Scientists warn of bird flu virus found in humans for first time

One woman died and another person has been diagnosed with an infection from a bird flu virus that has never been seen in humans before, according to a study released on Wednesday in British medical journal The Lancet. Chinese scientists cautioned in the journal about the pandemic potential of the new avian influenza H10N8 virus, citing the continued spread of other bird flu strains.  http://www.lse.co.uk/AllNews.asp?code=p1x6gdig&headline=Scientists_warn_of_bird_flu_virus_found_in_humans_for_first_time

Rare 'frost quakes' startle Midwest

Chuck Herron heard the loud thud, then another and another. It sounded like someone was dropping big snowballs on the roof of his home.The house is more than 100 years old and creaks, Herron said, "but I'd never heard anything like that before.".... http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_25068691/rare-frost-quakes-startle-midwest?source=rss&cid=dlvr.it

Scientists talk of 'pandemic potential' after first confirmed human death from new strain of bird flu...

Chinese scientists have said the “pandemic potential” of a new strain of bird flu “should not be underestimated” after the first known human infection resulted in the death of an elderly woman.

The new strain is a variant of a virus known as H10N8, which scientists believe may have originated in wild birds, and later spread to poultry.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/scientists-talk-of-pandemic-potential-after-first-confirmed-human-death-from-new-strain-of-bird-flu-9107345.html

Queenslander Ken Ham debates...

Ham and Nye stuck to their lines in prepared speeches that made this anything but a debate. After five-minute opening statements, Ham and Nye had 30 minutes to offer arguments backed with photos and charts. "I feel like I'm in science class," WKRC-TV reporter Angenette Levy said on Twitter during Ham's presentation.

"I think the believers will stay believers,"  One observer said. "No one's going to walk out of here saying, 'I changed my mind.' That's not going to work."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/04/creation-museum-debate-nye-ham/5215173/

New Zealand prime minister proposes removing Union Jack from flag

New Zealand may be trading its Union Jack logo for a silver fern on the country's national flag.Senior government ministers are set to meet next month to discuss holding a referendum on making a major change to the nearly 150-year-old blue ensign flag design, the Australian Associated Press reported. http://world.foxnews.mobi/quickPage.html?page=26179&external=2521610.proteus.fma

Hoffman's pal: 'We were gay lovers'

Troubled Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman had a secret gay relationship with the screenwriter who found his body after he apparently overdosed on heroin, according to a bombshell report Wednesday.“We were homosexual lovers. We had a relationship,” David Bar Katz told the National Enquirer.Katz said he said often saw Hoffman, 46, use drugs and witnessed him smoking freebase cocaine on Saturday night, shortly before his tragic death.Read more at http://mobile.wnd.com/2014/02/hoffmans-pal-we-were-gay-lovers/#JidagjBBVMiR8gpe.99

http://pagesix.com/2014/02/05/pal-who-found-philip-seymour-hoffman-dead-we-were-gay-lovers/?_ga=1.69058130.23580399.1365880527

In Sochi, Russia, Don’t Touch The Water

When Chicago Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair, who is covering the Winter Olympics for the newspaper, arrived at her hotel, she was informed that there was a problem with the water and it had been shut off.Then hotel staff delivered an ominous warning: “Do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.”Her tweet about the situation has gone viral. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/02/04/in-sochi-russia-dont-touch-the-water/

US demographer Harry Dent predicts Australian real estate market bubble to burst and prices to drop 50 per cent

AUSTRALIA'S real estate market is in a bubble that will burst and wipe out up to half the value of property, a leading US economist has predicted.And Melbourne will join Sydney as the hardest hit.

Harry Dent, a widely respected economist and demographer who has predicted a range of economic events including the 2008 global financial crisis, pointed to falling affordability in Melbourne and Sydney where prices are ten times the average income."Bubbles ultimately peak when the people buying can't afford to buy it," Mr Dent said...

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/us-demographer-predicts-hit-to-aussie-home-prices/story-fnihsrk2-1226818290817

Call for Calm After $3 TRILLION Global Stock Wipeout...

Panic is making an enemy of telephones for Catherine Yeung, the director for equities at Fidelity Investment Management Ltd. in Hong Kong.“My children hate that BlackBerry,” said Yeung, whose clients have been calling amid two weeks of declines that erased$3 trillion from global stocks. She’s advising calm, noting that profits are rising and shares just got a lot less expensive. http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-04/goldman-to-fidelity-call-for-calm-after-global-stock-wipeout.html

Real Life Obamacare Small Business, Benefit-Shifting Example

Here is an interesting video regarding the effects of Obamacare on all the employees at at Simonetta's auto repair shop in Pennsylvania. The video was made by a local TV station.A couple premiums dropped, but most went up, some by huge amounts. In every case deductibles soared. Every person involved is worse off than before. 

Video story - http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/real-life-obamacare-small-business.html?m=1

Angry Ute Driver: Cyclists warned off Springbrook after reports of ute targeting riders

SPRINGBROOK has become a no-go zone for cyclists after warnings were circulated about a driver in a white utility targeting riders.Several near misses have been reported by cyclists in the past year involving the ute and local man Mark Aldous was hit by a vehicle of the same description late last year.The hit and run left him with several broken bones and he has only just got back on his bike.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/cyclists-warned-off-springbrook-after-reports-of-ute-targeting-riders/story-fnj94idh-1226817970154

Sea of red: $25 billion wiped out..

More than $25 billion was wiped off the value of the Australian market on Monday as shares suffered their biggest daily fall since August.

The local sharemarket had its worst day in six months, losing more than $25 billion in value amid a global sell-off, while the dollar received a boost after the RBA dropped its easing bias.

www.brisbanetimes.com.au

Ex-US soldier, 96, reunites Holocaust prisoners he set free..

