One of only three or four left in existence, the Helldiver crashed there in 1945.
Also: 
Monday, August 23, 2010
Belchite - Ghostly Reminder Of The Spanish Civil War
Left as it was on the day it surrendered, Belchite is a poignant reminder of the havoc war can wreak on civilian populations. In 1937 the Nationalist town of Belchite was under attack by the forces of the Republican Army. It surrendered after two weeks of intensive fighting.
General Franco, the ultimate victor in the war, ordered that the town be left untouched and a new one built next to it. He intended it to be a reminder of the damage wrought by the forces of communism on Spain.
Petra cave paintings
From The Observer:
Spectacular 2,000-year-old Hellenistic-style wall paintings have been revealed at the world heritage site of Petra through the expertise of British conservation specialists. The paintings, in a cave complex, had been obscured by centuries of black soot, smoke and greasy substances, as well as graffiti. Experts from the Courtauld Institute in London have now removed the black grime, uncovering paintings whose "exceptional" artistic quality and sheer beauty are said to be superior even to some of the better Roman paintings at Herculaneum that were inspired by Hellenistic art.
A Scottish Vigil
Charles Sillem Lidderdale - A Scottish Vigil
This is a later version of his Royal Academy exhibit of 1869... entitled In Hiding after Culloden. The Royal Academy picture features solely the worn out soldier and the girl secretly bringing him food. The critic for the Art Journal considered the 1869 version to be 'the artist's best work' (1869; p. 202). This success would have no doubt prompted him to attempt another version the following year. The composition of the later work varies slightly as the girl peers at the sleeping soldier over the shoulder of her father who appears in deep concentration, probably considering the dilemma this deserter or refugee has presented and contemplating the outcome of this infamous battle.
More information at Victorian/Edwardian Paintings
The world's largest smoke ring was blown by...
... the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.
An additional photo and explanation is at Discovery News.
Seldom-seen waterspout caught on camera
A photographer in Okinawa, Japan, caught the unusual water column phenomenon in action.
Also: Pig wrestling canceled after porkers elude capture
Smörgåsbord explained
The traditional Swedish smörgåsbord consists of both hot and cold dishes. It's served buffet-style and diners go around the table themselves picking the dishes they want. Bread, butter and cheese are always part of the smörgåsbord as well as eggs and different types of cold fish dishes which are generally various forms of pickled herring, smoked salmon and eel. There are often omelettes, gratins, sausages, meatballs and pates among the hot dishes. The point is to eat much protein, so that potato and vegetable dishes have a rather modest role on the smörgåsbord, as opposed to a buffet where salads and potato gratins occur more frequently. Dessert may or may not be included.There then follows an explanation of the correct protocol for which dishes to eat first and last (only newbies put everything on their plate at once), which you can read at her blog.
In an extended sense, the word smorgasbord is used to refer to any situation which invite a person to select whatever they wish among lots of pleasant things.
Brush Up On Your 17th-century Slang
The Bodleian Library is publishing a new edition of the first English language dictionary of slang, which has been out of print for 300 years.Originally entitled A New Dictionary of Terms, Ancient and Modern, of the Canting Crew, its aim was to educate the polite London classes in ‘canting’ – the language of thieves and ruffians – should they be unlucky enough to wander into the ‘wrong’ parts of town.
With over 4,000 entries, the dictionary contains many words which are now part of everyday parlance, such as ‘Chitchat’ and ‘Eyesore’ as well as a great many which have become obsolete, such as the delightful ‘Dandyprat’ and ‘Fizzle’.Here are some examples to whet your appetite:
Cackling-farts, c. Eggs.
Farting-crackers, c. Breeches.
Grumbletonians, Malecontents, out of Humour with the Government, for want of a Place, or having lost one.
Mutton-in-long-coats, Women. A Leg of Mutton in a Silk-Stocking, a Woman’s Leg.
You can view the definitions of Arsworm, Bumfodder, Dandyprat, Humptey-Dumptey, and many more at the Bodleian Library link.
The History of the Word "Dude"
Mark Peters explains that the word “dude” has evolved over time. In the 1800s, it referred to a dandy — a person obsessed with proper dress and deportment. The following century, the meaning began to change:In the 20th century, “dude” evolved to take on a more neutral meaning. The term was adopted in the black community, then as now a prime spreader of new words and meanings. This 1967 OED example reflected the shift in meaning: “My set of Negro street types contained a revolving and sometimes disappearing (when the ‘heat’, or police pressure, was on) population… These were the local ‘dudes’, their term meaning not the fancy city slickers but simply ‘the boys’, ‘fellas’, the ‘cool people’.” In the sixties, the term attracted more coolness as it was embraced by surf culture, and by the seventies, a dude was just a guy.
