Seattle Times
Early this summer I asked an idle question of Seattle Times readers: What are the great spy novels written by authors who were actual spies?
Casual reading for the intellectually curious.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Spy novels by real spies: Anthony Burgess, John le Carré and others
By Mary Ann Gwinn
Seattle Times
Early this summer I asked an idle question of Seattle Times readers: What are the great spy novels written by authors who were actual spies?
Seattle Times
Early this summer I asked an idle question of Seattle Times readers: What are the great spy novels written by authors who were actual spies?
High-tech carts will tell on Cleveland residents who don't recycle ... and they face $100 fine
By Mark Gillispie, The Plain Dealer
Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It would be a stretch to say that Big Brother will hang out in Clevelanders' trash cans, but the city plans to sort through curbside trash to make sure residents are recycling -- and fine them $100 if they don't.
Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It would be a stretch to say that Big Brother will hang out in Clevelanders' trash cans, but the city plans to sort through curbside trash to make sure residents are recycling -- and fine them $100 if they don't.
Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Say
By DAVID STREITFELD
Housing will eventually recover from its great swoon. But many real estate experts now believe that home ownership will never again yield rewards like those enjoyed in the second half of the 20th century, when houses not only provided shelter but also a plump nest egg.
New York Times
Housing will eventually recover from its great swoon. But many real estate experts now believe that home ownership will never again yield rewards like those enjoyed in the second half of the 20th century, when houses not only provided shelter but also a plump nest egg.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Peace of Mind: The Battle Can we 'choose' happiness or is it a matter of circumstance and genes?
By Paul Beston
Wall Street Journal
New parents are sometimes asked whimsically what they want for their children when they grow up. The safest reply, and most common one today, is: "I just want them to be happy." Another possible reply, often unspoken but certainly part of most parents' thoughts about their children's future, might be: "I just want them to be good."
Wall Street Journal
New parents are sometimes asked whimsically what they want for their children when they grow up. The safest reply, and most common one today, is: "I just want them to be happy." Another possible reply, often unspoken but certainly part of most parents' thoughts about their children's future, might be: "I just want them to be good."
How 13 dog breeds got their names
By Ethan Trex
Mental Floss
(Mental Floss) -- Every dog owner knows why they gave their dog its name, but how well do you know the story behind their breed names? Let's take a look at where a handful of common breeds found their monikers.
Mental Floss
(Mental Floss) -- Every dog owner knows why they gave their dog its name, but how well do you know the story behind their breed names? Let's take a look at where a handful of common breeds found their monikers.
How I (Almost) Saved the Earth
No one said it would be easy to build the greenest house on the block. Scott Adams on perplexing energy bills, ugly lawns and the true meaning of 'green'
By Scott Adams
Wall Street Journal
Let's say you love the Earth. You see an article in a magazine about a guy who built a "green" house using mostly twigs, pinecones and abandoned bird nests. You want to build a green home, too. So you find an architect, show him the magazine and say, "Give me one just like this."
By Scott Adams
Wall Street Journal
Let's say you love the Earth. You see an article in a magazine about a guy who built a "green" house using mostly twigs, pinecones and abandoned bird nests. You want to build a green home, too. So you find an architect, show him the magazine and say, "Give me one just like this."
Saturday, August 21, 2010
What Spreads Faster Than Bedbugs? Stigma
By Emily B. Hager
New York Times
Jeremy Sparig spent months fighting bedbugs. Now, to some people, he is like a mattress left on the street, something best avoided in these times.
“They don’t want to hug you anymore; they don’t want you coming over,” said Mr. Sparig, of East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “You’re like a leper.”
Jeremy Sparig spent months fighting bedbugs. Now, to some people, he is like a mattress left on the street, something best avoided in these times.
“They don’t want to hug you anymore; they don’t want you coming over,” said Mr. Sparig, of East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “You’re like a leper.”
U.S. Inaction Lets Look-Alike Tubes Kill Patients
By Gardiner Harris
New York Times
Thirty-five weeks pregnant, Robin Rodgers was vomiting and losing weight, so her doctor hospitalized her and ordered that she be fed through a tube until the birth of her daughter.
Thirty-five weeks pregnant, Robin Rodgers was vomiting and losing weight, so her doctor hospitalized her and ordered that she be fed through a tube until the birth of her daughter.
DOD Releases Final Fort Hood Review
The United States Department of Defense
The Department of Defense (DoD) released today the final review of the recommendations from the independent report “Protecting the Force: Lessons Learned from Fort Hood.”
