Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.
~ Joseph Campbell
~ Joseph Campbell
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Coldest air in 4 years coming
Yikes! Brrrr ...
A blast of arctic air is expected to descend across the Carolinas on Thursday, setting the stage for the coldest temperatures in the region since the winter of 2004-05.
In the meantime, we'll get gradually cooler weather over the next few days, before the cold snap arrives.
Forecasters say temperatures will be near 10 degrees Saturday morning in Charlotte. A warm up is expected to begin Saturday afternoon, however.
A cold front is forecast to cross the region tonight, bringing up to 2 inches of snow in some parts of the N.C. mountains. Wednesday will be chilly in the area, with highs in the mid 40s despite partial sunshine. The same type of conditions are forecast for Thursday.
A second, and stronger, cold front is expected to cross the region late Thursday. Temperatures will drop to near 15 degrees in Charlotte on Friday morning, then climb only to near freezing in the afternoon. Then comes the frigid temperatures Saturday morning, before a recovery to highs in the middle and upper 40s Saturday afternoon.
The last time Charlotte had a high temperature below freezing was Jan. 29, 2005. The last 10-degree reading came five days before that.
The slow warm up is forecast to continue Sunday and Monday.
Son of former Soviet Premier to speak at UNCC
Sergei Khrushchev, son of the late Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, will speak at UNC-Charlotte on January 22, 2009, on Russia in the post-Putin years.
His talk is part of the school's International Speaker Series. It will run from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Cone Center's McKnight Hall.
The younger Khrushchev, a former Russian missile engineer, is now a U.S. citizen and a frequent commentator for American television media. He's a senior fellow at the Watson Institute of International Studies at Brown University in Providence, R.I. He's written more than 250 books on Russian history, politics, economics, the Cold War and the U.S.-Russian relationship.
He's writing a new book titled, "Nikita Khrushchev's Reforms."
His famous father, known for his boorish behavior, became the Soviet Union's premier in 1958 and immediately began promoting reform of the Soviet system, placing an emphasis on consumer goods production rather than heavy industry. He cracked down on religious groups and had many churches boarded up or destroyed.
Many Americans remember the elder Khrushchev's outbursts at the United Nations in 1960, when he repeatedly pounded a fist on a desk to disrupt proceedings. At one point, during a debate over a Russian resolution decrying colonialism, he took off his shoe and used it to bang on his desk. He died in 1971.
Next week's event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Rebecca Vincent at 704-687-7305.
BBB sees rise in complaints
The local Better Business Bureau saw a sharp rise last year in the number of inquiries about companies' reliability, indicating that consumers remain cautious of how they spend their money in a troubled economy, the agency said today.
“When the economy softens, people tend to turn to us at the front end,” said Tom Bartholomy, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont.
The agency logged 832,020 inquiries on its Web site or by phone, a 71 percent increase from the prior year. The BBB provides free reliability reports on area businesses.
Complaints against businesses rose by 6 percent, and came to 14,972 last year. Over the past five years, annual complaints have increased by 71 percent, according to the agency's data.
Last year, home improvement businesses accounted for the type of business with the most complaints against it, with 1,261 complaints. That group was followed by auto dealers/new cars, Internet gaming, auto repair and service, and auto dealers/used cars.
The BBB was able to settle 85 percent of complaints last year, meaning they were resolved to the satisfaction of the consumer and the company. That's the highest rate in at least eight years.
“As our results show, it pays to complain,” Bartholomy said.
Dad and son arrested after cop said they cut line
This is why 'Wally-World' is a disease that needs to be eradicated ...
A 26-year-old man and his father were arrested after an off-duty Muncie police officer complained about the man cutting in line at a Wal-Mart store. Police reports said Edward R. Pluhar Jr. of Frankfort cut to the front of the line at the Wal-Mart service desk Sunday. What he didn't know was that Officer Chris Kirby was waiting in the line.
Kirby said Pluhar refused when Kirby asked him to wait his turn. Pluhar's father, 61-year-old Edward R. Pluhar Sr., then asked Kirby if he wanted to step outside. That's when Kirby reportedly told the men he was a police officer.
Kirby followed the men into the parking lot where they scuffled. Other officers arrived and arrested both Pluhars. They were released after posting bond.
Pluhar Sr., however, gave a different version of events leading up to his arrest.
"There's a lot more to the story," he said.
