tagged w/ Interesting Facts
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How is the U.S. economy doing in 2012? Unfortunately, it is not doing nearly as well as the mainstream media would have you believe. Yes, things have stabilized for the moment but this bubble of false hope will not last for long. The long-term trends that are ripping our economy and our financial system to shreds continue unabated. When you step back and look at the broader picture, it is hard to deny that we are in really bad shape and that things are rapidly getting worse. Later on in this article you will find a list of interesting facts that show the true state of the U.S. economy. Hopefully many of you will find this list to be a useful tool that you can share with your family and friends. Each day the foundations of our economy crumble a little bit more, and we need to wake up as many Americans as we can to what is really going on while there is still time. We have accumulated way too much debt, we consume far more wealth than we produce, millions of our jobs are being shipped overseas, our big cities are decaying, family budgets are being squeezed more than ever, poverty is rampant and we have raised several generations of Americans that expect the government to fix all of their problems. The U.S. economy is at a crossroads, and the decisions that the American people make in 2012 are going to be incredibly important.How is the U.S. economy doing in 2012? Unfortunately, it is not doing nearly as well... more
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Unconsciously, right-handers associate good with the right side of space and bad with the left. But this association can be rapidly changed, according to a study published online March 9, 2011 in Psychological Science, by Daniel Casasanto (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics) and Evangelia Chrysikou (University of Pennsylvania). Even a few minutes of using the left hand more fluently than the right can reverse right-handers' judgments of good and bad, making them think that the left is the 'right side' of space. Conceptions of good and bad are rooted in people's bodily experiences, and change when patterns of bodily experience change.
In language, positive ideas are linked with the right side of space and negative ideas with the left. It's good to be 'in the right', but bad to be 'out in left field'. Space and goodness are also associated in the unconscious mind, but not always in the same way that they are linked in language. For right-handers, right is good, but for left-handers, left is good.
In experiments by psychologist Daniel Casasanto, when people were asked which of two products to buy, which of two job applicants to hire, or which of two alien creatures looks more intelligent, right-handers tended to choose the product, person, or creature they saw on their right, but most left-handers chose the one on their left.
Why do righties and lefties think differently? Casasanto proposed that people's conceptions of good and bad depend, in part, on the way they use their hands. 'People can act more fluently with their dominant hand, and come to unconsciously associate good things with their fluent side of space.'
To test this theory, Casasanto and colleagues studied how natural right-handers think about good and bad when their right hand is handicapped, either due to brain injury or something much less extreme: wearing a ski glove. Stroke patients completed a task that reveals implicit associations between space and goodness in healthy participants. Patients who had lost the use of their left hand showed the usual right-is-good pattern. But patients who lost the use of their right hand following damage to the left-hemisphere of the brain associated good with left, like natural left-handers.
The same pattern was found in healthy university students who performed a motor fluency task while wearing a bulky glove on either their left hand (which preserved their right-handedness) or on their right hand, which turned them temporarily into left-handers. After about 12 minutes of lopsided motor experience, the right-gloved participants' judgments on an unrelated task showed a good-is-left bias, like natural left-handers.
'People generally think their judgments are rational, and their concepts are stable,' says Casasanto. 'But if wearing a glove for a few minutes can reverse people's usual judgments about what's good and bad, perhaps the mind is more malleable than we thought.'Unconsciously, right-handers associate good with the right side of space and bad with... more
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This year we will experience 4 unusual dates.... 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11 ....
NOW go figure this out....
Take the last 2 digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year and it WILL EQUAL TO 111.This year we will experience 4 unusual dates.... 1/1/11, 1/11/11, 11/1/11, 11/11/11... more
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More than 500 years ago, in search for new trade routes, Christopher Columbus packed away wine and water in barrels of oak and led a voyage west. After two months of incessant “Are we there yet” complaints from his crew, he threatened to pull the ship over and scold his crewmates, and upon doing so landed in what is known today as the Bahamas. It is this monumental occasion that we use as an excuse to stay home from work on the second Monday of every October (if lucky enough) and sit around drinking beer (what better way to celebrate the origins of America?).