The Department of Defense (DoD) released today the final review of the recommendations from the independent report “Protecting the Force: Lessons Learned from Fort Hood.”
Friday, August 20, 2010
A Design Campaign for Bananas
By Rob Walker
New York Times
If you’ve ever wondered why it seems impossible to fill a grocery cart without adding at least one item whose packaging has been redesigned, the answer to your question is the fact that you’ve asked it. “New look! Same great taste!” openly confesses the blatant goal of catching your eye for no substantial reason. Humans have always noticed novelty, but it’s harder to get our attention in the multicolored and abundant context of a megamart, where one heap of bananas looks much like another.
Math Lessons for Locavores
By Stephen Budiansky
New York Times
IT’S 42 steps from my back door to the garden that keeps my family supplied nine months of the year with a modest cornucopia of lettuce, beets, spinach, beans, tomatoes, basil, corn, squash, brussels sprouts, the occasional celeriac and, once when I was feeling particularly energetic, a couple of small but undeniable artichokes. You’ll get no argument from me about the pleasures and advantages to the palate and the spirit of eating what’s local, fresh and in season.
But the local food movement now threatens to devolve into another one of those self-indulgent — and self-defeating — do-gooder dogmas.
New York Times
IT’S 42 steps from my back door to the garden that keeps my family supplied nine months of the year with a modest cornucopia of lettuce, beets, spinach, beans, tomatoes, basil, corn, squash, brussels sprouts, the occasional celeriac and, once when I was feeling particularly energetic, a couple of small but undeniable artichokes. You’ll get no argument from me about the pleasures and advantages to the palate and the spirit of eating what’s local, fresh and in season.
But the local food movement now threatens to devolve into another one of those self-indulgent — and self-defeating — do-gooder dogmas.
Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Salmonella from Eggs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
A bacterium, Salmonella Enteritidis, can be on both the outside and inside of eggs that appear to be normal, and if the eggs are eaten raw or undercooked, the bacterium can cause illness.
A bacterium, Salmonella Enteritidis, can be on both the outside and inside of eggs that appear to be normal, and if the eggs are eaten raw or undercooked, the bacterium can cause illness.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Watermelons Get Small
By Kim Severson
IN this dusty field filled with experimental watermelons off Highway 174, there is but one sound that matters.
It’s a deep, soft pop, like a cork slipping free from a wine bottle. You hear it when a pocket knife cracks the green rind on a watermelon so full of wet fruit that the outside can barely contain the inside. Also: How to Choose a Watermelon
New York Times
IN this dusty field filled with experimental watermelons off Highway 174, there is but one sound that matters.
It’s a deep, soft pop, like a cork slipping free from a wine bottle. You hear it when a pocket knife cracks the green rind on a watermelon so full of wet fruit that the outside can barely contain the inside. Also: How to Choose a Watermelon
Summaries for Patients: Does Admitting Mistakes to Patients Lead to More Lawsuits?
By Annals of Internal Medicine
Simplifying the Lives of Web Users
By David Pogue
New York Times
I’m about to make your life better. No need to thank me.
But first, a warning: On the way to understanding how your life will get better, you’ll have to read about some technical, fairly arcane topics. Trust me: it’ll be worth it.
New York Times
I’m about to make your life better. No need to thank me.
But first, a warning: On the way to understanding how your life will get better, you’ll have to read about some technical, fairly arcane topics. Trust me: it’ll be worth it.
The Six-Figure Fish Tank Catches On
By Jennifer A. Kingson
KARIN WILZIG has a hard time choosing a favorite color from among the 64 that she and her husband can use to illuminate the 14 1/2- foot, 450-gallon aquarium in their TriBeCa town house. The default is fuchsia, which turns the dozen koi a deep pink. Slide Show
New York Times
KARIN WILZIG has a hard time choosing a favorite color from among the 64 that she and her husband can use to illuminate the 14 1/2- foot, 450-gallon aquarium in their TriBeCa town house. The default is fuchsia, which turns the dozen koi a deep pink. Slide Show
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Web Connection Raises Chances of Romance
Study found having Internet access helps those having tough time finding a mate
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay
Healthfinder.gov
United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
MONDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Folks with Internet connections are more likely to be in a romantic relationship than folks without access to the Web, a new study shows.
MONDAY, Aug. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Folks with Internet connections are more likely to be in a romantic relationship than folks without access to the Web, a new study shows.
