The black rhino, now officially extinct in the wild, thanks to poaching and habitat destruction
There’s a great deal of healthy debate over the role humans played in the extinction of megafauna at the end of the Pleistocene. But there’s no doubt about what, or rather who, knocked off one of the lucky survivors of that period. The Black Rhino survived wave after wave of ice sheets and bands of clever, hungry hominids. They will not survive the superstitions and greed of modern man: [Read more…]
It seems the Gipper liked his news and briefings in easily digestible video format. So that’s exactly what was prepared for him. The CIA has released a number of those tapes, and they’re rather fascinating. The one below the fold is for the Soviet Space Program. [Read more…]
Click on image for full D & D character sheets on current presidential candidates
After weeks of Perrytales by Tricky Rick, the fat lady may have sung. Even if there is a little life left, the one time front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination suffered a senior moment so excruciating, and so critical for his rabid base, that his own party may decide to put him out of his misery. It was captured in video so there’s no getting around it (Below). Perry’s hitting the airwaves this morning to try to salvage his political life, but insiders say it’s over: [Read more…]
"Oh gosh, who could it be ..... SATAN?!"
When you believe in magic invisible wizards, good and evil, you end up taking some strange positions. But politics makes for the strangest bedfellows of all in this case, where evangelical and now governor-elect Phil Bryant of Mississippi seems by his own stated belief to be working for or at least alongside the Dark Prince: [Read more…]
Good grief this man is shameless, he’s not just a political chameleon, he’s a full-blown mimic octopus. Romney has gone from pro-choice to anti-choice and is now working his way back. [Read more…]
In the wake of Tuesday’s sharp rebuke to conservative policies, wingnuttia needs a boost, and they may have already found it. A fifteen cent tax on fir trees heavily endorsed by — some could argue implemented at the behest of — live tree growers may serve as a convenient conversation changer and opening salvo in the annual War on Christmas facade, this time with 100% more Obama! [Read more…]
The National Weather Service is issuing a severe winter storm watch for parts of Alaska and Canada as a powerful storm sweeps in from the west carrying lots of snow and ice driven by near hurricane force winds. The system is currently off Alaska’s west coast and looks almost like the crazy cyclonic winter-canes on that miserably terrible movie The Day After Tomorrow. It’s not though, these kinds of eddies and extra tropical cyclone looking swirls happen all the time. This one just happened to be well defined when that sat photo was snapped. At least that’s what my climate expert pals are telling me.
Enhanced-color view of Phobos obtained by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on March 23, 2008. Stickney crater, the largest, is on the right side.
The Russian mission to visit and sample the tiny Martian moon Phobos may have already run into a problem so big it threatens to sink the entire effort. After reaching low earth orbit, the kick stage of the rocket failed to fire on time, leaving the spacecraft unable to break orbit and head for Mars: [Read more…]
Five "people" according to proponents of personhood
Personhood was defeated in Mississippi, soundly, by double digits. It was a good night all around for progressives and common sense. But if you think these protoplasm worshipping creeps are giving up on controlling women’s bodies, you don’t know how they roll. Mississippi was just warm up for a state by state and federal push to force 12 year-old rape victims to bear the thug’s child and turn millions of women, doctors, pharmacists, and parents into criminals. This is their full-time fucking job: [Read more…]