Of course it is generally agreed upon that Viking Leif Erikson was the first European to land in America a few hundred years prior. Erikson, taking a break from the usual daily habits of a Viking of doing battle (wearing awesome helmets, and washing down a meal of rocks with flagons of ale) got bored and decided to sail west past Greenland in search of new lands. This occasion is celebrated on “Leif Erikson Day” every October 9th. This date is of no historical significance besides this year it landed on a Saturday making it easier to imbibe alcoholic beverages without missing work (any reason to party, right?).
Christopher Columbus was most certainly….probably…maybe a man that appreciated fine wines, and as such made sure his ship was packed with plenty of it for the voyage. The red wine stowed away on his vessels was higher in alcohol content as a preservation method...
Read more:
http://drinkphilly.com/index.php/drinks/artprofile/172More than 500 years ago, in search for new trade routes, Christopher Columbus packed... more
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I found this article to be quite informative... in case anyone is curious about the origins of something most of us use every day. There's also information about the TP industry and the possibility of life without it in this increasingly eco-aware culture.
An excerpt:
"The first products designed specifically to wipe one's nethers were aloe-infused sheets of manila hemp dispensed from Kleenex-like boxes. They were invented in 1857 by a New York entrepreneur named Joseph Gayetty, who claimed his sheets prevented hemorrhoids."
Full article at link.I found this article to be quite informative... in case anyone is curious about the... more
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islek
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2 years ago
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My personal favorite was #7: "Offensive body odor is actually illegal in libraries in San Luis Obispo County, California."
Happy armpit sniffing!My personal favorite was #7: "Offensive body odor is actually illegal in... more
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islek
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3 years ago
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San Francisco-based Current said in a public filing on Friday that it has requested the withdrawal of an IPO registration statement initially filed in January of 2008.
"In light of current market conditions, the registrant has determined not to proceed at this time with the public offering," the filing read.
In its IPO registration filing, updated in May of last year, "participatory media company" Current said its revenue is derived from affiliate fees from the likes of Comcast Corp. (CMCSA:14.39, -0.23, -1.6%) , while a much smaller portion comes from advertising fees from firms including General Electric Co. (GE:12.26, +0.93, +8.2%)San Francisco-based Current said in a public filing on Friday that it has requested... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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A researcher says he predicted Monday's devastating earthquake that killed dozens of people and left tens of thousands homeless in central Italy, but authorities dismissed him as a scaremonger.
Gioacchino Giuliani, an employee at a physics institute at Gran Sasso, near the badly-hit city of L'Aquila, has demanded an official apology for what he says was an unforgivable failure to act on his predictions.
"There are people who must apologize to me, and they must have the weight of what occurred on their conscience," Giuliani said after the quake hit, according to local news site Ilcapoluogo.com.A researcher says he predicted Monday's devastating earthquake that killed dozens... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Indian parents used to think it a plus to marry off their daughters to Indian men living in wealthier countries, including the U.S. and Britain. But as India has grown more affluent in recent years, the demand for overseas Indian grooms has been fading. While India's economy is also slowing down, it is still growing, and layoffs aren't as widespread as in the West.
"Even if something happens, in India there's a comfort" that the woman's parents are around to help, says Murugavel Janakiraman, founder of the matrimonial Web site Bharatmatrimony.com. Favorable responses to overseas grooms registered on his site have declined by 20% in the past nine months, he says.Indian parents used to think it a plus to marry off their daughters to Indian men... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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In the current wave of pitchfork populism, it would be easy to assume that the rich are riding out the crisis in relative comfort–with their private jets, bonuses and five-figure commodes–while the rest of us struggle.
Economist
But consider this stunning statistic: the world’s rich have lost $10 trillion, or a quarter of their wealth, in the global financial crisis, according to Oliver Wyman, a consulting firm. That is about equal to the combined economic output of Japan, Germany and China.In the current wave of pitchfork populism, it would be easy to assume that the rich... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Bear in mind that US is giving Pakistan 7.5 billion aid to strike more deals with Taliban!!!
ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani authorities ordered an investigation Friday into a video showing a man flogging a screaming woman in the country's northwest where the government recently agreed to introduce Islamic law to end a rebellion by Taliban militants.
