CAROLINA NATURALLY: 02/01/2010

Sunday, February 28, 2010

And I Quote

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.

~ John Wayne

Repugican operative says contract with state allowed advances

You were just a run-of-the-mill typical stupid, criminal repugican - so as you all do, you got caught.

A repugican fundraiser convicted of stealing from an Ohio investment fund says he was a bad bookkeeper, not a thief.
(And he's still lying)

repugican operative says contract with state allowed advances

Antarctic Collision Snaps Rhode-Island-Sized Iceberg Off Glacier

This month, an iceberg roughly the size of Luxembourg slammed into an Antarctic glacier known as the Mertz Ice Tongue.
Then, last week, a Rhode Island-sized section of the Mertz Ice Tongue finally snapped off.
Some scientists are excited about the new research opportunities this ice reconfiguration opens up, but others worry that the newly freed ice will significantly threaten life in the ocean..

Full Story

Chile quake death toll tops 700, rescue ramps up

Heroism and banditry mingled on Chile's shattered streets Sunday as rescuers braved aftershocks digging for survivors and the government sent soldiers to quell looting.

Full Story

Israeli police, Palestinians clash

Israeli riot police dispersed a crowd of masked Palestinian youths throwing stones in the heart of Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday, in a violent reminder of tensions in the contested city.

Israeli police, Palestinians clash

Germany's Merck buying Millipore for $6B plus debt

German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA says it will buy U.S. biotech equipment maker Millipore Corp.

Germany's Merck buying Millipore for $6B plus debt

Mother charged after two toddlers die in fire

Orgal Opata

The mother of two unsupervised toddlers killed in a west Charlotte house fire early Sunday was arrested and charged with murder and felony child abuse.

After a day of searching, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested Orgal Paulette Opata, 26, after she left her four children alone at the home on Rowan Street, in the Thomasboro community. One-year-old son, Gabriel Hawthorne, and his two-year-old brother, Josiah Hawthorne, died in the fire that destroyed the home.

She was charged with two counts of murder, three counts of reckless/gross felony child abuse, exposing a child to fire and one count of burning resulting in serious injury to a firefighter.

Her two older children, a four-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, survived the fire after they were helped by a neighbor.

Fire investigators sifted through the rubble all day, but by evening still weren’t saying what caused the blaze. Firefighters from station 13, two blocks away, said they responded quickly and took only 19 minutes to put out the blaze. When they arrived, neighbors told them about the children inside. They said they aggressively entered the home, but couldn’t save the two toddlers.

One firefighter was burned, treated at a local hospital and released.

A neighbor, Elizabeth Lane, awoke early Sunday and said she heard screams: “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!.”

She looked out her apartment window and saw the house across Rowan Street in flames. Lane called 911, then quickly dressed and ran to the house.

At the front door, she found the two older children. The 7-year-old girl tugged at Lane, screaming her younger brothers, Josiah and Gabriel, were still in the back.

“I walked into the house and the flames shot up like someone had poured gasoline on them,” Lane said. “I got the two older children out. By then, the firefighters were there and I took the children to my apartment.”

In 2007, Opata was convicted in Greensboro of possessing cocaine, and sentenced to at least six months in jail. Six years earlier, she was convicted of embezzlement, also in Greensboro, and sentenced to six to eight months.

Last October, Opata was charged in Charlotte with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and was awaiting trial before Sunday’s arrest.

William Smith, who lives next door, described Opata as “a good mother.”

“If she had to go to work, I’d see her getting on the bus with the children to take them to daycare,” Smith said. “If they were outside, she was always on the porch keeping a watch on them. Or if she had to be away, a friend would come pick them up or stay with the kids until she got home.”

Smith, who has five children, said he was awakened by his 13-year-old son. He looked out his bedroom window and saw flames.

“By the time I saw it, the fire department was already there,” he said. “I just made sure my kids and house were OK.”

Juanita Edwards, a next door neighbor, said her husband, David, woke her around 6 a.m. and reported the house was on fire. By the time she looked out the window, firefighters were battling the blaze.

Edwards said Opata and her children had lived in the house for about a year.

“I don’t really know them, except to wave to the children when I see them,” she said. “This is so sad. Those two kids were so young.”

You could watch it for hours

http://ok.andychung.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/blg_loop.gif

And I Quote

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending."

