Greg Laden is a biological anthropologist and science communicator. His research has covered North American prehistoric and historic archaeology and African archaeology and human ecology. He is an OpenSource and OpenAccess advocate. Greg's wife, Amanda, is a High School biology teacher, his daughter Julia is a world traveler and his son Huxley is 2.
Apropos much of what has been discussed here lately, there was a very interesting piece on Rachel Maddow's show yesterday in which the legal meaning of the word "terrorism" was discussed. By people who actually know what they are talking about.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and…
... has a what!?!?
A rewritten repost for your amusement
I don't know how many times I've heard the phrase "Every culture has a story about a flood..." This is very annoying because a) it is not true (I can think of several cultures that do not) and b) it is very Euro-centric, as are most…
The House of Representatives passed health-reform legislation that included an anti-choice amendment that will seriously jeopardize women's access to abortion - making it virtually impossible for private insurance companies that participate in the new health system to offer abortion coverage to…
I don't believe this for a second:
This symbol is stylized et, Latin for "and." Although it was invented by the Roman scribe Marcus Tullius Tiro in the first century B.C., it didn't get its strange name until centuries later. In the early 1800s, schoolchildren learned this symbol as the 27th letter…
The final of four guest posts by Jim Hall, of the freeDOS project is available for your considered attention at Collective Imagination: Jim Hall: Transitions in an open source software project
Oh, and I should tell you that some interesting things are going to be happening at Collective…
The man owned a virtual arsenal of firearms and ammunition, which was ineffectively secured. So it was fairly easy for his son, Tim, to arm himself and kill 15 people before turning a weapon on himself.
Subsequent to this horrific act, regulations have been rewritten to allow authorities to…
Matt Springer is LIVID with my commentary on gun control. Go read his post here and say something nice in the comment section to make him feel better.
Mike Dunford has further comments on this issue as well, and as has been happening all along (since the Ft. Hood news broke) Mike is adding…
No, don't go, stay! The NAME of the language is go.
Which was a poor choice of name because it will be very hard to google "go." In fact, Google won't let you google "go" by default because it is one of the SLWs (stupid little words) that Google prefers to pretend does not exist (I assume,…
Almost Diamonds on Veterans Day
Vitaly Ginzburg, Man of Courage and Brilliance
Mat Springer: Veterans Day (and the scientists who help them win)
More Dark Energy at Starts with a Bang
~Also of interest:~
Tales of life in the Congo: The Congo Memoirs 1 ~ The Zodiac
Falsehoods of Life, Culture and Evolution
The Natural Basis for Inequality of the Sexes
Hat Tip: Andrea Semlar
Of particular interest is a move within the AMA to rescind that organization's support of reform with a public option... What's up with that?
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Music, a bar, a fashion show by Lizzie and some other people. (If you go you can find out the actual identify of Lizzie ... you did know that is a pseudonym, right?)
Here's a flyer:
If you are an atheist, you won't want to see this. It will shatter (he he) your beliefs. This was sent to my daughter by a fellow student.
What I love about this is that it is a simple unadulterated lie. But it's OK to lie for god.
Or so says Stephanie Zvan, and she makes a pretty good case:
There's no place better than the internet to be sick. No, really. The people around here are amazing. I would have had a truly miserable last couple of months without them.
Read the rest here
There have been questions raised as part of this discussion about the nature of the weapons Nidal Hasan used in the Ft. Hood shooting. He apparently carried two pistols, and both are designed to be effective killing weapons. The more newly designed Five-sevN that he had purchased under the noses…
Don't as me. Ask PZ Myers. Next Monday, November 16th in Saint Paul.
Dr. Jerry Bergman and Dr. PZ Myers will be debating the topic: "Should Intelligent Design Be Taught In The Schools?"
This event is sponsored by the Christian Student Fellowship and Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists.
The…
Today as I was driving into the city, I passed under a bridge, on which stood an older man with a big huge American Flag waving to the passing cars.
"Oh," I said to Julia. "Veteran's day."
It was too late to honk or flash my lights at the old Legionnaire in appreciation for his service. But…
An anti-toxin that protects against ricin poisoning is to move into production for the first time, after eight years of research.
It is the result of eight years of work by researchers at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).
The anti-toxin can protect against three times the lethal…
Yes, I'm afraid so.
The Gun Nut Lobby (GNL) did a very good job at eviscerating the gun-check law. When US Army Major Nidal Hasan purchased a super powerful pistol for the purpose of killing several of his fellow soldiers, the law required a background check which was processed by one part of…
I believe this is a violation of the First Amendment!!!!
South Carolina is always trying to enhance its reputation as a conservative crazy backwater that does things like elect Joe Wilsons to the congress and flies the Rebel Flag over its state house and stuff. Recently, the state legislature…
Check out the Popular Culture Translator.
Alien Cow Abductions ... it's a real problem. Click here to find out more.
Finally, all the important philosophical quotes you will ever need in one place.
Both a gay marriage ban and the US military Don't Ask Don't Tell policy create health disparities, and it is now the official policy of the AMA to oppose both. Details here.
