Cue the “Last Tango for Maria Schneider” headlines.

No butter scene photos for you!

[Guardian: Maria Schneider dies aged 58]

Our guest columnist this morning is marking time while we wait for the latest news to break.

Most early evidence of cat domestication comes from ancient Egypt. Some experts believe that the Egyptians may have tamed and bred felines to produce a distinct species by the 20th or 19th century B.C.

Cats are frequently represented in Egyptian mythology in the form of the feline goddesses Bastet, Sekhmet, and other deities. Cat art and mummified remains are known from as far back as 4,000 years ago.

But researchers have also stumbled across hints that cats were domesticated much earlier. Experts have found 10,000-year-old engravings and pottery that depict cats dating to the Neolithic period (late Stone Age), [French archaeologist Jean-Denis] Vigne said. He notes such finds provide evidence that, even then, cats had a spiritual significance.

Oldest Known Pet Cat? 9,500-Year-Old Burial Found on Cyprus [National Geographic, 2004]

Image: Mask from a Cat Mummy, Roman Period, 1st Century AD [Solar Navigator]

We are reliably informed that this is called “snow”. Apparently it’s what happens when Chicago prays to the wrong gods.

City says motorists shouldn’t have taken the Drive [Chicago Tribune, via Blogenfreude]

“Free people have a common law and constitutional right to travel on the roads and highways that are provided by their government for that purpose. Licensing of drivers cannot be required of free people, because taking on the restrictions of a license requires the surrender of an inalienable right.” [CBS Atlanta, via Political Wire]

Developing Story….

Pro-Mubarak groups are fighting with protesters calling for his ouster. Mubarak forces riding horses and camels are attacking people in Tahrir Square.  Shit is getting ugly.

Nicholas Kristof of the NYT: “It’s not quite right to describe what’s happening in #Tahrir as “clashes.” These are attacks by #Mubarak thugs.” and “It’s odd that Mubarak despises Iran. In fact, he’s precisely copied the Iranian model to crush pro-democracy protests.”

Updates in the comments, I’ll try to add video and images as they come in.

Al-Jazeera

Nick Kristof on Twitter

Beeb

Read more »

We don’t know why it took us so long to notice what’s wrong with this picture, but now that we have, it’s freaking us out.

He was Mozart’s teacher, and he was probably the greatest orchestrator the world has known.  Oh, and he was Beethoven’s teacher as well. Here’s his Symphony 100 (!) finale, played at about the correct tempo (in my mind):