Rip Rowan

More Than 650 Scientists Protest Global Warming Claims

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:09:00 GMT

A new Senate report is poised to present a major challenge to the dogma of global warming. The preview, made available today, provides some tasty hints as to what the full report will contain. Here’s my favorite quote:

“Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly….As a scientist I remain skeptical.” - Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Joanne Simpson, the first woman in the world to receive a PhD in meteorology and formerly of NASA who has authored more than 190 studies and has been called “among the most preeminent scientists of the last 100 years.”

My favorite part of the quote: “Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly.” The unspoken implication is deafening.

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Global Warming, R.I.P.

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:36:42 GMT

Is global warming dead?

Last March, NASA reported the oceans have been cooling for the last five years. Sea level has stopped rising, and Northern Hemisphere cyclone and hurricane activity is at a 24-year low.

Environmental extremists and global warming alarmists are in denial and running for cover. Their rationale for continuing a lost cause is that weather events in the short term are not necessarily related to long-term climatic trends. But these are the same people who screamed at us each year that ordinary weather events such as high temperatures or hurricanes were undeniable evidence of imminent doom.

I wonder how long it will be before this guy gets shot?

To the extent global warming was ever valid, it is now officially over. It is time to file this theory in the dustbin of history, next to Aristotelean physics, Neptunism, the geocentric universe, phlogiston, and a plethora of other incorrect scientific theories, all of which had vocal and dogmatic supporters who cited incontrovertible evidence.

Couldn’t agree more.

Outliers

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:42:32 GMT

I’m not particularly interested in reviewing Malcolm Gladwell’s latest pop-sociology treatise, Outliers. Who needs another review when such outstanding writers as Stephen Kotkin, Michiko Kakutani, and our buddy Joel Spolsky have all weighed in?

Instead, I thought I might critique the critics.

In order to critique the critics, however, I will have to at least briefly review the book. So, here goes.

I read Outliers. It was a fun and insightful read. The author’s thesis is that innate talent isn’t sufficient to create success, but instead hard work and good fortune are also required. Gladwell points out and refutes two common misconceptions: that the gifted rise effortlessly to the top, and that if you aren’t the very best and brightest you have no chance of success.

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Bugs? Features? Defects? Who Cares? I Do.

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:09:59 GMT

There was a bit of debate on the issue of bugs versus features I raised in Coding Horror-ibly. I tried my best to keep it concise, but apparently, didn’t explain myself well. It seems worthwhile to clarify, Mythbusters-style.

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Don't Laugh

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:05:00 GMT

So I got roped into trying this health-food crap called "VaNu". It's an acai / goji / cupuacu juice from the rainforest, sold by an MLM company from Dallas called "Fountain of Life". It's blended with cacao and vanilla, and has a nice taste in my opinion, sort of red wine meets chocolate.

If you know me, I'm really skeptical about this sort of thing. And the stuff is really expensive - about $40 for a 24 oz bottle. So it'd better do something.

As it turns out, it really seems to. I tried it at the recommended serving size of approx 2 oz per day, and it didn't have much effect. So, being me, I tried doubling the amount. And you know, I felt great. My energy levels went way up, my performance in my yoga class was stronger than ever, my digestion improved almost immediately, and I just felt good.

I know what you're thinking. "Are you sure it says cacao and not coca?" No, the ingredient list is quite pristine: acai, agave, cupuacu, goji, camu-camu, cacao, and vanilla. That's it.

Yeah, whatever. Call me crazy. But you know what, the stuff actually worked. And I think I'll keep on using it. It's expensive, but no more so than what a lot of people spend daily on Starbucks. And this is a lot better for you.

OK, fine. Go ahead and laugh.

It’s a Computer, You Can’t Expect it to… Count

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:04:45 GMT

So I’m deleting this really big folder from my USB hard drive, and I get the message from Windows:

which is odd, because I know there’s over 35,000 files totaling over 370 GB of data in that folder.

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Coding Horror-ibly

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:44:53 GMT

I love Jeff Atwood’s blog. But sometimes, I think he’s smoking crack.

His latest post, “That’s Not a Bug, It’s a Feature Request” gets it way wrong. Regarding Bugs versus Feature Requests, Jeff writes:

There's no difference between a bug and a feature request from the user's perspective.

I almost burst out laughing when I read that.

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The Six Stages of Debugging

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:11:24 GMT

That can’t happen.
That doesn’t happen on my machine.
That shouldn’t happen.
Why is that happening?
Oh, I see.
How did that ever work?

Hat Tip: Brian Shaler.

The National Money Hole

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:41:06 GMT

In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

Hat Tip: LGF

When SEO Isn’t Enough

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:56:26 GMT

I was looking for a power antenna replacement for my car today, and the top site returned for my search was Installer.com.

The web site is so horrific I refuse to shop there. I opened it and immediately closed my browser like I’d accidentally clicked a pr0n link. It’s like walking into a store with ultra-bright lights playing loud death metal, with salesmen shouting at me – I’d walk right out.

SEO is good, but someone needs to seriously reconsider this web site.