February 19, 2006
People Magazine Issues Thinnest Issue Ever
You just can't make this stuff up....
Posted by Mark at 06:42 PM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2006
Italy Takes Step Up (down) Evolutionary Ladder
Italy's youth caught in grip of TV wrestling
Posted by Mark at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2006
Clever Bio-motion Demonstration
Comparing male and female motions in different states of weight and emotions.
Posted by Mark at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)
August 31, 2005
Irony Defined
Posted by Mark at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2005
OK, So It Isn't The Dog's Fault. Arrest The Owner ... Then Shoot The Dog.
Studies have suggested that pit bulls are not inherently dangerous. In evaluations by the American Temperament Testing Society, the pit bull passed at a rate of 83.4 percent, just below the beloved golden retriever and 4.5 points higher than the collie. That said, the city's shelters reported that almost 6,000 bull breeds (pit bulls and pit bull mixes) were admitted in the last fiscal year. Though they represent 37 percent of all dogs in city shelters, bull breeds accounted for almost half of the 7,136 dogs euthanized in shelters last year. Pit bulls are routinely adopted, but shelter officials say a disproportionate number can't be because they haven't been socialized properly. Some have spent their whole lives in cages.
Posted by Mark at 06:06 AM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2005
This Year's College Mindset
BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST
FOR THE CLASS OF 2009
(for those of us not feeling old enough already....)
Most students entering college this fall were born in 1987.
1. Andy Warhol, Liberace, Jackie Gleason, and Lee Marvin have always been dead.
2. They don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors.
3. Heart-lung transplants have always been possible.
4. Wayne Gretzky never played for Edmonton.
5. Boston has been working on the "The Big Dig" all their lives.
6. With little need to practice, most of them do not know how to tie a tie.
7. Pay-Per-View television has always been an option.
8. They never had the fun of being thrown into the back of a station wagon with six others.
9. Iran and Iraq have never been at war with each other.
10. They are more familiar with Greg Gumbel than with Bryant Gumbel.
11. Philip Morris has always owned Kraft Foods.
12. Al-Qaida has always existed with Osama bin Laden at its head.
13. They learned to count with Lotus 1-2-3.
14. Car stereos have always rivaled home component systems.
15. Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker have never preached on television.
16. Voice mail has always been available.
17. "Whatever" is not part of a question but an expression of sullen rebuke.
18. The federal budget has always been more than a trillion dollars.
19. Condoms have always been advertised on television.
20. They may have fallen asleep playing with their Gameboys in the crib.
21. They have always had the right to burn the flag.
22. For daily caffeine emergencies, Starbucks has always been around the corner.
23. Ferdinand Marcos has never been in charge of the Philippines.
24. Money put in their savings account the year they were born earned almost 7% interest.
25. Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars.
26. Dirty dancing has always been acceptable.
27. Southern fried chicken, prepared with a blend of 11 herbs and spices, has always been available in China.
28. Michael Jackson has always been bad, and greed has always been good.
29. The Starship Enterprise has always looked dated.
30. Pixar has always existed.
31. There has never been a "fairness doctrine" at the FCC.
32. Judicial appointments routinely have been "Borked."
33. Aretha Franklin has always been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
34. There have always been zebra mussels in the Great Lakes.
35. Police have always been able to search garbage without a search warrant.
36. It has always been possible to walk from England to mainland Europe on dry land.
37. They have grown up in a single superpower world.
38. They missed the oat bran diet craze.
39. American Motors has never existed.
40. Scientists have always been able to see supernovas.
41. Les Miserables has always been on stage.
42. Halogen lights have always been available at home, with a warning.
43. "Baby M" may be a classmate, and contracts with surrogate mothers have always been legal.