Gun-toting soccer moms a scary thought in D.C. area, but not out west
By Fredrick Kunkle
PHOENIX -- In the red rock and sand of the Arizona desert, just past the retirement villages and golf greens that have made this sun-worshipping city famous, sits the biggest public shooting range in the United States.
Washington Post
PHOENIX -- In the red rock and sand of the Arizona desert, just past the retirement villages and golf greens that have made this sun-worshipping city famous, sits the biggest public shooting range in the United States.
CONSUMER ALERT: EPA Advises Care When Selecting Pesticides for Bedbug Control
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to alert consumers that there has been an increase of individuals or companies who offer to control bedbugs with unrealistic promises of effectiveness or low cost. Because bed bug infestations are so difficult to control, there have been situations where pesticides that are not intended for indoor residential applications have been improperly used or applied at greater rates than the label allows. While controlling bedbugs is challenging, consumers should never use, or allow anyone else to use, a pesticide indoors that is intended for outdoor use, as indicated on the label. Using the wrong pesticide or using it incorrectly to treat for bedbugs can make you, your family, and your pets sick. It can also make your home unsafe to live in – and may not solve the bedbug problem.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to alert consumers that there has been an increase of individuals or companies who offer to control bedbugs with unrealistic promises of effectiveness or low cost. Because bed bug infestations are so difficult to control, there have been situations where pesticides that are not intended for indoor residential applications have been improperly used or applied at greater rates than the label allows. While controlling bedbugs is challenging, consumers should never use, or allow anyone else to use, a pesticide indoors that is intended for outdoor use, as indicated on the label. Using the wrong pesticide or using it incorrectly to treat for bedbugs can make you, your family, and your pets sick. It can also make your home unsafe to live in – and may not solve the bedbug problem.
Bankruptcy Filings Up 20 Percent in June
United States Federal Courts
Bankruptcy filings rose 20 percent in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2010, according to statistics released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A total of 1,572,597 bankruptcy cases were filed in federal courts in that period, compared to 1,306,315 bankruptcy cases filed in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2009. This is the highest number of bankruptcy filings for any period since many of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 took effect.
Bankruptcy filings rose 20 percent in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2010, according to statistics released today by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. A total of 1,572,597 bankruptcy cases were filed in federal courts in that period, compared to 1,306,315 bankruptcy cases filed in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2009. This is the highest number of bankruptcy filings for any period since many of the provisions of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 took effect.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
UK archivist says uncovers real-life Quasimodo
Reuters
(Reuters Life!) - A British archivist believes he has uncovered the real-life inspiration for French novelist Victor Hugo's mysterious character Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
(Reuters Life!) - A British archivist believes he has uncovered the real-life inspiration for French novelist Victor Hugo's mysterious character Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
High in the Andes, Keeping an Incan Mystery Alive
By Simon Romero
New York Times
AN CRISTÓBAL DE RAPAZ, Peru — The route to this village 13,000 feet above sea level runs from the desert coast up hairpin bends, delivering the mix of exhilaration and terror that Andean roads often provide. Condors soar above mist-shrouded crags. Quechua-speaking herders squint at strangers who arrive gasping in the thin air.
New York Times
AN CRISTÓBAL DE RAPAZ, Peru — The route to this village 13,000 feet above sea level runs from the desert coast up hairpin bends, delivering the mix of exhilaration and terror that Andean roads often provide. Condors soar above mist-shrouded crags. Quechua-speaking herders squint at strangers who arrive gasping in the thin air.
Study: Surgery May Reduce Diabetics' Need for Drugs
By Jennifer Corbett Dooren
Wall Street Journal
The majority of people with diabetes who had bariatric surgery to lose weight were able to stop taking their diabetes medications, which led to a significant decline in health-care costs, according to a study released Monday.
Wall Street Journal
The majority of people with diabetes who had bariatric surgery to lose weight were able to stop taking their diabetes medications, which led to a significant decline in health-care costs, according to a study released Monday.
Beloit College Mindset List
Beloit, Wis. – Born when Ross Perot was warning about a giant sucking sound and Bill Clinton was apologizing for pain in his marriage, members of this fall’s entering college class of 2014 have emerged as a post-email generation for whom the digital world is routine and technology is just too slow.
Each August since 1998, Beloit College has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college this fall. The creation of Beloit’s Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and former Public Affairs Director Ron Nief, it was originally created as a reminder to faculty to be aware of dated references, and quickly became a catalog of the rapidly changing worldview of each new generation. The Mindset List website at www.beloit.edu/mindset, the Mediasite webcast and its Facebook page receive more than 400,000 hits annually.
