1. Statement on America's Cup preparations from the Environmental Council
2. Come play in the streets of the Tenderloin/Civic Center August 14
3. Work in San Bruno Mtn Wetlands Saturday the 13th
4. The Farallon Egg War - Thursday the 18th
5. GG Audubon meeting Aug 18--history of egg and nest collecting/Lights Out For Birds Aug 15-Oct 31
6. GGNRA Dog Management Plan/Draft EIS on website for comments
7. People make a lot of money making predictions, so why are they so rarely right?
8. Feedback: Clapper rails at Heron's Head/testosterone and high finance
9. Eating "potency herb" into extinction/African-American steward one of first Civil War heroes
10. A Walk in the Wild: Continuing John Muir's Journey at Oakland Museum Aug 6 - Jan 22
11. A border crosser does not an immigrant make
12. 2012 Winning Strategy, Immigration Reform
13. Vote for AnimalPalooza!
1. (I post the following item after the fact. It sketches some of the concerns of the environmental coalition. JS)
CITY MUST PROTECT SF BAY AREA’S AIR AND WATER DURING AMERICA’S CUP
Environmental Council Holds Press Conference at City Hall, Thursday, August 11, 10:00 am
Planning Commission Public Hearing on America’s Cup, Noon, City Hall Room 400
San Francisco – Environmentalists and neighborhood groups plan to urge San Francisco Planning Commissioners at a public hearing on Thursday, August 11, to make improvements in the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 34th America’s Cup. The Environmental Council – a coalition of more than thirty organizations – is concerned that the Draft EIR underestimates the expected impacts of the event, and will not be able to ensure that the Bay Area’s air, water, and sensitive shorelines are protected. The council was formed to work with the City to achieve a green and sustainable sailing event and shoreline development.
The City has recognized publicly that large crowds, thousands of spectator boats, dredging to accommodate super yachts, a cruise terminal and various building projects are likely to cause significant air and water pollution, as well as transportation impacts within and leading into the City.
Members of the Council have been working cooperatively with one another and with City staff for the past six months to identify and address the expected impacts of the event. “We made a commitment to assist the City in its effort to host a successful America’s Cup event in a very short timeframe,” said Deb Self, executive director of San Francisco Baykeeper. “We’ve had experts in natural resources, bay ecology and habitat, transportation and neighborhood and historic resources provide detailed written input to the City.” Unfortunately, the groups say, very little of that expertise has been incorporated into the draft document, raising concerns that the City may not be able to meet the ambitious timetable they’ve set.
“It takes longer to fix an inadequate document than it does to write one correctly in the first place” said Deb Self. “We really need to take care of the shortcomings of this document now, before it gets rushed to final approval.”
“So far, the DEIR does not do enough to protect our air and water from the expected side effects of the America’s Cup,” added Teri Shore, Program Director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Air pollution from spectator boats and cruise ships will be significant, but cleaner fuel and engine standards are not required. It seems that our concerns and recommendations for greening the event have not yet been incorporated.”
Among the groups sounding the alarm are the South End Rowing Club and Dolphin Club, which are located at Aquatic Park, a location for some America’s Cup activities. “The Draft EIR failed to recognize the events’ impacts to 2,000 swimmers and rowers who use Aquatic Park regularly,” said Ken Coren, Vice President of the Dolphin Club, which has been located in Aquatic Park since the 19th Century. “It’s just not appropriate to use this historic maritime park for super yachts and a floating video jumbotron.”
Other major impacts of concern are crowds in sensitive upland habitats in the Presidio, the loss of shoreside power for visiting cruise ships, water quality impacts from boatyards and increased trash in the Bay, and interactions between marine mammals and visiting watercraft.
“Imagine having the Blue Angels and Fleet Week non-stop for nine weeks,” said Jennifer Clary of San Francisco Tomorrow, the coordinator of the Council. “Everyone who lives in the City understands the impacts of those events. We want the City’s plan to do the same.”
The Environmental Council’s purpose is to ensure that America’s Cup is a benefit for San Francisco Bay and its surrounding neighborhoods and historic resources, in both the short and long term.
#################################
2. Come play in the streets of the Tenderloin/Civic Center, August 14th!
It's time to enjoy car-free streets once again! Sunday Streets is returning to the Tenderloin/Civic Center on August 14th!. Join thousands of Bay Area residents, families and visitors from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. to walk, run, bike, skate, or move freely through the open streets. There will be all kinds of fun activities for kids of all ages!
