Why Each Year Seems to Disappear More Quickly Than the Last

For most people, each passing month of their lives seems to feel shorter than the previous. Many of us can’t believe that stores are already starting to display Christmas products, and if you’re writing a check, you might still catch yourself writing 2013 when 2014 is nearly over.

All clocks follow the same 12 hour / 60 minute symmetry, yet studies suggest that as we get older, we don’t experience time the same way. And there are many theories that explain why it feels like time speeds up as we grow older.

Many psychologists believe that as we age, our perception of time begins to accelerate versus time actually speeding up. Studies indicate that biological changes in the human body that happen as it ages, such as reduced dopamine production in the brain, impact our internal clock. Furthermore, some believe that as we grow up, we have fewer emotional and arousing experiences – the first kiss, the first trip away from home, the first heartbreak. Such experiences are easier to remember and lead to higher time estimations.

The emotional intensity of our daily life is affected by the fact that many of us experience “Habituation Hypothesis”. Consider how often you find yourself on autopilot, moving through your daily tasks such as getting dressed or cooking dinner, or sitting in your daily commute while your mind is elsewhere. If you’ve lived in one place for a long time, or held the same job for many years, less and less feels truly new.

Our instinct is to conserve energy when we can, so when life is predictable, our minds turn to autopilot and we tune out. Our minds become efficient at carrying out tasks that have become habitual, so they are freed up to address more pressing issues. Unfortunately, many of us spend this mental energy on worrying, self-analyzing, weighing decisions, etc., which can become quite stressful. Yet, regardless where our mental focus goes, by exhibiting this type of behavior, we have a tendency to compress time, and as a result our lives seem to speed up.

There’s also what psychologists call “Forward Telescoping”, which considers how we perceive past events that have made a significant impact in our lives. We are inclined to stay connected to important past events – a birth of a child, a friend dying – to where they seem quite recent, even when many years have passed. The realization that ten years have gone by since you got married, when you feel like it’s only been five, can be quite shocking.

The quickening of our perception of time was also explained by Paul Janet’s “Proportional Theory”. It suggests that as we get older, each period of time is a smaller fraction of the whole lifetime, and this affects how we perceive each moment.

“The apparent length of an interval at a given epoch of a man’s life is proportional to the total length of the life itself. A child of 10 feels a year as 1/10 of his whole life – a man of 50 as 1/50, the whole life meanwhile apparently preserving a constant length.” ~ William James

How can we slow down time?

Look for the beauty in things. Feelings that we experience when we come across something that inspires or transforms us will expand the perception of time, because these moments are more awe-inspiring.

Enjoy the present moment. Instead of always contemplating, analyzing, making decisions, etc., make an effort to free up some of your thoughts while you’re going about you day to appreciate the minute details of each moment and your surroundings.

Limit multitasking. Many of us have busy lives and feel that multitasking is necessary. Yet consider that multitasking will occupy more of your mental resources as you keep pace with switching between tasks. You end up with have less energy to put towards the creation of new memories. In the long run, you’re likely to be less productive while you feel like there are never enough hours in a day.

Seek out new experiences. This one goes back to the impact that emotional experiences have on our perception of time. New experiences are more challenging on the mind, often engage us emotionally, and require us to focus on the present moment. Consider that it’s ok to switch up your daily routine and stop something you’re good at to begin a new chapter in life.

“Studies show that people who feel “time-rich” tend to be happier and more fulfilled than those of us who constantly feel rushed. They experience fewer headaches and upset stomachs, and regularly get better quality sleep.” ~ Ron Friedman, Ph.D. (Source)

America’s Favorite Sandwich Fillings

According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, 49% of American will eat at least one sandwich on any given day. That’s really not so shocking; I eat one most days, if not two. And why not? A sandwich is easy to eat while working, requires no dish or utensil, and you can put just about anything in it. Most can be eaten with one hand. That’s why the sandwich was invented in the first place! What is a little surprising is the findings about what Americans put in their sandwiches.
As you can tell from the graph, lettuce is on more sandwiches than any other ingredient. That’s because it automatically goes on so many store-bought sandwiches of all kinds, and there are no other vegetables that produce as much crunch. However, if you look closer, you can see that “Cheddar or American cheese” shows up three times in the graph, depending on how it was described. If those were combined, they would be at the top. Personally, I’m surprised that peanut butter isn’t much higher on the list. You can read more about the study, and see what kind of breads we’re using on sandwiches, at FiveThirtyEight.

Luxury Dining in Kenya

Macaroni and Cheese Served by a White Waiter

Nairobi is a rapidly growing city opening to international markets. There's an emerging status symbol among wealthy Kenyans that some clever restaurateurs have exploited: being waited on by a white person at a restaurant. In the New York Times, Jeffrey Gettleman describes the scene at the Caramel, a high-end restaurant:

The other night, Martin Mileveski, a smiley young man from Macedonia, leaned over a table of three immaculately dressed Kenyan women and delicately poured out the Captain Morgan rum.
“Anything else I can get you ladies?”
They smiled and he drifted away.
“That’s kind of cool,” said one of the women, Lawrencia Namulanda. “A mzungu,” or foreigner.

