Blog Betty (Thomas Friedman is a Great Man was an online novel): Science post archaeology round up

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Science post archaeology round up

Isaiah's THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS "Junior Moves Into His New Office"

Junior is a disgrace as is his pathetic door mat wife.

Amy Goodman and Katrina vanden Heuvel -- two racist women who worked overtime to elect Donald Trump by trashing Kamala Harris every day over a three month period are garbage and we should never forget nor forgive their actions. But I'm going to do a science round up tonight. Tim Newcomb (POPULAR MECHANICS) reports:

Archaeologists discovered a fourth-century Christian church in Armenia, considered the country’s oldest.
Armenia is believed to be the first Christian state in the world after King Tiridates III converted to Christianity.
The octagonal shape of the building wasn’t common in the immediate area, but it was with churches throughout the world, as the number eight held symbolic meaning in biblical context.

For obvious reasons, the life and death of Jesus Christ had a wide-ranging impact on the world’s culture, including architecturally. Early Christian churches were often shaped like an octagon, which was an early Christian church symbol for the resurrection of Jesus and, more broadly, the rebirth of life.

Archaeologists recently discovered such a structure in Armenia’s ancient city of Artaxata, considered the first Christian state in the world.

Dating to the mid-fourth century AD, it is the oldest archaeologically documented church in the country and provides additional evidence for early Christianity in Armenia, Achim Lichtenberger, professor at the University of Münster, said in a statement.

“Octagonal churches were unknown here until now,” Mkrtich Zardaryan of the National Academy of Sciences in Armenia said in a statement, “but we are very familiar with them from the Eastern Mediterranean region, where they first appeared in the fourth century AD.”

Learn something new every day -- usually several things new. I honestly had never heard about the octagon having been a symbol for Jesus and resurrection before. So that's interesting and let me just make this post about archaeology. What happens when we use modern science tools in archaeology? New discoveries. Jack Guy (CNN) reports:

Archaeologists have identified the site of an ancient battle in what is now Iraq by comparing historical accounts with declassified images from US spy satellites.

Researchers from Durham University in the United Kingdom and the University of Al-Qadisiyah in Iraq say they have found the site of the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, which took place in 636 or 637 AD, according to a statement published Monday.

Despite the fact that the battle marked a significant victory for Arab Muslims and enabled their expansion beyond Arabia, its precise location was not previously known.

William Deadman, a specialist in archaeological remote sensing at Durham University, told CNN that the discovery was part of a wider project aimed at mapping archaeological sites across the Middle East.

Initially, the team was mapping out the Darb Zubaydah pilgrimage route from Kufa in Iraq to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, using declassified spy satellite images from the 1970s and historical texts, when they realized they might also be able to use the same pieces of information to identify the site of the famous battle.

Science is discovery, knowledge, freedom and growth. And, under Donald Trump, science will be decimated. Thanks racists Amy Goodman and Katrina vanden Heuvel, thanks for putting your own racist attitudes ahead of democracy and our country. Bitter? "Like Medea," as Woody Allen says in one of his movies. ANNIE HALL! Had to think a minute on that one.

Now let's move on to another discovery. Sinead Butler (INDY 100) notes:

The Temple of Poseidon was once lost but scientists have discovered the structure dedicated to the Ancient Greek God of water.

In 2022, archaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Greek Ministry of Culture were able to identify the ancient structure in Elis, Greece which they believe to be the lost Temple of Poseidon of Samikon, described by the ancient Greek geographer Strabo.

And it's even bigger than expected as the temple is approximately 28 meters in length and nearly 9.5 meters wide.

Layout-wise, it's pretty unique as the structure contains two main rooms, a vestibule, as well as what is thought to be a rear hall.

Joseph Shavit (THE BRIGHTERSIDE OF NEWS) adds

In the Western Peloponnese, archaeologists have unearthed a monumental discovery that reshapes the understanding of ancient Greek religious practices. Near the coastal village of Samikon, a sprawling temple complex, believed to be dedicated to Poseidon, the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, has come to light.

This find not only sheds light on the region’s ancient religious life but also highlights the cultural and strategic significance of Poseidon’s worship in the Greek world.

