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Passing of a great SF author… [via John at genehack]
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Beyond cool…
"A biochemical analysis of a rare Clovis-era stone tool cache recently unearthed in the city limits of Boulder, Colo., indicates some of the implements were used to butcher ice-age camels and horses that roamed North America until their extinction about 13,000 years ago, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder study.
The study is the first to identify protein residue from extinct camels on North American stone tools and only the second to identify horse protein residue on a Clovis-age tool, said CU-Boulder Anthropology Professor Douglas Bamforth, who led the study."
02/26/2009
links for 2009-02-26
02/24/2009
Fat Tuesday, 2009
It’s Fat Tuesday, time for Mardi Gras! Or, it is Shrove Tuesday which is immediately followed by Ash Wednesday and Lent if you observe them.
02/22/2009
links for 2009-02-22
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Obit for First Cat Socks, obviously written by a cat lover. Complete with the 'official' portrait of Socks at the podium in the Press Room. [via Tom Negrino]
02/21/2009
links for 2009-02-21
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I have a favorite, do you?
02/19/2009
Michael Steele, WTF?
One of the statements that Michael Steele, the RNC National Chairman, made about updating the Republican party’s image today was, “we need to uptick our image with everyone, including one-armed midgets.”
I know I’m a terminally uncool fat and fifty-something white guy who can’t possibly hope to understand, but seriously, WTF?
Nicolaus Copernicus, b. 1473
On this day in 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus was born. Yea, heliocentric cosmology!
02/18/2009
02/16/2009
links for 2009-02-16
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"Modern immunology plus historic experiments suggest a better way to gear up the human immune system to battle malignant disease" In some cases, high fevers could by key.
02/14/2009
links for 2009-02-14
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"Bad Archaeology is the brainchild of a couple of archaeologists who are fed up with the distorted view of the past that passes for knowledge in popular culture. We are unhappy that books written by people with no knowledge of real archaeology dominate the shelves at respectable bookshops. We do not appreciate news programmes that talk about ley lines (for example) as if they are real."
02/11/2009
Hal’s Bad, Really Bad, Terribly Bad Evening
First, no one got hurt.
I rear-ended (low speed) a vehicle in the right turn lane of the intersection of northbound Buffalo & eastbound Lake Mead about 6:15 tonight — that’s the Walgreen’s intersection. Ian was not in the car, he was at P.A.L.S. having social group and I was hurrying to get back there in time.
The other car (2004 Mitsubishi Montero) = car seemed undamaged. Ran to front car and asked if they were ok. Much Spanish, ‘no hablo Inglés.’
Called 911, called State Farm, called AAA, called P.A.L.S. And waited.
Looked at the 4Runner’s damage in the front. Hood crumpled (hit the Montero’s big spare tire carrier), plastic grill smashed and went into the fan. Much noise, but no dripping fluids. Lights still worked. I suspect that the front end body (front clip and hood) will need replacing. I don’t think anything happened to the engine and am sure the frame is undamaged.
Waited. Waited. Waited. Pangea reformed and broke apart again. Species evolved and became extinct. I stood on the traffic island and waved the big Kel-Lite flashlight to warn people to slow down. Several people threw trash at me and/or swore at me. That was very strange. “No good deed…”
Motorcycle cop came and worked the scene, moved us into the parking lot behind Walgreen’s. Lots of questions for the driver of the other car. I didn’t pay much attention. Then he came over and talked to me for a bit.
“What happened?”
“The light turned green, she started to go, then stopped and I ran into her.”
“Yep, that’s pretty much what she said. Unfortunately Nevada statute requires that at least one driver be cited in an accident. This is not a determination of fault.”
“I understand,” I said.
I was cited for ‘following too close.’ And have to go to court in March.
Angel and Jessica brought Ian by (yea Angel and Jessica!). M/C cop finished and left. AAA arrived and loaded the car onto the back of the tow truck. The driver made Ian his ’special helper.’ That consisted of wearing a headlamp and holding a big flashlight with one of those orange wands on it which was way, way, cool. Driver was obviously a Grandpa and knew how to keep an inquisitive kid occupied and out of harm’s way.
Angel and Jessica bade their farewells. He (the tow truck driver, not Ian) drove the 4Runner onto the slanted platform. Ian got to push the hydraulic levers to raise the platform back onto the truck. That was really cool too.
Then we got in the tow truck and rode to our house. The driver asked Ian if he wanted to turn the yellow lights on, so he pushed the button to do that. So much coolness, a little boy almost turned himself inside out.
We go home and took a number of things out of the car. Then the car went away to the State Farm claim adjusters.
Ian said, “that was a good car. I’m going to miss it.”
When I told him that it would be back in a couple of weeks all fixed he got really excited. Apparently Ian thought it was like the mini-van we just donated to charity, it was just going away.
When we got inside it was 8:05. I got Ian supper and he went to bed about 9:15. Thud.
And…, that’s about it.