Rokia Traore

It is true that strength is in unity
Thank-you my love
For being at my side no matter what
Only a distant memory remains
Of my solitude and my fears.
Now I am strong through your support
Your presence makes me radiant

Lyrics Credit: Amariyam

The Diminution Of Heroes

By now, you’ve heard of the dramatic emergency landing of an Airbus A320 on the Hudson Rivers by US Airways pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger III, and you’ve also probably heard this pilot called a hero more than a few times, either. So I’m wondering: what makes this guy a hero?

What caught my attention (on Countdown) was the implication that the pilot’s successful ditching (that’s what you call a forced water landing) was heroism. That’s not heroism. That’s called skill. Phenomenal skill, but skill and little more. Why is it heroism — the fact that he didn’t panic, piss his trousers, and crash the plain? Heroism is not the absence of cowardice. Heroism isn’t even keeping a cool head in a dire situation. It’s not just getting the job done.

It seems to me that heroism requires both getting the job done despite considerable personal risk and having some choice in the matter.

Okay, maybe I’m being a hard ass about this, and it’s not like I’ve done anything to make me an expert. But I do think it’s worthwhile to think about these concepts critically. People throw that “hero” term around far too lightly.

Captain Sullenberger used his considerable skills to do what had to be done. He did it exceptionally well and deserves praise for it. He ditched the plane and no one died.

The passengers evacuated the cabin in ninety seconds. And then, with the plane sinking, the captain and the copilot went down through the cabin, checking to make sure all of the passengers had, in fact, left the plane.

And then they did it a second time. In a sinking plane, they double-checked to make sure there were no injured passengers left behind.

That’s heroism.

Credit: Balls and Walnuts

Yums - But Where To Begin?

Men grill part of a sausage looped around a rack in Bucharest during a Guinness World Record event for the world's longest sausage December 27, 2008. The sausage measured 392 meters (1286 feet) and set a new world record.

Credit: REUTERS/Mihai Barbu

Mother Nature Opts For Her Own

After 24 hours of starvation, neurons from females (left) mobilize free fatty acids and form lipid droplets (bright green), keeping them alive. In contrast, neurons from males (right panel) begin eating themselves from the inside to break down proteins, presumably to use as fuel.

Credit: LiveScience.com

Sooo Watcha Doin'?

A revolution in home exploration and telepresence, ROVIO is a Wi-Fi enabled robotic webcam that easily moves in any direction and can be controlled remotely. View and interact with ROVIOs environment through its streaming video and audio from its built in camera. Use ROVIO to check on your family while away from home, watch over your house while away on vacation, or look over your pets during your lunch time. In the office, enjoy movement enabled web conferences with colleagues, using ROVIO anywhere.

Why I Love Iowa

Hip Buzz

Grant Barrett is a lexicographer specializing in slang and new words. He is a co-host of the public radio program “A Way With Words” and head of the New Words Committee of the American Dialect Society. Here are some of the words he tracked this year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Credit: Chestnut501

More Bacon!

What is my fascination with bacon? I think it can only be that it is proof that somewhere someone is grossly more inured to death by food than am I. What are the chances of that? Yet they exist!!

Credit: Deusdiabolus

Who Gets the Controls?

A brain chip to stimulate orgasms? The sex chip, as it's been dubbed, would stimulate a part of the brain called the orbitofrontal cortex. Researchers say a workable implant for stimulating orgasms is said to be a decade away because for now the surgery is too crude and intrusive.

"When the technology is improved, we can use deep brain stimulation in many new areas," said researcher Tipu Aziz of Oxford. "It will be more subtle, with more control over the power so you may be able to turn the chip on and off when needed."

When needed? Sounds subjective.

Credit: Live Science

The Last Crumb

MANSFIELD, Texas—A school bus driver in Texas has been accused of brandishing a knife and threatening to cut three sixth-graders who left Oreo crumbs on a seat.

Officials say police confiscated a pocket knife from 66-year-old William Allen on Friday in Mansfield. He was taken into custody on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Two students told their parents Allen removed them from the bus Wednesday at Mary Orr Intermediate School. They say he threatened to cut their wrists if they didn't admit to spilling crumbs.

Credit: Deadbrain

Urban Graffiti

Stop Dreaming Harley Ad

Credit: thecoolhunter.com

Dead Ringer?

Dave. Dave. Pick up!!

Credit: MSNBC

Death in Wisconsin

Woven Bacon Cheese Wrap

Credit: Holy Taco

OH! Hi Kathy!

A medical examiner's office in Michigan has canceled public school tours after a high school group watched the autopsy of a 14-year-old girl from their district. The Detroit News reports Monday that Oakland County officials decided to stop the tours in Pontiac after they were contacted by the girl's parents, who were very upset about the March tour. Mike Zehnder, the county's director of public services, says it was "a poor decision" to let the tour go on.

Credit: Quiddity

Tow My Ride

Credit:Angry Animator

Public Service Announcement

Caveat Emptor. This is without a doubt the worst pizza ever created. Think of it as Limburger bread pudding. It has undertones of old tennis shoes and a vivid presentation of the worst blend of spices ever to grace bread. I actually ate TWO yes TWO pieces in a fit of self-loathing and disbelief. Do not try this at home.

Chip Truck Jousting

S.C. Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. Sonny Collins said the delivery truck driver who was northbound was not able to stop in time to stop for a car in his lane that was about to make a turn.
In order to avoid the car, the driver swerved to the southbound lane and hit the other Frito Lay truck nearly head on.

Credit: Uniquedaily.com

If It Looks Like a Quack, Duck!

clipped from scienceblogs.com Quack Miranda Warning "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." This "Quack Miranda Warning" is on every just about every woo-meister's website. I see dozens of patients every day, and I never Mirandize them, so whats the deal? There are three ways to look at this: the truthful way, the sinister way, and the bat-shit insane way. Truth: Anyone who wants to sell you something that's a load of crap must use this statement to cover themselves legally. Bat-shit insane: The FDA and Big Pharma are in cahoots with the AMA to keep you from learning all the simple ways to treat diseases. They want your money, and they'll do anything they can to get it from you, including suppressing the knowledge that anyone can learn to heal cancer.