It just tastes better.

sunfoundation: Falling stout bubbles explained Irish...

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:20:27 -0400

Falling stout bubbles explained

Irish mathematicians may have solved the mystery of why bubbles in stout beers such as Guinness sink: it may simply be down to the glass.

Simulations suggest an upward flow at the glass’s centre and a downward flow at its edges in which the liquid carried the bubbles down with it.

But the reasons behind this flow pattern remained a mystery.

Good work, Science!

Rally in Leeds, England.

Tue, 29 May 2012 22:12:26 -0400

Rally in Leeds, England.

Southwark, London.

Mon, 28 May 2012 19:21:25 -0400

Southwark, London.

shortformblog: Today’s cover for The Independent boldly tells...

Sun, 27 May 2012 13:57:32 -0400

shortformblog:

Today’s cover for The Independent boldly tells its readers not to look away from Syria. In an message on the decision to run a graphic image of the violence in the country, the paper’s editor John Mullin said this: “We believe that — rarely — we need to be shocked. We need to consider the international community’s failure to protect these children.” (via @AntDeRosa)

"The upshot is that teen motherhood is much more a consequence of intense poverty than its cause...."

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:34:30 -0400

“The upshot is that teen motherhood is much more a consequence of intense poverty than its cause. Preaching good behavior won’t do anything to reduce its incidence, and even handing out free birth control won’t contribute meaningfully to solving economic problems. Instead, family life seems to follow real economic opportunities. Where poor people can see that hard work and “playing by the rules” will reward them, they’re pretty likely to do just that. Where the system looks stacked against them, they’re more likely to abandon mainstream norms. Those who do so by becoming single teen moms end up fairing poorly in life, but those bad outcomes seem to be a result of bleak underlying circumstances rather than poor choices.”

- Matt Yglesias at Slate, explaining that getting pregnant doesn’t make teen girls more likely to be poor throughout life. Being poor makes teen girls more likely to get pregnant. Poverty isn’t something inflicted on teen mothers by some vindictive paternalistic cosmos, y’all… (via thepoliticalnotebook)

thepoliticalnotebook: Free Morocco’s political prisoners! Mouad...

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:12:54 -0400

thepoliticalnotebook:

Free Morocco’s political prisoners!

Mouad Belghouat, who raps under the name El Haqed (The Indignant), recently imprisoned for a one year sentence, his trial based on the criticism of security forces in his song “Kilaab Addawla (Dogs of the State).”

Younes Belkhedim, considered the poet of the February 20 Movement, recently sentenced to two years in prison.

Nadia Yassine, noted Islamist activist and opponent of the monarchy.

As well as a great deal of others and amnesty for those previously convicted and sentenced.

Check out Mamfakinch’s article (FR.) on the launch of their campaign to obtain amnesty for Morocco’s political prisoners.

"The country is in deep trouble. We’ve forgotten that a rich life consists fundamentally of serving..."

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:06:57 -0400

“The country is in deep trouble. We’ve forgotten that a rich life consists fundamentally of serving others, trying to leave the world a little better than you found it. We need the courage to question the powers that be, the courage to be impatient with evil and patient with people, the courage to fight for social justice. In many instances we will be stepping out on nothing, and just hoping to land on something. But that’s the struggle. To live is to wrestle with despair, yet never allow despair to have the last word.”

- Dr. Cornel West (via humanformat)

"German police officers fired a total of 85 bullets in 2011, 49 of which were warning shots, the..."

Tue, 22 May 2012 22:51:56 -0400

“German police officers fired a total of 85 bullets in 2011, 49 of which were warning shots, the German publication Der Spiegel reported. Officers fired 36 times at people, killing six and injuring 15. This is a slight decline from 2010, when seven people were killed and 17 injured. Ninety-six shots were fired in 2010. Meanwhile, in the United States, The Atlantic reported that in April, 84 shots were fired at one murder suspect in Harlem, and another 90 at an unarmed man in Los Angeles.”

- German police fired just 85 bullets total in 2011 (via theamericanbear)

I keep talking with people about gun laws in the U.S. vs gun laws elsewhere. And just attitudes towards guns. Am I entirely anti-gun? I don’t think so. Do I feel I need a gun? NO. Do I think most people need guns? NO. Do I think we should reconsider our national attitude towards guns and violence? ABSOLUTELY.