######################################
3. San Bruno Mountain - Bog Trail Wetlands
Saturday 13 August, 10 am - 12.30 pm
We will be weeding velvet grass and other weeds at the Bog in the saddle of the mountain.
Workdays start at 10:00 AM and go to 12:30 PM with a ten minute break with snacks provided.
QUESTIONS? 415-467-6631 or email: restore_ecology@earthlink.net
#####################################
4. AUGUST LECTURE - San Francisco Natural History Series
The Farallon Egg War
Guest Speaker: Eva Chrysanthe
Thursday, August 18th, 7.30 pm
Randall Musem, San Francisco
Writer and illustrator Eva Chrysanthe will present a re-examination of the political and market forces that led to mass poaching on the Farallones and the bold and ultimately successful efforts by 19th & 20th century scientists to preserve the island’ s ecology.
You can see more of Eva’s engaging illustrations on her blog. http://faralloneggwar.blogspot.com/
FUTURE TALKS
9/15 – San Francisco’s Changing Landscape – Greg Gaar
10/20 – Keeping Nature in the City – Peter Brastow
11/17 – Reclaiming the Art of Natural History – John (Jack) Muir Laws
LAST MONTH's LECTURE NOTES: online at: http://sfnhs.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/vanishing-waters/
If were to rewind the Mission Bay area of San Francisco a few hundred years, we’d find a large shallow inlet of water, with Mission Creek flowing into it. Tidal marshes and 100 foot dunes would stand in what is now SOMA.
Vanished Waters tells the story of how that changed to what it is today. Chris Carlsson edited the second version of the book originally written by Nancy Olmsted for the Mission Creek Conservancy. He led us through the history of the area.
Of course, people have been there for thousands of years. The coastal area provided well for the Native American tribes who lived there. But in the last two centuries it changed rapidly from marsh, to agricultural land, to an industrial zone. The bay became smaller and smaller, the dunes pushed into the area as fill.
The Mission became a tourist attraction. The agricultural changed to gardens. Racetracks came about, then disappeared. Steamboats were built, all sorts of shipping from hay for city horses. The largest whaling port on the west coast was there.
The creek became a horrible place as industries moved in. There was corruption from railroads. There were property booms, and violently suppressed strikes. All in all, like many places it has a complicated history!
It wasn’t of course until the 60s that a lot of people started to take a second look at the bay, and what remains of Mission Creek and the Mission Bay. The Mission Creek Conservancy worked hard to move development of the Mission Bay into better directions from what originally were planned.
The last 10 years has seen the area fill with new development and new life. New parks, new people, and restoration. The creek, as the people living in the houseboats along it can attest, has now slowly come back to life with all sorts of life: birds, fish, invertebrates, seals, and more finding their way into the channel.
It will be interesting to see what the next few hundred years bring.
Check out the book:
http://www.missioncreekconservancy.org/Mission_Creek_Conservancy/Vanished_Waters.html
And what more you can do with the Mission Creek Conservancy:
http://www.missioncreekconservancy.org/
You can follow and write about what happened and happens in the
Mission Bay at Chris Carlsson's
http://ShapingSF.org
###########################################
5. Lights Out For Birds 2012
August 15 through October 31 is fall migration and the time to encourage businesses to participate in Lights Out for Birds by turning off unnecessary lights from dusk to dawn. This beneficial program saves natural resources, cuts energy bills, and, most importantly, can save the lives of numerous birds. To sign up or learn more about Lights Out, go to www.goldengateaudubon.org/conservation or email mlynes@goldengateaudubon.org
California towhee
Golden Gate Audubon Society meeting - open to the public
"From Parlor and Plate to Microscopes and Art"
Featured speakers are Moe Flannery and Sharon Beals.
San Francisco: Thursday, August 18
7 p.m. refreshments, 7:30 program (free for GGAS members, $5 non-members)
First Unitarian Universalist Church and Center located at 1187 Franklin Street (at Geary).
The California Academy of Sciences (CAS) Ornithology and Mammalogy Collection currently houses more than 11,000 egg and nest specimens. Moe Flannery, collections manager, will discuss the history of egg and nest collecting, from the era when eggs and nests graced the parlors of the fashionable hobbyist and the menus of restaurants, to their modern-day importance as repositories of DNA and information about changes in the environment. Sharon Beals will present the photographs of nests and eggs she made at CAS while working on Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them. She will also share what she learned as a citizen scientist about the habits of the nest builders and some of the conservation issues facing these birds today.
