Stories below the fold

Could the US Marines overcome the Empire of Rome? This was posted on a discussion page awhile back and now is a movie.

Hmm...logistic, logistics, logistics. The historian in the article suggests they do the Hannibal strategy, (i.e. despoil the countryside and encourage the opposition to rise up). but the reason Hannibal couldn't conquer Rome is that they cut off his supplies, and much later they attacked Carthage so he had to go home to defend his own city.

However, Mraines are known for their ability to improvise: What about biodiesel, alcohol for gasoline, and collecting saltpetre/urine to make gunpowder? How about the longbow/crossbow with it's longer range? (according to AICN, this is the magic weapon that Matt Damon  uses in the Wall movie: his English longbow). And of course, they might also try diplomatic strategy and get the hoi polloi in the Roman legions to join them to take over Rome...

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 PMech article on liquifaction...

Desmond Bagley's book Landslide has liquifaction as part of the plot. One of the books I have with me. But in that case, the blame goes to heavy rain destablizing the mud...

owever, in earthquakes, shaking will cause liquifaction, and this article describes how that happened in the 1964 Alaska's earthquake.

Which is why I worry that our house is build on soil, not rock.
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both article headsup via Instapundit: as is this one: Who runs the USA?

We know who runs the Philippines: The oligarchy of rich families. And when Duterte tries to drain the swamp, they go to the compliant press to moan about murders etc.

BBC says they indicted the lovely vixen who was schtupping her driver (and gave him an expensive house as a reward)... hmm wonder if he turned states evidence since the rumor was that he was her go between with the drug dealers.

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bbc magazine says get rid of "large bills", and says to get rid of $50 and $100 dollar bills and "masybe $20's"....

uh, 20 dollar blls are not "Large bills".

 he uses the fact we see movies showing criminals using 100 dollar bills as proof that "normal" people don't use large bills.

I don't know: Lolo used 100 dollar bills all the time, while I paid for groceries using 20 dollar bills or my credit card.

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ll Gates hyperventillates and worries an epidemic might kill 30 million people. He cites Ebola as an example.

and Archeology Magazine now says some scientists say the 1545 epidemic might have been a varient Salmonella, and yes probably came over from Europe.

Acuna-Soto R1, Stahle DW, Cleaveland MK, Therrell MD. - Emerging Infectious Diseases, April 2002; vol 8 (number 4), pages 360-2

looks scary, but it doesn't take into consideration the recovery aspect: i.e. population increases, i.e. people have babies

The post got too long, so I moved a long discussion about vaccines and epidemics to my medical blog.

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how to breed a wooly mammoth.

make a hybrid mammoth/elephant embryo and grow it in an artificial womb so the animal rights folks don't get upset that you are hurting a mama elephant.

and factoid: Asian elephants are the closest living relatives to mammoths.
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