Auschwitz survivor teams up with rap band
A former member of the Auschwitz girls' orchestra finds some surprising musical soul mates.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Big companies that are hiring now
Big companies that are hiring now
Even in this economy, these leading businesses are eager to find skilled workers.
Female teachers may pass on math anxiety to girls, study finds
Girls have long embraced the stereotype that they're not supposed to be good at math.
It seems they may be getting the idea from a surprising source -- their female elementary school teachers. First- and second-graders whose teachers were anxious about mathematics were more likely to believe that boys are hard-wired for math and that girls are better at reading, a new study has found. What's more, the girls who bought into that notion scored significantly lower on math tests than their peers who didn't.
Dumb Crooks News
Man coughs up ring he tried to steal
Police in Missouri say a man accused of stealing a ring coughed up the evidence while officers were questioning him.
Woman claims white powder came from doughnut
East Tennessee police said a Knoxville woman who was later arrested for cocaine possession initially told an officer that she had been eating a powdered doughnut.
Stone Age amputee proves Neolithic medics more advanced than previously thought
Stone Age medicine was far more advanced than previously thought, scientists discovered, after unearthing the 7,000-year-old skeleton of a man with an amputated arm.
Horizontal and vertical
Darwinian selection cannot explain why all life on Earth shares the same genetic code – it looks like another form of evolution came first.The evolution of evolution
If you think a crow is giving you the evil eye…
... it probably is. Crows can recognize individual human faces and hold a grudge for years against someone who treats them badly.The Evil Eye
Aggie researchers find ancient galaxies
Star gazing has paid off for some Texas A&M researchers with a new look at some very old galaxies.
Aggie researchers find ancient galaxies
Aggie researchers find ancient galaxies
Corporate developers abandon "underwater" property - why not individuals?
Tishman Speyer Properties and its co-investors just walked away from the largest real-estate deal in US history, simply defaulting on the properties and the loans that bought them and leaving their creditors in the lurch. The properties, Manhattan's 56-building, 11,232-unit Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town, were "under water" (worth less than the debt hanging over them), so the corporate developers elected to simply jettison them.
They're not alone -- Morgan Stanley recently dumped five San Francisco office buildings, stiffing their creditors when the buildings went underwater.
As a business-strategy it makes sense: why repay loans secured by assets that are worth less than the loans? Just turn the assets over and cut your losses.
But individuals are shamed, bullied, and counseled not to do this when it's their private homes that fall underwater. Everyone from former US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to credit counselors to the Mortgage Bankers Association tell you that defaulting on underwater property is low and dishonest (unless you're a Wall Street player -- then it's just "protecting shareholder value").
Former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson once said: "And let me emphasize, any homeowner who can afford his mortgage payment but chooses to walk away from an underwater property is simply a speculator - and one who is not honoring his obligations."
The head of the Mortgage Bankers Association, John Courson, played up the moral argument against walking away, telling the Wall Street Journal last month: "What about the message they will send to their family and their kids and their friends?
But corporations and businesses don't play by those rules. Like CalPERS's McKinley said, "You come to a point where you write it off or stay in the game. If you want to stay in you got to put in more capital. We reached our limit on that. It was not a prudent thing to put more money into it.
"You get to a point where you can't keep throwing good money after bad," he said. "These are illiquid investments. You gotta fish or cut bait."
As for homeowners walking away en masse -- perhaps lenders' biggest housing-related fear -- McKinley added: "We're hopeful that won't happen."
Thinking about time makes you sway
People who are thinking about the past sway backward, people who are thinking of the future sway forward
University of Aberdeen psychological scientists Lynden Miles, Louise Nind and Neil Macrae conducted a study to measure this in the lab. They fitted participants with a motion sensor while they imagined either future or past events. The researchers found that thinking about past or future events can literally move us: Engaging in mental time travel (a.k.a. chronesthesia) resulted in physical movements corresponding to the metaphorical direction of time. Those who thought of the past swayed backward while those who thought of the future moved forward.
