Sunday, February 6, 2011
Odds and Sods
Surf and turf: Dead cow washes up on Seattle shore
Authorities in Seattle say bovine met the shoreline when beachfront residents found the body of a 400-pound cow washed up by the surf.
Nasdaq hackers target service for corporate boards
NASDAQ hacked into several times in the past year
The computer network that runs the NASDAQ Stock Market, home to the stock of many technology companies such as Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Microsoft (MSFT). has been hacked into several times over the past year, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.The Problem with Passwords
There’s a reason some sites ask for, or require, a password that contains both letters and numbers. The first column describes passwords. The other columns tell you how long it takes a hacker to figure them out. Don’t make it easy for someone to figure yours out.
Home repairs worth tackling
Take care of these small jobs now before they become gigantic, expensive problems later.
Also: How to save on everything
Spend less on the items you want with these easy and painless strategies.
Also: 
Best & worst cities for men
The healthiest place for guys ranks high in both fitness and quality of life.
Also: The five most popular supplements
A survey of 6,000 people finds one supplement has jumped in popularity.
Also: Air pollutants from fireplaces and wood-burning stoves raise health concerns
With millions of people warding off winter’s chill with blazing fireplaces and wood-burning stoves, scientists are raising red flags about the potential health effects of the smoke released from burning wood.
Peripheral artery disease harder on women
Small calf muscles may be a feminine trait, but for women with peripheral artery disease (PAD) they’re a major disadvantage. Researchers at Northwestern Medicine point to the smaller calf muscles of women as a gender difference that may …
Six workouts that burn calories
Take a high-intensity step class and you'll burn about 600 calories an hour.
Also: Five tasty healthier chips
Taste testers found several brands with reduced salt and oil, but plenty of flavor.
Also: Minnesota Hospital Opens Food Pantry
A Minnesota medical center has one of the nation's first hospital-based food pantries.
Restaurant lets you be chef
Getting the smell of garlic off your fingers is just one trick you'll learn in this gourmet kitchen.
Also: Mmmmmmm ... grasshopper tacos
La Oaxaque Bakery and Restaurant in San Francisco's Mission district is serving up grasshopper tacos.
U.S. military serving up seafood to give Gulf of Mexico businesses a boost
Sales of Gulf of Mexico seafood are getting a boost from the military after being hammered by last year's BP oil spill, which left consumers fearing the water's bounty had been tainted.
Farm insurance fraud is cheating taxpayers out of millions
The federal investigator took the witness stand and described the crime scene: a sprawling field clogged with boulders, native grasses and knee-high sagebrush.
Farmers hit hard by snow
Caving roofs take an unprecedented toll on farms across the Northeast.
Also: Hunters Versus Farmers In The Neolithic Period
Between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago, the first farmers from Asia were already cultivating land in what is now Greece, according to archaeological remains ...
Amazing Earth
A special selection, with unique scenes from this wonderful planet which we call Earth.
Special thanks BBC - Planet Earth team.
Solar Wind Bridge
This bridge, designed by Francesco Colarossi, Giovanna Saracino and Luisa Saracino, is still in the theoretical stage. At high altitude where the speed of the wind is greater the structure will capture energy in two ways:Between the pillars of a long-expanse bridge, a multitude of turbines capture wind energy from the faster-moving high-altitude currents. In addition, the (currently theoretical) road is paved with a “dense network of solar cells,” covered with a transparent and highly-resistant plastic, increasing the design’s energy production.A solar park is also incorporated into the plan. It is estimated that the bridge will generate 40 million kWh per year.
The Galileo Thermometer
Galileo Galilei was an Italian jack of all arts and science trades who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. His discoveries about the effect of temperature on the density of liquids led to a thermometer being named after him.The instrument consists of a sealed glass cylinder containing a clear liquid and a series of bulbs with weights attached. As the temperature changes, the bulbs rise and fall depending of a number of mathematical principles first conceived by Galileo. It is not only functional; it is also very beautiful.
Ten budget travel destinations
Dublin's economic turmoil has an upside for tourists: big savings on hotels and food.
