Clipmarks | hudgal1's clips

Prehistoric mammal found in Chile

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:01:25 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: I don't like this new system.

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Fossils found in South America's Andes mountains belong to a new species of the ancient armored mammals called glyptodonts, scientists say.

Relatives of the modern armadillo, glyptodonts were clumsy, bizarre-looking mammals covered with thick, immovable plates.

The animals—which perished at the end of the Ice Age several thousand years ago—could grow to the size of a small car.

The newfound fossils are from the Miocene epoch (about 5 to 23 million years ago) and offer important insights into the evolution of the strange creatures, paleontologists say.

U.S. lone hold-out on Kyoto

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:33:26 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: Once again, the U.S. is the only one in the cold...er...heat.

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Then there was one: US now alone as Kyoto holdout

An activist protests US President George W. Bush's withdrawal of support for the Kyoto Protocol in 2005 near the White House in Washington, DC. Supporters of the Kyoto Protocol were gleeful on Saturday after Australian elections left the United States in the wilderness as the only major economy to boycott the UN's climate pact.

Supporters of the Kyoto Protocol were gleeful on Saturday after Australian elections left the United States in the wilderness as the only major economy to boycott the UN's climate pact.

The ouster of Prime Minister John Howard stripped President George W. Bush of a key ally barely a week before a conference in Bali, Indonesia, on the world's response to climate change beyond 2012, they said.

"It's a very important event in the international climate debate, and for Bali. It will leave Bush and the United States more isolated."

Tags: pollution, global warming, kyoto

"Natural' disasters quadrupled in last 2 decades

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:27:57 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: I'm sure the Al Gore haters will find a 'reasonable' explanation for this too.

Clip Source: space.physorg.com

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

More than four times the number of natural disasters are occurring now than did two decades ago, British charity Oxfam said in a study Sunday that largely blamed global warming.

"Oxfam... says that rising green house gas emissions are the major cause of weather-related disasters and must be tackled," the organisation said, adding that the world's poorest people were being hit the hardest.

The world suffered about 120 natural disasters per year in the early 1980s, which compared with the current figure of about 500 per year, according to the report.

"This year we have seen floods in South Asia, across the breadth of Africa and Mexico that have affected more than 250 million people," noted Oxfam director Barbara Stocking.

"This is no freak year. It follows a pattern of more frequent, more erratic, more unpredictable and more extreme weather events that are affecting more people."

Tags: global warming, natural disasters

Biggest bug ever!

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:18:28 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: I wouldn't want to run into this thing in a dark...uh...seawater trench!

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Giant Sea Scorpion Discovered; Was Bigger Than a Man

A fearsome fossil claw discovered in Germany belonged to the biggest bug ever known, scientists announced Tuesday.

The size of a large crocodile, the 390-million-year-old sea scorpion was the top predator of its day, slicing up fish and cannibalizing its own kind in coastal swamp waters, fossil experts say.

Jaekelopterus rhenaniae measured some 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long, scientists estimate, based on the length of its 18-inch (46-centimeter), spiked claw.

We have known for some time that the fossil record yields monster millipedes, supersized scorpions, colossal cockroaches, and jumbo dragonflies," he added. "But we never realized, until now, just how big some of these ancient creepy-crawlies were."

Tags: fossil, bugs, prehistoric

Queen guitarist named chancellor of university

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 04:01:01 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: I knew all the members of the band Queen were well educated, but this came as a bit of a surprise. I wonder if he'll keep the rock star 'do'.

Clip Source: music.yahoo.com

Brian May named university chancellor

11/19/2007 2:00 PM, AP

Brian May, rock star and astrophysicist, has been appointed chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University.

May will be installed as the university's figurehead leader early next year, it was announced Monday. The 60-year-old Queen guitarist said the appointment was "a great honor and a great new challenge."

"Brian May is an intensely talented individual who achieved global success with Queen," said the university's vice chancellor, Michael Brown, in a statement. "In this age of celebrity culture, it is rare to find someone who has fame, fortune and universal acclaim and yet who remains true to his core values of learning and enlightenment."

May completed his doctorate in astrophysics earlier this year. He was awarded his qualification by Imperial College London.

