Elephants 'understand human gesture'

Jellyfish-Shredding Robots Tested in Korea -- "Some scientists are arguing that shredding the jellyfish would result in rise in population by discharging sperm and eggs into the water. Probably, most of these eggs will fertilize leading to an increased population."

Happy marriage may be all in your genes: A ( Read more... )

Oldest Globe To Show New World, 509-Year-Old Map Engraved On Ostrich Egg

Atheist parolee sent back to prison must be compensated, court says -- "California should compensate an atheist parolee for returning him to prison after he resisted participating in a religious-based drug treatment program, a federal appeals court decided unanimously Friday ( Read more... )

Early this morning, I caught a fifteen-minute clip on CSPAN of Sen. McCarthy in 1952, after he had asserted Communists had infiltrated our government but before he had subpoena power (the Republicans had yet to win that year's congressional election). I jotted down a couple of the names of people the interviewers said had endorsed McCarthy (one ( Read more... )

The Unbearable Whiteness of Pro-Lifers and Pundits -- the problem with the idea that fetuses should be equated with Dred Scott (thanks, supergee)

Color-Coded Threat Levels Being Chucked -- They've served their political purpose.

Taco Bell defends its mixture of seasoned meat -- "According to [Taco Bell's] Web site, ingredients used to season the Taco ( Read more... )

The other day I happened upon a documentary on the Discovery Channel about the Lizzie Borden case. I knew some of the particulars but had never gotten any in-depth information about the subject. So, even though the show was a bit sensational in its presentation, it sparked my interest.

Yesterday I came across The Trial of Lizzie Borden, which ( Read more... )

House OKs extension of tax cuts for some Americans -- those making $250K or less

Deaths during pregnancy on the upswing in U.S.

Group: Baby deaths high in Zimbabwe government housing

Did female Egyptian pharaoh rule before Cleopatra? -- Queen Arsinoë II

This entry posted originally at Dreamwidth Studios. You may comment here or there.

Antimatter Trapped For the First Time (thanks, eposia)

Pope Benedict 'condones condom use in some cases' -- "In a book due to be published on Tuesday, he said they could reduce the risk of infection with HIV, such as for a prostitute." I am amazed & bemused that it took prostitution to get the Vatican to approve condom use.

Placenta 'has key role' in ( Read more... )

flinx relates a passage about tap dancing in the 1840s, to which I directed him to the film Bamboozled.

Then, at iMDb, I come to an article wherein Spike Lee, the director of the above, does in real life what he castigates in that very film.

As my friend Serita would say, shut the noise.

This entry posted originally at Dreamwidth Studios. You may ( Read more... )

I was so disappointed in MSNBC's coverage of the returns last night. Not that it wasn't insightful or accurate, but it wasn't inclusive ( Read more... )