Congresswoman Barbara Jordan Statue, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Democratic Republic, Existentialism Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague Mr. Rangel in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry. Mr. Chairman, you are a strongContinue reading “Faith and Misconduct…”
Category Archives: Civilization
Joy…
Amy (“Mother Dear”) and Horace Dickerson Sr. (“Paw-Paw”). Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism I read the poem “Seeds” at my wife’s family reunion. For African Americans, reunions are a chance to connect with family members without associating it with a casket. Black life in general has always been dangerous and treacherousContinue reading “Joy…”
Reparations…
Amanda Montañez; Source: “Slaveholder Ancestry and Current Net Worth of Members of the United States Congress,” by Neil K. R. Sehgal and Ashwini R. Sehgal, in PLOS ONE. Published online August 21, 2024 Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Democracy, Education, History U.S. Senators and Representatives whose family had a history of enslaving others have greaterContinue reading “Reparations…”
Tech Bros and Democracy…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Economics, Environment, Existentialism, Fascism Tech bros (n): someone, usually a man, who works in the digital technology industry, especially in the United States, and is sometimes thought to not have good social skills and to be too confident about their own ability. Source: Cambridge Dictionary “The Basic LawsContinue reading “Tech Bros and Democracy…”
Ice, Snow, Water, Nada…
Figure 1. The Vadret da Tschierva glacier in 1935 (top) and in 2022 (bottom).Photos courtesy of swisstopo, L. Hösli, G. Carcanade, M. Huss, VAW-ETHZ. Topics: Civilization, Climate Change, Fluid Mechanics, Global Warming, Meteorology, Research Glaciers—dynamic masses of ice descending from the mountain tops—have always been fascinating to humankind. They intrinsically belong to the high-alpine environment.Continue reading “Ice, Snow, Water, Nada…”
The Crucifixion of Thomas Paine…
Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Democracy, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights Excerpt from Facts, Fascism, and Fascists, Friday, January 24, 2020 Tens of millions of Americans, lumped into a diffuse and fractious movement known as the Christian right, have begun to dismantle the intellectual and scientific rigor of the Enlightenment. They are creating aContinue reading “The Crucifixion of Thomas Paine…”
60 Years Ago…
Image Source: History.com/Civil Rights Act of 1964 Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Human Rights Sixty years ago today, I was a month and twelve days from my second birthday. Sixty years ago today, my world was changed by President Lyndon Baines Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act, ninety-nine years after the surrenderContinue reading “60 Years Ago…”
Dolphins and Mercury…
Scientists have found elevated mercury levels in dolphins throughout the Southeast since 2007. Sources: Bryan, Damseaux, Griffin, Stavros, Woshner. Credit: N. Hanacek/NIST Topics: Biology, Chemistry, Civilization, Environment In a study with potential implications for the oceans and human health, scientists reported elevated mercury levels in dolphins in the U.S. Southeast, with the greatest levels found in dolphins in Florida’s St. JosephContinue reading “Dolphins and Mercury…”
Comstockery…
Image source: Wikipedia/Pine_Tree_Flag Since its creation during the American Revolution, the flag has carried a message of defiance: The phrase “appeal to heaven” comes from the 17th-century philosopher John Locke, who wrote of a responsibility to rebel, even use violence, to overthrow unjust rule. Another Provocative Flag Was Flown at Another Alito Home Topics: Civics,Continue reading “Comstockery…”
Climate CERN…
Worrying trend Reliable climate models are needed so that societies can adapt to the impact of climate change. (Courtesy: Shutterstock/Migel) Topics: Applied Physics, Atmospheric Science, CERN, Civilization, Climate Change It was a scorcher last year. Land and sea temperatures were up to 0.2 °C (32.36 °F) higher every single month in the second half of 2023,Continue reading “Climate CERN…”
Physics and Nano 