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The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.


Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Iron Age Gold Treasure Found in Scotland

The four gold Iron Age neck ornaments, or torcs, date from between the 1st and 3rd Century BC and are said to be worth an estimated £1m.

They were discovered in September by "first-time" metal-detector enthusiast David Booth in a field in Stirlingshire.

Full Story

Science News

From BBC-Science:
Collapsed buildings in Sichuan province, May 2008 (AP)
Many earthquakes may be aftershocks of large quakes that occurred hundreds of years ago, say scientists.

The Nasa Messenger probe's observations of Mercury show the planet is even more of an "iron planet" than scientists thought.

A modification to commercial optical fibre could be a promising route to solar power without large arrays, say researchers.

Good times on Wall Street - $117.6 billion set aside for bonuses

$117.6 billion set aside for bonuses
Yes, you read that correctly.

And the year isn't even over yet. Yes, lessons learned starting with "let them rot and go bankrupt next time." As important as the Wall Street bailout was for preventing a much worse recession, any possibility of future assistance has been wiped out with this excessive greed. Playing Mr. Nice Guy with Wall Street is never good policy.
Critics say it is also a sign that banks have learned few lessons from last year's financial crisis, which has been widely blamed on Wall Street's pursuit of short-term profits that pumped up pay.

"Banks don't appear to have learned much, at least on the compensation side, from what we've been through," said Cornelius Hurley, director of the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law at Boston University. "Don't tell me you are bringing me back to the good old days of yesterday. Getting back to pre-Bear Stearns or Lehman is not fixing it. It is setting us up for another fall."

Processed and fatty foods linked to depression

Not that it is much of a surprise, but still interesting to see how bad processed food is. The difficulty is that for many reasons (time, easy access, cost) this is what many people eat. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables takes a bit more work but in the long run is so much better for the health.

AFP:
They compared participants -- all civil servants -- who ate a diet largely based on "whole" foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.

Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods.

People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.

Tom Coburn using secret hold to block bill on veterans benefits

We always knew "support the troops" didn't really mean anything to repugicans. It was a slogan, nothing more. And, that's being confirmed by Tom Coburn (reptile-OK) who is using the anonymous "hold" procedure in the Senate to prevent action on a bill designed to support veterans.
Usually, these "holds" are secret, but the veterans have outed Coburn:
Thirteen major military and veterans groups have joined forces to try to force one senator — repugican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — to release a hold that he has placed on a major veterans benefits bill.

Coburn has been identified by Senate aides as the lawmaker preventing consideration of S 1963, the Veterans’ Caregiver and Omnibus Health Benefits Act of 2009, by using an informal but legal practice of putting a hold on a bill.
Maybe the Democrats should file a cloture motion on S. 1963 to force the repugican caucus to choose between Coburn and the vets.

Sesame Street Becomes Wingnuts' Newest Target

Sesame Street, which many consider one of the best shows ever for children, has no respect for Faux News, a wingnut blogger says.
We'll guess he's not going to be celebrating Sesame Street's anniversary or Big Bird's Birthday, anytime soon.

Full Story

Well, what do you expect ... no one has any respect for Faux News - no one with a functioning brain that is.

Embarrassing baby luxury items

Embarrassing baby luxury items

These former status symbols for infants have gone from must-have to must-hide.

Fattening seasonal treats to avoid

Fattening seasonal treats to avoid

Ordering festive menu items like pumpkin muffins can wallop your waistline.

How to think like Warren Buffett

How to think like Warren Buffett

Here are 8 insights into how one of the world's richest men makes money.

Financial blunders — and how to fix them

4 financial blunders — and how to fix them

Even well-intentioned actions like saving for kids' college funds can backfire.

BPA levels in canned foods

BPA levels in canned foods

High levels of a potentially harmful chemical in soups and vegetables raise safety concerns.

Ways to look thinner instantly

5 ways to look thinner instantly

Using accessories to accentuate a small part of your body can create the illusion of thinness.

Farm state churning out millionaires

Farm state churning out millionaires

The national economy may still be struggling, but North Dakotans are raking in more than ever.

Main factors
Also:

London mayor saves woman from attackers

London mayor saves woman from attackers

A woman cornered on a London street was surprised at who answered her calls for help.

Unique vacation rentals under $100

Unique vacation rentals under $100

Spend a night in a castle in France or in a luxury home in Hawaii for very little money.

Man accidentally ejected from plane

Man accidentally ejected from plane

A passenger on a military stunt plane gets a wild and unexpected ride.

Cool concept cars turning heads

4 cool concept cars turning heads

Honda reveals what may be the most futuristic take on the minivan ever.

