MI6 spy Gareth Williams - whose body was found naked in a padlocked bag - may have died while taking part in a bizarre experiment for an art project.
Monday, January 17, 2011
MI6 spy death could be bizarre art course accident
MI6 spy Gareth Williams - whose body was found naked in a padlocked bag - may have died while taking part in a bizarre experiment for an art project.
How To Win Rock Paper Scissors Every Time
Many believe Rock, Paper, Scissors is simply a game of chance and luck. However, like chess or Mario Super Kart, Rock, Paper, Scissors is a game of strategy, observation and intelligence.
Here are eight easy steps to winning every game.
Accident Reports
These are statements from insurance forms where car drivers tried to summarize accident details in as few words as possible. Such instances of faulty writing serve to confirm that incompetency can be highly entertaining.
1. Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have.
2. The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intent.
3. I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.
4. In my attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.
5. I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision and I did not see the other car.
6. I had been driving for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.
7. I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident.
8. My car was legally parked as it backed into the other vehicle.
9. As I approached the intersection a sign suddenly appeared in a place where no sign had ever appeared before, making me unable to avoid the accident.
10. I told the police I was not injured, but upon removing my hair, I found that I had a fractured skull.
11. I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him.
12. I saw a slow-moving, sad-faced old gentleman as he bounced off the hood of my car.
13. The indirect cause of the accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.
14. I was thrown from my car as it left the road, and was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.
15. A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.
16. I thought my window was down, but I found out it was up when I put my head through it.
17. To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I struck the pedestrian.
18. The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.
19. The pedestrian had no idea which way to run, so I ran over him.
20. An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished.
21. A truck backed through my windshield into my wife's face.
22. I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.
1. Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don't have.
2. The other car collided with mine without giving warning of its intent.
3. I collided with a stationary truck coming the other way.
4. In my attempt to kill a fly, I drove into a telephone pole.
5. I had been shopping for plants all day and was on my way home. As I reached an intersection, a hedge sprang up, obscuring my vision and I did not see the other car.
6. I had been driving for forty years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had an accident.
7. I was on my way to the doctor with rear end trouble when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an accident.
8. My car was legally parked as it backed into the other vehicle.
9. As I approached the intersection a sign suddenly appeared in a place where no sign had ever appeared before, making me unable to avoid the accident.
10. I told the police I was not injured, but upon removing my hair, I found that I had a fractured skull.
11. I was sure the old fellow would never make it to the other side of the road when I struck him.
12. I saw a slow-moving, sad-faced old gentleman as he bounced off the hood of my car.
13. The indirect cause of the accident was a little guy in a small car with a big mouth.
14. I was thrown from my car as it left the road, and was later found in a ditch by some stray cows.
15. A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.
16. I thought my window was down, but I found out it was up when I put my head through it.
17. To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I struck the pedestrian.
18. The guy was all over the road. I had to swerve a number of times before I hit him.
19. The pedestrian had no idea which way to run, so I ran over him.
20. An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished.
21. A truck backed through my windshield into my wife's face.
22. I pulled away from the side of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law, and headed over the embankment.
Active WWII grenades used as bookends blown up
The bomb squad were called early on Tuesday morning to DeLand in Florida after a man pulled the pin on a World War II-era grenade, according to Volusia County sheriff's deputies. The man was given the pineapple-style grenade by a neighbor, who used the explosive as a bookend, deputies said.
When deputies arrived in the DeLand neighborhood, they found the man, who told them he had pulled the pin on the grenade, put the pin back and placed the grenade outside. The man told deputies his neighbor had a second grenade.
That woman said the grenades belonged to her deceased husband, who fought in World War II, and were used as bookends for several years. Deputies called in the bomb squad, who took both grenades to a nearby field and detonated the explosives.
When those grenades exploded a 2-foot crater was left in the ground. No one was hurt in the incident.
There's a news video here.
