via ESPN, the Yankees make it official and hire Joe Girardi to replace Joe Torre as manager. Girardi beat out former Yankee 1B Don Mattingly and Coach Tony Pena for the job. Coaches are expected to include former Cubs pitcher Mike Harkey (likely as pitching coach), Pena, Kevin Long and Rob Thompson. Former Yankee OF Paul O'Neil, a good personal friend of Girardi, has expressed interest in a coaching position as well. Torre is widely expected to be offered the job of managing the LA Dodgers, and Mattingly is expected to join him there. Mattingly's son Preston is in the Dodger's farm system.
The biggest issue for Girardi and Yankee GM Brian Cashman is the status of free agents such as RP Mariano Rivera, C Jorge Posada, and SP Andy Pettitte, who has a $16 million player option, but has also contemplated retiring. 3B Alex Rodriguez has exercised his option to explore free agency and is not expected to return to the team.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Fletch Quote of the Day
[to Gail Stanwyck, who answers the door wearing a towel]
Fletch: Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo.
Fletch: Can I borrow your towel for a sec? My car just hit a water buffalo.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thompson Breaking "the Rules"
Jay Cost at RCP has an interesting take on the Thompson campaign and speculates a bit on Fred's strategy. In a two part article, Cost lays out what he believes is the Thompson campaign strategy, and its strengths and weaknesses. Much of the issue that many pundits have with Fred is that he is more or less ignoring the conventional wisdom on how to conduct his campaign.
"I think that the confusion over the Thompson campaign is that what works about it is very similar to what does not work. So, at first inspection, the lines are blurry - and you can't quite tell if this campaign is genius or disastrous. Upon closer inspection, I think that there are some lines to distinguish - and we can make some sense about this very peculiar presidential campaign."
Cost divides the campaign into two sectors, which he calls the "perpetual" campaign, where the chattering classes, pundits and beltway insiders set the tone and the agenda, and the "real" campaign, where the voters make their decisions. Ths issue is that these insiders believe the perpetual campaign is more important than the real one, whereas it is only a means to get noticed and a spot at the table for when the real deciding is done by the voters.
The issue with the chattering classes (media) have with Thompson is that he isn't playing their game the way they think he ought to - he's ignoring their rules, and running the way he wants to instead.
"In the perpetual campaign - you are supposed to campaign non-stop. You are supposed to remember all of the minutiae of your campaign schedule. You are supposed to know the details of symbolic events that happened over a year ago. You are supposed to know the specifics of local political issues so you can pander to the residents. Those are the rules. Thompson isn't following them."
However, Fred remains a viable candidate - despite what the pundits think. This is possible, in Jay's view because the pundit's rules aren't real rules, but imaginary ones, and that Thompson might just be the kind of trailblazer to challenge these preconcieved notions. It benefits him in two ways.
"First, breaking the rules has earned him notice. This is ironic, as most candidates follow the rules of the perpetual campaign for precisely this reason. They do a lot of stump speeches to get on the evening news. They do the Sunday morning show circuit. They take any opportunity to appear on Hardball that they can get. And so on. But not Thompson. So, is the media ignoring him? Hardly! Instead, his rule breaking has earned him more attention. My favorite example of this so far was Thompson's declaration of his candidacy. The fact that he announced his candidacy on Jay Leno was taken as rule breaking. But consider the net result. Thompson announced on Leno - and got the Leno audience. And then the next day, all the talking heads did was talk about Thompson! Far from being punished, Thompson was rewarded for his defiance.
But much more importantl, I think Thompson has assessed that breaking these rules could win him support. People outside the Beltway, whose daily lives are not regimented by the news cycle, appreciate that the perpetual campaign has reached a point of asininity. Accordingly, a candidate could win supporters over in the real campaign by claiming that he ignored all of these rules, which essentially mandate twenty-two months of nonstop campaigning. This is a twist on running against Washington. It is running against the Washington press corps."
