Pablo is normally full of life

dailyfossil: Deinotherium - Hoe tusker When: Mid-Miocene to...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:51:25 -0500

Deinotherium - Hoe tusker

When: Mid-Miocene to Early Pleistocene (~10 million to 3 million years ago)

Where: Asia, Africa, and Europe

What: Deinotherium is a proboscidiean. The only two living species in Proboscidiea are the African and Indian elephants, but there are dozens of fossil species in this order. Unlike some other groups that not only have a much greater number of fossil species than living but a much wider variety of morphologies to go along with that, most fossil elephants well… look like elephants! That being large, graviportal, and trunked.

However, even though there is less extreme differences in morphology within proboscidieans, there are still a lot of variations on the basic elephant body plan. One great source of variation is in the tusks. The tusks of Deinotherium are enlarged incisors of its lower jaw whereas in modern elephants the tusks are enlarged upper incisors. The clade containing Deinotheirum spilt off from the rest of the order roughly 40 million years ago, and the last common ancestor had slightly enlarged upper and lower incisors - thus it appears that some elephant clades further enlarged one set over the other. Oh, one last note about Deinotheirum… it was over 3 times the size of the modern african elephant. It was the 3rd largest land mammal ever to lumber accross the Earth!

nickturse: What if you reversed everything the United States...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:51:09 -0500

nickturse:

What if you reversed everything the United States does in regard to Iran? Tom Engelhardt did. He writes:

Imagine that, in late 2007, Iran’s ruling mullahs and their military advisors had decided to upgrade already significant covert activities against Washington, including cross-border operations, and so launched an intensification of its secret campaign to “destabilize” the country’s leadership — call it a covert war if you will — funded by hundreds of millions of dollars of oil money; that they (or their allies) supported armed oppositional groups hostile to Washington; that they flew advanced robot drones on surveillance missions in the country’s airspace; that they imposed ever escalating sanctions, which over the years caused increased suffering among the American people, in order to force Washington to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and give up the nuclear program (military and peaceful) that it had been pursuing since 1943; that they and an ally developed and launched a computer worm meant to destroy American centrifuges and introduced sabotaged parts into its nuclear supply chain; that they encouraged American nuclear scientists to defect; that one of their allies launched an assassination program against American nuclear scientists and engineers killing five of them on the streets of American cities; that they launched a global campaign to force the world not to buy key American products, including Hollywood movies, iPhones, iPods, and iPads, and weaponry of any sort by essentially embargoing American banking transactions.

For the whole story, read: “Iranian Aircraft Carriers in the Gulf of Mexico, It Can’t Happen Here.”

photo credit: DoD

pantslessprogressive: A Syrian woman reacts as she sits next to...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:50:54 -0500

pantslessprogressive:

A Syrian woman reacts as she sits next to her son who was seriously wounded during a violence between security forces and armed groups in Latakia, northwest of Damascus, Syria, on March 27. [Photo: Hussein Malla/AP]

Bahrain, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen News Roundup: March 28.

Bahrain:

Bahrain opposition says 250 detained, 44 missing | Reuters

Bahrain shuns Kuwait’s mediation offer | AJE

World ignoring Bahrain struggle | Toronto Star

Ivory Coast:

Battle Erupts For Key Ivory Coast Town | VOA

Ivory Coast Refinery Running Out of Crude, May Shut in April | BusinessWeek

EU weighs new sanctions on Ivory Coast’s Gbagbo | Reuters

Britain announces emergency aid for Ivory Coast refugees | Guardian

The Urgent Situation in Cote d’Ivoire | David Paltiel, Yale School of Medicine

Jordan:

Jordan PM defends freedom of speech after unrest | AFP

Jordan: Set Independent Inquiry in Attacks on Protesters | HRW

Syria:

Syrian protesters come under fire from security forces | Guardian

Syrian president wavers between crackdown or compromise as southern protests continues | AP

Assad to replace emergency law with worse: dissident | Reuters

What is at stake if Syria’s regime falls | CS Monitor

A bloody mess | The Economist

As Obama talks Libya, neocons move on to Syria | MinnPost

Pawlenty: Obama administration ‘naive’ on Syria | CNN

Pawlenty blasts Clinton on Assad: ‘ignorant or frighteningly misguided’ | POLITICO

Opinion Brief: Should the U.S. intervene in Syria? | The Week

Argument: The Syrian Time Bomb | Foreign Policy

Peter Goodspeed: Syrian violence raises the stakes on Arab upheaval | National Post

Reader writes the problems of Syria are larger than any individual | CNN

Tunisia:

Tunisia’s interim president sacks interior minister without explanation, report says | AP

The Casbah Coalition | The New Yorker News Desk

Yemen:

Blast at Yemen explosives factory kills 110 | AP

Yemen fighting worsening already dire humanitarian situation, warns UN official | UN News Centre

Activists urge UN rights council to meet on Yemen | Reuters

The Unfolding Situation in Yemen | Steven Heydemann, United States Institute of Peace

"It’s not interesting to me to just make (users) laugh or entertain them,” said Price. “I want to set..."

