Via: Renegade Futurist“Fairy tales and legends” is the theme of this year’s World Sand Sculpture Festival now underway at the Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori prefecture. On display (until May 31) are 19 massive works crafted by world-class sculptors from ten nations. The artists used around 2,700 tons of sand and took about two weeks to complete their works. Can you identify the fairy tales and legends depicted in these sand sculptures?
A Hereford cow named L1 Dominette has something that no other heifer in the world can claim: the sequence to her genome.
A new analysis of an as yet undeciphered script from South Asia has ignited a row over whether it is a language or not.
A virus that gobbles up a bacterium that causes persistent ear infections could be the next weapon against bacteria that have evolved resistance to antibiotics.Volunteers to receive first vaccine based on whole but weakened malaria parasite.
Astronomers have spotted the most distant blob of gas ever seen – they're puzzling over how it got so large so soon after the big bang.
On the dark side of the Earth, space is riddled with giant plasma tornadoes that power shimmering auroral displays, new observations reveal.
No one thing pushed our distant ancestors across the threshold of humanity. Studying our nearest living relatives provides clues that can't be found in bones and stones.
Cheap houses built from straw bales could be a boon in earthquake zones 
A new analysis of million-year-old relicts suggests our ancestors used bone tools to process fruit and to procure their protein from termites in the ground.
A cloned beagle that glows could help researchers to model human disease, but the process could be too expensive to continue. |
| Endangered wildlife of disappearing orchards | | Arctic fossils trace evolution of seals and walruses |
Chewing gum in class may make students smarter. A recent study has shown that chewing gum in class helps reduce stress, improve alertness and relieve anxiety for students.
A Superior Court judge in Monmouth County, New Jersey will be asked today whether a woman from the Pacific Northwest who posted comments online about the pornography industry should have the same protections as working journalists when it comes to sorting out allegations of slander.
Today's economy has blurred some of the rules for your financial portfolio.Also:
A new network of infected machines dubbed the "iBotnet" could signal the end of Mac's free ride on the security train. Also:
A look at some popular menu items and their total cost per 100 calories — from the priciest to the cheapest. Also:
AWARE held its annual general meeting (AGM) on 28 March 2009. There were over 100 people present. Of them, about 80 had only joined the organisation between January and March, one to three months before the meeting. Nine out of 12 executive committee (EXCO) places, including four Office Bearer positions, went to newcomers, who were voted in by wide majorities. There are wide-ranging suspicions that this "leadership grab" has been orchestrated by a well-organised group who do not share AWARE's values and who are seeking to use the name and the resources of a well-respected institution to further their own agenda. These concerns have been expressed not only by onlookers, but by older members of Aware...# The new president, Josie Lau and 5 other Exco members belong to the same church, Church of Our Saviour. Given this, it is very likely, in our view, that they have acted in concert to take over AWARE. We do not know why as they have refused to disclose their reasons to either members of AWARE or to the press and this makes us even more worried. They, or persons whom they have been associated with, have written homophobic letters to the press. While that is their personal conviction to which they are entitled, we do not want AWARE to be made into a vehicle for any hidden agenda.
# Josie Lau, was in charge of the DBS Charity Drive in support of Focus On The Family, US-based Christian organisation that is opposed to abortion and equal rights for sexual minorities. This created a controversy last year which was well-documented.
# 160 members, including former AWARE committee members and founder members, petitioned for an extraordinary general meeting to consider a vote of no confidence in the New Exco on the basis that the New Exco has not acted and is not acting in the best interest of AWARE; does not appreciate or share the values of AWARE and does not have the requisite experience of carrying out AWARE's work or is otherwise inadequate to further AWARE's objectives. An EGM will be held on 2 May 2009.
There are different types of ____ ('jäv', translation help needed). The most obvious case is if a judge is related to one of the inflicted parties. This is not the case here. But the concept of _____ ('delikatessjäv', translation help needed) exists, and that means that you as a judge must not have any reason to be deemed partial."But I do not think that I can be deemed partial because of these engagements," says Tomas Norström, judge in The Pirate Bay trial.
