The congresswoman's brain injury will pose specific challenges as she moves to a rehab facility.
Also: 
Friday, January 21, 2011
Worries over Chinese holiday
Millions of migrant workers in China will travel home for the Chinese New Year.
Also: Five little-known facts about tic-tac-toe
Animal rights group PETA protested one version of the brain game and called it inhumane.
Also: 
New Mexico Sheriff Greg Solano Arrested for Selling Bullet Proof Vests on eBay for Gambling $$
Greg Solano, the former sheriff of Santa Fe County, New Mexico was arrested on 251 charges of embezzlement and one count of fraud for an alleged scheme to sell bullet proof vests on eBay.
Bolivia Appeals to the UN to Legalize Chewable Coca Leaf
Chewing coca leaves has been a common practice among Andean indigenous populations through countless generations, dating back to pre-Colombus times.
Musicians killed in Mexico after refusing to play more songs for audience
Leaving the audience wanting more is the goal of every musician, unless you're a musician in violence-torn Mexico. Two members of local group La Excelencia were murdered in a Guadalajara bar early Monday morning after refusing to play more songs past closing time.
Jonathan Martinez, 22, and Gustavo Alejandro, 35, were pronounced dead outside the Vida Divina nightclub, gunned down by unidentified assailants with suspected ties to the country's notorious drug gangs. A third victim, identified as bar patron Leslie Soltero, 26, was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her ankle.
When La Excelencia's performance came to an end around 4 a.m. local time, four reportedly intoxicated and aggressive audience members demanded the musicians continue playing. Sensing trouble, the group extended its set by two songs, but was eventually forced to pull the plug by the bar's owner. Out of nowhere, one of the instigators threw a grenade at the stage. The explosion injured one person and had panicked customers running for the exits.
Martinez and Alejandro were among those who fled the bar, but they were met at the front door by a hail of bullets, presumably from the same four men who had harassed them earlier. By the time police arrived at the scene, the killers had already escaped by car. No witnesses were able to identify the getaway vehicle.
Jonathan Martinez, 22, and Gustavo Alejandro, 35, were pronounced dead outside the Vida Divina nightclub, gunned down by unidentified assailants with suspected ties to the country's notorious drug gangs. A third victim, identified as bar patron Leslie Soltero, 26, was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her ankle.
When La Excelencia's performance came to an end around 4 a.m. local time, four reportedly intoxicated and aggressive audience members demanded the musicians continue playing. Sensing trouble, the group extended its set by two songs, but was eventually forced to pull the plug by the bar's owner. Out of nowhere, one of the instigators threw a grenade at the stage. The explosion injured one person and had panicked customers running for the exits.
Martinez and Alejandro were among those who fled the bar, but they were met at the front door by a hail of bullets, presumably from the same four men who had harassed them earlier. By the time police arrived at the scene, the killers had already escaped by car. No witnesses were able to identify the getaway vehicle.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Birthdays do seem to crop up all at the same time, don't they?
Makes sense, though.
We know what we like, and whether or not we do it consciously, we recognize it when it walks up to us.
This time out, just to make life a little bit easier, if you're invited to a party for a friend of a friend, check out that left hand for a ring before you start sending out those unmistakably 'I'm So Interested' vibes.
See?
Age does bring wisdom.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Bilbao, Pais Vasco, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Harrow, England, United Kingdom
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
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, Maldives, 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 Silverdale, Greensboro, Red Plains, Copperpolis and more.
Today is:
Today is Thursday, January 20, the 20th day of 2011.
There are 345 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Camcorder Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
American gala for China leader
The dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao draws A-list celebs and political heavy hitters.
