Be prepared for your maps to be meaningless — in about 50 million years.
Scientists predict that the continents will meet, once again becoming a supercontinent. They’re calling it “Amasia,” but surely someone will think of a better name by then — assuming some form of humanity still exists at that time.
Geologists believe that, over billions of years, these shifting plates have driven the continents together periodically, creating the hypothesised supercontinents of Nuna 1.8 billion years ago, Rodinia a billion years ago, and then Pangaea 300 million years ago.
Just imagine the civilizations that may have come and gone over the lifetime of the Earth. The time of humans is truly amazing; we’ve accomplished to much in so little time, but in terms of geologic time, we are merely a blink of the eye.
Humbling…
This is our daily open thread — How is your day going?
Here’s one for the records:
Al Qaeda leader backs Syrian revolt against Assad
You know it’s bad when Al Qaeda supports the overthrow of a murderous fanatical religious tyrant.
Perhaps he has exceeded even their low standards.
In other news: Whitney Houston checks into the Beverly Hilton Hotel and then checks out permanently.
Cause of death unclear.
Welcome to the Hotel California.
While it’s sad when someone so young (48) dies from any cause, I’ve never been a fan of Whitney Houston’s work. Unfortunately, now I’ve got “I Will Always Love You” stuck in my head. Help!
This works for me. Of course, Dolly Parton wrote it and recorded it a year earlier than Linda, but this is the version that I hear, when I think of the song. It was around for 17 years before Whitney got hold of it.
Recorded during a period when I would have crawled through broken glass for one kiss from Linda Ronstadt. If we include the Stone Poneys (and I do) would narrow it down to a timeframe between 1967 and 1983 or so.
Lots of lovely pictures on that video.
Dolly Parton sang it first, and, in my opinion, better.
On the other hand, Ms. Huston did have a talented voice. She will be missed.
House, for some reason, your post wasn’t showing when I wrote my comment. I didn’t know Linda Ronstadt recorded it as well.
I think Dolly wrote it, didn’t she?
Maybe I’m invisible!
BnF didn’t see me, and neither did Zooey, apparently.
Sowwy…
invisible…with liberty and just-us for all!
Yesterday afternoon I went to an exhibit of a local artist’s paintings. The artist is one of the Pawling Dems group, and I’ve met her a couple of times, most recently at the holiday party that Wayne and I attended.
The exhibit is being held at a local library, but yesterday there was to be a reception for the artist. I was among the first to arrive, even before the artist herself. People straggled in, admired and discussed the paintings, chatted with the artist, etc. Suddenly I heard someone ask, “Did you see the bumpersticker that said :’Read a, um, blank-ing book’?” D’oh! I had completely forgotten that one of my bumperstickers says “READ A FUCKING BOOK!” I had to confess, “Oh, jeez, sorry, that’s mine”, thinking that people were offended by it. Luckily, everyone laughed and said how appropriate it was to see it in a library parking lot!
You go, girl.
I still have my Obama 08 bumper sticker on my car and my “Save Medicare Vote Democratic” bumper sticker. I put the stickers on my back window that way I can easily remove them. I’m considering getting a “I ride Inside” cat bumper sticker.
We had a president that read two books once upon a time.
I think one was “The Pet Goat”, the other was the bible.
He gave up on the second one after the first few pages but thought that the paper it was made of was pretty cool so he used it for rolling.
All other books were read to him as bedtime stories prior to being tucked in by pickles.
A commenter at Kos has a tag line under the comment:
If cats could blog, they wouldn’t.
I disagree. Cats wouldn’t blog for free. Sweeten the deal with some cat treats and more attention when they want it, and cats would blog their tails off!
Well that does it, I’m throwing out all cat treats and getting rid of the computer. My Smokey’s tail is too important to lose, I catch him by the tail when I want him and he insists I play with his tail (and rub his sides) before he eats.
Right now Smokey is sleeping on a chair next to mine and every so often (if its been too long since I petted him) he flicks his tail to touch me (he’s too lazy to open his eyes) and remind me he’s still there and needy!
Shoot, I didn’t realize that I was suppose to get treats for blogging. Hey, Zooey, when can I expect my paycheck?
Talk to Shayne. She’s in charge of payroll.
Srsly, I think she strapped the checks to the back of a turtle…
Kevin Drum’s cats have been blogging for years. Every Friday.
And The Zoo’s cat is blogging every Monday.
