Sunday, March 22, 2009
Crackdown on Big Pharma
Critics of the drugs industry hope that a case of prominent scientific fraud will spark a crackdown on the use of science for marketing ends by Big Pharma.
Jakobshavn and Rubber Ducks
Sometime, it is just that simple.
To keep track of climate change, scientists around the world employ some of the most sophisticated devices and machines found in the 21st century.
Still, sometimes scientists just need a rubber ducky.
To keep track of climate change, scientists around the world employ some of the most sophisticated devices and machines found in the 21st century.
Still, sometimes scientists just need a rubber ducky.
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Norwich, England, United Kingdom
Charleroi, Hainaut, Belgium
Mumbai, Maharashta, India
Chenni, Tamil Nadu, India
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Skopje, Aracinovo, Macedonia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Poznan, Wiekopolskie, Poland
Amsterdam, Noor-Holland, Netherlands
Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
as well as Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Greece
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Norwich, England, United Kingdom
Charleroi, Hainaut, Belgium
Mumbai, Maharashta, India
Chenni, Tamil Nadu, India
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Skopje, Aracinovo, Macedonia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Poznan, Wiekopolskie, Poland
Amsterdam, Noor-Holland, Netherlands
Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
as well as Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Greece
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Words are your best weapon now, because your wit is sharp and your jokes are funny.
Damn! Those horoscope people are good!
Words are your best weapon now, because your wit is sharp and your jokes are funny.
Damn! Those horoscope people are good!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Hidden from view
![[Image]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s7eZFawxD4aYNid0mXZapRq-1G2XtvzR_AMRXsDDwNvVGkpG7SQ7R4XSq3k7RzZgV21SJIRvWehzkIUmZ7wekWHhs=s0-d)
Soldier in black and white uniform to conceal him while climbing trees.
He stands in front of a house camouflaged to represent a fence and trees.
Co. F, 24th Engnrs. American University, D. C. November 14, 1917.
Army Engineer Corps. (Army)
Latest Victim of China's Food Safety Scandals:
From TreeHugger:
In the West, celebrity spokespeople need to worry about their bad behavior, lest they lose their endorsement deals. In China, celebrities need to start worrying about the things they're endorsing.
Prompted by a slew of food safety scandals, the Chinese parliament has passed a sweeping food safety law that makes liable public personalities who endorse questionable products.
Article continues: Latest Victim of China's Food Safety Scandals: Celebrities
Clorox offers $5K to wipe out 'toilet torcher'
The Clorox Company is offering a $5,000 reward and a year's supply of toilet cleaning products for tips leading to the arrest of San Francisco's notorious portable potty pyromaniac.
The Oakland-based chemical company deployed a "potty patrol" team in the city yesterday to make residents aware of its offer marrying marketing and community service.
Since November, more than two dozen construction site toilets have been set on fire in the city, causing an estimated $50,000 in property damage and leaving a trail of foul-smelling evidenceJust Joking
Gotta love a man who can crack a joke with himself as the patsy!
President Obama joked that repugicans would like to see him get lost in the Amazon.
President Obama joked that repugicans would like to see him get lost in the Amazon.
Obama made the crack last Saturday in the Oval Office after a meeting with Brazil's president.
Obama said he would like to visit Brazil and thinks he should visit Rio de Janeiro, where he understands the beaches are nice.
Then he said he would love a trip to the Amazon. He joked that he suspects the repugican cabal would like to see him travel through the Amazon and maybe get lost for while.
Obama has faced growing criticism from repugicans over his budget proposal.
Teenagers Know Everything ...
Well, this just emphasizes the fact that teenagers, despite what they may tell you, don't know much about the world and about what might be a good or bad idea.
A Ukiah teenager has been hospitalized after being branded.
The kicker: he asked his friends to do it to him.
A Ukiah teenager has been hospitalized after being branded.
The kicker: he asked his friends to do it to him.
Humor from Down Under
An old Greek man lived alone in Oakleigh.
He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was hard work for his advanced years as the ground was very
hard.
His only son, Costa, who used to help him, was in prison.
The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.
Dear Costa,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year.
I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot.
If you were here my troubles would be over.
I know you would dig the plot for me.
Love Papa
A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Papa,
Don't dig up the garden. That's where I buried the bodies.
Love Costa
At 4 A.M. the next morning, Federal agents and Victoria Police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies.
They apologized to the old man and left.
That same day the old man received another letter from his son.
Dear Papa,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now.
That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love Costa
He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was hard work for his advanced years as the ground was very
hard.
His only son, Costa, who used to help him, was in prison.
The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.
Dear Costa,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year.
I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot.
If you were here my troubles would be over.
I know you would dig the plot for me.
Love Papa
A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Papa,
Don't dig up the garden. That's where I buried the bodies.
Love Costa
At 4 A.M. the next morning, Federal agents and Victoria Police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies.
They apologized to the old man and left.
That same day the old man received another letter from his son.
Dear Papa,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now.
That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love Costa
Unusual Celebrations and Holidays
We have got a lot to celebrate today because ...
Today happens to be:
Corn Dog Day
Maple Syrup Day
National Quilting Day
and
NAW-RUZ*
(* Don't ask me, I don't know either)
Today happens to be:
Corn Dog Day
Maple Syrup Day
National Quilting Day
and
NAW-RUZ*
(* Don't ask me, I don't know either)
Chaos on freeway as motorists scoop up cash
Like a scene from a movie, $1,700 is tossed during a police chase on a San Diego freeway.
You know drugs were involved, don't you?!
Cash-strapped former CEO now delivering pizza
Taking the bloat out of inept and corrupt corporation executives.
Here is one success story.
