Global arming -scientific consensus

This is a must bookmark page for use in those debates where the alleged lack of scientific proof of concept is trotted out. Short of it is that there is no peer-reviewed publication in the science world that denies GW is taking place.

In the words of the abstract: "In this Essay, [Naomi] Oreskes analyzes the existing scientific literature to show that there is a robust consensus that anthropogenic global climate change is occurring. Thus, despite claims sometimes made by some groups that there is not good evidence that Earth's climate is being affected by human activities, the scientific community is in overwhelming agreement that such evidence is clear and persuasive."

Science -- Oreskes 306 (5702): 1686

Peak Oil

"At this point, it could take years for alternative technologies to come online, no matter how much economic incentive there is--and meanwhile, since oil demand is relatively 'inelastic,' the price of oil will be bid up until it slows the global economy enough to reduce demand. That's an ugly picture."
Responsible Nanotechnology: Molecular Manufacturing vs. Peak Oil:

The Word is not M$

I have a great deal of sympathy for this idea of discouraging people from sending documents in Word format. I think mainly because of the last point: it endorses and promotes M$ products unnecessarily. Let's try to stick with rtf etc? I had got used to not making a fuss about this since OO.o reads and can write M$Word. I think I may write myown mild rebuke for Word attachments. The quoted one is a good start.
Perhaps mine might go:-
I note that you attached a MSWord document. Please may I encourage you to make a practice of saving and sending such documents in a plain text or .rtf format or at least checking that your correspondant has the necessary software to read Word. You may like also to consider that Word documents carry security and privacy risks and that by promoting the use of Word in this way you are contributing to the advancement of a particular proprietary brand of document as against commonly agreed non-proprietary formats. I would like to suggest that good global citizenship and etiquette involves the use of common rather than proprietary formats unless you have agreed to do otherwise.
Storyteller's World: What to do when you get Microsoft Word attachments

Trussy-Humhphreysishness

This is just what I keep saying about all the moral panics we seem to have about the state of English as it is currently developing. This article puts it amusingly:
"We have linguists in universities up and down the country, scientifically studying how language is used, showing that much of the conventional wisdom on language - and many of Humphrys' assertions and opinions - is factually wrong. Yet somehow these books still get published by people such as Humphrys, simply because he can use language well. I can breathe extremely well - I have done it for many years, to a consistently high standard - yet no one seems the slightest bit interested in my ideas about respiratory biology."
Just so.
Guardian Unlimited Books | News | Trussy:

That's the way to do it

Looks like Steve Hollinghurst...

This is the kind of things that Christians should be doing and indeed some are. I pray that their endeavors here are fruitful. This kind of thing flows out of the concerns and thoughts in earlier blog entries of mine
emergingchurch.info > stories > sanctus 1

I think I'll pass on bluetooth phones

According to this article -and it chimes with other stuff I've heard- bluetooth phones sound just too darn insecure. It's worrying and yet I sort of admire the ingenuity of the phone hackers -phreakers.
Wired 12.12: They've Got Your Number

Emigrating to cyberspace

Inersting reflection on how internet is changing our daily culture. It just raises the issue again about how this all get represented in church, or not. And I don't mean the building, I mean Christians interacting with the Kindom of God in the weave...
Quote: "As more people plug into cyberspace, our interpersonal relationships -- already framed by e-mail and real-time instant messaging -- will become predominately digital. We'll exist in multiple worlds of our own creation: the physical realm and the intellectual sphere constantly connected. Could personal avatars be far behind?"
I'm interested in the multiple worlds of our own creation bit. When Christians [and others] are already dealing with an intangible reality as a day to day reality, what happens to the way that that is perceived or even accessed when such a powerful immaterial reality becomes part of our sensory life? Especially as impersonation and so in becomes so easy and the fictitious becomes a piece of reality in a strange way. Does God become paradignmatic with fictitious avatars? Is that more or less credible?
Wired News: Her So-Called Digital Life