tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37219516188381370282013-02-16T10:05:07.693-07:00Earth Streamer........Blogging about everything and anything including...News..Weird News..Travel..Food, Bargains..Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-55540964383025928772013-02-16T10:05:00.001-07:002013-02-16T10:05:07.698-07:002013-02-16T10:05:07.698-07:00Another Meteor Flashes Across Bay Area Skies « CBS San Francisco<a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/?lead=another-meteor-flashes-across-bay-area-skies">Another Meteor Flashes Across Bay Area Skies « CBS San Francisco</a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-15434415741971000732013-02-15T16:00:00.000-07:002013-02-15T16:00:03.458-07:002013-02-15T16:00:03.458-07:00International Living: Ecuador!!<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6032" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6064" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6032" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6068">The New "Land of Opportunity"</strong><br />
By Brent Carlson</span></div>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6032" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6059" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
moment I arrived in Ecuador I knew my decision to abandon my old life
in the U.S. was the right one. With the shrinking economy and very
little chance of scratching out a living in the home building business,
it was time for change. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6058" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
But Ecuador gave me more than I ever could have imagined. Within months, I had met my soul mate. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6051" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Elsa
was my perfect match. After one year together we were engaged, and
soon after we got married. We both love the beach and after some
exploring and talking with locals we found an area between Bahia and
Canoa. It's home to some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline
I've ever seen. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6057" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
For
years I'd been looking for some affordable ocean front where I could
build my dream home. I searched and searched, but I could never find
anything within budget. I thought it was too late, and that the dream
would never happen. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6056" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
That was before I came to Ecuador.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6055" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Elsa
and I bought our first piece of property in 2009, right next to the
ocean. The tract of land we bought was more than enough to build two
homes on—one for us and one to sell—and it came in at $80,000. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6060" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
As it turned out, that was the start. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6054" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Since
then, I've been building condominiums all along the coast. Right now,
we're on project number three. We never thought we would end up in the
condominium construction business but sometimes, you just fall into a
niche and you go with it. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6061" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
My
wife Elsa, who spent her whole life in Quito and always wanted to live
by the beach, is the real driving force behind our business. She has
the ambition and skills to make it all come together.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6062" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
This
country just has so much going for it. One is the wonderful weather,
particularly on the coast. It has real seasons but summer doesn't get
too hot, and it comes minus the humidity you find in other countries
around the region. But although the weather changes from season to
season, it never gets the kind of cold seen in North America.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6053" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Then there's the low cost of living, the friendly locals, the great food...and getting permanent residency is straight forward.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6063" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Ecuador is the new "Land of Opportunity," and it seems like life just gets better by the day. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_6052" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
But
it's not like this lifestyle is only for a select few. Everyone is
welcome here. I would encourage you to come for a visit. Discover for
yourself just how beautiful it is here 60 miles south of the equator
where the living is good even on a budget.</div>
</span>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-17407539961000056982013-02-15T12:05:00.004-07:002013-02-15T12:08:16.804-07:002013-02-15T12:08:16.804-07:00International Living: The Top Beach Address in Panama<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2856" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2858" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2856" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2857">The Top Beach Address in Panama</b><br />
By Jessica Ramesch</span></div>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2856" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2855" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2856" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Great
boulders in the distance, half wet, half dry...cobalt-blue waters
scrubbing sands of downy gray...white seabirds soaring above, their
cries for fish occasionally audible above the sounds of the surf. This
is Coronado Beach, Panama’s most popular Pacific coast destination.</span></div>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2856" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<div align="center" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2862" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<img alt="Coronado" height="271" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2861" src="http://www1.internationalliving.com/images/postcards/2013/Coronado-beach-3.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2863" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
If
you were to describe Coronado as a lady, she’d be more Elizabeth Bennet
than Scarlett O’Hara. While Panama’s Caribbean beaches are garbed in
bright turquoise with sparkling white-sand trim, Coronado has a quiet,
unassuming beauty—the kind that grows on you, rather than hitting you
over the head. It reminds me of East Coast beaches back in the States.
The colors evoke, for me, the coast of Maine...or Nantucket Island.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2864" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
attitudes do, too. There are a lot of friendly people living here, and
they’re prone to smiling and greeting you as they pass... More often
than not, people walk or ride golf carts; cars stay in their sheds until
it’s time for a trip to the city. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2865" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Some
are expats who have come here to live, start businesses, or snowbird
away the winter months. Some of them are members of the Panamanian upper
crust. Their homes are watched over by trusted caretakers (and their
families) during the workweek. </div>
</span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2867" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
growing community here has become extremely active... in business,
social and philanthropic circles alike. Five or more years ago, a
ghost-town quiet settled over Coronado after weekends or holiday
seasons. No more. Now the restaurants are open every day of the week.
You can always find a crowd at Cholo’s Mexican restaurant for lunch. The
same goes for Picasso (a bar, restaurant, and something of a community
center) during daily happy hours or at dinnertime. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Many of the
hundreds of expats living in and around Coronado enjoy the area’s
excellent infrastructure...high-speed Internet, banks, shops, and more.
But there are other good reasons to choose Coronado over any of its
Caribbean counterparts. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Coronado is located
in the region known as the Arco Seco, or the "Dry Arc." The region is
highly accessible—the Pan-American Highway will take you straight to
Coronado’s doorstep, just an hour’s drive from the nation’s capital.
None of the popular Caribbean beaches are that close to a major city. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
And the Arco Seco
gets half the average annual rainfall of the Caribbean Coast...
typically about 69 inches (that’s versus nearly 130 inches on the
Caribbean). </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
That means that in
Coronado, you tend to see the sun every day. Even during the
May-through-November "rainy season," mornings are typically very sunny.
Afternoon showers can start anytime between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., but they
rarely last over an hour. The locals say: "if you don’t like the
weather, wait five minutes." There are few days (I mean really few and
far between) that are truly gray. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Maybe that’s why
everyone here spends so much time smiling...We all know the effect a
sunny day can have, and when you string a whole bunch of them together,
good feelings abound. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Considering
Coronado’s popularity, one might expect property prices here to be
positively prohibitive. Not so. Prices are currently very reasonable,
and a little digging can reveal true bargains. A savvy researcher will
consider property both inside and outside the "gates" (and the pros and
cons of being close to the epicenter). </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Before heading this
way, you should know that Coronado has grown into a town, but it wasn’t
always one. When first developed by Panama’s celebrated Eisenmann
family, it was little more than a vast gated community. Today, the
"gate" is a checkpoint where a guard lazily vets the cars coming in.
