Welcome to the new Solar system, now with one less planet.: “Leading astronomers declared Thursday that Pluto is no longer a planet under historic new guidelines that downsize the solar system from nine planets to eight. After a tumultuous week of clashing over the essence of the cosmos, the International Astronomical Union stripped Pluto of the planetary status.”

Something for rparvaaz: That restaurant we’ve been discussing is changing its name.

The FDA approved Plan B by Barr Pharmaceuticals this morning. Full CDER info. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that, taken within 72 hours after contraceptive failure or unprotected sex, can reduce the risk of pregnancy up to 89%. It is not an abortifacent and does not work on those who are already pregnant. Women may buy it without a prescription, but only with proof they’re 18 or older. Girls 17 and younger still will need a doctor’s note to buy the pills. This compromise is the culmination of a nasty three-year political battle.

Someone has it in for the SciFi Channel. :)

Wisconsin’s Beloit College has published its sixth annual Mindset List.

Does anyone even watch the show anymore? Survivor plays the race card: “So yesterday, on CBS’s morning infotainment program, the network announced that for “Survivor: Cook Islands,” which debuts next month, 20 contestants would be divided into the White Tribe, the African American Tribe, the Asian American Tribe and the Hispanic Tribe. We’ll pause here to give you time to re-hinge your jaw.” More here. Just for laughs,

Just because I love the name: The Velveteen Rabbi Syndicated feed: velveteenrabbi.

10 Tips for Keeping Your Desk Clean and Tidy

The digital toilet


Politics
Back to the Ouija Board: Nuclear Apocalypse milder than expected. A leading Islamic scholar predicted armagaeddon would happen on Tuesday.

Don’t worry. WWIII may yet happen: Israel says “We may have to go it alone against Iran”.
Israel is also using the Lebanon war as justification to put the agreed-upon pullout plan on hold temporarily. In doing so they’re also snubbing President Bush, their staunchest ally. The plan is about a year old. More here. Don’t count on this being the case for too long, though: “Israel’s costly and inconclusive war in Lebanon has triggered a round of internal recriminations so bitter that some observers question whether Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s government can survive.”

The WashPost has had solid coverage of this latest MidEast crisis.

Independent Weekly: Do You Know What It Means to Myth New Orleans? “One of the Crescent City’s biggest challenges is overcoming inaccurate reports and stereotypes that formed in the immediate wake of Katrina”

Choices that come back to haunt you....: “In the heart of Tehran sits one of Iran’s most important nuclear facilities, a dome-shaped building where scientists have conducted secret experiments that could help the country build atomic bombs. It was provided to the Iranians by the United States.”

Vanity Fair: Rare scenes from 9/11

Evolutionary biology has vanished from the list of acceptable fields of study for recipients of a federal (US) education grant for low-income college students. The government says “Oops,” (yeah, right) and promises to restore it.