Kittens Against Mittens
Leftside Annie’s new page, forced on her by her cat overlords. Join up if you’re on facebook!
I don’t know. I have several cat Twitter friends who rat out their humans all the time. Very entertaining.
I emailed the artist the link to my “Reflections” thread from October that had some of my pond photos, as the subjects seemed to be of the type that she likes to paint. She really liked them, and gave me a link to some of her own ‘reflections’ paintings, some of which weren’t at the exhibit: http://www.lindapuiatti.com/LindaPuiatti3/Pt2WaterReflections.htm
She does nice art. Beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing. It was nice to see all the “sold” signs next to the pictures.
Beautiful!!
I wonder if I can find one that reads, “Read a fucking Kindle!”?
Or “Read a fucking Nook or Read a fucking iPad”. There are so many electronic readers available now. I enjoy reading novels on my Nook and it I want to read something for educating myself, I still prefer the paper copy.
I found that electronic textbooks were useless to me. I needed the paper book in front of me, so I could physically go back and forth between pages.
Reading books for pleasure is great on the Kindle.
The next super continent would more appropriately be named after America and North-East Asia:
AmNeSia.
(ducks out the door)
No need to run away, BnF, but yes, that was a groaner!
I was thinking the same for a name. It would not be able to remember any of the crap we put it through.
See? I was thinking about doing an ‘amnesia’ joke in my post, but I knew one of you would run with it.
or did you just forget?
Ha ha, nice one.
But no, I didn’t forget.
I do have a couple of questions about the map. Where did Central America go? And Antarctica?
Antarctica is at 2 o’clock on the map, and a balmy 60 degrees.
I thought that was India. You know, that hunk of land sticking its head up the Himalayas butt?
I was thinking India was spooned up into Africa there at three o’clock, but could be wrong.
In any event, the poles could have shifted by then, and/or it could all become one big snowball.
We’ll just have to wait and see.
Moon Unit News at 11:00…
I wonder if all that land mass gathered together will make Earth wobbly (like an unbalance load in the washing machine) and cause it to change it’s orbit around the sun. How can I ever sleep again with that to worry about?
We already are wobbly. Vega will be the North Star in about 40k years.
Question: what if the changing climate causes an evolutionary change to bring back dinosaurs & giant insects?
Sleep well, pachy….
Blobby Newts,
in lunar suits;
who’s to blame,
they still dispute.
Imagine a high tide at about 900 feet.
Happy Birthday, Charlie!
Found this funny video through the Twitter. Now I can’t stand John Kasich any more than any of you, but this compilation of his State of the State speech down to 6 minutes is funny. And read the short credits at the end.
via: http://www.plunderbund.com/2012/02/11/sht-john-kasich-says-state-of-the-state-edition/
John Kasich’s second State of the State speech lasted some 90 minutes and meandered among many topics. We thought we would save our readers some time and just give you the best parts. The upside? You save 84 minutes! The downside? The hilarity is over in 6.
We give you Shit John Kasich Says: State of the State Edition!
Wow!
That’s like BadLipReading only better.
“I saw a race between a statue and a glacier and the glacier won”
I find it funny when someone like Kasich refers to the left, progressive, forward thinking citizens as “whack-a-dooles”. He must have been looking in the mirror when he committed those words to memory.
California would welcome him with open arms///
The Republics need to get up really early in the morning to beat Obama and his messaging. Michelle Obama will be spending Thursday in Florida in the Hispanic community.
David Gregory does a nice job on Ron Paul here. I really hate it when Paul calls taxes “theft.” Are all in this thing together, are we not?
Can’t listen or watch the bozo!
His ‘talking points’ are so destructive to this country..
He’s never really said where or how the money to run the country would come from after all the Cabinets; safety-nets and taxes were eliminated.
Bill Moyers interviews Bruce Bartlett.
This explains how the Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich types generate such a following.
http://www.truthout.org/bill-moyers-where-right-went-wrong/1328974045
He might consider taxes theft, but what does he consider all the Medicare and Medicaid payments that he received? The money to pay for his piss poor doctoring came from taxes. He must have been a terrible doctor because the good doctors continue with providing optimal patient care. There is a saying in the non-profit services that the only people that make it to the position of director are those that can’t make it on their own in the for-profit world. I have the same feeling about doctors that become politicians.
I agree, Cats. It’s startling how many repiggie politicians are former doctors — and it’s probably best they’re no longer doctors.