Residents have stickers on their cars and take the "fast lane." Others
must announce where they are going...to a friend’s house, a hotel, or
one of the restaurants is the typical answer. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The closer you get
to the epicenter (the area inside the gates), the more you can expect to
pay for property. The best deal I found listed at time of writing, in
Coronado proper, is a four-bedroom duplex with three bathrooms and a
terrace. On two levels, construction is about 2,780 square feet and the
lot is about 1,620 square feet. Attractive tile and brickwork throughout
gives the home a clean, polished look. Asking price: $220,000. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
If you’re happy to
be a 15- to 20-minute drive from the Coronado gate, you can find even
better deals. Look to neighboring Gorgona, where many upper- to
middle-class Panamanians have weekend getaways. You can often find more
square footage for your buck. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360938154320_2891" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Listed here is a single-family home of about 1,800 square feet, with
a large lot about 10 times the size of the home. Built just four years
ago, the home has all new tiles, an open kitchen, and large terrace.
There’s only one full bathroom but, as is common in these parts, there’s
also an outdoor shower for washing off sand from the beach. Still,
there’s plenty of room to build another bathroom or add an entire annex.
The property is gated and features a well-maintained lawn and
fruit-bearing trees. Price: $135,000</div>
</span>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-1812281065391374402013-02-15T06:39:00.001-07:002013-02-15T06:39:41.540-07:002013-02-15T06:39:41.540-07:00I'm surprised You have any Diginity left : Pelosi: Congressional pay cut undermines dignity of the job <div class="title">
<h1 class="title">
Pelosi: Congressional pay cut undermines dignity of the job </h1>
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<div>
<span class="author">
By Mike Lillis </span>
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<span class="date">
02/14/13 06:37 PM ET </span>
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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday
that she opposes a cut in congressional pay because it would diminish
the dignity of lawmakers' jobs.<br />
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"I don't think we should do it; I think we should respect the work we
do," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. "I think it's necessary for
us to have the dignity of the job that we have rewarded."</div>
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The
comments were made in the context of the looming sequester, which would
force across-the-board cuts affecting most federal offices, including
Congress. With lawmakers nowhere near a deal to avert those cuts,
federal agencies are bracing for ways to absorb them with minimum damage
to programs and personnel.<br />
Pelosi, whose husband is a wealthy
real-estate developer, was quick to note that a cut in her own pay would
be far less significant than that for both staffers and less wealthy
members of Congress.<br />
<hr />
<br /><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/283209-senate-dems-unveil-110b-sequester-replacement-bill"><b></b></a>
<hr />
<br />
"It's
a hard question to ask me because most of my colleagues are the
breadwinners in their families," she said. "A pay cut to me doesn't mean
as much."<br />
She also emphasized that Congress should do everything
it can to preclude such decisions by preventing the sequester cuts from
taking effect at all.<br />
"A sequester should be out of the question," she said.<br />
Still,
with the clock ticking down to March 1 – and with both chambers of
Congress out of town next week – the chances of reaching a deal are
growing slimmer. With that in mind, some lawmakers say they're hoping
for the best but preparing for the worst.<br />
"We are, in fact,
obviously contemplating a sequester," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said this
week. "Obviously we are going to take a cut, like everybody else, and
we will have to accommodate that."</div>
<br />Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-4297913513572580452013-02-15T06:30:00.001-07:002013-02-15T06:30:10.619-07:002013-02-15T06:30:10.619-07:00Russian meteorite: Moment meteorite exploded as doctors treat 500 people injured | Mail Online<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279020/Russian-meteorite-Moment-meteorite-exploded-doctors-treat-500-people-injured.html">Russian meteorite: Moment meteorite exploded as doctors treat 500 people injured | Mail Online</a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-51429294930606127412013-02-14T12:26:00.001-07:002013-02-14T12:26:18.223-07:002013-02-14T12:26:18.223-07:00NYPD probes mysterious 911 calls from phone line belonging to Katie Couric's late husband<h1 class="story-header" itemprop="headline">
NYPD probes mysterious 911 calls from phone line belonging to Katie Couric's late husband</h1>
<h2 class="story-subheader" itemprop="alternativeHeadline">
After
showing up late to a taping of her TV show, Couric revealed to her
audience that a phone line that is still listed in her husband's name,
had been making 911 calls. Police confirmed the incidents have happened
10 times and that single patrol cars had come to her home. Couric also
contacted NYPD chief Ray Kelly to inquire about the matter.</h2>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /><h4 class="caption" itemprop="description">
A phone number belonging to Katie Couric's late husband has dialed 911
at least 10 times, according to the TV host. The NYPD suspects she may
be a victim of 'spoofing,' in which a device hijacks a line's phone
calls.<br />
</h4>
<div class="story-rail p402_hide">
<div class="related-stories">
<img alt="Powered by Inform" class="sponsor" src="http://www.nydailynews.com/nydn/img/static/logo/inform.jpg" />
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<div class="story-body p402_premium" itemprop="articleBody">
<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Katie+Couric" title="Katie Couric">Katie Couric</a>
is being rattled by a bizarre series of early morning 911 calls made
from a home phone registered to her dead husband, police sources said.<br />
Every Tuesday at 2 a.m., Jay Monahan’s phone dials 911. And each time, a
patrol officer near her Park Ave. home has been forced to respond. The
calls, at least 10 since last month, are under investigation, the police
sources said.<br />
Couric told her studio audience Tuesday about the mysterious phone
calls during a break while filming her daytime talk show, “Katie.” She
said she was so worried that she called <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Ray+Kelly" title="Ray Kelly">Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly</a>.<br />
“So I called Ray Kelly, who I know just through the years seeing at
different things. ‘Ray, this is so weird but can you help me? I don’t
know what to do,’” Couric said, according to a member of the audience.<br />
The taping started late and Couric seemed tired, a second audience member, Patricia Edwards, told the Daily News.<br />
“When Katie came out, she apologized and said, ‘I’m very sorry there was a delay.’”<br />
Couric told the audience she had been awakened by a disturbing call.
