Archive for September, 2009
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Are you happy?
If not, is there any chance you could start your own business?
According to a recent survey, business owners are the happiest Americans. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index finds professionals and managers/executives are the second-most satisfied group.
Those working in manufacturing are the least satisfied.
If someone has severe brain damage and does not appear to have signs of consciousness, are they still able to learn?
A new Cambridge University study says possibly.
Researchers tested for Pavlovian-like responses in 22 people in a persistent vegetative state by playing a noise prior to a puff of air to the eye.
Some patients learnt to anticipate the puff of air causing the eye muscles to twitch,
The team hopes it may lead to tests to determine which patients could recover.
Details in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Wayne State University is now offering an online course on how to respond when someone starts shooting. The school says it’s a response to a number of massacres at U.S. colleges and high schools. The course is called “Be Prepared: Surviving an Active Shooter Incident” and is intended for students, faculty and staff.
THEY might be bald and ugly, but naked mole rats never get cancer. Why is that? Scientists at Rochester University want to find out. They say if the trick can be copied it could help humans resist cancer too.
Details at New scientist.com.
Do you know someone who suddenly has weird little problems writing checks or paying their bills. A new study says Declining financial skills are detectable in patients in the year before they develop Alzheimer’s.
The researchers say this could be a useful indicator for doctors supporting people with memory problems.
The research from the University of Alabama in Birmingham is published in the journal, Neurology.
The church where William Shakespeare was baptized and buried is seeking money to keep a roof over his grave.
The Reverend Martin Gorick, vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, says that workmen recently discovered that the main beam in the roof right above Shakespeare’s grave is falling apart.
The church has raised nearly $1.6 million in the past 7 years for restoration work, and estimates that repairs to the beam will cost another $81,000.
Something new in neckties.
Thomas Pink, the British shirt brand has designed a necktie with a hidden pocket for your i-pod. They call it the “Commuter Tie.”
It’s got an extra fabric loop keeps wires, including headphone wires, out of sight and close to the body.
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Friday, September 18th, 2009
Do viruses like it when you go on a drinking binge.
A new study says yes.
New research out of Mississippi State University says going on a drinking binge could leave you wide open to infections, as well as hangovers.Scientists say drinking copious amounts of alcohol in one session hurts your the immune system by knocking out proteins essential for fighting off bacteria and viruses.
And they say, the alcohol’s effects continue long after the party is over.
Details in the online journal BMC Immunology .
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New hope for the color blind.
Scientists at the University of Washington say they are getting promising results using gene therapy.
They say they were able to restore full color vision to adult monkeys born without the ability to distinguish between the colors red and green.
Details in the journal Nature.
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You’ve heard the saying an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?
This is a tooth for an eye.
For the first time in the U.S., Doctors at the University of Miami have used a tooth to help restore a woman’s eyesight.
Kay Thornton has been blind for nine years, but surgeons at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute put a plastic lens into a tooth from her mouth, and implanted the combination into her eye. She now has 20/70 vision that might further improve as she recovers from the surgery.
The procedure was developed in Italy in 1963 and has been used successfully in Europe and Japan.
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Who would want the Berlin Wall BACK?
A new study says one in seven Germans want the Berlin Wall back because they were better off when the country was divided.
November 9 will be the 20th anniversaty of the collapse of the wall.
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Ticketmaster has come up with a way to resell tickets that shuts out brokers and scalpers.
Ticketmaster has a “paperless” ticketing platform, that does it by requiring customers to show a credit card and ID when they arrive at an event. Without the paper ticket, there’s nothing for a scalper to resell but also no way for the buyer to pass it along.
So, Ticketmaster has developed a new exchange system that debuted at Penn State’s football season opener earlier this month. The system involved 21,000 season tickets reserved for full-time students, capping the number of games students can resell and limiting the price to $60, about twice the face value and fees of the original tickets.
The moves gives Ticketmaster a chance to capture more of the secondary market by cutting out StubHub and other brokers.
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Cool Concert coming up called “Hamburger Helper.”
(!)
That’s what Wayne State University’s Department of music is calling the concert this Sunday at St. Michael’s Episocal Church in Grosse Pointe Woods, 4pm.
Dr. Norah Duncan and Dr. Eldonna May will be playing the so called Hamburger Suite.
German Baroque music for Organ and Oboe.
Suggested donation of ten dollars
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Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Do you exercise alone or with a group?
A new study says working out with a bunch of other people appears to increase the level of the feel-good endorphin hormones naturally released during physical exertion.
The study done at England’s Oxford University.
Details in Biology Letters
This is one giant leap …for robots.
A new robot being developed for the U.S. military can jump over obstacles that are 25 feet high.