44. RU486, the "morning after pill," has always been on the market.
45. There has always been a pyramid in front of the Louvre in Paris.
46. British Airways has always been privately owned.
47. Irradiated food has always been available but controversial.
48. Snowboarding has always been a popular winter pastime.
49. Libraries have always been the best centers for computer technology and access to good software.
50. Biosphere 2 has always been trying to create a revolution in the life sciences.
51. The Hubble Telescope has always been focused on new frontiers.
52. Researchers have always been looking for stem cells.
53. They do not remember "a kinder and gentler nation."
54. They never saw the shuttle Challenger fly.
55. The TV networks have always had cable partners.
56. Airports have always had upscale shops and restaurants.
57. Black Americans have always been known as African-Americans.
58. They never saw Pat Sajak or Arsenio Hall host a late night television show.
59. Matt Groening has always had a Life in Hell.
60. Salman Rushdie has always been watching over his shoulder.
61. Digital cameras have always existed.
62. Tom Landry never coached the Cowboys.
63. Time Life and Warner Communications have always been joined.
64. CNBC has always been on the air.
65. The Field of Dreams has always been drawing people to Iowa.
66. They never saw a Howard Johnson's with 28 ice cream flavors.
67. Reindeer at Christmas have always distinguished between secular and religious decorations.
68. Entertainment Weekly has always been on the newsstand.
69. Lyme Disease has always been a ticking concern in the woods.
70. Jimmy Carter has always been an elder statesman.
71. Miss Piggy and Kermit have always dwelt in Disneyland.
72. America's Funniest Home Videos has always been on television.
73. Their nervous new parents heard C. Everett Koop proclaim nicotine as addictive as heroin.
74. Lever has always been looking for 2000 parts to clean.
75. They have always been challenged to distinguish between news and entertainment on cable TV.
Posted by Mark at 06:26 AM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2005
Yet Another Reason Not To Wash My Underwear
Scientists develop pee-powered battery
Urine activation seen useful for cheap disposable healthcare tests
Scientists have developed a way to turn pee into electricity. And there's plenty where that came from, they point out.
Cheap, disposable, and renewable, urine-powered batteries may be the perfect power source for disposable healthcare test kits called biochips, the researchers say.
"We are striving to develop cheap, disposable credit card-sized biochips for disease detection," said battery developer Ki Bang Lee. "Our battery can be easily integrated into such devices, supplying electricity upon contact with biofluids such as urine."
The research is detailed in the Aug. 15 issue of the Institute of Physics' Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.
Scientists around the world are clamoring to design inexpensive biochips to quickly test for a variety of diseases. But no one has been able to make a similarly small and inexpensive power source.
Lee and his team of researchers at Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have tackled this problem by using the very substance being tested — urine — to power the test.
To make the battery, Lee and his team soaked a piece of paper in copper chloride and then sandwiched it between strips of magnesium and copper. Then they laminated the credit card-sized unit between transparent plastic films.
When a drop of urine is added to the copper chloride paper, a chemical reaction takes place and produces electricity, which is harnessed by the battery. A few drops will generate about 1.5 volts, the same as a AA battery. The battery needs to be developed further to make it commercially viable.
"Our urine-activated battery would be integrated into biochip systems for healthcare diagnostic applications," Lee said.
Lee and his team also found that they could alter the battery's performance — voltage, power, or duration — by adjusting the design or materials.
The chemical composition of urine indicates a person's general health and is widely used in diagnostic tests. For instance, doctors measure the concentration of the sugar glucose to determine whether someone is diabetic.
Lee predicts that one day people will be able to monitor their own health at home using biochips powered by this type of battery.
"These fully-integrated biochip systems have a huge market potential," Lee said.
Posted by Mark at 06:06 AM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2005
Proof Positive The Turks Are Bored - Bored, Bored, Bored. Maybe Boring
From the No Shit, Sherlock Archives
This version was published on August 1, 2005
The American Journal of Sports Medicine 33:1237-1240 (2005)
Score-Celebration Injuries Among Soccer Players
A Report of 9 Cases
Bülent Zeren, MD and Haluk H. Öztekin, MD
From the Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Traumatology, Karsiyaka, Izmir, Turkey, and the 2nd Clinic of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Atatürk Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
Background: Professional and amateur soccer players often perform dramatic on-field feats of celebration after scoring a goal. Injuries may occur during these activities.