Becoming a Squinter Nation
Glasses Can Correct Near and Far, but What About Those Screens in Between?
By Melinda Beck
Wall Street Journal
There isn't a name for it and few eye doctors test for it. But many people are having trouble seeing in the middle distance that demands so much of our focus.
Some 80% of us use computers, staring intently on screens set well between typical distance and reading range, often for many hours each day. Add in laptops, pagers, e-readers, smartphones, personal-digital assistants and hand-held video games, each with its own optimum distance and tiny flickering screen, and the demands on human eyes today would baffle even Benjamin Franklin, inventor of the bifocal in the late 18th century.
Wall Street Journal
There isn't a name for it and few eye doctors test for it. But many people are having trouble seeing in the middle distance that demands so much of our focus.
Some 80% of us use computers, staring intently on screens set well between typical distance and reading range, often for many hours each day. Add in laptops, pagers, e-readers, smartphones, personal-digital assistants and hand-held video games, each with its own optimum distance and tiny flickering screen, and the demands on human eyes today would baffle even Benjamin Franklin, inventor of the bifocal in the late 18th century.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Start-Ups on a Shoestring
The tales of three entrepreneurs who launched companies—for less than $150
By Colleen Debaise, Sarah E. Needleman and Emily Maltby
Wall Street Journal
You don't have to break the bank to start a business.
For many would-be entrepreneurs, money is the insurmountable hurdle. They hunger to strike out on their own, but don't have a big pile of cash to invest in a start-up that might not churn a profit for years to come. And they're reluctant to stake what cash they do have while the economy is still shaky.
By Colleen Debaise, Sarah E. Needleman and Emily Maltby
Wall Street Journal
You don't have to break the bank to start a business.
For many would-be entrepreneurs, money is the insurmountable hurdle. They hunger to strike out on their own, but don't have a big pile of cash to invest in a start-up that might not churn a profit for years to come. And they're reluctant to stake what cash they do have while the economy is still shaky.
Another Threat to Economy: Boomers Cutting Back
By Mark Whitehouse
Wall Street Journal
America's baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—face a problem that could weigh on the economy for years to come: The longer it takes for the economy to recover, the less money they'll have to spend in retirement.
Wall Street Journal
America's baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—face a problem that could weigh on the economy for years to come: The longer it takes for the economy to recover, the less money they'll have to spend in retirement.
Rise of the Ratfish in Puget Sound
By Sandi Doughton
Seattle Times
ASK A NORTHWESTERNER to pick the creature that epitomizes Puget Sound, and odds are the answer will be orcas or salmon.
Ask Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Wayne Palsson, and he'll tell you the ugly truth: Ratfish rule.
Seattle Times
ASK A NORTHWESTERNER to pick the creature that epitomizes Puget Sound, and odds are the answer will be orcas or salmon.
Ask Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Wayne Palsson, and he'll tell you the ugly truth: Ratfish rule.
Moose Offer Trail of Clues on Arthritis
By Pam Belluck
In the 100 years since the first moose swam into Lake Superior and set up shop on an island, they have mostly minded their moosely business, munching balsam fir and trying to evade hungry gray wolves.
But now the moose of Isle Royale have something to say — well, their bones do. Many of the moose, it turns out, have arthritis. And scientists believe their condition’s origin can help explain human osteoarthritis — by far the most common type of arthritis, affecting one of every seven adults 25 and older and becoming increasingly prevalent.
New York Times
In the 100 years since the first moose swam into Lake Superior and set up shop on an island, they have mostly minded their moosely business, munching balsam fir and trying to evade hungry gray wolves.
But now the moose of Isle Royale have something to say — well, their bones do. Many of the moose, it turns out, have arthritis. And scientists believe their condition’s origin can help explain human osteoarthritis — by far the most common type of arthritis, affecting one of every seven adults 25 and older and becoming increasingly prevalent.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Your Card Has Been Declined, Just as You Wanted
By Ron Lieber
Coming soon: credit and debit cards that cut you off when you disregard your own monthly budget.
In the next couple of days, MasterCardis expected to announce that Citigroupwill be the first company in the United States to issue MasterCards with special features intended to protect consumers not only from thieves but also from themselves.
New York Times
Coming soon: credit and debit cards that cut you off when you disregard your own monthly budget.
In the next couple of days, MasterCardis expected to announce that Citigroupwill be the first company in the United States to issue MasterCards with special features intended to protect consumers not only from thieves but also from themselves.
