earthman

Dryomomys szalayi, and other plesiadapiforms

2007-02-13T09:42:00.000Z

First we had the controversy involving Grand Canyon National Park, then this? Is Yellowstone going to incur the wrath of creationists as well?

If you don't recall the earlier squabbles, ...

There was an article in Time Magazine which criticized "Faith-Based Parks" and the creationists attempt to change what books are sold in the Grand Canyon National Park bookstore. More on that can be read from the NCSE post, entitled Renewed concern about creationism at Grand Canyon National Park.

Now, it's National Geographic which tells us that
Fossils of "Most Primitive Primate" Found Near Yellowstone:

"Fossils of the most primitive primate ever discovered have been unearthed near Yellowstone National Park, a find that scientists say could redraw humans' family tree.

The animal belongs to an ancient group of mammals called plesiadapiforms, small creatures that scientists recently thought were closely related to modern nonprimates called flying lemurs.

But in a new study, the paleontologists who found the fossils say that plesiadapiforms are in fact the most primitive known primates."

What's that? "Humans' family tree?" Watch out there, National Geographic.

"One of the creatures, dubbed Dryomomys szalayi, is the most primitive known primate skeleton, the scientists say."

I just quoted that so I could say Dryomomys szalayi.

Dryomomys szalayi.

Cornucopia Institute: Wal-Mart Charged with Selling Nonorganic Food as Organic

2006-11-28T22:23:00.000Z

Does this surprise anyone?

Cornucopia Institute: Wal-Mart Charged with Selling Nonorganic Food as Organic:

"“Our management and our employees know what organic means,” said Lindy Bannister, General Manager at The Wedge Cooperative in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “If Wal-Mart intends to get into organics, they can’t be allowed to misidentify ‘natural’ foods as organic to unsuspecting consumers.” The Wedge, the largest single store member-owned food cooperative in the nation, was one of the first retailers to go through the USDA organic certification process.

“One can question whether Wal-Mart has the management and staff expertise necessary to fully understand organics and the marketing requirements essential to selling organic food,” observed Kastel. “At this point, it seems they are attracted by the profits generated from the booming organic food sector but are not fully invested in organic integrity. Given their size, market power, and market clout, this is very troubling.”"

Attracted by profits? Wal-Mart? They aren't in this for the greater health of the American consumer?

Somehow I don't see their organic expertise being akin with Greenstar Co-op or similar. If they don't even know the difference between organic and conventional, it's rather scary. How many years does it take for transitional status to change, Wal-Mart? You don't know, do you? This is just a money-related gimmick for you, isn't it?

Looking to "roll back" organic standards and definitions, are you, Wal-Mart? No thanks, food safety and our health are important to some of us.

What view does your window have?

2006-11-20T01:12:00.000Z

THE VIEW FROM YOUR WINDOW:

Kirsty said:

"I think the views from windows can be quite telling

Telling of life.
Telling of times.
Telling of the life you lead.
Telling of where you live.
Telling of ugliness.
Telling of beauty.

I love the view from
my window in spring."

She is on a quest to post 100 views from 100 people's windows from around the world. So far, she has quite an accumulation of views compiled, and it is well worth perusing. There are breathtaking views and common, panoramic night shots, shots of wildlife, urban scenes, rooftop scenes, you name it. There is also a pleasant cross-section of locations on this planet, and even a couple of views from Saddam Hussein's window, if you need an illustration of the diversity involved. Kudos to Kristy, and I highly recommend spending some time on the site.

Send her a picture if you have one too. :-) (The link is on the bottom of her first post, but use the main entry point for the site instead for maximal enjoyment.)

Who believes in UFOs? Oh, the CIA! I've heard of them

2006-04-11T23:31:00.000Z

According to Defense Tech, most UFO reports, discredited for so long, were actually legitimate sightings of US military surveillance flights.

According to later estimates from CIA officials who worked on the U-2 project and the OXCART (SR-71, or Blackbird) project, over half of all UFO reports from the late 1950s through the 1960s were accounted for by manned reconnaissance flights (namely the U-2) over the United States. This led the Air Force to make misleading and deceptive statements to the public in order to allay public fears and to protect an extraordinarily sensitive national security project.

Why would anyone report a U2 as a UFO?
The early U-2s were silver (they were later painted black) and reflected the rays from the sun, especially at sunrise and sunset. They often appeared as fiery objects to observers below.

I leave it to those who compile statistics on flying saucers to say how many glowing UFOs were sighted under these conditions and how many appeared to be luminous on their own account. Note also the wording in Patent 3,713,157 which says that the plasma cloud produces a combination of ‘absorbtion, reflection, refraction and diffraction’ across frequencies including visible spectrum, which would certainly alter the appearance of an aircraft, perhaps to the point of making it an unrecognisable blob.

...

The article later mentions:

Radioactive coatings would cause a major disposal problems. It is alleged that workers at Groom lake - 'Area 51' - were harmed by carcinogens dumped there. The suit was dismissed in 1996 because for reasons of security the materials involved could not be disclosed.

More disinformation from the Air Force?

Many have commented on a photograph of a B-2 from Edwards AFB (published in Air Forces Monthly in October 2000) in which the wing seems to be enveloped in a faint glowing cloud. This was explained by the Air Force as water vapor, but some commentators have argued that such a cloud would not form simultaneously above and below the wing.

See also the discussion and perhaps anomalous picture here.

Since the majority of UFO reports have now been admitted by the CIA to have been military flights, one wonders how many of those remaining were really the quacks they were presented as, and how many were also legitimate other sighthings that the CIA has yet to admit, other projects that have yet to be made public, hidden under further disinformation and discrediting.

More power to the executive over other branches?

2006-04-11T21:29:00.000Z

Secrecy News 04/03/06:

"And since Congress does not have its own security vetting function, the Buyer proposal would effectively transfer to the executive branch the power to approve or deny membership on the intelligence or defense appropriations committees."

Yet another area this executive branch feels it has control over the other two branches of government? What happened to checks and balances?

Hi

2005-11-16T22:39:00.000Z

Hi.