Purpose: With the aim of preventing such "score-celebration injuries" in the future, the authors examine these events in professional soccer players and discuss potential avenues for prevention.
Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.
Methods: Over the course of 2 seasons (1996–1998), 152 soccer players were evaluated at an orthopaedic clinic for injuries incurred during matches. Nine players (6%) had injured themselves while celebrating after scoring goals in a match. The type of celebration, injury type, treatment, and mean duration of recovery were noted.
Results: Seven of the 9 patients were male professional soccer players with ages ranging between 17 and 29 years (mean age, 24 years). The injuries occurred when the playing ground was natural turf in 8 cases; most injuries occurred in the second half of the game. The types of celebration maneuvers were sliding (prone or supine) and sliding while kneeling in 5 cases, piling up on jubilant teammates in 3 cases, and being tackled while racing away in 1 case. Injuries included ankle, clavicle, and rib fractures; medial collateral ligament sprain; low back strain; hamstring and adductor muscle strain; quadriceps muscle sprain; and coccyx contusion. The mean duration for recovery was 6.2 weeks. Rival team players were usually not responsible for such trauma.
Conclusion: Exaggerated celebrations after making a goal, such as sliding, piling up, and tackling a teammate when racing away, can result in serious injury. In addition to general measures for preventing soccer injuries, coaches and team physicians should teach self-control and behavior modification to minimize the risk of such injuries. More restrictive rules, which penalize such behavior, may assist in the prevention of score-celebration injuries.
Posted by Mark at 06:10 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2005
All They Wanted To Do Was Pray ... For Beer
Monks who make world's best beer pray for quiet life
For more than 160 years the Trappist monks at Saint Sixtus monastery in Flanders have been producing a rich, dark-brown, beer renowned for its exceptional flavor and strength. But an unexpected misfortune has befallen this reclusive community of 26 Cistercians: their beer (Westvleteren Abt 12) has been named the best in the world.
Posted by Mark at 06:06 AM | Comments (0)
August 05, 2005
Man Bites Dog - Déjà Vu
Pit Bull Attacks Police Officer
A San Diego police officer shot and killed a pit bull in Pacific Beach Friday after the dog attacked him and caused minor injuries to his hand, authorities said Friday.
A police sergeant was checking on a transient on the beach in the 700 block of Hornblend Street at about 4:30 a.m. when he was attacked by the animal, SDPD Sgt. Jim Schorr said.
When the officer found himself unable to fight off the attack with his flashlight, he drew his gun and shot the dog twice, Schorr said.
The officer, who wasn't immediately identified, suffered minor hand injuries that did not require hospital treatment, Schorr said.
Posted by Mark at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 04, 2005
Well, In Crawford, The Dog Would Be Put To Guarding The Horses And The Mother Would Be On Death Row For Negligence
Toddler Ripped From Mom's Arms, Mauled By Dog
Species of dogs not extinct ... yet: doberman, pit bull, rottweiler
Glendale Police are investigating the death of a 16-month-old girl who was torn from her mother's arms and mauled by a rottweiler.
The 28-year-old mother suffered bites to her arms and upper body as she tried to hold onto her daughter.
The child was being held as her mother watered the lawn in the front yard of her parent's home.
The dog lunged at them, snatched the girl and pulled her up a driveway, biting her, authorities said.
"I can only imagine what it was like for the firefighters, police officers and the crime scene investigators. They say it was one of the most horrific things they have ever seen," Sgt. Tom Lorenz, with the North Glendale Police, said.
The attack by the 150 pound male dog named Enano apparently was unprovoked.
The fate of the dog has yet to be determined.