It’s about the size of a shoebox, and most of the time uses its four wheels to get around.
They call it the Precision Urban Hopper.
Developers say this could really boost the capabilities of troops and special forces engaged in urban warfare
Its developers say this GPS driving robot could potentially reduce troop casualties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8253807.stm
He’s two feet tall,
he was a national TV star for 20 years,
he once ran for President
and now one of Detroit’s most famous residents is being honored with a U.S. postage stamp.
It’s Howdy Doody.
The excitement starts at 3:30 this coming Sunday afternoon at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
And you’re invited to the party.
Howdy Doody is being honored with the postage stamp. There’s going to be singing, reminiscing, and Howdy will take questions from the audience. (!)
Astronomers have found a rocky planet outside our solar system.
Scientists have found more than 300 planets over the years, but they’ll all been gas balls or can’t be proven to be solid. Now, astronomers in Europe say they’ve proved a planet about 500 light years away is rocky. However it’s so close to its sun, that its surface temperature is more than 3,600 degrees.
Christian publicist Mark DeMoss says the televised outbursts by rapper Kanye West, Congressman Joe Wilson and tennis star Serena Williams reflect bad manners and a regrettable incivility in public life.
DeMoss launched what he calls “The Civility Project”.
The project’s Web site asks people to pledge that they’ll be civil in public discourse and behavior, will oppose incivility and will be respectful of others regardless of their views.
A federal report says the government is moving so slowly to clean up the most polluted sites in the Great Lakes that it will take 77 more years to finish the job at the current pace. The report estimates it will cost more than $2 billion to finish the cleanup of 31 sites.
A new poll suggests most Americans oppose the government taking ownership stakes in struggling companies, even if the business’ failure would cost jobs and hurt the economy. The Associated Press-National Constitution Center found only 38 percent of respondents favored the kind of intervention that saved insurance giant AIG, GM and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
A real boar is coming to dinner at Meadowbrook Hall.In fact, the boar is dinner.
It’s Meadowbrook Hall’s annual Wild Game fundraiser dinner tomorrow night (Thursday) at 7pm.
Tickets $75 dollars per person.
Meadowbrook is on Squirrel Rd.
(Don’t worry..that’s the street not an entre.)
.
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Monday, September 14th, 2009
France Telecom SA was mobilizing all 20,000 of its managers Monday in an effort to respond to a string of 23 employee suicides that unions blame partly on layoffs and restructuring at the telecommunications giant.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iR7XMHsnezEZ0lJyBaipuNgJQqPwD9AN4HJG0
Goodbye sticky labels, hello tattooed fruit.
The FDA is expected to approve laser-etching of fruits and vegetables in the next month or so, paving the way for produce “tattooed” with product information to hit store shelves.
Scientists say the little tattoos are safe and they don’t affect the taste of the fruit or veggies.
They say they can print anything on just about any fruit or vegetable…except for leafy greens like lettuce.
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2009/08/fruit-tattoos.aspx?tw=20090914082327
Remember the initial uproar over the “Body Worlds” exhibit, that displayed human cadavers in unusual poses? The exhibit (which involved the use of a preservation technique called Plastination) drew huge crowds at museums around the world.
German scientists now plan a new show dedicated to showing the cadavers looking like they’re having sex as part of a new exhibit.
Gunther von Hagens says it’s not his intention to shock people with dead people and sex poses. He says the idea is to show the anatomy and the function of what’s involved.
Some observers have called the exhibit revolting.
http://momento24.com/en/2009/09/13/body-worlds-plan-cadaver-sex-exhibition/
Another comeback for Captain Jack.
Johnny Depp is going to do a fourth “Pirates” movie.
`Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” will be released in the summer of 2011.
Depp also will play Tonto in a new movie version of “The Lone Ranger.”
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iR7XMHsnezEZ0lJyBaipuNgJQqPwD9AN4HJG0
They’re trying to add new magic to the Magic Kingdom.
Disney executives are planning the largest expansion in the Magic Kingdom’s history.
The development will nearly double the size of Fantasyland and include a new, lavish ride based on the Little Mermaid.
Disney also plans to update Star Tours, the Star Wars-themed ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It will debut in 2011.
Disney’s parks contribute about a third of the giant entertainment company’s revenue.
Go Green!
Spend an evening with Tom Izzo Thursday (September 17) at the Lorenzo Cultural Center (44575 Garfield, Clinton Township) 7 pm. The Michigan State Basketball Coach will be talking about his philosophy of success in sports and in life. $15-adults. $5-students. 586-445-7348. www.lorenzoculturalcenter.com.
