CDarwin

If an angry, nationalist, unified Iran is what's in Israel's best interests. Because that's what they'll get if they strike a nuclear facility, and it won't set Iran's nuclear project back that much in the first place. What it will do is convince Iran that it needs nuclear weapons.

How does anthropology hook up with molecular and cell biology so closely? And "geosciences" really should have been split up. Just because there aren't a lot of researchers in the earth sciences doesn't mean they don't do a big variety of things. It's everything from paleontology to cartography.

It's a little long. They'd have to make quite a few laps at the Olympics to finish Finlandia. Although I agree it is pretty much amazing. I love Sibelius.

One thing I didn't understand in that one: Why did the cells not "want" to lose lipids?

I don't believe punctuated equilibrium is about big changes as much as it is about rapid changes. The "big," macroevolutionary change is what happens before an equilibrium gets punctuated, leading to a new evolutionary radiation. Once split off this new radiation radiates rather rapidly into all sorts of different niches and adaptive regimes. Then parts of the radiation get pruned off and the rest fall into a sort of stasis. Punctuated equilibrium is all about that alternating rhythm of lull and frenzy. The classic example is the Cambrian 'Explosion,' but there are different interpretations as to how explosive that event actually was, now. You can still see a lot of demonstrations in primate evolution, though. Apes provide a good instance. They radiated out over three continents into all manner of niches available to large-medium sized primates, but then were pruned down into the piddling species today which have all have barely changed since the Pleistocene.

The Czech Republic's anthem is based off a better piece by Dvorak, too. I can't find a good version of it on YouTube, though.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GfTmjEDa-Kc&feature=related Interesting version of the old Hymn of the Soviet Union. http://youtube.com/watch?v=T2sx769Z538&feature=related Another very original/hilarious version. Trying to make Communism hip, I'd imagine. Oh, glasnost, how can't you make me laugh? Oh, I love Russian things just so much. I'm having Slavophilic spats. That wasn't the Confederate national anthem, either. It was Bonny Blue Flag, which is also a neat tune: I like Civil War era band music.

That one doesn't have the last bit that's in Czechoslovakia's national anthem. Apparently that was broken off and became Slovakia's. Here it is: http://youtube.com/watch?v=yNxeeSvhMNA&feature=related I always liked that part better than the "Czech" half, although I've heard it still played as part of the "Czech" anthem. It's probably complicated. And, Lords of Kobol, how I could I have forgotten Russia's.

What national anthem(s) do you find the most melodious and inspiring? My ranking, without extensive review: 1. Czech Republic 2. Hungary 3. United Kingdom 4. Israel 5. Germany I'd have to add Chechnya's to that list too if it was actually an independent country. They have a really good anthem. It almost makes me support Chechen separatism. Let's see if anyone else is as bizarre as I am and actually responds to this.

I'm not entirely sure if you're joking or not.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7465170.stm The Israelis have just finished a high profile military exercise over the Mediterranean which seems to foreshadow what an Israeli attack on an Iranian nuclear facility might look like. Do you think the Israelis are just flexing their muscles or is this a serious preparation for going into Iran? I heard another interesting suggestion: Olmert might be trying to create a crisis to bolster his own domestic support.

This does seem to be the first major issue on which Obama has made a decision on practical terms (I want to spend all this money) rather than on principle. But then, who likes an idealogue?

Haha, I like those musical entities more as you descend that list. It works perfectly. But really, Linkin Park and Bach? That's some bipolar disorder there.

You're all petaQ. Well, except Reaper. tlhIngan maH!

I put it in so I could answer my own survey. I am on the track to learning Russian, though. I can say Zdrastvutya. And Kak dyela. See? Almost there. Ach, where's the Babelfish.

Hmph. That's an interesting notion. You'd have to finagle it constitutionally because the Federal government can't tax one place more than any other, but it seems like it might be workable.

Oooh. Thank you.

But that's not what US politicians are talking about. We do drill for domestic oil, just not where it's still abundant. Honestly, I tend to agree that we probably should be drilling in Alaska more, but the US hit peak oil in the 1970s and there is nothing that ANWR can do about that. EDIT: Oops, I didn't see the "all." We seem to agree pretty perfectly then, and without me even having to make a pedantic correction. Yay.

Biofuels are almost as big a crock as ANWR, though.

I don't see any Southern Appalachian region going for Barack Obama. That's where he's always done poorly and honestly, he might as well not even campaign there (here). He can still win states with regions in Appalachia (like North Carolina or Virginia) just because of the fact that biggest part of the population lives elsewhere. West Virginia and Tennessee have the largest proportions of their populations in Appalachian regions and he couldn't win them anyway, so there's not much point to choosing a West Virginian running-mate and thinking that is going to bring in any votes. Maybe I'm wrong and West Virginia will surprise me, though. I know Tennessee won't.

I've actually always wondered if the number of active members stays relatively constant over long periods. Obviously the number of registered members increases, but most of those don't post more than a few times, and active members drop off periodically. Don't worry, I'll be here, until, well, 2012 apparently.

According to the Expelled people, because it was a "private screening," which it wasn't. If we're not given a truthful explanation, then I don't see where we can go but assume this was a ham-handed attempt to keep early criticisms of the film to a minimum. Did you actually gather any evidence that JZ Myers was a 'total jerk' before assuming it based on the impeccable judgment of Motive Media?

Obama would probably let it happen, though, if Congress tried. That's the difference I suppose, one of willpower.

I've got Supreme Commander and enjoy it, but haven't gotten that far. I've really been looking at Sins of a Solar Empire. I wonder if it is worth getting (and if I'd have time to play it).

I'll paraphrase: Anything you can see is micro-evolution!!! It's different!!! And We have scientists too, so we know!!!