Выборы! Выборы! Кандидаты - пидоры!

Leningrad's take on Russian politics. (Putin, of course, isn't technically a candidate.)

Putin's plan

Putin has a plan. There are billboards up all over Moscow, I hear. Some say it's a sinister plan. Others are pretty sure it has to do with трава.

But hey, maybe we should leave the poor guy alone.

Public Service Announcement

Keep America Beautiful!

Bikes!

The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart. -Iris Murdoch, writer (1919-1999) [World Carfree Day is Sep 22: http://www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/]

Recycled from A Word A Day

Helpful helmets?

Theory: Helmet will protect your head.
Effect: You feel/look safer, so drivers and cyclists take more chances.

Article

I'll keep wearing mine, though!

The Earth Needs Friends

"Bagonaut" of Texas spends 24 hours inside a giant canvas bag to raise awareness of reusable grocery bags. Youtube video, website.

Siberian Ice Maiden

Archeology is fascinating!

Best line: "Soviet scientists were experts at preserving dead bodies, especially those of revered Communist leaders."

TV Climatologist

NY Times interviews Heidi Cullen, who has a climatology show on The Weather Channel, and a PhD.

Recipes

Delicious Organics. Yum!

Linguistics

Go team USA!

The Big Nada

There's a hole in the universe, dear Liza.

Eating Safe/Green/Cheap

Grist has an advice column on what to buy organic if you can't afford to buy everything organic, and another column about how to make zucchini blueberry bread, with batter that looks like dragon snot. Sadly, no photos of dragon snot are included.

Ideal Gas Laws

Totally fascinating applet to play with gas, temperature, pressure and volume.

Cow burps

Reducing methane emissions by cows. The news is so interesting today!

Lake Tahoe

Article: not as clear as when seen by Mark Twain, who likened it to boating on glass.

America Loses Its Stature as Tallest Country

From the Washington Post:
"Komlos and others noted that the contemporary American diet, while plentiful, has become less nutritious in some ways, especially in recent years, which has helped fuel the obesity epidemic, particularly among children. So while Americans are no longer the tallest, they are among the widest."

Uncle Ted in Trouble

And Uncle Don and our new Aunt Lisa, too. Read the news.

More chem

Also, a fairly sensible explanation of oxidation and reduction.

Plus, best chemistry word so far today: Zwitterion.

Atomic orbitals

Explained. Quite clearly. Unlike in the chem book I've been reading.

Man vs Woman vs Planet

Earth mamas and eco-warriors. Or are gender differences just junk? I'm never entirely sure, but here's a Grist piece anyway.