Smart v. Stupid: As America grapples with a long-term decline, we have only Ronald Reagan to blame.
More
More
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Kansas lawmakers pass anti-Islamic law measure
A bill designed to prevent Kansas courts or government
agencies from making decisions based on Islamic or other foreign legal
codes has cleared the state Legislature after a contentious debate about
whether the measure upholds American values or appeals to prejudice
against Muslims.Austerity crushes UK economy more than previously thought
Ya don't say?
What a shock to hear that austerity is failing miserably because the repugicans keep telling us that it's the only thing that will save America.
As long as you ignore the fact that jobs growth is better under Obama than it was under the shrub and that austerity keeps dragging down the UK and Europe, austerity is probably great.
Ignorance is bliss, truly it is.
What a shock to hear that austerity is failing miserably because the repugicans keep telling us that it's the only thing that will save America.
As long as you ignore the fact that jobs growth is better under Obama than it was under the shrub and that austerity keeps dragging down the UK and Europe, austerity is probably great.
Ignorance is bliss, truly it is.
Britain’s economy may have shrunk more than previously estimated in the first quarter after the statistics office reported a deeper slump in construction.
Building output plunged 4.8 percent in the three months through March, the Office for National Statistics said today. That compares with a 3 percent drop in the first estimate of gross domestic product on April 25, which showed the economy contracted 0.2 percent. The revision on its own would shave 0.1 percentage points off GDP, the statistics office said.
The building data may add to concerns about weakness in the U.K. economy as it grapples with a double-dip recession. Bank of England policy makers hadn’t seen the revision before their decision yesterday to halt their quantitative-easing program at 325 billion pounds ($524 billion), according to statistics office officials.
“The lazy assumption was that because GDP was drastically below forecasts, it would go up with subsequent revisions,” said Alan Clarke, an economist at Scotia Capital in London. “The economy was in the eye of the storm in the fourth and first quarters.”
'Spiderman' strikes again west of Paris
The French skyscraper climber known to some as Spiderman has struck again: This time, on France's new tallest building.
Did you know ...
Sheriff Joe Arpaio is being sued by the Justice Deparment
thus proving there is still a small modicum of justice left in the world.
From the Newswire
Teacher faces firing over cone of shame
A Florida high school science teacher faces dismissal amid
allegations that she used a "cone of shame" dog collar to discipline
students.
Twin Waterspouts
Photo: Tim Osborn / NOAA Coast Survey
Tim Osborn, a scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
Coast Survey, was on Grand Isle, Louisiana. when he spotted something
weird in the sky:"[A man] came running in and said, 'There's a waterspout out there!'" Osborn told OurAmazingPlanet. So Osborn grabbed his camera and started snapping, catching the birth of not one, but two waterspouts as they spun up over waters just north of the island.Our Amazing Planet has the story and image gallery here.
"You could clearly see them forming in the sky," he said, "and I was able to get them on the camera as they were starting to drop."
Two spinning vortexes formed in the clouds and dropped lower and lower, until they reached the waters below, kicking up spray as they moved in formation toward the island.
Osborn said he immediately called colleagues at the National Weather Service, who told him they'd been tracking the storm system. Less than 30 seconds later, tornado sirens began to wail.
Osborn said that, in comparison to waterspouts he's seen in the past, these twisters were "really surprising. They not only grew in size, they traveled in tandem, and lasted longer than most — about 10 or 15 minutes."
Potholes look like Munch’s The Scream
Derek Martin thought there was something familiar when he took a photograph of potholes in Barns Green, near Horsham, West Sussex.
The ‘face’ in the road reminded him of The Scream by Edvard Munch.
The iconic painting recently fetched a record £74m at auction in New York.
Meanwhile, Barns Green villagers are hoping the county council spends some money - filling in the potholes.
The ‘face’ in the road reminded him of The Scream by Edvard Munch.
The iconic painting recently fetched a record £74m at auction in New York.
Meanwhile, Barns Green villagers are hoping the county council spends some money - filling in the potholes.
Scientists May Resurrect Beer From an 1840s Shipwreck
Researchers may be able to recreate beer found on an 1840's shipwreck
off the coast of Finland from the living bacteria they discovered.
New twist on ancient math problem could improve medicine, microelectronics
A hidden facet of a math problem that goes back to Sanskrit scrolls has just been exposed by nanotechnology researchers ...Well-Known Egyptian Symbol Is Actually An Early Math Problem
The Eye of Horus is, from a design standpoint, both beautiful and iconic. And whoever created it might have been thinking of exactly that while dreaming it up. But it's not just a stylish symbol. It has a deeper meaning: The Egyptians used it to express fractions of volume. Each stroke counts for a subdivided piece of the whole.
The World’s Oldest Copyleft Book
The Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra has the colophon at the inner end that reads:
Reverently made for universal free distribution by Wang Jie on behalf of his two parents on the 15th of the 4th moon of the 9th year of Xiantong.That date translates to May 11, 868, which makes the Diamond Sutra not only the world's oldest surviving copy of dated printed book, but also the oldest copyright-free /public domain work as well!