Frank Towers, even at 96, still recalls the stench of the prisoner train when its doors were opened nearly seven decades ago. “Not to be believed,” he said. 

It was April 13, 1945, when the U.S. Army’s 30th Infantry Division, to which Towers belonged, freed prisoners from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany who had been packed onto a train 40 to 50 cars long bound for Theresienstadt. They had been on the train for six days before it was stopped at a railway siding near Farsleben over a bureaucratic dispute.

www.timesofisrael.com

STUDY: Steroid Use Much Higher Among Gay and Bi Teen Boys

Gay and bisexual teen boys use illicit steroids at a rate almost six times higher than do straight kids, a “dramatic disparity” that points up a need to reach out to this group, researchers say.

Reasons for the differences are unclear. The study authors said it’s possible gay and bi boys feel more pressure to achieve a bulked-up “ideal” male physique, or that they think muscle-building steroids will help them fend off bullies...More

Experts: Heroin Is A Public Health Crisis

In the aftermath of the death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, some experts say the heroin problem is now an epidemic — both nationally and here in Minnesota.

Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment over the weekend. Reports say he was found with a needle in his arm and bags of heroin discovered near his body...More

› Gold Coast Blog

PAPER: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Why Did Nobody Care?

It says everything about the prevalence of drug culture in the entertainment industry that when Philip Seymour Hoffman admitted to going into rehab early last summer, it barely caused a ripple in British newspapers... www.independent.co.uk

› Gold Coast Blog

Study: Nearly half of ALL Australians swap naked pictures..

Nearly half of all adult Australians have received a sexting message or photo on their mobile phone while about one in four admit to sending them to either a partner, an ex-partner, a stranger or a work colleague.
 
The details of Australia's sexting habits are revealed in McAfee's Lust, Relationships and Technology survey released today.

The research shows that 47 per cent of men and 38 per cent of women have received sext messages and 38 per cent had sent them. 

www.couriermail.com.au

› Gold Coast Blog

Dow sinks 300+ points - All Ords -87.8

U.S. stocks were hammered on Monday, with benchmark indexes falling through key support levels after a gauge of factory activity disappointed, heightening concern about the economy before Friday's monthly jobs report.

cnbc.com
www.asx.com.au

› Gold Coast Blog

Gold Coast mayor threatens 'Bieberfitti' hotel

Now, the Brisbane Times reports the hotel has refused to comply and has gone so far to promote a graffiti competition on its Facebook page, for budding artists wanting to display their skills on another wall of the hotel.

The “Bieberfiti” includes highly colourful Pacman-style ghosts, disembodied faces and even a Spongebob Squarepants-style creature.

brisbanetimes.com.au
QT Surfers Paradise facebook Page



› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Clive Palmer: "My wife doesn't vote for me"

Gold Coast businessman-turned-politician Clive Palmer has revealed, his own wife does not vote for him.

..www.mygc.com.au


› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Top Islamic Leader Calls on U.S. to Wage ‘Jihad for Allah’ the god of islam

A video of Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi calling on the U.S. government to wage jihad for Allah in Syria, is currently making the rounds on Arabic media and Facebook, to mockery and dismay. In the recorded speech, Qaradawi—one of the most influential Islamic clerics in the world, spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, author of over 100 books on Muslim doctrine, and head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars—sarcastically thanks the U.S. for supporting the “freedom fighters” in Syria, adding that “Allah willing, your [U.S.] aid will increase.”  

http://balfourpost.com/top-islamic-leader-calls-on-u-s-to-wage-jihad-for-allah/

Obama to O'Reilly: Fox News Reason for My Problems..

President Barack Obama twice blamed Fox News Channel for misinforming the public on issues that have bedeviled his presidency in the past year during a pre-Super Bowl interview with the network's Bill O'Reilly.

The two sat down in the White House on Sunday for a live pregame interview that started about 4:35 p.m. and aired for about 10 minutes.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/barack-obama-blames-fox-interview/2014/02/02/id/550431?ns_mail_uid=2449605&ns_mail_job=1554687_02032014&promo_code=165BB-1

Does one have to believe Jesus is the Messiah of Israel to be saved?

John 20:30-31 NKJV

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Case closed

Some say all you have to do is believe in Jesus, not so

'Full House' Actress Details How She Became a Christian and Just How Much Her Faith Impacts Her Career

Since taking the role of D.J. Tanner on the mega hit “Full House” television series in 1987, Candace Cameron Bure has enjoyed a successful acting and writing career.

Bure, now 37 and the author of the new “Balancing It All: My Story of Juggling Priorities and Purpose,” told TheBlaze that her Christian faith defines who she is, guiding her actions both on and off screen.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/03/full-house-actress-details-how-she-became-a-christian-and-just-how-much-her-faith-impacts-her-career/

'Breathtaking' Corruption Across EU

The extent of corruption in Europe is "breathtaking" and it costs the EU economy at least 120bn euros (£99bn) annually, the European Commission says.EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem has presented a full report on the problem.

She said the true cost of corruption was "probably much higher" than 120bn.Three-quarters of Europeans surveyed for the Commission study said that corruption was widespread, and more than half said the level had increased.

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26014387

Did You Know There Are Certain Days of the Week Where You Lose More Weight?

According to research by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab in conjunction with Finnish institutions,participants in a study almost always lost weight during the work week and gained it during the weekend.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/03/did-you-know-there-are-certain-days-of-the-week-where-you-lose-more-weight/

Young man collapses and dies after competing in gruelling Hell of West triathlon in Goondiwindi...

A YOUNG man collapsed and died after a triathlon in Queensland's southwest at the weekend.Thomas Lyons, 21, competed in the Hell of West triathlon in Goondiwindi on Sunday, collapsing just after crossing the finish line.

