Truly Remarkable

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The Amtrak Crash Hasn’t Stopped Republicans From Trying to Cut Its Funding

by Fausto6951 Posted on May 13, 2015

Mother Jones

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Last night, an Amtrak train traveling from Washington, DC, to New York City derailed in Philadelphia, causing hundreds of injuries and at least seven deaths. As investigators were piecing together what happened, the House of Representatives moved to reduce Amtrak’s federal funding. The Republican-led Appropriations Committee voted on Wednesday to slash grants to Amtrak by over $250 million—a 15 percent cut from last year. (Amtrak’s new budget would be about $1.1 billion.) The vote had been previously scheduled, but in the wake of Tuesday’s accident, Democrats and transportation experts criticized the move, asserting that increased rail funding was more important than ever.

For decades, Amtrak has been a political football, with politicians arguing over how much, if any, federal money should go toward funding it. Amtrak is a government-supported company, but it is under a federal mandate to turn a profit, while providing nationwide service—something it’s struggled to do for nearly all of its history. In the 1970s and 1980s, Amtrak hemorrhaged cash and cut back on routes. Since 1997, however, ridership has exploded—particularly on the DC-to-Boston Northeast Corridor.

According to a Brookings Institution study, Amtrak use grew 55 percent nationwide from 1997 to 2012. Along the Northeast Corridor that growth was huge: Boston had a 211 percent increase in ridership; New Haven, Connecticut, experienced a 192 percent boost. Nearly 11 million people got on or off an Amtrak train in New York City in 2012; over five million did so in Philadelphia. On routes shorter than 400 miles, Amtrak turned a $47 million profit in 2011.

Yet as more people use Amtrak, the rail service is struggling to maintain its existing infrastructure—much less make the improvements needed to match the quality of rail service in Europe or Japan. A 104-year-old bridge near Newark, New Jersey, is the linchpin of the Northeast Corridor, and it requires an estimated $940 million in improvements. Joseph Boardman, president and CEO of Amtrak, wrote in his budget request to Congress, “It is clear that Americans want a national system of intercity passenger rail…but to maintain and improve that system will require both an increase in the overall capital levels and a real federal commitment to deliver the needed financing.”

Explanations abound as to why Washington—particularly the GOP—has been loath to spend more on Amtrak. The Washington Post pointed out that improved rail service isn’t something many Republican legislators can sell to constituents at election time. People who live in GOP-held districts are six times less likely to use Amtrak than residents of Democratic districts. Also, as National Journal detailed last month, Republicans have long tried to privatize Amtrak.

But some Democrats and rail advocates contend that investing in Amtrak is like investing in highways: It’s a matter of public interest. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest touted President Barack Obama’s support for Amtrak funding. “Unfortunately,” Earnest said, “we have seen a concerted effort by Republicans for partisan reasons to step in front of those kinds of infrastructure advancements.” Obama had asked for $2.5 billion in Amtrak funding in his 2015 budget.

It’s not yet publicly known what happened to Amtrak 188, but media reports on Wednesday afternoon noted that that the train was traveling at over 100 miles per hour before derailing—more than double the mandated speed for that stretch. Reuters reported that Amtrak has begun installing technology designed to stop high-speed derailments, but the Philadelphia tracks where Amtrak 188 crashed did not have the system yet.

Whatever the cause, the tragedy should spur more discussion of the need for better rail, says Joseph Kane, a transportation policy expert at the Brookings Institution. “It’s a shame that it takes a disaster to shift attention in this direction,” he notes. “We need to ask the hard questions…beyond the individual factors of this derailment: Are we investing adequately in our rail network, prioritizing areas of national significance?”

The last time major Amtrak funding was passed came in 2008—right after a deadly rail accident in California.

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The Amtrak Crash Hasn’t Stopped Republicans From Trying to Cut Its Funding

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A Cuisine for the Age of Us – the Anthropocene

by Fausto6951 Posted on July 2, 2014

green4us

White Dwarf Issue 21: 21 June 2014 – White Dwarf

Issue 21 of White Dwarf welcomes the arrival of the new Ork Codex with a Battle Report where the green tide goes up against the Great Devourer. Who’s the deadliest alien in the galaxy? Find out here. It’s joined by some Middle-earth gaming, an exclusive new datasheet for Ork Looted Wagons which you won’t find anywhere else, a look at the Ork O

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Codex: Orks (Enhanced Edition) – Games Workshop

Orks thunder into battle bellowing “Waaagh!” at the top of their lungs. They fall upon their foes like an avalanche, a vast horde of barbaric greenskined warriors wielding an assortment of crude but deadly weapons. All Orks live for fighting. They are addicted to the thunderous racket of really big guns, to speeding about in ramshackle trucks and buggies, an

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How to Raise the Perfect Dog – Cesar Millan & Melissa Jo Peltier

From the bestselling author and star of National Geographic Channel’s Dog Whisperer , the only resource you’ll need for raising a happy, healthy dog. For the millions of people every year who consider bringing a puppy into their lives–as well as those who have already brought a dog home–Cesar Millan, the preeminent dog behavior expert, says, “Yes,

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Perfect Puppy In 7 Days – Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS

With 400 photos and a step-by-step plan, this puppy book visually guides you through socialization, potty training, and life skills while making the process fun.   Dr. Marty Becker; “America’s Veterinarian” of Good Morning America, says, “This is like no other puppy book you’ve seen before.  It’s not just about teaching your puppy ma

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Waaagh! Ghazghkull – a Codex: Orks Supplement (Interactive Edition) – Games Workshop

It has long been said that should the disparate Orks ever unify beneath one leader they would crush all of the so-called civilised peoples of the galaxy. That doomsday draws nearer, for the great greenskin Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka has arisen, and Orks from all clans muster to his bellowing warcry. He is not just a mighty warrior, but a master strategist and

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Inside of a Dog – Alexandra Horowitz

The bestselling book that asks what dogs know and how they think, now in paperback. The answers will surprise and delight you as Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human. Horowitz introduces the reader to dogs’ perceptual and cognitive abilities and then draw

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White Dwarf Issue 22: June 28 2014 – White Dwarf

They’re big, they’re angry, and they’re impervious to almost anything – we pit the new Meganobs against a variety of enemies to see how they fare. (Including an Imperial Knight!). In Codex Apocrypha, Phil Kelly digs into the background of Night Haunter, War Diary shows off Armies on Parade, in Sprues and Glue Dan shows us how to convert the Or

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Dog Training For Dummies – Jack Volhard & Wendy Volhard

Make training fun and effective This friendly guide shows you how to select the right training method for your dog, based on his unique personality, to reach your desired goals. Whether you want to teach Buddy to sit or master retrieving, you’ll get expert training tips and techniques for you and your dog — to ensure a mutually respectful relationship w

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The Art of Raising a Puppy (Revised Edition) – Monks of New Skete

For more than thirty years the Monks of New Skete have been among America’s most trusted authorities on dog training, canine behavior, and the animal/human bond. In their two now-classic bestsellers, How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy, the Monks draw on their experience as long-time breeders of German shepherds and as t

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Codex: Orks (eBook Edition) – Games Workshop

Orks thunder into battle bellowing “Waaagh!” at the top of their lungs. They fall upon their foes like an avalanche, a vast horde of barbaric greenskined warriors wielding an assortment of crude but deadly weapons. All Orks live for fighting. They are addicted to the thunderous racket of really big guns, to speeding about in ramshackle trucks and buggies, an

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A Cuisine for the Age of Us – the Anthropocene

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