The paradox of scientific research
The paradox of doing science is the quantity of
natural resources used in the process. Present- day scientific research
generally ...
Mayan Skull Believed Magical Takes a Tumble in German Lab
German scientists dropped an ancient Mayan skull - one that perhaps
resembled this relief sculpture from the "wall of skulls" at the Mayan
ruins of Chichen Itza - and broke off a piece of its chin.
Ancient Ballgame Reveals More About Early Mesoamerican Society
New research explores the
importance of the ballgame
to ancient Mesoamerican
societies. Dr. Blomster's
findings show how the
... 
The planet that might have been
As it turns out, Vesta is a great illustration of the power of chance in the universe. Data collected by Dawn is showing that, once upon a time, this asteroid was on its way to planethood. But, for several reasons, it simply never grew large enough. From Science News:
... according to Dawn observations, Vesta did indeed agglomerate enough rocky debris as it grew to heat itself by the decay of the rock's radioactive elements. That heat led to the separation of the primordial body into a rocky crust, an underlying rocky mantle, and a central metallic core, hallmarks of planet Earth and the other rocky planets. Dawn was the first to detect Vesta's now-solid core.Vesta isn't unique in this, but it does provide an interesting moment to stop and think a little bit about randomness and the process of planetary birth. This news about Vesta is a nice reminder that there's really no reason why our solar system has to have eight planets. It could have had fewer. It could have had more. And some bodies—like Ceres and Pluto—are really only a trick of taxonomy away from being planets.
Vesta is 'last of a kind' rock
The Vesta asteroid is the only remaining example of the original
objects that came together to form the rocky planets like Earth, say
scientists.
Man to stand trial accused of yawning in court
A man is to face trial accused of yawning loudly in court. Thomas Tams
faces a single charge alleging he conducted himself in a disorderly
manner and committed a breach of the peace.
The incident is said to have happened at Alloa Sheriff Court on February 20. At Stirling Sheriff Court, Tams, 35, pleaded not guilty to the alleged offense.
It is claimed that, in addition to yawning while the court was sitting, Tams, of The Wynd, Alva, Clackmannanshire, defied an instruction from the clerk of court and swore and shouted.
After hearing that both defense and prosecution were ready, Sheriff Wyllie Robertson continued the case for trial on June 6 and ordered Tams to re-appear.
The incident is said to have happened at Alloa Sheriff Court on February 20. At Stirling Sheriff Court, Tams, 35, pleaded not guilty to the alleged offense.
It is claimed that, in addition to yawning while the court was sitting, Tams, of The Wynd, Alva, Clackmannanshire, defied an instruction from the clerk of court and swore and shouted.
After hearing that both defense and prosecution were ready, Sheriff Wyllie Robertson continued the case for trial on June 6 and ordered Tams to re-appear.
Casual robber held up newsagent while carrying a cup of coffee
A man robbed a newsagent armed with a cup of coffee. The masked raider
walked into the shop holding a mug of black coffee in his right hand -
then told the sales assistant to empty the stock of cigarettes into a
binbag. He also stole cash during the raid at the Oasis News store in
Woodhouse Park, Wythenshawe, Manchester before walking out. The man
disguised himself in a bandana and a hooded jacket but his accomplice
didn't cover his face, despite security cameras recording the 10.45am
hold up.
Yesterday, Greater Manchester Police issued CCTV of the men during the raid and said both robbers were ''clearly nonchalant''. Shop assistant Mubin Najib said despite the casual nature of the men, he had felt threatened: ''I noticed the guy carrying a cup of coffee but I was more worried about the way he was acting. I actually thought he had a knife with him and he making threats saying: 'Don't move or tell anyone otherwise we will come back and kill you'.
''I had been working since 6am and I remember them coming into the shop at about 11am and one placing a binbag on the counter and demanding cigarettes. The guy with a coffee actually came round the counter and I was very frightened. He may have been carrying a cup of coffee but I was on my own in that shop and had no idea what he was capable of. I quit my job shortly afterwards and there is no way I want to work in that area or a newsagents store again.'' Police said the two men handed a bin bag to a cashier and demanded he fill it with cigarettes and tobacco. In total four bin bags were filled with cigarettes and tobacco. The men also stole cash from the till.
Police released the CCTV in a bid to trace the men. Det Con Matthew Farrell, of West Didsbury CID, said: "We have carried out a thorough investigation into this incident and while we have charged two people, we now need to trace the two men in the CCTV. These two offenders are clearly nonchalant in their attitude to this crime: one has made no attempt to conceal his face and the other is casually carrying round a hot drink. Someone will almost certainly know who they are."
Yesterday, Greater Manchester Police issued CCTV of the men during the raid and said both robbers were ''clearly nonchalant''. Shop assistant Mubin Najib said despite the casual nature of the men, he had felt threatened: ''I noticed the guy carrying a cup of coffee but I was more worried about the way he was acting. I actually thought he had a knife with him and he making threats saying: 'Don't move or tell anyone otherwise we will come back and kill you'.
