One Handed Hoop Star Gets Scholarship

A truly amazing story:
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9614714/One-handed-hoops-star-lands-D-I-scholarship#tb/?gt1=39002

Odd News

- Chasing of the Cheese

- Mascot Fights

- News anchors watching other TV networks during the broadcast

- The Prisoners Tour de France

Keith Olbermann on the odd news of the day...

New Gallop Poll

The decline in Republican Party affiliation among Americans in recent years is well documented, but a Gallup analysis now shows that this movement away from the GOP has occurred among nearly every major demographic subgroup.

So far in 2009, aggregated Gallup Poll data show the divide on leaned party identification is 53% Democratic and 39% Republican -- a marked change from 2001, when the parties were evenly matched.

Here is the change in affiliation for the various groups (click for larger pictures):

Full Story:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/118528/GOP-Losses-Span-Nearly-Demographic-Groups.aspx

Happiest Countries = Highest Taxes

Northern Europeans are the happiest people on the planet, according to a new survey.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says people in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are the most content with their lives. The three ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the OECD's rankings of "life satisfaction," or happiness.

There are myriad reasons, of course, for happiness: health, welfare, prosperity, leisure time, strong family, social connections and so on. But there is another common denominator among this group of happy people: taxes.

Northern Europeans pay some of the highest taxes in the world. Danes pay about two-thirds of their income in taxes. Why be so happy about that? It all comes down to what you get in return.

The Encyclopedia of the Nations notes that Denmark was one of the first countries in the world to establish efficient social services with the introduction of relief for the sick, unemployed and aged.

It says social welfare programs include health insurance, health and hospital services, insurance for occupational injuries, unemployment insurance and employment exchange services. There's also old age and disability pensions, rehabilitation and nursing homes, family welfare subsidies, general public welfare and payments for military accidents. Moreover, maternity benefits are payable up to 52 weeks.

The U.S. ranked 11th on the OECD list. In addition to the top three, we were beat out by Sweden, Belgium, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Norway.

Full Story:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-happiest-places-on-earth-are-heavily-taxed

Texas Seceding...

A spectacular special comment from Keith Olberman on Texas Governer Rick Perry and his continued talk of Texas seceding from the Union:

Home Depot

Tough Day at the Office:

Graduation Speeches

As this is graduation season I thought it would be fitting to recount some of the most inspiring quotes from graduation speeches of the past:


"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking...Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."
-Steve Jobs
Standford 2005


"Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or world disarmament - and that it will be useless until the leaders of the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened attitude. I hope they do. I believe we can help them do it. But I also believe that we must reexamine our own attitude - as individuals and as a Nation - for our attitude is as essential as theirs."
-John F Kennedy
American University 1963


"Cynics always say no. But saying "yes" begins things. Saying "yes" is how things grow. Saying "yes" leads to knowledge. "Yes" is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say "yes."
-Stephen Colbert
Knox College 2006


“So, that’s what I wish for all of you: the bad as well as the good. Fall down, make a mess, break something occasionally. And remember that the story is never over. If it’s all right, I’d like to read a little something from just this year: “Somehow, Conan O’Brien has transformed himself into the brightest star in the Late Night firmament. His comedy is the gold standard and Conan himself is not only the quickest and most inventive wit of his generation, but quite possible the greatest host ever.” Ladies and Gentlemen, Class of 2000, I wrote that this morning, as proof that, when all else fails, there’s always delusion.”
-Conan O'Brien
Harvard 2000

Smart Grid

First a trivia question:

Which of these cities is one of the 10 largest (by population) in the US:

a) San Fransisco
b) San Jose
c) Detroit
d) Indianapolis
e) Boston

This city was in the news recently when it announced "Green Vision" a 15-year plan to cut per-capita energy consumption in half and derive all energy from renewable sources.

They started this vision by installing more energy-efficient street lights, which will be powered by low-energy LED bulbs and monitored across a smart network.

The streetlight network will function in a similar way to a smart electricity grid. Using the city's wi-fi network, the technology enables the lights to transfer real-time data about the status and performance of any given bulb. That way, maintenance crews won't have to search for a fried bulb.

The city will also be able to monitor energy consumption, anticipate outages and dim lights to save energy at the flip of a master switch.

This truly is a vital technology and illustrates the potential for smart grids in the future.

