EPA's own research expert 'shut up' on climate change

EPA's own research expert 'shut up' on climate change:

"Environmental Protection Agency officials have silenced one of their own senior researchers after the 38-year employee issued an internal critique of the EPA's climate change position.

Alan Carlin, senior operations research analyst at the EPA's National Center for Environmental Economics, or NCEE, submitted his research on the agency's greenhouse gases endangerment findings and offered a fundamental critique on the EPA's approach to combating CO2 emissions. But officials refused to share his conclusion in an open internal discussion, claiming his research would have 'a very negative impact on our office.'

His study was barred from circulation within the EPA and was never disclosed to the public for political reasons, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, or CEI, a group that has accessed four internal e-mails on the subject."

Loophole Helps GE Benefit From Bank Rescue Program - washingtonpost.com

Loophole Helps GE Benefit From Bank Rescue Program - washingtonpost.com:

"General Electric, the world's largest industrial company, has quietly become the biggest beneficiary of one of the government's key rescue programs for banks."

'I'm better off dead. I'm done': How Michael Jackson predicted his death six months ago | Mail Online

'I'm better off dead. I'm done': How Michael Jackson predicted his death six months ago | Mail Online:

"Michael knew it and his advisers knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. For Michael Jackson, it was fatal."

States brace for shutdowns - Los Angeles Times

States brace for shutdowns - Los Angeles Times:

" Indiana is one of five states -- along with Arizona, California, Mississippi and Pennsylvania -- bracing for possible shutdowns this week as time runs out for lawmakers to close billion-dollar gaps in their fiscal 2010 budgets. "

The Cap and Tax Fiction - WSJ.com

The Cap and Tax Fiction - WSJ.com:

"The biggest doozy in the CBO analysis was its extraordinary decision to look only at the day-to-day costs of operating a trading program, rather than the wider consequences energy restriction would have on the economy. The CBO acknowledges this in a footnote: 'The resource cost does not indicate the potential decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) that could result from the cap.'"

The real truth behind cap and trade

The real truth behind cap and trade:

"The purpose of cap and trade is to reduce the number of carbon emissions. The costs will be seen in all things that are manufactured, including gas, food, energy, clothing. If consumers are spending less, companies will be producing less. That leads to cut backs, job loss, and higher unemployment. Who will be hit the hardest? That would be low income families who spend the majority of their earnings on energy costs."

Evidence of the Great Flood?

AIMS Media Release - February 17, 2005:

"AIMS biologist Dr Dan Alongi said the expedition was surveying the impact of nutrients on coastal inshore areas when scientists unearthed mangrove forests in old river channels they believe may snake for 30 kilometres to the edge of the continental shelf.

Scientists have long theorised that sea level rose very gradually over several thousand years, but these remnant mangrove forests tell another story.

While it was previously known that relic river beds exist beneath the Great Barrier Reef, formed 9000 years ago when the sea level was lower than the continental shelf, their significance was never studied."

The Raw Story » Milk is a gateway drug to bourbon

The Raw Story » Milk is a gateway drug to bourbon:

"You have never before seen -- nor will you ever see again -- FBI director Robert Mueller so thoroughly humbled in a discussion about drug policy before the United States Congress.

In this instance, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) gets Mueller to admit that marijuana has never killed anybody, then smashes into tiny bits the decades-old 'gateway drug' argument with a unique analogy of milk and bourbon.

This video is from CNN, broadcast May 20."

Scientists Find that Low Self-Esteem & Materialism Goes Hand in Hand

Scientists Find that Low Self-Esteem & Materialism Goes Hand in Hand:

"Researchers have found that low self-esteem and materialism are not just a correlation, but also a causal relationship where low self esteem increases materialism, and materialism can also create low self-esteem. The also found that as self esteem increases, materialism decreases. The study primarily focused on how this relationship affects children and adolescents. Lan Nguyen Chaplin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Deborah Roedder John (University of Minnesota) found that even a simple gesture to raise self-esteem dramatically decreased materialism, which provides a way to cope with insecurity."

US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive - Telegraph

US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive - Telegraph:

"Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic 'shrink to survive' proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline."

