Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Damage from Coal Costs US Economy More than the Electricity it Generates is Worth
Photo: Jen SFO-BCN via Flickr/CC BY
I was out on vacation last week, but I still caught wind of the new headline-making study Environmental Accounting for Pollution in the United States Economy. The study, which was published in the prestigious journal the American Economic Review, caused quite a stir in green circles, and for good reason -- the authors found that mining and burning coal actually imposes more costs on the economy than the value it creates by generating power. It's hard to find a sexy way to frame this wonky-seeming finding, but it is absolutely huge. It means that continuing to rely on coal does more damage to our economy than good. And forget, for a second, about the health risks and sullied natural habitats -- this is strictly economically speaking.
Planning a second career
Look for creative ways to transfer your skills and experience into a field you'll love.
Also: Goofs that hurt credit scores
Charging a lot on one department-store card can turn into a painful mistake.
Also: 
Repetitive Warnings Don’t Work
I knew it all along: Annoyed by public address messages? Now experts say they don't even work.
By the way, the white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only. The white zone is for immediate loading and unloading of passengers only.They are the inescapable accompaniment to life in Britain – the repetitive public address messages at railway stations, airports and shopping centers.
Now, experts say the constant barrage of announcements is actually counter productive.
They warn that in many places, messages are broadcast with such frequency that their actual meaning is blocked out by listeners, in a psychological phenomenon known as "habituation".
Judy Edworthy, a professor in applied psychology at Plymouth University, said: "People habituate to any kind of stimulus and eventually filter it out and the same thing happens with warnings and announcements.
"It is rather like crying wolf – people get warning fatigue. It means people could actually be at more risk of what they are being warned about."
Judgment Day Coming Up
For some reason, he's not getting much attention this time: Harold Camping strangely quiet as October 21st Judgment Day approaches.
Thus we can be sure that the whole world, with the exception of those who are presently saved (the elect), are under the judgment of god, and will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on October 21, 2011, on the last day of the present five months period. On that day the true believers (the elect) will be raptured. We must remember that only god knows who His elect are that He saved prior to May 21.I'm pretty sure it's really going to happen this time.
Researchers Design Locks that Can be Opened with Certain Hand Gestures
Researchers from Taiwan have developed a machine that reads people’s hand gestures and thereby permits them to open doors by waving a few fingers:“In the future, you won’t have to worry about losing or forgetting your keys,” said Tsai Yao-pin, who teaches at the Technology and Science Institute of Northern Taiwan.You’ll just have to be careful about your body language.
At the heart of the technology developed by his team is a chip that can detect movement in three dimensions, as used in Nintendo’s Wii video game console, he said.
The technology allows users to easily unlock their doors by repeating a gesture preset in the sensor, according to Tsai.
New telescope activated
The world's biggest astronomy project provides a view of space unmatched by other observatories.
Also: Plants That Look Extraterrestrial
Culinary DeLites
Garlicky breadcrumbs and roasted zucchini give plain old spaghetti a delectable twist.
Also: How to fix cooking mistakes
These simple tricks can salvage an oversalted sauce and prevent limp, soggy veggies.
Also: 
Washington man banned from parks for digging up fossil
A Longview, Wash., man accused of digging up the skull of a hog-like animal that predated humans by 20 million years has been banned from national park lands for a year.
A 20 Foot Long New Species of Crocodile Found in Colombia
The crocodile, Acherontisuchus guajiraensis , the latest prehistoric reptile to be found in El CerrejA3n coal mine, was dug up by Associate Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Jonathan Bloch and Carlos Jaramillo, a Paleo-botanist with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Peru Juice Bar Sells Fresh Frog Juice
"The Peruvian Viagra"
A Peru bar in Lima, adds frogs to their juice. Actually, it's a fresh juice bar and the owner says frog juice restores vigor and keeps a body strong.
Couple attacked by bear inside home
A married couple was injured early Monday when a bear followed the family dog into their rural central Pennsylvania home and went on the attack, state Game Commission officials said.Nearly extinct nine-spotted ladybugs found in upstate N.Y.
The rare nine-spotted ladybug, subject of a nationwide citizen science project launched after it appeared the insect had gone extinct, has been found in New York state for the first time there in 29 years.
The 10 Longest Animal Lifespans In The Absence Of Human Interference
Some species are far more capable to cheat death than we are while some are truly an example of longevity. The main point is that if life is allowed to go on without us interfering in it, the animal world may surprise us with its longevity.
Chickens born and bred in one-bedroom New York apartment as part of couple's local food routine
In a city where the local food movement is growing despite the scarcity of arable green space, one Queens couple has come up with a creative way to ensure they have a ready supply of fresh eggs. Robert McMinn, 45, and Jules Corkery, 45, are raising three hens inside their one-bedroom apartment in Astoria.
"I don't think it's the ideal situation," conceded McMinn, a public policy associate at the mental health group Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. But "they're cute. They're fun to [watch] run around. They're excited when we come home." The Serama hens, a small domesticated breed that typically weighs about a pound, nest in a converted ferret cage in the living room, McMinn said.