Moving Through Time: Thinking of the Past or Future Causes Us to Sway Backward or Forward
What if you sway in circles?
What if you sway in circles?
Today is ...
Today is Tuesday, January 26, the 26th day of 2010.
There are 339 days left in the year.
Today In History January 26
Today's unusual Holidays and celebrations are:
National Speak Up and Succeed Day,
National Peanut Brittle Day,
as well as
Lotus 1-2-3 Day
and
Toad Hollow Day Of Encouragement
There are 339 days left in the year.
Today In History January 26
Today's unusual Holidays and celebrations are:
National Speak Up and Succeed Day,
National Peanut Brittle Day,
as well as
Lotus 1-2-3 Day
and
Toad Hollow Day Of Encouragement
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
Markham, Ontario, Canada
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mahhad, Khorasan, Iran
Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
London, England, United Kingdom
Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland
Izmir, Izmir, Turkey
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Markham, Ontario, Canada
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mahhad, Khorasan, Iran
Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
London, England, United Kingdom
Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland
Izmir, Izmir, Turkey
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
You're certainly aware of the power of words, if anyone is -- but you're about to receive a crash course on just how powerful they can really be.
For the moment, you'll begin to realize just how important each and every word you utter really is -- to one person in particular.
Take this very seriously.
And if you're not interested in them, don't pretend you are, not even if you think it might be fun to flirt a little.
Aw, shucks there goes the fun.
You're certainly aware of the power of words, if anyone is -- but you're about to receive a crash course on just how powerful they can really be.
For the moment, you'll begin to realize just how important each and every word you utter really is -- to one person in particular.
Take this very seriously.
And if you're not interested in them, don't pretend you are, not even if you think it might be fun to flirt a little.
Aw, shucks there goes the fun.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Repugicans send fake fundraising 'census' to voters
Ben Smith explains, and I have the actual fake "census" that a reader sent me:
Fake RNC fundraising Census 2010
Fake RNC fundraising Census 2010
Makes you want to throw up. And they wonder why they aren't liked?
Rush Limbaugh: I Don't Even Want To Be Alive Anymore
The Onion pens an op ed by Rush Limbaugh.
It's great.
It's great.
Remote Alaska village is first eyed in census
One down, more than 309 million to go. U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves on Monday began the 2010 count of the nation's residents in a village in Alaska's arctic hinterlands.
Remote Alaska village is first eyed in census
Remote Alaska village is first eyed in census
After 2008 scare, China finds more toxic milk products
Authorities in southwestern China have ordered three batches of milk products off shelves because they contain a chemical that killed at least six children in 2008, causing global concern over the made-in-China brand.
What gives in China?
The last time people went to a necktie party in their honor over this.
(That means they were hung as in 'by the neck until dead'.)
(That means they were hung as in 'by the neck until dead'.)
S.C. repugican's Plan: Starve the Poor So They'll Stop ''Breeding''
Lt. Governor, Andre Bauer:
"If you feed, them, they'll just come back for more-and worse still, they'll multiply."
"If you feed, them, they'll just come back for more-and worse still, they'll multiply."
Low class, just plain low class.
On second thought - no class at all!
On second thought - no class at all!
Obama announces initiatives for middle class
President Barack Obama on Monday offered help for people struggling to pay bills and care for their families, appealing to a middle-class he says has been "under assault for a long time." In a partial preview of a State of the Union address that aims to answer voter angst about the economy and reconnect with the public, Obama outlined the series ...
Full StoryRadio Group Interested In Hiring Howard Stern
Howard Stern could be returning to the public airwaves.
The nation's largest radio station owner, Clear Channel Communications, says it's interested in hiring Stern.
Radio Group Interested In Hiring Howard Stern
OK, but do they have the cajones to let him be himself - he is not their usual demographic?
