Teen discovers bat hiding in her bra

You have got to be kidding!

Abbie Hawkins, 19, spent a half-day at work before noticing that a baby bat was hiding inside her bra. From The Telegraph:

Miss Hawkins said she got dressed at 7.30am and arrived for work at the Holiday Inn Norwich North, near Norwich International Airport without noticing anything unusual.

"When I was driving to work I felt a slight vibration but I thought it was just my mobile phone in my jacket pocket," she said.

It was not until her lunch break, at midday when she felt a strange movement inside her bra, which had been hanging on her washing line the previous night.

Bat in bra

Octopuses play with Rubik's Cubes

I wonder if they play with them in their garden's that Ringo told us all about all those years ago?!
Researchers from the Weymouth Sea Life Centre are providing octopuses with Rubik's cubes to determine whether the animals prefer one tentacle over another, or another, or another, etc.

(Want to bet they secretly hope that one of the animals will solve the puzzle.)

From Nature's The Great Beyond:

“Uniquely, octopuses have more than half their nerves in their arms and have been shown to partially think with their arms,” says Claire Little, of the Weymouth Sea Life Centre. “Many animals have been shown to favor a certain arm so we will see if octopuses can be added to that list.”

According to Little, the findings could help make life in captivity more pleasant for these intelligent, (and occasionally shark eating), animals. “They are very susceptible to stress, so if they do have a favorite side to be fed on, it could reduce risk to them,” she says.

Octupus and Rubik's Cube

Treasure trove found in Florida

Federal authorities in Miami have recovered a treasure trove of pre-Columbian gold, artifacts and emeralds, and plan to return the items to the Colombian government.

The treasures will be handed over to authorities from the South American nation on Tuesday.

Federal authorities say the items were recovered from an Italian citizen who was living in south Florida and illegally smuggling them into the country.

U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta and officials from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement say more than 60 artifacts were recovered.

'Zero' chance lottery tickets stun some players

And you thought you had a shot ...

When Scott Hoover bought a $5 scratch-off ticket in Virginia called "Beginner's Luck" last summer, he carefully studied the odds. Even though he figured his chances of winning were a long shot, he felt the odds were reasonable.

Hoover, a business professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, wasn't surprised when his tickets didn't bring him the $75,000 grand prize, but he was shocked to learn the top prize had been awarded before he bought the ticket.

"I felt duped into buying these things," Hoover said.

He discovered the Virginia State Lottery was continuing to sell tickets for games in which the top prizes were no longer available. Public records showed that someone had already won the top prize one month before Hoover played. He is now suing the state of Virginia for breach of contract.

"It's one thing to say it's a long shot to win the $75,000, but it's another thing to say you have no shot to win it," said John Fishwick, Hoover's attorney.

Through a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act, Fishwick's firm was able to obtain records that showed the Virginia State Lottery sold $85 million in tickets for which no top prize was available. Fishwick says the state should pay $85 million in damages.

Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia State Lottery, said the state's games are fair and the top prize money is actually a small percentage of the money given out to lottery players. Most of the players win through the second, third or fourth-place prizes, she said. Otto also said it's no longer possible in the state of Virginia to purchase tickets with no top prizes available.

"We absolutely have always been very open and honest with our players about the way our scratch tickets are distributed," Otto said. "Yes, there were times when there was a scratch game out there that might've said "zero" in terms of the number of top prizes, but our players knew that."

Otto would not comment on the lawsuit, but said she stands by the integrity of the games in Virginia and looks forward to vigorously defending them.

Virginia isn't the only state to sell tickets that have no top prizes available. USA Today estimates that about half of the 42 states that have lotteries were, as of early July, continuing to sell tickets after the top prizes are claimed. Lottery officials from some states say the practice is fair because lesser prizes are still available, and they say tickets and lottery Web sites make that clear.

In New Jersey, tickets for the "$1,000,000 Explosion" scratch-off game were still on sale last week, even though the million-dollar grand prize was already awarded.

Lottery ticket buyers outside a New Jersey convenience store were stunned to hear the news.

"Oh really? I didn't know that," said one shopper. Another added, "That's just not right."

Dominick DeMarco, a spokesman with the New Jersey Lottery, said information about winning tickets and prizes is readily available on the lottery Web site and at retail outlets. However, officials are still looking for ways to improve on their procedures.

Still, Hoover hopes his lawsuit will alert lottery players in all states to be careful before they place their bets.

*****
Haven't you learned playing the lottery is only for vagrants and trailer park residents, yet?!

What have we here?

The West Virginia Ethics Commission is looking into a degree scandal involving the governor's daughter and West Virginia University.

WVU spokeswoman Becky Lofstead said Tuesday that the commission has made preliminary inquiries into last fall's decision to grant Heather Bresch a degree she hadn't earned.

Commission executive director Lewis G. Brewer declined comment Tuesday morning.

Since the scandal broke, WVU President Mike Garrison and other administrators have said they are stepping down from their posts. Most, though, will remain on WVU's payroll. Gov. Joe Manchin hasn't been accused of wrongdoing in the flap.

*****

Unfortunately, such unearned degrees are awarded more frequently than most people realize.