When deputies arrived in the DeLand neighborhood, they found the man, who told them he had pulled the pin on the grenade, put the pin back and placed the grenade outside. The man told deputies his neighbor had a second grenade.
That woman said the grenades belonged to her deceased husband, who fought in World War II, and were used as bookends for several years. Deputies called in the bomb squad, who took both grenades to a nearby field and detonated the explosives.
When those grenades exploded a 2-foot crater was left in the ground. No one was hurt in the incident.
There's a news video here.
Leaning Tower of Pisa's Kaleidoscope Effect to Be Restored
- Restorers are removing wooden doors within the Leaning Tower of Pisa to restore a patterned light feature near the monument's top.
Kizhi Pogost
The oldest fully wooden churches in the world are also architectural wonders. These are “multi-story, multi-cupola, single-block masterpieces.” Built 300 years ago on the Russian Kizhi island, they are called the Church of the Transfiguration and the Church of the Intercession.
Read about them and see lots more pictures at Kuriositas.
Deepest part of ocean gets probed
The climate secrets of the ocean's deepest spot - the Marianas Trench in the western Pacific Ocean - begin to be unlocked by scientists. The Ring of Fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire
The ring of fire
"Sudden oak death"
In woodlands around the UK, just as here in Afan Valley, south Wales, the race is on to fell thousands of trees in a desperate effort to contain a new disease which poses a threat to British forests on a scale not seen since Dutch elm disease wiped out millions of trees, changing the landscape of the country for ever.The disease may have arrived in the U.K. from the U.S., where it has been present for years. This map shows areas in this country at risk for the disease:
Already 3,000 hectares of larch forest – one hectare is about the size of a football pitch – in Wales, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Northern Ireland are known to be infected by Phytophthora ramorum – sudden oak death – which comes from the same family as the potato blight organism that caused the Irish famines in the 19th century...
In 2003, it turned up in a handful of oaks, but they seemed to have resistance and the outbreak did not seem to be too worrying. Then last year, taking everyone by surprise, the phytophthora jumped species and rapidly began infecting and killing the commercially important Japanese and European larch trees. It has also been found in several conifer species, including Douglas fir...
"I think we can forget eradicating it; we have to work with nature and we're going to have to live with it. The question is whether or not we're lucky and have a fighting chance at containing it," he added. "Unfortunately we are very fond of exotic plants from other parts of the world, and that leaves the door wide open to risk."..
Invasive Plant Feeds Invasive Stink Bug
Since kudzu was imported from Japan, it has grown the cover the southern United States. Now another Asian import is flourishing by eating kudzu. The globular stink bug (Megacopta cribraria), native to China and India, has spread across Georgia and has now been found in Alabama. They also come inside during cold weather, and they emit a foul odor when threatened.University of Georgia entomology Professor Wayne A. Gardner said he’s found them 30 stories high, coating the window sills of Atlanta condo high rises, and he has seen them swarming in roadside kudzu patches.
“You smell them when you get out of the truck,” he said.
More seriously, the bug likes to munch on plants other than kudzu, including soybeans. It also could be a threat to other legume crops such as peanuts, Gardner said.
In November, Auburn University researchers collected two individual specimens in east Alabama border counties, Cleburne and Cherokee. They now expect them to spread quickly across our kudzu-rich state.
Chickens Modified to Not Spread Bird Flu
These genetically modified birds can get bird flu, but can't pass it on to other chickens.
Praying Mantis Sunset and More
Photo: Constant Couteille
Can animals enjoy the sunset? It seems so with the November winners and finalists from Wild Wonders of Europe's amateur photo competition -- but there's nothing amateur about these shots.Here you'll find stunning silhouettes of both a praying mantis and a butterfly caught against the sun, an owl reflecting on an orange horizon, a dolphin leaping in the soft light of the last minutes of day, and more.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Have you always wanted to learn French?
Mandarin?
Swahili?
Or any of the world's many other languages?