The phone would apparently call 911, sending police to her apartment.
She would get an automatic call back to her apartment with an emergency
operator on the line.<br />
<div class="story-img">
<img alt="COURIC14N_2-COPY" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1263726%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/couric14n-2-copy.jpg" />
<h4 class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">
ROBIN PLATZER/TIME & LIFE PICTURES/GETTY IMAGE </h4>
<h4 class="caption" itemprop="description">
Katie Couric stands arm-in-arm with late husband, attorney Jay Monahan, who died of colon cancer in 1998.
</h4>
</div>
She referred to it as a “SWAT” call, like prank calls that recently
sent Los Angeles SWAT teams rushing to the homes of Ashton Kutcher, Tom
Cruise and Charlie Sheen. In Couric’s case, cops have simply sent a
single patrol car to the scene after each call.<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
The police had already left Tuesday morning by the time Couric was able
to put on a bathrobe and ask her doorman to see what was happening, a
witness said.<br />
Most of the calls have come in when Couric has been out of town.<br />
“It’s happened like three times the last three weeks,” Couric told the audience.<br />
“Every day, every time at 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning. I was out of town
the last time it happened and apparently it happened before when nobody
was home,” she said.<br />
Police are investigating whether someone is using a device to hijack
Couric’s phone and call 911, an illegal trick authorities refer to as
“spoofing.”<br />
<div class="story-img">
<img alt="COURIC14N_3-COPY" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1263736%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/couric14n-3-copy.jpg" />
<h4 class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">
AARON SHOWALTER/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS </h4>
<h4 class="caption" itemprop="description">
Couric lives in this doorman building on Manhattan's upper East Side.
Single patrol cars have been summoned to her house by fraudulent phone
calls coming from a home line.
</h4>
</div>
“Katie said it was especially disturbing because it came in on her late
husband Jay Monahan’s landline, which she has kept all this time,”
Edwards, a retired New York City school teacher, said.<br />
Couric explained to the audience that after the bizarre call, she
wasn’t able to fall back to sleep for several hours. She tossed and
turned until around 4:30 a.m.<br />
“This is TMI (too much information),” Couric said.<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
“I don’t know why. I got no sleep, so I am just oversharing,” she continued, getting a big laugh out of the audience.<br />
A friend of Couric’s told The News it wasn’t unusual that the phone was
still in Monahan’s name even though he died in 1998 of colon cancer.<br />
“It’s simply their home phone,” the friend said. “There’s no special reason she never changed it out of his name.”<br />
<div class="story-img">
<img alt="COURIC14N_4_WEB" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1263697%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/couric14n-4-web.jpg" />
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Sam Costanza/Sam Costanza </h4>
<h4 class="caption" itemprop="description">
Couric told members of her show's audience that she reached out to the
NYPD, going directly to Ray Kelly, to have the matter investigated.
</h4>
</div>
Edwards said Couric first notified staff in her building.<br />
“Katie said she spoke with the staff in her building, and together they
decided she should call the local precinct,” Edwards said.<br />
“But Katie also decided to call Ray Kelly in the morning. She said,
‘That is one of the perks of being well-known, that you can get through
to Ray Kelly.’ And she said Ray Kelly told her that you have to respond
to these things, and that the NYPD would investigate it,” Edwards
recalled.<br />
Couric had a brief conversation with the commissioner, who directed her
to one of his colleagues to investigate the situation, a source close
to the star said.<br />
“The matter is under investigation. We’re trying to determine if it’s a
malfunction or not,” a police source said, confirming that Couric and
Kelly spoke.<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
“Is there a problem with the line or is it someone manipulating the
line in some fashion, spoofing, or something of that nature?” the police
source said, detailing the scope of the investigation.<br />
<div class="story-img">
<img alt="COURIC14N_5_WEB" src="http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1263696%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/couric14n-5-web.jpg" />
<h4 class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">
Handout/PRN </h4>
<h4 class="caption" itemprop="description">
Celebrities in Los Angeles have also been victims of spoofing, in which
a third party hijacks calls to a certain phone number. In those
incidents, SWAT teams were rushed to the homes of Ashton Kutcher, Tom
Cruise and Charlie Sheen.
</h4>
</div>
Couric’s friend said the TV host feared that all the phony calls might
prevent cops from responding to her home in the event of a real
emergency and wanted to make sure police understood exactly what was
going on.<br />
A representative for Couric declined comment.<br />
If Couric turns out to be a victim of spoofing, she joins a group of
A-list celebrities who have found themselves on the wrong end of
practical jokes.<br />
Besides Kutcher, Cruise and Sheen, victims include Kim Kardashian and
Justin Bieber. Those pranks have been limited to Los Angeles.<br />
Last month, after heavily armed police responded to calls of shots
fired at the mansion of Bruce and Kris Jenner, Kardashian blasted the
scheme as “dangerous” on Twitter and added:<br />
“These prank calls are NOT funny!”<br />
Authorities are looking into making this sort of hoax a felony.</div>
<br /></div>
Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-80408994125053165602013-02-14T07:03:00.001-07:002013-02-14T07:03:25.170-07:002013-02-14T07:03:25.170-07:00Travel: When Your Plane Drops 20,000 Feet and the Oxygen Masks Come Down<header>
<h3 class="post_title">
When Your Plane Drops 20,000 Feet and the Oxygen Masks Come Down</h3>
<div class="meta">
By Nomadic Matt |</div>
</header>
<img alt="nomadic matt in an oxygen mask after the plane depressurized" src="http://media.nomadicmatt.com/flightphoto1.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0px 7px 0px 0px;" />Last
week, I woke up at 4 a.m. to begin a long journey to Eleuthera, Bahamas
for a quick 4 day trip. It was going to be a long day on very little
sleep. First, Boston to New York, then to Fort Lauderdale before taking
my final flight to the Bahamas. I was flying United, <a href="http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/15-reasons-why-flying-united-airlines-sucks/">my least favorite carrier</a>, but the ticket was free so I had little choice in the matter.<br />
Shortly after I boarded my plane in New York, the safety briefing
began to play. “When the seat belt sign illuminates, you must fasten
your seat belt. Insert the metal fittings one into the other, and
tighten by pulling on the loose end of the strap… there are several
emergency exits on this aircraft… in the event of a decompression, an
oxygen mask will automatically appear in front of you. To start the flow
of oxygen, pull the mask towards you. Place it firmly over your nose
and mouth… although the bag does not inflate…” and so on. I’ve heard the
safety briefing thousands of times, now I tuned it out and tried to
sleep.<br />
Pop. Pop. Pop.<br />
I woke up to the sound of my ear drums popping. “What’s going on?” I
said to myself, shifting in my seat, trying to fall back asleep.<br />
Pop. Pop. Pop.<br />
As my ear drums begin to sound like popcorn in a microwave I couldn’t
fall back asleep. They were small, frequent pops and in my zombie-like
state, I couldn’t really place why this was happening.<br />
I opened my eyes in a haze when it happened.<br />
All of a sudden, the oxygen masks deployed from above. I looked
confusingly at the people next to me. And then in the seats around me.
