CAROLINA NATURALLY: Apr 16, 2010

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
You've got to make a big decision regarding a certain special person, but you're not really sure which way to go. You know you're ready, willing and able to take that leap. On the other hand, you're worried about how much time you currently invest in work or school, and you may be nervous that frequent overtime isn't all that conducive to a relationship. Consider just how conducive a relationship can be to eliminating the urge to put in that overtime in the first place.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Stevenage, England, United Kingdom

Fulda, Hessen, Germany

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

London, England, United Kingdom

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Nanterre, Ile-De-France, France

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Asker, Akershus, Norway

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

as well as Luxembourg, Brazil, and the Unites States in such cities as Lady Lake, Berrien Springs, Chula Vista and more

Today is Friday, April 16, the 106th day of 2010.

There are 259 days left in the year.

Today In History April 16

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

High Five Day

Trivia Day

and

National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day

Here's looking at ya

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/3070786232_dc37f05293.jpg

Loch Norman Highland Games

If you happen to be in and about the Lake Norman area this weekend then trot on over to the Loch Norman Highland Games and see why the Scots are the most feared fighting men to this day! Hear the massed pipe bands and feel the thunder roll. Take a nip or two. Make a friend.

April is Confederate History Month

Robert Edward Lee

He was the greatest general the United States Army ever had before the War of Northern Aggression and since. He was opposed to slavery and was General of the Armies for the Confederate States Army during the war.

The war had nothing to do with slavery and do not fall for that lie perpetuated by groups that seek to rewrite history.The war was an economic war pure and simple. At the time all the economic power was in the South and the rest of the world looked there and supported the Confederacy.

Shear numbers were all the North had and that is what eventually won the war after three plus years of battlefield defeats. That's right kiddies Useless Grant 'won' the war by sending more and more Yankee men and boys to die against Confederate rifle fire until the Confederates literally ran out of ammunition. Nice fella that.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns

Sunken warship lifted from sea floor

South Korean officials hope the vessel will offer clues to what caused the mysterious sinking.

Watch the raising

Also:

Eyewitness photos capture Volcano drama

As Iceland's eruptions snarl European air traffic, photos reveal stunning beauty amid the chaos.

The images

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Chaos from Iceland volcano grows

The crater is spewing thousands of ice chunks, and the ash cloud can now be seen from space.

How long it may last

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Looming burqa bans reveal deeper unease

The conservative Muslim garb sets off debate over public safety and religious freedom in Europe.

'Islamophobia'

Also:

The State Of The Nation

The State Of The Nation

New WWI chemical dug up in D.C. lawn

Smoking glassware and a jar of dark liquid shed new light on Army weapons experiments.

Munitions found, too

Also:

Quake Shakes, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake has rattled parts of Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.

Full Story

Local Hospitality

Local Hospitality

Snake used as "weapon"

Troy Smith, of Rock Hill, South Carolina, was charged with assault and battery charges after allegedly using a 4 foot long ball python as a weapon. The victim is Jeff Culp, 47, who was staying in a hotel room near Smith's room.

Culp and his wife Nancy are staying at the Executive Inn on Anderson road. On Tuesday night, Culp said he asked his neighbors a few doors down from him to turn down their music. Culp exchanged words with one of them, and said a while later, that neighbor, Smith, came back holding a python. "He just walked up and tapped me on my shoulder, and stuck the snake in my face."
But it was worse than that. Culp said Smith pinched the snake's head so its mouth opened, then touched his face with it, and even stuck it partially into his mouth.
The incident nearly made Culp sick. "I fell down and crawled back here into my room. I took a shower for three hours last night. I just can't stand those things touching me," he said.

"Man Says Snake Used As Weapon In Assault"

A North Carolina man has had a transplanted kidney removed, after doctors learned the organ contained cancer.

Full Story

Man Critically Injured By Baseball Bat Attack

Six men are charged with beating a man in the head with a baseball bat in Onslow County.

Stolen Truck With Stolen Copper Found Abandoned On I-40

Officers say the truck was left behind after its tires blew from the weight of the load. The copper weighed close to 35 tons, the truck was designed to hold up to 20 tons.

Historic fire station in danger

Owner says he'd like to see it preserved but that it seems unlikely 'unless the city or someone steps up.'

Jobless rate drops

Carolinas' jobless rate dips in March

The N.C. rate dipped slightly to 11.1%; the S.C. rate dropped to 12.2%.

Faux News Logo Modeled After Old Nazi Poster

http://www.mediaite.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Picture-56-e1271344625125.png

Jon Stewart ‘Discovers’ Faux News Logo Modeled After Old Nazi Poster

Lunatic Fringe

Lunatic Fringe

Wingnuts too extreme for the rest of the wingnuts

Fears of unruly ralliers prompt tea party leaders to uninvite some conservative guests.

