Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Amazing nature photos
An aerial shot of Alaska's Ruth Glacier looks more computer-generated than real.
Also: Warning on warming oceans
Scientists say warmer waters cause the proliferation of bacteria that can promote serious illness.
Also: 
The Loneliest Plant In The World
One day in 1895, while walking through the Ngoya Forest in Zululand, southern Africa, botanist John Medley Wood caught sight of a tree. It sat on a steep slope at the edge of the woods and looked different from the other trees, with its thick multiple trunks and what seemed like a splay of palm fronds on top. Dr. Wood had some of the stems pulled up, removed, and sent one of them to London.
That little tree stem was then put in a box and left in the Palm House at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. It sat there, alone, for the next 98 years.
Five Incredibly Useful Pests
No one wants to come out of a lake or river covered in leeches and if your doctor pulls them out, you probably ought to run away as fast as you can…that is, unless you have arthritis. As it turns out, they can be particularly useful in those cases:Slap four leeches on your knee and after 80 minutes, the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis melts away. Of the 16 patients in the trial, the 10 who received leech therapy felt instant relief after application, and the comfort lasted for four weeks. The control patients continued experiencing pain. Researchers claim the leeches’ saliva works as an anti-inflammatory.
Learn about more pests-turned pros here.
Talking Wild Birds Freak Out Aussies
Entire flocks of Australian wild birds are learning to speak -- and freaking out residents of suburban Sydney.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
A gigantic surge of creativity will hit you today -- be prepared to take advantage of it.
Carry your journal and pen with you so you can jot down your brilliant ideas.
This is the beginning of a very productive period full of experiments, educational challenges and opportunities for self-improvement.
Don't immediately discount any idea that you have today -- even though you may have to sift through a lot of them to find a gem.
Resist the urge to censor yourself.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Sri Aman, Sarawk, Malaysia
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
London, England, United Kingdom
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Kota, Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Lisboa, Liboa, Portugal
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Gengenbach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Port Louis, Port Louis, Mauritius
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Morini, Morini, Comoros
Amstelveen, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Milton, Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Versailles, Ile-De-France, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Makati, Manila, Pilippines
Bitburg, Rheinland-Pflaz, Germany
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Prague, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Repulic
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Sri Aman, Sarawk, Malaysia
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
London, England, United Kingdom
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Kota, Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Lisboa, Liboa, Portugal
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Gengenbach, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Port Louis, Port Louis, Mauritius
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Morini, Morini, Comoros
Amstelveen, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina
Milton, Keynes, England, United Kingdom
Versailles, Ile-De-France, France
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Milan, Lombardia, Italy
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Makati, Manila, Pilippines
Bitburg, Rheinland-Pflaz, Germany
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Prague, Hlavni Mesto Praha, Czech Repulic
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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 Kathleen, Gary, Henrietta, Logan and more.
and in cities across the United States such as Kathleen, Gary, Henrietta, Logan and more.
Today is:
Today is Tuesday, September 13, the 256th day of 2011.
There are 109 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
International Chocolate Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Tuneful Tuesday
Tuesday's Gone by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Train roll on, on down the line,Please take me far, away
Now I feel the wind blow outside my door,
Means I'm leaving my woman at home.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Well my baby's gone with the wind.
And I don't know oh where I'm going.
I just want to be left alone.
Well, when this train ends I'll try again,
But I'm leaving my woman at home
(Tuesday's gone with the wind.) X 3
My baby's gone with the wind.
Train roll on.
Tuesday's gone.
Train roll on many miles from my home,
See, I'm riding my blues away. Yeah.
Tuesday, you see, she had to be free
But somehow I've got to carry on.
Lord And.
(Tuesday's gone with the wind) X 3
My baby's gone with the wind.
Train roll on.
Ahh on.
Cause my baby's gone.
Im riding my blues day.
Train roll on blue.
(Ride on train.) X 2
Ride my blues day.
Goodbye Tuesday. X2
Ahh Train.
Debate crowd cheers death
What a bunch of raging assholes!
When Ron Paul is asked if society should let a man in a coma die, the audience goes wild.
