In Science News:
Thursday, April 2, 2009
'Guiding Light' canceled after 72 years
CBS pulls the plug on a long-running soap opera that first aired in 1937 on the radio.
'Guiding Light' canceled after 72 years
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
Aberystwth, Wales, United Kingdom
Krakow, Malopolskie, Poland
Kiev, Kyyvs'ka Oblast, Ukraine
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Roubaix, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France
Saint Catherines, Ontario, Canada
Chaville, Ile-De-France, France
Crofton, British Columbia, Canada
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Lima, Lima, Peru
Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
London, England, United Kingdom
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Remscheid, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Beijing, Beijing, China
Sandviken, Gavleborgs Lan, Sweden
Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
as well as Brazil and the United States
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
Aberystwth, Wales, United Kingdom
Krakow, Malopolskie, Poland
Kiev, Kyyvs'ka Oblast, Ukraine
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Roubaix, Nord-Pas-De-Calais, France
Saint Catherines, Ontario, Canada
Chaville, Ile-De-France, France
Crofton, British Columbia, Canada
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Lima, Lima, Peru
Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
London, England, United Kingdom
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Remscheid, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Beijing, Beijing, China
Sandviken, Gavleborgs Lan, Sweden
Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
as well as Brazil and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Today you need to move forward with purpose -- even if you don't know what that purpose is.
You got it!
Today you need to move forward with purpose -- even if you don't know what that purpose is.
You got it!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Yeast-powered fuel cell
A small fuel cell containing brewer's yeast generates electricity from the glucose found in blood – it could one day be used to power medical implants.
Yeast-powered fuel cell feeds on human blood
What would it look like to fall into a black hole?
Here is a video simulates what you might see on your way towards a black hole's crushing central singularity.
Follow the link to the video.
What would it look like to fall into a black hole?
Rainforests may pump winds worldwide
Without forests to pump moisture around the planet, would the continents turn to desert?
A new theory suggests they might.
Rainforests may pump winds worldwide
Thriving on the Edge of Chaos
Operating in a state that is neither ordered nor random may help drive our brain's astonishing capabilities.
The five ages of the brain
Speaking of brains ...
Throughout our lives our brains undergo many changes, which can be broadly divided into five stages.
How can we get the best out of our brains at every stage?
The five ages of the brain
Magnetic Dreams
Looking for an explanation for weird dreams?
New research suggests you can blame the Earth's magnetic field, not a repressed childhood.
New research suggests you can blame the Earth's magnetic field, not a repressed childhood.
'Supersize' lions roamed Britain
From BBC-Science:
It is thought the ancient lions would not have had manes
Giant lions were roaming around Britain, Europe and North America up to 13,000 years ago, scientists from Oxford University have found.
Remains of giant cats previously discovered were thought to be a species of jaguar or tiger but after DNA analysis they were proved to be lions.
They were 25% bigger than the species of African lion living today, and had longer legs to chase their prey.
They would have lived in icy tundra with mammoth and sabretooth tigers.
It is thought these animals would hunt over longer distances, and their longer legs would help them chase down their prey as opposed to the modern-day species which tends to ambush its victims.
Read the rest here.
Dark Matter
From BBC-Science:
Streams of positron particles detected by a satellite could have been produced by dark matter, say researchers.
Streams of positron particles detected by a satellite could have been produced by dark matter, say researchers.
World's tiniest frogs
This is likely the smallest frog species in the world, discovered in the Andes Mountains' upper Cosnipata Valley in Peru.From National Geographic:
"The most distinctive character of the new species," scientists write in the February issue of the journal Copeia, "is its diminutive size." Females grow to 0.49 inch (12.4 millimeters) at most. Males make it to only 0.44 inch (11.1 millimeters).
What's most surprising is that the frog lives at such high elevations, said study co-author Alessandro Catenazzi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. In general, larger animals are found at greater heights.
Makes you wonder
"MTV is putting actual music videos back on their network.
If it works, Fox News is going back to actual news again."
~ Craig Ferguson
If it works, Fox News is going back to actual news again."
~ Craig Ferguson
Something the repugicans don't want you to know
"More than 80% of Americans think Obama will do a good job representing their country to the world."
~ CNN poll
Resonant voices may turn on plants
Man charged with drunken driving on bar stool
Authorities in Ohio say a man has been charged with drunken driving after crashing his motorized bar stool.
Woman accused of driving 103 with grandson in car
Authorities arrested a woman accused of driving 103 mph with her 10-year-old grandson in the car.
Man upset over taxes charged for 'drive-by' remark
From the "You ought not have said that" Department:
No matter how frustrating taxes get, it's not a good idea to threaten to do a drive-by shooting at the Department of Revenue.
Man gets 295 days in jail in bleach assault
A judge sentenced a Nebraska man to 295 days in jail on Monday for pouring bleach on a woman during an argument last year.
Man cuts his own throat from the inside
How cities should deal with squatters
From Slate:
How cities should deal with squatters
On the supply side, local governments should penalize owners who stockpile vacant housing, perhaps by imposing increased property tax rates on properties left vacant, and by moving aggressively to seize vacant properties when the owners fall behind on paying those taxes. On the demand side, governments should expand homesteading programs that permit and help low-income people to take over vacant housing—but only after it finds its way into city hands.