A 'birther,' a politician

Also:

Typical ...

Teabaggers want to cut govt, unless it's their own Soc Security benefits

From NYT:

Some defended being on Social Security while fighting big government by saying that since they had paid into the system, they deserved the benefits.

Others could not explain the contradiction.

“That’s a conundrum, isn’t it?” asked Jodine White, 62, of Rocklin, Calif. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe I don’t want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security.” She added, “I didn’t look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think I’ve changed my mind.”

SEC accuses Goldman Sachs of civil fraud

The government alleges Goldman Sachs defrauded investors by failing to disclose conflicts of interest in mortgage investments it sold as the housing market was faltering.

SEC accuses Goldman Sachs of civil fraud

'Don't be fooled' by Mitch McConnell. He's fighting for Wall Street.

Chris Dodd has been on fire about Wall Street reform. He's not letting Mitch McConnell and the repugicans spin this one. Yesterday, Dodd said, "We don't work for the big banks." But, Mitch McConnell and his fellow repugicans do work for the big banks.

Today, Paul Krugman eviscerates McConnell, too. McConnell, on behalf of Wall Street, is trying to deceive the American people. It's despicable. And, it's just blatant:

It’s a truly shameless performance: Mr. McConnell is pretending to stand up for taxpayers against Wall Street while in fact doing just the opposite. In recent weeks, he and other Republican leaders have held meetings with Wall Street executives and lobbyists, in which the G.O.P. and the financial industry have sought to coordinate their political strategy.

And let me assure you, Wall Street isn’t lobbying to prevent future bank bailouts. If anything, it’s trying to ensure that there will be more bailouts. By depriving regulators of the tools they need to seize failing financial firms, financial lobbyists increase the chances that when the next crisis strikes, taxpayers will end up paying a ransom to stockholders and executives as the price of avoiding collapse.

Even more important, however, the financial industry wants to avoid serious regulation; it wants to be left free to engage in the same behavior that created this crisis.

And, a final warning from Krugman:

So don’t be fooled. When Mitch McConnell denounces big bank bailouts, what he’s really trying to do is give the bankers everything they want.

Exactly.

It's good to see that the Senate Democrats are in a fighting mood. They're not letting the repugicans lie on this issue. McConnell really thinks the American people are too stupid to figure out his lies. He's wrong.

In Matters Of Health

In Matters Of Health

MIT student designs $3 life-saving tool

Doctors know suction helps heal wounds, but devices can cost $100 a day.

Haiti field test

Also:

5 exercises for strong, sculpted arms

You don't have to spend your life in the gym to get strong and sleek-looking arms.

Celebrity training tips

Also:

*****

Insurers try to circumvent health care law

Insurers try to circumvent health care law

Health insurers are changing their accounting practices to avoid the new law's requirements.

Shifting costs

Also:

Scientists reveal gene-swapping technique to thwart inherited diseases

Scientists today offered new hope for women at risk of passing on certain inherited diseases to their children, in the form of a pioneering technique to move healthy genetic material from fertilised eggs into donated ones.
Researchers from Newcastle University say their breakthrough will help women whose children are at risk of a range of mitochondrial diseases. These disorders can be mild or very severe, and can cause muscle weakness, blindness, heart and liver failure, diabetes and learning disabilities. They affect one child in every 6,500. [...]
The Newcastle University researchers write in the journal Nature that they have successfully transplanted the healthy DNA in human eggs from women with mitochondrial disease into the eggs of women donors who are unaffected.
“What we have done is like changing the battery on a laptop,” said Professor Doug Turnbull, one of the study leaders. “The energy supply now works properly but none of the information on the hard drive has been changed.
“A child born using this method would have correctly functioning mitochondria but in every other respect would get all their genetic information from their father and mother.”

Scientists reveal gene-swapping technique to thwart inherited diseases

'Cannibal Snails' Eat Species of Tiny Tree Snail into Extinction

The survival of an entire species of "incredibly endangered" tree snails has just been entrusted to the British Zoo. The population of tiny tree snails--they grow to be only a few millimeters long--has been decimated, eaten into extinction by a larger "cannibal snail." Called the Rosy Wolfsnail, it arrived as an invasive species to the tree snail's natural habitat of French Polynesia in the 1970s. The larger cannibal snails, along with habitat loss, have pushed the tree snail to extinction in the wild--there are now only 88 left in the world, in a lab in England. But the British Zoo intends to save them . . .
The BBC explains that British Zoo hopes to save the species through a careful breeding program in a climate-controlled environment. So far, 15 new baby snails have been produced, with the smallest of the bunch measuring 2 mm. Fingers are certainly crossed for the survival of the ultra-endangered species. But what about the cannibal snails that pushed them to the brink?