''I had been working since 6am and I remember them coming into the shop at about 11am and one placing a binbag on the counter and demanding cigarettes. The guy with a coffee actually came round the counter and I was very frightened. He may have been carrying a cup of coffee but I was on my own in that shop and had no idea what he was capable of. I quit my job shortly afterwards and there is no way I want to work in that area or a newsagents store again.'' Police said the two men handed a bin bag to a cashier and demanded he fill it with cigarettes and tobacco. In total four bin bags were filled with cigarettes and tobacco. The men also stole cash from the till.
Police released the CCTV in a bid to trace the men. Det Con Matthew Farrell, of West Didsbury CID, said: "We have carried out a thorough investigation into this incident and while we have charged two people, we now need to trace the two men in the CCTV. These two offenders are clearly nonchalant in their attitude to this crime: one has made no attempt to conceal his face and the other is casually carrying round a hot drink. Someone will almost certainly know who they are."
Mexican police arrest couple arguing over heroin-stuffed teddy bear
Police in Juárez arrested a man and a woman who were arguing loudly over
a child's stuffed bear that turned out to be stuffed with heroin,
officials have said.
The unlikely arrest took place when police came across the couple arguing at Maria Martinez and Pipila streets, officials with the municipal police said.
When police talked to the couple, the woman told them the bear was hers, that it was a gift and that her boyfriend was jealous because someone else had given it to her.
After police convinced the man to turn it over to the woman, an officer noticed a hole in the bear and decided to inspect it. Inside, officials said, police found 245 aluminum packets filled with heroin. Police then took EfraÃn Vera Chávez, 39, and Edith Ortiz Sandoval, 29, into custody and turned them over to federal prosecutors.
The unlikely arrest took place when police came across the couple arguing at Maria Martinez and Pipila streets, officials with the municipal police said.
When police talked to the couple, the woman told them the bear was hers, that it was a gift and that her boyfriend was jealous because someone else had given it to her.
After police convinced the man to turn it over to the woman, an officer noticed a hole in the bear and decided to inspect it. Inside, officials said, police found 245 aluminum packets filled with heroin. Police then took EfraÃn Vera Chávez, 39, and Edith Ortiz Sandoval, 29, into custody and turned them over to federal prosecutors.
Man stole horse-drawn carriage before punching horse
Police have arrested a man they say attacked the driver of a horse-drawn
carriage then took the reins in downtown St. Louis on Tuesday night.
Police said the victim was steering a horse-drawn carriage southbound on
8th Street between Chestnut and Market around 8:25 p.m. when he saw the
suspect running toward him.
Authorities said Johnny Medina, 40, jumped into the side of the carriage and hit the victim in the head with a cane. Medina then took control of the reins and the victim jumped out of the carriage, according to police. A witness in the area called police, who responded to the scene and followed the carriage. Police said the horse, whose name is Harry, continued pulling the carriage and ran back to his barn at the St. Louis Carriage Company stables, located at 1000 Cerre Street.
The carriage then crashed into and damaged a trolley bus on the parking lot. Police said another employee of the carriage company ran out and started to remove the horse from the carriage to get it back inside the stable. Medina then jumped down from the carriage and started punching and kicking the horse. Police said the employee and witnesses pushed Medina to the ground and detained him until police arrived.
Carriage company employees told police the horse did not have any visible injuries, but would be checked by a veterinarian. The victim refused medical treatment at the scene. The suspect was taken to the hospital and remains in custody. Medina has been charged with second degree robbery and third degree assault.
Authorities said Johnny Medina, 40, jumped into the side of the carriage and hit the victim in the head with a cane. Medina then took control of the reins and the victim jumped out of the carriage, according to police. A witness in the area called police, who responded to the scene and followed the carriage. Police said the horse, whose name is Harry, continued pulling the carriage and ran back to his barn at the St. Louis Carriage Company stables, located at 1000 Cerre Street.
The carriage then crashed into and damaged a trolley bus on the parking lot. Police said another employee of the carriage company ran out and started to remove the horse from the carriage to get it back inside the stable. Medina then jumped down from the carriage and started punching and kicking the horse. Police said the employee and witnesses pushed Medina to the ground and detained him until police arrived.
Carriage company employees told police the horse did not have any visible injuries, but would be checked by a veterinarian. The victim refused medical treatment at the scene. The suspect was taken to the hospital and remains in custody. Medina has been charged with second degree robbery and third degree assault.
Crooks tried to smuggle money by stuffing rolls of cash up horses' backsides
Sniffer dogs have uncovered a plot to smuggle cash stuffed up horses’
bottoms, it has been alleged. Several large rolls of notes, worth tens
of thousands of pounds, were discovered inside the animals, which were
being taken to abattoirs. The horses had been transported from Northern
Ireland by ferry when police pounced in the ferry port of Cairnryan,
Wigtownshire, on May 1.
Officers also seized cannabis with an estimated street value of almost £500,000 from the lorry the horses were in. A source said: “Some people are saying it brings a new meaning to the phrase dirty money. But it’s no laughing matter, really. The horses were waiting to go through port security when the sniffer dogs started going crazy.