Ken Karpman, who once made $750K a year, is now is making $7.29 an hour.
Now, let's get the rest of them out of their 'comfort' zones.
That's $218 instead of $165, thank you
Documents turned over late Friday show AIG paid $218 million in bonuses last weekend, higher than the $165 million that was previously disclosed, said the office of Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who had issued a subpoena.
If this keeps up these AIG shysters will be even more hated than the shrub in America.
If this keeps up these AIG shysters will be even more hated than the shrub in America.
Did you know ...
Puppies lick your face because they are instinctively looking for scraps of food.
(yes, yes, and they love you, too)
(yes, yes, and they love you, too)
Life Commentary
The reason gas stations sell food, of course, is that the supermarkets are busy cashing checks. The supermarkets have to cash checks because the banks are busy mailing unsolicited credit cards to everybody in the Western Hemisphere.
The result is that very few people fix cars.
*****
The result is that very few people fix cars.
*****
The information encoded in your DNA determines your unique biological characteristics, such as sex, eye color, age and Social Security number.
~ Dave Barry
No bull ...
... Vets deliver bull triplets
A Red Angus cow has given birth to rare triplet bull calves at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Statistically, the odds of living cattle triplets of the same sex being born are about one in 700,000 births.
All three calves were in a breach position and three WSU veterinarians and five students were needed for the delivery on Tuesday. The calves weighed between 36 and 41 pounds apiece. The mother and calves are doing fine.
The calves are being called numbers 1, 2, and 3, based on their delivery order. There has been a suggestion they be named Saint, Patrick and Day to commemorate the holiday of their birth.
Etiquette Brawl
Police in Rocklin, California said a dispute over bowling etiquette led one man to assault another with a 16-pound ball, knocking out one of the man's teeth.
They said a 24-year-old man hit a man in the face with the bowling ball during a melee involving six bowlers at the Rocklin AMF Lanes.
Two groups got into a fist fight about 12:40 a.m. Thursday after two bowlers approached the lane at the same time. They couldn't agree which should go first.
Rocklin police Sgt. Terry Jewell said the victim was treated for facial injuries at a local hospital. Doctors reinserted the tooth, hoping it will reattach itself.
The suspect was being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in Placer County Jail.
*****
Redneck etiquette lessons from real life ...
And I Quote
- It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
- ~ President Harry S. Truman
Saturday Jam
Today's Saturday jam includes:
Incense and Peppermints
The Strawberry Alarm Clock
Simon Says
The 1910 Fruitgum Company
Yummy Yummy Yummy
The Ohio Express
Snoopy versus the Red Baron
The Royal Guardsmen
Build Me Up, Buttercup
The Valentines
That's five from the bubblegum groups ... deal with it.
By the way - do you recognize the lead singer of the Valentines - no ... well here's a clue - think " ... I'm on a highway to hell ..." - got it now?
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Washington, DC
Last week, I spent a few days in California, talking with ordinary Americans in town halls and in the places where they work. We talked about their struggles, and we talked about their hopes. At the end of the day, these men and women weren’t as concerned with the news of the day in Washington as they were about the very real and very serious challenges their families face every day: whether they’ll have a job and a paycheck to count on; whether they’ll be able to pay their medical bills or afford college tuition; whether they’ll be able to leave their children a world that’s safer and more prosperous than the one we have now.
Those are the concerns I heard about in California. They are the concerns I’ve heard about in letters from people throughout this country for the last two years. And they are the concerns addressed in the budget I sent to Congress last month.
With the magnitude of the challenges we face, I don’t just view this budget as numbers on a page or a laundry list of programs. It’s an economic blueprint for our future – a vision of America where growth is not based on real estate bubbles or overleveraged banks, but on a firm foundation of investments in energy, education, and health care that will lead to a real and lasting prosperity.
These investments are not a wish list of priorities that I picked out of thin air – they are a central part of a comprehensive strategy to grow this economy by attacking the very problems that have dragged it down for too long: the high cost of health care and our dependence on foreign oil; our education deficit and our fiscal deficit.
Now, as the House and the Senate take up this budget next week, the specific details and dollar amounts in this budget will undoubtedly change. That’s a normal and healthy part of the process.
But when all is said and done, I expect a budget that meets four basic principles:
First, it must reduce our dependence on dangerous foreign oil and finally put this nation on a path to a clean, renewable energy future. There is no longer a doubt that the jobs and industries of tomorrow will involve harnessing renewable sources of energy. The only question is whether America will lead that future. I believe we can and we will, and that’s why we’ve proposed a budget that makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy, while investing in technologies like wind power and solar power; advanced biofuels, clean coal, and fuel-efficient cars and trucks that can be built right here in America.
Second, this budget must renew our nation’s commitment to a complete and competitive education for every American child. In this global economy, we know the countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, and we know that our students are already falling behind their counterparts in places like China. That is why we have proposed investments in childhood education programs that work; in high standards and accountability for our schools; in rewards for teachers who succeed; and in affordable college education for anyone who wants to go. It is time to demand excellence from our schools so that we can finally prepare our workforce for a 21st century economy.
Third, we need a budget that makes a serious investment in health care reform – reform that will bring down costs, ensure quality, and guarantee people their choice of doctors and hospitals. Right now, there are millions of Americans who are just one illness or medical emergency away from bankruptcy. There are businesses that have been forced to close their doors or ship jobs overseas because they can’t afford insurance. Medicare costs are consuming our federal budget. Medicaid is overwhelming our state budgets. So to those who say we have to choose between health care reform and fiscal discipline, I say that making investments now that will dramatically lower health care costs for everyone won’t add to our budget deficit in the long-term – it is one of the best ways to reduce it.