This does not necessarily include 'honorary degrees' awarded for achievements in life for they can be viewed as 'earned' through those achievements.

Seek Pablum and you will find it

An old forum I used to frequent has gone the way of the DoDo ...

I have been informed that since I have left the forum it has catapulted to the bottom of a cliff into a sea of mediocrity and meaningless drivel with posts as interesting as day old oatmeal - in less than 30 days.

Even the Haters have become bored with themselves (which is hard to fathom, I know, but they have). I won't bore you with some of the excerpts and entire posts I have received via e-mail, suffice to say they make one begin snoring.

Since my departure numerous others have followed suit - all fed up with the pablum and the ardent striving for just that - pablum - on the part of the games players who are accusing all who leave of being 'games players'.

So, as the sages tell you ... seek pablum and you will find it. The forum games players sought it and by damn they found it.

The jesus myth is not a unique story, but part of recognized earlier jewish tradition

A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days.

If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus, since it suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time.

Full Story: New York Times

Six Steps to a Higher Starting Salary

While money isn't everything, planning for salary discussions and negotiations should be an important part of your job search preparation. Following are six steps to help you secure a higher starting salary.

Step One: Know what you're worth.
The key to any successful negotiation is information, so do your homework to assess your competitive value. Do some research and find out the pay range for the type of job you are seeking. Once you know the going rate, take into consideration your skills, education, experience and any unique value you bring to the prospective employer to see where you would rank within that range.

Step Two: Delay talking about salary as long as possible.
Give a figure too soon and you risk either being disqualified because it's too high or judged underqualified because it's too low. Even if you do pass the screen, having given the employer your bottom line will limit your ability to negotiate a higher salary.

If asked your salary requirements in a want ad or posting, say they are flexible or that you are earning -- or expect to earn -- "market value" or "competitive" compensation for someone in your field.

If you are being asked your requirements as part of a phone screen, politely ask what the salary range is for the position. If they won't schedule an interview unless you give your salary requirements, tell them your requirements depend on a variety of factors including job content, health benefits, bonuses, commissions or profit sharing arrangements, training and advancement opportunities. Then give a very wide range.

Step Three: Don't lie about your current earnings.
Fearful of letting their current salaries limit their future income, some job candidates inflate their earnings. They do this at their own peril. Today, companies conduct more rigorous background checks -- some even ask to see W-2s! It's not uncommon for potential candidates to be eliminated for being less than straightforward about their salary history.

Your best bet is to avoid divulging your salary until you've had a chance to prove why you are worth more.

Step Four: Never accept or negotiate an offer on the spot.
No matter how good it sounds (or how desperate you are), never commit or discuss an offer until you've had time to thoroughly consider it. When you receive the offer, thank the employer and restate your desire to work for the organization, then tell them you need time to think it over.

Find out what the advancement opportunities are and how and when your performance and salary will be reviewed. Make sure to evaluate the entire compensation package including health and welfare benefits, vacation days, paid holidays, tuition reimbursement and company car, as well as other non-monetary elements.

Step Five: Don't be afraid to ask for more.
As long as you act respectfully, you have nothing to lose by asking what the company can do to bring you closer to your desired salary. In some cases the hiring manager has discretionary power to go 10 to 20 percent above the highest figure he or she mentions to get an exceptional candidate; besides, good managers always start low to give themselves negotiating room.

If they are firm on salary, it's often possible to negotiate some other aspect of the offer such as benefits, vacation or other incentives. Studies show the majority of employers are flexible on at least some element of the compensation package.

Step Six: Know when to stop.
During negotiations, the typical response to your counter proposal will be either to accept some of your terms or to refuse to negotiate at all. If the employer has stopped responding to your counter proposals or making concessions, it's time to end the negotiations.

Remember, you don't want to prolong a salary tug-of-war at the expense of losing the employer's goodwill -- or their offer.


Find out what you are worth >>

Ramming Speed

Question of the Day

Why are the Haters so afraid of anything different?

Bertha may weaken

Forecasters say Hurricane Bertha could begin to weaken within the next couple of days. As of 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday, the center of the storm was about 675 miles east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and about 1,035 miles southeast of Bermuda.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph with some higher gusting. The Category 3 storm is headed to the northwest at about 10 mph.

Bertha is expected to continue heading toward Bermuda. It's unknown if or when the hurricane will make landfall.

The hurricane center has projected 12 to 16 named storms in the Atlantic this season, with six to nine of them hurricanes.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.

*****

She may weaken, but don't count on it say the prickly hairs on the back of my neck.

Butterfly reserve named a World Heritage site

The Mexican government says UNESCO has added a Monarch butterfly reserve in southern Mexico to its list of World Heritage sites.

Mexico's Foreign Relations Department says the reserve located in the states of Mexico and Michoacan was declared a natural heritage site by the U.N.'s World Heritage Committee meeting in Quebec City.

Each September the butterflies begin a 3,400-mile (5,470-kilometer) journey from the forests of eastern Canada and parts of the U.S. to the central Mexican mountains. The voyage is considered an aesthetic and scientific wonder.

But illegal logging and development threaten a delicate migratory route that has spanned across a million square miles (2.6 million square kilometers) for some 10,000 years.