Moe Flannery received her master of sciences in ecology and systematic biology from San Francisco State University, studying the cospeciation between quill mites and their bird hosts. Sharon Beals is an ardent environmentalist, photographer, and author who lives in San Francisco. For the book, she also photographed at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley.
####################################
6. Dog Management Plan/Draft EIS
GGNRA has added information to the park's web site to provide the full scope of public comments on the Draft Plan/EIS. For the updated, complete record of public comment (including attachments to comments that were not in the original comment file posted), please go to http://www.nps.gov/goga/deis.htm
As before, the updated project status and schedule is at: http://www.nps.gov/goga/parkmgmt/dog-management.htm
############################
7. Marketplace, Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Listen to this Story
People make a lot of money making predictions, so why are they so rarely right? Freakonomics Radio's Stephen Dubner talks about accountability in fortune telling.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/08/09/pm-freakonomics-why-are-we-so-bad-at-predicting-the-future/
###############################
8. Feedback
Margo Bors:
Hi - I enjoyed your newsletter as usual, especially the link to the Guardian Weekly article about Shell & other oil companies now starting to be held accountable in the British courts for the terrible oil spills, environmental and human disaster, that has been going on for decades in the Niger delta in Nigeria. You always have links to the most significant articles.
On Aug 9, 2011, at 12:33 PM, Dominik Mosur wrote:
Hi Jake, Just wanted to give you and your readers news of a tremendous conservation success right here in SF.
On Monday 8/8/11 I discovered two juvenile Clapper Rails at Heron's Head Park. This endangered species hadn't been noted as nesting in SF for decades.
A single adult with a transmitter was discovered last summer and in the course of one year it has managed to attract/find a mate and now rear young.
Heron's Head park is a peninsula of bay fill located in the Bayview and was intended to be the base for a bridge that would span across the bay. In late 1990s Port of San Francisco in cooperation with Golden Gate Audubon restored the site to a tidal marsh. Last year the park was the site of the first nesting Black-necked Stilts in the city and now Clapper Rails.
Can't help but add that Crissy Field/Lagoon in the Presidio which was restored at about the same time, has received much more press attention, funding and volunteer hours and is bordered by some of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco is just a glorified dog park in comparison.
This is wonderful news, Dominik. Don't let the invasive cordgrass (Spartina) invade. Is it possible to plant the native cordgrass there?
Jake, a Rail biologist has offered his opinion that the juvenile clappers dispersed to Heron's Head from another location. He thinks that there isn't enough habitat for them to actually nest there. Oh well, it's still good to see that this species is using the marsh to some extent.
On Aug 6, 2011, at 12:53 PM, Linda Shaffer wrote:
I've read the article ["Testosterone overload"] from the Guardian Weekly issue (posted to my newsletter July 23, see pic below. JS) I still say, not totally surprising, but very interesting. Two comments:
a) I used to explain to all my students that a good way to view investing in the stock market was to see it as just another form of legalized gambling. Some of the hormonal behavior described in the piece sounds to me very similar to the behavior observed among folks at gambling casinos. Need I say more?
b) It wasn't until I read the entire article that I realized a major point being made: according to "neuro-economics" women should be less likely than men to engage in extreme risk taking behavior -- because of the male hormone connection -- and that what limited evidence exists seems to back up the claim. I was also unaware that some financial institutions either have decided to, or are being pressured to, hire more women in decision making positions for that reason. How ironic it would be if women were finally to break through the glass ceiling in the finance sector because hormonal issues, which have traditionally kept women from making progress (you know -- "Women, with their monthly cycles and all that estrogen, are just too emotional to be in decision making positions!" etc.) turned out to be an even more important issue for men!
PS There's a sort of companion piece in today's New York Times that you might find interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/business/neurofinance-shows-how-investors-can-shun-reason.html
I always thought the "rational expectations" theory associated with the (very conservative) Chicago School of economic thought was a bunch of hooey. Glad to know I've got company.