Finally, this budget must reduce that deficit even further. With the fiscal mess we’ve inherited and the cost of this financial crisis, I’ve proposed a budget that cuts our deficit in half by the end of my first term. That’s why we are scouring every corner of the budget and have proposed $2 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade. In total, our budget would bring discretionary spending for domestic programs as a share of the economy to its lowest level in nearly half a century. And we will continue making these tough choices in the months and years ahead so that as our economy recovers, we do what we must to bring this deficit down.
I will be discussing each of these principles next week, as Congress takes up the important work of debating this budget. I realize there are those who say these plans are too ambitious to enact. To that I say that the challenges we face are too large to ignore. I didn’t come here to pass on our problems to the next President or the next generation – I came here to solve them.
The American people sent us here to get things done, and at this moment of great challenge, they are watching and waiting for us to lead. Let’s show them that we are equal to the task before us, and let’s pass a budget that puts this nation on the road to lasting prosperity.
Wisconsin jewelry robbers fleeced as they flee
Two robbers leaving a Milwaukee jewelry store with cash and gems didn't get far with the loot - another group of thieves robbed them as the pair left the crime scene.
Police Lt. Thomas Welch says a fight broke out in the street Wednesday before the groups got in vehicles and a chase ensued.
Police Lt. Thomas Welch says a fight broke out in the street Wednesday before the groups got in vehicles and a chase ensued.
Welch says officers pulled over both vehicles and arrested four people, including the original two robbers, ages 40 and 31, and two men from the second group, of ages 22 and 27. All four are from Illinois.
But he says police didn't recover any cash or jewelry and are searching for more suspects.
No estimate was available of the value of the stolen items.
*****
Reality writes the best comedy sketches - like this slapstick routine related above.
Hooked On Facts
Today's six facts are;
Queen Elizabeth II has a rubber duck in her private bath with an inflatable crown.
It is now possible to print human skin with an inkjet printer.
In 1956, 80% of American households had a refrigerator - only 8% of British households did.
To sell your home faster -and for more money - paint it yellow.
The Australian, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes are made of plastic.
The state of Virginia extends further west than the state of West Virginia.
Bonus fact: A car traveling 100mph would take 29 million years to reach the nearest star.
Queen Elizabeth II has a rubber duck in her private bath with an inflatable crown.
It is now possible to print human skin with an inkjet printer.
In 1956, 80% of American households had a refrigerator - only 8% of British households did.
To sell your home faster -and for more money - paint it yellow.
The Australian, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes are made of plastic.
The state of Virginia extends further west than the state of West Virginia.
Bonus fact: A car traveling 100mph would take 29 million years to reach the nearest star.
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia
Galway, Galway, Ireland
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
as well as Hong Kong, Korea, India, Germany, Denmark and South Africa
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia
Galway, Galway, Ireland
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
as well as Hong Kong, Korea, India, Germany, Denmark and South Africa
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Just relax and accept the fact that today is going to be an easy, enjoyable day.
That, I can do!
Just relax and accept the fact that today is going to be an easy, enjoyable day.
That, I can do!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Snort-able Dinnerware
Spanish police have seized an entire 42-piece crockery set made of cocaine. Plates, cups, pots and saucers had been put together using 20kg of the Class A drug.
Police seize 42-piece dinner set constructed entirely from cocaine
City's time capsule from 1960 was never buried
The mystery surrounding the buried location of a time capsule marking Santa Fe's 350th anniversary more than four decades ago has been solved: It was never underground.
The committee planning the city's 400th anniversary celebrations later this year had been searching for the location of the 150-pound steel tube from 1960, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported in Friday editions.
But it turns out that the time capsule never was.
The New Mexican said one of its reporters in 1964 discovered the unfilled tube in a back room of an office machine business, being used "as a shelf for empty plastic bottles and other useless objects."
Mayor Leo Murphy told the paper in the story more than 40 years ago that the project was abandoned because he was too busy trying to pay for bills incurred from the city's 350th anniversary.
"Those were days of confusion, days of chaos," he had told the New Mexican. "I was more interested in getting some friends to sign a note with me to cover the deficit the celebration ran up than I was in what happened to the capsule."
The capsule was supposed to be filled with items "pertinent to Santa Fe's 350th anniversary celebration" in 1960, around the time when the city was believed to have been founded in 1610. Historians later discovered evidence that it was founded in 1607 or earlier.
Twins commit perfect heist?
DNA evidence from a multimillion-euro jewelry heist in Berlin leads to twins with a criminal record, but since the evidence could point to either one, German law says that neither can be convicted:
German law stipulates that each criminal must be individually proven guilty. The problem in the case of the O. brothers is that their twin DNA is so similar that neither can be exclusively linked to the evidence using current methods of DNA analysis. So even though both have criminal records and may have committed the heist together, Hassan and Abbas O. have been set free.Both brothers have stolidly refused to comment ever since their arrests on February 11. Since no further evidence has become available, police cannot detain them.
Early Birds With Harmful Consequences
The sounds of birds chirping and fluttering outside your bedroom window are a welcome sign of spring, but scientists have evidence that suggests birds are nesting earlier due to global warming.
Let'em duke it out
Teachers let violent school kids battle it out inside a steel cage in bare-knuckle fist fights with no head protection.
Late Night Economy
“But do you know anything about the Dow Jones, ladies and gentlemen? The Dow Jones average went down to 6,000. Do you know what that means? Neither do I, but it’s the first time in 12 years that the Dow has been the same as Rush Limbaugh’s cholesterol.”
“According to a new study, people are sleeping less because they’re worried about the economy. I think also it might have something to do with the fact they’re sleeping under bridges.”