Also: News in Nepal is broadcast by lantern light
One of Nepal's top television networks has begun broadcasting its nightly news bulletin in semi-darkness to highlight the effects of massive power cuts.
Since the beginning of February, Kantipur Television has used only a kerosene (paraffin) lantern to light its 30-minute-long 7pm news bulletin.
The head of Kantipur News said that the aim was to put pressure on the government to tackle the problem. Nepal is currently suffering about 12 hours of power cuts a day.
"We want the government to produce more electricity as soon as possible," Kantipur News head Tirtha Koirala said. "So far we've been getting a very positive response from our audience, but nothing yet from the government."
Since the beginning of February, Kantipur Television has used only a kerosene (paraffin) lantern to light its 30-minute-long 7pm news bulletin.
The head of Kantipur News said that the aim was to put pressure on the government to tackle the problem. Nepal is currently suffering about 12 hours of power cuts a day.
"We want the government to produce more electricity as soon as possible," Kantipur News head Tirtha Koirala said. "So far we've been getting a very positive response from our audience, but nothing yet from the government."
Thirteen Of Japan's Most Strangely Stylish Hotels
That fusion is echoed in the nation's many hotels, which range from serene ryokans, or traditional inns, to unabashedly out-there 'love hotels' with amazing themed rooms.
Virtual Map Of The City Of Venice
Mysterious Bakla Cave Town
Bakla cave town is situated in the Crimea, 2 km far from Skalisty (“Rocky”) village. Its formation is dated the 3rd century CE but now one can only see the traces of former life here.
The Perils of Tree-Planting Programs in Turkey
Turkey's arid steppe is a threatened landscape.
Photo: Jennifer Hattam.
The most common landscape in Turkey today, the Central Anatolian steppe is threatened by the usual suspects: poor water management, encroaching agricultural development, and the damming of its rivers. But according to one local environmentalist, this arid natural grassland ecosystem has also been the victim of good intentions.Article continues: The Perils of Tree-Planting Programs in Turkey
Fight over dog biscuit leads to arrest
A Montana man who took exception to someone else giving his dog a biscuit faces a misdemeanor assault charge.
Prehistoric man's best friend?
A surprising find shows early humans may have had another pet before dogs.
Also: Seven Animals Humans Brought To Extinction
It seems weird that a creature alive today could suddenly be wiped off the earth tomorrow. But it happens. Species become extinct because of human activity. Here are seven such animals that are no longer on earth thanks to mankind.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:It's time to get creative with how you get stuff done today.
You need to launch your new plans as soon as possible !
Swallow your pride and ask for the help you need.
Now is not the time for the luxury of pride.
Flattery, jokes and even intimidation are all useful tools for you to employ in your pursuit.
Be open about what your goals are and share your excitement -- that is bound to be the most effective sales tool to influence others to jump on board.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
London, England, United Kingdom
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Valencia, Comunidad Valencia, Spain
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Sevilla, Andalucia, Spain
Biarritz, Aquitaine, France
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Malaga, Andalucia, Spain
Tulum Pueblo, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico
as well as Slovakia, 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 Iowa City, Twin Falls, Ozark, Valdosta and more.
Today is:
Today is Saturday, February 5, the 36th day of 2011.
There are 329 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:
World Nutella Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
President Obama's Weekly Address
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Washington DC
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Weekly Address
Washington DC
Saturday, February 5, 2011
But ultimately, our true measure of progress has to be whether every American who wants a job can find one; whether the jobs available pay well and offer good benefits; whether people in this country can still achieve the American Dream for themselves and their children. That’s the progress we’re after.
To get there, we have to realize that in today’s global, competitive economy, the best jobs and newest industries will take root in the countries with the most skilled workers, the strongest commitment to research and technology, and the fastest ways to move people, goods, and information. To win the future, America needs to out-educate, out-innovate, and out-build the rest of the world.
On Thursday, I went to Penn State University, whose students and researchers are poised to lead the way on innovation and job creation. They’re taking up the challenge we’ve issued to scientists and engineers all across the country: if you assemble teams of the best minds in your field, and focus on tackling the biggest obstacles to providing America with clean, affordable energy, we’ll get behind your work. Your government will support your research.
