"She writes that she asked Nichols if he wanted to see the danger of drugs and lifted up her tank top several inches to reveal a five-inch scar down the center of her torso _ the aftermath of a car wreck caused by drug-induced psychosis. She says she let go of the steering wheel when she heard a voice saying, "Let go and let God."The lesson I picked up: those voices in your head from God might be the horn of an oncomming car.
"The space elevator would be anchored to an offshore sea platform near the equator in the Pacific Ocean. At the other end in space, the ribbon would be attached to a small counterweight. Mechanical “lifters” — robotic elevator cars — would move up and down the ribbon, carrying such items as satellites, solar power systems and eventually people into space."Space elevator robot passes 1,000-foot mark - Space.com - MSNBC.com
Some scientists are beginning to sound warnings: all of that digital information we store may be unreadable and unusable to future generations."Jeff Rothenberg, a Rand Corporation scientist specializing in digital longevity, provides a hypothetical, very human example of the problems that flow from accelerating obsolescence.The digital Dark Age - Technology - smh.com.au
It is 2045, he suggests, and his grandchildren are exploring the attic of his old house when they come across a CD-ROM and a letter, which explains that the disk contains a document that provides directions to obtaining the family fortune. The children are excited. 'But they've never seen a CD before - except in old movies - and, even if they found a suitable disk drive, how will they run the software necessary to interpret the information on the disk? How can they read my obsolete digital document?'"
As emergency preparations gave way to coordinated actions and pleas for equipment, the recorded calls depict an emergency command center in Baton Rouge that became a center of frenzied activity.Check out the audio clips along the left side of the page.
As late as Saturday morning -- 48 hours before the storm struck -- officials were debating how best to handle an evacuation. At one point, Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans brought up a troubling issue: If community leaders simultaneously told residents to leave, gridlock could result.
The National Enquirer is reporting inside source's claims that the President is back on the sauce after years of sobriety. This was apparently brought on by the aftermath of the hurricane Katrina disaster."Bush, who said he quit drinking the morning after his 40th birthday, has started boozing amid the Katrina catastrophe.National Enquirer - Bush's Booze Crisis
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"When the levees broke in New Orleans, it apparently made him reach for a shot," said one insider. "He poured himself a Texas-sized shot of straight whiskey and tossed it back. The First Lady was shocked and shouted: "Stop George!"
BoingBoing links to an outrageous story about the Edmonton BC police force, who targeted a journalist after he wrote an article critical of the city's new automatic photo radar system.
I am totally pumped to see Beck this weekend, at Cleveland's House of Blues. If you've ever seen Beck perform live, you know what a great show this will be.
The BBC reports doctors at the Cleveland Clinic are going to attempt to transplant a donor-cadaver's face to a patient with severe facial disfigurement."After a year of discussions, the Cleveland Clinic won approval to go ahead with the operation from an internal review board, which included surgeons, psychiatrists, social workers, therapists, nurses and patient advocates.BBC NEWS | Health | US plans first face transplant
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Dr Siemionow told Associated Press: 'You want to choose patients who are really disfigured, not someone who has a little scar.'
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'It is our view that today's excellent conventional surgery combined with the very best psychological and social rehabilitation programmes can very effectively enable patients with severe disfigurements to live full and active lives.'"
Q. The big one: WHY?
A. Why not?
Talking like a pirate is fun. It's really that simple. It adds a zest, a swagger, to your every day conversation. Do you need another reason?
Try it out. Let go, have a beer, burp in public. Say "Aarrr!!" Feels good, doesn't it?
Summary:
"Michael Larsen, then an unemployed ice cream truck driver from Ohio, came to the conclusion that the swift, seemingly random flashing lights that bounced around the Press Your Luck board were hardly random at all. By taping the show religiously and pausing the tapes, Larsen discovered that there were just six light patterns on the board. With this bit of knowledge, he practiced at home while watching the show and realized that he could stop the board wherever and whenever he wanted, if he just had patience.Michael Larsen, PYL Legend from BoingBoing
Armed with that knowledge, a fifty-cent thrift store shirt on his back, and money borrowed for airfare to Los Angeles, Michael tried out for the show and was booked."
"If you don't stand for anything, you don't stand for anything" - GWBHere's a link:
"I hope my work stands the test of time: That years from now, people will look back on President Bush and think: 'I have no friggin' idea what that guy was talkin' about!...But he talked exactly what I wanted to hear.' " - Andy Dick
Police in nearby Wakeman OH have arrested a couple for keeping their 11 children in cages. The couple has said they were a danger to themselves, and this was for their own protection. The police are being "eh-hem" cagey about the details, but it seems as though they were all special-needs children, and they seem to be making very non-judgemental comments to the public on the subject. There may be some evidence that this was medically advised by a family doctor.
As previously reported, radio show "This American Life" interviewed survivors of the New Orleans disaster. The show is now online, and can be listened to from the convenience of your PC. It is an absolutely riveting interview, and highly, highly recommended.
"When I came out [of the washroom], he was waiting with a dark look on his face. Before I could speak, he raised his arm and hit me across the face, knocking my head on the pipes that ran down the wall behind me. Without a word, he walked away, leaving me dazed, shaky and with a sore head."
"The worry has always been that it's the factories, motor vehicles and coal-fired power stations that are major culprits when it comes to creating greenhouse gases.
But now fingers are being pointed at the Earth itself. Scientists in the UK say warmer temperatures are causing soils to "exhale" vast amounts of the greenhouse polluting gas, carbon dioxide"