I was also unaware that some financial institutions either have decided to, or are being pressured to, hire more women in decision making positions for that reason. How ironic it would be if women were finally to break through the glass ceiling in the finance sector because hormonal issues, which have traditionally kept women from making progress (you know -- "Women, with their monthly cycles and all that estrogen, are just too emotional to be in decision making positions!" etc.) turned out to be an even more important issue for men!
2. Come play in the streets of the Tenderloin/Civic Center August 14
3. Work in San Bruno Mtn Wetlands Saturday the 13th
4. The Farallon Egg War - Thursday the 18th
5. GG Audubon meeting Aug 18--history of egg and nest collecting/Lights Out For Birds Aug 15-Oct 31
6. GGNRA Dog Management Plan/Draft EIS on website for comments
7. People make a lot of money making predictions, so why are they so rarely right?
8. Feedback: Clapper rails at Heron's Head/testosterone and high finance
9. Eating "potency herb" into extinction/African-American steward one of first Civil War heroes
10. A Walk in the Wild: Continuing John Muir's Journey at Oakland Museum Aug 6 - Jan 22
11. A border crosser does not an immigrant make
12. 2012 Winning Strategy, Immigration Reform
13. Vote for AnimalPalooza!
1. (I post the following item after the fact. It sketches some of the concerns of the environmental coalition. JS)
CITY MUST PROTECT SF BAY AREA’S AIR AND WATER DURING AMERICA’S CUP
Environmental Council Holds Press Conference at City Hall, Thursday, August 11, 10:00 am
Planning Commission Public Hearing on America’s Cup, Noon, City Hall Room 400
San Francisco – Environmentalists and neighborhood groups plan to urge San Francisco Planning Commissioners at a public hearing on Thursday, August 11, to make improvements in the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 34th America’s Cup. The Environmental Council – a coalition of more than thirty organizations – is concerned that the Draft EIR underestimates the expected impacts of the event, and will not be able to ensure that the Bay Area’s air, water, and sensitive shorelines are protected. The council was formed to work with the City to achieve a green and sustainable sailing event and shoreline development.
The City has recognized publicly that large crowds, thousands of spectator boats, dredging to accommodate super yachts, a cruise terminal and various building projects are likely to cause significant air and water pollution, as well as transportation impacts within and leading into the City.
Members of the Council have been working cooperatively with one another and with City staff for the past six months to identify and address the expected impacts of the event. “We made a commitment to assist the City in its effort to host a successful America’s Cup event in a very short timeframe,” said Deb Self, executive director of San Francisco Baykeeper. “We’ve had experts in natural resources, bay ecology and habitat, transportation and neighborhood and historic resources provide detailed written input to the City.” Unfortunately, the groups say, very little of that expertise has been incorporated into the draft document, raising concerns that the City may not be able to meet the ambitious timetable they’ve set.
“It takes longer to fix an inadequate document than it does to write one correctly in the first place” said Deb Self. “We really need to take care of the shortcomings of this document now, before it gets rushed to final approval.”
“So far, the DEIR does not do enough to protect our air and water from the expected side effects of the America’s Cup,” added Teri Shore, Program Director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. “Air pollution from spectator boats and cruise ships will be significant, but cleaner fuel and engine standards are not required. It seems that our concerns and recommendations for greening the event have not yet been incorporated.”
Among the groups sounding the alarm are the South End Rowing Club and Dolphin Club, which are located at Aquatic Park, a location for some America’s Cup activities. “The Draft EIR failed to recognize the events’ impacts to 2,000 swimmers and rowers who use Aquatic Park regularly,” said Ken Coren, Vice President of the Dolphin Club, which has been located in Aquatic Park since the 19th Century. “It’s just not appropriate to use this historic maritime park for super yachts and a floating video jumbotron.”
Other major impacts of concern are crowds in sensitive upland habitats in the Presidio, the loss of shoreside power for visiting cruise ships, water quality impacts from boatyards and increased trash in the Bay, and interactions between marine mammals and visiting watercraft.
“Imagine having the Blue Angels and Fleet Week non-stop for nine weeks,” said Jennifer Clary of San Francisco Tomorrow, the coordinator of the Council. “Everyone who lives in the City understands the impacts of those events. We want the City’s plan to do the same.”
The Environmental Council’s purpose is to ensure that America’s Cup is a benefit for San Francisco Bay and its surrounding neighborhoods and historic resources, in both the short and long term.