Cost goes on further to say that this appears to be a calculated risk that Thompson is willing to take, particulary running as a Republican, whose base is often suspicious of the media elite anyway. However, he points out that in order to break the rules, you have to be nearly perfect - and some of Fred's appearances haven't been terribly exciting, at least to many observers. If you combine the rule breaking with mistakes, you just might alienate many of those whose support you are seeking, but Cost also states that the campaign is still in its very early stages, that Fred appears to be gaining some traction and momentum, and that the jury is still out.
Nice analysis, and I have to agree with almost all of it.
"I think that the confusion over the Thompson campaign is that what works about it is very similar to what does not work. So, at first inspection, the lines are blurry - and you can't quite tell if this campaign is genius or disastrous. Upon closer inspection, I think that there are some lines to distinguish - and we can make some sense about this very peculiar presidential campaign."
Cost divides the campaign into two sectors, which he calls the "perpetual" campaign, where the chattering classes, pundits and beltway insiders set the tone and the agenda, and the "real" campaign, where the voters make their decisions. Ths issue is that these insiders believe the perpetual campaign is more important than the real one, whereas it is only a means to get noticed and a spot at the table for when the real deciding is done by the voters.
The issue with the chattering classes (media) have with Thompson is that he isn't playing their game the way they think he ought to - he's ignoring their rules, and running the way he wants to instead.
"In the perpetual campaign - you are supposed to campaign non-stop. You are supposed to remember all of the minutiae of your campaign schedule. You are supposed to know the details of symbolic events that happened over a year ago. You are supposed to know the specifics of local political issues so you can pander to the residents. Those are the rules. Thompson isn't following them."
However, Fred remains a viable candidate - despite what the pundits think. This is possible, in Jay's view because the pundit's rules aren't real rules, but imaginary ones, and that Thompson might just be the kind of trailblazer to challenge these preconcieved notions. It benefits him in two ways.
"First, breaking the rules has earned him notice. This is ironic, as most candidates follow the rules of the perpetual campaign for precisely this reason. They do a lot of stump speeches to get on the evening news. They do the Sunday morning show circuit. They take any opportunity to appear on Hardball that they can get. And so on. But not Thompson. So, is the media ignoring him? Hardly! Instead, his rule breaking has earned him more attention. My favorite example of this so far was Thompson's declaration of his candidacy. The fact that he announced his candidacy on Jay Leno was taken as rule breaking. But consider the net result. Thompson announced on Leno - and got the Leno audience. And then the next day, all the talking heads did was talk about Thompson! Far from being punished, Thompson was rewarded for his defiance.
But much more importantl, I think Thompson has assessed that breaking these rules could win him support. People outside the Beltway, whose daily lives are not regimented by the news cycle, appreciate that the perpetual campaign has reached a point of asininity. Accordingly, a candidate could win supporters over in the real campaign by claiming that he ignored all of these rules, which essentially mandate twenty-two months of nonstop campaigning. This is a twist on running against Washington. It is running against the Washington press corps."
Cost goes on further to say that this appears to be a calculated risk that Thompson is willing to take, particulary running as a Republican, whose base is often suspicious of the media elite anyway. However, he points out that in order to break the rules, you have to be nearly perfect - and some of Fred's appearances haven't been terribly exciting, at least to many observers. If you combine the rule breaking with mistakes, you just might alienate many of those whose support you are seeking, but Cost also states that the campaign is still in its very early stages, that Fred appears to be gaining some traction and momentum, and that the jury is still out.
Nice analysis, and I have to agree with almost all of it.
Origin of Atmospheric Oxygen Discovered
via ScienceDaily, some new evidence has been discovered from the analysis of ancient rocks regarding the origin of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere 500 million years ago. The surprising part is that the oxygen developed extremely quickly by geologic standards - only 2 million years. Tectonic upheavals led to an increase in terrestrial weathering from the sulferous atmosphere at the time, which caused a decrease in the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, leading to the then much warmer Earth to cool globally. The carbon levels dropped from as much as 20 times greater than today, trapped in seabed sediments after the weathering process. This oxygen increase in turn led to the evolution of oxygen producing algae spreads in the oceans, further tipping the balance of gasses in the atmospheric blanket towards oxygen.