Poseidon: God of the Sea and Earthquakes

In Greek mythology, Poseidon was a central figure, one of the twelve Olympian gods who ruled from Mount Olympus. As the god of the sea, he was both revered and feared by sailors, who prayed for calm waters and safe journeys.

One of the biggest archaeological finds in the 20th century, a discovery that happened fifty years ago this month, was Lucy. Facundo Macchi (EL PAIS) reports:

On the evening of November 24, 1974, in a camp in northeastern Ethiopia, American anthropologist Donald Johanson and his assistant Tom Gray were drinking cold beer around the fire while a goat was cooking on embers. They were celebrating, along with a handful of colleagues: that very morning they had found the fossilized bones of what appeared to be a hominid never before described by science. They sang and danced to the music of the Beatles. Their song Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds came on and someone ventured: “Why don’t we call her Lucy?” The name stuck, and Lucy became the most famous fossil in history. Her discovery led to thousands of questions. The two main ones were: what species did she belong to? And was humanity beholding its closest primate relative?

One of those tasked with clearing up these questions was Tim White, a paleoanthropologist also from the United States. He was there, studying the fossils, whose discovery took place 50 years ago this month. He is now 74 and lives in Burgos, Spain, where he works as a scientist affiliated with the National Center for Research on Human Evolution (CNIEH), far from the spotlight that focused on Lucy when she was presented to the world. The 47 fragments found dated back 3.2 million years and formed a fossil so complete that it allowed people to imagine for the first time what this remote ancestor was like.

Thus, Lucy forever changed the field of paleoanthropology: “These fossils represent our evolution. Lucy’s lineage led to the genus Homo, the genus of our species,” White explains. That skeleton helped put together the pieces of an evolutionary puzzle that, until then, had been in disarray, full of loose ends. After several years of study, in 1978 Johanson and White no longer had doubts, but certainties: they announced that Lucy and other fossils they found later all came from a single, previously unknown species of hominid. They called it Australopithecus afarensis.

Like many other paleoanthropologists around the world, Juan Luis Arsuaga, scientific director of the Museum of Human Evolution (Burgos), has spent a good part of his career studying what came from Lucy. “She is what was missing to link humans with monkeys, an intermediate form of life. The missing link,” he says. He quickly corrects himself: “I wouldn’t use the term ‘missing link’ in a class because it’s an outdated idea, but it’s good for explaining what Lucy meant for science, it’s nice.”

“The bones are the obsession, but they are the least important thing. What is truly important is the data they provide,” says Arsuaga. And the information that Lucy provided was a lot: she was four feet tall, she died at 11 or 12 years of age (the key to determining this was a worn-out wisdom tooth), her posture and locomotion were bipedal, she had a small brain, and a pelvis similar to that of a human.

So that's our science round up. And remember: DEMOCRACY NOW!'s Amy Goodman and THE NATION's Katrina vanden Heuverl are racists who put Donald Trump back into the White House.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Tuesday, November 12, 2024. Hiding behind his late life marriage and late life fatherhood Seth Moulton wants to kick others down, Trump's usurping the Senate, Black women are still being shut out of the conversation, and much more.

Let's start with big 'manly' Seth Moulton, a member of the US House of Representative and a long term contestant in WHAT'S MY SEXUALITY? Some argue he settled that question in 2017 when, at the age of 38, he finally found a woman to marry. But most of us said at the time, "Well he is planning to run for president in 2020." And he did. No one wanted him, but he did run.

He launched his attack on trans people last week. That could provide cover for his being gay -- if he was. At least for some people who don't grasp that he could be -- he certainly acts like one -- one of those big puffy chest conservative gay men who insult and trash trans men and women. Here's what Seth said and I'll respond every sentence or so.

I mean, here we are accusing Republicans of being weird and we're the ones who are suddenly requiring people to put pronouns in their email signatures

What's weird about that? It's perfectly normal and even more so if your name is Taylor or Drew or Bailey or Morgan or Alex or . . . Get the point, stupid? Even someone as stupid as you has to grasp that a man named Alex Smith doesn't want to be called "Ms Smith." Even you, you overgrown fat ass, has to grasp that, right.

As for "requiring"? There's no law. Which means it would be the company you work for making the requirement. Companies making requirements of their employees!!!!! OH my goodness, whoever heard of that happening.

