Children who regularly play outside are far less likely to become short-sighted, research has shown.
Makes sense to me. I will bet that is also at least part of the reason that adults start to become short sighted. Obviously, sunlight is not the only factor though.
Not a regular feature but perhaps it should be. From In The Pipeline…
One of my favorite parts of the paper is the mention (found in much of the recent high-energy materials literature) that high-nitrogen compounds are worth investigated as “green” explosives, which makes me think that the whole environmental-rationale business must be reaching its end points. The notion of a more environmentally friendly way to blow things up aside, I have to salute the paper’s authors.
You have to read the whole post to really get why that is so funny. Somebody was really reaching to come up with a worthwhile justification for some really dangerous stuff.
Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children’s clothing.
The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger — including clothing — be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. Those that haven’t been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead.
“They’ll all have to go to the landfill,” said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Assn. of Resale and Thrift Shops.
(H/T Rod Dreher
Erin Manning makes a good point in the comment section of Rod Dreher’s post saying….
So while only toys and child care articles might (though it’s not clear) be subject to the phthalates ban, *all* consumer products “designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger” are supposed to be subject to the mandatory third-party testing. The law is written so vaguely that some used bookstores which carry children’s books, as well as some small homeschool curricula providers, are wondering if they are also supposed to test their products before selling them–in which case, they’ll have to stop carrying materials for children under 12 or go out of business altogether.
Anything for the children, no matter what it costs. This country is insane.
Other sources however told TheNation that Durrani was sacked for his controversial statements to Indian media about the identity of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone suspect of 26/11 Mumbai attacks. His disclosures created a lot of confusion about Pakistan’s stance on Mumbai incident.
Sources further said that more heads could roll in the days to come as consequence of these developments that had forced Islamabad to confirm on Wednesday that Ajmal Amir Kasab was a Pakistani national, a confession dealing severe blow to the image and credibility of the PPP-led coalition government.
U.S. private-sector firms shed 693,000 jobs in December, far worse than expected, according to the ADP employment index released Wednesday.
How can we expect throwing money at banks and car makers to fix their problems when everyone else is on the ropes?
A man shot in the back 35 years ago has died of complications from the shooting, years after he was thought to have healed.
As usual with the Telegraph, they don’t tell you anything about this case that you really want to know. How did getting shot kill him after he live 30+ years in perfect health? Anyone find out more details let us know.
Welcome to the Pity Party. It’s easy to get in; no cover charge, just bring a complaint.
Problems we have legion. About a year ago the A-Team left, having brought with them a Mandate from Heaven which we were Not Allowed to Question and having left behind, in several incompatible versions, a process which added more Click Here to continue reading.
US Representative Barney Frank, Democrat of Massachusetts, said Friday that he wants jumbo limits to be raised again – to the previous level, if not higher.
Frank, chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, pledged to include a provision for this in the economic stimulus bill Congress is expected to take up with President-elect Barack Obama. He also wants to change the way the loan limits are calculated to reflect real market conditions.
“Even if you accept the principal we shouldn’t be financing luxury housing; what’s a luxury house in Nebraska is an average house in Quincy,” Frank said. “I’m lobbying hard to get at least last year’s level to be put back where it was.”
Is he seriously arguing that the government should be financing luxury housing?
I needed a job, bad, in LA in 1979/1980. I moved there with next to no money and no plan. I was only old enough to drink because they hadn’t changed the law yet. I’d had a dozen jobs or more already. No one was hiring nobody for nothing nohow. If I see another person compare today’s economy to the Depression I’m going to show them a picture of 1979. When a mortgage on a house reaches 17%, unemployment is right around 30% in the construction industry, and inflation looks like it’s going to touch 20, you get back to me. Car companies did more than just talk about going bankrupt back then.
Point taken. Things can get a lot worse. But then, nobody was talking cheerfully about running a trillion dollar deficits for years to come back in the 79/80 either.
Russia has halted all gas supplies to European countries including Turkey and Greece.
As best as can tell, this is a bit of stretch on the Telegraph’s part. Some gas still seems to be coming through. But some countries are facing serious problems. From Spiegel….
Earlier on Tuesday, Bulgaria’s Economy Ministry announced that all Russian gas supplies via Ukraine to Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia had been halted on Tuesday morning as a result of the dispute between Moscow and Kiev. “We are in a crisis situation,” the ministry said in a statement. Bulgaria relies almost entirely on Russian gas for its needs and has no access to alternative pipeline routes and with temperatures in the country dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, the government is asking businesses and households to use other fuels.
The EU is in its normal crisis response mode. In other words, they are crying like babies. From later on in the same Spiegel article….
On Tuesday the European Union called the sudden cutoff of gas supplies “completely unacceptable.” In a strongly worded statement, Brussels complained that gas had been cut “without prior warning and in clear contradiction with the reassurances given by the highest Russian and Ukrainian authorities.”
I guess the much vaunted soft power that the EU supposedly had is not doing it much good. Maybe they should try paying tribute.
Edit: Does it count as tribute if you pay it in the name of another country?