Friday, December 24, 2010

Official NORAD Santa Tracker

Official NORAD Santa Tracker:
"Welcome to NORAD Tracks Santa"

Happy Holidays

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Did You Know That Antibacterial Soap Pose A Danger ?

"The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says in a lawsuit that that so-called “antibacterial” soaps contain toxic chemicals that put consumers at risk, and that the Food and Drug Administration has failed to move forward on a decades-old proposal to regulate them."

Sunday, November 28, 2010

WikiLeaks Defies U.S. Demands on Leaked Cables - CBS News

WikiLeaks Defies U.S. Demands on Leaked Cables - CBS News:
"The online website WikiLeaks said Sunday it will release of hundreds of thousands of classified State Department documents in defiance of U.S. demands not to publish the files.

The WikiLeaks website appeared to be inaccessible, and WikiLeaks said in its Twitter feed that it was experiencing a denial of service attack."

Banksy's Exit Through The Gift Shop

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Hipmunk: Better Flight Search

Hipmunk: Better Flight Search


"At Hipmunk, we make your experience a lot better. We're building better interfaces for searching, browsing, and filtering your flight search results."







Found on: TechCrunch

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Another Egg Recall

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts > Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. Conducts Voluntary Egg Recall:
"Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: CALM) today was notified by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that one of the Company’s suppliers, Ohio Fresh Eggs, LLC, Croton, Ohio, had a routine environmental study sample which tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis (SE). Cal-Maine purchased approximately 24,000 dozen unprocessed eggs from Ohio Fresh which were processed and re-packaged by the Company’s Green Forest, Arkansas, facility between October 9 and 12, 2010, yet the Company was only notified today. The eggs involved, which were not produced from Cal-Maine flocks, were distributed to food wholesalers and retailers in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. There have been no confirmed SE illnesses related to the purchased eggs.

In cooperation with the FDA, Cal-Maine immediately notified its customers and recalled specific Julian dates of shell eggs because they have the potential to be contaminated with SE. The following packages were included in this recall."

Symptoms of salmonella food poisoning include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Las Vegas tunnel people

Night Panorama of the Las Vegas Strip, featuri...Image via Wikipedia
Las Vegas tunnel people: How 1,000 people live under shimmering strip | Mail Online:
"The tunnel people of Las Vegas: How 1,000 live in flooded labyrinth under Sin City's shimmering strip"

"Deep beneath Vegas’s glittering lights lies a sinister labyrinth inhabited by poisonous spiders and a man nicknamed The Troll who wields an iron bar.
But astonishingly, the 200 miles of flood are also home to 1,000 people who eke out a living in the strip’s dark underbelly."

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Friday, October 1, 2010

The Fisher-Price Recall: More than 10 Million Products | OnSafety


"Fourteen models of the Fisher-Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles can cause serious injury, including genital bleeding when a child sits, strikes or falls on a pretend plastic ignition key. CPSC and Fisher-Price know of 10 injuries, including six girls between the ages of 2 and 3 who needed medical attention after falling against the pretend key that is sticking up in front of the toddler tricycle seat. "

Deaths prompt CPSC, FDA warning on infant sleep positioners:
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today warned consumers to stop using infant sleep positioners. Over the past 13 years, CPSC and the FDA have received 12 reports of infants between the ages of 1 month and 4 four months who died when they suffocated in sleep positioners or became trapped and suffocated between a sleep positioner and the side of a crib or bassinet.
Most of the infants suffocated after rolling from a side to stomach position. In addition to the reported deaths, CPSC has received dozens of reports of infants who were placed on their backs or sides in sleep positioners, only to be found later in potentially hazardous positions within or next to the sleep positioners.
“The deaths and dangerous situations resulting from the use of infant sleep positioners are a serious concern to CPSC,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “We urge parents and caregivers to take our warning seriously and stop using these sleep positioners, so that children can have a safer sleep.”




Fisher Price

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Old News Is New News

Timeline of the Leak Investigation - New York Times
What I Didn't Find in Africa - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com :
"Did the Bush administration manipulate intelligence about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs to justify an invasion of Iraq?"
Robert D. Novak - Mission To Niger - washingtonpost.com:
"The CIA's decision to send retired diplomat Joseph C. Wilson to Africa in February 2002 to investigate possible Iraqi purchases of uranium was made routinely at a low level without Director George Tenet's knowledge. Remarkably, this produced a political firestorm that has not yet subsided."
Who Knew? Michael Moore WAS Right!
"Newly declassified documents published at the National Security Archive prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the Bush administration planned to topple Saddam Hussein and invade Iraq as early as January, 2001, and were making strategic plans and resource allocations as early as November, 2001."