The city in question: San Jose, California

From: http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/technology/street_lights_echelon.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009042412

China

If you ever wondered how China makes it possible for our country to continue on spending on credit and racking up massive debts, here is your answer (click for larger version):

Just imagine what these graphs for the U.S. would look like.

I'm a Mac, I'm a Megan

Apple's marketing department goes after the new ads from Microsoft with a great ad:

More Households are Cell Phone Only

In a high-tech shift accelerated by the recession, the number of U.S. households opting for only cell phones has for the first time surpassed those that only have traditional landlines.

Twenty percent of households had only cells during the last half of 2008, according to a new survey released Wednesday. That was an increase of nearly 3 percentage points over the first half of the year, the largest six-month increase since the government started gathering such data in 2003.

The 20 percent of homes with only cell phones compared with 17 percent with landlines but no cells.

That ratio has changed starkly in recent years: In the first six months of 2003, just 3 percent of households were wireless only, while 43 percent stuck with only landlines.

From:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hy364yHuEwLK2alU6lD7DOoYhWtgD98122LO1

Churchgoers More Likely to Support Tourture????

The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week -- 54 percent -- said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified. Only 42 percent of people who "seldom or never" go to services agreed, according to the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did.

From: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/30/religion.torture/index.html

Baby Names

Emma is the new top name among baby girls, ending Emily's 12-year reign.

Jacob remained king among the boys in 2008, his 10th straight year at the top, the Social Security Administration said Friday.

Barack may have been the man of the year in 2008, as Obama won the presidency, but he's still behind Elvis.

Barack didn't crack the top 1,000, though he did move up a record 10,126 spots, to No. 2,409.

Elvis is still in the building, but he fell from 673 to 713.

Emma debuted in the top 10 in 2002, the same year that Jennifer Aniston's character on "Friends" gave the name to her TV show baby. In the latest lineup, Emma was followed by Isabella, Emily, Madison and Ava.

The top five boys names remained unchanged from 2007. Jacob was followed by Michael, Ethan, Joshua and Daniel.

Alexander joined the boys top 10 at No. 6, while Andrew dropped out.

Among the girls, Chloe inched her way up to No. 10 while Hannah dropped out.

New girl names in the top 1,000 included Isla (623), Mareli (718), Milagros (731), Dayami (750) and Nylah (821).

Debuting among the boys were Aaden (343), Chace (655), Marley (764) Kash (779) and Kymani (836). Beckham debuted at 893, perhaps a nod to the British soccer star, David Beckham, who now plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_go_ot/us_baby_names

Yesterday was an Odd Day

5/7/09 is one of only six dates this century that feature three consecutive odd numbers.

The rest of the dates are:

1/3/05

3/5/07

7/9/11

9/11/13

11/13/15

Happy belated Odd Day.

Tech for your Health

Cambridge Consultants has a new concept they have dubbed the "connected patient". It is a low cost wireless platform that allows medical devices to deliver readings over the internet to a central monitor located at home or deliver the results to an online health records center.

The first device the company has prototyped is a wireless asthma inhaler.

The inhalers connect to an online personal health care application via a smartphone or a computer. The inhaler then can both remind patients to take their treatment and send compliance information to the relevant personal health care location online. Both patient and health care specialist can access the secure information to monitor progress and connect with one another.

Read more at:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10234750-1.html

The Kings of the Jungle

Lions of the Masai Mara filmed using remote cameras (truly amazing):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/5242986/Lions-of-the-Masai-Mara-filmed-using-remote-cameras.html

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

While outnumbered, the Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had known no defeat for almost 50 years.

Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

However, a common misconception in the United States is that Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day, which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

Republicans Less Popular than Venezuela????

Some right wingers are pushing to re-name the Democrats the Democratic Socialist Party.

It might surprise them to find out that Republicans as a whole are less popular among American citizens than VENEZUELA, an actual socialist country!!

New polling from CNN indicates that anti-American, oil-cartel, socialist block forming Venezuela is now viewed more favorably than the Republican Party.

The poll found that 39% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of the Republican Party.

The poll also uncovered that 42% of Americans hold a favorable opinion of Venezuela.

From: http://www.pollingreport.com/institut2.htm#Republicans

Eye of the Tiger

The Greatest Rendition ever of the classic song from the Rocky movies:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1909206