He said his son had waited in line for 25 minutes once and been sent by a clerk to exchange an item. When he returned, Pluhar Sr. said the clerk waved his son to the front of the line, and Kirby objected.
He said his son tried to explain the situation, but Kirby insulted him, at which point Pluhar Sr. asked Kirby to step outside but Kirby laughed at him. Pluhar Sr. also denied Kirby's claim that the older man threatened to shoot him. He said he and his son tried to walk away from the confrontation, but Kirby followed them outside.
Pluhar Sr. said Kirby never identified himself as a police officer and he only found out he was an officer from other police at the scene.
"What I did was wrong, but that doesn't make what he did right," Pluhar said.
Edward R. Pluhar Jr. was preliminarily charged with battery on a police officer, while his father was arrested on charges of intimidation and criminal recklessness with a weapon. Police said Pluhar backed into Kirby's leg as he attempted to leave the parking lot while Kirby was standing behind the vehicle.
Idaho inmates mistakenly given used razors
Ada County, Idaho, sheriff's officials said they are running blood tests on about 192 jail inmates who may have shaved with used, disposable razors. A jail deputy may have mistakenly given inmates used razors earlier this month. The razors were left in a storage area where new razors are usually kept.
Ada County sheriff's spokeswoman Andrea Dearden said the tests were offered as a precaution despite a low risk of transmitting communicable diseases, such as hepatitis B.
Dearden said fewer than half of the unit's inmates took the initial batch of tests.
The jail in investigating why the used razors were not disposed of properly.
Man gives son steroids to motivate him
An Iowa, man has been arrested for giving his teenage son steroids to motivate him about sports. The man was charged with distributing a controlled substance to a minor.
Authorities said the investigation began after the man's 14-year-old son assaulted his mother at her Gilbertville home on November 19, 2008. Officers who responded to the home found a syringe and 105 pills in the boy's bedroom.
Court records show that boy told investigators his father gave him the pills during an earlier weekend visitation. The records also show that the father admitted to giving his son the needle and the pills.
A test at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation showed the pills were an anabolic steroid.
As of this moment ...
4226 Brave men and women will not be returning from Iraq
ALIVE!
and
566 Brave men and women will not be returning for Afghanistan
ALIVE!
Support OUR Troops ... Bring them HOME NOW!
ALIVE!
and
566 Brave men and women will not be returning for Afghanistan
ALIVE!
Support OUR Troops ... Bring them HOME NOW!
Today's Readers
Readers in:
Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
Pine Bush, New York, United States
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
have read Carolina Naturally today.
Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia
Pine Bush, New York, United States
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
have read Carolina Naturally today.
Just in case you're interested ...
Need a handy list of the shrub's and cabal's malfeasance and criminality?
There is a fairly thorough resource at publicintegrity.org.
There is a fairly thorough resource at publicintegrity.org.
Something the repugicans don't want you to know
The US economy has grown when the rich were taxed the heaviest. In fact the most growth in our economic history has occurred when the rich are made to pay their taxes ...
"US economic growth has been strongest when our taxes have been high. During World War II, then under Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, our upper marginal tax rates were between 88-92%. Read those numbers again. They are astonishingly high. Those were our strongest growth years. ... Tax hikes usually correspond to higher government spending. Government spends money on things that the private sector does not spend money on: physical infrastructure, social infrastructure, market infrastructure, and defense. These are the things that create a world in which doing business is possible. The worse those things are, the worse business is. The better they are, the better business is."~ Larry Beinhart
Read the rest at AlterNet.
Mouthwash linked to cancer
Australia's top-selling mouthwashes can cause oral cancer and should be pulled from supermarket shelves immediately!
Leading independent experts have issued this strong warning after investigating latest scientific evidence linking alcohol-containing mouthwashes to the deadly disease.
Their review, published in the Dental Journal of Australia, concludes there is now ``sufficient evidence'' that "alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer''.
Read the rest here.
Liars and Fools
In a new segment we will be bringing you some of the lies and fools in the news.
This first installments features:
Check back for more Liars and Fools. We will be posting them as regularly as we can.
This first installments features:
Mad (in more ways than one) shrub screams: "Don't tell me the federal response was slow!"
How perfect is this: shrub White House distorts transcript of final news conference
Faux News anchors, contributors falsely assert, repeatedly, that Obama's tax credit plan gives money to people who don't pay taxes
Grapevine quotes noted Islamophobe (oops -- "terrorism expert") in order to smear Ellison (D-Minnesota)
On Geraldo, Anne (the hate-filled bitch) Coulter still lying in defense of Swift Boat Vets
Is the US media making Americans stupid?