The nation's largest radio station owner, Clear Channel Communications, says it's interested in hiring Stern.
Radio Group Interested In Hiring Howard Stern
OK, but do they have the cajones to let him be himself - he is not their usual demographic?
Alien remains recovered in Brazil?
Hard to say however there seems to be a big commotion from Brazil regarding this issue.
Could have another Roswell, New Mexico type event occurred in Brazil and now is being covered up or at least contained by the Brazilian Government?
Could have another Roswell, New Mexico type event occurred in Brazil and now is being covered up or at least contained by the Brazilian Government?
Priest Shoplifts Butter, Sofa Cover
A Roman Catholic priest was accused of shoplifting butter and a sofa cover at a Wal-Mart in southern Illinois.
Priest Shoplifts Butter, Sofa Cover
The question is ... just what did he have in mind for that butter and sofa cover?
Priest Shoplifts Butter, Sofa Cover
The question is ... just what did he have in mind for that butter and sofa cover?
Inmate loses fight to play Dungeons&Dragons
From the "Get over it, you're in prison, fool" Department:
A man serving life in prison for first-degree intentional homicide lost his legal battle Monday to play Dungeons&Dragons behind bars.
Inmate loses fight to play Dungeons&Dragons
A man serving life in prison for first-degree intentional homicide lost his legal battle Monday to play Dungeons&Dragons behind bars.
Inmate loses fight to play Dungeons&Dragons
Marijuana festival planning contest for 'best' pot
It's like a beer competition for marijuana.
A cannabis festival in Aspen this spring will be the first in the state for approved growers to put their strains in a contest.
Marijuana festival planning contest for 'best' pot
A cannabis festival in Aspen this spring will be the first in the state for approved growers to put their strains in a contest.
Marijuana festival planning contest for 'best' pot
Extra-terrestrials here on Earth?
It is the classic sci-fi scenario: discovering aliens, not in outer space, but right here on Earth, sitting next to you in the workplace, serving food in your local restaurant, or, scariest of all, in your own home.
Apple tree defies coldest winter to retain fruit crop
This 20ft specimen - which ironically grows wild in Summer Lane, Exeter, Devon - is still bursting red and green fruit despite the frosts, snow and ice of recent weeks.
Man cleans ears with matches, grounds plane
From the "this is getting so beyond ridiculous" Department:
A New Delhi flight was grounded after a passenger was found carrying matches to clean out his ears.
A New Delhi flight was grounded after a passenger was found carrying matches to clean out his ears.
Getting a cold one is no problem at ice bar
At one eastern Pennsylvania restaurant, getting a cold one is no problem: Everything is on ice - and under it, and surrounded by it.
Full StoryCold War Era Plane Converted Into Luxury Hotel Suite
From Treehugger:
TreeHugger loves recycling, and has shown a number of planes recycled into hotels. But none so luxurious as this renovation of a former 120-seater into a luxury suite for two, at Teuge airport in the Netherlands.
Article continues: Cold War Era Plane Converted Into Luxury Hotel Suite
Adams County software-firm owner charged in killing of ex-business partner
Adams County District Attorney Don Quick filed charges against William Rex Fowler in the shooting death of 42-year-old Thomas Ciancio, his former business partner at Fowler Software Design.
Investigators say Fowler shot Ciancio three times in the head with a 9mm Glock handgun when Ciancio came to Fowler Software Design to collect $9,900 in severance pay. [...]
Employees of the software company told investigators Ciancio had blamed Fowler for the company’s recent financial difficulties.
The employees said Fowler had taken about $200,000 of the company’s money without asking and gave it to a church or charity, according to the arrest affidavit. [...]
Investigators say the gun was registered to Andrew Hyung Fowler, 26, who lived at 1413 L. Ron Hubbard Way in Los Angeles when it was purchased. In interviews with police, Andrew Fowler said he gave the gun to his father for Christmas in 2007.