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/thomas-lyons-died-after-competing-in-gruelling-hell-of-west-triathlon-in-goondiwindi/story-fnihsrf2-1226817057720

Aussie 'Glory Hole' Finger Cleaner Super Bowl Doritos ad.. Why didnt they like it? Seriously?

So called "Aussue" gross humour is ...gross!

The Bond University graduate produced the Aussie Doritos Finger Cleaner ad, the only Australian finalist among five selected from around the world for the Doritos Crash The Super Bowl contest.

Their ad involved a man sticking an orange finger through a hole in the wall to be cleaned, only for the audience to learn someone was licking it clean on the other side.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/aussie-finger-cleaner-super-bowl-doritos-ad-too-gross-for-american-viewers/story-fnj94idh-1226817192903

Study: Third-Hand Smoke Exposure As Deadly As Smoking

A new study from the University of California, Riverside finds that the third-hand smoke that has soaked into the surfaces, objects and environment around people becomes increasingly toxic over time.

Third-hand smoke is defined as the second-hand smoke that is allowed to settle on objects in any environment. Non-smoking children, co-workers, spouses and friends of smokers breathe in such carcinogens left in rooms exposed to smokers

http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2014/02/03/study-third-hand-smoke-exposure-as-deadly-as-smoking/

Worldwide cancer cases expected to soar by 70% over next 20 years

The biggest burden will be in low- and middle-income countries. They are hit by two types of cancers – those triggered by infections, such as cervical cancers, which are still very prevalent in poorer countries that don't have screening, let alone the HPV vaccine, and increasingly cancers associated with more affluent lifestyles "with increasing use of tobacco, consumption of alcohol and highly processed foods and lack of physical activity", writes the World Health Organisation director general, Margaret Chan, in an introduction to the report.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/03/worldwide-cancer-cases-soar-next-20-years

Sochi orders killing of all stray dogs...PETA Rips Joe Namath For Over-The-Top Fur Coat..

A pest control company which has been killing stray dogs in Sochi for years told The Associated Press on Monday that it has a contract to exterminate more of the animals throughout the Olympics.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/24616387/sochi-city-hall-orders-killing-of-stray-dogs

dogs...PETA Rips Joe Namath For Over-The-Top Fur Coat...
PETA        ✔ @petaFollowTOO many. RT @a_ryan88 Yo @peta, how many animals died to make Joe Namath's fur coat?

London Housing Market Shows Rising Bubble Risk as Asians Buy

London’s housing market is beginning to show “bubble-like conditions” as overseas investors bid up prices and buyers take on more debt to purchase properties, according to a report today by the EY Item Club.

Homeowners are now borrowing as much relative to their income to purchase real estate in the U.K. capital as they were before the financial crisis, the London-based group sponsored by EY, formerly Ernst & Young, said.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-03/london-housing-market-shows-rising-bubble-risk-as-asians-pile-in.html

Short honeymoon for Australia premier

Abbott has got off to bad start as prime minister thanks to combination of mistakes, bad luck and failure to make it clear what his government stands for..

http://m.ft.com/cms/540b1184-8979-11e3-abc4-00144feab7de.html

Addiction Expert Weighs In On Hoffman’s Death..

"Even after long periods of sobriety, people who struggle with addiction can be one drink or drug away from possible death"

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/02/02/addiction-expert-weighs-in-on-hoffmans-death/

Drinking during pregnancy a crime?

Lawyers plan to take a test case to the Court of Appeal over claims that children harmed in the womb by their mother's drinking should receive compensation as victims of crime

Harming an unborn child by consuming alcohol during pregnancy could be classified as a crime if an unusual legal challenge succeeds.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10612818/Drinking-alcohol-during-pregnancy-could-be-ruled-a-crime.html

Sandy Hook Killer Had 'Movie Depicting a Man/Boy Relationship' on His PC...

The state's attorney report on the horrific murders at  the Sandy Hook Elementary School by shooter Adam Lanza found no "conclusive motive" for his actions but did document unsettling facts about the 20-year-old killer, including computer files he kept on the rights of pedophiles, a movie about man/boy love, instant messages concerning "homosexual fantasies," numerous mass murder documents, and a computer game entitled "School Shooting."...

http://m.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/sandy-hook-killer-had-movie-depicting-manboy-relationship-his-pc

BREAKING: A man has been found dead in the bathroom of the Bounty Hotel in Bali..

@9NewsPerth: BREAKING: A man has been found dead in the bathroom of the Bounty Hotel in Bali. The cause of death is unknown at this stage. #9News

First teams arrive in Sochi as Russia races to finish...Australia Bans athletes from leaving Olympic zones..

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) - The organisers of Sochi Olympics on Sunday raced to finish all the hotels for the start of the Games in less than a week, as Australia banned athletes from leaving the Olympic zones due to security worries.

The Games, the biggest event Russia has hosted since the fall of the Soviet Union, are to get under way on February 7 at a ceremony starting at 2014 local time (1614 GMT) that is expected to project Russia’s status as a world and sporting power...More

Obama Blasts FOXNEWS In Testy O'Reilly Interview... "OK, ..you’ve got a long list of my mistakes"

Things turned tense quickly today between President Obama and Bill O’Reilly in their Super Bowl pregame interview.

“OK, Bill, you’ve got a long list of my mistakes,” Obama said to The O’Reilly Factor host near the start of their 10-minute live interview on Fox.

That remark — in response to a question from O’Reilly whether it was the biggest mistake of Obama’s presidency when he told Americans no one would lose their healthcare under Obamacare — was one of a number of points on which the two butted heads.. More

Blowing the lid off Chinese New Year's dirty 'little woman' secret...

(London Telegraph) Around a year ago, both Chinese and western media went into a frenzy over the term “leftover women”, officially defined as “unmarried women over the age of 27″ by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2007. The label, far from being stamped out by enraged feminists for its derogatory categorisation of women, has instead been popularised by the Chinese media and is widely used in today.