Woman given ticket for driving too slowly
Good! More need to be cited because most wrecks are caused by slow drivers!
A Valencia County woman who was pulled over for driving too slowly said state police went too far. Jeanette Sedillo said was driving on Reinken Road in Belen, N.M., after 10 p.m. on Wednesday when a state police officer pulled beside her and told her to get off the road. Sedillo pulled into a parking lot, questioning what she did wrong.
Apparently, going too fast was not the problem: the officer wrote her a ticket for driving 6 mph under the speed limit. "He said, 'You were going 34 in a 40,'" said Sedillo.
The citation said she violated the statute for minimum speed. Now, she has to pay a $70 fine for what she thought was careful driving. Sedillo said there was little traffic in the area at the time and that she wasn't putting drivers in danger. She said state police went too far with the citation and that officers should be going after more serious offenders. "They're just out to get anybody," said Sedillo.
Sedillo is planning to fight the citation in court. State police wouldn't give specific information pertaining to the incident, but a spokesperson said every agency can ticket drivers for going under the speed limit, which is impeding traffic.
***
If she is stupid enough to fight it in court - the court should triple her fine and points against her license!
And you thougt your commute was bad ...
The end may now be in sight for frustrated drivers who have endured a nine-day, 100 km- long traffic jam on a highway leading into Beijing, state media said Monday.
Man ordered off bus for carrying painting
A man walked eight miles home from Sheffield city center after a bus driver refused to let him on board with a wrapped-up painting.
Andrew Marshall, aged 61, tried to board the number 75 First bus on Castlegate with a bargain African painting he had bought for £5 from a charity shop. But he was repeatedly asked by the driver if his item was made of glass - and then told to get off.
Mr Marshall, who ended up walking for two-and-a-half hours home to Cotswold Avenue, Burncross, said: "I couldn't believe what was happening. There are nice ways of doing these things and he didn't explain what the problem was. All he kept saying was, 'Is it glass?', and since there were people waiting behind me getting irritable, I just said yes."
He later discovered the frame was perspex and, at 28ins by 20ins, would have "fitted perfectly" on a bus seat.
A spokesman for bus firm First said: "Mr Marshall indicated the frame was made of glass and our driver took the view this was potentially dangerous to other passengers, particularly if it was dropped and shattered.
"Our drivers have the discretion not to transport passengers carrying bulky, cumbersome or potentially dangerous items. We will be writing to Mr Marshall to explain our policy and urge all our passengers to think about the safety of others."
Andrew Marshall, aged 61, tried to board the number 75 First bus on Castlegate with a bargain African painting he had bought for £5 from a charity shop. But he was repeatedly asked by the driver if his item was made of glass - and then told to get off.
Mr Marshall, who ended up walking for two-and-a-half hours home to Cotswold Avenue, Burncross, said: "I couldn't believe what was happening. There are nice ways of doing these things and he didn't explain what the problem was. All he kept saying was, 'Is it glass?', and since there were people waiting behind me getting irritable, I just said yes."
He later discovered the frame was perspex and, at 28ins by 20ins, would have "fitted perfectly" on a bus seat.
A spokesman for bus firm First said: "Mr Marshall indicated the frame was made of glass and our driver took the view this was potentially dangerous to other passengers, particularly if it was dropped and shattered.
"Our drivers have the discretion not to transport passengers carrying bulky, cumbersome or potentially dangerous items. We will be writing to Mr Marshall to explain our policy and urge all our passengers to think about the safety of others."
Nation's costliest public school set to open
The $578 million complex includes a pool, public park, and marble memorial.
Also: Culinary DeLites
Culinary DeLites
Three delicious and good-for-you breakfasts tied for first place in a taste test.
Also: 
Outbreaks and Infestations
An outbreak of the bubonic plague has occurred in Peru.
***
By now everyone has heard about the epidemic of bedbugs in NYC.
Apparently it's so severe that they are even infesting subway benches.
Mysterious illness strikes football team
Doctors hunt for clues to how a rare and dangerous syndrome swept through an Oregon high school squad.