There had been no turbulence. Was this a mistake? Half asleep, I didn’t
know what to make of it.<br />
All of a sudden, a voice boomed over the PA system; “Put on your masks,” we were told.<br />
Holy crap! This is no mistake.<br />
<img alt="oxygen masks after the plane depressurized on a united flight" src="http://media.nomadicmatt.com/flightstory4.jpg" /><br />
I reached for my mask. How did that safety briefing go again? “In the
event of an emergency, oxygen masks will deploy…” I tried to remember
in my sleepy state. After all those safety briefings, you realize you
become so numb to them, you tune them out, and when an emergency
happens, you think what the heck do you do again?<br />
I put on the mask and fumbled to tighten the strings, taking
unnecessarily deep breathes, worried that if I didn’t I’d suffocate. I
looked around. The business traveler next me kept reading the paper. The
woman sitting diagonally from me and the couple to my right all looked
petrified. In front of me, I could hear a woman telling her kids “Mommy
loves you, mommy loves you” over and over again.<br />
As the situation unfolded, I thought to myself that we had probably
just lost cabin pressure and it was nothing to worry about. We hadn’t
taken a dive; we didn’t hit turbulence.<br />
But minutes passed. And then more and more. There were no
announcements about what was going on. Of course I want the pilots
solving problems, not chatting to me, but the dearth of information made
those minutes last forever.<br />
<img alt="oxygen masks after the plane depressurized" src="http://media.nomadicmatt.com/flightstory3.JPG" style="float: right; margin: 0px 7px 0px 0px;" title="Some of the bags DO inflate" />Then, suddenly, we dropped, and we dropped fast. My heart leapt out of my chest. “Maybe there <em>is</em> something really wrong with the plane!” All those fears I have about heights and flying were suddenly realized.<br />
There is nothing scarier than having your plane drop 20,000 feet in
seconds. It is a feeling I never want to experience again in my life.<br />
We soon leveled out, and I later learned that when you lose cabin
pressure, you have to drop below 10,000 feet to prevent a loss of
consciousness.<br />
Soon, the flight attendants walked casually down the aisle while
wearing their masks. If you ask any frequent flier, they will always
tell you that if the flight attendants aren’t scared, you don’t need to
be either.<br />
Finally, the captain came on the radio and explained that yes, the
cabin had lost pressure and no, there was nothing to worry about, but
yes, we would be making an emergency landing.<br />
You always wonder how you would react in a situation like this. When
those masks fall and your plane descends rapidly, will your life flash
before your eyes? Will everyone be screaming? Will it be chaos? Will you
know what to do?<br />
Surprisingly, none of that happens. My life didn’t flash before my
eyes. Everyone stayed calm. We were more in a state of confusion than
anything else.<br />
<img alt="passengers taking pictures after the plane depressurized" src="http://media.nomadicmatt.com/flightstory2.jpg" title="This guy wasn't nervous either. He took some selfies too." /><br />
After we landed, my friends and I laughed and talked about it as we
sat in Charleston’s airport, drinking beer while waiting for a new
flight. “Here’s to our first emergency landing!” we cheered.<br />
Yet as I thought about what had happened, I realized just how
helpless we are when that plane door closes. Your life is in the hands
of two men you will never see nor ever meet. Anything can happen, and
you have no control over it. You simply have to trust that they know
what they are doing.<br />
Events like this smack you with the realization that no matter how
well you plan your life, all the control you think you have is an
illusion. Life happens without you and you’re really just along for the
ride. It’s moments like this that make you relax and live a little. It’s
taken a few days for that notion to settle in but when you realize you
have no control, life gets put in perspective.<br />
Go where life takes you and enjoy the adventure. Have fun. Do what you love. Be with who you love.<br />
Because one day, you’re 35,000 feet above the Atlantic, the masks
come down, and the only thing you can do is say to yourself “If this is
it, I regret nothing.”<br />
<em><strong>P.S.</strong> – These photos were taken after I realized I
wasn’t going to die. Additionally, I don’t blame United completely.
This could have happened on any airline but when I overheard the captain
say this is the second time it’s happened to him in a week, I got
uneasy about the standard of United maintenance.</em>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-88116987320577678222013-02-13T20:52:00.001-07:002013-02-13T20:52:16.525-07:002013-02-13T20:52:16.525-07:00International Living..<br /><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6971" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6970" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Dear International Living Reader,</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8490" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
In Ecuador, you can have it all...but it doesn't come without sacrifice.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8493" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
At times, <em id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8494">International Living</em>
is accused of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses... of
overlooking the bad and omitting the blemishes. If you've been here in
Quito the past few days, you surely would not agree with that.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8507" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Because
the expats who live here have come out into the open and are telling it
like it is. No holds barred. The unvarnished truth and then some...</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8508" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
I'm Suzan Haskins and I've been reporting to you these past three days from Quito.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8491" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
To
say it's been eye-opening is an understatement. I live in Ecuador and
have been doing so on-and-off for the last 12 years. But even I learned <em>so mucho mas</em> from the speakers at this event about Ecuador that I didn't know before. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8509" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
This
is one of the most hospitable countries on the planet where, we
learned, everyone from the president and the government on down are
welcoming foreign retirees and expat families with open arms. But there
are some surprises beyond the welcome mat...</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8492" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
final panel discussion was particularly telling, with the audience
throwing random questions at the panel. They were asking about the
challenges to living in Ecuador, the up-and-coming destinations no one
talks about, personal safety issues, importation rules, and
more—like...can you drink the water... can you bring or own firearms...