Whitney Houston: Another death by prescription medication and alcohol
What a sad end. I wouldn’t be surprised if she stopped breathing before she went under water.
Who are these doctors who are prescribing drugs to addicts?
If they find water in her lungs, then she drowned. These addicting prescription drugs are covered by insurance yet the self-righteous want to ban insurance payment for non-addicting, non lethal, birth control. Barbituates, sedatives, and hypnotics are legal. They are highly addicted and VERY dangerous. Yet marijuana which is non addictive remains illegal. I have yet to hear of someone that died from a marijuana overdose.
I agree 100%. I just spoke to my sister who said there’s never a shortage of these type of prescription drugs while other life saving medications have run short.
As far as ODing on marijuana, I’ve tried on several occasions (never in the bathtub) and only got hungry or fell asleep!
It’s easy to get these drugs. All one needs to do is doctor hop. Once all doctors become members of electronic records, then it will become less easy to get this mixture of drugs.
I have a feeling that anyone who has money will still be able to get what they want.
It’s sad.
And easy for doctors to confidently provide pain medications to people who are really in pain.
Hmm, “Lorazepam” sounds like my generic version of Xanax, Alprazolam” – just with the letters scrambled.
Juan Cole: Top Ten Catholic Teachings Santorum Rejects while Obsessing about Birth Control
That was a very insightful piece that Juan wrote. Thanks for the link.
Cloud tsunami
It’s cold in Florida!
It’s cold in Alabama too. It was 20 when I got up. I have a fire in the woodstove for only the second time this winter.
Those are cool pictures the way the fog ‘breaks’ over the hotels like waves.
It was 20 here as well, doesn’t feel much warmer now either.
It was in the teens in the sticks of PA. Winter has finally arrived. We also had snow, about 2 inches. This was “lake effect” snow which never accumulates to much in SE PA. It comes along with the Alberta Clipper which is making today too miserable to go outside.
Back during my previous life in San Diego we would see the same effect fairly often when the sea-fog rolled in.
Here on the frozen tundra we are going to see our third day in a row with subfreezing temps. I guess global warning really is a hoax after all.
How did we fall so far/fast?
When JFK was running for president it was necessary for him to reassure the nation that he would not be unduly influenced by his Catholic Faith. Now? We have a sizable minority of the electorate who demand the “right” to dictate policy, to a Christian president no less, based on their Faith alone. Back when I was young I really didn’t think that was a problem that we would be dealing with today. I guess the old axiom, that people really don’t learn very well from the mistakes of others, is true and our fellow citizens are going to have to learn the horrors of theocracy first hand.
Before we get to that point, I fear we will learn the horrors of aristocracy, and its overthrow.
At least some form of totalitarianism.
My dad’s Aunt Hilda was 90-ish when JFK was elected in 1960, and she was positive that following his inauguration she’d no longer be allowed to attend her Lutheran church, would be forced to go to mass instead. I was in college at the time, and all of us who lived in the same dorm corridor figured that by the time we were ‘old’, there would be no more churches of any kind around anywhere, no more religion to worry about. Now that we’re all old, we can say with alacrity that we were fucking WRONG! Man, were we EVER wrong! Fer Chrissake, there are more religious nuts out there today than there were in 1960, even!
I have a hunch that it’ll take several more centuries for humankind to rid itself of its theological heritage and baggage — unless it extincts itself in the meantime, of course (probably a fairly likely scenario).
“there are more religious nuts out there today”
That’s because in the 1960′s they were institutionalized. Reagan helped build up the conservative base by cutting funding for mental hospitals forcing the facilities to reduce their patient load. Instead of being where they can receive needed help these crazies have taken over the republicon party.
Time to get to work. Laters, all!
I have an idea for a skit I would like to share. I’m going to work more blue than I generally do for comedic effect. Scene: A amateur journalist conducting impromptu interviews at a teabagging event.
Reporter: Sir! You seem really worked up. May I ask you why you’re here?
Teabagger: I hate the fuckin’ government!
Reporter: Why do you hate the government?
Teabagger: They’re taking away our fuckin’ freedoms!
Reporter: What freedoms do you think the government has taken away?
Teabagger: They raised our fuckin’ taxes! They took our fuckin’ lightbulbs! They make us be fuckin’ politically correct! They are pro fuckin’ union! They give deadbeats money for fuckin’ nothing! They! They!! They!!!