“They were extremely agitated and the driver of the vehicle and his assistant were requested to stand aside while a full check of the vehicle and its occupants was carried out. It took a while, but eventually a large sum of money was recovered. It’s a most unusual case and very cruel and distasteful. But it goes to show the lengths people will go to.”
Officers were alerted to the vehicle by the police dog working on port duty. The animals were scanned by a vet to check if they had been used to conceal any other items. Two men have appeared at Stranraer Sheriff Court on drugs charges. One was remanded in custody and the other bailed.
Officers also seized cannabis with an estimated street value of almost £500,000 from the lorry the horses were in. A source said: “Some people are saying it brings a new meaning to the phrase dirty money. But it’s no laughing matter, really. The horses were waiting to go through port security when the sniffer dogs started going crazy.
“They were extremely agitated and the driver of the vehicle and his assistant were requested to stand aside while a full check of the vehicle and its occupants was carried out. It took a while, but eventually a large sum of money was recovered. It’s a most unusual case and very cruel and distasteful. But it goes to show the lengths people will go to.”
Officers were alerted to the vehicle by the police dog working on port duty. The animals were scanned by a vet to check if they had been used to conceal any other items. Two men have appeared at Stranraer Sheriff Court on drugs charges. One was remanded in custody and the other bailed.
Crows know familiar human voices
Crows know familiar human voices
Crows recognize and respond to familiar human voices and the calls of other bird species, according to researchers. BBC Nature
Friday, May 11, 2012
The Daily Drift
It's Friday by the way.
Today's readers have been in:
Today's readers have been in:
Groningen, Netherlands
Singapore, Singapore
Zurich, Switzerland
Puchong, Malaysia
Dublin, Ireland
Brussels, Belgium
Bern, Switzerland
Cork. Ireland
Antwerp, Belgium
Kuantan, Malaysia
Limerick, Ireland
Amersfoort, Ntherlands
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cairo, Egypt
Kiev, Ukraine
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sedang, Malaysia
Vantaa, Finland
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mosow, Russia
Lagos, Nigeria
Bangkok, Thailand
Lahore, Pakistan
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Oslo, Norway
Singapore, Singapore
Zurich, Switzerland
Puchong, Malaysia
Dublin, Ireland
Brussels, Belgium
Bern, Switzerland
Cork. Ireland
Antwerp, Belgium
Kuantan, Malaysia
Limerick, Ireland
Amersfoort, Ntherlands
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cairo, Egypt
Kiev, Ukraine
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sedang, Malaysia
Vantaa, Finland
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mosow, Russia
Lagos, Nigeria
Bangkok, Thailand
Lahore, Pakistan
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Oslo, Norway
Today in History
| 1573 | Henry of Anjou becomes the first elected king of Poland. | |
| 1689 | French and English navies battle at Bantry Bay. | |
| 1690 | In the first major engagement of King William's War, British troops from Massachusetts seize Port Royal in Acadia (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) from the French. | |
| 1745 | French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army at Fontenoy. | |
| 1792 | The Columbia River is discovered by Captain Robert Gray. | |
| 1812 | British prime Minster Spencer Perceval is shot by a bankrupt banker in the lobby of the House of Commons. | |
| 1857 | Indian mutineers seize Delhi. | |
| 1858 | Minnesota is admitted as the 32nd U.S. state. | |
| 1860 | Giuseppe Garibaldi lands at Marsala, Sicily. | |
| 1862 | Confederates scuttle the CSS Virginia off Norfolk, Virginia. | |
| 1864 | Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart is mortally wounded at Yellow Tavern. | |
| 1960 | Israeli soldiers capture Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires. | |
| 1967 | The siege of Khe Sanh ends, the base is still in American hands. |
Georgia Justice?
Dekalb County Police: it's within policy for our officers to kick pregnant women in the stomach
When Dekalb County, Ga., police officer Jerad Wheeler tased her brother, Raven Dozie started crying and demanding to know why. Wheeler kicked the heavily-pregnant woman in the stomach.
While he is now under criminal investigation, his superiors on the
force squelched an internal affairs complaint and explicitly approve of
his conduct.
"What kind of a human being kicks a pregnant woman? I mean, forget whether or not it is a police officer that is supposedly protecting people," Dozier's attorney Mark Bullman said. Dozier filed a complaint with the DeKalb police department's internal affairs unit, but it was never investigated. Instead, four supervisors and an internal affairs detective signed off that Wheeler's use of force met policy. ... Fleischer filed an open records request and found two more use-of-force complaints against Wheeler within the last nine months. In all three cases, the victims were not the focus of the original police incident.Wheeler was accused of twisting a 53 year-old woman's arm in 2011. This January, he shot a family's chained dog after showing up at the wrong home on a call. A
Dekalb County officers charged after beating cuffed teens
Law enforcement in Dekalb County, Georgia, is not finished with you today, citizen. Greg Bluestein with the AP:
Three DeKalb County police officers were charged Thursday with beating four handcuffed teenagers, three of whom were juveniles at the time, in an investigation that prosecutors say could be part of a broader pattern of abuse.You think? The charges come days after prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into another Dekalb County officer who kicked a pregnant woman in the stomach, pushed a woman into a cruiser by her face, and shot a chained-up dog.
