Greg Laden's Blog

Happy New Year!

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Posted by Greg Laden at 11:59 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Rachel Maddow Totally Loses It

Category: Aves (birds)

Rush Limbaugh Loses it all the time. Glen Beck loses it all the time. In the left, Kieth Olbermann loses it about one a week. Chris Matthews is constantly on the verge of losing it. That guy from Court TV lost it too often and...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 4:57 PM • 26 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Where did I put my Ginkgo Pills?

Ginkgo biloba has failed -- again -- to live up to its reputation for boosting memory and brain function. Just over a year after a study showed that the herb doesn't prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, a new study from the same team of researchers...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 3:43 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Avatar as a racist trope

Category: Film review

HP asked me to look at a couple of posts discussing Avatar. I did....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 1:30 PM • 45 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Rush Limbaugh Rushed to Hospital: Possible Heart Attack

Am I a bad person for having uncharitable thoughts?...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 1:14 PM • 40 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes: Review

Category: Film review

The new Sherlock Holmes movie is, of course, a must see for Holmes buffs, and beyond that ... for regular movie goers ... it is still recommended. The movie is a high-test, quirky, action packed, funny cliff hanger. Having said that, Holmes aficionados will probably...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:28 PM • 33 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Things science bloggers should know

1: Men have 3 pts more IQ than women, explaining the gender pattern in professional employment that we see. Seriously. I guess we don't need any more STEM related blogging. 2: Jason is stirring up trouble again. Regarding science and religion. 3: What is the...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 8:55 PM • 31 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Avatar, The Movie, Reviewed

Short form: Good movie. I think the following review does not have any significant plot spoilers....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 8:41 AM • 37 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Where Blacks, Whites and Orientals Fall on Various Traits

Category: Race and Racism

This is Chart 1 from Race, Evolutoin and Behavior by J. Philippe Rushton, originally published in the Unabridged Edition of same....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 3:32 PM • 170 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Why Human Brains Vary

Category: Brain and Behavior

Many people assume human brains vary genetically and genetic variation maps to races. But the races are not rea and genetic variation can't explain brain differences. Because, dear reader, brains don't work that way.

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Posted by Greg Laden at 8:08 PM • 136 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

How to shoot down a Zeppelin

Category: Archaeology

... in Indiana Jones Staff of Kings Co Op mode. Which we figured out and is so hard to do I thought I'd share it....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 12:49 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Emergency Poll

Just go....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 8:14 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Reaction Times and IQ Tests

The following is a guest post by Stephanie Zvan. In this post, Zvan addresses a recent study of "reaction times" and IQ measurements in two study groups distinguished by race. I'll let the post speak for itself, but it is worth nothing that in the...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 5:26 PM • 40 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Refusing to Medically Treat a Child for Religious Reasons

Category: Events

This will be the topic of discusiion at a new Monthly Political Meetup in Madison, WI. The first of these meetings will be with... ... Shawn Francis Peters. He will discuss public regulation of religious behavior and the current debate in Wisconsin over state law...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 4:16 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Smarter Than The Rest

I wish I hadn't done that. I wish I hadn't convinced my teachers and parents that I was smarter than all the rest. I wish I had spent more time actually learning and studying and working hard than trying to show off to people. ......

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Posted by Greg Laden at 3:33 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Which is more religious: Cats or dogs?

.... you be the judge .......

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Posted by Greg Laden at 11:40 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

"Britain is not an island...well, yes it is, but..."

"Tensions in Latvia...are tense..." .. You know all those silly misquotes and verbal foibles that get passed around the internet that you've heard a thousand times? Here's a bunch that seem newer and less previously heard. At least to me. They are, of course, GNU...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:39 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

This photograph needs a caption

Category: Caption Needed

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Posted by Greg Laden at 7:15 PM • 24 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Comment moderation back on.

Due to an ovewhelming influx of drek from various commenters, I've turned comment moderation up a few notches. This will probably mean that your comments will be grabbed by the moderation monster no matter what you say or who you are, because the Moveable Type...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 1:58 PM • 24 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

How To Use Linux ~ 04 Instalilng Software

Category: OpenSource

This is the fourth in a series of posts on using Ubuntu Linux specifically written for that select group of people who are smart but non-geek computer users who are using Linux because they are. Just are....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 12:53 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Fun links

The first Google search page First Atomic Clock Wristwatch How floating cities will work. Albert Einstein Page...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 11:26 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Merry Christma ... huh? Merry what? Huh?

What? Is it Christmas again? Damn. Every year I wake up on Christmas and realize I totally spaced the solstice. So what am I going to do with this GOAT I forgot to sacrifice????11??...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 11:18 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

This Photograph Needs a Caption

Category: Caption Needed

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:18 AM • 21 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

John Birch Society Sponsors Major Conservative Rally

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 9:58 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Pope Knocked Down

I'm reading that Dan Browne book about the Illuminati. Given that, I doubt this could really happen: This, however, seems very likely to happen:...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 9:52 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

PhysioProf's Sister as a Child

To you, Comrade PhysioProf is anonymous (and pseudonymous). But of course I know his true identity. In fact, I'm a good friend of the PhysioProf family. And I recently came across this document written by CPP's sister when she was a little girl living in...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 9:10 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Mysteries of the Congo

Category: Events

If you liked the Congo Memoirs, and you live in New York City, you might want to check this out:...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 2:39 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

A Case for Limits on File Names

Category: Linux

Ray Ingles pointed out this position paper which I think is worth looking at ... Traditionally, Unix/Linux/POSIX pathnames and filenames can be almost any sequence of bytes. A pathname lets you select a particular file, and may include one or more "/" characters. Each pathname...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 2:18 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Linux Links for your Edumication and Enjoyment

Category: Linux

I've assembled links to a few sites that people new to Linux should consider exploring....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 12:11 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

THE SENATE PASSED THE HEALTH CARE BILL!!!!!

