Evidence of Early Life Draws Ire from Scientists

A new study claims life came on land millions of years earlier than thought -- but scientists are skeptical. Read more

 

Animal's Body Preserved for 425 Million Years

The 0.4-inch-long crustacean was found not only with its shell, but also with its soft parts. Read more

Why Bugs Outnumber Us (And Other Mammals) 312 to 1

Arthropods are plentiful and diverse (with about 6 million species) thanks in part to their very flexible diets. Read more

 

Baby Bears Born at National Zoo

Billie Jean gives birth to two rare Andean bear cubs at the National Zoo. Read more

Animal Pictures

The Daily Drift

 

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Today in History

1789		The National Guard is created in France.
1812		The last remnants of Napoleon Bonaparte's Grand Armeé reach the safety of Kovno, Poland, after the failed Russian campaign. Napoleon's costly retreat from Moscow
1814		General Andrew Jackson announces martial law in New Orleans, Louisiana, as British troops disembark at Lake Borne, 40 miles east of the city. The Battle of New Orleans
1862		The Battle of Fredericksburg ends with the bloody slaughter of onrushing Union troops at Marye's Heights. Maine's Colonel Chamberlain at Marye's Heights.
1902		The Committee of Imperial Defense holds its first meeting in London.
1908		The Dutch take two Venezuelan Coast Guard ships.
1937		The Japanese army occupies Nanking, China. Boeing's Trailblazing P-26 Peashooters.
1940		Adolf Hitler issues preparations for Operation Martita, the German invasion of Greece.
1941		British forces launch an offensive in Libya. A secret ear for the Desert Fox.
1945		France and Britain agree to quit Syria and Lebanon.
1951		After meeting with FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, President Harry S Truman vows to purge all disloyal government workers.
1968		President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexico's President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz meet on a bridge at El Paso, Texas, to officiate at ceremonies returning the long-disputed El Chamizal area to the Mexican side of the border.
1972		Astronaut Gene Cernan climbs into his lunar lander on the moon and prepares to lift off. He is the last man to set foot on the moon.
1973		Great Britain cuts the work week to three days to save energy.
1981		Polish labor leader Lech Walesa is arrested and the government decrees martial law, restricting civil rights and suspending operation of the independent trade union Solidarity.
1985		France sues the United States over the discovery of an AIDS serum.

Non Sequitur

A Good One

Bad News From Santa Claus

A letter from Santa…
To Whom it May Concern:

Mrs. Claus and I regret to inform you that effective immediately, I will no longer be able to service the Southern United States on Christmas Eve. Due to overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. I now serve only the northern portion of the United States.

As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind.

However, I’m certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus. His side of the family is from the South pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls. However, there are a few differences between us, including:

1. There is no danger of a Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads: “These toys insured by Smith & Wesson.”

2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave a RC Cola and peanut patty (or a Moon Pie) on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn’t smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.

3. Bubba Claus’ sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin’ coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen’s head now overlooks Bubba’s fireplace.

4. You won’t hear “On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen…” when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead you’ll hear, “On Earnhardt, on Wallace, on Martin and LaBonte. On Rudd, on Jarrett, on Elliot and Petty.”

5. “Ho, ho, ho!” has been replaced by “Yee Haw!” And you also are likely to hear Bubba’s elves reply, “I her’d dat!”

6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus’ sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words, “Back Off!”

7. Bubba Claus doesn’t wear a belt. If I were you, I’d make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

8. Bubba Claus refuses to wear the standard issue Santa cap because he says it makes him look like a girly-boy. He has been granted permission to wear a white Stetson with a red band instead, as well as black cowboy boots.

