Chicken vs. Egg Finally Solved

After finding a fossilized nest paleontologists have made a determination on the chicken-egg conundrum, but having done that, it turns out they have changed the question:

But interpreted literally, the answer to the riddle is clear. Dinosaurs were forming bird-like nests and laying bird-like eggs long before birds (including chickens) evolved from dinosaurs.

"The egg came before the chicken," Zelenitsky said. "Chickens evolved well after the meat-eating dinosaurs that laid these eggs."

So the original riddle might now be rephrased: Which came first, the dinosaur or the egg? Meanwhile, the new nest provides some of the strongest evidence in North America in favor of the bird-like egg over the chicken.

LiveScience

But all of this fails to address the more crucial question: which came first chicken salad, or egg salad?

The Worst (Famous) Singer to Ever Play Carnegie Hall

Poor Florence Foster Jenkins. She was wretched. But she wanted to sing, and she could afford to rent Carnegie Hall, so sing she did.

From Wikipedia's entry on her:

From her recordings, it is apparent that Jenkins had little sense of pitch and rhythm and was barely capable of sustaining a note. Her accompanist can be heard making adjustments to compensate for her tempo variations and rhythmic mistakes. Her dubious diction, especially in foreign language songs, is also noteworthy. Nonetheless, she became tremendously popular in her unconventional way. Her audiences apparently loved her for the amusement she provided rather than her musical ability. Critics often described her work in a backhanded way that may have served to pique public curiosity.
Despite her patent lack of ability, Jenkins was firmly convinced of her greatness. She compared herself favorably to the renowned sopranos Frieda Hempel and Luisa Tetrazzini, and dismissed the laughter which often came from the audience during her performances as coming from her rivals consumed by "professional jealousy." She was aware of her critics, however, saying "People may say I can't sing, but no one can ever say I didn't sing."

In other words people watched her for the same reasons we like to watch American Idol auditions.

Song for Sunday: Ring of Fire-- Wall of Voodoo

Index Masters

Florida Senate Candidate with Anti-Witchcraft/Sorcery Platform

Paiboon Sunthonchart Jr., who is apparently running for a Senate seat Florida, has posted an open letter to all 50 governors of the United States, and the UN, warning of sorcery attacks. He has some fairly specific ideas about just how sorcerers attack, too. Here's a small excerpt from his letter:

- Government arresting these terrorist working in America, must happen, for the three hundred million American’s they have attacked. There should be no thought of impeachment but arresting the terrorist in governments working in witchcraft, remember, witchcraft is a crime.

- What is the world to think, when they shout, they are going to take over the world, and attack people, people of America, who do not agree will think, that they are bringing threats of bombs to our country and people of America, for government officials, talking loud and stupid in the war of Holy. It is stupid business of high school bullies, of only a small hand-full of terrorism by sorcery, that American government must stop. To American people and governments watching The American Civil War of Sorcery, American government looks weak, and the American people will see the same about the government, when the American government is afraid and ran by people afraid of a few sorcerers, when the Americans in the working world, take the sorcerers they are afraid of, out of body.

Interestingly enough his website also features a page for his talent agency. He'll represent models, actors and more. Sorcerers probably needn't apply, though stage magicians might be acceptable. The poor fellow wouldn't hold up too well in West Texas, what with the Wicked Witch of West Texas running roughshod over the populace. He'd probably also better avoid Walla Walla.  He might better be careful, however, because sorcerers vote too, and you don't want to offend the evil constituency.

Happy Birthday Louis Arrmstrong: Mack the Knife

His birthday wasn't actually July 4, rather it was August 4, but he always claimed this day as his birthday.
Mack the Knife

More Than a Few Bad Ideas: Radio-Active Consumer Products of Yesteryear

"All I know for sure is there's more than a few bad ideas runnin' loose out there." Sailor Ripley, Wild at Heart.

To prove the point, one need only look as far as radio-active consumer products of the twentieth century. They include things like dinnerware, skin cream, suplements, chocolates, toys, jewelry. Check out the thorium and radium skin cream below, guaranteed to make your complexion glow (in the dark). No? How about some nice radium water?

This lovely implement promised to boost your health by "activating" your water with a little radium goodness. For more, check out this slideshow of regrettable radioactive consumer products, and the online museum of radioactive products. 

Achtung: Be Careful With Fireworks. They Explode

Wow. So, be very careful tomorrow. (via dangerous minds)