what will be the effect of any possible future inflation rates on
retirement nest eggs... what if you have asthma or allergies... is
Ecuador for you?</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8510" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
In
another session, we even learned about how to import your household
goods. Like when to start the process and how long it takes. (And
importantly, how much it costs.) What can you bring? What must you leave
at home?</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
You can learn what
we've learned. Should you want to listen in to any and all of the
presentations, introductions, or panel discussions from this conference,
you can. I've sent you details about how to do just that and I'll do
that again here, at the end of this report.</div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong>How Patrick Found his Paradise...</strong></div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
But first... I want to tell you about one of the most inspiring speakers on the roster today...</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Patrick Robinson has
a Burl Ives countenance, down to the deep, distinctive voice. (The
problem is, he says, "I’m starting to look like him!") </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Living on the island
of Maui in Hawaii (the most expensive and overtaxed state in the union,
according to Patrick) he made a snapshot list of what the perfect
society might look like: Plenty of water, good weather, mostly agrarian,
enough exports to support the population, but not to be dependent on
those exports, a stable non-dictatorial political environment, and
sweet-natured people that were welcoming of foreign immigrants.</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The more research he
did, the more convinced he became that that place was Ecuador. One part
of Ecuador in particular jumped out at him. But still, he wasn't sure
he should go off on this adventure. After all, he was more than 80 years
old at the time. And that was six years ago!</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
"Did you ever wonder
why people are so afraid of change?" he asked. He weighed the risks
versus the rewards, the challenges against the benefits... At his age,
could he do it? Uproot and start fresh?</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
He struggled with
the idea, he admits, but he knew he had to make a change. Hawaii was
just too expensive...and Patrick plans to live for many, many more
years.</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
After a gentle push
from a young friend, he found himself in Ecuador's lush, green
Vilcabamba, also known as the Valley of Longevity.</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
"And I knew I had found my home," he said. "Most importantly, my expenses are now one-fourth what they were in the U.S."</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8511" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Today,
Patrick Robinson is living happily in Vilcabamba where he writes about
the secrets to healthy, happy living. ("Vilcabamba has the best water in
the world," Patrick says, "Just Google it and see if I’m not right.") </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8512" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
From
his office window he enjoys a bucolic view of sleek stallions grazing
an emerald-green pasture, a quintessential babbling brook and
wildflower-strewn mountains in the background.</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
"The rewards far outweighed any possible risks," said Patrick. If he can do it at 80+, so can you...</div>
<div align="center" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8514" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8513">Nothing to Fear (and Much to Gain), But Proceed with Eyes Open...</strong></div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8515" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Some
of the presentations over the last three days have been about real
estate. And nope, no one is trying to sell anything. Local experts
(attorneys, real estate analysts and more) have explained how to go
about properly and safely buying property in Ecuador. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8516" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
(By
the way, everyone noted that real estate prices in Ecuador have been
rising in the past year or two, but they’re still among the lowest in
the world—especially for beachfront property.)</div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<em>International Living</em>
correspondents and expats from all around the country have profiled
their favorite places in Ecuador (Cuenca, Cotatcachi, Vilcabamba, Loja,
Quito, Salinas and many coastal locations, in case you're wondering)
where living is carefree and costs are low. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8517" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
They’ve
shared some extraordinary property picks, too—like a popular beach town
where you can buy a seven-bedroom home for little more than $100,000.
Bed-and-breakfast, anyone? Or a pretty three-bedroom/ three-bath home
across the street from the ocean on a huge lot with room for expansion
of land...with a Jacuzzi...for just $179,000. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8518" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
You
can easily build a home in Ecuador for $30 to $50 per square foot. And
of course, you can spend more—it totally depends on your tastes, needs,
and the level of style you’re after. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8519" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
If
beach living is more your style and you prefer to rent instead of buy,
you're in luck. Amy Pinoargote offered an in-depth tutorial on renting
in Ecuador: How to find rental properties, how to determine the
amenities included, what renters typically pay for and what they don't
(utilities, homeowners fees, etc.).</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_8520" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Step-by-step,
she and others explained your obligations, responsibilities, carrying
costs, fiscal benefits, and more...as either a purchaser or renter of
real estate in Ecuador. Thinking of buying a property you can rent when
you're not there? We learned all the pros, cons, and details of that,
too.</div>
</span>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-60287877657009417112013-02-13T16:47:00.002-07:002013-02-13T16:47:20.932-07:002013-02-13T16:47:20.932-07:00Funding Your Dream:<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6360" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6373" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6360" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6376">Better Than California</strong><br />
By Jason Holland</span></div>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6360" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6359" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
It
just was a regular day for Jeremy. The 38-year-old worked in sales but
because he was able to do his job online, he was clocked in from his
California home. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6365" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a thought struck him: "I could do this from anywhere in the world."</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6366" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
only things Jeremy needed to make his living were a reliable
high-speed Internet connection and a comfortable home for his family.
Plus, he already had plenty of overseas experience. He had lived
briefly in Peru, Argentina, and Costa Rica and had traveled throughout
Central America. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6377" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
But he'd never been to Nicaragua—and that's where he set his sights.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6378" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
In
particular, Jeremy had his eye on the colonial city of Granada: "We
had friends living here, so we thought that would make it easier," he
explains. "We didn't take a scouting trip, but we had good people on
the ground."</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6379" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Still, Jeremy admits that it was a leap of faith. Moving with his entire family to a country he had never visited took guts.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6367" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
That was three years ago...and he hasn't looked back. <br />
There has even been a new addition to the family—a baby girl
born a few months ago in a hospital in Managua, the country's capital.
