(New Scientist) The planet is getting lusher, and we are responsible. Carbon dioxide generated by human activity is stimulating photosynthesis and causing a beneficial greening of the Earth’s surface.
For the first time, researchers claim to have shown that the increase in plant cover is due to this “CO2 fertilisation effect” rather than other causes. However, it remains unclear whether the effect can counter any negative consequences of global warming, such as the spread of deserts.
Recent satellite studies have shown that the planet is harbouring more vegetation overall, but pinning down the cause has been difficult. Factors such as higher temperatures, extra rainfall, and an increase in atmospheric CO2 – which helps plants use water more efficiently – could all be boosting vegetation.
Carbon emissions helping to make Earth greener - New Scientist - New Scientist
Heather McGill, the wife of Alabama state senator Shadrack McGill, recently took to Facebook to warn other women not go near her man. Particularly, Mrs. McGill's warning is directed at strippers.
As Al.com reported:
"During the campaign, we had two strippers come to my house at 1 o'clock in the morning," Sen. McGill said.
He said the women were beating on the door."Me and my wife both got up to address the situation. They did inform me that they were strippers at a particular club in Huntsville," Sen. McGill said.
He declined to name the women's place of employment, or to speculate about why the women came to his door. (He did, jokingly, say they were there due to "car trouble.")
Senator's Wife Publicly Begs Strippers to Leave Her Husband Alone | The Weekly Standard
THE $1.2 billion Tugun desalination plant continues to be a drain on taxpayers with a shocking report revealing it can cost up to $1 million a week to operate.
Despite the costs, the Government is making no moves to mothball the plant which has been plagued with controversy and budget blowouts almost since its inception. Desal plant haemorrhaging money Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The expected U.S. "Great Recovery" hasn't materialized and the economy has fallen short of even normal growth according to a forecast released Wednesday.
The second-quarter UCLA Anderson Forecast said the growth of real gross domestic product - meaning the inflation-adjusted value of goods and services produced - is too small to help the nation climb out of its slump. News from The Associated Press
Remarkable images show a baby scrunching up its face as if in pain
while still in the womb.So here’s the thing — we cannot wait for the next presidential election to get fired up and ready to go. We cannot wait. Right now, today, we have an obligation to stand up for those kids. And I don’t care what you believe in, we don’t –
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
MRS. OBAMA: Wait, wait, wait. One of the things –
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
MRS. OBAMA: One of the things that I don’t do well is this. (Applause.) Do you understand? (Applause.) One of the things — now –
(Inaudible audience interruption.)
MRS. OBAMA: So let me make the point that I was making before: We are here for our kids. (Applause.) So we must recapture that passion, that same urgency and energy that we felt back in 2008 and 2012. Understand this. This is what I want you all to understand, this is not about us — no one back here. It’s not about you or you, or your issue or your thing. This is about our children. (Applause.)
Did you know lifeguards in Surfers Paradise call the surf -
left of the flags English Channel and to the right Oriental Express..
POLICE will saturate the roads this long weekend after a horror five days which have seen seven people killed in NSW.Officers will be conducting high visibility patrols, mobile and stationary random breath tests and random drug tests.Double demerit points will be in force and for speeding, seat belt and motorcycle helmet offences from Friday to midnight Monday night.Out of the seven deaths three of the accidents involved four disqualified or unlicensed drivers. After seven deaths in five days cops vow to end the carnage over long weekend | thetelegraph.com.au
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Corruption, Federal Reserve |
The Islamic Republic's Sharia law-controlled judiciary dismissed the concerns of critics of its barbaric penal system and voted to retain stoning as the penalty for sex outside of marriage. Embracing the Stone Age: Iran retains medieval penalty for adultery | Fox News
Manufacturing has begun to contract in the US and China for the first time since the Lehman crisis, raising fears of a synchronized downturn in the world’s two largest economies.
The closely-watched ISM index of US factories tumbled through the “boom-bust line” of 50 to 49, far below expectations. It is the lowest since the depths of the crisis in mid-2009 and a clear sign that US budget cuts are starting to squeeze the economy. New orders plunged 3.5 to 48.8 on weak foreign demand and reduced federal contracts.The news came hours after HSBC said its index for China also fell below 50, a major inflexion point for the world’s industrial workshop. Global shock as manufacturing contracts in US and China - Telegraph
A former insider at the World Bank, ex-Senior Counsel Karen Hudes, says the global financial system is dominated by a small group of corrupt, power-hungry figures centered around the privately owned U.S. Federal Reserve.
The network has seized control of the media to cover up its crimes, too, she explained. In an interview with The New American, Hudes said that when she tried to blow the whistle on multiple problems at the World Bank, she was fired for her efforts. Now, along with a network of fellow whistleblowers, Hudes is determined to expose and end the corruption. And she is confident of success.
