CAROLINA NATURALLY

Saturday, May 1, 2010

The Daily Drift

The Daily Drift

Today's horoscope says:
You are being tested, but don't panic -- it's not the final word on your plans.
Keep that in mind before you jump to any conclusions or commit yourself to any one course of action.
What you're facing is really not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, no matter how intense it might seem.
Keep your cool and evaluate your position.
After you get past the fear, you should see a simple solution.

Some of our readers today have been in:

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Hofheim, Hessen, Germany

Paris, Ile-De-France, France

Seoul, Kyonggi-Do, Korea

Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark

Muntinlupa, Rizal, Philippines

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

Brescia, Lombardia, Italy

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

as well as Scotland, Belgium, Wales, Luxembourg, and the United States in such cities such as Salem, Seminole, Cape Coral, Woodway, Poway, Cottage Grove and more

Today is Saturday, May 1, the 121st day of 2010.

There are 244 days left in the year.

Today In History May 1, 2010

Today's unusual holidays and celebrations are:

May Day

Martin Z. Mollusk Day

Mother Goose Day

and

Lei Day

The Kentucky Derby is run today and it is the second day of the Celtic Beltane Festival of new beginnings

President Obama's Weekly Address

May is ...

Celebrations and Observances for the month of May include:

Creative Beginnings Month

National Barbeque Month

National Hamburger Month

National Bike Month

National Egg Month

National Salad Month

National Smile Month

National Vinegar Month

and

Older Americans Month

So begin to celebrate in May by attending a pig pickin' and eating a burger next to your bike you rode there and have a boiled egg on your salad and do so with a smile even if it smells of vinegar because you'll be older too someday.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns

China opens Shanghai expo, rounds up dissidents

Same story, different event.
Is it possible for that regime to do anything without these tactics? The IOC didn't help during the Beijing Olympics when they looked the other way.

With security precautions at their height tonight, thousands of police are on duty, guards have been stationed at thousands of bus stops and 8,000 firefighters are on alert.

But campaigners say the event has also brought a crackdown on dissent. The Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) network said officials have detained, harassed or placed under surveillance activists, intellectuals and petitioners across Shanghai and surrounding areas. One target has been those who have protested over the forced demolition of their homes to make way for the Expo site. According to official estimates, 18,000 households have been knocked down.

In a statement the CHRD urged: "The government must stop the practice of placing 'troublemaking' individuals under surveillance and restricting their movements on 'sensitive' occasions. These individuals should not be punished for exercising their freedom of expression or their right to defend human rights."

The State Of The Nation

The State Of The Nation

Deadly tornadoes rip through Arkansas

Twisters hit central Arkansas, injuring dozens, destroying homes, and taking down power lines.

Details

Also:

First invention to break the sound barrier?

Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1 aircraft is often given credit, but it's something much older.

People provide the answer

Also:

Week reason forgot

It has been said that in one particular week in the 16th-century, more than a dozen geniuses made statements that changed the world.

Brazilian Rancher found guilty in killing of US nun

Full story

A jury convicted a Brazilian rancher early Saturday of orchestrating the murder of U.S. nun and Amazon defender Dorothy Stang.

Rwandan president sued in Oklahoma federal court

Full story

The widows of 2 slain African presidents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whom they claim ordered a missile strike that brought down the plane carrying their husbands.

Central TX man finds missing submarine

Full story

Gary Fabian lives in Round Rock now, but he is a native of Southern California and an avid sport fisher in the Pacific Ocean off the coast.

Its Only The Environment After All

Its Only The Environment After All

Gulf oil spill could reach Atlantic

Experts warn that the Gulf Stream could carry the rapidly growing oil spill east.

Little success in containment

Also:

*****

Criminal inquiry ahead for Goldman?

Any chance a few people at Goldman are a bit worried about how present and arrogant they've been for the last few years? Rubbing gaudy profits in the noses of the world during an economic crisis and after an unpopular bailout is never a good idea.

Federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into trading at Goldman Sachs, raising the possibility of criminal charges against the Wall Street giant, according to people familiar with the matter.

While the investigation is still in a preliminary stage, the move could escalate the legal troubles swirling around Goldman.

The Securities and Exchange Commission, which two weeks ago filed a civil fraud suit against Goldman, referred its investigation to prosecutors for the Southern District of New York, which has now opened its own inquiry.

The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure

A smelly rotten-egg gas in farts controls blood pressure in mice, a new study finds.
The unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide (H2S), can be a little too familiar, as it is expelled by bacteria living in the human colon and eventually makes its way, well, out.
The new research found that cells lining mice’s blood vessels naturally make the gas and this action can help keep the rodents’ blood pressure low by relaxing the blood vessels to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). This gas is “no doubt” produced in cells lining human blood vessels too, the researchers said.

The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure

Also:

In Matters Of Health

In Matters Of Health

These data suggest that sleep continuity disturbance, but not simple sleep restriction, impairs endogenous pain-inhibitory function and increases spontaneous pain, supporting a possible pathophysiologic role of sleep disturbance in chronic pain.

Can sleeping poorly cause physical pain?

Does the ceiling height of a room dramatically affect how you think and feel?

This article demonstrates that variations in ceiling height can prime concepts that, in turn, affect how consumers process information. We theorized that when reasonably salient, a high versus low ceiling can prime the concepts of freedom versus confinement, respectively. These concepts, in turn, can prompt consumers’ use of predominately relational versus item-specific processing. Three studies found support for this theorizing. On a variety of measures, ceiling height–induced relational or item-specific processing was indicated by people’s reliance on integrated and abstract versus discrete and concrete ideation. Hence, this research sheds light on when and how ceiling height can affect consumers’ responses.

Does the ceiling height of a room dramatically affect how you think and feel?

How to Reach Age 99

No matter what you do, you must know that the odds of living to age 99 are against you. While living to experience age 99 isn’t an easy task, it can be done. One huge factor that can decrease your chances dramatically is heart disease. So, our focus is on that issue. But, your risk for heart disease can be reduced drastically with small measures, and the majority of habits listed here could help you realize your old-age potential. The reason the ‘tips’ listed below are called ‘habits’ is because they are life-changing skills that must be repeated throughout your life to realize the possibility of reaching that age 99 goal.

How to Reach Age 99: 100 Essential Habits

Super Charge Your Brain

No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time, to be kept in shape, and even an occasional charge. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? Sure. We all are at some point. No worries, there is hope.

14 Simple Ways to Super Charge Your Brain