 | septrose14 on Reddit layoffs |
 | shelldigger on Thought of the day |
 | The Sauciest Duck on Chauvin and Rittenhouse |
 | Michael on Chauvin and Rittenhouse |
| Stephen Moreton on Chauvin and Rittenhouse | |
 | Mele Kalikimaka | Fo… on Merry Christmas |
| Mele Kalikimaka | Fo… on Mele Kalikimaka |
 | somdeblahiriyahoocoi… on Thought of the day |
| Michael on Wuhan virus and one last… |
| Quick correction | F… on The A-Unicornist, Bernie Bro… |
I’m messing around with the background a bit. Right now I have a picture from Lake Champlain, but since the lighthouse is blocked by all the other stuff on the page, I may change it soon. Let me know here if you see something you like.
Here’s the full picture.
Filed under: Administrative | Tagged: Administrative, Background | Leave a comment »
This is fantastic.
via PZ
Filed under: Atheism/Humanism, Philosophy, Science | Tagged: Scientists talk about God | 3 Comments »
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky | 1 Comment »
I know “Club 27” is a popular concept amongst music fans. It’s basically a reference to the really big, important artists out there who have died at age 27: Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain. There are others, but those are the most notable. (Kurt Cobain was even been reported as talking about his desire to join the club a year or so before he actually did.)
But come on. Amy Winehouse, no matter what one thinks of her music, has not had the impact of any of those other musicians. Each one was integral to the advance of music, and a lack of mention of any one of them in a talk about the history of music is a mistake. That is not the case with Winehouse. She’s technically a member of the club because she was 27, but she does not meet the point of the meme “Club 27”: impact.
Filed under: News | Tagged: Amy Winehouse, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain | 3 Comments »
An animal’s behaviour tends to maximize the survival of the genes ‘for’ that behaviour, whether or not those genes happen to be in the body of the particular animal performing it.
~Richard Dawkins, The Extended Phenotype
Filed under: Evolution | Tagged: Richard Dawkins, The Extended Phenotype | 5 Comments »
I have some issues with the movie Signs. First, why would an alien race capable of inter-stellar space travel need to rely upon crop circles for navigation? Second, why would an alien race capable of inter-stellar space travel not come equipped with gear that protects them from their deadly nemesis water? Third, why would an alien race capable of inter-stellar space travel choose a planet that is 70% water if that is something which kills them?
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Signs, Thought of the day | 10 Comments »
That’s a phrase that nary an American official would use to describe a terrorist:
The Norwegian police on Saturday charged a 32-year-old man, whom they identified as a Christian fundamentalist with right-wing connections, over the bombing of a government center here and a shooting attack on a nearby island that together left at least 91 people dead.
The police said they did not know if the man, identified in the Norwegian press as Anders Behring Breivik, was part of a larger conspiracy. He is being questioned under the country’s terrorism laws and is cooperating with the investigation, they said.
“We are not sure whether he was alone or had help,” a police official, Roger Andresen, said at a televised press conference, adding: “What we know is that he is right-wing and a Christian fundamentalist.” So far Mr. Breivik has not been linked to any anti-jihadist groups, he said.
I’m not interested in holding up this scenario as an example of what religion can do. Unless Breivik is part of a larger Christian fundamentalist group, this is more or less an isolated incident. But it is interesting that Norwegian officials are so willing to describe this guy the way they have. It would be a rare official in America who was willing to throw out “Christian fundamentalist” when describing such a violent act – especially one that is being investigated under anti-terrorism laws.
Filed under: News | Tagged: Anders Behring Breivik, Fundamentalist Christian, Norway | 6 Comments »
One of my favorite places in Maine has to be Monhegan Island. It’s a small artist colony about 12 miles off the coast, most commonly accessed from Port Clyde. Few people actually know that port by name – including many Mainers – but most people have at least seen it:
The relevant section begins at 1:29. That obviously isn’t the original scene (probably due to copyright issues), but we all remember the movie. I visited that very spot a few years back after learning Tom Hanks, my favorite actor, had been there. I even later met a gentleman who once lived on the narrow road leading to the point who told me his small harbor town had actually been the location for a number of big movies.
But as nice as Port Clyde is, that isn’t the big reason people go there. It’s really just the best point from which to depart in order to get to Monhegan Island. (Boothbay Harbor is also another point of departure for the island, but it isn’t as close.)
I’m making this post because of a recent video I saw on YouTube from ABC News. Titled Weekend Window to Monhegan Island, it unfortunately does not allow embedding, hence all the photos instead. It’s a nice little piece that made me nostalgic for all my past day trips to the island. Do watch it.
For anyone interested in visiting the island, get your ferry tickets here.
Filed under: Local | Tagged: Forrest Gump, Monhegan Island, Tom Hanks | 3 Comments »
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Ode to Earth | Leave a comment »
For the Sake of Science 