"Tectonic activity led to increased weathering, which pulled carbon dioxide from the air and cooled the climate. Then, as the oceans cooled to more hospitable temperatures, the plankton prospered -- and in turn created more oxygen through photosynthesis."
This set of conditions persisted for around 50 million years, during which time new plant and animal species flourished, but the cooling trend accelerated with new tectonic events creating the US Applachian mountain range, leading to a severe cooling trend that resulted in a ice age so extensive that it killed off nearly half of all species living on the planet at the time, around 450 million years ago.
"Tectonic activity led to increased weathering, which pulled carbon dioxide from the air and cooled the climate. Then, as the oceans cooled to more hospitable temperatures, the plankton prospered -- and in turn created more oxygen through photosynthesis."
This set of conditions persisted for around 50 million years, during which time new plant and animal species flourished, but the cooling trend accelerated with new tectonic events creating the US Applachian mountain range, leading to a severe cooling trend that resulted in a ice age so extensive that it killed off nearly half of all species living on the planet at the time, around 450 million years ago.
Issues on Shuttle Mission
via Space.com -
The shuttle construction mission, already extended by a day due to the discovery of a mysterious black grit that appears suspiciously like metal shavings caked within the gears of a starboard joint, hit yet another snag as the unfurling of one of the stations's solar arrays led to a torn wing!
"But during NASA mission control's unfurling of the relocated array truss segment, the right wing of the 4B solar array crinkled and tore on one edge. The array opposite of 4B, known as 2B, array without incident prior to 4B's unfurling."
No word yet on what the possible consequences of the mishap are, but it can't be good.
The shuttle construction mission, already extended by a day due to the discovery of a mysterious black grit that appears suspiciously like metal shavings caked within the gears of a starboard joint, hit yet another snag as the unfurling of one of the stations's solar arrays led to a torn wing!
"But during NASA mission control's unfurling of the relocated array truss segment, the right wing of the 4B solar array crinkled and tore on one edge. The array opposite of 4B, known as 2B, array without incident prior to 4B's unfurling."
No word yet on what the possible consequences of the mishap are, but it can't be good.
Monday, October 29, 2007
New Theory on American Migration
via ScienceDaily, a new theory has been proposed regarding the migration of Native Americans to the New World based on DNA research conducted by the University of Illinois. The new theory speculates that the Bering "Land Bridge" connecting Siberia and Alaska 30,000 years ago didn't allow the peoples that entered the area to move on into the Americas initially. Rather, they tarried in the area for a period of up to 15,000 years, with some groups actually returning back to Asia, before moving on to populate the empty American continents.
"the ancestors of Native Americans who first left Siberia for greener pastures perhaps as much as 30,000 years ago, came to a standstill on Beringia – a landmass that existed during the last glacial maximum that extended from Northeastern Siberia to Western Alaska, including the Bering land bridge – and they were isolated there long enough – as much as 15,000 years – to maturate and differentiate themselves genetically from their Asian sisters."
623 DNA sequences were examined, including 20 new ones from the Americas and 7 from Asia, and 3 new sub-clades (a group of DNA sequences descended from a common ancestor) were discovered that covers nearly all of the American populations but not found in Asia. This discovery appears to solidify both the archaeological evidence in the Americas (nothing has been found from before 15,000 years ago that can be definitively dated) and the climate evidence showing that the Rocky Mountains were impassible due to glaciation before that time.
"the ancestors of Native Americans who first left Siberia for greener pastures perhaps as much as 30,000 years ago, came to a standstill on Beringia – a landmass that existed during the last glacial maximum that extended from Northeastern Siberia to Western Alaska, including the Bering land bridge – and they were isolated there long enough – as much as 15,000 years – to maturate and differentiate themselves genetically from their Asian sisters."
