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As San Diego’s Central Library turns 1, backers tout success; critics still question cost | UTSanDiego.com

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San Diego Central Library turns 1

Facility exceeds expectations, backer says; some still wonder if building worth the cost

By Peter Rowe9:54 p.m.Sept. 27, 2014

via As San Diego’s Central Library turns 1, backers tout success; critics still question cost | UTSanDiego.com.


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START – Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team |

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Photo of a dog behind a chain-link fence at th...
Photo of a dog behind a chain-link fence at the Paws and More No Kill Animal Shelter in Washington, Iowa. I took this picture. This looks just like my dog Yuma. He was from a shelter in Evanston Il. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pets killed in CA shelters in 2012*:

359,477

Taxes spent to house and kill:

$179,523,380.00

Stray and Lost Pets Killed on the streets in California:

77,447

*2012 Annual Rabies Report Control –

State of California (latest file reported)

How do we stop this cycle of waste? SPAY/NEUTER

via START – Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team |.

Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?

“Here you can peruse the debate that followed the paper presenting the simulation argument. The original paper is here, as are popular synopses, scholarly papers commenting or expanding on or critiquing the first paper, and some replies by the author.

(The simulation argument continues to attract a great deal of attention. I apologize that I cannot usually respond to individual inquiries. I hope that you will find what you’re looking for on this page!)”

Descartes' Meditations
Descartes’ Meditations (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

via Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?.

Photos: A Ballpark Tour, in Every Major League City – NYTimes.com

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“Each spring, the start of the major league baseball season brings a fresh slate for teams and their fans, from the Green Monster in Boston to Dodger Dogs in Los Angeles. But as summer fades into the shorter days of autumn, the memories of a season past extend beyond the field, reaching into the slanted seats of the upper deck, onto the crowded sidewalks in front of a ballpark.

Photographer Ray Whitehouse, a graduate student at North Carolina, traveled approximately 18,000 miles over 85 days to visit the 30 major league ballparks to try to capture the game-day experience in each of these cities. The opportunity to watch each team on its home field, in front of its home crowd, kept Whitehouse on the road at one stretch for 43 days as he visited 21 stadiums. At each park, he purchased the cheapest available ticket. Armed with two cameras, he set out on a simple mission: to compile a portrait of America through a pastime that has so strongly influenced its identity.”

The Major League Baseball logo.
The Major League Baseball logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

via Photos: A Ballpark Tour, in Every Major League City – NYTimes.com.

From Tobacco to Tortillas: Latinos Remake Durham, North Carolina – NBC News.com

“A native of Mexico, Flores came to Durham from California in the mid-90s when the Latino population was about 2,000 people, just 1 percent of the city’s population, according to a study by the Latino Migration Project at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

As Durham’s Hispanic population has grown to about 36,000 people – about 14 percent of the city’s 288,000 in 2010 – so did Flores and her business, with the help of a community intent on seeing Latinos integrate, succeed and mature.”

via From Tobacco to Tortillas: Latinos Remake Durham, North Carolina – NBC News.com.

Beyond Nature vs Nurture – Science blog

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“For this event we joined forces with our colleagues in the BL’s Social Sciences team to explore the age-old nature vs nurture debate in the era of epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of how genes can be switched on or off by environmental factors such as nutrients, toxins and hormones. This relatively new field has revolutionized the nature vs nurture dichotomy as we now know that both our genes (‘nature’) and our environment (‘nurture’) can affect who we are. This panel debate and lively Q&A session explored the social, ethical and political implications of this new and exciting area of study.”

BL logo


via
Beyond Nature vs Nurture – Science blog.

 

 

Interstellar Is Going To Be An Absurdly Long Movie – CINEMABLEND

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“Ever since the first whispers of its existence, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar has been cloaked in mystery. Though the curtain is slowly being parted over time, there are still some key secrets that have been kept close to the chests of those involved at Warner Bros. With almost a month to go until the film’s November 7th release date, we just might have our next big piece of information to Interstellar’s ultimate voyage. More specifically, we just might know how long the journey is going to take.”

via Interstellar Is Going To Be An Absurdly Long Movie – CINEMABLEND.

San Diego Banned Books Week events | UTSanDiego.com

The Central Library is holding events Thursday and Friday to recognize Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the freedom to read.

At 7 p.m. Thursday in the library’s auditorium, graphic novelists Scott McCloud and Larry Marder will lead a discussion entitled “Beware of Comics!” about attempts past and present to censor that particular medium.

Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Mary Hollis Clark Conference Room, librarians and “special guests” will be hosting a reading marathon of excerpts from various banned books.

via San Diego Banned Books Week events | UTSanDiego.com.

Boulder Public Library narrows code of conduct as it targets ‘disruptive’ behavior – Boulder Daily Camera

“The Boulder Public Library is seeking public comment on revisions to its code of conduct that remove many specific rules while giving library staff broader discretion to intervene to stop “disruptive” behavior.

Gone are explicit rules about eating, having large bags and washing hair and clothes in restroom sinks. Instead, the proposed new code of conduct opens with a welcome message that states the purpose of the code of conduct and the appropriate uses of library space.”

via Boulder Public Library narrows code of conduct as it targets ‘disruptive’ behavior – Boulder Daily Camera.

Make Dinner: A Home Cooking Manifesto – NYTimes.com

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Just cook. That is the message of the moment, the act to embrace. Just cook dinner. It is a habit as easy to form as a bad one, and more beneficial by far.

Of course, home cooking can be stressful, particularly during the week. Never mind the time spent at the stove. There is also the time spent planning, and the time spent shopping: invisible labor, more taxing than it seems. And then someone has soccer practice. Or the traffic is heavy. Someone needs to work late. Time famine grasps us all.

via Make Dinner: A Home Cooking Manifesto – NYTimes.com.

National Public Lands Day: Orchards and Fruit Trees | Government Book Talk

The leaves on the trees are changing colors, pumpkins seem to be popping up everywhere, and it is getting darker earlier. Fall is in the air and coinciding with the beginning of fall is National Public Lands Day, a celebration that began in 1994 and takes place on the last Saturday of September where volunteers across the country work together to beautify public lands. Also coinciding with the season is the annual trip to the orchard to pick apples and drink cider. In the spirit of fall, apple picking, and National Public Lands Day, we are looking at two companion publications from the National Park Service about orchards and fruit trees.

via National Public Lands Day: Orchards and Fruit Trees | Government Book Talk.