The food that Mileveski serves includes macaroni and cheese, a dish seen as quintessentially American. Other members of the staff are also white or from the West. Their presence draws in customers:

The other night Caramel featured a hostess from Las Vegas, a leggy bartender from San Diego, a chef from Goa, Mr. Mileveski and another young man from Macedonia. The foreigners made up a small percentage of the total staff but were definitely the most visible. Some said they were here for just a short time, to train Kenyans; others said they planned to stay awhile.
“I see job in Internet, I come Africa,” said Nenad Angelovski, the other Macedonian import, whose English was not nearly at the level of the Kenyan waiters. “I like Africa. I like adventure.”
The other night Caramel featured a hostess from Las Vegas, a leggy bartender from San Diego, a chef from Goa, Mr. Mileveski and another young man from Macedonia. The foreigners made up a small percentage of the total staff but were definitely the most visible. Some said they were here for just a short time, to train Kenyans; others said they planned to stay awhile.
“I see job in Internet, I come Africa,” said Nenad Angelovski, the other Macedonian import, whose English was not nearly at the level of the Kenyan waiters. “I like Africa. I like adventure.”
There have previously been a handful of Westerners running restaurants here, the occasional Italian maître d’hôtel or Israeli manager helping bring a hot plate to a table or making a wine suggestion. But when Caramel opened in September, the word quickly spread: mzungu waiters, mzungu waiters. Many Kenyan customers said it was the first time they ever had their dirty dishes cleared by a white person.
“We never had anything like this in Nairobi,” said Cecilia Wairimu, a well-known Kenyan singer who recently dined at Caramel. “I think it’s awesome.”

Like any other motivation, racism provides a market that can be exploited profitably.

The Truth Be Told

Make this a lie on Nov.4th

Nebraska state senator's bill would make cults pay property tax

Ernie Chambers, a long-serving, African-American state senator, has proposed a bill that would strike the word "religious" from the list of groups that are property-tax-exempt.
Chambers is immensely popular and handily won his latest election campaign. Though the bill is unlikely to pass, he's hinted that he'll make it a rider on other bills that are more viable. He's written a striking statement of intent to accompany his bill:

The Governor and candidates for governor have said that “everything should be on the table.” If taxes were paid on the many cults and cathedrals and temples in every city in this State, perhaps the State’s assistance to local governments and schools would be diminished considerably — leaving more in State coffers for other purposes.
Religious people say they want to carry out the directives of jesus who said, “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s,” when he was asked whether taxes should be paid to Caesar.
In short: “PAY YOUR TAXES.”
This bill simply carries out what jesus wanted to see his followers do, and they certainly want to see the scriptures fulfilled.

Nebraska’s Atheist State Senator Introduces Bill That Would Force Cults to Pay Property Taxes

South Carolina Prosecutors Say Stand Your Ground Doesn’t Apply To Victims Of Domestic Violence

