It's The Economy Stupid
U.S. manufacturing regions are losing the most people as workers flee in search of jobs.
Also: 
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Furor over Nazi naked Minnie Mouse
Art gallery owners in Poland are facing jail over a giant poster of a naked Minnie Mouse sprawled on a huge Nazi swastika.
The billboard - advertising an art exhibition - has infuriated locals as it is plastered next to a synagogue in Poznan.
"For me it is quite shocking, and even more so for people who remember the Second World War, and especially for people who suffered during it," said local councilor Norbert Napieraj.
During World War II the synagogue was closed and looted by Nazis before being flooded and turned into a swimming pool for German soldiers.
Now prosecutors are studying the poster to see if it promotes fascism, punishable by three years in jail in Poland.
But gallery manager Maria Czarnecka said: "This billboard is for a poster exhibition and in no way does it promote fascism or support the Nazi regime."
The billboard - advertising an art exhibition - has infuriated locals as it is plastered next to a synagogue in Poznan.
"For me it is quite shocking, and even more so for people who remember the Second World War, and especially for people who suffered during it," said local councilor Norbert Napieraj.
During World War II the synagogue was closed and looted by Nazis before being flooded and turned into a swimming pool for German soldiers.
Now prosecutors are studying the poster to see if it promotes fascism, punishable by three years in jail in Poland.
But gallery manager Maria Czarnecka said: "This billboard is for a poster exhibition and in no way does it promote fascism or support the Nazi regime."
Most expensive feather ever fetches £4,000 at auction
A single plume from the extinct huia bird has sold for a record sum at auction in New Zealand making it the most expensive feather ever. The brown and white feather fetched NZ$8,000 (£3,800), far exceeding the NZ$500 that it had been estimated to reach. The feathers were traditionally used to adorn Maori chiefs.
The huia bird is thought to be extinct and has not been seen since 1907. The feather went under the hammer at Webb's Auction House in Auckland. Neil Campbell, the managing director of Webb's, said that the auction room had been "spellbound" as the bidding mounted.
"Starting in $100 increments, that quickly leapt into the thousands and came to rest at a world record price (for a single feather) of $8400 ($6,787)". The huia feather was bought by a family from the city of Wellington who declined to be identified. A spokesman from Webb's said that the family own a large collection of Maori artefacts. It was sold by an unidentified vendor who had had the feather in his family for generations.
The feather that sold in Auckland had been verified as authentic by experts from New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa. The previous record price for a single feather was reached when one from a bald eagle sold at a US auction for $US2,800 (£1,900). Numbers of huia birds declined rapidly after predatory mammals were introduced into New Zealand in the 1890s. Populations also suffered from hunting and deforestation.
The huia bird is thought to be extinct and has not been seen since 1907. The feather went under the hammer at Webb's Auction House in Auckland. Neil Campbell, the managing director of Webb's, said that the auction room had been "spellbound" as the bidding mounted.
"Starting in $100 increments, that quickly leapt into the thousands and came to rest at a world record price (for a single feather) of $8400 ($6,787)". The huia feather was bought by a family from the city of Wellington who declined to be identified. A spokesman from Webb's said that the family own a large collection of Maori artefacts. It was sold by an unidentified vendor who had had the feather in his family for generations.
The feather that sold in Auckland had been verified as authentic by experts from New Zealand's national museum, Te Papa. The previous record price for a single feather was reached when one from a bald eagle sold at a US auction for $US2,800 (£1,900). Numbers of huia birds declined rapidly after predatory mammals were introduced into New Zealand in the 1890s. Populations also suffered from hunting and deforestation.
The one that got away
Failure to make a $15 purchase probably cost one boat's crew a huge marlin tourney payoff.
Also: Grizzly charge captured by Canadian filmmaker
A filmmaker says he's lucky to be alive after narrowly avoiding a grizzly attack while filming in the Robson Valley, southeast of Prince George. Leon Lorenz, who lives in Dunster, B.C., was filming grizzly bears in a nearby valley last Monday evening when he spotted a bear and her cub. Lorenz said he took cover behind a spruce tree so he could film the bears without disturbing them, but the mother bear picked up his scent.