Buchanan spouts familiar myths in attack on Obama stimulus plan
Wing-nuts now claim that journalists are frightened of Joe the Plumber (who is not a plumber)
Joe the Plumber (who is not a plumber) lectures (ha, ha) reporters to be more patriotic
Promoting upcoming Fox show, Beck (he who has called Obama "a Marxist" and criticized "Comrade Clinton") decries communist name-calling
Anne (the hate-filled bitch) Coulter gets an amusing smackdown on The View
How perfect is this: shrub White House distorts transcript of final news conference
Faux News anchors, contributors falsely assert, repeatedly, that Obama's tax credit plan gives money to people who don't pay taxes
Grapevine quotes noted Islamophobe (oops -- "terrorism expert") in order to smear Ellison (D-Minnesota)
On Geraldo, Anne (the hate-filled bitch) Coulter still lying in defense of Swift Boat Vets
Is the US media making Americans stupid?
Buchanan spouts familiar myths in attack on Obama stimulus plan
Wing-nuts now claim that journalists are frightened of Joe the Plumber (who is not a plumber)
Joe the Plumber (who is not a plumber) lectures (ha, ha) reporters to be more patriotic
Promoting upcoming Fox show, Beck (he who has called Obama "a Marxist" and criticized "Comrade Clinton") decries communist name-calling
Anne (the hate-filled bitch) Coulter gets an amusing smackdown on The View
Check back for more Liars and Fools. We will be posting them as regularly as we can.
Can an Ivy League education be provided for $20 a month?
John Robb writes about the potential for transformation of the educational system:
* Lectures. Videos of lecture series, plus associated materials, are available for many courses at some of the best Universities in the world (i.e. see MIT’s open courseware). Online videos are not only better than in-person lectures in many respects, they also allow you to get the best. There is no need to recreate the lecture with tens of thousands of less qualified/exceptional teachers.
*Application. As MIT is finding out, JIT (just-in-time information) in combination with simulated application of the concept to real scenarios is the best method for success. The advent of computer simulated virtual worlds for in the computer gaming industry have proven this combination (JIT info and immediate application) can train kids to adults in complicated and complex tasks in a fraction of the time other methods require.
* Collaboration. The business world is already shifting on online collaboration as a replacement for most in-person work (the economic crisis will only accelerate it). In my personal experience developing exceeding complex products, its possible to conduct the entire process from ideation to delivery online without any face to face contact (at great savings in time to direct expense). Unfortunately, this ability/skill/mindset isn’t central to the educational world, despite the fact that students are currently doing much of this already in their private lives with social software.
Exhibition of arctic paintings from 19th and 20th centuries
To the Ends of the Earth
The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts has an exhibition called To the Ends of the Earth: Painting the Polar Landscape. New Scientist has a 14 images from the show. Beautiful. Shown here: "The Ice Dwellers Watching the Invaders" (around 1875) by William Bradford.
It's better to know your friends, before ...
Stanley died in a fire and his body was burned pretty badly.
The morgue needed someone to identify the body, so they sent for his two best friends, Cooter and Gomer.
The three men had always done everything together.
Cooter arrived first, and when the mortician pulled back the sheet, Cooter said, 'Yup, his face is burned up pretty bad. You better roll him over.'
The mortician rolled him over and Cooter said, 'Nope, ain't Stanley.'
The mortician thought this was rather strange.
So he brought Gomer in to confirm the identity of the body.
Gomer looked at the body and said, 'Yup, he's pretty well burnt up. Roll him over.'
The mortician rolled him over and Gomer said, 'No, it ain't Stanley.'
The mortician asked, 'How can you tell?'
Gomer said, 'Well, Stanley had two assholes.'
'What? He had two assholes?' gasped the mortician.
'Yup, we never seen 'em, but everybody used to say: 'There's Stanley with them two assholes.'
The morgue needed someone to identify the body, so they sent for his two best friends, Cooter and Gomer.
The three men had always done everything together.
Cooter arrived first, and when the mortician pulled back the sheet, Cooter said, 'Yup, his face is burned up pretty bad. You better roll him over.'
The mortician rolled him over and Cooter said, 'Nope, ain't Stanley.'
