Clipmarks | Geography Clips

Sarah's World

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:59:04 GMT

clipped by: nchnted

A geography lesson from Sarah Palin

Good news, everyone: Sarah Palin may now be able to see New Hampshire from her house.

The state is, of course, on the other side of the country from Alaska, but that's not what Palin seemed to think in a rally on Wednesday. The Republican vice-presidential nominee even seemed to draw a few boos when she told the assembled crowd, "It seems like, and in our last rally too, and in other parts around this great Northwest, here in New Hampshire, ya just get it."

Ning

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:30:38 GMT

clipped by: tonybattista

Clip Source: ks3geography.ning.com

Welcome to Key Stage 3 Geography Ning, Tony Battista!

Here are a few things you can do right now…

Geography and the BBC

The BBC News School Report and the GA have teamed up to create a unique opportunity for geography teachers and their KS3 pupils – the chance to create an online news report, a podcast or a video news clip which will be linked nationally to the BBC News School Report website with the chance to have it broadcast live on local/national radio or tv on March 26th 2009. Full details and teacher resource packs are available from:

BBC News School Report website

Sign up today and showcase what you and your KS3 geography pupils can do! If you have any questions about joining in, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I will provide as much support as I can to help geography departments who are interested in taking part. Want to read more? Click HERE.

Bush critic wins economics Nobel

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:56:13 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: The criticisms of the Republican Party and Bush were not mentioned in the other clip. I had read a couple of his articles in the Times and thought they were informative (advantage of a computer, never would have seen the paper otherwise.

Clip Source: english.aljazeera.net

Paul Krugman, an American economist and writer, has won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics.

He took the award for his work in mapping why some countries dominate international trade due to what is commonly called "economies of scale".

A professor of economics at Princeton University, New Jersey, Krugman is seen as a critic of the US policies that have lead to the current financial crisis.

Krugman had regularly criticised the Republican party and the leadership of George Bush, the US president, in his column in The New York Times newspaper.

In its citation, the Nobel academy said: "What are the effects of free trade and globalisation? What are the driving forces behind worldwide urbanisation? Paul Krugman has formulated a new theory to answer these questions.

"He has integrated the previously disparate research fields of international trade and economic geography."

Krugman also won the John Bates Clark medal from the American Economic Association in 1991 for his work on new trade theory.

Tags: nobel prize, economics

Krugman wins Bush Dementia Syndrome Award

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:00:37 GMT

clipped by: muckdog
clipper's remarks: Last paragraph, "Much has been done to tarnish the Nobel brand in recent years, but nothing as much as the politicization of key awards that Alfred Nobel funded more than 100 years ago. Should we just strip his name from the honor and call it what it's become: the Bush Dementia Syndrome award?"

Clip Source: www.ibdeditorials.com

Economics: In a bit of a surprise, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman won the 2008 Nobel prize for economics. Makes us wonder: Is this another step in the ongoing politicization of a once-prestigious award?

Some who hear the Nobel news might be surprised if they only know Krugman from his career as a left-wing columnist, not as an economist. To give him his due, the Princeton professor had a distinguished academic career stretching from the 1970s to the late 1990s — a period when it's fair to say he broke new ground in economics, particularly trade theory and economic geography.

But then something happened: He fell off the political deep end, becoming at times an unhinged ranter against all things Bush, Republican and conservative. Nothing wrong with that, except it affected his once-lucid economic thinking.

How to Make Vanilla Extract

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:57:56 GMT

clipped by: gingembre
clipper's remarks: Mmmm...vanilla!

"Did you know that each vanilla bean comes from an orchid that has been pollinated by hand? Once the vanilla seed pod has developed, it must be hand picked as well. After picking the curing process takes several months. So if you've ever wondered why vanilla extract, and especially vanilla beans, can be so expensive, this is why."--Elise Bauer

This is a very welcoming recipe website to frequent. Her family's tasty recipes are elegantly enhanced by her gorgeous photos and bits of history and geography.

Clip Source: www.elise.com

How to Make Vanilla Extract

You'll never run out of vanilla again.

Ingredients

3 vanilla beans
1 cup vodka
glass jar with tight fitting lid

Method

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.

2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.

3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.

Lasts for years. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.