"I know some folks that will say that this is old news."

"And, in some respects, those people are right.  We should move past this.  But only once there has been closure.  A sense that justice was done. " Opinion: 
An Angry White Guy In Chicago


Surprise! Cheney-Bush-Rumsfeld lied us into Iraq


"The National Security Archive published the first of a three-part series Tuesday on the Cheney-Bush administration's early plans to invade Iraq. Much of what you'll read there has already been discussed in considerable depth. But without direct proof. The series is based on documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act."

Violence Rages on Well After the Conflict Is Over -- How War-Time Torture Can Turn into a Life of Domestic Violence

Revealing the unseen consequences of conflict from Ann Jones' new book. 

"War Is Not Over When It's Over: Women Speak Out from the Ruins of War

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Squidoo and Alzhiemer's Disease

While looking for a forum to learn about Alzhiemer's Disease and share what I learn, I came across Squidoo. "Squidoo is the popular publishing platform and community that makes it easy for you to create 'lenses' online. Lenses are pages, kind of like flyers or signposts or overview articles, that gather everything you know about your topic of interest--and snap it all into focus. Like the lens of a camera, your perspective on something."

Here is my new work in progress:
Is Alzhiemer's Disease Is Lurking Around Your Corner?: "Why should you care? Simply put, because 54% of the U.S. population, or more than 100 million people, have been touched in some way by Alzheimer's. My hope is to provide education on the disease, drugs, getting help, helping caregivers, research etc."

Monday, August 23, 2010

Eggs, Eggs, Eggs Important information


Important information regarding the the recalled eggs:


  • "Don’t eat recalled eggs or products containing recalled eggs. Recalled eggs might still be in grocery stores, restaurants, and consumers' homes. Consumers who have recalled eggs should discard them or return them to their retailer for a refund. Individuals who think they might have become ill from eating recalled eggs should consult their health care providers.




  • Keep shell eggs refrigerated at ≤45˚ F (≤7˚ C) at all times.




  • Discard cracked or dirty eggs.




  • Wash hands, cooking utensils, and food preparation surfaces with soap and water after contact with raw eggs.




  • Eggs should be cooked until both the white and the yolk are firm and eaten promptly after cooking.




  • Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.




  • Refrigerate unused or leftover egg- containing foods promptly.




  • Avoid eating raw eggs.




  • Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that calls for raw eggs.




  • Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and person with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness."




  • This is a great page for consumer education  Egg safety .   

    The CDC also has information regarding Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak in Shell Eggs as well as general consumer information.

    Friday, August 13, 2010

    Social Security Keeps 20 Million Americans Out Of Poverty, Report Finds

    Social Security Keeps 20 Million Americans Out Of Poverty, Report Finds:
     "As Social Security approaches its 75th anniversary on Saturday, the program is playing an especially vital role in reducing poverty across America during the worst economic crisis since the Great Recession.

    If benefits were to be significantly cut, 19.8 million more Americans would be thrust in poverty, according to a recent report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In addition to supporting the elderly, Social Security is currently keeping more than 1 million children and more than 5 million adults below the age of 65 above the poverty line.

    Cuts to Social Security would be especially devastating for older women, the report shows. While 11.9 percent of women over the age of 65 are currently below the poverty line, nearly half of them would be poor if they no longer received benefits."


    Roosevelt Signs The Social Security Act: Presi...Image via Wikipedia















    Public Opposes Cutting Social Security To Trim Deficit: New Poll (thehill.com)
    Policy Basics: Top Ten Facts About Social Security on the Program's 75th Anniversary (cbpp.org)
    New Report on Social Security Beneficiaries and Benefits (wallstreetpit.com)
    Democrats to use Social Security against GOP this fall (cnn.com)

    "Nevada Senator Harry Reid released the following statement today to recognize the 75th anniversary of Social Security on Saturday:
    "Since its creation 75 years ago, Social Security has allowed tens of thousands of Nevadans to retire with grace and dignity. Throughout my career, I have fought to strengthen and preserve Social Security, and I will continue to fight to make sure that our parents, grandparents and loved ones can enjoy their golden years with well-deserved peace of mind."  Read the rest of Nevada Senator Harry Reid's statement:

    Sunday, July 25, 2010

    Looking for a good book to read?

