Killer thunderstorms today! I stayed home this afternoon to work on our upcoming AAPA posters (easier to use my large computer screen here for the 200% size difference) and had 3 very attentive kitties hanging quite close as a result. Spring has sprung in the Midwest...
Here's a story that should've been in the weekly "Random Bytes" - but it's good enough to stand alone. Although I question calling Joe Zias a "leading scholar", the article is a good summary of the controversy over the so-called "Jesus Tomb."
What's in a Passport File?All the information your bank tells you to keep secret, and more.
Bats Perish, and No One Knows Why
Neanderthals wore make-up and liked to chat
Evolution Gets a Boost: No Cost for Complexity
From the Sydney Opera House to Rome's Colosseum to the Sears Tower's famous antennas in Chicago, floodlit icons of civilization went dark Saturday for Earth Hour, a worldwide campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.
'Tis the season when thoughts turn to football. Our season ticket forms came today, and Michael and I will begin our ritual dance. We get our tickets together to have 4 seats in a row, and we send in the form together each year with a letter signed by "Father Driscoll" asking for better seats. It's a bit hard to complain, our seats are indeed pretty great already, but they aren't on the 50 yard line yet, so we have room to improve ;-) 
Interesting program on Science Friday today about birds. I normally wouldn't care much, but having tried to take pictures of cool birds in Antarctica, I've gained a new appreciation (it's hard to do!). Also, they were unnecessarily harsh on cats for some reason... I know where my loyalties lie if sides have to be chosen!
April 4th, Battlestar is back!! It's a bittersweet thing, since this is the final season - the sooner it begins, the sooner it ends. This Friday there are two specials to get us all ready for the premier. Woo hoo!! Quick Jaime, get cable!
My Clustermap (to the left) finally updated yesterday - seems to take forever these days - and I found some fun new dots on the map. Tasmania??! I love it! And Alicia's Bangladesh dot is growing quite large. Oddly however, I seem to have lost an Amazon dot from Becky. And the Hudson Bay dot that was getting pretty large, is also AWOL. I feel robbed!
I've been finishing up a child abuse lecture for my forensics class tomorrow and came across this article. Is this sick, or what? I assumed I misread the title at first.
Chelsea was apparently well-received today, she spoke to about 500 students & faculty on campus. Hilary comes to town on Friday -- apparently the Clintons can't get enough of the area. Bill & Chelsea on Monday, Chelsea on Wednesday, Hilary on Friday. One would think Indiana might actually have a voice in this election. First time since I've lived here if so.
Some folks asked if I saw any evidence of global warming while in Antarctica (even tho' I never fail to mention it was 51° and sunny while there). Here's some clear evidence to assuage any doubt:
Chelsea Clinton and Sean Astin will be visiting campus tomorrow. No announcement yet on where or when, but I have a feeling it will be very well attended. It'll be interesting to see how it compares to Obama's upcoming visit next month. Let the wooing being ;-)
In South Bend, we have a little known holiday that follows Easter. It involves politicians, drinking, pickled eggs, and more drinking. Politicians make the rounds, and this year Bill and Chelsea Clinton are coming to town. Apparently Nixon came as VP, as did Bobby Kennedy when he was running. 
Yay Notre Dame Women. Sadly the guys are out, but the women won decisively today. Hopefully one of many more to come!
How Realistic Is 10,000 B.C.? Did woolly mammoths help build the Pyramids?
Late to Rise: Does oversleeping make one feel more tired than sleeping a normal seven to eight hours? 
In Most Species, Faithfulness Is a Fantasy
Life Expectancy Tied to Education
My colleague Dan L. sent me the article below, thinking it somehow might apply to me?? I don't know. Apple/PC, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the use of terms found in readings on Byzantine monasticism -- I don't see the connection. Anyway, I thought I'd share excerpts:
Finished an interesting book recently called "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. Fun read and smart. You travel thru England, France, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania on the protagonist's adventure, learn about Vlad the Impaler, archival research, Iron-Curtain politics, and the mythology of Dracula (or IS it a 'myth'??? Da da DAAAAAAA!!) Easy to see why it was a #1 National Bestseller. 
Okay, get out your Pepto for this one...or a glass of scotch. When you click the link below, you're in for 6 minutes of pain.
Tuesday Obama gave an exceptional speech about race in this country; as Jon Stewart observed "he spoke to the American people as though we're adults." 
Could this be real?? I'm hoping a story from Ripley's Believe It or Not inadvertently made its way onto the AP. An April Fools joke a bit early?? Where did the guy go to the bathroom? Did the woman at least have a pillow for sleeping? A microwave and fridge nearby? I guess a ready water source would've been close, but come on?!! I don't know, something seems amiss.
Interesting 2-part segment on "60 Minutes" this Sunday about the importance of sleep. I stuck to their recommendations for a good night's sleep for one day...sadly last night I lost the battle to an unfinished lecture. I've included the video URL links (because there's something wrong with the "embedded" HTML code they provide).
This is of course only conjecture on my part....but given the low-ish number of students in class today, and the amount of yawning taking place....I think a wee bit o' the bubbly might have been consumed yesterday by much of the student body of Notre Dame.
Skeleton Shows Ancient Brain Surgery
Archaeologists find structures older than Pala Era in Bangladesh
I'm about to say something that hopefully won't get back to Steve Jobs and thus threaten my high ranking Mac Cultdom standing -- I HATE the new iWeb!! I never thought I'd bash a Mac product, but there it is. I had our website for the NSF program all nicely made on the former version of the program, then they changed it and I had to redo almost the entire thing. And I'm still not sure it loads properly but am going to stop working on it for now to avoid the looming aneurism.
I came home for lunch because I hoped for a power-nap (didn't sleep a wink last night). Unfortunately I listened to NPR while I ate some soup, and heard a story about the modern slave trade.