Jeremy reports that both mother and baby received top-notch medical
care.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6380" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Life for the family is just better in Nicaragua.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6381" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Jeremy
continues to work in sales remotely. He's an independent contractor
for a Stateside manufacturer of drug testing products. His office is
his laptop and business is done exclusively online through email and
Skype.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6382" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
But although he does the same job as he did in the States, Jeremy is more relaxed. The <em>tranquilo</em>
vibe of Nicaragua has rubbed off on him. He can be found working in a
local cafe in the courtyard of a restored colonial house as often as at
home. Wireless is widespread in Granada so there are dozens of
potential "offices" all over the city. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6368" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
And his flexible schedule means plenty of time for hanging out with his growing family. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6383" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
"Living
abroad has allowed us to travel easily and cheaply," says Jeremy. "We
spend a lot of time at the beach in San Juan del Sur or at beautiful
locations near Granada like Laguna de Apoyo or Aguas Agrias. We could
never travel within the States in the same way we do here." </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6384" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
For
Jeremy and family, the move to Nicaragua came at the right time: "I
just knew there was another way of living. The fast-paced life of North
America really got to me," says Jeremy. "The amount of time you spend
working and in transit...and there's no real community. Everybody's
driving around in a bubble."</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6385" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
These
days, Jeremy and his family are able to live comfortably on $2,000 a
month, which includes $700 in rent for their restored colonial home and
$200 in bills like utilities and Internet.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360781229222_6386" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
"We
make enough to rent a nice home and put the girls in a good private
school. It would've been a lot harder in California," says Jeremy. "My
wife was working in the States. But the difference in the cost of
living here means now, she doesn't have to."</div>
</span>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-12297454993535932542013-02-13T06:47:00.000-07:002013-02-13T06:47:08.955-07:002013-02-13T06:47:08.955-07:00What Are Dogs Saying When They Bark? <h1 class="articleTitle">
What Are Dogs Saying When They Bark? [Excerpt]
</h1>
<div id="articleDek">
In this excerpt from a new book, two canine intelligence researchers explain how dogs use barks to communicate</div>
<div class="articleInfo">
<span class="byline">
By
<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author.cfm?id=4193">Brian Hare</a>
and
<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/author.cfm?id=4194">Vanessa Woods</a>
</span>
</div>
<br /><div id="shareFloat" style="display: inline; left: -88px; top: 1398px;">
<div style="left: 5px; position: relative;">
</div>
<span class="IN-widget" style="display: inline-block; line-height: 1; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="display: inline-block ! important; font-size: 1px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"><span class="IN-top" id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130431_1-container"><span class="IN-top" id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130431_1"><span class="IN-top" id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130431_1-inner"><span class="IN-top" id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130431_1-content"></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="display: inline-block ! important; font-size: 1px ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important; text-indent: 0px ! important; vertical-align: baseline ! important;"><span id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130410_0"><span id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130410_0-logo">in</span><span id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130410_0-title"><span id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130410_0-mark"></span><span id="li_ui_li_gen_1360763130410_0-title-text">Shar</span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="moduleHolder">
<div class="in-article-image">
<img alt="The Genius of Dogs, " id="articleImg" src="http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/what-are-dogs-saying-when-they-bark_1.jpg" width="277" />
<span class="imageCaption"> </span>
<span class="imageCredit">Image: Dutton, a Member of Penguin Group</span>
</div>
</div>
<em>Excerpt from </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Genius-Dogs-Smarter-ebook/dp/B008BM4MBC" target="_blank">The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think</a>,<em>
by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods. Published by Dutton, a Member of
Penguin Group (USA), Inc. © 2013 Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods. Excerpted
with permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved.</em><br />
Mystique is a dog who lives at Lola ya Bonobo, [the wildlife sanctuary
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] where Vanessa and I study
bonobos. During the day, she is sweet and demure, but at night she
becomes a different animal. She guards our house, barking ferociously
every time someone comes within earshot. Usually in Congo, a little
extra <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=security">security</a>
is appreciated. The only problem is that our house is on the main trail
where the night staff walk back and forth after dark. Mystique
dutifully barks at all passersby whether she has known them for a day or
all her life. Eventually, we just learned to <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=sleep">sleep</a>
through it. But if there was really a cause for concern, like a strange
man with a gun, I wonder if Mystique would bark in a way that would
alert me that there was something dangerous and different about the
person approaching the house.<br />
Dog vocalizations may not sound very sophisticated. Raymond Coppinger
pointed out that most dog vocalizations consist of barking, and that
barking seems to occur indiscriminately. Coppinger reported on a dog
whose duty was to guard free- ranging livestock. The dog barked
continuously for seven hours, even though no other dogs were within
miles. If barking is communicative, dogs would not bark when no one
could hear them. It seemed to Coppinger that the dog was simply
relieving some inner state of arousal. The arousal model is that dogs do
not have much control over their barking. They are not taking into
account their audience, and their barks carry little information other
than the emotional state of the barking dog.<br />
Perhaps barking is another by-product of domestication. Unlike dogs,
wolves rarely bark. Barks make up as little as 3 percent of wolf
vocalizations. Meanwhile, the experimental foxes in Russia [that have
been bred to be docile] bark when they see people, while the control
foxes do not. Frequent barking when aroused is probably another
consequence of selecting against aggression.<br />
However, more recent research indicates that there might be more to
barking than we first thought. Dogs have fairly plastic vocal cords, or a
“modifiable vocal tract.” Dogs might be able to subtly alter their
voices to produce a wide variety of different sounds that could have
different meanings. Dogs might even be altering their voices in ways
that are clear to other dogs but not to humans. When scientists have
taken spectrograms, or pictures, of dog barks, it turns out that not all
barks are the same—even from the same dog. Depending on the context, a
dog’s barks can vary in timing, pitch, and amplitude. Perhaps they have
different meanings.<br />
I know two Australian dogs, Chocolate and Cina, who love to play fetch
on the beach. Each throw sends them plunging through the waves, racing
for that magic orb of rubber. When Chocolate retrieves the ball,
inevitably Cina wrestles the ball from Chocolate’s mouth, even while
Chocolate growls loudly. The girls also eat together, but when Cina
tries the same trick with Chocolate’s food, the result is very
different. A quiet growl from Chocolate warns Cina away.<br />
It is difficult to see how Cina knows when it is okay to take something
from Chocolate’s mouth, since both growls are made when Chocolate is
aggravated and unwilling to share. If anything, Chocolate’s growl seems
louder and scarier when she is playing than when she is eating.<br />
Experiments have now shown that dogs use different barks and growls to
communicate different things. In one experiment, researchers recorded a
“food growl” where a dog was growling over food, and a “stranger growl”
where a dog was growling at the approach of a stranger. The researchers
played these different growls to a dog who was approaching a juicy bone.