But a more insidious relative of the “leftover women” label, one that has failed to generate the same media furore, is “female PhD” – referring to women who are studying for or have completed a doctoral degree. While in the West the term may imply intelligence and accomplishment, its use within China is often laced with a social stigma that infers a headstrong personality lacking in femininity and attractiveness. Perhaps more disturbing is how the phrase has been used interchangeably with “the third gender”, a highly demeaning label that objectifies educated women as sexless and abnormal beings.

With Chinese New Year being celebrated throughout the coming week in China – local families host a weeklong diary of events and activities from New Year’s Day, on Saturday – what is traditionally a refreshing and restorative time has in recent years become a dreaded undertaking for many single women (and men)...More

Read more www.telegraph.co.uk

US The Long-Term Unemployment Crisis Is Out of Control

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama underscored the plight of the long-term unemployed, entreating Congress to renew the now-expired emergency unemployment benefits that expired at the end of December.

 In addition, he has persuaded 300 large U.S. corporations to sign a pledge stating that they will not discriminate against the long-term unemployed in their hiring practices.  

..More

Moscow shooting: Gunman 'neutralised', kills two

An armed man who entered a Moscow school and took more than 20 students hostage has been "neutralised", Moscow police say.

The man killed one police officer and one biology teacher, police said. Another policeman was shot and injured. The hostages he took have been released, police said. Half the school pupils have been released, but the rest remain in their classrooms, for their own safety, local police have told the BBC.

BBC

Queensland's third cyclone in a week..

‘‘At the moment all we have to worry about is localised flooding because we’re getting a hell of a lot of rain up here,’’... ‘All the street are starting to turn to rivers. ‘The drains can’t keep up. ‘Right around the township area is swampland - once they fill up, the water has got nowhere to go and Kowanyama becomes its own little island.’’ Kowanyama Mayor Robert Holness said

Mr Holness said locals were unfazed by the cyclone, as the township had been isolated for three weeks and locals were stocked up on fuel and food.

‘‘It doesn’t really cause anything up here. We go through it every year, but if it gets any bigger than that we might start worrying.’’

More - www.brisbanetimes.com.au

› Gold Coast Blog

Third Banker, Former Fed Member 'Found Dead' Inside A Week

For the third time in the last week, a senior financial executive has died in what appears to be a suicide.

As Bloomberg reports, following the deaths of a JPMorgan senior manager (Tuesday) and a Deutsche Bank executive (Sunday), Russell Investments' Chief Economist (and former Fed economist) Mike Dueker was found dead at the side of a highway in Washington State.Police said the death appeared to be a suicide.

So, with stocks a mere 4% off their highs, Why are so many high ranking and well respected bankers committing suicide?

Full Story

Ex-Cyclone May Re-Form To Threaten The Southeast Queensland Coast

AS ONE cyclone crosses the Cape, the weather bureau is on alert for an ex-cyclone that might re-form to threaten the southeast

Weather bureau forecaster Gordon Banks said that by about Thursday Edna should be east of about Rockhampton.

``We're not sure where it will go from there,'' he said. ``It should go south or southeast, but some models do bring it closer to the Queensland coast.

``It is unlikely that it will come all the way back but it should produce some strong winds and showers for the southeast by the end of the week.''

www.couriermail.com.au


› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Here Comes 3rd Cyclone Fletcher, And Its Moving Fast

OFFICIALS are scrambling to warn 55 cattle stations and about 30 professional barramundi fisherman of the fast-moving Cyclone Fletcher brewing in the Gulf of Carpentaria. 
 
It is travelling at 19km/h towards the coast near the prawning port of Karumba.


 More

Seahawks Defeat Broncos, 43-8, in Super Bowl XLVIII #SuperBowl2014

The Seattle Seahawks have won their first Super Bowl title, crushing the favored Denver Broncos 43-8.

Linebacker Malcolm Smith returned an interception of Peyton Manning 69 yards for a touchdown late in the first half Sunday, and Percy Harvin returned the opening kickoff of the second half 87 yards for another TD.

The Seahawks led 36-0 before Denver finally scored on the last play of the third quarter.

Fox News

› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Philip Seymour Hoffman Found Dead With Needle in Arm

Philip Seymour Hoffman, the Oscar-winning actor who played everything from a maverick CIA agent to a drag queen to a Catholic priest, has died.

He was 46. Hoffman was found in the bathroom of his Manhattan apartment at 35 Bethune St. in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan this morning, according to the New York Police Department, which is investigating.

The cause of death has not yet been determined, but a law enforcement official tells ABC News heroin was found at the scene and a needle was sticking out of Hoffman's arm.Results from the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner on the exact cause of death are expected on Monday.

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=22335771&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drudgereport.com%2F

Read This Extremely Disturbing Open Letter and You May Never Look at Famous Hollywood Legend the Same Way Again

For more than two decades, legendary Hollywood director Woody Allen has been battling allegations that he sexually abused his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow. The claims first surfaced in 1993 and they have reemerged periodically ever since.

However, on Saturday the alleged victim at the center of the case publicly wrote about it for the very first time.

In an open letter published on Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times blog, Farrow details her extremely disturbing account of what happened in a “closet-like attic” when she was only a child. It should be noted that Allen was never prosecuted and has denied any wrongdoing.

Full Story

An Open Letter From Dylan Farrow More

Peso panic shakes throne of Queen Cristina Fernández de Kirchner

Argentina's president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and her ministers blame foreign 'vultures' for an economic meltdown as power cuts hit Buenos Aires and goods vanish from supermarket shelves

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/argentina-peso-crisis-shakes-queen-cristina

People slow to react are more likely to die prematurely, study finds

When the researchers -- all from the University of Edinborough -- went back to compare participants' response times with their likelihood of being among the dead, they detected a clear pattern: for those with slow reaction times, each standard deviation that separated an individual's performance from the group's average increased his or her likelihood of dying by 25%.

