gregladen | October 2, 2009This story is winding down, but I think it should be remembered as an interesting object lesson. At first, there were bombs everywhere. Then over time the bombs were revealed as hoaxes (there were three of them) but not until after this:
Students were sent home, businesses were evacuated and large portions of town were cordoned off as local, county and federal authorities investigated. None of the three devices detonated, but some of the five "chemical reaction devices" (authorities called them "MacGyver bombs" after the TV character who improvised explosives) popped while authorities were…
gregladen | October 2, 2009The Atheist's Guide to Christmas is now available!
This is a British project, and if you buy the book the money they make goes to charity (UK HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust). It is an anthology with writings by a wide range of authors, including Richard Dawkins, Derren Brown, Charlie Brooker, David Baddiel, Ben Goldacre, Josie Long, Richard Herring, Simon Singh, Brian Cox, Jenny Colgan, AC Grayling, Simon Le Bon, Claire Rayner, Robin Ince, Jon Holmes, Zoe Margolis, Phil Plait, Mitch Benn, Lucy Porter, and Adam Rutherford.
gregladen | October 2, 2009... the blog carnival about things without bones yet that are animals, focusing on the multicellular and outstanding nature photography, is HERE at Quiche Moraine Dot Com.
gregladen | October 1, 2009Bachmann truly goes off the deep end. Even more than she was.
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gregladen | October 1, 2009Olberman's overview:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
gregladen | October 1, 2009At first, the three "suspicious packages" were "possible bombs." Then they were "incendiary devices" (a bomb that makes fire). Then, they were "potentially dangerous." They said "if this is a hoax, it's a good hoax" and at roughly the same time "we have no idea what these are."
Now, they are "inert" and presumed to have been some kind of joke.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said they will pay a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for placing the suspected explosive device at the Princeton Post Office. *
Those words…
gregladen | October 1, 2009Dear Minnesotans.
Here is what I'd like you to do. This especially applies to those of you who live in the Twin cities...
Think about the Minnesota Twins game that was played (and nicely won) today at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Think about it .... think about it ... think about it ... (Are you thinking about it?)... OK, hold that thought.
Now, while you are still thinking about the Twins game played today at the Metrodome, walk to the nearest window and look outside.
Now, picture yourself at that game. In this rain.
Now, surrender yourself to the moronosity. Because that's what…
gregladen | October 1, 2009You've heard of Who is Your Creator. I first discussed them back on Oh Six. Then, they came up again in Oh Seven.
Then we heard from them more recently: New Creationist Videos Being Produced in Area High School. When I contacted them to ask about what high school was producing the creationist videos, I was told that I was not allowed to know that because I was part of the opposition.
Well, the latest news has just come down the pipes regarding Who is Your Creator Dot Com:
Within a couple of months, Who Is Your Creator will be rolling out our new campaign that will be offering free…
gregladen | October 1, 2009There'll be no fighting in the War Room! Or the Congress!
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gregladen | October 1, 2009Edition number 15 is at Pleiotropy. Go and visit it and then visit all the sites it points to!
gregladen | October 1, 2009Apparently, these papers will be available for OpenAccess later this afternoon. While they are important in the details they provide (and I'm VERY happy to see them coming out), they are not surprising or earth shaking, with respect to our overall understanding of human evolution.
The paper will describe the usual mosaic of features of modern humans and apes in an upright, bipedal early hominid. This places a well described version of an "Australopith" pattern of walking pattern (which some people say is very modern, other say is very not modern, but is really just it's own thing neither…
gregladen | October 1, 2009For the last several years, the conservative religious right wing has been effective in winning over the hearts and "minds" of a large percentage of the American people. They've even managed this in areas that make no sense. Tort reform. Health care reform. Unions. Across the United States, working class people are embracing policies in these areas that will ultimately, over the medium and long term, do them great harm.
Read this Brilliant Essay at Quiche Moraine Dot Com!
gregladen | October 1, 2009Minnesota moose experts generally agree that global warming is forcing the southern edge of the distribution of the moose northward into Canada, threatening this important US population of this ginormous deer species. Global warming denialists insist that this is the moose's fault, and has nothing to do with global warming. This is the first of a two part look at this question.
This is an Alaskan moose. But someday he hopes to visit its relatives in Minnesota. If they live long enough...
Moose are one of five species of deer that are common in North America. (For those of you tuning in…
gregladen | September 30, 2009... works. So I had to fix the kitchen sink. This is what I did in the kitchen yesterday:
Kitchen Sink Strainer
The reason that I mention this is that I wanted to tell you that Ask the Builder has the best info, in this case, of the places I checked out.
And in case things get tough and you need to let out some steam, do this:
Drywall Removal Tips
Don't make rookie mistakes when tearing out your dry wall!!!!
gregladen | September 30, 2009Depending on what your view was, originally, of course. I've got a review of the piece published in PLoS here at Surprising Science. Where I am blogging for this week and next.
gregladen | September 30, 2009Turns out, according to a new book by a speechwriter during the Bush administration, there was talk of honoring [J.K. Rowling] with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom a few years ago but the idea was a non-starter in the White House. The former administration had decision-makers who spoke up to "actually object to giving the author J.K. Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encouraged witchcraft," writes Matthew Latimer, author of "Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor."
more
I wonder how long it's going to take the Obamas to scrape the stupid off the walls.
gregladen | September 30, 2009A lecture, by Dr. Don Bierle of FaithSearch International.... Sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ at UW-Superior. Dr. Bierle is a "former skeptic" and everything.
Location:
Kathryn Ohman Theater, McCaskill Hall
U. Wisconsin-Superior
Superior, WI 54880
10/04/2009 · 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM · (715) 394-8320
gregladen | September 30, 2009These two OpenSource operating versions, to become available over the next several weeks, demonstrated improvements over prior versions and compare well to each other.
I woul like to tell you that my preferred operating system, Ubuntu, came out on top .... and it did! But if you are selecting an operating system where speed is essential and there is a limited range of tasks to be performed regularly, you should compare the two more closely by looking at the review. While Ubuntu rocked, FreeBSD kicked butt in a few areas., especially pertaining to SQL related tasks.
Actually, there is…
gregladen | September 30, 2009Here is what one Minnesotan says:
Also, find out about the Michele Bachmann Action Figure, and Michele Bachmann's spread on the latest Conservative Calendar.
gregladen | September 30, 2009Blasphemy Day is the 30th of September. Don't read this blog post in Ireland because there's a 25 thousand pound fine there for the blasphemer .
International Blasphemy Day is not just a day. It is a movement to dismantle the wall which exists between religion and criticism.BritainDanishEmbassy
The primary focus of the Blasphemy Day movement and indeed this website is not to debate the existence of any gods or deities (there is an abundance of fantastic websites which deal explicitly with that argument all over the internet, check the Web Links section).
The objective of International…