Knife-wielding gorilla shocks zoo visitors

Knife-wielding gorilla shocks zoo visitors:

"'He grabbed the knife exactly in the correct position and he smelled it and looked at it,' said Calgarian Joe Scheffler, who was at the zoo with his wife, Heike. 'A few seconds later, another gorilla came and he was very interested.

'He tried to get the knife, but the gorilla with the knife lifted the knife for his buddy....It seems to me that the gorilla with the knife was a little bit angry, and he lifted his hand with the knife.

'It was just a scene from a crime,' added Scheffler, whose wife snapped photos of the morning incident."

Somalis watch double amputations

BBC NEWS | Africa | Somalis watch double amputations:

"Hardline Islamists in Somalia have carried out double amputations on four men for stealing phones and guns.
They have each had a hand and foot cut off after being convicted by a Sharia court in the capital earlier this week."

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears - NYTimes.com

Deep in Bedrock, Clean Energy and Quake Fears - NYTimes.com:

"All seemed to be going well — until Dec. 8, 2006, when the project set off an earthquake, shaking and damaging buildings and terrifying many in a city that, as every schoolchild here learns, had been devastated exactly 650 years before by a quake that sent two steeples of the Münster Cathedral tumbling into the Rhine."

UN Backs Drug Decriminalization In World Drug Report

UN Backs Drug Decriminalization In World Drug Report:

"In an about face, the United Nations on Wednesday lavishly praised drug decriminalization in its annual report on the state of global drug policy. In previous years, the UN drug czar had expressed skepticism about Portugal's decriminalization, which removed criminal penalties in 2001 for personal drug possession and emphasized treatment over incarceration. The UN had suggested the policy was in violation of international drug treaties and would encourage 'drug tourism.'

But in its 2009 World Drug Report, the UN had little but kind words for Portugal's radical (by U.S. standards) approach. 'These conditions keep drugs out of the hands of those who would avoid them under a system of full prohibition, while encouraging treatment, rather than incarceration, for users. Among those who would not welcome a summons from a police officer are tourists, and, as a result, Portugal's policy has reportedly not led to an increase in drug tourism,' reads the report. 'It also appears that a number of drug-related problems have decreased.'"

Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder

Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit Mass Murder:

"The charges contend that these defendants conspired with each other and others to devise, fund and participate in the final phase of the implementation of a covert international bioweapons program involving the pharmaceutical companies Baxter and Novartis. They did this by bioengineering and then releasing lethal biological agents, specifically the 'bird flu' virus and the 'swine flu virus' in order to have a pretext to implement a forced mass vaccination program which would be the means of administering a toxic biological agent to cause death and injury to the people of the U.S. This action is in direct violation of the Biological Weapons Anti-terrorism Act."

Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified

SPACE.com -- Military Hush-Up: Incoming Space Rocks Now Classified:

"For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth's atmosphere – but no longer.

A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.

The satellites' main objectives include detecting nuclear bomb tests, and their characterizations of asteroids and lesser meteoroids as they crash through the atmosphere has been a byproduct data bonanza for scientists.

The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified. "

RIP Michael Jackson

YouTube - "Thriller" (original upload):

""

Peter Brimelow: Schultz paints bleak picture of future - MarketWatch

Peter Brimelow: Schultz paints bleak picture of future - MarketWatch:

"In its current issue, HSL reports rumors that 'Some U.S. embassies worldwide are being advised to purchase massive amounts of local currencies; enough to last them a year. Some embassies are being sent enormous amounts of U.S. cash to purchase currencies from those governments, quietly. But not pound sterling. Inside the State Dept., there is a sense of sadness and foreboding that 'something' is about to happen ... within 180 days, but could be 120-150 days.' "

'Ark of the Covenant' about to be unveiled?

'Ark of the Covenant' about to be unveiled?:

"The patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia says he will announce to the world Friday the unveiling of the Ark of the Covenant, perhaps the world's most prized archaeological and spiritual artifact, which he says has been hidden away in a church in his country for millennia, according to the Italian news agency Adnkronos."

