Thursday, February 28, 2013
Paging Glenn Reynolds: must read Conrad Black article on Broken Justice
Read the whole thing. When asked for an overview of the American justice system:
And this:
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
"If schoolteachers were overwhelmingly male and girls were suffering as a result..."
"... there would be a national outcry and Title IX-style gender equity legislation would be touted."
via Althouse, who makes a good point:
We expect males to solve their own problems. There's no tradition of helping and help-seeking as there is with females. Ironically, that tradition of helping females is patronizing and paternalistic. Whether it's good for government to serve female interests like that or not, it's hard to transfer that nurturing attention onto boys. Is portraying boys as victims good for boys?
We expect males to solve their own problems. There's no tradition of helping and help-seeking as there is with females. Ironically, that tradition of helping females is patronizing and paternalistic. Whether it's good for government to serve female interests like that or not, it's hard to transfer that nurturing attention onto boys. Is portraying boys as victims good for boys?
Seed lending library
Here's how it works: A library card gets you a packet of seeds. You then grow the fruits and vegetables, harvest the new seeds from the biggest and best, and return those seeds so the library can lend them out to others.
Syson says tending a garden in Western Colorado can be frustrating. The dry climate, alkaline soils and short growing season keep many novices from starting. She'll take seeds from the plants that withstand pests and persevere through drought.
"If you save seed from those plants, already, in one generation, you will now be able to grow a plant that has those traits," Syson says.
Syson says tending a garden in Western Colorado can be frustrating. The dry climate, alkaline soils and short growing season keep many novices from starting. She'll take seeds from the plants that withstand pests and persevere through drought.
"If you save seed from those plants, already, in one generation, you will now be able to grow a plant that has those traits," Syson says.
Wednesday links
Why school buses are yellow.
Travel by pneumatic tube: 1905 predictions and the Jetsons.
From Quacks To Quaaludes: Three Centuries Of Drug Advertising.
How many unique English tweets are possible?
Physicist Builds a Machine to Separate Oreo Cookies.
Travel by pneumatic tube: 1905 predictions and the Jetsons.
Pollution which is 'shrinking' otter penises could be affecting humans too
Scientists have discovered a worrying trend in 'shrinking' male sex organs in otters and warn it could start be affecting humans too.
According to the dailymail.co.uk, research conducted by the Cardiff University Otter Project has found a decrease in the size of penis bones in male otters along with other changes that gave 'cause for concern' about the size of sex organs.
According to the dailymail.co.uk, research conducted by the Cardiff University Otter Project has found a decrease in the size of penis bones in male otters along with other changes that gave 'cause for concern' about the size of sex organs.
Travel by pneumatic tube: 1905 predictions and the Jetsons
Interesting article at Smithsonian:
“We may take it for granted that every well-equipped business office will be in direct communication, by means of large-calibred pneumatic tubes, with the nearest post-office. And however rapidly and however frequently the trains or airships of the period may travel, the process of making up van loads of mail matter for despatch to remote centres, and redistribution there, is far too clumsy for what commerce will demand a hundred years hence. No doubt the soil of every civilised country will be permeated by vast networks of pneumatic tubes: and all letters and parcels will be thus distributed at a speed hardly credible to-day.”
-T. Baron Russell, A Hundred Years Hence: The Expectations of an Optimist (1905)
And here's George Jetson:
“We may take it for granted that every well-equipped business office will be in direct communication, by means of large-calibred pneumatic tubes, with the nearest post-office. And however rapidly and however frequently the trains or airships of the period may travel, the process of making up van loads of mail matter for despatch to remote centres, and redistribution there, is far too clumsy for what commerce will demand a hundred years hence. No doubt the soil of every civilised country will be permeated by vast networks of pneumatic tubes: and all letters and parcels will be thus distributed at a speed hardly credible to-day.”
-T. Baron Russell, A Hundred Years Hence: The Expectations of an Optimist (1905)
And here's George Jetson:
Not The Onion: Onion-like Real Headlines
This site collects them.
Man Tries to Rob a Bank After Paying $500 to a Wizard to Make Him Invisible.
Texas bans shooting immigrants from helicopters.
China Bans Reincarnation Without Government Permission.
via Geekpress.
EPA Increases Mandates For Fuels That Don't Exist
Energy: In yet another green folly, the lawless Environmental Protection Agency continues to fine gasoline producers for not using cellulosic biofuels in quantities that don't exist, making only more pain at the pump.
Last month, a federal court dealt a serious blow to the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuels push by ruling that the agency exceeded its authority by mandating refiners use cellulosic biofuels, which aren't commercially available. The EPA's lawless response in a lawless administration was to raise its requirements.
Last month, a federal court dealt a serious blow to the Environmental Protection Agency's renewable fuels push by ruling that the agency exceeded its authority by mandating refiners use cellulosic biofuels, which aren't commercially available. The EPA's lawless response in a lawless administration was to raise its requirements.
Monday, February 25, 2013
John Kerry invents country of Kyrzakhstan
The State Department kindly omitted the error in the official transcript of Wednesday's speech, which Mr Kerry delivered on the eve of his first foreign trip as secretary of state.
Mr Kerry's flub was all the more awkward, because Kyrgyzstan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and a major recipient of US aid, which totalled $41 million (£27 million) in 2011.
Mr Kerry's flub was all the more awkward, because Kyrgyzstan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and a major recipient of US aid, which totalled $41 million (£27 million) in 2011.
Scientists trace the boozing gene
The boozing gene can be traced back 10 million years to the common ancestor humans share with chimpanzees and gorillas, new research claims.
It is believed these ancient forebears were the first to pick up fruits fermenting on the ground after they developed a lifestyle away from the trees.
Individuals able to stomach the boozy fruit would have survived better in this new environment than those who could not, programming the ability into their descendants' genetic codes.
It is believed these ancient forebears were the first to pick up fruits fermenting on the ground after they developed a lifestyle away from the trees.
Individuals able to stomach the boozy fruit would have survived better in this new environment than those who could not, programming the ability into their descendants' genetic codes.
Monday links
Bubble bursting in extreme slow motion. And here's the science of how bubbles form.
Chicken stolen from crock pot.
Can Hand Sanitizer Ignite? Well, yes.
Chicken stolen from crock pot.
Can Hand Sanitizer Ignite? Well, yes.
From 1799, a list of risk factors for spontaneous combustion. Also from the "old" category, here's an 1891 Photo of Marcel Proust Playing Air Guitar on a Tennis Racket.
Marriage proposal in the form of a physics paper.
When animals used to be put on trial
In the fall of 1457, villagers in Savigny, France witnessed a sow and six piglets attack and kill a 5-year-old boy. Today, the animals would be summarily killed. But errant 15th-century French pigs went to court. And it wasn’t for a show trial—this was the real deal, equipped with a judge, two prosecutors, eight witnesses, and a defense attorney for the accused swine. Witness testimony proved beyond reasonable doubt that the sow had killed the child. The piglets’ role, however, was ambiguous. Although splattered with blood, they were never seen directly attacking the boy. The judge sentenced the sow to be hanged by her hind feet from a “gallows tree.” The piglets, by contrast, were exonerated.
Such a case might seem bizarre to modern observers, but animal trials were commonplace public events in medieval and early modern Europe. Pigs, cows, goats, horses, and dogs that allegedly broke the law were routinely subjected to the same legal proceedings as humans. In a court of law, they were treated as persons. These somber affairs, which always adhered to the strictest legal procedures, reveal a bygone mentality according to which some animals possessed moral agency.
Such a case might seem bizarre to modern observers, but animal trials were commonplace public events in medieval and early modern Europe. Pigs, cows, goats, horses, and dogs that allegedly broke the law were routinely subjected to the same legal proceedings as humans. In a court of law, they were treated as persons. These somber affairs, which always adhered to the strictest legal procedures, reveal a bygone mentality according to which some animals possessed moral agency.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Releasing heart-shaped balloons into sky with your girlfriend: romantic gesture or environmental felony?
They were in the parking lot of a motel when he released the shiny red and silver mylar balloons and watched them float away.
Also watching the romantic gesture: an FHP trooper, who instead noted probable cause for an environmental crime.
Brasfield was charged with polluting to harm humans, animals, plants, etc. under the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act.
The third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Also watching the romantic gesture: an FHP trooper, who instead noted probable cause for an environmental crime.
Brasfield was charged with polluting to harm humans, animals, plants, etc. under the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act.
