Friday, November 30, 2012
Speaking of Pandemics.....
Genome reveals evidence for Antique Bubonic Plague pandemic
In a comparison of more than 300 contemporary strains of Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, with ancient bacterial DNA isolated from victims of the Black Death (1347 – 1351), a team led by researchers at University of Tuebingen obtained evidence suggestive of a bubonic plague outbreak in the late antique period (8th to 10th centuries AD).
Link
What DNA actually looks like
Researchers at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia strung a molecule between two nano-towers and subjected it to transmission electron microscopy at extreme magnification. Until last week the double helix model had been an indirect inference, albeit an extremely robust one, from techniques like crystallography. The new paper, in Nano Letters, is just the thing for those who like to see evidence with their own eyes.
Scientific American
I did not vote this year.....
"I have solved this political dilemma in a very direct way: I don't vote. On Election Day, I stay home.
I firmly believe that if you vote, you have no right to complain. Now, some people like to twist that around. They say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain,' but where's the logic in that?
If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done.
You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain.
I, on the other hand, who did not vote -- who did not even leave the house on Election Day -- am in no way responsible for what these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created."
Table and Chairs.....
The horses in this photo really do look like they are miniature, but they are normal size. The pretty ponies are standing under a gigantic wooden table and two chairs while grazing in a meadow near Doellstaedt, central Germany on Nov. 1. According to the Associated Press, the huge garden furniture was installed by local wood designer Jens Braun as a shelter for his horses.
Thinksquad
Tar Sands Oil Boom Drives Push for A Northern Pipeline
The rapid development of Alberta’s tar sands has spawned a new proposal for a 731-mile pipeline that would transport oil to the British Columbia coast. The project is strongly opposed by conservationists and First Nations leaders, who fear the environmental risks it would bring.
Yale Enviroment 360
A fight is going on inside of me....
It is a terrible fight between two wolves...
One is evil, he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority...and ego
The other is good, he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion....and faith
The same fight is going on inside you.
And inside every other person too.
Which wolf will win ?
The one you feed.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Grand Canyon May Be as Old as Dinosaurs
New research suggests the Grand Canyon, one of the seven wonders of the world, may have a far more interesting and ancient history than previously thought, a U.S. study said on Thursday.
Science News
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Something to think about.....
The earth we abuse and the living things we kill will, in the end, take their revenge; for in exploiting their presence we are diminishing our future.
~Marya Mannes
Ancient 'computer' yielding some secrets
More than 100 years ago, Greek divers probing an ancient Roman shipwreck off the island of Antikythera retrieved a mysterious object containing gears and covered with inscriptions. Now considered the world's oldest "computer," the apparatus has been the subject of endless scientific conjecture.
Article
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Clear facts indicating that you have been abducted by aliens:
- You can hear voices in your head. This can probably be the sign indicating that you were abducted by aliens, but before claiming that fact make sure you don't have earphones on.
- You are sure that you saw an alien yesterday. It can probably be the sign that you were abducted. But make sure that yesterday wasn't Halloween and you weren't threatened by children of the neighborhood.
- You have some superpowers. If you don't work in atomic power plant, then yes, probably you were abducted.
- It feels like you had anal sex yesterday. It could be a clear sign that aliens have done some medical experiments with you (if you are heterosexual). But before claiming that you were abducted by aliens check if you are not involved in politics, religion, or professional wrestling.
- If you recently encountered forces you could not understand, make sure that you were not communicating with religious leaders or Wall Street stock brokers. If you are convinced you were not, then it might be so that you had contact with alien life species.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
On the last day of summer, ten hours before fall . . .
. . . my grandfather took me out to the Wall.
Dr. Seuss - The Butter Battle Book - Part 1
Dr. Seuss - The Butter Battle Book - Part 2
Petroglyph thefts near Bishop stun federal authorities
Ancient hunters and gatherers etched vivid petroglyphs on cliffs in the Eastern Sierra that withstood winds, flash floods and earthquakes for more than 3,500 years. Thieves needed only a few hours to cut them down and haul them away.
