Perhaps you have read about how “comedy news” shows educate viewers better than some so-called “fair and balanced” news shows. Here’s perfect example. Colbert learns about forming a PAC and it’s a mirror to what’s happening in real life politics. Citizens, unite.

Because of my age, this is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

Associated Press photo

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration nows says there were 14 billion dollar weather events in 2011 – and maybe more.

The number of billion-dollar events recorded by NOAA hit a record for 2011, but not too much can be made of that, since the government does not recalculate the tally in past years to account for inflation. Rising population and increased property values are certainly part of the reason for the increase in billion-dollar disasters, Kathryn D. Sullivan, the deputy NOAA administrator, pointed out.

But scientists also suspect that climate change is playing a role in at least some of these events, like the rising temperatures that contributed to the Texas drought, and a pattern of heavier rainfalls. In a recent article, I outlined the factors that are preventing more thorough analysis of whether climate extremes are being caused by human-induced global warming.

Here in this area, the doubters are saying, “There’s snow on the ground and it was zero degrees this morning – how can there be climate change going on?” Of course there’s snow and cold. It’s winter.

Good stuff here. A seamless compilation of 70 covers of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” via YouTube.

Newt Gingrich told a questioner last night in the debates that he can think of nothing more despicable than asking him about his past infidelities. Asking him that question is far worse than when he handed his first wife divorce papers while she was in the hospital battling cancer and far worse than his six-year affair while he was married to his second wife, etc.

He’s a master at turning things around so that he’s now the victim. And the crowd loved it. Fell for it completely.

photo by Emily Baird

Of course you’re familiar with the dung beetle’s dance. But why is it done?

Emily Baird of Lund University in Sweden and her colleagues study how animals with tiny brains—such as bees and beetles—perform complex mental tasks, like navigating the world. The dung beetle intrigues Baird because it manages to roll its dung ball in a perfectly straight line, even though it pushes the ball with its back legs, its head pointed at the ground in the opposite direction. If the six-legged Sisyphus can’t see where it’s going, how does it stay on its course?

Every now and then, a dung beetle stops rolling, mounts its ball and pirouettes. Baird noticed that dung beetles do not dance as often in the lab, where they roll around on flat surfaces, as they do in the field, where the terrain is rough and rocks and clumps of grass often obstruct the beetles’ paths. She guessed that by climbing onto a ball of dung four or five times its height, a beetle gets a pretty good vantage point from which to correct any navigational mistakes. But it was only an intuition—she needed evidence.

This week’s Observer lists the Fayette organ concert as a Sunday matinee. It’s actually scheduled at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Some people don’t like the way Google is taking over everything and they don’t want to be part of it. Whitson Gordan offers a “best of” guide for Google alternatives.

I’ll probably just continue making snide comments about Google taking over but keep on using their impressive array of services.

Stephen Colbert explains why Mitt Romney is a serial killer. Corporations are people, Mitt says.