MONKEYS are able to string together a simple “sentence”, according to research that offers the first evidence that animals might be capable of a key feature of language.
British scientists have discovered that the putty-nosed monkey in Nigeria pictured above sometimes communicates by combining sounds into a sequence that has a different meaning from any of its component calls, an ability that was thought to be uniquely human.

Pyow pyow pyow . . . hack hack hack hack! Let's get out of here (in monkey talk) - World - Times Online

A panel of Nigerian medical experts has concluded that Pfizer Inc. violated international law during a 1996 epidemic by testing an unapproved drug on children with brain infections at a field hospital.
That finding is detailed in a lengthy Nigerian government report that has remained unreleased for five years, despite inquiries from the children's attorneys and from the media. The Washington Post recently obtained a copy of the confidential report, which is attracting congressional interest. It was provided by a source who asked to remain anonymous because of personal safety concerns.

I cannot believe I missed this. Secret unauthorized testing of an unapproved drug on sick children. What sickening disregard for laws and morals. I know there's a new outrage daily around here, but this is just awful.

Panel Faults Pfizer in '96 Clinical Trial In Nigeria

"Ten Things I Hate About Commandments" is a mash-up trailer for a John Hughes style teen comedy, using footage from the Charlton Heston version of The Ten Commandments. It's masterfully done, and milk-out-the-nose funny.

I don't know about "milk-out-the-nose", but I did enjoy the Samuel L. Jackson voiceover.

Boing Boing: If The Ten Commandments was a Teen Comedy

Creamy pink snow has covered the northern regions of Russia’s Maritime territory, news agencies reported Monday.

Creamy Pink Snow Covers Russian Region - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM

"It's outrageous that legislators are not demonstrating that they have Georgia women's best interest at heart," Reis said. "Where are the initiatives to prevent unintended pregnancy? Where is the support for better access to prenatal care and children's health care instead of proposals to interfere with a doctor-patient relationship? Where is the trust that women can make these decisions with their families and doctors and without ideological interference from lawmakers?"

Exactly!

Anti-abortion advocates scored a victory Thursday when the state Senate approved three bills supported by Georgia Right to Life.

Chipping away little by little, biding their time till Roe hits the floor of the new ultra-conservative SCOTU.

Senate passes 3 bills sought by Georgia Right to Life | ajc.com

I have go find some women to have sex with to wash the taste of nerd out of my mouth.

Spider-Man's new costume revealed - The Superficial - www.thesuperficial.com

Leaders of the former Soviet Union were behind the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in 1981, an Italian parliamentary investigative commission said in a report

Russia orders Pope Assassination?

The Bank of Asia is a very famous building in Bangkok. It was made way back in 1985, and it's robotic appearance is just a symbol of the modernization of banking. It also has the ability to transform into a mega-robot.

Man I wish I had see this when I was there.

U: OK, this site is down, so try this one instead...

UniqueDaily.com - The Many Unusual Looking Buildings On Earth

"In Maine, there aren't many jobs that scream out 'math and science,"' said Cook, who lives in Etna, in the central part of the state. Yes, both topics are important, but "most parents are saying you're better off going to school for something there's a big need for."

There's a lot going on here, I think.

For one, I could discuss how tragically shortsighted people are. That's a common enough refrain though that I'm sick of saying it and ultimately don't think it matters because I don't think people care. The fact is that the majority never look outside their bubbles. The woman's very premise belies a lack of vision : "In Maine, there aren't many jobs..." Fuck Maine. Fuck your home town. We don't live in a world anymore where many people can expect to get a job locally and stay there for their whole life. So when you're discussing education, it's irrelevant to base the conversaion primarily on the needs of a small locality. Yes, i'm considering a state to be a small locality because the market isn't my town and your town anymore. It's the whole planet, give or take a few countries.

Mrs. Cook has a pragmatic notion of educating towards jobs, but completely misunderstands the big picture. In the future, what will there be a big need for? I'm not precient, but I'm pretty sure we're not going to see a *decreased* need for analytical thinkers. Of course, it's possible that the jump I made -- "math and science education" to "critical thinking" -- is not obvious to people. I get the impression that people think of studying math and believe that it's basically only useful if you want to sit in an office or a lab alone struggling with the mysteries of the universe.

Truly, I'm not a biased geek. I hated math as a student and right up until my first day of college I spent 10 times as many hours writing as i did working problems. I loved science in many ways, so I chose Physics in college (and was woefully unprepared for it), in contrast to what I had always been skilled at.

I'm not going to sit here and argue that we need more math and science either, because I reject the notion that quantity is a relevant factor. The goal of pre-college education is, presumably, to provide a baseline amount of knowledge for people that ought to let them move in any direction they want. There are only so many hours available in which to achieve that goal and for me to argue for more of those hours to be spent in math and science is to argue that less should be spent in english, music, history. That's not something I'm comfotable doing.

I'm coming to believe that the very structure of our educational system is flawed. I am not an educator, and haven't studied alternatives, but when I think back to 6-12 grade education I find the analysis unpleasant. I see an overly rigid curriculum that emphasizes specific facts over general capability, memorization over analysis and which provided little prac... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ]

CNN.com - Parents don't see a crisis over science and math - Feb 15, 2006

test your light sabre skillz, fanboys.

Use the force