    Being an avid reader of all sorts of genres, I am always looking for a good book to readHere are just a few great places I have used to look for book reviews.

    photo thanks to:2fs


    Welcome to Book Lust:
    "'Readers who travel the pages of Book Lust will be astonished at the breadth and depth of Pearl's reading experience. It's a book best read twice; once straight through, then kept as a reference that will forever forestall the question, 'What should I read next?''
    -The Seattle Times"
    The New York Times calls her “the talk of librarian circles.” Readers can’t get enough of her recommendations while bookstores and libraries offer standing room only whenever she visits. Since the release of the best-selling Book Lust in 2003 and the Librarian Action Figure modeled in her likeness, Nancy Pearl has become a rock star among readers and the tastemaker people turn to when deciding what to read next.


    Greetings From the Biblioracle by John Warner - The Morning News:
    "Each year, somewhere around 175,000 books are published. That’s over 14,000 per month, approximately 3,350 per week, 480 per day, 20 per hour. According to the N.E.A., the average person reads zero books per year, so if you’re going to read a book, it better be a good one. The Biblioracle will help make sure it’s a good one. Even those of us who consider ourselves heavy readers may complete no more than 30 books in an average year, fewer than 2,000 books in a lifetime. The fraction of total published books we’re humanly capable of reading is vanishingly small, so we’ve got to maximize our enjoyment-per-book-read ratio as much as possible."


    The Paris Review - Homepage
    "Founded in Paris by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton in 1953, The Paris Review began with a simple editorial mission: “Dear reader,” William Styron wrote in a letter in the inaugural issue, “The Paris Review hopes to emphasize creative work—fiction and poetry—not to the exclusion of criticism, but with the aim in mind of merely removing criticism from the dominating place it holds in most literary magazines and putting it pretty much where it belongs, i.e., somewhere near the back of the book. I think The Paris Review should welcome these people into its pages: the good writers and good poets, the non-drumbeaters and non-axe-grinders. So long as they're good.”



    Literary Review was founded in Edinburgh in 1979 by Dr Anne Smith, head of the English Department at Edinburgh University. She created a lively, intelligent literary magazine for people who love reading, but hate academic and intellectual jargon.
    From the start, Literary Review plugged in to the best and most exciting current writing. The reviewers are usually authors themselves, not just critics. In the 1980s, the new owner, Naim Attallah, secured award-winning journalist Auberon Waugh as editor. For fourteen years Auberon Waugh led the magazine and gave it the high profile it has today.
    Nancy Sladek, who has been at Literary Review for ten years, is the current Editor. The magazine is recognised as being intelligent, informative, and witty. It attracts the best writers in the country, many of them experts in their fields.





    Books - Sunday Book Review - The New York Times: "Sunday Book Review"


    Open Letters Monthly - an Arts and Literature Review  and  Booklist Online  are other sites I check.

    Saturday, July 24, 2010

    Still overwhelmed on how to use twitter?

     I am still looking for advice, and here are a few things I have found.


    Here is Chris Brogan's take:

    50 Power Twitter Tips:
    "A while back, I wrote 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business. It still gets plenty of attention, as it’s listed as an official resource on the Twitter business resources page (thanks, @ed!). But you know, I can’t leave well enough alone, so here I am with another 50 Power Twitter Tips. Feel free to repost all or any of this, but if you do, please give credit to this link.


    I broke them down into five categories: intent, technical, business, integrated usage, and off-twitter. Some could probably fit in more than one category, such as it were."


    Dan Shapiro used an algorithm to help him decide who to follow.


    Twitter how to:answers some questions you may have.


    Find out who you follow and who follows back at FoF 


    Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today's Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves


    With 425 (and growing) Twitter Mashups, something fun and educating surely can be found.

    Wednesday, July 14, 2010

    New rules issued on electronic health records

    New rules issued on electronic health records | Health Tech - CNET News: "Through its new and long-awaited rules on electronic health records, the government is hoping to clarify the conditions under which doctors and hospitals can collect incentive payments by investing in electronic health records, or EHR, over the new few years.

