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The place where the world comes together in honesty and mirth.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.
Windmills Tilted, Scared Cows Butchered, Lies Skewered on the Lance of Reality ... or something to that effect.
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Daily Drift
What's That?!
Some of our readers today have been in:
Surabaya, Indonesia
Amman, Jordan
Wroclaw, Poland
Ankara, Turkey
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Bangkok, Thailand
Makati, Philippines
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Jawa, Indonesia
Cape Town, South Africa
Kabul, Afghanistan
Jakarta, Indonesia
Klang, Malaysia
Kuwait, Kuwait
Bogor, Indonesia
Hanoi, Vietnam
Zamboanga, Philippines
Segamat, Malaysia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Warsaw, Poland
Pasig, Philippines
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
Manila, Philippines
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Vancouver, Canada
Editorial Comment: This is our 45,900th post. Who would have thought
that our little old blog would be around for so long or that it would be
so popular.
Today in History
876 | Charles the Bald is defeated at the Battle of Andernach. | |
1690 | Belgrade is retaken by the Turks. | |
1840 | King William I of Holland abdicates. | |
1855 | Arrow, a ship flying the British flag, is boarded by Chinese who arrest the crew, thus beginning the Second Chinese War. | |
1862 | The Union is victorious at the Battle of Perryville, the largest Civil War combat to take place in Kentucky. | |
1871 | The Great Chicago Fire begins in southwest Chicago, possibly in a barn owned by Patrick and Katherine O'Leary. Fanned by strong southwesterly winds, the flames raged for more than 24 hours, eventually leveling three and a half square miles and wiping out one-third of the city. Approximately 250 people were killed in the fire; 98,500 people were left homeless; 17,450 buildings were destroyed. | |
1897 | Journalist Charles Henry Dow, founder of the Wall Street Journal, begins charting trends of stocks and bonds. | |
1900 | Maximilian Harden is sentenced to six months in prison for publishing an article critical of the German Kaiser. | |
1906 | Karl Ludwig Nessler first demonstrates a machine in London that puts permanent waves in hair. The client wears a dozen brass curlers, each wearing two pounds, for the six-hour process. | |
1919 | The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives pass the Volstead Prohibition Enforcement Bill. | |
1922 | Lilian Gatlin becomes the first woman pilot to fly across the United States. | |
1956 | Don Larson of the New York Yankees pitched the first perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers. | |
1968 | U.S. forces in Vietnam launch Operation Sealord, an attack on North Vietnamese supply lines and base areas. |
Did you know ...
How about strategic default: is it ever OK to walk away from your mortgage even if you can afford it?
That the TSA protects America from mom with dangerous pb & j
That an Ohio repugican says he's never seen such hate as in today's repugican cabal
Dear tea party neighbor
That the TSA protects America from mom with dangerous pb & j
That an Ohio repugican says he's never seen such hate as in today's repugican cabal
Dear tea party neighbor
Arkansas repugican cabal calls candidates' statements 'offensive'
Now it really takes a lot for the low brows of the repugican cabal to say something one of their own says is offensive
Arkansas repugicans tried to distance themselves Saturday from a repugican state representative's assertion that slavery was a "blessing in disguise" and a repugican state House candidate who advocates deporting all Muslims.
Rep. Crawford said Saturday he was "disappointed and disturbed."
"The statements that have been reported portray attitudes and beliefs that would return our state and country to a harmful and regrettable past," Crawford said.
U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, r-Ark., kicked off the repugican cabal's response Saturday by issuing a release, saying the "statements of Hubbard and Fuqua are ridiculous, outrageous and have no place in the civil discourse of either party."
"Had I known of these statements, I would not have contributed to their campaigns. I am requesting that they give my contributions to charity," said Griffin, who donated $100 to each candidate.
The Arkansas repugican House Caucus followed, saying the views of Hubbard and Fuqua "are in no way reflective of, or endorsed by, the repugican caucus. The constituencies they are seeking to represent will ultimately judge these statements at the ballot box."
Then Webb, who has spearheaded the party's attempt to control the Legislature, said the writings "were highly offensive to many Americans and do not reflect the viewpoints of the repugican cabal of Arkansas. While we respect their right to freedom of expression and thought, we strongly disagree with those ideas."
Arkansas repugicans tried to distance themselves Saturday from a repugican state representative's assertion that slavery was a "blessing in disguise" and a repugican state House candidate who advocates deporting all Muslims.
