Out of the Blue [Oct 14, 2024, 10:57 am ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
Today is Columbus Day here in the U.S., and apparently elsewhere, as the
Wikipedia explains this
is celebrated in a bunch of other countries under various names. But the name
of the occasion here is also in flux, as it is also now Indigenous Peoples' Day for
many as part of the backlash of what can at the very least be called the
excesses of the Age of Exploration that lead to the Age of Imperialism. This
might explain why I feel this snuck up on me this year, as it doesn't seem to be
as prominent as it once was, despite still being a Federal Holiday.
Also, happy Thanksgiving to Canada, where this is celebrated on the second Monday in October. I like how the U.S. version falls on Thursday, but mid-October is a much better time for a celebration of fall than late November, which is too close to the holiday season, not to mention my birthday. So good on you, Canada. I'll try and hunt down some pumpkin pie to celebrate.
Also, happy Thanksgiving to Canada, where this is celebrated on the second Monday in October. I like how the U.S. version falls on Thursday, but mid-October is a much better time for a celebration of fall than late November, which is too close to the holiday season, not to mention my birthday. So good on you, Canada. I'll try and hunt down some pumpkin pie to celebrate.
Celebratory Round-up
Thanks Ant, Neutronbeam, and Max.Story
Science
- ‘Phenomenal’ tool sequences DNA and tracks proteins — without cracking cells open - Nature.
- Colossal snake measuring over 50 feet long found in India - The Brighter Side of News.
- 'Islands' of regularity discovered in the famously chaotic three-body problem - Phys.org.
- Can a Supplement Really Help Control Your Pesky Eye Floaters? - ScienceAlert.
Media
- VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGi 153. Thanks The Flying Penguin.
Follow-up
- Tea And Coffee May Affect Your Heart Health, New Study Says - HuffPost UK Life.
- SpaceX catches returning rocket in mid-air, turning a fanciful idea into reality - Ars Technica.
The Funnies
Prez wrote on Oct 14, 2024, 19:27:
On the topic of "Indigenous" day, while it has never been officially confirmed that I know of, the day is appropriately named when considering that it is the first time in the modern age following the most recent occurrence of colonialism under which modern America and other continents were settled (most historians agree that this started some time in the 15th century). I am not an expert in human history but I don't think that there have been any mass human migrations since then. So as far as modern society is concerned, these people were indigenous. That's how I understand it anyway, and I believe why this is appropriate.
I am going to suggest, in a very polite and affable way, that you look more in to modern human history. There have been several mass migrations since the 15th century. For example, once the Ottoman Empire collapsed, you saw a massive migration of historically eastern Balkan peoples migrating west since the Ottomans no longer held them in the east. Look at how many millions of Irish, Italian, Hispanic, and Asian peoples migrated to the US starting in the 19th century. Look at how many people are migrating from Central and South America to North America in this century.
That's the main thrust of my point. Humans are migrating constantly. Whether it is on the same continent or from one continent to another. That's why the idea of an "indigenous" people in the Common Era is not scientifically accurate. It's a political and emotional belief. Not a factual one.
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.
“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
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