'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world - Telegraph

'Immortal' jellyfish swarming across the world - Telegraph:

"The Turritopsis Nutricula is able to revert back to a juvenile form once it mates after becoming sexually mature.
Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.
Dr Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute said: "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion."
"

8 secret scores that lenders keep - MSN Money

8 secret scores that lenders keep - MSN Money:

"What you may not know is that credit scores are just the start of the way financial institutions evaluate you, and they're not even the most commonly used scores -- far from it.
While a credit card issuer might check your credit scores once a month as part of its regular account review process, the same company probably checks other kinds of scores every time you pull out your plastic."

Congress to consider allowing marijuana possession — MPP Blog

Congress to consider allowing marijuana possession — MPP Blog:

"Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced legislation today to remove criminal penalties for marijuana possession at the federal level. The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 would remove penalties for possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of 1 ounce."

Morning people and night owls show different brain function: University of Alberta study

Morning people and night owls show different brain function: University of Alberta study:

"Are you a 'morning person' or a 'night owl?' Scientists at the University of Alberta have found that there are significant differences in the way our brains function depending on whether we're early risers or night owls. "

Silos of the past: New find reveals ancient food storage structures: Scientific American Blog

Silos of the past: New find reveals ancient food storage structures: Scientific American Blog:

"Archeologists have uncovered surprisingly sophisticated grain storage that predates plant domestication. An excavation site near the Dead Sea in Jordan has revealed an 11,000-year-old granary, which even had elevated floors to prevent rodent pilfering and to increase air circulation. "

Anti-cancer products on clinical trials in Cuba

Caribbean Net News: Anti-cancer products on clinical trials in Cuba:

"HAVANA, Cuba (ACN) -- Cuba is currently developing 36 anti-cancer research projects while 24 biotechnological products are on trial for the treatment of this disease. Thus, Cuba gives priority to the development of research studies in the field of immunotherapy for cancer, which is the second death cause in the country, Granma newspaper reported on Monday. "

Girl who doesn't age baffles doctors

Girl who doesn't age baffles doctors:

"A 16-year-old girl who is the size of an infant and has the mental capacity of a toddler continues to baffle doctors in the US. "

YouTube - Basic Training, Pepper Spray and Handcuffs

YouTube - OC Spray Sucks:

""

Grey hair may be protecting us from cancer

Grey hair may be protecting us from cancer - health - 21 June 2009 - New Scientist:

"GREY hair may be unwelcome, but the processes that produce it are now better understood and could be protecting us from cancer."

Ananova - Burglar bit through steel bars

Ananova - Burglar bit through steel bars:

"Police who solved a spate of mystery burglaries were shocked to find the culprit was biting his way through steel window bars."

Recall Watch: Zicam May Rob Sense of Smell

Recall Watch: Zicam May Rob Sense of Smell | Family Health | Family | Mainstreet:

"In 2006, Matrixx agreed to pay $12 million to settle 340 lawsuits filed by consumers who said they lost their sense of smell after using the zinc treatments."

Radio chip mimics human ear, only better - R & D

Radio chip mimics human ear, only better - R & D:

"MIT engineers have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals. "

Appeals Court Backs Prison for E-Mail Obscenity | Threat Level | Wired.com

Appeals Court Backs Prison for E-Mail Obscenity | Threat Level | Wired.com:

"Sharing an obscene sexual fantasy over e-mail is a federal crime that enjoys no protection under the First Amendment, a federal appeals court said Monday, in a decision that drew sharp dissent from one judge and potentially set the stage for a Supreme Court appeal."

Are urban tapeworms on the rise?

Are urban tapeworms on the rise?: Scientific American Blog:

"One hospital in Japan reported 14 cases last year, up from 3 cases in 2000. And starting in 2006, the tapeworm has been popping up for the first time in North America and Europe. Meanwhile, farm-raised salmon from South America have been plagued by a closely related tapeworm that normally infects perch and other freshwater fish."

Bug resurrected after 120,000 years: Scientific American

Bug resurrected after 120,000 years: Scientific American:

"Scientists have brought a newly-discovered bug back to life after more than 120,000 years in hibernation. It raises hopes that dormant life might be revived on Mars. The tiny purple microbe, dubbed called Herminiimonas glaciei, lay trapped beneath nearly two miles of ice in Greenland. It took 11 months to revive it by gently warming it in an incubator. Finally the bug sprang back to life and began producing fresh colonies of purple brown bacteria."

Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot

Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot | Mother Jones:

"Yesterday the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations decided to investigate the practice of recission.  This is when you pay your premiums for years to a healthcare insurer, then get sick, and then have your insurance cancelled."

Tornado in Siberia

English Russia » Tornado in Siberia:

" Tornado in Siberia Category: Photos, Society, Video | Tornado in Russia 1 Tornado? Well, it’s OK on Cuba, Haiti, in Florida, Louisiana or even Texas, but tornado in cold cold Siberia? Noway! But not in this year, already a few of the have been spotted slashing through Siberian woods. Something is changing in the climate, really."

Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs

English Russia » Smartest Dogs: Moscow Stray Dogs:

"Russian scientists say that Moscow stray dogs became much smarter. The four legged oldest human’s friends demonstrate real smartness such as riding the Moscow metro every morning to get from their suburban places of living to the fat regions of Moscow center. Once they arrive to the downtown they demonstrate different new, previously unseen for the dog skills. Those skills can include ‘the hunt for shawarma’ for example, the popular among Muscovites eastern cuisine dish."

forget-me-not panties

forget-me-not panties:

"This amazing device will answer all of your questions! These panties can give you her location, and even her temperature and heart rate, and she will never even know it's there! Unlike the cumbersome and uncomfortable chastity belts of the past, these panties are 100% cotton, and use cutting-edge technology to help you protect what matters most. "

Cheney tied to cash theft and possible murder in Iraq

Cheney tied to cash theft and possible murder in Iraq:

"Sources report to WMR that U.S. troops confiscated ‘billions’ in currency found stored in aluminum containers in various secret caches in Baghdad and elsewhere. Our sources report that the seized cash was transferred to accounts run by Cheney and the money is now being partly used to fund Cheney’s growing political opposition movement to the Obama administration, including secretive payments to a ‘stay behind’ group of Cheney loyalists who burrowed into senior civil service positions from political appointee jobs during the Bush administration. Cheney’s loyalists are now in key positions to stymie Obama’s programs and policies within a variety of cabinet departments and federal agencies."

Life Inside in the Media Bubbles

LIFE INSIDE IN THE MEDIA BUBBLES - New York Post:

"I immersed myself in TV news channels that I don't normally watch and a couple of blogs I don't normally read. Goal? To look closely at the coverage of a single news cycle and sort out how different media package a day for your consumption. Life inside the bubbles. "

YouTube - Rapid Cell Regeneration

YouTube - Rapid Cell Regeneration:

""

Playing Music In A Nightclub Just Got Ridiculously More Expensive In Australia

Playing Music In A Nightclub Just Got Ridiculously More Expensive In Australia | Techdirt:

"Buoyed by the nightclub ruling, the PPCA is now targeting eateries. It wants to increase licensing fees in a 120-seat restaurant to $19,344 a year -- up from $125. Small cafes would be slugged with a 4729 per cent yearly increase from $124 to $5860. "

The Earth’s magnetic field remains a charged mystery

The Earth’s magnetic field remains a charged mystery:

"Professor Gregory Ryskin from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University in Illinois, US, has defied the long-standing convention by applying equations from magnetohydrodynamics to our oceans’ salt water (which conducts electricity) and found that the long-term changes (the secular variation) in the Earth’s main magnetic field are possibly induced by our oceans’ circulation."

YouTube - Israeli children attack Palestinians

YouTube - Israeli children attack Palestinians:

""

DoD Training Manual: Protests are "Low-Level Terrorism" - Dennis Loo - Open Salon

DoD Training Manual: Protests are "Low-Level Terrorism" - Dennis Loo - Open Salon:

"The first question of the Terrorism Threat Factors, 'Knowledge Check 1' section reads as follows:

Which of the following is an example of low-level terrorism activity?

Select the correct answer and then click Check Your Answer. 