She turned suddenly, he said, and looked him right in the eyes. Then, roaring, she charged through the trees right at Lorenz. He recalls thinking, "This is for real. This is … no bluff charge." Lorenz set the camera down on a tripod, capturing everything on film, and grabbed his handgun with the hopes of firing a warning shot to scare the grizzly off.
Crouched behind the tree, he aimed his gun high and pulled the trigger — just as the grizzly burst through the branches of the tree, a few feet from where he was hiding. Lorenz said the shot spooked the bear, which he estimates weighed between 400 and 500 pounds, and she ran off with her cub. "I knew if I would have run, I wouldn't be here," he said.
"If I didn't have my handgun, even if I would have fired a shot a quarter of a second later, the blast would have been too late. She would have been on me." Lorenz said it's an experience he'll never forget. "It's something that will stay with me for life. … It was really something that I never expected and I think I've grown from it," he said.
She turned suddenly, he said, and looked him right in the eyes. Then, roaring, she charged through the trees right at Lorenz. He recalls thinking, "This is for real. This is … no bluff charge." Lorenz set the camera down on a tripod, capturing everything on film, and grabbed his handgun with the hopes of firing a warning shot to scare the grizzly off.
Crouched behind the tree, he aimed his gun high and pulled the trigger — just as the grizzly burst through the branches of the tree, a few feet from where he was hiding. Lorenz said the shot spooked the bear, which he estimates weighed between 400 and 500 pounds, and she ran off with her cub. "I knew if I would have run, I wouldn't be here," he said.
"If I didn't have my handgun, even if I would have fired a shot a quarter of a second later, the blast would have been too late. She would have been on me." Lorenz said it's an experience he'll never forget. "It's something that will stay with me for life. … It was really something that I never expected and I think I've grown from it," he said.
Scientific Minds Want To Know
Scientific Minds Want To Know
Humans bite stronger than apes
The lightly-built human skull is far more powerful than initially thought, according to research by the University of New South Wales, released today.
This means early modern humans did not necessarily need to use tools and cooking to process high-nutrient hard foods such as nuts.
The study, led by Dr Stephen Wroe of UNSW's school of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, used sophisticated 3D element analysis to compare digital models of CAT-scanned skulls.
United Kingdom Launches Projects to Study Ocean Acidification
Image: NOAA Ocean Explorer, Flickr
The Evil Twin of Global Warming
Ocean acidification naturally results from elevated levels of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere. The oceans absorb CO2, which becomes carbonic acid as it dissolves into the sea water. Ocean acidification picked up the moniker "Evil Twin of Global Warming" at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). Recent research has suggested just how significantly the ocean chemistry affects life on earth. Now scientists are setting up to learn more about how our oceans are reacting to the 30% increase in pH (the measure of acidity) that has already occurred, and what might happen if the trends continue. If you were hoping the oceans could balance our act, you may be in for a grim acid oceans reality check.
Article continues: United Kingdom Launches Projects to Study Ocean Acidification
Eco Safaris Around the Globe
Photo via gillespaveau @ Flickr
A safari might sound like a nice outdoorsy, environmental kind of vacation, but they often take a toll on wildlife in the areas you visit (even when you only take pictures). But these seven companies take a social approach to their conservation efforts: By working with local communities, they turn wildlife viewing into a source of income for the nearby people, which leads to lower incidences of poaching and hunting. Travel to one of these seven countries to see how supporting nearby villages, artisans, and guides can have a positive impact on animal populations.
Article continues: 7 Eco Safaris Around the Globe
Airline food ... take-out?!
An airline is so proud of its in-flight food it plans to start selling takeaways.
Thai Airways is introducing a line of seven ready-made curry sauces to be sold starting later this month at shops in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
The company said its target market was the business traveller who had enjoyed their in-flight meal but had no time to cook Thai food at home.
The campaign is part of Thai's drive to supplement losses from recent political strife in Bangkok. It is also aimed at helping the airline standardise its Thai curries.
Thai Airways is introducing a line of seven ready-made curry sauces to be sold starting later this month at shops in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
The company said its target market was the business traveller who had enjoyed their in-flight meal but had no time to cook Thai food at home.