The folks in Pennsylvania have decided to focus on designing buildings that save more energy – everything from more efficient lighting and windows to heating and cooling. This won’t just cut down on energy pollution, it can save us billions of dollars on our energy bills.
Most of all, discovering new ways to make buildings more energy-efficient will lead to new jobs and new businesses. Over the last two years, we’ve seen a window manufacturer in Maryland boost business by 55%. A lighting company in North Carolina hired hundreds of workers. A manufacturer in Pennsylvania saw business increase by $1 million.
All we did for these companies was provide some tax credits and financing opportunities. And that’s what we want to do going forward, so that it’s profitable for American businesses to sell the discoveries made by the scientists at Penn State and other hubs of innovation. If businesses sell these discoveries – if they start making windows and insulation and buildings that save more energy – they will hire more workers. And that’s how Americans will prosper. That’s how we’ll win the future.
Our government has an obligation to make sure that America is the best place on Earth to do business – that we have the best schools, the best incentives to innovate, and the best infrastructure. Next week, I’ll see that kind of infrastructure when I visit Marquette, Michigan – a place where high-speed broadband is connecting a small town to the larger world.
Supporting businesses with this kind of 21st century infrastructure and cutting-edge innovation is our responsibility. But businesses have a responsibility, too. If we make America the best place to do business, businesses should make their mark in America. They should set up shop here, and hire our workers, and pay decent wages, and invest in the future of this nation. That’s their obligation. And that’s the message I’ll be bringing to American business leaders at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday – that government and businesses have mutual responsibilities; and that if we fulfill these obligations together, it benefits us all. Our workers will succeed. Our nation will prosper. And America will win the future in this century just like we did in the last.
With eye on Mideast unrest, Iraqi prime minister says he won't run for third term in 2014
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will not run for a third term in 2014, an adviser said Saturday, limiting himself in the name of democracy while keeping a wary eye on the popular anger at governments across the Middle East.
Egypt's ruling party leadership resigns
The leadership of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party resigned on Saturday, including Gamal Mubarak, the son of President Hosni Mubarak whose rule has been shaken by days of protests, state television said.
With Egypt in turmoil, oil and food prices climb
The turmoil in Egypt is causing economic jitters across the globe, pushing up food and oil prices so far, but bigger worries are ahead.
Blast, Fire At Gas Pipeline Near Gaza
An explosion went off at a gas terminal in Egypt's northern Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, setting off a massive fire along a gas pipeline that could be seen dozens of miles away, officials and witnesses said.
A 6.4-magnitude quake rocks India-Burma border
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the India-Myanmar border region on Friday, US seismologists said.
More floods in Australia as cyclone damage tallied
The cyclone that tore through Australia's northeast this week brought fresh misery to people in the south on Saturday, causing flash flooding in the second-largest city even as residents in far distant towns returned to ruined homes.
Judge's Comments Prompt New Murder Trials
Two men convicted of killing a tourist in Reno deserve a new trial because of improper comments by a judge during jury selection, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled.
The Reunion
Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking, "Surely I can't look that old?" Read on:
I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist. I noticed his DDS diploma which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome dark-haired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 40-odd years ago. Could he be the same guy that I had a secret crush on, way back then?
Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate. Hmmm...or could he????
After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High School.
"Yes, yes, I did! I'm a Mustang," he gleamed with pride.
"When did you graduate?" I asked.
He answered, "In 1969. Why do you ask?"
"You were in my class!" I exclaimed.
He looked at me closely. Then that ugly, old, wrinkled son-of-a-bitch asked, "What did you teach?"
I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist. I noticed his DDS diploma which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome dark-haired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 40-odd years ago. Could he be the same guy that I had a secret crush on, way back then?
Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate. Hmmm...or could he????
After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High School.
"Yes, yes, I did! I'm a Mustang," he gleamed with pride.
"When did you graduate?" I asked.
He answered, "In 1969. Why do you ask?"
"You were in my class!" I exclaimed.
