CAROLINA NATURALLY: Sep 17, 2010

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
Green lights, warm smiles and a wide-open road greet you today, now that a decision has been made.
Things are clearer, and it's no surprise that with all this weight taken off your mind, you can move forward with what you really need to do.
There's a strong sense of possibility that is shining brightly in your romantic life too.
Unexpected invitations may intimidate you -- so just take things at your own pace and listen to your heart for a reply.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Edithvale, Victoria, Australia

Koblenz, Rheinland-Pflaz, Germany

Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia

Minden, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

London, England, United Kingdom

Swindon, England, United Kingdom

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Santander, Cantabria, Spain

Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

as well as cities across the United States such as Villa Park, Tampa, Pasadena, Atlanta and more.

Today is:

Today is Friday, September 17, the 260th day of 2010.

There are 105 days left in the year.

Today In History September 17

Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:

There are none.

Don't forget to visit our sister blog!

I was Lovin' It

We posted a piece about this ad the other day but did not post the actual ad.
Well here it is:

And again who gives a shit whether McDonald's likes it or not.

Need some math help

To solve it, assume that the first three - symbols are dashes, not subtraction signs, because she is trying to generate a telephone number.

The cube root of 54,872,000 is 380.

That gives 1-650-380-....

In the last figure, the parenthesized number would be:

7/10*(9-(11i)^2) =
7/10*(9-(11^2*i^2) =
And since i^2 = -1, the rest follows:
7/10*(9+11^2) =
7/10*130 = 91

but since four digits are required, I'd write it as 0091

So Paula's number is 1-650-380-0091

Dizzying 1,768-foot climb dazzles Web

Man's dizzying 1,768-foot climb dazzles Web

This engineer scales a tower taller than the Empire State Building — then starts his job.

The view from his workplace

Also:

Fierce NYC storm a possible tornado

The fast-moving deadly storm left fallen trees, stripped roofs, and power outages across the city.

'Like a poltergeist'

Also:

Startling scenes from vicious NYC storm

Tornado-like winds uprooted huge trees, crushing cars as the freak storm ripped through the city.

See photos

Also:

Just the News

Pennsylvania Woman Chases Away Armed Robbers With Broom

Police said two armed men broke into a home, tied up one man and robbed another, then were chased away by the woman of the house who was armed only with a broom.

Angry parent confronts daughter's bullies on the school bus

Officials in Seminole County, Florida are considering filing charges against a man who boarded his daughter's school bus to give her class mates a message.

And I Quote

"When Gingrich calls Obama "a Kenyan,"
that, of course, is code for 'nigger' ".
~ Bill Maher,

Rally To Restore Sanity

Finally a rally to be part of.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Rally to Restore Sanity

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Tea Party

Foxholes

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Repugicans filibuster Defense bill, while we're in 2 wars, then accuses Democrats of playing politcs with national defense

John McCain has been politicizing the Defense bill for months in an effort to convince Arizona voters that he really is a wingnut repugican.

And now that we're a little more than a month away from the election, the entire repugican 'party' is trying to bring down the defense bill in order to score political points by hurting Latinos and gays.

Incredibly, the repugicans are now claiming, after all that, that it's Democrats who are politicizing the Defense bill a month before the election.

***

Then again not so incredible at all because when dealing with wingnuts ... Remember the rule: If they accuse someone of something, then they're already guilty of it.

Holding Americans Hostage

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Coburn blocks food safety, wants to deny FDA right to recall dangerous food

Once again, the repugicans show how little they care about people other than corporate interests. It's laughable to suggest that the FDA is a troubled agency, since it was the repugicans who created those problems in the first place. They have denied the agencies ability to issue food recalls, instead relying on the classic repugican lie that self-regulation works. It doesn't, as we know from Wall Street to food. The FDA has been one of the more improved agencies during Obama's term and they're pushing for more corporate responsibility. If there's one thing the repugicans hate, it's corporate responsibility.

Repugican Tom Coburn of Oklahoma says the bill, which has stalled in the Senate for more than a year, adds to the deficit and expands the power of an already troubled agency.

Advocates for the bill say it is crucial to strengthen the nation's toothless food safety oversight and would help prevent large outbreaks of tainted food.

Coburn's office said Wednesday the senator will object to bringing up the bill if his concerns aren't addressed.

DIlbert

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Why this CEO works for $36,000 a year

At 26, Tony Hsieh sold his company for $265 million and now says money isn't a motivation.

Secret to his success

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Americans' wealth sinks as economy stalls

Experts say most people won't regain the wealth they've lost until mid-decade.

Average drop per household

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Tax-cut change would affect everyone

Taxpayers at every level will feel the pressure if the shrub-era cuts come to an end.

Big increases

Also:

Government support at historic levels

More American households than ever before are receiving benefits of some kind.