The claims were made in books written, respectively, by Rep. Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro and House candidate Charlie Fuqua of Batesville. Those books received attention on Internet news sites Friday.
On Saturday, state repugican cabal Chairman Doyle Webb called the books "highly offensive." And U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a repugican who represents northeast Arkansas, called the writings "divisive and racially inflammatory."
Hubbard
wrote in his 2009 self-published book, "Letters To The Editor:
Confessions Of A Frustrated Conservative," that "the institution of
slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon
its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise." He also wrote
that African-Americans were better off than they would have been had
they not been captured and shipped to the United States.
Fuqua,
who served in the Arkansas House from 1996 to 1998, wrote there is "no
solution to the Muslim problem short of expelling all followers of the
religion from the United States," in his 2012 book, titled "God's Law."
Fuqua said Saturday that he hadn't realized he'd become a target within his own party, which he said surprised him.
"I
think my views are fairly well-accepted by most people," Fuqua said
before hanging up, saying he was busy knocking on voters' doors. The
attorney is running against incumbent Democratic Rep. James McLean in
House District 63.
Hubbard, a
marketing representative, didn't return voicemail messages seeking
comment Saturday. He is running against Democrat Harold Copenhaver in
House District 58.
The November elections could be a crucial
turning point in Arkansas politics. Democrats hold narrow majorities in
both chambers, but the repugican cabal has been working hard to swing the
Legislature its way for the first time since the end of the Civil War,
buoyed by picking up three congressional seats in 2010. Their efforts
have also been backed by an influx of money from national conservative
groups.Rep. Crawford said Saturday he was "disappointed and disturbed."
"The statements that have been reported portray attitudes and beliefs that would return our state and country to a harmful and regrettable past," Crawford said.
U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, r-Ark., kicked off the repugican cabal's response Saturday by issuing a release, saying the "statements of Hubbard and Fuqua are ridiculous, outrageous and have no place in the civil discourse of either party."
"Had I known of these statements, I would not have contributed to their campaigns. I am requesting that they give my contributions to charity," said Griffin, who donated $100 to each candidate.
The Arkansas repugican House Caucus followed, saying the views of Hubbard and Fuqua "are in no way reflective of, or endorsed by, the repugican caucus. The constituencies they are seeking to represent will ultimately judge these statements at the ballot box."
Then Webb, who has spearheaded the party's attempt to control the Legislature, said the writings "were highly offensive to many Americans and do not reflect the viewpoints of the repugican cabal of Arkansas. While we respect their right to freedom of expression and thought, we strongly disagree with those ideas."
Webb, though, accused state Democrats of using the issue as a distraction.
Democrats
themselves have been largely silent, aside from the state party's tweet
and Facebook post calling attention to the writings. A Democratic Party
spokesman didn't immediately return a call for comment Saturday.
The two candidates share other political and religious views on their campaign websites.
Hubbard,
who sponsored a failed bill in 2011 that would have severely restricted
immigration, wrote on his website that the issue is still among his
priorities, as is doing "whatever I can to defend, protect and preserve
our christian heritage."
Fuqua
blogs on his website. One post is titled, "christianity in Retreat,"
and says "there is a strange alliance between the liberal left and the muslim religion."
"Both are
antichrist in that they both deny that jesus is god in the flesh of man,
and the savior of mankind. They both also hold that their cause should
take over the entire world through violent, bloody, revolution," the
post says.
In a separate
passage, Fuqua wrote "we now have a president that has a well documented
history with both the muslim religion and Communism."
Supreme Court case will decide whether you own your stuff
Writing in MarketWatch, Jennifer Waters explains the implications of a
Supreme Court case, Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, which turns on
the question of whether you have the right to re-sell things you buy out
of the country, or whether the copyrights embodied by your phones,
clothes, gadgets, books, music, DVDs, and other possessions mean that
you can't sell your stuff without permission from the original
manufacturer.
Following Wiley's theory, you don't really own most of your possessions.
You share ownership in your goods with the companies that made the
goods you "bought" from them, and they get a veto over your disposal of
them, and can also demand a cut of the proceeds.
Put simply, though Apple has the copyright on the iPhone and Mark Owen does on the book “No Easy Day,” you can still sell your copies to whomever you please whenever you want without retribution.Your right to resell your own stuff is in peril
That’s being challenged now for products that are made abroad and if the Supreme Court upholds an appellate court ruling it would mean that the copyright holders of anything you own that has been made in China, Japan or Europe, for example, would have to give you permission to sell it.