The mortician thought this was rather strange.
So he brought Gomer in to confirm the identity of the body.
Gomer looked at the body and said, 'Yup, he's pretty well burnt up. Roll him over.'
The mortician rolled him over and Gomer said, 'No, it ain't Stanley.'
The mortician asked, 'How can you tell?'
Gomer said, 'Well, Stanley had two assholes.'
'What? He had two assholes?' gasped the mortician.
'Yup, we never seen 'em, but everybody used to say: 'There's Stanley with them two assholes.'
Louisiana man charged with threatening the shrub
Federal authorities have charged a Louisiana man with threatening to kill the shrub.
A social worker told Secret Service agents that 44-year-old Gregory Broussard was being treated at a Hammond hospital when he threatened to blow up the White House and kill the shrub.
Agents say they questioned Broussard at a psychiatric hospital.
They say he told them that he traveled to Baton Rouge last month to survey the state capitol and governor's mansion in case President Barack Obama visits.
Agents say they searched Broussard's home and car and found a rifle and a digital camera with photos of the U.S. Naval Academy.
This is just the latest in a long history of threats on the shrub's life and it won't be the last.
As he is the most hated person in the world there will be more, rest assured.
There will be enough - more then enough - whackos out there, foreign and domestic seeking to do harm to the shrub to keep the Secret Service busy for the next ten years
Want to bet the Secret Service is most likely 'chomping at the bit' in anticipation for that ten year deadline to arrive so they won't have to worry about the shrub any longer.
In case you were unaware: the shrub is the first one to have a cut off of Secret Service protection mandated by law - hence the ten years instead of lifetime as our presidents have been given until now ... and considering he has never been our president, just a usurper, ten years is more than generous.
A social worker told Secret Service agents that 44-year-old Gregory Broussard was being treated at a Hammond hospital when he threatened to blow up the White House and kill the shrub.
Agents say they questioned Broussard at a psychiatric hospital.
They say he told them that he traveled to Baton Rouge last month to survey the state capitol and governor's mansion in case President Barack Obama visits.
Agents say they searched Broussard's home and car and found a rifle and a digital camera with photos of the U.S. Naval Academy.
*****
This is just the latest in a long history of threats on the shrub's life and it won't be the last.
As he is the most hated person in the world there will be more, rest assured.
There will be enough - more then enough - whackos out there, foreign and domestic seeking to do harm to the shrub to keep the Secret Service busy for the next ten years
Want to bet the Secret Service is most likely 'chomping at the bit' in anticipation for that ten year deadline to arrive so they won't have to worry about the shrub any longer.
In case you were unaware: the shrub is the first one to have a cut off of Secret Service protection mandated by law - hence the ten years instead of lifetime as our presidents have been given until now ... and considering he has never been our president, just a usurper, ten years is more than generous.
Teens nabbed after calling mugging victim
Police in the New York City suburb of Scarsdale say they arrested five teenagers in the beating and robbery of a 50-year-old man after they called the victim the next day to taunt him.
Police say the victim was waiting for a bus in Scarsdale last Tuesday night when a group of young men robbed and beat him. He suffered head and facial injuries and his briefcase was stolen.
Authorities say the teens called the man the next day to taunt him.
Police traced the call to a house in White Plains, where they found three young men and the victim's briefcase. They later arrested two other suspects. All five are charged with second-degree robbery.
Man accused of recruiting would-be cops for cartel
Criminals posing as police have become commonplace in Mexico, but prosecutors said they have uncovered an odd new twist.
The Attorney General's Office said a man has been charged with allegedly posing as a police recruiter and trying to get would-be police officers to unwittingly work for a drug cartel.
The Attorney General's Office said a man has been charged with allegedly posing as a police recruiter and trying to get would-be police officers to unwittingly work for a drug cartel.
Potential recruits in the resort city of Acapulco were led on by promises of real jobs as federal police officers.
But the alleged recruiter actually worked for the Beltran Leyva drug cartel. He was aiming for 25 people, but it was unclear how many he actually recruited.
The office said Monday that the man has been ordered to stand trial on drug, organized crime and impersonation charges.
Photo of strange airborn animal?
This photo has been making the rounds online on Spanish and French "paranormal" blogs. Is it a bird? A toy? An insect? Or something much much... freakier? Loren Coleman weighs with a healthy bit of Fortean skepticism at Cryptomundo.Drunk driver rams funeral-bound hearse
Police in Covina, California, said a man has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he crashed head-on into a hearse taking a body to a funeral with a sheriff's deputy watching.