Also: Heroes lift car, save man
Lucky for mankind there are more people like these than there are the assholes in the previous post!
A group of people risk their own lives to rescue a man pinned underneath a flaming BMW.
Also: Culinary DeLites
This late-summer stew can be ready in just 30 minutes, or try the zesty couscous and shrimp.
Also: How to Build a DIY Solar Oven
Image credit: Popular Mechanics
From a heat-storing solar grill to solar ovens created for an international market, we've seen plenty of commercial models of sun-powered cooking devices. And from a solar oven death match to an oven created from old CDs, we've featured a few DIY varieties too. But there are now some promising signs that solar cooking is going mainstream, with Popular Mechanics featuring a build-your-own solar oven project for your average DIY enthusiast. Article continues: How to Build a DIY Solar Oven (Video)
Odds and Sods
The North Carolina Museum of Art will show an exhibit of Rembrandts that curators say has the most authentic works from the artist's American collections that have ever been assembled.
Whether you like it or not, it's probably time to start thinking about checking your furnace for the winter. Especially considering the high tomorrow is going to likely hover in the 50s.
Whether you like it or not, it's probably time to start thinking about checking your furnace for the winter. Especially considering the high tomorrow is going to likely hover in the 50s.
Poe Museum Nevermore?
Only the Scots
At an art auction in Edinburgh, Scotland, a wealthy American lost his wallet containing £20,000 (i.e. $31,570).
He announced to the gathering that he would give a reward of £200 to the person who found it.
From the back of the hall a Scottish voice shouted, 'I'll give £250.'
He announced to the gathering that he would give a reward of £200 to the person who found it.
From the back of the hall a Scottish voice shouted, 'I'll give £250.'
Disastrous debut for new film
"Creature" earns less than any other widely released movie in history in its debut.
Also: Chicago cops sued for beating man who photographed them abusing other suspect
If this story is true, and it certainly rings true from my experience in dealing with far too much hubris in far too many police departments (local officials genuflect to the police the same way federal officials pander to the Pentagon), those cops should be fired and then some.
From WLS Chicago:
From WLS Chicago:
Brad Williams was standing on the front porch of his home when he saw the driver of a Chicago Police car reach his arm out the window and grab a man walking alongside the....More from legal expert Jonathan Turley:
Williams took a photo of the incident and the driver’s partner exited the vehicle and approached, telling him it was illegal to photograph the police and he did not want to be on YouTube, the suit claims....
Both officers then returned to Williams, and verbally and physically assaulted him, the suit said. They handcuffed him and grabbed him by the throat.
Williams’ mother tried to open the door and an officer held it shut, then let go of it, causing her to stumble through the door and fall to the ground, the suit claims.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit became the latest court in a recent decision to rule that police efforts to bar such videotaping is a violation of the First Amendment. That case involved Boston attorney Simon Glik, who was arrested for recording another arrest in public. We discussed the case earlier.
These cases continue to occur because officers are not disciplined for such abuses. Most such threats probably succeed and other cases are simply dropped with no action taken against officers. In the meantime, city council members and state legislators have done little to protect the public from such violations.
U.S. hopes for quick release of hikers
The United States is hopeful for the quick release of two remaining detained American hikers in Iran, after Iran's president pledged to release them, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday.First Woman Zeta Leader Arrested by Mexican Marines
The first woman leader of a Zeta operation has been arrested by the Mexican marines in Monterrey, Mexico according to the Navy Secretariat.
When China Takes Over the World ...
The Economist pontificates:
If China does usurp America, what kind of hegemon will it be? Some argue that it will be a “premature” superpower. Because it will be big before it is rich, it will dwell on its domestic needs to the neglect of its global duties. If so, the world may resemble the headless global economy of the inter-war years, when Britain was unable, and America unwilling, to lead. But Mr Subramanian prefers to describe China as a precocious superpower. It will not be among the richest economies, but it will not be poor either. Its standard of living will be about half America’s in 2030, and a little higher than the European Union’s today.
With luck China will combine its precocity in economic development with a plodding conservatism in economic diplomacy. It should remain committed to preserving an open world economy. Indeed, its commitment may run deeper than America’s, because its ratio of trade to GDP is far higher.
