romunov’s blog et al

Perhaps someday I’ll make a list of arguments against biofuels (something I’ve tried in the recent past), but for now, let’s satisfy our controversial with this tid bit via CubeZoo. It takes almost 4 gallons of water to make ethanol (EtOH), which can, as you can imagine, pretty weaken the water supply in areas where water may be scarce, which causes more problems for the local animal and plant populations, including humans. Think Darfur.

This is getting old and weary, but I’ll note it anyway. Evolution is often presented through “some” moth from England that turned black once the industrial revolution was in full swing. It’s called Biston betularia (see a wikipedia entry). I’m putting this one up because I have a feeling that I’ll need it someday, and this will be a great place to look back. I’ve just heard this in the podcast I mentioned one post earlier.

I think I’m becoming hooked on podcasts. I did some searching and found some interesting biology podcasts. I’m currently listening to Animal Behavior Podcast by Roy L. Caldwell.

DAV at Evil Bobby has a nice long post of gynecologists performing abortion on pro-life women. Some funny stuff. Especially in light of current events, when “Clinton should be hanged for getting a blowjob” gets caught rousting hookers.

I’m pro choice on the issue. Life isn’t that precious, and anyone claiming it is, is lying. To them, it’s precious until you turn 18 - then you’re just cannon fodder for their crusades.

Ok, grey.

While in Goricko’s National Park (Nacionalni park Goričko) we also found this skull. To our best guess, its former owner could be a baby wild pig. I’ve marked a few interesting structures for your “amusement”.

Red: Sagital ridge - a pronounced part of the skull that allows some chewing muscles to attach. Notice the huuuuge ridge in a gorilla

Black: A suture - a place where two bones meet and eventually grow solid. Loose sutures (so that the skull can be dismantled) are usually present in juvenile specimens.

Green: Zygomatic arch is broken, perhaps by a feeding predator? This is the arch that gives in humans Asian people their characteristic “flat” face.

White: Nasal conchae - a boned lined with respiratory epithelium, enabling better effect of cooling/warming air. It also contains olfactory (smell) epithelium. See next picture which depics it characteristic structure.

Orange: That’s where sound enters the skull.

Had a little field trip to Goricko national park. Some places are really neat, although some habitats are in danger of being taken over by invasive species like Solidago and Impatiens grandulifera. We found three species of Maculinea (Large Blues), which was our primary goal. We found 50 species in total. We visited about 5 locations. More pictures under the fold.

(more…)

Most people has probably already heard it by now - Bush is getting something up the shaft where sun don’t shine. They’ll be searching for all the stuff his staff and neocons have been pushing up his “high knee” since 2000. Doctors expect to find much more constipating material, since a lot has happened since 2002 when he had his last exam.
I’m sure a lot of low punch jokes will surface, but pay no attention. They can do no harm.

I guess I’ve been tagged by the evil-do-’er CubeZoo. To follow the rules, I must repost them first:

THE RULES

1. All right, here are the rules.
2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
4. People who are tagged write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I have 37 stitches over my body.

2. I’ve been to court once.

3. I bought my own ISDN line when I was only 14. Had to work hard all summer.

4. I mostly drink water and avoid all other beverages if possible.

5. I hate watching or talking about sports and cars (or any other motorized vehicles).

6. I’d like to be an [invertebrate] marine biologist one day, but…

7. I have no problem getting up in the morning. Speaking of which, I woke up one hour early today [5 a.m.] to do choirs, including writing these facts.

8. I’m a sucker for veggie lasagna.

I usually don’t indulge is chain “letters”, however I think this one is pretty fun and educational. I’m tagging Casper at Coral Bones, Lampelina, yabosid, Mark at CitizenReporter, Jin and his little World, Franc at LiLoLe, Foka and deadmike from Journal of the Plague year. Sorry not all whom I wanted made it to the list. But it did remind me I need to refresh my link list. A lot of good blogs are not listed at all - injustice!

Another report on the usability of crops to be converted to biofuel (visit the blog to check the participants). Earth2Tech has a list from one report on why biofuels from corn could not displace the current fuel demand.

Further more, these guys need to get an ecologist into their lines, mmmkay? I’m happy to read that at least one of the commentators mentioned the environmental problems associated with growing crops.

Growing monocultures is no small business. First, you need a bucket load of land that is easily cultivated (check). Then, you need a favorable climate (half check). You need a A LOT of fertilizer (check) and of course, a way to ward of parasites. This creates a few problems. Fertilizer doesn’t get used up 100%, but it leaks to adjacent ground, eventually making their way to groundwater, rivers and finally the sea. This contributes to various blooms and sometimes anoxia, which is bad, as it kills everything that doesn’t move fast enough. Clearly, the quality of living in those areas falls like a turd into the toilet with free fall speed. Then you need a method to keep your crops “healthy”. You might think that with current molecular techniques you can grow a GM crop resistant to this or that parasite, but this is farther from that truth than you can imagine. Most of the crops are made resistant to a certain type of herbicide/pesticide, and when farmer sprays his crop with this particular substance, the crop stands to see another day, but everything else around it takes a beating. This can in turn, in combination of various environmental events, like wind, rain, leaking to the ground, create health problems for the human (and animal) population. Monocultures grown over and over again on the same ground enable more parasites to complete their life cycles.

