Happy President's Day!

Although given the guy currently running the White House you may wish to toilet paper his lawn rather than celebrate. It's not a holiday in Canada, at least not for Quebec and Atlantic Canada. It's Family Day in Ontario, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, and the newly-minted Louis Riel Day in Manitoba. Someday I want to get a day named after me for nearly starting a civil war. Folks in BC also get a holiday, although I'm not sure what it's called. Calls to make it a national holiday will probably fall of deaf ears because of endless bitching from businesses.

There's even a new country today, depending on who you talk too. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia today to the jubilation of some and fears of ethnic persecution for others. International reaction is mixed. Russia claims that Kosovo's declaration of independence is illegal, the US supports the move because it lets them indulge in more high-minded talk about freedom, the EU and Canada are sitting on the fence. Serbia is, of course, fuming and accuses the US of supporting Kosovo's independence only to further its military presence in the region. The UN meanwhile is appealing for calm while wondering what effect this might have on other separatist groups around the world. Stay tuned.

NASA has determined that early Mars was probably unsuitable for life as we know it. While wet, the planet was probably too salty and acidic to support the kinds of chemical interactions believed to have started Earth's earliest life.