Clipmarks | rmowery's clips

Start at any age

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:08:17 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Start at any age

Demand rises for bike riding lessons for adults

SOMERVILLE - Michael Lamb is a 44-year-old history teacher with a quiet smile and unusual courage. He's learning, finally, how to ride a bicycle - despite being nearly four decades older than the usual beginner. His goal is modest: ride well enough to accompany his two young children on local bike paths.

"The older you get," he says, "you feel a little strange asking for help."

But Lamb is hardly alone. Gas prices hovering above $4 per gallon have led to the busiest season so far for the woman known as Boston's Bike Whisperer, Susan McLucas, a 59-year-old chronic smiler with a reputation for teaching even the most fearful and frustrated adults to balance on two wheels. Enrollment in Bicycle Riding for Beginners, offered through the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, has nearly doubled since 2006. And demand for one-on-one lessons is on the rise as well.

Tags: bicycling, learning, teaching, bicyclce

Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:26:27 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: So if you have a small container with lots of water and lots of ice and the ice melts....what happens to all the extra water and where does it go?

WaterWorld anyone?

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole

Polar scientists reveal dramatic new evidence of climate change

By Steve Connor, Science Editor

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.

The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.

"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.

Tags: polar ice caps, northpole, ice, metling, arctic sea

James Dobson accuses Obama of `distorting' Bible

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:42:53 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: Obama is correct on this. Dobson and Minnery are basically slamming those who do not acknowledge the New Testament - where Obama is at least acknowledging the Old and New.
What irritates me about religion are those that think their version is the absolute truth (Dobbs/Minnery as an example) since they are no different then the radical Islamic groups.

Clip Source: ap.google.com

"Even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?" Obama said. "Would we go with James Dobson's or Al Sharpton's?" referring to the civil rights leader.

Dobson took aim at examples Obama cited in asking which Biblical passages should guide public policy — chapters like Leviticus, which Obama said suggests slavery is OK and eating shellfish is an abomination, or Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, "a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application."

"Folks haven't been reading their Bibles," Obama said.

Dobson and Minnery accused Obama of wrongly equating Old Testament texts and dietary codes that no longer apply to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament.

Tags: obama, relugon, politics, christianity, bible

Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:49:22 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Stephen Hawking's explosive new theory

Prof Stephen Hawking has come up with a new idea to explain why the Big Bang of creation led to the vast cosmos that we can see today.

Astronomers can deduce that the early universe expanded at a mind-boggling rate because regions separated by vast distances have similar background temperatures.

They have proposed a process of rapid expansion of neighbouring regions, with similar cosmic properties, to explain this growth spurt which they call inflation.

But that left a deeper mystery: why did inflation occur in the first place?

Now New Scientist reports that an answer has been proposed by Prof Stephen Hawking of Cambridge University, working with Prof Thomas Hertog of the Astroparticle and Cosmology Laboratory in Paris.

Tags: stephen hawking, science, cosmos, bing bang

Supreme Court says Americans have right to guns

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:45:57 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Supreme Court says Americans have right to guns

WASHINGTON - Americans can keep guns at home for self-defense, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in the justices' first-ever pronouncement on the meaning of gun rights under the Second Amendment.

The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most federal firearms restrictions intact.

The Constitution does not permit "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home," Scalia said. The court also struck down Washington's requirement that firearms be equipped with trigger locks or kept disassembled, but left intact the licensing of guns.

Scalia noted that the handgun is Americans' preferred weapon of self-defense in part because "it can be pointed at a burglar with one hand while the other hand dials the police."

Tags: handgun, shotgun, supreme court, constitution

Woman strips after wolf whistle

Mon, 26 May 2008 16:47:50 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: uk.reuters.com

Woman strips after wolf whistle

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Road workers in a small New Zealand town got their wish granted when a woman stripped saying she was fed up with their wolf-whistles.

The Israeli tourist was about to use an ATM in the main street of Kerikeri, in the far north of the country, when the men whistled, the New Zealand Press Association reported.

She calmly stripped off, used the cash machine, before getting dressed and walking away.

The woman told police she didn't take too kindly to the whistling from the men repairing the road.