623 DNA sequences were examined, including 20 new ones from the Americas and 7 from Asia, and 3 new sub-clades (a group of DNA sequences descended from a common ancestor) were discovered that covers nearly all of the American populations but not found in Asia. This discovery appears to solidify both the archaeological evidence in the Americas (nothing has been found from before 15,000 years ago that can be definitively dated) and the climate evidence showing that the Rocky Mountains were impassible due to glaciation before that time.
Fletch Quote of the Day
Fletch: Do you have any caviar?
Waiter: Si señor, Beluga, but it is 80 dollars a portion.
Fletch: Well, then I better just take two portions of that
Waiter: Si señor, Beluga, but it is 80 dollars a portion.
Fletch: Well, then I better just take two portions of that
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fletch Quote for the Weekend
Willy: What the hell you need ball bearings for?
Fletch: Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course.
[leans arm on hot engine part]
Fletch: Hey! It's all ball bearings nowadays. Now you prepare that Fetzer valve with some 3-in-1 oil and some gauze pads. And I'm gonna need 'bout ten quarts of anti-freeze, preferably Prestone. No, no make that Quaker State.
Fletch: Awww, come on guys, it's so simple. Maybe you need a refresher course.
[leans arm on hot engine part]
Fletch: Hey! It's all ball bearings nowadays. Now you prepare that Fetzer valve with some 3-in-1 oil and some gauze pads. And I'm gonna need 'bout ten quarts of anti-freeze, preferably Prestone. No, no make that Quaker State.
Asia's Space Race
The CS Monitor takes a peek at the developing Asian space race. China, Japan and India have all developed a significant sapce launch capability. China's lunar probe was preceded by a Japanese one last month, and India is planning a similar mission next year as well.
"The moon shots, all designed to learn more about the lunar atmosphere and surface, have no military purpose, officials in the three new space powers are quick to point out. But in a field where civilian technological advances can easily be put to military use, nations closely scrutinize each of their neighbors' steps forward.
India is nervous about China's intentions, especialy in the wake of Beijing's test of an antisatellite missile last January. China worries that Japan's missile defense cooperation with the US might threaten its interests, and resents Washington's determination to remain the world's dominant space power. Japan is rattled by North Korea's ballistic-missile capability."
Some of the other rationales for these missions is national prestige and the high technology spinoffs and skills that acrue from such research. All three nations are focused on the moon due to its close proximity and the possibility of commercial exploitation of resources such as Helium-3, which is thought to exist in quantity on the moon and could eventually be used to power nuclear fusion technology.
There are also important military considerations for all three powers as they and the traditional space powers are treading the line between defense related space utilization and weaponization, as China demonstrated in its anit-satellite program last year.
"The moon shots, all designed to learn more about the lunar atmosphere and surface, have no military purpose, officials in the three new space powers are quick to point out. But in a field where civilian technological advances can easily be put to military use, nations closely scrutinize each of their neighbors' steps forward.
India is nervous about China's intentions, especialy in the wake of Beijing's test of an antisatellite missile last January. China worries that Japan's missile defense cooperation with the US might threaten its interests, and resents Washington's determination to remain the world's dominant space power. Japan is rattled by North Korea's ballistic-missile capability."
Some of the other rationales for these missions is national prestige and the high technology spinoffs and skills that acrue from such research. All three nations are focused on the moon due to its close proximity and the possibility of commercial exploitation of resources such as Helium-3, which is thought to exist in quantity on the moon and could eventually be used to power nuclear fusion technology.
There are also important military considerations for all three powers as they and the traditional space powers are treading the line between defense related space utilization and weaponization, as China demonstrated in its anit-satellite program last year.
Fletch Quote of the Day
Fletch's girlfriend: [Fletch is listening to a tape of him and his girlfriend having sex] You're not recording this, are you?
Fletch: No, never, never.