Big impact on ballooning deficit

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Home problems that can cost a fortune

These unexpected perils can run well over $10,000 to repair, but you can prevent them.

From mold to bedbugs

Also:

Parrot busted for trying to tip off crooks

A bird named Lorenzo is seized during an undercover raid for acting as a lookout.

What he was trained to say

Also:

Bad Cops

Bad Cops

California policeman is arrested for lewd acts with a minor

North Carolina cop honored for racking up DWI arrests shows up for work drunk and reeking of alcohol

FBI employees arrested for lying about steroid use

School cop might be fired after arrest for beating girlfriend

Overruled: Wisconsin cop won't be fired after all, for watching beating and doing nothing

Pennsylvania liquor-control officer to be jailed for extorting $12K from bar owners

Florida deputy is charged with sexual battery

Louisiana cop is busted for for handcuffing his wife to bed during an argument

Canadian man charged with pretending to practice witchcraft

Police have charged a Brampton, Ontario, man with fraud, and the unusual charge of pretending to practice witchcraft. Sgt. Zahir Shah of the Peel Regional Police said that the accused allegedly promised to perform magic for money "and that (he) would be able to solve any and all of your problems."
The complainants allegedly paid the accused, who worked out of a large home. "Obviously he wasn't able to perform any magic and their problems remained unsolved," Shah alleged. The sergeant said that the charge of pretending to practice witchcraft "is not one we lay very often." An additional charge of fraud under $5,000 was also laid.

The charges were laid after a victim came forward to police. Officers said they don't yet know how many people may have been victimized, but they suspect the accused has been operating for more than one year.

Shah clarified that practicing witchcraft is not illegal, saying, "If you want to be a wiccan, that's your business." He added that someone is committing fraud if they say they have the ability to practice magic in return for money or a service. Yogendra Pathak, 44, was arrested on Monday. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 7.

Couple to file suit against raging meter man

A South Florida parking attendant is preparing for a legal battle after losing his cool while on duty. The incident occurred in the area of A1A and Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, last Friday morning. Andrea was about to workout on the beach and park her vehicle. "So I turn around, and the parking attendant is giving me a ticket, and I was like, 'Oh, hey, buddy!' I'm like, 'Wait a second!' I said, 'I have quarters. I didn't even know if we were staying or going,'" Andrea said.
According to Andrea, she was out of her car for about 30 seconds when she received a ticket for parking at an expired meter. The volunteer parking enforcement officer, 68-year-old Barry Shore, then began to harass her, even though Shore took back the ticket. A few hours later, Andrea's husband, Bill, searched for Shore and questioned him about his actions. "'According to my wife, you were harassing her.' And I said, that apparently, there were witnesses to this, and during the conversation, I said, 'I'm going to get your job,'" Bill said.

Bill captured Shore's outburst on cell phone video. "Take that and shove it up your (expletive). I could give a (expletive) less, you Pennsylvania scooper woodchuck. I don't give a (expletive) about the job. A guy like you should be the (expletive) out here. Yeah, I almost lost my temper. You see what that says? Volunteer. You don't even know what the (expletive) that means," Shore said. "I don't know what the woodchuck thing means. I'm not really sure. I've never heard that before," said Andrea. "You shouldn't have these people out in the street, dealing with the public. It's bad for the city. It's bad for people that come to vacation. It's certainly bad for people that just moved here."

Bill wants to press charges against Shore, and the couple has hired Attorney Robert Solomon. "We're going to put the city on notice. You know, it's really just putting them in a position they need to be aware of who's working for them," said Solomon. Shore admitted to losing his temper and mentioned that he resigned from his position. "I lost my temper. I shouldn't have lost my temper. He was taunting me. You don't see that part of the video of him sitting in the car, taunting me," Shore said. "I should have walked away, you know, hindsight, but I didn't walk away. I handed in my resignation." As for Andrea and Bill, Shore said, "In actuality, what I would like to say to them, 'If this is all that you have to do with your life, I feel sorry for you.'" Police are currently investigating the incident.

B.C.

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A chip off the early hominin tooth

Were our early mammalian ancestors vegetarians, vegans or omnivores? It’s difficult for anthropologists to determine the diet of early mammalians because current fossil analysis provides too little information.

Full story

This is not a road ...

... It's an inlet filled with dead fish.
You're looking at a mass fish die-off. These don't happen every day, but they're also not particularly rare in southern Louisiana, where this photo was taken. The BP oil spill wasn't to blame for this die-off. Instead, it's the result of a very large number of fish getting trapped by the tide in a very shallow pool of water on a very hot day. All of those factors added up to not enough oxygen to go around, and the fish suffocated.

