. . . . The time to be worried was 3 years ago. Your best weapon at this point is your belt – pull down your pants and MOON the assholes! Humiliate! Lampoon! LAUGH at them. LAUGH LONG AND HARD.

Bullies really, really hate that.

Gordie, no offense but, yer nuckin phutz.

It’s NOT over, the battles are just beginning.

I hope to see you in the streets, cuz the comedy clubs will be closed soon.

Maybe we can share them there purple berries . . . . *G*

OhSnap! @ 141

Here’s my Tillman question –

Did those who perpetrated / were ordered to kill him KNOW that nothing would come of it?

Excellent Q. Hard to imagine they would think there’d be no stink, unless they were told in advance.

Three slugs from a M-16 is ONE GUY!!

Not more, not less. One person pulled that trigger to kill Pat Tillman.

And if it was done so that THREE bullets from an M-16 went into the forehead, it likely blew the SHIT outta his head, leaving not much, behind.

These bullet tumble, they don’t rotate.

Three in a forehead, would eliminate the head from the torso.

Any grunts wanna chip in on this?

And it was one of OURS.

I wonder why. Was he too gung ho?

. . . . . . . The Platonic Noble Lie emphasized by Strauss and his brethren: the neo-cons–Perle, Wolfowitz, Kristol.

Leo Phreakin Strauss.

The Phookin Fawther To All This Evil.

Yer on it, hoss . . .

DNA evidence

I think it’s mitochondrial DNA that can trace genetic material relations over vast sweeps of history. Now you know all I know about it, but those are the kinds of studies I’d look for. Sounds like an interesting project.

You can do it with Y-chromosomal genes as well.

In fact one can do it also with just about any gene and the “daughter mutations” if one isn’t strictly concerned about following a strictly matrilineal or patrilineal pattern and are only concerned about contact and the “history of the gene”.

behindthefall @ 183

I’ve been writing about this area recently (novel) without an academic background in the subject, but I have wondered how much of the “swamp Arab” population there can be traced genetically back to Sumer (and how would you know?!). But if so, those people are the ones who jumpstarted our branch of civilization at least 7,500 years ago. Rather than being reviled and harassed and worse, they and their little region ought to be a global shrine.

Cool theory vis a vis swamp Arabs and ancient Sumer. How would one check? Well, there have been digs, right? There should be material and archaeological expertise available. Mitochondrial DNA could be informative. And reasonable to invoke in a novel even if the hard evidence isn’t available in real life.

Before he was Supreme Head of Antiquities in Egypt, Dr. Zahi Hawass (I think it was him) did some DNA studies comparing remains from the workers’ villages in Giza and modern Egyptians. Surprise! The DNA evidence supports that modern Egyptians are descendants of the people who built the pyramids (or as Dr Hawass says, “the Birri-mids).
I know someone I can ask about that study if you’re interested.
funnydiva2002 at yahoo daht calm

FunnyDiva

These DNA studies are amazing. One of those I found most interesting was Michael Hammer’s work showing that the Palestinians were not “Bedouin Arabs” but actually were descendents of the same group of people that gave rise to modern Jewish populations. In fact, many Palestinians (and some Lebanese) WERE indistinguishable from Jews. This pretty much fits with the work of archaeologist Israel Finkelstein who has established cultural continuity between the Canaanites and the later Jewish Kingdoms.

In addition there seem to be a large number of Palestinians whose ancestors were once Jewish, but who converted to Christianity during Byzantine times, and then some of thiose converted to Islam.

Ironic that both parties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may have equal “claims” to the land on historical basis…neither are “strangers” to the region.

Gave up on Iraq river research. Maps are too hard to read. There are several that come down from the mountains in the north & east, but easily available source don’t talk about them.
Here’s more on the salinity problem

The Tigris and Euphrates also carry large quantities of salts. These, too, are spread on the land by sometimes excessive irrigation and flooding. A high water table and poor surface and subsurface drainage tend to concentrate the salts near the surface of the soil. In general, the salinity of the soil increases from Baghdad south to the Persian Gulf and severely limits productivity in the region south of Al Amarah. The salinity is reflected in the large lake in central Iraq, southwest of Baghdad, known as Bahr al Milh (Sea of Salt).

I didn’t discover these comments until WAY into EPU time. This is a matter of some historical interest to me, as it affects what used to be my professional interest (focussed on SW Iran, mainly the Karun and Karkheh rivers). Salinity is a BIG issue, and has been for thousands of years. Drainage is also big, because otherwise salts accumulate in the soil. You gotta have (a) a fresh water source, (b) canals, and (c) drains. Marshes or irrigated fields with no drains eventually become too saline. Its a big, complicated, and very important issue. Back in the 60s, SW Iran had a big agricultural project modeled on the Tennessee Valley Authority. I have copies of a number of reports that were done back then, which included river flows, salinity, and a host of other agricultural data. The UN was heavily involved.

Bob in HI

Salut to 241 (and to you Seattle people) with a Redhook Summer Ale (a nostalgia buy), I have a warm spot for them. I once helped fix a valve in their brewery when they were still a micro brewery located in the old Seattle Trolley Station. Does that mean I’m old?

Nah, I remember The TrolleyMan, and I’M NOT old.
Funnydiva.

I’ll be sending that link to The Bases are Loaded to my Representative with a thank you for voting with Barbara Lee – and asking him to now use that power of the purse!

there were Girls in the House. I even think one has a last name of LEE. Is, Pelosi is a girl? Is my girl, Betty Lou Sutton is a Girl?

Or, is the DailyKos tinfoil messing with my brain?

In my house, I call her “Yes, Your Majesty.”. After all, I’d gladly her all over again.