World Bank Insider Blows Whistle on Corruption, Federal Reserve
Five years ago, a female deer was hit outside of a Michigan couple's home in Genesee County.
The deer suddenly went into labor and gave birth to twins. One of the twins died, but the other survived. Not knowing what to do with the near-dead baby, the couple, who would like to remain anonymous, asked the responding police officer if they could try and nurse it back to health. 'Go ahead. She won't last 15 minutes but give it a try.'
Veterinarians and caregivers at UC Davis bid farewell Monday to the faceless wonder dog who drew international attention after she leaped on a speeding motorcycle and saved two girls from being run over in the Philippines.
The muzzle-less mongrel named Kabang chewed treats, tossed around a squeaky toy and wagged her tail furiously after she was given a clean bill of health by specialists at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis.
Vegetarians live longer than meat-eaters, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, a Journal of the American Medical Association.
The authors tracked 73,308 members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for almost six years. The church is known for promoting a vegetarian diet, though not all of its followers adhere to that teaching. Researchers found out what type of diet participants ate, then followed up to find out how many of those participants had died and how.
A raunchy TV ad featuring ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has been banned for being sexist and degrading to women.The ad, for web hosting service Crazy Domains uk, featured the Barb Wire star in a boardroom full of men.
While addressing the board Anderson and her assistant, Vanessa, show a lot of cleavage and one of the men fantasises about the pair dancing in bikinis while covered in cream... more 》 Pamela Anderson TV ad banned for being 'sexist and degrading to women'
Australia is facing record inflows of asylum-seekers arriving on people-smuggling boats from Southeast Asia, with numbers expected to top 25,000 in the year to June 30.To reduce the burden on immigration detention facilities the government has been forced to release thousands of applicants into the community on spartan welfare with a ban on working.Charity groups have been forced to meet the shortfall, providing shelter, food and medicine for refugees struggling to make ends meet. Homelessness rising in Australia: study - Yahoo! News Singapore
Cameron Johnston is a 21-year-old former Australian Rules Football player.He’s also expected to be the next punter for Ohio State. If the coach who trained him is correct, Johnston will turn what is a question mark on the 2013 Buckeyes into an exclamation point.“He has an explosive leg unlike anything that I think anyone at Ohio State will have seen,” said Nathan Chapman, who trained Johnston at Prokick Australia in Melbourne.Ohio State has not confirmed Johnston’s signing, but Chapman said it is official. Johnston’s flight from Australia to the United States left tonight. Chapman suspected that Ohio State is waiting until he arrives before making an announcement. Australian punter coming to Ohio State | The Columbus Dispatch
Want to switch off the living room lights from bed, change channels while washing dishes, or turn the heat up from the couch?
A team at the University of Washington has rigged a standard Wi-Fi home network to detect your movements anywhere in the home and convert them into commands to control connected devices.
Gesture recognition is the latest fad in games and tech, but even the newest systems require high-tech depth-sensing cameras or other special hardware....more》 The Wi-Fi in your home can track your moves like Xbox Kinect - NBC News.com
Michelle Obama began speaking at 6:07 under a white tent in the backyard of the residence of Karen Dixon and Nan Schaffer in NW DC.
Michelle Obama was introduced by Dixon. Debbie Wasserman Schultz also in attendance.
Michelle Obama was wearing a dark blue sleeveless shirt dress, with a black belt and pumps.
Most notable part of the event was an interruption from a protester about 12 minutes into the 20-minute speech. A pro-LGBT rights individual standing at the front began shouting for an executive order on gay rights. (Pool did not hear exactly what.) "One of the things I don't do well is this," replied Michelle Obama to loud applause.
Michelle Obama left the lectern and moved over to the protester, saying they could "listen to me or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving. You all decide. You have one choice."
Crowd started shouting that they wanted Michelle Obama to stay. "You need to go!" said one woman near the protester.
The protester was then escorted out, shouting "...lesbian looking for federal equality before I die." (First part of the quote was inaudible.) Pool could not get their name before they were taken out.
Michelle Obama finished speaking at 6:27, then shook hands and took pictures with attendees. Pool was ushered out immediately after the speech.
NEGOTIATIONS over the funding of the GC600 car race began this week with new V8 Supercars chief executive James Warburton, amid fears this year could be the Surfers Paradise event's last.
Minister for Tourism, Major Events and Commonwealth Games, Jann Stuckey, yesterday said the funding for this year's race was part of yesterday's State Budget but she could not commit to 2014 and beyond.... more》 GC 600, beach repairs in limbo Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Tried everything and just cant seem to lose weight? Have no self control? Here is something that may stop you dead in your tracks when you go for that snack late at night.... The 'miracle' patch!
The 'miracle' patch which is sewn onto the tongue and makes it very difficult to eat is the latest in extreme weight-loss methods.
The 'miracle' patch, which is secured to the tongue with six stitches, makes consuming solid food so painful that users are forced to resort to a liquid-only diet.