Things to never say to your insurers

Things to never say to your insurers

Mentioning these red flags could result in a delay or even a denial of your insurance claim.

6-year-old's gifts of love after death

6-year-old's gifts of love after death

After Elena Desserich died of cancer, her family found hundreds of surprising tokens of her love.

Notes
Also:

Facebook accounts for 1 out of every 4 pageviews on the internet

One out of every 4 pageviews is a facebook pageview.

More and more businesses are marketing through Facebook.

Interesting, isn't it.

Real-life fashion police crack down on public pajama-wearers in China

Shanghai will host the World Expo next year, and city officials are preparing for the influx of foreigners with a campaign to ban citizens from wearing their pajamas out in the streets.
An article in the Chengdu Business Daily expresses outrage over the campaign as a civil rights abuse.

Excerpt:
shanghai.pajamas.jpg Many Shanghai residents are used to loitering around the streets in their pajamas. But now the municipal government is making every effort to stop them from doing so, because it would be a "loss of face" for city authorities if a foreigner sees people walking the streets in pajamas during the 2010 World Expo. (...)

As a modern international metropolis, Shanghai has been playing host to foreigners for decades. So why have pajamas become embarrassing only now? And will it be okay for people to walk the streets in pajamas after the World Expo? Why should we change our habits and customs to suit foreigners' taste when we travel abroad as well as when we play host to them? Do we suffer from a sense of inferiority?

Owens wins 23rd Congressional District

NY 23rd Congressional District seat Plattsburgh attorney William Owens captured the 23rd Congressional District seat, giving Democrats a victory in the district for the first time since 1852.

Michigan Man Can Sue Store He Robbed

From the "Now, isn't that a fine kettle of fish" Department:

A Michigan judge says a man who claims he was chased, shot and beaten by workers at a store he'd just robbed can sue the men.

The man is currently serving 8-year prison sentence.

Michigan Man Can Sue Store He Robbed

Tokyo Uses Blues To Curb Platform Suicides

Tokyo train operators alarmed at a rise in station suicides have bathed the city's platforms in blue light in a bid to calm passengers.

Tokyo Uses Blues To Curb Platform Suicides

Man survived a 2,000 foot fall from Mt. Shasta

A Santa Rosa man fell nearly 2,000 feet on the rugged slopes of Mt. Shasta this weekend and survived.

Full Story

This just in ...

Just got a report on the state of a forum I used to frequent but left due to incessant wingnut dogma being pushed and encouraged over debate and any sort of rebuttal was seen as anathema.

It can be told that it hasn't changed and the wingnuts are still attacking any that disagree with them even after everything that they were told a year ago was the truth and factual and that all has passed as we who stood up to their bullying foretold has come to pass.

It is amazing how such small minds do not function outside of Fantasyland.

Man Denied First Class Seat on United

A corporate executive with electronic retail giant Best Buy says a United Airlines gate agent denied him a seat in the first class cabin because he was wearing a track suit.

Full Story

OK, bad taste in attire is no reason to bar someone with a first class ticket from a first class seat.
Laugh your ass off at their stupid attire, yes, but not bar them from their seat.

Iranians run into the streets during earthquake

An earthquake has hit the southern part of Iran.
The official news agency of Iran has reported major injuries from the incident, with 100 people being hospitalized.

The Birth of Time

Lores Scientists have seen the first starlight ever recorded, and we don't mean the first incidence of a monkey marking something down - we mean the first star to send light which reached Earth. This light is the earliest, the furthest away, the most red-shifted, and every other factor that could possibly say "Everything else ever came after this."

Full Story

Companies with no layoffs — ever

Companies with no layoffs — ever

These businesses have never laid off a single employee in their history.

Missing teen mystery solved 55 years later

Missing teen mystery solved 55 years later

It took a family member, a historian, and a detective to connect a Jane Doe case to a girl's disappearance.

Unusual Holidays and Celebrations

Today is:

National Chicken Lady Day

as well as

Use Your Common Sense Day

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Graz, Steiermark, Austria
Bolton, England, United Kingdom
Calcutta, West Bengal, India
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bath, England, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Lyon, Rhone-Alpes, France
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Milano, Lombardia, Italy

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

Beware of some crossed signals or less-than-totally clear communication.
A lot of ambient noise is in the air -- third-party hearsay or idle, unfounded gossip, for instance.
Shut it out!
Once you winnow away all that negative stuff, the more significant messages may become clear.
Interpreting it as being all about you could be totally wrong.

Best get to winnowing, then.