Those who were slower than the group average by four standard deviations were twice as likely as those whose performance was average to have died over the 15-year follow-up period.High variability in response time was also linked to a higher risk of death in the study. But those with high variability in response-time also tended to be the same people who response time was slower-than-average.

http://touch.latimes.com/#story/la-sci-sn-reaction-time-premature-death-20140131/

Facebook looks to nab Twitter's 'second screen' crown in Super Bowl

This Super Bowl will be a major test for Facebook, which has spent the past year rolling out new features designed to close the gap with Twitter. The Menlo Park, California-based company has hired a team, including former TV producers, to help broadcasters extract insights about the Facebook users watching their programming, such as how a team's fans breakdown by gender or geographic region.For the Super Bowl, Facebook will team directly with Fox Sports, the network owned by Twenty-First Century Fox Inc , which is airing the game, to showcase pre-game chatter from Facebook and Instagram users alongside typical game stats.

A specially created website will chart user data and comments in real time. The company has also actively encouraged athletes such as Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams to post commentary on the game to Facebook - athletes frequently use Twitter to sound off.

http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-looks-nab-twitter-39-39-second-screen-120000564--nfl.html;_ylt=AwrTWfxazOtSLXQAk8rQtDMD

Third Banker, Former Fed Member, “Found Dead” Inside A Week

If the stock market were already crashing then it would be simple to blame the dismally sad rash of dead bankers in the last week on that - certainly that was reflected in 1929. However, for the third time in the last week, a senior financial executive has died in what appears to be a suicide.  

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-30/russell-investments-chief-economist-dueker-found-dead.html

Shots, blasts as Thai protest rivals clash on election eve

Bangkok — Violence erupted in Bangkok on Saturday, the eve of tense Thai elections, with explosions and heavy gunfire breaking out in clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters, according to an AFP journalist.Bystanders, security personnel and journalists raced to take cover in a north Bangkok shopping mall after a man pulled an assault rifle from a bag and began spraying bullets during a stand-off between government supporters and scores of opposition demonstrators, an AFP reporter at the scene said.The firing went on for at least one hour.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g3nN19owuWUIG_ulZ9D7baTaOzCQ?docId=ae2120b3-8638-4853-8ede-88a6356c8310

Breaking: Heavy gunfire and explosions break out in Bangkok on even of Thai elections -- @AFP reporter

@JeromeTaylor: Breaking: Heavy gunfire and explosions break out in Bangkok on even of Thai elections -- @AFP reporter

Ukraine unrest: Australian video journalist Demjin Doroschenko says he was hit with rubber bullets, stun grenades

An Australian video journalist says he was struck by rubber bullets while documenting violent clashes between police and protesters in Ukraine last week.

At least six people have been killed and hundreds reportedly injured during two months of demonstrations which have gripped the former Soviet country.

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-01/australian-journalist-says-the-unprotected-targeted-in-ukraine/5232720

Grandmother Reveals 5 Most Chilling Moments From the Now-Infamous Indiana Exorcism House

Latoya Ammons isn’t the only person speaking out in great detail about demonic forces she believes attacked her family. Her mother, Rosa Campbell, appears in newly-released video from the police investigation in which she, too, shares terrifying details about the Indiana home.

We already know some of the family’s claims about the so-called “portal to hell,” but footage of Rosa explaining the finer details provides additional insight — informational tidbits that add disturbing new layers to an already complex story.

In a video secured by The Daily Mail, Campbell offered up some chilling details. Here are five of her claims:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/31/grandmother-reveals-5-most-chilling-moments-from-indiana-exorcism-house-hint-heels-twisting-eyes-rolling/

Black activists scathing response to Obama's speech: We're better off without you, 'just quit'

A group of black Chicago activists, also known as community organizers, were asked for their opinion of the Obama presidency after he delivered his State of the Union address Tuesday.

Their answers, unlike those from MSNBC, were brutally honest.“We’d be better off with you cutting off your presidency right now,” Mark Carter, an activist with Voices of the Ex-Offenders (VOTE) said. “Just quit.”

http://www.bizpacreview.com/2014/01/30/black-activists-scathing-response-to-obamas-speech-were-better-off-without-you-just-quit-97555

Jesus show outrages Christians...

Try that with Muhammad and see what happens....

Calls to cut controversial Come Heckle Christ show from Adelaide Fringe Festival program

http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/calls-to-cut-controversial-come-heckle-christ-show-from-adelaide-fringe-festival-program/story-fnihsrk2-1226815578833

Anxious Gold Coast parents keep watchful eye on their children's first days at school via WebCam

Instead of hovering around and peeking through the classroom windows, first-time parents of pre-prep students at The Southport School were able to log on from work or home to watch to watch a secure live stream of their children settling in...

 GC Bulletin

› Gold Coast Blog

Did BOM Drop The Ball? North Queensland residents not warned of #Cyclone #Dylan

A REVIEW into the Bureau of Meteorology's cyclone warnings and updates has been ordered after widespread criticism it failed keep residents informed as Tropical Cyclone Dylan hit the coast near Bowen. 
 
Residents in Bowen and Airlie Beach weren't told by the bureau the cyclone had made landfall until more than one hour after the event.

Read More Gold Coast Bulletin

› Gold Coast Blog

More #Cyclones on the way for North #Queensland

Two more cyclones could form around north Queensland in coming days, but are unlikely to pose huge risks to locals.

Full Story


› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Study: Liberals drink more alcohol than conservatives

The study by Pavel Yakovlev and Walter P. Guessford of Duquesne University in Pennsylvania shows a direct correlation between political beliefs and the demand for alcohol. 

http://m.theweek.com/article.php?id=255855

Joe Namath: Human Body 'Just Not Designed' To Play Football; Admits Dealing With Brain Issues...