Launched in 2009 by Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Nikolas Chugay, the procedure can apparently help you lose up to 30lbs in one month - but not without uncomfortable side effects.
The rapper's lyrics include descriptions of a woman being murdered in a basement and subjected to sexual abuse after death, as well as descriptions of cannibalism of female body parts.
The Earlwolf event, which also includes Earl Sweatshirt is for adults only in Perth and Melbourne, but the Eatons Hill venue north Brisbane allows children. US hip-hop singer who raps about rape and murdering women granted visa by Federal Government | The Courier-Mail
#12 Suddenly Australia is experiencing some tremendous economic challenges. The following quotes are from a recentZero Hedge article...-
“We’re seeing a much sharper contraction in the Australian economy than we’d anticipated four or five months ago”.Coffey MD, John Douglas.
The engineering group has seen its shares, which traded above $4 in 2007, hit 10c last week.-“By 10am, the Fitness First gym in the city is packed full of brokers who’ve had a gutful of sitting at their desk doing nothing – salary cuts are starting and next it will be jobs” Perth broker
“Oh mate, the funding market is dead. You are now seeing a few deeply discounted rights issues for those that are reaching desperate levels ….. liquidity has completely disappeared” Perth broker
#1 The eurozone is now in the midst of its longest recession ever. Economic activity in the eurozone has declined for six quarters in a row.
#2 Italy's economy has now been contracting for seven quarters in a row.
#3 Industrial production in Italy has fallen for 15 months in a row. It has now fallen to its lowest level in about 25 years.
#4 The number of people that are considered to be "seriously deprived" in Italy has doubled over the past two years.
#5 Consumer confidence in France has just hit a new all-time low.
#6 The number of unemployed workers seeking a job in France has hit a brand new all-time record high. Many unemployed workers in France are utterly frustrated at this point...
The rest here 》 18 Signs That Massive Economic Problems Are Erupting All Over The Planet
So what is a Hindenburg Omen? It is the alignment of several technical factors that measure the underlying condition of the stock market — specifically the NYSE — such that the probability that a stock market crash occurs is higher than normal, and the probability of a severe decline is quite high....
...As of May 31, 2013, we have such a condition in the market, as we have a new official Hindenburg Omen.....
...meaning we are now on the clock watching for a stock market crash, and at the very least a significant decline.There is a much higher-than-random probability of a stock market crash starting sometime over the next four months. All criteria were met....
This Stock Market Omen Has Been Confirmed | Wall St. Cheat Sheet
Ms Porter was two weeks into the holiday of a lifetime in Australia when she developed Guillain-Barre syndrome - a disease which causes the body attacks its own nervous system.
She first noticed numbness in one toe, but within four days she could barely walk.Doctors told her the fast-moving paralysis could freeze her diaphragm within hours and that there was a chance she could die.
Ms Porter watched helplessly as she lost control of her entire body within hours. She was unable to feel her hands, feet or legs - or move anything below her neck.‘Every time I went to sleep at night I wondered if I might not wake up,’ said Ms Porter, from Crawley, West Sussex.
‘All I could think was I'm 23 - I don't want to die.’
Ms Porter flew to Western Australia in March 2012 and spent seven months working in a cafe to save up for a trip down the country’s east coast.
Oral sex? Michael Douglas? Definitely fodder for late-night jokesters. Here are some of the cracks from Monday monologues:
Conan O'Brien:"In a new interview, Michael Douglas says his throat cancer was caused by performing oral sex on too many women. The interview appears in theJournal of Overcompensating for Having Just Played Liberace."
Jay Leno:"In an interview with The Guardian, Michael Douglas said he got throat cancer from oral sex. He says he's been cancer free for two years. Obviously, he's not going down without a fight, it's safe to say."Michael said he's trying to remember the name of the woman who gave it to him. It's right on the tip of his tongue ..."You know what this means. Remember that scene with Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct? He was staring cancer in the face. That's what that means. ..."So, oral sex can cause cancer. I don't know if that's covered under Obamacare? But you can be damn sure it would have been covered under Clinton care!"
The number of Australians who shop online has tipped over the 50 per cent mark for the first time.Roy Morgan Research has today released its State of the Nation report, which examines the social trends of 50,000 consumers over the past decade. More than 50 per cent of Australians shopping online: Roy Morgan research - Yahoo!7
Stocks fell on Monday and the euro hit a three-week low versus the dollar as worries about Greek and Italian fiscal deficits and a regional election rout for Germany’s ruling party cast more doubt on the euro zone’s ability to solve its debt crisis.
