Staccato by George Ziemann -- November 20, 2009 There's a story at the ABC News website about global warming, the rising sea level and how some Polynesian (Micronesian) islands could end up underwater soon. While I'm not a global warming denier, I've got a few thoughts and questions about all of this. After living in the desert the last 30 years, where a 30-40 degree difference between day and evening temperatures is the norm, it surprises me to think that 2 degrees Fahrenheit could alter the ecosystem of the entire world. But this is only the beginning of my ignorance of the basic science behind all of this. Rising Sea Levels I always thought that the polar ice caps had ocean underneath them. So they're already in the water and the weight of the ice already effects the sea level. If you have a very full glass of half ice and half water and let it sit long enough for the ice to melt, it's not going to overflow. In fact, water expands when it's frozen (and a foot of snow is equivalent to an inch of water), so the melting ice should lower the water level. Apparently, that's not how it works, because the islands are getting smaller. This brings me to my second theory, which is that if the water level rises just a little, it's going to fan out in several low-lying areas around the world, increasing the amount of the planet's surface that is covered by water instead of heat-absorbing dry land. Taking Al Gore's movie at face value, he showed a timeline chart marking each rise in the world's temperature. It showed that each over-heating cycle ended, not with a gradual reduction in temperature that mirrors the rise, but by a sudden change that causes global temperatures to plummet. My assumption is that the tipping point occurs when too much of the world's surface is covered in water, reflecting the sun's heat instead of absorbing it. In other news... -- Newspapers are in serious trouble, as indicated by the shut-down of Editor & Publisher magazine, which was a sort of Jiminy Cricket to the newspaper industry. As well as being a source for useful information about publishing, trends, etc., it was one of the few voices of conscience that bothered to discuss ethics.The fact that E&P folded is a sign of doom for newspapers. But we won't need to cut down so many trees. Unless, you're a lumberjack or a logger, that's a good thing. -- Tiger Woods. I don't have a link for this one. You know the story. What's the total up to now? 11? 12? Going for all 18 holes? Gene Simmons would laugh at a mere dozen, so Tiger is an amateur in this arena. Has nothing to do with his golfing, though. Just another example of a celebrity that we now know far too much about. But he's not going to be in as many commercials as he used to be. -- Best of 2009 -- I'm seeing a lof of "The Best __________ of 2009." There are still 3 weeks left. I think making any "best of the year" list has to wait until the year is over. What if the best movie comes out over Christmas week? Or the best album or whatever? -- Susan Boyle -- The BBC reminds us that Susan Boyle has the top selling album in the U.S. for the 2nd week in a row. "Boyle has held on to the top of the US album chart for a second week after selling a further 527,000 copies of her debut album. The Scottish singer is likely to retain her chart position for a further week, according to trade magazine Billboard. "It sets Boyle - who also holds the UK number one - on course to secure the best-selling US album of the year. Boyle must beat current front-runner Taylor Swift, whose album Fearless has sold 2.5 million copies to date. "There are four weeks left to run in the 2009 album chart, and analysts predict Boyle will be able to outsell country star Swift. In her first week of release in the US, the singer shifted more than 700,000 copies of I Dreamed A Dream. Next week it is likely to sell a further 600,000 copies and claim a third week at number one." While I have nothing but praise for Susan Boyle (and her beautiful voice) and in no way begrudge her fame or success, I wonder why it is that there's not much to challenge her. In the recent past, it's been Josh Groban, Hannah Montana or one of the High School Musical soundtracks that dominated sales for the year. The same questions apply. Is this the best America has? Or is it just an indicator of the current level of American musical appreciation? I don't know which answer is worse.