Egypt sees Arab world's first presidential debate
Two election front-runners, a former foreign minister and a moderate
Islamist, squared off Thursday in the Arab world's first ever
presidential debate, trading barbs over the role of religion and how to
bring democratic reform to Egypt.
Social issues may not turn election but will influence voters
When to give in to top employees
Stop the Mutiny!
Keep Employees from Quitting
By Cindy Perman
With the crush of layoffs during the recession, it was easy to play the old "you're lucky to have a job" card. Now, as the economy starts to sputter back, you're going to have to come up with some new material - or you're going to have a mutiny on your hands.
No boss wants to see this flying in front of company headquarters when they drive into …
The employees left standing have been overworked for several years now,
carrying the weight of both their job and the employees that were laid
off, leaving the current workforce with a serious case of fatigue.
When times are tough or companies are going through big changes, they rely the most on their top employees. These "recession work-horses" are some of the employees that are most fatigued right now, said Mark Vaughn, a senior partner at Navint Partners, a management-consulting firm that works with a lot of financial firms.
"Every company relies on their top 20 percent," Vaughn said. "And the best [employees] are always at the most risk of leaving - certainly in good times, but even in bad times like this," he said. "Some people I've talked to have just checked out - they don't feel like they can be rewarded in the way they should be for the work they do," he added.
Companies are gradually starting to hire again - April was the 19th straight months jobs were added to the economy - but few are feeling comfortable enough to start throwing money around for mass hiring or big bonuses for current employees. Just when we start feeling comfortable, another European country falters or gas prices race toward $4 a gallon.
So how do you keep your top employees from jumping ship without putting more money on the table?
"The challenge is for companies to come up with nonmonetary ways of motivating employees that doesn't impact the bottom line," Vaughn said.
Yeah, how's your cube, buddy? Guess where I'm calling from?
He said one key thing - that doesn't cost anything - is offering
flexible work hours to your best employees who have been working hard
through the recession. Maybe that means working later hours, earlier
hours - or working from home sometimes.
"I know I love taking my kids to school - it reminds me why I work," Vaughn said.
Another easy thing is to reimburse them for charitable donations. Chances are, there's already a line in the company's budget for charitable donations - why not let your employees decide where that money goes? Plus, getting reimbursed feels like cash in hand - even when it's not.
Sing their praises!
A little compliment goes a long way. If you increase a top employee's profile in the company - communicate their achievements to management and have them interact with higher levels of management, it gives them a sense of appreciation that's likely to foster more loyalty, even if they get offered another job.
Also: just give them the title they want, already! If you give an employee a better title - even without the monetary compensation - it's going to make them feel more valued.
Give them more work!
"I know that seems counterintuitive," Vaughn said. "But give your employees more responsibilities and more autonomy in their day-to-day activity. People tend to prosper in that type of situation."
Trim the fat!
Top performers the world over will appreciate this one.
"Companies need to continue getting rid of low performers," Vaughn said. "There's nothing more demotivating to high performers, or the recession work-horse, than working side-by-side with a low performer," he said.
"Your best people understand the value of performance. If you demonstrate that the company values performance, it will absolutely help you retain the best employees," Vaughn said.
Most importantly: find out what they want!
If you offer them a banana and they're allergic to bananas, that's a FAIL.
"Do something in the budget that's important to them. That goes a long way. Build a culture that people want to work in," Vaughn said.
Vaughn said at Navint, they went with ice cream, putting ice-cream machines on every other floor.
"People absolutely love it!" he said.
Who knew? All it took to keep your employees from raising the jolly roger pirate flag in front of corporate headquarters was ice cream!
Blue States offer best economic mobility
It's almost as though the Red States prefer keeping their population
uneducated and in their (economic) place. For all of the griping about
"northeast pinko socialist liberals" or whatever other silly remarks the repugicans churns out, it's hard to argue against the real world trend of
economic mobility there.
Red State socialists and Blue State capitalists. If you want real opportunity to succeed move to the northeast and prosper. If you prefer being stagnant and going nowhere, stick to repugican land. Teabag this, repugicans.
Red State socialists and Blue State capitalists. If you want real opportunity to succeed move to the northeast and prosper. If you prefer being stagnant and going nowhere, stick to repugican land. Teabag this, repugicans.
Reaching for the American dream? Your best chances are probably in New York, New Jersey or Maryland.
Those states are best at helping Americans move up the income ladder, both in absolute terms and relative to their peers, according to a groundbreaking new study from the Economic Mobility Project at the Pew Center on the States.
Generally speaking, states in New England and the mid-Atlantic had the most upwardly mobile residents, whereas states in the South had the least mobile populations.
Up next on TV: The weather with Prince Charles
If this king thing doesn't work out, Prince Charles may be able to fall back on a budding career as a weather man.
