Picard>Kirk

Joe's Tumblr page. Matters of varying importance.

[left-reminders]

[the-ghost-darkness]

the ghost and the darkness

[ace-the-masta]

[skunkbear]

The past is packed with monsters! Behemoths by the dozen! Let’s meet these fossils! (and their less colossal modern cousins)

[skunkbear]

Earth’s ancient history is full of giant versions of modern animals. Evolutionary forces (competition for resources, changes in climate) pushed these species to become incredibly large. And I’m not just talking about giant dinosaurs - there were huge mammals and marsupials too. 

A lot of these giants lived in the Pleistocene, an epoch stretching from around 2.5 million to 11,000 years ago. Mysteriously, the extinction of many of these animals coincides with humanity’s arrival as a dominant predator.

Watch a video / listen to a poem about these prehistoric monsters.

Illustrations by Mary McLain

[northgang]

[cryptid-sighting]

This Rifle Shoots Down Drones with Radio Waves

The cyber-punk future we demand is now here

[thedemsocialist-deactivated2018]

Eugene V Debs

[thedemsocialist-deactivated2018]

The new economics Nobel Prize winner's great explanation for why inequality threatens democracy

"To worry about these consequences of extreme inequality has nothing to do with being envious of the rich and everything to do with the fear that rapidly growing top incomes are a threat to the wellbeing of everyone else."

The political equality that is required by democracy is always under threat from economic inequality, and the more extreme the economic inequality, the greater the threat to democracy. If democracy is compromised, there is a direct loss of wellbeing because people have good reason to value their ability to participate in political life, and the loss of that ability is instrumental in threatening other harm.

The very wealthy have little need for state-provided education or health care… They have even less reason to support health insurance for everyone, or to worry about the low quality of public schools that plagues much of the country. They will oppose any regulation of banks that restricts profits, even if it helps those who cannot cover their mortgages or protects the public against predatory lending, deceptive advertising, or even a repetition of the financial crash. To worry about these consequences of extreme inequality has nothing to do with being envious of the rich and everything to do with the fear that rapidly growing top incomes are a threat to the wellbeing of everyone else.

[artofmanliness]

Theodore Roosevelt on Integrity in Private and Public Life | The Art of Manliness

Theodore Roosevelt on integrity in private and public life.

[rollerman1]

[jaywalter]

So, I got this book in the mail today… You can get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1613218281/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1444747131&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=jay+pennell

This is kind of nuts.

[saracate]

[jebiga-design-magazine]

NEW! High Camp Teardrop Trailer 

This teardrop camper is reminiscent of campers from mid 20th century which is how it creates its nostalgic effect. This is largely due to the aluminum shell which encases the entire camper. This appearance may even seem cold to some, but after popping its doors open, you get pleasantly surprised by the beautifulbirch plywood interior.

[fluidesmecaniques]

15.06.21

[did-you-know]

In an experiment, two ravens had to simultaneously pull the two ends of one rope to slide a platform with two pieces of cheese into reach. If only one of them pulled, the rope would slip through the loops, leaving them with no cheese. Without any training they solved the task and cooperated successfully.

However, when one of the two birds cheated and stole the reward of its companion, the victims of such cheats immediately noticed and started defecting in further trials with the same individual.

“Such a sophisticated way of keeping your partner in check has previously only been shown in humans and chimpanzees, and is a complete novelty among birds.”

Source

[milkdrinker-deactivated20160823]

Ravens are communists

[the-ghost-darkness]

the ghost and the darkness

[navyhistory]

We are only a few days away from the VIOLENT SKIES Conference. Just how violent were they? Take a look at some of these US Navy aviation losses during the war. We hope to see you there on Thursday and Friday. Source: Vietnam Air Losses (2001)