Fletch: No, never, never.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
US and India
R. Nicholas Burns at Foreign Affairs (via RCP) takes note of the opportunities that a stronger strategic partnership with India would entail for the US. First, the good stuff:
"We share an abundance of political, economic, and military interests with India today. Our open societies face similar threats from terrorism and organized crime. Our market-based economies embrace trade and commerce as engines of prosperity. Our peoples value education and a strong work ethic. We share an attachment to democracy and individual rights founded on an instinctive mistrust of authoritarianism. And in an age of anti-Americanism, according to the most recent Pew Global Attitudes survey, nearly six in ten Indians view the United States favorably.......The progress between the United States and India has been remarkable: a new and historic agreement on civil nuclear energy, closer collaboration on scientific and technological innovation, burgeoning trade and commercial links, common efforts to stabilize South Asia, and a growing U.S.-India campaign to promote stable, well-governed democracies around the world. And the United States is only just beginning to realize the benefits of this relationship for its interests in South and East Asia."
There are still some challenges, however, including the touchy relationship India has with another US ally, Pakistan, over the Kashmir region. There are also trade differences,climate and environmental concerns over India's growing energy needs, and some historical inertia from India's past leadership of the nonaligned diplomatic movement - India still often diplomatic support and cover to some of the globe's most notorious regimes, such as Burma. Burns' point, however, is well made - both nations have a lot to gain from one another, and far more issues in common than those which separate us.
"We share an abundance of political, economic, and military interests with India today. Our open societies face similar threats from terrorism and organized crime. Our market-based economies embrace trade and commerce as engines of prosperity. Our peoples value education and a strong work ethic. We share an attachment to democracy and individual rights founded on an instinctive mistrust of authoritarianism. And in an age of anti-Americanism, according to the most recent Pew Global Attitudes survey, nearly six in ten Indians view the United States favorably.......The progress between the United States and India has been remarkable: a new and historic agreement on civil nuclear energy, closer collaboration on scientific and technological innovation, burgeoning trade and commercial links, common efforts to stabilize South Asia, and a growing U.S.-India campaign to promote stable, well-governed democracies around the world. And the United States is only just beginning to realize the benefits of this relationship for its interests in South and East Asia."
There are still some challenges, however, including the touchy relationship India has with another US ally, Pakistan, over the Kashmir region. There are also trade differences,climate and environmental concerns over India's growing energy needs, and some historical inertia from India's past leadership of the nonaligned diplomatic movement - India still often diplomatic support and cover to some of the globe's most notorious regimes, such as Burma. Burns' point, however, is well made - both nations have a lot to gain from one another, and far more issues in common than those which separate us.
College Football Coaching
MSNBC's College football expert Joey Johnston has a nice article about the success that coaches such as Pete Carroll, Dennis Ericson and Steve Spurrier, who left the college ranks for the NFL but have returned to college, are enjoying this season. Both coaches admit that they are far more comfortable in the college ranks. #2 ranked Boston College's Jeff Jagdozinski is also spotlighted. Johnston finished his column asnwering questions, and the lead was of vast import to the Husker Nation, concerning LSU's Bo Pellini.
Q: What are the odds that Nebraska could steal Bo Pelini away from LSU?
— Husker fan, Des Moines, Iowa
A: I think the odds would be excellent for Pelini, the LSU defensive coordinator, to return to Nebraska, where he also served in that role and as interim head coach for the Cornhuskers’ bowl game after the firing of Frank Solich.
Pelini would have been a good head-coaching choice then — and Nebraska players were lobbying for him — but the Cornhuskers opted for NFL head coach Bill Callahan. You’ve seen how that turned out. At this point, with Nebraska’s proud program unraveling by the minute, it would be stunning if Callahan saves his job.
Pelini’s work speaks for itself. LSU’s defense has played lights-out at times. He has a knack for getting the players on the same page and getting them to buy into the cause. He’s a motivator and an excellent strategist.