“It means that it’s harder for consumers to buy used products and harder for them to sell them,” said Jonathan Bland (sic: Jonathan's surname is actually "Band"), an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Association for Research Libraries. “This has huge consumer impact on all consumer groups.”
Yes, you're reading it correctly ...
When I first saw this picture, I assumed someone in the neighborhood who had suspicions wrote this on a parked truck. But according to WBIR, this truck was stopped by police in Memphis. Someone was actually driving it with "METH LAB" written on the windows!
After being stopped for a license plate violation early Friday morning, the driver was arrested for outstanding warrants and other meth-related charges.The meth cooker in the truck was removed by a hazmat crew. More
Pharmacy linked to outbreak issues wide recall
The pharmacy that distributed a steroid linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis has issued a voluntary recall of all of its products, calling the move a precautionary measure.
The New England Compounding Center announced the recall Saturday. The company
said in a news release that the move was taken out of an abundance of
caution because of the risk of contamination. It says there is no
indication that any other products have been contaminated.
The Food and Drug Administration had previously told health professionals not to use any products distributed by the center.
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted updated figures to
its website Sunday showing there are 91 confirmed cases of the rare form
of fungal meningitis. The outbreak spans nine states and has killed at
least seven people.
The states
with reported cases are: Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.
The
steroid linked to the outbreak had already been recalled, and health
officials have been scrambling to notify anyone who may have received an
injection of it. The Massachusetts pharmacy that made it has said it is
cooperating with investigators.
It
is not yet known exactly how many people may have been affected, though
it could affect hundreds or even thousands of people who received the steroid injections for back pain from July to September.
Meningitis
is caused by the inflammation of protective membranes covering the
brain and spinal cord. Fungal meningitis is not contagious as are its
more common viral and bacterial counterparts.
Harvard study links coffee and vision loss
Say it ain’t so!
A new Harvard study has discovered a high incidence of vision problems among men and women who drank three or more cups of coffee a day. The research, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, linked heavy consumption of caffeinated coffee with increased likelihood of developing exfoliation glaucoma, an eye disorder that affects about 10 percent of adults over age 50 and can lead to vision loss or blindness.
Specifically, the researchers reported that adults who drank three or more cups of coffee daily were 34 percent more likely to develop exfoliation glaucoma, compared to those who abstained from coffee. Women with a family history of glaucoma were at the highest risk, with their threat of exfoliation glaucoma soaring by 66 percent if they quaffed three or more cups of java per day.
Some in Vermont aren't sweet on standard syrup grading
So Vermont is considering joining with other syrup-producing states and Canadian provinces in selling a product with one grading standard, triggering fears by some producers that the state's vaunted brand will lose its reputation if it doesn't stand out from the rest — as they say it should.
"You're lumping Vermont syrup in with all the rest of them," said Kevin Bushee, 69, of the Bushee Family Maple Farm in Danby.
Vermont's syrup, which forms a state industry that nets about $130 million a year, is in fact not the same as others. The state requires that its syrup be slighter denser than other syrups because it thinks it tastes better. That requires that more sap be produced.
Some states already use current USDA standards to grade their syrup, while others, including Vermont, have their own standards. But maple states and provinces are considering getting on board with one system, for consistency's sake.
"Most of the states are watching Vermont to see what we do," said Henry Marckres, a maple specialist with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.
The new standards would not affect the density, which in Vermont would stay the same. And producers can do their own marketing on labels, such as calling it fancy, in addition to the tiny grading labels.
The four international classifications would be golden color, delicate taste; amber color, rich taste; dark color, robust taste; and very dark color, strong taste, all grade A.
The change will help, not hurt, Vermont syrup sales, supporters say.
"If a jug is on a shelf and if you put maple syrup from different states on the shelf, the most obvious thing is the name of the state it comes from," said Jacques Couture, a Vermont sugar maker near the Canadian border and director of the board of the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association. "So I don't worry at all about that distracting from Vermont's. Vermont's brand is what it is, and I don't think that anybody's going to take away from that."
The flavor descriptions are a big plus for consumers who might get confused by Vermont terms like "fancy" or "grade B," which imply that one is better than or inferior to others but really refer to strength, color or other characteristics, experts say. The ultimate choice varies from consumer to consumer, experts say.
"When we talk to new customers in our case on a daily basis, we almost always have to explain the difference between the grades and why the grades are called such as they are," Couture said.
People in Vermont take their syrup seriously. The state has even gotten complaints from people who bought "fancy" syrup but then complained about its delicate flavor.
