If you haven't completely abandoned the PlayStation Network for good following the massive data breach and leak of user information that's slowly, painfully come to light over the past couple of weeks, take note of this story! More »
Less-Than-Optimal Sleep May 'Age' the Brain U.S. News & World Report ... in today's 24-hour-a-day society that people should be able to fit more into their lives," said study author Jane Ferrie, a senior research fellow in the department of epidemiology and public health at University College London Medical School. ... Sleeping too little — or too much — bad for mind in middle-age: studyMontreal Gazette |
John at μcosmologist has created an interesting infographic depicting how much it would cost to run SETI from one year ($2.5 million) versus various other things we spend money on. In the graphic, each radio dish represents $2.5 million. Here’s a (small) piece of it:
[Click to enalienate.]
The whole thing is much larger, and you really need to see it. Especially the bit about how much people spend on Starbucks. Yegads.
John made this because of SETI having to mothball the Allen Telescope Array, and I strongly suspect because people were trying to say there are better things to spend money on. I’ll tell you, I think that argument is a crock. First off, it’s a false dichotomy; we can afford to do more than what we need to survive. And moreover, there is always something better to spend money on, yet we still seem to be able to justify (or rationalize) the way we spend the money we do.
In the United States alone we spend five times as much on tobacco products as we do on the entirety of NASA. How’s that for rationalization? And what we ...
From Eric Dondero:
Muslim Prof. Abbass Alkhafaji died in 2010. He left a will.
Via the libertarian-leaning blog Volokh:
(4) About my pension, the beneficiaries are all my biological kids and my current wife, ... after reducing all costs associated with the house.... [The] rest of the pension, if any left, should be divided according to Islamic Laws and Sharia....
(9) In case I have additional monetary benefits from my job, such as life insurance, 401K, 403B or any other retirement funds that I am not aware of, Allah as my witness, They should be divided, after costs associated with the payment of those funds according to Islamic Laws and “Sharia.”
And now the stunning ruling by the Court:
“(1) TIAA-CREF Individual and Institutional Services LLC, shall make distribution of the pension accounts of the TIAA-CREF certificates ... to the decedent’s surviving spouse, ... in accordance with decedent’s last will and testament dated July 17, 2007, and to his biological children, ... in accordance of the law of Sharia, mainly [sic], one-eighth share to the surviving spouse, ... and thereafter, the remaining balance to be divided, two shares each to the six male children, and one share each to the [two] female children.”
In other words, a Pennsylvania Court is ordering discrimination in favor of the male beneficiaries over the females.
Blogger and KETM radio talk show host Ben Barrack of Temple, Texas explains why this is inconsistent with libertarian principles, allowing discrimination by private individuals:
This is a prime example and the court's decision sets a dangerous precedent. Imagine if a man leaves a will that says 1/8 of his estate is to go to each of his sons and 1/16 of that estate is to go to each of his daughters. Assuming he was of sound mind when he wrote the will, one would think those wishes should be honored. Though they appear sexist, that's why they call it a 'will.'
Now, suppose a Muslim male simply states in his will that his estate is to be divided among his family according to Sharia Law, which calls for distribution of that estate in the same 1/8 and 1/16 manner. Does the U.S. Constitution allow for a judge to rule in such a way? The short answer is no.
From Eric Dondero:
When pressed, many Republican legislators around the Nation who sponsor Bills to outlaw foreign law used in US courts, shy away from explicitly citing Sharia Law as a prime motivator of their legislation. Even some of the most diehard opponents of Islamism in state legislatures, still insist that their legislation is not aimed at stopping any one particular form of foreign law.
In North Carolina, one legislator is being straight forward. From Raleigh News&Observer, "Bill would ban courts from using 'foreign law'":
A group of Republican legislators is backing a measure that would make it illegal for judges to consider "foreign law" when making rulings in North Carolina's courts.
Though the federal and state constitutions already guarantee the supremacy of U.S. law in domestic cases, primary sponsor Rep. George Cleveland said he is concerned that Shariah law could gain a foothold in American communities with sizable Muslim populations.
"It's to ensure that any individual in this state does not have to worry about being taken advantage of by foreign laws," said Cleveland, a retired Marine who lives in Jacksonville. "It's barring any international law. If Shariah law tries to be enforced in the state, yeah, it would do it."
Rep. Cleveland filed a Bill back in January to ban illegal aliens from attending NC colleges and universities.
Gov. skips Obama's GOP bashing fundraiser in Manhattan
From Eric Dondero:
The Post is reporting this morning that Governor Andrew Cuomo skipped a third Obama fundraiser in New York. And apparently his repeated absences at national Democrat events, is beginning to raise eyebrows.
From columnist Michael Goodwin, the NY Post "Cuomo is New York's undercover governor" May 1:
Even better if Cuomo skipped the event because he didn't want to pollute his bid to fix Albany by being at a partisan fest where Obama was sure to bash Republicans.
