Friday, September 23, 2011
Make perfect mac 'n' cheese
Along with great ingredients, how you cook your pasta is the key to one famous recipe.
Also: 
Dialing for better deals
Get the best negotiator in your house to pick up the phone and lower some of your bills.
Also: Health Insurance Costs To Rise Again Next Year
Employee health care benefit costs are expected to increase 5.4% next year, according to an annual survey released by Mercer.
The Advantage of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is considered a handicap by many people, but learning disabilities specialists Brock and Fernette Eide argue that dyslexic children actually have an edge in life.Here's why they think that dyslexia is actually an advantage:
Wired: What are the major strengths of having a dyslexic brain?Wired's Danielle Venton interviewed the authors of The Dyslexic Advantage: here.
Brock: We outline four major strength profiles in the book, and fundamentally each of these profiles reflects a different but related way in which dyslexic brains are especially good at putting together big pictures, or seeing larger context, or imagining how processes will play out over time.
Some dyslexic individuals are especially good at spatial reasoning. Putting together three-dimensional spatial perspectives is easy for them. They may work in design, 3-D art, architecture, be engineers, builders, inventors, organic chemists or be exceptionally good at bagging your groceries.
Interconnected reasoning is another kind of strength. These connections can be relationships of likeness — analogies for example — or causal relationships, or the ability to shift perspective and view an object or event from multiple perspectives, or the ability to see the “gist” or big-picture context surrounding an event or idea. Many dyslexics work in highly interdisciplinary fields or fields that require combining perspectives and techniques gained from different disciplines or backgrounds. Or they’re multiple specialists, or their work history is unusually varied. Often these individuals draw the comment that they can see connections that other people haven’t seen before.
Most dyslexics tend to remember facts as experiences, examples or stories, rather than abstractions. We call this pattern narrative reasoning, which we consider the third strength. These kids have a very strong ability to learn from experience. It’s very common for their families to describe these kids as the family elephant. They’ll be the go-to person when someone wants to remember who gave what to sister for her birthday two years ago. They might be the family historian, but they can’t remember the times tables or which direction the three goes.
These individuals excel in fields where telling and understanding stories are important, like sales, counseling, trial law or even teaching. In addition, a large number of professional writers are dyslexic. For example, Philip Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize winning poet, recently wrote a wonderful piece for The New York Times about his new memoir, My Dyslexia. He shows the kind of profoundly clear and vivid memory of personal experiences even from very early in his life that we commonly see in dyslexic individuals.
The fourth ability we outline is the ability to reason well in dynamic settings when the facts are incomplete or changing. People strong in this area often work in the business field, in financial markets or in scientific fields that reconstruct past events, like geologists or paleontologists. These people are comfortable working with processes that are constantly changing, and in making predictions.
The Psychiatrist's Office
Patient: "I have this terrible problem, Doctor. I think I'm a dog. I walk around on all fours, I keep barking in the middle of the night, and I eat dog food."
Psychiatrist: "Very interesting. Lie down on the couch, please."
Patient: "I'm not allowed on the couch."
The Ichthyosaur: 200 Years Later
Heavy rains yield big dinosaur fossil find in Maryland
Scientists say they have excavated Maryland's largest dinosaur fossil find in five years, a football-sized bone weighing between two and three pounds.
Young Bonobo Shows Signs of Autism
Tree-Going Goats Threaten Oil Supply
Bear Wanders into California Home
Twelve-year-old Kara Jackson isn't Goldilocks -- but she did have an encounter with a bear.
One Female Guppy is Enough to Invade an Ecosystem
How many fish does it take for guppies to invasively breed its way into dominating an ecosystem? Biologists at the University of St. Andrews and the University of the West Indies did the experiment and came up with the startling number: just 1 female guppy.
Dr. Deacon explained, “Usually only one or a few fish are released. We know that the vast majority of species introduced to a new habitat in this way are unable to survive, let alone establish a population, which left us with a huge question mark.”