"She said she had thought 'bugger them, I'll show them what I've got'," Police Sergeant Peter Masters told NZPA.

"She gave the explanation that she had been ... pestered by New Zealand men. She's not an unattractive looking lady," Masters said.

"She was taken back to the police station and spoken to and told that was inappropriate in New Zealand."

(Reporting by Adrian Bathgate; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Tags: woman, strip, whistle, new zealand

Bush blames India's Middle Class for food proce hike

Mon, 05 May 2008 02:44:48 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: Neither Bush nor his administration can do anymore then point blames some place else for the problems the bushites have created.

Next he will be blaming little green men from mars.

Clip Source: www.dawn.com

Bush blames India’s middle class for food price hike

“There are 350 million people in India who are classified as middle class. That’s bigger than America. Their middle class is larger than our entire population,” observed Mr Bush. ‘‘And when you start getting wealth, you start demanding better nutrition and better food. And so demand is high, and that causes the price to go up.”

The remarks, made in a speech on economy and trade, earned him an immediate rebuke from India where a spokesman for the ruling Congress party said Mr Bush’s analysis was “completely erroneous” as India is not a food importer but a food exporter.

Mr Bush, however, is not the first US leader to blame India. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also expressed similar views. She said that improving incomes and prosperity in India and China were responsible for the rising food prices.

Tags: bush, rice, cheney, president, us, food, india

Bush admits he approved torture

Sat, 03 May 2008 04:34:31 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: Said the fly to spider......oh what a tangled web web we have weaved......

Clip Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com

Bush admits he approved torture

WASHINGTON -- The American people have heard President Bush and his spokespeople say many times that the U.S. government does not engage in torture.

Whether Bush was believed or not is another story -- especially in light of the photographic evidence of the abuse of prisoners in Abu Ghraib. It's understood that many of the photos are too sadistically graphic to be made public.

"As a matter of fact," Bush added, "I told the country we did that. And I told them it was legal. We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it."

The president added, "I didn't have any problems at all trying to find out what Khalid Sheik Mohammed knew."

"He was the person who ordered the suicide attack -- I mean, the 9/11 attacks," Bush said. "And back then, there was all kind of concern about people saying, 'Well, the administration is not connecting the dots.' You might remember those -- that period." Bush said.

Tags: bush, torture, cheney, bush administration, war, lies

Bush Blames Congress for Not Passing Foreclosure, Gas Bills

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:54:26 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: What he should be doing is pushing alternative energy and pushing $$ out for implementation of alternative energies, etc.

NOT drilling for oil or ore refineries - of course he and his buddies don';t make anything if it is not oil!

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Bush Blames Congress for Not Passing Foreclosure, Gas Bills

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Tuesday that Congress is blocking his proposals to deal with high gas prices and dragging its feet on other issues to address the nation's sagging economy. He said he was open to any idea in terms of energy, including a proposal backed by John McCain and Hillary Clinton to suspend gas and diesel taxes this summer.

But, he said, he favored longer-term fixes, such as encouraging new oil production in the United States and the building of new refineries.

"It's a tough time for our economy," Bush said at a Rose Garden news conference. "Across our country, many Americans are understandably anxious about issues affecting their pocketbook, from gas and food prices to mortgage and tuition bills. They're looking to their elected leaders in Congress for action.

Tags: bush, economy, oil, alternative energy

Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:22:18 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: At the rate we are going, perhaps it will happen again?

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests.

The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.

The report notes that a separate study by researchers at Stanford University estimated that the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age.

"This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species' history," said Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence.

"Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world. Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA."

Tags: prehistory, humans, dna, survival

5 Reasons to take naps

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 03:33:55 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: ririanproject.com

“Set aside half an hour every day to do all your worrying; then take a nap during this period.”

Thomas Edison, Napoleon Bonaparte, Salvador Dali, Winston Churchill, and Presidents Kennedy and Reagan had something in common? In fact, each of them enjoyed a regular nap.

While small children typically take naps in the afternoon, our culture generally frowns upon mid-day sleep; however, many people feel a mid-afternoon slump in mood and alertness, especially after a poor night of sleep. Many believe that this slump is caused by eating a heavy lunch. However, in reality, this occurs because we were meant to have a mid-afternoon nap.