A big reason is that his centrist course opens potential pitfalls with his party's liberal base. As a candidate, most of his ads never mentioned he is a Democrat. Most of his belt-tightening proposals since taking office were more readily adopted by the GOP-controlled state Senate than by Dems running the Assembly...
Earlier this year, a diehard Republican activist stunned the conservative community in New York with praise for Cuomo.
From CapitolTonight.com, Tea Partyer, and Carl Paladino Campaign Manager, "[Michael] Caputo Crusades for Cuomo"
"Like you, I oppose the Democrat Party’s progressive agenda,” Caputo writes. “Like you, I fought like Hell to stop Andrew Cuomo’s campaign for Governor of New York State. I don’t much like him; I’m still angry about his dirty campaign against Carl.”
“But, at the risk of a localized lightning strike, I must admit the Governor’s early fiscal moves are conservative, responsible and absolutely necessary.”
“…I am a die-hard Republican who fought in the trenches for Ronald Reagan, Jack Kemp and Carl Paladino. I’m as conservative as you can get, and last year I spent most of my time criticizing Andrew Cuomo.”
“It is starting to look like I may end up eating a few of my words. But I would happily sit for that meal if the Governor delivers real fiscal reform. In fact, I am writing to tell you I will work to push Cuomo’s fiscal agenda.”
Note - Republicans hold a very slight majority in the State Senate by one single vote.
 MSN India | Tai chi can help heart failure patients MSN India Gloria Y. Yeh of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues evaluated 100 outpatients with systolic heart failure who were recruited between May 1, 2005 and Sep 30, 2008. Fifty patients were randomly put ... Tai chi exercises improve quality of life for people with heart failureDetroit Free Press |
PhysOrg.com (press release) | OU med school receives $105M Columbus Dispatch The donation, which is also the largest gift ever given to an Ohio university, will pay about a third of the projected $300 million cost to transform OU's medical school over the next 15 years. Ohio University plans to raise much of the rest of the ... Ohio University med school to build Columbus-area campus with $105M giftColumbus Business First Record funding award given to Ohio University College of Osteopathic MedicineEurekAlert (press release) Record Funding Award Given to Ohio University College of Osteopathic MedicineMarketwire (press release) Greenfield Daily Reporter all 37 news articles » |
Path to enlightenment starts with a connection The Desert Sun There's a spiritual component to my around-the-world journey, but I often hesitate to talk about it because I already get enough “Eat, Pray, Love” comparisons. “Nah,” I joke. “My trip is just Eat.” Still, the quest for something divine has definitely ... |
 Los Angeles Times | Getting over JD Salinger Los Angeles Times Call it God or grace or spiritual enlightenment, every story, every character lived and breathed at the glowing edge of something larger. For all his arched-brow cynicism, Salinger was just as sentimental and religious as CS Lewis. ... |
Medical-school graduates see dramatic changes in health-care industry AZ Central.com But as the new graduates of the inaugural class of the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix have learned, the world of medicine has become generally much more challenging for doctors since they started medical school four years ago. ... Doctor shortage predictedKansas.com What's the Prognosis for Family Doctors?New York Times James S. Wold: Patients appreciate doctors with passionWisconsin State Journal |
Harvard Medical School Adviser: Hybrid heart surgery Detroit Free Press I would guess that you live fairly close to a teaching hospital -- hybrid cardiac surgery is mainly available at academic medical centers for now. But the trend is catching on. Hybrid cardiac surgery is part of a larger effort to make surgeries and ... |
Watson, the computer 'Jeopardy' champion, heads to medical school Detroit Free Press Now, the University of Maryland medical school has joined IBM, software developer Nuance and Columbia University Medical Center to apply Watson's technology to medicine. The University of Maryland secured a grant from IBM for initial development about ... |
2011 legislative session's effectiveness varied by issue The Missoulian HELENA - A bruising state budget battle and an overhaul of Montana's medical marijuana law dominated the headlines at the 2011 Legislature - but those were far from the only major items on the agenda. In the eyes of Senate Republican leaders, ... |
Hi Friends,
Please, Can anyone tell me if the rod drop measurements was included in the Standard API-670 third edition?
I have the API-670 fourth edition and the rod drop measurement is covered by this standard.
Anyone know the date (Starting point) from API-670 fourth edition?
Regards
JP
Hello my friends
I want to know below parameter for a valve
WPC , WPB , WPA & WCB , WCA
I think these are code for explain material of valve .
Do you have any standard that comment about them ?
Thank you
I remember hating it when Clippy popped up for no good reason while working. Now, even after Microsoft officially put him to rest, he's doing it again. Only this time it's in game form. Which is marginally better, I suppose? More »
Organic! Local! Grass-fed! Fanned with palm fronds! All those terms used to describe food usually mean diddly squat to me because I'm a simpleton eater. If it tastes good, it is good. But athletes—people who need to care about their body—are starting to get into eating grass-fed beef craze because of the health benefits. More »
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