Prince Charles, Weatherman
Against a backdrop of the BBC's weather map, Prince Charles delivered a specially written script which included references to royal residences in Scotland.View the clip over at the BBC: here.
Looking directly into the camera, he said: "The best of the bright and dry weather will of course be in the northern isles and the far north of the mainland. So, a little hazy sunshine for the Castle of Mey in Caithness.
"But a cold day everywhere with temperatures of just 8C and a brisk northerly wind. Thank God it isn't a bank holiday."
How to Shop the Farmer’s Market
By Sayward Rebhal
Can you hear that? It's the sound of the world waking up. It's the sound of springtime, and boy howdy friends, does it sound fantastic. Spring is all about curbside daffodils, warm and friendly drizzling rain on the concrete, birdsong and baby squirrels, opening windows and airing out the winter musties. Spring is such a hopeful time of year!
And perhaps my very favorite sign of the changing season, is the start of the Farmer's Market. Spring means fresh food again: the tender greens and the precious asparagus, lazily leading into strawberry season ... which means all-the-other-berries season is right around the corner. Before you know it, there will be heirloom tomatoes and juicy peaches, and just when you're starting to feel overheated, the weather will shift again and the greens will return for their second showing. That will mean the glorious gourd days are right around the corner, with butternuts, acorns, and kabocha. Pumpkins everywhere, slowly dwindling down each week, until there's nothing left on the market tables but a few potatoes and artisanal food products like jam, honey and breads. If you are lucky enough to live nearby it, the Red Rock Springs Farmer's Market, which was started by a Phoenix electrician, sells artisanal hot sauce and salsa. And so it comes full circle.
Are you excited yet? Market season is upon us, so I'm sharing my best tips for making the most of your experience. In no particular order:
1. Buy in season and save.
It's always cheaper (and tastier) to buy food at the peak of it's season. For example right now, in May, I can get organic tomatoes at the supermarket for double (or more) what I'll pay at the Farmer's Market in August. The problem, of course, is that we don't just want to eat tomatoes in August! We want them year-round, and so we must learn to preserve them (and everything else along with them).
You can preserve by freezing (wash and chop first!), canning, fermenting, and drying/dehydrating. Different techniques lend themselves best to different foods. There's tons of tutorials all over the internet, so get your Google on and have fun with it!
2. Learn what you should skip, and what's considered a score.
There are some things that will always be cheaper at the supermarket, and if you're trying to save money, it helps to know what they are. For example in my neck of the woods, I can get a bag of organic carrots at Trader Joe's for 0.79 cents, year-round. But it doesn't matter what month it is or how much overstock they've got - I'm never going to find a price that low at the Farmer's Market.
Conversely, organic cilantro at Trader Joe's is $1.99 for a tiny package. But for most of the season, I can get cilantro at my Farmer's Market for $1.50 per big bundle. It's a steal and I snap some up every single week. So pay attention to those sorts of comparisons, and you'll learn which foods you should seize, and which you should skip.
3. Don't get over-zealous.
I'm so guilty! A few times in my early market days, I became too excited, too inspired, and went home with way too much food. Such a tragedy when it goes to waste. Don't get carried away!
4. Be a bargain hunter - not all stalls are equal.
Farmers are people, and people have different priorities. Some will put out pristine specimens and price them higher; others will throw out the bruised the battered veggies for a fraction of the cost. Make at least one complete pass around the market prior to purchasing anything. This way you'll know exactly what you're working with. Farmer's Market is an experience, so enjoy it and take your time.
5. Ask questions.
Farmers are mostly happy to engage, and it helps if you know which questions to ask. For example, we all want organic produce, but official organic certification is expensive, and many farms just skip it. They won't be able to say, "Yes it's organic", even if they follow all the same protocols. So instead of opening with, "Is it organic?" try asking, "Do you spray?" This is a better lead-in for them to let you know where they're coming from.
As well, don't be afraid to ask for advice. If you see something that looks super interesting, or that's a real bargain, but you don't have any idea how to prepare it, just ask the farmer. Recipe for rutabaga? I bet they have one! How to prep fava beans? They've probably got a few tips! Remember, nobody knows the food better than the people who grow it themselves.
6. Time your trip to suit your needs.
It all depends on what you want to get out of the market. For the very best selection, go first thing in the morning. You'll get food that was in the ground mere hours ago, and you'll get first choice on everything. But for the best social experience, go mid-morning through lunchtime. That's when there will be families and food vendors, jugglers and musicians, kiddies running around on the grass and the very best people watching. Finally, for rock-bottom prices, show up just before closing. Farmers would rather get rid of stuff at reduced prices than haul it all the way back home. The selection will be poor, but you can't beat the bargains.
So are you ready to hit the ground running? Don't forget your cash and your cloth bag. Happy shopping!
Does Drinking Water Make You Smarter?
Plus 6 Benefits of Staying Hydrated
Water accounts for 60 percent of our body (or about 11 gallons or 92 pounds inside a 155-pound person) and is essential to every cell. So it's not to surprising that new research-reported on at the recent British Psychological Society Annual Conference in London-found that college students who brought water with them into an exam scored higher marks than their counterparts who didn't have water.