Posted by Mark at 08:59 PM | Comments (0)
August 01, 2005
Time To Pick Up That Krispy Kreme Stock Again
Atkins files for bankruptcy as low-carb slumps
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The company behind the Atkins Diet, standard bearer for the low-carbohydrate diet craze that put some bakeries and pasta makers out of business in its heyday, has itself filed for bankruptcy as U.S. consumers have tired of the once-sizzling fad.
Atkins Nutritionals Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday in New York bankruptcy court, said there was still a bright future for the company in weight loss. It plans to pare back its operations to focus on selling nutrition bars and shakes.
Based on research done by weight-loss guru Dr. Robert Atkins, the Atkins diet promotes eating proteins like meat and cheese while excluding carbohydrates such as bread and pasta.
Atkins and other low-carb regimens such as the South Beach and Zone diets were so popular from 2002 through 2004 that the trend was blamed in part for the bankruptcies of pasta maker New World Pasta Co. and Twinkies and Wonder Bread maker Interstate Bakeries Corp.
At the same time, however, the diet received widespread criticism from nutritionists who said it encouraged people to overeat fatty foods like bacon.
In its heyday, Atkins listed Goldman Sachs Group Inc. among its backers, and analysts predicted an initial public offering. Its trademark red "A" logo appeared on a range of packaged foods and was featured in advertising for Subway sandwich stores and the T.G.I. Friday's restaurant chain.
The low-carb craze peaked in early 2004, when over 9 percent of U.S. adults claimed to be on such a diet, according to market research firm NPD Group. That figure declined to 2.2 percent last month.
"The low-carb trend has sort of died on the vine," said Bob Goldin, executive vice president at Chicago-based food industry consulting firm Technomic Inc.
Atkins has said demand for its products began to slump at the end of 2004 as rival food companies, including heavyweights like Kraft Foods Inc., flooded the market with everything from low-carb Oreo cookies to cereal.
At the same time, Atkins faced increased scrutiny by critics. In particular, the death of company founder Robert Atkins after a fall in April 2003 led to much negative publicity when reports claimed he had been overweight and suffered from a heart condition.
Last fall, the New York-based company hired a turnaround specialist and cut jobs to boost efficiency. It also brought in new management -- though former H.J. Heinz Co. executive Neil Harrison left earlier this year after just three months at the company's helm.
Mark Rodriguez, who became Atkins' chief executive in June, said in a statement that the company has "adjusted our organization to accommodate a smaller business." He was not available for further comment, a spokesman said.
For the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2004, Atkins said it had total assets of $301 million and liabilities of $325.1 million, according to court documents. For the same period, it recorded a loss of $340.9 million, including an asset impairment charge.
The company said it secured $25 million in debtor-in-possession financing arranged by UBS. Five other potential lenders refused to extend credit to the company, Atkins Nutritionals said in its filing.
Atkins said the "overwhelming majority" of its lenders had agreed to a prearranged plan to restructure its debt, and it would file a reorganization plan shortly for bankruptcy court consideration. Its lenders have agreed to receive equity in the company in exchange for reducing debt, the company said.
Posted by Mark at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)
May 06, 2005
San Diego Keeps Its Priorities Intact
Volunteers Search For Pet Iguana By Land, Air
Dozens of volunteers are coming together to help the family of an autistic boy search for his lost iguana, 10News reported.
Steve Stutzka, 12, is heartbroken over his missing iguana, Fred Green.
The last time Fred Green was spotted was in the 1100 block of Ouden Lane in Imperial Beach.
As a sheriff's deputy, Mike Forbes knows how to find people. But Thursday night, he used his tracking skills for an unusual mission -- find Fred Green the iguana.
When Forbes heard Fred Green was missing, he volunteered to use his infrared-heat seeking camera to find the iguana.
Stutzka is best friends with Fred Green and has been searching for him for days.