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the new rules on Tuesday in an effort to support and expand the use of electronic health records. The rules are being targeted as a specific response to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 , which outlined the Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments medical providers can receive by using EHR technology."

    Secretary Sebelius Announces Final Rules To Support ‘Meaningful Use’ of Electronic Health Records: "“For years, health policy leaders on both sides of the aisle have urged adoption of electronic health records throughout our health care system to improve quality of care and ultimately lower costs,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Today, with the leadership of the President and the Congress, we are making that goal a reality.”"

    Tuesday, June 29, 2010

    Alzheimer’s Stalks Us All


    "Tucked away on a steep street in this rough-hewn mountain town, an old woman found herself diapering her middle-age children. At frighteningly young ages, in their 40s, four of Laura Cuartas’s children began forgetting and falling apart, assaulted by what people here have long called La Bobera, the foolishness. It is a condition attributed, in hushed rumors, to everything from touching a mysterious tree to the revenge of a wronged priest. "

    "This report examines the current projections and costs associated with the Alzheimer crisis, as well as what Medicare and Medicaid savings are possible if disease modifying treatments were available."

    Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research — and it calls on people of all ages to take action in the fight. Year-round, our participants are leaders in the effort to defeat this devastating disease.

    More information can be found at the following :
     Alzheimer's Disease International

     "Stimulating the brain with magnetic pulses might help people with Alzheimer's disease improve their use of language, new research suggests. However, this treatment is still highly experimental and has been tested on very few people."

    "There is no treatment yet to stop or slow the progress of Alzheimer’s. But every major drug company has new experimental drugs it hopes will work, particularly if they are started early. The questions though, are who should be getting the drugs and who really has Alzheimer’s or is developing it?"

    Please pass me a glass of Red Wine
    "A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has found that the compound found in red wine known as resveratrol has the ability to neutralize the toxic effects of proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease." 

    Alzheimer's as seen by a patient who is also a doctor - latimes.com:
    "Alzheimer's as seen by a patient who is also a doctor
    A retired physician and an emeritus professor of medicine at UCLA shares his insights and even tips for coping with this difficult and growing problem."


    There is so much more to be learned.

     Search Amazon.com for Alzheimer's Disease

    Saturday, June 26, 2010

    Philosopher Quote Of The Day

    Philosopher Quote Of The Day - Happiness is a continuation of happenings which are not resisted. - Deepak Chopra

    Live Penguin Cams

    Saturday, June 19, 2010

    Guggenheim embraces YouTube video project

    Guggenheim embraces YouTube video project | Reuters


    YouTube has come a long way as an art form.


    "Creative online video is one of the most compelling and innovative opportunities for personal expression today," said Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation director Richard Armstrong. "'YouTube Play' demonstrates this is within the reach of anyone who uses a computer and has access to the Internet."



    Gustav Klimt (Tree of Life) Art Poster Print - 36" X 24"Starry Night, c. 1889 Art Styles Poster Print by Vincent van Gogh, 36x24
    It has also become a business venture for the little guys.
    Earning Cash With YouTube Videos - WSJ.com


    "Like many realtors in hard-hit markets across the country, David DeVore of Orlando, Fla., hasn't had much luck selling homes in the last couple of years. DeVore's Plan B? The social media career of his young son, David."






    Of course it is a great source for so much entertainment, news, art and more.




    Friday, June 18, 2010

    Courage

    Give us the fortitude to endure the things which cannot be changed, and the courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to know one from the other.-Oliver J. Hart

    Thursday, June 17, 2010

    Mind Hacks: Architecture of the brain

    Mind Hacks: Architecture of the brain
    "The building for Lou Ruvo center for Brain Health in Las Vegas is just beautiful.
    The centre is a neuroscience research institute that was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.
    It particularly focuses on Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain diseases. The 'Lou Ruvo' in the name is a tribute to the father of the centre's founder who died from dementia."
    Find out more about architect Frank Gehry and be sure to see photos of the center.
    An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s disease and this number is predicted to double by mid-century.  This center hopes to help improve the diagnosis and treatment of  Alzheimer's disease .