The dogs were more hesitant to approach if they heard the food growl
rather than the stranger growl.Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-37002263223371384392013-02-12T12:55:00.001-07:002013-02-12T12:55:56.467-07:002013-02-12T12:55:56.467-07:00Pepco Customers Claim Smart Meters Make Them Sick | wusa9.com<a href="http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=242905">Pepco Customers Claim Smart Meters Make Them Sick | wusa9.com</a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-29819496207652255472013-02-11T16:37:00.001-07:002013-02-11T16:37:24.362-07:002013-02-11T16:37:24.362-07:00Passengers describe harsh conditions on Carnival ship<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/02/11/carnival-cruise-triumph-fire/1908883/">Passengers describe harsh conditions on Carnival ship</a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-84755026533195178802013-02-11T06:10:00.001-07:002013-02-11T06:10:26.984-07:002013-02-11T06:10:26.984-07:00The Federal Trade Commission warned 22 hotel operators that the practice of adding resort fees might violate the law<h1>
FTC warns hotels about 'drip pricing,' but is it enough?</h1>
<h2>
The Federal Trade Commission warned 22 hotel
operators that the practice of adding resort fees might violate the
law. The commission, however, did not disclose which hotels were warned.</h2>
<div class="shareTop">
<div class="nextgen-share-tools">
<br /></div>
</div>
<span class="toolSet" style="width: 345px;">
<div class="byline">
<span class="byline">By Catharine Hamm</span>
<div class="date">
<span class="dateString">February 10, 2013</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator">, </span><span class="timeString">8:00 a.m.</span></div>
</div>
</span>
Consumers continue to get
dinged and, worse, surprised by "resort" fees that often aren't quoted
upfront in the hotel booking process. This one lump-sum fee often covers
such items as phone calls, bottled water, Internet access, access to
the pool or spa or other services that guests may or may not use. In
September, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/sep/30/travel/la-tr-spot-20120930">two On the Spot columns</a>
dealt with those fees. When I contacted three consumer advocates who
were active about the issue, they had just received a reply to a letter
of complaint that they had sent to the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/federal-trade-commission-ORGOV0000248.topic" id="ORGOV0000248" title="Federal Trade Commission">Federal Trade Commission</a>. In November, the FTC took more action, which is good news for consumers. But does it solve the problem?<br />
In May, the FTC hosted a conference on what it calls "drip pricing,"
which it described as "a technique in which firms advertise only part of
a product's price and reveal other charges later as the customer goes
through the buying process. The additional charges can be mandatory
charges, such as hotel resort fees or fees for optional upgrades and
add-ons."<br />
Sound familiar? <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/kevin-mitchell-PESPT005101.topic" id="PESPT005101" title="Kevin Mitchell">Kevin Mitchell</a>,
chairman of the Business Travel Coalition; Charlie Leocha, executive
director of the Consumer Travel Alliance; and Ed Perkins, a longtime
consumer advocate, think it does. In an August letter to the FTC, the
three wrote: "Mandatory artificial fees … can make a hotel's posted rate
appear to be below the true price by as much as $30 a night — more than
enough to drive consumer choices in the travel marketplace." They noted
that the practice makes it difficult to determine how much your final
bill will be, which hurts leisure and business travelers who must be
attentive to the bottom line.<br />
<div class="articlerail">
<div class="articleRelates module">
<br />
</div>
</div>
The next month, the three
received what appeared to be a form letter response that said, in part,
"The commission does not resolve individual complaints. The commission
can, however, act when it sees a pattern of possible violations
developing."<br />
Apparently it did see that pattern. In late November, the FTC warned
22 hotels that the practice of adding resort fees might violate the law.<br />
The commission "conducted its own independent investigation," said
Annette Soberats, the lead attorney for this investigation who works in
advertising practices at the FTC's <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/federal-trade-commission-bureau-of-consumer-protection-ORGOV000086.topic" id="ORGOV000086" title="Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection">Bureau of Consumer Protection</a>.
"The warning letters were sent to 22 hotels and copies of the letters
were sent to corporate headquarters of hotels," she said.<br />
"We wanted to give the hotels and the travel industry a chance to
clean up their act and thought a warning was the most appropriate way to
do that."<br />
But is it enough? The FTC did not disclose which hotels, so there's
no way to know whether it's one independent hotel or one that's
affiliated with a larger group that would feel the ripple effect. The
American Hotel & Lodging Assn. says there were 52,214 properties in
this $137-billion-a-year industry in 2011. By my calculation, 22 hotels
is .042% of the whole, which is actually worse than the Lakers' winning
percentage.<br />
"I think the warning was a smart initial step," Mitchell said. "It
would be useful to now provide detailed guidance to the hotel industry
and if it is not followed, then FTC should strongly consider taking
regulatory action based on its Section 5 authority to police unfair and
deceptive practices."<br />
Leocha said, "It may be enough, but I haven't seen any changes in practices yet."<br />
Transparency can't come too soon for consumers. Until then, if you have a complaint, call (877) FTC-HELP (382-4357) or go to <a href="https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/">https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov</a>.