Article
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
How do you spell "holiday"? ..... S-H-I-T.
It is certain that ancient man used biological (germ) warfare long before recorded history. The use of biological toxins extracted from plants and animals on arrow heads or poison darts to kill game and human enemies certainly predates recorded history. This technology is still used by some South American Indians and Africans to slay game and to down a human enemy or two. It was standard operating procedure to dip arrows in fecal material or decaying meat before attacking an enemy as the role of infection in debilitating an opponent was well understood.
Fecal matter usually harbors the gas gangrene bacterium, Clostridium perfringens, and often the tetanus bacillus, Clostridium tetani.F .
The poisoning of an enemies’ water supply by dumping dead bodies or fecal material into wells and other confined water sources is an ancient war strategy; still in use today. In these cases a variety of fecal pathogens could be counted on to take a large toll of an adversary using that water supply.
The Japanese in the Second World War have admitted to using germ warfare on the Chinese and to experimenting on POWs, but its effectiveness has been impossible to discern. Forms of "indirect biological warfare" have been employed throughout history. In the Middle Ages sieges depended upon starvation and disease to force the inhabitants to surrender. The Nazis forced the Jews in the concentration camps to live under conditions that they knew would lead to the outbreak and spread of virulent diseases among a cold, starving and stressed population.
Both sides in the first and second World Wars recognized that the indiscriminate bombing of large civilian populations would have the consequence of inducing disease outbreaks among the weakened and injured survivors. Embargoes that prevent food and medicine from reaching civilian populations can also could be considered to fit in this category.
The Allies, at the end of W.W. II, were concerned that diseases within the civilian population of Europe could spread to their troops as they occupied the conquered regions, so one of the first actions taken in the liberated territories was to stop epidemics and establish sanitary conditions.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Let us start this beautiful Sunday morning with the uplifting sounds of....
The Jim Jones’ People’s Temple Choir
Hands up who’s in the mood for a refreshing glass of Kool-Aid?
Saturday, November 17, 2012
BEER by George Arnold.
HERE, With my beer I sit, While golden moments flit: Alas! They pass Unheeded by: And, as they fly, I, Being dry, Sit, idly sipping here My beer. O, finer far Than fame, or riches, are The graceful smoke-wreathes of this cigar! Why Should I Weep, wail, or sigh? What if luck has passed me by? What if my hopes are dead,-- My pleasures fled? Have I not still My fill Of right good cheer,-- Cigars and beer Go, whining youth, Forsooth! Go, weep and wail, Sigh and grow pale, Weave melancholy rhymes On the old times, Whose joys like shadowy ghosts appear, But leave me to my beer! Gold is dross,-- Love is loss,-- So, if I gulp my sorrows down, Or see them drown In foamy draughts of old nut-brown, Then do wear the crown, Without the cross!
I think I may have a beer this evening.....and check out Leonid.....
I'm only paranoid because they want me dead.....
A good conspiracy is unprovable. I mean, if you can prove it, it means they screwed up somewhere along the line.
33 conspiracy theories that turned out to be true
Friday, November 16, 2012
Betatakin
Betatakin means "House Built on a Ledge" in Navajo. In Hopi, the name of the place is Talastima, or "Place of the Corn Tassel". Betatakin is smaller than nearby Kiet Siel, with about 120 rooms at the time of abandonment. However, like Kiet Seel, Betatakin was constructed of sandstone, mud mortar, and wood. Today only about 80 rooms remain, due to rock falls inside the alcove. Betatakin only has one kiva,[5] whereas Kiet Siel has several. Betatakin was built in an enormous alcove measuring 452 feet high and 370 feet across between 1267 and 1286[6] The first excavations occurred in 1917 under Neil Judd, and continued into the 1950s and 1960s under archaeologists like Jeffery Dean.[5] During its two-decade heyday Dean estimated a maximum population of about 125 people.