“And according to a top Russian scholar, the US economy will collapse next year, which comes as a huge shock to most people. I think we thought it was going to collapse this year, so we’ve got another year to party. Yeah!”
~ David Letterman
“According to a new study, people are sleeping less because they’re worried about the economy. I think also it might have something to do with the fact they’re sleeping under bridges.”
~ Craig Ferguson
“And according to a top Russian scholar, the US economy will collapse next year, which comes as a huge shock to most people. I think we thought it was going to collapse this year, so we’ve got another year to party. Yeah!”
~ Jay Leno
Japan's "suicide forest"
If those AIG executives take the repugican suggestion about killing themselves like the Japanese do to heart, then here is the place to do it ...
Aohkigahara Forest west of Tokyo at the base of Mount Fuji is also known as the "suicide forest."
According to Wikipedia, it's the second most popular suicide spot after San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
From CNN:
Aohkigahara Forest west of Tokyo at the base of Mount Fuji is also known as the "suicide forest."
According to Wikipedia, it's the second most popular suicide spot after San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
From CNN:
Japan's suicide rate, already one of the world's highest, has increased with the recent economic downturn. There were 2,645 suicides recorded in January 2009, a 15 percent increase from the 2,305 for January 2008, according to the Japanese government
Local authorities, saying they are the last resort to stop people from killing themselves in the forest, have posted security cameras at the entrances of the forest.
The goal, said Imasa Watanabe of the Yamanashi Prefectural Government is to track the people who walk into the forest. Watanabe fears more suicidal visitors will arrive in the coming weeks.
Old Dogs
She can't hear well, she doesn't like the cold and she no longer goes on four-mile runs. But Chanel, a 20-year-old dachshund in Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., is enjoying the perks of being the world's oldest dog.
The next edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, due out in September, will make that title official. She's been featured in British newspapers. A producer for Jay Leno wants to fly her to California.
She's taking it all in stride as she ambles toward her 21st birthday on May 8, snuffling down chicken and pasta, then curling up to nap.
*****
My own Black Labrador Seamus 'Thunder' Mac Lesh is celebrating his 15th birthday this year and he still gets around pretty good for an old man. Having my other Black Labrador Angus 'Doogie' Mac Dougall - the three year old 'pup' - at his heels keeps him fit and feeling like a young 10 year old.
From Naples to Charlotte
A 350-year-old statue disappeared from a Naples church in an elaborate heist of artifacts nearly two decades ago.
Italian officials said they lost a national treasure.
The intricately carved bust of St. Innocent traveled from Italy to France -- losing its head in the journey -- before finding its way to the private home of a Charlotte couple, where it was seized by federal officials.
It will be returned to Italy this month, federal officials announced Thursday.
"I've never heard of this happening anywhere other than some big-time story in New York," said Neal Johnson, the Charlotte dealer who purchased the item from a Greensboro dealer and then sold it to the Charlotte couple. "You don't always know the lineage of pieces you buy."
The bust, by 17th-century Franciscan artist Diego da Careri, is made of wood and painted gold. It was part of a set of busts displayed at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Croci.
In November 1990, someone stole the statue, 16 similar busts and two oil paintings.
St. Innocent was born in Albano, Italy, and became pope in December 401, according to Catholic Online.
Two years ago, authorities in Rome contacted U.S. Customs and Enforcement officials with information that an Italian citizen had sold a similar wooden statue to an antiques dealer from Greensboro.
ICE tracked down the buyer as the owner of Caroline Faison Antiques, which specializes in 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century antiques. She purchased it at an antiques fair in France, Johnson said.
Johnson said there are similar fairs throughout Europe and Scandinavia where people go to buy and sell all types of centuries-old artifacts.
A man who answered the phone at Caroline Faison Antiques, but would not give his name, said the statue was purchased from a dealer. He said they did not know the bust was stolen, nor had they ever purchased stolen antiques in the past.
"Never happened before in 43 years," he said.
Johnson, the Charlotte dealer, specializes in antique lamps, but said she fell in love with the bust.
She purchased it from Caroline Faison and later sold it at her uptown shop to the Charlotte couple.
ICE contacted Johnson last year to see if she recognized pictures of the stolen items. She said the paint was almost gone, but she recognized the form of the bust.
When she realized it was stolen, she said she immediately bought the statue back from her customer and gave it to federal agents. Johnson said she did not get her money back from Faison, nor did she ask.
Using documents and photos, ICE and Italian authorities confirmed authenticity of the statue last week.
Officials said the investigation into the original heist continues. Brandon Montgomery, ICE spokesman, said no Americans have been charged. There is no evidence they knew they were buying a stolen item.
"A lot of times, what happens is the person who is knowingly stealing something puts it in the black market," he said. "It can go through three or four hands before it gets to the first legitimate buyer, so to speak."
The statue lost much of its value because of extensive damage. In addition to the head's being removed, a part of the cross the saint carried was missing and much of the paint had deteriorated. ICE research indicated the current value at about $27,000.
Once the statue is returned, it will be placed back on the altar of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Croci.
Italian officials said they lost a national treasure.
The intricately carved bust of St. Innocent traveled from Italy to France -- losing its head in the journey -- before finding its way to the private home of a Charlotte couple, where it was seized by federal officials.
It will be returned to Italy this month, federal officials announced Thursday.
"I've never heard of this happening anywhere other than some big-time story in New York," said Neal Johnson, the Charlotte dealer who purchased the item from a Greensboro dealer and then sold it to the Charlotte couple. "You don't always know the lineage of pieces you buy."
The bust, by 17th-century Franciscan artist Diego da Careri, is made of wood and painted gold. It was part of a set of busts displayed at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Croci.