They have the run of the apartment - except for the bedroom - and lay about two eggs each a week. They also have a litter box of sand so they can give themselves cleansing dust baths. But "they poop everywhere," said McMinn, who uses the droppings to fertilize the soil in nearby community gardens.
"A chicken can save you money. It's a cheap hobby, and it improves your gardening," said McMinn, who doesn't recommend raising them indoors. "You get the eggs and they're delicious." The small brown eggs can also pick up the flavour of what the chickens eat, said McMinn, who feeds his pets table scraps.
"I don't think it's the ideal situation," conceded McMinn, a public policy associate at the mental health group Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. But "they're cute. They're fun to [watch] run around. They're excited when we come home." The Serama hens, a small domesticated breed that typically weighs about a pound, nest in a converted ferret cage in the living room, McMinn said.
They have the run of the apartment - except for the bedroom - and lay about two eggs each a week. They also have a litter box of sand so they can give themselves cleansing dust baths. But "they poop everywhere," said McMinn, who uses the droppings to fertilize the soil in nearby community gardens.
"A chicken can save you money. It's a cheap hobby, and it improves your gardening," said McMinn, who doesn't recommend raising them indoors. "You get the eggs and they're delicious." The small brown eggs can also pick up the flavour of what the chickens eat, said McMinn, who feeds his pets table scraps.
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:
This is a great day to start on some big adventures.
You should put upcoming travel plans into high gear today (do you have your plane tickets yet?), because the earlier you make some financial commitments, the better prices you'll get.
If your destination is only a road trip away, today you should make an appointment to take your car in for a tune-up.
This type of preparation now will make the trip all the more enjoyable.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Woking, England, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Delhi, Delhi, India
Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Morini, Morini, Comoros
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
London, England, United Kingdom
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Berne, Bern, Switzerland
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Woking, England, United Kingdom
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Manila, Manila, Philippines
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Delhi, Delhi, India
Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark
Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Morini, Morini, Comoros
Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Newbury, England, United Kingdom
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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 Rocky Point, Pilot Mountain, Stoney Point, Chimney Rock and more.
and in cities across the United States such as Rocky Point, Pilot Mountain, Stoney Point, Chimney Rock and more.
Today is:
Today is Monday, October 3, the 276th day of 2011.
There are 89 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
None today.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
"Koch Brothers Flout Law With Secret Iran Sales"
Nice way to start a new work week :
First we have "improper payments" to win contracts abroad.
Of course it's not the first time that top repugicans enriched themselves by enriching the world's number on terror state. Dick Cheney's Halliburton did the same thing.
I'm thinking there are going to be some serious Senate hearings about this. There had better.
First we have "improper payments" to win contracts abroad.
A Bloomberg Markets investigation has found that Koch Industries -- in addition to being involved in improper payments to win business in Africa, India and the Middle East -- has sold millions of dollars of petrochemical equipment to Iran, a country the U.S. identifies as a sponsor of global terrorism.Then we have them doing business with quite possibly the world's number one terrorist-sponsoring state.
Internal company documents show that the company made those sales through foreign subsidiaries, thwarting a U.S. trade ban. Koch Industries units have also rigged prices with competitors, lied to regulators and repeatedly run afoul of environmental regulations, resulting in five criminal convictions since 1999 in the U.S. and Canada.Yes, you heard it right. The repugican party's number one donor and supporter is sneaking around US law in order to help the world's biggest terrorist state enrich itself.
From 1999 through 2003, Koch Industries was assessed more than $400 million in fines, penalties and judgments. In December 1999, a civil jury found that Koch Industries had taken oil it didn’t pay for from federal land by mismeasuring the amount of crude it was extracting. Koch paid a $25 million settlement to the U.S.
Of course it's not the first time that top repugicans enriched themselves by enriching the world's number on terror state. Dick Cheney's Halliburton did the same thing.
The award for oddest geopolitical couple of 2005 goes to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Houston-based Halliburton.What is it with repugicans and their desire to help terrorists states enrich themselves by doing a runaround US anti-terror laws? If the top Democratic party donor, and former VP, did this we'd never hear the end of it (and the VP would have been impeached).
You might not think that a charter member of President Bush's "axis of evil" could enlist the oil-services firm once run by Vice President Cheney to bolster its bargaining position with an international community intent on curbing its nuclear ambitions.
But that is apparently what happened last month.
I'm thinking there are going to be some serious Senate hearings about this. There had better.
The repugican attempt to turn US into France
Reading Francis Fukuyama's The Origins of Political Order, one is struck by some of the features of the French Ancien Regime:
- The state was constantly at war.
- The rich were exempt from taxation.
- The constant wars and tax cuts for the rich resulted in an enormous debt.
- Innovation was focused on moving money, not investments that generated wealth.
- The elite were entirely self-absorbed in their own interests, regarding the common people with contempt.
- Elections were corrupted and eventually eliminated.
Al Qaeda bombmaker who blew up own brother killed in U.S. attack
Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri, believed to have been behind the attempt to take down a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day 2009, was killed in Yemen, officials say.
