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Red alert! The cellphone warning has been issued
Don't say you weren't warned, cellphone addicts...
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Grizzly safety quiz
Find out if you know how to handle a grizzly encounter in the wild.
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IndyMac Bank seized by Feds; 2nd-largest bank failure in US history
The federal government took control of Pasadena-based IndyMac Bank today, in what regulators called the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history.
The Office of Thrift Supervision in Washington, the chief regulator of IndyMac, said it transferred control of the $32-billion bank to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
Regulators said depositors would have no access to banking services online and by telephone this weekend, but could continue to use ATMs, debit cards and checks. Online banking and phone banking services are to resume operations Monday.
Federal authorities said based on a preliminary analysis, the takeover of IndyMac would cost the FDIC between $4 billion and $8 billion.
ndyMac's failure had been widely expected in recent days, as regulators said it was not well-capitalized. Its stock has plummeted to mere pennies a share and some nervous depositors have been pulling their funds. The bank has been reeling from losses on defaulted mortgages made at the height of the housing boom.
"The OTS has determined that the current institution, IndyMac Bank, is unlikely to be able to meet continued depositors' demands in the normal course of business and is therefore in an unsafe and unsound condition," the agency said in a statement today.
IndyMac's failure is second only to the 1984 failure of Continental Illinois Bank, which had assets of $40 billion at the time.
The federal government took control of Pasadena-based IndyMac Bank today, in what regulators called the second-largest bank failure in... more -
The health dangers of genetically modified foods
Mr. Smith has counseled world leaders from every continent, influenced the first state laws regulating GMOs and has united leaders to support The Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, a revolutionary industry and consumer movement to remove GMOs from the natural food industry. A popular keynote speaker, he has lectured in 25 countries and has been quoted by government leaders and hundreds of media outlets across the globe including, The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC World Service, Nature, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, New Scientist, The Times (London), Associated Press, Reuters News Service, Time Magazine and Genetic Engineering News.
Mr. Smith directs the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America from the Institute for Responsible Technology, where he is executive director. He is also the producer of the docu-video series, The GMO Trilogy and writes an internationally syndicated monthly column, Spilling the Beans.
The Institute for Responsible Technology, www.responsibletechnology.org, is a public education nonprofit that works on major public initiatives with scientists and concerned citizens from around the world, to shine a spotlight on the dangers of GMOs. Prior to founding the Institute, Mr. Smith was the vice president of marketing communications for a GMO detection laboratory and a consultant to leading industry groups and organizations. Mr. Smith has written extensively on the GMO issue for more than a decade. He lives with his wife in Iowa, surrounded by genetically modified soybeans and corn.
In this video playlist, Mr. Smith exposes the dangers of GMO foods. Mr. Smith has counseled world leaders from every continent, influenced the first state laws regulating GMOs and has united leaders to ... more -
Residents fret in shadow of Chile's Llaima volcano
Living in the shadow of Chile's sporadically erupting, snow-capped Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, local residents like Eduardo Mendoza are paying a heavy price.
Evacuated from the ski station where he works after the government imposed a red alert when Llaima began spewing lava earlier this month, Mendoza and dozens like him have lost their livelihoods and are having trouble feeding their families.
This is the second ski season in a row interrupted by the volcano, which towers near Chile's lake region about 435 miles
south of the capital Santiago.
"People can't go to work because of the danger," he said, a cloud engulfing the majestic volcano behind him, black scars on its white slopes betraying where lava has flowed and cooled.
"Our source of work has been stopped and we depend on it to sustain our families. We can't go on like this," he added, showing a video clip on his mobile phone of the volcano spewing a jet of hot pyroclastic rock 1,300 feet into the air before dawn on Thursday.
That flurry of activity in turn came a week after lava spewed down one of its sides.
Aside from hot rock and gas, or lava flows, that have emanated from the crater, another major worry is that snow on the volcano's sides could melt and that a nearby river could overflow and flood nearby communities.
The volcano erupted violently on New Year's Day, forcing the temporary evacuation of some tourists and residents from the surrounding Conguillio National Park. It belched ash and lava in February. Much of the park is off limits again.