Via New Scientist

Monterrey Bay Dolphins Plagued by Mysterious Lesions

Image credit: cheetah100/Flickr

Just as scientists make forward progress towards a cure for the contagious face-eating cancer plaguing Tasmanian devils, an outbreak of mysterious skin lesions has spread through at least on population of bottle-nosed dolphins.

Article continues: 90 Percent of Monterrey Bay Dolphins Plagued by Mysterious Lesions

Manta ray cameraman

Manta ray steals diver's expensive camera

While a videographer films underwater, his gear is stripped away and taken for a ride.

And, it's all caught on video

Also:

Termite mounds

Termites do not live in termite mounds, as though they are skyscrapers. Instead, the termites hang out at ground level and underground, while the mound works as an HVAC system, circulating and replacing hot air with cool. David Attenborough explains how this works—along with the help some of some handy computer graphics—in the video above.

Big Bird(s)

Scientists have unearthed the fossilized remains of a prehistoric bird with a wingspan of 17 feet! The Latin name given to the new species, Pelagornis chilensis means “huge pseudoteeth” because it had bony tooth-like projections.

The enormous wingspan gave P. chilensis certain advantages, like the ability to travel long distances and reach areas of the open ocean thick with potential prey. The researchers think it feasted on fish and squid, and may have trolled its hunting grounds with its lower beak skimming the water until its teeth could clamp down on a wriggling meal. But lead researcher Gerald Mayr says that a 17-foot wingspan is probably close to the maximum for a flying bird.

The bird flew over South America between 10 and 5 million years ago, which means it may have been seen by our hominid ancestors.

Full Story

The prehistoric South American bird Argentavis magnificens had a wingspan of 23 feet! That makes this bird about the same size as a Cessna light aircraft. Scientists think Argentavis was too big and heavy to flap its wings, but could fly by taking advantage of thermals and updrafts.

Full Story

You say you don't believe in unicorns?

You say you don't believe in unicorns? Well, one of the mythical animal's real-life relatives, known as the saola, has died after its short stay in a village in Laos.

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The mammal -- often referred to as the "Asian unicorn" even though the antelope-like creature has two horns -- is so rare that only 250 are believed to exist worldwide, and none are in captivity.

The BBC reports that the saola -- discovered in Southeast Asia in the early 1990s -- has never been seen in the wild by biologists. Its existence, to date, has been confirmed only in photos by local villagers.

'Four-Legged' Fish Goes For A Walk

Perhaps he had just got tired of swimming. For this odd-looking fish looks like he's just decided to head out for an evening stroll along the ocean floor. But while it looks like he has sprouted legs, this angler fish's limbs are just the fins he uses to balance himself on the sea bed.

The stunning picture was taken by scientists using cutting-edge technology to explore waters off Indonesia. See more new species discovered in the Indonesia waters.

Ziggy

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Are Distract-able People More Creative?

Consider a recent study by neuroscientists at Harvard and the University of Toronto that documents the benefits of all these extra thoughts. (It was replicated here.) The researchers began by giving a sensory test to a hundred undergraduates at Harvard. The tests were designed to measure their level of latent inhibition, which is the capacity to ignore stimuli that seem irrelevant. Are you able to not think about the air-conditioner humming in the background? What about the roar of the airplane overhead? When you’re at a cocktail party, can you tune out the conversations of other people? If so, you’re practicing latent inhibition. While this skill is typically seen as an essential component of attention – it keeps us from getting distracted by extraneous perceptions – it turns out that people with low latent inhibition have a much richer mixture of thoughts in working memory. This shouldn’t be too surprising: Because they struggle to filter the world, they end up letting everything in. As a result, their consciousness is flooded with seemingly unrelated thoughts. Here’s where the data gets interesting: Those students who were classified as “eminent creative achievers” – the rankings were based on their performance on various tests, as well as their real world accomplishments – were seven times more likely to “suffer” from low latent inhibition. This makes some sense: The association between creativity and open-mindedness has long been recognized, and what’s more open-minded than distract-ability? People with low latent inhibition are literally unable to close their mind, to keep the spotlight of attention from drifting off to the far corners of the stage. The end result is that they can’t help but consider the unexpected.

Are Distract-able People More Creative?

'Thinkers' have different brains

'Thinkers' have different brains
People who think more about whether they are right have more cells in a part of the brain known as the frontal lobes, a study reveals.

Health News

Antibiotics play hell with gut flora

Each round of antibiotics may be a roll of the dice that could lead to lasting changes in a person's gut microbes.

Cousin virus suggests HIV may be deadly for millennia

Simian immunodeficiency virus, which does not cause AIDS but gave us HIV, seems far older than we thought – dashing hopes that HIV might weaken soon.

Significant weight-loss from surgery decreases risk for cardiovascular disease in women

Significant weight loss not only improves daily life of morbidly obese woman but also decreases the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, many people can not lose weight or can not maintain weight loss without help.

Full story