In November 1990, someone stole the statue, 16 similar busts and two oil paintings.
St. Innocent was born in Albano, Italy, and became pope in December 401, according to Catholic Online.
Two years ago, authorities in Rome contacted U.S. Customs and Enforcement officials with information that an Italian citizen had sold a similar wooden statue to an antiques dealer from Greensboro.
ICE tracked down the buyer as the owner of Caroline Faison Antiques, which specializes in 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century antiques. She purchased it at an antiques fair in France, Johnson said.
Johnson said there are similar fairs throughout Europe and Scandinavia where people go to buy and sell all types of centuries-old artifacts.
A man who answered the phone at Caroline Faison Antiques, but would not give his name, said the statue was purchased from a dealer. He said they did not know the bust was stolen, nor had they ever purchased stolen antiques in the past.
"Never happened before in 43 years," he said.
Johnson, the Charlotte dealer, specializes in antique lamps, but said she fell in love with the bust.
She purchased it from Caroline Faison and later sold it at her uptown shop to the Charlotte couple.
ICE contacted Johnson last year to see if she recognized pictures of the stolen items. She said the paint was almost gone, but she recognized the form of the bust.
When she realized it was stolen, she said she immediately bought the statue back from her customer and gave it to federal agents. Johnson said she did not get her money back from Faison, nor did she ask.
Using documents and photos, ICE and Italian authorities confirmed authenticity of the statue last week.
Officials said the investigation into the original heist continues. Brandon Montgomery, ICE spokesman, said no Americans have been charged. There is no evidence they knew they were buying a stolen item.
"A lot of times, what happens is the person who is knowingly stealing something puts it in the black market," he said. "It can go through three or four hands before it gets to the first legitimate buyer, so to speak."
The statue lost much of its value because of extensive damage. In addition to the head's being removed, a part of the cross the saint carried was missing and much of the paint had deteriorated. ICE research indicated the current value at about $27,000.
Once the statue is returned, it will be placed back on the altar of Santa Maria degli Angeli alle Croci.
Headlines
Headlines for March 20, 2009.
- Iran plays down Obama video message
- Appeals court rules Bernard Madoff must stay in prison
- Rep. Barney Frank: Gov't should stop Fannie, Freddie bonuses
- Threatening texts prompt three-school lockdown in Delaware
- Vermont Senate panel unanimously approves gay marriage bill
- Possible gas leak makes family's tap water flammable
- Blacklisted Hollywood actress Betsy Blair dies in London at 85
- US Navy: 2 vessels collide in Strait of Hormuz
- Former US officials seek improved Russia ties
- Somali clerics reject Bin Laden call
- Official: Taliban chief Mullah Omar in Afghanistan
- Darfur rebel group suspends peace talks with Sudan
More on US Birds
This isn't good!
Nearly one third of US bird species are "endangered, threatened or in significant decline", a report shows.
Nearly one third of US bird species are "endangered, threatened or in significant decline", a report shows.
Seeing Pink Elephants
From BBC-Science:
The little pink calf was spotted in amongst an 80-strong elephant herd
A pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Botswana.
A wildlife cameraman took pictures of the calf when he spotted it among a herd of about 80 elephants in the Okavango Delta.
Experts believe it is probably an albino, which is an extremely rare phenomenon in African elephants.
They are unsure of its chances of long-term survival - the blazing African sunlight may cause blindness and skin problems for the calf.
Mike Holding, who spotted the baby while filming for a BBC wildlife program, said: "We only saw it for a couple of minutes as the herd crossed the river.Body illusions
Find out how to fool yourself into an out-of-body experience, an extra arm, or even a body swap.
Five tricks to fool the mind
Is life bubbling up in Mars mud?
Fossilized microbes could be strewn across the surface of Mars after hitching a ride in mud plumes from deep underground.
Is life bubbling up in Mars mud?
Wheat Tackles Fungus
The race is on to deploy new varieties of wheat resistant to the destructive fungus Ug99 which is sweeping the globe.
Resistant wheat to tackle destructive fungus
Mad over bonuses?
Mad over bonuses? Then read this from DDay over @ Digby's Digs:
"The sense of entitlement to a system that rewards them regardless and shovels massive amounts of money and power in their direction. heck, we learned today that 13 bailed-out companies owe $220 million in back taxes and lied to congress about it. Of course they did. that's the system they've created - protections for their corporate bottom line, riches for them personally, crumbs for everyone else. Reaganomics basically set this in motion 30 years ago, and the system has been in place for so long that any alternative path is like the true forms on the outside of the cave instead of the shadows on the inside we think represent reality. But the public knows intuitively that they've been getting a raw deal for decades, and the bonuses are only a small part of the story."He explains that nagging irritation you have been feeling in your posterior for years quite well.
No end to their shamelessness
While the American International Group comes under fire from congress over executive bonuses, it is quietly fighting the federal government for the return of $306 million in tax payments, some related to deals that were conducted through offshore tax havens.
More in the New York Times
Ostara
Today is the Vernal Equinox (in other words, the first day of spring) - the day when light and dark are equal in the length of time in the sky.
It is also the festival of Ostara.
It is also the festival of Ostara.
Fit for an Elven Queen
From TreeHugger:
All photographs by Lucy Gauntlett
Well it isn't covered in mirrored glass, but it is still pretty cool: a restaurant in a treehouse. One can almost imagine Galadriel hosting dinner in Lothlórien, but in fact It was built in New Zealand for an advertisement for the Yellow Pages and everything was ordered out of the book.
Article continues: Treehouse Restaurant Fit For An Elven Queen
State of the Birds
Wired Science has a good summary of the first federal State of the Birds report, which is arguably the most successful citizen science project to date, in which individuals from around the US reported local observations to produce a detailed census of bird populations in the nation.
