They've been finding fabulous fossils all over the place recently. What's going on?
[An Nahar] The fossilized remains of a giant pelican-like bird dating back some 35 million years have been uncovered in Peru's Ica desert, paleontologists said Friday.
Klaus Honninger, who heads the team that made the find, said the bird resembled a giant pelican that stood more than two meters (6.6 feet) tall dating from the Oligocene epoch.
The Oligocene, part of the Paleogene Period, spanned from 40 million years to 23 million years before present day, and was marked by the extinction of numerous species, a general cooling and increased aridity.
"The fossil clearly retains remnants of skin. It is an extraordinary discovery because no similar specimen has been discovered anywhere else in the world before," Honninger said.
The discovery was made in the coastal desert of the Ica region on March 6. The site is popular among paleontologists for its abundance of whale, shark and penguin fossils.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Evolutionary adaptation, babies were significantly larger during this pre-turnip era.
#2
Funny thing about a Pelican. His beak can hold more than his bellycan.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/17/2013 10:43 Comments ||
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#3
Somebody's been reading poetry again.... ;-p
Posted by: Barbara ||
03/17/2013 11:18 Comments ||
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#4
The wombat lives across the seas,
Among the far Antipodes.
He may exist on nuts and berries,
Or then again, on missionaries;
His distant habitat precludes
Conclusive knowledge of his moods,
But I would not engage the wombat
In any form of mortal combat.
#6
"Ploffskin, Pluffskin, Pelican jee!
"We think no Birds so happy as we!
"Plumpskin, Ploshkin, Pelican jill!
"We think so then, and we thought so still!"
A SWAT team in upstate New Yawk is being mocked as an example of the difference between military and police wannabe training after an officer was captured peering through a ass-backwards sight on his Mark Kelly style
combat rifle.
As users on the military Reddit were quick to point out [once they quit laughing]
when the image was posted, the reverse sight makes it effectively useless. Users mocked the SWAT officers training and many some went so far as to question the motives of some of the men serving in local law enforcement.
The officer is using a 'military style' assault weapon with a close quarters combat sight that costs roughly $500. 'It's disturbing but humorous
to think that 1) none of his alleged
buddies corrected it, and 2) he's in a real-life situation with his optic on ass-backwards, which means he's never fired that rifle with the optic on it, which means it isn't zeroed and he thought it was OK to show up to a gunfight with an unzeroed weapon,' wrote one Reddit user.
#5
How do you survive a shot to the forehead?
Once a bullet hits bone, it takes on a path of its own, sometimes straight ahead, sometimes in a radically different direction. It is more than likely the skull was not broken, or the brain was not lacerated or penetrated, or the concussive effect of the impact did not cause a loss of brain function / seizure / loss of consciousness. Sometimes a shot to the head simply cuts a furrow in the scalp or tunnels just underneath it. Also recall that patients can have frontal lobotomies and still retain a fair amount of brain function.
#7
"upon his immediate recovery from his injuries, he exhibited a severe personality change, anti-social, unable to use logic or arithmetic, and unable to work, he became a precinct captain for the Obama campaign"
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/17/2013 14:10 Comments ||
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#8
Also, remember the late Dr. Michael Halberstam. He was shot at home by a jewel thief; as he was dying, he got into his car and ran over the thief as the thief tried to get way. The thief has been in prison for a while.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
03/17/2013 14:34 Comments ||
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God help us with the upstate New Yawk SWAT team....
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
03/17/2013 16:46 Comments ||
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#11
Real men don't wear Kevlar, they're bad for foto ops. See how dorky the fellow in the lower portion of the foto appears? [Kevlar w/chinstrap fastened, ballistic glasses, low profile, crouching, using vehicle as cover...wat a woos]
#12
Somebody in the Daily Mail comments said that he had one of these, and they work turned either way. Others said that guy was nuts. Anyone here have any insight?
My insight is that it shouldn't be possible to put the sight on backwards, if it will not work that way. Back to the drawing board for the manufacturer.
[An Nahar] Fighting between rival factions of Congolese rebel group M23 has sent hundreds of people, including many rebels, fleeing for neighboring Rwanda, where the leader of one faction has been detained, Rwandan officials said Saturday.
Rwandan Foreign Minister and government spokeswoman Louise Mushikiwabo confirmed that 600 fighters were among the influx of people that crossed into her country late Friday and early Saturday.
"The soldiers and officers from DR Congo that have entered Rwanda have been disarmed and detained. Several wounded among them are receiving treatment with assistance from the Red Cross," she said.