I mean, that's kind of weird, to be honest. You know, we went through the whole gay rights movement.

Did you now? Do tell? And where did you lose your Pride virginity, big boy? I don't know about the rest of America but I guess I picture Seth on his knees, in a men's room, working the glory hole.

We went through the whole Civil Rights Movement. We never had to say "Seth Moulton: Straight" or Seth Moulton: "White."

Seth, I would be greatly surprised -- as someone who's met you and spoken with you -- if you ever, once in your life, introduced yourself as "Seth Moulton: Straight." But if you do, I pray that you will record it on your phone and then post it online because I could really use a good laugh.

You didn't go through the Civil Rights Movement, it's before your time. But actually, there were people passing and they did tend to get called out. You wouldn't know that because you're Big Stupid -- that's what the men who served with you called you, "Big Stupid." They called you other names too but let me bite my tongue.

And all of a sudden, we have to change all our values to meet the needs or demands of one very small minority group.

Saying he or she or they makes you change all your values? What values are those? Your refusal to adapt to growing society don't speak well for your post-marriage scenes. Maybe they'll forgive you if you do pig play?

So I think we just have to be able to have a real discussion about this.

The nation's been having that conversation for years now. Where were you? At the bathhouse?

Or maybe you were in hiding, trying to avoid questions about how you, the successful businessman, actually ran Eastern Healthcare Partners into the ground.

Hey, you know what, let's talk about that? Yeah, why don't you finally answer to that? Oh, rushing off already. Well give him my love, tell him I say "Hi!"

WIKIPEDIA notes:

Following Kamala Harris's loss in the presidential election, he expressed opposition to transgender participation in girls' sports, saying that he does not want his daughters "getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete."^[87] Following his remarks, his campaign manager resigned in protest, his comments were condemned by Salem mayor Dominick Pangallo and he faced protest from constituents.^[88] In an MSNBC interview, he refused to apologize and claimed the backlash "[proved] his point".^[89]

Got to work those two daughters in -- but no gay panic, you understand. I've made this point before -- many times -- but I'll make it again. People like Seth don't appear bothered by transgender athletes. They're bothered by male to female trans kids. When a female to male trans kid plays sports -- which is honestly what I've always seen much more of -- these same people like Seth don't give a damn and don't care about it. But aren't they fixed on 'protecting' girls (cis girls) -- Seth's kind of like Donald Trump, he's going to protect them whether they want it or not.

Speaking of whether they want it or not . . . Maureen Dowd's always struggled as a columnist. Always. Facts are hard for MoDo. She's now signed off with Seth in her latest column so it's a good time to point out that the 72-year-old needs to be put out to pasture. That should apply to many columnists getting paid for a job that someone younger could be doing. But it especially applies to Maureen who's always tried to fudge the facts by falling back on pop culture references. At 72, she's really outlived that and it's time for some new blood. 72? What am I saying, she's 73 in January. Get her a gold watch and show her where the exit door is.

She's got a massive ego on her, Dowd, and she thought aligning herself with Sue Mengers was the way to go as the '00s wound down. It only made it clear to those of us in the entertainment community that Dowd was dead. She's had no real importance or traction since then. Nor could she. She is, in fact, as dead as any film on Sue. Remember that? Sue was going to have a big comeback. So sorry. Sue's racism was popular in the seventies but those of us who weren't racist ensured that she never had a comeback -- not in the 80s or the 90s or the '00s when Maureen (and Tina Fey) tried to adopt her. Yes, Bette Midler did star in that play. And, yes, the lie was that the play was a hit -- or some tried to pretend it was a hit.

It was a one act play with only one character so I'm sure it broke even. But hit plays? They don't run less than three months. Bette also starred in HELLO DOLLY which was a hit -- 550 performances.

Every now and then another actress gets attached to an 'upcoming' film about Mengers. But, again, she was a racist and the project tends to hit a wall when that reality pops up. For example? Diana Ross was her client. Diana was dating Ryan O'Neal -- another Sue client. And one film after another that Diana was supposed to be the lead in would get recast with a White actress. Black people learned early on that the ultimate star f**ker Sue Mengers would f**k them over. But I am so very glad that Tina Fey (does 30 ROCK exist without all that racist humor -- excuse me, 'post racist' racist humor?) and Maureen Dowd were able to sit besides Sue Mengers on her throne. My only question? Did Sue provide them with white sheets to wear or did they bring their own?

