I should probably have a catchier title for this post. How about "Cocaine over Italy?" That was reported by the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research. The newspaper may not be always fair and balanced, but it's always fascinating. Here are a few articles I've collected in the past 5 days:
“Superstorm heats up climate change
debate/Warming may have worsened impact, scientists say” by Peter Fimrite,
“Disaster’s economic toll could top $20 billion, analysts say” (Hurricane
Sandy) by Chris Burritt and Brian K. Sullivan, “High hopes ride on capital
city’s new subway line (Mexico), “Global wine production predicted to
plummet,” “High-rises help paint new
picture of the city” in column by John King, the SF Chronicle’s urban design
critic, “Ruptured water main forces residents to go without the flow (Treasure
Island) by Michael Cabanatuan, “Solar is ready, even if the U.s. isn’t” by Ken
Wells, “Waging battle to smother tiny, invading Asian clams/Rubber mats put on
lakebed to kill competitors to native species” by Peter Fimrite, “25% of
schools miss mark on drinking water decree” by Bernice Yeung, “Market St. palm
roots make a bumpy ride in Castro” by Christopher Yee, and Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (by Steve Newman)
reporting on rising Hawaii Lava, dolphins who can stay alert and active for
more than 2 weeks by staying only half awake, calling off a campaign to kill
badgers threatening cattle with TB, and the Arctic Ocean , which is becoming
the world’s garbage dump, and the air quality over every major Italian
city: traces of cocaine, cannabinoids,
nicotine, and caffeine as reported by the Institute of Atmospheric Pollution
Research in Rome!
I realize that I haven't summarized these or even given their URLs, but I'll be back. In the meantime, I need to comment on the weird wiring of my brain. In the thirty-six years I've taken post graduate courses--in my major of linguistics or outside my field--I've always gotten A's. Even if I've taken courses for credit/no credit, I've studied and made A's on my tests. In the course on environmental science, which I love, I've studied, but I haven't made A's on the tests. I took the second one yesterday, and I feel embarrassed about how I did. But that reminded me of being an undergraduate, when I did well in esoteric courses like Philosophy, which other students found hard, and kind of struggled over General Health, which most students regarded as "a Mickey Mouse course" because it was so easy. Bio 31, the course in environmental science, isn't Mickey Mouse, but considering the teacher's passion, my interest, and the amount of time I spend reading and studying, I should be doing better on tests--like I should know the answers!
Interesting!
I'm going to try to be more understanding of my own students, who sometimes make me wonder, "How could they have missed that?"
Observations for my log: Yesterday my tenant left me the rent check inside an envelope I'd addressed to him earlier, recycling it like an inter-office envelope. I told him I'd brag about his re-using!
I realize that I haven't summarized these or even given their URLs, but I'll be back. In the meantime, I need to comment on the weird wiring of my brain. In the thirty-six years I've taken post graduate courses--in my major of linguistics or outside my field--I've always gotten A's. Even if I've taken courses for credit/no credit, I've studied and made A's on my tests. In the course on environmental science, which I love, I've studied, but I haven't made A's on the tests. I took the second one yesterday, and I feel embarrassed about how I did. But that reminded me of being an undergraduate, when I did well in esoteric courses like Philosophy, which other students found hard, and kind of struggled over General Health, which most students regarded as "a Mickey Mouse course" because it was so easy. Bio 31, the course in environmental science, isn't Mickey Mouse, but considering the teacher's passion, my interest, and the amount of time I spend reading and studying, I should be doing better on tests--like I should know the answers!
Interesting!
I'm going to try to be more understanding of my own students, who sometimes make me wonder, "How could they have missed that?"
Observations for my log: Yesterday my tenant left me the rent check inside an envelope I'd addressed to him earlier, recycling it like an inter-office envelope. I told him I'd brag about his re-using!
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