"It was just a beautiful fancy light flavor and they were used to something strong and they thought it was a fake," Marckres said.
One apparent advantage of the new international standards for Vermont producers is the fourth grade — very dark color, strong taste — which would include some of the syrup that now is sold only in bulk for processing because of the strong flavor.
But that bothers Bushee, too.
"I don't want to see our markets get downgraded by using the commercial syrup," he said. But Jacques any others say the strong maple flavor is growing in popularity among chefs.
The change is not expected to cost producers, who have to buy labels anyway. They cost about $6 for a roll of a thousand.
The USDA plans to adopt the new terms in 2013. Neighboring New York is working with the industry to propose new regulations to incorporate the international standards, said Joe Morrissey, a New York Department of Agriculture spokesman.
Vermont will hold a series of public hearings this month. Depending on the feedback, the state agriculture secretary will decide whether or not to go ahead with rule changes to adopt the standards.
Five Ultra Weird Themed Restaurants from Around the World
Have you always wanted to experience a 7.8 magnitude earthquake while dining? Then head over to the Disaster Cafe in Spain.
Twelve of the Most Bizarre TV Show Guests Ever
It's not uncommon to find strange people on television, especially
during news broadcasts or talk shows, but here are a few people that
have gained some internet fame, starting with the man who was forced to
eat his own beard.
China tech giants pose security threat
American companies should avoid doing business with China's two leading technology firms because they pose a threat to the United States, the House Intelligence Committee is warning in a report to be issued Monday. The panel says U.S. regulators should block mergers and acquisitions in this country by Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Corp, among the world's leading suppliers of telecommunications gear and mobile phones. Reflecting U.S. concern over cyber-attacks traced to China, the report also recommends that U.S. government computer systems not include any components from the two firms because that could pose an espionage risk.
"China has the means, opportunity, and motive to use telecommunications companies for malicious purposes," the report says.
The recommendations are the result of a yearlong probe, including a congressional hearing last month in which senior Chinese executives of both companies testified, and denied posing a security threat.
A U.S. executive of one of the companies said the firm cooperated with investigators, and defended its business record. Huawei is a "globally trusted and respected company," said William Plummer, vice president for external affairs.
The
bipartisan report is likely to become fodder for a presidential
campaign in which the candidates have been competing in their readiness
to clamp down on Chinese trade violations. Republican Mitt Romney, in
particular, has made it a key point to get tougher on China by
designating it a currency manipulator and fighting abuses such as
intellectual property theft.
The committee made the draft
available to reporters in advance of public release Monday, but only
under the condition that they not publish stories until the broadcast
Sunday of a CBS' "60 Minutes" report on Huawei. In the CBS report, the
committee's chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., urges American
companies not to do business with Huawei.The panel's recommendations will likely hamper Huawei and ZTE's ambitions to expand their business in America. Their products are used in scores of countries, including in the West. Both deny being influenced by China's communist government.
"The investigation concludes that the risks associated with Huawei's and ZTE's provision of equipment to U.S. critical infrastructure could undermine core U.S. national-security interests," the report says.
The report says the committee received information from industry experts and current and former Huawei employees suggesting that Huawei, in particular, may be violating U.S. laws. It says that the committee will refer the allegations to the U.S. government for further review and possible investigation. The report mentions allegations of immigration violations, bribery and corruption, and of a "pattern and practice" of Huawei using pirated software in its U.S. facilities.
Huawei is a private company founded by a former Chinese military engineer, and has grown rapidly to become the world's second largest supplier of telecommunications network gear, operating in more than 140 countries. ZTE Corp is the world's fourth largest mobile phone manufacturer, with 90,000 employees worldwide. While their business in selling mobile devices has grown in the U.S., espionage fears have limited the companies from moving into network infrastructure.
The report
says the companies failed to provide responsive answers about their
relationships and support by the Chinese government, and detailed
information about their operations in the U.S. It says Huawei, in
particular, failed to provide thorough information, including on its
corporate structure, history, financial arrangements and management.
"The
committee finds that the companies failed to provide evidence that
would satisfy any fair and full investigation. Although this alone does
not prove wrongdoing, it factors into the committee's conclusions," it
says.In Washington, Huawei executive Plummer said Friday the company cooperated in good faith with the investigation, which he said had not been objective and amounted to a "political distraction" from cyber-security problems facing the entire industry.