To be sure, these programs were only marginally successful in the 1970s, in part because of lack of funding, but also because of the difficulty of restoring abandoned urban properties to habitable condition. The housing that is becoming vacant during the current downturn, by contrast, is relatively new and should be easier for homesteaders to repair. The federal government should also move quickly to protect those in financial trouble from foreclosure and eviction by requiring foreclosing banks (many of which are themselves receiving taxpayer bailouts) to rent out foreclosed homes to their former owners at fair market value. In fact, as this letter to the editor in the New York Times Magazine on Sunday correctly observed, allowing owners to remain as renters in their foreclosed homes helps safeguard the value of the houses—which is good for the occupants, good for the banks, and good for the housing market as a whole.
The sudden increase in squatting shows that the housing market that is out of kilter. The solution is not to chase squatters off, but to bring the market back into balance by helping them find a place to call home.
Back to the Wild
Parts of Flint, Michigan to go feral?
Property abandonment is getting so bad in Flint that some in government are talking about an extreme measure that was once unthinkable — shutting down portions of the city, officially abandoning them and cutting off police and fire service.
Temporary Mayor Michael Brown made the off-the-cuff suggestion Friday in response to a question at a Rotary Club of Flint luncheon about the thousands of empty houses in Flint.
Brown said that as more people abandon homes, eating away at the city’s tax base and creating more blight, the city might need to examine “shutting down quadrants of the city where we (wouldn’t) provide services.” [...]
City Council President Jim Ananich said the idea has been on his radar for years.
The city is getting smaller and should downsize its services accordingly by asking people to leave sparsely populated areas, he said.
Venice To Get Half Its Electricity From Algae By 2011
This could be very interesting:
The city of Venice hopes to get at least 50 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by the year 2011. It plans to use algae to generate electricity.
Venice, known as the City of Bridges, plans to end its reliance on fossil fuels in the near future by primarily using biofuels.As a first step the city officials have invested €200 million ($264 million) for a biofuels plant. They will use two types of algae, Sargassum muticum and Undaria pinnafitida. They will cultivate them in laboratories, which will then be used to generate electricity in a new 40 MW power plant. This plant will provide up to 50 per cent of the city’s electricity needs.
Ant slaves' murderous rebellions
Last month's journal Evolution, has a captivating tale of slave rebellion among ants kidnapped by other ant species and forced to work for the rival colony:
When these youngsters mature, they take on the odour of their abductors and become the servants of the enslaving queen. They take over the jobs of maintaining the colony and caring for its larvae even though they are from another species; they even take part in raids themselves. But like all slave-traders, P.americanus faces rebellions.
Some of its victims (ants from the genus Temnothorax) strike back with murderous larvae. Alexandra Achenbach and Susanne Foitzik from Ludwig Maximillians Universty in Munich found that some of the kidnapped workers don't bow to the whims of their new queen. Once they have matured, they start killing the pupae of their captors, destroying as many as two-thirds of the colony's brood...
Two-thirds of pupae died before they hatched. The mortality rate was even higher (83%) for pupae containing queens, but very low (3%) for those containing males. The duo saw that the captives were deliberately killing the healthy pupae. In about 30% of cases, as in the photo, the workers would gang up to literally pull the developing ants apart. Another 53% of the pupae were killed by neglect, by workers who moved them out of the nest chamber.
These murders were solely the acts of the slaves. No P.americanus worker ever lifted a mandible against its own pupae. Nor are the deaths a reflection of a generally poor standard of care on the part of Temnothorax. In their own colonies, the majority of pupae hatched, with just 3-10% dying before that happened.
FIRST EVIDENCE FOR SLAVE REBELLION: ENSLAVED ANT WORKERS SYSTEMATICALLY KILL THE BROOD OF THEIR SOCIAL PARASITE PROTOMOGNATHUS AMERICANUS
(Ok, so the second one is science paper - deal with it)
(Ok, so the second one is science paper - deal with it)
Readers Comments
Received this wonderfully nice comment about this blog and her sister blog via a separate forum I use.
"I still check your blog on a daily basis, it (they) are my favorites. You have style, intelligence and wit, just what I need in these troubling times."
Thanks.
Who knew, I have style, intelligence and wit, gosh.
"I still check your blog on a daily basis, it (they) are my favorites. You have style, intelligence and wit, just what I need in these troubling times."
Thanks.
Who knew, I have style, intelligence and wit, gosh.
Birth Defects Tied to Season of Conception
Spring and early summer is the nation's season of risk for conceiving a child with birth defects, a new study finds.
The hidden face of Egyptian queen
Researchers find a second stone face of Nefertiti behind the famous 3,000-year-old stucco bust.
Scan reveals hidden face of Egyptian queen
You might want to check out the following:
When did April Fool's day begin?
If you are the victim of a practical joke today, blame the ancient Scots, Romans, and French.
When did April Fool's day begin?
Local paper joins ranks of those to call it quits
Officials with The Lake Norman Times say the slow advertising market is forcing them to stop the presses in April.
The staff was informed of the decision last week.
The publisher says the last edition will be printed on April 15.
The staff was informed of the decision last week.
The publisher says the last edition will be printed on April 15.
*****
Damn, there goes the local news!
We still have the Herald, but for how long?
Job losses keep mounting
In more fallout from the disaster that was the shrub/cabal junta and their total fucking over of the entire world's economy:
Job losses in the U.S. private sector accelerated in March, more than economists' expectations, according to a report by ADP Employer Services on Wednesday.
Job losses in the U.S. private sector accelerated in March, more than economists' expectations, according to a report by ADP Employer Services on Wednesday.
Private employers cut jobs by a record 742,000 in March versus a 706,000 revised cut in February that was originally reported at 697,000 jobs, said ADP, which has been carrying out the survey since 2001.
The big drop foreshadows a huge decline in the non-farm payroll reading in the government's employment report that will be released on Friday, some analysts said.
"It's a terrible number. It is almost a loss of three quarters of a million jobs which is possibly the highest we have seen so far over the length of this crisis," said Matt Esteve, foreign exchange trader with Tempus Consulting in Washington.
U.S. stock futures and the dollar fell after news of the bigger-than-expected job losses, while U.S. Treasury bonds regained some of their lost ground.
Economists had expected 655,000 private-sector job cuts in March in the ADP report, according to a recent Reuters poll.
G-20 protesters break into Royal Bank of Scotland
Police control protesters outside the Bank of England, during the G20 protests in the center of London.
G-20 protesters clashed with riot police in downtown London on Wednesday, breaking into the heavily guarded Royal Bank of Scotland and smashing its windows. Earlier, they tried to storm the Bank of England and pelted police with eggs and fruit.
At least 4,000 anarchists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists and others jammed into London's financial district for what they called "Financial Fool's Day." The protests were called ahead of Thursday's summit of world leaders, who hope to take concrete steps to resolve the global financial crisis that has lashed nations and workers worldwide.
Read the rest here.
Leave the Scots bank alone, the English one, well ..
Irrawaddy dolphins found in waters of South Asia
From LiveScience:
A huge population of rare dolphins threatened by climate change and fishing nets has been discovered in South Asia.
Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society estimate that nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins, marine mammals that are related to orcas or killer whales, were found living in freshwater regions of Bangladesh's Sundarbans mangrove forest and adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal.
There has been hardly any marine mammal research done in this area up to this point.
Each discovery of Irrawaddy dolphins is important because scientists do not know how many remain on the planet. Prior to this study, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins numbered in the low hundreds or less.
In 2008, they were listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List based on population declines in known dolphin populations.
A huge population of rare dolphins threatened by climate change and fishing nets has been discovered in South Asia.
Researchers with the Wildlife Conservation Society estimate that nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins, marine mammals that are related to orcas or killer whales, were found living in freshwater regions of Bangladesh's Sundarbans mangrove forest and adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal.
There has been hardly any marine mammal research done in this area up to this point.
Each discovery of Irrawaddy dolphins is important because scientists do not know how many remain on the planet. Prior to this study, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins numbered in the low hundreds or less.
In 2008, they were listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List based on population declines in known dolphin populations.
Read the rest: 6,000 rare Irrawaddy dolphins found in waters of South Asia.
Unusual Holidays and Celebrations
Today is April 1, 2009 so you know it is All Fools Day (aka April Fools Day), but are you aware it is also: National Fun Day and National Fun At Work Day, Saint Stupid Day, Sorry Charlie Day as well as Poetry and Creative Mind Day and the National Day of Hope.
Let's not be overwhelmed by all the celebrating on this the first day of April because April is: Celebrate Diversity Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Couple Appreciation Month, International TWIT Award Month, National Humor Month, National Poetry Month, and National Pecan Month.
That's a lot of celebrating going on!
Just remember April starts off with Pooper-Scooper Week and Testicular Cancer Awareness Week from the 1st to the 7th.
So let the celebrating begin!
Let's not be overwhelmed by all the celebrating on this the first day of April because April is: Celebrate Diversity Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, Couple Appreciation Month, International TWIT Award Month, National Humor Month, National Poetry Month, and National Pecan Month.
That's a lot of celebrating going on!
Just remember April starts off with Pooper-Scooper Week and Testicular Cancer Awareness Week from the 1st to the 7th.
So let the celebrating begin!
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Chandigrah, Chandigrah, India
Beijing, Beijing, China
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Muscat, Masqat, Oman
Maidstone, England, United Kingdom
Gampaha, Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk, Russian Federation
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Vienna, Wien, Austria
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
as well as all fifty states of the United States
Gatineau, Quebec, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Milton Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Chandigrah, Chandigrah, India
Beijing, Beijing, China
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Muscat, Masqat, Oman
Maidstone, England, United Kingdom
Gampaha, Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk, Russian Federation
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Vienna, Wien, Austria
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
as well as all fifty states of the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Having a healthy sense of confidence is wonderful.
Aw shucks.(blushing)
Having a healthy sense of confidence is wonderful.
Aw shucks.(blushing)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
BofA says, 'how's this for a hard up the whazoo'
Get this ...
To get around all the bad publicity that comes with big bonuses, Bank of America is considering giving its investment bankers raises in base pay of up to 70%.
To get around all the bad publicity that comes with big bonuses, Bank of America is considering giving its investment bankers raises in base pay of up to 70%.
More at Bloomberg News Service.
Be careful the truth is coming out
Something else the repugicans don't want you to know:
"Of the roughly $11 trillion in federal debt accumulated to date, more than 90 percent can be attributed to the tenure of three presidents: Ronald Reagan, who used to complain constantly about runaway spending; George Herbert Walker Bush, reputed to be one of those old-fashioned green-eyeshade Republicans; and his spendthrift son George "Dubya" Bush, whose trillion-dollar war and irresponsible tax cuts accounted for nearly half the entire burden. Only Bill Clinton temporarily reversed the trend with surpluses and started to pay down the debt (by raising rates on the wealthiest taxpayers)."
More here
Wall Street has best month in over 6 years
The repugican spin on this ought to be interesting.
Hilarious, but interesting.
Hilarious, but interesting.
Good news from a tech giant and a British bank give the S&P 500 its best month since October 2002.
Wall Street has best month in over 6 years
Israel's Netanyahu vows to seek peace with Arabs
It would be a good thing ...
Benjamin Netanyahu, taking office as Israel's new leader Tuesday, promised to seek "full peace" with the Arab and Muslim world, but refused to utter the words the world was waiting to hear: "Palestinian state." The well-spoken, U.S.-educated hawk took pains to portray himself as a pragmatist, telling a packed parliament that Israel does not want to rule the Palestinians.
Benjamin Netanyahu, taking office as Israel's new leader Tuesday, promised to seek "full peace" with the Arab and Muslim world, but refused to utter the words the world was waiting to hear: "Palestinian state." The well-spoken, U.S.-educated hawk took pains to portray himself as a pragmatist, telling a packed parliament that Israel does not want to rule the Palestinians.
Read the rest here.
Biden in North Carolina
Vice President Joe Biden will be in North Carolina this week to discuss how federal stimulus money will help rural Americans.
The White House released a statement Monday that said Biden and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will "make a major announcement regarding rural housing funding" when they visit the state Wednesday.
Biden and Vilsack are scheduled to visit Goshen Medical Center in Faison. The clinic serves rural residents and will receive funding from the federal Recovery Act.
They also are scheduled to be in Pikeville to visit the local fire department, which also will receive stimulus funding to help build a new facility.
Long necked dinosaurs didn't reach for the sky
A handout image from the University of Portsmouth in 2008 shows an artist's impression.
A fondly-held belief about long-necked sauropods, the giant four-footed dinosaurs beloved of monster movies and children, is most probably untrue, a dino expert said on Wednesday.
At the zenith of the dinosaurs' reign, some sauropods evolved necks of extraordinary length -- more than nine metres (29.25 feet) in the case of the Mamenchisaurus, a titan of the Late Jurassic period around 150 million years ago.
Prevailing wisdom has it that these leviathans used their necks like giraffes today. They reached up high into the trees, munching leisurely on forest canopy that was out of reach for rival herbivores.
Not so, says a paper appearing in Biology Letters, a journal published by Britain's prestigious Royal Society.
Read the rest here.
Lead Standard
Proud to be the leader in the Lead Standard of blogs!
What with the 'Gold Standard' blogs about 500,000 blogs in front of Carolina Naturally it seems like being the premier "lead standard" blog is a good thing - don't you think?
What with the 'Gold Standard' blogs about 500,000 blogs in front of Carolina Naturally it seems like being the premier "lead standard" blog is a good thing - don't you think?
Lawyer Joke
Do you know the problem with lawyer jokes?
Lawyers don't think they're funny, and the rest of us don't think they're jokes!
Lawyers don't think they're funny, and the rest of us don't think they're jokes!
And I Quote
We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it - and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again - and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore.
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools:
The Faux Lies Edition
Who is crazier -- Faux's Brick vs. Fox's O'Really
Damn, that's a hard one!
Faux's Brick says Obama, Democrats are vampires "going after the blood of our businesses," suggests "driving a stake through the heart of the bloodsuckers"
An unstable mind that has seen one too many bad "B" movies.
Faux's Handjob lies claiming Obama has proposed UK-style nationalized health care
Lies, lies, lies
Faux's Handjob and discredited guest hysterically hype terrorism threat from Mexico
Insanity breeds upon itself.
Faux's Handjob on auto bailout: "The administration is on a mission to hijack capitalism in favor of collectivism... The Bolsheviks have already arrived"
Actually they were ousted in the last election, and are crying about it.
Faux's Handjob lies that National Intelligence Director plans to "release ... enemy combatants on American soil"
He means Amerikkkan soil or in reality the skidmarks in his repugican underdrawers
Handjob propaganda asks if Obama budget is "a way for the government to completely control our lives"
Like the Handjob propaganda machine, huh?
Faux's Handjob repeats lie that 61 former Guantanamo prisoners have "gone back to the battlefield"
Hey, it's Handjob, what do expect?
Faux's Henneberg lies claiming "reconciliation was last used in 2001"
Another day, another lie.
After UPS pulls advertising from O'Really Factor, O'Really advises Big Brown to "wise up"
They already did, numb-nuts.
Faux's O'Really identifies 'the far left blogs' as his #1 enemy
Actually, there his betters.
After Spanish court begins proceedings against shrub/cabal officials over torture, Faux's O'Really says he's boycotting Spain
Oh, I think Spain is in trouble now! Not!
Faux analysts: Obama is manipulating the liberal press in a 'historic' way
One last time ... there is no such thing as the 'liberal press' ... lying about it does not make it so.
Damn, that's a hard one!
Faux's Brick says Obama, Democrats are vampires "going after the blood of our businesses," suggests "driving a stake through the heart of the bloodsuckers"
An unstable mind that has seen one too many bad "B" movies.
Faux's Handjob lies claiming Obama has proposed UK-style nationalized health care
Lies, lies, lies
Faux's Handjob and discredited guest hysterically hype terrorism threat from Mexico
Insanity breeds upon itself.
Faux's Handjob on auto bailout: "The administration is on a mission to hijack capitalism in favor of collectivism... The Bolsheviks have already arrived"
Actually they were ousted in the last election, and are crying about it.
Faux's Handjob lies that National Intelligence Director plans to "release ... enemy combatants on American soil"
He means Amerikkkan soil or in reality the skidmarks in his repugican underdrawers
Handjob propaganda asks if Obama budget is "a way for the government to completely control our lives"
Like the Handjob propaganda machine, huh?
Faux's Handjob repeats lie that 61 former Guantanamo prisoners have "gone back to the battlefield"
Hey, it's Handjob, what do expect?
Faux's Henneberg lies claiming "reconciliation was last used in 2001"
Another day, another lie.
After UPS pulls advertising from O'Really Factor, O'Really advises Big Brown to "wise up"
They already did, numb-nuts.
Faux's O'Really identifies 'the far left blogs' as his #1 enemy
Actually, there his betters.
After Spanish court begins proceedings against shrub/cabal officials over torture, Faux's O'Really says he's boycotting Spain
Oh, I think Spain is in trouble now! Not!
Faux analysts: Obama is manipulating the liberal press in a 'historic' way
One last time ... there is no such thing as the 'liberal press' ... lying about it does not make it so.
Arrested Man Patted Down Four Times, Still Has Gun
A man arrested on a drug charge was able to "survive" four pat-downs, and still keep his gun, showing an alarming security hole, and perhaps a lack of training.
Bernie Madoff Earns a Trading Card Spot
Baseball cards yes, but scammer cards?
That's apparently the idea behind trading card company Topps' latest set of cards, scheduled for release this summer, called the "World's Biggest hoaxes, Hoodwinks and Bamboozles."
That's apparently the idea behind trading card company Topps' latest set of cards, scheduled for release this summer, called the "World's Biggest hoaxes, Hoodwinks and Bamboozles."
And I Quote
The Republicans released their budget counter-proposal this week.
It plans to address the deficit, global warming, healthcare, energy, massive tax cuts for the rich.
I'm not kidding.
Also, there are no numbers in this budget.
It's a budget plan without math.
You know, Obama should have saved that Special Olympics joke for these retards.
~ Bill Maher
It plans to address the deficit, global warming, healthcare, energy, massive tax cuts for the rich.
I'm not kidding.
Also, there are no numbers in this budget.
It's a budget plan without math.
You know, Obama should have saved that Special Olympics joke for these retards.
~ Bill Maher
Pre-Foreclosure Scams
One of the biggest scams out there today during these economic difficulties is the 'take over the payments on pre-foreclosure homes with no credit check and no money down'.
What they conveniently forget to mention is the upfront 'registration fee' (fully refundable of course should you not get the home of your choice through their service), of between $85 to $300 dollars - depending on how much work you want to do or have them do to find you a house.
While there may be legitimate 'pre-foreclosure' companies out there, the odds are they aren't many. But there are many non-legitimate ones out there.
One of the most viral of these non-legitimate ones, is Anchor Housing Financial. They spam Craig's List and other web lists mercilessly - so don't be fooled by them ... all they want is your credit card number and become extremely rude when you won't give it to them.
If you get a call on your phone from the toll free number 877-712-4464 that is Anchor Housing calling so I wouldn't answer it if I were you, unless you want to give them $199.00 for nothing, then by all means answer the phone.
The best way to get in on the deals of a lifetime on houses on the cheap is to get a listing from your local tax office of houses that can be had for back taxes. There is a fee (and it will vary due to locality) but you will get the listing. (Note: if you get a listing of these houses you need not do an extra title search to find out if there are any liens on the property you desire - there is ... and you have the lien amount in your hand on the list - pay it and the house is yours)
What they conveniently forget to mention is the upfront 'registration fee' (fully refundable of course should you not get the home of your choice through their service), of between $85 to $300 dollars - depending on how much work you want to do or have them do to find you a house.
While there may be legitimate 'pre-foreclosure' companies out there, the odds are they aren't many. But there are many non-legitimate ones out there.
One of the most viral of these non-legitimate ones, is Anchor Housing Financial. They spam Craig's List and other web lists mercilessly - so don't be fooled by them ... all they want is your credit card number and become extremely rude when you won't give it to them.
If you get a call on your phone from the toll free number 877-712-4464 that is Anchor Housing calling so I wouldn't answer it if I were you, unless you want to give them $199.00 for nothing, then by all means answer the phone.
The best way to get in on the deals of a lifetime on houses on the cheap is to get a listing from your local tax office of houses that can be had for back taxes. There is a fee (and it will vary due to locality) but you will get the listing. (Note: if you get a listing of these houses you need not do an extra title search to find out if there are any liens on the property you desire - there is ... and you have the lien amount in your hand on the list - pay it and the house is yours)
Pakistani Taliban threatens attack on White House
The commander of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and said the group was planning a terrorist attack on the White House that would "amaze" the world.
Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million bounty on his head from the U.S., said Monday's attack on the outskirts of the eastern city of Lahore was retaliation for U.S. missile strikes against militants.Video from Reuters:
'Halo effect' explains brightest patches of sky
Light bouncing off clouds and illuminating tiny particles in the atmosphere can brighten clear sky for miles – the finding could be bad news for climate models.
'Halo effect'
'Extinct' possum back from the dead
An Australian possum that was last year mistakenly declared extinct, actually survives in small pockets – it is, however, still endangered by the warming climate.
Early humans may have cared for disabled young
The part of the skull showing prematurely fused sutures: (A) The first segment is completely fused. (B) The second segment is fused, but still noticeable. (C) The lambdoid portion of the suture is completely open (Image: National Academy of Sciences, PNAS)
An ancient human skull shows signs of a disorder that might have caused mental retardation – and the child's age suggests it had been looked after for years.
Early humans may have cared for disabled young
Why Chimps Are Stronger Than Humans
The brutal attack last month by a pet chimpanzee on a Connecticut woman was a stark reminder that chimps are up to four times stronger than humans.
One reason, a new study suggests, is that we pay a price for our fine motor skills.
Read the rest at LiveScience.
Cypriot Temple 4000 years old
A triangular temple on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is thought to be a thousand years older than any other found there. The discovery, supposedly dating back 4,000 years, "confirms that religious worship in Cyprus began much earlier than previously believed," said researcher Maria Rosaria Belgiorno.
Other scientists are not sure its more than 2,000 years old, however.
Contrary to normal protocol in which scientists get their findings reviewed and published in journals, Belgiorno first gave the scoop to a weekly English language newspaper on the island.
Music's craziest hoaxes
Miley Cyrus, Phil Collins, and Paul McCartney are some of the stars who have been targets of bizarre rumors.The truth behind music's craziest hoaxes
Caffeine
Are you relying too much on that energy jolt to get you through the day?
Wean yourself with these simple steps.
6 ways to cut back on caffeine
Also Read: Problems from too much caffeine.
Stimulus cash for employees on the way
Most workers will soon find a bump in their paychecks as the president's tax credit kicks in.
Stimulus cash for employees on the way
Voters don't blame Obama for economy
Despite what the wing-nuts are howling, voters do not blame President Obama for the state of the economy.
President Obama benefits from a broadly held perception that others bear the bulk of responsibility for state of the U.S. economy, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released today.
President Obama benefits from a broadly held perception that others bear the bulk of responsibility for state of the U.S. economy, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released today.
Asked who was responsible for the economic meltdown, 80 percent in the poll blamed banks, financial institutions and corporations. Some 70 percent also blamed consumers for taking on too much debt and the former shrub cabal for lax regulation.
Bank pushing 120% APR loans
There is something fishy going on at a "large west coast bank, relatively well known including for some recent financial games with the Feds" -- tellers are pushing "direct deposit advances" that let you access deposited checks in real time for the low-low APR of :
Here is how one depositor describes it ...
Here is how one depositor describes it ...
This time, the nice lady at the counter asked me if I needed immediate access to the deposit? Huh? Said I. Looking at the payeee - "I think the check will clear..."Oh, it is not that, said she, it is just that some people need immediate access to their deposits, like same day, or tomorrow, and if you did we can expedite it.
Oh, that's nice, thought I, and said "no thanks, got enough balance to cover any outstanding transactions thanks, but been there..." so, I wandered off, and suddenly though - well was prompted by my better half to think - "expedited? at what price?"
So, I checked online - there is nothing about expedited access to deposits, rather a guarantee that deposits before 4pm are available same day... or next day. Unless: several reasons, none of which apply to me, nor, I sincerely hope, the payee.
But, there is "direct deposit advance". Interesting:
"The Finance Charge is a one-time transaction charge and is not dependent upon the length of time the advance is outstanding. The Finance Charge is $2.00 for every $20 that is advanced, which equates to an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) of 120%."
Unusual Celebrations and Holidays
The last day of March - March 31st to be exact - happens to be:
Bunsen Burner Day
and
National "She's Funny That Way" Day
(and she is, too!)
and
National "She's Funny That Way" Day
(and she is, too!)
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
Krakow, Malopolskie, Poland
Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Kokkola, Western Finland, Finland
Toowoomba, British Columbia, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
Perpignan, Languedoc-Rossillon, France
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
as well as Hong Kong and the United States
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela
Krakow, Malopolskie, Poland
Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Kokkola, Western Finland, Finland
Toowoomba, British Columbia, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Leiria, Leiria, Portugal
Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
Perpignan, Languedoc-Rossillon, France
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
as well as Hong Kong and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
Sometimes your impressive intellectual strengths can be intimidating to lesser minds. But today, your brains will help you make good connections with and great impressions on people from all different walks of life. You are going to be exposing folks to an avalanche of new ideas, and they're going to get quite excited about the possibilities you are showing them. This level of power and influence feels new for you, but it is something you need to get used to.
I guess I'll just have to get used to it then.
Sometimes your impressive intellectual strengths can be intimidating to lesser minds. But today, your brains will help you make good connections with and great impressions on people from all different walks of life. You are going to be exposing folks to an avalanche of new ideas, and they're going to get quite excited about the possibilities you are showing them. This level of power and influence feels new for you, but it is something you need to get used to.
I guess I'll just have to get used to it then.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Core of the Sun on Earth?
From BBC-Science:
The US completes construction of a huge physics experiment that aims to recreate the blistering conditions at the Sun's core.
Liars and Fools
Liars and Fools for today are:
Armey (r-Texas ret'd): For the first time we have a President that scares me
Good - afraid all your ill gotten and other sundry items are going to disappear, huh?