A notorious Al Qaeda explosives expert who turned his own brother into a human bomb was among those killed in a successful U.S. terrorist strike in Yemen. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri - whose fingerprints were found on the deadly device concocted for the 2009 "Underwear Bomber" - was the key bombmaker for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Wall St. protest in 3rd week
The activists enter their third week of camping out in New York’s financial district.
Also: Don't count on consumers to bring back the economy
The economic downside to a vibrant consumer society is that when you have an extended recession, they go into hiding. We're a few years into this economy and we're likely to be here for a few more years so there's nothing out there to give anyone enough comfort to freely spend. Even when the economy rebounds, should they really be spending like they did before the crisis?
MSNBC:
MSNBC:
Fresh data from the government Friday confirmed that American consumers are tapped out. Consumer spending in dollar terms rose 0.2 percent in August. But those extra dollars went to cover higher prices for food and gasoline; when adjusted for inflation, spending was flat.
Wages, meanwhile, slipped 0.1 percent -- the first decline in nearly two years. To make up the difference, American households had to dip into savings: the savings rate in August fell to its lowest level since late 2009.
"What you're basically getting is a scene where consumers are losing momentum, they're losing momentum on income and as a result of that they're slowing down on spending," said Steven Ricchiuto, U.S. chief economist at Mizuho Securities in New York.
That spending slowdown has rippled through the economy, creating one of the biggest drags on an already weak recovery.
Cities that are going broke
Bloated pensions, struggling employers, and bad investments put these places on the sick list.
Also: 
When Foreclosure Isn't the End of the Nightmare
An underwater homeowner decides to walk away from his house, which then goes into foreclosure. The bank takes the house and then sells it. End of story, right?Maybe not. Some banks are suing "strategic defaulters" for the amount of money they lost:
Joseph Reilly lost his vacation home here last year when he was out of work and stopped paying his mortgage. The bank took the house and sold it. Mr. Reilly thought that was the end of it.So what, you think - they can't squeeze blood out of a turnip. Ah, but there's money to be made. Lots of money:
In June, he learned otherwise. A phone call informed him of a court judgment against him for $192,576.71.
It turned out that at a foreclosure sale, his former house fetched less than a quarter of what Mr. Reilly owed on it. His bank sued him for the rest.
The result was a foreclosure hangover that homeowners rarely anticipate but increasingly face: a "deficiency judgment."
Because most targets have scant savings, the judgments sell for only about two cents on the dollar, versus seven cents for credit-card debt, according to debt-industry brokers.
Silverleaf Advisors LLC, a Miami private-equity firm, is one investor in battered mortgage debt. Instead of buying ready-made deficiency judgments, it buys banks' soured mortgages and goes to court itself to get judgments for debt that remains after foreclosure sales.
Silverleaf says its collection efforts are limited. "We are waiting for the economy to somewhat heal so that it's a better time to go after people," says Douglas Hannah, managing director of Silverleaf.
Investors know that most states allow up to 20 years to try to collect the debts, ample time for the borrowers to get back on their feet. Meanwhile, the debts grow at about an 8% interest rate, depending on the state.
House built in a sand dune
The architect of this odd Florida home says it's "like being in a submarine."
Also: 
Lower breast cancer risk
Maintaining a healthy weight lowers your risk and increases your chance of survival.
Also: Just Great!
Researchers say men may be more likely than women to develop type 2 diabetes because they are biologically more susceptible.
Your Desk Job is Killing You
You know what's worse than NOT having a job? Having a desk job.A new study in Australia has found that sitting down for long periods of time will hasten your death:
The study of more than 200,000 men and women in NSW has found that the longer people sit each day the greater their chances of going to an early grave.That's why you should seriously look into standing desks: Full Story
Even when exercise was taken into account, it was often not enough to offset the effects of sitting for several hours.
Those who sat for more than 10 hours a day had a 48 per cent increased risk of death compared to more active people who sat for less than four hours a day.
Five tips from early retirees
The Charltons' careful planning included cutting housing costs and living below their means.
Also: Degrees to earn online
Pick up a bachelor's or master's without quitting your day job or commuting to school.
Also: 
Why?
Why did the chicken cross the road?
Here's why
Finally some clarity to a question that long has bedeviled mankind: Why did the chicken cross the road?
The answer: He was going global.
Full Story
The answer: He was going global.
Full Story
About 2,000 Take Part in Paris Yoga Session
Around 2,000 people took part in France's biggest ever yoga session on Sunday. The session, held near the Eiffel Tower, was held to mark the UN International Day of Non-Violence which falls on the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
Tiny nation's water woes
Parts of Tuvalu, a group of low-lying Pacific atolls, may run out of fresh water within days.
Also: Why so many food outbreaks?
Recent epidemics can be blamed on the long road food takes from the farm to your fork.
Also: Denmark starts taxing fat to curb unhealthy habits
Denmark has imposed a "fat tax" on foods such as butter and oil as a way to curb unhealthy eating habits.
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