Also: Poe grave visitor a no-show again
For 60 years, a mysterious man (or perhaps his sons) visited Edgar Allen Poe's grave on the writer's January 19 birthday and left him a bouquet of roses and a bottle of cognac. Last year, he didn't show up. And although several imposters visited last night, none gave the secret signal known only to Poe House and Museum curator Jeff Jerome. From The Globe and Mail:
In 1993, the visitor began leaving notes, starting with one that read: "The torch will be passed." A note in 1998 indicated the originator of the tradition had died and passed it on to his two sons. The sons didn't seem to take the duty as seriously as the father. One left a note in 2001 referencing the Super Bowl and another in 2004 implying criticism of France over its objections to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, upsetting many of the traditionalists. When the Poe toaster didn't show last year, Mr. Jerome theorized that the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth in 2009 might have been considered the appropriate stopping point.
Or, it was thought at the time, perhaps the toaster just had a flat tire on the way to the cemetery.
But that's the sort of happenstance unlikely to happen two years in a row. Mr. Jerome says he'll return one more year. If the visitor fails to show in 2012, he'll considered the tradition over and done.
"It's sort of like a marriage that ends," Mr. Jerome said. "Part of you still wants the warmth that was part of it, and you go looking for the same woman. No, it's over with. And if it's over with, it's over with. If people want to continue the tradition, it's going to be without me."
Culinary DeLites
In correct proportion, olive oil is an ideal low-fat substitute for butter in cooking or baking.
Also: 
Rather than give up sweets completely, choose treats that are a little healthier.
Also: 
Even staples like plain Rice Krispies don't meet basic health guidelines, a study finds.
Also: 
Recipes for erstwhile Trefoils, Samoas, Thin Mints, and Tagalongs include tricks to make them tastier.
Also: Wal-Mart to sell healthier foods
The company says changes will take place gradually, so people can adjust to the new tastes.
Also: New variety of jalapeno bred for sports bars, bowling alleys
Scientists in New Mexico have successfully bred a bell pepper to a jalapeno to create a new, larger, medium-hot version of the jalapeno
.
What's the point?
Poppers, my friends. Poppers.
The breeding program was specifically aimed at meeting America's growing demand for ever-more-massive, cheese-stuffed, deep-fried peppers.
Called the NuMex Jalmundo, seeds will be available for sale next year commercially, but it looks like you can buy seeds through the Chile Pepper Institute already.
And, before you laugh, this really isn't the weirdest thing we've ever done to domesticated plants. After all, the same basic science of selective breeding and hybridization turned weedy, little teosinte into corn.
To get a better idea of just how much bigger the NuMex Jalmundo are, check out the photos on this gardening blog.
They look both shorter and significantly fatter than the average jalapeno you'd buy at the grocery store.
Photo by Paul Bosland.
Saffron
An article (and video) at Russia Today details some of the problems faced by saffron farmers in Kashmir, including damage to traditional fields from pollution.
Costing US$4,000 per kilogram, this pricey ingredient is used in medicine and South Asian cuisine... The biggest long-term challenge is the adulteration of saffron. Cheap, fake brands of saffron sell briskly on the streets of Srinagar. And it is virtually impossible for a non-professional to distinguish between a fake and the real one. This fact has dented saffron's image, and resulted in a drop in prices.The word "saffron" (and Italian zafferano and Spanish azafrán) come from the Latin word safranum, probably ultimately from Persian and Arabic precursors. The spice itself is extracted from the saffron crocus (C. sativus). [The photo above is of non-saffron Wisconsin crocuses].
The following are excerpted from Wikipedia:
Saffron-based pigments have been found in 50,000 year-old depictions of prehistoric places in northwest Iran. Later, the Sumerians used wild-growing saffron in their remedies and magical potions. Saffron was an article of long-distance trade before the Minoan palace culture's 2nd millennium BC peak... During his Asian campaigns, Alexander the Great used Persian saffron in his infusions, rice, and baths as a curative for battle wounds. Alexander's troops imitated the practice from the Persians and brought saffron-bathing to Greece...
During the 14th century Black Death, demand for saffron-based medicine skyrocketed, and much saffron had to be imported via Venetian and Genoan ships from southern and Mediterranean lands... Cultivation and trade then spread to Nuremberg... Soon after, saffron cultivation spread throughout England, especially Norfolk and Suffolk... By 1730, the Pennsylvania Dutch were cultivating saffron throughout eastern Pennsylvania. Spanish colonies in the Caribbean bought large amounts of this new American saffron, and high demand ensured that saffron's list price on the Philadelphia commodities exchange was set equal to that of gold...