Covina police Sgt. Ray Marquez said the Los Angeles County deputy pulled up behind a car Saturday and said the driver appeared unconscious as he sat idling at a green light.
Covina police Sgt. Ray Marquez said the Los Angeles County deputy pulled up behind a car Saturday and said the driver appeared unconscious as he sat idling at a green light.
The deputy tapped on the driver's window, and the car immediately surged through the intersection into oncoming traffic and hit the hearse.
Marquez says no one was injured. He said an 18-year-old was arrested, cited, and released later Saturday.
Angry customer accused of setting fire at store
Portland, Maine, police said a customer angry over a convenience store clerk's refusal to sell alcohol returned and set a fire. Officers said the man became belligerent before leaving the Big Apple store Thursday night, then returned a half-hour later with a gas can.
Police said he poured fluid outside the building and in the entryway inside the store before setting it afire.
Police said there was minimal damage and the man fled on foot.
Not even a former president is immune from thieves.
Two bicycles belonging to President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, were snatched from inside the Carter Center near downtown Atlanta earlier this month.
The couple likes to ride bicycles in nearby Freedom Park when they have free time. Peter Wicker, the owner of a local bike shop, donated the bicycles to the Carters in 2007 after seeing the poor condition of their old bikes, which had been brought in for repairs.
Atlanta police say they have made no arrests.
Drought, drought and more drought
Meteorologists say the drought in western North Carolina is the worst in a century, despite recent rains that have caused flash flooding and boosted rivers and streams.
North Carolina's mountain region is entering its third year of serious drought, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported Monday. Records at the National Climatic Data Center show that 28.64 inches of rain fell in Asheville in 2008, making it the sixth driest year since 1902.
Richard Heim of the Asheville-based center said that combining the rain shortfall for the past two years makes the drought the worst in 100 years.
State climatologist Ryan Boyles said the recent rains in the mountains won't be enough alone to break the drought. Boyles said the area needs rain once or twice a week to recharge groundwater supplies.
“While we don't need two to three inches at a time, we do need frequent rainfall,” he said.
The U.S. Drought Monitor issued last week showed all of western North Carolina is in moderate to severe drought conditions.
City to file brief in water-rights case
The U.S. Supreme Court, ruling in South Carolina's water-rights case against North Carolina, says the city of Charlotte, Duke Energy and a water utility may file briefs arguing that they should be part of the case.
South Carolina sued North Carolina in 2007 over water from the Catawba River, following an N.C. decision to allow Concord and Kannapolis – situated in a separate river basin –- to tap the river.
Charlotte, Duke and a water utility serving Union County and Lancaster County, S.C., asked to intervene in the case. A San Francisco attorney named by the high court as a “special master” to hear the case ruled in their favor.
North Carolina objected, arguing that adding parties would lengthen the time it takes to resolve the lawsuit and cost taxpayers more money. S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster said he viewed the court's ruling Friday, which allowed the parties to file briefs in support of their positions, as a victory.
Theft victim, suspect fight it out
Gastonia, North Carolina, police say a burglary victim landed a few punches but apparently lost $100 Monday afternoon.
The incident happened about 3:30 p.m. in a parking lot outside the Burger King restaurant, in the 1900 block of West Franklin Boulevard. According to police, a man working at the Burger King and another person spotted a suspect inside the employee's 1993 Cadillac DeVille.
The victim told police he walked into the parking lot and confronted the suspect, triggering a fistfight between the two. The victim said he punched the suspect in the mouth and head, and the suspect then got out of the Cadillac and drove away in his own car.
The victim said he then noticed that $100 was missing from his vehicle. Police responded and found a man fitting the description of the suspect, a short distance away at West Fifth Avenue and Webb Street. Officers say the victim identified the man as the suspect involved in the burglary.
The five $20 bills were missing, however.
Police charged Michael Shane Kinley, 28, of Gastonia, with larceny from a motor vehicle.
Myrtle Beach declares: Biker weeks are over
In a prime example of 'shooting yourself in the foot' Myrtle Beach has declared itself to be a ghost town ...
... But before it becomes a ghost town it will see the largest influx of bikers it has ever seen and the largest element of 1%ers will show up just to cause the havoc and destruction that have not been part of the rallies in the past on the east coast (1%ers are mainly a west coast problem) in response to the town trying to 'ban' them.