The third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Letter from the Tooth Fairy - you need to clean your room so I can get to your tooth
Via Neatorama: The Tooth Fairy tried to get the tooth. But Emily's room was a mess, especially the bed. It was covered with toys, blankets and Emily's sister. So she left a note saying that she would be back if Emily cleaned up and made the tooth accessible. Amy, Emily's mom, reports that the child responded favorably and it's likely that the Tooth Fairy will return.
Link
From 1799, a list of risk factors for spontaneous combustion
The list (see below) is part of this rather fascinating Lapham's Quarterly article on alcohol-induced spontaneous Human Combustion (SHC). The article includes accounts of some of the 18th century reports of SHC as well as more details on the relationship between these reports and the Temperance movement. It's also rather fascinating to compare this list to more recent attempts to determine whether the phenomenon is real or possible.
By 1799, there were enough cases on record for one physician, Pierre Lair, to identify some patterns and recurring characteristics of victims of spontaneous human combustion:
1. Victims were older, usually over 60.
2. Victims were overweight.
3. Victims led inactive lives.
4. Victims were alcoholics.
5. Women were more prone to spontaneously combust than men.
6. At the scene there was often an external flame, such as a candle or fireplace.
7. Combustion was extremely rapid.
8. The flames were difficult to extinguish.
9. The flames produced a strong empyreumatic odor.
10. The surrounding room was coated with a thick, yellow, greasy film.
11. The first usually consumed the trunk of the body, but left the head and extremities intact.
12. Accidents occurred during fair weather, and more often in winter than in summer.
Lair also ranked various spirits in terms of their likely contribution to Spontaneous Combustion: gin, followed by brandy, whiskey, and finally, rum.
Via io9.
1. Victims were older, usually over 60.
2. Victims were overweight.
3. Victims led inactive lives.
4. Victims were alcoholics.
5. Women were more prone to spontaneously combust than men.
6. At the scene there was often an external flame, such as a candle or fireplace.
7. Combustion was extremely rapid.
8. The flames were difficult to extinguish.
9. The flames produced a strong empyreumatic odor.
10. The surrounding room was coated with a thick, yellow, greasy film.
11. The first usually consumed the trunk of the body, but left the head and extremities intact.
12. Accidents occurred during fair weather, and more often in winter than in summer.
Lair also ranked various spirits in terms of their likely contribution to Spontaneous Combustion: gin, followed by brandy, whiskey, and finally, rum.
Via io9.
Top 10 Most Bizarre Power Rangers Monsters
The Oysterizer has a sort of Georgia O'Keefe thing going:
More at Topless Robot, via Unique Daily.
And the Brick Bully:
1891 Photo of Marcel Proust Playing Air Guitar on a Tennis Racket
Friday, February 22, 2013
Burqa Crisis: Criminals are using Islamic garb to commit serious crimes
Interesting article at National Review Read the whole thing.
As the Middle East Forum’s David J. Rusin points out in his detailed survey of Philadelphia burqa crimes, Muslim garb holds two great advantages over other forms of disguise: First, many full-body covered women walk the streets without criminal intent, thereby inadvertently providing cover for thieves; the more full-body coverings around, the more likely that these will facilitate criminal activity. Second, the very strangeness and aloofness of these garments affords their wearers, including criminals, an extraordinary degree of protection. As in other cases (three purchases of alcohol in Toronto state liquor stores by a 14-year-old boy in a burqa; Muslim women not checked at Canadian airports), clerks so fear being accused of racism or “Islamophobia” that they skip state-mandated procedures, such as requiring niqabis to show their faces and establish their identities.
Jonah Goldberg: “And when he opened the seventh seal, there was a small decrease in the rate of increase in federal spending.”
Blame Game Rages On over Looming Sequester
We are just days away from a cataclysm of biblical proportions. The cuts foretold in the Budget Control Act of 2011 are young as far as prophecies go, but apparently they are every bit as terrifying as rivers of blood and plagues of locusts. Any day now we can expect White House spokesman Jay Carney to take to the podium and read a prepared statement: “And when he opened the seventh seal, there was a small decrease in the rate of increase in federal spending.”
The great game in Washington is who will get the blame for something both House Speaker John Boehner and President Obama agree will be calamitous for the country. It is an argument so idiotic, it could pass for seriousness only in Washington.
Star Wars Family Tree
In Virginia, Tebow bill (home school sports participation) defeated again
As a Virginia resident and grandparent of five home-schoolers, this is maddening. I absolutely do not understand the opposition to it.
A Senate committee Thursday shot down the “Tebow bill” aimed at allowing home-schoolers to participate in public schools’ sports and other extracurricular activities.
The Senate Education and Health Committee defeated House Bill 1442 on a 7-8 vote, thus taking the matter off the table for this legislative session.
All of the Republicans on the committee except Sen. Harry Belvins, R-Chesapeake, voted in favor of HB 1442. Belvins joined the seven Democratic committee members in opposing the bill.
The legislation is nicknamed for NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who as a home-schooler in Florida played football for his local high school team.
HB 1442 would have allowed home-schoolers in Virginia to do the same, said Delegate Robert Bell, R-Charlottesville, who sponsored the measure. “Home-school kids just want a chance to try out.”
The committee heard testimony on the bill Thursday morning. Bell brought many home-schooled children, teenagers and even a few college students to testify and show their support.
“All I’m asking you … is to give me simply the opportunity to play sports,” said Eli Marellus, a 14-year-old home-schooler.
Virginia is one of 21 states that do not give home-schoolers access to play public school sports. The remaining states have a policy or law permitting home-schooled students to participate in public school activities and sports.
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
Why are the diabetes and obesity and hypertension numbers still spiraling out of control? It’s not just a matter of poor willpower on the part of the consumer and a give-the-people-what-they-want attitude on the part of the food manufacturers. What I found, over four years of research and reporting, was a conscious effort — taking place in labs and marketing meetings and grocery-store aisles — to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive.
I talked to more than 300 people in or formerly employed by the processed-food industry, from scientists to marketers to C.E.O.’s. Some were willing whistle-blowers, while others spoke reluctantly when presented with some of the thousands of pages of secret memos that I obtained from inside the food industry’s operations.
What follows is a series of small case studies of a handful of characters whose work then, and perspective now, sheds light on how the foods are created and sold to people who, while not powerless, are extremely vulnerable to the intensity of these companies’ industrial formulations and selling campaigns.
I don't like the addiction label for this (typical of the NYT), because it makes it the fault of the maker of the food rather than the individual who overconsumes. Interesting article, though.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
How Erections Work
Today I Found Out has an article on the anatomy and neurology involved. Read the whole thing - it's interesting, and you're not in third grade anymore. You can read it without snickering!
How to Win at Pac-Man
Pac-Man is a game of patterns: the ghosts move in predefined patterns, so if you move Pac-Man himself in one of three (fairly complex) patterns, it's possible to avoid the ghosts and play the game almost indefinitely -- at least until you hit the Level 256 "kill screen". This video explains the relevant patterns:
More on this and links to an article on how to beat Ms Pac-Man at Mental Floss.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Electroshock Football (well, soccer)
Each player on these Norwegian soccer teams has a shock collar (of the sort used for dog training) strapped to a leg. Watch the game as onlookers randomly shock them. English subs.
New app to keep you tweeting after death
A new application will soon allow users to keep posting Twitter updates from beyond the grave, independently using intricate knowledge of your online character to create a virtual continuation of your personality after you die.
“When your heart stops beating, you'll keep tweeting,” says the new application’s tagline.
“When your heart stops beating, you'll keep tweeting,” says the new application’s tagline.
Friday links
How much would the sea level fall if every ship were removed all at once from the earth's waters?
Star Wars Family Tree.
Gallery: Aircraft fan builds amazing replica of a Pan Am 747 jet.
The physics of sunsets.
From 1883, an Illustrated Guide to Recognizing Insane People.
10 Fascinating Facts About Chocolate.
Star Wars Family Tree.
Gallery: Aircraft fan builds amazing replica of a Pan Am 747 jet.
The physics of sunsets.
From 1883, an Illustrated Guide to Recognizing Insane People.
10 Fascinating Facts About Chocolate.
"I just found out my wife and I came from the same sperm donor"
At Slate:
via Instapundit.