Also: On The Job
On The Job
Job hunters should think twice before boosting GPAs or tweaking start dates.
Also: It's The Economy Stupid
It's The Economy Stupid
China is now the world's second-largest economy, but it won't overtake the U.S. anytime soon.
Also: Things They Won't Tell You
Things They Won't Tell You 
Lots of paste won't help, and whitening products can do only so much.
Also:
Bad Cops
Lunatic Fringe
Lunatic Fringe
Otherwise known as the Seditionists
When dealing with wingnuts ... Remember the rule:
If they accuse someone of something, then they're already guilty of it.
Liars and Fools
Faux's Sarah Palin ratchets up her support over hate radio shrew Laura Schlessinger's "n*gger n*gger n*gger" broadcast, claims she and Schlessinger have been "shackled" by critics.
If only ... if only ...
Wingnut (excuse me - Washington) Times hack Jeffrey Kuhner describes President Obama as a "cultural Muslim who is promoting an anti-American" agenda.
Repeating a lie does not make it the truth.
Faux's Glenn Beck lies: that President Obama is "a Christian that Christians don't recognize".
That makes no sense, but then again consider the source.
Poll shows that, thanks to endless wingnut lies, more and more Americans believe Obama is Muslim.
Just proves they are morons.
Wingnut Ted Nugent's shout-out to Iowa: "There's a lot of white people in this crowd -- I like that! [Dubuque] is a white town.".
Sieg Heil
Faux News adds "persecuted Christian" meme to its demagoguery of Manhattan Islamic center.
Surprised it took'em this long.
After hate radio shrew Laura Schlessinger advises against interracial marriage and says "n*gger" eleven times in one broadcast, Faux's Sarah Palin backs Schlessinger and tells her to "reload".
One dim bulb to another.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Are you still in the mood for love?
If so, don't be afraid of roadblocks or delays that seem at first to be ruining your fun.
There's no reason you can't change your plans.
You may actually enjoy where you end up more than you'd have enjoyed your original destination, especially if you're with the right person.
If a flat tire or a last-minute schedule snafu leaves you two with time on your hands, you know what to do.
Today is:
Today is Sunday, August 22, the 234th day of 2010.
There are 131 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
There is none.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
I Am Awesome
I am awesome! Really, I am. I am absolutely awesome.
Don't believe me? See what this website has to say about it.
Russia In Color, A Century Ago
An extraordinary collection of color photographs taken between 1909 and 1912. In those years, photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II.
The high quality of the images, combined with the bright colors, make it difficult for viewers to believe that they are looking 100 years back in time - when these photographs were taken, neither the Russian Revolution nor World War I had yet begun.
Legal challenges hound WikiLeaks founder
Swedish prosecutors issue — then quickly retract — an arrest warrant for Julian Assange.
Also: Gunmen arrested after invading Brazil hotel
Thirty people are held hostage for several hours as street violence spills into a hotel.
Also: Dumb Crooks
Dumb Crooks
Cash falls from man's posterior during strip search
A man being booked into jail gained another charge when detention officers found dollar bills falling out of his posterior.Nicholas Ryan Harris, 19, of 503 Wood Trail, was undergoing a strip search after being booked into Bay County Jail on charges of driving under the influence, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia when “several dollar bills … fell from Nicholas’ buttocks area,” according to an incident report.
There were $45 total recovered. According to the report, Harris had been asked prior to the search if there was anything hidden on his body and he said no.
Officers added introducing contraband into a county facility to his charges.
Woman takes 5-year-old with her to rob German bank
A woman has taken her 5-year-old daughter on an attempt to rob a bank in the German city of Chemnitz, police say. The 34-year-old attempted two robberies and was arrested twice in one day, but did not have her child with her the second time round. It was unclear why she was released after her first arrest, a police spokesman said. Nobody was injured during the incidents.
Police in the eastern German town were first called in the morning when the woman entered a bank with her daughter and threatened a clerk with a knife, demanding several thousand euros. When the officers arrived she gave herself up, police spokesman Thomas Knabe said.
The woman was briefly arrested and then released, only to try to rob a different bank in the same neighbourhood in the afternoon - this time without her daughter. Again she gave herself up when the police arrived. The police do not rule out that the attempted robberies were "an act if desperation", Mr Knabe said.