~ Anonymous

Headlines

Top 10 Spooky Sleep Disorders

From Live Science:

Sleep is supposed to be a time of peace and relaxation. Most of us drift from our waking lives into predictable cycles of deep, non-REM sleep, followed by dream-filled rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. But when the boundaries of these three phases of arousal get fuzzy, sleep can be downright scary. In fact, some sleep disorders seem more at home in horror films than in your bedroom.

-- Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Contributor

Sharks and Lawyers

Why won't sharks attack lawyers?

Professional courtesy.

Natural Pet Food Sales Growing Faster Than Human Ones

From Treehugger:

Parrot eating organic muffins photo
Photo montage credit via Papageien Backerei.
Germans haven't allowed economic turmoil to put a dent in their organic food purchases, according to market research group GfK - 94% of German households made organic food purchases in 2009. That strong support of organic may be the reason a wacky business idea called Parrot Bakery with its organically-grown parrot treats has succeeded in spite of recession, according to Spiegel International. In the U.S., the situation's a bit different. Organic food sales have taken a bit of a hit, while natural and organic pet food sales are prospering.

Article continues: Paradox: Natural Pet Food Sales Growing Faster Than Human Ones

Jamie Oliver Meets Some First Graders Who Don't Know Fruits and Vegetables

From Treehugger:

photo via jamie oliver

If you need further proof that our nation's food system needs to be rethought, check out this video where chef Jamie Oliver encounters some first grade students who cannot identify popular fruits and vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant, and cauliflower. The video comes form Oliver's new ABC show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."

Article continues: Jamie Oliver Meets Some First Graders Who Don't Know Fruits and Vegetables

Cool Jerk

Capitals

History in the Remaking

A temple complex in Turkey that predates even the pyramids is rewriting the story of human evolution.

Berthold Steinhilber / Laif-Redux

A pillar at the Gobekli Tepe temple near Sanliurfa, Turkey, the oldest known temple in the world.

Full Story

Glenn Beck's dangerous movement

We owe this talking head-turned-political-hack gratitude for using his televised keynote address to the Conservative Political Action Conference to so frankly outline what the wingnut cabal has become - and why it repulses real Americans.

Glenn Beck's dangerous movement

Marines, Afghan troops to stay months in Marjah

More than 2,000 U.S. Marines and about 1,000 Afghan troops who stormed the Taliban town of Marjah as part of a major NATO offensive against a resurgent Taliban will stay several months to ensure insurgents don't return, Marine commanders said Sunday.

Full Story

Italian billionaire goes from jet to jail

Telecoms billionaire Silvio Scaglia spent the night in Italian police custody after flying in by private jet from the Caribbean to face charges in a money-laundering probe.

Italian billionaire goes from jet to jail

How to go from night owl to early bird

If you want to catch the proverbial worm, try these painless steps for an early start.

Make morning appointments

Also:

Secrets to grocery store savings

By taking a little time to learn a store's layout, you'll keep more money in your wallet.

Beware of pricey pairs

Also:

Five cities with rising home prices

Though most of the country remains mired in a slump, a few bright spots defy the market.

Up to 36% in one year

Also:

Man dies after 911 calls go for naught

A Pittsburgh man waited in vain nearly 30 hours for assistance during a winter storm.

'We failed this person'

Also:

'The unhinged and sometimes armed anti-government right...is making a comeback'

Frank Rich takes a closer look at the Teabaggers today, following on CPAC, the "chilling" article about the teabaggers by his colleague, David Barstow, and the attack on the IRS by Joseph Stack. As much at the repugicans want to own the teabaggers, that's not quite the case.

The true teabagger hate them, too:

The distinction between the Tea Party movement and the official G.O.P. is real, and we ignore it at our peril. While Washington is fixated on the natterings of Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Michael Steele and the presumed 2012 Republican presidential front-runner, Mitt Romney, these and the other leaders of the Party of No are anathema or irrelevant to most Tea Partiers. Indeed, McConnell, Romney and company may prove largely irrelevant to the overall political dynamic taking hold in America right now. The old G.O.P. guard has no discernible national constituency beyond the scattered, often impotent remnants of aging country club Republicanism. The passion on the right has migrated almost entirely to the Tea Party’s counterconservatism.

The leaders embraced by the new grass roots right are a different slate entirely: Glenn Beck, Ron Paul and Sarah Palin.

