Monday Open Thread
Welcome to the Monday edition of your semi-daily open thread. You can use this thread to discuss which of the contributors you hate the most, the Lost finale or anything else that’s on your mind.
All I can say about this is it’s about friggin’ time.
Nicolaus Copernicus, the “heretical” 16th-century astronomer who was buried in an unmarked grave nearly 500 years ago, was rehabilitated by the Roman Catholic Church this weekend as his remains were reburied in the Polish cathedral where he had once been a canon.
The ceremonial reburial of Copernicus in a tomb in the medieval cathedral at Frombork on Poland’s Baltic coast is seen as a final sign of the Church’s repentance for its treatment of the scientist over his theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, declared heretical by the Vatican in 1616.
Copernicus, who lived from 1473 to 1543, died little-known at the age of 70 and was buried in an unmarked grave beneath the floor of the cathedral at Frombork. DNA tests five years ago identified his bones and skull by comparing them with hair found in his books kept at the University of Uppsala in Sweden.
Lots of cool science in this story, both ancient and modern. I find it amazing that a remains that are 500 years old can still be definitively identified.
Politico takes a look at Harry Reid’s other possible opponent, former state Rep. Sharron Angle. Reid’s campaign is apparently eager to take her on, and I think you’ll see why:
Democrats are eager to lump Angle together with other tea party candidates across the country — particularly amid the controversy Rand Paul has created with his comments about the Civil Rights Act.
And they believe an Angle win in the June 8 Nevada GOP primary would give them an appealing national narrative: that the Republicans’ November ticket across the country is filled with “extreme” candidates well outside the mainstream of American politics.
On her website — full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors — Angle declares: “Like a soldier going to war, I am fighting for my country, the Constitution and a free society.”
She wants to privatize Social Security; cut federal spending by hundreds of billions of dollars; build nuclear power plants inside Yucca Mountain; abolish the federal income tax and institute a “simpler, fairer, flatter tax system”; “defund Obamacare”; pull the United States out of the United Nations; ban nearly all abortions; get rid of the Energy and Education departments as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; and remove all campaign finance restrictions, requiring instead immediate reporting of donations.
Those teabaggers sure know how to pick candidates, don’t they? Steve Benen adds this:
The Las Vegas Review-Journal, a conservative paper, conducted a survey that identified Angle as the Nevada Assembly’s “Worst Member.” Twice.
Tags: Open Thread
Britain bans the doctor who falsely linked autism to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
The Onion AV Club on the Lost finale.
And in tanning and consumer protection news… http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/study-many-sunscreens-may-be-accelerating-cancer/19488158
Gulf of Mexico: “So long, and thanks for all the fish.”
5 weeks into the crisis: “If we find that they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing, we’ll push them out of the way,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
Really inspires confidence, doesn’t it? How many more weeks and thousands of barrels is it going to take until they suddenly find out that “they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing?” What are the American people going to do when they find out that the Obomba administration isn’t doing what they are supposed to be doing?
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0524/threatens-push-bp-way/
Who do you believe: Sestak or Obomba?
“Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner (N.Y.) called on the White House Monday to detail conversations it allegedly had with Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) to try to convince him to drop his Senate bid.
Weiner said allegations that White House officials had offered Sestak an administration job in exchange for his dropping his primary bid against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) had become a growing political liability.”
Which would have been illegal.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/99413-dem-lawmaker-urges-white-house-to-release-details-on-sestak-job-offer
who to believe??? Obama is not denying it.
Apparently Arizona could do worse than John McCain:
For Sestak Matter, a ‘Trust Us’ Response From White House
New York Times By PETER BAKER WASHINGTON —
For three months, the White House has refused to say whether it offered a job to Representative Joe Sestak to induce him to drop his challenge to Senator Arlen Specter in a Pennsylvania Democratic primary, as Mr. Sestak has asserted. But the White House wants everyone who suspects that something untoward, or even illegal, might have happened to rest easy: it still will not reveal what happened, but the White House says it has examined its own actions and decided that it did nothing wrong….
nothing to see here folks, move along.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te42ioevqnI
Just sayin’
Two more Census workers blow the whistle (faking its job numbers)
NY POST ^ | 5/25/10 | John Crudele
Each month Census 2010 gives Labor Dept figures on the number of hires. That figure goes into the closely followed monthly employment report Labor provides. For the past two months the hiring by Census has made up a good portion of the new jobs. Now Census 2010 hires blew the whistle on statistical tricks. Naomi Cohn said she was hired and fired a number of times by Census. Each time she was hired back, Census 2010 was able to report the creation of a new job to the Labor Dept.
Don’t worry, the Dear Leader is saving the economy.
I want to be Al Mascitti when I grow up.
Oh Jason, another unattainable goal you set for yourself. Why so much self-inflicted anguish?
Actually, two unattainable goals. You’ll never be Al Mascitti, either. 😛