To try to solve the mystery, the researchers conducted a simple experiment, in which single wild female guppies were placed into outdoor tanks. After two years, they discovered that almost all of the tanks contained populations of guppies, each founded by just one female.
Dr. Deacon explained how the finding might explain the guppy’s success as an invasive species, “Sperm storage is an excellent adaptation for living in constantly changing habitats, and it might also explain the guppies’ global success. Female guppies can store sperm in their reproductive tracts for many months after mating, and this enables single fish to establish populations, even when no males are present.
Rare American crocodile found in Florida
Alligators are a common sight in parts of Florida, but residents of a gated community were shocked to spot one of the animal's reptilian cousins: An endangered American crocodile.The Purpose Of Bird-Egg Coloration
Their ideas stand in contrast with most earlier explanations, the fates of which were shaped by a late-19th century debate between biologist Alfred Russel Wallace and little-known naturalist Alexander M'Aldowie. According to M’Aldowie, eggshell pigment shielded embryos from harmful radiation. According to Wallace, they provided camouflage from predators.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
Today is not a great day for major moves.
Try to avoid signing any contracts, finalizing any commitments or even making any big purchases.
Give it a few more days to settle, and you might find some problems with the deal -- or better yet, you might find a better deal elsewhere.
Patience pays off for you in more ways than one right now.
There's no need to be too hasty, especially if someone is pressuring you to stop wasting their time -- it's your time you should be most concerned about.
Try to avoid signing any contracts, finalizing any commitments or even making any big purchases.
Give it a few more days to settle, and you might find some problems with the deal -- or better yet, you might find a better deal elsewhere.
Patience pays off for you in more ways than one right now.
There's no need to be too hasty, especially if someone is pressuring you to stop wasting their time -- it's your time you should be most concerned about.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Morini, Morini, Comoros
London, England, United Kingdom
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Gdynia, Pomorskie, Poland
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
London, England, United Kingdom
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Paderborn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Gdynia, Pomorskie, Poland
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
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 Baton Rouge, Fond Du Lac, Montpelier, Clyde and more.
and in cities across the United States such as Baton Rouge, Fond Du Lac, Montpelier, Clyde and more.
Today is:
Today is Thursday, September 22, the 265th day of 2011.
There are 100 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holidays or celebrations are:
Elephant Appreciation Day
Hobbit Day
and
National White Chocolate Day.
Hobbit Day
and
National White Chocolate Day.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Thorough Thursday
Friday marks the end of summer and the start of a rare event that affects the whole world.
Also: Arms decision alters views
The move not to sell Taiwan new fighter jets is impacting how allies in East Asia see America.
Also: 
When to repair or replace
Consider these tips before tossing an item in the trash — it can end up saving you big bucks.
Also: 'Hobbit house' for £3000
A man has built a home reminiscent of a hobbit house from the 'Lord of the Rings' on a tiny budget.
Also: Leave it to the Irish
As a six-ton satellite gets ready for its final dive into Earth's atmosphere later this week, NASA says they're still not sure where it's going to land.
Falling to Earth
New images of falling satellite
An amateur astronomer has recorded images of the out-of-control UARS satellite as it tumbles in space ahead of its expected burn-up on Friday. 
Italian Couple Bring in Lawyers to Kick Their 41-Year-Old Out of the House
A lot of parents suffer from the Empty Nest Syndrome, but an elderly couple in Italy have the opposite problem: their "mammone" or mommy's boy refuses to leave home.Now, they're taking legal action to kick their 41-year-old man child out of the house:
"He has a good job but he continues to live at home and wants his clothes washed and ironed and his meals cooked for him. He never wants to leave." The couple took their case to the association after reading that it had experience in dealing with dozens of similar cases.
Young Italians are renowned for their reluctance to leave home, with a study released last year showing that 48% of offspring between the ages of 18 and 39 still live under their parents' roofs.
Nine toxic co-workers
Your career might suffer if you get too chummy with one of these folks in the office.