The campaign is part of Thai's drive to supplement losses from recent political strife in Bangkok. It is also aimed at helping the airline standardise its Thai curries.
Pork board squeals over 'unicorn meat'
It's official: The National Pork Board says it knows unicorns don't exist.
The industry group says it was only protecting its trademark when it issued cease-and-desist warning to online retailer ThinkGeek for calling a fake unicorn meat product "the new white meat."
The fictional canned meat, is described as an "excellent source of sparkles."
Just the News
Just the News
Trapped after flipping his car while drunk driving, a New Zealand man opened another beer as he waited to be rescued.
Giant Jellyfish Sinks 10 Ton Fishing Trawler!
A 10-ton fishing boat has been sunk by a gigantic jellyfish off eastern Japan.
Grandmother jailed over WWII 'family heirloom' pistol
A grandmother has been jailed for five years for possessing a "family heirloom" World War II pistol. Gail Cochrane, 53, had kept the gun for 29 years following the death of her father, who had been in the Royal Navy. Police found the weapon, a Browning self-loading pistol, during a search of her home in Dundee while looking for her son.
She admitted illegal possession of the firearm, an offense with a minimum five-year jail term under Scots law. Cochrane told the High Court in Edinburgh that she had never contemplated she might be committing a crime by keeping the gun or that she might need to get a license for the weapon. She said: "I thought it was just a war trophy." Defense solicitor advocate Jack Brown argued that the circumstances surrounding the case were exceptional and that it would be "draconian, unjust and disproportionate" to jail the grandmother-of-six.
However, Judge Lady Smith said: "I am not satisfied that a reasonable explanation has been put forward for not handing this gun into the authorities throughout the 29-year period she says she has had it in her possession." The judge said she was unable to find herself satisfied that this was one of the rare cases in which exceptional circumstances existed. She said: "The result is I have no alternative but to sentence Mrs Cochrane to a period of five years."
When interviewed, Cochrane told police that the gun had previously belonged to her father and that she had kept it when he died. She said she believed it was a real gun, but had no ammunition for it. The weapon was sent for examination by firearms experts who concluded that it was a Czech-made pistol dating back to about 1927. Cochrane admitted having the 7.65 millimeter Browning self-loading pistol at her home without a firearms certificate and possessing the prohibited weapon without the authority of the Secretary of State or Scottish ministers.
She admitted illegal possession of the firearm, an offense with a minimum five-year jail term under Scots law. Cochrane told the High Court in Edinburgh that she had never contemplated she might be committing a crime by keeping the gun or that she might need to get a license for the weapon. She said: "I thought it was just a war trophy." Defense solicitor advocate Jack Brown argued that the circumstances surrounding the case were exceptional and that it would be "draconian, unjust and disproportionate" to jail the grandmother-of-six.
However, Judge Lady Smith said: "I am not satisfied that a reasonable explanation has been put forward for not handing this gun into the authorities throughout the 29-year period she says she has had it in her possession." The judge said she was unable to find herself satisfied that this was one of the rare cases in which exceptional circumstances existed. She said: "The result is I have no alternative but to sentence Mrs Cochrane to a period of five years."
When interviewed, Cochrane told police that the gun had previously belonged to her father and that she had kept it when he died. She said she believed it was a real gun, but had no ammunition for it. The weapon was sent for examination by firearms experts who concluded that it was a Czech-made pistol dating back to about 1927. Cochrane admitted having the 7.65 millimeter Browning self-loading pistol at her home without a firearms certificate and possessing the prohibited weapon without the authority of the Secretary of State or Scottish ministers.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:You need to go for it in a major way today.
Ask for that promotion or pursue that new client with all the zeal you can muster -- which is quite a lot, of course!
Your enthusiasm may be so infectious that you inadvertently inspire a group of supporters who are swept away by your can-do spirit.
Still, it's important to sort out who's genuinely loyal.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Graz, Steiermark, Austria
Milano, Lombardia, Italy
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Coffs Harbor, New South Wales, Australia
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India
as well as Brazil, and the United States in such cities as Moncton, Metairie, Medford, Miami and more
Today is Tuesday, June 22, the 173rd day of 2010.
