It's Friday

Hope your day has more carrot than stick:

(From StumbleUpon)

And yes, it was difficult not to title this post, "Hoppy Friday."

Friday Misc

It's Friday. What a week. Some heavy rest and lots of reading are in order for the weekend.

The South Carolina primary for Democrats is tomorrow. MSNBC will start their coverage at 7:30am. I hope to still be in bed.

There's a bunch of interesting science stuff at Nature and Science this week. Some highlights:

Human embryos are cloned from male skin and female egg cells.

Researchers have synthesized an entire genome, paving the way for the first artificial life.

Obstruction of pancreatic ducts results in regeneration of insulin producing beta-cells.

Also, I've been working on a list of NYC tidbits. I'll eventually write an entire piece, complete with hyperlinks, but here's a glimpse of what's coming:

• Don't wear flip-flops or sandals in NYC. It's gross. Really it is, for you and for me.
• NYC has the largest underground mass transit system in the country. That doesn't mean it's the greatest. Expect long delays, a lack of displayed and audibly announced information, and to fly unexpectedly by your stop when the local you're on spontaneously converts to an express. The transit authority never gets a good rating from riders.
• Courtesy, professionalism, and respect (CPR) is on the sides of a huge number of NYPD vehicles. You can definitely expect that kind of treatment if you're a straight, white, and affluent Manhattanite.
• If you're over 20, please give up the push-scooter or skateboard, and for Christ-sake get off the sidewalk.
• Pick up after your dog. I pick up after mine and I will yell at you if I see you leaving poop in your wake.
• Do not, I repeat, do not walk in a zig-zag pattern on a busy sidewalk. Keep to one side and try walking as if you hadn't had a breakfast of tic-tacs and wine.
  
• Don't expect to eat good food here. Yes, yes capital of the world and all, but if you're not shelling out at least $50/plate, you're likely to get some bad food without heavy research. Stay at home and eat. There are some exceptions to this, Southwest has a good chicken caeser for about $14. Pizza joints tend to be another cheap exception.
  
• If you are a tourist, please go to Times Square. Stay there for the duration of your visit. It's great there and you won't find anything more interesting if you stray to other parts of the city (where people live).
  
• If you are a tourist and find yourself outside of Times Square, don't be afraid to ask a resident for help. Most people living here will be happy to direct you. Just don't believe the flags that picture celebrities, such as NYC's beloved Bobby D, inviting you to "Ask me!" You won't get within four hip nightclub waiting line distances to any of NYC's beautiful people. We guard our treasured gaunt figures in finely kept Soho lofts.

I guess I'm a bit grouchy about NYC after a few consecutive days of horrible subway rides.

That's it for this Friday. :)

Friday Roundup

Some things I read this morning:

- Very stupid people in Texas are playing tug of war with lions and tigers in a zoo-sponsored event that places people on one end of a rope and raw meat for the giant cats on the other end. Video is here.

- The law student who filed a federal lawsuit against the MA Board of Bar Examiners over a gay marriage question on the bar exam (and eventually withdrew the suit) has issued an apology to the LGBT community. Good for him if it's earnest, but I wouldn't recommend going to him for advice on matters LGBT (once he passes the bar exam). He did call marriage for us, "patently offensive and morally repugnant."

- The Gay City News warns that we should fear the distinct possibility of a Huckabee presidency. I wouldn't dispute that Huckabee and that prospect are frightening. However, given that some pillars of the fundamentalist community aren't exactly with him and that the GOP beltway crowd sees him as a member of base that they want votes from but not in their country clubs, he has a real fight ahead if he's going to mobilize the base responsible for putting Bush in the White House.

- The National Academy of Sciences has released an 88-page booklet (under the 'read the book' link, or directly here) explaining why evolution is science and creationism isn't. Yes!

- And finally, it seems that gay people are just fine with the military when bodies are needed for war.

Friday

It's the first Friday of the New Year. I've got a cold, or am getting a cold. I'm hoping to get some rest this weekend; maybe I'll be able to fend off whatever I'm getting.

The big news today is that Obama bested Edwards and Clinton and Huckabee beat millionaire Romney in Iowa. The Huckabee win is interesting. Conservative Washington insiders hate him. He's not their candidate. He's an actual member of the Christian fundamentalist base that neocons rely on for votes but like to keep quietly tucked away from the spotlight. He's also the only non-millionaire GOP contender. He's not one of the 'use the fundies for votes' business set, he's one of the fundies. The base that the GOP has appealed to has turned out and picked a candidate that appeals to them. Go figure. Check out these stats (via Pam) on Huckanut in Iowa:

Some 45 percent of Huckabee's vote came from those who described themselves as "born again," according to news media entrance polls, and Huckabee won 55 percent of those people who said religion mattered a "great deal." Romney only got 19 percent of the born-again votes and only 12 percent of those who said they cared a great deal about religion.