But Nebraska can’t assume anything. Plenty of schools with job openings will be chasing Pelini. The Cornhuskers better throw their hat in the ring sooner rather than later.
I have to agree absolutley with the response.
Q: What are the odds that Nebraska could steal Bo Pelini away from LSU?
— Husker fan, Des Moines, Iowa
A: I think the odds would be excellent for Pelini, the LSU defensive coordinator, to return to Nebraska, where he also served in that role and as interim head coach for the Cornhuskers’ bowl game after the firing of Frank Solich.
Pelini would have been a good head-coaching choice then — and Nebraska players were lobbying for him — but the Cornhuskers opted for NFL head coach Bill Callahan. You’ve seen how that turned out. At this point, with Nebraska’s proud program unraveling by the minute, it would be stunning if Callahan saves his job.
Pelini’s work speaks for itself. LSU’s defense has played lights-out at times. He has a knack for getting the players on the same page and getting them to buy into the cause. He’s a motivator and an excellent strategist.
But Nebraska can’t assume anything. Plenty of schools with job openings will be chasing Pelini. The Cornhuskers better throw their hat in the ring sooner rather than later.
I have to agree absolutley with the response.
Fletch Quote of the Day
Fletch: In the court ruling US vs. Fishbine, a man subjected to potential incineration while wearing another man's suit is entitled to $10,000 worth of airline tickets. It's an obscure ruling, but a very important one to me.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Fletch Quote of the Day
Gail Stanwyk: I didn't know you knew the Underhills.
Fletch: Yeah, well, I saved his life during the war.
Gail Stanwyk: You were in the war?
Fletch: No, he was. I got him out.
Fletch: Yeah, well, I saved his life during the war.
Gail Stanwyk: You were in the war?
Fletch: No, he was. I got him out.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Shuttle Mission STS-120
via Space.com, Shuttle Discovery is slated to launch on yet another ambitious ISS construction mission. Seven astronauts are slated to lift off this morning at 11:38 EST. Nebraskan Clayton Anderson, currently serving on board the ISS, will return home after being replaced by fellow mission specialist Daniel Tani.
"Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Pamela Melroy, the shuttle Discovery is slated to launch from Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 11:38 a.m. EDT (1538 GMT). Melroy and her crewmates plan to swap out one ISS crewmember, deliver an orbital hub to anchor future laboratories to the station and perform the complicated move of a 17.5-ton solar array segment to boost the outpost's power grid...
Set to launch spaceward with Melroy and Parazynski are Discovery pilot George Zamka and mission specialists Stephanie Wilson, Douglas Wheelock, Daniel Tani and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli. Together, they will install the Italian-built Harmony node - the connecting point for European and Japanese laboratories waiting to fly.
During five planned spacewalks - the most-ever during a shuttle flight to the ISS - the STS-120 astronauts will also test new space shuttle heat shield repair methods, move the station's $276 million Port 6 (P6) solar power truss segment from its mast-like perch to the station's port-most edge, and then unfurl its expansive arrays. Parazynski compared the P6 relocation to moving an entire house from one neighborhood to another."
The installation of the Harmony module will increase the available space on board the station for the first time since 2001. The mission will be the shuttle program's 120th mission, and the third ISS construction mission this year. Three of the shuttle astronauts are making their first trips into orbit.
"Commanded by veteran spaceflyer Pamela Melroy, the shuttle Discovery is slated to launch from Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 11:38 a.m. EDT (1538 GMT). Melroy and her crewmates plan to swap out one ISS crewmember, deliver an orbital hub to anchor future laboratories to the station and perform the complicated move of a 17.5-ton solar array segment to boost the outpost's power grid...
Set to launch spaceward with Melroy and Parazynski are Discovery pilot George Zamka and mission specialists Stephanie Wilson, Douglas Wheelock, Daniel Tani and European Space Agency astronaut Paolo Nespoli. Together, they will install the Italian-built Harmony node - the connecting point for European and Japanese laboratories waiting to fly.