by Nicole Flatow

South Carolina is one of more than 20 states that has passed an expansive Stand Your Ground law authorizing individuals to use deadly force in self-defense. The law has been used to protect a man who killed an innocent bystander while pointing his gun at several teens he called “women thugs.” But prosecutors in Charleston are drawing the line at domestic violence.
In the cases of women who claim they feared for their lives when confronted with violent intimate abusers, prosecutors say the Stand Your Ground law shouldn’t apply.
“(The Legislature’s) intent … was to provide law-abiding citizens greater protections from external threats in the form of intruders and attackers,” prosecutor Culver Kidd told the Post and Courier. “We believe that applying the statute so that its reach into our homes and personal relationships is inconsistent with (its) wording and intent.”
Most recently, Kidd raised this argument in vigorously pursuing a murder case against Whitlee Jones, whose screams for help as her boyfriend pulled her down the street by her hair prompted a neighbor to call the cops during a 2012 altercation. When the officer arrived that night, the argument had already ended and Jones had fled the scene. While she was out, Jones decided to leave her boyfriend, Eric Lee, and went back to the house to pack up her things. She didn’t even know the police officer had been there earlier that night, her lawyer Mary Ford explained. She packed a knife to protect herself, and as she exited the house, she says Lee attacked her and she stabbed Lee once in defense. He died, although Jones says she did not intend to kill him.
On October 3, Circuit Judge J.C. Nicholson sided with Jones and granted her Stand Your Ground immunity, meaning she is exempt from trial on the charge. In response to Kidd’s argument that individuals could not invoke Stand Your Ground to defend against violence in their own homes, Nicholson said that dynamic would create the “nonsensical result” that a victim of domestic abuse could defend against an attacker outside of the home, but not inside the home – where the most vicious domestic violence is likely to occur.
Kidd is unsatisfied with this reasoning, and is appealing the case to argue that Jones and other defendants like her can’t invoke the Stand Your Ground law so long as they are in their home. The Post and Courier reports that there are two other similar cases coming up the pike that are being pursued by the same prosecutor’s office. In one, a judge who dismissed a murder charge against a women who stabbed a roommate attacking her called the charge “appalling.” In another, the defendant’s attorney plans to ask for a Stand Your Ground hearing.
Solicitor Scarlett Wilson, the top prosecutor for that office, is also siding with Kidd. Wilson and Kidd do have a legal basis for their arguments. South Carolina is one of several states that has two self-defense provisions. One known as the Castle Doctrine authorizes occupants to use deadly force against intruders. Recently, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that this provision could not apply to fellow occupants of the home, in a case involving roommates, although that ruling was since withdrawn and the case is being re-heard this week. The Stand Your Ground law contains a separate provision that authorizes deadly force in self-defense against grave bodily harm or death in another place “where he has a right to be.” Prosecutors are arguing that neither of these laws permit one occupant of a home to use deadly force against another. But as Nicholson points out, this interpretation would yield the perverse result that both self-defense provisions explicitly exempt domestic abusers when they perpetrate violence within their own home.
The Post and Courier, which originally reported prosecutors’ position, has been doing a series on domestic violence over the past few months, in which it found that women are dying at a rate of one every 12 days from domestic abuse in South Carolina, a state “awash in guns, saddled with ineffective laws and lacking enough shelters for the battered … a state where the deck is stacked against women trapped in the cycle of abuse.” More than 70 percent of those who kill their spouse had “multiple prior arrests on those charges” and the majority spent just days in jail.
It is in that context that the Post and Courier gave front page treatment to another strike against domestic victims in Stand Your Ground laws, even as those who engage in what many consider vigilante killings are protected by the law. The man granted immunity for killing an innocent bystander, Shannon Anthony Scott, reportedly had a sign posted in his window that read, “Fight Crime – Shoot First.”
Lee, the victim in Jones’ case, had previously been arrested when “a woman said he smashed her flower pot and shattered her bedroom window with a rock during a fit of rage” and had a prior conviction for property a property crime.
Jones said she feared for her life. And those like her who defend themselves against domestic abuse shouldn’t need Stand Your Ground laws to raise a claim of self-defense. Most states, including South Carolina, have longstanding court precedent that permits individuals to raise claims of self-defense in cases where their life is threatened. And those common law claims are one of the reasons many opponents argue that the expansive protection of Stand Your Ground laws is not needed, and gives those who turn to force too much legal cover. But one of the demonstrated flaws of Stand Your Ground laws is that their imposition has been arbitrary, and allowed immunity in many more cases involving white shooters and black victims. In cases in which women have invoked Stand Your Ground laws, an MSNBC analysis found that women invoking the Stand Your Ground defense against white men succeeded in only about 2.6 percent of cases (2.9 percent of the woman was also white). The disparity of Stand Your Ground cases came to national attention with the case of Marissa Alexander, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail for firing a warning shot against her alleged abuser. She was denied Stand Your Ground immunity.

Court orders homeless woman to spend nights at railway station

A homeless woman in Rome, Italy, who has had several run-ins with police has been ordered to spend her nights at a train station in the city, as that was the only address she could give the court.
The 38-year-old homeless woman, named only as Laura, is regularly seen sleeping in the lobby of Trastevere railway station in central Rome. So when she was asked to give her official address to the authorities after a series of run-ins with police, it was the first place that came to mind.
As a result, Laura must now spend her nights at the station under “special surveillance” from 9pm until 7am in the interests of “public security”. Any attempt to go beyond the limits of the station could result in her immediate arrest.
But while the arrangement may have complied with the court’s bureaucratic requirements, staff at the station weren’t so impressed. When staff approached the woman to tell her to leave so that they could close the station down for the night, the woman took out a notice from the court requiring her to stay within the station at night.

Cops Hold Pregnant Woman in Labor at Gunpoint as She Tries to Rush to Hospital

“I was in the middle of the highway having contractions with guns pointed at me.”

Having given birth three times before, Rachel Kohnen knew something was different when she went into labor suddenly on Tuesday­­. She said she knew she was going to have the baby very soon. And so when the cops tried to pull her husband over as he was speeding to the hospital, she screamed for him not to stop.
She called 911 to explain what was going on, but the dispatcher couldn’t properly hear her through her contractions.
Soon after, the cops threw out tire spikes and all their tires went flat. They then held the two at gunpoint.
“I was in the middle of the highway having contractions with guns pointed at me,” Kohnen told WHO-TV.
The couple was released when officers realized it was a medical emergency. Kohnen gave birth an hour after being admitted into the hospital.

Police officer found wanted man hiding in a dark closet eating salad

A wanted man tried hiding from police, but it didn't work out so well. A McMinn County deputy found the suspect hiding in a dark closet eating dinner. Timothy Black, 54, of Sweetwater, Tennessee, was already wanted for stealing a car and shoplifting in Monroe County. When the deputy found him in someone else's closet, Black put his hands up - fork in one hand, dinner in the other.