Some elected repugicans fit into this group, too, including Michelle Bachmann and Steve King. The future they see for the is country is pretty scary if one doesn't fit in with their world view.

And, the constituency for repugicans on Capitol Hill is Wall Street, the big banks and the insurance companies. Those institutions are universally loathed right now by people across the spectrum.

Jobs that pay $50,000 and up

Whether you want to work online or fight crime, know what kind of training can lead to high pay.

Eight careers

Also

Massive head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt

Egypt's Culture Ministry says a team of Egyptian and European archaeologists has unearthed a large head made of red granite of an ancient pharaoh who ruled Egypt some 3,400 years ago.

A ministry statement Sunday said the team discovered the head of Amenhotep III wearing the traditional white crown of the southern kingdom ...

Massive head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt

Boozy Chimp Sent To Rehab?

A Russian chimpanzee has been sent to rehab by zookeepers to cure the smoking and beer-drinking habits he has picked up, a popular daily reported on Friday.

Zhora Smokes, Guzzles Beer

6 Secret Airport Art Museums

Surprisingly, tons of airports around the world house impressive collections of modern and classical art that you can check out free of charge.

So whether you haven’t yet met your culture-quota for your trip or just have a few minutes to kill before your flight, make the most of your time by scoping out these awesome airport museums.

Full Story

Child, Infant Die In West Charlotte House Fire

An infant and a child died in a house fire in west Charlotte Sunday morning. Firefighters said the house on Rowan Street caught fire just after 6 a.m. Rowan Street was shut down while crews investigated.

Child, Infant Die In West Charlotte House Fire

Officer tried to rig lineup

70 cases have been thrown out because of involvement by accused officer, who has resigned.

A veteran police officer who complained that his cases were being dismissed has resigned after prosecutors accused him of misconduct in a robbery investigation.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Officer Brian Cloninger tried to influence a lineup, prosecutors say. He gave the robbery victim the name and photo of the man he thought committed the gunpoint hold-up. He also urged the woman to look at the suspect's photo every day so she could pick him out.

Full Story

Tsunami waves reach Japan's coast

Initial waves are small, but officials warn that bigger waves could reach the nation's main islands.

On alert

Also:

The Indians of Russia

The term “Indian” for native North Americans is of course wildly inappropriate, based on a 500-year-old error in geography, but the term is now thoroughly embedded in language and literature. Americans tend to have a provincial viewpoint that “Indians” are limited to the United States. Those with a broader perspective extend the appellation to native Canadians, Mesoamericans, and South Americans.

One of the Moscow photo-centers has held an exhibition called “The Itelmens - Indians of Russia”.

Itelmens are a small ethnic group, who are original inhabitants of the Kamchatka peninsula. Their population today (speaking only of pure-blooded Itelmens) is about 1500. Their name is indeed a Russian-adapted pronunciation of the ethnically correct “itenman” which means “existing” or “living here”.

Full Story

How to save $250 in a month

There are effortless opportunities to cut costs on everything from MP3s to pet food.

Little-known shopping facts

Also:

Rescuers rush to save quake survivors

Victims remain trapped beneath the rubble in Chile as the death toll continues to climb.

Looting erupts

Also:

Today is ...

Today is Sunday, February 28, the 59th day of 2010.

There are 306 days left in the year.

Today In History February 28

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

Floral Design Day,
International Sword Swallowers Day,
National Tooth Fairy Day,
Rare Diseases Day,
Perigean Tides Day
and
Purim

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Gothenburg, Vastra Gotaland, Sweden
Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
London, England, United Kingdom
Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Sofia, Sofiya, Bulgaria
New Market, Ontario, Canada
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Santa Fe De Bogota, Distrito Especial, Colombia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

as well as Scotland, Italy, Wales, and the United States in cities such as Enston, Tupelo, Tacoma, Bethesda, Snellville, Ironton and more.

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

You have things to do, and you're more than ready to get them done.
That includes end-of-the-month reports and beginning-of-the-month bills -- but that doesn't mean you should forget about recreation.
If anyone knows how to get the work done in just enough time to leave some energy for play, it's you.
Exercise that skill tonight.
After what you've been dealing with lately, you'll be seen as a shining example.

Will do.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Are you saving enough for retirement?

Most people don't fully consider major expenses like taxes and cost of living.

Minimum you should be saving

Also:

Where wages grow fastest and slowest

Recent data on wage growth shows cities where workers are likely to see rising paychecks.