Medical treatment carries possible side effect of limiting homosexuality
A prenatal pill for congenital adrenal hyperplasia to prevent ambiguous genitalia may reduce the chance that a female with the disorder will be gay. Critics call it engineering for sexual orientation.
By Shari Roan
Each year in the United States, perhaps a few dozen pregnantwomen learn they are carrying a fetus at risk for a rare disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The condition causes an accumulation of male hormones and can, in females, lead to genitals so masculinized that it can be difficult at birth to determine the baby's gender.
By Shari Roan
Los Angeles Times
Each year in the United States, perhaps a few dozen pregnantwomen learn they are carrying a fetus at risk for a rare disorder known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The condition causes an accumulation of male hormones and can, in females, lead to genitals so masculinized that it can be difficult at birth to determine the baby's gender.
Same-Sex Marriage Debate Has Roots Going Back Centuries
By Stephanie Pappas
Live Science
In the late 1700s, something disturbing happened to marriage in Western societies: It began to change. Young people had revolutionary new ideas about the institution and what it meant to them.
In the late 1700s, something disturbing happened to marriage in Western societies: It began to change. Young people had revolutionary new ideas about the institution and what it meant to them.
Japan, Checking on Its Oldest, Finds Many Gone
By Martin Fackler
New York Times
TOKYO — Japan has long boasted of having many of the world’s oldest people — testament, many here say, to a society with a superior diet and a commitment to its elderly that is unrivaled in the West.
That was before the police found the body of a man thought to be one of Japan’s oldest, at 111 years, mummified in his bed, dead for more than three decades. His daughter, now 81, hid his death to continue collecting his monthly pension payments, the police said.
New York Times
TOKYO — Japan has long boasted of having many of the world’s oldest people — testament, many here say, to a society with a superior diet and a commitment to its elderly that is unrivaled in the West.
That was before the police found the body of a man thought to be one of Japan’s oldest, at 111 years, mummified in his bed, dead for more than three decades. His daughter, now 81, hid his death to continue collecting his monthly pension payments, the police said.
Amish settle in Colorado's San Luis Valley, diversifying to support families
By Ann Schrader
The Denver Post
MONTE VISTA — Faced with challenges to their traditional agricultural lifestyle, the Amish are adapting to vastly different economic opportunities in their new Colorado settlements. Graphic: Amish Population Changes
The Denver Post
MONTE VISTA — Faced with challenges to their traditional agricultural lifestyle, the Amish are adapting to vastly different economic opportunities in their new Colorado settlements. Graphic: Amish Population Changes
Back-to-school PCs cheaper, show more pizazz
By Peter Svensson
(The Associated Press)
Looking at getting a new PC for the fall semester? Here's a jolt of cheer in these uncertain times: PCs are not only cheaper than ever, there's real innovation going on, yielding interesting new choices.
This is a rundown of options in several price categories.
(The Associated Press)
Seattle Times
Looking at getting a new PC for the fall semester? Here's a jolt of cheer in these uncertain times: PCs are not only cheaper than ever, there's real innovation going on, yielding interesting new choices.
This is a rundown of options in several price categories.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Perils of 'Wannabe Cool' Christianity
By Brett McCracken
Wall Street Journal
'How can we stop the oil gusher?" may have been the question of the summer for most Americans. Yet for many evangelical pastors and leaders, the leaking well is nothing compared to the threat posed by an ongoing gusher of a different sort: Young people pouring out of their churches, never to return.
Wall Street Journal
'How can we stop the oil gusher?" may have been the question of the summer for most Americans. Yet for many evangelical pastors and leaders, the leaking well is nothing compared to the threat posed by an ongoing gusher of a different sort: Young people pouring out of their churches, never to return.
Packing for College, 2010 Style
Hidden financial traps are snaring even the best and brightest on campus—and their parents. Here is how to make sure you don't flunk Money 101.
By Karen Blumenthal
Wall Street Journal
As you help pack up the minifridge, laptop and extra-long twin sheets for your college freshman, you might consider a few other last-minute chores:
By Karen Blumenthal
Wall Street Journal
As you help pack up the minifridge, laptop and extra-long twin sheets for your college freshman, you might consider a few other last-minute chores:
The Power Trip
Contrary to the Machiavellian cliché, nice people are more likely to rise to power. Then something strange happens: Authority atrophies the very talents that got them there.