Learning a new language is, they say, like living another life -- you never know where it could take you.
Today is a great day to do some research and see where you could join a language class.
Even if it's just once a week, chances are it will change your life.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Perth, Western Australia, Australa
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway
Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
Marseille, Provence-Alpes, Cote D'Azur, France
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
London, England, United Kingdom
Sydney, new South Wales, Australia
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
as well as Malta, Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Vietnam, Norway, Finland and in cities across the United States such as Downers Grove, Marcus Hook, Egg Harbor Township, Jacksons Hole and more.
Today is:
Today is Sunday, January 16, the 16th day of 2011.
There are 349 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Appreciate a Dragon Day
and
Nothing Day.
and
Nothing Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Loyalty
A dog, “Leao”, sits for a second consecutive day, next to the grave of her owner, Cristina Maria Cesario Santana, who died in the week’s catastrophic landslides in Brazil, at the cemetery in Teresopolis, near Rio de Janiero, on Jan. 15.
The Origins Of 10 Common Words And Phrases
The words that we use every day come from many sources. They have developed from household words, parts of the body, animals, natural elements, from nothing, from errors, they can be borrowed or adopted from other languages than the one we speak.
No Joke: 10 Things You Might Not Know About Blonds
A recent British study found that blond women earn more than their brunette or redhead counterparts. Of course, the study was sponsored by Superdrug, a store chain that sells hair products and makes money from hair insecurity. Which shows that when it comes to blond mythology, don't believe the hype. But you can trust these 10 things:1 People have gone to great lengths to achieve blondness. In ancient Rome, people used pigeon poop; in Renaissance Venice, horse urine. Throughout history, non-blonds have also tried white wine, olive oil, ivy bark, soap and saffron.
2 Alfred Hitchcock cast so many blonds in his movies that film critics now write of "Hitchcock blonds:" beautiful, aloof, smart leading ladies. Think Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren and Kim Novak. Hitchcock offered myriad reasons for his preference for light-haired actresses, including that they film better in black and white, but one quote seems to sum it up: "Blonds make the best victims," Hitchcock said. "They're like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints."
3 According to Victoria Sherrow's "Encyclopedia of Hair," there was an original "dumb blond." An 18th century French actress and prostitute named Rosalie Duthe was known for being very beautiful but incapable of intelligent conversation. She was satirized in a play called "Les Curiosites de la Foire" in 1775. But dumb is relative: Duthe was extremely wealthy as a mistress of royalty.
4 If the director yells "Kill the blond!" on a movie set, he's probably ordering the crew to shut off an open-face, 2,000-watt spotlight.
5 Actress Marilyn Monroe colored her hair using a shade of blond called dirty pillow slip.
6 In junior high, Kurt Cobain was profiled in his school newspaper, the Puppy Press: "Kurt is a seventh-grader at our school. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He thinks school is alright. … His favorite saying is 'Excuse you.' "
7 Actress Veronica Lake's peekaboo hairdo, with long blond hair over one eye, was a 1940s sensation. According to Life magazine, she had about 150,000 hairs on her head, with her tresses 17 inches long in front and 24 inches long in back. The downsides: "Her hair catches fire fairly often when she is smoking" and "it has a bad habit of snagging on men's buttons." About the buttons, Life wrote: "If Miss Lake were in fact the kind of girl she portrays on the screen, this might lead to all kinds of fascinating complications. …"
8 Only one in 20 white American adults is naturally blond.
9 In the early '80s, Brad Pitt dropped out of the University of Missouri two credits short of graduating and went to Hollywood. But before his light-haired good looks became famous, Pitt worked a variety of odd jobs in California — delivering refrigerators, serving as a chauffeur for strippers and dressing as a chicken to promote El Pollo Loco "flame-grilled" chicken.