While Forbes and Steve use their cameras on the ground, San Diego helicopter pilots hover above, using their infrared devices to search for Fred Green. Students from Mar Vista High School will be searching for Fred Green on Monday, as well as the sheriff's search and rescue team.
Steve and his parents told 10News they don't care who has the iguana, just bring him back, even anonymously
Posted by Mark at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)
May 02, 2005
Whatever. You Try Living 36 Years Being Called "Wankie"
'Wankie The Elephant' Dies After Transfer
An African elephant originally from the San Diego Zoo was euthanized after she was transferred from Chicago to Salt Lake City, officials said Monday.
Now, animal activists are calling for the resignation of Douglas Myers, the executive director of the Zoological Society of San Diego.
Wankie's health was deteriorating while she was being sent to the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City and officials there euthanized her around 4 a.m. Sunday, Kelly McGrath, spokeswoman for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago said.
Wankie was 36, which is not considered old for elephants, McGrath said.
Wankie and two other elephants lived at the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park for more than 30 years and were transferred to Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago in 2003.
Wankie's companions died while in Chicago, and zoo officials decided to transfer the animal to Hogle Zoo so she could be with other elephants.
The head veterinarian at Lincoln Park Zoo and two elephant keepers made the trip with Wankie, who had to lay down during the ride, McGrath said.
"Elephants can't lay down for long periods of time," McGrath said. "That can cause tissue and muscle damage in their legs."
Wankie was put in a sling when she arrived at the Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City Saturday night and appeared to be fine, McGrath said.
Several hours later, the elephant was having difficulty breathing and animal keepers decided to euthanize her, McGrath said.
Posted by Mark at 06:08 AM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2005
Road To Hell Still Paved With Good Intentions
Good Samaritan Rescued By Firefighters
KGTV TheSanDiegoChannel.com
Authorities Monday rescued a 27-year-old man who jumped from state Route 52 to get out of the way of a speeding car and landed about 30 feet down an embankment near the San Diego River.
Christopher L. Norris of El Cajon suffered a broken wrist and a possible concussion and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego for treatment, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said.
Norris had pulled over around 2:50 a.m. to help another motorist who was stranded and blocked both lanes of westbound state Route 52 near the Mast Boulevard exit, Bettencourt said.
Another car sped by the man, prompting Norris to leap from the freeway and down a 30-foot embankment, Bettencourt said.
Firefighters and lifeguards were able to reach the man by 5:20 a.m., a San Diego fire dispatcher said.
"He was conscious and talked to officers throughout the rescue," Bettencourt said.
Some lanes of state Route 52 were closed during the rescue, but lanes were reopened by 5:35 a.m., according to the CHP.
Posted by Mark at 07:01 AM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2005
His Version Of Quid Pro Quo
Wheelchair-Bound Man Suspected Of Shooting Wife As She Drove
TheSanDiegoChannel.com
A 45-year-old wheelchair-bound man was arrested on suspicion of wounding his wife by firing two gunshots into her chest as she drove on Interstate 5 in Clairemont Mesa, San Diego police said Thursday.
Riding with his wife in a van, the man pulled a small-caliber handgun and fired on her as she drove on the southbound I-5 near Balboa Avenue just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Rich Nemetz said.
The woman pulled off the freeway and drove to the 4300 block of Berwick Drive, where a passer-by called police, Nemetz said.
The woman was taken to a San Diego hospital, where she was treated for two gunshot wounds to her chest, Nemetz said. She is expected to survive.
The man, who is paralyzed from the waist down, was arrested, Nemetz said.
The couple, whose names were not released, had apparently gotten into an argument just before the shooting, Nemetz said. It was unclear what they were arguing about.
The police department's Domestic Violence Unit investigated the shooting, Nemetz said.
Posted by Mark at 06:18 AM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2005
Frat Boys Forget Kayak, Wreak Havoc On Coast Guard
Coast Guard Searches For Occupants Of Empty Kayak
KGTV TheSanDiegoChannel.com
The U.S. Coast Guard found an empty kayak near Del Mar and searched a 13 nautical mile area for its possible occupants, authorities said today.