You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar. Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Commercial vanilla extract usually has simple syrup (sugar water) added to the extract to give it a sweet aftertaste

if you are using the vanilla for baking, there really is no need

Tags: recipes

Ice loss in Greenland

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:49:00 GMT

clipped by: shaor

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

An Accurate Picture Of Ice Loss In Greenland

ScienceDaily (Oct. 10, 2008) — Researchers from TU Delft joined forces with the Center for Space Research (CSR) in Austin, Texas, USA, to develop a method for creating an accurate picture of Greenland’s shrinking ice cap. On the strength of this method, it is now estimated that Greenland is accountable for a half millimetre-rise in the global sea level per year.

The research was based on data from the German-American GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites, two satellites that have been orbiting the earth behind each other since mid-2002. Deviations in the earth’s gravitational field cause fluctuations in the distance between the satellites, which is measured to a precision of a millionth of a metre. As gravity is directly related to mass, these data can be used to plot changes in the earth’s water balance, such as the disappearance of the ice caps.

Earth & Climate

Global Warming

Megadiverse Countries

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:46:50 GMT

clipped by: musex64
clipper's remarks: I actually came across this wiki article by chance. It is a term I never heard of and find quite interesting.
The list of 17 countries is unique in that it includes "highly developed" nations such as The United States and China and many nations with less "developed" economies.

I put the terms in quotes because the only meaningful way of comparing nation states would be based on the humanity of their institutions and in that regard the US...well lets just leave it there.

In any case, I would love to be at a meeting of these 17 nations.

The environmental crisis facing the entire planet demands creative solutions and challenging efforts at cooperation. Perhaps humanity will rise to the occasion.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

The megadiverse countries are a group of countries that harbor the majority of the earth's species and are therefore considered extremely biodiverse. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre, an agency of the United Nations Environment Programme, has identified 17 megadiverse countries,^[1] most located in the tropics.

In 2002, a separate organization, Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries, was formed consisting of countries rich in biological diversity and associated traditional knowledge.^[2] This organization does not include all the megadiverse countries as identified by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Megadiverse countries

In alphabetical order, the 17 countries^[1] identified as megadiverse by the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre are:

Tags: environment, reference, politics, geography

Palin fails geography

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:31:57 GMT

clipped by: goofball-tigger

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Palin calls Afghanistan ‘our neighboring country.’»

Speaking at a San Francisco fundraiser on Sunday, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) “fumbled” while praising U.S. soldiers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, referring to Afghanistan as a “neighboring country”:

“They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan,” she told several hundred supporters at a fundraising event in San Francisco.

Afghanistan borders neither the United States nor Iraq. Asian geography appears equally difficult for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has discussed an imaginary Iraq-Pakistan border.

UpdateYglesias presents a helpful map for Palin and McCain.

Tags: palin

Palin calls Afghanistan “our neighboring country”

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:06:50 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: blogs.reuters.com

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin called Afghanistan “our neighboring country” on Sunday in a speech that could revive questions over her tendency to stumble into linguistic knots.

Three days after a mostly gaffe-free debate performance, the Alaska governor fumbled during a speech in which she praised U.S. soldiers for “fighting terrorism and protecting us and our democratic values”.

“They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan,” she told several hundred supporters at a fundraising event in San Francisco.

The gaffe could add fuel to comedians and late-night talk show hosts who have seized on her linguistic infelicities to portray her as someone not to be taken seriously.

Later in a speech in Omaha, Neb., Palin poked a little fun at herself

“I was just trying to give Tina Fey more material — job security for Saturday Night Live,” Palin said.

Tags: palin, politics, geography, afghanistan, snl

Guns, Germs, & Steel Thesis

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:38:16 GMT

clipped by: gsllcanas

Clip Source: www.amazon.com

Diamond's thesis in "Guns, Germs, and Steel" is that geography, which governs climate which, in turn, governs indigenous species, is the reason for the unequal distribution of wealth in the world today. In short, Diamond is focused on why the Europeans conquered so much of the world.

Clip Source: www.amazon.com

Originally published back in 1997, "Guns, Germs and Steel" posed the interesting hypothesis that Western civilization's preeminence is due to mere happenstance, simply because its ancestral Fertile Crescent civilizations were lucky to have the richest abundance of potentially domesticated grains and animals. The eventual triumph of Western civilization is due to its successful colonization of the temperate regions of the globe, via its rich abundance in domesticated grains and animals, advanced weaponry and technology, and the accidental spread of virulent, often deadly, diseases associated with domesticated animals such as pigs and sheep.

