News stories the mainstream media missed : 10/16/10**

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Here are some news stories from this week that I think the mainstream media completely missed out on. All links are from legitimate news sources and not the fringe / wacko sites.

* Do you remember the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark? At the beginning when Indiana Jones turned around to see a giant friggin’ hero-flattenin’ boulder slooooowly start to roll down towards him? There’s a lot of news articles like that this week…

  • Meat prices are gonna’ go up to the highest they’ve been in a quarter century [BLOOMBERG]
  • “Cotton Climbs to 140-Year High” [WALL STREET JOURNAL]
  • A massive 50-state investigation “into the industry’s alleged use of faulty or fraudulent documents to complete tens of thousands of foreclosures” is starting [USA TODAY]
  • And the banks of Ireland look to be a failin’ now! [SOCIALISTWORKER . ORG]

Not to worry! It’s nothing a bullwhip and a cocky smirk can’t solve! Come to think of it, a bullwhip and a cocky smirk tend to solve quite a few things. (I’ve heard)

* The rescue of the Chile miners went perfectly! And the trivia answer to the “who was the first one into the mine and the last one out of the mine” is…. Manuel Gonzalez! Manuel is also a former professional footballer who “vowed to stay until they were all evacuated” and his last act before getting out of the mine was “waving to the camera, bowing and then offering up a prayer”, then getting into the Phoenix capsule to GTFOutta there! Science rocks! [DAILYMAIL.CO.UK]

* Regrow your own lungs from scratch in a month? Seriously? Rat trials are underway already? Human trials in a few years? Social smoking to make a massive comeback? Go science!! Wait… [POPSCI.COM]

* Walking 9 miles a week saves your memory in old age? Well then driving over 100 miles a week should make me the smartest person in the world! Road Trip!! [BUSINESSWEEK]

* The 24 karat gold “What the HELL ARE YOU THINKING” trophy this week goes to Professor Borut Povse and the scientists in Slovenia who are training robots to learn our pain threshold “by punching humans and seeing if they cry”. The robot will stop “when the men cry mercy.” Seriously, somebody needs to keep an eye on Povse. “Dictator” and “robot army” are some of the kinder words I’m thinking of here. [NEWS.COM.AU] and [NEW SCIENTIST]

* So lemme get this straight… I buy a home waaaaayyy out of my price range, I can’t afford to make monthly payments on it, and when I fall behind for over six months I don’t get to keep it? Could Wall Street be right in saying this whole mortgage crisis really is the fault of the people in this “foreclosure fiasco”? Naaahhhh!! [REUTERS]

* And now a bit of serious news… Justin Stoner blew the whistle on his platoon for their rampant drug use, but the resulting probe found out that not only was his platoon a bunch of loser potheads, they took part in Afghan civilian killings, even “keeping body parts as war trophies.” His “fellow GIs beat him” for calling them on their activities, and now the “Army apparently wants to silence him.” What country is this again? Where’s the liberal cries of protest? Where’s the conservative outrage on this? On a related note, Stoner has a tattoo on his back that President Obama and congress need to have printed and hanging on their office wall… “What if I’m not the good guy. What if I’m the bad guy?” Exactly. [CNN]

* And now a bit of awesome news…. The horrible backstory: Scott and Jennifer Petkov have been mercilessly taunting seven year old Kathleen Edwards, who is dying of Huntington’s Disease, by hanging photos of her in front of their home and on Facebook with “her face becoming the center of a skull and crossbones”. The Petkovs have even made fun of Kathleen’s dead mother, who has already died of Huntington’s Disease, by putting up photos of her in the front of their home and on Facebook “wrapped in the arms of the grim reaper”. When asked why they were doing this, Jennifer Petkov said “for personal satisfaction… because it burns Rebecca Rose’s ass raw. It burns Rebecca Rose’s ass raw for me to make fun of her dead daughter.” (Rebecca Rose is the grandmother of Kathleen Edwards.) Scott and Jennifer Petkov also “painted their truck with tombstones and placed a coffin in the back of the truck… then parked it in front of the Rose family home.”   Fortunately, this story made the internet and was featured on several social sites. One of the social sites caught the attention of the local “Tree Town Toys” store owner, who then rallied the community (and all the internet sites he is a member of) for a massive show of support for little Kathleen Edward. Kathleen was soon picked up at her home and arrived to a red carpet welcome to a cheering crowd “in a stretch Hummer that read Team Kathleen… to an unlimited shopping spree at Tree Town Toys” where “she could pick out anything she wanted.” The Ann Arbor Fire Department was also there “to show their support” and a party with lots of cake followed. “$17,000 in donations have come in” as well as flowers and gifts from as far away as Japan and Pakistan. And as for the Petkovs? Nothing but apology after apology now. Good people do exist, and great things still happen. This is how it’s done. [MY FOX DETROIT]



That’s all I got. Back Monday!