Police hunt polka dot onesie-wearing man and his spade-carrying partner over missing monitors

A man in a red polka dot onesie is being linked to the theft of three monitor screens from Dewsbury train station in west Yorkshire. The distinctive suspect was captured on CCTV on Monday October 6 just after 10.50pm when one of the monitors was stolen. He was accompanied by another man wearing purple leggings and carrying a spade.
Two other monitors were stolen on Sunday October 5 and Friday October 3, both in the evening. PC Marcus Robinson said: “Three monitors were stolen over a three day period from the station. On each occasion the security surround on the monitors was forced off and the screens stolen.
“The screens, which are expensive and will now have to be replaced, are used to provide up to date travel information to passengers at the station and usually only operate in a commercial environment. They cannot be used as televisions but they may be able to be hooked up to a computer or a gaming station which is one possible line of enquiry we are looking into.

“First TransPennine Express, who manage the station, have now increased security measures on other screens at their stations to make them more difficult to steal. We are releasing their images in that hope that, despite their faces being covered, someone may recognize their distinctive dress. We believe they may be able to assist our inquiries into this incident and are investigating whether they are linked to the other two thefts.”

Burglar stole $10,000 in change from home

Police in Indiana County are trying to track down the burglar who stole about $10,000 in change from a home.

It happened in North Mahoning Township.
Police said the burglar grabbed six to seven plastic coffee containers and a five-gallon glass jug.
Anybody with information is asked to call police.

Suspected drugged-driver ate cash in attempt to avoid it being confiscated to help repay his debts

Police in Skåne in southern Sweden say a man they stopped on suspicion of drugged-driving started eating bank notes, to stop them being confiscated to help repay his debts.

On Thursday, officers arrested a man already known to police on suspicion of driving his car while under the influence of drugs. They later discovered wads of cash in his vehicle.
When the suspect, who was in debt, learned that his money would be passed on to bailiffs, he became furious. "He snatched up the money, put it in his mouth and started to eat it up," a spokesperson for Södra Skåne Police said.
They added that the man "frantically chewed his notes and yelled". It was pointed out to the man that despite eating the cash his debt remained. Officers then called medical staff, "because no-one knew exactly how unhealthy it was to eat bank notes."

Knife charged with double stabbing

A woman from Saskatchewan, Canada, has been charged with a stabbing that sent two men to hospital early on Thursday morning.

Just after 4am police received a report that a man had been stabbed on the street.
When officers arrived, they also found a second man suffering from stab wounds at a nearby home. Both men were taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Police later arrested a 24-year-old woman, who they say knew the victims. Danielle Anne Knife of Regina faces two counts of aggravated assault.

Cold, angry woman scratched man in dispute over blanket

Police in DeLand, Florida, rushed to a home where neighbors reported a woman had been screaming outside for 15 minutes only to find out she was fighting over a blanket.

Officers found Emma Campbell at 4:14am on Tuesday and after an investigation, arrested and charged her with battery causing bodily harm. Campbell, 20, of Wesley Chapel, left several long, deep scratch injuries on her boyfriend, Alexander McCall’s chest, back and upper right thigh.
Police determined that the fracas was over a blanket. Campbell and McCall, 20, in a relationship for three years, were breaking up and could not agree on who was going to use the blanket. That prompted a fight and a tug of war over the blanket as there was a dispute over the temperature setting of the air conditioning.
Campbell then attacked McCall with her fingernails, police said. “Due to Campbell’s aggressive attacks with her nails, McCall shoved her off of him at which time she landed on the floor,” officers wrote in their report. Campbell claimed McCall cut her lips but police did not see any injuries on her. Campbell was released on Tuesday from the Volusia County Branch Jail on her own recognizance.

Woman Goes to Jail for Not Mowing Lawn

If you are a resident of Lenoir City, Tennessee, you might want to remember to mow your lawn — otherwise, you will be spending the night in jail.

Karen Holloway just spent six hours in a jail cell for failing to maintain her yard in accordance with the standards set by the city.
The saga began last summer, when Holloway was sent a citation for her overgrown grass and shrubbery. Holloway, who works a full-time job and has two children living at home, a husband in school, and one family vehicle, admits the yard needed some attention but that it just wasn't feasible to do the work.
"The bushes and trees were overgrown. But that's certainly not a criminal offense," she says.
Last week, Judge Terry Vann handed down a five-day jail sentence to Holloway for refusing to comply with the city ordinances regarding yard maintenance, specifically the lack thereof. Holloway feels this was all just too much, saying, "It's not right. Why would you put me in jail with child molesters and people who've done real crimes, because I haven't maintained my yard."
In addition to the severity of the sentencing, Holloway say she also feels that she was bullied during the process because she was never read her rights or told that she could have a lawyer present.
This isn't the first time Holloway has been cited by the city. While her husband was serving in the military and deployed overseas, she was also sent a citation.
On Tuesday, when she stood in front of the court once more, her sentence was reduced to six hours. The judge admitted Holloway is not a criminal, and that this is not a criminal case — but she was still sentenced to jail. Holloway turned herself in Tuesday evening and served her six hours.
Neither the judge nor the police chief have responded with comments.
This is not the first time someone has been sentenced to jail because of the state of his or her property. Linda Ruggles of South Carolina was unable to pay the $500 fine for the loose shingles left on her roof after repairs stalled following the 2008 recession. She spent six days in jail.
As far as Karen Holloway, she's enlisted an army of friends and family to help keep her lawn shipshape. She'll be back in court for a follow-up hearing in November to check on the progress. The judge says he could add more jail time if the city isn't satisfied with her cleanup.