10 Former members of the '70s rock group Stilettos were searching for a name for their new group and settled on Blondie. Lead singer Debbie Harry said the name came from truck drivers who would pass her and shout, "Hey, Blondie!" In 1997, the band performed on an Iggy Pop tribute album using the pseudonym Adolph's Dog. It's probably not a coincidence that Adolf Hitler had a pet dog named Blondi.
Spectacular midfield goal
Spain's Cani makes this goal look easy as he catches a goalkeeper completely off guard.
Also: Dubai Fountain
The Dubai Fountain cost $218 million.
Water jets can reach up to 50 stories in height.
Bill Maher To “Teabaggers”
“The Founding Fathers Would Have Hated Your Guts”
Bill nails it, so of course the teabagging douchebags don't like it.
You know what ... Tough.
Bill nails it, so of course the teabagging douchebags don't like it.
You know what ... Tough.
Tucson trying to heal
Paramedics recall the scene last Saturday, while the supermarket where it took place reopens.
Also: Wisconsin Woman Finds $280K Of Drugs In Vacuum
NY gangster, 93, gets 8 years in prison
Convicted mob boss John "Sonny" Franzese is so old, he knew Frank Sinatra in his heyday.
Money manager arrested over threats to US regulatory officials
What is the matter with some people?
The FBI has arrested the head of an asset management firm for allegedly threatening 47 government officials with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
Officials said Vincent McCrudden posted a $100,000 reward on a website for information that proved these officials had been "punished." Federal prosecutors also said he sent numerous emails threatening individual workers.
The $1 billion 'fence' canceled
The Obama administration cancels the high-tech project, which cost about $15 million per mile.
Also: 
Worst credit cards of 2010
One stinker had a 79.99% APR, and another charged interest as soon as you swiped it.
Also: Financial advice that can hurt
Used in the wrong situation, these four savvy financial strategies may lead to disaster.
Also: Save money on fuel bills
Maintaining the correct tire pressure can make a big difference in how much gas your car consumes.
Also: 
Could You, Would You Go Soap-Free for Two Weeks?
Pee-yew! Is that you? Photo: iStockphoto
Inspired by writer Sean Bonner's belief that the human body "is designed to regulate itself" and GOOD's challenge to give up soap and shampoo for a month, No More Dirty Looks is kicking off 2011 with "The No Soap Challenge." Give up the suds for two weeks and document it (in 100 words, or less), and there's a prize in it for you, too. Article continues: Could You, Would You Go Soap-Free for Two Weeks?
Easy updates to an old kitchen
Mirrors make a kitchen feel more open, and paint on the insides of cabinets adds color.
Also: DIY gastric bypass kit, only $280 at Amazon.com
Obesity is a problem in the United States, and it's not a secret.
Gastric bypass surgery is a radical, often last-ditch effort to "cure" the problem, and apparently some have decided that it's not something that requires a doctor: there appears to be a DIY kit available on Amazon.com.
Gastric bypass surgery is a radical, often last-ditch effort to "cure" the problem, and apparently some have decided that it's not something that requires a doctor: there appears to be a DIY kit available on Amazon.com.
Calcium Supplements Linked to Heart Attacks: Feed Your Bones Instead
Photo: Hopkinsii
A study published in the British Medical Journal via Natural Awakenings found that calcium supplements can increase your risk of a heart attack by as much as 31 percent. The new research looked at 11 studies on 11,921 individuals. It's scary stuff for those at risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, both of which plague the U.S. But it's also more proof that the best way to feed your body the nutrients it needs isn't through supplementation, but through your diet. How can you feed your bones? Well you may be surprised at the foods with the highest percentages of calcium. Article continues: Calcium Supplements Linked to Heart Attacks: Feed Your Bones Instead
Quinoa's Popularity Boon (& Bust) for Bolivia
Photo: Flickr/nerissa's ring
I'm happy to have read beyond Yahoo News' deceptively positive headline, "Quinoa's popularity boon to Bolivians." I've had an interest in the ancient Andean super grain since its hit the health scene for its amino-acid- and mineral-richness. Simply put, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says it is so nutrient dense it can be substituted for mother's milk. (Whoa is right.)After reading the article, I learned of the grains strong likeness to the acai situation-- and that of any other exotic product from a developing country to hit the market in developed countries. Popularity could mean an immediate boon the producing locale (in this case Bolivia), but it could also mean long-term social and environmental consequence.
