Hurricane Gustav has been a harsh reminder that it’s only the whim of a hurricane track, a few miles this way or that, which can make the difference between a close call and another Katrina-like catastrophe for New Orleans and other Gulf Coast communities.
With the one-two punch being delivered by sinking land and rising sea levels, and with every hurricane threatening a knock-out blow, it’s getting harder to avoid that very unpopular question: How much longer can these coastal communities survive?
To get the answer Discovery News caught up with four Gulf Coast researchers and posed the question to them. Their answers differ, but they agree on one thing: The long-term prospects are not good.

[From Gulf Coast Faces Sea Level-Sinkage Double Whammy]

Bering Glacier Melting Faster Than Scientists Thought

A new system of measuring water melt shows that the Bering Glacier–the largest glacier in North America–is melting at double the rate that scientists thought. The glacier is releasing approximately 30 cubic kilometers of water a year, more than twice the amount of water in the entire Colorado River, said Robert Shuchman, co-director of the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)

[From Bering Glacier Melting Faster Than Scientists Thought]

There are about 50 different groups of plastics, with hundreds of different varieties. All types of plastic are recyclable. To make sorting and thus recycling easier, the American Society of Plastics Industry developed a standard marking code to help consumers identify and sort the main types of plastic.

[From plastics recycling]

MacUpdate software bundle:

Parallels Bundle

I’m getting this one. Parallels and DVDRemaster are enough to make it a deal.

MacHeist Bundle:

12 Top Mac Apps

I’m not planning on getting this one, I already have most apps that interest me and DevonThink alone is cheaper. But I’d really like to have some of the referral apps, so please click away.

Remember when we were told by some wise observers that the Iraq war might be justified because it would help stabilise oil at about $20 a barrel? Most of the experts now agree we have passed the “peak oil point” and it’s all downhill from now on - or, rather, uphill as far as the price is concerned. And remember, it’s not just filling a petrol tank where we shall feel the pain… it’s everywhere.
The world runs on oil - whether it’s manufacturing fertiliser to grow our food or generating electricity to heat our homes. So what can we do - apart from getting the needles out and start knitting night caps to keep us warm in our icy bedrooms?

[From Don't be fuelled.. - Sunday Mirror]

Now I came across this article that covers the same topic:

The Next Slum?

The decline of places like Windy Ridge and Franklin Reserve is usually attributed to the subprime-mortgage crisis, with its wave of foreclosures. And the crisis has indeed catalyzed or intensified social problems in many communities. But the story of vacant suburban homes and declining suburban neighborhoods did not begin with the crisis, and will not end with it. A structural change is under way in the housing market—a major shift in the way many Americans want to live and work. It has shaped the current downturn, steering some of the worst problems away from the cities and toward the suburban fringes. And its effects will be felt more strongly, and more broadly, as the years pass. Its ultimate impact on the suburbs, and the cities, will be profound.

[From The Next Slum?]

Tim Altman, QA lead for Opera Mail, on Gmail’s IMAP support:

Gmail’s labeling system could integrate marvelously with IMAP clients if only it used IMAP keywords. Instead, IMAP mailboxes are used to represent labels. All messages (sent and received) are always available in the “Gmail/[All Mail]” mailbox, so any time a message is labeled, a duplicate message is added to the label’s IMAP mailbox. IMAP clients then receive several copies of the same message, none of which integrate with the client-side labeling system. If Gmail had instead used IMAP keywords, only one message would be needed and integration would be seamless.

★ [From Gmail’s Buggy IMAP Implementation]

Oh so true and it is the same for Google Apps mail…

1password CoverSutra Cha-Ching
iStopMotion Awaken Speed Download
AppZapper TaskPaper CSSEdit
Snapz Pro X Pixelmator

The overall value of the bundle is 386.75, a steal for 49.00, even if you only want one or two of the apps.

The loot for the actual heist is great too and it did make the deal for me. One of the apps in the main bundle and one in the loot were on my App Shopping list, making the deal sweet. Instead of 90 USD I’ll pay 50, which is my monthly software shopping allotment. I’ll also get at least one more app I’m sure I’ll use.

Now I’d also like to get the referral bonus, thus here goes my link: https://www.macheist.com/buy/invite/93336

And, last but not least, I’m donating my charity share to the WWF.