He looked at me closely. Then that ugly, old, wrinkled son-of-a-bitch asked, "What did you teach?"
Astronomical News
The early universe looks a lot like blood vessels (or cobwebs)
Very cool photo, this-a-way.
And the Hubble found a galaxy that was formed only 480m years after the Big Bang.
***
First Stars May Still Shine
- Not all of the first stars were behemoths that burned brightly and died quickly.
Misremembering Ronny Raygun
This weekend will be Ronny Raygun's 100th birthday.
Joan Walsh at Salon is presenting a series of articles about the insane idiot.
Here are some excerpts from today's article:
Joan Walsh at Salon is presenting a series of articles about the insane idiot.
Here are some excerpts from today's article:
Despite his reputation as a tax slasher, Reagan raised taxes three times, and tripled the deficit during his eight years in office. Sadly, his working-class "Reagan Democrat" admirers don’t seem to remember that one of his tax hikes raised payroll taxes, which hurt poor and middle-class Americans and shielded the wealthy. The main reason he's remembered as a tax-cutter is because of what he did to tax rates for the uber-rich: He slashed the top rate from 70 percent to 28 percent, and income inequality has soared ever since...
If that 70 percent rate sounds a little high, it's useful to remember that the top rate was 94 percent at the end of World War II, and after a brief drop to 82 percent, it stayed in the 90s under Republican Dwight Eisenhower; it was Democrat John F. Kennedy who slashed it to 70 percent... Those are the tax rates that powered the postwar boom -- the expansion of public education and universities, highway construction and home-ownership, government-funded research and development -- that we think of as the American dream...
To review: Under Reagan, income inequality began to grow, household savings dwindled, household debt correspondingly began to rise, and the clout of the financial industry exploded. The top 0.1 percent of Americans saw their share of income climb higher than it was before the Great Depression. And here we are...
More here.
***
Some of us - the sane ones - correctly remember the real ronny raygun all too well.
ACTA cables confirm it was a screwjob for the global poor
From the Wikileaks File:
Quadrature du Net's repository of #cablegate cables related to ACTA, the secretive copyright treaty reveal that governments all over the world were pissed off that the USA and Japan wouldn't let them discuss the treaty with their citizens and industry.
More importantly, they explicitly confirm that the reason that ACTA was negotiated in secret among rich countries was that this was seen as the most expeditious way of getting a super-extreme copyright agreement passed with a minimum of fuss, and that all the poor countries who were excluded from the negotiation would later be coerced into agreeing to it.
Quadrature du Net's repository of #cablegate cables related to ACTA, the secretive copyright treaty reveal that governments all over the world were pissed off that the USA and Japan wouldn't let them discuss the treaty with their citizens and industry.
More importantly, they explicitly confirm that the reason that ACTA was negotiated in secret among rich countries was that this was seen as the most expeditious way of getting a super-extreme copyright agreement passed with a minimum of fuss, and that all the poor countries who were excluded from the negotiation would later be coerced into agreeing to it.
The cables note that critics wanted ACTA to take place before an existing body like WIPO, where processes were in place for transparency and for the involvement of public interest groups. But cables from the US embassy in Japan make clear that the US pushed back against this approach, in large part because it knew other nations wouldn't go along with what it wanted: "a plurilateral, TRIPS-plus Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) which would aim to set a 'gold standard' for IPR enforcement among a small number of like-minded countries, and which other countries might aspire to join." US Trade Representative official Stan McCoy "stressed that this should be a freestanding agreement, not related to any international grouping such as the G-8 or OECD, which might make it more difficult to construct a high-standards agreement."
In other words, what we got was a "coalition of the willing" bent on creating tough new enforcement rules that they would slowly seek to impose on other countries.
As a Japanese trade official noted, "we should move as fast as possible and keep in mind that the intent of the agreement is to address the IPR problems of third-nations such as China, Russia, and Brazil, not to negotiate the different interests of like-minded countries. The new agreement could serve as a yardstick for measuring the market economy status of countries such as China and Russia."
House repugicans slash agencies, barely nick themselves
Typical!
