Saturday, September 17, 2011
Beaches not near an ocean
Surrounded by red-rock cliffs, Lake Powell has more shoreline than the West Coast.
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Best restaurants for health
Subway gets an A thanks to big cuts in sodium levels in its sandwiches.
Also: 
Dr. Oz under fire for juice claims
The FDA and others dispute the TV medical expert's assertions about the dangers of apple juice.
Also: Foods that keep you full
Nutritionists share their favorite healthy starters and snacks to help stave off hunger longer.
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The Teenage Brain
We’ve learned from recent research that the human brain undergoes immense changes during adolescence, which are often not finished until the mid-20s. National Geographic looks beyond that research into why the brain goes through such changes in adolescence, and finds it has to do with our evolutionary past. The risks teenagers take are in some ways very adaptive.Let’s start with the teen’s love of the thrill. We all like new and exciting things, but we never value them more highly than we do during adolescence. Here we hit a high in what behavioral scientists call sensation seeking: the hunt for the neural buzz, the jolt of the unusual or unexpected.The entire article is available now in the October issue of National Geographic magazine.
Seeking sensation isn’t necessarily impulsive. You might plan a sensation-seeking experience—a skydive or a fast drive—quite deliberately, as my son did. Impulsivity generally drops throughout life, starting at about age 10, but this love of the thrill peaks at around age 15. And although sensation seeking can lead to dangerous behaviors, it can also generate positive ones: The urge to meet more people, for instance, can create a wider circle of friends, which generally makes us healthier, happier, safer, and more successful.
Grover Cleveland's Deadly Secret
President Cleveland
When Grover Cleveland contracted cancer, it didn’t kill his career; it killed someone else’s.
In early June of 1893, President Grover Cleveland discovered a large tumor on the roof of his mouth. The cancer was progressing quickly. Doctors determined that if the patient were to survive, the growth had to be removed. But the procedure was complicated, and Cleveland’s doctors feared the surgery could trigger a stroke. There was also a 15 percent chance in those days that the president could die under the knife. After weighing his options, Cleveland chose to have the tumor removed, under one condition: The operation had to be conducted in total secrecy. The president feared that Wall Street -already reeling from falling stock in the midst of a depression- would panic if news of his illness leaked. Even his vice president, Adlai Stevenson, was to be kept in the dark.On the morning of June 31st, under the cover of night, President Cleveland and six of the nation’s finest physicians assembled on board the Oneida, a yacht anchored in New York harbor. Sitting in a deck chair, the president smoked cigars and chatted amiably with the men as the boat set sail for Long Island Sound. The following morning, the doctors scrambled below deck to prepare for the surgery. In lieu of an operating table, a large chair was bound to the mast in the yacht’s parlor. A single light bulb, connected to a portable battery, would provide all the light. The doctors boiled their instruments and pulled crisp white aprons over their dark suits. Shortly after noon, the president entered the parlor and took his seat.
Four days later, on July 5, Cleveland was dropped off at his summer home on Cape Cod.
He healed remarkably fast. By the middle of July, he was fitted with a vulcanized rubber prosthetic that plugged the hole in his mouth and restored his normal speaking voice. All the while, the public was told that the president had merely suffered a toothache.
THE HEALTH CARE CONTROVERSY
Elisha Edwards
The Philadelphia Press story was remarkably accurate. In fact, it still stands as one of the greatest scoops in the history of American journalism. But it wasn’t perceived that way by the public. The Cleveland administration categorically denied the charges and launched a smear campaign to discredit and embarrass the reporter. Newspapers denounced Edwards as a “disgrace to journalism” and a “calamity liar.” The tactics were effective. The public sided with Cleveland, who’d built his reputation as the “Honest President.” Meanwhile, Edwards’ career was effectively ruined. For the next 15 years, the veteran reporter could barely find work. In 1909, he landed a job as a columnist for a struggling young newspaper called The Wall Street Journal. But Edwards’ career was still tainted by the allegations that he’d faked the story about Grover Cleveland.
Dr. W.W. Keen
Odds of being hit by satellite
Debris could spread across 500 miles anywhere in the populated world as early as Sept. 24.
Also: German firm win battle to register F-word as trademark
A German company has won its court battle to register the F-word as a trademark. The brand name of its "Ficken" schnapps will now enjoy legal protection. The term may be in poor taste, but it may soon be used to market spirits and other drinks. Shoppers in Germany might feel a little embarrassed about asking for "Ficken" schnapps by name - after all, the drink is named after the German word for "fuck." But the manufacturer can take solace in the fact that the brand name is now legally protected. On Tuesday, Germany's Federal Patent Court ruled that the word "ficken" can be registered as a trademark.
The German liquor manufacturer EFAG Trade Mark Company had taken the case to the country's highest patent court after its attempts to get the name of "Ficken" schnapps registered with the German Patent and Trademark Office had failed. The patent office had steadfastly refused to register the naughty brand name as a trademark, arguing that it was socially offensive to sell goods of that name.
Following its legal victory, EFAG will now own the "Ficken" trademark for clothing, mineral water and fruit drinks, as well as alcoholic drinks. In its ruling, the court explained that, although the name is unquestionably in poor taste, it is not "sexually discriminatory" and does not violate public morals. Furthermore, the ruling reads, the word is found in the Duden, the authoritative style and spelling guide for the German language in Germany, and is used by people "in the widest range of social classes and age groups."