#################################
2. Come play in the streets of the Tenderloin/Civic Center, August 14th!
It's time to enjoy car-free streets once again! Sunday Streets is returning to the Tenderloin/Civic Center on August 14th!. Join thousands of Bay Area residents, families and visitors from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. to walk, run, bike, skate, or move freely through the open streets. There will be all kinds of fun activities for kids of all ages!
######################################
3. San Bruno Mountain - Bog Trail Wetlands
Saturday 13 August, 10 am - 12.30 pm
We will be weeding velvet grass and other weeds at the Bog in the saddle of the mountain.
Workdays start at 10:00 AM and go to 12:30 PM with a ten minute break with snacks provided.
QUESTIONS? 415-467-6631 or email: restore_ecology@earthlink.net
#####################################
4. AUGUST LECTURE - San Francisco Natural History Series
The Farallon Egg War
Guest Speaker: Eva Chrysanthe
Thursday, August 18th, 7.30 pm
Randall Musem, San Francisco
Writer and illustrator Eva Chrysanthe will present a re-examination of the political and market forces that led to mass poaching on the Farallones and the bold and ultimately successful efforts by 19th & 20th century scientists to preserve the island’ s ecology.
You can see more of Eva’s engaging illustrations on her blog. http://faralloneggwar.blogspot.com/
FUTURE TALKS
9/15 – San Francisco’s Changing Landscape – Greg Gaar
10/20 – Keeping Nature in the City – Peter Brastow
11/17 – Reclaiming the Art of Natural History – John (Jack) Muir Laws
LAST MONTH's LECTURE NOTES: online at: http://sfnhs.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/vanishing-waters/
If were to rewind the Mission Bay area of San Francisco a few hundred years, we’d find a large shallow inlet of water, with Mission Creek flowing into it. Tidal marshes and 100 foot dunes would stand in what is now SOMA.
Vanished Waters tells the story of how that changed to what it is today. Chris Carlsson edited the second version of the book originally written by Nancy Olmsted for the Mission Creek Conservancy. He led us through the history of the area.
Of course, people have been there for thousands of years. The coastal area provided well for the Native American tribes who lived there. But in the last two centuries it changed rapidly from marsh, to agricultural land, to an industrial zone. The bay became smaller and smaller, the dunes pushed into the area as fill.
The Mission became a tourist attraction. The agricultural changed to gardens. Racetracks came about, then disappeared. Steamboats were built, all sorts of shipping from hay for city horses. The largest whaling port on the west coast was there.
The creek became a horrible place as industries moved in. There was corruption from railroads. There were property booms, and violently suppressed strikes. All in all, like many places it has a complicated history!
It wasn’t of course until the 60s that a lot of people started to take a second look at the bay, and what remains of Mission Creek and the Mission Bay. The Mission Creek Conservancy worked hard to move development of the Mission Bay into better directions from what originally were planned.
The last 10 years has seen the area fill with new development and new life. New parks, new people, and restoration. The creek, as the people living in the houseboats along it can attest, has now slowly come back to life with all sorts of life: birds, fish, invertebrates, seals, and more finding their way into the channel.
It will be interesting to see what the next few hundred years bring.
Check out the book:
http://www.missioncreekconservancy.org/Mission_Creek_Conservancy/Vanished_Waters.html
And what more you can do with the Mission Creek Conservancy:
http://www.missioncreekconservancy.org/
You can follow and write about what happened and happens in the
Mission Bay at Chris Carlsson's
http://ShapingSF.org
###########################################
5. Lights Out For Birds 2012
August 15 through October 31 is fall migration and the time to encourage businesses to participate in Lights Out for Birds by turning off unnecessary lights from dusk to dawn. This beneficial program saves natural resources, cuts energy bills, and, most importantly, can save the lives of numerous birds. To sign up or learn more about Lights Out, go to www.goldengateaudubon.org/conservation or email mlynes@goldengateaudubon.org
California towhee
Golden Gate Audubon Society meeting - open to the public
"From Parlor and Plate to Microscopes and Art"
Featured speakers are Moe Flannery and Sharon Beals.
San Francisco: Thursday, August 18
7 p.m. refreshments, 7:30 program (free for GGAS members, $5 non-members)
First Unitarian Universalist Church and Center located at 1187 Franklin Street (at Geary).
