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Planetary scientists recently detected
hydrated salts on these slopes at Horowitz crater, corroborating their original
hypothesis that the dark streaks on Mars are indeed formed by liquid water.
On Monday, NASA announced the results of a new study showing that salty liquid water
flows seasonally on Mars, giving the red planet one of the essential
ingredients for life.
The
study focuses on the mysterious recurring slope
lineae, or "RSL" -- narrow, streaky features on the
planet's surface spotted by NASA’s Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft.
The
RSL are typically about 15 feet in width or smaller, and appear on slopes
during the planet's warm seasons. They fade during cooler seasons, then
reappear the following year as the planet gets warmer again.
In
the same newspaper, I read about the American conservative movement, for whom
facts are subordinate to politics. I read bizarre conspiracy theories about
birthers, death panels, undocumented workers, and imaginary voter fraud. I read revisionist accounts about how GWB
kept us safe, or why supply-side economics creates jobs – despite all
evidence to the contrary.
I read about Donald Trump ("Mexicans are rapists and
criminals"), Ben Carson ("no Muslim is fit to be president"),
Carly Fiorina ("babies writhing on a dissecting table"), and Ann
Coulter ("How many f*#king Jews ..."). Rampant racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, Islamophobia,
misogyny ... the GOP has morphed itself into a HATE GROUP!
Then
I read about how Super PAC money distorts representative democracy, and why any
Republican who violates party doctrine can expect a primary challenge funded by
the Heritage Foundation and the Koch brothers.
I want to go home to the peace and quiet of a Martian landscape. There is no intelligent life on Earth.
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Oh, I don't know, perhaps those tube worms and weird little shrimp that live around undersea volcanic vents might be smarter than a Republican. I read this morning that The Limpboy himself has denounced the discovery as a "liberal Plot" NASA, you see has been corrupted by that Obama and soon the discovery will be used to advance the "leftist agenda" Water on Mars? that's only another way of raising our taxes and taking our guns!
ReplyDeleteAnd just when you thought they couldn't get any crazier. If Boehner thinks these people are to crazy righty to deal with, you can bet your clown hat on it. I just can't decide if this is the end of the Republican Party or the End of the United States.
"I just can't decide if this is the end of the Republican Party..."
ReplyDeleteIMO, the Republican Party doesn't exist, and hasn't since January 20, 2009. That was the apocalypse, and it's all been downhill for them since then. There is nothing rational or hopeful one can say about a party that believed a dangerous nincompoop like Sarah Palin was qualified to be the vice president (and possible president) of the U.S.of A. And there is nothing rational or hopeful now, almost 7 years later, when 20+ percent of their base believes a narcissistic snake-oil salesman and consummate a**hole is just the person to make America great again. The other choice is a hopelessly naive, shallow-thinking, but talented brain surgeon, who hasn't met a paranoid conspiracy theory he doesn't like. Plus prison makes men gay and Evolution is the work of the Devil. Number 3 on the TGOP hit parade is an angry woman who refuses to acknowledge that she lied about Planned Parenthood video, and whose greatest achievement was to ruin one of America's premier tech companies.
Why is this the best and the brightest the TGOP offers to the American voter?
"Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why." -- Kurt Vonnegut
Poo-Tee-Weet?
My son, the one with his Masters and aspiring for his Doctorate once said the following... "Dad, every great nation in the history of the world has reached its apex of influence and power and receded into relative obscurity. Why would you believe the United States of America would end any differently?"
ReplyDeleteI shall leave it at that.
Perhaps this concept of “great” nationhood status is one of perception … and politics. There was a time when the U.S. did not perceive itself as “great” or “exceptional” as people now regard it.
DeleteBefore World War I, the U.S. was still an emerging nation. The “sleeping giant” was an agrarian nation until we trust ourselves upon the world stage. In the wars of the 20th Century, we perceived ourselves as defender of the Free World against monolithic tyrannies. In truth, we presented two faces to the world:
1. As protector and defender of freedom, free enterprise, and democracy;
2. As promoter of national self-interest, exploiter of resources, and hypocritical bully.
In many respects, we are still struggling with this national “split personally.”
In his farewell address to the nation (1961), President Eisenhower issued this warning: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence … by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.” Purposefully, he used the words “economic, political, even spiritual” [my emphasis]. How prescient!
Is the U.S. a declining world power, as alleged by our far rightwing presidential candidates? Nothing can be further from the truth. Here are the facts: Total world military spending is $1.531 trillion annually. Half of this total is spent by the United States.
If anything, we can well afford to humble it down … before we lose our “economic, political, even spiritual” bearings.
My point was, Even the Roman Empire collapsed. The Persian Empire, and there are more. My opinion is, and of course I may be wrong, we will collapse under our own weight if not by some yet developed threat.
DeleteI shall not be here to witness it.
Certainly nothing lasts forever and I think we've already endured longer than any Democracy so far. When you look at warnings about the instability of Republican forms of government from the 18th centuries, you might conclude that the 'passions of the mob' they warned about are as much of a threat as they feared.
DeleteAll our technology has made it too easy to delude and enrage the ignorant and maybe it's just an old man's opinion, but I think we're increasingly ignorant.
One of my fears is that being such a huge world power, a decline in American sanity constitutes a threat to civilization as we know it Would a President Trump nuke Mexico? Don't laugh, the man is crazier than we think.
Certainly what you have said is true. All of it and yes Trump is crazy, very crazy. That makes him very dangerous as well. Smart folks run from the tea party religionists and Trump et all as fast as possible.
ReplyDelete