Bottom line, you fuck everything up.

It might seem harmless to an untrained eye, but I’ve been following the slow but sure degradation of meadows in my vicinity (or anywhere I go, for that matter) and they’re devoid of life and diversity compared to healthy meadows.

I even did an experiment. I haven’t cut crass for two months, and the damn thing grew and grew to about 75 cm. At least butterfly population and diversity increased. I noticed a lot more animals wandering around than now that we use a lawn mower. This is all already known to educated circles, but the information is not getting though, because people who advise farmers have little or no training in these sorts of things - or, don’t give a hoot about it.

In the end, biofuels are not the answer. They might be a temporary solution, but it will never hold H₂O.

Evil Bobby has a post showing a video about College Republicans (Chickenhawks) and their willingness to help out eating the Quagmire that they grown ups have gotten them into. Go check it out.

Here are some interesting stories for you:

In reality, said Brigadier-General Kevin Bergner, an Iraqi actor has read statements attributed to al-Baghdadi, who has been identified since October as the leader of the group, known as Islamic State of Iraq.

I’m gonna give you a moment for this information to settle in.

Ok, re-read it:

In reality, said Brigadier-General Kevin Bergner, an Iraqi actor has read statements attributed to al-Baghdadi, who has been identified since October as the leader of the group, known as Islamic State of Iraq.

Either Bin Laden should be pissed for using his name in vein, oooor…

I’ve blogged about a “catalyzing event” that will lead to a heap of trouble. Here’s one former US ambassador saying:

There is also the late-at-night, eerie concern that Mr. Bush has in his head some sort of scenario where, for reasons of national security - real or drummed up - the 2008 elections will have to be postponed and he will get to stay on.

Now that’s something I would watch on TV. A bunch of retarded cops defending the Whitehouse against some angry motherfuckers.

Via The other 95%, a video entitled “Layers of Symbiosis - Visualizing the Termite Hindgut Microbial Community”. A nice educational video from Cal Tech people.

Perhaps worth mentioning the word “symbiosis”. It can mean two things. In broader view (sensu lato), it can encompass the interactions between organism, may that be mutualism, parasitism or any other form. In narrower terms (sensu stricto), it means that two organisms benefit by interacting with each other - the “symbiosis” they teach us in school.

Ha, finally solved the mystery that surrounded this dragonfly for the past few days. I’ve netted it a few days ago but didn’t have my book nor my camera with me to identify it. So I tried to remember as many characters as possible so I could later look it up, and failed miserably. I could only pinpoint the genus by memory.

I’ve finally managed to net it and photograph it, so here it is. Somatochlora meridionalis from the family of Cordulegastridae.

And how do you know the species from the rest? All other characters aside, the yellow spot on the thorax is pretty characteristic of this one.

Some of you might be familiar with bioblitz - an event where you go out and try to identify and write down as many plant and animal species as possible. At <a href="http://rigorvitae.blogspot.com/2007/07/blogger-necroblitz.html">Rigor Vitae</a>, this was taken a step forward, where roadkills are identified and recorded. Somewhat easier, as you don’t have to search around, just watch where you drive your bike.

Perhaps I can someday publish some of the roadkill photos I have from my daily trips to school. 

At The Simpsons Movie you can build your own Simpson like character. I don’t know how accurate this caricature of this author is, but still a bit funny, I believe.

Go read this excellent post on obesity, genes, environment and exercise at the Biotunes blog.

He’s a sum up quote, a bit out of context (go read the whole thing!):

The media, government, and non-governmental organizations can talk about genes and diet and exercise until they are blue in the face. As long as we continue to build exurban communities with zoning that requires complete dependency on cars to do the briefest errand, often to the fast-food place which is much closer and more accessible than a local farmer’s market, a lot of people will continue to be fat.

Hum, could this be connected to the “surprise” the American people will be getting pretty soon? Could this be just booga booga to soften the blow?

Notice this paragraph:

A spokesman in Albuquerque said the FBI had “no viable information” that could lead to a case.

Statements like that are coming from authorities at an alarming rate. You know, gut feelings.

Here is a nice 3D animation based on forensic evidence regarding the event(s) that unfolded on that September of eleventh, 2001. This is to refute, I suspect, the “no plane at the Pentagon” meme some try to spread, omitting some really important facts.

There you have it, boy and girls. Israel will start it, and the Americans are stuck between. Hahahaha. Brilliant, just brilliant!

“The IDF is preparing itself for an all-out war, and this is a major change in the military’s working premise following the Second Lebanon War,” said Major-General (res) Eyal Ben-Reuven, who served as the Northern Command chief’s deputy during the war.

link