Loss of Andes glaciers threatens water supply - CNN.com

Loss of Andes glaciers threatens water supply - CNN.com: "EL ALTO, Bolivia (AP) -- Twice a day, Elena Quispe draws water from a spigot on the dusty fringe of this city, fills three grimy plastic containers and pushes them in a rickety wheelbarrow to the adobe home she shares with her husband and eight children.
But the water supply is in peril. El Alto and its sister city of La Paz, the world's highest capital, depend on glaciers for at least a third of their water -- more than any other urban sprawl. And those glaciers are rapidly melting because of global warming.
Informed of the threat, Quispe, a 37-year-old Aymara Indian, shows alarm on her weathered face. 'Where are we going to get water? Without water how can we live?'"

I think we need to pay more attention to coping with the results of global warming. You can argue the cause, you can argue whether buying a Prius will save the earth, but this kind of change is happening no matter what.

Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster - CNN.com

Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster - CNN.com:
"# American Academy of Religion to discuss Flying Spaghetti Monster
# The pseudo-deity was created to challenge intelligent design
# Supporters claim a Flying Spaghetti Monster created universe # Followers call themselves Pastafarians"

"It was the emergence of this community that attracted the attention of three young scholars at the University of Florida who study religion in popular culture. They got to talking, and eventually managed to get a panel on FSM-ism on the agenda at one of the field's most prestigious gatherings.

The title: "Evolutionary Controversy and a Side of Pasta: The Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Subversive Function of Religious Parody."'

Hurray! I sport the Pirate Fish on my car.

Wounded warriors face home-front battle with VA - CNN.com

Wounded warriors face home-front battle with VA - CNN.com: "Ziegel, a 25-year-old Marine sergeant, knew the dangers of war when he was deployed for his second tour in Iraq. But he didn't expect a new battle when he returned home as a wounded warrior: a fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 'Sometimes, you get lost in the system,' he told CNN. 'I feel like a Social Security number. I don't feel like Tyler Ziegel.' His story is one example of how medical advances in the battlefield have outpaced the home front. Many wounded veterans return home feeling that the VA system, specifically its 62-year-old disability ratings system, has failed them."
This is a crying shame.

Official Google Blog: A clean energy update

Official Google Blog: A clean energy update: "Today Google.org is launching an exciting project that offers a glimpse of a smarter energy future: cars that plug into an electric grid powered by solar energy. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (“plug-in hybrids”) can achieve 70 -100 miles per gallon, quadrupling the fuel economy of the average car on the road today (~20 mpg). As we demonstrated at today’s event, plug-in hybrids can sell power back to the electric grid when it's needed most through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology"

I had no idea Google was in this space, too.

Students attend school's first integrated prom - CNN.com

Students attend school's first integrated prom - CNN.com: "• Students of Turner County High School voted to have school-sponsored prom
• In the past, parents have organized private, segregated dances
• Principal Chad Stone says the official prom will become a yearly event
• Senior Class President James Hall led the movement for the integrated prom"

I can't believe that this is America in 2007.

Things to do instead of kliiing yourself

I hate OpenOffice on my Mac Mini

I purchased a Mac Mini sometime last year to test a web site error. Initial startup was fabulous. Getting it on to our home network was easy. Installing Firefox was easy.

Now I am trying to install Open Office because it's free and is supposed to do almost everything MS Office can do.

This is turning into pure hell:

1. I went to the open office Web site to download the software.
2. It asked me questions I had to research and randomly referred to the OS version 10.4 or tiger.
3. Tried to install the software. It told me that X11 is not installed.
4. I go to Apple's site to find X11.
5. If find it and download it.
6. I try to install it, it says a newer version is on my computer.
   
7. I try to find it; it's not where they say it is.
8. I decide that it is not installed.
   
9. Finally I find it hidden on my OS X installation disk.
10. I install it.
11. Now I can install the application and everything works.

In the time it took me to install this application suite I could have earned the money it would have cost to purchase MS Office for the Mac.

Handy Excel Macros - 1

Handy.

Sub WalkAndPause()
  ' run a series of URL that take a parameter
  ' Give them some time to complete
  ' before running more
  doMe

  alertTime = Now

  For myCount = 1 To 50

       alertTime = alertTime + TimeValue("00:00:45")
       Application.OnTime alertTime, "doMe"

  Next myCount

End Sub

Sub doMe()
  'Follow the links in the sheet - 3 at a time

  Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow NewWindow:=False, _
     AddHistory:=False
  ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select
  Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow NewWindow:=False, _
     AddHistory:=False
  ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select
  Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow NewWindow:=False, _
     AddHistory:=False
  ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select
End Sub

Sub fixLink()
  ' Run down a list of URLs in a sheet and
  ' turn them into recognizable URLs

   melink = ActiveCell.Value

   ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=Selection, _
      Address:= melink _
       , TextToDisplay:=  melink

   ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select

   If ActiveCell.Value <> "" Then

      fixLink

   End If

End Sub