Our Shaky Town

...timated magnitude, I knew it wasn’t going to be huge but we all had enough time to get under the table if we needed to If you haven’t downloaded @myshakeapp now would be a good time! Also the system is improving constantly so even if this one didn’t work I guarantee future you will appreciate the warning ⚠️ https://myshake.berkeley.edu This was probably the best-case scenario for people in LA to get an early warning — big enough to trigger the sys...

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Stellarium: A Handy Desktop Planetarium

...the Persead shower that reached its peak last week). You’ll want to pick a time when the moon is not up. Or let’s say you want to have some friends over for some planetary viewing and a glass of bourbon (as happened last night at the Root Simple compound). In that case you might want to pick a time when you can also take a look at the moon. In the pre-personal computer era I used to use a planisphere. I still have my 1980s era plastic planisphere....

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How to Roast Coffee in a Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker

...do a post about how to install a thermometer in the future, but until that time, you can look at these directions on the Sweet Maria’s website. Whirley Pop Coffee Roasting Procedure Roasting coffee is pretty straightforward and is basically all about adjusting the heat on your burner so that you don’t either roast the beans too quickly or too slowly. It takes a few times to get the hang of it, and while installing a thermometer in your popper will...

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How to Cycle Safely

...n spot on a road I might be further to the left or right depending on what time of day it is, what the weather is like and the general “mood’ of the street. A good guide to getting the hang of how far to the left or right to be is an excellent book The Art of Cycling by Robert Hurst. Controlling anger. This is the skill that took the longest. I’ve since learned to ignore all honking and even the most egregious behavior on the part of motorists. Ar...

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What we think about when we try not to think about global warming

...en Stoknes (Chelsea Green). Of it, she said, “For the first time in a LONG time, I feel hope and possibility when it comes to climate change.” So I read it, and now I feel the same way. Thanks, Brigitte! And the introduction of the book says pretty much the same thing, except the praise is coming from Jorgen Randers, one of the co-authors of The Limits to Growth. This is a man who has been waiting, pretty much fruitlessly, for us to wake up and ch...

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