Need another tidbit? Sue spent decades whining that her 'best friend' Barbra Streisand left her and how that destroyed her and upset her. Barbra had already heard Sue trash everyone else (trash them to Barbra). Some might have been tickled. A) Barbra's not big on gossip and B) when speaking with her manager, Barbra expected the focus to be on her career. But Barbra began to wonder did Sue trash her to Candy Bergen or Ali MacGraw or any of the others that Sue always trashed to Barbra. Barbra decided to trust her with a big secret (that was made up) to see if it got out. It did. Barbra had her answer and fired Sue. And then Sue began whining. I believe this part is in Barbra's book -- the part I'm about to note -- it was in an early version so my apologies if it didn't make it into the book. Barbra told Sue they could be friends and Sue screamed that why would she be friends with Barbra if Barbra wouldn't stay on as her client? So Sue's drama over Barbra leaving was always one big lie -- just like everything else about Sue. Except her feet. Her feet did stink and she ruined many a party by kicking her shoes off.

Donald Trump is the Sue Mengers of the federal government. He's already destroying himself before he gets sworn in. Last time it was the CIA. This time it's Republicans in the US Senate.

From ALL ABOUT EVE -- Bette Davis played Margo, Thelma Reed played Birdie. It's after a performance and Margo's assistant Eve (Anne Baxter) has picked up the costume and headed off from the dressing room.

Birdie: May I be so bold as to say something? Have you ever heard of the word "union"?

Margo: Behind in your dues? How much?

Birdie: I haven't got a union. I'm slave labor.

Margo: Well?

Birdie: But the wardrobe women have got one and, next to a tenor, a wardrobe woman is the touchiest thing in show business.

Margo: Oh, oh.

Birdie: She's got two things to do: carry clothes and press 'em wrong. And don't let anybody try to muscle in.

You know what's touchier than a wardrobe woman? A sitting US senator.

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling (THE NEW REPUBLIC) explains:

After 17 years in the hot seat, McConnell is expected to exit his post at the top of Senate Republican leadership on Wednesday, ending his run as the longest serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.

At the top of the billing to replace the 82-year-old are South Dakota Senator John Thune and Texas Senator John Cornyn, two establishment conservatives and longtime McConnell allies who have not always seen eye to eye with the president-elect.

Meanwhile, a gamut of Trump’s key allies, including Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Vivek Ramaswamy, and Charlie Kirk, are aggressively lobbying for Florida Senator Rick Scott to take the helm. (Trump, notably, has so far avoided endorsing any of the contenders.) But the overzealous pressure campaign—which is also being pushed along by some far-right social media influencers and their harassment tactics—is on the verge of combusting, according to Politico.

That’s because most of the Senate Republican conference won’t have to face reelection until 2028 or later. On top of that, the vote is by secret ballot, ensuring that no one—from their constituents to MAGA’s top brass—will know if they voted for or against Trump’s candidate.

“Senators do not take kindly to having an army of social media trolls attack them,” one unnamed aide told Politico on Sunday, noting that the effort was only “pissing off senators whose votes Rick needs” to win.

And sitting US senators do not take kindly to anyone outside the Senate -- that includes a president -- attempting to tell them what to do. Now pair that with Kaia Hubbard (CBS NEWS) reporting:

As Senate Republicans prepare to vote Wednesday on new leadership for the upcoming Congress, President-elect Donald Trump is already weighing in with demands for the new majority leader regarding his Cabinet.

After a decisive victory in the 2024 elections, Trump is returning to the White House with a GOP-led Senate at his side. Senate Republican leaders are expected to ease the way for the president-elect's agenda and his Cabinet and judicial nominees. Trump has made it clear that he'd like his nominees to be installed immediately, suggesting that he may want the option to bypass the Senate's advice and consent role entirely.

Please note, that would be the Constitutionally assigned role of advice and consent. For the ignorant -- like Donald Trump -- let's not the Constitution:

Article II, Section 2, Clause 2:

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

When the most recent US senators were sworn in back in January of 2023 -- two years ago -- the median age was 65.3 years.