Drugstore do's and don'ts
Some items offer big savings, but you'll be surprised which products are often overpriced.
Also: Red flags on credit reports
You know about bankruptcies and missed payments, but these can be just as bad.
Also: Big change to jobless benefits
Obama's jobs bill contains an idea to radically transform the safety net for the unemployed.
Also: U.S. poverty rate swells to nearly 1 in 6
The ranks of U.S. poor swelled to nearly 1 in 6 people last year, reaching a new high as long-term unemployment woes left millions of Americans struggling and out of work.
You're Fired
Workers Who Left With a Bang
Getting fired is never a fun time.
These very public oustings show both the pain and the glory of losing a job.
Career tips from women executives
These top executives have thrived at work by taking risks and embracing their own power.
Also: 
Marshmallow Experiment Repeated
The Ability to Delay Gratification Doesn't Change Much with Age
Back in the 70's, researchers conducted the now-classic "marshmallow" study to see how children deal with delayed gratification.Now, they tracked down the original participants and found that their ability (or inability) to defer gratification doesn't change much over the years:
In the earlier study, 4-year-olds were given a choice. They could either have a marshmallow or a cookie now, or, if they waited a little longer, they could have double the treats.
Those who couldn't hold out and took the initial treat qualified as low delayers, while those who could postpone their reward were deemed high delayers. [...]
Because marshmallows aren't as irresistible to adults, the researchers asked participants to react to a series of emotional pictures, primarily happy and sad faces.
"The happy face took the place of the marshmallow," said Dr. B.J. Casey, director of the Sackler Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College and lead author of the study. "The positive social cue interfered with the low delayers' ability to suppress his or her actions."
The findings suggested that those better at delaying gratification as children remained so as adults. Likewise, those who wanted their treats right away were more likely to seek instant gratification as adults.
And the 'Parents of the Year' Award goes to ...
Florida woman charged for leaving toddler at home to go partying
A Florida woman was arrested Saturday night for leaving her 3-year-old child home while she went out partying in Ybor City.
Bail Set For Father Accused Of Abandoning Son
Bail was set at $5,000 Monday in Dakota County for a Lakeville man accused of abandoning his 11-year-old son.
Facebook 'friend' dangers
Beware of social media scammers using clever come-ons to fleece innocent victims.
Also: 
Second planet found outside our system that could be habitable
Astronomers believe they have found a second planet outside our solar system that seems to be in the right zone for life, just barely.
But it would feel like a steam bath - hot, sticky and beyond uncomfortable.
European astronomers announced the discovery on Monday along with about 50 other planets outside our solar system at a US conference.
The most exciting of those planets is only the second to be confirmed as lying in what astronomers call the habitable zone or the Goldilocks zone.
That means it is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to be present.
Arctic ice melts to historic low
Melting ice is visible near Greenland's Ilulissat glacier, one of the areas seeing the effects of global warming in the Arctic.
Crystals Break Slow Growth Record
The 10 Creepiest Abandoned Resorts on Earth
Amazing Underground Cities
Cities, empires and religions have risen and fallen around these unique underground havens once used by early Christians to hide from Roman armies, yet they remains occupied to this day – 100 square miles with 200+ underground villages and tunnel towns complete with hidden passages, secret rooms and ancient temples and a remarkably storied history of each new civilization building on the work of the last.Read more about these amazing homes and enjoy the stunning pictures here.
The house built by 'Chipmunks'
The billion-dollar empire of Alvin and his squeaky brothers paid for this oceanview mansion.
Also: 
Girl, 6, dug up rare 160m-year-old fossil with plastic spade
A girl of six got more than she bargained for when she went digging with a plastic spade and found a 160 million-year-old fossil. Lucky Emily Baldry unearthed the massive Rieneckia odysseus fossil during her first archaeological dig last year. And now after months of restoration she has donated it to a museum to be enjoyed by the public.
She pulled the 130lb specimen — which has a diameter of 40cm — out of the ground in March last year when she was just five. Stunned dad Jon Baldry couldn't believe his eyes when Emily's seaside spade hit the fossil at Cotswold Water Park in Gloucestershire. It has since undergone a year's worth of careful restoration and now boasts fearsome 2cm spikes.