The California Academy of Sciences (CAS) Ornithology and Mammalogy Collection currently houses more than 11,000 egg and nest specimens. Moe Flannery, collections manager, will discuss the history of egg and nest collecting, from the era when eggs and nests graced the parlors of the fashionable hobbyist and the menus of restaurants, to their modern-day importance as repositories of DNA and information about changes in the environment. Sharon Beals will present the photographs of nests and eggs she made at CAS while working on Nests: Fifty Nests and the Birds that Built Them. She will also share what she learned as a citizen scientist about the habits of the nest builders and some of the conservation issues facing these birds today.
Moe Flannery received her master of sciences in ecology and systematic biology from San Francisco State University, studying the cospeciation between quill mites and their bird hosts. Sharon Beals is an ardent environmentalist, photographer, and author who lives in San Francisco. For the book, she also photographed at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley.
####################################
6. Dog Management Plan/Draft EIS
GGNRA has added information to the park's web site to provide the full scope of public comments on the Draft Plan/EIS. For the updated, complete record of public comment (including attachments to comments that were not in the original comment file posted), please go to http://www.nps.gov/goga/deis.htm
As before, the updated project status and schedule is at: http://www.nps.gov/goga/parkmgmt/dog-management.htm
############################
7. Marketplace, Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Listen to this Story
People make a lot of money making predictions, so why are they so rarely right? Freakonomics Radio's Stephen Dubner talks about accountability in fortune telling.
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/08/09/pm-freakonomics-why-are-we-so-bad-at-predicting-the-future/
###############################
8. Feedback
Margo Bors:
Hi - I enjoyed your newsletter as usual, especially the link to the Guardian Weekly article about Shell & other oil companies now starting to be held accountable in the British courts for the terrible oil spills, environmental and human disaster, that has been going on for decades in the Niger delta in Nigeria. You always have links to the most significant articles.
On Aug 9, 2011, at 12:33 PM, Dominik Mosur wrote:
Hi Jake, Just wanted to give you and your readers news of a tremendous conservation success right here in SF.
On Monday 8/8/11 I discovered two juvenile Clapper Rails at Heron's Head Park. This endangered species hadn't been noted as nesting in SF for decades.
A single adult with a transmitter was discovered last summer and in the course of one year it has managed to attract/find a mate and now rear young.
Heron's Head park is a peninsula of bay fill located in the Bayview and was intended to be the base for a bridge that would span across the bay. In late 1990s Port of San Francisco in cooperation with Golden Gate Audubon restored the site to a tidal marsh. Last year the park was the site of the first nesting Black-necked Stilts in the city and now Clapper Rails.
Can't help but add that Crissy Field/Lagoon in the Presidio which was restored at about the same time, has received much more press attention, funding and volunteer hours and is bordered by some of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco is just a glorified dog park in comparison.
This is wonderful news, Dominik. Don't let the invasive cordgrass (Spartina) invade. Is it possible to plant the native cordgrass there?
Jake, a Rail biologist has offered his opinion that the juvenile clappers dispersed to Heron's Head from another location. He thinks that there isn't enough habitat for them to actually nest there. Oh well, it's still good to see that this species is using the marsh to some extent.
On Aug 6, 2011, at 12:53 PM, Linda Shaffer wrote:
I've read the article ["Testosterone overload"] from the Guardian Weekly issue (posted to my newsletter July 23, see pic below. JS) I still say, not totally surprising, but very interesting. Two comments:
a) I used to explain to all my students that a good way to view investing in the stock market was to see it as just another form of legalized gambling. Some of the hormonal behavior described in the piece sounds to me very similar to the behavior observed among folks at gambling casinos. Need I say more?
b) It wasn't until I read the entire article that I realized a major point being made: according to "neuro-economics" women should be less likely than men to engage in extreme risk taking behavior -- because of the male hormone connection -- and that what limited evidence exists seems to back up the claim. I was also unaware that some financial institutions either have decided to, or are being pressured to, hire more women in decision making positions for that reason. How ironic it would be if women were finally to break through the glass ceiling in the finance sector because hormonal issues, which have traditionally kept women from making progress (you know -- "Women, with their monthly cycles and all that estrogen, are just too emotional to be in decision making positions!" etc.) turned out to be an even more important issue for men!
PS There's a sort of companion piece in today's New York Times that you might find interesting:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/business/neurofinance-shows-how-investors-can-shun-reason.html
I always thought the "rational expectations" theory associated with the (very conservative) Chicago School of economic thought was a bunch of hooey. Glad to know I've got company.