Southern surprises

Also:

More frustration for Danica at NASCAR

Danica Patrick's third NASCAR race ends early after a collision batters her car.

'She has every right to be upset'

Also:

Photos from the devastating earthquake

The images emerging from Chile show a country digging out from widespread destruction.

Effect of 8.8 magnitude

Also:

Hawaii 'dodged a bullet' with tsunami

Japan now faces a threat as quake-triggered waves surge across the Pacific.

Coastal evacuation ordered

Also:

Man finds game in basement worth $40,000

A Kansas man discovers a rare video game he was going to give away is worth big bucks.

Why it's so valuable

Also:

Back away from the Teabagger

Reports are 'coming out' that the wingnuts are now trying to purge the Teabaggers of their most extreme elements, such as birthers and the militia movement:

After months of struggling to harness the energy of newly engaged tea party activists, the wingnut 'establishment' - with critical midterm congressional elections on the horizon - is taking aim for the first time at the movement’s extremist elements.

The move has been cast by some wingnuts as a modern version of the marginalization of the far-right anti-communist John Birch Society during the reorganization of the wingnut cabal spearheaded in the 1960s and 1970s by William F. Buckley Jr.

“A similar effort will be required today of wingnut political and intellectual (now there's a joke), leaders,” former shrub speechwriter Michael Gerson wrote in his column in the Washington Post . “It will not be easy. Sometimes it takes courage to stand before a large crowd and proclaim that two plus two equals four.”

In front of wingnuts, that would be nigh on to impossible.
You see, facts have a liberal bias.
It's the reason a recent study showed that kids who go to college end up more liberal.
Intelligence and knowledge tend to make you more accepting of reality, and other human beings.
That doesn't go over all that well in repugican circle-jerks, where far too many just know that great grandma used to hang out with pterodactyls.

Giant Octopus Comes to Smithsonian's National Zoo

From Treehugger:

photo: Meghan Murphy, Smithsonian's National Zoo

While it may seem small now, at only about 3 pounds, this guy will grow to about 13 times its current size. It's the Giant Pacific octopus and the National Zoo welcomed the first one of its kind last month. With an expected arm span of 25 feet, this mega octopus evokes memories of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

Article continues: Giant Octopus Comes to Smithsonian's National Zoo

Can Animals Foresee Natural Disasters?

From Treehugger:

Earthquakes, like the one that struck today in Chile--which, at the time of this writing, is believed to have claimed 147 lives--are all the more devastating for their unpredictable nature. While geologists have resources available to indicate a probability of when a quake will strike, such as measuring seismic pressures or observing changes in magnetic fields, it is still impossible to provide any short-term notice to threatened communities--a notice that would undoubtedly save countless lives. Although geologists may be incapable of putting communities on alert, however, recent disasters are strengthening theories that some animals may be able to 'sense' impending earthquakes.

Article continues: Can Animals Foresee Natural Disasters?

Chile's Earthquake

Chile's 8.8 earthquake caught on tape.

"Aftershocks" of 6.9

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/02/27/tsu.jpg

Tsunami Warnings

From Treehugger:

From the Map Room

Extraordinary image showing the projected times that a tsunami would hit other parts of the Pacific from the catastrophic Chilean earthquake this morning. Tsunami warnings have been issued as far north as Vancouver and around the pacific. Height of waves projected below.

Article continues: A Picture is Worth: Mapping The Chilean Earthquake's Tsunami

San Quentin

Johnny Cash - Live in prison

Cop News

In Cop News

Alabama cop claims he was "just playing around" as he choked 15-year-old

Arizona cop again tries to read confidential defense documents in court

Retired New Orleans cop cooperates with investigation, recounts a disturbing pattern of lies and illegal planting of false evidence by NOPD officers after post-Katrina police shooting

Humane Society releases video of Kentucky cop at cockfight

Texas cop charged with selling restricted criminal background information

Court reinstates lawsuit over Minnesota cops' arrest of zombies

John Linder of Georgia announces retirement

One less repugican ...

John Linder has announced he will retire from Congress after 18 years.

Full Story

Repugican Unemployment Roadblock Will Cost States Millions

The latest bit of obstruction being staged by a Senate repugican, done in the name of limiting federal spending, is going to end up costing cash-strapped states millions of dollars as well as potentially causing millions of workers to lose their unemployment benefits.

