Marine motorcycle deaths top their Iraq combat fatalities

Motorcycle accidents have killed more Marines in the past 12 months than enemy fire in Iraq, a rate that's so alarming it has prompted top brass to call a meeting to address the issue, officials say.  Twenty-five Marines have died in motorcycle crashes since last November -- all but one of them involving sport bikes that can reach speeds of well over 100 mph, according to Marine officials. In that same period, 20 Marines have been killed in action in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/30/marine.motorcycles/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Another 1940s Halloween Photograph From Anaheim

1940s Halloween photos from Anaheim, CA

The UCLA Digital Library has a few interesting photos of Halloween in the 1940s. The caption for this one reads: "Stage and crowd at Halloween Slick Chick beauty contest in Anaheim, Calif., 1947.

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/31/1940s-halloween-phot.html

Neuroprosthetic enables monkey to activate paralyzed muscles

Monkeys outfitted with neural implants have learned to control temporarily paralyzed muscles in their arms. So instead of controlling a robot arm with its mind, the monkey controls its own muscles that have become "disconnected" from its brain. The research, conducted by the University of Washington and the Washington National Primate Research Center, is a step forward in the development of technology that routes around a damaged spine, enabling a patient to once again manipulate paralyzed body parts. 

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/31/neuroprosthetic-enab.html

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Locksmiths

UC San Diego computer scientists have built a software program that can perform key duplication without having the key. Instead, the computer scientists only need a photograph of the key.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081029181606.htm

Study In Transsexuals: Significant Genetic Link To Gender Identity

In the largest ever genetic study of male to female transsexuals Australian researchers have found a significant genetic link between gender identity and a gene involved in testosterone action.  From an early age people develop an inner sense of being male or female – their gender identity. Transsexuals however, identify with a physical sex opposite to their perceived biological sex.  DNA samples were collected from 112 male to female transsexuals and researchers compared genetic differences with non transsexuals.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030111005.htm

Mathematician Cracks Mystery Beatles Chord

It's the most famous chord in rock 'n' roll, an instantly recognizable twang rolling through the open strings on George Harrison's 12-string Rickenbacker. It evokes a Pavlovian response from music fans as they sing along to the refrain that follows:

   It's been a hard day's night

   And I've been working like a dog

The opening chord to A Hard Day's Night is also famous because for 40 years, no one quite knew exactly what chord Harrison was playing. Musicians, scholars and amateur guitar players alike had all come up with their own theories, but it took a Dalhousie mathematician to figure out the exact formula.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081030201607.htm

Sexual Problems In Women Not Always Stressful

Several studies and surveys of sexual problems in women have found problems with low desire, diminished arousal or difficulties with orgasm in approximately 40 percent of women, but few of those report significant levels of distress associated with those problems. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081031102047.htm

Does Otzi, the Iceman, Have Living Relatives?

Remember the Neolithic Iceman, Otzi, found frozen in the Alps?  Now, his genetic material has been sequenced, and important clues have been discoverd.  Does Otzi have living descendants?  Read more to find outIceman Mummy Leaves Few Relatives

http://www.livescience.com/history/081030-iceman-children.html

Ancient Phoenician Genes Live on Toda

The ancient Phoenicians may be largely forgotten, but they're not gone. Rome destroyed the Phoenicians' greatest city — Carthage — centuries ago, but new genetic studies indicate that as many as one in 17 men living in communities around the Mediterranean may be descended from these ancient mariners.

http://www.livescience.com/history/081030-ap-phoenician-genes.html

Top 5 Halloween Myths Debunked

How many instances of razors in Halloween candy?

How many instances of sexual predation on children on Halloween?

Read about these myths and more.

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/081031-halloween-myths.html

Why Presidential Polls Vary So Much

Political opinion polls don't mean nothing!  Right?  

Wrong!

Did you know that as an election nears, polls tend to become more accurate. The Gallup organization has a long list of polls vs. results in previous presidential elections that show them doing pretty well in their final surveys prior to election. Read about it here, and more!

http://www.livescience.com/culture/081031-watercooler-crazy-polls.html

Daylight Saving Time: Why Did We Do It?

As far back as the 1700s, people recognized the potential to save energy by jumping clocks ahead one hour in the summer — Benjamin Franklin even wrote about it.  When did we start daylight saving time, and more

http://www.livescience.com/culture/081031-daylight-saving-time.html

Why do warthogs have warts?

Sure!  Admit it.  You've always wondered if warthogs have warts?  Now, you can find out...