Tags: queen, education, doctorate, university

Teacher interview

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:03:40 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: As a retired teacher, I can relate to this. Continued in remarks.

Clip Source: blog.myspace.com

Teacher interview

Teacher Applicant Interview

After being interviewed by the school administration, the
teaching prospect said, 'Let me see if I've got this right:
'You want me to go into that room with all those kids,
correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor
their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a
love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage
war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of
self esteem and personal pride.

'You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship,
sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a
checkbook, and apply for a job
'You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs
of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams.

Tags: education, school, prayer

We're all Martians?

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:54:26 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: I suppose it's POSSIBLE that we evolved from some organic matter that hitched a ride on a flying space rock, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Clip Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

We could have alien origins, say scientists who sent fossilized microscopic life-forms into space and back inside an artificial meteorite.

he researchers attached the baseball-size rock to the outside of the European Space Agency's Foton M3 spacecraft to test whether biological material could survive the round-trip journey.

Sculpted from stone from the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland, the rock contained fossilized microbes and the molecular signatures of microbes.

"In the bit of rock we got back, some biological compounds have survived,

Preliminary findings suggest that it's possible simple organisms could arrive via meteorites, he said.

Tags: space, mereors, metiorites, life, aliens

Obama's solution to Social Security

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:13:26 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: Hrm. I'm not sure what the Social Security tax is now, but is seems like a better idea that cutting benefits (dog food lunch, anyone?) or increasing the retirement age again. It's already 65! Expecting people to work after 65 is a little much, physically for the elderly. Another problem is that Medicare comes along with Social Security, and the older one gets, the more stuff goes wrong with the body! There might be a better solution, but I can't think of one.

We are already one of the world's nations that neglect our elderly the most, yet one of the richest. Something's amiss here.

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama said Sunday he will push for higher Social Security taxes if elected, viewing it as the best option for improving the retirement program's finances.

Obama and several other Democratic presidential candidates previously have signaled support for lifting the cap on the amount of income that is taxed to provide monthly Social Security checks.

But during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Obama said taxing more of a person's income was the option he would push for if elected president. He objected to benefit cuts or a higher retirement age.

Tags: social security, obama

When it's ok to lie to your kid

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:45:29 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: From Parenting magazine, some really good advice on telling little white lies, protective lies, and social fibs...and when you should just come clean. It's good advice for childless folks too!

Clip Source: www.parenting.com

Why It's Okay to Lie to Your Child (Sometimes)

A guide to little white lies, social fibs, and more -- and when the truth really matters

Moms aren't supposed to lie — ever. But, of course, we routinely do. Our fibs can be damaging — or not. It all depends on how and when we tell them.

Little whites

How we justify them:

When they're okay:

The downside:

Clip Source: www.parenting.com

Social lies

How we justify them:

When they're okay:

The downside:

Tall tales

How we justify them:

When they're okay:

The downside:

Protective lies

How we justify them:

When they're okay:

The downside:

Tags: parenting, lies, child-rearing, children

Hospitals now catering to the obese

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:29:44 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: Yes, make the beds bigger and the toilets stronger. Then help them learn how to eat right.

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Hospitals upsize for hefty patients

U.S. hospitals are upsizing gowns, beds and scales to accommodate an increasing number of supersized patients.

The extra-large equipment boosts comfort and safety for the 1 in 5 Americans who are obese., the Detroit Free Press reported Sunday.

For example, a Dearborn, Mich., hospital upgraded its commodes to bear 1,000 pounds vs. the current 200 pounds, the newspaper said.

Other industries have begun expanding as well to accommodate bigger Americans, with wider movie seats, longer seat belts and plus-size clothing lines available nationwide.

Tags: obesity, hostpitals, health care

Theory of relativity passes more technical test

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:23:11 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: Was there ever any doubt?

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

In 1905, Albert Einstein wrote his own treatise on the relativity of time, famously theorising that time speeds up or slows down according to how fast an object is moving in relation to another object.

In a study published on Sunday, the most accurate experiment yet into time dilation has proven the great German physicist to be bang on target.