The first federal State of the Birds report was released Thursday, marking the beginning of an unprecedented collaboration between government researchers and conservation groups — and the underlying data comes from you."The data that goes into this report is by and large not collected by a few tin-head scientists or conservation organizations, but by millions of individuals," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology. "We can begin to put together spectacularly massive databases that show us, in great detail with fine-grained scope, what the trends are."
The trends identified by the report are generally known. Hundreds of bird species are threatened by habitat loss, pollution and climate change. But in other ways, the report is novel. "It's a break from the one-institution, or handful-of-institution, approach," said Cornell University ornithologist Andrew Farnsworth. "This kind of partnership hasn't happened before."
Permanent tent-city?
The tent-city in Sacramento, the capital of California, is so big and entrenched that the city is debating installing plumbing and other amenities. Meanwhile Sacramento's vacancy rate is higher than the national average: "10.4 percent of rental housing units are vacant and 4.8 percent of owned units are vacant."
The primitive settlement sits in the shadow of the state capitol and is home to about 300 people who have no toilets or running water, creating unsanitary conditions that advocacy groups worry could promote diseases like cholera. With the downturn in the economy and more working-class people losing their jobs and their homes, the tent city is expanding.
The mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, said in an interview that he wants to create a permanent tent city for the homeless, although he is not sure where it should be. He said he recognized that doing so would be difficult politically. But he said a permanent site could bring sanitation services and regulations like a ban on drugs and alcohol.
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Davao, Davao City, Philippines
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Beijing, Beijing, China
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, malaysia
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Leuven Brussels, Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Swindon, England, United Kingdom
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Moscow, Moskva, Russian Federation
Gelnhausen, Hessen, Germany
Coquitlam, british Columbia, Canada
as well as Trinidad & Tobago, Serbia, Argentina, Vietnam, New Zealand, Slovenia and South Africa
Davao, Davao City, Philippines
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Beijing, Beijing, China
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, malaysia
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Leuven Brussels, Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Belgium
Swindon, England, United Kingdom
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Moscow, Moskva, Russian Federation
Gelnhausen, Hessen, Germany
Coquitlam, british Columbia, Canada
as well as Trinidad & Tobago, Serbia, Argentina, Vietnam, New Zealand, Slovenia and South Africa
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Today you will be in an excellent position to affect your crowd in a very positive way.
That's good, always positive!
Today you will be in an excellent position to affect your crowd in a very positive way.
That's good, always positive!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Rednecks are everywhere
Well, I do declare, looks to be as if we ain't got the monopoly on dumb rednecks in these here parts.
Police seized roosters, cages and fighting rings from the home in the 16-hundred block of Saemann Avenue.
Police bust a cockfighting ring in Sheboygan.
Police seized roosters, cages and fighting rings from the home in the 16-hundred block of Saemann Avenue.
Madoff's Auditor Turns Himself In
Although Bernie Madoff has asserted that he, and he alone, was responsible for the Ponzi scheme for which he faces up to 150 years in prison, "another one bites the dust." David Friehling, his auditor from 1991 - 2008, has been charged with aiding and abetting Madoff's $50 billion pyramid investment scheme.
Cuomo Wins Ruling
Andrew M. Cuomo is starting to unearth some of the most closely guarded secrets on Wall Street: the identities of Merrill Lynch employees who collected large bonuses even as the brokerage firm lost billions.
Army's 'backdoor draft' is at an end
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is stopping the Army's unpopular "stop-loss" policy that forces soldiers to redeploy - even though their military contract is up.
The Pentagon made clear, however, that it still reserves the right to use it under "extraordinary circumstances."
Gates acknowledged that what some critics called a "backdoor draft" was overused.
Federal Raids on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries to Halt
While 13 states have passed laws allowing medical marijuana use, federal law still prohibits it.
During the cabal junta raids were made and people arrested, even if they were in compliance with state law.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder said such raids would stop, as long as those involved were in compliance with state law.
During the cabal junta raids were made and people arrested, even if they were in compliance with state law.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder said such raids would stop, as long as those involved were in compliance with state law.
When $53,000 a Week Just Isn't Enough
From the "She's joking, right" Department:
$53,000 is more than the median amount a U.S. worker takes home for an entire year according to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, yet a 36-year-old Swedish countess divorcing a former CEO says her weekly living expenses exceed that amount.
$53,000 is more than the median amount a U.S. worker takes home for an entire year according to 2007 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, yet a 36-year-old Swedish countess divorcing a former CEO says her weekly living expenses exceed that amount.
Mission: Impossible - Opening Montage
Each episode of Mission: Impossible featured a unique opening. Clips from the upcoming show were edited together in the fast-paced style of Lalo Schrifrin's brilliant theme song and played before the opening credits.
Crappy cash
Well, it is bad economic times and all ..
A North Carolina dog owner wasn't sure where she misplaced $400 until she took her dog for a walk and discovered bits of the bills in his feces.
Blind man saves woman
A legally blind man was credited with saving a woman after authorities said a 45-year-old man broke into her apartment on Saturday night.
Teacher made boy eat from garbage
Dinosaurs walk among us
Walking with Dinosaurs opening in London, soon.
Great show folks. Be sure to see it!
Great show folks. Be sure to see it!
Global Warming and Polar bears
Potentially fatal to the polar bear, global warming has already left its mark on the species with smaller, less robust bears that are increasingly showing cannibalistic tendencies.
More Science News
More Science News:
- Mars Orbiter Spies Rust Deposits ESA's Mars Express finds concentration of rust in Aram Chaos crater.