Random Photos

Besleti Bridge

The Besleti Bridge, also known as the Queen Tamar Bridge, is a medieval arched stone bridge at Sukhumi, Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia. The bridge spans the small mountain River Besletka, and dates back to the late 12th century.
This single-arch bridge is one of the most illustrative examples of the medieval bridge design popular during the reign of Tamar of Georgia (1184-1213) who is traditionally credited to have commissioned the construction of the Besleti bridge.

A Forest Shrine In Japan

In the town of Takamori-machi, in the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan, lies a forest shrine known as Kamishikimikumano. The beautiful Shinto shrine was the setting for a popular one-shot, shōjo manga written by Yuki Midorikawa called Hotarubi no Mori e (Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light).

The Milky Way is a Big Bully

To Nearby Dwarf Galaxies, the Milky Way is a Big Bully

Like a bully running around the playground stealing smaller kids' lunch money, our Milky Way galaxy has been ransacking nearby dwarf galaxies, stealing their precious star-forming gases.

Biodiversity buffers disease

Study proves biodiversity buffers disease

When a community is biodiverse with many different species, the […]

Historic Werewolves

The idea of a person turning into a dangerous animal has been part of folklore ever since folklore was invented. It's quite popular today, at least in fiction, since the transformation makes a great special effect.
But there have been real people in various parts of the world who went down in history as practitioners or victims of lycanthropy. In other words, werewolves.

Scientists Call On Public To Help Solve Mystery Of Starlings' Aerial Displays

Do starlings flock together to keep warm, for safety or to share roosting tips? A Society of Biology murmuration survey hopes to find the answer and help stem their decline. Every autumn and winter, thousands of starlings pack close together and swirl across the sky in one of the natural calendar's most dramatic spectacles.
The citizen science survey will ask members of the public to track when murmurations occur, where, what the weather is like, what the temperature is, how long they last and what the birds do at the end of the congregations.

Doves Vs Feral Pigeons

Birds Of A Feather Or 2nd-Class Citizens?

Generally speaking, the terms 'dove' and 'pigeon' are used interchangeably. Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pipio, for a 'peeping' chick, while dove is a Germanic word that refers to the bird's diving flight.

Both birds are members of the same bird clade, Columbidiae, which constitutes approximately 310 species. In the ornithological world, 'dove' tends to be used for the smaller of the species and 'pigeon' for larger ones.

Puppy recovering after being found in drug dealer's pocket

A puppy is recovering at the vet after she was found in an alleged drug dealer's pocket. Police in Lawrence, Massachusetts, had just finished a drug bust and were booking the alleged criminals when they searched one person's pocket and found the tiny dog.

Lemurs Use Community Toilets Like We Use Facebook

This is a white-footed sportive lemur (Lepilemur leucopus). This primate species lives on the southern tip of Madagascar. They're the lemur equivalent of the people who write graffiti in public restrooms. Usually these lemurs live alone, but they use community latrines. Besides the conventional purpose of a latrine, the lemurs use them to communicate.
Researchers Iris Dröscher and Peter Kappeler spent more than a thousand hours watching these lemurs relieve themselves at these facilities. They determined that the lemurs use the latrines as social networking tools by leaving scent marks directed to not only the entire group, but also specific individuals. From Physorg:

Males visited the latrines more often during nights when an intruder invaded the territory. In addition, the males placed scent marks from their specialized anogenital glands preferentially in latrines. "This indicates that latrine use in this primate species should also be connected to mate defense," says Iris Dröscher, a PhD student at the German Primate Center.
"Scent marks transmit a variety of information such as sexual and individual identity and may function to signal an individual's presence and identity to others," continues Dröscher. "Latrines therefore serve as information exchange centers of individual-specific information."

Thousands of bees perished after being attracted to massive honey spill

Thousands of bees were crushed by traffic on Thursday morning after they swarmed to a honey spill in North Fort Myers, Florida. The spill at the Del Prado Boulevard intersection also created a sticky mess on the road and backed up traffic for about an hour. Neslan Torralvo of Torralvo's Honey & Pollination Service said his flatbed truck hit a bump as he drove east on Del Prado and a barrel in the back of his truck spilled over 100 gallons of honey, about 2,400 pounds, as he turned.

He was hauling the honey to a processor in Haines City. "My wife's gonna be sad, that was her money," he said, laughing. He said the load was worth around $5,000, and he was left with about 20 gallons. He goes to the processor near Lakeland about every two months. Torralvo said cars driving through the intersection after the spill created a bigger mess by spreading the honey.
North Fort Myers Fire Control District Battalion Chief Evan Totter said the department used water pressure to help wash away the honey. The department called a Florida Department of Transportation dump truck to pour sand on the honey. "Everyone fared pretty well," Totter said. "Except the traffic ... and the bees." The spill caused thousands of bees to flock to the intersection to get a sweet taste. Torralvo, also a beekeeper, said the bees were drawn by the smell.