On the one hand, I love my wife more than I can say, and logically, done is done, we already have children. I have had a vasectomy, so we won't be having any more, so perhaps there is no harm in continuing as we are. But, I can't help but think "This is my sister" every time I look at her now. I haven't said anything to her yet, and I don't know if I should or not.But the best part is that, apparently without realizing the pun, this "Dear Prudence" starts her answer with, "This is a seminal question about the nature of assisted reproduction." Really? Seminal?
via Instapundit.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Post Office Has Idea for Making Itself Profitable: Official Post Office Fashion Wear
I'm so disappointed: Only men’s apparel and accessories will be available initially, but the agency plans to add a women’s line in the future, it said Tuesday.
AP: Rand Paul Quote Was Opposite of What We Reported
Via The Corner:
Sometimes you can’t rely on the rush transcript:
Sometimes you can’t rely on the rush transcript:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press has withdrawn its story about Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., saying he sees some in the his party favoring a 2016 presidential candidate with an immigration policy that would “round up people . . . and send them back to Mexico.” That quote was in the transcript of “Fox News Sunday” that was distributed after Paul’s interview on the show. A subsequent Associated Press review of an audio recording of the show determined that the transcript had dropped the word “don’t” from that quote, and Paul actually said, “They don’t want somebody who wants to round people up, put them in camps and send them back to Mexico.”
Tuesday links
25 Cereals From The '80s You Will Never Eat Again.
The Near Annihilation of America's Buffalo in Pictures.
Vintage Armoured Cars.
What Makes Hair Curly?
Have virgins ever been tossed into volcanoes to appease the gods?
Florida's Great Python Challenge Is Over; The Pythons Won.
The Near Annihilation of America's Buffalo in Pictures.
Vintage Armoured Cars.
Colorado Lawmaker: Ladies, You Don't Need a Gun, We Have Rape-Free Zones
via Ace, Stupid with a side-order of Women Are Too Paranoid About Sexual Assault.
“It’s why we have call boxes, it’s why we have safe zones, it’s why we have the whistles. Because you just don’t know who you’re gonna be shooting at. And you don’t know if you feel like you’re gonna be raped, or if you feel like someone’s been following you around or if you feel like you’re in trouble when you may actually not be, that you pop out that gun and you pop … pop around at somebody.”
“It’s why we have call boxes, it’s why we have safe zones, it’s why we have the whistles. Because you just don’t know who you’re gonna be shooting at. And you don’t know if you feel like you’re gonna be raped, or if you feel like someone’s been following you around or if you feel like you’re in trouble when you may actually not be, that you pop out that gun and you pop … pop around at somebody.”
Monday, February 18, 2013
Two brothers celebrating $75K lottery win by purchasing marijuana and meth accidentally blew up their house
One of the brothers went to the kitchen to refuel the butane torches they planned to use to light their bongs. He emptied a couple of large cans of butane lighter fluid, leaking butane into the air.
“The butane vapor reached the pilot light in the furnace, and as you might expect, ka-boom,” Watts said.
The victim was wearing a lottery T-shirt during the explosion.
“The butane vapor reached the pilot light in the furnace, and as you might expect, ka-boom,” Watts said.
The victim was wearing a lottery T-shirt during the explosion.
Another blow to ObamaCare: The increasing appeal of self-insurance
Links and more comments at HotAir.
It’s been a fairly frequent practice for larger companies to self-insure, i.e., take on most of the financial risks of providing health benefits to their employees sans traditional insurance programs and the accompanying premiums, and instead only signing up for “stop-loss” insurance to protect themselves against the possibility of really major health-care costs (the sort that come with long-term debilitating diseases or sudden catastrophe). It’s a trend that’s been gaining some steam over the past decade or so, but certain aspects of ObamaCare mean it is becoming more worthwhile for even more and even smaller companies to consider the option for themselves — especially if they have younger, typically healthier workforces.
That means that instead of the costs of ObamaCare being [re]distributed across a wider pool, the price of premiums is going to grow larger for people who stay in the system as more and more companies consider opting out.
It’s been a fairly frequent practice for larger companies to self-insure, i.e., take on most of the financial risks of providing health benefits to their employees sans traditional insurance programs and the accompanying premiums, and instead only signing up for “stop-loss” insurance to protect themselves against the possibility of really major health-care costs (the sort that come with long-term debilitating diseases or sudden catastrophe). It’s a trend that’s been gaining some steam over the past decade or so, but certain aspects of ObamaCare mean it is becoming more worthwhile for even more and even smaller companies to consider the option for themselves — especially if they have younger, typically healthier workforces.
That means that instead of the costs of ObamaCare being [re]distributed across a wider pool, the price of premiums is going to grow larger for people who stay in the system as more and more companies consider opting out.
The Massive Obamacare Sales Tax Increase That's On the Way
Forbes:
The Joint Committee on Taxation released a report to Committee of Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp shortly after the Supreme Court ruling that recalculates the costs to insurers, consumers and businesses under the new plan. According to their report – which does not include updated scores for the individual mandate, the employer mandate, or certain other revenue effects – the tax increases that remain on the books will cost taxpayers more than $675 billion over the next ten years. Chief among these will be the sales tax on the purchase of health insurance, totaling $101.7 billion, and making it larger than all the other industry-specific taxes combined.
Happy National Drink Wine Day!
Studies have shown that drinking a glass of wine a day improves heart health, reduces forgetfulness, boosts immunity, and increases bone density.
Norway plans 12-hour prime-time TV show of a fireplace. With ongoing commentary.
"We'll talk about the very nerdy subjects like burning, slicing and stacking the wood, but we'll also have cultural segments with music and poems," said Rune Moeklebust, a producer for state broadcaster NRK.
"It will be very slow but noble television."
"It will be very slow but noble television."
Oops: NHS pays out £1million to men who have had the wrong testicle removed
Sound like a lot? Thinking you'd give up a ball for that much money? It's actually £20K each to 56 different men. They cut off the wrong testicle 56 times!
In most cases the men didn't need surgery at all and in others surgeons also had to remove the second testicle.
In most cases the men didn't need surgery at all and in others surgeons also had to remove the second testicle.
The 18 year old whose smartphone watch could beat Apple’s iWatch to market
Simon Tian says he has in-hand a working prototype of something nearly unprecedented in consumer electronics: a smartphone the size of a watch. Not just a smart watch, but an actual, fully-featured smartphone running Google’s Android software that straps onto your wrist. Along with his team of nine at the Montreal, Quebec-based startup Neptune, he’ll be unveiling it in mid-April. Tian is only 18 years old—the founder and youngest member of Neptune.
While Apple is reportedly working on a smartwatch as a supplement to a smartphone rather than an alternative to it, Tian wants to disrupt the smartphone category itself. “I looked at the mobile technology industry, and I just realized that there was a problem,” says Tian. “You have iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, TVs, PCs, and they’re all independent devices. But there’s no one single device that can provide all the functionality. I founded Neptune Computer in order to solve this issue.”
via Geekpress.
While Apple is reportedly working on a smartwatch as a supplement to a smartphone rather than an alternative to it, Tian wants to disrupt the smartphone category itself. “I looked at the mobile technology industry, and I just realized that there was a problem,” says Tian. “You have iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, TVs, PCs, and they’re all independent devices. But there’s no one single device that can provide all the functionality. I founded Neptune Computer in order to solve this issue.”
via Geekpress.
Have virgins ever been tossed into volcanoes to appease the gods?
Straight Dope takes on this important question. Some excerpts:
As with so many popular beliefs, the answer boils down to: (1) this story is mostly Hollywood BS, but (2) not 100 percent. To get a better handle on things, let’s look at different permutations of the concept, starting with the least plausible and working up.
Virgins have been thrown into volcanoes to appease god(s).
Volcanoes suitable for throwing women into for the most part don't exist. The popular idea is that a volcanic cone has a lake of molten lava inside, perhaps with a rocky promontory jutting out from the rim to provide a convenient spot for victim-flinging. In reality, an erupting volcano typically spews lava up or outward from a cone, vent, or fissure, after which the lava flows laterally along the flattish surfaces nearby.
Virgins have been sacrificed on, if not in, volcanoes.
The mummified remains of numerous murdered Incan children, many of them female, have been found on the upper slopes of volcanoes in the Andes... Archaeologist Johan Reinhard, who led the expeditions that found the Ampato and Llullaillaco mummies, has conjectured that sacrifices at Ampato were intended to stop a volcanic eruption nearby. The site is only reachable when volcanic heat has melted the snow.
Humans, but especially children, have been sacrificed to the gods, or to accompany deceased rulers who presumably were going to join the gods.