Cities in danger of a double-dip recession
The risk of a relapsed recession is particularly troublesome for these local communities.
Also: Jackpot
Ned was down on his luck in Las Vegas. He had gambled away all his money and had to borrow a dime from another gambler just to use the men's room. The stall happened to be open, so he used the dime in a slot machine and hit the jackpot. He took his winnings and went to the blackjack table and turned his small winnings into ten million dollars.
Wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, Ned went on the lecture circuit, where he told his incredible story.
He told his audiences that he was eternally grateful to his benefactor, and if he ever found the man he would share his fortune with him. After months of lectures, a man in the audience jumped up and said,
"I'm that man. I was in Vegas in 1992. I was the one who gave you the dime."
"You're not the one I'm looking for. I'm looking for the guy who left the stall door open!"
Wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, Ned went on the lecture circuit, where he told his incredible story.
He told his audiences that he was eternally grateful to his benefactor, and if he ever found the man he would share his fortune with him. After months of lectures, a man in the audience jumped up and said,
"I'm that man. I was in Vegas in 1992. I was the one who gave you the dime."
"You're not the one I'm looking for. I'm looking for the guy who left the stall door open!"
Wyclef Jean can't be president of Haiti
An election council ends the hip-hop artist's high-profile bid to lead the nation's reconstruction.
Also: College degrees that lead to top careers
Experts say grads with specific skills in niche areas are best equipped for high-paying jobs.
Also: Laura Dekker goes it alone
Laura Dekker dodges the media and critics who say she's too young to risk the oceans alone.
Also: Why men started wearing wigs
Hairpieces once were seen as a status symbol, but their ancient origins were more clinical.
Also: Peek inside
This 13,875-square-foot home features five bedrooms and a room devoted to vintage cars.
Also: Bizarre beaches around the globe
An English beach features 100 cast-iron human figures facing out to sea.
Also: 
Big quakes more frequent than thought on San Andreas fault
Earthquakes have rocked the powerful San Andreas fault that splits California far more often than previously thought, according to UC Irvine and Arizona State University researchers who have charted temblors there stretching back 700 years.
The findings, to be published in the Sept. 1 issue of Geology, conclude that large ruptures have occurred on the Carrizo Plain portion of the fault — about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles — as often as every 45 to 144 years. But the last big quake was in 1857, more than 150 years ago.
The findings, to be published in the Sept. 1 issue of Geology, conclude that large ruptures have occurred on the Carrizo Plain portion of the fault — about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles — as often as every 45 to 144 years. But the last big quake was in 1857, more than 150 years ago.
Astronauts as weak as 80-year-olds in space
Astronauts can become as weak as 80-year-olds after six months at the International Space Station, according to a new study that raises serious health concerns as NASA contemplates prolonged trips to asteroids and Mars.
Planet Earth
Planet Earth
Photo via The Montreal Gazette (STR, AFP/Getty Images)
A couple of weeks ago, Jaymi alerted us to the return of green turtles to Malaysian beaches. Threatened by poaching and habitat destruction, initiatives such as hatcheries and stricter conservation measures might help these turtles bounce back. Now, there's even more cause for celebration as an even rarer beauty makes a surprising comeback: a leatherback turtle, dubbed "Puteri Rantau Abang" or Rantau Abang Princess, has shown up last week on one of Malaysia's beaches of the same name, after a 32-year absence.
Article continues: Rare 'Princess' Turtle Makes 'Miracle' Comeback on Malaysian Beach
Mysterious "Bearded" Antelope
Photo by Paolo Torchio
Veteran wildlife photographer Paolo Torchio made a bizarre discovery while visiting Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve: a mysterious "bearded" antelope. While one expert suggests the animal might only be suffering from hypertrichosis, a condition once known as werewolf syndrome, Torchio's experience is the only known encounter with such an animal.Torchio has lived and worked in Kenya for the past two decades and is intimately familiar with the wildlife that occupies the 600-square-mile reserve. He initially thought the animal was a dog and "was wondering, what is this dog doing?" he said. "And when it came out from the grass, that was a surprise."
Article continues: Photographer Discovers Mysterious "Bearded" Antelope
Human versus Rat
Who can negotiate a maze faster, a human or a rat? Another round of lunacy from Tom Scott.
Star's first goal
Heralded New York newcomer Rafa Marquez hits a scorching screwball for his first score.