O   Attacking the Pentagon

O   IEDs

O   Hate crimes against racial groups

O   Protests

"

Doctors' Slang, Medical Slang and Medical Acronyms, Veterinary Slang, Veterinary Acronyms

Doctors' Slang, Medical Slang and Medical Acronyms, Veterinary Slang, Veterinary Acronyms:

"These have been mostly collected from the UK and USA, with a few non-English contributions (many thanks to all contributors from around the globe). Some of the acronyms are region-specific and have differing meanings in US and UK. It is noticeable that the US has numerous acronyms and slang terms relating to gun-related incidents and injuries."

Man Arrested in OH for Mowing His Neglected Local Park

Man Arrested in OH for Mowing His Neglected Local Park - Defense of Place News Updates:

"In Sandusky, OH, a local man decided to do his part to help out his city by mowing his neighborhood park. After watching local children running through the untended, knee-high grass of Central Park to catch the bus, John Hamilton went home to get his lawn mower. When the police appeared a little while later he was shocked to learn that his civic action wasn't appreciated by the city. When he refused to stop mowing the park lawn he was actually arrested, handcuffed and taken away in a police cruiser! For mowing the lawn of a public park that had been neglected by his city! This is how Mr. Hamilton is repaid for stepping up to make his city a better place for children to play."

Rocket Narrowly Misses Plane - Houston News Story

Rocket Narrowly Misses Plane - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston:

"HOUSTON -- Sheriff's deputies are looking for the person who launched a rocket that narrowly missed a Continental Airlines jet, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday. Crime Stoppers officials said that on May 29 shortly after 8 p.m., a Continental Express jet was taking off from Bush Intercontinental Airport. "

Bad science: cocaine study that got up the nose of the US

Bad science: cocaine study that got up the nose of the US | Ben Goldacre | Comment is free | The Guardian:

"The full report – which has never been published – was extremely critical of most US policies. It suggested that supply reduction and law enforcement strategies have failed, and that options such as decriminalisation might be explored, flagging up such programmes in Australia, Bolivia, Canada and Colombia. 'Approaches which over-emphasise punitive drug control measures may actually contribute to the development of heath-related problems,' it said, before committing heresy by recommending research into the adverse consequences of prohibition, and discussing 'harm reduction' strategies."

America's Black Holocaust Museum

America's Black Holocaust Museum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"America's Black Holocaust Museum located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the only memorial dedicated specifically to the victims of the enslavement of Africans in the United States. It was founded by James Cameron, America's last living survivor of a lynching. In 2008, the museum's board of directors announced that the museum would be closed temporarily because of financial problems.["

The Incredible Story of Strange Fruit

The Incredible Story of Strange Fruit:

"Marion, Indiana, 1930. Three black men accused of murder and rape, were taken from custody by a mob. Two were mutilated, murdered and hung from a tree. This is the story of Strange Fruit and those involved in its planting and cultivation."

Coal Ash Spills Too Dangerous To Reveal To Public, Says DHS (VIDEO)

Coal Ash Spills Too Dangerous To Reveal To Public, Says DHS (VIDEO):

"Just how bad has the coal ash situation gotten in the United States? So bad that the Department of Homeland Security has told Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) that her committee can't publicly disclose the location of coal ash dumps across the country. "

Drug suspect turns tables on NYPD with videotape

Drug suspect turns tables on NYPD with videotape - washingtonpost.com:

"'I knew it would be the only way to defend myself, because I knew the police would not believe me,' he said. "

Dunning-Kruger effect

Dunning-Kruger effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"The Dunning-Kruger effect is an example of cognitive bias in which '...people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it'[1]. They therefore suffer an illusory superiority, rating their own ability as above average. This leads to a perverse result where people with less competence will rate their ability more highly than people with relatively more competence."

The Case Against Shell: 'The Hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa Showed the True Cost of Oil'

YouTube - The Case Against Shell: 'The Hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa Showed the True Cost of Oil':

""

Menthol Fight Underreported In Landmark Cigarette Bill

Menthol Fight Underreported In Landmark Cigarette Bill:

"The important point is this, having won the day, what do you think the chances are that our good corporate citizen, Altria/Philip Morris, will actually voluntarily give up menthol additives -- or even cotton to the issue being revisited -- just to do right by the black community? If Congressional compromise and the Times' short memory are any indication, they aren't very high."