- How to Survive the Coming California Earthquake For the past several thousand years, there has been a major earthquake south of the San Gabriel Mountains in California every 150 or so. The last one was 300 years ago, just before farming, gold, tou...
- Bronx Zoo Fights for Funding with Video Starring Porcupine A NYC-based zoo agency has released a video starring a porcupine to convince state legislators to fully fund zoos in 2010.
- Genesis for Exploding Stars Confirmed
Rare undersea volcano dramatically erupts
From Reuters:
Smoke and ash fly into the sky as a "ring of fire" underwater volcano in Tonga roars to life.
Headlines
Headlines for March 19, 2009:
- AP IMPACT: Many Iraqis held by US to go free
- Church faces challenges in Africa amid pope visit
- Austria's Fritzl gets life in psychiatric prison
- 2 US journalists detained by NKorea for filming
- Mexico nabs suspected cartel leader without a shot
- Bin Laden exhorts Somali militants in Web message
- Israel to probe reported abuse by soldiers in Gaza
- Obama guarantees that the nation's economy will recover
- House approves bill to slap punishing taxes on AIG bonuses
- Thousands of Iraqis held by U.S. to be released this summer
- Mexico captures drug cartel operations chief without firing a shot
- Dallas school accused of staging cage fights among students
- Weakened dollar sends oil prices soaring to new highs for 2009
- First lady to break ground on White House garden on South Lawn
Liars and Fools
Today's Liars and Fools are:
repugican cabal chair-weenie Steele stands with global climate change deniers
Prick Cheney is still lying about, well, everything
Cantor (r-Virginia) repeats wing-nut lie about high-speed rail from Disneyland to Vegas
Perino claims the shrub was responsible for last week's stock market climb
Perino says AIG's multi-million-dollar bonus payouts went to "middle class people"
New York Times columnist who demanded concessions from auto workers now "makes case" for AIG bonuses
MSNBC's Francis compares AIG outrage to wing-nuts' debunked claims about Nancy Pelosi's plane
MCNBC's Matthews welcomes liar on Hardball, then doesn't notice the lies
CNN's Dobbs attacks St Patrick's Day
CNBC hires former shrub flack Fratto
Dimbulb defends AIG from "lynch mob ... ginned up by Obama"
Faux's Brick: "We are a country that is headed towards socialism, totalitarianism, beyond your wildest dreams"
Faux's Handjob, Doocy repeat lie that Dodd to blame for AIG bonuses
Faux's Brick lies that US does not fingerprint foreign visitors or collect rapists' DNA
Faux and Drudge bold face lie asserting Dodd put "bonus protections" into stimulus bill
Faux's Handjob lies claiming that under Pelosi, repugicans "can't offer amendments"
Suggesting "your house will be worth more burned down," Faux's Doocy peddles itemized deduction lie
repugican cabal chair-weenie Steele stands with global climate change deniers
Prick Cheney is still lying about, well, everything
Cantor (r-Virginia) repeats wing-nut lie about high-speed rail from Disneyland to Vegas
Perino claims the shrub was responsible for last week's stock market climb
Perino says AIG's multi-million-dollar bonus payouts went to "middle class people"
New York Times columnist who demanded concessions from auto workers now "makes case" for AIG bonuses
MSNBC's Francis compares AIG outrage to wing-nuts' debunked claims about Nancy Pelosi's plane
MCNBC's Matthews welcomes liar on Hardball, then doesn't notice the lies
CNN's Dobbs attacks St Patrick's Day
CNBC hires former shrub flack Fratto
Dimbulb defends AIG from "lynch mob ... ginned up by Obama"
Faux's Brick: "We are a country that is headed towards socialism, totalitarianism, beyond your wildest dreams"
Faux's Handjob, Doocy repeat lie that Dodd to blame for AIG bonuses
Faux's Brick lies that US does not fingerprint foreign visitors or collect rapists' DNA
Faux and Drudge bold face lie asserting Dodd put "bonus protections" into stimulus bill
Faux's Handjob lies claiming that under Pelosi, repugicans "can't offer amendments"
Suggesting "your house will be worth more burned down," Faux's Doocy peddles itemized deduction lie
Jigsaw complete for ancient predator
An artist's reconstruction of Hurdia based on numerous fossils. The large head carapace helped researchers distinguish it from a related Cambrian super-predator, Anomalocaris (Image: Science/AAAS)
For an animal nicknamed the "T. rex of the Cambrian" – the apex predator of its food chain – the ancient arthropod Hurdia victoria has had a tough time getting properly recognized.
The species was initially described as a crustacean by American palaeontologist Charles Walcott in 1912. But its bizarre appearance and the discovery of numerous partial fossils led to it being misclassified variously as a species of jellyfish, sea cucumber and its close relative Anomalocaris.
Now a new analysis of numerous Hurdia fossils – including the animal's whale-like carapace – suggests that all these specimens belong to a single species.
Read the rest at New Scientist.
You can also find another article on this at LiveScience: Ancient Creature Was a Miniature Monster.
Science News
In Science News today:
Mars rover Opportunity experiences wheel trouble
Robots could flex muscles that are stronger than steel
Fish numbers drop as reefs take a bashing
Tsunami 'trigger' spotted on Google Earth
Scientists have flash of light over Parkinson's treatment
Duetting guitarists' brains fire to the same beat
Jade tooth decorations in Mayan skull
David Dennis took this photo of a Mayan skull with jade tooth decorations.
From TYWKIWDBI:
At the height of Mayan civilization, body modification included a variety of alterations of the teeth....
Holes in the teeth were created by spinning a drill with a bow (as in firestarting), and using powdered quartz as an abrasive.