So, Myrtle Beach, I hope you are prepared to live through your worst nightmare and remember you brought it on yourself.
Editor's Note: For those that don't know 1%ers are the 1% of bikers that are responsible for 100% of the negative image bikers have - they are the true outsiders and make up the criminal element that perpetuates the 'biker gang' stereotype(s).
The city of Myrtle Beach and the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce have launched Web and print information letting visitors know that from the city's perspective, the May motorcycle rallies are over.
Myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com launched last week, and brochures are available for distribution primarily through local hotels.
"We have new laws, and we'd rather not surprise visitors," city spokesman Mark Kruea said. "We'd rather they have some idea of what to expect when they come here."
People who haven't followed the bike-rally news since fall might not know the city has implemented stricter noise and muffler rules, a local helmet law, rules about parties in parking lots, a juvenile curfew and more.
Chamber President and CEO Brad Dean said the site and brochures are not an ad campaign and will not be advertised or mailed out generally, but will be given to people who request information.
Dean said it's the chamber's job to provide information to visitors, and the group gets thousands of calls every year about the month of May - either from people who are interested in coming because of the rallies or in avoiding the area because of them.
"We anticipate those calls are going to increase as May gets closer, and we want to make sure we are giving out accurate, consistent information that is in sync with what the city has done," Dean said.
The Web site bears a message from Mayor John Rhodes, a list of the 15 ordinances and amendments the city approved last fall to target the two May motorcycle rallies it says have grown too large and too difficult to control, and a section of questions and answers.
For example, one of the questions in the frequently asked questions section is:
"The rallies bring a lot of revenue to the city and its businesses. Does the City Council realize how much money it stands to lose?"
The city answers: "Yes, the City Council is aware of the economic impact of the motorcycle rallies, but the rallies also cost the community, and more than just money. Certain business segments did well during the rallies, but others did not. [...] But perhaps the biggest cost of all was the effect the rallies had upon our quality of life. Residents were no longer willing to give up the month of May."
The top of the site says, "effective 2009, Myrtle Beach, SC will no longer host motorcycle rallies."
Though the city never officially hosted the rallies, "Myrtle Beach doesn't want to be the center of the motorcycle universe in May anymore," Kruea said.
The Harley-Davidson and Atlantic Beach Bikefest have drawn nearly half-a-million visitors over about three weeks in May to the Grand Strand. People from out of the area like to stay in Myrtle Beach during the rallies, and the teenagers who follow the Bikefest riders turn Ocean Boulevard into a street party over Memorial Day weekend. Locals complain loudly each year about the rally attendees' noise, driving, activities and trash. But in 2008, after a Coastal Carolina University student was shot to death in a dispute over a parking space during Bikefest, even though the shooting didn't involve bikers, the city said it would take steps to end the rallies.
The chamber designed the Web site and has paid for the brochures. Kruea said the city might reimburse the chamber, but that has not been decided.
Dean said the Web site was produced by chamber staff, so it will cost the city nothing, and so far, his group has spent about $45 producing a few hundred brochures, some of which went with Kruea last weekend to a sportbike public relations officers' convention, where he was able to pass along information to about 1,500 people who market bike rallies and events.
"We will print brochures up if people call and request them, and if hotels want to use them, we will allow them to reproduce the brochure at their own cost," Dean said. "But this is not part of the chamber's ad campaigns, and we don't want people to confuse this with our overall message, which is that we want people to come visit Myrtle Beach. The only intent is to answer questions specifically about the rallies."
*****
... But before it becomes a ghost town it will see the largest influx of bikers it has ever seen and the largest element of 1%ers will show up just to cause the havoc and destruction that have not been part of the rallies in the past on the east coast (1%ers are mainly a west coast problem) in response to the town trying to 'ban' them.
So, Myrtle Beach, I hope you are prepared to live through your worst nightmare and remember you brought it on yourself.
Editor's Note: For those that don't know 1%ers are the 1% of bikers that are responsible for 100% of the negative image bikers have - they are the true outsiders and make up the criminal element that perpetuates the 'biker gang' stereotype(s).
Top Ten Science Stories of 2009
Taken from over the vast and varied field of Science this might not be everyone's top ten - but these were selected for their impact on the current time and their impact into the future in 2009 and well beyond.