Data on Friday showing U.S. employment growth halted in August fueled concerns that the world’s biggest economy is slipping back into a recession, sending Wall Street sharply lower on Friday... World stocks slide on economy and debt fears
The movie was simply too gay.That's why director Steven Soderbergh says Behind the Candelabra, his latest (and possibly last) film, was not shown in American theaters. When the major Hollywood studios declined to pick up the biopic—which stars Michael Douglas as the famous Vegas showmanLiberace and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson, his much younger boyfriend—HBO snapped it up. The film premiered on the cable network last month tocritical acclaim. EXCLUSIVE: Steven Soderbergh on Hollywood's Gay Sex Problem | Mother Jones
In a new video, a UFO seems to approach Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano, then slows down, turns and deliberately enters the smoldering volcano crater.
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1168661/thumbs/r-UFOMEXICOVOLCANO-large570.jpg?6
The video, recorded on May 30 at around 8:30 p.m., is the latest in a series of alleged UFO events that have taken place near the central Mexico active volcano since late 2012. UFO Appears To Deliberately Enter Mexico's Popocatepetl Volcano (VIDEO)
NEW YORK (AP) — Even as fast-food chains tout their healthy offerings, they’re also coming up with fatty new treats to keep customers interested. Case in point: Dunkin’ Donuts is adding a doughnut breakfast sandwich to its national menu next week.The sandwich, which comes with fried eggs and bacon between a split glazed doughnut, will become a part of the permanent menu starting June 7 Dunkin’ Donuts Adding Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich To National Menu « CBS Boston
Email is supposed to make modern life easier, but it is making workers more stressed than ever as they struggle to stay on top of hundreds of messages per day, according to researchers.
Reading and sending emails prompts telltale signs of stress including elevated blood pressure, heart rate and levels of the hormone cortisol, a study found.
Researchers who followed a group of 30 government employees found that 83 percent became more stressed while using email, rising to 92 percent when speaking on the phone and using email at the same time. Business Insider
WASHINGTON (AP) - Some of President Barack Obama's political appointees, including the Cabinet secretary for the Health and Human Services Department, are using secret government email accounts they say are necessary to prevent their inboxes from being overwhelmed with unwanted messages, according to a review by The Associated Press. My Way News - Emails of top Obama appointees remain a mystery
Vice President Joe Biden will not be throwing his annual beach party for journalists this summer, POLITICO has learned.Since 2010, Vice President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden have invited top journalists to their home at the Naval Observatory for a beach bash that has included Super Soaker fights, face painting, and a moon bounce. Biden cancels annual summer beach party - POLITICO.com
Draft legislation that includes fines for unmarried mothers in a city in Central China has sparked controversy among experts and residents.
The Regulation on Wuhan's Populationand Family Planning Management,released by the city's legislative affairsoffice imposes financial penalties onunmarried mothers including those who
give birth to a child for a married man although she is aware the man ismarried. New law would fine unmarried mothers |Nation and Digest |chinadaily.com.cn
Twitter has rolled out Vine app for Android. The micro-blogging site hadlaunch a streaming video service called Vine for smartphones in January 2013.
Check out "Vine" and download - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.vine.android
With the help of Vine, users can records six-second-long video clips, which can then be seamlessly embedded within tweets.
However, at the time of launch this service was only available to iPhone users. Twitter finally releases Vine app for Android | NDTV Gadgets
Ark Encounter is a project of Answers in Genesis, the ministry founded by creationism proponent Ken Ham. The ministry built the Creation Museum in nearby Petersburg.
The museum, which has been criticized by athiest scientists, argues quite well that the earth is around 6,000 years old and was created by God in six 24-hour days with dinosaurs existing at the same time as humans. (Which by the way there is proof you never hear about in the main stream press)
It rejects the theory (religion) of evolution and explains phenomena like the Grand Canyon formed by the flood instead of a small river...
Noah's Ark theme park wants to show the Flood was 'plausible' - Yahoo!7
Bollywood actress Jiah Khan, who made her debut starring opposite acting legend Amitabh Bachchan, died in an apparent suicide at her home in the Indian city of Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.The 25-year-old Khan, who grew up in London before moving to India for a career in Bollywood, was found dead in her home by her family, an officer said. Police were interviewing her neighbours, the officer said, adding that no suicide note was found. Bollywood actress Jiah Khan commits suicide - FRANCE 24
Sooner or later Israel will have to bomb Iran. Better sooner, because Iran is quickly approaching Israel’s red line.Since intelligence is never precise, why wait til the last minute?
Summer and early fall is the best time to attack because that’s when the sky is the clearest.
Israel is committed to destroying the S-300 missile defense systems should they arrive in Syria.
Summer and early fall is the best time to attack because that’s when the sky is the clearest.Close to 5,000 Hizbullah troops, if not more, are now fighting in Syria.
