Clipmarks | Live Clips

Healthcare industry outspends opponents 200 to 1

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:50:40 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: And that's your premiums they're spending on lobbying rather than healthcare

Clip Source: www.dailykos.com

In the first three months of 2009, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has spent more money on lobbying since 1998 than any other company, trade association, or advocacy group, and the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhARMA)--the No. 6 all-time spender--paid lobbyists a combined $22.5 million to promote their interests.

Meanwhile, prominent champions of the public insurance option spend very little on lobbying or campaign contributions

Families USA, a self-described consumer watchdog dedicated to health care issues, for example, has spent a mere $10,000

Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a national network that unites doctors' associations, consumer groups and other activists, spent $80,000 last year

Yowza. All that money spent to keep us getting

insurance and prescription medications

It's us, the consumer, the people who are having to shell out all this money for health "care" vs. the people taking all of our money

and pouring it into lobbying

Tags: healthcare

Obama Killed Michael Jackson!

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:23:54 GMT

clipped by: Jorjor
clipper's remarks: The first paragraph is from the cigar-sucker's own web page. The rest, and below, is from politicsusa.com.

Rush’s comparison does not work. It doesn’t make sense. Partisan politics can’t be applied to something as random as a celebrity death. Ronald Reagan had as little to do with Jackson’s success, as Obama did with his death. Jackson’s talent made him the world’s biggest star in the 80s, not Ronald Reagan, and Obama did not cause Jackson’s heart trouble.

The wingnut pundits are doing everything they can to cast Obama in a bad light. He's a tyrant and a dictator, but they descend to trivialities like his choice of mustard or his reaction to a reporter's intrusive ringtone. The cognitive dissonance it takes to agree with these people is becoming more conflicted every day. What's next - blame Obama for the Teapot Dome Scandal?

Clip Source: www.rushlimbaugh.com

Jackson's success paralleled the rebound of the United States under Ronaldus Magnus. Michael Jackson's biggest successes, and as it turns out his final successes, real successes took place in the eighties. That was Billie Jean, Thriller and all this. I mean he was as weird as he could be but he was profoundly, because of his weirdness, an individual. He wasn't a group member. He reached a level of success that may never be equaled. He flourished under Reagan; he languished under Clinton-Bush; and died under Obama. Let's hope the parallel does not continue.

Clip Source: www.politicususa.com

Limbaugh later asked what about his statements were not true. Well, we can start with the idea that Michael Jackson was not a group member. It can be argued that the foundation for his entire successful solo career was his membership in the Jackson 5. Secondly, Jackson’s success or failure after the 1980s had nothing to do with the party of the president, and everything to do with a bizarre, scandal riddled, personal life

Tags: michael jackson, rush limbaugh, obama, politics, wingnut, conspiracy theories, unbelievable

Pics: Recent Scenes from the ISS

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:22:41 GMT

clipped by: cakebelly
clipper's remarks: Best seen at source

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Earlier this week, NASA released an amazing photograph of an eruption of Sarychev Peak Volcano, taken by astronauts aboard the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). Seeing that great photo prompted me to dig into the archives and see what other imagery I could find from recent NASA archives. Collected here are a handful of photographs of Sarychev Peak Volcano, and more, taken by astronauts aboard the ISS over the past few months. (35 photos total)

High above Russia's Kuril Islands, astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) look down on erupting Sarychev Peak Volcano (plume in center, left) on Matua Island and its brownish ash mixing with cloud cover downwind on June 12, 2009. Part of the ISS, a Soyuz module, is visible in the foreground. (NASA/JSC) [Google map]

Circular Contrails are visible, east of Lake Nipigon, Canada. (NASA/JSC) # [Google map]

A few clouds in the sky above Arizona and its Barringer Impact Crater, at right. (NASA/JSC) # [Google map]

Why is India 30 minutes out of step with everybody else?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:59:37 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: After the standardization conference, most countries "rounded off" their local time, as it were, so that it differed by a whole hour(s) from GMT and from adjoining time zones. But some, for reasons of geography or politics, rounded off to the half-hour.

Clip Source: www.straightdope.com

Bombay, and India generally, isn't the only place chronometrically out of step with the rest of the world. Lots of countries, particularly in Asia, are a half-hour out of sync, including Burma, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

Nepal is 40 minutes off the mark. Saudi Arabia, ever the trailblazer, has some bizarre system in which clocks are supposedly reset to midnight every day at sunset.

