The Gazebo

• Comet Shoemaker-Levy impacts Jupiter

  Number of comments: 0
  
  JPL has plenty of images and information regarding the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy into Jupiter earlier this month. [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2008, 3:20pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Diamonds Connected to Origins of Life

  Number of comments: 0
  
  Science Daily is reporting on some interesting news from Germany, where researchers have linked the chemical/molecular whatever of the surface of diamonds with the conditions needed for early life to flourish. [...]
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  Posted: July 30, 2008, 3:11pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Independence

  Number of comments: 0
  Freedom is beauty. [...]
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  Posted: July 03, 2008, 9:25pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Biodiversity in Madagascar Protected

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  Kudos, France.
  
  "The largest debt-for-nature swap agreement in Madagascar’s history was just signed between the Government of Madagascar and the Government of France, allocating roughly $20 million (13 million Euros) to preserve Madagascar’s rich biodiversity, WWF has announced."
  And why is this important?
  
  [...]
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  Posted: June 14, 2008, 10:16am EDT
  by Sarah

• US policy on cluster bombs is a global embarrassment

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  The U.S. still opposes the cluster bomb ban now endorsed by one hundred countries. It makes me sick that we tout ourselves as a world-leading nation and yet cling to barbaric weapons that are responsible for the deaths of up to 100,000 people. The fact that 98% of [...]
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  Posted: May 28, 2008, 8:48pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Lander reaches Mars Today

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  NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will reach Mars this evening...' [...]
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  Posted: May 25, 2008, 1:31pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Worth a Click

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  Cabinet of Curiosities [...]
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  Posted: May 24, 2008, 9:51pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Gibbous Mercury

  Number of comments: 1
  Thanks to Sky and Telescope. [...]
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  Posted: January 26, 2008, 10:51pm EST
  by Sarah

• New planets on the way

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  Thanks to NASA and the Spitzer Space Telescope for this infrared composite of the supernova Cassiopeia A. Read more about the space dust here. [...]
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  Posted: December 31, 2007, 12:56pm EST
  by Sarah

• Some accumulation

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  We had our first winter storm up here in New England, although it effected many states before it reaches us. I took a few quick photos to show the accumulation on my back porch.
  
  Taken around 1pm on Thursday, when it had been snowing for almost an hour:
  
  [...]
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  Posted: December 14, 2007, 3:10pm EST
  by Sarah

• A Quest

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  ...and just as the quest made itself known, it was almost over.
  
  Just a few weeks ago I realized that I must travel and see first-hand the three self-portraits painted by Albrecht Dürer between 1493 and 1500. Dürer is probably best known for being the visionary painter who first [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2007, 8:57pm EST
  by Sarah

• Feeding the mind, enriching the soul

  Number of comments: 2
  I have become addicted to RSS feeds, and through that serpentine surfing link to link through the blogosphere, I stumbled upon Exploring Western Massachusetts, a truly great blog. It is well-written and always interesting, in its diverse topics featuring Western and Central Massachusetts. Give it a read, if you [...]
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  Posted: November 23, 2007, 1:17pm EST
  by Sarah

• Interesting debate

  Number of comments: 0
  Are products that are promoted as "natural" really any better? Burt's Bees was just bought by Clorox, as reported over at Treehugger. Does it really make a difference? Or is buying Burt's Bees already just a greenwashed stand-in for chapstick and all the rest.....Comments? Anyone? [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2007, 1:20pm EST
  by Sarah

• For the love of chocolate

  Number of comments: 0
  News from the archaeological site Puerto Escondido in Honduras has pushed the date of the earliest use of cacao back by about 500 years, to between 1400 and 1100 BCE. I guess everyone really does love hot chocolate!
  
  The article goes on to say that the sweet fermented [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2007, 12:38pm EST
  by Sarah

• Iapetus, a study in contrasts

  Number of comments: 0
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Last week, NASA's Cassini spacecraft took this shot of the Voyager Mountains on Iapetus, one of Saturn's moons. You can read more here. Don't forget that it was Cassini who, in' [...]
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  Posted: September 17, 2007, 7:55pm EDT
  by Sarah

• No More Polar Bears?

  Number of comments: 0
  As a follow up to my last post, here is a link to the new USGS report on the possible extinction of the Polar Bear by 2050. I'm having a really hard time with this new report. Its very upsetting, because the USGS doesn't really fuck around. Pardon my [...]
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  Posted: September 13, 2007, 4:33pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Toasted Marshmallow anyone?