New York Jets legend Joe Namath says he’s “improved” after going through “some things medically” that could be tied to concussions suffered during his playing days.

Namath made the comments in a CBS interview to be aired the morning of Super Bowl XLVIII.

“I’ve seen some things on my brain. But I’ve had some treatment, and I’ve improved,” Namath told Rita Braver of “CBS Sunday Morning.”

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/01/31/joe-namath-says-hes-had-brain-related-medical-issues/

Revealed: How China killed off discussion on the web...

Research commissioned by the Telegraph shows that the number of posts on the hugely successful Twitter-like microblog may have fallen by as much as 70 per cent in the wake of an aggressive campaign by the Communist party to intimidate influential users.

..But that was the same month that the Communist party struck its first major blow against Weibo, requiring users to register their real names with the service.From that point, those wishing to criticise the Party had to do so without the comforting blanket of anonymity and users started to rein themselves in.

...Over the following months, the Party gradually tightened its censorship of the service, deleting the accounts of activists and instituting a 'five strikes-and-out rule’,which suspended the accounts of anyone posting five “sensitive” tweets for 48 hours. In June last year, however, the Party changed tack. To great effect, it began arresting hundreds of users posting “rumours” on Weibo...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10608245/China-kills-off-discussion-on-Weibo-after-internet-crackdown.html

Australia: Deport asylum seekers who spit or swear...

New draft code: 'Antisocial means an action that is against the order of society'

(Huffington Post) Asylum seekers should be deported for “irritating people, disturbing someone or spitting or swearing in public”, according to the leaked draft of an Australia’s Behaviour Code.

Immigration minister Scott Morrison announced in December that detainees would have to sign a new code of conduct, and a draft of the draconian code has been leaked to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.Australia has seen a growing number of refugees from Iran, Afghanistan and Burma, as well as immigrants from South East Asia, but has come under fire for some of its harsh policies toward asylum...

http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/4695197?utm_hp_ref=uk&ir=UK

Google Scientists Say The Age Of The Cyborg Is Here

Technology has the potential to augment, improve and even replace every aspect of our body, from our vital organs to our legs.

A new remake of the movie RoboCop (out February 12) shows us a future where technology and humans become one – but experts say the age of the cyborg is already upon us.

With everything from smart contact lenses that could improve our vision to exoskeletons that give us superhuman strength, cyborgs are set to become a big part of our future.

Full Story

Pope Francis Poses For The ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll’ Crowd On Rolling Stone Cover...

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4682143?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Yahoo! Mail compromised, change! your! Mail! password! now!

Yahoo! is urging users of its Mail service to change their passwords to something secure and unique to the web giant – after a security breach exposed account login details to theft.

The company said that it has reset the passwords on accounts connected to what it termed a "third-party database compromise" – that database contained records on some of Yahoo!'s users. Yahoo! said the nabbed sensitive information is already being used by crooks' automated attack programs to compromise accounts and their users.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/31/yahoo_mail_users_change_your_password_now/

Vodka blamed for high death rates in Russia

The high number of early deaths in Russia is mainly due to people drinking too much alcohol, particularly vodka, research shows. The study, in The Lancet, says 25% of Russian men die before they are 55, and most of the deaths are down to alcohol.

The comparable UK figure is 7%. Causes of death include liver disease and alcohol poisoning. Many also die in accidents or after getting into fights.  

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25961063

BREAKING: Elevated levels of radioactivity detected at Britain's Sellafield nuclear plant, say plant authorities...

@FRANCE24: #BREAKING: http://f24.my/MD9Iq8

Muslim terrorists caught in Russia

(CNN) -- Russian police have identified two people they believe are the suicide bombers responsible for deadly bombings in Volgograd and detained two suspected accomplices, anti-terrorism officials said Thursday, according to Russian state news agency Ria Novosti.

CNN

› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Man goes through wood chipper -- Survives

A Longview Washington man is recovering from serious injuries after he was trapped and sent through a shredding wood chipper machine at work.Much of Frank Arce’s body has been shredded and crushed after he climbed into a turned-off wood chipper machine to retrieve an object stuck in the bark-shredding device...

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2014/01/30/washington-man-survives-going-through-wood-chipper/

GC Paper: Will the real Gold Coast Mayor please stand up? Council revolts over Tate's 'faceless man'

Councillors question the powerful role of Mayor Tom Tate's chief of staff Wayne Moran

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/councillors-question-the-powerful-role-of-mayor-tom-tates-chief-of-staff-wayne-moran/story-fnj94idh-1226814515991

Elementary school deprives students of food due to outstanding lunch bills...

It sounds like a scene out of a Charles Dickens novel: 40 children served lunch, only to have cafeteria workers take their meals and toss them in the trash.

That’s what happened on Tuesday at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City, as the district’s child-nutrition department took drastic measures to get parents to pay the outstanding balance on their lunch bills.

http://blog.sfgate.com/hottopics/2014/01/30/school-throws-away-lunches-of-students-in-debt/

Australia's greatest Olympian admitted to rehab...

IAN Thorpe has been admitted to a Sydney hospital to fight his decade-long battle with depression and alcohol abuse.

Thorpe opened up about his struggles, "Not even my family is aware that I've spent a lot of my life battling what I can only describe as crippling depression," he wrote.

http://m.couriermail.com.au/sport/ian-thorpe-admitted-to-rehab-to-battle-depression-and-alcohol-abuse/story-fnia3gmj-1226814426052

Its a ONE STEP SOLUTION - One step to JESUS

Experts Warn Of ‘Caffeine Use Disorder’.. How much is too much?

A new study has found that more people are dependent on caffeine to the point experts are issuing a “caffeine use disorder” warning.The study, coauthored by American University psychology professor Laura Juliano, shows that more people are suffering withdrawl symptoms and are unable to reduce caffeine consumption which is causes the “caffeine use disorder.”