By Jonah Lehrer
By Jonah Lehrer
Wall Street Journal
When CEO Mark Hurd resigned from Hewlett-Packard last week in light of ethics violations, many people expressed surprise. Mr. Hurd, after all, was known as an unusually effective and straight-laced executive.
When CEO Mark Hurd resigned from Hewlett-Packard last week in light of ethics violations, many people expressed surprise. Mr. Hurd, after all, was known as an unusually effective and straight-laced executive.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Who's a Pirate? In Court, A Duel Over Definitions
By Keith Johnson
Wall Street Journal
NORFOLK, Va.—Not since Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy sailed back triumphantly to nearby Hampton Roads in 1718 with the severed head of Blackbeard swinging from his bowsprit has this Navy town been so embroiled in the fight against piracy. Interactive Graphic
Wall Street Journal
NORFOLK, Va.—Not since Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy sailed back triumphantly to nearby Hampton Roads in 1718 with the severed head of Blackbeard swinging from his bowsprit has this Navy town been so embroiled in the fight against piracy. Interactive Graphic
Baby sitters too costly? Check out rates in these Top 10 sitter cities.
By Mark Trumbull
Christian Science Monitor
Virginia Beach, Va., may be the best city in the United States for parents to find a baby sitter, according to a ranking by the online service Sittercity. The service, which matches parents with sitters who post their availability on the Sittercity's website, weighed metro areas based on both costs and the number of sitters available.
Christian Science Monitor
Virginia Beach, Va., may be the best city in the United States for parents to find a baby sitter, according to a ranking by the online service Sittercity. The service, which matches parents with sitters who post their availability on the Sittercity's website, weighed metro areas based on both costs and the number of sitters available.
The Secrets of Songwriters
Whether they're poets or hired guns, modern lyricists are fighting to keep their words in tune with a wildly changing music business. How top writers, from country to hip-hop, nail the phrases they hope will last forever.
By John Jurgensen
Wall Street Journal
It's close to midnight in a Manhattan recording studio, and a songwriter is listening to a work in progress, one that he hopes millions will soon know by heart. He'd recently improvised the lyrics in the vocal booth, including the chorus: "If you're the country, I'm your new citizen." Now, he sings along with the playback in a soft, high voice. If all goes to plan, however, the voice forever linked to "Citizen" will be that of Beyoncé Knowles, the superstar singer in the next room, who's been gathering songs for a new album.
Wall Street Journal
It's close to midnight in a Manhattan recording studio, and a songwriter is listening to a work in progress, one that he hopes millions will soon know by heart. He'd recently improvised the lyrics in the vocal booth, including the chorus: "If you're the country, I'm your new citizen." Now, he sings along with the playback in a soft, high voice. If all goes to plan, however, the voice forever linked to "Citizen" will be that of Beyoncé Knowles, the superstar singer in the next room, who's been gathering songs for a new album.
The top countries on Facebook (chart)
Posted in Main on August 12th, 2010 by Pingdom
Facebook recently passed an incredible milestone, 500 million active users. And it keeps growing.
Although Facebook initially focused on the United States, it soon turned its eyes towards the horizon and the rest of the world. And it’s a tactic that’s been working extremely well. Facebook’s current user base is more than 1.6 times the size of the entire US population. If Facebook were a country, it’d be second only to China and India.
Facebook recently passed an incredible milestone, 500 million active users. And it keeps growing.
Although Facebook initially focused on the United States, it soon turned its eyes towards the horizon and the rest of the world. And it’s a tactic that’s been working extremely well. Facebook’s current user base is more than 1.6 times the size of the entire US population. If Facebook were a country, it’d be second only to China and India.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live
By Kate Murphy
New York Times
When Adam Savage, host of the popular science program “MythBusters,” posted a picture on Twitter of his automobile parked in front of his house, he let his fans know much more than that he drove a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Embedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken.
Embedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Moving From South Asia to U.S.
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.
New York Times
A dangerous new mutation that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics has become increasingly common in India and Pakistan and is being found in patients in Britain and the United States who got medical care in those countries, according to new studies.
New York Times
A dangerous new mutation that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics has become increasingly common in India and Pakistan and is being found in patients in Britain and the United States who got medical care in those countries, according to new studies.
Are Americans Bigots?
Wall Street Journal
When in 1983 Ronald Reagan characterized the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," the reaction from his betters was swift. Writing in the New York Times, Anthony Lewis called it "primitive"—and wondered (naturally) what the Europeans would think. A headline in Time referred derisively to "The Right Rev. Ronald Reagan." All agreed on one thing: this kind of black-and-white moralizing had no place in American politics.