'Cannibal Snails' Eat Species of Tiny Tree Snail into Extinction

Mysterious fireball lights up night sky

Mysterious fireball lights up night sky

A dazzling flash and sonic booms spark a flood of 911 calls from Iowa to upper Michigan.

Caught on video

Also:

Meet the new leech

Photos via LiveScience

Three years ago, after a young Peruvian girl bathed in a river, she began to experience an odd sensation in the her nose--like something was moving back there... And it turns out there was. After visiting with a local physician about the problem, researchers realized that the girl had inadvertently 'discovered' a rather nasty species of leech, previously unknown to biologists. According to them, the leech is a bit different from other species in that it packs a wallop of a bite with the eight "enormous teeth" that line its single jaw. So, when it came time to name the critter, what did these highly-trained, uneasily fazed biologists decide upon? Well, may we introduce you to the T. rex leech?

Article continues: Freaky Nose Leech Named For Its Enormous Teeth

It's The Economy Stupid

Tax papers you should keep forever

You can trash most of your documents and go digital with the rest — except for these.

What to toss, what to keep

Also:

Big tax credit triggers audits, delays

The IRS is auditing one in five taxpayers who try to claim a credit worth $8,000.

Refunds slowed by months, too

Also:

What happens if you ignore the IRS?

In the worst case, the IRS will dock you a whopping 47.5% of your tax bill.

'These guys aren't kidding around'

Also:

American cities with sinking economies

American cities with sinking economies

Economic indicators in these metros have gone from bad to worse, with no sign of recovery.

Hard-hit 'sand states'

Also:

Fortune 100 companies that are hiring

Many of America's biggest businesses, including Northrop Grumman and Sears, are adding workers.

As many as 21,800

Also:

The hottest hotels for 2010

The hottest hotels for 2010

These unique locations possess a blend of style, service, and high technology.

You might never go home

Also:

Ways to escape a rut in your career

7 ways to escape a rut in your career

When promotions are scarce, try these steps to move ahead in your job.

Climbing the ladder sideways

Also:

Surprising symptoms of stress

9 surprising symptoms of stress

Neck pain and eye twitching can be your body sending an SOS you shouldn't ignore.

Remedies for each condition

Also:

New details about the Donner Party

New details about the Donner Party

Research shows snowbound pioneers ate their animals but may not have been cannibals.

Prejudice?

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America's most profitable company

The steep drop in oil prices has also sunk profits at Exxon Mobil, making way for a new No. 1.

The Fortune 500

Also:

Interesting In General

Interesting In General

Rare pygmy loris twins born

Moody Gardens of Galveston, Texas have introduced pygmy slow loris twins born on March 22. Breeding of this species is often challenging and largely rare in captivity. In fact, this is only one of five pygmy slow loris births in captivity in North America over the past year.

The addition of the twins is a valuable boost to the population of this primitive primate species called prosimians that are found in tropical forests of Vietnam, China and Cambodia. Currently, there are only about 75 pygmy slow lorises in North American zoos and aquariums and fewer than 200 in captivity worldwide. Due to numerous environmental threats, the wild population is dwindling, and the species is listed as a threatened species by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services.

To bring this mammal back from the brink of extinction, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, of which Moody Gardens is an accredited member, created a Species Survival Plan program for the pygmy slow loris. The birth was a great success of this cooperative breeding and conservation program, which helps ensure the survival of the species in both wild and captivity.

The baby boy and girl were born between mother Luyen and father Icarus. The parents are ten and 14 years of age and have been members of the Moody Gardens animal collection since 2004. "Luyen has been a very attentive and good mother to the twins," said Kolvig. "The babies stay attached to their mom for the majority of the day, taking plenty of opportunities to nurse."

Godzilla

Odds and Sods

Odds and Sods

In Cop News

New York cop gets probation for acting as lookout in uniform during theft

South Carolina cop pleads to guilty to misconduct

Men accuse New York cops of police brutality

Florida cop arrested on federal drug and weapons charges

Pennsylvania detective pleads guilty for stealing drug money from evidence room

Texas police detective is placed on paid leave pending drug investigation

Tennessee cops quit after leaving police dog to die of dehydration in crate

Colorado sheriff's deputy uses stun gun on 30 high schoolers at job fair

28-year veteran Colorado police officer pleads guilty to drug possession

Internal probe concludes that un-named New York deputy's Tasering of judge was accidental

New York town's police chief suspended with pay for interfering in investigation

20-year-old woman banned from drinking

20-year old Laura Hall of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire is thought to be the first person to be banned from all pubs, bars, and clubs across England and Wales. She is also not allowed to buy alcohol or drink in public.
I wonder what this girl did wrong that makes her so exceptional among other belligerent drunk people, or this is supposed to set an example for other drunken youngsters.

Full Story

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Friday, April 16, 2010

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