During five planned spacewalks - the most-ever during a shuttle flight to the ISS - the STS-120 astronauts will also test new space shuttle heat shield repair methods, move the station's $276 million Port 6 (P6) solar power truss segment from its mast-like perch to the station's port-most edge, and then unfurl its expansive arrays. Parazynski compared the P6 relocation to moving an entire house from one neighborhood to another."
The installation of the Harmony module will increase the available space on board the station for the first time since 2001. The mission will be the shuttle program's 120th mission, and the third ISS construction mission this year. Three of the shuttle astronauts are making their first trips into orbit.
Fletch Quote of the Day
Fletch: Can't do that, Frank. Fat Sam isn't the story, there's a source behind him.
Frank Walker: Who?
Fletch: Well, there we're in kind of a grey area.
Frank Walker: How grey?
Fletch: Charcoal.
Frank Walker: Who?
Fletch: Well, there we're in kind of a grey area.
Frank Walker: How grey?
Fletch: Charcoal.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Fletch Quote of the Day
Waiter: Excuse me, Señor. You are a member of the club?
Fletch: No, I'm not, I'm with the Underhills.
Waiter: They are left, Señor.
Fletch: It's all right, they'll be back. He went out for his urinalysis.
Waiter: Would you like some drinks, Señor, while you wait? I will put it on the Underhills' bill.
Fletch: Yes, very good. I'll have a Bloody Mary and a steak sandwich and... a steak sandwich, please.
Fletch: No, I'm not, I'm with the Underhills.
Waiter: They are left, Señor.
Fletch: It's all right, they'll be back. He went out for his urinalysis.
Waiter: Would you like some drinks, Señor, while you wait? I will put it on the Underhills' bill.
Fletch: Yes, very good. I'll have a Bloody Mary and a steak sandwich and... a steak sandwich, please.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Fletch Quote for the Weekend
[driving away from police in car with startled teenager]
Teenager: Are you a cop?
Fletch: As far as you know.
Teenager: Are you gonna take me to jail for car theft?
Fletch: Why? Did you steal the car?
Teenager: I sure did.
Fletch: Well, I'm not even sure that's a crime anymore.
There've been a lot of changes in the law.
Teenager: Are you a cop?
Fletch: As far as you know.
Teenager: Are you gonna take me to jail for car theft?
Fletch: Why? Did you steal the car?
Teenager: I sure did.
Fletch: Well, I'm not even sure that's a crime anymore.
There've been a lot of changes in the law.
Earliest Evidence of Modern Humans Discovered
via ScienceDaily, new evidence has been uncovered at a site near Pinnacle Point in South Africa that pushes back the origin of modern humans to 160,00 years ago. Droughts during this period may have forced human populations to coastal areas where they supplmented their diets with a variety of shellfish and other marine resources.
"Our findings show that at 164,000 years ago in coastal South Africa humans expanded their diet to include shellfish and other marine resources, perhaps as a response to harsh environmental conditions," notes Curtis Marean, a professor in ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change. "This is the earliest dated observation of this behavior."
These early humans also exhibited the use of bladelet technology thought to have not occurred until 70,000 years ago, and the team also discovered evidence of the use of red ochre, a pigment used for ritual behavior that has been thought to also date from the same later period as the bladelet use.
"These new findings not only move back the timeline for the evolution of modern humans, they show that lifestyles focused on coastal habitats and resources may have been crucial to the evolution and survival of these early humans."
The period from 195,000 to around 125,000 years ago was heavily glaciated, and much of the continent of Africa experienced repeated severe droughts. In fact, it is thought that there might have been as few as 5 or 6 sites on the continent capable of supporting early modern humans, and the researchers studied ocean currents, climate data, geological formations and other evidence to theorize where a probable location would be located. These finds also extends back into time the period when early people began to utilize marine resources by as much as 40,000 years.