Full Story

Chile was ready for quake, Haiti wasn't

The earthquake in Chile was far stronger than the one that struck Haiti last month - yet the death toll in this Caribbean nation is magnitudes higher.

Full story

Obama Says U.S. Prepared To Help Chile

The U.S. "will be there" if Chile asks for rescue and recovery help after a powerful earthquake struck the South American nation, President Barack Obama said Saturday.

He also warned people in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and the West Coast to heed the instructions of local authorities about evacuations and other measures in advance of a tsunami moving across the Pacific Ocean.

"We can't control nature, but we can and must be prepared for disaster when it strikes," he said in a statement at the White House.

Obama Says U.S. Prepared To Help Chile

Florida man gets back wallet taken in Ohio in 1949

A man who renovates old homes in Ohio has found and returned the wallet lost by a Florida man more than 60 years ago.

Full Story

And I Quote

To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.

~ Confucius

Question and Answer

Question: Why do some people take an instant aversion to banjo players?

Answer: It saves time in the long run.

Case To Proceed Against Man Accused On Threatening President

There are new developments in the case against the man the Secret Service said threatened the life of President Barack Obama in his poetry.

Full Story

Criminal clown

This gentleman is Tony Alexander Pete, 43, aka "Happy." Police in Ogden, Utah are seeking Happy who is a suspect in a burglary that took place Wednesday evening.
Happy, a career criminal, is easily identified due to his unique facial tattoos.

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

The victim told police that he was asleep about 7:30 p.m. when he was awakened to find the pair standing over him. At first, the men yelled that they were cops, then threw the blanket over him.
"The guy said he could still see from under the blanket though, and he described one of them as having 'clown eyes.' "[The victim] said he knew him as 'Happy,' because he had been staying there with him until recently," Sangberg said.

"Ogden cops have out clown posse - literally"

*****
Some people are just stupid and that is that.

Alice in Wonderland movie from 1933

Steve Silberman calls it a "Holy Terry Gilliam prototype: The original, trippy 1933 film version of Alice in Wonderland by Norman 'Monkey Business' McLeod, starring Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, and W.C. Fields, now on DVD with a rave from Alice: 'A revolution in cinema history!'"

But only one can boast the endorsement of the original Alice: the 1933 Paramount "Alice in Wonderland," being released to DVD by Universal Studios Home Entertainment ($19.98, not rated), the current rights holder. In a Jan. 7, 1934, article in The New York Times, Alice Liddell, quoted under her married name, Mrs. Reginald Hargreaves, expressed admiration for the film that Hollywood had wrought from the story Carroll had invented for her some seven decades before.
"I am delighted with the film and am now convinced that only through the medium of the talking picture art could this delicious fantasy be faithfully interpreted," she declared, her words possibly burnished by a Paramount publicist. " 'Alice' is a picture which represents a revolution in cinema history!"

Another Trippy Rabbit Hole

Alice in Wonderland (1933)

Alan Grayson was correct

They really do want Americans to just die.
And to die quickly.

'Emergency rooms should be able to turn patients away to cut costs', Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty (reptile) said last night.

Full Story

A quiet sun won't save us from global warming

Even if there's a "grand minimum" in the sun's output over the next century, it won't be enough to counter rising temperatures caused by humans.

A quiet sun won't save us from global warming

No Punishment For Killer Whale After Trainer Attack

There will be no punishment for Tillikum, the killer whale who grabbed veteran SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau on Wednesday, dragging her underwater and killing her, SeaWorld has said. Additionally, they announced that their killer whale shows will restart on Saturday.

Full Story

Wrong decisions fellas

Colombia court blocks Uribe from seeking 3rd term

Colombia's Constitutional Court shut the door Friday on President Alvaro Uribe's aspirations for a third straight term, ruling unconstitutional a law that would have let voters decide in a referendum whether he could run again.

Full Story

Diet pitfalls and how to avoid them

A few easy minutes of preparation can keep you from sabotaging your diet.

Best picks for snack cravings

Also:

Ancient Skull Found Behind New Mexico Business

Police in New Mexico said an employee at a recycling business discovered a human skull, believed to be hundreds of years old, behind the facility.

Ancient Skull Found

Japan temple flushes away troubles

Tired of bad relationships or even extra weight, Japanese are trying a divine remedy for what ails them, flushing it away.