Thus they are concentrated, which makes their destruction easier. Also they are no longer guarding, with full force, their missiles stored in Lebanon....more》 There Are Many Reasons to Expect a War this Summer - Op-Eds - Israel National News
Manufacturing (NAPMPMI) in the U.S. unexpectedly shrank in May at the fastest pace in four years, showing slowdowns in business and government spending are holding back the world’s largest economy.The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index fell to 49, the lowest reading since June 2009, from the prior month’s 50.7, the Tempe, Arizona-based group’s report showed today....
more》 Surprise Factory Downturn Holds Back U.S. Growth: Economy - Bloomberg
A 66-year-old who lived his whole life as a man was given a surprising diagnosis after visiting the doctor in Hong Kong with a swollen abdomen -- he was a woman.
Doctors realised the patient was female after they found the swelling came from a large cyst on an ovary, the Hong Kong Medical Journal reported.
The condition was the result of two rare genetic disorders. Hong Kong man finds he is a woman after doctor visit - FRANCE 24
North Korea is making "important" progress on reactivating facilities at its moth-balled Yongbyon nuclear reactor, a US think-tank says.
Start-up could be one to two months away, it said, but there was uncertainty over the availability of fuel rods to power the reactor.
Pyongyang vowed to restart the reactor, which makes weapons-grade plutonium, in April amid severe regional tensions.The reactor was shut down in July 2007 as part of a disarmament-for-aid deal... more》 BBC News - North Korea Yongbyon reactor work ‘nearing completion’
A bouncer at a Florida nightclub shot and killed three other bouncers early Sunday morning after being humiliated by a video prank, according to police.Andrew Joseph Lobban, 31, was held without bond on three felony counts of first-degree murder after he admitted having shot the three men shortly after midnight at AJ's Bar.. Florida bouncer accused of killing three in humiliation over being punked - U.S. News
This type of information is closely guarded and its release can jeopardize the entire facility," said an Israeli military official who commented on the publication of the proposal but declined to be named because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the facility. He declined to say whether plans for the facility have been altered as a result of the disclosure."This is more than worrying, it is shocking," he said.
》 U.S. publishes details of missile base Israel wanted kept secret | McClatchy
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| Tragic moment police dog farewells dead partner |
Gold Coast Bulletin: NADINE McLennan followed in her retired parents' footsteps to relocate to the Gold Coast, a move more young families are making as the city's annual population growth rebounds following the global financial crisis. Coast arrivals back on track Local Gold Coast News | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
"There is a problem within Islam...and we have to put it on the table and be honest about it."
Blair made clear that he does not believe there is a problem within Islam per se, but that there is "a strain within Islam" that must be faced. He wrote that this strain "has at its heart a view about religion and about the interaction between religion and politics that is not compatible with pluralistic, liberal, open-minded societies." Blair indicated that the problem within Islam is bigger than one or two adherents. In fact, he wrote that it is not simply "the province of a few extremists."
Tony Blair: There Is A Problem Within Islam
Former U.S. President Clinton called President Obama "incompetent" and "an amateur," a new book out this week alleges. Edward Klein's new book, "The Amateur: Barack Obama in the White House" (Regnery Publishing) also states campaign sources said Clinton extracted a promise from Obama to support his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, for president in 2016 in return for the former president's backing in 2012, the New York Post reported Sunday. Book: Bill Clinton called Obama 'incompetent' - UPI.com
The adrenaline-soaked thrill of stalking a twister is best displayed by the countless videos spawned when storms approach -- jittery images from a hand-held camera with the breathless voice-over of a storm chaser in the background.But Friday night those voices turned to panic. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Betsy Randolph says she could hear the audio from storm chasers trapped on Oklahoma highways as a tornado bore down."They were screaming, 'We're going to die, we're going to die,' " she recalls. "There was just no place to go. There was no place to hide."
Germany's longest word - Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz - a 63-letter long title of a law regulating the testing of beef, has officially ceased to exist.The word - which refers to the "law for the delegation of monitoring beef labelling", has been repealed by a regional parliament after the EU lifted a recommendation to carry out BSE tests on healthy cattle. Germany drops its longest word: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz - Telegraph
ExpertsThe trial of Bradley Manning, the US soldier who leaked a trove of state secrets to WikiLeaks, could set an ominous precedent that will chill freedom of speech and turn the internet into a danger zone, legal experts have warned.
Of the 21 counts faced by the Army private on Monday, at his trial at Fort Meade in Maryland, by far the most serious is that he knowingly gave intelligence information to al-Qaida by transmitting hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the open information website WikiLeaks. Bradley Manning trial 'dangerous' for civil liberties – experts
BAGHDAD — Since the American-led invasion of 2003, Iraq has become one of the world’s top oil producers, and China is now its biggest customer.China already buys nearly half the oil that Iraq produces, nearly 1.5 million barrels a day, and is angling for an even bigger share, bidding for a stake now owned by Exxon Mobil in one of Iraq’s largest oil fields.“The Chinese are the biggest beneficiary of this post-Saddam oil boom in Iraq,” China Is Reaping Biggest Benefits of Iraq Oil Boom - NYTimes.com
A kangaroo that was on the run in Florida is being held in a pen after wildlife officers ...LACOOCHEE, Fla. -A kangaroo that was on the run in Pasco County is being held in a pen after wildlife officers used a tranquilizer to stop him.The sheriff's office, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, captured the kangaroo Sunday morning. The male kangaroo had been on the run since Saturday night Kangaroo leads Florida deputies on 10-hour chase | Latest News - Home
COLES has provoked social media outrage from farmers after it decided to back a fundraising campaign by Animals Australia, a group accused of trying to destroy the country's farming industry.