Also: 
Scratch-free remedies for mosquito bites
Items you may have in your kitchen can help decrease swelling and itching.
Also: Second hand smoke alters genes
... and not in a good way!
TIME:
As if the growing number of smoking bans in restaurants, airplanes and other public places isn't sending a strong enough message, researchers now have the first biological data confirming the health hazards of secondhand smoke.
Scientists led by Dr. Ronald Crystal at Weill Cornell Medical College documented changes in genetic activity among nonsmokers triggered by exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. Public-health bans on smoking have been fueled by strong population-based data that links exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke and a higher incidence of lung diseases such as emphysema and even lung cancer, but do not establish a biological cause for the correlation. Now, for the first time, researchers can point to one possible cause: the passive recipient's genes are actually being affected.
Is it possible to be fit and overweight?
A Harvard study finds that only a very small number of people are heavy but fit.
Also: 
In Matters Of Health
In Matters Of Health
photo: Sara Novak
You've likely heard about the latest salmonella scare. This time it revolves around eggs, 550 billion of them in all. Nearly 2,000 people in 17 states have already gotten sick as a result of the recent outbreak. Experts are saying that the outbreak is caused by rodents or tainted feed. But what exactly is salmonella and how does it get into our food, or in this instance, our eggs?Article continues: Salmonella, What it Actually is and How You Can Avoid Getting Sick
Psychedelics to treat depression
Maybe LSD in the water supply would be a good thing! New research published this week in the scientific journals Nature Reviews Neuroscience and Science suggest (once again) that psychedelic drugs have potential as a treatment for depression. Neuroscientists from the Yale University School of Medicine conducted a study where they gave rats small amounts of the powerful dissociative anesthetic ketamine (aka "Special K"). The drug apparently alleviated symptoms of depression in the animals and also regenerated damaged connections between brain cells. From a Yale press release:
Meanwhile, in this week's issue of Nature Reviews Neuroscience, University Hospital of Psychiatry in Zurich researchers survey how the study of psychedelics, including LSD, could lead to news kinds of psychiatric drugs. From the abstract in Nature Reviews Neuroscience:“It’s like a magic drug—one dose can work rapidly and last for seven to 10 days,” said Ronald Duman, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale and senior author of the study. Ketamine traditionally has been used as a general anesthetic for children, but a decade ago researchers at the Connecticut Mental Health Center found that, in lower doses, the drug seemed to give patients relief from depression, Duman said. In these initial clinical studies, which have been replicated at the National Institute of Mental Health, almost 70 percent of patients who are resistant to treatment with all other forms of antidepressants were found to improve within hours after receiving ketamine. However, its clinical use has been limited because it has to be delivered intravenously under medical supervision and in some cases can cause short-term psychotic symptoms. It has also been used as a recreational drug, known as “Special K” or sometimes just “K.”
So Duman, colleague George Aghajanian and the Yale team set out to map the molecular action of the drug in the prefrontal cortex of rats that could lead to potential targets for a safer and more easily used drugs. "Yale Team Describes Secrets of ‘Magic’ Anti-Depressant"
After a pause of nearly 40 years in research into the effects of psychedelic drugs, recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of psychedelics, such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin and ketamine have led to renewed interest in the clinical potential of psychedelics in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. Recent behavioural and neuroimaging data show that psychedelics modulate neural circuits that have been implicated in mood and affective disorders, and can reduce the clinical symptoms of these disorders. These findings raise the possibility that research into psychedelics might identify novel therapeutic mechanisms and approaches that are based on glutamate-driven neuroplasticity.More on this in the Scientific American article "Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise as Anti-Depressants"
"The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders"
Top 10 Theater Superstitions
It is bad luck to have mirrors on stage.
Is it considered bad luck to wish someone good luck in a theater? Should you really say 'break a leg” instead?
Should there always a light burning in an empty theater to ward off ghosts?
Is it considered bad luck to wish someone good luck in a theater? Should you really say 'break a leg” instead?
Should there always a light burning in an empty theater to ward off ghosts?
The 5 Most Ridiculous Martial Arts Movies Ever
We don’t usually go see martial arts movies because of the plot, but there are a few that stretch credibility to its utmost limits. Cracked investigated these movies. Take, for example, Heart of the Dragon, one of two movies in this list about mentally-challenged martial arts experts.…when we first meet Danny, he’s goaded into ordering all kinds of food from an expensive restaurant for his friends, none of which he can pay for. He’s embarrassed and wants to go home. This is a mentally challenged man who’s been taken advantage of by people he thought he could trust. Tragic.
