Sky Boulders

Cloud - Old English clūd meaning a "mass of rock," from Proto-Germanic *kludas. Metaphoric extension from the 13th century based on the similarity of cumulus clouds and rock masses. The Old English word for "cloud" was weolcan which stayed in English as welkin, an archaic word for sky.

"The sun of heaven methought was loath to set,
But stay'd and made the western welkin blush" - King John 

"Thy hounds shall make the welkin answer them." - Taming of the Shrew 

"But shall we make the welkin dance indeed?" - Twelfth Night 

"If the winds rage, doth not the sea wax mad, Threatening the welkin with his big-swollen face?" - Titus Andronicus

What does it say about British weather, that a Germanic word for cloud became an English word for sky?

Chobani Sells Ignorance

Or, at least they were trying to. Now they've been ordered to stop running ads that claim Dannon’s rival light Greek yogurt brand contains chlorine and is unsafe to eat.

Chobani’s commercials show a young woman lounging by a pool chair when she reaches for a cup of Dannon yogurt. A voiceover intones: “Dannon Light & Fit Greek actually uses artificial sweeteners like sucralose. Sucralose? Why? That stuff has chlorine added to it!”

Sucralose is manufactured by the selective chlorination of sucrose and Chobani is implying that this is the same as eating chlorine used in pools.

They have also advertised that Yoplait Greek 100 contains pesticide.

The TV spot prominently displays Yoplait Greek 100, with a woman examining the package. At this point a voiceover states, “Yoplait Greek 100 actually uses preservatives like potassium sorbate.”
The narration then continues, “Really?! That stuff is used to kill bugs!” During this exchange, the woman’s face is pinched in a look of disgust as she further examines the Yoplait container; she then flings the container into the garbage.

Is their yogurt so bad that they only way they can sell it is to try to demonize their competition?

Anti-GMO Fakers

An ongoing investigation at the University of Naples in Italy is looking into allegations that some studies of genetically modified crops included data that was manipulated to make it appear that the consumption of GMOs is harmful to mammals.

I'm shocked, shocked!

Ask Hillary if It's Okay to Call Women Bimbos

Trump got attention this week (as if there's any time he doesn't get attention) when he tweeted this.

But back in 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for president, the term "bimbo eruptions" was used to refer to the women who were alleging to have had affairs with him. He was also accused of rape and sexual battery. Hillary Clinton helped manage the "nuts and sluts" campaign to portray those women as the problem. A journalist needs to ask her if she thinks it's okay to call women bimbos.

For the first couple days, the conversation will be about Trump backhandedly calling Kelly a bimbo. Then it will be about anyone using the term "bimbo". Then it will be about Hillary and "bimbo eruptions".

There Are Nights That I Can't Sleep....

Augustines - Nothing To Lose But Your Head

Arbitrary Culture Rules

All new students at the University of Missouri have to go through diversity training.

Martinez, who is currently researching “gender, migration, and citizenship on the reproductive health beliefs and practices of Midwestern Latinas,” also warned that any non-Mexican person who uses makeup associated with the Mexican custom of Día de Muertos is engaging in cultural appropriation. 

However, Martinez also carefully instructed, students who make model alters resembling Día De Los Muertos altars for one of her class assignments are engaged in “cultural sharing.” That’s totally fine, she explained.

 Martinez also complained about photos of people wearing taco costumes. (No word if these were students or just photos she found online and felt the need to bitch about.) She said they weren't even Mexican tacos because the costumes had lettuce...so I guess appropriating the crispy shelled, meat, cheese, and lettuce California Taco Bell taco is taking this guy's culture.

Taco Bell founder Glen Bell.

Iran Drone Photographed US Aircraft Carrier

Iran flew an unarmed drone over a US aircraft carrier and took "precise" photographs during a naval drill in the Gulf, its state broadcaster said.

Someone speaking for the US Navy said it was abnormal and unprofessional. Unprofessional!

A drone was spotted flying near the USS Harry S. Truman on January 12 but was determined to be unarmed so no action was taken. This is the same day that Iran took the 10 American sailors.

Hillary Clinton's Emails

Some are too damaging to national security to release.

The decision to withhold the documents in full, and not provide even a partial release with redactions, further undercuts claims by the State Department and the Clinton campaign that none of the intelligence in the emails was classified when it hit Clinton's personal server.