The supermarket giant was helping raise the funds by selling a "flying pig" shopping bag, with the proceeds going to the group, which has taken on farmers over live export and other animal welfare issues. Coles support for lobby group angers farmers | The Courier-Mail
Research analyst RP Data said on Monday that property prices are dropping. But its competitor, the Fairfax-owned Australian Property Monitors, said with auction clearance rates at three-year highs prices are on the rise.
So who to believe?
It's plausible, perhaps, that they're both right... Are house prices rising or falling? | smh.com.au
Movies don’t come bigger than this, and zombie flicks tend to come an awful lot smaller. In Shaun of the Dead, the undead had to content themselves with snacking off a handful of British actors in a deserted pub. Here, it’s the future of humanity at stake.This time, Brad Pitt is here to save us, and the skies are soon full of crashing helicopters, screaming jets and stuntpeople being sucked out of aircraft.
World War Z: CHRIS TOOKEY: Oh Brad! This zombie flick is brain dead | Mail Online
The authorities in Iraq say they have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America.Defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said five men had been arrested after military intelligence monitored their activities for three months.
Three workshops for manufacturing the chemical agents, including sarin and mustard gas, were uncovered, he added.Remote-controlled toy planes were also seized at the workshops....More》 BBC News - Iraq uncovers al-Qaeda 'chemical weapons plot'
BEIJING (AP) -- Activists in China are taking to social media to urge the public to wear black on the 24th anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on protesters who had camped out for weeks on Tiananmen Square.The crackdown on pro-democracy protesters on June 4, 1989, killed hundreds, possibly more.... more 》 News from The Associated Press
An Oxford University researcher and author specializing in neuroscience has suggested that one day religious fundamentalism may be treated as a curable mental illness.
Kathleen Taylor, who describes herself as a "science writer affiliated to the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics," made the suggestionduring a presentation on brain research at the Hay Literary Festival in Wales on Wednesday.
In response to a question about the future of neuroscience, Taylor said that "One of the surprises may be to see people with certain beliefs as people who can be treated," The Times of London notes. Huffington Post
Once Britain's best-known midwife, Caroline Flint says doctors have become obsessed with risk in childbirth.
She tells Susie Steinerwhy natural birth can turn a traumatic experience into something mind-blowing and even orgas.... Natural birth: 'I felt brilliant. I was in utter ecstasy'
BEIJING – Suddenly all kinds of people in China are offering to sleep with the headmaster.The unusual outpouring is in response to a recent spate of sex abuse cases, including that of a school principal who spent the night in a hotel room with four underage girls. Artists, activists, university students and police officers are photographing themselves — some nude and provocatively posed, some angry and menacing — with the message:"Principal, get a room with me. Leave the young students alone."
Three veteran storm chasers were among the 10 people killed when a violent tornado barreled into the Oklahoma City metro area.
Jim Samaras said Sunday that his brother Tim Samaras was killed. Tim Samaras' son, Paul Samaras, and another chaser, Carl Young, also died. The men were from Colorado but traveled the Great Plains in search of bad weather.
The three died Friday night near El Reno when an EF3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph hit the Oklahoma City area during rush hour... more》 3 Storm Chasers Killed by Oklahoma Tornado - KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video -
getaway vehicle after a bank hold-up on the Gold Coast this morning.Police say a man aged between 40 and 50 years entered the Bank of Queensland at Treetops Plaza, Burleigh Waters, just after 11.30am.The man produced an unidentified weapon and made demands from staff before fleeing with a sum of cash.Police said the man arrived and left the premises on a push bike... more》 Man flees on pushbike after armed hold-up of Gold Coast bank | The Courier-Mail
The Foreign Office has warned against travel to various parts of Turkey except in cases of emergency following another day of rioting.Tens of thousands took to the streets in the country’s four biggest cities yesterday – the third day of anti-government protests – with demonstrators clashing with riot police, who repelled them with tear gas.The unrest initially erupted on Friday when trees were torn down at a park in Istanbul’s main Taksim Square under government plans to redevelop the area. But they have widened into a broad show of defiance against the Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP)... more》
DARWIN is the place to go for jobseekers with more vacancies than unemployed, according to new private sector research.Construction and finance are the top hiring sectors in the country with over 130,000 jobs advertised so-far this year.