World War II and You
The Rochester Hills Museum (1005 Van Hoosen Road) presents “Driven to Victory” Saturday (September 19) featuring Allied and enemy campsites, military and armored vehicles, weapons demonstrations, battle reenactments, and video games. 9am-4pm. $5-adults. $3-students. 248-656-4663. www.rochesterhills.org
Hoofing it at the Zoo
It’s fun on the run Sunday (September 20) during the annual Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo (8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak.) Compete in the 5K and 10K races in the streets of Huntington Woods, or take it slow with the Fun Walk inside the zoo. Stick around for the post race party with live music, food, and special activities for kids. 5k-8am. 10k-8:45am. Fun Walk-9am. On site registration $20-$25. (248) 398-0900. www.detroitzoo.org.
Hey Kids! What Time Is It?
It’s Howdy Doody Time Sunday (Sept. 20) at the Detroit Institute of Arts (5200 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.) The DIA’s own Howdy Doody marionette will be on hand at the unveiling of a new U.S. Postage stamp created in his honor. Howdy will be joined by his old partner, writer/composer Ed Kean. The two of them will answer questions and lead a sing along. 3pm. $8-adults, $4-children. 313-833-7900. www.dia.org.
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Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
Have you ever thought of telling your spouse you want your own bedroom?
A new study says if you’re not getting enough zzzzzs at night, it might be a good idea to try sleeping by yourself. In your own room.
Sleep specialist Dr Neil Stanley says bed sharing can cause arguments over snoring and blanket-hogging and robs many people of precious sleep.
One study found that, on average, couples suffered 50% more sleep disturbances if they shared a bed.
Dr Stanley, who sleeps separately from his wife, points out that historically we were never meant to share our beds.
He said the modern tradition of the marital bed only began with the industrial revolution, when people moving to overcrowded towns and cities found themselves short of living space.
Beatlemania today.
Not only did ”The Beatles Rock Band Game” hit the stores, the re mastered versions of the Beatles entire catalog have been released.
To Celebrate, Entertainment Weekly is out with what it thinks are the best and the worst Beatles tunes of all time.
The Best?
They say #1 is “A Hard Days Night.”
That’s followed by “A Day in the Life,” “Yesterday,” “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Something.”
The Worst?
E.W. says “All You Need Is Love” gets that dubious distinction.
The magazine also hates “Dig It,” “Don’t Pass Me By,”Flying,” and ” Wild Honey Pie.”
Good news today for you and your Facebook Friends.
According to Dr. Tracy Alloway from the University of Stirling in Scotland, Twitter and Facebook are very different beasts when it comes to improving your mind and your “working memory“,
Dr. Alloway says Facebook is better for your brain because you have to think more.
She says on Twitter you receive an endless stream of tiny blasts of information, You don’t have to process that information. Your attention span, she says, is being reduced and you’re not engaging your brain and improving nerve connections.
A new study says catching a cold or the flu could speed memory loss in people with Alzheimer’s disease
In a study of patients with mild to severe Alzheimer’s , doctors found that people who suffered infections, or even bumps and bruises from a fall, were much more likely to experience faster memory loss than people who did not have infections or bumps and bruises.
Scientists say It’s possible that finding a way to reduce inflammation in the body “could be beneficial for people with Alzheimer’s disease,” Details in the journal, Neurology.
Gossip columnist Army Archerd, who wrote upbeat stories about movie stars for Hollywood’s Daily Variety for more than 50 years, has died in a Los Angeles hospital. He was 87.
One of Archerd’s biggest scoops was the revelation in 1985 that Rock Hudson had AIDS, but he would later say that it was the most difficult story he ever had to write.
Is it legal in the U.S. to play the hymn “Ave Maria” at a public high school graduation, if it’s an instrumental version, with no words?
A federal appeals court says no. It’s not legal.
No “Ave Maria.”
The appeals court upheld a lower court decision to bar the hymn at a graduation in Everett Washington.
The wind ensemble wanted to play it.
School officials said no.
A student took them to court.
The student says she’ll now appeal the case to the U.S supreme court.
Is the Nation of Gods and Earths and Five Percenters a religion?
A federal judge in Detroit is recommending the Michigan prison system recognize the group as a religion and lift a ban on its literature among inmates.
U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen says some members may pose security problems within prison. But he says there’s nothing in Nation of Gods literature that calls for violence.
The Michigan Department of Corrections is objecting and wants Whalen’s recommendation overturned.
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Friday, September 4th, 2009
If you’ve got fat thighs…don’t agonize over them.
Celebrate them!
A new study says people with thicker thighs tend to live longer than people with those skinny legs.