    Wednesday, June 16, 2010

    Two Roads At Once

    My Philosophy quote  for today: "The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere." Xun Zi 


    photo thanks to: Ian Sane

    Wednesday, May 26, 2010

    The Empire State Building ... I Love NY

    Empire State Building:

    "Visitors and observers from near and far should not take the lighting of the Empire State Building for granted because there are always interesting and interactive events planned throughout the year. As a focal point for displays, gatherings, and promotions, the Tower Lights just might surprise you with how often they change! Tower lights go off every night at 2:00 AM."

    Tower Light Themes

    "One of the most impressive buildings in the world is the Empire State Building. One of the most impressive exterior highlight lighting systems to ever grace a building is the only fitting way to dress up this landmark at night. This lighting schedule is frequently referenced by line-of-sight residents of neighboring New York, New Jersey and Connecticut."

    Sunday, May 23, 2010

    57 ancient tombs with mummies unearthed in Egypt

    57 ancient tombs with mummies unearthed in Egypt

    "Archeologists have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which hold an ornately painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities said Sunday."

    Saturday, May 22, 2010

    Openly Gay Oregon State Coach Is Low-Profile Role Model - NYTimes.com

    "Even though Walker is in a low-profile sport played by women, his being out is significant, according to Jim Buzinski, a founder of Outsports.com."

    Tuesday, May 18, 2010

    Mount St. Helens, 30 years ago - The Big Picture - Boston.com

    Mount St. Helens, 30 years ago :
    "Mount St. Helens, 30 years ago
    On May 18th, 1980, thirty years ago today, at 8:32 a.m., the ground shook beneath Mount St. Helens in Washington state as a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck, setting off one of the largest landslides in recorded history - the entire north slope of the volcano slid away. As the land moved, it exposed the superheated core of the volcano setting off gigantic explosions and eruptions of steam, ash and rock debris. The blast was heard hundreds of miles away, the pressure wave flattened entire forests, the heat melted glaciers and set off destructive mudflows, and 57 people lost their lives. The erupting ash column shot up 80,000 feet into the atmosphere for over 10 hours, depositing ash across Eastern Washington and 10 other states. Collected here are photos of the volcano and its fateful 1980 eruption."

    Saturday, May 1, 2010

    Do You Only Live Once? Experiments Suggest Life Not One-Time Deal

    Robert Lanza, M.D.: Do You Only Live Once? Experiments Suggest Life Not One-Time Deal: "We think we die and rot into the ground, and thus must squeeze everything in before it's too late. If life -- yours, mine -- is a just a one-time deal, then we're as likely to be screwed as pampered. But experiments suggest this view of the world may be wrong."

    One Universe Too Many? String Theories, The Multiverse And The Future Of Physics. : NPR: "One Universe Too Many? String Theories, The Multiverse And The Future Of Physics."

    Quantum mechanics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Quantum mechanics (QM)"

    The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
    Sean Carroll
    www.colbertnation.com
    Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorFox News

    Thursday, March 25, 2010

    Imagine if you could find an explanation for everything in the Universe

    Do You Only Live Once? Experiments Suggest Life Not One-Time Deal

    "We think we die and rot into the ground, and thus must squeeze everything in before it's too late. If life -- yours, mine -- is a just a one-time deal, then we're as likely to be screwed as pampered. But experiments suggest this view of the world may be wrong.
    The results of quantum physics confirm that observations can't be predicted absolutely. Instead, there's a range of possible observations each with a different probability. One mainstream explanation, the "many-worlds" interpretation, states that there are an infinite number of universes (the "multiverse"). Everything that can possibly happen occurs in some universe. The old mechanical -- "we're just a bunch of atoms" −- view of life loses its grip in these scenarios."

    After a Short Delay, Quantum Mechanics Becomes Even Weirder
    The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone"According to quantum mechanics, light can be either a graceful rippling wave or a hail of bulletlike particles, depending on how you look at it. Now, an experiment shows that an observer can make the choice retroactively, after light has entered a measuring apparatus. The result shows that reality is truly in the eye of the beholder."

    "The multiverse (or meta-universe, metaverse) is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes (including our universe) that together comprise everything that physically exists: the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter, energy and momentum, and the physical laws and constants that govern them. The term was coined in 1895 by the American philosopher and psychologist William James.[1] The various universes within the multiverse are sometimes called parallel universes."

    What does our future hold?
    Quantum Physics For Dummies