Brisbane and Sydney joined Darwin as the top three locations for job seekers. Darwin is the easiest place in Australia to find a job | News.com.au
TORNADOES and floods in the US killed at least 14 people, including two children, officials said today, with most of the fatalities in Oklahoma where a monster twister struck last month.
Friday night's storms battered areas in and around Oklahoma City with high winds, heavy rain and hail, much of it near where 24 people were killed in the May 20 tornado... more Two children among dead as tornadoes, floods hit Oklahoma and Missouri | The Australian
Google donated little more than £20,000 last year to the charity responsible for policing child abuse images online – the equivalent of 90 seconds' profit for the internet firm.The search giant was one of a number of firms, including Facebook and Microsoft, that pledged relatively small amounts to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in 2012, despite their multibillion-dollar turnovers.Facebook made a baseline donation of around £10,000 and Microsoft's Bing search engine gave about £20,000, according to the IWF's own records. Google donates just 90 seconds' profit to charity policing child abuse
Lawlessness has become so endemic in Egypt that the U.S. Embassy this week warned Americans away from visiting the country’s famed pyramids. A academic teaching at the American University in Cairo received an email from the embassy warning of “aggressiveness [that] in some cases is closer to criminal conduct… with angry groups of individuals surrounding and pounding on [vehicles]… and in some cases attempting to open the vehicle’s doors.” Lawlessness, Blackouts Roil Egypt As U.S. Warns Against Pyramids Tourism | TheTower.org
North Korean farmers knee deep in muddy paddies across the country have a new incentive during this year's crucial rice planting season: possible bonuses that are part of an economic shift echoing ally China's steps three decades ago toward embracing capitalism.
Details about the changes are emerging nearly two months after the regime unveiled dual goals of building the economy and nuclear weapons in the first concrete economic policy laid out by leader Kim Jong Un since he took power in December 2011. NKorean farmers planting rice with profits in mind
At 45, the former Queensland State of Origin hooker was fighting fit. He doesn't smoke. Eats right. Rarely drinks. And last month, when golden oldies were being summoned for a Legends of League charity game, Walters, his passion for football undiminished, gladly volunteered.Put simply, Walters never saw his heart attack coming. One moment, he was relaxing at home watching the NRL clash between South Sydney and North Queensland. The next, he was being rushed to Caloundra hospital after having dizzy spells and pain in his right chest as he rose to go to the bathroom. Maroons legend Kerrod Walters never thought he'd suffer a heart attack at 45 | The Courier-Mail
Russia's ambitious smoking ban, which aims to cut the number of smokers in half and improve public health, went into effect Saturday amid doubts that its measures can be fully enforced.The first stage of the so-called anti-tobacco ban makes it illegal to smoke on buses, trams and other municipal transport, at railway stations and airports, on lifts and bus stations, near metro and rail stations, in administrative buildings and at education and health facilities. Russia's ambitious smoking ban goes into effect - FRANCE 24
From the very first moments in the venue -- even before the show begins -- visitors are plunged into the feline kingdom's unique atmosphere: some cats watch spectators' arrival from behind a glass wall while others are already darting about the stage.When a bell rings for the beginning of the show and the curtain opens, the audience explodes with applause: on stage, a cat balances on a wheel spun by a clown as a furry co-star skateboards on its hind legs.Then a conjuring number follows and a cat appears to bang a drum as a dove emerges from under a cloth in a clown's hand.Other numbers -- less acrobatic but equally difficult -- also show that training the cats must require well-honed skills. Circus family reopens Moscow's unique cat theatre - FRANCE 24
Swimming Australia has stood down its president Barclay Nettlefold over claims of inappropriate behaviour towards a female team consultant, an official said on Saturday.
Board director and former Olympic swimmer Nicole Livingstone told reporters that Nettlefold would be the subject of a SA investigation into an alleged inappropriate comment made to the woman. More》 Australian swim boss stands down pending inquiry
On May 16, the White House launched “We are the Geeks,” a series of Google+ Hangouts aimed at engaging science and tech enthusiasts across the country.
The events grew out of earlier gatherings such as a March 28 Google+ discussion, when an 11-year-old nicknamed Super Awesome Sylvia and other experts discussed robots, 3-D printing and other elements of the “maker movement.”..more The Washington Post
WAVE OF HOPE: The duct-tape surfer
MEET PASCALE Honore. She's just like any other surfer, except she's a paraplegic who goes surfing duct-taped to the back of a young surfer.
Before she hits the water the 50-year-old Elliston mother slips herself into a backpack - "just a Kmart special", she says - with leg holes cut into the bottom. She's then lifted on to Ty's back before another helper is called in to wind the silver tape around the pair's shoulders, waists and legs. Then they go surfing. Paraplegic mum goes duct-taped surfing on South Australia's West Coast | News.com.au
Bloggers beware. And those who use email, too. And those on Facebook. And Twitter. And anyone else using social media: Diss a Muslim and the Department of Justice will be on your case with the full weight of federal law.