Juliano advises that caffeine consumption should be limited to no more than 400 mg per day or the equivalent of about two to three 8-oz cups of coffee for healthy adults.  She noted that pregnant women should consume less than 200 mg per day along with people who experience anxiety or insomnia regularly.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/01/29/experts-warn-of-caffeine-use-disorder/

North Qld pounded as Cyclone Dylan crosses coast... QUEENSLAND is braced for a double whammy

The Bureau of Meteorology said the category-two storm, packing wind gusts up to 150km/h, hit near Bowen about 3.30am.It is moving south at 16km with heavy rain underneath the eye of the system lashing towns as far south as Gladstone. ....

...Another cyclone brews in the Coral Sea, road and rail links are cut, flights cancelled and tourists stranded as the category-two system pounded the tropical coast between Townsville and the Whitsundays.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/north-queensland-pounded-as-cyclone-dylan-intensifies/story-fnkt21jb-1226814383791

Sunday's Super Bowl Set to Feature Some Intense Layers of Security Most Attendees Will Never See

Pilots and maintainers from the Atlantic City Air National Guard unit, the 177th Fighter Wing, showcased their F-16s Fighting Falcons for the ABC report, explaining that the jets can respond, intercept – and if necessary shoot down – potential aerial threats within mere minutes.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/30/sundays-super-bowl-set-to-feature-some-intense-layers-of-security-most-attendees-will-never-see/

Priest Who Performed Reported Exorcisms in Terrifying Indiana Case Doubles Down -- and the Reporter Who Broke the Story Speaks Out

“First time I heard about the incident was just after the boy walked up the wall backwards,”.....

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/30/something-unworldly-indiana-exorcism-priest-doubles-down-on-demon-possession-story-as-bill-oreilly-presses-for-answers/

Boom? Ray White Surfers Paradise Prestige Event ends without a sale

NOT one home sold under the hammer as buyers kept purse strings tight and vendors refused to budge at one of the country's biggest luxury property auctions.

The Ray White Surfers Paradise Prestige Event, held last night at Palazzo Versace, attracted a room full of high-end buyers but couldn't attract a winning bid on the 11 high-end homes plated up...

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/realestate/ray-white-surfers-paradise-prestige-event-ends-without-a-sale-as-bids-fall-short-of-expectation/story-fnjdgobq-1226814507636

Justin Bieber charged with assault in Canada..

Justin Bieber was charged Wednesday with assault for allegedly hitting a Toronto limousine driver several times in the back of the head last month, just hours after his attorney entered a separate not guilty plea in Florida to drunken-driving and other charges...

http://www.wnem.com/story/24583501/justin-bieber-charged-with-assault-in-canada?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=michiganonline

Conformed To This World: Pope cements place in hippie universe, shares values

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

http://pagesix.com/2014/01/29/pope-francis-graces-the-cover-of-rolling-stone/?_ga=1.18160369.975338139.1383351185

Apple losing in #China

While the Tame Apple Press was trying to tell the world that Apple was going to do well in China, TechEye received a good kicking from Apple Fanboys for daring to say it was not going to happen.

Well it looks like we were right and anyone who invested in Jobs' Mob would have a case for suing the New York Times and its ilk for trying to talk up what was obviously false...

http://news.techeye.net/mobile/apple-losing-in-china

#Cyclone #Dylan to intensify to category 2 - winds of up to 150km/h

UPDATE: Cyclone Dylan is expected to intensify to  a category 2 system by the time it makes landfall early Friday with winds of up to 150km/h. 

 www.couriermail.com.au

› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

NY Post: ‘Jay Z a poor excuse for a husband’

What do you call a man who stands there smiling and singing as his scantily clad wife straddles a chair and shakes her rear end for other men’s titillation?

I’m certain if I look through enough Jay Z song titles, I’ll come up with the right name for his role in Beyoncé’s performance at the Grammy Awards Sunday night. Rhymes with Goodyear. . . ? Well, how about I just call him a poor excuse for a husband.

nypost.com

› Gold Coast Blog — Queensland Australia

Antioxidants including vitamin E can promote lung cancer: study

The discovery of how antioxidants thwart cells' innate cancer-fighting machinery might explain why a groundbreaking 1994 study found an 18 percent higher incidence of lung cancer among 29,133 male smokers who received beta carotene than those who did not. The result was so unexpected and unwelcome that the editorial in the journal where it was published tried to dismiss it as "an extreme play of chance."

"It's disappointing but not surprising that people's beliefs are not modified by scientific evidence," said Dr Paul Marantz, an epidemiologist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "People so want to believe there is a magic bullet out there."

http://news.yahoo.com/antioxidants-including-vitamin-e-promote-lung-cancer-study-190119863--finance.html;_ylt=AwrBJSAjVelS9BgAR53QtDMD

Once-In-a-Generation Storm - The Big Icy: Deep freeze down to Gulf Coast

The Deep South will be plunged into a deep freeze again this week, this time with ice and snow expected to fall all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.Forecasters issued a winter storm warning for New Orleans and its suburbs Monday afternoon, warning that the city could see half an inch of snow and ice by Tuesday evening.

Parishes further north could see three inches, with temperatures plunging into the single digits on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported.A wave of arctic air that settled over the Midwest and the Plains is expected to spread into the Southeast late Monday, bringing a chance of snow to several major Southern cities by Tuesday.

In New Orleans, where measurable snow has fallen only 17 times in records that date back to the 1880s, French Quarter restaurants made plans to shut down and tourists worried about being stranded at the city’s airport.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/27/us/winter-weather/

Creepy Facebook asks to read users' text messages...

Over the last month or so, a few keen-eyed Android users may have been startled by some peculiar permission requests when they tried to update their Facebook app.