The government this month ordered a 9-mile "red zone" around the 10,253-foot (3,124 meter)-high volcano, and has now evacuated around 60 people from nearby.
FUTURE ACTIVITY
Experts say there is no knowing how the volcano, the second to erupt in Chile in as many months, will continue to behave.
"The activity is going up and down very fast," said Hugo Moreno, a geologist and volcano expert with state mining and geology service Sernageomin, who is based in the town of Melipeuco, on the fringe of the exclusion zone.
"It is oscillating, so it is very difficult to make a medium-term forecast," he added. "It will most likely continue to oscillate, until it stabilizes at some point."
Llaima's current eruptive cycle began in May last year. Cycles have lasted anything from one minute to three years or more, Moreno said.
In the sleepy town of Cherquenco, 11 miles from the base of the volcano, Agriculture Minister Marigen Hornkohl sought to reassure worried farmers.
They complain are only allowed into the exclusion area to tend to their animals two hours a day, and are worried they'll die, be stolen, or be eaten by puma.
"We have to take this one minute at a time," Hornkohl told residents and evacuees assembled in the rear of the local fire station. "Now, when we want to be able to go home, the worst thing we can do is to take the wrong decisions," she said.
LLaima's renewed activity comes after Chaiten volcano, 760 miles south of Santiago in Chilean Patagonia, erupted on May 2 for the first time in thousands of years, spewing ash, gas and molten rock.
Ash from Chaiten, which initially soared 20 miles into the stratosphere, swelled rivers in the area and caused floods that damaged dozens of wooden houses, sweeping some off their foundations.
Chile's chain of some 2,000 volcanoes is the world's second-largest after Indonesia's. Around 50 to 60 are recorded to have erupted, while 500 are deemed potentially active. Living in the shadow of Chile's sporadically erupting, snow-capped Llaima volcano, one of South America's most active, local residents... more -
India's moderate Muslims see peril in growth of stricter form of Islam
Excerpt 1
Two years ago, a violent clash broke out at a Barelvi mosque in the town of Chimur, also located in Maharashtra, over ideological differences among the worshipers. Those with more conservative views took over the mosque, and the others are now building a new one, replete with a signboard warning that not all are welcome.
The group now in charge of the mosque does not advocate violence of the sort that has inspired fears among moderate Muslims. Rather, the head cleric said in an interview that his group simply did not approve of Muslims who visited Sufi shrines and wanted to enlighten them.
Excerpt 2
"We do not belong to any group. We are just good Muslims," said Abid Husain. "But our doors are open. We do not put up signs." ......
Terrorism is born out of the womb of injustice," said Akhtarul Wasey, the head of Islamic studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. "In spite of all this, Indian Muslims still have faith in the secular and democratic Indian state."
"It is our religious duty to tell people that terrorism cannot be jihad. It is not a holy war," said Mahmood Madani, a member of the Indian Parliament and a prominent leader of the school. "There are so many bomb blasts in India today. Innocent people are dying. We are doubly concerned because Islam is being used to carry them out."
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Basically the Moderate Muslims are clashing against the some of the Violence promoting Conservative Muslims...
deals with the terrorism and the need to declare that the so-called "jihad" that most terrorists claim to be following when commiting terrorism is nothing but b.s and that Allah nor Islam condones terrorism Excerpt 1 ... more -
Child prostitutes on Craigslist
Children are selling themselves as prostitutes, some as young as 11.
"I wanted to feel loved. ... I wanted to feel important," said the teen, who wanted to be identified only as Monique.
"You could put stuff in your ad like 'wet and wild,' 'fun and sassy,' things like that to catch their attention, to make them want you," she said.
"It would be a bigger problem if we removed that category and had those ads spread throughout the site," said Jim Buckmaster, chief executive officer of Craigslist.
Children are selling themselves as prostitutes, some as young as 11. ... more -
McCain Sets Goal of 45 New Nuclear Reactors by 2030
Senator John McCain said Wednesday that he wanted 45 new nuclear reactors built in the United States by 2030, a course he called “as difficult as it is necessary.”