Also, this makes me really really really uncomfortable on an armed-police-officer level. 90 shots at an unarmed man? Ok, even if the officer(s) felt the man was armed, 90 shots is far too many. We seem to be okay with police officers with guns protecting ourselves from…ourselves with guns. And this logic just doesn’t make sense. At what point do we stop the arms race and realize that we have a serious issue? That it doesn’t have to be like this? I don’t mean to say that Germany is entirely safe—there is still violence and violent crimes, to be sure—but the difference in gun violence is shocking. And the difference in shots fired by police officers is clearly unsettling. I’d be curious to see racial/socioeconomic statistics with all of this.

The U.S. needs to assess this love of guns, and question the belief that people in positions of power with guns is an inherently good thing.

(Also: good reporting, The Atlantic.)

Photo

Tue, 22 May 2012 22:41:37 -0400

"[All] of this takes place in total secrecy, with no legal framework and no oversight of any kind...."

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:35:33 -0400

“[All] of this takes place in total secrecy, with no legal framework and no oversight of any kind. Indeed, even after they had [counterterror chief John] Brennan publicly defend the CIA drone program, the Obama administration continues to insist in federal court that the program is too secretive even to confirm its existence. It’s just a tiny cadre of National Security State officials who decide, in the dark, whom they want dead, and then — once the President signs off — it is done. This is the Change with which the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate has gifted us: ‘some of the officials carrying out the policy are equally leery of ‘how easy it has become to kill someone.’’”

- John Brennan’s new power | Glenn Greenwald

More on John Brennan’s new responsibilities here.

(via theamericanbear)

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sun, 20 May 2012 10:34:02 -0400

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sat, 19 May 2012 12:12:19 -0400

Edinburgh, Scotland.

This is the image that got reblogged all those times. Really,...

Fri, 18 May 2012 22:41:33 -0400

This is the image that got reblogged all those times. Really, it’s not my best work at all. I mean, color balance-wise, saturation-wise, composition-wise…but that’s still pretty neat.

(Also, please don’t change the link-through. The blog http://bohofien.tumblr.com did. Credit where credit is due, ESPECIALLY if you are weirdly into “boho” things. I mean, really. I did take the picture and all. bohofien, you didn’t. I’ve since changed the click-through link to my blog.)

wnycradiolab: architizer: Artist Daniel Burden’s kaleidoscope...

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:34:17 -0400

wnycradiolab:

architizer:

Artist Daniel Burden’s kaleidoscope installation takes Paris’s Grand Palais by storm.

Want to go to, you know, there.

Edinburgh, Scotland. (It’s part of a Sister City...

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:45:59 -0400

Edinburgh, Scotland.

(It’s part of a Sister City relationship with San Diego, CA. Supposedly it’s a famous dog from San Diego—Edinburgh has its own famous dog, too.)

One of my photos has been liked/blogged/etc over 1070 times. THIS BLOWS MY MIND. And while I still...

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:44:04 -0400

One of my photos has been liked/blogged/etc over 1070 times.

THIS BLOWS MY MIND.

And while I still wonder at some bloggers’ descriptions (doors in Fes are not “hippie/boho,” thankyouverymuch), I feel…I dunno, almost Tumblr famous. In my own small way.

So yeah. Thanks.

sunfoundation: Is the filibuster unconstitutional? Washington...

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:37:07 -0400

sunfoundation:

Is the filibuster unconstitutional?

Washington Post’s Ezra Klein busts on the filibuster. Gone are the days of Mr. Smith when invoking the filibuster was seen to serve a greater purpose. The filibuster has its roots in Ancient Rome, and apparently even then it had its critics.

"I’m not going to censor myself to comfort your ignorance."

Fri, 18 May 2012 04:17:35 -0400

“I’m not going to censor myself to comfort your ignorance.”

- Jon Stewart (via arabarabarab)

good: 91 percent of companies included in a recent survey say...

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:22:29 -0400

good:

91 percent of companies included in a recent survey say graduating college students should have at least one internship on their résumé. Yet half of them don’t hire interns.

If Companies Value Internships So Much, Why Don’t They Hire Interns?

Hmm…as a (fairly) recent college grad, this is a bit troublesome. Especially the bit where a lot of internships just aren’t paid. Argh.

Edinburgh, Scotland.

Tue, 15 May 2012 10:41:09 -0400

Edinburgh, Scotland.