Police also found a briefcase and a typed note, dated Dec. 30 and signed by Fowler. The note said nothing confidential was in the satchel and that it should be given to his wife, Janet.
When Janet Fowler was interviewed by detectives, she demanded the briefcase.
“It is important to me and my church. It is religious material and I want it now,” she said to investigators. “Even if you looked at it, and read it, you would not understand anything in it. Because it is way above a normal person and you would not know what it meant. I want it back right now.”
Janet Fowler also reportedly told investigators that her husband “is a Scientologist and would not have gone without a fight. He would have grabbed a gun in a struggle and would not have let someone shoot him.”
Adams County software-firm owner charged in killing of ex-business partner
Bats and dolphins separately evolved same sonar gene
Rare example of two different creatures independently evolving a trait through the same genetic route.
Lush's numbers add up ... but not as he claims
While Lush Dimbulb may be one of the most listened to individuals, a look at the numbers shows some interesting things.
In Fresno, for example, Lush typically has 9-11% of the 25-54 year old Average Quarter Hour radio audience, which is more than any of the other 75 plus radio signals reaching the Fresno market. However if you look at the inverse of that number, you'll see that Lush has about 90% of the radio audience that does NOT listen to him.
Here is a set of typical ratings numbers.
Age group Percent listening to Lush
12-17 0.05
18-34 3.6
25-54 10.1
45-54 13.3
50-64 18.3
55-64 19.5
65-74 22.0
75+ 31.8
Meaning the closer you are to senility or death, the more likely you listen to Lush.
US to lift 21-year ban on haggis
Burns' night boost for famous Scottish dish that fell victim to BSE fears 
Haggis and its traditional accompaniment, whiskey. Haggis was banned by US authorities in 1989 because they feared its main ingredient - minced sheep offal - could prove lethal. Photograph: Marco Secchi/Getty Images
After 21 years in exile, the haggis is to be allowed back into the United States. The "great chieftan o' the puddin-race" was one of earliest casualties of the BSE crisis of the 1980s-90s, banned on health grounds by the US authorities in 1989 because they feared its main ingredient ‑ minced sheep offal ‑ could prove lethal.
What to do when kids won't listen
What to do when kids won't listen
Curiosity and empathy can help keep children from tuning parents out.
Who belongs to the 'Sandwich Generation'
Who belongs to the 'Sandwich Generation'
These Americans stand to benefit most from President Obama’s latest proposed tax changes.
Fast-growing public sector careers
5 fast-growing public sector careers
The government will add nearly 200,000 jobs in the next two years, boosting demand in these fields.
The world's biggest oil reserves
The world's biggest oil reserves
Chances are your gas is going to flow from one of these mega-gushers around the globe.
Home sales tank
What it means for you
Even as home sales post a record dip in December, homeowners and buyers have reason to be optimistic.
NASA announces personal flying suit plans
NASA announces personal flying suit plans
The space agency envisions a vehicle it says will be far superior to a jetpack.
Olympic symbol's intriguing past
Olympic symbol's intriguing past
A humanlike figure used in the Winter Games logo has towered over frozen lands for centuries.
Political rivals share the same office suite
Political rivals share the same office suite
Vincent Sheheen and Robert Ford both set sights on the S.C. governorship, but neither is moving.
Woman crashes into Picasso work, tears it
Woman crashes into Picasso work, tears it
A wobbly visitor rips a hole in a painting from the artist's Rose Period at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Record-breaking real estate deal goes bust
Record-breaking real estate deal goes bust
Owners who coughed up a historic $5.4 bil for an NYC housing complex turn it over to creditors.
Seven easy dinners
Seven easy dinners
Get a hot and tasty dinner on the table with these quick menus for every day of the week.
Tax breaks for almost everyone
Tax breaks for almost everyone
The IRS estimates the average tax refund in 2010 will be above last year's level of $2,800.