Details in the British Medical Journal.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1211122/Peril-skinny-thighs-Women-legs-23-6in-greater-risk-heart-attacks-say-scientists.html
Extreme Velcro
German engineers in Munich say they’ve come up with a new kind of re-usable Velcro. Super strong.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17739-extreme-steel-velcro-takes-a-35tonne-load.html
He Wants His Wings Back from Berlin
Sixty-five years ago, 1st Lt. Bernerd Harding huddled in a cellar with a few other airmen captured by German farmers and buried his pilot’s wings, fearful he’d be beaten or shot as an American bomber pilot.
Now, at age 90, Harding wants his wings back. He’s headed to Germany on Sunday and hopes - with the help of a German doctor - to find the farmhouse cellar and dig up the 3-inch-long metal wings that he had proudly pinned to his shirt. The house was southwest of Berlin. (Good luck Lieutenant.)
Dan Brown’s New Book
A lot of Masons are bracing themselves for the release of Dan Brown’s new book, “The Lost Symbol.” The book is due out on Tuesday, September 15. Details of the book have been pretty hush-hush. But there have been some leaks on “Twitter.”
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/new_dan_brown_novel_means_extra_scrutiny_for_masons2/
My Main Squeezes (For cider)
Historic Franklin Cider Mill opens this weekend. I’ve been there many times. I love this place.
http://www.franklincidermill.com/
Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills is also a family favorite. It’s open Labor Day.
http://www.yatescidermill.com/index.php
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Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Do you ever pray before sex?
Newly-wed Roman Catholic couples are being encouraged to say a special prayer together before having sex. The “Prayer Before Making Love” is aimed at “purifying their intentions” so that the sex isn’t about selfishness or hedonism. It’s part of the 64 page ”Prayer Book for Spouses.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6125188/Say-a-prayer-before-sex.html
Get inside coach Tom Izzo’s head!
They’re calling him “Coach of the Ear.” Westview Orchards and Adventure Farm in Romeo has created a 6 acre corn maze, featuring the face of MSU Basketball Coach Tom Izzo. The corn maze opens on Saturday (Sept. 5)
www.westvieworchards.com
 Tom Izzo "Coach of the Ear" Corn Maze at Westview Orchard in Romeo Conspiracy Stuff
The video seems to show Michael Jackson climbing out of a coroner’s van. Nearrly a million people watched this video on You Tube in one day. Is it a hoax? YES! It was an experiment by the German broadcaster RTL aimed at showing how conspiracy theories can spread across the Internet.
www.youtube.com/user/michaeljacksonhoax
3-D… Without the Goofy Glasses
Sony says it plans to introduce
a liquid-crystal-display television capable of displaying 3-D video by the end of 2010, according to today’s Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125185525139778163.html
Sports and Religion
ESPN and Major League Baseball have agreed to switch the starting time of a Yankees-Red Sox game to avoid conflicting with Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.
ESPN says the Sept. 27 game will be played at 1 p.m.. It had been 8 p.m. to accommodate the ESPN schedule.
Yom Kippur begins at sundown.
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Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
What’s the calmest place on Earth?
Scientists, searching for the best new future observatory site in the world, say they’ve found it.
In Antarctica.
Although the winter temperature gets to 94 below zero, the atmosphere is so calm the stars don’t even appear to twinkle.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130655.htm
Dying.
If you’re dying, and you’re ready to die , should doctors legally and openly, be able to help you die? (If that’s what you want.)
The New York Times says the State of Montana could become the first state in the country to declare that medical aid in dying is a protected right under a state constitution.
The state’s highest court tomorrow will take up the controversial constitutional question.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/us/01montana.html
Preventing Breast Cancer
Doctors say nearly 40 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States could be prevented if women kept a healthy weight, drank less alcohol, exercised more and breastfed their babies.
According to a new study released today 70,000 breast cancer cases could be prevented in the United States alone every year.
Details. at www.dietandcancerreport.org.
Cardboard Coyotes. Cool!
School officials in Alexandria, Ky., have tried a bunch of ways to keep geese from making a mess of their athletic fields. Rubber snakes didn’t work. Chemicals didn’t work. But for some reason, the geese are scared of life sized, cardboard coyote cut outs.
Coincidentally, one of the school district’s mascots is (you guessed it) a coyote.
http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=courier-journal&sParam=31495021.story
Curses!
Is winning the lottery a curse?
A young British woman who won three million dollars in a U.K. Lottery six years ago, says for her…it has been a curse.
Callie Rogers says she blew the money on new homes, and expensive gifts for herself and her friends. She says she got breast implants and spent hundreds of thousands on cocaine. and tried to commit suicide several times.
She says after six years most of the money is gone and she’s working three cleaning jobs to make money.
She says in truth…winning the lottery ruined her life.
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212254192.shtml
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