As with so many popular beliefs, the answer boils down to: (1) this story is mostly Hollywood BS, but (2) not 100 percent. To get a better handle on things, let’s look at different permutations of the concept, starting with the least plausible and working up.
Virgins have been thrown into volcanoes to appease god(s).
Volcanoes suitable for throwing women into for the most part don't exist. The popular idea is that a volcanic cone has a lake of molten lava inside, perhaps with a rocky promontory jutting out from the rim to provide a convenient spot for victim-flinging. In reality, an erupting volcano typically spews lava up or outward from a cone, vent, or fissure, after which the lava flows laterally along the flattish surfaces nearby.
Virgins have been sacrificed on, if not in, volcanoes.
The mummified remains of numerous murdered Incan children, many of them female, have been found on the upper slopes of volcanoes in the Andes... Archaeologist Johan Reinhard, who led the expeditions that found the Ampato and Llullaillaco mummies, has conjectured that sacrifices at Ampato were intended to stop a volcanic eruption nearby. The site is only reachable when volcanic heat has melted the snow.
Humans, but especially children, have been sacrificed to the gods, or to accompany deceased rulers who presumably were going to join the gods.
This is so abundantly and widely true that it may not seem worth mentioning, but we ought not to let our interest in a particularly baroque sacrificial mode blind us to the larger truth, namely that our species has slaughtered innocents by the uncountable thousands since antiquity.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Health Benefits That Cut Your Pay
My new employee thinks that she is paying roughly $2,600 for health care in her first year on the job — her $500 deductible plus her $2,100 share of the company’s health insurance premiums. In fact, she’s paying more than $10,000 into the country’s health care system. As her employer, our company will pay $6,190 of her health care costs, money that might otherwise go to her in salary. (From my point of view as a chief executive of a company, health care is just a different form of compensation.) She is also paying more than $1,500 in federal and state taxes to finance Medicare and Medicaid.
Clearly, personal health insurance is not the only way our employees pay into our health care system. There is the 1.45 percent of every paycheck that goes to Medicare, as well as the portion matched by the employer. Furthermore, a large slice of her general taxes are, in fact, health care costs: roughly 20 percent of federal spending and 10 percent of state spending support Medicare and Medicaid. She must pay for all of this.
Mark Steyn: Achieve Ye This Goal
‘I’m also issuing a new goal for America,” declared President Obama at his State of the Union on Tuesday. We’ll come to the particular “goal” he “issued” momentarily, but before we do, consider that formulation: Did you know the president of the United States is now in the business of “issuing goals” for his subjects to live up to?
And this:
Like Beyoncé lip-synching the National Anthem at the inauguration, the State of the Union embodies the decay of America’s political institutions into a simulacrum of responsible government rather than the real thing, and a simulacrum ever more divorced from the real issues facing the country. “Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion,” said the president. Really? Who knew? “Now we need to finish the job.” Just one more push is all it’ll take.
What’s he on about? The annual “deficit” has been over a trillion for every year of Obama’s presidency. The cumulative deficits have, in fact (to use a quaint expression), increased the national debt by $6 trillion. Yet Obama claims Washington has “reduced the deficit” by $2.5 trillion and all we need to do is “finish the job.” Presumably this is a reference to allegedly agreed deficit reductions over the next decade, or quarter-century, or whatever. In other words, Obama has saved $2.5 trillion of Magical Fairyland money, which happily frees him up to talk about the really critical issues like high-speed rail and green-energy solutions.
And this:
Like Beyoncé lip-synching the National Anthem at the inauguration, the State of the Union embodies the decay of America’s political institutions into a simulacrum of responsible government rather than the real thing, and a simulacrum ever more divorced from the real issues facing the country. “Over the last few years, both parties have worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion,” said the president. Really? Who knew? “Now we need to finish the job.” Just one more push is all it’ll take.
What’s he on about? The annual “deficit” has been over a trillion for every year of Obama’s presidency. The cumulative deficits have, in fact (to use a quaint expression), increased the national debt by $6 trillion. Yet Obama claims Washington has “reduced the deficit” by $2.5 trillion and all we need to do is “finish the job.” Presumably this is a reference to allegedly agreed deficit reductions over the next decade, or quarter-century, or whatever. In other words, Obama has saved $2.5 trillion of Magical Fairyland money, which happily frees him up to talk about the really critical issues like high-speed rail and green-energy solutions.
Germany And Spain Throw Green Energy Under the Bus
Voters in Germany and Spain are getting tired of paying the huge subsidies, according to the WSJ:
Fearing a voter backlash from anger over the lopsided financing of green energy, Ms. Merkel’s government on Thursday proposed putting a cap on the green-energy surcharge until the end of 2014 and then restricting any rise in the surcharge after that to no more than 2.5% a year. The government also plans to tighten exemptions, which would force more companies to pay, and achieve a cut in green subsidies of €1.8 billion ($2.42 billion). The plan is a quick fix pending comprehensive reform after the election, government officials said.
Fearing a voter backlash from anger over the lopsided financing of green energy, Ms. Merkel’s government on Thursday proposed putting a cap on the green-energy surcharge until the end of 2014 and then restricting any rise in the surcharge after that to no more than 2.5% a year. The government also plans to tighten exemptions, which would force more companies to pay, and achieve a cut in green subsidies of €1.8 billion ($2.42 billion). The plan is a quick fix pending comprehensive reform after the election, government officials said.
Just a reminder: If renewable energy eventually becomes viable, it won’t need subsidies. via American Interest.
“Covert” drone warfare requires a level of confidence in politicians that they will never deserve
Don't Trust the Government on Drones
Thomas Jefferson and others of his generation understood that government was simply not something to be trusted. Rather, it was a permanent object of suspicion, because it was uniquely positioned to steal our freedoms.
"It would be a dangerous delusion were a confidence in [politicians] to silence our fears for the safety of our rights: that confidence is everywhere the parent of despotism — free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with power."
Thomas Jefferson and others of his generation understood that government was simply not something to be trusted. Rather, it was a permanent object of suspicion, because it was uniquely positioned to steal our freedoms.
"It would be a dangerous delusion were a confidence in [politicians] to silence our fears for the safety of our rights: that confidence is everywhere the parent of despotism — free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with power."
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Employers, Perform Criminal Background Checks at Your Peril
Most businesses perform criminal background checks on job applicants, but the EEOC guidance frowns on such checks and creates new legal tripwires that could spark federal lawsuits. One EEOC commissioner who opposed the new policy, Constance Barker, warned in April that "the only real impact the new Guidance will have will be to scare business owners from ever conducting criminal background checks. . . . The Guidance tells them that they are taking a tremendous risk if they do."
If a background check discloses a criminal offense, the EEOC expects a company to do an intricate "individualized assessment" that will somehow prove that it has a "business necessity" not to hire the ex-offender (or that his offense disqualifies him for a specific job). Former EEOC General Counsel Donald Livingston, in testimony in December to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, warned that employers could be considered guilty of "race discrimination if they choose law abiding applicants over applicants with criminal convictions" unless they conduct a comprehensive analysis of the ex-offender's recent life history.
It is difficult to overstate the EEOC's zealotry on this issue. The agency is demanding that one of Mr. Livingston's clients—the Freeman Companies, a convention and corporate events planner—pay compensation to rejected job applicants who lied about their criminal records.
The biggest bombshell in the new guidelines is that businesses complying with state or local laws that require employee background checks can still be targeted for EEOC lawsuits.
If a background check discloses a criminal offense, the EEOC expects a company to do an intricate "individualized assessment" that will somehow prove that it has a "business necessity" not to hire the ex-offender (or that his offense disqualifies him for a specific job). Former EEOC General Counsel Donald Livingston, in testimony in December to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, warned that employers could be considered guilty of "race discrimination if they choose law abiding applicants over applicants with criminal convictions" unless they conduct a comprehensive analysis of the ex-offender's recent life history.
It is difficult to overstate the EEOC's zealotry on this issue. The agency is demanding that one of Mr. Livingston's clients—the Freeman Companies, a convention and corporate events planner—pay compensation to rejected job applicants who lied about their criminal records.
The biggest bombshell in the new guidelines is that businesses complying with state or local laws that require employee background checks can still be targeted for EEOC lawsuits.
DIY high speed internet
Tired of waiting, and not wanting to whine, and not looking for a government handout, a rural Brit area does what was necessary to to get high speed internet.
They did it themselves and started stringing fiber, a lot of fiber. Volunteers. Digging trenches. Burying cable. Making splices. They're selling "shares" in the enterprise too.