Crew members aboard a U.S. Navy vessel conducting offshore operations spotted and recovered the kayak Thursday, Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Robert Lanier said.
The Navy reported the finding to the Coast Guard office in San Diego, where authorities sent an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter out to investigate, Lanier said.
The Coast Guard then issued an urgent marine information broadcast for any boaters in the vicinity 13 miles west of the Del Mar boat basin to be on the lookout for possible missing kayakers, Lanier said.
The Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday night and is expected to continue Friday, Lanier said.
Anyone with information concerning missing kayakers from the San Clemente, Camp Pendleton or Oceanside areas was urged to call the Coast Guard's search and rescue line in San Diego at (619) 295-3122 or (800) 854-9834.
Posted by Mark at 06:07 AM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2005
Watching A Car Wreck
Bobby Fischer Freed From Japan
By ERIC TALMADGE Associated Press Writer
USHIKU, Japan Mar 23, 2005 — Chess legend Bobby Fischer was freed Thursday from a Japanese detention center and immediately headed for flight to Iceland, bringing to a halt efforts to deport him to the United States.
Fischer, sporting a long, gray beard, jeans and a baseball cap pulled down low to cover his face, left the immigration detention center in this city on Tokyo's outskirts early Thursday morning.
The eccentric chess icon was taken into custody by Japanese immigration officials in July when he tried to leave the country using an invalid U.S. passport.
As he was taken away in a black limousine provided by the Icelandic Embassy, his vehicle was mobbed by a few dozen photographers and reporters. Fischer did not emerge from the car or make any comment.
Fischer was accompanied by his fiancee, Miyoko Watai, the head of Japan's chess association, and an official from the Icelandic Embassy. They were headed for the airport to try and catch an afternoon flight to Denmark en route to Iceland, where he has been granted citizenship.
Fischer, who has been held in detention since his arrest, claims his U.S. passport was revoked illegally and sued to block a deportation order to the United States, where he is wanted for violating sanctions imposed on the former Yugoslavia by playing an exhibition match against Russian Boris Spassky in 1992.
This week, Iceland's Parliament stepped in to break the standoff, awarding citizenship to Fischer. Iceland is where Fischer won the world championship in 1972, defeating Spassky in a classic Cold War showdown that propelled Fischer to international stardom.
Fischer, 62, could still face extradition to the United States Iceland, like Japan, has an extradition treaty with Washington.
Thordur Oskarsson, Iceland's ambassador to Japan, said before Fischer's release that Washington sent a "message of disappointment" to the Icelandic government over its vote to grant Fischer citizenship.
"Despite the message, the decision was put through Parliament on humanitarian grounds," Oskarsson said.
Posted by Mark at 10:54 PM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2005
Proof Positive That Drinking Creates Cannibals
Posted by Mark at 11:13 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2005
Snakes Are Fun. But I'd Get A Cat First, Gunslinging Or Not
First, it's like, "Oh, you are so yesterday's forwarded e-mail." Then I check out snopes.com and the photos are quite real, and, from what I know about the napping habits of oil field workers, this clown managed to catch some heavy z's.
Not to be outdone, I then receive this wiley python making a snack on one very slow (and likely sleeping) wallabee.
Yeah, there's moral here somewhere. Like, leave the snake hijinks to morons.
Posted by Mark at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2005
Overheard: HST RIP
Let's see . . . a carton of Dunhill menthols, 10 fifths of Bacardi, 100 hits of blotter acid, assorted pills, a garbage bag full of weed, a half-dozen salt shakers filled with cocaine, my .45 and a thousand rounds of ammo. Who knew throwing a "Goodbye, Hunter S. Thompson" party would be so difficult?
Posted by Mark at 06:32 AM | Comments (0)