"El movimiento se demuestra andando"
This stern mechanical monk is a marvel of early automation; likely built in the 1560s, it is a completely self-acting device, with all of its clockwork mechanisms hidden beneath its cloak. Today, the clockwork monk can still scoot about, moving its mouth and arms in silent prayer.
Article
Homolovi
In the high grasslands of Northern Arizona, an ancient people found a home along the Little Colorado River, These people, the Hisat'sinom (known to archaeologist as the Anasazi), paused in their migrations to till the rich flood plain and sandy slopes before continuing north to join people already living on the mesas, people who are today known as the Hopi.....
Hopi File New Lawsuit Against Snowbowl
The Hopi Tribe filed suit Wednesday in federal court in the District of Columbia, seeking an injunction to block snowmaking with reclaimed wastewater at Arizona Snowbowl this winter because of a threatened plant.
Earth First! Newswire
Sunday, November 11, 2012
How to destroy the Earth
Destroying the Earth is harder than you may have been led to believe. You've seen the action movies where the bad guy threatens to destroy the Earth. You've heard people on the news claiming that the next nuclear war or cutting down rainforests or persisting in releasing hideous quantities of pollution into the atmosphere threatens to end the world.
FOOLS!
The Earth is built to last. It is a 4,550,000,000-year-old, 5,973,600,000,000,000,000,000-tonne ball of iron. It has taken more devastating asteroid hits in its lifetime than you've had hot dinners, and lo, it still orbits merrily. So my first piece of advice to you, dear would-be Earth-destroyer, is: do NOT think this will be easy.
This is not a guide for wusses whose aim is merely to wipe out humanity. I can in no way guarantee the complete extinction of the human race via any of these methods, real or imaginary. Humanity is wily and resourceful, and many of the methods outlined below will take many years to even become available, let alone implement, by which time mankind may well have spread to other planets; indeed, other star systems. If total human genocide is your ultimate goal, you are reading the wrong document. There are far more efficient ways of doing this, many which are available and feasible RIGHT NOW. Nor is this a guide for those wanting to annihilate everything from single-celled life upwards, render Earth uninhabitable or simply conquer it. These are trivial goals in comparison.
This is a guide for those who do not want the Earth to be there anymore.
The Next Pandemic: Why It Will Come from Wildlife
Experts believe the next deadly human pandemic will almost certainly be a virus that spills over from wildlife to humans. The reasons why have a lot to do with the frenetic pace with which we are destroying wild places and disrupting ecosystems.
Yale Enviroment360
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Native American Little People: Cannibal Dwarves
- Name: Cannibal Dwarves
- Tribal affiliation: Arapaho, Gros Ventre, Cheyenne
- Native Names: Hecesiiteihii (Arapaho), Vo’estanehesono (Cheyenne)
- Alternate spellings: Hantceciitehi, Hachasitehi, Cesiiteihii, Hajase-daheauau, Hantcaciihi Teihiihan, Hacacihi
- Pronunciation: In Arapaho, heah-chass-ee-tay-hee (the first syllable rhymes with “yeah.”) In Cheyenne, similar to voh-stah-neh-heh-soh-noh.
- Also Known As: Enemy Dwarves
- Type: Native American little people, antagonists
- Related figures in other tribes: Nimerigar (Shoshone), Pukwudgie (Wampanoag)
Although benign races of small magical creatures exist in many Native American tribes, the Little People of the Arapahos and neighboring tribes– also known as Cannibal Dwarves– are dangerous man-eaters and particular enemies of the Arapaho tribe. Their name literally means “little people” in Arapaho. (“Teihiihan” comes from the Arapaho word for “strong”– Arapaho dwarves are said to have superhuman strength.) In some texts they are referred to as “Nimerigar” instead, which is a name borrowed from the neighboring Shoshone tribe (who had similar legends about ferocious little people.) Descriptions of the cannibal dwarves vary somewhat from community to community, but they are usually said to be the size of children, dark-skinned, and extremely aggressive. Some storytellers say they had the power to turn themselves invisible, while others say they were hard to spot simply because they moved with incredible speed. Some suggest that the dwarves’ warlike temperament comes because they must be killed in battle to reach the dwarf afterworld. Others believe that they were gluttons who habitually killed more than they could eat just because they could. According to most versions of the story, the race of cannibal dwarves was destroyed in an ancient war with the Arapahos and other allied Native American tribes.