Currently there are 104 reactors in the country supplying some 20 percent of electricity consumed. No new nuclear power plant has been built in the United States since the 1970s.
He said his ultimate goal was 100 new nuclear plants.
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McCain, wrong on nuclear power, wrong for the country.
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT (Obama, won't you consider returning that money to the nuclear power industry?) Senator John McCain said Wednesday that he wanted 45 new nuclear reactors built in the United States by 2030, a course he called “as d... more -
Berkeley Won't Burn
Follow a day in the life of 26 year old firefighter David Gabriner. While most of his twentysomething friends are still searching for their place in the world, he can rest assured that he has a lifelong career ahead of him... assuming that he stays safe in this dangerous line of work. Follow a day in the life of 26 year old firefighter David Gabriner. While most of his twentysomething friends are still searching for... more
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Boy’s death highlights hidden danger of dry drowning
10-year-old died more than an hour after getting out of swimming pool.
The tragic death of a South Carolina 10-year-old more than an hour after he had gone swimming has focused a spotlight on the little-known phenomenon called “dry drowning” — and warning signs that every parent should be aware of.
“I’ve never known a child could walk around, talk, speak and their lungs be filled with water,” Cassandra Jackson told NBC News in a story broadcast Thursday on TODAY.
On Sunday, Jackson had taken her son, Johnny, to a pool near their home in Goose Creek, S.C. It was the first time he’d ever gone swimming — and, tragically, it would be his last.
At some point during his swim, Johnny got some water in his lungs. He didn’t show any immediate signs of respiratory distress, but the boy had an accident in the pool and soiled himself. Still, Johnny, his sister and their mother walked home together.
“We physically walked home. He walked with me,” Jackson said, still trying to understand how her son could have died. “I bathed him, and he told me that he was sleepy.”
Spongy material
Later, she went into his room to check on him. “I walked over to the bed, and his face was literally covered with this spongy white material,” she said. “And I screamed.”
A family friend, Christine Meekins, was visiting and went to see what was wrong. “I pulled his arm and said, ‘Johnny! Johnny!’ ” Meekins told NBC. “There was no response. I opened one of his eyes and I just knew inside my heart that it was something really bad.”
Johnny was rushed to a local hospital, but it was too late. Johnny had drowned, long after he got out of the swimming pool.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, some 3,600 people drowned in 2005, the most recent year for which there are statistics. Some 10 to 15 percent of those deaths was classified as “dry drowning,” which can occur up to 24 hours after a small amount of water gets into the lungs. In children, that can happen during a bath.
Dr. Daniel Rauch, a pediatrician from New York University Langone Medical Center, told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira that there are warning signs that every parent should be aware of. Johnny Jackson exhibited some of them, but unless a parent knows what to look for, they are easily overlooked or misinterpreted.
The three important signs, he said, are difficulty breathing, extreme tiredness and changes in behavior. All are the result of reduced oxygen flow to the brain.
Johnny had two of those signs — he was very tired when he got home, and he had had the accident in the pool. But like most parents, Cassandra Jackson had no idea this could be related to water in his lungs. 10-year-old died more than an hour after getting out of swimming pool. ... more -
7 die after "berserk" elephant rampages
NEW DELHI - At least seven people were killed Thursday when an elephant rampaged through a village in northern India, officials said.
The victims had tried to surround the animal after it entered the village on the edge of the Jim Corbett National Park.
Belinda Wright, director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said the elephant had apparently become separated from its herd.
Story continues below ↓advertisement
'Shouting and screaming'
"The people have surrounded it and they are just shouting and screaming at the elephant and the elephant is going berserk," she said by telephone.
Wright said a member of her group was in the village and could see at least four bodies. She said the elephant had been shot twice by police but was still running amok.
The park, one of India's most popular, is about 370 miles east of New Delhi.
There have been a number of recent incidents in which villagers have been killed by wild animals as their natural habitats shrink and they have to range further for food. India's national parks also suffer massive encroachment from people who live and forage for food in the forests or graze their cattle inside.