They did it themselves and started stringing fiber, a lot of fiber. Volunteers. Digging trenches. Burying cable. Making splices. They're selling "shares" in the enterprise too.
via Ace.
Star Wars Fan Turns Living Room into Large Scale Battle of Hoth Diorama
More here, plus a tutorial on how to build those realistic-looking explosions with stuff you can find around the house.
Key Democrats Turn on Obamacare
Read the whole thing at American Interest:
The about-face of these Democrats is a phenomenon worth pausing over. Many formerly supportive constituencies have grown wary of Obamacare in recent weeks as we’ve learned more about the effects it will have on the health care system. But these Senators’ 180-degree turns are something more severe.
Will young adults face ‘rate shock’ because of the health-care law?
Well, yes. Of course they will.
Insurers point to several reasons that premiums will rise. They will soon be required to offer more-comprehensive coverage than many currently provide. Also, their costs will increase because they will be barred from rejecting the sick, and they will no longer be allowed to charge older customers sharply higher premiums than younger ones.
Insurers point to several reasons that premiums will rise. They will soon be required to offer more-comprehensive coverage than many currently provide. Also, their costs will increase because they will be barred from rejecting the sick, and they will no longer be allowed to charge older customers sharply higher premiums than younger ones.
Solar-Powered Car from 1912
Source: Newsweek (Mar 7, 1960), via WeirdUniverse:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Meteor Crash, This Time In Cuba
Two meteor crashes (one in Cuba now) and a flyby asteroid all within a few hours seems unlikely to be a coincidence.
The jury should still be out on whether this was related to the other asteroid.
Given that there is a close flyby of another object today, missing the Earth by only a whisker in astronomical terms (just a few earth radii away, and inside the orbit of our communications satellites), it seems like a strange coincidence in terms of timing. When I heard the news of the Russian strike this morning, my most immediate thought was that it was a fellow traveler.
World's largest crocodile dies
The giant reptile, which measured 6.4m (21ft) and weighed in at 1,075kg (2,370lb), had begun to draw local and foreign tourists to the town.
Revealed: Batman Wasn't Gay After All
Interesting post - read the whole thing at Ace.
In 1954 a German-American psychiatrist named Dr. Frederick Wertham published a book called The Seduction of the Innocent, which claimed that comic books were causing children to become homosexual, promiscuous, delinquent and criminal, and also preoccupied by the occult.
Among his more famous theses was the claim that Batman and his young ward Robin lived out the perfect homosexual fantasy together at Wayne Manor, a hawk and his chicken, with no women around and lots of spelunking in secret caves.*
The book caused a Moral Panic -- what would America be without its frequent stupid moral panics? -- and resulted in the near-death of the comic book industry. The industry had to create a "voluntary" comic code to forestall Congress from legislating one
While Wertham's various speculations and interpretations have always been ridiculous (and ridiculed), it now turns out he faked his research, too.
He claimed he'd documented case-studies of Superman (a "fascist," in Wertham's estimation) and Batman (a gay fascist) causing all sorts of bad behavior in children.
But he lied.
In 1954 a German-American psychiatrist named Dr. Frederick Wertham published a book called The Seduction of the Innocent, which claimed that comic books were causing children to become homosexual, promiscuous, delinquent and criminal, and also preoccupied by the occult.
Among his more famous theses was the claim that Batman and his young ward Robin lived out the perfect homosexual fantasy together at Wayne Manor, a hawk and his chicken, with no women around and lots of spelunking in secret caves.*
The book caused a Moral Panic -- what would America be without its frequent stupid moral panics? -- and resulted in the near-death of the comic book industry. The industry had to create a "voluntary" comic code to forestall Congress from legislating one
While Wertham's various speculations and interpretations have always been ridiculous (and ridiculed), it now turns out he faked his research, too.
He claimed he'd documented case-studies of Superman (a "fascist," in Wertham's estimation) and Batman (a gay fascist) causing all sorts of bad behavior in children.
But he lied.
Who gets the million-dollar Dorner reward?
But it may not be who gets the reward, but whether anyone does. It may have been offered with a catch: capture and conviction.
Friday links
Star Trek Bloopers.
10 Richest People Of All Time And How They Made Their Fortunes.
Famous Tree Tunnels.
The Day John Lennon Met Paul McCartney.
Parts of the body named after people.
Beercade: The arcade machine that rewards winners with beer.
10 Richest People Of All Time And How They Made Their Fortunes.
Famous Tree Tunnels.
The Day John Lennon Met Paul McCartney.
Parts of the body named after people.
Beercade: The arcade machine that rewards winners with beer.
Meteorite Hits Russian Urals: Fireball Explosion Wreaks Havoc
Residents on their way to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave, according to a Reuters correspondent in the industrial city 1,500 kilometres east of Moscow.
The meteorite raced across the horizon, leaving a long white trail in its wake which could be seen as far as 200 kilometres away in Yekaterinburg. Car alarms went off, windows shattered and mobile phones worked only intermittently.
The meteorite raced across the horizon, leaving a long white trail in its wake which could be seen as far as 200 kilometres away in Yekaterinburg. Car alarms went off, windows shattered and mobile phones worked only intermittently.
Singer Chubby Checker sues makers of penis-length app
The Chubby Checker, which estimates penis length in both metric and imperial measurements, was reportedly removed in September 2012.
‘Any of you ladies out there just start seeing someone new and wondering what the size of their member is?’ asks an old listing posted in 2011.
‘All you need to do is find out the man’s shoe size and plug it in… Now with the Chubby Checker there is no need for disappointment or surprise…’
‘Any of you ladies out there just start seeing someone new and wondering what the size of their member is?’ asks an old listing posted in 2011.
‘All you need to do is find out the man’s shoe size and plug it in… Now with the Chubby Checker there is no need for disappointment or surprise…’
Making Scotch in zero gravity
The beauty of the opening of space for commercial research by Nanoracks is that it’s allowed a number of different experiments to flourish on board the International Space Station. Perhaps on of the most interesting is one being carried out by Ardbeg Distillery – they want to see what happens to the chemical interactions that give Scotch its flavor characteristics when they happen in zero gravity.
Inside the MixStix is some brand new Ardbeg spirit – about a half a liter – and shards of charred oak like the oak that exists inside a cask. The experiment travelled to the International Space Station on a Soyuz in October of 2011. Once installed, an astronaut activated the experiment, causing the spirit to mix with the oak particles. At the same time it was activated in space, a control sample was activated here on Earth.
The spirit will mature with the oak for at least two years. And the company is fascinated by the possible outcomes.
Inside the MixStix is some brand new Ardbeg spirit – about a half a liter – and shards of charred oak like the oak that exists inside a cask. The experiment travelled to the International Space Station on a Soyuz in October of 2011. Once installed, an astronaut activated the experiment, causing the spirit to mix with the oak particles. At the same time it was activated in space, a control sample was activated here on Earth.
The spirit will mature with the oak for at least two years. And the company is fascinated by the possible outcomes.
The Day John Lennon Met Paul McCartney
Much of the genesis of the Beatles is a bit nebulous and is often argued, but most Beatles historians cite the date, July 6, 1957, as the official beginning of the Beatles.
John Lennon, a neighborhood guitar-player (local trouble-maker, part-time shoplifter and full-time egomaniac) had been playing around at a few local gigs in the area for a year or so. John’s initial band was called “The Blackjacks”, consisting of a few of his mates from school. Soon thereafter, the band’s name was changed to “The Quarrymen”, in honor of their present school, Quarry Bank High School.
Paul had been invited to watch the Quarrymen by a mutual friend. After the band’s first concert, Paul was introduced to John... After the brief introduction, Paul played John the song “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Cochrane. John decided to “make the group stronger” and asked Paul to join.
Paul kept the songs neatly arranged in a notebook and each new tune was listed as “Another Lennon-McCartney Original”. The two made a lifelong pact to continue composing in this way and earnestly shook on it. (This handshake was the only actual songwriting agreement the two had; they never signed a written contract as inevitable co-composers.)
Although both John and Paul continued to compose songs on their own too, they never broke their pact and every song, whether solo or co-written, was given the “Lennon-McCartney” label.
John Lennon Once Almost Beat a Man to Death
John Lennon, a neighborhood guitar-player (local trouble-maker, part-time shoplifter and full-time egomaniac) had been playing around at a few local gigs in the area for a year or so. John’s initial band was called “The Blackjacks”, consisting of a few of his mates from school. Soon thereafter, the band’s name was changed to “The Quarrymen”, in honor of their present school, Quarry Bank High School.