The Obama administration, which is launching a series of Muslim Outreach Summits so that Islamists can tell federal officials how they better can serve that community, says it also is holding educational outreaches to let people know that Internet postings that violate civil rights are subject to federal prosecution.
Bill Killian, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, is scheduled to appear at an event sponsored by the American Muslim Advisory Council of Tennessee next week, and will “provide input on how civil rights can be violated by those who post inflammatory documents targeted at Muslims on social media,” according to a report in the Tullahoma News in Tennessee.“This is an educational effort with civil rights laws as they play into freedom of religion and exercising freedom of religion,” he said. “This is also to inform the public what federal laws are in effect and what the consequences are... DOJ: Slam Muslims on Facebook, face feds
Except ■ I grew up in Scientology and worked at their international Sea Organization headquarters for 15 years. In 2005, I managed a desperate escape, which only succeeded thanks to the local county authorities. I wrote about my experiences in my best-selling book,Blown For Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology.
Who better, then, to investigate the whole Scientology debatesurrounding After Earth, the new sci-fi movie from M. Night Shyamalan starring Will and Jaden Smith, than a former Scientologist -- one who's received counseling fromTom Cruise himself? I am in no way “glib” on the subject; I’ve done the research. A Former Scientologist Reviews 'After Earth' (Guest Column) - The Hollywood Reporter
In February, Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, an Oregon-based bakery, found themselves at the center of a media firestorm after refusing to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple’s ceremony. Nearly four months later, the small business continues to receive threatening and harassing phone calls and e-mails... more》 ‘Stupid Bible-Thumping…B**ch’: Bakery That Refused to Make Gay Couple’s Wedding Cake Speaks Out Amid Threats, Economic Woes | TheBlaze.com
King had some interesting words for atheists and those who are unsure about the existence of a higher power. In particular, he charged that these individuals miss all of the signs that overwhelmingly point to structure.
“I choose to believe it. … I mean, there’s no downside to that. If you say, ‘Well, OK, I don’t believe in God, there’s no evidence of God,’ then you’re missing the stars in the sky and you’re missing the sunrises and sunsets and you’re missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together,” he said.
The hi-tech tattoo that could replace ALL your passwords: Motorola reveals plans for ink and even pills to identify us.
Revelation 13:16-17 - ..causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.
The Moto X is expected to launch later this year and will be 'more contextually aware than other phones'The Biostamp electronic tattoo is made of silicon and contains an electrical circuit, antennae and sensors that bend and move with the wearer's bodyProteus Digital Health's 'vitamin authentication pill' is powered by acid in the wearer's stomach and creates an 18-bit signal picked up by mobile phoneMotorola is trialling the technologies as authentication alternatives to non-secure traditional passwords
By Victoria Woollaston Moto X: Motorola reveals plans for ink and even pills to replace ALL your passwords | Mail Online
A new Gallup Poll shows 77 percent of Americans see religion losing influence in the United States, while 75 percent think it would be a good thing if more Americans were religious. But, the pollsters say, neither conclusion is "related to Americans' personal religiosity."For the sake of this poll – and many others – personal religiosity is measured according to church attendance or "the self-reported importance of religion in one's life." (Is there a better measure?)What does seem to be a factor – though perhaps a minor one – is Americans' ideology and political party. The survey found that "liberals and Democrats (were) more likely than conservatives and Republicans to say religion is increasing in American society." Gallup Poll: Americans see religion losing influence, but think more would be better | OregonLive.com
“After Earth,” the new Will Smith movie, is a bust. At least critically. Almost every critic and movie blogger. The movie is being cited for being dull, slow, and humorless. But it’s also being cited for referring to the text of Scientology, Dianetics.The tag line of the film is “Fear is a choice.” It’s emblazoned on shoulder bags that were given away at the premiere the other night. Now both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have called out Smith– who invented the story– for repurposing gobbledygook of Scientology in the “After Earth” monologues.
Is Will Smith A Scientologist?
Will Smith denies being involved in Scientology. But he’s been closely associated with Tom Cruise. Will Smith funds a private school in Calabasas, California that teaches Scientology curriculum. And his whole “I can save the world” gestalt–humorless, un-ironic, savior stuff– coincides with his statements from a few years ago that Scientology had as much validity as the Bible.
“After Earth” is such a bore that it’s unlikely anyone will join Scientology after getting through it.
Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal actually wonders in his piece today if it’s the worst movie ever made? (Worse than “Cable Guy,” or “Gigli” or “Glitter”? Hmmm….Maybe it’s Scientology training osmosis or subliminal communication. Because most people will be sleeping through this interminable film.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324412604578515000854294308.html?mod=WSJ_ArtsEnt_LifestyleArtEnt_6
Review wsj Muddle-'Earth'