Mike Whitney: Bernanke's Next Parlor Trick

Mike Whitney: Bernanke's Next Parlor Trick:

"Federal Reserve boss Ben Bernanke is getting ready to pull another rabbit out of his hat and he's hoping no one figures out what he's up to. Here's the scoop; the Fed chief needs to 'borrow up to $3.25 trillion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30' (Bloomberg) without triggering a run on the dollar. "

Monsanto's Harvest of Fear

Monsanto's Harvest of Fear | vanityfair.com:

"Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination."

Seven Civil War stories your teacher never told you

Seven Civil War stories your teacher never told you - CNN.com:

"Lincoln proposed voluntary emigration to Central America, seeing it as a more convenient destination than Liberia. This idea didn't sit well with leaders like Frederick Douglass, who considered colonization to be 'a safety valve...for white racism.'"

Teen Diagnoses Her Own Disease In Science Class

Slashdot | Teen Diagnoses Her Own Disease In Science Class:

"'It's weird I had to solve my own medical problem,' Terry told CNN affiliate KOMO in Seattle, Washington. 'There were just no answers anywhere. ... I was always sick.'"

Gangs in the Military - Part 1

Gangs in the Military - Part 1:

"Gangs in the U.S. military are happening more and more. Members of white, black and Latino street gangs are signing up to serve in the armed forces, and Thelma Gutierrez reports it's so serious that the FBI calls it a national security threat."

Using Psychology To Save You From Yourself

Using Psychology To Save You From Yourself : NPR:

"In the city of Greensboro, N.C., there's a program designed for teenage mothers. To prevent these teens from having another child, the city offers each of them $1 a day for every day they are not pregnant. It turns out that the psychological power of that small daily payment is huge. A single dollar a day is enough to push the rate of teen pregnancy down, saving all the incredible costs — human and financial — that go with teen parenting."

How Pirates Shook European Politics

How Pirates Shook European Politics | TorrentFreak:

"With 7.1 percent of the vote, the Swedish Pirate Party has shocked its critics and secured a seat in the European Parliament. The Pirates received more votes from those under 30 than any other party in the European elections yesterday, and this was celebrated with pints of rum and loads of pirate chants."

'No Road Rules' Policy Gets Rid of Traffic Accidents

'No Road Rules' Policy Gets Rid of Traffic Accidents | Gimundo | Good News... Served Daily:

"magine a town with no traffic lights, no stop signs - not even a pedestrian crosswalk. Sound like a recipe for bumper-to-bumper traffic and constant fender-benders? Think again: Since the town of Bohmte, Germany implemented this radical new anti-traffic control procedure a month ago, there hasn’t been a single accident on the busy roads."

2 Japanese carrying $134 bil worth of U.S. bonds detained in Italy › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

2 Japanese carrying $134 bil worth of U.S. bonds detained in Italy › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion:

"According to the report in il Giornale, two unidentified Japanese in their 50s concealed the bonds, including 249 U.S. Treasury bonds each worth $500 million, in a suitcase with a false bottom that was searched by the Italian authorities June 3 when they were in Chiasso"

The Real Cost of Bottled Water

The Real Cost of Bottled Water - DivineCaroline:

"The Environmental Law Foundation has sued eight bottlers for using words such as ‘pure’ to market water that contains bacteria, arsenic, and chlorine. Bottled water is no bargain either: It costs 240 to 10,000 times more than tap water. For the price of one bottle of Evian, a San Franciscan can receive 1,000 gallons of tap water. Forty percent of bottled water should be labeled bottled tap water because that is exactly what it is. But even that doesn’t dampen the demand."

US breakthrough promises "solar panels" that work in the dark

US breakthrough promises "solar panels" that work in the dark - 13 Aug 2008 - BusinessGreen.com:

"Now researchers at the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory (INL) claim to have unlocked the secret of harnessing that energy through the development of microscopic nanoantennas, each with a diameter 1/25 the size of a human hair, capable of absorbing infra red energy. And they are confident commercial products based on the technology could be available within five years."

