Jonathan Haidt makes a good case that humans are 10% bee--we are ever-seeking the comfort and resources and overarching meaning of life that can only be found as part of a collective. But peel the onion down deeper and you'll see that each of us is comprised of a vast community, as discussed by this article at The Economist:

The traditional view is that a human body is a collection of 10 trillion cells which are themselves the products of 23,000 genes. If the revolutionaries are correct, these numbers radically underestimate the truth. For in the nooks and crannies of every human being, and especially in his or her guts, dwells the microbiome: 100 trillion bacteria of several hundred species bearing 3m non-human genes. The biological Robespierres believe these should count, too; that humans are not single organisms, but superorganisms made up of lots of smaller organisms working together. . . .The microbiome does many jobs in exchange for the raw materials and shelter its host provides. One is to feed people more than 10% of their daily calories . . . The microbiome also makes vitamins, notably B2, B12 and folic acid. . . . .The microbiome also maintains the host’s health by keeping hostile interlopers at bay.  

Check out this article for much more information, including the possibility of a "stool transplant" as a potential fix for deficiencies in one's microbiome. I commented on this fascinating topic of the human biome in an earlier post.

Population Media Center is willing to discuss the elephant in the room--that number of human animals appears to have exceeded the ability of the Earth to sustain them.   It's not that simple, of course, because the number of people combines with the type of lifestyles they are living to determine carrying capacity.  Here is the Mission of PMC:

Our mission is to collaborate with the mass media and other organizations worldwide to:

1. Bring about stabilization of human population numbers at a level that can be sustained by the world’s natural resources
2. Lessen the harmful impact of humanity on the earth’s environment

The emphasis of the organization’s work is to educate people about the benefits of small families, encourage the use of effective family planning methods, elevate women’s status and promote gender equity.

Who else is willing to speak frankly about this critically important issue?   Global Population Speakout.    The GPSO home pages states:  Population Seven Billion:  It's Time to Talk.   Here is the GPSO mission:

The United Nation's Population Division reports that on October 31, 2011, world population reached the 7 Billion mark. The U.S. Census Bureau says it will happen in April, 2012. Regardless of the exact moment, each and every day world population grows by 227,000 people. That means we are adding more than one million people to the planet every five days. The implications for people, posterity, and the planet are of global importance.

Because the population of the world ultimately affects most of the issues that we all really care about, the 7 Billion: It's Time to Talk campaign is working to open up the conversation on population to new audiences around the globe. When everyone recognizes that there is a need to talk openly about population growth and the importance of family planning, the empowerment of women, and reproductive health and rights, we can more easily find the solutions to issues like global hunger and the environment. When people discover how a rapidly growing world population affects them and their hopes for the future, we know that more people, particularly young adults, will want to lend their voices to the global discussion.

I recently attended a lecture by Dr. Peter Raven, who also directly addressed the issues of overpopulation and carrying capacity of the planet.  This  is an excellent presentation, which begins at the 6 min mark (and see here):

This cartoon sums it up for me. Whether you vote for Romney or Obama, you are voting for 80% of the same old. Compare that to the platforms of third party candidates, who most definitely WON'T be invited to the prime time debates.

A friend noticed this label on a step stool at work, and commented: "Look at that weight limit. This stool should not be sold in America." I have to agree, especially since people using these stools are often carrying something. If they are carrying 20 pounds, the weight limit of the person is only 180. And consider that the weight of the average American man is now 196.

Well, now it's official. Let them eat cake. Or, as Daniel Gross says at Daily Beast,

To whom much is given, more tax breaks will be given. To those who have less, tough. The Romney-Ryan ticket now seems to be all noblesse, no oblige.

The new GOP ticket was commemorated today by the following image created by a friend of mine, Ray Gregory: Here's another offering of Ray Gregory: A bumper sticker to mark the occasion (click for full-size).