Wait. We have MAGA drive bys and you know they were homeschooled so let me explain median. Think of it as the midpoint. So half the US Senate, in 2023, was composed of senators under the age of 65.3 and half was composed of senators over the age of 65.3 -- 65.3 is the mid point.

And US senators are very territorial. And that's before you get to over half being over 65. So he wants to bypass them on advice and consent and he wants to be able to determine who will be the next Majority Leader -- something the Senate traditionally does all by itself.

Pushy and stupid, that's Donald Trump.

A Senate campaign? That's much more difficult than a House campaign (except in Alaska which has two senators and one member of the House of Representatives). They work very hard in those runs -- or at least hard for them -- and it being the upper house and it being a six year term, they tend to think they know better than others -- and that's before you factor in the issue of incumbency.

US senators do not like to be pushed around or talked to like their children. But there goes the idiot Trump antagonizing the Senate -- Republicans and Democrats -- before he even gets into the White House.

Where's the popcorn, right?

I went to COMMON DREAMS before I started dictating this snapshot and had a good, long laugh. Independent 'left' media trashed Kamala Harris day after day -- depressing and suppressing the vote. Month after month after month. COMMON DREAMS was one of those and they were the only one that we publicly called out who took a look at it and changed course.

That's the only reason I look at COMMON DREAMS now. I will note something from them if I think it helps this community. Others, I'm done with. But I do actively seek out stuff to note from COMMON DREAMS.

So I go there this morning and I can't stop laughing.

Where's the Jill Stein coverage? Remember Jill was so damn important and independent media had to pimp her like crazy.

There's not one story about the 'hero' Jill Stein today.

Headline after headline of panic. Joe needs to do this or that before he leaves office! This needs to happen! 57 groups call on the White House! Over and over.

I applaud you for taking a look at your coverage before the campaign concluded; however, don't you get now why you should have dropped that s**t?

We didn't need Norman Solomon sharing how he was voting for Jill Stein, did we?

No, we didn't.

If you could go back in time now, do you really think you would still publish those multiple attacks on Kamala Harris that COMMON DREAMS had each day?

This was a serious election. Much was at stake.

But they didn't care. THE NATION, THE PROGRESSIVE, IN THESE TIMES, DEMOCRACY NOW!, etc. They saw their purpose in ripping apart Kamala every day.

And now they're all shocked by what Trump's going to do.

You should have been paying attention in real time. You should have been focused on your own damn country. Your neighbor needs the lawn mowed? Fine. Take care of your own yard and then you can go help. But you take care of your own yard first.

I saw the COMMON DREAMS story about student's protesting Trump already. I had to wonder? How much force will greet their actions when Trump's sworn in?

I have to wonder all the lying Gaza Freak whores who misled young people on what was possible and who directed all the anger at Joe Biden and Kamala Harris -- not at the ICC, not at the United Nations, not at this, not at that -- are going to feel as immigrants are deported. As this country crumbles, I have to wonder.

Today, we look back at Nazi Germany and wonder how? How did it happen?

Our own Hitler happened because Katrina vanden Heuvel, Amy Goodman and others worked overtime to attack the only possible alternative to Donald Trump and to attack her day after day, every day in the three month lead up to the election.

That's why we're here now.

If the official figures are correct, we didn't turn out. Not just in enough numbers, we didn't turn out in the numbers we did in 2020.

We were discouraged from voting and that's the message beggar media put out -- remember that when they ask you to donate next. They have destroyed our country. There are people waking up in fear every day now.

And we don't need to hear Seth -- in the midst of his homosexual panic -- trashing transgender people -- voters who overwhelmingly showed up and voted for Kamala.

We don't need it.

Let me note again, that there are all these roundtables taking place -- THE DAILY BEAST just posted one with Samantha Bee as a co-host.

How stupid are they? How stupid do they think we are?

Black women were shut out during the campaign by the media and that's still the case when the so-called experts want to talk about what happened and what we do next.

Black women? Vote for Democrats. We won't give you a say, we won't listen to you. And when one of you runs for office, we won't call out DEMOCRACY NOW! or any other left platform that trashes the Black candidate every day. We'll look the other way.

That's what it says.

The following sites updated: