CAROLINA NATURALLY

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Feliciano 'revolted' by parody of 'Feliz Navidad'

Grammy-winner Jose Feliciano is outraged that the theme from his holiday song "Feliz Navidad" was used for a musical spoof about undocumented immigrants.

Full Story

Scientists discover how the brain encodes memories at a cellular level

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have made a major discovery in how the brain encodes memories. The finding, published in the December 24 issue of the journal Neuron, could eventually lead to the development of new drugs to aid memory.

The team of scientists is the first to uncover a central process in encoding memories that occurs at the level of the synapse, where neurons connect with each other. [...]

The production of new proteins can only occur when the RNA that will make the required proteins is turned on. Until then, the RNA is “locked up” by a silencing molecule, which is a micro RNA. The RNA and micro RNA are part of a package that includes several other proteins. [...]

Part of strengthening a synapse involves making new proteins. Those proteins build the synapse and make it stronger. Just like with exercise, when new proteins must build up muscle mass, synapses must also make more protein when recording memories. In this research, the regulation and control of that process was uncovered.

When the signal comes in, the wrapping protein degrades or gets fragmented. Then the RNA is suddenly free to synthesize a new protein.

Scientists discover how the brain encodes memories at a cellular level

The Power of Magical Thinking

Research Shows the Importance of Imagination in Children’s Cognitive Development

Is the Tooth Fairy real? How about the garbage man? Those questions may seem trivial, but how young children answer them is an important indicator of cognitive development.

For years, imagination was thought of as a way for children to escape from reality, and once they reached a certain age, it was believed they would push fantasy aside and deal with the real world. But, increasingly, child-development experts are recognizing the importance of imagination and the role it plays in understanding reality. Imagination is necessary for learning about people and events we don’t directly experience, such as history or events on the other side of the world. For young kids, it allows them to ponder the future, such as what they want to do when they grow up.

The Power of Magical Thinking

Science News

From BBC-Science:

'Switch' could block Huntington's

A "molecular switch" that can prevent Huntington's disease developing is found in mice.

Esa satellite senses Earth's pull

Europe's Goce satellite returns remarkable new data on the way the pull of gravity varies across the Earth.

Chimps use cleavers to chop food

For the first time, chimps are seen using tools to chop up and reduce food into smaller bite-sized portions.

Liars and Fools

Liars and Fools today are:

Talking head Jim Quinn lies: "Your republic died in November of 2008".
Nope, it was restored.

Tom Price (reptile - Georgia) lies claiming Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have “a disdain for our form of government”.
By "our" form of government he means autocratic dictatorial, and not the form of government established by the formation of these United States

Dimbulb is still lying saying that "there are death panels back in this bill" which "cannot be repealed".
This moron just keeps proving just how stupid he is.

The idiot Neal Boorts lies claiming "the damage Obama and the Democrats are doing will surpass this tragic event" — meaning 9/11/2001.
No, that was the shrub cabal.

Lush Dimbulb lies yet again saying the founding fathers "rose up against a tyranny that is nothing compared to" health bill, and adds that liberalism is "un-American".
The syphilis is kicking up again, eh?

Glenn Brick's substitue lies claiming health care reform will "weed out the undesirables," make us "all become slaves", and calls Democrats the "party of eugenics".
Nazi calling others Nazis.

How to make sure your charity checks out

Evaluate a charity's ability to deliver on your good intentions with these seven measures.

The 75% standard

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Easy no-cook appetizers for holiday parties

You don't have to slave in the kitchen or spend big bucks to host a great holiday gathering.

Practically instant recipes

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Military to scrap pregnancy punishment

A policy that drew fierce criticism from women's advocates and U.S. senators will be lifted, a general says.

Reversal

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Stem cells restore vision in man's eye

Russell Turnbull says his life has been transformed after a tragic incident 15 years ago.

Details

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Pet reindeer and the man who loves her

Abandoned by her mother, Star has a home with Albert Whitehead in Alaska.

'She has a different personality'

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How to avoid awkward holiday chit-chat

Here's what to say when busybodies and know-it-alls approach you.

'When are you going to have kids?'

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The Rat toppled

Pope knocked down at xmas eve mass

Pope Benedict XVI was surprised by a woman who jumped a barrier at St. Peter's Basilica.

Unfortunately the 82-year-old was unhurt

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Storm snarls last-minute holiday travel

Weary travelers battle icy roads and delayed flights to reach their Christmas destinations.

'The wind is killer'

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De La Lastra's Law

After the last of 16 mounting screws has been removed from an access cover, it will be discovered that the wrong access cover has been removed.

Yemen claims 30 killed in raid on Qaida hide-outs

Backed by U.S. intelligence, Yemeni forces struck a series of suspected al-Qaida hideouts Thursday, killing more than 30 militants in its stepped-up campaign against the terror network, the government said.

Full Story

US blasts trial of Chinese dissident

The United States is sharply criticizing China's trial of a prominent Chinese dissident as being "uncharacteristic of a great country."

Liu Xiaobo was detained a year ago before the release of an appeal for more civil rights in China that he co-authored.

He was tried Wednesday on subversion charges and faces up to 15 years in jail.

US blasts trial of Chinese dissident

Police stop generous 5th-grader with $10,000

Police say a fifth-grader handed out about $300 to others on the bus ride to his eastern Indiana school.

Full Story

Runaway convert case

Family issue or test of sharia law in US?

A muslim girl who converted to christianity in Ohio fled her family because she said she felt her life was in danger.

A judge ruled Tuesday that the family must discuss their religious views, though they are not required to meet in person.

The muslim teenager who converted to christianity and ran away from home, claiming she feared for her life, does not have to meet with her parents in order to mediate her future, a judge ruled late Tuesday..

Full Story

Inmate on suicide watch commits suicide

An inmate kills himself inside the Cuyahoga County jail, even though a judge had ordered him placed on suicide watch.

Full Story

Teabagger Worried His Magic Prayers Made God Kill Inhofe

If only it was that easy ...

A panicked teabagger called up C-SPAN in tears today, worried that he accidentally killed repugican Jim Inhofe by praying for Democratic Senator Robert Byrd to die. This is one of the saddest things ever to appear on C-SPAN.

You might have heard that repugican Tom Coburn told health care reform opponents on Sunday to pray for 92 year-old Byrd to die so that Democrats would be a vote shy of the 60 needed to break repugicans’ filibuster. [...]

Inhofe wasn’t dead, of course. According to Roll Call: Inhofe “was absent to fly his wife home to Oklahoma in advance of the Christmas holiday.”

Teabagger Worried His Magic Prayers Made God Kill Inhofe

And they wonder why they are considered to be morons?

Escaped prisoner taunts police on Facebook

facebook fugative

Craig “Lazie” Lynch vanished from Hollesley Bay Prison in Suffolk in September this year close to the end of a seven-year sentence for aggravated burglary.

Instead of hiding away from police Lynch has set up a Facebook account complete with a photograph sticking his middle finger up and boasts about eating 12lb steaks and his home being so warm it feels like the Caribbean.

The burglar has become prolific Facebooker with 199 friends and has even posted when he is going round to friend’s homes and attending parties and events.

Escaped prisoner taunts police on Facebook

A holiday classic

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Sun, moon may trigger California tremors

Scientists say tidal forces are causing tremors that could help predict earthquakes.

'Faint tug of the sun'

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How to buy a diamond as prices drop

An oversupply of polished gems means now is a good time to find a bargain, experts say.

Why sales won't last

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America's most literate cities

The cities where the most people read are also popular with singles, a study suggests.

Top 10

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Psychological tricks of restaurant menus

Colors, fonts, punctuation and layout can all entice diners to spend a little more.

Why $9.99 is wrong

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Major storm spreads across the Midwest

Holiday travelers deal with flight cancellations and icy roads in the heartland.

Worst is yet to come

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Common myths about babies

4 common myths about babies

Contrary to popular belief, touching the soft spot on your infant's head won't hurt its brain.

The truth about daily baths

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States gaining the most population

One big Central state added more residents than any other in the nation.

Only three shrank during the year

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When to call a catfish a 'catfish'

Scientists say a fierce debate over which fish should be called a catfish is an "absurdity."

Congress to decide

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How retirement benefits will change in 2010

Payouts have kept pace with inflation since 1975, but next year will be far from typical, experts warn.

What to expect

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Where homes are losing the most value

These areas experienced the biggest drops in housing prices from their peak.

Top city lost 62% in home value

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Peel a banana like a monkey

The fastest, easiest way to open a banana is probably not the way you're doing it.

Best videos of '09

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U.S. father gets his son back from Brazil

David Goldman and his 9-year-old son are finally reunited after a five-year custody battle.

'Difficult moment'

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Last-minute tax breaks to take

Tax season seems far off, but there are only days left to lower your 2009 tax bill.

Possibly thousands in savings

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Unusual Holidays and Celebrations

There are no unusual holidays or celebrations today.

But today IS the LAST shopping day before Xmas!

Daily Almanac

Today is Thursday, Dec. 24, the 358th day of 2009.

There are seven days left in the year.

This is Christmas Eve.

Today In History December 24

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Croatia
Macau, Macau, Macao
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Buenos Aries, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines
Vilvoorde, Brabant Wallon, Belgium
Karlsruhe, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
London, England, United Kingdom
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
York, England, United Kingdom
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Daily Horoscope

Today's horoscope says:

You may have to face the fact that all good things must come to an end, but you don't have to let these endings ruin your day.
Use change as a chance to transform and grow rather than worry about what you're going to miss.
This is a good opportunity to get out of a rut and move onto something bigger and better.
You may feel uprooted for a while, but eventually you'll come to love your newfound freedom.

Freedom, yeah!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Dams linked to more extreme weather

The statistics of rainfall around more than 600 dams reveal many have triggered more extreme storms.

Dams linked to more extreme weather

Are we looking in the wrong places for water on the moon?

Conventional theory says water ice should be concentrated in permanently shadowed craters near the poles, but that's not where it seems to be turning up.

Are we looking in the wrong places for water on the moon?

Plane overshoots runway in Jamaica

Plane overshoots Jamaica runway

An American Airlines flight carrying 154 people skidded across a Jamaican runway in heavy rain, bouncing across the tarmac and injuring more than 40 people before it stopped just short of the Caribbean Sea, officials and witnesses said.

Plane overshoots runway in Jamaica

An American Airlines flight from Miami skids to a stop just feet from the sea during a heavy storm.

Many injured

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Ancient clone saw out the last ice age

Clones of an ancient bush have been discovered in California by botanists who reckon it first grew at the height of the last ice age, 13,000 years ago.

Ancient clone saw out the last ice age

Polismannen drog vapen under snobollskrig

It's not a good sign when one of our DC cops makes us an international embarrassment.

How to really boost your value at work

The most valuable employees in any workplace are often the hardest ones to replace.

Ways to build job security

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Pope debate inflames tensions with Jews

The Vatican's latest move to push Pope Pius XII toward sainthood sparks outrage.

Doubts swirl around legacy

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Unusual Hoilidays and Celebrations

Today is Festivas.

Daily Almanac

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 23, the 357th day of 2009.

There are eight days left in the year.

Today In History December 23

Our Readers

Some of our readers today have been in:

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
London, England, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Milano, Lombardia, Italy
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

as well as China, Northern Ireland, and the United States

Today's horoscope says:

Several planetary influences will inspire you to go after what you want with a vengeance.
If you're challenged, you'll deliver the perfect response in a most authoritative tone of voice, easily convincing any and all opponents just to drop it.
Then there's your innate tendency to refuse to accept no for an answer.
If anyone really does try to tangle with you, at least give them props for trying.

None brave enough to challenge me.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Photos of a day-glo, underwater world

The Dyche Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas has this almost hidden little room in the basement where you can go in, close a curtain, flip on a blacklight and watch as a collection of seemingly ordinary rocks light up with a fluorescent glow. This series of images, taken by photographer Louise Murray, reminds me of how much I like that room at the Dyche. Only, instead of rocks, Murray snaps photos of coral, fish and other sea creatures, using a portable blue light.

Fluorescent colors are produced by cells responding to certain wavelengths of light hitting them - causing the cell to emit its own light on a different wavelength, which creates a different color. Traffic cones and highlighter pens are just two everyday examples of fluorescing objects that humans can detect without any equipment. Above ground people can usually pick up other fluorescing objects using ultra violet lights.

The hidden fluorescent colors of the oceans

Forty-year-old air sample

A man in Beaumaris, Australia provided scientists with the oldest sample of air from the southern hemisphere. John Allport, 76, gave a scuba tank that he had filled in 1968 to researchers from the CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research labs. From Nature:

The air archive maintained by CSIRO started in 1978, and contains samples of clean air from a station at Cape Grim, Tasmania. It’s the oldest such archive in the world. Now with Allport’s tank, last used in 1970, the record has been extended further.
The air contained traces of propellants, refrigerants and emissions form aluminium smelters. Paul Fraser, who leads CSIRO’s greenhouse gas research team says that the scuba tank is going to be really useful: “If tanks were filled in a clean coastal environment their usefulness in measuring greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chloro-flurocarbons (CFCs) is much broader,” he says.