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:50:38 -0500

““It’s not interesting to me to just make (users) laugh or entertain them,” said Price. “I want to set up little challenges and have them make things; have them go off, come back and throw it into the zeitgeist. To me, that’s what Tumblr’s about.” The ability to ‘make things’ is how Tumblr differentiates itself. Using the platform, one can be creative. “I’m hoping that what I can do is sort of trickle down and set a tone that this is a place of open, free expression. And creativity.””

- I sat down and chatted with TopherChris about his role as community manager and how it has helped Tumblr grow. (This is the second post about Tumblr - the first one is up on Digiday about how media properties use the platform.)

EDIT: in my haste to put up this wonderful quote, I forgot to link to the post. Here it is.

(via joshsternberg)

congressarchives: todaysdocument: Dated January 25, 1870,...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:50:21 -0500

congressarchives:

todaysdocument:

Dated January 25, 1870, these are the credentials for Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels of Mississippi, the first African American to serve in the Senate.

Source: Revels, Hiram Rhodes (1827-1901), Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress

Our RISD: Double the Fun

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:50:06 -0500

Our RISD: Double the Fun:

ourrisd:

The Brothers Mueller (the irrepressible twins Kirk and Nate, both MFA 10 grads in Digital Media) continue to charm clients and the media with both who they are and what they do.

Fresh from picking up the Society of Publication Designers’ Tablet of the Year Award (for the Boundless Beauty iPad app commissioned by Martha Stewart), they’ve created a scalable political site for

ianbrooks: The Zombie Arts of Dan Hipp Zombie Dan Hipp, one in...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:49:50 -0500

ianbrooks:

The Zombie Arts of Dan Hipp

Zombie Dan Hipp, one in a long line of illustrious undead, spreads his T-Virus not through nibbles, but through his art he then unleashes on the Internets, hungry for more braaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiins to consume.

Artist: tumblr / flickr / blogspot / twitter

Javier Ambrois, Pelé, Ronaldo ... who will add their name to Copa América's top scorer list?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:49:29 -0500

afootballreport:

By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from NYC

One commodity that the South American continent is never short of is a great goalscorer. There will be a vast array of attacking talent on display over the next month in Argentina. Here are some of the men who might be walking away with the golden boot award when the proceedings come to an end.

Radamel Falcao García (Colombia)

Some strikers make the jump to Europe, and take some time to find their form. Falcao hit the ground like Usain Bolt in full flight. After an productive first season at Porto, the Colombian raised his game even more this past campaign. Thirty-five goals from thirty-eight games—including seventeen in the Europa Lague to break Juergen Klinsmann’s record—in Porto’s treble winning season, has made him one of the most feared and wanted strikers in Europe. However, the man sometimes known as El Tigre hasn’t been in the same form for his country. Colombia has really struggled for goals at times. This fact could be used to undercut the idea of Falcao grabbing the golden boot. However, if he manages to find his best form for Los Cafeteros, Falcao will definitely be a contender.

Read More

atatforamerica: Big thanks to Andrew Grexa for the cool new...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:49:10 -0500

atatforamerica:

Big thanks to Andrew Grexa for the cool new logo! Please spread around.

jtotheizzoe: Stricken Russian Mars Probe Soon to Become Russian...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:48:55 -0500

jtotheizzoe:

Stricken Russian Mars Probe Soon to Become Russian Earth Fireball

French amateur astronomer Thierry Legault (of UARS tracking fame) has captured a new video of Russia’s crippled Phobos-Grunt Mars probe. If you’re confused what you’re seeing, check this out:

Here’s the facts:

Phobos-Grunt malfunctioned soon after launch last year and has been stuck in Earth’s orbit ever since.

It is gradually falling, and new estimates say it is going to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in the next 8-9 days (highest chance of a re-entry on Jan. 15-16)

It is carrying around 10 tons of super-toxic propellants, but luckily they are in aluminum fuel tanks that should burn up on re-entry

The probe’s orbit is extremely wonky, which is making a prediction of where it might hit difficult

Russian space scientists are reporting that they think no more than 20-30 pieces of debris could survive re-entry, weighing no more than 200 kg total.

Anyway, this thing is coming down in the next couple weeks, and as soon as I hear of some model regarding where it might happen (and where you might watch the fireball), I’ll let you know.

In the past year, space debris and falling satellites have become an increasing problem. We need to get on top of this situation fast, start tracking and eliminating debris and dead spacecraft ASAP, or Chicken Little might end up being right.