The fighters include M23's ex-political leader Jean-Marie Runiga, whose faction has been fighting rivals loyal to the rebel group's military chief, Sultani Makenga, since March 9.
Runiga has reportedly been detained separately away from the Rwandan refugee camp for his own safety and has requested to go to Uganda.
Speaking to journalists in Rwanda on Saturday, Runiga said: "I am here because the situation on the ground has worsened.... I preferred to stay alive."
A Rwandan military spokesman said the army was "handling (the refugees) under the international law, we disarmed them upon arrival and separated the fighters from civilians."
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2013 00:00 ||
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[FRANCE24] Counting is now underway after Zimbabweans voted in a key referendum on Saturday over whether to adopt a new constitution that would curb President Robert Mugabe's powers and lead to new elections.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2013 00:00 ||
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[UPI] Venezuela has decided not to embalm the body of late President Hugo Chavez and put it on display, the government's information minister says.
In a Twitter message, Ernesto Villegas said embalming had been ruled out after Russian medical advisers said the body would have to be transported to Russia and remain there for several months, CNN reported Friday.
Acting President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday the embalming process was "quite difficult and that the decision "should have been taken much earlier."
That is to say, before the body was half rotted away.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
You could display his head?
Or as muchBody as is left.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
03/17/2013 1:59 Comments ||
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#2
What about a glass fronted deep freeze? Nope, you need a reliable power source for that.
Ummm...
Madame Tussaud to the white courtesy phone, please.
[An Nahar] The United States is ready to abandon the final phase of its European missile defense system, a U.S. official said Saturday, in a move that could revive arms control talks with Russia.
As part of plans announced Friday to deploy more anti-missile batteries in Alaska to thwart potential strikes from North Korea, the United States intends to "restructure" its missile defense program in Europe, an administration official said.
President Barack Obama's plan for Europe had envisaged SM-3 interceptors on land and sea that would be upgraded and improved over four stages.
The final phase of the missile-killing interceptor, known as SM-3 IIB, was due to be deployed within about 10 years in Poland and possibly Romania, with a more powerful booster rocket and other advanced hardware.
But the final phase "is being restructured due to congressional funding cuts and changing technology," the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse.
"The goal is to research what alternative there could be to the original SM-3 IIB plan," the official said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
Given the immediate threat just said the 'cease fire' accord is over, going on the offense and destroy the threat now would save a lot of money. And it fits Obama's desire to reduce our own nuclear arsenal. Better to use it than lose it.
#2
As per the DPRK, TOPIX > NORTH KOREA SAYS NUCLEAR PROGRAM NOT A BARGAINING CHIP FOR AID, SLAMS [hostile] US POLICY.
NOKOR = JONG-UN? = We're all Iranians now???
versus
* KYODO NEWS > NORTH KOREA SAYS JAPAN NO EXCEPTION TO NUKE FIRST-STRIKE POLICY, iff the wily dastardly US-n-only-the-US ever starts a Nuclear War. NOKOR also reserves its right to strike at any each + all REGIONAL MILBASES whose Govts. is deemed by NOKOR as being allied to the US.
Guam-CNMI? Diego Garcia? Philippines?
* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > JAPANESE SCHOLARS: NORTH KOREA'S MOSTLY OBSOLETE AIRFORCE + SURFACE NAVY UNLIKELY TO PREVAIL AGZ JAPAN'S SDF + INTERVENING US MILITARY FORCES [ROK?]UNLESS NORTH KOREA ATTACKS JAPAN FIRST IN PREEMPTIVE STRIKE. "HIT-AND-RUN" ATTACKS AGZ JSDF AND US BY NORTH KOREAN LR AIR AND NAVAL POWER INCLUDING SUBMARINES.
IIUC, not unlike "MIG ALLEY" during the first Korean War, the NOKORS will likely strike in high-speed predatory sorties before just as quickly runing back home, BUT WIDOUT ANY DECISIVE OR OVERWHELMING EFFECT ON LOCAL OR THEATER US-ALLIED OR UNCOM SUPERIORITY???
Read, UNLESS CHINA + PLA INTERVENES ON NORTH KOREA'S SIDE.
* SAME > RUSSIA KEY TO ANY US NAVAL BLOCKADE OR CONTAINMENT OF CHINA IN NORTH ASIA.
FYI NEWS = JAPAN REPOR HAS ONCE AGAIN SCRAMBLED JASDF FIGHTERS TO INTERCEPT INTRUDING RUSSIAN BOMBERS.