Touting her currency conspiracy, Bachmann (lunatic-Minnesota) insists: 'This is not Michele Bachmann being a kook'
Yes, this IS Michelle Bachmann being a kook - a whacked out, raving lunatic type kook.
Bachmann (lunatic-Minnesota) calls for "an orderly revolution"
What is 'orderly' in the mind of a stark raving mad lunatic anyway?
Issa (r-California) introduces legislation that would prohibit First Lady from doing any substantive work
Blow it out your ear Issa.
McConnell (r-Kentucky) complains that Obama isn't being bipartisan enough
Come again? Who, isn't being bipartisan enough?
McConnell (r-Kentucky) says Obama is turning America into France
This from someone who's mother is his sister (he is from Kentucky after all)!
Paulson, the shrub's Treasury Secretary, laments not getting more 'kudos' for saving the economy
Saving what economy there bucko?
Shimkus (r-Illinois) says capping CO2 emissions will take away too much 'plant food from the atmosphere'
I see someone failed basic eight grade science class!
repugican Chair Steele says he's "done" reaching out to Obama
It's not called 'reaching out' when you keep your hands behind your back, lame-brain.
Los Angeles Times' Klavan claims he's "never heard" Dimbulb "utter a single racist, hateful or stupid word"
Klavan is deaf, then.
CNBC's Cramer gets it massively wrong, again
Are we surprised by this?
Wall Street Journal's Fund claims Obama administration wants "to micromanage the car industry towards the social engineering goals that they want"
Using all the buzz-words and still not getting through.
Kristol doesn't think he owes anyone an apology for hyping WMD lies on Iraq
How about several million Iraqis, then.
MSNBC's Matthews calls "very correct" McPain's flie that "firing" of Wagoner was "unprecedented in the history of this country"
With so many lies from McPain, this one isn't even unprecedented, much less the firing of Wagoner.
Bozell's Newsbusters plays the Jeff Gannon card; Falls flat nose first into the ground
After all the bloody noses you'd think they'd have learned, but no ...
Bozell of Media Research Center offers revisionist lies on Tomlinson and NPR
Need a bit of research there, buddy.
Coulter still smearing Soros as Nazi collaborator
So says the NAZI.
Dimbulb calls Obama "an extremist tyrannical president"
Wrong - we ousted the tyrant in the last election.
Dimbulb: IF GM and Obama fail, America is saved
He can't help it, it's a mental condition.
Dimbulb repeats the lie that Obama "voted for infanticide"
Habitual lying is a mental disorder that is brought about by syphilis you know.
Farrah's nutball Western Journalism Center springs back into action
Can't wait to see what these wing-nut freaks come up with - I need a good laugh.
Armey (r-Texas ret'd): For the first time we have a President that scares me
Good - afraid all your ill gotten and other sundry items are going to disappear, huh?
Touting her currency conspiracy, Bachmann (lunatic-Minnesota) insists: 'This is not Michele Bachmann being a kook'
Yes, this IS Michelle Bachmann being a kook - a whacked out, raving lunatic type kook.
Bachmann (lunatic-Minnesota) calls for "an orderly revolution"
What is 'orderly' in the mind of a stark raving mad lunatic anyway?
Issa (r-California) introduces legislation that would prohibit First Lady from doing any substantive work
Blow it out your ear Issa.
McConnell (r-Kentucky) complains that Obama isn't being bipartisan enough
Come again? Who, isn't being bipartisan enough?
McConnell (r-Kentucky) says Obama is turning America into France
This from someone who's mother is his sister (he is from Kentucky after all)!
Paulson, the shrub's Treasury Secretary, laments not getting more 'kudos' for saving the economy
Saving what economy there bucko?
Shimkus (r-Illinois) says capping CO2 emissions will take away too much 'plant food from the atmosphere'
I see someone failed basic eight grade science class!
repugican Chair Steele says he's "done" reaching out to Obama
It's not called 'reaching out' when you keep your hands behind your back, lame-brain.
Los Angeles Times' Klavan claims he's "never heard" Dimbulb "utter a single racist, hateful or stupid word"
Klavan is deaf, then.
CNBC's Cramer gets it massively wrong, again
Are we surprised by this?
Wall Street Journal's Fund claims Obama administration wants "to micromanage the car industry towards the social engineering goals that they want"
Using all the buzz-words and still not getting through.
Kristol doesn't think he owes anyone an apology for hyping WMD lies on Iraq
How about several million Iraqis, then.
MSNBC's Matthews calls "very correct" McPain's flie that "firing" of Wagoner was "unprecedented in the history of this country"
With so many lies from McPain, this one isn't even unprecedented, much less the firing of Wagoner.
Bozell's Newsbusters plays the Jeff Gannon card; Falls flat nose first into the ground
After all the bloody noses you'd think they'd have learned, but no ...
Bozell of Media Research Center offers revisionist lies on Tomlinson and NPR
Need a bit of research there, buddy.
Coulter still smearing Soros as Nazi collaborator
So says the NAZI.
Dimbulb calls Obama "an extremist tyrannical president"
Wrong - we ousted the tyrant in the last election.
Dimbulb: IF GM and Obama fail, America is saved
He can't help it, it's a mental condition.
Dimbulb repeats the lie that Obama "voted for infanticide"
Habitual lying is a mental disorder that is brought about by syphilis you know.