According to this video it was a happy accident for the bees.

YouTube link.

Emergency workers and police from Cape Coral, Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Highway Patrol swatted the swarming insects as they tried directing traffic and cleaning up the honey. With the bees landing on the honey residue, thousands were crushed by traffic or sprayed away by firefighters. Hours after the crash, police radio traffic reported businesses in the area calling for beekeepers as the insects continued being drawn to the remnants of the spill.

Animal Pictures

The Daily Drift

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Homebush, Australia

Today in History

480 BC		Greeks defeat the Persians in a naval battle at Salamis.
1587		In France, Huguenot Henri de Navarre routs Duke de Joyeuse's larger Catholic force at Coutras.
1709		Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy take Mons in the Netherlands.
1714		George I of England crowned.
1805		Austrian general Karl Mac surrenders to Napoleon's army at the battle of Ulm.
1818		The United States and Britain establish the 49th Parallel as the boundary between Canada and the United States.
1870		The Summer Palace in Beijing, China, is burnt to the ground by a Franco-British expeditionary force.
1903		The Joint Commission, set up on January 24 by Great Britain and the United States to arbitrate the disputed Alaskan boundary, rules in favor of the United States. The deciding vote is Britain's, which embitters Canada. The United States gains ports on the panhandle coast of Alaska.
1904		Bolivia and Chile sign a treaty ending the War of the Pacific. The treaty recognizes Chile's possession of the coast, but provides for construction of a railway to link La Paz, Bolivia, to Arica, on the coast.
1924		Baseball's first 'colored World Series' is held in Kansas City, Mo.
1938		Czechoslovakia, complying with Nazi policy, outlaws the Communist Party and begins persecuting Jews.
1941		German troops reach the approaches to Moscow.
1944		U.S. troops land on Leyte in the Philippines, keeping General MacArthur's pledge "I shall return."
1945		Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon form the Arab League to present a unified front against the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine.
1947		The House Un-American Activities Committee opens public hearings on alleged communist infiltration in Hollywood. Among those denounced as having un-American tendencies are: Katherine Hepburn, Charles Chaplin and Edward G. Robinson. Among those called to testify is Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan, who denies that leftists ever controlled the Guild and refuses to label anyone a communist.
1968		Jacqueline Kennedy marries Aristotle Onassis.
1973		Arab oil-producing nations ban oil exports to the United States, following the outbreak of Arab-Israeli war.
1977		Charter plane crashes in Mississippi, killing three members of popular Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with their assistant road manager, the pilot and co-pilot.
1991		Oakland Hills firestorm destroys nearly 3,500 homes and apartments and kills 25 people.
2011		In the Libyan civil war, rebels capture deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown of Sirte, killing him soon afterward.

Caño Cristales

"Just east of the Andes, central Colombia’s Caño Cristales is a river like no other. Reaching 100km long and sometimes called the “Liquid Rainbow”, Caño Cristales runs during certain months of the year with shades of red, blue, yellow, orange and green in a vibrant natural display that happens nowhere else on Earth."  There are more photos at the link.

Did you know ...

That the oceans are getting hotter than we thought

That 59% of millennials would consider moving overseas for a job

That most people with addiction simply out grow it

About how twitter became the linked-in of the adult industry
That denying women abortion access to women in abusive relationships keeps them in abusive relationship
That facebook shuttle drivers want a union - and some sleep

That a state auditor will examine the court books for Ferguson
That more jobs have been created under Obama than under both shrubs combined
The lower unemployment rate = recovery - for the top 10%

About the secret to uber's success:  struggling workers
About the anti-vaccination epidemic
That nearly 4 times as many people signed up for Obama care as watch faux news
That the deficit is down, and the deficit hawks are furious

And what's wrong with ignoring inequality
That justice Ginsburg says the supreme court sees women as "not really an adult individual"
That NASA's going to an earth-threatening asteroid to collect samples and bring them back

That the repugicans use stock photos in their "repugicans are people too" ad
About how rich old white men are taking away the lunch money from inner city blacks

That police departments retaliate against watchdog groups across the U.S.

That playing violent video games might make you less violent

That half the world's animal population has disappeared since 1970

How secret money floods political ads

That facebook's experiments on its users were illegal

Here’s More Great Economic News For Democrats To Hammer repugicans With

There has been relative silence on two new economic reports that put a stake in the economic agenda repugicans are frothing at the mouth to enact …

Heading into the home stretch of the midterm elections, attention appears to be focused on the Ebola virus, although not so much on the 10-year repugican cuts to the CDC and NIH that could have stopped the virus in Africa. Interestingly there has not been much noise from Democrats about why they allowed the NRA, and Rand Paul, to obstruct the President’s appointment of Dr. Vivek Murthy as U.S. Surgeon General to both inform and calm Americans’ fears about the potential of a massive epidemic. What is absolutely stunning, though, is the relative silence on two new economic reports that put a stake in the economic agenda repugicans are frothing at the mouth to enact should they win control of Congress.