Saffron is widely used in Iranian (Persian), Arab, Central Asian, European, Pakistani, Indian, Turkish, and Cornish cuisines. Confectionaries and liquors also often include saffron. Common saffron substitutes include safflower, annatto, and turmeric...
A pound (454 grams) of dry saffron requires 50,000–75,000 flowers, the equivalent of a football field's area of cultivation... Forty hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers... The price in Canada recently rose to CAN$18,000 per kilogram. In Western countries, the average retail price is $1,000/£500/€700 per pound (US$2,200/£1,100/€1,550 per kilogram)...
Saffron is graded via laboratory measurement of crocin (colour), picrocrocin (taste), and safranal (fragrance) content. Determination of non-stigma content ("floral waste content") and other extraneous matter such as inorganic material ("ash") are also key... Adulteration was first documented in Europe's Middle Ages, when those found selling adulterated saffron were executed under the Safranschou code. Typical methods include mixing in extraneous substances like beets, pomegranate fibers, red-dyed silk fibers, or the saffron crocus's tasteless and odorless yellow stamens. Other methods included dousing saffron fibers with viscid substances like honey or vegetable oil. However, powdered saffron is more prone to adulteration, with turmeric, paprika, and other powders used as diluting fillers. Adulteration can also consist of selling mislabeled mixes of different saffron grades. Thus, in India, high-grade Kashmiri saffron is often sold and mixed with cheaper Iranian imports; these mixes are then marketed as pure Kashmiri saffron, a development that has cost Kashmiri growers much of their income...
Here's a photo a real saffron crocus (note the red "thread").
Arizona restaurant to offer lion tacos
A Tucson taco restaurant already has served up python, alligator, elk, kangaroo, rattlesnake and turtle.
Solar Eclipse at the End of the World
What would the total eclipse of the sun look like from the end of the world? It would look exactly like the photo above:
In 2003, the Sun, the Moon, Antarctica, and two photographers all lined up in Antarctica during an unusual total solar eclipse. Even given the extreme location, a group of enthusiastic eclipse chasers ventured near the bottom of the world to experience the surreal momentary disappearance of the Sun behind the Moon.From: Astronomy Picture of the Day.
One of the treasures collected was the above picture — a composite of four separate images digitally combined to realistically simulate how the adaptive human eye saw the eclipse.
As the image was taken, both the Moon and the Sun peaked together over an Antarctic ridge. In the sudden darkness, the magnificent corona of the Sun became visible around the Moon.
Quite by accident, another photographer was caught in one of the images checking his video camera. Visible to his left are an equipment bag and a collapsible chair.
The Oblique Wing Aircraft
The Ames-Dryden (AD)-1 was an experimental aircraft developed by NASA during the 1970s. Its wing could pivot up to 60° to present the most efficient angle for a given flight objective:
The oblique wing was the brainchild of NASA aeronautical engineer Robert T. Jones, whose analytical and wind tunnel studies at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, California, indicated that an oblique wing, supersonic transport might achieve twice the fuel economy of an aircraft sporting more conventional wings.[...]
The oblique wing on the AD-1 pivoted about the fuselage, remaining perpendicular to it during slow flight and swinging to angles of up to 60 degrees as aircraft speed increased.
The swing wing concept was first evaluated by a small, propeller-driven, remotely-piloted research vehicle (RPRV) flown at Dryden in 1976. These early techniques for gathering data about the oblique wing aircraft were applied to the twin turbojet, piloted AD-1, which was flown from 1979 to 1982.
One Hundred Years Of Naval Aviation
Naval aviation was invented one hundred years ago, on January 18, 1911, when a 24 year-old barnstormer pilot named Eugene B. Ely completed the world's first successful landing on a ship.
It happened in San Francisco Bay, aboard the cruiser USS Pennsylvania, which had a temporary, 133-foot wooden landing strip built above her afterdeck and gun turret as part of the experiment.