Sincerely Yours,

Santa Claus
(Member, North American Fairies and Elves Local 209)

The truth hurts

Beyond Faux News

The repugican cabal is realizing it needs to talk to the rest of the media too

 by John Aravosis
(edited for proper spelling and terminology)

Interesting piece in Buzzfeed about the repugicans starting to wake up to the fact that they need to start appearing on other news outlets – real news outlets – than just Faux News.
The thing is, going before real journalists can be hazardous to your health.  Not often.  But it’s certainly more risky than having Hannity brown-nose you for ten minutes.
The argument some wingnuts are giving is that they’re only preaching to the choir when they go on Faux News.
Yes, but.
It’s a complicated question as to when its useful to go on a show that might as you tough questions.  For the left, there really isn’t an alternative kind of show.  Only lately MSNBC has been trying to fill Faux News' shoes – and MSNBC does it with fewer lies and less party loyalty.  But before then it was either go on CNN and the other networks, and face tough questions, or go on Fox and be treated like a subhuman.

Real journalism doesn’t look like this.

The interesting thing is that on gay rights issues, it was useful going on the Faux News in the past.  I went on the O’Reilly Factor a lot in the late 90s and early 2000s.  He liked me.  And it got us a better spin on the story.  To wit: After a series appearances on O’Reilly’s shows in 2000, about our boycott of Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s new TV show, O’Reilly ended up agreeing with me that Schlessinger brought all the trouble on to herself because of her inappropriate language.
We couldn’t have asked for anything more than the left and Bill O’Reilly saying Dr. Laura had crossed the line.
But there came a time when Faux News became just so hateful, just so anti-gay – not that they were ever neutral – that I stopped going on.  It’s a trade off.  At some point, you’re validating bad people, fake journalism, by continuing to go on their shows.  But still, that’s not to say that it can’t help your cause.  I think it helps gay people to have respectable representatives go on Faux News and show the world that we’re “normal” even if they disagree with us.  Same with transgender people.  There’s always a risk.
Of course, for repugicans going on CNN, it’s an entirely other matter.  When I went on Faux News, I was already used to answering questions about whether gays were pedophiles, posed to me on other networks (usually by the religious right pig debating me).  But repugicans who are have been in exile on Faux News, aren’t used to actually having to defend their lies in the light of day.  It’s why CNN’s Soledad O’Brien is such a breath of fresh air, and so confounds repugicans who simply can’t believe someone who calls herself a journalist would ask a hard question, and then ask it again when you refuse to answer.
Finally, there’s the question of the value of “preaching the choir.”  Buzzfeed argues that you don’t get much mileage by preaching to the choir.  And sometimes that’s true.  But not always, and I’d argue not often.  One of the strengths of the liberal blogosphere has been our ability to find stories and help them go mainstream.  Now, it’s certainly possible that the right has had less success doing the same.  Mostly because they’re a little nuttier than we are.  Not all of them.  But on par, far too many of the top folks, yeah.  the repugicans are learning the hard way that it’s harder to sell BS than it is the truth, at least when you’re not on Faux News.

The United States of ALEC

Governor 'liar liar pants on fire' Snyder and the repugican Michigan legislature took their walking and legislating orders from the uber-wingnut lobbyist firm, ALEC, when they started the state's destruction of the middle class.

Amidst massive pro-labor protests, Michigan governor Rick Snyder has signed sweeping legislation attacking private and public sector unions, just hours after passing the lame-duck legislature. The operative language in the bills is nearly identical to the American Legislative Exchange Council's "model" right to work act. - More

The truth be told

How Much Should You Tip Over the Holidays?

By Leila Brillson

.Tipping isn't a city in China and it's certainly for more than just cows, but during the holidays, our general 15- to 25-percent rules are thrown into a tizzy. Who gets a gift? Is giving cash insulting? With so many different, complex relationships in our lives - our barristas often act as therapists and confidantes - how much is enough? We linked up with Tessa Baker at Lifehacker to chat about holiday extras, and whether or not to give the old greenbacks, or a more personal gift.

1. Every Day Relationships: Cash
Your old, faithful doorperson. That mail carrier who gives you a friendly wave. The superintendent who really helped you out over Sandy. All of those people deserve to be thanked during the holidays, but common etiquette is a sliding scale: You don't have to tip everyone equally. Those who have helped you plenty in the past should get a heftier tip than those who you rarely see. The more they have helped you, of course, the more you ought to tip. For instance, $20 to your amazing UPS guy makes sense, while $100 for the guy who has been helping you wrangle groceries all year. No more than $100 is needed.