WOW... THATS an angry elephant NEW DELHI - At least seven people were killed Thursday when an elephant rampaged through a village in northern India, officials said. ... more -
Seriously nasty April hail stone showers
They were large pieces and could have done some damage if you been caught outside in it
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This is either a stunt, or the world's dumbest golfer!
This is ONLY interesting because you won't believe what you are seeing. From YouTube.
Warning, this is disturbing and dangerous...Don't try this at home, or ANYWHERE! This is ONLY interesting because you won't believe what you are seeing. From YouTube. ... more -
London Tate Modern Crack
A visit to London for a few beers with a pop in at the Tate, checking out the big crack.
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Space shuttle G-force training in a shopping trolley!
He did not put his helmet on for protection but he still rode the trolley experiencing G's upto at least 1. This bad boy was like Buzz Aldrin only ten times better. Bad boy has an iron gut. He did not put his helmet on for protection but he still rode the trolley experiencing G's upto at least 1. This bad boy was like Buzz... more
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Why do Pharmaceutical Drugs Injure and Kill?
By CAMPAIGN AGAINST FRAUDULENT MEDICAL RESEARCH
from A Journal of Alternative News
According to the United States’ Food and Drug Administration, 1.5 million Americans were hospitalised in 1978 alone, as a consequence of pharmaceutical drugs administered to “cure” them. It was also found that some 30% of all hospitalised people suffered further damage from the therapy prescribed them.1
In the 1990s, studies show that 180,000 medically-induced deaths occur each year in the USA.2 Most of these are prescription drug related. These astronomical figures are in spite of the fact that a large number of drug damages go unreported.
Since 1961, the total number of “safety-tested” medical preparations marketed worldwide has risen to over 205,000. Approximately 15,000 new preparations are marketed each year,
while some 12,000 are withdrawn.3 The United States has the greatest annual sickness-care expenditure of any nation: $912 billion in 1993 alone.4 If money and medical treatment equals health then one would expect the United States to be the healthiest of nations. However, it only ranks 16th in the world in female life expectancy, 17th in the world in male life expectancy and only 21st in the world in infant mortality.5
Of course, a percentage of drug damages are due to the incorrect administration of drugs by physicians and patients. But how are harmful pharmaceutical drugs allowed onto the market in the first place, and why do we have so much faith in them? Pharmaceutical transnationals defy the intent of laws regulating safety of drugs by bribery, false advertising, unsafe manufacturing processes, smuggling and international law evasion strategies. But most of all they make dangerous drugs appear safe through the use of fraudulent and flexible ‘safety-tests’, the subject of this article...
Read whole article at link above.
Photo - "Generic Prozac Earrings" by Amanda Jean in Victoria, Canada
Here's a link to her on-line shop where you can browse more "Prozac Earrings" and her other eclectic arts and crafts.
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
By CAMPAIGN AGAINST FRAUDULENT MEDICAL RESEARCH from A Journal of Alternative News ... more -
Suck....Suck...Suck....don't try at home kids!
Funny how this always works in the movies, maybe it was the long haired mans sucking power that was to blame or how far he stuck his hose pipe down the petrol hole!
Funny how this always works in the movies, maybe it was the long haired mans sucking power that was to blame or how far he stuck his h... more -
London Rickshaw journey from hell
Me and two friends in a rickshaw in London on a Saturday at midnight, travelling from Tottenham Court Road to London Waterloo. Even quite drunk it was very scary and we were almost hit by a black hackney cab. But luckily Immi the hungarian lad driving got us there alive!
Me and two friends in a rickshaw in London on a Saturday at midnight, travelling from Tottenham Court Road to London Waterloo. Even qu... more -
Britan today, drunk at 11 in the morning
Drunk man in pub at 11AM. He likes his beer, go beer man go beer man go!
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The Complaint Box
Captain Sig tells us about the complaint box he put on board for his crew to voice their opinions...and how he ignored it all.
"Deadliest Catch" is on Discovery Channel. Captain Sig tells us about the complaint box he put on board for his crew to voice their opinions...and how he ignored it all. ... more
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