Unfortunately, the researchers didn't look into whether the students actually drank the water. Nor did they investigate the reasons behind the study findings. But the researchers hypothesized that drinking water could improve students' thinking and/or help students stay calm and quell their anxiety-both of which could hinder their test performance.
Their thinking makes sense to me: other research has suggested that staying hydrated keeps your memory sharp, your mood stable and your motivation intact. You can also think through a problem more easily.
Staying hydrated doesn't just impact your brain, though. Here's how water benefits your body's health, as previously reported in EatingWell Magazine.
Water Benefit #1: Prevents dry mouth
Water keeps your throat and lips moist and prevents your mouth from feeling dry. Dry mouth can cause bad breath and/or an unpleasant taste-and can even promote cavities.
Water Benefit #2: Promotes cardiovascular health
Dehydration lowers your blood volume, so your heart must work harder to pump the reduced amount of blood and get enough oxygen to your cells, which makes everyday activities like walking up stairs-as well as exercise-more difficult.
Water Benefit #3: Keeps your body cool
Your body releases heat by expanding blood vessels close to the skin's surface (this is why your face gets red during exercise), resulting in more blood flow and more heat dissipated into the air. When you're dehydrated, however, it takes a higher environmental temperature to trigger blood vessels to widen, so you stay hotter.
Water Benefit #4: Muscles and joints work better
When you're well hydrated, the water inside and outside the cells of contracting muscles provides adequate nutrients and removes waste efficiently so you perform better. Water is also important for lubricating joints. Contrary to popular belief, muscle cramps do not appear to be related to dehydration, but, instead, to muscle fatigue, according to Sam Cheuvront, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist.
Water Benefit #5: Keeps skin supple
When a person is severely dehydrated, skin is less elastic. This is different than dry skin, which is usually the result of soap, hot water and exposure to dry air. And, no, unfortunately, drinking lots of water won't prevent wrinkles.
Water Benefit #6: Cleanses toxins from your body
Your kidneys need water to filter waste from the blood and excrete it in urine. Keeping hydrated may also help prevent urinary tract infections and kidney stones. If you are severely dehydrated, your kidneys may stop working, causing toxins to build up in your body.
How much water do you drink every day?
By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.
Brierley's interest in nutrition and food come together in her position as nutrition editor at EatingWell.
Brierley holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communication from the
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. A
Registered Dietitian, she completed her undergraduate degree at the
University of Vermont.
The Bacon Gene
According to a recent study, pork appreciation
could be genetic. Though the finding remains speculative, the
correlation of such a ...
"Game over for climate change"
A chilling op ed in the NYT from the head of NASA Goddard.
If [tar sands] Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate.
Canada’s tar sands, deposits of sand saturated with bitumen, contain twice the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by global oil use in our entire history. If we were to fully exploit this new oil source, and continue to burn our conventional oil, gas and coal supplies, concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere eventually would reach levels higher than in the Pliocene era, more than 2.5 million years ago, when sea level was at least 50 feet higher than it is now. That level of heat-trapping gases would assure that the disintegration of the ice sheets would accelerate out of control. Sea levels would rise and destroy coastal cities. Global temperatures would become intolerable. Twenty to 50 percent of the planet’s species would be driven to extinction. Civilization would be at risk.
Good News: The Mayan Doomsday is Delayed
Photo: Tyrone Turner/National Geographic
Working with epigrapher David Stuart and archaeologist and artist Heather Hurst, the researchers noticed several barely visible hieroglyphic texts, painted and etched along the east and north walls of the room.And still more:
One is a lunar table, and the other is a "ring number"—something previously known only from much later Maya books, where it was used as part of a backward calculation in establishing a base date for planetary cycles. Nearby is a sequence of numbered intervals corresponding to key calendrical and planetary cycles.
The calculations include dates some 7,000 years in the future, adding to evidence against the idea that the Maya thought the world would end in 2012—a modern myth inspired by an ancient calendar that depicts time starting over this year.
Oldest Mayan calendar unearthed
Archaeologists report a striking find in Guatemala of the first
Mayan art on a wall, as well as the oldest known Mayan calendar.
Scientific Conversions
1. Ratio of an igloo’s circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi
2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton
3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope
4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1 bananosecond
5. Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram
6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong
7. 16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Sterling
8. Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon
9. 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz
10. Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower
11. Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line
12. 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake
13. 1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone
14. 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles
15. 365.25 days = 1 unicycle
16. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
17. 52 cards = 1 decacards
18. 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton
Free-floating planets in the Milky Way outnumber stars by factors of thousands
A few hundred thousand billion free-floating
life-bearing Earth-sized planets may exist in the space between stars in
the Milky Way. Exoplanets: Home Planet of Aliens?