Yesterday, it was revealed by the Labor Department that the number of people seeking unemployment aid dropped to the lowest level in 14 years. It is yet another positive sign of a strengthening labor market that should calm concerns about weak economic growth globally. In fact, analysts were cheering the unexpectedly strong data that the chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, Ian Shepherdson, described as “spectacular and astonishing.” He also remarked that “Whether claims can be sustained at such a low level – an all-time low, as a share of payroll employment – is debatable, but this is a clear signal of real strength in the labor market.”

Economists say that the four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, dropped 4,250 to 283,500, and is at the lowest level since June 2000; a full six months before the Supreme Court appointed economic disaster the shrub as president. Employers added 248,000 jobs last month adding to the good hiring news in the previous two months that helped push the unemployment rate down to 5.9 percent, a six-year low. Thus far the economy under President Obama has added 2.64 million jobs over the past year alone that is the best “annual showing since April 2006.” In fact, in August the number of available jobs soared to a 13-year high according to another government report that economic experts enthusiastically claim will drive employers to continue hiring “at a healthy clip in the coming months.”

However, some employers say that although they have plenty of open positions available, they have been slow to fill them due to a lack of workers with the right skills. That is clearly not true. Economists dispute the “lack of skills” argument and say the real problem is that businesses are not offering adequate pay to attract what the experts claim are an “over-abundance of qualified applicants” who are unwilling to work for poverty-level wages.

This news alone should be a campaign bonanza for Democrats on two fronts. First, they should mercilessly hammer repugicans across the country for opposing raising the minimum wage that would elevate the prevailing wage in all sectors. Democrats should also highlight that the continuously improving job numbers are proof positive that the repugican “trickle down” scam of giving the wealthy greater tax cuts coupled with destroying regulations is the only way to create jobs and grow the economy. The job numbers have continued to improve despite the wealthy getting a small tax hike starting in 2013 while workplace, environmental, and financial regulation remain firmly in place.

The other encouraging economic news yesterday was that U.S. manufacturing output rose in September led by gains in the aerospace, furniture, clothing, and plastics industries.  According to the Federal Reserve, factory production in September rose by 0.5% to bring the past 12 month manufacturing output numbers to a very healthy 3.7% and again, that is with no repugican deregulation or tax cuts. The news is further proof that America’s labor force is not, as repugicans claim, a bunch of lazy moochers that need to “learn the value and culture of responsibility and hard work.”

The chief U.S. economist at Capital economics, Paul Ashworth, reported that the manufacturing gains are a good sign American manufacturers are “successfully weathering the dampened performance of the global economy.” He also said that a good sign of America’s economic health is that “the slowdowns evident in China and the euro-zone are not having the devastating impact on the U.S. economy that the financial markets now apparently believe.”

There was even more good economic news as the Fed report on industrial performance revealed that output from utilities “surged by 3.9% last month, and mining output grew by 1.8%” in the same period to “advance to 9.1% over the past year.” Overall, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 4.2% during the second quarter that economists say will spur increased consumer spending due to gains in employment.

The growth at the national level decimates the repugican arguments that unless Washington adopts the economically disastrous Koch “red-state model” Mitch McConnell promises to inflict on the entire nation, the economy is doomed. For the uninformed, the storied “red-state model” entails epic tax cuts for the rich and corporations in conjunction with eliminating all environmental, financial, and workplace regulations repugicans claim is the only way to create jobs and grow the economy. Every Republican-led state putting the Koch’s “model” in place is suffering gross revenue shortfalls, non-existent job creation, credit downgrades, job losses, and severe cuts to services across the board, but primarily for the underprivileged.

With the continued promising economic news, it is curious that any Democrat is wary of aligning themselves closely with the Obama Administration. Two weeks ago the President opened the door for Democrats to highlight the differences between repugican economic failures and the Obama Administration economic recovery after their eight-year economic disaster they are bound and determined to enact again. Americans may not be the smartest people on the face of the Earth, but they are aware the economy is recovering and that the lion’s share of the growth is going straight to the top one-percent. Democrats have been handed yet another set of facts to aid their electoral prospects in just a couple of weeks, and it is beyond comprehension why they are not contrasting repugican economic failures with the President’s economic successes every waking minute right up to Election Day.

Teabagger 'militia' cabal Threatens to Arrest Democrats at Polling Places!

If you want more evidence that the difference between Mussolini’s Blackshirts and the current state of the Tea Party is only about 70 years, here’s a story out of Wisconsin where a self-proclaimed “Poll Watcher” militia group announced they will confront Democratic voters at the polls on November 4 over outstanding warrants or tax defaults.The group, named the Wisconsin Poll Watcher Militia, claims that it’s going to check names on the 2012 recall petition for repugican Gov. Scott Walker and confront those voters that they believe are wanted on warrants. They said on Twitter that they would be “targeting heavily democrat districts, so it is doubtful” that any repugicans would be reported.
So yes, this is just a thinly veiled excuse to bully people away from the polls. This is the same stunt pulled by Mussolini’s Blackshirts; the only difference is that they’ve gotten better at lying about their intentions. Not much better, mind you.
And if the presence of a group with “militia” in their name wasn’t enough, the group posted on Facebook that they “prefer our people be armed.” They continued:

“We prefer our people be armed. Some will be heading to some of Milwaukee, Racine, and Beloit’s worst areas. We will be armed with a list of people to look for at each location.”