Farrah's nutball Western Journalism Center springs back into action
Can't wait to see what these wing-nut freaks come up with - I need a good laugh.
'Moonwalking' mice
The cause of a rare debilitating condition called cerebellar ataxia has eluded scientists, but mice that move backwards when they try to go forwards may provide the answer.
Ice on Mars
Several small space rocks that hit Mars in 2008 blasted away topsoil to reveal a layer of water ice lying just below the planet's surface.
Subsurface ice on Mars exposed by recent impacts
Rare animals on your PC
Fans of wildlife documentaries could soon catch up with the latest rare animal sightings from their computers.
Rare animals to feature on Google Earth
Find your home's costly water leaks
Get the clues and tips you need to find and fix what's draining your wallet.
Find your home's costly water leaks
Also of interest: Is your tap water safe?
Ryan Moats and his wife speak out
The tape of the incident between an officer and Ryan Moats, who was rushing to see his dying mother-in-law, sparked controversy nationwide.
NFL player, wife speak out on cop encounter
Cause of mysterious boom and flash in sky found
Officials have identified the source of the loud boom and streak of light in the sky that rattled Virginia residents.
Cause of mysterious boom and flash in sky found
Some witnesses' descriptions.
How 10 Classic Toys Were Invented
Did you know that Play-Doh was first sold as a wallpaper cleaner.
How’s that for weird?
You rolled it on the walls to remove coal dust.
Many classic toys were invented under unusual circumstances.
How’s that for weird?
You rolled it on the walls to remove coal dust.
Many classic toys were invented under unusual circumstances.
Speaking of Anniversaries
Today is the 151st anniversary of the pencil eraser.
Today in 1858, one H. L. Lipman was granted a patent for attaching a piece of rubber to the end of a pencil.
Turns out to have been a pretty good idea - but not that good.
Later the courts didn't think it was all that outstanding of an idea.
From Smithsonian:
Today in 1858, one H. L. Lipman was granted a patent for attaching a piece of rubber to the end of a pencil.
Turns out to have been a pretty good idea - but not that good.
Later the courts didn't think it was all that outstanding of an idea.
From Smithsonian:
Unfortunately for Lipman, the patent would later be revoked, when the U.S. Supreme Court rules in 1875 that a pencil with an eraser is just a pencil with an eraser and not a new invention.
Jerks are still jerks
Nothing ever changes ...
From TreeHugger:
An absolutely fascinating seven minute film of the streets of Barcelona in 1908, taken with a camera mounted on the front of a streetcar. The streets are dominated by bicyclists and pedestrians, many of whom appear to be in a non-stop game of chicken with the trolley. It is lovely to see a world without cars where streets are for people; not so lovely to see that riding habits haven't generally improved.
Article continues: Cyclists and Pedestrians Were Jerks In 1908 Too
A Fleet of UFOs in formation has been photographed ...
... On Google Street View.
A fleet of UFOs in formation has been photographed - on Google.
The nine silver spheres hover above a row of shops, including a Coral bookies, on the internet giant's new Street View service.
"I'm Smooth" - em, yeah, right
A retired police chief says he was robbed by "probably the dumbest criminal in Pennsylvania."
It happened Friday morning at police officers' convention near Harrisburg, where 300 narcotics officers from Pennsylvania and Ohio were gathered.
John Comparetto says as he came out of a stall in the men's room, a man pointed a gun in his face and demanded money.
Comparetto gave up his money and cell phone. But when the man fled, Comparetto and some colleagues chased him. They arrested 19-year-old Jerome Marquis Blanchett of Harrisburg as he was trying to leave in a taxi.
When a reporter asked Blanchett for comment as he was led out of court, he said, "I'm smooth."
Somehow the word, 'smooth' just doesn't come to mind.
It happened Friday morning at police officers' convention near Harrisburg, where 300 narcotics officers from Pennsylvania and Ohio were gathered.
John Comparetto says as he came out of a stall in the men's room, a man pointed a gun in his face and demanded money.
Comparetto gave up his money and cell phone. But when the man fled, Comparetto and some colleagues chased him. They arrested 19-year-old Jerome Marquis Blanchett of Harrisburg as he was trying to leave in a taxi.
When a reporter asked Blanchett for comment as he was led out of court, he said, "I'm smooth."
*****
Somehow the word, 'smooth' just doesn't come to mind.
Driver begs cops to shoot him
A police chase that exceeded speeds of more than 130 mph ended when the driver crashed and begged officers to shoot him.
Sleeping man gets locked inside I Don't Care Bar
A patron at the I Don't Care Bar & Grill evidently didn't care about leaving until it was way past closing time and the door was locked.
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Seoul, Seoul T'ukpyolsi, Korea
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Kiev, Kyyiv, Ukraine
Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Quezon City, Quezon City, Philippines
Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Copenhagen, Staden Kobenhaven, Denmark
as well as Germany and the United States
Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Seoul, Seoul T'ukpyolsi, Korea
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Laval, Quebec, Canada
Kiev, Kyyiv, Ukraine
Windhoek, Windhoek, Namibia
Quezon City, Quezon City, Philippines
Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Copenhagen, Staden Kobenhaven, Denmark
as well as Germany and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You can't control another person's behavior, but you can show them how to behave!
That I can do.
You can't control another person's behavior, but you can show them how to behave!
That I can do.
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