Emily, who lives in Chippenham, Wilts, was reunited with the rock on Sunday when she presented it to the Gateway Information Center near Cirencester, Gloucs. She said she was very impressed with the transformation of her rock, which she nicknamed Spike, saying: "It is so exciting to see him. I was very happy when I first saw him and now he looks very shiny. I bring him into school and all of my friends like him too." Proud dad Jon, 40, added: "It is really breathtaking how much work has gone into restoring Spike.
"It is so lovely to see it on display and great that others can enjoy it. Emily found it so she is its official owner, which is quite remarkable at the age of six, but we will keep bringing it to wherever people want to see it." The stone will go on display at the center, run by the Cotswold Water Park Trust, for three weeks for other experts and children to admire. The fossilized sea creature with a spiral-patterned shell was a mollusc that lived in the oceans during the Jurassic period — the same time as dinosaurs.
Photo from SWNS.
She pulled the 130lb specimen — which has a diameter of 40cm — out of the ground in March last year when she was just five. Stunned dad Jon Baldry couldn't believe his eyes when Emily's seaside spade hit the fossil at Cotswold Water Park in Gloucestershire. It has since undergone a year's worth of careful restoration and now boasts fearsome 2cm spikes.
Emily, who lives in Chippenham, Wilts, was reunited with the rock on Sunday when she presented it to the Gateway Information Center near Cirencester, Gloucs. She said she was very impressed with the transformation of her rock, which she nicknamed Spike, saying: "It is so exciting to see him. I was very happy when I first saw him and now he looks very shiny. I bring him into school and all of my friends like him too." Proud dad Jon, 40, added: "It is really breathtaking how much work has gone into restoring Spike.
Photo from SWNS.
"It is so lovely to see it on display and great that others can enjoy it. Emily found it so she is its official owner, which is quite remarkable at the age of six, but we will keep bringing it to wherever people want to see it." The stone will go on display at the center, run by the Cotswold Water Park Trust, for three weeks for other experts and children to admire. The fossilized sea creature with a spiral-patterned shell was a mollusc that lived in the oceans during the Jurassic period — the same time as dinosaurs.
Pre-Dino Subterranean World Discovered
Life on Earth 240 million years ago flourished in the seas, on land, and in intricate underground burrows.
Invasive Tree-Killing Insects Cost U.S. Over $3.5 Billion a Year
Photo credit: Denis Defryne via Flickr/CC BY
The rise of invasive species is well-known: As globalization advanced, nations started shipping more and more goods across the planet, intrepid creatures started hitching rides and showing up across the ocean from where they belonged. Invasive species can be dangerous, irritating, disruptive, and, as a recent study reveals, expensive as hell. A new study in the biology journal PLoS One reveals, for instance, that tree-killing invasive forest insects alone are costing the US billions of dollars a year. Article continues: Invasive Tree-Killing Insects Cost U.S. Over $3.5 Billion a Year
City Girls
"Er, excuse me Sir, but why doesn't this cow have any horns?" asked the young lady from a nearby city.
The farmer cocked his head for a moment, then began in a patient tone....
"Well, ma'am, cattle can do a powerful lot of damage with horns. Sometimes we keep'em trimmed down with a hacksaw. Other times we can fix up the young 'uns by puttin' a couple drops of acid where their horns would grow in, and that stops 'em cold. Still, there are some breeds of cattle that never grow horns. But the reason this cow don't have any horns, ma'am, is 'cause it's a horse!"
The farmer cocked his head for a moment, then began in a patient tone....
"Well, ma'am, cattle can do a powerful lot of damage with horns. Sometimes we keep'em trimmed down with a hacksaw. Other times we can fix up the young 'uns by puttin' a couple drops of acid where their horns would grow in, and that stops 'em cold. Still, there are some breeds of cattle that never grow horns. But the reason this cow don't have any horns, ma'am, is 'cause it's a horse!"
Man vs Beast Showdowns
The athlete who beat a racehorse and the rugby star who raced a cheetah make our rundown.
Also: Six Things Animals Do Just Like Us
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