Mansion Untouched for 100 Years
Louis Mantin inherited a fortune and became a patron of the arts and of high living. He constructed a fine mansion in his home of Moulins, France and filled it with custom woodwork, relics from antiquity, and art. Mantin died in 1905, and had stipulated in his will that his home should become a museum in 100 years.Mantin only had a few years to indulge his aesthetic fantasies. Knowing that his death was approaching, he made a will in which he made sure his treasured house would be saved.When the 100-year mark passed, the house remained abandoned and in no shape to open to the public. Isabelle de Chavagnac, a descendant of Mantin’s, threatened to exercise her right to inherit the mansion if it didn’t open as a museum. She didn’t really want the estate, but her actions forced the local government to allocate funds for renovation. The house then opened as a museum, as Mantin wished, in 2010. BBC News has a video tour of the home.
“In the will, he says that he wants the people of Moulins in 100 years time to be able to see what was the life of a cultured gentleman of his day,” said assistant curator Maud Leyoudec.
“A bachelor with no children, he was obsessed with death and the passage of time. It was his way of becoming eternal.”
The Battle of Towton
Excerpts from an article in The Economist:
His enemies were not done yet. Another small blow to the right and back of the head may have been enough to turn him over onto his back. Finally another blade arced towards him. This one bisected his face, opening a crevice that ran from his left eye to his right jaw (see picture). It cut deep: the edge of the blade reached to the back of his throat...
In a letter sent nine days after the battle George Neville, the then chancellor of England, wrote that 28,000 men died that day, a figure in accord with a letter sent by Edward to his mother. England’s total population at the time is thought not to have exceeded 3m people. George Goodwin, who has written a book on Towton to coincide with the battle’s 550th anniversary in 2011, reckons as many as 75,000 men, perhaps 10% of the country’s fighting-age population, took the field that day...
...as a group the Towton men are a reminder that images of the medieval male as a homunculus with rotten teeth are well wide of the mark. The average medieval man stood 1.71 metres tall—just four centimetres shorter than a modern Englishman. “It is only in the Victorian era that people started to get very stunted,” says Mr Knüsel. Their health was generally good. Dietary isotopes from their knee-bones show that they ate pretty healthily. Sugar was not widely available at that time, so their teeth were strong, too...
Arrows were not the only things flying through the air that day. Some of the first bullets were, too. The Towton battlefield has yielded up the earliest lead-composite shot found in England ...
[The soldier now known as] Towton 25 suffered eight wounds to his head that day... The first five blows were delivered by a bladed weapon to the left-hand side of his head, presumably by a right-handed opponent standing in front of him. None is likely to have been lethal.The next one almost certainly was... The blow opened a huge horizontal gash into the back of his head... Fractures raced down to the base of his skull and around the sides of his head...
His enemies were not done yet. Another small blow to the right and back of the head may have been enough to turn him over onto his back. Finally another blade arced towards him. This one bisected his face, opening a crevice that ran from his left eye to his right jaw (see picture). It cut deep: the edge of the blade reached to the back of his throat...
In a letter sent nine days after the battle George Neville, the then chancellor of England, wrote that 28,000 men died that day, a figure in accord with a letter sent by Edward to his mother. England’s total population at the time is thought not to have exceeded 3m people. George Goodwin, who has written a book on Towton to coincide with the battle’s 550th anniversary in 2011, reckons as many as 75,000 men, perhaps 10% of the country’s fighting-age population, took the field that day...
...as a group the Towton men are a reminder that images of the medieval male as a homunculus with rotten teeth are well wide of the mark. The average medieval man stood 1.71 metres tall—just four centimetres shorter than a modern Englishman. “It is only in the Victorian era that people started to get very stunted,” says Mr Knüsel. Their health was generally good. Dietary isotopes from their knee-bones show that they ate pretty healthily. Sugar was not widely available at that time, so their teeth were strong, too...