All of this traces back to the haphazard system of timekeeping prevalent before the 1884 Washington conference that established Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the international reference point.

Prior to this, people made use of "local mean time," i.e., they figured out approximately when the sun was directly overhead, called that noon, and went from there.

India, as it happens straddles two time zones, but for obvious reasons preferred to have one uniform time throughout the country. Rather than choose between GMT+5 and GMT+6

the government apparently decided to split the difference

Tags: science, physics, time, countries, standardization, international, mean-time, india, time-zones

The left's response to Sarah Palin

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:48:14 GMT

clipped by: n2sooners
clipper's remarks: This is what passes for news on the left these days.

Clip Source: gatewaypundit.blogspot.com

Democrats Continue to Stay Classy...

The leading Democratic blog Huffington Post cracks Trig Palin "retarded jokes" in celebration of the news that Sarah Palin will be resigning as governor.

This, of course, is not the first time the Huffington Post launched an awful attack on Sarah Palin.

HuffPo contributor Michael Seitzman wrote a sick hit piece earlier: "I want to have sex with Palin on my Barack Obama sheets"

This was just the latest attack on Sarah Palin and her children. Most of the attacks, of course, were ignored by the state-run media. But, when David Letterman cracked rape jokes about her 14 year-old daughter the poor media was forced to report on it.

Tags: liberals, huffington post, bias, hate, palin, politics

Theory and actuation

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:18:37 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: I find it as a nice example of the need always to look for ways to test one theory of...
Only then will clarity arise above the unmediated unchallenged and largely unsupported knowledge one has about the world and herself.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Calculating Consumer Happiness at Any Price

Old-fashioned cost-conscious consumers would react to a price increase by lowering demand for the product, but we sometimes do just the opposite. We want to buy more of it because we assume it must be a better product — and we’re so thoroughly fooled that our bodies even respond differently to it.

wine they’re tasting costs $90 a bottle, then the reward centers of their brains will light up more than if you tell them it’s a $10 bottle.

But suppose, instead of scanning people’s brains as they’re sipping wine in a laboratory, you tested them in a more realistic situation: a restaurant where they’re spending their own money

But after three months of testing various combinations of prices, the researchers found they couldn’t sway the customers. Putting a higher price on the shrimp or any other entree didn’t make people more likely to order it.

knowing that ‘A has a positive effect on B’ is not enough. The effect may simply be too small to matter

Tags: tests, theory, experiment

Monkey see, monkey do...

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:48:48 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: "These four kinds of behavior — empathy, the ability to learn and follow social rules, reciprocity and peacemaking — are the basis of sociality.

De Waal sees human morality as having grown out of primate sociality, but with two extra levels of sophistication. People enforce their society's moral codes much more rigorously with rewards, punishments and reputation building. They also apply a degree of judgment and reason, for which there are no parallels in animals."
Natural selection favors organisms that survive and reproduce, by whatever means. And it has provided people, he writes in "Primates and Philosophers," with "a compass for life's choices that takes the interests of the entire community into account, which is the essence of human morality."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Biologist sees human morality evolving from the sociality of primates

Some animals are surprisingly sensitive to the plight of others. Chimpanzees, who cannot swim, have drowned in zoo moats trying to save others. Given the chance to get food by pulling a chain that would also deliver an electric shock to a companion, rhesus monkeys will starve themselves for several days.

all social animals have had to constrain or alter their behavior in various ways for group living to be worthwhile. These constraints, evident in monkeys and even more so in chimpanzees, are part of human inheritance, too, and in his view form the set of behaviors from which human morality has been shaped

Many philosophers find it hard to think of animals as moral beings, and indeed de Waal does not contend that even chimpanzees possess morality. But he argues that human morality would be impossible without certain emotional building blocks that are clearly at work in chimp and monkey societies.

Tags: biology, morality, society

Head Scarf Emerges as Indonesia Political Symbol

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:25:21 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: Golkar Party officials rejected accusations by the president’s party that they were trying to exploit Islam for politics; they also denied having anything to do with the recent distribution of leaflets that stated, falsely, that Boediono’s wife was not Muslim, but Roman Catholic.
The fundamentalists are trying to force women to wear the jilbab as an act of submission, and had already done so in various municipalities across the Indonesian archipelago in recent years, Ms. Neng said. For the progressives, she said, wearing the jilbab was an expression of a woman’s right.