Only a shortsighted conservative would be surprised. Huckabee is a bed of nightmares (and to be sure, he is a nut, scroll through items on him here and here) the GOP made for itself.

Switching to the losers, the Giuliani camp has been repeating that they aren't focused on Iowa or New Hampshire, but taking a 'big state' approach. Still, it was more than a little funny to see blimp-floating Ron Paul best America's mayor 10% to 4%. And where else but FauxNews would would you find this kind of delusion? Politico's Mike Allen:

Tonight is a fantastic night for John McCain. … He’s one of the biggest winners of the night. He’s now in a fantastic position. Except for Barack Obama, there’s almost no one you’d rather be tonight than John McCain.

McCain finished fourth, behind GOP savior Fred Thompson.

New Hampshire will certainly be interesting. My bet is that if Romney doesn't take the state (perhaps McCain will repeat his 2000 victory), his candidacy is done.

Pam has some interesting stats up that I haven't been able to find a source for, but are very hopeful:

Total Iowa Turnout (approximate)
356,000

Percentage of total vote
24.5% Obama
20.5% Edwards
19.8% Clinton
11.4% Huckabee (R)

I did find these exciting stats though:

Democrats reported turnout at 239,000, and nearly 115,000 Republicans took part.

Doing the math, that's a total of 354,000. Huck's 39,814 votes make for 11.2% of the total. It's a bit mushy (but fun) to lump together separate parties' primary numbers, but the turnout numbers sure are encouraging.

Bury Your Phone

You may or may not get flowers. Here's a phone that will grow a sunflower if you bury it.

It's the Friday before xmas. I have a few days off to relax and catch up on reading and blogging. Wii'ng may also be required.

Friday Wake Up Call

A list of gadgets for getting your lazy self out of bed! It includes a bacon alarm clock.

Also, I don't care about steroid use in baseball. Not even a little. Does that make me bad? Good.

Friday Dump

- Anthony Fortunato has been found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime in the death of Michael Sandy. Sandy was targeted for being gay. Fortunato came out of the closet during his trial, claiming that a gay person wouldn't target another gay person for a crime. Right, closeted gay people don't ever attack their own. Closeted gay on gay violence is one of the ugly products of a homophobic culture and the closet.

- Congrats to Al Gore and the UN Panel on Climate Change for winning the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. That was nice news to wake up to. Speaking of the environment, glaciers as disappearing from Glacier National Park.

- Europe starts to get it right on creationism.

- News findings indicate that a) abortion has dropped worldwide due to increased birth control and b) women in countries that outlaw abortion are just as likely to have the procedure as women in countries where it's legal.

- Expensive running shoes aren't better than lower priced ones. It's the fit that counts. Interestingly, this story is all over the UK and Australian press but, so far, getting skimpy coverage here. Maybe that will change as the day goes on.

- Biotech company Genentech makes two drugs that doctors are using to treat macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, Avastin (~$38/dose) and the more expensive Lucentis ($1,950/dose). Doctors have been using Avastin "off label," it's a cancer drug and not approved for ocular disorders. But, the drugs are very similar chemically and doctors have reported promising anecdotal results with Avastin after two years of use. Genentech has decided to cut off the supply chain for Avastin. Gee, I wonder why?

- Oh, and Ann Coulter would like Jews to perfected by becoming xtians. She also thinks that heaven is NYC during the 2004 RNC. Very odd.

Animal Friday

A site with random photos of animals.

What is a Rhodesian Ridgeback?

Forget coffee, take a puppy break.

Good lord, he has an empire!

A page devoted to animal friends. If it doesn't warm your heart, you surely lack one.

You looking at me punk?

The cute project. There seems to be an abundance of these sites, but that doesn't stop me from liking them.

All of that blogged, the WWF is an organization working to protect endangered species.

Sweet Friday

Stuff:

How to eat on $15/wk.

Colorado gets its first openly gay man as a state legislator.

Fred Thompson uses the "some of my best friends are fundies" defense against a radical christian leader's criticisms.

Pandas! :)

57 things most gamers know!

How to change your hair color, in Photoshop anyway. Note: requires hair. :)

Deathbed Quotes

A bit macabre for a Friday morning, but they're interesting nonetheless. I'd note that there are no sources given and I'm not about to spend time researching something I'm posting for fun (enter buzz-kill Nate). So, take that into consideration and feel free to research on your own and contribute, also on your own.

Be sure to check out the pessimism held in the last moments of one of the great European conservative he-men.