Once again, IMO despite the on-going Senkakus/Diaoyus Crisis China still desires AMAP ASAP to have Japan move over to its camp = nuclear unbrella instead of the US. Also, that China desires to keep Russia neutral = out of any mil conflict invol the US-Japan.
#1
Mattress stuffing has always been a viable option. I just haven't figured out how to come up with the 5% interest contribution to stuff in every year after that. Maybe I could rob other people's mattresses.
#2
A run on ATM's and banks? Gee, we've never seen that before. [0sarc off]
No "matching" in matching 401K. No interest on CD. No interest on savings deposit. No guns or ammo available. Massive correction of market overdue. Rate of inflation rising. Obama - "National Debt of no immediate concern".
#3
Some lessons learned:
Spread whatever wealth you have as thinly as possible; multiple banks, multiple names on accounts, cash stashes, precious metals... I would even limit safety Deposit Boxes since those may not be privtae soon. The overseers will control by balance ranges, as in this article, (to minimize panic) and only allow small withdrawls from each account/institution.
#4
You will not be allowed to have wealth as it's been stolen, and the politically connected are going to make sure they keep theirs and you keep nothing.
In a dogfight of defence contractors, the hunter can quickly become the hunted. It's happening now to the F-35.
The knives are out. I'll leave it to the pilots here at the Burg and elsewhere to debate the merits of each plane. But the F-35 had better be a lot better than the F-18 to justify the price tag.
The world's largest defence contractor, Lockheed Martin, is trying to convince wavering U.S. allies -- including Canada -- to stick with its high-tech, high-priced and unproven F-35 stealth fighter. But the F-35 is way behind schedule, way over budget and, now, it's grounded by a mysterious crack in a turbine fan.
After years of technical problems, it's a tempting target for Lockheed Martin's rivals. It's no surprise, then, that the No. 2 defence contractor, Boeing, smells blood.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/17/2013 00:00 ||
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#1
But the F-35 had better be a lot better than the F-18 to justify the price tag.
That is in comparison not just in performance and maintenance, but against what real world threat. Hyping Chinese prototypes and potential is an old game, played with the Soviets for decades, of those who want to expend resource in their own little bureaucratic empire.
#2
Hyping Chinese prototypes and potential is an old game, played with the Soviets for decades
That these ploys have such resonance is the consequence of the destruction of the entire Far East Air Force in the Philippines at the beginning of WWII. The Canadians are a special case, since they don't really have to spend a dime on their own defense - they know Uncle will provide. But the US will need a qualitative edge since many of our engagements will be thousands of miles away from the continental US, with all the delays in resupply that entails. The Japanese gave us fits with an economy 1/10 ours in WWII. The Chinese will reach overall parity in the next couple of decades, when their nominal GDP per capita is 25% ours. Their per capita GDP is already 11% of ours. (This compares to 1.6% of ours back in 1979, when China began to phase out Communism in the economic sphere).
#3
Relying upon Chinese published figures can lead to the same false conclusions that the CIA had relying upon official Soviet figures only to be surprised by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Then again, Washington has taken the same tack in manipulating data for public consumption with the problem that even the inner policy makers believe their own lies.
#4
The F-35 had better be freakin' invulnerable at those prices.
No one will be able to afford to risk one where our enemies will be throwing cheaper aircraft at us instead.
Reminds me of an old interview with a Tiger tank commander. When asked what he thought of the much cheaper, poorer quality Shermans he sorted and said "My Tiger was worth TEN Shermans!" he paused, looked down and said, "But there always seemed to be that eleventh Sherman..."
Having a few dozen aircraft you cannot afford to risk (nor to fly) and a few dozen ships you cannot afford to risk (nor to operate) is a fast way to not have a military.
"We've got the best, highest-tech tools in the world! But um, we're not going to use them for anything. Wouldn't be prudent..."
#5
Compare the F-35 to the B1/B2/B52 world; the Bones and Buffs did all the heavy lifting, the B2 only was used for cherry picked missions. Same Silver Bullet idea.
Still haven't seen any real world fly off of the Marine's version against the Harrier; strongly suspect the maintenance of the F-35 in primitive areas will be a killer.
#6
Orion, that's what I've been wondering. I look at the comparison made in this article and extrapolate: would I rather have one squadron of F-35s or two and a half squadrons of F/A-18Fs? Let me assume that the pilots and ground crews are all equally good at what they do. Which would I rather have going up against an opponent in eastern or southern Asia?