Do not judge a book by it's cover - what might surprise you about a famous porn star

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:34:44 GMT

clipped by: pcmkrfn

Clip Source: www.cracked.com

Porn star Asia Carrera

Retired porn star Asia Carrera, real name Jessica Steinhauser, is a bit of a legend in the porn industry. With 36-26-36 measurements, she performed in a jaw-dropping 400 hundred films in her career and exchanged an unthinkable amount of bodily fluids. She's also mother of two.

She calls herself "the nerd of porn," and we assumed it was some kind of in-joke, until we saw her credentials. Here is somebody who studied piano as a child and by the age of 14 was playing in Carnegie Hall.

At 16, she went to Japan and taught English classes. She was a state spelling champ, in the National Mathematics League, a Spanish National Honor Society member, placing in National Geography, Language and Math Olympiads, and is a member of Mensa. That got her a free ride to Rutgers, where she double-majored in business and Japanese. This naturally inspired her to change her first name to Asia and become an entrepreneur in America's fastest growing business.

Birth of an Ocean: How It Works

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:20:54 GMT

clipped by: tabsey
clipper's remarks: f (lood) didn't quite fit. Reminds me of year 9 geography

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

From the Afar Depression of northeastern Ethiopia southward 2,175 miles (3,500 kilometers) through Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique, the African continent is coming unstitched in a process called continental rifting.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Like a shirtsleeve tearing under a bulging bicep, Earth's crust rips apart as hot rock from deep within the interior pushes up on the solid surface and stretches it thin--sometimes to its breaking point.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

At the northern end of the East African Rift zone, in Ethiopia's Afar Depression, the rifting process has been underway for millions of years, and hardened lava flows of basaltic lava stifle vegetation across much of the region.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Seen at night, fresh lava flows call to mind the phantoms of local lore.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

Elsewhere in Afar, the extreme heat within the continental crust generates hydrothermal fields with boiling pools of reddish, iron-rich water.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

These bright green pools contain nearly pure sulfuric acid.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

falls below sea level and floods.

Clip Source: www.sciam.com

entire East African Rift may f

Tags: more, side, splitting, fun

Geography of Personality

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:03:04 GMT

clipped by: nhuguenin

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

The United States of Mind

Certain regional stereotypes have long since become cliches: The stressed-out New Yorker. The laid-back Californian.

You bet -- at least, according to new research on the geography of personality. Based on more than 600,000 questionnaires and published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, the study maps regional clusters of personality traits, then overlays state-by-state data on crime, health and economic development in search of correlations.

US Textbooks Misrepresent Jews, Israel

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:11:49 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: A glossary entry on the Ten Commandments describes them as "Moral laws Moses claimed to have received from the Hebrew God Yahweh on Mount Sinai."

The same glossary describes the Koran as a "Holy Book of Islam containing revelations received by Muhammad from God."

"All in all, there are repeated misrepresentations that cross the line into bigotry," the authors write.

Wow. Talk about getting your knickers in a knot. Outrageous misrepresentations? I daren't say a word.

Clip Source: www.jpost.com

'US textbooks misrepresent Jews, Israel'

American elementary and high school textbooks contain many "gross misrepresentations" of Judaism, Christianity and Israel, according to a book-length study released this week by the San Francisco-based Institute for Jewish and Community Research.

"It is shocking to discover that history and geography textbooks widely used in America's elementary and secondary classrooms contain some of the very same inaccuracies about Christianity, Judaism and the Middle East as those [used] in Iran,"

Ybarra found some 500 instances of "errors, inaccuracies and even propaganda"

Among the "outrageous misrepresentations" the study found was "a denial of the Jewish roots of Jesus," as when the textbook The World relates that "Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus."

Among the claims

it was Israel that placed Palestinians in refugee camps in Arab lands, not Arab governments.

In some instances, Jews are charged with deicide in the killing of Jesus.

Geography Lesson

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:33:20 GMT

clipped by: milmufmas

Clip Source: video.stumbleupon.com

[Video]