Tags: naps, napping, health, brain power, psychology

The Wilhelm Scream

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:31:50 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: www.damninteresting.com

Posted by Greg Bjerg on February 11th, 2007 at 11:48 pm

Wilhelm about to scream in The Charge at Feather RiverIn the 1951 movie Distant Drums starring Gary Cooper, a small band of soldiers were crossing a swamp in pursuit of Seminole Indians. While wading through the Everglades one unnamed soldier was attacked and dragged underwater by an alligator. His last sound as he died was a startled scream.

In The Charge at Feather River two years later, a soldier named Private Wilhelm screamed in what sounded like alligator-assaulted agony when he was struck by an arrow. In fact, his cry of pained surprise was practically identical to unnamed soldier's. Both men would soon be forgotten as a bit parts in B-movies, seen by relatively few moviegoers. But the holler they bellowed went on to be heard by millions– if not billions– of people worldwide.

Most movie studios will add sound effects for a film during post-production, and of course it's not unusual for them to recycle sound effects from their archives. In the case of Distant Drums, six short screams were recorded in a studio and creatively titled "man getting bit by an alligator, and he screams". The fifth take was used for the alligator attack, and the others came in handy to give voice to some Indians shot during a raid.

Tags: interesting fact, ffacts, wilhelm scream, entertainment

Metal pipes worth more than some US homes

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:12:19 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Metal pipes worth more than some US homes

Copper pipes and wiring found in many of America's repossessed homes are now more valuable than the properties themselves.

Across the country thieves are stripping empty houses of the copper, aluminium, and brass in their plumbing and heating systems to take advantage of the crashing property market and the soaring price of scrap metal, much of which is sold to China and India.

The trend has accelerated as the glut of unwanted properties clog the market, dragging down house prices.

"Houses are getting stripped pretty quickly once they go through the foreclosure process," said Tony Brancatelli, a city councillor in Cleveland, Ohio, which has been particularly hard hit.

Tags: copper pipes, homes, metal, foreclosure, economy

Obama advisor: US Jews hinder peace

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:21:16 GMT

clipped by: rmowery
clipper's remarks: Why is it that everyone seems to be against Israel? It is a tiny little country - yet everyone seems to want their land. I just don't get it.

Clip Source: www.ynetnews.com

Obama advisor: US Jews hinder peace

More trouble for presidential hopeful: Inquiry by conservative US media outlets reveals that Obama advisor Merrill 'Tony' McPeak is a longtime anti-Israel critic who slammed American Jews for acting against US interests

Yitzhak Benhorin

Published:

03.26.08, 01:24 / Israel News

WASHINGTON - General Merrill "Tony" McPeak, Senator Barack Obama's military advisor and co-chair of his presidential campaign is a longtime anti-Israeli critic who has slammed Israel harshly during his career, according to an inquiry by conservative American media outlets.

McPeak, who served as the chief of staff o the US Air Force before retiring in 1994, made headlines over the past week after accusing former President Bill Clinton of McCarthyism. Yet as it turns out, over the years he has criticized Israel for failing to withdraw to the 1967 borders and charged American Jews were preventing American pressure that would lead to a Mideast peace agreement.

Tags: israel, obama, mcpeak, border

Health Clubs Look to Kids to Bulk Up Membership

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:37:18 GMT

clipped by: rmowery

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

Health Clubs Look to Kids to Bulk Up Membership

Linda Hom takes her kids to the gym when she works out -- and they get a workout of their own.

Ms. Hom, a free-lance fashion designer from South Orange, N.J., signed up Matthew, 7 years old, and Sydnie, 9, for Tae Kwon Do classes at Motion Fitness Club, the health club where she has been a member since 2004.

The kids take a 45-minute class three times a week. And, says Sydnie, "the adults don't really bother us because we're doing our own thing and they're doing theirs."

Having the kids join the health club, says Ms. Hom, 42, "was a way for me to not tell, but show them that I work out, too, to be healthy." She adds that "it's a nice combination for a busy parent to have that option of working out at the same time."

Tags: health, kids, children, parents, excercis, gyms, healthclub