Reporter: That’s O.K., sir. I think I understand your complaints. I do have one last question: What do you do for a living?
Teabagger: I’m a fuckin’ U.S. Senator! you fuckin’ idiot!!!
That’s humorous and not too far off the mark!
I’m going to work more blue than I generally do for comedic effect.
Oh, you meant more vulgar. My first thought was you meant more liberal. You ought to send that to Lewis Black. I think he’d use it.
Arrrggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!
My sewing machine has officially bitten the fucking dust. It’s only 35 years old, god dammit.
I’ll be ripping out the horrible seam it left in its death rattle. Dammit!
What, you don’t have a foot treadle Singer?
That is one fine sewing machine, pachy.
My mother-in-law had one, and it worked. I used to use it to repair jeans. Once you get the coordination down between the feet and the hands, it’s rock and roll!
Interesting then that the seam I was working on was a flat felled seam — the kind that hold blue jeans together. Boo.
We still have one. Should I bring it along with us this summer when we visit the West Coast.
No sense adding the weight to the load, Cats. I need another machine ASAP, so I’m researching machines online now.
I appreciate the thought!
You mention weight and heavy weight it is. The machine is cast iron.
I will resist the temptation. You could probably sell it in a heartbeat on Craig’s list.
My mum had a pretty old foot treadle Singer, but it was cleverly built into a table so that one could fold it away and use the table as, well, a table.
My former mother-in-law said her machine (built into a table as well) was mine when she’s gone.
Think I’ll still get it?
I feel your pain! Damned inconvenient of the machine to die of old age!
Check Craig’s list for a sewing machine. Some of the old Singers are still running smoothly!
Just one on Craig’s list: a Bernina for $650.
That’s a great machine, but I’m not paying that much when I can get a decent one for $300.
I have a Bernina. They are the best. Right now, it is sitting in it’s case gathering dust.
When we first moved into this house, I made all the drapes and curtains. Now, I don’t have time for sewing. There was a time that I made a really good salary and that is the reason that I had money to purchase items such as a Bernina. Since I became self-employed, the income decreased significantly. I’m poor but I’m happy.
That’s the key isn’t it? Higher income does not necessarily equal happiness.
I bet those drapes and curtains are gorgeous. I’ve never tried something on that scale; just simple kitchen and bedroom curtains.
Ah. It’s amazing that it lasted that long.
It seems only industrial sewing machines are still made in America.
Too bad.
Actually, the drapes were Roman shades and they are easy to make. Too bad I don’t live closer. I would let you use my machine until you could get another one for yourself.
That’s so nice, Cats. Critters are so kind and generous.
I think I’ve found a good machine online. I just need to think about it for a little while.
Hee, hee. That offer reminded me of the scene in The Birdman of Alcatraz where Telly Savalas tells Burt Lancaster that he can have Telly’s bird until he gets well, “Just a year or two”!
Zooey – is it possible to repair your machine or is it complete kapoot?
I’ve got it to where it will sew a seam that will hold, but I wouldn’t use it for anything that shows. I doubt I could get parts for the old girl.
I’ve decided on a new machine. I think it will be pretty nice, and the price was great.
GOP beating a dead horse.
What else is new? The sun came up this morning, water is wet, repiggies are obnoxious assholes…
How’d I miss this one? Proof positive that Ron Paul is, truly and yea verily, a genuine piece of shit.
Zooey – there are McCall’s and Simplicity patterns, among these photographic gems:
MEN’S JUMP SUITS 1970s
That’s hawt.
BRITISH GRAND PRIX, 1971
AUTO-POLO, CONEY ISLAND, 1913
That #20 car is a low budget operation! (British Grand Prix)
Governor Corbett is destroying Pennsylvania and the media says nothing.
This makes me sick to my stomach.
*puke*
Those poor kids…
That’s our governor. He is about as sleezy as they come. At least Walker is in your face with his crap. Corbett, on the other hand, is like a Dick Cheney. Sneaky and dirty.
I don’t know how the GOP fell for this one.
Joke Scarborough, made an ass of himself on Meet the Press today, claiming Sullivan was wrong about Obama having planned this ahead of time. Then, he said the GOP should be very careful not to get branded as the anti-contraception party. Sounds like they are in a trap, all right.