At least, it would be if the staff at the restaurant didn’t respond by instantly kung fu-ing the ass of a clearly disabled man, complete with wacky sound effects–every punch to his stomach sounds like Moe beating up on Curly.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Some of your colleagues and friends are kind of stumbling through the day, and maybe looking stunned -- as if they can't quite figure out what to do.
Try to be as sympathetic as possible.
From your perspective, things don't look so bad -- or so confusing.
By tomorrow, it should all be even better.
Help your people get through it all.
Give them some good advice and the benefit of your wisdom.
Today is:
Today is Saturday, August 21, the 233rd day of 2010.
There are 132 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
(World) Daffodil Day
It is also Poet's Day, Senior Citizen's Day and National Homeless Animals Day
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
August 21, 2010
As the political season heats up, Americans are already being inundated with the usual phone calls, mailings, and TV ads from campaigns all across the country. But this summer, they’re also seeing a flood of attack ads run by shadowy groups with harmless-sounding names. We don’t know who’s behind these ads and we don’t know who’s paying for them.Weekly Address
August 21, 2010
The reason this is happening is because of a decision by the Supreme Court in the Citizens United case – a decision that now allows big corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections. They can buy millions of dollars worth of TV ads – and worst of all, they don’t even have to reveal who is actually paying for them. You don’t know if it’s a foreign-controlled corporation. You don’t know if it’s BP. You don’t know if it’s a big insurance company or a Wall Street Bank. A group can hide behind a phony name like “Citizens for a Better Future,” even if a more accurate name would be “Corporations for Weaker Oversight.”
We tried to fix this last month. There was a proposal supported by Democrats and Republicans that would’ve required corporate political advertisers to reveal who’s funding their activities. When special interests take to the airwaves, whoever is running and funding the ad would have to appear in the advertisement and take responsibility for it – like a company’s CEO or an organization’s biggest contributor. And foreign-controlled corporations and entities would be restricted from spending money to influence American elections – just as they were in the past.
You would think that making these reforms would be a matter of common sense. You’d think that reducing corporate and even foreign influence over our elections wouldn’t be a partisan issue.
But the Republican leaders in Congress said no. In fact, they used their power to block the issue from even coming up for a vote.
This can only mean that the leaders of the other party want to keep the public in the dark. They don’t want you to know which interests are paying for the ads. The only people who don’t want to disclose the truth are people with something to hide.
Well, we cannot allow the corporate takeover of our democracy. So we’re going to continue to fight for reform and transparency. And I urge all of you to take up the same fight. Let’s challenge every elected official who benefits from these ads to defend this practice or join us in stopping it.
At a time of such challenge for America, we can’t afford these political games. Millions of Americans are struggling to get by, and their voices shouldn’t be drowned out by millions of dollars in secret, special interest advertising. Their voices should be heard.
Let’s not forget that a century ago, it was a Republican President – Teddy Roosevelt – who first tried to tackle the issue of corporate influence on our elections. He actually called it “one of the principal sources of corruption in our political affairs.” And he proposed strict limits on corporate influence in elections. “Every special interest is entitled to justice,” he said. “but not one is entitled to a vote in Congress, to a voice on the bench, or to representation in any public office.”
We now face a similar challenge, and a similar opportunity to prevent special interests from gaining even more clout in Washington. This shouldn’t be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. This is an issue that goes to whether or not we will have a democracy that works for ordinary Americans – a government of, by, and for the people. Let’s show the cynics and the special interests that we still can.
Futurama Writer Created and Proved a Mathematical Theorem Just for One Episode
I haven’t seen it yet, but apparently last night’s episode of Futurama required a mathematical formula to explain a plot element. Producer David X. Cohen is noted for leaving real mathematical statements on screen during the show and had a staff mathematician compose an original theorem for that episode:In an APS News exclusive, Cohen reveals for the first time that in the 10th episode of the upcoming season, tentatively entitled “The Prisoner of Benda,” a theorem based on group theory was specifically written (and proven!) by staffer/PhD mathematician Ken Keeler to explain a plot twist. Cohen can’t help but chuckle at the irony: his television-writing rule is that entertainment trumps science, but in this special case, a mathematical theorem was penned for the sake of entertainment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