Pyramids of China

World Mysteries - Mystic Places - Pyramids of China:

"Early stories about the pyramids in China began right around the Second World War. A US Air Force pilot named James Gaussman reportedly saw a white-topped pyramid during a flight between China and India in 1945. "

How Overfishing Almost Got Capt. Phillips Killed by Pirates

How Overfishing Almost Got Capt. Phillips Killed by Pirates : TreeHugger:

"t's estimated that $300 million worth of seafood is stolen from Somali waters altogether every year—a massive amount in any country, but even more so in one with such a depressed economy as Somalia's. Some local fisherman believe there will be no fishing industry to speak of if the practice goes on unchecked—so over-plundered are the fish populations in Somali waters."

All lies? Scientists threatened with legal action over lie detector article

Stockholm University - News and events - All lies? Scientists threatened with legal action over lie detector article:

"The article entitled 'Charlatantry in forensic speech science' gave an overview of the last fifty years of research in the field of lie detectors. The article's conclusion is that there is no scientific evidence to show that lie detectors actually work. "

THC initiates brain cancer cells to destroy themselves

THC initiates brain cancer cells to destroy themselves - WorldHealth.net:

"'These results may help to design new cancer therapies based on the use of medicines containing the active principle of marijuana and/or in the activation of autophagy,' says Velasco. The findings were published in the April 2009 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation."

FDA warns against using Clarcon skin products

FDA warns against using Clarcon skin products - Yahoo! News:

"Examples of products that should be discarded include Citrushield Lotion, Dermasentials DermaBarrier, Dermassentials by Clarcon, Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer, Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment, Skin Shield Restaurant, Skin Shield Industrial, Skin Shield Beauty Salon Lotion, Total Skin Care Beauty and Total Skin Care Work."

Jury awards son over $115K for lost finger

NorthJersey.com: UPDATE: Jury awards son over $115K for lost finger:

"PATERSON — A civil jury awarded a Wayne man $95,500 — plus almost $20,000 for medical expenses — in a lawsuit he filed against his mother for tapping him on the shoulder as he used a power saw, which caused him to flinch and cut off his pinky finger."

Frozen caribou

Bits & Pieces » Frozen caribou:

"These pictures come from a friends friend who lives in Alaska.  This caribou froze while standing up in -80°F winds on the North slope at the top of Alaska."

US Attempts to Re-Define Switch Blades– Would Make Most Pocket Knives Illegal

Knife Rights - US ATTEMPTS TO RE-DEFINE SWITCHBLADES – WOULD MAKE MOST POCKET KNIVES ILLEGAL:

"U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) has proposed revoking earlier rulings that assisted opening knives are not switchblades. The proposed new rule would not only outlaw assisted opening knives, its broad definition of a switchblade would also include one-handed opening knives and could be easily interpreted to cover most other pocket knives, even simple old-fashioned slip-joints."

Army Mechanic's Garage Tinkering Yields 18-Foot Mecha Exoskeleton | Popular Science

Army Mechanic's Garage Tinkering Yields 18-Foot Mecha Exoskeleton | Popular Science:

"Owens, 31, began building an 18-foot-tall, one-ton prototype at his home in Wasilla, Alaska, in 2004. Working without blueprints, he first built a full-scale model out of wood. "

Military spending: Arming up

Military spending: Arming up | The Economist:

"The world's biggest military spenders by population
"

Check the link to see the graph.

Health insurers want you to keep smoking, Harvard doctors say

Health insurers want you to keep smoking, Harvard doctors say : Scientific American Blog:

"Health and life insurance companies in the US and abroad have nearly $4.5 billion invested in tobacco stocks, according to Harvard doctors. "

Inmate Sees New Drug Laws as ‘Protection’ for Dealers

Inmate Sees New Drug Laws as ‘Protection’ for Dealers - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com:

"‘So you hear what they did — they just created the beast,’ says the inmate, caught on tape during a telephone conversation with an acquaintance. ‘The beast is coming home to be the juggernaut.’"

How did 100,000,000 women disappear?

TheStar.com | Insight | How did 100,000,000 women disappear?:

"In India, China and sub-Saharan Africa, millions upon millions of women are missing. They are not lost, but dead: victims of violence, discrimination and neglect."