When in 1983 Ronald Reagan characterized the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," the reaction from his betters was swift. Writing in the New York Times, Anthony Lewis called it "primitive"—and wondered (naturally) what the Europeans would think. A headline in Time referred derisively to "The Right Rev. Ronald Reagan." All agreed on one thing: this kind of black-and-white moralizing had no place in American politics.
Discovering Hats, a New Generation Brims With Anxiety Over Etiquette
By Ray A. Smith
Wall Street Journal
Hector Ramirez sort of knows, from watching old movies, that men are supposed to take off their hats when indoors. But the 19-year-old Brown University student wears fedoras in class—with jeans—anyway. Slideshow: A History of Hats
Wall Street Journal
Hector Ramirez sort of knows, from watching old movies, that men are supposed to take off their hats when indoors. But the 19-year-old Brown University student wears fedoras in class—with jeans—anyway. Slideshow: A History of Hats
'Twilight' leads Quileute tribe to help museum tell its true story
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times
Wolves that once roamed the wild Olympics, the stories say, were the first Quileute ancestors, transfigured by Kwati, a shape shifter and transformer as old and familiar here as the mist that rolls in from the Pacific.
Seattle Times
Wolves that once roamed the wild Olympics, the stories say, were the first Quileute ancestors, transfigured by Kwati, a shape shifter and transformer as old and familiar here as the mist that rolls in from the Pacific.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Leaving a Job With a Bus, Not a Slide
By Michael Wilson
How thrilling the ride off the back of a jet and down that inflatable emergency slide must have been for Steven Slater, flight attendant — cold beer in his hand, wind in his hair, the seat of his JetBlue uniform gliding merrily toward the runway. Woo-hoo!
New York Times
How thrilling the ride off the back of a jet and down that inflatable emergency slide must have been for Steven Slater, flight attendant — cold beer in his hand, wind in his hair, the seat of his JetBlue uniform gliding merrily toward the runway. Woo-hoo!
Competing For a Mate May Shorten Men's Lives, Study Suggests
Healfinder.gov
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In certain situations, competing for a mate may shorten a man's life.
U.S. researchers found that when men reach sexual maturity in settings where they far outnumber women, they live an average of three months less than males from areas with a more equitable gender ratio.
TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In certain situations, competing for a mate may shorten a man's life.
U.S. researchers found that when men reach sexual maturity in settings where they far outnumber women, they live an average of three months less than males from areas with a more equitable gender ratio.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Stephen Hawking: mankind must move to outer space within a century
By Richard Alleyne
Telegraph (U.K.)
The renowned astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and its future "must be in space" if it is to survive.
The renowned astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and its future "must be in space" if it is to survive.
Slumdog Tourism
By Kennedy Odede
New York Times
SLUM tourism has a long history — during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy New Yorkers snaked along the Bowery and through the Lower East Side to see “how the other half lives.”
SLUM tourism has a long history — during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy New Yorkers snaked along the Bowery and through the Lower East Side to see “how the other half lives.”
That Middle-of-the-Night Bellyache: Appendicitis?
By Perri Klass, M.D.
New York Times
Let’s start with “Madeline.” In that classic children’s story by Ludwig Bemelmans, published in 1939, the little French girl of the title is awakened in the night by severe abdominal pain, and the doctor races to get her to the operating table.
New York Times
Let’s start with “Madeline.” In that classic children’s story by Ludwig Bemelmans, published in 1939, the little French girl of the title is awakened in the night by severe abdominal pain, and the doctor races to get her to the operating table.
China Seizes on a Dark Chapter for Tibet
By Edward Wong
New York Times
GYANTSE, Tibet — The white fortress loomed above the fields, a crumbling but still imposing redoubt perched on a rock mound above a plain of golden rapeseed shimmering in the morning light.
New York Times
GYANTSE, Tibet — The white fortress loomed above the fields, a crumbling but still imposing redoubt perched on a rock mound above a plain of golden rapeseed shimmering in the morning light.
A Masterpiece of Nature? Yuck!