The list links to the individual articles:
- The hunt for the God particle: The Large Hadron Collider is one the greatest scientific undertakings. Ever.
- Pushing invisibility's limits: Could an invisibility cloak protect against a tsunami?
- Ice on Mars: The Phoenix lander finds proof of water on the Red Planet
- Faster DNA Processing: Mapping your entire genome has never been so affordable.
- A new band of Lowland Gorillas: A band of over 100,000 gorillas was discoverd in the Congo
- A breakthrough in Alzheimer's Treatment: A new hope in the fight against Alzheimer's diease
- Equal Opportunity Genetics: A new law protects against genetic discrimination
- A people with no numbers: Located in Brazil, the Piraha tribe gets by in life without counting a thing
- The Doomsday vault: Buried deep in the frozen mountains of the Norwegian archipelago lays mankind's failsafe seed vault
- The ancient astronomical computer: the Greeks prove once again that they were among the most intelligent cultures of the ancient world
Buying on Web to avoid sales taxes could end soon
Shopping online can be a way to find bargains while steering clear of crowds - and sales taxes.
But those tax breaks are starting to erode.
With the recession pummeling states' budgets, their governments increasingly want to fill the gaps by collecting taxes on Internet sales, which are growing even as the economy shudders.
And that is sparking conflict with companies that do business online only and have enjoyed being able to offer sales-tax free shopping.
One of the most aggressive states, New York, is being sued by Amazon.com Inc. over a new requirement that online companies must collect taxes on shipments to New York residents, even if the companies are located elsewhere.
New York's governor also wants to tax "Taxman" covers and other songs downloaded from Internet services like iTunes.
The amount of money at stake nationwide is unclear; online sales were expected to make up about 8 percent of all retail sales in 2008 and total $204 billion, according to Forrester Research. This is up from $175 billion in 2007.
Based on that 2008 figure, Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru says her rough estimate is that if Web retailers had to collect taxes on all sales to consumers, it could generate $3 billion in new revenue for governments.
It's uncertain how much more could come as well from unpaid sales taxes on Internet transactions between businesses.
But even with both kinds of taxes available, state budgets would need more help.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the states' budget gaps in the current fiscal year will total $89 billion.
Collecting online sales taxes is not as simple as it might sound.
A nationwide Internet business faces thousands of tax-collecting jurisdictions - states, counties and cities - and tangled rules about how various products are taxed.
And a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that states can't force businesses to collect sales taxes unless the businesses have operations in that state.
The court also said Congress could lift the ban, which remains in place - for now.
But those tax breaks are starting to erode.
With the recession pummeling states' budgets, their governments increasingly want to fill the gaps by collecting taxes on Internet sales, which are growing even as the economy shudders.
And that is sparking conflict with companies that do business online only and have enjoyed being able to offer sales-tax free shopping.
One of the most aggressive states, New York, is being sued by Amazon.com Inc. over a new requirement that online companies must collect taxes on shipments to New York residents, even if the companies are located elsewhere.
New York's governor also wants to tax "Taxman" covers and other songs downloaded from Internet services like iTunes.
The amount of money at stake nationwide is unclear; online sales were expected to make up about 8 percent of all retail sales in 2008 and total $204 billion, according to Forrester Research. This is up from $175 billion in 2007.
Based on that 2008 figure, Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru says her rough estimate is that if Web retailers had to collect taxes on all sales to consumers, it could generate $3 billion in new revenue for governments.
It's uncertain how much more could come as well from unpaid sales taxes on Internet transactions between businesses.
But even with both kinds of taxes available, state budgets would need more help.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that the states' budget gaps in the current fiscal year will total $89 billion.
Collecting online sales taxes is not as simple as it might sound.
A nationwide Internet business faces thousands of tax-collecting jurisdictions - states, counties and cities - and tangled rules about how various products are taxed.
And a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling said that states can't force businesses to collect sales taxes unless the businesses have operations in that state.
The court also said Congress could lift the ban, which remains in place - for now.
Brain Power Salad
Want to increase your brain power and at healthy at the same time? Then here is a salad for you!
1. For dressing, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise dressing, sugar, and vinegar.
2. In a medium bowl combine peppers, carrot, cheese, water chestnuts and, if desired, garlic. Pour dressing over pepper mixture; toss to coat.
Sprinkle with bacon.