Video of Canadian snipers in Afghanistan

Good Shot!!! Video of Canadian snipers in Afghanistan:

"These are some examples of the fight in Afghanistan.. These video shots are not made through the shooter's telescopic sight... they are made looking through the spotter's scope. The spotter lies right next to the sniper and helps the sniper to find and home in on the target. "

Photographer loses First Amendment claim in Oakland

RCFP: Photographer loses First Amendment claim in Oakland:

"Chavez claimed in his lawsuit that the police had interfered with his First Amendment right to cover vehicle accidents. In granting summary judgment for the city, U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer said members of the press do not have a First Amendment right to access accident scenes when the general public is also excluded."

Colorado makes it legal for homeowners to harvest rainwater

Colorado makes it legal for homeowners to harvest rainwater | MNN - Mother Nature Network:

"Luckily for Hanzel and other homeowners, a change in Colorado law legalizes this kind of water collection. But homeowners in other states who just want to use less tap water still face legal barriers."

Drug Freedom Works in Portugal : Narco Polo

Drug Freedom Works in Portugal : Narco Polo:

"On Friday I attended Glenn Greenwald’s presentation of his report, ‘Drug Decriminalization in Portugal,’ at the Cato Institute. Greenwald studied how Portugal’s policy of decriminalizing the personal possession of all drugs in 2001 has fared. Portugal’s policy has been a ‘resounding success.’"

N.J. biologists fear up to 95 percent of bat population died over winter - NJ.com

N.J. biologists fear up to 95 percent of bat population died over winter - NJ.com:

"After mass die-offs of bats in 2006 and 2007 in New York, the phenomenon was named after a strange white fungus found on their snouts and wings. Since then, it has spread to nine states from Vermont to Virginia. Bats began dying in New Jersey in January and a pre-spring inspection of the state's largest hibernating spot, or hibernaculum, the Hibernia mine in Rockaway Township, revealed a 95 percent population drop."

GPS system 'close to breakdown'

GPS system 'close to breakdown' | Technology | guardian.co.uk:

"US government officials are concerned that the quality of the Global Positioning System (GPS) could begin to deteriorate as early as next year, resulting in regular blackouts and failures – or even dishing out inaccurate directions to millions of people worldwide."

A new technology may be able to track people's movements by detecting evidence of their diet in their hair

A new technology may be able to track people's movements by detecting evidence of their diet in their hair:

"A group of researchers from the LGC Chemical Metrology Laboratory in the UK havs teamed up with the University of Oviedo, Spain. Together they have developed a 'laser ablation' method that makes it possible ‘to detect variations in the sulfur isotopes of a single hair over time’, says Science Daily. This means that scientists will be able to track a person’s movements between different countries, as the sulphur isotopes reveal changes in eating habits. "

Jamaican Dance Craze Responsible for Threefold Increase in Broken Penises

Nosedigg: Jamaican Dance Craze Responsible for Threefold Increase in Broken Penises:

"Over the past year, a new dance craze in Jamaica known as daggering has resulted in a threefold increase in fractured or broken penises among Jamaican men."

Molest-Bill Pols Catch Holy Hell

MOLEST-BILL POLS CATCH HOLY HELL - New York Post:

"Thou shalt not blackmail.

Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio threatened state lawmakers by vowing to close churches in their districts -- and blame them for the closures -- if they dared support a bill making it easier for people who were sexually assaulted as kids to sue, legislators told The Post."

Did U.S. Export Over 175 Million Ounces of Gold?

Numismaster.com:

"So, for 2007 and 2008 combined, the U.S. exported 22 million ounces of refined gold and over 154 million ounces of 'compound gold.' This is more than 11 times U.S. gold mine production during those two years. In fact, this is higher than global gold mine output. Where did all this gold come from?

This amount of gold exceeds what is held by all private parties in the U.S. combined. When the U.S. government called in gold in 1933, it then melted down the coins without refining. As a result, such bars from the coin melt would have a purity of around 90 percent gold. These would not qualify for description as refined gold, but could fit the definition of compound gold. "