It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (1737-1809)
SN 1054 is a supernova first observed on 4 July 1054 (hence its name) It lasted in the sky for about two years. It was observed and recorded in Chinese and Arab literature. In the 18th Century Charles Messier made a list of heavenly objects that were not comets; SN 1054 was first on the list. The debris of that supernova we call the Crab Nebula.
The Benghazi debate should be over. The House committee said their was no recall of the soldiers who were there and available to defend the compound. Kris Paronto, Mark Geist and John Tiegen, three CIA contractors who were there on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, fighting from the roof of the CIA's Benghazi annex building, say there were three such orders. But the House committee says no. The only way of reconciling the two are that one of the two are lying. I do not care about the possibility that the contractors are lying; the possibility that the government is involved in a conspiracy against its own citizens is too horrible to contemplate. The discussion, I hope, is over.
The Ferguson story is a metaphor for our times: Everyone wants confirmation of their opinions. There are no answers, only provocations.
Who is....Solon?
Hari Kuyo is a Japanese festival dedicated to old and broken needles. Celebrated every year on the 8th of February, this festival sees hundreds of women dressed in colorful kimonos, gathering at various Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples in and around Tokyo. This 400-year-old ritual involves sticking old and broken needles into soft chunks of tofu or jelly as a way of showing thanks for their hard work. I suppose this tradition springs from the Eastern system of displaying gratitude towards objects that are a source of livelihood. It also reflects on the animist belief that all beings and objects have a soul.
It’s not just about needles, several Japanese women consider Hari Kuyo as a time to value the small, everyday objects of daily life that are otherwise forgotten.
A former Chinese military official, who has confessed to taking bribes, hoarded more than a ton of cash and precious jade in his basement. It took a week to count it all, and 12 trucks to haul it away.
Golden oldie:
Saturn's moon, Titan, has lakes. But Titan's lakes are different from Earth's lakes in that they are composed of hydrocarbons with similarities to liquid natural gas.
A Georgetown University student wrote in an op-ed piece that he was 'Not at all' surprised that a recent mugging he suffered at gunpoint in Washington, D.C. took place - and said more crimes could be expected to occur. Senior Oliver Friedfeld's piece, 'I Was Mugged, And I Understand Why,' questioned his own ability to criticize his attackers. The op-ed was published in the student newspaper The Hoya - and picked up by several media outlets this week. Friedfeld said he and a housemate were mugged while they traveled home from Dupont Circle. 'Who am I to stand from my perch of privilege, surrounded by million-dollar homes and paying for a $60,000 education, to condemn these young men as "thugs?"' he wrote. (From HuffPo)
Obama says he's acting alone because Congress waited too long. But the Constitution vests all legislative powers, including immigration and naturalization law, in Congress. There is no timetable, no intervention if the legislature is slow.. The argument that the effect is "right" has nothing to do with it.
Solon (c. 638-558 BCE) was an Athenian lawmaker who introduced political, economic, and moral reforms and revised the harsh code of laws established by Draco. Hence "solon": a wise lawmaker and, of course, "draconian:" meaning rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
A Shakespeare First Folio was discovered this fall by librarians at a public library in St.-Omer, near Calais, who were sifting through its collections for an exhibition on English-language literature. Apparently the quality is very high. How is something like this possible?
The mother and the stepfather of Michael Brown are under investigation in Ferguson for an alleged violent incident with other family members over ownership of "Justice for Mike Brown" merchandise.
Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson was interviewed on CNN Books recently. It is pretty shocking, not just in the content but also in the muted press response. This is a serious story. The government broke into her computers for spying purposes--but also placed material there that could make her subject to arrest should they want to compromise her. (Do not think about Benghazi. Do not think about Benghazi. Do not...)
The deadline for the Joint Plan of Action ended it seems without a final agreement between the P5+1 and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. It’s not yet clear what happens next.
Piltdown Man's skull was introduced as evidence for evolution in the Scopes Trial. Should Eric Holder revisit that trial?
Some are speculating that OPEC's persistent high oil production is aimed at the U.S. oil producer. The high availability of oil drives the price down to levels where the U.S. producers can not make a profit and will cause them to stop production, even go bankrupt. The price will then rise again.
“Now, you’re absolutely right that there have been significant numbers of deportations. That’s true. But what you are not paying attention to is the fact that I just took an action to change the law.”--Obama responding to a heckler, Chicago, 11/25/14
AAAAAAAaaaaaaannnnnnddddddd........a picture of the Crab Nebula:
It is 12 light-years wide. Emission from ionized oxygen and hydrogen atoms are in blue and red. One of the most exotic objects known to modern astronomers, the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star spinning 30 times a second, is visible as a bright spot near the nebula's center.