Montana Grizzly Bear Notice
In light of the rising frequency of human/grizzly bear encounters, the Montana Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, backpackers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears.
We advise outdoorsmen to wear noisy little bells on their clothing so that the bears are not startled unexpectedly by a human's presence.
We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a bear.
It is also a good idea to watch for fresh signs of bear activity.Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between black bear poop and grizzly bear poop.
Black bear poop is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur.
Grizzly bear poop smells like pepper and has little bells in it.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Something to think about.....
To accept civilization as it is practically means accepting decay.... you are the dead.
G. Orwell
Navajo Bridge
The Navajo Bridge (also known as the Grand Canyon Bridge) was built in 1929 by the Arizona Highway Department and provided a vital transportation link over the Grand Canyon between northern Arizona and southern Utah. Construction commenced by building on one side of the canyon, then on the other, until the two sides met in the middle.
During construction, a ferry was essential for transporting men, tools, construction materials and heavy building equipment. However, on June 7, 1928, high waters, a weakened ferryboat, and worn cables resulted in disaster. The ferry capsized with three men and a Model T Ford on board. Coconino County refused to replace the ferry, causing extensive construction delays. For the next seven months, construction equipment and materials were brought in by truck, requiring an 800-mile journey around the canyon.
- Navajo Bridge spans Marble Canyon, 470 feet above the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park and was considered the highest steel arch bridge in America when completed.
- The 750-foot-long steel bridge includes a 616-foot, three-hinged spandrel arch main span. It replaced Lees Ferry as the sole crossing of the Colorado River within a distance of 600 miles.
- The bridge was functional for the era in which it was constructed. However, its load capacity of 22.5 tons and width of just 18 feet failed to serve the needs modern vehicles. Studies began in the early 1990s to determine the best solution to the problem. Consideration was given to strengthening the bridge, but the costly option was deemed impractical. Several alternate sites were considered, but the final decision was to build a stronger and wider parallel bridge beside the existing structure. The new bridge was completed in 1995 and the original structure remains in service as a pedestrian crossing.
Facts
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California Condor
The Buffalo Theory
It goes a little something like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo, much like the brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. The slowest buffalo are the sick and weak so they die off first, making it possible for the herd to move at a faster pace. Like the buffalo the weak, slow brain cells are the ones that are killed off by beer drinking, making the brain operate faster. The moral of the story, drink more beer, it will make you smarter..
Variola major, or smallpox, is considered by many epidemiologists....
...to be the worst disease ever to affect humankind. Depending on the strain,the mortality rate can run as high as one hundred percent. Variola is as infectious as the common cold and spreads like wildfire.
Even those who survive are physically scared for life. Smallpox causes one of the most frightening and terrible deaths known. It commences with high fever, muscle pain, and vomiting. A rash develops, covering the body with, hard, distended pustules,often forming on the tongue and palate.
In its fulminating form,the pustules merge to form a single pustule-like covering to the victim's entire body. The blood leaks out of the vessels into the muscles and organs,and the eyes fill up with blood and turn bright red.
The symptoms of the disease are often accompanied by acute distress in which neurological changes cause the victim to suffer an overwhelming feeling of suffocating terror, a dread of impending doom. All too often, that fear becomes reality.
The World Health Organization has stated that a single case of smallpox appearing anywhere in the world would be a "worldwide medical emergency of the highest order" and would require " a complete and total quarantine of the region combined with an emergency 'ring of vaccination' program as containment.It seems likely that significant military force would be required to implement an effective quarantine of infected areas"
Dino tracks
Geology shows that fossils are of different ages. Paleontology shows a fossil sequence, the list of species representing changes through time. Taxonomy shows biological relationships among species. Evolution is the explanation that threads it all together. Creationism is the practice of squeezing one’s eyes shut and wailing “Does not!”
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