As further evidence of the name's acceptability, the exhaustive ruling goes on to list titles of respected artworks that incorporate the word "ficken," such as "Shoppen & Ficken," the award-winning German version of English playwright Mark Ravenhill's theater piece "Shopping and Fucking." EFAG's "Ficken" schnapps is not, however, the only German alcoholic drink with an expletive in its name. In March 2010, the European Union trademarks authority ruled that a German firm could register the brand name "F*cking Hell" for a new beer. In German, the name could refer to a type of beer from the Austrian village of Fucking, "Hell" being a German term for light ale.
The German liquor manufacturer EFAG Trade Mark Company had taken the case to the country's highest patent court after its attempts to get the name of "Ficken" schnapps registered with the German Patent and Trademark Office had failed. The patent office had steadfastly refused to register the naughty brand name as a trademark, arguing that it was socially offensive to sell goods of that name.
Following its legal victory, EFAG will now own the "Ficken" trademark for clothing, mineral water and fruit drinks, as well as alcoholic drinks. In its ruling, the court explained that, although the name is unquestionably in poor taste, it is not "sexually discriminatory" and does not violate public morals. Furthermore, the ruling reads, the word is found in the Duden, the authoritative style and spelling guide for the German language in Germany, and is used by people "in the widest range of social classes and age groups."
As further evidence of the name's acceptability, the exhaustive ruling goes on to list titles of respected artworks that incorporate the word "ficken," such as "Shoppen & Ficken," the award-winning German version of English playwright Mark Ravenhill's theater piece "Shopping and Fucking." EFAG's "Ficken" schnapps is not, however, the only German alcoholic drink with an expletive in its name. In March 2010, the European Union trademarks authority ruled that a German firm could register the brand name "F*cking Hell" for a new beer. In German, the name could refer to a type of beer from the Austrian village of Fucking, "Hell" being a German term for light ale.
China's grip on rare metals
The country produces nearly 95% of the world’s rare earth materials — and it's crimping the supply.
Also: Diamonds Journey to the Center of the Earth
Hatfield and McCoy
Those two are always fussing and fighting!
You know it might have been better to name them Smith and Jones after all.
Polar Bear Plays King Of The Hill
Article continues: Polar Bear Plays King Of The Hill
"B" News
Kentucky Professor Discovers New Species of Bee
A University of the Cumberlands assistant biology professor has discovered a new species of bee, and the university says his finding will be published in The Florida Entomologist.
Four men were hospitalized and several businesses evacuated after an attack by a swarm of an estimated 60,000 bees in the Southern California city of Santa Ana.
4 men hospitalized after bee attack in California
Four men were hospitalized and several businesses evacuated after an attack by a swarm of an estimated 60,000 bees in the Southern California city of Santa Ana.
Father and son save deer while fishing
A father and son fishing trip in Michigan turned into a bizarre but stunning rescue mission.Cute seal pup captivates
The rare albino is found under a pile of logs after being abandoned by its mother.
Also: Twelve Living Animal Fossils
When its ancestor the palaetragine was roaming the earth 15 million years ago, evolution seemed to favor the tall survivors who could reach trees, until finally down the line we had giraffes. Yet one set of palaetragine ancestors moved into the forest and never had to change much from the original: the okapi.Learn more about ancient species that are still around in this fascinating Environmental Graffiti article.
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Shy away from anything emotionally or physically dangerous today -- you should be concerned about safety.
A new opportunity has more risks than you initially realized, and you will have to do some thorough research to make sure that you are up for it.
If you are feeling a bit fragile, then let the people in power know that this might not be the best time for you.
There is no need to push yourself on this.
Play it safe -- this opportunity will come up again.
A new opportunity has more risks than you initially realized, and you will have to do some thorough research to make sure that you are up for it.
If you are feeling a bit fragile, then let the people in power know that this might not be the best time for you.
There is no need to push yourself on this.
Play it safe -- this opportunity will come up again.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Bitburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
London, England, United Kingdom
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Port Louis, Port Louis, Maruitius
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Wuppertal, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
London, England, United Kingdom
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Port Louis, Port Louis, Maruitius
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Morini, Morini, ComorosSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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 Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan and more.
and in cities across the United States such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan and more.
Today is:
Today is Friday, September 16, the 259th day of 2011.
There are 106 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Stay Away From Seattle Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Far-Out Friday
Many scientists doubted that worlds orbiting around two suns could really exist — until now.
Also: 
'Tatooine' gives first direct proof of 2-sun planet
Luke Skywalker looks out over a desert dominated by two setting suns in an iconic scene from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope." But this isn't just the stuff of fiction.
Cities not to miss this year
Perennial favorites like Paris made the list, but so did several less-familiar locales.
Also: New Beatles revelation
The Fab Four's contract sheds light on the iconic group’s stance on segregation in the 1960s.
Also: Half of College Grads Come From Only 3 Countries
This is something quite interesting. According to new Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, almost half of all college graduates in the world come from only three countries: United States, China, and Japan.Among the 34 OECD and G20 countries, nearly 26 percent of the total 255 million college-educated individuals between the ages of 25 and 64 hail from the United States. China comes in a distant second at 12.1 percent and Japan is a close third at 11.4 percent.
Whoa - $19 billion in benefits goofs
More than 10% of state unemployment payments were sent by mistake, data shows.
Also: Did you hear ...
The Senate passed the disaster relief package and voted down Rand Paul’s proposal to cut foreign aid to pay for it...
Emotions' toll on your wallet
If you think you should just take a deep breath before making a major money decision, you'd be wrong.
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