2. Your Regular: Cash
This is the time of year where you get to thank your manicurist for always reserving a little time for you, even when the salon is packed. With people you see regularly (a barrista, stylist, trainer, or spa specialist, for instance), tipping about 40-percent usually balances nicely - and it feels extra special when their tip is included in a note, not simply tacked on at the end of your visit. A lot of sources suggest tipping the cost of one visit, too.

3. In The Office: Gift
As Miller writes, "Don't forget about the people who help around your office. If you have regular cleaning or maintenance staff, an office pool is a great way to say thanks. If everyone gives just $5, it adds up quickly." While personally gifting secretaries, assistants, door people, or cleaning people isn't necessary, making sure your office teams up for a gift is certainly nice. For people you have a rapport with, a gift based on their interests is best. For cleaning people or attendants, a gift card is perfectly appropriate. In both scenarios, make sure to include a handwritten note.

4. Seasonal Service: Cash
If you've ever worked in the service industry, you'll know that the holidays are a double-edged sword. On one hand, you are, erm, working over them, but on the other hand, you have the ability to make more money than ever because you are working over them. Which means that, when you are dealing with people who help you over the holidays (be they waiters, bartenders, hotel concierges, or taxi drivers), up your usual tip rate by five- to ten-percent - typically, more for urban areas, where tip rates are higher.

5. Child/Home Care: Gift/Cash
Depending on your relationship, those of us who rely on teachers, babysitters, housekeepers, or live-in help should absolutely spring for a great gift. "When relationships are closer (say, a babysitter or nanny, for example), it gets trickier. Do you give a gift instead of cash? That part is up to you," says Miller. "If picking out a gift seems too daunting or personal, cash is still okay, but make sure you add a note (make it heartfelt!) expressing your thanks."

Some of us might be working with a limited cash flow over the holidays, but that doesn't mean we can't say thanks with a handwritten card or note. A kind sentiment is always appreciated.

Random Photo

Here Are the Most and Least Happy Careers

By Melissa Stanger
While engineers may have the most lucrative jobs, singers are the happiest.

According to a study conducted by MyPlan.com, singers were the most satisfied workers with a 97.0 score of happiness. This is followed by  municipal fire fighters (90.0) and aircraft assemblers (83.3).
On the other end of the scale, mail clerks and mail machine operators scored a measly 25.0, with the exception of mail clerks employed by the U.S. Postal Service. Program directors and municipal clerks tied right behind with each at 30.0.

The study included 13,871 of the site's users.

Here are MyPlan’s rankings of the top 10 most and least satisfying careers.

How do stay-at-home dads seek greater social acceptance?

In order to avoid the stigma and loss of status posed by their lifestyle choice, stay-at-home fathers are mobilizing to ...

Continue Reading 

Best Idea of the Day

LAPD refuses to hand Feds all illegal immigrants

Under new plan, police won't detain anyone NOT suspected of a felony

The LAPD will soon stop honoring federal requests to detain illegal immigrants for deportation if they are only accused of low-level crimes, under a new plan approved by the Los Angeles Police Commission today. The plan should kick in early next month, the LA Times reports.

Commissioner John Mack called the new policy an "enlightened first step," but immigrants rights groups are opposed to it, arguing that it doesn't go far enough to protect illegal immigrants.

More

Woman suspected of drug dealing answered door to police holding bag of crack cocaine

A lot of drug busts require months of investigation, dangerous undercover work, and long hours from dedicated detectives, but sometimes it's just a matter of luck.
Authorities went to a woman's door, and she answered holding a bag of dope. Tara Shenell Hampton was on her way to getting her pending drug charges dismissed. She was part of the Drug Market Intervention Program, but Guntersville Police said they learned Hampton was dealing drugs again.

On Friday night, they went to her Guntersville home to serve her with the original drug indictments. When they got to the front door it confirmed their suspicions she was back involved with drugs again.

"They knocked on the door, and the individual answered the door holding a bag of crack cocaine. Also in plain view in the residence was a significant amount of marijuana," said Captain John East, with Guntersville Police Department. East said Hampton was placed in the Marshall County Jail on a $15,000 bond.