Paul had been invited to watch the Quarrymen by a mutual friend. After the band’s first concert, Paul was introduced to John... After the brief introduction, Paul played John the song “Twenty Flight Rock” by Eddie Cochrane. John decided to “make the group stronger” and asked Paul to join.
Paul kept the songs neatly arranged in a notebook and each new tune was listed as “Another Lennon-McCartney Original”. The two made a lifelong pact to continue composing in this way and earnestly shook on it. (This handshake was the only actual songwriting agreement the two had; they never signed a written contract as inevitable co-composers.)
Although both John and Paul continued to compose songs on their own too, they never broke their pact and every song, whether solo or co-written, was given the “Lennon-McCartney” label.
Today I Found Out has links and more detail, plus these related posts:
Thursday, February 14, 2013
A dose of cynicism for Valentine's Day
Love is the delusion that one woman differs from another.*
- H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) (Chrestomathy, Ch. 30)
Love. n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient
from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like
caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living
under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating
simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more
frequently to the physician than to the patient.
- Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) (The Devil's Dictionary)
When love congeals
It soon reveals
The faint aroma of performing seals,
The double-crossing of a pair of heels -
I wish I were in love again!
The broken dates,
The endless waits,
The lovely loving and the hateful hates,
The conversation and the flying plates -
I wish I were in love again!
- Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) ("I Wish I Were in Love Again," from Babes in Arms)
Love conquers all things - except poverty and toothache.
- Mae West (1892-1980) (attributed)
Parrots, tortoises, and redwoods
Live a longer life than men do,
Men a longer life than dogs do,
Dogs a longer life than love does.
- Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) ("Pretty Love I Must Outlive You")
Yes, today is the feast day of St. Valentine, Christian martyr of the 3rd century and the patron saint of lovers. By 100 years later, there were already two martyrs of that name commemorated on Rome's Via Flaminia, one a priest, another a bishop - perhaps the same man - for whom Pope Gelasius established "his" official observance in 496. More recently, it has been adduced that St. Valentine was executed for conducting weddings of Roman soldiers against the order of the emperor Claudius II (reigned 268-270), but in fact, this prohibition, decreed by Augustus, had already been repealed by Septimus Severus (reigned 193-211). In any event, the saint supposedly cured the blindness of the daughter of the judge that condemned him and sent her a letter signed "your Valentine," thus starting the tradition of Valentine greetings on this date. It is also attested by Chaucer, among others, that 14 February is the date on which the birds start to sing and choose their mates, lending further significance to the occasion. Be that as it may, one of my favorite observations in this context comes from American poet John Ciardi (1916-1986), who said,
"Love is the word we use to describe the sexual excitement of the young, the habituation of the middle aged, and the mutual dependence of the old.")
* N.B. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) said something similar in the third act of Major Barbara:
"Like all young men, you greatly exaggerate the difference between one young woman and another."
In compensation, some old time hearts and flowers:
- H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) (Chrestomathy, Ch. 30)
Love. n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient
from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. This disease, like
caries and many other ailments, is prevalent only among civilized races living
under artificial conditions; barbarous nations breathing pure air and eating
simple food enjoy immunity from its ravages. It is sometimes fatal, but more
frequently to the physician than to the patient.
- Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) (The Devil's Dictionary)
When love congeals
It soon reveals
The faint aroma of performing seals,
The double-crossing of a pair of heels -
I wish I were in love again!
The broken dates,
The endless waits,
The lovely loving and the hateful hates,
The conversation and the flying plates -
I wish I were in love again!
- Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) ("I Wish I Were in Love Again," from Babes in Arms)
Love conquers all things - except poverty and toothache.
- Mae West (1892-1980) (attributed)
Parrots, tortoises, and redwoods
Live a longer life than men do,
Men a longer life than dogs do,
Dogs a longer life than love does.
- Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950) ("Pretty Love I Must Outlive You")
Yes, today is the feast day of St. Valentine, Christian martyr of the 3rd century and the patron saint of lovers. By 100 years later, there were already two martyrs of that name commemorated on Rome's Via Flaminia, one a priest, another a bishop - perhaps the same man - for whom Pope Gelasius established "his" official observance in 496. More recently, it has been adduced that St. Valentine was executed for conducting weddings of Roman soldiers against the order of the emperor Claudius II (reigned 268-270), but in fact, this prohibition, decreed by Augustus, had already been repealed by Septimus Severus (reigned 193-211). In any event, the saint supposedly cured the blindness of the daughter of the judge that condemned him and sent her a letter signed "your Valentine," thus starting the tradition of Valentine greetings on this date. It is also attested by Chaucer, among others, that 14 February is the date on which the birds start to sing and choose their mates, lending further significance to the occasion. Be that as it may, one of my favorite observations in this context comes from American poet John Ciardi (1916-1986), who said,
"Love is the word we use to describe the sexual excitement of the young, the habituation of the middle aged, and the mutual dependence of the old.")
* N.B. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) said something similar in the third act of Major Barbara:
"Like all young men, you greatly exaggerate the difference between one young woman and another."
In compensation, some old time hearts and flowers:
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
23% Of America Is Illiterate, with "holy crap" graphic
Mutant cane toads
"Cane toads are to the fresh water environment, what canaries were to coal mines," Mr Wilson said.
High exposure to ultraviolet radiation and parasites, as well as chemical runoff and airborne pollution can contribute to abnormalities in the amphibians.
Six Ways TV Affects Your Brain and Sperm
Not much new here but I like the headline.
Researchers are only just beginning to understand the effect television has on the brain, and what they’ve found so far sure isn’t good. From decreasing your chances of procreating to cutting years off your life...
Researchers are only just beginning to understand the effect television has on the brain, and what they’ve found so far sure isn’t good. From decreasing your chances of procreating to cutting years off your life...
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Instead of a government of laws, we are becoming a government of regulations
We need reform, desperately, and that reform should be led by conservatives. No one is harder on crime – real crime – than us, but there is no more conservative cause than returning our justice system to a condition where the “justice” part takes precedence over the “system” part.
The explosion of new and ridiculous federal crimes, compounded by prosecutors who have lost all sense of perspective and are not held accountable, puts every American at risk.
Part of the reason is Congressional laziness, where the folks paid to debate, consider and make laws simply delegate away their responsibility to bureaucrats in federal agencies who issue idiotic regulations with the power of criminal statutes.
The explosion of new and ridiculous federal crimes, compounded by prosecutors who have lost all sense of perspective and are not held accountable, puts every American at risk.
Part of the reason is Congressional laziness, where the folks paid to debate, consider and make laws simply delegate away their responsibility to bureaucrats in federal agencies who issue idiotic regulations with the power of criminal statutes.
Instead of a government of laws, we are becoming a government of regulations, and opaque and indecipherable ones to boot. Making it even worse is the fact that many are “strict” liability statutes – the federal prosecutors do not even need to prove that you intended to commit a crime. So you are just as guilty of a felony for having an eagle feather you picked up off the forest floor as one you plucked off the bald-headed national symbol you just shot.
Fort Hood "workplace violence" designation screws over victims
Fort Hood Hero Says President Obama 'Betrayed' Her, Other Victims.
Three years after the White House arranged a hero's welcome at the State of the Union address for the Fort Hood police sergeant and her partner who stopped the deadly shooting there, Kimberly Munley says President Obama broke the promise he made to her that the victims would be well taken care of.
"Betrayed is a good word," former Sgt. Munley told ABC News in a tearful interview to be broadcast tonight on "World News with Diane Sawyer" and "Nightline."
"Not to the least little bit have the victims been taken care of," she said. "In fact they've been neglected."
Munley and dozens of other victims have now filed a lawsuit against the military alleging the "workplace violence" designation means the Fort Hood victims are receiving lower priority access to medical care as veterans, and a loss of financial benefits available to those who injuries are classified as "combat related."
READ the Fort Hood Victims' Lawsuit
Some of the victims "had to find civilian doctors to get proper medical treatment" and the military has not assigned liaison officers to help them coordinate their recovery, said the group's lawyer, Reed Rubinstein.
"There's a substantial number of very serious, crippling cases of post-traumatic stress disorder exacerbated, frankly, by what the Army and the Defense Department did in this case," said Rubinstein. "We have a couple of cases in which the soldiers' command accused the soldiers of malingering, and would say things to them that Fort Hood really wasn't so bad, it wasn't combat."
