If you like those funny cat videos, you’ll enjoy this collection.
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Yearly Archives: 2008
Poem of the Week: 11/9/08-11/15/08
This week’s poem of the week is Israfel by Edgar Allan Poe.
Rant of the Week: 11/9/08-11/15/08
This week’s rant of the week is this pod cast from Joel Dueck.
Essay of the Week: 11/9/08-11/15/08
This week’s essay of the week is Politics and the English Language by George Orwell. Read this essay then parse one of Obama’s speeches.
The Unknown Uknowns
The researchers had expected to find that, the farther away clusters are, the slower they appear to be moving.
Instead, Kashlinsky said, “We found a great surprise.”
The clusters were all moving at the same speed—nearly 2 million miles (3.2 million kilometers) an hour —and in a single direction.
Though this dark flow was detected only in galaxy clusters, it should apply to every structure in the known universe, Kashlinsky said.
Its Too Late Now
China’s government announced a two-year stimulus exceeding a half-trillion dollars to offset the impact of slowing global growth and unlock the spending power of its vast population.
Premier Wen Jiabao’s cabinet set plans for 4 trillion yuan, or $586 billion, in spending and stimulus measures through the end of 2010 aimed specifically to target people’s livelihood, the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday night.
It was unclear how much the plan, which will target 10 areas from rural infrastructure to low-cost housing, represents new spending and how quickly it can stimulate domestic demand.
The question is, will they fund this by selling treasuries? Or will they soak up money that would have otherwise gone to private capital investment.
An Inside Scoop On The Mercy Ship
From Ali’s African Adventures….
I’m caring for children who have had brain surgery in the midst of a war-torn country in West Africa. And I taught a seven-year old girl how to paint.
It’s enough.
Have you ever heard of the Mercy Ship? It is a ship that provides medical services to poor countries around the world. Over the years I have heard a lot about this ship and its mission. So I Ali’s African Adventures to be an interesting read. Nothing like getting an inside scoop as to how this ships actually operate.
Russian Sailors always get the short end of the stick
A navy commander said the victims died when the vessel’s firefighting system went off during sea trials, and insisted there was no danger from radiation.
Igor Dygalo said: “During sea trials of a nuclear-powered submarine of the Pacific Fleet the firefighting system went off unsanctioned, killing over 20 people, including servicemen and workers.
Over the years I have gotten the impression that Russian Sailors are more likely to die on the job then any other peacetime navy.
Sometimes you can't believe it is real
Gonzales was a real-life hit man and just the sort of violent bad guy whom Bond had no compunction dispatching in his celluloid adventures.
He is a ruthless mass killer who ran the notorious armed wing of the Gulf drug cartel, according to the Mexican authorities.
After deserting from the Mexican army in 1999, he switched sides in drugs war and helped found the Zetas, an execution squad made up of rogue former soldiers and police officers.
He was eventually captured without a shot being fired when security forces burst into a house where he was staying, officials said. His men then launched a brazen bid to free him near Reynosa airport but police fought off a gang of assailants in a lengthy gun battle.
In a separate raid in Reynosa, Mexican agents also seized 540 rifles, 165 grenades, 500,000 rounds of ammunition and 14 sticks of TNT.
More Taxes For New York State Business
The implosion of Wall Street and the weakened economy around the state has led to a surge of unemployment claims in New York. The state now pays benefits to 148,000 people, up from 113,000 a year ago, said Leo Rosales, spokesman for the state Department of Labor.
As a result, New York’s trust fund has dwindled to $357 million, down from $538 million a year ago. To meet its obligations, the state has been borrowing from the feds for years, receiving nearly $1.1 billion over the past three years alone. In 2006, the state had to pay $7 million in interest of $1.5 billion it borrowed in 2005.
The state legislature tried unsuccessfully in the spring to increase unemployment insurance taxes, while also raising the maximum weekly benefit, which now stands at $410, to $550. The bill would have increased the wage base to $11,500 over time, from its current $8,500.
Tuesday’s election left Democrats in control of both chambers of the state legislature, and the bill now has a better chance of getting passed, said Assembly member Susan John, a Democrat, chair of the labor committee.
That’s right. Tax the people who are providing jobs more so that the people without jobs can get more money for being unemployed. What a great state.