** Actually upped on 10/17/10 for even more evil reasons all my own! Mu ha ha ha ha!!!!

WSJ : “Hispanics Outlive Whites and Blacks”

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I saw in my daily Wall Street Journal read the “startling report” that “Hispanics Outlive Whites and Blacks.”

“Startling” for whom, may I ask?

According to the article (which is online now), “U.S. Hispanics outlive whites by more than two years and blacks by more than seven, according to the government’s first calculation of Hispanic life expectancy.”

Wait… their first calculation of Hispanic life expectancy? Seriously?

The article says that “until recently, federal researchers didn’t calculate life expectancy for Hispanics as a separate group; they were included among the black and white populations.”

Wow.

Anyhow, the article goes on to say… “The startling report released Wednesday is the strongest evidence yet of the “Hispanic paradox”—long life expectancy for a population that has a large share of poor, undereducated members. A leading theory is that Hispanics who manage to immigrate to the U.S. are among the healthiest from their countries.”

The article concludes that “An estimated 40% of the U.S. Hispanic population are people born in other countries who immigrated here, and in some cases they arrived after arduous journeys to do taxing manual labor. It takes a fit person to accomplish that, suggesting that the U.S. is gaining some of the healthiest people born in Mexico and other countries, said Dr. Peter Muennig, an assistant professor at Columbia University’s school of public health who has studied life expectancy in different countries.”

Um… hey guys? Maybe the extended lifespan is genetic. Maybe it has something to do with the awesome food selection. Maybe it’s the amazingly strong family bonds. Maybe it has something to do with an overall happier and content lifestyle.

Lumping a extended lifespan under the “fit immigrants came over” banner? I think there’s more to it than that.

Want to see how much your taxes will go up if the Bush tax cuts expire?

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An article titled “Not So Golden Years: Rise in Capital Gains and Dividends Tax Would Hit Seniors Hard” at the top of this page has a box you can type in your income after deductions to see how much your tax burden is now (the “tax cuts are extended” button) and how much your tax burden will be if the Bush tax cuts are not extended (the “tax cuts are expired” button)

Some quick calculations…

  • A household with a $30,000 income will go from a $4,716 tax burden to a $5,435 tax burden ($719 increase or 14%)
  • A household with a $50,000 income will go from a $11,261 tax burden to a $12,441 tax burden ($1,180 increase or 10%)
  • A household with a $75,000 income will go from a $17,266 tax burden to a $19,202 tax burden ($1,936 increase or 11%)
  • A household with a $100,000 income will go from a $31,922 tax burden to a $35,732 tax burden ($3,810 increase or 11%)

Not. Good. News.

A big thanks to NASA for helping get the Chilean miners to safety

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I noticed that NASA Administrator Charles Bolden issued a statement at 10:44 this morning on the rescue effort for the Chilean miners, but no major website has posted his comments.

Sooooo here it is in its’ entirety!

“On behalf of the entire NASA family, I want to ask that our heartfelt thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the courageous miners, their families and friends, and the dedicated people who have been working to safely reach those who are still trapped underground.

“There is a lot of hard work ahead for rescuers, but the Chilean government and the people of that great nation should be praised for their steadfast determination. Their unwavering commitment is the reason we are witness to the joyful and emotional reunions today as the miners are returned to the surface one-by-one.

“I also want to express my personal thanks to the Americans who have assisted in this heroic effort, and specifically the NASA team that traveled to Chile in the early days of the crisis. For decades, the people of this agency have learned to live, work, and survive in the hostile environment of space. Our expertise in maintaining physiological and psychological health, and our technical and engineering experience in spacecraft design all proved to be valuable in a situation that is far from our traditional scope of work.

“I am proud of the people of this agency who were able to bring the experience of spaceflight down to Earth when it was needed most. As the drama of this recue continues to unfold before us, we pray for the safe return of each and every miner.”

NASA played a BIG role in helping get these men to safety. DISCOVERY and UNIVERSE TODAY have interviews about NASA’s efforts and details some of the ‘tech used in this crisis.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Science Rocks.

The Wendy’s “Pookie Bear” ringtone? It’s by Callaghan Smerek.

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Do you know that “Pookie Bear” ringtone that’s played for just a few seconds on the latest Wendy’s commercial? (It’s @ :16 seconds in)



The artist’s name is Callaghan Smerek, and she’s got a Facebook fan page here. Her latest wall post today said “Wendy’s told me they’d be releasing it (the pookie bear ringtone) very soon, so keep your fingers crossed!! I’m really happy you like it!!!!:)”

Seeing how many people have asked about the “Pookie Bear” song after hearing only 2 seconds of it, and the Wendy’s facebook page is getting flooded with requests too, I’m betting Callaghan is going to be a major top 20 musical artist in 3, 2…

UPDATE 10/21/10 : Wendy’s just posted the “Pookie Bear” ringtone by Callaghan Smerek!

The free download is on Wendy’s facebook page hiding next to DISCUSSIONS under the >> “pookie bear” tab, or you can just click here to get the zip file direct from Wendy’s right now!