One request asks to “read your text messages (SMS or MMS).”That’s not exactly the kind of language users are likely to find reassuring, especially after recent allegations that Facebook has been scanning private messages within the social network.

So, Facebook is currently on a PR offensive to calm user fears. “We realize that some of these permissions sound scary,” writes Facebook. “So we’d like to provide more info about how we use them … If you add a phone number to your account, this allows us to confirm your phone number automatically by finding the confirmation code that we send via text message.

”Make of those assurances what you will, and you can read more about the other permissions here. Indeed, as one Reddit user point out, Facebook has been asking for these SMS permissions for quite some time...

http://m.fastcompany.com/3025589/fast-feed/why-is-facebooks-app-asking-to-read-your-text-messages

U.S. States eye return to firing squads, electric chairs

With lethal-injection drugs in short supply and new questions looming about their effectiveness, lawmakers in some death penalty states are considering bringing back relics of a more gruesome past:

firing squads, electrocutions and gas chambers.

http://nypost.com/2014/01/28/states-consider-reviving-old-fashioned-executions/

SNAP: NY congressman threatens reporter: "... I'll throw you off this fucking balcony."

"I'm not speaking to you off-topic, this is only about the president," said Grimm, before walking off camera."So Congressman Michael Grimm does not want to talk about some of the allegations concerning his campaign finances," Scotto said before tossing back to the station. But as the camera continued to roll, Grimm walked back up to Scotto and began speaking to him in a low voice."What?" Scotto responded. "I just wanted to ask you..."Grimm: "Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I'll throw you off this f-----g balcony."

http://www.ny1.com/content/politics/political_news/202672/rep--grimm-threatens-ny1-reporter-following-state-of-the-union

This Is Cnn: GOP Strategist’s Sex-Related Reaction to Obama’s SOTU Speech...

GOP strategist Alex Castellanos likely stunned many CNN viewers when he made a bizarre sex-related analogy to describe his reaction to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

“I think I’ve said before that I think a speech by Barack Obama is a lot like sex. The worst there ever was is still excellent, and I thought he gave a very competent performance tonight,” he said...

http://www.theblaze.com/user/darkjello

Disney Indoctrinates With Lesbian Couple On Children’s Show ‘Good Luck Charlie

On Sunday's episode of Good Luck Charlie, children all across America who tuned in were smacked in the face with a lesbian couple. The post Disney Indoctrinates With Lesbian Couple On Children’s...

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/27/taylor-has-two-moms-disney-channel-introduces-its-first-lesbian-couple-on-a-kids-show/

Turkish prime minister arrives in Iran for talks

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders on bilateral ties and regional issues including Syria.

Iranian state television says Erdogan will meet Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani during his two-day state visit that began Wednesday.  

http://m.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Turkish-prime-minister-arrives-in-Iran-for-talks-5184052.php

H7N9 bird flu virus: Hong Kong culls 20,000 chickens

Hong Kong has begun culling 20,000 chickens after the H7N9 bird flu virus was found in poultry imported from mainland China.

All chickens at the wholesale market where the positive test took place were to be destroyed, the government said.  

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25923508

Gay Sex Is a Crime and Will Stay a Crime, Says #India’s Top Judges

India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected petitions from the government and gay rights activists to review an earlier decision that recriminalized gay sex in the country.  

http://world.time.com/2014/01/29/gay-sex-remains-crime-in-india/

A Real-Life Demon Possession Is Being Reported in Indiana – The Details Are Almost Too Horrifying to Believe

A terrified mother claims she watched in horror as her demon-possessed 9-year-old son walked backwards up a wall and ceiling. Her claims would be easy to dismiss if a child services case worker and a nurse weren’t reportedly there to witness it all.

Strangely enough, the scary-sounding incident is outlined in official documents. Further, Gary police Capt. Charles Austin told the Star that he is a “believer” after making several visits to the home and interviewing witnesses.  

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/27/a-real-life-demon-possession-is-being-reported-in-indiana-the-details-are-almost-too-horrifying-to-believe/

Again! Massive fudging on global-warming temps

They’re manipulating the data.In this case, lowering the historical temperatures for years prior to 2000. Which makes the temperatures after that look like they’ve risen. Which makes it look like global warming.“

A newly uncovered and monumental calculating error in official U.S. government climate data shows beyond doubt that climate scientists unjustifiably added a whopping one degree of phantom warming to the official ‘raw’ temperature record,”

http://www.principia-scientific.org/breaking-new-climate-data-rigging-scandal-rocks-us-government.html

Death of culture in America, Grammy Award style... #Sad

Sunday night at the musical Grammy Awards America honored the following triumphs in lyrical creativity reflective of America's lofty artistic ideals:

From Macklemore’s "Thrift Shop": Nah, walk up to the club like, "What up? I got a big c*ck!"I'm so pumped about some sh*t from the thrift shop. I'll take those flannel zebra jammies, second-hand, I rock that motherf*cker The built-in onesie with the socks on that motherf*ckerI hit the party and they stop in that motherf*cker

From Obamas friend Jay-Z’s "Holy Grail": Blue told me to remind you n*ggasF*ck that sh*t y’all talkin' aboutI'm the n*gga, caught up in all these lights and cameras

From Justin Timberlake’s "Suit & Tie":I be on my suit and tie, sh*t tie, sh*t tieI be on my suit and tie, sh*t tie, sh*t

Sign of the times...

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/01/27/death-culture-in-america-grammy-award-style/

The Gold Coast will cop it but won't be affected by potential cyclone 'Dylan'

Bureau of Meteorology says the city would cop a fair share of bad weather this week but it was because of a high-pressure system over the Tasman Sea.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/the-gold-coast-will-cop-it-but-wont-be-affected-by-potential-cyclone-dylan/story-fnj94idh-1226812396483