I don't like it, but I'll take it. This bill lacks important features and includes some bad things. But, as Satan's greatest feat is to convince us that he does not exist, the Health Care Insurance Industry's greatest feat is to convince us that we...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:23 AM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Tom Wujec demos the 13th-century astrolabe

Rather than demo another new technology, Tom Wujec reaches back to one of our earliest but most ingenious devices -- the astrolabe. With thousands of uses, from telling time to mapping the night sky, this old tech reminds us that the ancient can be as...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 5:41 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Liveblogging the Great Christmas Storm of 2009

Wed - 15:40: No snow yet. Wed - 15:55: Flurries, a little wind. Wed - 17:01: Roads are being glazed, numerous accidents reported. Wed - 18:08: Going out to check out the weather, buy ingredients for hot dish. And replacement cookies : ( Wed -...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 4:49 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Teh Skie is Falling Teh Skie is Falling11!!11

Here in Minnesota, we don't get much snow. Minnesotans THINK they get lots of snow, because Minnesota is thought of as a wintry state. But the snowfall here is moderate, not great, in a typical year. If Minnesota were snowy, and Minnesotans could handle that,...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 3:41 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Who has a higher IQ, cats or dogs?

The eternal question ... answered....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 2:06 PM • 30 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Global Warming Basics ~ 02 ~ Greenhouse Effect, Greenhouse Gas

Category: Global Warming

Why Greenhouses have nothing to do with the Greenhouse Effect, and more importantly, why CAN'T I microwave toast? A greenhouse is a glass house sealed to keep air in but made of glass allow sunlight in. This sunlight contributes to the heat in the greenhouse...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:41 AM • 28 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Vampire Seminar

Following our discussion of Twilight a while back, I thought it would be a good idea to get together a bunch of vampires to see what they had to say about it. The conversation got off topic the moment it started, but I did get...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 9:49 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Charles Anderson discovers dragonflies that cross oceans

While living and working as a marine biologist in Maldives, Charles Anderson noticed sudden explosions of dragonflies at certain times of year. He explains how he carefully tracked the path of a plain, little dragonfly called the globe skimmer, only to discover that it had...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 9:39 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Are you ready to get some presents?

You might need a refresher on what to do ......

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Posted by Greg Laden at 7:50 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

How To Use Linux ~ 03 Files

Category: OpenSource

This is the third in our six or seven part series on how to use Linux if you are a regular smart person who needs a functioning computer but is not a geek. Today, a few items to know about files....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 4:11 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

The argument that different races have genetically determined differences in intelligence

Category: Brain and Behavior

This post started out as a comment that would have gone here (but would have done just as well here). But it became sufficiently long and possibly interesting that I figured it would make a good, if somewhat rough, blog post....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 2:25 PM • 243 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Christmas is Hell

Category: War on Christmas

People are very on edge today. More short and ill tempered than usual. I was walking along in Target and had that sense of tension and angst all around me, the feeling that everyone in the store would be happier if everyone else in the...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:55 PM • 40 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Move Over Miss America!

Its time for the Miss Informer of the Year Award!!!!!...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 1:29 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Trebronics on Amazon

I just want everyone to know that I am awaiting resolution on an order from Trebonics, a used book seller on Amazon. Since I often link to books on Amazon from this site, I want you to know that I'm having trouble with this particular...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 12:50 PM • 68 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Global Warming Basics ~ 01 ~ Introduction

Category: Earth Science

Every now and then I get out my old Blog Epic on Global Warming and dust it off. I'm thinking it is time to do it again. This is a seven part series of Global Warming that covers much of the basics. Enjoy. Or get...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 12:40 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Filibuster Busted: Health Care Bill Vote will be Dec 24th

Senate Democrats won a crucial test vote on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, putting them on track for passage before Christmas of the historic legislation to remake the nation's medical system and cover 30 million uninsured. All 58 Democrats and the Senate's two independents...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 11:17 AM • 19 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

IQ and Intelligence

Fellow bloggers: You might find this resource to be very useful. I know I will....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 10:48 AM • 15 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

How To Use Linux ~ 02 Distros

Category: OpenSource

This is a continuation of a series of posts written for non-geeks just starting out with Linux. Today, we look at the concept of a "distro" and why it is important to you as an average user of Linux....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 9:23 AM • 22 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

Comments

A form of comment moderation has been turned on. This is an experiment. If your comment is held in moderation don't take it personally. Just be patient. I'll be checking the moderation tank frequently....

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Posted by Greg Laden at 11:29 PM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

"The Rise of Online Hostility"

Category: Blogging

I wonder... when did it become an apparently accepted online norm to try to silence people by insulting, intimidating and attacking them through aggressive online behavior? When did such actions against individuals too frequently become the reaction of choice instead of engaging in spirited debate...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 4:24 PM • 28 Comments • 0 TrackBacks

How To Use Linux ~ 01 Introduction

Category: OpenSource

This is the first of a series of posts written for non-geeks just starting out with Linux. The idea is to provide the gist, a few important facts, and some fun suggestions. Slowly and easily. Some of the posts in this series may end up...

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Posted by Greg Laden at 3:21 PM • 58 Comments • 0 TrackBacks