I will concede a small claim of Santorum’s, that the corporations that self-insure might technically pay for contraceptives, but since they contract the administration of their health plan to an Aetna, BC/BS, or United Healthcare, etc., I don’t see how they should get to be any different from other corporations’ plans. The point the administration is making is that it should be the patient’s choice, not the employer’s, and no one is forcing birth control on any woman that doesn’t want it.
If you look carefully, there are many traps that Obama has set and the Republics are just beginning to step into them. My guess is that this is why they are resorting to their old scare tactics. They have nothing else except maybe their guns and their bibles.
I doubt Obama does anything without thinking it through five or six steps. By now, he knows which holes the repiggies will step into, and he is a master at playing them as fools.
Lying bitch.
I’d like to hear what Cecile Richards has to say about this nonsense.
60 Minutes had a segment on a cancer researcher at Duke University who submitted fraudulent data about his research. SGK funds Duke, $599K in 2011. It will be interesting to see what SGK does about Duke’s funding.
I’m much happier donating directly to Planned Parenthood. Cut out the “middleman” or “middlewoman” in this case. I stopped donating to anything that touts, “the cure” because these organizations would be out of millions of dollars if a cure is found.
Why would Planned Parenthood cut such a “ladies” agreement deal? There wasn’t anything in it for Planned Parenthood so why should PP remain silent. It’s so easy to see through their lies.
Jeebus, TP has a thread live-blogging the Grammy Awards. WTF? So I left this comment there:
“Amazing – TP didn’t even live-blog all of the Republican debates (WE did at TheZoo!), yet they’re live-blogging a music-awards show?!
TP, are you planning to live-blog the Westminster Kennel Club Show, too? Oh, probably not, since we’re not allowed to use the word ‘b!tch’ here.”
Meow!!
Hey, I’ll be watching the WKC show live, but at least I won’t be live-blogging it. Wayne and I usually try to catch it, or as much of it as possible.
I just don’t understand WTF is the point of live-blogging the Grammy Awards? What does it have to do with politics – or most people’s lives? And I HAD to rub it in that WE covered all of the R debates!!
What’s the WKC show?
Maybe TP is trying to turn itself into Huffington Post? Blech.
Westminster Kennel Club
Oh, okay. Thanks.
The men and I watched that once a few years ago. Pretty cool.
I’ve lost my login at TP. It’s my Hotmail ID, and I can’t remember it. I have it written down somewhere, but I haven’t found it yet. It’s not that important anymore. Maybe once I get a fancy enough phone that I can comment from work during the day, I’ll want to find it.
I’ve done that with my logins at a couple of sites, even here. I started keeping a physical copy of my different passwords and refer to them when I have one of my “senior moments”.
Its currently 32 degrees here and I’m heading upstairs to the heat until tomorrow. My neighbor told me that there were ice cycles hanging from the roof that covers the barn where the mice are bred at the mouse farm. Unfortunately there are no walls on the bard and the wind in combination with the cold has killed several thousand mice. No deliveries this week.
:
Poor mousies. No tarps?
Stay warm, pachy!
Greatest Note Ever Left On a Dented Car
Revenge is a dish best served cold…
Santorum: ‘I would overturn’ any Supreme Court ruling same-sex marriage legal
Yeah, pRicky? How does a future presidunce (dream on) go about doing such a thing? Go on, speak up!
I’ve been working on a briefer version of my Santorum thread from Thursday for this week’s Pawling Press column. Unfortunately, my thread was over 2,000 words, so I can’t use the vast majority of it. I picked a couple of quotes from his ‘victory’ speech, and added a few more, and I STILL had to cut some out. I have two more quotes to write responses to (the ‘guillotine’ one and one where Santorum says that Obama wants Iran to get nukes) and at this point I’ll have to limit myself to about 50 words for each, so as to allow for a brief wrap-up at the end. (sigh) I wish I could include more of Rantorum’s idiocies, including this ‘overturning’ a Supreme Court ruling, but…
Wayne said I should make it a two-parter, having it continue next week, but I don’t want to commit myself (in public!) to the second part. Ya never know what’s gonna come up in the meantime that I may want to write about instead.
Right now I’m calling it a night – gotta go dry my hair and get some sleep.
Goodnight, all!
Good luck with that, Jane.
Goodnight!
Found on facebook — awesome!
That was great!
One tracked minds. The antagonist points out that with their logic masturbation would be considered murder the protesters facial expression then “I’m not here about masturbation” was pure gold!