How do you explain that several law experts disagree with you?
"You will have to ask them that yourself. Every time I am presented with a count, I access if I see myself as partial. That I have not in this case," says Tomas Norström.
But it does not matter what the judges thinks himself. This thinks Erik Bylander, associate professor in law practice at the Gothenburg Business College.
"Regardless of the judge's viewpoint, it can seem highly questionable. In a high profile lawsuit such as this one, I am _____ ('förvåna', translation help needed) that the court has not been more careful," he says.
A man in a UAE police uniform is seen on the tape tying the victim's arms and legs, and later holding him down as the Sheikh pours salt on the man's wounds and then drives over him with his Mercedes SUV.
In a statement to ABC News, the UAE Ministry of the Interior said it had reviewed the tape and acknowledged the involvement of Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, brother of the country's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed.
A skeleton cast of tiny and controversial Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the Hobbit, went on public display for the first time Tuesday at Stony Brook University on Long Island.
The specimen, discovered in 2003 in Indonesia, is hotly debated among scientists. Some claim it represents a new diminutive hominin species, while others argue it is simply a modern human dwarfed by some medical condition.
All agree the original Hobbit was extremely compact compared to us.
More here.
From the "Not the sharpest tool in the shed" Department:
A Pittsburgh postal worker faces up to 10 years in prison if she's convicted of stealing two items of dubious value from the mail: $25, and a book on a woman's perspective of breaking up with men.
A research vessel for the federal agency charged with protecting the endangered right whale hit one of the animals off the Massachusetts coast this weekend, cutting into the animal's left tail fluke with its propeller.
The Queen's Cup is like no other sporting and social event in the Charlotte region. A Saturday afternoon in the country each spring is greeted with great anticipation.
Thousands come to see some of the most athletic thoroughbreds compete at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. The jockeys, dressed in bright colored silks, push their sleek steeds to clear four foot jumps over a two to three mile rolling turf course. All for the prestige of thousands of dollars in purse money and the opportunity to bask in the glory of the winner's circle.
Beyond the excitement of the races, families and friends enjoy some fast-paced mingling and socializing. The Queen's Cup annually solidifies business as well as personal relationships; and keeps both strong by bringing people together year after year.
The Queen's Cup offers breathtaking views of the entire racecourse from the Lawn Boxes and Hospitality Tents on Exclusive Member's Hill to tailgating spots throughout the entire racecourse. For the first time in steeplechase history, Personal Space Licenses (PSL's) are being offered to our race patrons so that you and your family can enjoy your very own Lawn Box or Tailgating Space for generations to come.
Sanford on Thursday ordered the state of emergency for Horry County. He said the blaze has destroyed dozens of homes and consumed 15,000 acres, or about 23 square miles, nearly double earlier estimates.
No injuries have been reported.
More here.
Also:
Photographers are capturing the frightening scene as the large coastal blaze spreads.
And:
These jobs can be worked around a 9-to-5 schedule and utilize skills you may already have.Also:
High fees and predatory lending practices have prompted the White House to call an unpleasant meeting.
Also:
The chief executive of Craigslist has a message for people who try to use the popular Internet advertising site to commit crimes: You're going to get caught.This will not end well ... in any city.Facing pressure to crack down on crime amid a record budget deficit, Oakland is joining other U.S. cities that are turning over more law-enforcement duties to private armed guards.
The City Council recently voted to hire International Services Inc., a private security agency, to patrol crime-plagued districts. While a few Oakland retail districts previously have pooled cash to pay for unarmed security services, using public funds to pay for private armed guards would mark a first for the city.
Hiring private guards is less expensive than hiring new officers. Oakland — facing a record $80 million budget shortfall — spends about 65% of its budget for police and fire services, including about $250,000 annually, including benefits and salary, on each police officer.
In contrast, for about $200,000 a year the city can contract to hire four private guards to patrol the troubled East Oakland district where four on-duty police officers were killed in March. And the company, not the city, is responsible for insurance for the guards.