By Natalie Angier
New York Times
A friend recently sent around an e-mail with the subject line “lost cat bulletin.” Open the message and — gack! — there was a head-on shot of a star-nosed mole, its “Dawn of the Dead” digging claws in full view and its hallmark nasal boutonniere of 22 highly sensitive feelers looking like fresh bits of sirloin being extruded through a meat grinder. Slideshow
New York Times
A friend recently sent around an e-mail with the subject line “lost cat bulletin.” Open the message and — gack! — there was a head-on shot of a star-nosed mole, its “Dawn of the Dead” digging claws in full view and its hallmark nasal boutonniere of 22 highly sensitive feelers looking like fresh bits of sirloin being extruded through a meat grinder. Slideshow
How Parkinson's Alters the Brain
By Shirley S. Wang
Wall Street Journal
Patients with Parkinson's disease are known to exhibit slowed movements and tremors, but one aspect of their condition is often overlooked: cognitive impairment.
Unlike with Alzheimer's and other dementias, patients with Parkinson's don't lose their memory. Instead, they may develop trouble with planning, making decisions and controlling their emotions, and often exhibit changes in personality as a result.
Wall Street Journal
Patients with Parkinson's disease are known to exhibit slowed movements and tremors, but one aspect of their condition is often overlooked: cognitive impairment.
Unlike with Alzheimer's and other dementias, patients with Parkinson's don't lose their memory. Instead, they may develop trouble with planning, making decisions and controlling their emotions, and often exhibit changes in personality as a result.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Top 3 Things Not to Carry On Your Flight
By: Editor | August 09, 2010 | Category: Travel
GovGab Your U. S. Government Blog
Airline travel has gotten so complicated. Security lines are long; there are extra fees for baggage; adults need to keep out their federal or state-issued ID through the checkpoint; and there are restrictions on what can be carried onto the flight. TheTransportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website is the first place to go to find out the truth about these restrictions.
GovGab Your U. S. Government Blog
Airline travel has gotten so complicated. Security lines are long; there are extra fees for baggage; adults need to keep out their federal or state-issued ID through the checkpoint; and there are restrictions on what can be carried onto the flight. TheTransportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website is the first place to go to find out the truth about these restrictions.
Cellphone Service by the Day, Month or Tankful
By Thomas J. Fitzgerald
New York Times
The two-year contract.
To the cellphone carriers, it is the centerpiece of their business model, promising a steady stream of revenue by handcuffing customers to their phones.
On the other side of the contract is the consumer, locked to a phone or a carrier as competitors offer less expensive or better alternatives.
New York Times
The two-year contract.
To the cellphone carriers, it is the centerpiece of their business model, promising a steady stream of revenue by handcuffing customers to their phones.
On the other side of the contract is the consumer, locked to a phone or a carrier as competitors offer less expensive or better alternatives.
Many Girls Now Begin Puberty at Age 7, 8
Healthfinder.gov
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
MONDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The onset of puberty is continuing to drop among American girls, with many girls as young as 7 and 8 now showing the beginnings of breast development, new research shows.
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
MONDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The onset of puberty is continuing to drop among American girls, with many girls as young as 7 and 8 now showing the beginnings of breast development, new research shows.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
This Bedbug’s Life
By May Berenbaum
New York Times
I had been a professor of entomology for 15 years before I saw my first live bedbug. It crawled out of a plastic film canister that had been mailed to me by a distraught student in the Boston area who had no idea what it was. I was so thrilled to see a live bedbug, I showed it off to every graduate student I ran into that day: Cimex lectularius — a small, flat, wingless, brown ectoparasite that hides in cracks and crevices in human dwellings and emerges under cover of darkness to feast on human blood.
New York Times
I had been a professor of entomology for 15 years before I saw my first live bedbug. It crawled out of a plastic film canister that had been mailed to me by a distraught student in the Boston area who had no idea what it was. I was so thrilled to see a live bedbug, I showed it off to every graduate student I ran into that day: Cimex lectularius — a small, flat, wingless, brown ectoparasite that hides in cracks and crevices in human dwellings and emerges under cover of darkness to feast on human blood.
Touch Affects Impressions, Decisions
National Institute of Health
Something you’re touching can influence how you feel about unrelated events, situations and objects without you realizing it, according to new research.
Something you’re touching can influence how you feel about unrelated events, situations and objects without you realizing it, according to new research.
But Will It Make You Happy?
By Stephanie Rosenbloom
SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”
So one day she stepped off.
New York Times
SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”
So one day she stepped off.
Divorce Insurance (Yes, Divorce Insurance)
By Jennifer Saranow Schultz
New York Times
Here’s a new option for those worried they’ll end up on the wrong side of the statistics that show so many marriages ending over time: divorce insurance.
New York Times
Here’s a new option for those worried they’ll end up on the wrong side of the statistics that show so many marriages ending over time: divorce insurance.
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