(via BBC News)

Maybe Days: When "sex-positive" is a euphemism for "male gaze"

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:48:39 -0500

Maybe Days: When "sex-positive" is a euphemism for "male gaze":

maymay:

I had been wanting to attend an event at Mission Control for a while now. One of the reasons I hadn’t is because, other than the price tag, nearly every opportunity to do so seemed to require some kind of dress code. My opinion on dress codes can be summed up as, “well, fuck you very much,” so I…

lisasimpsonbookclub: Sneaky Lisa discovers a bookshelf full of...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:48:25 -0500

lisasimpsonbookclub:

Sneaky Lisa discovers a bookshelf full of banned band books.

ourpresidents: Know-Nothing Party This campaign medallion from...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:48:10 -0500

ourpresidents:

Know-Nothing Party

This campaign medallion from the 1856 presidential election is a predecessor to the candidate bumper sticker. The small hole punched at the top would have allowed a person to sew the medallion to a jacket or coat, or string it on a chain. Pictured in the center of the medallion is former President Millard Fillmore.

Fillmore was nominated by the American Party, also known as the “Know-Nothing” Party, as their Presidential candidate. The Know-Nothing party was staunchly anti-immigrant and Protestant, and feared the large number of German and Irish Catholics who were coming into the United States at the time.

This medallion is one of many campaign-related objects from the Truman Library. When it first opened in 1957, President Truman wanted the Library to become a general center for the study of the presidency, not just focused on him. As a result, the Library actively sought out presidential-related objects to collect. The Library will be featuring more campaign history throughout this 2012 election year.

-More at the Truman Library

stfuconservatives: kittyvonsnowden: nortonn: methodistcoloring...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:47:55 -0500

stfuconservatives:

kittyvonsnowden:

nortonn:

methodistcoloringbook:

miscreance:

hahahahah THREE ABORTION BILLS

wait. WHAT?? why would the doctors continue to slap this child? are we implying that though the fetus was submerged in liquid, these pills did not dissolve? EVERYTHING IS STUPID ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING

This is maybe the most terrifying thing I’ve ever read.

I’m pretty sure this is how Damien was born in The Omen.

“From the Eternal Sea He rises, creating armies on either shore, turning man against his brother, till man exists no more.” Time to go see Bugenhagen.

If I gave birth after three attempted abortions, and the baby was born cackling and speaking and clenching his fists and quoting Bible verses at me, it would get a latest-possible-term-abortion with my bed pan right then and there. This is the scariest story I have ever read.

siphotos: Wilt Chamberlain and Muhammad Ali pose during a 1971...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:47:33 -0500

siphotos:

Wilt Chamberlain and Muhammad Ali pose during a 1971 photo shoot for a proposed boxing match between the two superstars.The bout never happened after Chamberlain, who was to be trained by Cus D’Amato, requested a tax-free guarantee of $500,000 that could not be granted by promoters. (Bettman/Corbis)

SI VAULT: The Ali-Chamberlain fight that almost happened
GALLERY: Rare, undiscovered photos of Muhammad Ali
GALLERY: Rare photos of Wilt Chamberlain

automotivated: Ferrari 330 P3 / 412P chassis 0844 (by Alexis...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:47:16 -0500

automotivated:

Ferrari 330 P3 / 412P chassis 0844 (by Alexis Goure)

Typhoon Sendong: Did illegal logging cause flash flooding in Philippines?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:46:55 -0500

Typhoon Sendong: Did illegal logging cause flash flooding in Philippines?:

climateadaptation:

“Philippine President Benigno Aquino ordered an investigation on Tuesday into flash floods and landslides that sent mud and logs crashing down on residents, killing about 1,000 people on a southern island.

The national disaster agency said 957 were killed and 49 missing on Mindanao after Typhoon Sendong (aka Typhoon Washi) triggered the slides. Most of the casualties were in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and tens of thousands remain homeless, many sheltering in evacuation centres.

Aquino met officials in the two cities worst hit by the cascades that swept down mountainsides as residents of riverside and coastal villages slept in the early hours of Saturday.”

Source: Christian Science Monitor

twicr: Get your therapist on speed dial because you cannot...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:46:34 -0500

twicr:

Get your therapist on speed dial because you cannot unsee this creepy robot baby thing.

RockMelt Blog: Behind the $12 Name – How RockMelt Came to be RockMelt

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:46:20 -0500

RockMelt Blog: Behind the $12 Name – How RockMelt Came to be RockMelt:

rockmelt:

We’re often asked how we came up with the name “RockMelt,” so we thought we’d tell the story here.

Although our name might make you think of volcanoes and lava, we’re not big geology buffs.

“RockMelt” was the result of a three-week long brainstorming where we came up with names we liked, tried…

geekyjessica: ericmortensen: Dan Rather @ Occupy Wall...

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:46:05 -0500

geekyjessica:

ericmortensen:

Dan Rather @ Occupy Wall Street

Says Rather:

We take a look at the current global citizen uprising. Who is behind the “Occupy Wall Street” gatherings in New York, Los Angeles and dozens of other cities across America; and what are they looking to achieve? We talk exclusively with Grim Womyn, one of those helping to lead the online effort of this growing movement.

Is this the same Grim Womyn from grimwomyn.tumblr.com?

Great coverage. Finally.