3. Cover and chill for 1 to 5 hours.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.
*****
Now if you really want to get into this you can put on "Brain Salad Surgery" by Dr. John and listen to that as you eat your salad.
You need:
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise dressing or salad dressing
2 teaspoons Splenda
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 cups bell pepper (red, green, yellow) sliced or diced
1/2 cup shredded carrot (1 medium)
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (1 ounce)
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (optional)
2 tablespoons crumbled crisp-cooked bacon
How to:
2. In a medium bowl combine peppers, carrot, cheese, water chestnuts and, if desired, garlic. Pour dressing over pepper mixture; toss to coat.
Sprinkle with bacon.
3. Cover and chill for 1 to 5 hours.
Makes 4 side-dish servings.
*****
Now if you really want to get into this you can put on "Brain Salad Surgery" by Dr. John and listen to that as you eat your salad.
Stalking survey in the US
An estimated 3.4 million Americans identified themselves as victims of stalking during a one-year span, according to federal crime experts who on Tuesday released the largest-ever survey of the aggravating and often terrifying phenomenon.
About half of the victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week from a stalker, and 11 percent had been stalked for five or more years, according to the report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics.
It covered a 12-month period in 2005-06.
The study was described as a groundbreaking effort to analyze the scope and varying forms of stalking, which had not been featured in previous versions of the National Crime Victimization Survey.
The researchers defined stalking as a course of conduct, directed at a specific person on at least two separate occasions, that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
The most commonly reported types of stalking were unwanted phone calls (66 percent), unsolicited letters or e-mail (31 percent), or having rumors spread about the victim (36 percent).
More than one-third of the victims reported being followed or spied upon; some said they were tracked by electronic monitoring, listening devices or video cameras.
Nearly 75 percent of victims knew their stalker in some capacity - most commonly a former spouse or ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
Women were far more likely than men to be stalking victims, and people who were divorced or separated were more vulnerable than other marital categories.
People aged 18-24 were more likely to be stalked than older people.
Victims reported suffering a range of emotions because of the stalking.
Their most common fears included not knowing what would happen next (46 percent) and fearing the stalking would continue indefinitely (29 percent).
Nine percent of the victims said their worst fear was death.
According to the report, about 130,000 victims said they had been fired or asked to leave their job because of problems arising from the stalking.
About one in eight of all employed victims lost time from work, either for fear for their safety or to pursue activities such as seeking a restraining order or testifying in court.
About half of the victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week from a stalker, and 11 percent had been stalked for five or more years, according to the report by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics.
It covered a 12-month period in 2005-06.
The study was described as a groundbreaking effort to analyze the scope and varying forms of stalking, which had not been featured in previous versions of the National Crime Victimization Survey.
The researchers defined stalking as a course of conduct, directed at a specific person on at least two separate occasions, that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear.
The most commonly reported types of stalking were unwanted phone calls (66 percent), unsolicited letters or e-mail (31 percent), or having rumors spread about the victim (36 percent).
More than one-third of the victims reported being followed or spied upon; some said they were tracked by electronic monitoring, listening devices or video cameras.
Nearly 75 percent of victims knew their stalker in some capacity - most commonly a former spouse or ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
Women were far more likely than men to be stalking victims, and people who were divorced or separated were more vulnerable than other marital categories.
People aged 18-24 were more likely to be stalked than older people.
Victims reported suffering a range of emotions because of the stalking.
Their most common fears included not knowing what would happen next (46 percent) and fearing the stalking would continue indefinitely (29 percent).
Nine percent of the victims said their worst fear was death.
According to the report, about 130,000 victims said they had been fired or asked to leave their job because of problems arising from the stalking.
About one in eight of all employed victims lost time from work, either for fear for their safety or to pursue activities such as seeking a restraining order or testifying in court.
Our Readers
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Canada, Scotland, Denmark, Romania, England, Germany, India, Egypt, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Wales, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, Spain, the Maldives, Thailand. Poland, France, Guatemala, Malaysia, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States
have enjoyed Carolina Naturally.
Canada, Scotland, Denmark, Romania, England, Germany, India, Egypt, Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Wales, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, Spain, the Maldives, Thailand. Poland, France, Guatemala, Malaysia, Slovakia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States
have enjoyed Carolina Naturally.
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Again, you'll figure out a way to get everything you want.
ALL RIGHT!
Again, you'll figure out a way to get everything you want.
ALL RIGHT!
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