Arrows were not the only things flying through the air that day. Some of the first bullets were, too. The Towton battlefield has yielded up the earliest lead-composite shot found in England ...
Much more here.
Antique Civil War gun comes back home
A Civil War revolver that was stolen more than 30 years ago from the Museum of the Confederacy has turned up again.
Justice, by George
George Phillips was going up to bed when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window.George opened the back door to go turn off the light but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things. He phoned the police, who asked, "Is someone in your house?" and he said "no". Then they said that all patrols were busy, and that he should simply lock his door and an officer would be along when available.
George said, "Okay," hung up, counted to 30, and phoned the police again.
"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now cause I've just shot them all." Then he hung up.
Within five minutes three police cars, an armed response unit, and an ambulance showed up at the Phillips residence and caught the burglars red-handed.
One of the policemen said to George: "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"
George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"
Top companies to work for
The firms on Fortune's list offer great pay and generous perks like car washes and free food.
Also: 
First woman gets top auto job
GM’s Mary Barra will take on a crucial role in a business dominated by men.
Also: Legally mandated holidays and vacation leave
That's right, folks - Zero - Zip - Nada!
You always knew you were getting hosed, didn't you?!
Social Security changes in 2011
Several options for retirees will be eliminated, while less money will be put into the fund.
Also: 
Certain taxpayers can use the products of for-profit companies to prepare their returns at no cost.
Also:
The Budget, as haiku
From HuffPost Hill's 'Brad the Internet':
Budget
huge deficit was
preexisting condition
no press coverage
Stores that may close in 2011
Borders has closed about 200 stores, while Blockbuster has shuttered 955.
Also: Richest U.S. neighborhood
This wealthy suburb is home to the Jonas Brothers and the owner of a MLB team.
Also: Worst housing markets
These real estate markets have largely been abandoned by buyers — and they may never return.
Also: Busting myths of credit scores
It's not necessarily bad to have as many as five credit cards, one expert says.
Also: The Undead Debt Collector
If you’ve ever had to deal with debt collectors, you know that they’re relentless. How relentless? Let’s just say that they don’t let a little pesky thing like death deter them from getting back every penny they’re owed!Here’s a fascinating story of how a woman who died in 1995 has been "signing" affidavits for the debt-collection industry:
Martha Kunkle has come back to life.Jessica Silver-Greenberg of The Wall Street Journal has more.
She died in 1995. Yet her signature later appeared on thousands of affidavits submitted by one of the nation’s largest debt collectors, Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc., in lawsuits filed against borrowers.
Some regulators complain that the use of Ms. Kunkle’s name reflects an epidemic of mass-produced, sloppy and inaccurate documentation in the debt-collection industry. Lawsuits have surged as more borrowers fall behind on payments and collection firms turn to courts to get what they are owed.
After being sued for fraud, Portfolio Recovery Associates decided in early 2008 that any documents bearing Ms. Kunkle’s name had "defects" and shouldn’t be used when trying to collect debts, a company spokeswoman said.
Safety in former crime hotbed
A community once synonymous with gangs and violence enjoys a 67 percent drop in murders.
Also: Massive Mafia crackdown
Tips from informants fuel one of the largest organized crime roundups in FBI history.
Also: Keyless cars attract thieves
Auto thieves have found an easy way to hack into remote entry systems.
Also: Kidnapped baby finds her family
A young woman's hunch about her past unravels a decades-old crime and leads to magical reunion.
Also: Scary Internet diet drug facts
One product claims to be "100 percent herbal" and safe even for young children.
Also: Ill fan follows team out of town
When a passionate young fan's favorite team leaves town, his family makes a bold decision.
Also: The Perfect Excuse to Avoid Chores
Housework is Dangerous to Your Health
Don’t like to do chores? Well, now you’ve got valid *medical* excuse not to do so. Turns out that doing housework may be dangerous to your health:Researchers in the US have discovered that in busy people housework such as cleaning, cooking, home maintenance, and even budgeting, can raise blood pressure. Those at greatest risk are the people who believe they are doing most of the work.Why, you’re welcome.
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