“Bring me some fire-starting powder”

Dutch archaeologists argue that Neanderthals in France 50,000 years past used manganese dioxide as a fire-starting powder. Which doesn’t much surprise me. People who use pigments to draw on cave walls likely have more prosaic purposes for them, also.

This is Texas Independence day. I suspect Sam Houston, were he somehow brought back from the dead to visit this world, would take one look at Ted Cruz and shake his head in embarrassment.