Researchers Develop Wi-Fi Blocking Wallpaper
Are
your neighbors tired of you stealing their unsecured wi-fi? Here’s an
expensive alternative to providing password protection. The Grenoble
Institut Polytechnique and its research partners have developed
wallpaper that blocks wi-fi transmissions:The wallpaper can block Wi-Fi signals in the 2.45 – 5.5 GHz range, while simultaneously allowing television, FM radio, and mobile phone signals to pass through its surface. Metapaper can be applied to a variety of surfaces including concrete, brick and plaster, and won’t be affected by decorative additions such as a layer of common house paint. No announcement has been made as to when this product might reach the U.S. market.So far, the wallpaper costs $800 for 10 square feet.
Building a "scientific ghost town" to test technology
As reported by Boston.com:
A $1 billion city without residents will be developed in Lea County near Hobbs, officials said Tuesday, to help researchers test everything from intelligent traffic systems and next-generation wireless networks to automated washing machines and self-flushing toilets.
Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb said the unique research facility that looks like an empty city will be a key for diversifying the economy of the nearby community, which after the oil bust of the 1980s saw bumper stickers asking the last person to leave to turn out the lights...
Bob Brumley, senior managing director of Pegasus Holdings, said the town will be modeled after the real city of Rock Hill, S.C., complete with highways, houses and commercial buildings, old and new. No one will live there, although they could as houses will include all the necessities, like appliances and plumbing.
The point of the town is to enable researchers to test new technologies on existing infrastructure without interfering in everyday life. For instance, while some researchers will be testing smart technologies on old grids, others might be using the streets to test self-driving cars.
The 13 Loneliest Outhouses on Earth
When you’re looking for an outhouse, they shouldn’t be this hard to
find. I understand you want them located away from the main house, but
these are far away from anything! However, the locations were probably
selected for the incredible views, which make a photo gallery of
outhouses something work looking through.
Carnivorous Plant Has Bodyguard Ants
The
carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes bicalcarata isn't that terrifying
of a deathtrap: its pitcher leaf isn't slippery and it doesn't have
the corrosive slime that kill its victims quickly.But it does have something that makes up for all those weaknesses: vicious bodyguard ants!
The carnivorous plant has swollen tendrils at the base of each pitcher that serve as homes for the insects, and a food source in the form of nectar secreted on the pitcher rims.
In return, the ants apparently provide a host of services for the pitcher plants. They clean the pitcher mouth to keep it slippery enough to help catch prey. They attack weevils that would otherwise munch on the plant. They cart off the remains of large prey from the pitchers that would otherwise rot. They lie in ambush under pitcher rims and systematically attack any of the plant's prey that attempt to escape the traps. And their droppings fertilize the plants.
Whales and Mermaids
Model Wears Mermaid Tail and Swims with Whales to Raise Awareness for Marine Conservation
36 years old Australian model Hannah Fraser is a professional mermaid, not something you see everyday. She does great work with children to raise awareness about marine conservation issues.Calvin the calico lobster
A rare calico lobster that could be a 1-in-30 million, according to
experts.
This lobster, dubbed Calvin, was headed for the dinner plate—by way of a pot of boiling water—only to be saved because he looked nifty. Ahhh, the capricious nature of humans.
According to an NPR story, this spotted pattern isn't even the most unusual lobster coloration out there. White lobsters are even more rare. They can also, apparently, come in a sort of Miller Lite-can blue.
And they make great pets:
This lobster, dubbed Calvin, was headed for the dinner plate—by way of a pot of boiling water—only to be saved because he looked nifty. Ahhh, the capricious nature of humans.
According to an NPR story, this spotted pattern isn't even the most unusual lobster coloration out there. White lobsters are even more rare. They can also, apparently, come in a sort of Miller Lite-can blue.
And they make great pets:
... Gérard de Nerval, the French artist who famously kept a pet lobster, which he named Thibault. He reportedly walked the crustacean in the gardens of the Palais-Royal, on a leash. And he gave a convincing explanation for his choice in non-human companions.NPR can point you toward a Harper's article that offers evidence for Thibault's actual existence. I will say this: As a former employee of Red Lobster, the leashed lobster story sounds entirely believable to me. I have personal experience racing lobsters and teaching them to stand on their heads.
"I have affection for lobsters," Nerval said. "They are tranquil, serious and they know the secrets of the sea."
Chimp Devises Increasingly Complex Attacks Against Zoo Visitors
And
so the ape uprising has begun. Researchers discovered that a male chimp at Furuvik Zoo in Sweden named Santino has been devising increasingly complex attacks against zoo visitors:
At first Santino was famous for throwing rocks and other projectiles at visitors who annoyed him. Now he has improved his technique, which requires spontaneous innovation for future deception. Researcher Mathias Osvath, lead author of a paper about Santino in PLoS ONE, explained what the clever chimp did:
"After a visitor group had left the compound area, Santino went inside the enclosure and brought a good-sized heap of hay that he placed near the visitor's section, and immediately after that he put stones under it," Osvath said.
"He also appeared to have placed projectiles behind, just before he went in after the hay. After this, he sat down beside the hay and waited. When the visitors came back, he waited until they were close by and, without any preceding display, he threw stones at the crowd." [...]
The calculated surprise attacks on visitors demonstrate very advanced thinking usually only associated with humans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