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Things such as this make all the work - tedious, I might add - that we Archaeologists do worth while.
Of, course I am retired now, but I still remember every dig, every cramp, every ... you name it, I remember it like it was this morning.
We humans do some very odd things.
Did you know that ...
Six years into the occupation of Iraq, that nation's capitol still has no reliable source of drinkable water.
Ihsan Jaafar, Iraq's director of public health, said the water had been bad for years, but that it now carried cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis and other diseases.
Ihsan Jaafar, Iraq's director of public health, said the water had been bad for years, but that it now carried cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis and other diseases.
More here.
Dimbulb leading the repugicans
As the Democrats continue their public campaign showing that Lush Dimbulb the face of the repugican cabal, Dimbulb's approval rating slips to 19%.
I guess that means that his claim that his audience doubled in the last month was not as truthful as he wanted you to believe, then?!
I guess that means that his claim that his audience doubled in the last month was not as truthful as he wanted you to believe, then?!
More at CBS News.
Milestones
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Wow, It is 5000 posts already, It can't be ... just yesterday we were a newborn blog with only a handful of posts and even fewer readers.
Now, over 80% of the world (countries that is) reads Carolina Naturally regularly.
Why money messes with your mind
Psychologists studying how we think about money are revealing why many of us have such fraught relationships with our cash.
How the largest dinosaurs got so big
The sauropods were the biggest land animals ever to have existed, but how they got so huge has been a mystery – until now, says James O'Donoghue.
How the largest dinosaurs got so big
A trip to Earth's 'Evil Twin'
After a planned 'flagship' mission to Jupiter and its moons, the agency's next major planetary mission could be sent to Earth's 'evil twin'.
NASA may send fleet of spacecraft to Venus
Jekyll and Hyde
In one breath, GOP Jekylls say government medical plans will be inefficient, inferior to private insurance and thus hated by Americans.
In another breath, Republican Hydes effectively admit that government programs would be so efficient, superior to private insurance and loved by Americans that they will attract most consumers and dominate a health care competition.
"Of the two assertions, of course, the latter is closer to the truth -- and the GOP knows it."
Well put by David Sirota in his, When Republicans lose their principles, article for the San Francisco Chronicle.
In another breath, Republican Hydes effectively admit that government programs would be so efficient, superior to private insurance and loved by Americans that they will attract most consumers and dominate a health care competition.
"Of the two assertions, of course, the latter is closer to the truth -- and the GOP knows it."
Well put by David Sirota in his, When Republicans lose their principles, article for the San Francisco Chronicle.
Urban Livestock of the 21st century
In a trend that has been growing for several years, but has seen a tremendous surge with the collapse of the world's economy - the farm is coming back into the city.
As an example of this trend here is a short National Geographic piece on Abu Talib overseeing the 13 chickens at the Taqwa Community Garden in the Bronx:
As an example of this trend here is a short National Geographic piece on Abu Talib overseeing the 13 chickens at the Taqwa Community Garden in the Bronx:
In 19th-century Manhattan, hogs roamed the streets and cattle grazed in public parks.
Today, chickens are the urban livestock of choice, and not just in New York.
City dwellers across the U.S. are adding hens to their yards and gardens, garnering fresh eggs, fertilizer, and community ties.
Municipal localities are debating and updating their ordinances to follow this trend.
The majority of takedown notices are bogus
Google has filed a submission with the New Zealand government in response to the new law there, which compels ISPs to terminate your Internet connection if you're accused of copyright infringement three times.
In its submission, Google relays its experience with "notice and takedown," which allows anyone to censor web-pages merely by asserting that they infringe copyright - in which they note that this process is routinely abused.
Some of the numbers they provide are:
What did the governments of the world expect when they were conned by the entertainment industry to allow notice-and-takedown?
That if you created a free, easy, virtually consequence-free means for censoring the Internet, that it wouldn't be abused?
In its submission, Google relays its experience with "notice and takedown," which allows anyone to censor web-pages merely by asserting that they infringe copyright - in which they note that this process is routinely abused.
Some of the numbers they provide are:
That more than half (57%) of the takedown notices it has received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1998, were sent by business targeting competitors and over one third (37%) of notices were not valid copyright claims.94% of the claims are bogus in other words. Why doesn't this surprise me?
What did the governments of the world expect when they were conned by the entertainment industry to allow notice-and-takedown?
That if you created a free, easy, virtually consequence-free means for censoring the Internet, that it wouldn't be abused?
Freddie and Fannie
It not just the arrogance of the folks at AIG its systemic ...
Fannie Mae plans to pay retention bonuses of at least $1 million to four key executives as part of a plan to keep hundreds of employees from leaving the government-controlled company.
Rival mortgage finance company Freddie Mac is planning similar awards, but has not yet reported on which executives will benefit.
Here I do not get 'rewarded' for my COMPETENCE and they expect to be rewarded for their incompetence!!!!???
Fannie Mae plans to pay retention bonuses of at least $1 million to four key executives as part of a plan to keep hundreds of employees from leaving the government-controlled company.
Rival mortgage finance company Freddie Mac is planning similar awards, but has not yet reported on which executives will benefit.
Here I do not get 'rewarded' for my COMPETENCE and they expect to be rewarded for their incompetence!!!!???
Feathers Tied to Origin of Dinosaurs
Feathers and other feather-like stuff are known in several so-called saurischian dinosaurs, including tyrannosaurs and maniraptors — the ancestors to modern birds. Now, feather-like structures have been found for the first time in dinosaurs other than saurischians.
The finding upends paleontological thinking about feathers, suggesting they might go back to the origin of all dinosaurs, more than 200 million years.
Read the rest at LiveScience.
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