Japan temple flushes away troubles

Who you should tip and how much

Just remember despite this 'guide' to tipping - tipping IS NOT required at any time!

Who you should tip and how much

Etiquette experts clear up the confusion about which services deserve gratuities.

What about the coffeehouse tip jar?

Also:

Most vulnerable homeless costing city millions

Survey shows “chronically homeless” people more numerous than thought, and often ill

Charlotte has nearly double the national average of homeless people visiting hospitals more than three times a year – and it’s costing the community millions of dollars.

That startling fact is one of many revelations that came from a ground-breaking homeless survey held this week, using a $10,000 grant from the Charlotte Housing Authority.

Specifically, the effort sought out the “chronically homeless” – those who live on the streets for years because of mental instability or addictions that keep them from leading a normal life.

It has long been estimated that Charlotte had about 500 such people among its estimated 6,500 homeless.

But the survey found 741, and the number will likely climb to 850, based on survey sheets yet to be calculated.

Of the 741, nearly half are vulnerable to dying on the streets due to health problems ranging from Hepatitis C to emphysema.

“I’m stunned,” she said. “We as a community weren’t addressing the problem of chronic homelessness when we thought we had just 500. Now, we realize it’s even bigger than we thought. We should be alarmed.”

There’s no way to judge the accuracy of the survey responses, but here are the findings:

The most vulnerable among the 741 had spent an average of 6.1 years living on the streets.

521 hospitalizations were reported among the respondents in the past year.

540 had no insurance.

252 reported being a victim of a violent attack since becoming homeless.

The results of the study were released Friday by Becky Kanis of Common Ground, a New York-based organization that has guided similar surveys in 21 other communities.

It’s Kanis who noticed Charlotte’s rate for homeless hospital visits is double the national average. In all, 189 respondents had been to the emergency room or hospitalized more than three times in the past year.

“With ER and inpatient hospital visits, you have more than $2 million spent on health care,” said Kanis, noting $2 million is a low estimate. “That is based on one night in the hospital. The average number of days spent in the hospital by the homeless is four.”

The solution to that problem, she said, is to determine who is footing the bill for those hospital stays, and show them alternatives.

15 percent of the respondents were veterans of the armed forces, and most had been honorably discharged, making them candidates for housing vouchers from the Veterans Administration.

7 percent of those surveyed were over 60, qualifying them for aid to seniors.

“What we’ve done with the survey is shine a light on the problem in a systematic way, to craft better policies." “Hopefully, folks in the VA will see it and say ‘Oh, there’s my portion.’ Folks who work with seniors will say ‘Oh, there is mine.’ And folks who work with those who’ve aged out of foster care will see it and say ‘there is mine.’”

A far greater challenge, is to convince the community that it needs to rethink who among the homeless should get help first. The tendency is to help those who can get back on their feet the fastest.

“Everybody likes to rally around the guys on the five yard line, who is looking into the end zone, because we all love a victory story." “It’s the ones at the other end of the field we need to worry about: The ones who are going to die on the street.”

More Information

Who are the chronically homeless?

The homeless survey conducted this week involved more than 100 volunteers who sought out the chronically homeless, a subgroup of the city’s estimated homeless population of 6,500.
They found 741, nearly half of whom were deemed “vulnerable,” because their health problems make them at risk of dying in the streets.
Here are some of the findings among the 741:
54 (7%) are over 60 years old.
The oldest respondent was 68 years old.
12 individuals reported being homeless longer than 20 years
The longest reported length of homelessness was 35 years
The average years homeless for the vulnerable population is 6.1 years.
The average years homeless for the von-vulnerable population is 4.3 years.
100 (14%) respondents report having a history of foster care.
42 respondents were under 25 years old.
The youngest respondent was 18 years old.

Mastering Farmville

Insider tips and tricks to master FarmVille

Fans of the hit online game can quickly get ahead if they follow some simple advice.

One mistake to avoid, too

Also:

Scientists unravel mysteries of intelligence

Research sheds new light on why some people seem to be able to master any subject.

Not the size of your brain (although a bigger brain helps)

Also:

Incredible period carries U.S. hockey

The Americans stun Finland with goal after goal to secure a spot in Sunday's gold medal game.