Census category sparks controversy
Census category sparks controversy
A racial term that's often considered inflammatory remains on the census questionnaire.
Bubble Wrap comes off the wall and into the culture
It is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day after all ...
Bubble wrap's accidental origin
Fifty years ago today, a failed invention for textured wallpaper took a surprising turn.
People have walked to the altar dressed in it, protected their garden plants with it, even put it on display at highbrow art museums.
Full StoryStores that might be closing in 2010
Stores that might be closing in 2010
These companies closed a lot of stores in 2009, and are likely to shut more this year.
Compared to Picasso
7-year-old compared to Picasso
An auction of Kieron Williamson's paintings sells out in 15 minutes and raises a stunning sum.
Texas residents flee as earth gives way
Texas residents flee as earth gives way
Shifting ground and gaping holes in San Antonio have engineers mystified.
Thames Eel Population Mysteriously Drops a Staggering 98% In 5 Years
From Treehugger:
Eels were among the first species to recolonize the Thames river after it was cleaned up in the 1960s and 70s. But scientists are sounding an alarm that the populations have crashed over the last five years, and they aren't sure what the problem is.
Article continues: Thames Eel Population Mysteriously Drops a Staggering 98% In 5 Years
Rare dinosaur bones studied, at last
Rare dinosaur bones studied, at last
A nearly complete skeleton, once stolen by a fossil hunter, could be a new raptor species.
Is your lawn hurting the environment?
Is your lawn hurting the environment?
Green, manicured yards may be contributing to global warming, a study says.
Leaf Carving: An Incredible New Art Form
Cool art from Treehugger:
Artists create delicate images on leaves by slowly scraping the surface. Photo via Mundo Gump
It's hard not to love the brilliant display of colorful foliage that signals the entrance of autumn each year, but as the cold winter winds prevail, those leaves that once beautified the landscape are left to collect on the ground or be begrudging raked-up in some weekend chore. A new art form emerging out of China, however, is making use of these brittle leaves--creating delicate forms that will continue to be appreciated long after the jackets and sweaters of winter are hung in closets and the green buds of a new season sprout.
Article continues: Leaf Carving: An Incredible New Art Form
Comet storm split destiny of Jupiter's twin moons
Jupiter's two biggest moons only look similar – inside they are very different. Is an ancient comet bombardment to blame?Comet storm split destiny of Jupiter's twin moons
Cop News
In Cop News
Pennsylvania police beat teen to pulp over a Mountain Dew
DC juror recounts how cop lied in drug bust case
California sheriff's investigators look into drug smuggling allegations against deputies
Mississippi cop gets 10 years after pleading guilty to six felony charges
Louisiana police officer faces animal cruelty charges
South Carolina deputy pleads not guilty to bribery at arraignment today
TSA screener who planted fake drugs on traveler was just kidding
Canadian police apologize for mistakenly beating innocent man
Pennsylvania police beat teen to pulp over a Mountain Dew
DC juror recounts how cop lied in drug bust case
California sheriff's investigators look into drug smuggling allegations against deputies
Mississippi cop gets 10 years after pleading guilty to six felony charges
Louisiana police officer faces animal cruelty charges
South Carolina deputy pleads not guilty to bribery at arraignment today
TSA screener who planted fake drugs on traveler was just kidding
Canadian police apologize for mistakenly beating innocent man
Liars and Fools for the day are:
There are many "Jew-haters" "in the Obama administration or in his circle of friends", lies Lush Dimbulb.
Here he is projecting again, why do NAZIs insist on doing that, projecting themselves on everyone and everything.
Faux's Charles Pain lies sayingObama "betrayed America" by giving TARP money to automakers.
Oh, this idiot again.
Lush Dimbulb lies yet again saying Obama "ran for this office ... to destroy the capitalist system of this country ... and he is succeeding".
Nope, that was your god Dumbya and your cadre and you almost succeeded until we stopped you.