SN 1054 is a supernova first observed on 4 July 1054 (hence its name) It lasted in the sky for about two years. It was observed and recorded in Chinese and Arab literature. In the 18th Century Charles Messier made a list of heavenly objects that were not comets; SN 1054 was first on the list. The debris of that supernova we call the Crab Nebula.
Bandits
stopped a taxi in Guinea and made off with blood samples that are
believed to be infected with the deadly Ebola virus. The samples were
being shipped by Red Cross courier.
The Benghazi debate should be over. The House committee said their was no recall of the soldiers who were there and available to defend the compound. Kris Paronto, Mark Geist and John Tiegen, three CIA contractors who were there on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, fighting from the roof of the CIA's Benghazi annex building, say there were three such orders. But the House committee says no. The only way of reconciling the two are that one of the two are lying. I do not care about the possibility that the contractors are lying; the possibility that the government is involved in a conspiracy against its own citizens is too horrible to contemplate. The discussion, I hope, is over.
The Ferguson story is a metaphor for our times: Everyone wants confirmation of their opinions. There are no answers, only provocations.
Who is....Solon?
Hari Kuyo is a Japanese festival dedicated to old and broken needles. Celebrated every year on the 8th of February, this festival sees hundreds of women dressed in colorful kimonos, gathering at various Shinto shrines or Buddhist temples in and around Tokyo. This 400-year-old ritual involves sticking old and broken needles into soft chunks of tofu or jelly as a way of showing thanks for their hard work. I suppose this tradition springs from the Eastern system of displaying gratitude towards objects that are a source of livelihood. It also reflects on the animist belief that all beings and objects have a soul.
It’s not just about needles, several Japanese women consider Hari Kuyo as a time to value the small, everyday objects of daily life that are otherwise forgotten.
A former Chinese military official, who has confessed to taking bribes, hoarded more than a ton of cash and precious jade in his basement. It took a week to count it all, and 12 trucks to haul it away.
Golden oldie:
Saturn's moon, Titan, has lakes. But Titan's lakes are different from Earth's lakes in that they are composed of hydrocarbons with similarities to liquid natural gas.
A Georgetown University student wrote in an op-ed piece that he was 'Not at all' surprised that a recent mugging he suffered at gunpoint in Washington, D.C. took place - and said more crimes could be expected to occur. Senior Oliver Friedfeld's piece, 'I Was Mugged, And I Understand Why,' questioned his own ability to criticize his attackers. The op-ed was published in the student newspaper The Hoya - and picked up by several media outlets this week. Friedfeld said he and a housemate were mugged while they traveled home from Dupont Circle. 'Who am I to stand from my perch of privilege, surrounded by million-dollar homes and paying for a $60,000 education, to condemn these young men as "thugs?"' he wrote. (From HuffPo)
Obama says he's acting alone because Congress waited too long. But the Constitution vests all legislative powers, including immigration and naturalization law, in Congress. There is no timetable, no intervention if the legislature is slow.. The argument that the effect is "right" has nothing to do with it.
Republics are created by ideals and preserved by
process.
Solon (c. 638-558 BCE) was an Athenian lawmaker who introduced political, economic, and moral reforms and revised the harsh code of laws established by Draco. Hence "solon": a wise lawmaker and, of course, "draconian:" meaning rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
A Shakespeare First Folio was discovered this fall by librarians at a public library in St.-Omer, near Calais, who were sifting through its collections for an exhibition on English-language literature. Apparently the quality is very high. How is something like this possible?
The mother and the stepfather of Michael Brown are under investigation in Ferguson for an alleged violent incident with other family members over ownership of "Justice for Mike Brown" merchandise.
Former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson was interviewed on CNN Books recently. It is pretty shocking, not just in the content but also in the muted press response. This is a serious story. The government broke into her computers for spying purposes--but also placed material there that could make her subject to arrest should they want to compromise her. (Do not think about Benghazi. Do not think about Benghazi. Do not...)
The deadline for the Joint Plan of Action ended it seems without a final agreement between the P5+1 and Iran over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. It’s not yet clear what happens next.
Piltdown Man's skull was introduced as evidence for evolution in the Scopes Trial. Should Eric Holder revisit that trial?
Some are speculating that OPEC's persistent high oil production is aimed at the U.S. oil producer. The high availability of oil drives the price down to levels where the U.S. producers can not make a profit and will cause them to stop production, even go bankrupt. The price will then rise again.
“Now, you’re absolutely right that there have been significant numbers of deportations. That’s true. But what you are not paying attention to is the fact that I just took an action to change the law.”--Obama responding to a heckler, Chicago, 11/25/14
AAAAAAAaaaaaaannnnnnddddddd........a picture of the Crab Nebula:
It is 12 light-years wide. Emission from ionized oxygen and hydrogen atoms are in blue and red. One of the most exotic objects known to modern astronomers, the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star spinning 30 times a second, is visible as a bright spot near the nebula's center.
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