Final score

Also:

Liberalism, atheism, male sexual exclusivity linked to IQ

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/HEALTH/02/26/liberals.atheists.sex.intelligence/t1larg.blackboard.gi.jpg

Political, religious and sexual behaviors may be reflections of intelligence, a new study finds.

Evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa at the the London School of Economics and Political Science correlated data on these behaviors with IQ from a large national U.S. sample and found that, on average, people who identified as liberal and atheist had higher IQs. This applied also to sexual exclusivity in men, but not in women. The findings will be published in the March 2010 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly.

*****

Liberal atheists are smarter ... well what do you know.

Deal with it!

This is dated before the health care summit but it sends the correct message!

Tsunami fears after massive Chile quake

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201002/r522125_2903228.jpg

A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake has struck near the coast of south-central Chile shaking buildings and causing blackouts in parts of the capital Santiago, 320 kilometers away.

A tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center ... Soon after, the center said the quake had generated a tsunami

Full Story

President Obama's Weekly Address

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
Weekly Address
February 27, 2010

As the Winter Olympics draw to a close this weekend, I just want to take a minute to congratulate all the athletes who competed in these games. And I especially want to say how proud I am of all the American men and women have achieved over the last few weeks.

Whether it was the men’s hockey team’s stunning upset of the Canadians on their way to the gold-medal game, Lindsey Vonn’s heroic gold-medal comeback from a shin injury, or Apolo Ohno becoming the most decorated American winter Olympian of all time, you can’t help but be inspired by the sheer grit and athletic prowess on display in Vancouver.

And it’s not just the medal count that’s inspiring – though we’ve certainly done great on that score. What’s truly inspiring is the character of the men and women who have won those medals. The sacrifices they’ve made. The integrity they’ve shown. The indomitable Olympic spirit that says no matter who you are or where you come from or what difficulties you may face, you can work hard and train hard and still triumph in the end. That is why we watch. That is why we cheer. That is why in the middle of an extremely challenging time for America, we’ve been able to come together as one nation for a few weeks in February and swell with pride at what our citizens have achieved.

Now, when it comes to meeting the larger challenges we face as a nation, I realize that finding this unity is easier said than done – especially in Washington. But if we want to compete on the world stage as well as we’ve competed in the world’s games, we need to find common ground. We need to move past the bickering and the game-playing that holds us back and blocks progress for the American people.

We know it’s possible to do this. And we were reminded of that last week when Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to pass a jobs bill that will give small businesses tax credits to hire more workers. We also saw it when Democrats and Republicans in the House came together to pass a bill that will force insurance companies to abide by common-sense rules that prevent price-fixing and other practices that drive up health care costs.

We need that same spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship when it comes to finally passing reform that will bring down the cost of health care and give Americans more control over their insurance. On Thursday, we brought both parties together for a frank and productive discussion about this issue. In that discussion, we heard many areas of agreement. Both sides agreed that the rising cost of health care is a serious problem that plagues families, small businesses, and our federal budget. Many on both sides agreed that we should give small businesses and individuals the ability to participate in a new insurance marketplace – which members of Congress would also use – that would allow them to pool their purchasing power and get a better deal from insurance companies. And I heard some ideas from our Republican friends that I believe are very worthy of consideration.

But still, there were differences. We disagreed over whether insurance companies should be held accountable when they deny people care or arbitrarily raise premiums. I believe they should. We disagreed over giving tax credits to small businesses and individuals that would make health care affordable for those who don’t have it. This would be the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history, and I believe we should do it. And while we agreed that Americans with pre-existing conditions should be able to get coverage, we disagreed on how to do that.

Some of these disagreements we may be able to resolve. Some we may not. And no final bill will include everything that everyone wants. That’s what compromise is. I said at the end of Thursday’s summit that I am eager and willing to move forward with members of both parties on health care if the other side is serious about coming together to resolve our differences and get this done. But I also believe that we cannot lose the opportunity to meet this challenge. The tens of millions of men and women who cannot afford their health insurance cannot wait another generation for us to act. Small businesses cannot wait. Americans with pre-existing conditions cannot wait. State and federal budgets cannot sustain these rising costs.

It is time for us to come together. It is time for us to act. It is time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities to the American people and to future generations. So let’s get this done.

Thanks for listening.

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Sunday, February 28, 2010

70 cases have been thrown out because of involvement by accused officer, who has resigned.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Survey shows “chronically homeless” people more numerous than thought, and often ill

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