Also: Economy sends stocks down
The Dow's 391-point drop is likely to heighten worries about the fragile U.S. economy.
Also: 
Poll: 1 Out of 5 Americans Expect to be Millionaires
We all hope to be rich one day, but Americans - who are very optimistic people - *expect* to be rich. Heck, according to a new poll, 1 out of 5 Americans expect to be millionaires in just a few years:Even with a turbulent economy, 20% of Americans expect to become millionaires in the next decade.
But the majority –- 62% -- still believe it’s “very unlikely” that they’ll reach the threshold by 2020, according to a new poll from the Associated Press and CNBC. Just 8% of U.K. residents believe they’re on the millionaire track.
And last year, only 5% of Americans reached the million-dollar mark -– which two in ten believe is the minimum amount of money for a comfortable retirement.
A Good One
The economy is so bad … if the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds,” you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
NYPD used obscure, 19th-century “anti-mask” law to arrest Anonymous Wall St. protesters
At the Twitter-driven "Occupy Wall Street" protest, New York police "charged demonstrators with violating an obscure, 150-year-old state statute that bans masked gatherings."
Cops charged in man's death
Manuel Ramos faces a murder charge in the beating of a mentally ill homeless man.
Also: Car bomb cause of Michigan blast
The three are “very fortunate” to survive after the car exploded along a tree-lined street, officials say
Also: TSA humiliates Black woman, demands to pat down her Afro
A Dallas resident of African-American descent says she was humiliated at an airport in Atlanta, when TSA agents patted down her hair.
Isis Brantley was headed down an escalator at Hartsfield-Jackson International airport in Atlanta, after she was screened a the initial security checkpoint, when she says two TSA agents came after her asking to check her hair for explosives. Brantley says the agents began patting down her large afro in public as she waited on a train platform.
Do you get drunker flying?
We separate the fact from the fiction in eight commonly-held beliefs about air travel.
Also: 
Warden's wife aided escapee
The wife of a former Oklahoma prison warden who disappeared with a convicted murderer only to be found living with him in Texas nearly 11 years later was found guilty Wednesday of helping him escape.
She vanished with a convicted murderer only to be found living with him 11 years later.
Also: Animal News
Penguins can sniff out the door of lifelong mates, helping them reunite in crowded colonies, and also can identify the scent of close kin to avoid inbreeding, scientists said on Wednesday.
The most secluded U.S. beaches
Hanakapi'ai Beach on Kauai is known for its spectacular views and trails, but not for its swimming.
Also: 
Foods that raise your cholesterol
In light of National Cholesterol Week, find out what foods you should try to limit in your diet.
Also: Gavrilo Princip's Sandwich
The politics that led to World War I are important, but difficult to teach in American schools because the events are distant in both time and place. To capture the interest of students, teachers often tell the story of how assassin Gavrilo Princip would not have been in shooting range of Franz Ferdinand that fateful day in 1914 if he hadn’t stopped to buy a sandwich about the time the Archduke coincidentally passed by. Mike Dash first heard the story from his history-student daughter, and decided to investigate.I was astonished by the story, too, though not because of the strangeness of the coincidence. It bothered me, because the details are new (you’ll struggle to find a telling of the tale that dates to before 2003), and because it simply doesn’t ring true. That’s not because the modern version isn’t broadly faithful to the facts; it’s not even utterly implausible that Princip might have stopped off at Schiller’s for a bite to eat. No, the problem is that the story is suspiciously neat–and that the sandwich is a quintessentially Anglo-American convenience food. The dish was named in the 1760s for John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was in the habit of requesting his meat placed between two slices of toast so he could lunch at his desk. But it took time for the idea to cross the Channel, and I find it hard to believe the sandwich would have featured on a Bosnian menu as early as 1914.Dash found the surprising origin of the story, which gives us a glimpse of how, and why, our understanding of history tends to change over time. Read the entire account at the Smithsonian history blog Past Imperfect.
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