There are 192 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
There are none.
It is Perigan Spring Tides though.
World Cup Soccer
The president is alarmed, sponsors pull out, and the media's in a tizzy over the French soccer team.
Also: 
The French soccer team is abruptly sent home coach-class after an embarrassing spectacle in South Africa.
Also: 
Even Ronaldo has to chuckle about the juggling act he performed en route to an unlikely World Cup goal.
Also: Why didn't they bench him from the beginning!
A notable name is missing from the World Cup's new list of officiating assignments.
Also: 
Charges are dropped against the Dutch women who wore orange minidresses to the World Cup.
Also: Is cheerleading a sport?
In a word ... NO!
Volleyball players sue their college for eliminating their team in favor of the cheering squad.
Also: The State Of The Nation
The State Of The Nation
Many states say they can't afford promised pensions and are cutting once-sacrosanct benefits.
Also: Local Hospitality
Local Hospitality
No more loud whistling as you walk down the streets in one South Carolina coastal town. No singing, either.
The Post and Courier of Charleston reported that Sullivans Island Town Council approved an ordinance last week that added singing, whistling, hooting and hollering on public streets to a list of possible disturbing noises.
The proposal could get final approval next month.
It would make loud noises on public streets illegal late at night or at any time or place if it's annoying people nearby.
Sullivans Island town administrator Andy Benke says the wording comes from North Charleston, where annoying singing already is illegal. North Charleston police spokesman says he can't recall the city fining anyone for singing.
Want to find your mind?
From New Scientist (painting by Salvador DalÃ):
In 1992, Gerald Edelman at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, proposed that there are two possible states of consciousness, which he called primary and secondary consciousness. Primary consciousness is the simple subjective experience of sensory perception and emotions, which could be applied to most animals. It's a state of "just being, feeling, floating", according to Ursula Voss at the University of Frankfurt in Germany... The mental life of your common or garden human, however, is a lot more complicated. That's because we are "aware of being aware". This allows us to reflect upon ourselves and our feelings and, in an ideal world, make insightful decisions and judgements. This state, dubbed secondary consciousness, is thought to be unique to humans.
With their increased self-awareness, lucid dreams share certain aspects of secondary consciousness, so researchers are now vying to observe what happens in the brain when someone "wakes up" within their dream, and whether they exhibit any further signatures of consciousness. "It's a very interesting leap because it can show you exactly what occurs if you jump from limited consciousness to very high consciousness," says Victor Spoormaker of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany. "This should be one of the main themes of lucid dream research."
Scientific Minds Want To Know
Scientific Minds Want To Know
California middle-schoolers stumble upon an unusual feature of the red planet by accident.
Also: 
Discovered in northern Siberia last year, "Khoma" is thought to be more than 50,000 years old.
Also:  |  | Astronomers have made the most accurate measurement yet of the mass of a mysterious neutrino or "ghost particle". |
Most of the natural depressions in the U.S. are potholes compared to Egypt's claim to fame.
Also: Lucy's 'great-grandfather' found
Anthropologists say they have discovered the 3.6 million-year-old partial skeleton of a creature that came from the same species as Lucy, but was 400,000 years older and at least as good at walking upright. Their analysis suggests that upright walking, the trademark trait for humans and their extinct kin, goes back further in time than some might have assumed.The Ancient Atapuerca Caves In Spain
The Atapuerca Mountains is an ancient karstic region of Spain, in the province of Burgos and near the town of the same name and Ibeas de Juarros. It contains several caves, where fossils and stone tools of the earliest known Hominians in West Europe have been found.
In the late 19th century, a railway cutting driven through the Atapuerca Mountains led to the discovery of the ancient limestone caves. After several excavations during the 20th century, a student made a startling discovery. A human jawbone buried neatly in the caves gave way to the significance of Atapuerca.