All
major telecommunications firms, including those in the West, develop
and manufacture equipment in China and overlapping supply chains require
industry-wide solutions, he added. Singling out China-based firms
wouldn't help.
Plummer
complained that the volume of information sought by the committee was
unreasonable, and it had demanded some proprietary business information
that "no responsible company" would provide.
In justifying its
scrutiny of the Chinese companies, the committee contended that Chinese
intelligence services, as well as private companies and other entities,
often recruit those with direct access to corporate networks to steal
trade secrets and other sensitive proprietary data.
It
warned that malicious hardware or software implants in
Chinese-manufactured telecommunications components and systems headed
for U.S. customers could allow Beijing to shut down or degrade critical
national security systems in a time of crisis or war.
The committee concluded that Huawei likely has substantially benefited from the support of the Chinese government.
Huawei
denies being financed to undertake research and development for the
Chinese military, but the committee says it has received internal Huawei
documentation from former employees showing the company provides
special network services to an entity alleged to be an elite
cyber-warfare unit within the People's Liberation Army.
The
intelligence committee recommended that the government's Committee on
Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, bar mergers and
acquisitions by both Huawei and ZTE. A multi-agency regulatory panel
chaired by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, CFIUS screens foreign
investment proposals for potential national security threats.
Last
year, Huawei had to unwind its purchase of a U.S. computer company,
3Leaf Systems, after it failed to win CFIUS approval. However, Huawei
employs 1,700 people in the U.S., and business is expanding. U.S.
revenues rose to $1.3 billion in 2011, up from $765 million in 2010.
ZTE
has also enjoyed growth in its sale of mobile devices, although in
recent months it has faced allegations about banned sales of
U.S.-sanctioned computer equipment to Iran. The FBI is probing reports that the company obstructed a U.S. Commerce Department investigation into the sales.
The
intelligence panel says ZTE refused to provide any documents on its
activities in Iran, but did provide a list of 19 individuals who serve
on the Chinese Communist Party committee within the company. ZTE's
citing of China's state secrecy laws for limiting information it could
release only added to concern over Chinese government influence over its operations, the report says.
Morsi gives himself good grades
Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has given himself high grades on
his handling of some of the nation's pressing problems, spending much of
a nearly two-hour speech late on Saturday talking in painstaking detail
about fuel, trash and bread, while sidestepping key issues in the
nation's transition to democratic rule.
Tibetan man sets himself on fire to protest China
A London-based rights group says a Tibetan man has died after setting himself on fire to protest Chinese rule over the Himalayan region.
Amazonian Tribal Warfare Sheds Light on Modern Violence
Why Plane Windows Don't Open
- Air becomes so thin at 10,000 feet that airplane cabins must be pressurized above that altitude. Read more
Supersonic Skydive Attempt Delayed to Tuesday
- Weather concerns have pushed back an Austrian daredevil's attempt to break the world record for highest-ever skydive by one day, to Tuesday (Oct. 9). Read more
BBC Science News
Atlantic cause for rainy summers
Recent warming in the Atlantic Ocean is the main cause of wet summers in northern Europe, according to a new study.Giant Eye in Space Seen by Telescopes
- A pair of NASA space telescopes have captured a glowing celestial vision that resembles a giant cosmic eye. Read more
For elephants, deciding to leave watering hole demands conversation
Mosquitoes Turn Midnight Snack into Breakfast
In
places where malaria is rampant, a common defense is to sleep under a
insecticide-laden mosquito net. The nocturnal mosquito of the genus
Anopheles can't penetrate the netting, and will die from the insecticide
if they try. But malaria rates did not plummet as expected. Did the bed
nets fail? No, the mosquitoes changed -they stopped being strictly
nocturnal and started feeding at dawn, after their human buffets got out
of bed!
First, we don’t know yet if this was an evolutionary (i.e., genetic) change or a purely behavioral change. It is possible that there was quite a lot of genetic variation in timing of activity in the population a few years ago and that the bed nets provided a selective regimen that skewed the population to consist mainly of late night and dawn-active individuals. It is also possible that there is sufficient behavioral plasticity in the mosquito allowing it to learn the new best time of day to go out foraging. I’d love to see the mosquitoes placed in isolation chambers to monitor purely genetic patterns of circadian rhythms of activity.If the change is genetic, meaning the circadian rhythm is inborn and the adaptive behavior is passed to future generations, malarial mosquitoes may be much harder to defend against. If this is a learned behavior, well, we have a ready-made horror movie plot. How scary are mosquitoes that can learn? More
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