Walking Like a Human

We can now estimate that we have been walking with our characteristic gait for at least 1.5 million years.

Footprints uncovered in Kenya show that as early as 1.5 million years ago an ancestral species, almost certainly Homo erectus, had already evolved the feet and walking gait of modern humans.

New Republican Slogan

"We need to be more like Louisiana". That's the ticket! I love New Orleans, it's a fun city. But I'm not sure most people will agree that the USA as a whole needs to be more like Louisiana.

Louisiana rankings:

Gross State Product #38
Percent below poverty level #2
Best educated index #45
Health index #50
Firearms death rate #3
Best States to live #49
Oil consumption per capita #2

Find more comparative statistics here.

Isn't Religious Freedom Wonderful

Plattsburgh, NY should count itself lucky that such a man of god will visit them in March. Does god only love Rev. Phelps?

Which is the Party of Fiscal Conservatism?

More here and here.

John McCain on Saving Money

President Obama held an economic summit yesterday and he was kind enough to allow John McCain to make one of the first comments.

“I want to see if, John, you’ve got some thoughts,” Mr. Obama said

McCain saw a chance to poke Obama in the eye.

“Your helicopter is now going to cost as much as Air Force One,” Mr. McCain told him. “I don’t think there is any more graphic demonstration of how good ideas have cost taxpayers enormous amounts of money.”

By "your helicopter", McCain means the helicopter that President Bush and his administration requested after the 9/11 attacks. The "Marine One" helicopters currently used by the president are relatively old "Blackhawk" helicopters. Bush decided he needed some updated capacity so they went looking for a new helicopter. They found the EH101 produced by a British/Italian conglomerate. Changed the name to VH-71 and voila, a request for a fleet of 28 of these helicopters at a price of over 11 billion dollars. Expensive yes, Obama's helicopter....no.

But President Obama had a surprising reply:

Mr. Obama agreed. “The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me,” he said. “Of course, I’ve never had a helicopter before. Maybe I’ve been deprived and I didn’t know it. But I think it is in example of the procurement process gone amok. And we’re going to have to fix it.”

I really liked the touch about never having had a helicopter before, implying that riding in the old VH-60 was just fine by him. Let's see what John McCain says about defense spending in the coming weeks. Do we really need the F-22? Do we really need DX1000's? Can we make do with the less expensive F-35 and Arleigh Burke destroyers that we currently have? I'm guessing McCain will have something very different to say about those expensive items.

Reality Surprises Morning Joe and Willy

Listen to the absolute surprise in the voices of these "news" talking heads on Morning Joe when they are told there is no money to save endangered swamp mice in the economic stimulus bill. "What???? Huh??? What do you mean??? But...but..but... It's at around 45 seconds into the video. I've been reading about this topic for at least 2 weeks (not Fox News sources) and I knew there was no such money included in the economic stimulus package. Are you telling me "Morning Joe" doesn't have research people that can tell him the same thing? Yes he does, but facts don't necessarily fit into Joe's reality.

Check out politifacts on the topic.

Normalize Relations with Cuba

Has the US policy towards Cuba done anything to advance US interests in the Western Hemisphere? Fifty years of the same tired policy that does nothing for either country. Last year we sold $440 million worth of agricultural goods to Cuba. Wouldn't it be nice to sell even more, especially in these economic times. Besides, I want to visit Cuba before I die. It will be a chance to re-live the 50's.

3-D Molecules

Vascular Endothelial Factor
Do you like to play with 3-D models of chemicals? Want to see what the drug lipitor or acyclovir look like the atomic level? Want to spin some protein molecules? Hell, it's even better if you happen to have a pair of 3-D glasses hanging around.

Go to 3Dchem.com, find your molecule, click on the picture and have some good nerd fun.

Science Kills People - Good Word

Amusing Science "Facts"

Winter Carnival 2009 Parade

Schumer and Soros Dunnit

Umm, didn't "J.D." get defeated by a Democrat last year? Now he wants to run for John McCain's Senate seat, that is, if he doesn't go up the river for Abramhoff related activities.

John McHugh "Announces" Grants

The National Institutes of Health awarded two local Trudeau Institute scientists with a few million dollars in research grants. These grants were announced by John McHugh. McHugh who had nothing at all to do with the scientists getting the grants. But still, he attempts to borrow a little credit for the years of work these two scientists put in to their grant application. NIH grants, by the way, are peer reviewed and Congress has little say in who gets awards.

Congressman McHugh has explained why he voted against the Obama economic stimulus package.

McHugh said the $787 billion package doesn’t provide enough tax relief. He also worried about the tens of billions of dollars that the federal government will have to borrow from future taxpayers and whether it will do any real good in addressing the current crisis.

McHugh, like most Republicans, have a fundamental belief that tax cuts solve all problems - in good and bad economies. I guess 300 billion in tax cuts included in the bill just were not sufficient in McHugh's mind.

Next, McHugh brings up the specter of ACORN.

He said the package includes two billion dollars to groups like ACORN, which has been accused of voter registration fraud in cases across the country

You see, ACORN might be able to compete for funds included for "neighborhood stabilization". We all know that means it is just money for more unproven voter fraud. John's fears are based on a "barely true" statement according to PolitiFact. We all know how concerned Republicans are about fair elections.

McHugh must think people living in the North Country are idiots. And maybe we are. We keep returning this dufus to Congress.

UPDATE: Also see this concerning the ACORN lie.

Republican Strategy Meeting

This is classic, and believable.

Why Does John McHugh Hate the North Country?

Will any of the economic stimulus money come to the North Country. I imagine it will, certainly in the form of money for Medicare and education. Will John McHugh take credit for any money the North Country gets from the economic stimulus bill? Since he voted against it, I assume he will not.

While you are at it.....maybe we better ask John why he hates women? Women don't deserve equal pay for equal work John?

Conservative Explanation of Evolution

Virginia Republican Chairman Jeff Frederick explains the theory of evolution. This make me just want to cry. I'm guessing Jeff Frederick is "less evolved".

Natural Selection

In Charles Darwin's own words:

Let it also be borne in mind how infinitely complex and close-fitting are the mutual relations of all organic beings to each other and to their physical conditions of life; and consequently what infinitely varied diversities of structure might be of use to each being under changing conditions of life ... If such [variations] do occur, can we doubt (remembering that many more individuals are born than can possibly survive) that individuals haing any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind? ... This preservation of favourable individual differences and variations, and the destruction of those which are injurious, I have called Natural Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest.

Fair Play

Just found this cool website for those that may need refresher training on civics. You don't even need to read, just click on the book and get schooled on civics.

Acceptance of Evolution Theory

Gallup has an extensive poll concerning who accepts the theory of evolution. You can find it here.

Only 39% of US citizens accept the theory of evolution. Why is that?

Conservative Bullshit

Do you ever wonder from whence come the "facts" used by conservative talk radio hosts, far right-wing, know-nothing politicians and "swiftboaters". It's the guy pictured above. Ex-producer for Rush Limbaugh, communications director for Republican Senators, first source for swiftboaters and current communications director for one of the dumbest, fu***ing members of the US Senate, James Inhofe. This is a guy that concludes his facts first and then finds "evidence" to support them. You can read more about this patriot here and more here.