Research Shows Ocean Chemistry Delayed Evolution by 1 Billion Years
Photo via mickeymox
Researchers from Newcastle University have published a new study in Nature Geoscience illustrating that the chemical make-up of our early oceans may have delayed the evolution of life on our planet by as much as 1 billion years. Their research shows for the first time a chemical "layering" in the oceans that kept oxygen from reaching the deep ocean. That lack of oxygen may explain the long wait for development of life, and the sudden boom of animal life later on. Article continues: Research Shows Ocean Chemistry Delayed Evolution by 1 Billion Years
Culinary DeLites
Culinary DeLites
A "world-class penny pincher" says many of the healthiest foods to eat happen to cost the least.
Also: 
This adaptation of the classic Mexican fajita dish is loaded with succulent shrimp and scallops.
Also: 
Adding nutrient-rich nuts lets you ditch the croutons without losing the crunch.
Also: 
These meals are loaded with bacon, cheese, and two days' worth of fat and sodium.
One is over 2,000 calories
Also:
One is over 2,000 calories
Also:
In Matters Of Health
In Matters Of Health
Dietary experts advising the government have new guidelines on how much meat and seafood to eat.
Also: 
*****Saharan Bees Survive 10,000 Year Isolation
Image credit: cygnus921/Flickr
Around the world, honeybee populations are shrinking. Some colonies suffer from infestations of parasitic mites, others, the widespread use of pesticides, and some struggle to cope with changing climatic conditions.But deep in the Sahara desert, one colony of bees lives on in blissful isolation, as it has for as many as 10,000 years.
Article continues: Saharan Bees Survive 10,000 Year Isolation
It's Tornado season, too, you know
A twister barrels through a Billings stadium, sending debris spinning through the air.
Also: The Secrets of hole-punch clouds
What causes the bizarre "hole-punch" clouds like the one seen above? The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has just published a scientific paper addressing this wonder of nature. During certain conditions, flying airplanes can sometimes "seed" clouds, resulting in brief and highly-localized snow or rain falls. According to the NCAR, air is rapidly cooled behind the propellers of prop planes or as the wings of jets cut through the clouds. Water droplets in the cloud freeze and then fall to Earth, leaving the telltale hole in the cloud.
From the National Science Foundation:
Precipitation from planes may be particularly common in regions such as the Pacific Northwest and western Europe because of the frequent occurrence of cloud layers with supercooled droplets, Heymsfield says... Researchers have proposed a number of possible aviation-related causes, from acoustic shock waves produced by jets, to local warming of the air along a jet's path, to the formation of ice along jet contrails. Indeed, the earliest observations implicated jet aircraft, but not propeller aircraft, as producing the holes.
Researchers in the 1980s observed that propeller aircraft could transform supercooled droplets into ice crystals, and experiments were launched in the 1990s to characterize the phenomenon.
But scientists had not previously observed snow as it fell to the ground as a result of aircraft until Heymsfield and his colleagues happened to fly through some falling snow west of Denver International Airport with an array of instruments.
Rio on fire
Photo via Global Voices
Rio de Janeiro is a city known for its spirited festivities and all-night celebrations, but part of those revelries are being blamed for inadvertently setting a blaze on one of the city's hillside national parks over the weekend, which added an ominous glow to Rio's iconic natural skyline. Fortunately for residents, many of whom make their homes perched along city's forested peaks, the fire's destruction was limited to just 10 acres of vegetation, though the park was rich in wildlife. Firefighters suspect the blaze was caused after a fire-laden balloon was released into the sky by partygoers--a practice considered an environmental crime that carries with it a heavy fine and jail time.Article continues: Balloon Blamed For Setting Rio de Janeiro on Fire
It's The Economy Stupid
It's The Economy Stupid
It's quite possible to be a victim of fraud even when you still have the physical card.
Also: Two hundred million to zero in 5.3 seconds
Tesla Motors founder Elon Musk once had $200 million, but now says he has zero cash.
Also: On The Job
On The Job
Many employees don't feel free to share with a manager what's on their minds, but if they did...
Also: 
Taken to the extreme, even some positive traits can look bad at the office.
Also: There's a catch
A Florida palace nicknamed "Versailles" has 23 bathrooms and 3 pools, but it's missing a few basics.
Also: Attempted NYC bombing suspect's plea
Pakistani-born citizen Faisal Shahzad tells the judge he wants to "plead guilty and 100 times more."
Also: 
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