Even as they take a cleaver to many domestic agencies, repugicans now running the House are barely touching Congress' generous own budget.USDA: 43 million on food stamps
More than 43 million Americans receive food stamp assistance, or about 14 percent of the population, officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture say.
Where housing will rebound
These five cities are expected to have the strongest housing markets in 2011.
Also: Four Mile Doughnut Run
On your marks, get set, stuff your face.
About 7,500 people are expected to take part in today's annual Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh.
Surprising energy hogs
The average home has 30 always-on devices, but it's the small ones that can waste the most electricity.
Also: 
Man calls 911 with pot inquiry
From the "They don't call it Dope for nothing you know" Department:
A Farmington man is under arrest after he called 911 and asked the dispatcher how much trouble he could get into for growing marijuana.
A Farmington man is under arrest after he called 911 and asked the dispatcher how much trouble he could get into for growing marijuana.
Odds and Sods
Quartet of FL teens arrested for plotting classmate's death on Facebook
Four Florida teenagers were arrested on Wednesday after plotting a classmate's murder on Facebook.The death threats were issued because the quartet believed the unnamed classmate had snitched on one of their friends.
Still worse: he was totally uninvolved in the case.
Homemade Revolving Shotgun
Home Gunsmith forum user rhmc24 took parts from a 12 gauge shotgun and a 1857 Remington revolver and created a shotgun with a revolving cycle:
Using chambers cut off 12 ga. scrap barrels and a new $10 bbl for an Italian auto shotgun, the only other gun part is a scrapped hammer from a 1857 Remington perc revolver. Loads like a SAA Colt but underlever rotates and cocks it. Blow-by is negligible, hardly noticeable with normal shirt sleeve.
Opened for some still shots, at top of the inside pix screwed in is the firing pin, impact type with return spring. The ratchet or star with the hand is visible below on the left side, also the pawl that cocks the hammer. The cylinder indexing lock is external, operated by the under lever. At very bottom the small knob releases the cylinder to turn clockwise for loading.
Due to limited equipment I was unable to copy existing mechanisms so it is pretty much designed from scratch, largely by cut and try, trial and error, etc.
Her Majesty approves
The Oscar-nominated film about her father, King George VI, receives special praise from Her Majesty.
Also: Longest Car Ownership
This has to be a record for car ownership.
Allen Swift from Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, received this Rolls-Royce Picadilly P 1 Roadster from his father, brand new - as a graduation gift in 1928. He drove it until October 2005 when he died at the age of 102.
Jetpack will let you fly
The water-powered device lets fliers hover 30 feet in the air and zoom at high speeds — but it's not cheap.
Also: Man wants to build UFO docking station on Pikes Peak
UFO Phil, real name Phil Hill, wants to construct a gigantic Egyptian pyramid fuel station on Pikes Peak in southern Colorado.
The plan, which Phil says is based on secret blueprints and schematics given to him by the aliens: The pyramid atop Pikes Peak will be 755 feet tall and will be built with limestone blocks, each weighing 2.57 tons.
Phil says 2.3 million of these stone blocks will be needed. Phil says the massive structure can be built by just 60 men.
But before work begins on the alien fuel station, a few earthlings are demanding some paperwork be completed.
The plan, which Phil says is based on secret blueprints and schematics given to him by the aliens: The pyramid atop Pikes Peak will be 755 feet tall and will be built with limestone blocks, each weighing 2.57 tons.
Phil says 2.3 million of these stone blocks will be needed. Phil says the massive structure can be built by just 60 men.
But before work begins on the alien fuel station, a few earthlings are demanding some paperwork be completed.
Citrus growers excited about new seedless mandarin
California orange growers plan to begin harvesting a new variety of seedless mandarin orange this month that they think will appeal to consumers and lower their expenses.
The most popular varieties of mandarins, such as Satsuma, are self-pollinating and don't need help from bees to produce fruit.
Farmers can plant genetically modified beets
Genetically modified sugar beets designed to withstand the weedkiller Roundup can be planted under strict conditions with no threat to the environment and other plants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday in a decision anxiously awaited by farmers.
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