"Betrayed is a good word," former Sgt. Munley told ABC News in a tearful interview to be broadcast tonight on "World News with Diane Sawyer" and "Nightline."
"Not to the least little bit have the victims been taken care of," she said. "In fact they've been neglected."
Munley and dozens of other victims have now filed a lawsuit against the military alleging the "workplace violence" designation means the Fort Hood victims are receiving lower priority access to medical care as veterans, and a loss of financial benefits available to those who injuries are classified as "combat related."
READ the Fort Hood Victims' Lawsuit
Some of the victims "had to find civilian doctors to get proper medical treatment" and the military has not assigned liaison officers to help them coordinate their recovery, said the group's lawyer, Reed Rubinstein.
"There's a substantial number of very serious, crippling cases of post-traumatic stress disorder exacerbated, frankly, by what the Army and the Defense Department did in this case," said Rubinstein. "We have a couple of cases in which the soldiers' command accused the soldiers of malingering, and would say things to them that Fort Hood really wasn't so bad, it wasn't combat."
Passengers reveal the dire conditions of disabled Carnival cruise ship that they will be stuck on until Thursday
Some of the 4,200 people on board reported that cabin carpets are soaked in urine, passengers are sleeping in tents on deck and scarce food supplies has reduced them to eating cold onion sandwiches.
The ship has been stranded since Sunday after a fire in the engine room crippled the power system.
The ship has been stranded since Sunday after a fire in the engine room crippled the power system.
Obama Thanks Pope For “Our Work Together”
Barack Obama thanked Pope Benedict XVI for “our work together” over these last four years. (What work?)
“On behalf of Americans everywhere, Michelle and I wish to extend our appreciation and prayers to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Michelle and I warmly remember our meeting with the Holy Father in 2009, and I have appreciated our work together over these last four years. The Church plays a critical role in the United States and the world, and I wish the best to those who will soon gather to choose His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s successor.”
Unfortunately, those fond memories by Obama are not shared by the Vatican.
“On behalf of Americans everywhere, Michelle and I wish to extend our appreciation and prayers to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. Michelle and I warmly remember our meeting with the Holy Father in 2009, and I have appreciated our work together over these last four years. The Church plays a critical role in the United States and the world, and I wish the best to those who will soon gather to choose His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI’s successor.”
Unfortunately, those fond memories by Obama are not shared by the Vatican.
French want wolves to be 'educated' not to kill sheep
France wants to save the wolf from extinction, but they (the wolves, not the French) keep killing sheep.
Under a proposed "National Wolf Plan," the government says it will conduct experiments into "educating" the canine carnivore, which is spreading stealthily in remote areas.
Rest assured, this scheme does not entail lecturing wolves about the cuteness of lambs or trying to convert them to vegetarianism.
Instead, it entails capturing individual wolves that are known to attack a local flock and then marking these bothersome predators before letting them go.
The theory is that the animal will be so traumatised by the experience that it will leave the sheep alone and instead hunt for deer, boar, rabbits and other wild animals.
Under a proposed "National Wolf Plan," the government says it will conduct experiments into "educating" the canine carnivore, which is spreading stealthily in remote areas.
Rest assured, this scheme does not entail lecturing wolves about the cuteness of lambs or trying to convert them to vegetarianism.
Instead, it entails capturing individual wolves that are known to attack a local flock and then marking these bothersome predators before letting them go.
The theory is that the animal will be so traumatised by the experience that it will leave the sheep alone and instead hunt for deer, boar, rabbits and other wild animals.
If the Hubble telescope were aimed at the Earth, how detailed would the images be?
Interesting article, and interesting because much of the technology in military spy satellites is believed to be similar to that of Hubble.
Parody Website Fools WaPo Into Thinking Sarah Palin Heading To Al Jazeera
Another proud moment for the Washington Post's layers and layers of fact-checkers. The story was entitled Sarah Palin’s plan to reach ‘millions of devoutly religious people’ through al-Jazeera.
“The Sarah Palin Story is a cautionary tale about what can happen when politics and celebrity meet,” begins Washington Post contributor Suzi Parker’s profile of Sarah Palin’s move from Fox News Channel to the future cable news network Al Jazeera English. “Late last week Al Jazeera America announced the former vice-presidential candidate would be joining their news network.”
“Bless her heart, is Palin trying her best to stay relevant while her 15 minutes fades into the political history books?” Parker asked, after noting that the former Alaska governor posted a message on her Facebook announcing her intention to attend the memorial service of slain Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.
RELATED: No, Ann Coulter Did NOT Refuse To Board A Plane Because Pilot Was Black
“The Sarah Palin Story is a cautionary tale about what can happen when politics and celebrity meet,” begins Washington Post contributor Suzi Parker’s profile of Sarah Palin’s move from Fox News Channel to the future cable news network Al Jazeera English. “Late last week Al Jazeera America announced the former vice-presidential candidate would be joining their news network.”
“Bless her heart, is Palin trying her best to stay relevant while her 15 minutes fades into the political history books?” Parker asked, after noting that the former Alaska governor posted a message on her Facebook announcing her intention to attend the memorial service of slain Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.
Where criminals get their guns
Daily Caller discusses a 1997 Justice Department survey of more than 18,000 state and federal convicts:
• 39.6% of criminals obtained a gun from a friend or family member
• 39.2% of criminals obtained a gun on the street or from an illegal source
• 0.7% of criminals purchased a gun at a gun show
• 1% of criminals purchased a gun at a flea market
• 3.8% of criminals purchased a gun from a pawn shop
• 8.3% of criminals actually bought their guns from retail outlets
• 39.6% of criminals obtained a gun from a friend or family member
• 39.2% of criminals obtained a gun on the street or from an illegal source
• 0.7% of criminals purchased a gun at a gun show
• 1% of criminals purchased a gun at a flea market
• 3.8% of criminals purchased a gun from a pawn shop
• 8.3% of criminals actually bought their guns from retail outlets
Tuesday links
Squids can fly 100 feet through the air.
Dumpster diving - man turns dumpster into swimming pool.
History of Pad Thai.
Modern Churches That Look Like Chickens.
Weird Chocolate-Coated Foods.
Ben & Jerry’s Graveyard for Discontinued Flavors.
Dumpster diving - man turns dumpster into swimming pool.
History of Pad Thai.
Weird Chocolate-Coated Foods.
How Samsung Went From A Dried Fish Exporter To One Of The Top Names In Tech
Business Insider has an article on the company's history, starting way back in 1938 when it was a company that exported dried fish to China.
via Presurfer.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Maker’s Mark to meet increasing demand by … reducing its alcohol content
What PR genius came up with this?
"Usually you're going to notice that," Williamsburg bartender Erik Lane, 31, said of the lowering in proof. "If I started putting a half shot of water in the bottom of everyone's beer just to make the keg last longer they'd notice."
"Usually you're going to notice that," Williamsburg bartender Erik Lane, 31, said of the lowering in proof. "If I started putting a half shot of water in the bottom of everyone's beer just to make the keg last longer they'd notice."
Florida Man is the world’s worst superhero ever
The Twitter account @_FloridaMan features real-world headlines that include the phrase “Florida Man.” Clearly, Florida Man is the world’s worst superhero ever.
Navy SEAL describes (in detail) moment he shot bin Laden in head
'He's got a gun within reach. He's a threat. I need to get a head shot so he won't have a chance to clack himself off [blow himself up].
'That time I used my EOTech red-dot holo sight. He was dead. Not moving. His tongue was out. I watched him take his last breaths, just a reflex breath. 'In that second, I shot him, two times in the forehead. Bap! Bap! The second time as he's going down. He crumpled onto the floor in front of his bed and I hit him again, Bap! Same place.
'And I remember as I watched him breathe out the last part of air, I thought: Is this the best thing I've ever done, or the worst thing I've ever done? This is real and that's him. Holy sh**.
Daily Mail article based on this longer Esquire article.
'That time I used my EOTech red-dot holo sight. He was dead. Not moving. His tongue was out. I watched him take his last breaths, just a reflex breath. 'In that second, I shot him, two times in the forehead. Bap! Bap! The second time as he's going down. He crumpled onto the floor in front of his bed and I hit him again, Bap! Same place.
'And I remember as I watched him breathe out the last part of air, I thought: Is this the best thing I've ever done, or the worst thing I've ever done? This is real and that's him. Holy sh**.
Daily Mail article based on this longer Esquire article.