A Song To Ease You Into the Night

PAT METHENY: Last Train Home

Close your eyes. Relax into the rhythm.

Good night!

'Hundreds' of Rapes 'Hidden' by Danish Police

It sounds like the problem is that some were rape and not rape-rape, as Whoopi Goldberg so aptly put it befoe.

  Denmark recorded an average of 395 rape cases every year up to 2014. But an investigation by the Ministry of Justice has revealed the actual number to be closer to 1,100 annually, Metroxpress reported on Thursday.

The majority of the ‘missing’ reports were hidden in police statistics by giving them investigation numbers that did not classify them as rape cases. A number of police departments confirmed to Metroxpress that this was standard practice in cases where there was doubt as to whether a rape had actually occurred.

Can't they all just be grouped under sexual assault/by degree?

Suzanne Somers made a video telling you to only eat organic food and to avoid (oh, horrors!) GMO foods. Here's a video reply. (NSFW)

The woman who's been injecting her face with Botox is trying to tell us what we should or should not put in our bodies.

There's more to the video than that, but that's my favorite part. Botox is made from the Botulinum toxin which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is one of the most poisonous biological substances. How does her mind work when she can tell someone not to eat produce that was raised using pesticides designed to be less toxic to humans while still effective against insects but she still thinks it's okay to have poison injected into her face?

It's not that she's wrong about Botox, it's the dose that makes the poison and when you have someone who knows what they're doing, the danger is minimal. It's that she's wrong about "organic" versus GMOs and other produce.

Zika isn't Ebola

The Obama administration wants us to know that Zika isn't Ebola.

While both viruses had a rapid spread, the Ebola virus can be fatal for anyone who becomes infected, while the Zika virus is most dangerous to women who are pregnant. Healthy, non-pregnant adults who contract the Zika virus will encounter symptoms like a "mild form of dengue fever," Earnest said.

To catch Ebola, you need to be in contact with someone who has it. To catch the Zika virus you just need to be bitten by a mosquito carrying it.

According to the World Health Organization, it's not the danger to the women, it's the danger to the fetus.

 Of particular concern, Dr. Chan said, are the cases of microcephaly, a rare condition in which infants are born with abnormally small heads that has been rising dramatically in Brazil as Zika spreads. Experts say it is too early to tell whether Zika is the cause of the condition, but there are some indications that the two are linked.

El Salvador has asked women not to get pregnant for the next two years because of fears of what kind of damage the virus can cause. I think that kind of response in the US would be an over-reaction, but it's still a good idea to be cautious...and bring back DDT.

Lena Dunham Says Hollywood Needs More Black Actors

The Girls creator says all the studios need to do is take a look at the "incredibly talented and diverse voices" at the Sundance Film Festival.

 Here's the IMDB link to her show's cast and crew if you want to see if she lives up to her own standards.

Man Arrested with Guns at Disneyland Paris

French police have arrested a man carrying two guns at an entrance to a hotel at Disneyland Paris. 

The man, reportedly aged 28 and not known to security services, was also discovered with a copy of the Koran and a box of ammunition, police said. 

He had the guns in his bags, which triggered the metal detectors when he entered the New York Hotel. There are several hotels in the area, I can't help but wonder at his choice. Symbolic if he did intend to commit an act of terrorism, unfortunate (because of the association of NYC and terrorism) if he's just an idiot.

How to Win at Monopoly

Winning at Monopoly - the key is knowing the rules and taking advantage of the fact that most people don't know them. After that, you can get them to play something that's actually fun, like Cards Against Humanity because at that point they'll be barely speaking to you anyway, you might as well go for offensive instead of just aggravating.

Trump Refuses to Debate on FOX

From the NYT - With No Détente, Donald Trump’s Feud With Fox Takes Center Stage.

With Mr. Trump declaring he will skip the debate, scheduled for Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, the most potentially consequential fight on the campaign trail is not between Mr. Trump and his fellow candidates, but between Mr. Trump and the top-rated cable television news network, which is also one of the most important forces in Republican politics.

 I think skipping the debate is a smart move. There have been six Republican primary debates so far, what more are you going to learn from the candidates?

I wonder if Trump and FOX are looking at the long game. Picture this, he ends up getting the nomination and, as nominee, agrees to debate on FOX. Would the DNC be able to refuse it? Remember when they cancelled a debate co-sponsored by FOX?