“For women in Indonesia, whether they want to wear the jilbab or not is their choice,” said Ms. Neng, who started wearing one five years ago. “It shouldn’t be political.”

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Head Scarf Emerges as Indonesia Political Symbol

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The three parties competing in Indonesia’s presidential election next week have plastered this city with campaign billboards and posters depicting, predictably, their presidential and vice presidential choices looking self-confident.

But one party, Golkar, has also put up posters of the candidates’ wives next to their husbands, posing demurely and wearing Muslim head scarves known here as jilbabs. The wives recently went on a jilbab shopping spree in one of Jakarta’s largest markets, and published a book together titled “Devout Wives of Future Leaders.”

Most polls suggest that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party will be re-elected

after running a smooth campaign based on his economic policies and a popular anticorruption drive. Despite television debates, the personality-driven campaigns have focused little on differences over policies or ideas, except regarding the wearing of the jilbab

Tags: politics, religion, women

Giant Naked Goddess To Be Carved Into Hillside

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:40:33 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Dubbed the "Goddess of the North", Northumberlandia will be made from two million tonnes of earth dug out from an open cast mine in Cramlington, and tower 112ft into the northern sky.

The Goddess, designed by artist Charles Jencks, will recline over the Shotton open-cast mine and form the centre piece of a new public park at the site.

"It will take around 20 minutes just to walk all the way around her, and the design has been enhanced with more paths to allow visitors to the park to easily ascend the figure.

"As well as the artwork itself, the surrounding landform park will offer important nature conservation and public health benefits, giving both local people and visitors an ideal place to exercise, picnic and enjoy themselves."

Tags: goddess, nature, sculpture, art, earth

Understndind how children learn language as a new way of building machines

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:32:19 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Big brother untangles baby babble

"We wanted to understand how minds work and how they develop and how the interplay of innate and environmental influence makes us who we are and how we learn to communicate."

But now, Professor Roy is beginning to get some answers, thanks to an unconventional approach, an accommodating family and a house wired with technology.

I was initially inspired by how children learn language as a new way of building machines,"

"Every parent knows that a child can change a lot in a week or a month," he told BBC News.

"If you're interested in the process of development then it is important to have a continuous view."

"Just as the Human Genome Project illuminates the innate genetic code that shapes us, the Speechome Project is an important first step toward creating a map of how the environment shapes human development and learning," said Frank Moss, the director of MIT's Media Lab at the time.

Of Body and Mind, and Deep Meditation

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:26:42 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: "

Physiological tests also revealed significant changes. Compared with the relaxation group, IBMT subjects had lower heart rates and skin conductance responses, increased belly breathing amplitude and decreased chest respiration rates, all of which, researchers wrote, "reflected less effort exerted by participants and more relaxation of body and calm state of mind."

Finally, researchers noted, IBMT subjects had more high-frequency heart-rate variability than their relaxation counterparts, indicating "successful inhibition of sympathetic tone and activation of parasympathetic tone [in the autonomic nervous system]." Sympathetic tone becomes more active when stressed."

Clip Source: www.newswise.com

Newswise — Chinese researchers have unlocked the mechanism of an emerging mind-body technique that produces measurable changes in attention and stress reduction in just five days of practice.

The practice -- integrative body-mind training (IBMT) -- was adapted from traditional Chinese medicine in the 1990s in China, where it is practiced by thousands of people. It is now being taught to undergraduates involved in research on the method at the University of Oregon.

"The previous paper indicated that IBMT subjects showed a reduced response to stress.” Tang said. "Why after five days did it work so fast?" The new findings, he said, point to how IBMT alters blood flow and electrical activity in the brain, breathing quality and even skin conductance, allowing for "a state of ah, much like in the morning opening your eyes, looking outside the grass and sunshine, you feel relaxed, calm and refresh without any stress, this is the meditation state."

Tags: brain, china, ibmt, meditation, neuroscience, oregon, relaxation, stress

new dinosaurs found

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:45:34 GMT

clipped by: zadoz
clipper's remarks: at the site of a preshistoric billabong dating back 95 million years

Clip Source: www.news.com.au

Three new dinosaurs found in western Queensland

The bones of Australovenator Wintonensis, nicknamed "Banjo" by paleantologists, are among the remains of three new species found in the outback near Winton.