  Number of comments: 0
  New England is currently experiencing summer heatwaves. The American West is baking. Europe's are getting longer in duration. Mount Everest is melting. You can't open a magazine or turn on the TV without hearing the buzz words "carbon footprint" or "zero-emissions". Do we still [...]
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  Posted: August 04, 2007, 1:36pm EDT
  by Sarah

• please check your privacy at the gate

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  The US is trying to enforce ridiculous security rules that violate EU privacy laws. Why would anyone even want to come here with a welcome mat like this? BBC reports: Airlines have been threatened with fines of $6,000 per passenger or withdrawal of landing rights if they fly to [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2007, 7:59pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Passport Restrictions Eased

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  Due to the State Department's inability to respond to the demands created by their own passport restrictions, they will be temporarily eased. This change benefits the passport office, rather than citizens/travelers, as it only allows travelers to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda to do so without a passport' [...]
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  Posted: June 08, 2007, 7:47pm EDT
  by Sarah

• A Small Step in the Right Direction?

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  I am hopeful that the agreement reached at the G8 this year in Heiligendamm, Germany is a step in the right direction. The eight world leaders, including Bush, agreed to "strong and early" action to cut emissions by 50% by 2050. Let's see if Bush lives up to his' [...]
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  Posted: June 07, 2007, 5:29pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Casella Loses, Hardwick Wins

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  I apologize for the delay in reporting this:
  
  The town vote ended in favor of the environment, drinking water, and future health of our town. Casella was denied the chance to rezone 48 acres into harmful landfill.
  
  Here are the reports:
  
  =========
  
  ©2007 The Republican
  
  [...]
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  Posted: May 29, 2007, 7:50pm EDT
  by Sarah

• landfill: past and present

  Number of comments: 0
  Hardwick Landfill, courtesy of Casella, won the prestigious "Dirty Dozen" Award in 2005, given by the Toxics Action Center organization. Congratulations, guys! [...]
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  Posted: May 29, 2007, 7:32pm EDT
  by Sarah

• ok, this is bullshit...

  Number of comments: 6
  Ok, I just read this AP article off the CNN site entitled "Scientists: Pollution could combat global warming".
  
  Seriously...What the hell is wrong with the human race? We are actively aiding in the slow destruction of our climate through global warming caused by human activities, i.e. carbon dioxide [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2006, 6:20pm EST
  by Sarah

• BBC World News' The Green Room

  Number of comments: 2
  Stumbled upon yet another great environmental resource over at the BBC World New Site. The Green Room is a collection of "thought-provoking environmental opinion pieces" according to the site. I agree. Good reads all. [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2006, 3:24pm EST
  by Sarah

• Massachusetts Gubernatorial Debate

  Number of comments: 1
  Here in Massachusetts, we had a gubernatorial debate tonight. I have a few comments to share. It just ended a few minutes ago, so I can't find a transcript yet, but I was shocked to hear something that Republican candidate Kerry Healey said when talking about illegal immigrants obtaining driver's [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2006, 8:24pm EST
  by Sarah

• War Crimes, Part Deux

  A coroner ruled on Friday that a British journalist who died in Iraq at the start of the war was unlawfully killed by American forces.
  

  Ah, let the spin begin! I can't wait to see how Fox News spins this one...oh, wait. They don't have to. They just [...]

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  Posted: October 13, 2006, 2:26pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Mmmm...Twinkies

  So, maybe it won't be only rats and Twinkies left after the end of life as we know it on this planet. It will just be Twinkies...and cockroaches, of course. The poor rats will die like the rest of us. [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2006, 2:13pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Puppet Strings

  So, this is what happens when we play god? Interesting. [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2006, 10:27pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Is it wrong...

  Number of comments: 2
  
  ...to want to put my three-month-old son in a ridiculous outfit like this for Halloween?
  
  He really has no say in the matter and might hold it against me 16 or so years from now. Am I possibly potentially scarring his fragile psyche [...]
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  Posted: September 08, 2006, 9:36pm EDT
  by Sarah

• Mystical Science

  What do Egyptology and Astronomy have in common? Apparently, this. [...]
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  Posted: July 21, 2006, 10:24am EDT
  by Sarah

• I have a good excuse...

  ...for being absent these last weeks.
  
  I am proud to announce the birth of my son, Seamus! Welcome to the world, little man!
  
  
  
  
  I hope to get back to a regular schedule of posting very soon....like when I can sleep more [...]
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  Posted: June 28, 2006, 11:10am EDT
  by Sarah

• Watch This Now.

  Number of comments: 2
  Watch it. I love this man. And then watch this- it's the skit and the end of his speech. I love Stephen Colbert. [...]
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  Posted: May 05, 2006, 11:10am EDT
  by Sarah

• Doom-O-Meter

  
  Doom-O-Meter
  Originally uploaded by planetspatula. I love this picture, blurry and all. I made this "meter" one day at work to chart the complete lack of optimism among my closest friend/co-workers. It ended up being a long-term [...]
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  Posted: April 28, 2006, 4:05pm EDT
  by Sarah