INTERESTING TIMES

THE LAST NEANDERTHALS:
The Evolution and Extinction of a Species
April Nowell, PhD, is an archaeologist and associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Victoria
Since the discovery of the first Neanderthal remains in 1856 in Germany, this species has generated controversy: questions concerning their genetic relationship to modern humans, their capacity for language and artistic expression, and the reasons for their extinction. Learn about the latest research transforming our understanding of these ancient people.

( from my notes at the science pub the other day )

Ed Stein cartoon, and commentary: Now that Herman (The Herminator) Cain has pulled out of the race, the newest not-Mitt Republican voters favor is the second coming (or is it the third, or fourth?) of Newt Gingrich, he of the plentiful baggage. In case you’ve forgotten–and we Americans have such short attention spans– Newt, while secretly having an affair with a staffer, led the impeachment against Bill Clinton for lying about his involvement with Monica Lewinsky. The thrice-married Newt now claims to have had a religious transformation and is no longer the same man who left his wife during her recovery from Cancer surgery. Gingrich forced a highly unpopular government shutdown, and was nearly deposed by his own party, which came to see him as a huge liability and the main cause of its midterm election defeat in 1998. He was reprimanded by the House of Representatives for a long laundry list of ethics violations, paying a $300,000 fine. Under pressure from party leaders, he resigned from Congress (and the Speakership) three days after being elected to his 11th term. While out of office, he has made a nice career providing insider access to folks who want clout on Capitol Hill, most famously as “historian” for Freddy Mac during the housing meltdown. This is the man who is now the current Republican front-runner for the highest office in the land. The lack of endorsements from those who know him best should be a signal to voters, but they’re not yet ready to embrace the inevitable but unlovable Romney. Meanwhile, poor, unwanted Mitt will have to wait patiently for Newt to implode, which will happen sooner or later, before finally claiming the nomination.

The following poem appeared in The Continental Journal on March 11, 1779. It was entitled “On Predestination.”

If all things succeed as already agreed,
And immutable impulses rule us;
To preach and to pray, is but time thrown away,
And our teachers do nothing but fool us.

If we’re driven by fate, either this way or that,
As the carman whips up his horses,
Then no man can stray --- all go the right way,
As the stars that are fix’d in their courses.

But if by free will, we can go or stand still,
As best suits the present occasion;
Then fill up the glass, and confirm him an ass
[He} That depends upon Predestination.

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
--Howard Zinn

Just saw Social Network and if you are reading this you probably should see it.
( dream notes )

Tennessee's high-tech future became more secure last week when the U.S. Department of Energy announced that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory would become the nation's top research facility for the future of nuclear energy. It is fitting that the laboratory that brought us into the nuclear age would be chosen to plan for its future.
( a pro-nuke editorial and a bit of history from the town historian )

The Daily Dish (Andrew Sullivan) is tracking the events starting with this post. I got a sense of what is going on from his posts, and you can too if you want, before the corporate news delivers their milquetoast spin. It's not pretty, or safe. The chant you hear repeated in this clip translates to “I will kill, I will kill, those who kill my brother!”. The Green Revolution protestors seem to be organized, and to be obstructing both security forces and the Baseej militia. There are indications that the rebellion strives to remain non-violent. Some police are refusing orders to fire on the protestors. But still the bloodshed is increasing. It appears that Mousavi may have been martyred. The videos reveal that no matter how awful the violence becomes, the people are determined to document their situation and reveal the barbarism to the world. The internet is changing things. Back in 1979 there was no such information transfer. Ashura (the holiday) has a theme of resistants to tyranny to the last drop of blood, and it seems to be a driving force in the timing of this rebellion.


If the link above, to the beginning of the Daily Dish coverage of this event, has failed to work, try this one: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451c45669e201287683b7d8970c