Article continues: Quinoa's Popularity Boon (& Bust) for Bolivia
Fight rising food prices
You can keep your expenses in check simply by changing where your eyes go in the grocery store.
Also: Astronaut's Beef Pot Roast For Sale
This pouch of Beef Pot Roast - a leftover from NASA's Apollo lunar program - is on sale to the highest bidder in an online auction.
Amazingly unappetizing but wholly unique freeze-dried 'moon food.' This particular example measures 2 x 3.5 x 0.75 inches and rests within a 5 x 6.5 inch sealed pouch to which a nozzle is attached. All of the food was prepared by adding hot or cold water through the nozzle.
The food was then squeezed into the mouth through a flat tube stored in the package. Food created for the Apollo missions was preserved through freeze-drying and vacuum-sealing, resulting in a product that kept their nutritional and 'taste' qualities.
Death Wears Bunny Slippers
Life Inside a Nuclear Missile Silo
In a favorite missileer uniform patch (right), the Grim Reaper sits at an ICBM console, dressed in bunny slippers. In the real world, death wears a campus T-shirt, JCrew bottoms and the ubiquitous Snuggie. The silly blanket-robe hybrid is suited to the missile force, keeping an officer toasty while allowing him to interact with the weapons console unobstructed.
Missileers learn that on alert, comfort is as important as humor. One enterprising fellow liked to string a hammock between the two command chairs and stretch out for his long shifts at the console. Videogame systems are forbidden, a rule that was mocked until it got out that wireless Nintendo Wii controllers could cause the system to detect a false electromagnetic pulse attack and shut down.
C-3PO Sculpture in Front of Recycling Center
The Alliance Recycling Center in West Oakland, California is a business that recycles various kinds of materials, including glass, metal, plastic, and paper. The front of the shop features many sculptures made from scrap metal, such as the above C-3PO model.
Cold Bus Commuters Warm Up in Hot Breakfast Ad
Photo via psfk.com
Ads are everywhere in the big city. How many of them give you a warm feeling inside and out? This inventive ad at a bus shelter in Minneapolis is selling hot breakfast sandwiches from Caribou Coffee. The ad makes the bus shelter look like an toasty oven. And it includes a real heater to warm commuters in the cold of a Minnesota winter (average temp of 10 degrees Fahrenheit). Article continues: Cold Bus Commuters Warm Up in Hot Breakfast Ad
'Pop-up park' in wintry N.Y.C.
A Manhattan gallery is offering a unique way to escape the frigid winter weather.
Also: 
Blackbeard's sword found?
Researchers excavating the pirate's ship believe they may have found part of his weapon.
Also: 
How the Continents Were Formed
Of course, it was all Scrat's "fault"!
This is a teaser trailer for Ice Age 4.
Two bull sharks spotted 30 km inland following Aussie floods
When I was diving in Africa, great white sharks made people nervous, but bull sharks terrified people. In southern Africa they are known as Zambezi sharks because they are often reported miles inland on the Zambezi River along with crocodiles, hippos and other dangerous animals.
Yikes.
Yikes.
Butcher Steven Bateman spotted two bull sharks swimming near his Goodna shop yesterday - one of several reports of a sharks in Goodna's main street.
Ipswich local councilor Paul Tully confirmed it was a bizarre but true story out of Queensland's flood disaster.
"It would have swum several kilometers in from the river, across Evan Marginson Park and the motorway,'' Cr Tully told The Queensland Times.
Rare animal babies arrive
A rare bush baby and Sumatran tiger cubs are some of the new stars in U.S. zoos.
Also: 
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