I was also unaware that some financial institutions either have decided to, or are being pressured to, hire more women in decision making positions for that reason. How ironic it would be if women were finally to break through the glass ceiling in the finance sector because hormonal issues, which have traditionally kept women from making progress (you know -- "Women, with their monthly cycles and all that estrogen, are just too emotional to be in decision making positions!" etc.) turned out to be an even more important issue for men!
Panic hits the trading floor in October 2008. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
##########################
9. Scientific American
EXTINCTION COUNTDOWN: Kenyans Reportedly Chewing "Potency Herb" into Extinction
Add another species to the long list of plants and animals being eaten out of existence so men can try to get it up in the bedroom
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=25&ms=MzY4OTI5MDcS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTA4NDM3OTA4S0&mt=1&rt=0
WEB EXCLUSIVES: The Civil War at Sea
The actions of an African-American steward catapulted him into the limelight as he became one of the earliest heroes of the Northern States in the American Civil War.
http://links.email.scientificamerican.com/ctt?kn=28&ms=MzY5MTY5ODAS1&r=NTM5NzIzNTA1NgS2&b=2&j=MTA5MTU3MTE3S0&mt=1&rt=0
##################################
10.
Oakland Museum of California
A Walk in the Wild: Continuing John Muir's Journey
August 6, 2011 - January 22, 2012
Explore the legacy of John Muir's life and how he continues to influence our relationship with the natural world in this special exhibition presenting both a historical and a contemporary lens on the natural environment of California. Spotlighting the life of the radical environmentalist as well as eight Modern Day Muirs, A Walk in the Wild: Continuing John Muir's Journey highlights Californians currently involved in environmental research and activism—including a Yosemite National Park geologist, a bighorn-sheep biologist, and an Oakland tree-planter/activist. Through interactive, multisensory displays and digital mash-ups, visitors will experience a simulation of Muir's exploration behind Yosemite Falls, his trek from Yosemite to Mount Whitney, and even his night spent in a hollow giant sequoia observing the forest burning around him. Told through OMCA's collections of art, history, and natural science, interactive digital technology, and select loans—journals, manuscripts, and original drawings—the exhibition is a tribute to Muir’s legacy and to the importance of continued environmental stewardship.
################################
11. LTE: A border crosser does not an immigrant make
I take exception to the use of the word "immigrant" by HCN or Utah. As one knowledgeable about Mormon values, I pondered what had come over the Beehive State, but then I remembered Mormons are, if nothing else, pro-business. I also pondered presidential and media hypocrisy as another state "supersedes" federal jurisdiction on immigration.
An immigrant is one who enters within the law. Utah is addressing illegal border crossers, not immigrants, who are the ones most hurt by misguided political correctness. Nor is it surprising to see Utah -- despite unemployment unmatched since the Great Depression, when Franklin Roosevelt and other liberals insisted on immigration below 20,000 a year -- eager to validate a flooded labor market and those filling jobs Americans "don't want," such as manufacturing, landscaping, hospitality. Apparently 700,000 legal immigrants -- immigration at 3 times historical norms -- isn't enough.
This also shows that Obama's concerns about federal jurisdiction apply only to states that disagree with his open-borders, big-business stance, a point apparently lost on liberals. But lost also is that liberals, until the 1990s, stood absolutely for low immigration. They included labor (César Chávez offered the United Farm Workers to patrol the border); civil rights activists, such as Booker T. Washington; environmentalists including Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson; and Ben Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Even President Clinton's Council on a Sustainable Future called for low immigration.
It seems Mormons hold true to tradition while we liberals disregard ours. Our silence about those suffering most from sanctions for illegal border crossers -- the unemployed, poor and minorities, and deserving would-be immigrants -- is deafening and embarrassing.
Kathleene Parker
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
High Country News 8 August 2011
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12.
2012 Winning Strategy: Immigration Moratorium
The disastrous debt ceiling compromise, S & P’s downgrade of the U.S. credit rating and the subsequent stock market collapse all send the same signal to President Barack Obama. The time has come for his administration to evaluate where it’s been and where it wants to go in the months that remain until November 2012. For the Obama administration, last week’s events are the second shot across the bow. The 2010 mid-term elections were the first.