There are many "Jew-haters" "in the Obama administration or in his circle of friends", lies Lush Dimbulb.
Here he is projecting again, why do NAZIs insist on doing that, projecting themselves on everyone and everything.
Faux's Charles Pain lies sayingObama "betrayed America" by giving TARP money to automakers.
Oh, this idiot again.
Lush Dimbulb lies yet again saying Obama "ran for this office ... to destroy the capitalist system of this country ... and he is succeeding".
Nope, that was your god Dumbya and your cadre and you almost succeeded until we stopped you.
Haiti's leaders asks citizens to find shelter in countryside
The truckers filling Haiti's mass graves with bodies reported ever higher numbers: More than 150,000 quake victims have been buried by the government, an official said today.
Full StoryNazi Group Adopts Colorado Highway
National Socialist Movement, also Known as America's Nazi Party, Will Pick Up Trash on One-Mile Stretch
An Adopt-A-Highway sign for the National Socialist Movement, also known as America's Nazi Party, is seen on Highway 85 near Brighton, Colo.
Nazi Group Adopts Colorado Highway
Fixes for 3 common sleep problems
Fixes for 3 common sleep problems
Stop waking up in the middle of the night and start getting more than four or five hours of sleep.
Slow Walking for Slow Down London
From Treehugger:
Slow Listening in a park
Slow Down London is a lovely little project which encourages Londoners to slow down and look at the speed of life. One aspect is the Slow Club, an 8 week course with tasks to be done and Sunday's was a slow walk around the Kyoto Gardens in London's Holland Park. A delight for the eye and a wake-up to the senses.
We met at the park and chatted about how surprisingly difficult it was to fulfill our Slow Club assignments. Some were cyclists who never walked, and couldn't cycle "slowly", some couldn't find time to do the meditation and one couldn't eat breakfast and read the paper in slow motion. After the fold: ready to work...
Article continues: Slow Walking for Slow Down London
Chimp Movie
From BBC-Science:
 |  | The world's first film shot entirely by chimpanzees is to be broadcast by the BBC as part of a natural history documentary. |
It has to be better than the drek out of Hollywood and 'other' places.
Today is ...
Today in History Today is Monday, January 25, the 25th day of 2010.
There are 340 days left in the year.
There are 340 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
and
A Room Of One's Own Day
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
and
A Room Of One's Own Day
Our Readers
Some of our readers today have been in:
London, England, United Kingdom
Baia Mare, Maramures, Romania
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Delhi, Delhi, India
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Gampaha, Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland
Warrington, England, United Kingdom
Northampton, England, United Kingdom
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Rome Lazio, Italy
as well as Sweden, Scotland, and the United States
London, England, United Kingdom
Baia Mare, Maramures, Romania
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Delhi, Delhi, India
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Gampaha, Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland
Warrington, England, United Kingdom
Northampton, England, United Kingdom
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Rome Lazio, Italy
as well as Sweden, Scotland, and the United States
Daily Horoscope
Today's horoscope says:
For days you've been dreaming about your spare time and spending it all alone at your place.
Well, that's a nice dream, but it's not going to happen.
When you least expect it -- shortly before quitting time -- you'll get your second wind.
So now what?
Do you call everyone you turned down and say you changed your mind, or stay in because you said you would?
Duh -- get the phone.
They'll only snicker for a second.
Then they'll be so glad to see you it won't matter.
Spare time - I know it's a pipe dream, but it's my pipe dream.
For days you've been dreaming about your spare time and spending it all alone at your place.
Well, that's a nice dream, but it's not going to happen.
When you least expect it -- shortly before quitting time -- you'll get your second wind.
So now what?
Do you call everyone you turned down and say you changed your mind, or stay in because you said you would?
Duh -- get the phone.
They'll only snicker for a second.
Then they'll be so glad to see you it won't matter.
Spare time - I know it's a pipe dream, but it's my pipe dream.
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