The Freeway Blogger strikes again!

Free Bradley Manning

Using tasers against bears. A really bad idea

All I can say is, make sure the first taser blast takes the bear down, because humans can not outrun bears, especially cranky ones they just zapped with electricity.

200 year old seeds bloom, surprise scientists

A researcher found seeds for 32 species in an old book. A few of each were sent to the Millenium Seed Project. Three of the species have germinated and are thriving. Scientists are happily astonished.

Social Distortion. Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes

You can listen to the entire new Social Distortion album online. Plus, the more who listen, the cheaper the price gets on Amazon. Such a deal!

Shale gas drilling can make tap water flammable

Shale gas drilling, which involves injection toxic and flammable liquids at high pressure underground to fracture rock formations can make tap water flammable. Crazed environmentalists (and those who wish to drink water from their taps without fear of exploding) oppose this dangerous practice, while the UK government harrumps about how the drilling is subject [...]

The emptiness of liberal and progressive discourse in the US

Emptywheel at FDL continues the discussion triggered by Freddie DeBoer’s “the blindspot,” which is about the lameness and complicity of the liberal blogosphere, and the lack of a genuine left here in the States.

There’s a thriving left in Britain that has an accompanying blogosphere. A quick glance at Socialist Unity or Lenin’s Tomb [...]

Apparently the recession was caused by excessive regulation not greed

Fear not banksters, Obama will be sending you many billions more

So implies Obama, in the WSJ where he mandates that foolish regulations will be henceforth banished to the netherworld. Observers are unclear as to whether this includes regulations he has in fact ushered in himself.

Look, dumb and stupid regulations can indeed be [...]

Sahara Forest Project. Concentrated solar and seawater greenhouses

The hugely visionary Sahara Forest Project, a collaboration between Norway and Jordan, is about to become reality. It will desalinate water from the Red Sea using solar power, and will also use the incoming water to cool greenhouses so crops can be grown year round in the desert.

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Smoking gun on Vatican coverup of pedophile priests

A newly revealed 1997 letter from the Vatican warned Ireland’s Catholic bishops not to report all suspected child-abuse cases to police — a disclosure that victims groups described as “the smoking gun” needed to show that the Vatican enforced a worldwide culture of cover-up.

The letter definitively shows the Vatican has been consistently lying [...]

Climate change debate may not be just about climate change

The debate about climate change isn’t so much about whether or not climate change is happening but what actions to take if it is. Proponents say we need to quickly switch from oil-based energy and transportation to renewable energy and electric / hybrid vehicles, and to cut carbon emissions drastically. Opponents claim not only [...]