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/17/2013 12:02 Comments ||
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#7
Or to say it another way: are we looking at a scenario in the future of Wildcats versus Zeroes if we stay with the F-18, as opposed to Hellcats versus Zeroes if we go with the F-35? That's an easy call despite the expense.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/17/2013 12:06 Comments ||
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#9
Yes, the F-18 F/G models provide a good capability at less cost than the F-35. It is surprising that the U.S. Air Force is permitting Boeing to make this argument without threatening to cut commitments to other Boeing programs.
Given the size of Canada physically and relatively small population, they need to have more planes rather than less. Further, the Canadians already have a bunch of CF-18's in service with associated infrastructure and training.
It is kind of like the argument over rifle caliber, does a 7.62 have better stopping power than a .223? Well, yes it does, but a .223 stops a lot better than nothing, which is what Canada will have if it sticks with the F-35 and is not prepared to double its budget for fighter aircraft over the next decade.
#10
Relying upon Chinese published figures can lead to the same false conclusions that the CIA had relying upon official Soviet figures only to be surprised by the collapse of the Soviet Union.
China is a capitalist country run by a Communist party that is communist only in the sense of the Leninist top-down party hierarchy - Marxism is a dead letter. It's become pre-democracy Taiwan's Nationalist Party, except with a much bigger anti-American streak. While the numbers are fudged to some extent, what's not fudged is the fact that GM's largest market outside of the US is China, not the EU. For a lot of major MNC's, their largest market for finished products outside of the US and the EU is now China. When you look at how China has developed, that really shouldn't be a big surprise. They've basically given anyone who manufactures in China access to their domestic markets, thereby keeping Chinese manufacturers honest. Capitalism works. And like every other capitalist country, China's economy is subject to booms and busts and major industrial unrest.
There's this unrealistic idea that any unrest or the suppression of unrest is a sign of weakness. I think that's seriously overstated. We had the Battle of Blair Mountain and Bonus Army imbroglio, and the Republic's still standing. Ultimately, we are dealing with the second coming of Imperial Japan, without the economic distortions that Japan's autarkic policies imposed on the country. If our policy remains to defend our Pacific military dependents (calling them allies is a stretch), we will have to step up our game. My best guess is that China will eventually become Taiwan in terms of per capita GDP, and that means it will have a bigger economy than the US and all of our Pacific allies put together. China's unstoppable economic rise, combined with its irredentist territorial ambitions are why I think we really need to back away from our policy of military welfare to the world or least to the Western Pacific.
During WWII, we lost 100K dead going up against Japan, an economy 1/10 our size. In Korea, we lost 40K dead going up against a Chinese economy about 1/20 of ours. Fighting the Chinese when their economy is bigger than ours will involve a bloodbath that may reach Civil War levels. At the very least, we need to have those "allies" start to take more responsibility for their own defense, including steps such as bringing their defense expenditures up to snuff, rather than slashing them as they've been doing for over two decades.
#11
ZF this time the Japanese will be on our side. Once the Straits of Malacca are closed (10 days) it will be a game of time unless the Russ are feeling lucky.
#12
Why wouldn't the Ruskies feel lucky? It would be the perfect opportunity to nip China's claim to Russia's NE. Land, being on the winning side, concessions: it's a no brainer I would think.
Posted by: Charles ||
03/17/2013 21:12 Comments ||
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[USATODAY] Indian police said they arrested five men Sunday in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss woman who was on a cycling vacation with her husband in central India.
All five men admitted to the attack, which occurred Friday night as the woman and her husband camped out in a forest in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh state, said D.K. Arya, a senior police officer. Another police officer said earlier that six men had been arrested.
"Yeah, we dunnit. What's the big deal?"
Arya said police were searching for two more men involved in the attack.
The couple told police that the woman had been raped by seven or eight men, but that it was dark and they could not be sure of the exact number, Arya said. They said the husband also was attacked by the men.
The woman, 39, was treated Saturday at a hospital in the nearby city of Gwalior and was released later that day, police said.
I have a girlfriend who spent months living on her own on the beach in her pajamas after being rejected by Mother Theresa -- Lizzy told the other novices that God would understand if they got up later for morning prayer -- while waiting for someone to send her money to get home to Peru. Nobody bothered her in any way, she said, because she was white. I guess things were different in the 1970s.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/17/2013 11:01 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
In a dogfight of defence contractors, the hunter can quickly become the hunted. It's happening now to the F-35.