The government agreed to allow Islamic law in the Swat Valley under a peace deal struck with a hard-line cleric, sparking criticism from activists who are worried extremists will violate basic human rights, especially those of women. The video that emerged Friday sparked further criticism, although it appeared to have been made before the peace deal was struck in FebruaryBear in mind that US is giving Pakistan 7.5 billion aid to strike more deals with... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Up to 40 people have been taken hostage and several others shot in the US state of New York, say reports.
Unconfirmed local media reports said up to 13 people may have been killed during the incident.
The hostages were in the buildings of the American Civic Association (ACA) in the Binghamton, north of New York City, when the gunman entered.
Mayor Matthew Ryan told reporters the man had a high-powered rifle and was still believed to be in the building.Up to 40 people have been taken hostage and several others shot in the US state of New... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Coca-Cola's $2.4 billion takeover bid for China Huiyuan Juice Group, the nation's biggest juice maker, hit the wall when government officials said it violated Chinese antitrust law. See full story.
Their concern, at least for the record, is that the deal would have given Coca-Cola (KO:
41.89, +0.44, +1.1%) an unfair advantage in the world's biggest beverage market -- a market any foreign company would love to tap.
This is the latest overseas trade salvo aimed at the United States. Earlier this week neighboring Mexico slapped import tariffs on about 90 U.S. agricultural and industrial products, a move triggered by fresh U.S. legislation designed to keep teamsters happy by keeping Mexican semi-trucks off our roads. Pure payback.Coca-Cola's $2.4 billion takeover bid for China Huiyuan Juice Group, the... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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For anyone interested in working in an innovative environment, the U.S. has long been the top destination. The U.S. has the culture to support innovation: the best universities, the biggest venture capital funds, the most supportive financial markets.
American companies from Silicon Valley are among the world's most inspiring success stories for entrepreneurs in China, India, and other emerging markets, with startup business leaders looking for inspiration to the likes of Hewlett Packard, Intel, Apple, and Google.
According to a new report by Boston Consulting Group, though, the center of innovation nnovation is not in the U.S. BCG, working with the Manufacturing Institute of the Washington-based National Association of Manufacturers, last week released a survey of 110 countries worldwide looking at the ones with government policies and corporate performance most encouraging to innovation.For anyone interested in working in an innovative environment, the U.S. has long been... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Welcome to Landlord Nation, where foreclosure notices are plentiful and for-sale signs offer at least 1,800 homes for under $10,000 that once were worth at least 10 times more.
In extreme cases, homes are on sale for $1 or less, which has enticed investors to Detroit from as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia.Welcome to Landlord Nation, where foreclosure notices are plentiful and for-sale signs... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 20 percent since Inauguration Day, the fastest drop under a newly elected president in at least 90 years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The gauge has lost 53 percent from its October 2007 record of 14,164.53, slipping 4.1 percent to 6,594.44
“People thought there would be a brief Obama rally, and that hasn’t happened,” said Uri Landesman, who oversees about $2.5 billion at ING Groep NV’s asset management unit in New York. “It speaks to the carnage that’s in the economy and the lack of confidence in the measures that have been announced.”
A bear market is defined as a decline of 20 percent or more.
Buying shares “is a potentially good deal” for long-term investors, Obama said March 3. He compared daily fluctuations to a tracking poll in politics and said he wouldn’t adjust his policies just to meet market expectations.The Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 20 percent since Inauguration Day, the... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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As the debate over H-1B workers and skilled immigrants intensifies, we are losing sight of one important fact: The U.S. is no longer the only land of opportunity. If we don't want the immigrants who have fueled our innovation and economic growth, they now have options elsewhere. Immigrants are returning home in greater numbers. And new research shows they are returning to enjoy a better quality of life, better career prospects, and the comfort of being close to family and friends.As the debate over H-1B workers and skilled immigrants intensifies, we are losing... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Why not use the scientists and use our drones to kill him.No captures...Kill him startight!!!Why not use the scientists and use our drones to kill him.No captures...Kill him... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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Another bad guy roaming in one corner selling nukes to terrorists
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zune
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3 years ago
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The World's Largest Man-Made Islands
The World's Tallest Dam
The World's Tallest Hotel Not in Dubai
and much more...an interesting read!!The World's Largest Man-Made Islands
The World's Tallest Dam
The... more
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zune
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3 years ago
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