Obama’s choice is between stubbornly staying his course, blaming Congressional Republicans, Europe and George W. Bush or admitting his errors and misjudgments and showing tangible evidence of a willingness to right his wrongs.
So far, Obama has opted for the first option—deflecting responsibility. But he can’t escape the facts. Obama is the worst jobs president since Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression, the U.S. unemployment rate is twice Mexico’s and his popularity has gone straight downhill since its temporary bump after Osama bin Laden’s murder.
Any serious evaluation of Obama’s 2012 prospects should include these four factors. First, Obama won’t have eight Bush years to rail against; second, his Republican opposition won’t be as inept as John McCain; third, the media cannot possibly be as adoring of him as it was in 2008 and fourth, the romantic aura that surrounded Obama’s campaign has already vanished.
In summary, while Obama can count on his ultra-liberal Democratic base, he’ll need to recapture Democrat and Republican moderates who in 2008 turned out for him in huge numbers. Without them and registered Independents, Obama won’t win.
Obama needs to act immediately and dramatically to prove he’s serious about pulling America out of its tail spin. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s recently formed Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, assigned the task of cutting $1.5 trillion from the budget within ten years, might be successful. But to many, it smacks of more of the same Capitol Hill double talk.
A recommended course of action for Obama, given sustained high unemployment, mushrooming state budget deficits and the collapse of the K-12 public school system, as proven by Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s admission that No Child Left Behind is a failure, is to demand an immigration moratorium.
Building a moratorium case is easy. Currently, 22 million Americans are seeking work. For U.S.-born citizens with at least a high school degree, the first quarter 2011 U-6 unemployment rate stands at 21.3 percent or 4.6 million Americans who want a full time job but cannot find one. Each immigrant added to the nation’s population represents a potential competitor for any new job that may become available. Furthermore, strict immigration controls win at the polls. In 2010 Republicans, many of them running on platforms that included immigration law enforcement, picked up 63 House seats.
Although he may not believe it, Obama has little to lose. His Democratic base isn’t likely to shift its support to Republicans. Threats to abstain from voting probably won’t materialize.
While some consider immigration sacrosanct, the Constitution doesn’t require it. Under certain circumstances and assuming it’s to America’s benefit, low immigration levels may be warranted. But crisis times like these demand that assumed truisms like those about immigration be reconsidered.
If Obama doesn’t call for a moratorium, we recommend the strategy to his Republican challenger.
Californians for Population Stabilization
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13. YOU'RE INVITED TO ANIMALPALOOZA!
Journey to AnimalPalooza! where the wild things are on Saturday, Sept 24th from 11am to 5pm at Fort Mason, San Francisco. Come to a wild celebration of animals that brings you closer to nature than ever before.
Experience up-close, hands-on encounters with animals from around the world. Hold a beetle, stroke a millipede, hug a python, befriend a frog, pat a bat!
Get back to nature and discover a universe of wild with an ocelot, serval, ring-tailed lemur, porcupine, hedgehodge, fox, alligator, skink, bats, snakes, frogs, turtles, walking sticks, hissing cockroaches, and many other amazing creatures showing the diversity of life. Touch and learn about bio-facts like pelts, bones and owl pellets.
Childlife activities include: Wildlife origami with a famous artist, insect mask making, owl pellet exploration, animal face painting, ask a scientist, ways kids can save nature.
Tickets available online now at Eventbrite or at the door. Invite your friends on Facebook with our AnimalPalooza Facebook event page and Twitter #AnimalPalooza! For SaveNature.Org subscribers, you can receive a $2 discount with the code “SNO” for your online ticket purchase. Kid-friendly food onsite. Call 415-648-3392 for more info.
Special Guests Appearing:
Insect Discovery Lab, Tree Frog Treks, Classroom Safari, San Francisco Zoo, Felidae Conservation Fund, Sulfur Creek Nature Center, Aquarium of the Bay, California Academy of Sciences, Randall Museum, Bug Under Glass, Wildcare, The Bone Room,Vicky Mihara Avery, origami artist, and many more!
AnimalPalooza! was selected as one of 20 finalists Tom's of Maine's Vote for Good contest to win up to $50,000. Clickhere to vote for AnimalPalooza. You may vote once a day per computer so please bookmark this page, vote during your morning coffee and email and share this link with friends on Facebook and Twitter. This grant will support the event and fund admission scholarships for low income students, for many of whom this will be their first close contact with wild nature.
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