Star Wars Cover On An Electone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16oaGSltUPE

I don't know what an electone is, but I know I need one.

Cheap Cancer Drug Finally Tested In Humans

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/05/13/2117203/Cheap-Cancer-Drug-Finally-Tested-In-Humans?art_pos=5

"Mentioned on Slashdot a couple of years ago, the drug dichloroacetate (DCA) has finally finished its first clinical trial against brain tumours in humans. Drug companies weren't willing to test a drug they could not patent, so money was raised in the community through donations, auctions, and finally government support, but the study was still limited to five patients, showing extremely positive results in four of them. It also raises the question of where all the money donated to Canadian and other cancer societies, and especially the billions spent buying merchandise with little pink ribbons on it goes, if not to actual cancer research like this."

No one could possibly believe that the money spent on the various colored ribbons actually goes towards the causes they "support" right?  That possibility hadn't even crossed my mind.  People that actually want to do good just make donations to a charity.  People that want to "raise awareness", i.e., look good to others without actually doing anything, buy random ribbons.

German User Fined For Having an Open Wi-Fi

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/05/13/1331222/German-User-Fined-For-Having-an-Open-Wi-Fi?art_pos=10

"A German citizen was sued for copyright infringement because copyrighted material was downloaded through his network while he was on vacation. Although the court did not find him guilty of copyright infringement, he was fined for not having password-protected his network: 'Private users are obligated to check whether their wireless connection is adequately secured to the danger of unauthorized third parties abusing it to commit copyright violation,' the court said."

Genetic Testing Coming To a Drugstore Near You

http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/05/12/006204/Genetic-Testing-Coming-To-a-Drugstore-Near-You?art_pos=13

"The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Walgreens is slated to begin selling genetic-testing kits priced from $20 to $30 apiece that can tell people whether they're likely to get breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, become obese, or suffer from a range of other maladies. However, to get the results of various tests, shoppers will have to fork over an additional $79 for drug-response results, $179 for 'pre-pregnancy planning' results, $179 for health condition results, or $249 for a combination of the three. Pathway Genomics and other companies already offer such tests online, but Walgreens will be the first brick-and-mortar retailer to sell them. FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley says Pathway overstepped its bounds when it announced its plans to market the tests directly to the consumer at 6,000 of Walgreen's 7,500 stores and wants Pathway Genomics to submit data showing that its tests give accurate results. 'The claims have limitations based on existing science,' says Riley, 'and consumers should not be making important medical and lifestyle decisions based on these tests without first consulting a health-care professional.' Walgreen responded that FDA clearance is not required to sell the kit in its stores; and anyway, the drugstore chain already sells other diagnostic and testing products such as pregnancy tests, paternity tests, and drug tests."

All Is Well

As I'm sure all of you noticed, my site has been down since Sunday morning.  I didn't make a post about this so as to avoid widespread panic.  I sent an email, but apparently to an invalid address.  Last night I finally got around to opening a trouble ticket and after a few hours of back and forth it seems to be working fine now.

http://daleswanson.org/pics/stuff/carfireavaspacebubble.jpg

Dan Barker on FOX News

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXVZsAMupos

I don't often post atheist stuff.  However, this guy manages to cover just about every point against the government backing religious events in a nice neat 5 minute package.

The Door to Hell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEjoga1yrn0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFr437VrDvY

The Derweze area is rich in natural gas. While drilling in 1971 geologists accidentally found an underground cavern filled with natural gas.  The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of about 50-100 meters. To avoid poisonous gas discharge, it was decided to burn the gas.  Geologists had hoped the fire would go out in a few days but it has been burning ever since. Locals have named the cavern The Door to Hell.

Next to capturing the gas, flaring is safer and friendlier to the environment than releasing the methane into the atmosphere as methane is a relatively potent greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential of 72 (averaged over 20 years) or 25 (averaged over 100 years).

9750 Words on Elena Kagan

http://www.scotusblog.com/2010/05/9750-words-on-elena-kagan/

Below, we discuss the most significant aspects of Elena Kagan’s experience and writings as they relate to the Supreme Court.  We also consider various criticisms that have been raised against Kagan, including with respect to her views on the military (supposedly too liberal) and executive power (supposedly too conservative), as well as the prospect that she will be required to recuse from a substantial number of cases early in her tenure on the Court. We separately discuss the specific votes she likely will receive for and against her confirmation.  Each separate section below is identified by its author(s).

Website Sells Pubic Lice

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/05/11/1552251/Website-Sells-Pubic-Lice

A British website called crabrevenge.com will help you prove that there is literally nothing you can't find online by selling you pubic lice. A disclaimer on the site says the creators "do not endorse giving people lice," and the lice are for "novelty purposes only." The company also boasts about a facility "where we do all of our parasite husbandry and carefully considered selective breeding." Three different packages are available: "Green package - One colony that can lay as many as 30 eggs for about $20. Blue package - Three colonies to share with your friends or freeze a batch or two for about $35. Red package - A vial of 'shampoo-resistant F-strain crabs' which can take up to two weeks to kill for about $52."

Now you're going to have to be more careful when accepting underwear from people.

How Cul-de-Sacs Are Killing Your Community

http://www.infrastructurist.com/2010/05/07/how-cul-de-sacs-are-killing-your-community/

The Harvard Business Review has a piece this month on research by Lawrence Frank, Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Transportation at the University of British Columbia, on the effects of cul-de-sacs in neighborhoods in King County, Washington. He found that residents in areas with the most interconnected streets travel 26% fewer miles by automobile than those in areas with many cul-de-sacs. Meanwhile, recent studies by Frank and others show that the higher a neighborhood’s overall walkability, the greater the amount of walking and biking— which means a drop in per capita air pollution, fuel use, and body mass index.