Hitler’s Last Surviving Food Taster
Ninety-five-year-old Margot Woelk is believed to be the last official food taster for Hitler who is still alive. She now tells the British media that Hitler ate fruit and vegetables, but no meat during the two years she was forced to taste his food before he did, due to threats that the German leader might be poisoned.
This is how she described her high-risk work:
Between 11 and 12 o’clock, we had to taste the food, and only after all of us had tried it was it driven to the headquarters by the SS.
It was all vegetarian, the most delicious fresh things, from asparagus to peppers and peas, served with rice and salads. It was all arranged on one plate, just as it was served to him. There was no meat and I do not remember any fish.
Of course I was afraid. If it had been poisoned I would not be here today. We were forced to eat it, we had no choice.
An article in Psychology Today in 2011 described the paradox of the Nazis’ disregard for human life yet their obsession with animal protection. Humane treatment of animals aside, the Telegraph explains that Hitler’s vegetarianism was motivated by his desire for Aryan bodily purity.
This is how she described her high-risk work:
Between 11 and 12 o’clock, we had to taste the food, and only after all of us had tried it was it driven to the headquarters by the SS.
It was all vegetarian, the most delicious fresh things, from asparagus to peppers and peas, served with rice and salads. It was all arranged on one plate, just as it was served to him. There was no meat and I do not remember any fish.
Of course I was afraid. If it had been poisoned I would not be here today. We were forced to eat it, we had no choice.
An article in Psychology Today in 2011 described the paradox of the Nazis’ disregard for human life yet their obsession with animal protection. Humane treatment of animals aside, the Telegraph explains that Hitler’s vegetarianism was motivated by his desire for Aryan bodily purity.
'Walking Dead' Writers Regret Naming Every Single Character 'Rick'
“When we started working on that first episode, there were just a few characters, so we figured it didn’t really matter what we called them,” said showrunner Glen Mazzara, whose writing team has since expanded the show’s ensemble cast to more than 50 unique roles, including protagonist Rick Grimes, fan favorite Rick Dixon, and a mysterious, shadowy figure known only within the show’s universe as “Rick.” “As it stands, we’re juggling three seasons’ worth of characters—men, women, children, and even zombies—all of whom are referred to as ‘Rick,’ generally without a last name. Yes, it’s confusing, but what are we supposed to do at this point? Completely change the names of all the show’s characters?”
Despite the show’s convoluted naming system, AMC executives have confirmed that Sunday’s midseason premiere—in which Rick and Rick rescue Rick while Rick comes to terms with his guilt over Rick’s death—garnered a record 12.3 million viewers.
What Are Dogs Saying When They Bark?
Reflex, side-effect of domestication or meaningful, both for other dogs and for humans?
Scientific American has an excerpt from The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think. The authors describe some of the research on dog communication, including studies that show both humans and dogs can tell the difference between barks associated with food, and barks associated threatening strangers.
Scientific American has an excerpt from The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think. The authors describe some of the research on dog communication, including studies that show both humans and dogs can tell the difference between barks associated with food, and barks associated threatening strangers.
It (the excerpt) is heavy on anecdote and light on information, but the subject is interesting and hopefully there'll be more substance to the rest of the book.
via BoingBoing.
The Phylogeny and Evolutionary History of Pokémon
Via It's OK To Be Smart. Read the full paper in the Annals of Improbable Research here (page 15), check out a hi-res view of the taxonomy here, and join these Redditors in discussing any errors they may have made here.
Parody or Serious? CNN Anchor Blames Asteroid on Global Warming
CNN anchor Deb Feyerick asked Saturday afternoon if an approaching asteroid, which will pass by Earth on February 15, “is an example of, perhaps, global warming?"
Using Regulation to Stop Innovation in Higher Ed
Accreditation is a gate that either lets in the new idea or is slammed in the innovator’s face. And accreditation is primarily in the hands of existing suppliers of education together with change-resistant and heavily lobbied government. The good news is that innovators are finding ways to outflank this formidable obstacle. One way is to partner directly with an accredited institution. Another is for a new venture to develop its own credentialed courses which can meet the market test of acceptance where it really matters – employers. That second route is being explored by such upstarts as Coursera, edX and Udacity.
However a more serious threat ultimately may be less obvious than accreditation. It’s the danger of increasing federal and state red tape. This can suffocate a new business or entire industry. No doubt with the encouragement of established institutions, for instance, online ventures are encountering a rising tide of new regulations.
However a more serious threat ultimately may be less obvious than accreditation. It’s the danger of increasing federal and state red tape. This can suffocate a new business or entire industry. No doubt with the encouragement of established institutions, for instance, online ventures are encountering a rising tide of new regulations.
Playmobil has a set re-enacting a bank robbery
Pope to Resign
The Vatican released this statement from Pope Benedict XVI announcing his plan to resign on February 28:
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.
BENEDICTUS PP XVI
Sunday, February 10, 2013
American Citizens Split On DOJ Memo Authorizing Government To Kill Them
WASHINGTON—Following the release of a secret Department of Justice memo this week that outlines the administration’s legal justification for killing U.S. citizens, a new Pew Research Center poll has revealed that a majority of Americans are torn over whether they support the government’s right to kill them anywhere at any time without due process.
“On the one hand, I get it—it’s important for the government to be able to murder me and any of my friends or family members whenever they please for reputed national security reasons. But on the other hand, it would kind of be nice to stay alive and have, maybe, a trial, actual evidence—stuff like that,” said visibly conflicted 39-year-old Nashua, NH resident Rebecca Sawyer, who, like millions of other Americans, is split over whether secret federal agents should be allowed to target and assassinate her anywhere on U.S. soil. “I wouldn’t mind if federal officials blew up other citizens and claimed it was in the name of my safety. But it’s just that when it comes to me, I guess I’d rather not be slaughtered by my own elected officials on charges that never have to be validated by any accountable authority. This is tough.”
While most Americans expressed conflicted feelings regarding the memo, the poll also found that 28 percent of citizens were unequivocally in favor of being obliterated at any point, for any reason, in a massive airstrike.
RIP John Karlin, The Psychologist Who Designed the Telephone
By all accounts a modest man despite his variegated accomplishments (he had a doctorate in mathematical psychology, was trained in electrical engineering and had been a professional violinist), Mr. Karlin, who died on Jan. 28, at 94, was virtually unknown to the general public.
But his research, along with that of his subordinates, quietly yet emphatically defined the experience of using the telephone in the mid-20th century and afterward, from ushering in all-digit dialing to casting the shape of the keypad on touch-tone phones. And that keypad, in turn, would inform the design of a spate of other everyday objects.
And this:
An early experiment involved the telephone cord. In the postwar years, the copper used inside the cords remained scarce. Telephone company executives wondered whether the standard cord, then about three feet long, might be shortened. Mr. Karlin’s staff stole into colleagues’ offices every three days and covertly shortened their phone cords, an inch at time. No one noticed, they found, until the cords had lost an entire foot.
From then on, phones came with shorter cords.
Mr. Karlin also introduced the white dot inside each finger hole that was a fixture of rotary phones in later years. After the phone was redesigned at midcentury, with the letters and numbers moved outside the finger holes, users, to AT&T’s bewilderment, could no longer dial as quickly.
With blank space at the center of the holes, Mr. Karlin found, callers no longer had a target at which to aim their fingers. The dot restored the speed.
Interesting stuff - read the whole thing.
But his research, along with that of his subordinates, quietly yet emphatically defined the experience of using the telephone in the mid-20th century and afterward, from ushering in all-digit dialing to casting the shape of the keypad on touch-tone phones. And that keypad, in turn, would inform the design of a spate of other everyday objects.
And this:
An early experiment involved the telephone cord. In the postwar years, the copper used inside the cords remained scarce. Telephone company executives wondered whether the standard cord, then about three feet long, might be shortened. Mr. Karlin’s staff stole into colleagues’ offices every three days and covertly shortened their phone cords, an inch at time. No one noticed, they found, until the cords had lost an entire foot.
From then on, phones came with shorter cords.
Mr. Karlin also introduced the white dot inside each finger hole that was a fixture of rotary phones in later years. After the phone was redesigned at midcentury, with the letters and numbers moved outside the finger holes, users, to AT&T’s bewilderment, could no longer dial as quickly.
With blank space at the center of the holes, Mr. Karlin found, callers no longer had a target at which to aim their fingers. The dot restored the speed.
Interesting stuff - read the whole thing.
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