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/warthog-warts.htm

Winter blackout results in Dutch baby boom

A small cluster of villages in eastern Netherlands has found itself in the midst of a mini-baby boom -- nine months after a power outage plunged its residents in darkness for two chilly days.  "It was cold in the houses," said Anneleas van Eijkeren, spokeswoman for the municipality of Maasdriel. "They went to bed early to keep warm. And nine months later, we have this -- a little bit more babies."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/30/netherlands.baby.boom/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Archeologist finds 3,000-year old Hebrew text

An Israeli archaeologist has discovered what he says is the earliest-known Hebrew text, found on a shard of pottery that dates to the time of King David from the Old Testament, about 3,000 years ago.  The shard contains five lines of text divided by black lines and measures 15 by 15 centimeters, or about 6 inches square.

Archaeologists have yet to decipher the text, but initial interpretation indicates it formed part of a letter and contains the roots of the words "judge," "slave," and "king," according to the university. That may indicate it was a legal text, which archaeologists say would provide insights into Hebrew law, society, and beliefs.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/30/israel.ancient.text/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Hawaiian Cave Archaeological Treasure Trove!

From the moment we saw it, we knew the place held many great secrets. We had been looking for new fossil sites on the south side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 1992 with our colleagues, Helen F. James and Storrs L. Olson of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., along with their children, Travis and Sydney, and our own, Mara and Alec.  And what we found was a cave — once a Pleistocene dune field, and later a sinkhole with pickling-jar powers — that may be the richest fossil site in the Hawaiian Islands, perhaps in the entire Pacific Island region.

http://www.livescience.com/history/081025-hawaii-cave.html

Physicians State End-of-life Choices

Physicians stated their end-of-life choices in a recent study, specifying the range of treatments they preferred.  The results showed physicians fell into one of three groups regarding life-sustaining treatments, including:

(1) Physicians who would want most of the interventions, considered aggressive care (12 percent in 1999, and 14 percent in 2002).

(2) Physicians who would want intravenous fluids and antibiotics as the primary interventions, considered intermediate care (26 percent in 1999, and 26 percent in 2002).

(3) Physicians who would decline most interventions, considered the least aggressive care (62 percent in 1999, and 60 percent in 2002).

The rounded percentages, in scrambled order, were 62%, 13% and 26%.

Before reading the article, predict with percentage matches the three categories above.

http://www.livescience.com/health/081027-end-of-life.html

Possible Kristallnacht Items Found in Dump

Jewish items found in dump outside Berlin.  According to some, the dump contains objects from Kristallnacht, or "The Night of Broken Glass."  http://www.livescience.com/history/081028-ap-jewish-nazi-artifacts.html

Five McDonalds Flops

Read about five McDonald's food items that were rejected by the voters!  Utter flops...   http://money.howstuffworks.com/5-failed-mcdonalds-menu-items.htm

Talk About A High R Rating!

Have you ever heard of a house built out of straw that you can't blow down?  One of the oldest recorded straw bale buildings was a one-room schoolhouse built in 1896 or 1897. Cows ate the school in 1902 because the walls weren't plastered.  Read all about these great houses!  http://home.howstuffworks.com/straw-bale-house.htm

Tigers Escape Wall of Fire!

Three Siberian tigers leapt through a wall of fire to safety from a burning truck Monday on the orders of their circus ringmaster.  The tigers drew on their experiences of leaping through fiery rings during performances to escape a fire on the truck taking them between shows in northwestern Germany, said circus owner Daniel Renz. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/27/tigers.safe.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

DoD Dog Being Fed Steroids!

DoD already has a mechanical dog that can carry more than 300 pounds, walk around for nearly 13 miles on flat ground and keep its balance after getting kicked around. DoD is working on a new dog that will have to learn new tricks.  It will have to be able to sprint at a 10 mile-per-hour pace in 120-degree heat, climb stairs, slosh through water and squat on standby in the rain or snow for most of the day.   http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/10/bigdog-20.html

Mercury Pictures Rock!

Recent flyby pictures too cool to be true!

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/10/mercurys-red-ho.html

Netflix Beds Down With TiVo

Four years in the making, the Tivo/Netflix streaming partnership is finally ready for prime time. Tivo begins software tests Thursday and expects to have the entire Netflix streaming collection available to subscribers of both services by early December.  http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/10/tivo-set-to-str.html

Robinson Crusoe's Campsite Discovered!

Did you know Robinson Crusoe is based on a true story?  Well, Robinson Crusoe's... well, actually Alexander Selkirk's campsite has been found!  Read what they found with the campsite here...  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081029105803.htm

Prairie Pooch Is Coming Out Of His Hole!

I'm about ready to start blogging again...