An international team of researchers used a particle accelerator to whizz two beams of atoms around a doughnut-shaped course to represent Einstein's faster-moving clocks.

They then timed the beams using high-precision laser spectroscopy and found that, compared with the outside world, time for these atomic travellers did indeed slow down.

"We were able to determine the effect more precisely than ever before," said lead researcher Gerald Gwinner of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.

Tags: relativity, time, einstein

Russian catastrophe

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:17:12 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: These oil spills are becoming entirely too common. Perhaps it's time for some stricter rules on transporting oil.

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

A map locating the Kerch Strait -- between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Five-metre (16-feet) high waves smashed apart a Russian tanker on Sunday, spilling 1,300 tonnes of fuel oil into the Black Sea in what environmentalists called an "ecological catastrophe."

Four other cargo ships including three carrying sulphur also sank as winds of up to 108 kilometres (67 miles) an hour battered the Kerch Strait separating the Black Sea from the Sea of Azov.

Forty vessels were evacuated from Kavkaz, a busy Russian commercial port some 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) south of Moscow, officials said. Ten others were forced to stay in the port because of the storm.

The prow and the stern of the oil tanker, called Volgoneft-139, tore apart in the storm and "around 1,300 tonnes of fuel oil were spilled," a transport ministry spokeswoman told AFP.

Tags: oil, environment, russia

How YOU can save the world!

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:08:28 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: Plus, it will save you money, both in transportation costs and medical bills! I just heard on the news this morning that premium gas in California just hit 5/gallon. Ouch. And How much are oil company exec.s making these days?

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

(AP) -- America's obesity epidemic and global warming might not seem to have much in common. But public health experts suggest people can attack them both by cutting calories and carbon dioxide at the same time.

How? Get out of your car and walk or bike half an hour a day instead of driving. And while you're at it, eat less red meat. That's how Americans can simultaneously save the planet and their health, say doctors and climate scientists.

The payoffs are huge, although unlikely to happen. One numbers-crunching scientist calculates that if all Americans between 10 and 74 walked just half an hour a day instead of driving, they would cut the annual U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, by 64 million tons.

Tags: environmentalism, obesity, exercise, greenhouse gases, global warming

Unlucky biologist catches 'plague'

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:34:23 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: It seems that a scientist would know to take precautions?

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Official: Plague Likely Killed Biologist

(AP) -- A wildlife biologist at Grand Canyon National Park likely died from the plague through his exposure to wild animals that can carry the disease, the National Park Service said Friday.

Eric York, 37, was found dead in his home Nov. 2. Following his death, about 30 people who came in contact with him were given antibiotics as a precaution.

While authorities were uncertain about how York became infected, officials said that the biologist was at a greater risk to the sometimes-fatal disease through his exposure to wild rodents and mountain lions.

Park Service officials initially said they suspected the plague or hantavirus, another sometimes-fatal disease endemic to the Southwest, because of York's interests and hobbies.

Health officials in Arizona warned in September that the plague appeared to be on the rise and that more cases were likely after an Apache County woman was infected with the disease.

Tags: disease, contagious, plague, biologist

Some of the hottest planets found so far.....

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:15:15 GMT

clipped by: hudgal1
clipper's remarks: These babies are hot and not in the Paris Hilton way. They have a side which is always facing the sun - sending temp's soaring. There's something odd about their mass to size ratio though....

Clip Source: www.foxnews.com

Three new planets discovered outside our solar system are among the hottest worlds ever found.

The exoplanets were discovered by the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP) project, which is dedicated to the discovery of large gas planets that orbit very close to their stars.

The newfound hot Jupiters orbit 20 to 40 times closer to their stars than Earth does the sun. The tight orbits mean the planets are tidally locked to their stars, the way the moon is to Earth, so that each constantly shows one face to the star, and that face is always hotter than the dark back side.

With temperatures on their star-facing sides reaching upwards of 3,140 degrees Fahrenheit (1,726 Celsius), the new planets are "among the hottest found so far,"

The influx of energy causes the planets to swell 25 to 50 times Jupiter's size, even though their mass is less than that of Jupiter.

Tags: hot, jupiter, planet