Fossilised bones of two new species of giant plant-eating sauropods, nicknamed "Matilda" and "Clancy" were also found on the dig, Premier Anna Bligh announced today.

“The cheetah of his time, Banjo was light and agile,” said Queensland Museum paleantologist Scott Hocknull, who is among the scientists being credited with the discoveries.

“He’s Australia's answer to velociraptor, but many times bigger and more terrifying.”

Palaeontologists say that the 20-tonne Diamantinasaurus matildae (Matilda), which stood 4m and was up to 20m long, was a solid and robust animal, filling a niche similar to the hippopotamus today.

The second new species, the 10-tonne Wintonotitan wattsi (Clancy) represented a tall animal that may have been Australia’s prehistoric answer to the giraffe.

Tags: dinosaurs, queensland

Although Ignored By the Media-- Palin's Accomplishments Were Extensive

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:44:18 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: We also slowed the rate of government growth, we worked with the Legislature to save billions of dollars for the future, and I made no lobbyist friends with my hundreds of millions of dollars in budget vetoes... but living beyond our means today is irresponsible for tomorrow.

We took government out of the dairy business and put it back into private-sector hands - where it should be.

We provided unprecedented support for education initiatives, and with the right leadership, finally filled long-vacant public safety positions. We built a sub-Cabinet on Climate Change and took heat from Outside special interests for our biologically-sound wildlife management for abundance.
We broke ground on the new prison.

And we made common sense conservative choices to eliminate personal luxuries like the jet, the chef, the junkets... the entourage.
And the Lt. Governor and I said "no" to our pay raises. So much success in this first term - and with this success I am proud to take credit...

Clip Source: merriemarie.amplify.com

As governor, Sarah Palin left the state of Alaska in great shape.

We aggressively and responsibly develop our resources because they were created to be used to better our world... to HELP people... and we protect the environment and Alaskans (the resource owners) foremost with our policies.

Here's some of the things we've done:

We held the line FOR Alaskans on Point Thomson - and finally for the first time in decades - they're drilling for oil and gas.

We have AGIA, the gasline project -

protecting Alaskans as our clean natural gas will flow to energize us

Our new oil and gas "clear and equitable formula" is so Alaskans will no longer be taken advantage of. ACES incentivizes NEW exploration and development and JOBS that were previously not going to happen with a monopolized North Slope oil basin.

We cleaned up previously accepted unethical actions; we ushered in bi-partisan Ethics Reform.

Sarah Palin highlighted her accomplishments as governor today in her resignation speech

Tags: alaskans will miss her leadership, governor sarah palin, her accomplishments are impressive, stepping down

Blind man has TOOTH implanted into his eye

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:36:21 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: "When Martin Jones met his wife four years ago he never imagined that one day he would get to see what she looked like.

The 42-year-old builder was left blind after an accident at work more than a decade ago.

But a remarkable operation - which implants part of his tooth in his eye - has now pierced his world of darkness."

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Mr Jones,

had already spent eight years without his sight after a tub of white hot aluminium exploded in his face at work in a scrapyard.

He suffered 37 per cent burns and had to wear a special body stocking for 23 hours a day. He also has his left eye removed.

But surgeons were able to save the right eye, even though he was unable to see through it.

It was only when a revolutionary new operation was pioneered at the Sussex Eye Clinic in Brighton that he was given a chance to have his sight back.

During the procedure, a minute section of a patient's tooth is removed, reshaped and chiseled through to grip the man-made lens which is then placed in its core.

It is implanted under an eyelid where it becomes covered in tissue.

The process requires a living tooth as an implant because doctors suggest there are chances the eye would reject a plastic equivalent

'I feel fantastic getting my sight back,' he said. 'I

Tags: science, health, eye, blindness, surgery

Promises come at a price

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:34:40 GMT

clipped by: einbar

Clip Source: www.physorg.com

Promises come at a price

Be careful what you promise people. You are not just obliging yourself to keep your promises; other people will hold you to account for them as well

according to some researchers, the rewarding of good behaviour, positive reciprocity, is non-existent or virtually non-existent. Vieth’s results have now proved them wrong.

Vieth found that the breaking of promises of trustworthiness leads to revenge. Betrayal of trust after a reward for trustworthiness had been promised was also punished severely. Feelings of indignation therefore seem to have a marked influence on later behaviour. The fulfilment of promises was valued less highly, however. Friendly behaviour after the granting of favours led to weaker feelings of obligation than the original favours.