I tow the line...

I tow the line...  A liberal (identified as only as DGCJ) writes something and uses the phrase “I tow the party line” – plainly meaning “I toe the partly line” instead.  Conservative commentator Daniel Greenfield calls him out on it, rather gently correcting him.  What do you suppose the result was?

Naturally, DGCJ asserted his correctness – certified by his political persuasion (liberal), credentials (Ph.D.), and makes several assertions he apparently considers belittling and conclusive, such as:

Thanks.  we both realize you were mentally outclassed from the beginning, but now you know why.  It's because I was born with superior cognitive functions, as a homosexual male.

and

I tow the party line, dummy
I just corrected you.  Nobody toes their car, do they?  They TOW it.  DUH!
And, the last laugh will be on you, my friend.  I don't troll.  I speak the truth and conservatives hate facts.  Science is not your friend.

Daniel uses this as a teaching moment.  Go learn...

The view from Mars...

The view from Mars...  Well, what it would be, if you were riding atop Curiosity!

The shame of That One...

The shame of That One...  Niall Ferguson on America's global retreat.  Very sad, for us old-fashioned Americans.  The progressives are cheering, though...

Fort Caroline found – in the wrong place...

Fort Caroline found – in the wrong place...  Fort Caroline was the first French settlement in the U.S., long believed to have been near present-day Jacksonville, Florida, but never found.  Until now, possibly: researchers recently announced that they've discovered the remains of the fort – in southern Georgia!  This is a controversial discovery, overturning decades of scholarship – but it has the interesting advantage of actual, you know, evidence.  I'll be keeping an eye on this one...

Solar time vs. local time...

Solar time vs. local time...  Here's a wonderful map (full resolution version) of the difference between Solar time and local time zones over the entire Earth.  This difference is what accounts for sunrises and sunsets being later or earlier (by clock time) in different locations around the globe.  This is the kind of data that really needs a good graphical treatment, and the creator of this map (Stefano Maggiolo) has done it brilliantly...

More Mann-ly takedown...

More Mann-ly takedown...  From the irreplaceable Steve McIntyre, of course.  This time he demolishes Mann's characterization of the Muir Russell inquiry...

Ukraine – events happening too fast to keep up with...

Ukraine – events happening too fast to keep up with...  It appears that in the past 24 hours, a peace agreement was signed, a truce immediately violated, Parliament restored the 2004 Constitution and voted to release the former Prime Minister (Yulia Tymoshenko), police and military reportedly “defected” to the protesters, current President Viktor Yanukovych fled the capital of Kiev, the Parliament voted to remove Yanokovych, Tymoshenko is released and is heading for Independence Square, and demonstrators took over the entire city of Kiev, including all government offices.  Yanokovych vows to remain in the country and in power, calling the demonstrators “bandits”, as he has for the past three months.

After months of sometimes-bloody conflict, this is quite an amazingly rapid progression.  So far as I can tell, it's all good news, too – but it's certainly not over yet.  Yanokovych could conceivably lean on Putin to supply the muscle needed to restore himself to power.  Internal forces may yet be able to do the same.  I have no idea how it's going to end up, but it looks hopeful right at the moment...

Some relevant reading for you here, here, and here...