"Generally speaking, coastal areas were of no use to early humans -- unless they knew how to use the sea as a food source" says Marean. "For millions of years, our earliest hunter-gatherer relatives only ate terrestrial plants and animals. Shellfish was one of the last additions to the human diet before domesticated plants and animals were introduced."
Before, the earliest evidence for human use of marine resources and coastal habitats was dated about 125,000 years ago. "Our research shows that humans started doing this at least 40,000 years earlier. This could have very well been a response to the extreme environmental conditions they were experiencing," he says."
With the knowledge of how to exploit ocean resources, the coastal areas of the continent would have allowed long distance human migrations, and the use of bladelets as compound stone tools as well as the use of pigments for symbolic purposes is often tied to the development of human cognitive functions and human lanaguage skills. These developments had also been tied to the later 70,000 before present period as well. Human language and communications skills are thought to have greatly aided early human survival by allowing cooperative behvior and the establishment of trade and exchange networks between groups of our early ancestors.
"This evidence shows that Africa, and particularly southern Africa, was precocious in the development of modern human biology and behavior. We believe that on the far southern shore of Africa there was a small population of modern humans who struggled through this glacial period using shellfish and advanced technologies, and symbolism was important to their social relations. It is possible that this population could be the progenitor population for all modern humans," Marean says."
Pretty amazing find, and I'd say it lays a pretty definitive nail in the coffin of the Out of Africa skeptic community being so far in advance of other archaeological finds showcasing evidence of similar behavior.
"Our findings show that at 164,000 years ago in coastal South Africa humans expanded their diet to include shellfish and other marine resources, perhaps as a response to harsh environmental conditions," notes Curtis Marean, a professor in ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change. "This is the earliest dated observation of this behavior."
These early humans also exhibited the use of bladelet technology thought to have not occurred until 70,000 years ago, and the team also discovered evidence of the use of red ochre, a pigment used for ritual behavior that has been thought to also date from the same later period as the bladelet use.
"These new findings not only move back the timeline for the evolution of modern humans, they show that lifestyles focused on coastal habitats and resources may have been crucial to the evolution and survival of these early humans."
The period from 195,000 to around 125,000 years ago was heavily glaciated, and much of the continent of Africa experienced repeated severe droughts. In fact, it is thought that there might have been as few as 5 or 6 sites on the continent capable of supporting early modern humans, and the researchers studied ocean currents, climate data, geological formations and other evidence to theorize where a probable location would be located. These finds also extends back into time the period when early people began to utilize marine resources by as much as 40,000 years.
"Generally speaking, coastal areas were of no use to early humans -- unless they knew how to use the sea as a food source" says Marean. "For millions of years, our earliest hunter-gatherer relatives only ate terrestrial plants and animals. Shellfish was one of the last additions to the human diet before domesticated plants and animals were introduced."
Before, the earliest evidence for human use of marine resources and coastal habitats was dated about 125,000 years ago. "Our research shows that humans started doing this at least 40,000 years earlier. This could have very well been a response to the extreme environmental conditions they were experiencing," he says."
With the knowledge of how to exploit ocean resources, the coastal areas of the continent would have allowed long distance human migrations, and the use of bladelets as compound stone tools as well as the use of pigments for symbolic purposes is often tied to the development of human cognitive functions and human lanaguage skills. These developments had also been tied to the later 70,000 before present period as well. Human language and communications skills are thought to have greatly aided early human survival by allowing cooperative behvior and the establishment of trade and exchange networks between groups of our early ancestors.
"This evidence shows that Africa, and particularly southern Africa, was precocious in the development of modern human biology and behavior. We believe that on the far southern shore of Africa there was a small population of modern humans who struggled through this glacial period using shellfish and advanced technologies, and symbolism was important to their social relations. It is possible that this population could be the progenitor population for all modern humans," Marean says."
Pretty amazing find, and I'd say it lays a pretty definitive nail in the coffin of the Out of Africa skeptic community being so far in advance of other archaeological finds showcasing evidence of similar behavior.
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