The group has asked its Facebook users to privately send names of active voters who were wanted on warrants, so that they could be arrested:

We can get our agents to watch their polling location, identify the individual, and then follow them to their residence.

They promised to call the police and have would-be voters “picked up for processing.”
Politicus USA grabbed some screen captures of the Facebook posts, although those posts have since been made private by the group. Politicus noted that all of the photos posted by the group on Facebook showed black voters. The group, however, disputes Politcus’ accusation that they’re just targeting black voters. Oh no, they’re targeting all Democrats:

“We can assure you that we will be targeting all democrats, not just black ones. If you think we meant blacks only it is because you are a racist who thinks the only people with warrants are black. We know better because we have a nice list of people who are wanted democrat activist types. Most are actually white. We will target everyone.”

Except repugicans. And the super-wealthy who dodge their taxes by cramming their money into an Antiguan bank account. Or corporations. Or everyone who isn’t poor and destitute.
The militia is getting most of their information from the website Put Wisconsin First, which has been celebrated by Hot-Air Specialist, Lush Dimbulb:

Thanks to his hard work, we finally know who is not paying their fair share of taxes in Wisconsin.

Since the Facebook page has been taken down more than once since it was first reported, some people have speculated it’s a parody account. Shortly after they went private, the group made a decision to publicly post a video from the song, “Somebody’s Watching Me,” by Rockwell, and that may also suggest a parody account. Even if it’s not a parody account, however, it’s still a sad joke about the state of our society.

***

EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the time we posted this, the Wisconsin Daily Independent has revealed that the Wisconsin Poll Watcher’s Militia page is a fake: There is no actual militia, and — despite widespread alarm — the page was not targeting black voters.  Yet, the fact that such a small Facebook page could generate such hysteria says something about Wisconsin’s toxic politics.

The fact that a small, and many say fake, Facebook page can derive so much attention speaks to the current state of affairs in Wisconsin politics and to the power that race plays within it.

And now another Facebook page is whining about how liberal blogs are unfairly trolling the Wisconsin Poll Watchers Militia page… But we say, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. They should have known how people would react.

St. Louis Area Police Officers Harassing Ferguson Protesters At Places Of Employment

A St. Louis police officer is under investigation after calling the a real estate broker’s office to discuss the broker’s involvement in protests surrounding the shootings of Michael Brown and VonDerrit Myers, Jr. The officer in question, Keith Novara, called to complain about the actions of Leigh Maibes, who is known as ‘Short Stack’ on Twitter and has been protesting in Ferguson since Brown was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on August 9th. Recently, protests moved to the Shaw neighborhood in south St. Louis after the shooting death of Myers. Also, a number of protests and ‘actions’ took place in multiple areas of St. Louis during Ferguson October’s Weekend of Resistance

Earlier this week, Novara called RE/Max, the real estate brokerage firm where Maibes works. Pr Novara, he just wanted to let Maibes’ employer know the activities she’s been up to, especially as he feels that she, and other protesters, are engaging in “corrosive behavior.” Maibes called the police officer on Wednesday to discuss why he called her employer. Below is her YouTube video of the call:

Obviously, the intention of Officer Novara was to intimidate Maibes and other activists. By calling her employer, he was hoping to force Maibes to back off from further protests, perhaps even force her to stop filming while at demonstrations. The police department is now investigating Novara and he has retained a lawyer via the police officers union. The union released a statement defending Novara’s actions, which Maibes tweeted out on Thursday.

Maibes also made a insightful statement regarding the actions taken against her by the police. She wondered what is happening to other protesters and activists, especially those who are people of color, if this is occurring to her.

Just from my own interactions with protesters during demonstrations in Ferguson, it is apparent that officers are targeting certain people and essentially taking tabs. During Monday’s demonstration at the Ferguson police station, one young activist spoke to me and pointed out that specific police officers were “eyeballing’ him and others based on their familiarity. Other protesters have mentioned this as well, claiming that officers have made inquiries about their lives only to later make veiled threats about calling their work, home or school. I’ve also been informed of the specific targeting of activist and livestreamers by police for either arrest or harsh police tactics such as tear gas, pepper spray or rubber bullets. (in this instance, I am leaving names out due to the potential impact identifying them could have with police.)

As for Maibes, she is not going to let this deter her one bit. She claimed on Twitter Friday that she would continue to document what is happening in these protests.

Currently, the protesters are waiting for a ruling to come down from the grand jury regarding Wilson’s fate. St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch said last month that he expected the grand jury to come to a decision no later than early November. With such a long wait, many of the most active protesters feel that a non-indictment is coming.