Recall : Lipitor in bottles of “uncharacteristic odors”

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The FDA just announced that “specific bottles of LIPITOR 40 mg” are getting recalled due to a “uncharacteristic odor” with some of the bottles.

Waaaaaait a minute. Wasn’t the funky-smell thing making the rounds with the McNeil Consumer Healthcare products not too long ago? Mentioned here and again here?

The press release says “Pfizer is working closely with the bottle supplier to determine the cause of the odor problem and to rapidly address it” but the good news is that “a medical assessment has determined that the odor is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.”

Hmmm…. I’m no UPVC ninja, but the only things I know of that cause plastics to keep an odor is leaving some seriously foul material in them for a prolonged period. Usually plastic smells like… well, plastic!

Here’s the link to the official FDA recall notice.

Sesame Street: Smell Like A Monster [VIDEO]

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Only Grover could possibly be more cool than Isaiah Mustafa (The Old Spice Man). Brace yourself…



Google is making their awesome 411 service walk the plank

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Google is making thousands of phones cry this week by announcing they’re going to cut off their free 1-800-GOOG-411 service on November 12th of this year.

I mentioned this awesome service back in September ’09, and I’ve used it pretty much daily. It has been a lifesaver on my trips through the Texas yonderosa, and has consistently been on my top 10 speed dial favorites for over two years.

Google seems to be keel-hauling all ships that aren’t flying under the “Android” flag with this move, pointing out that you can still use Voice Input and Voice Actions on Android phones, but all other phones can suck it. (Actually, that “suck it” part was my interpretation of their press release about the Voice Input and Actions bit.)

Google still says “you can send a text message with the name and location of the business to 466453 (“GOOGLE”) and we’ll text you the information”, so that’s still something awesomely free.

I’m writing gblog@google.com to shamelessly plead for mercy myself.

Here’s the official press release from Google.

Monday Morning Music : 10/11/10

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Every Monday I like to post some music to start the week off on the right foot.

This week… a suggested soundtrack for driving in deep south Texas.

ZZ Top – Gimme All Your Lovin’



AC/DC – Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap



George Thorogood – Bad to The Bone



Melissa Etheridge – Bring Me Some Water (Live at the Kodak Theatre)



and finally, for the aftermath of the big gunfight scene… Zamfir – The Lonely Shepherd (from the Kill Bill Soundtrack)



News stories the mainstream media missed : 10/09/10**

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Here are some news stories from this week that I think the mainstream media completely missed out on. All links are from legitimate news sources and not the fringe / wacko sites.

* When police arrived at a man’s house to investigate a domestic violence call, the male suspect quickly covered himself in fresh paint thinking it would prevent the police officer’s tasers from affecting him! Captain Brilliant then decided since he was invulnerable, he would “scuffle with the police”. Needless to say, hijinks ensued. The final score : Police = 1 | Sherman Williams = 0 [MILITARY.COM]

* Hands only CPR is the way to save lives now? Apparently keeping blood going to the brain > breathing. Plus you actually don’t have to trade saliva with a bleedy-hurty stranger. [YAHOO]

* White noise helps “inattentive” children learn. You know what else helps? A coupla’ good SMACKS on the butt with a old splintery wood paddle from a principal who’s had a real bad day. That seems to make “inattentive” children behave better, too! [SCIENCE CODEX]

* Men apparently tend to “Check out” in stressful fight-about-to-start situations, while women tend to “Show Increased Brain Coordination.” In other words, Supergirl think real gooder, and HULK SMASH!!!! Right? I think that’s kinda’ what they meant. [SCIENCE DAILY]

* European scholars are doing their best Monty Python impersonation when it comes to the US economy… RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! [TELEGRAPH.CO.UK]

* And in related news, do you remember musical chairs as a kid? When the music stopped, all hell broke loose? Kinda the same thing is happening now that the economic stimulus is coming to a halt. Doo dee doo dee doo dee dee doo… [NY TIMES]

* The UN has decided to fly a big-ass freak flag last week by appointing a… “space ambassador to act as first contact for aliens visiting Earth”. OK, with all the disasters and crap going on in the world, the UN actually sets aside the time to announce they’re gonna’ have a space ambassador? Howzabout we take care of stuff here on Earth first before opening a modern day Casablanca for the local galaxy, yes? [TIME.COM]

* And finally, isn’t one of the prophesies of the “end times” that “ye shall see crap movies, and the tech in them shalt be made real!” I think it goes something like that. Anyhow, the GI Joe “accelerator” suit from the same lame-ass GI Joe movie from last year is apparently getting close to being field-use ready. In other movie terms, we’re about to have a army of Iron Men, Mark I series. This is alllll sorts of awesome and alllll sorts of “oh hell no” kinds of bad at the same time. [AOL.COM]

** Actually upped on 10/10/10 for evil reasons all my own! Mu ha ha ha ha!!!!