(If using the Internet form, note a slight deviation in the URL: Be
sure to add the S on the end of http to go directly to the page.)<br />
Living wage follow-up: Thomas Bliss, of Sherman Oaks, responding to a
Jan. 27 "Spot" column ("Tipping Points") on how to tip a food service
worker who is paid a living wage, wrote a letter to the editor last week
but says his message was muddled in the editing. His point: Tip as you
usually tip, he said in a follow-up note. Few food service workers are
getting rich, whether they're getting paid the $8 minimum that
California decrees or the $11.37 that a <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/science-technology/massachusetts-institute-of-technology-OREDU000047.topic" id="OREDU000047" title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> chart calculates is a living wage in Los Angeles. To see that living wage calculator, go to livingwage.mit.edu.Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-25342704007523730242013-02-10T16:51:00.003-07:002013-02-10T16:54:16.242-07:002013-02-10T16:54:16.242-07:00TRAVEL: 10 reasons why you should visit the Caribbean<h1>
10 reasons why you should visit the Caribbean</h1>
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</div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisschoenbohm/5366644427/"><img alt="Beautiful Caribbean" height="427" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Beautiful-Caribbean.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
The Caribbean is one of those places that should be on everyone’s
bucket list. The blue seas, the white sand beaches and alluring winter
sun makes pretty much everywhere else seem very drab. It also doesn’t
have to cost the earth if you don’t want it too, and I should know I
spent six months hopping from one island to another. From lively
festivals to peaceful sunsets here are 10 reasons why I think you should
visit the Caribbean…<br />
<h2>
The beaches</h2>
<img alt="10 reasons why you should visit the Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3360" height="480" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shoal-bay.jpg" width="640" /><br />
The blissfully pale shimmery stretches of sand and the sparkling
crystal clear waters are obvious pulls when it come to visiting the
Caribbean. Throw in the glorious weather and you have one idyllic
holiday location. The weather remains pretty good all year round, only
breaking for the occasional storm or hurricane.<br />
<h2>
The diving and snorkelling</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarikb/49089662/"><img alt="Diving Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591064" height="403" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Diving-Caribbean.jpg" title="Diving Caribbean" width="640" /></a><br />
The Caribbean is brimming with beautiful marine life including bottle
nose dolphins, coral, rays, turtles and rainbow coloured tropical fish.
Hiring the equipment is easy and reasonable and there are also plenty
of places offering tuition. The Caribbean Sea is warm and blissfully
clear, making discovering reefs, tropical fish and turtles a pleasurable
pastime.<br />
<h2>
The accommodation</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dysanovic/120460008/"><img alt="Caribbean Hotel" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591066" height="626" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Caribbean-Hotel.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
As well as the <a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/top-10-caribbean-beaches/" title="Top 10 best Caribbean beaches">beautiful scenery</a>,
the Caribbean offers a huge range of accommodation types ensuring
you’ll find something that is tailor made for your needs. Whether you
want a family friendly place, an uber <a href="http://www.sugarbeachresidences.com/" title="luxury Caribbean property">luxury Caribbean property</a> located
in an UNESCO world heritage site or an all inclusive adult’s only
resort you’ll find it in the Caribbean. On a budget? Head for Tayrona
National Natural Park (in the Colombian northern Caribbean region) on
the beach at San Juan del Cabo you’ll find huts renting hammocks for
around £1 a night.<br />
<h2>
The festivals</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/husseinabdallah/5278533283/"><img alt="Carnival Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591069" height="425" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Carnival-Caribbean.jpg" title="Carnival Caribbean" width="640" /></a><br />
Festivals are very important in the Caribbean and they reflect the
rich cultural diversity and history of the region. If you love colour,
costume and carnival then you’ll revel in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago_Carnival" title="Trinidad and Tobago Carnival">Trinidad and Tobago festivals</a>.
With the steel drum bands and all night partying and dancing you’ll
have a whale of a time. The revellery at Noo Saro-Wiwajoin being the
forefathers to Notting Hill Carnival. The brilliant sunshine and sandy
beaches just add to the festival ambience.<br />
Want to find more festivals? Try music festivals like the St. Lucia
and Barbados Jazz and Jamaica Reggae Festivals to the lesser known
Mashramani in Guyana, Surifesta in Suriname and Gimistory in Cayman
Islands and the more religious based festivals like Hindu celebrated
Phagwa and Diwali and Muslim Id-Ul-Fitr in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana
and Suriname.<br />
<h2>
The sunsets</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/silversldr/2685806048/"><img alt="Cuba Caribbean - beautiful sunsets on GlobalGrasshopper.com" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-564761" height="427" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Cuba-Carribean.jpg" title="Cuba Caribbean - beautiful sunsets on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" /></a><br />
If you think the carnival is colourful then you should see the
sunsets, displaying every colour imaginable over shimmering reflective
waters. Basking in the sunset makes for a very relaxing end to a
beautiful day. Make sure you have a tropical juice cocktail to hand and
notch up the indulgence points.<br />
<h2>
The food</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ex_magician/4414183440/"><img alt="Caribbean food" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591068" height="538" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Caribbean-food.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
There are a huge range of restaurants in the Caribbean with ranges
suitable for all tastes. This is especially helpful for children and
fussy eaters. If you fancy indulging in some traditional Caribbean
delicacies then you certainly have a treat in store. The sea food is
especially fresh and delicious. Traditional Caribbean food is a fusion
between African, Amerindian, European, East Indian and Chinese cuisine.
As you can imagine the spices and the fusion of tastes are delectable,
though a lot of the food may be too hot for some palates. Make sure you
try some plantain, fresh fish, spicy rice or how about some jerk
chicken?<br />
<h2>
Island hopping</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scaturchio/2060348978/"><img alt="island hopping Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591067" height="402" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/island-hopping-Caribbean.jpg" title="island hopping Caribbean" width="640" /></a><br />
The cluster of Caribbean islands and islets amounts to around 7000!
They all vary greatly and if you really want to experience Caribbean
culture then it is essential that you explore. Think of the socialism of
Cuba, just a stones thrown from the financially centred Cayman Islands.
St Kitts is bustling with Brits and tourism and is a hive of activity,
whereas across the channel sits Sint Eustatius the sleepy serene
Dutch-affiliated island.<br />
The region is well set up for a spot of DIY island hopping with ferry
routes running between islands and car hire rentals on the more
developed islands.<br />
<h2>
The people</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahron/148324816/"><img alt="People Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591070" height="426" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/People-Caribbean.jpg" title="People Caribbean" width="640" /></a><br />
Visitors to the Caribbean always comment on the people when they
return. No matter which of the islands you visit, you’ll find that the
majority of people are exceptionally friendly, happy-go-lucky and
amazingly laid back. Being surrounded by chilled out people all day
certainly helps with the holiday relaxation, but that doesn’t mean they
don’t know how to party though.<br />
<h2>
To find centuries-old culture</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/63439615@N00/5330051511/"><img alt="Colonial Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591073" height="480" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Colonial-Caribbean.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
The Caribbean is steeped in colonial history which adds an extra
depth to any Caribbean holiday. Barbados is brimming with historical,
archaeological and ecological sites that reflect the beautifully rich
cultural heritage of the island country. Some of the Jacobian and
Georgian buildings are even built from white and pink coral. The
Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and San Juan are all
particular places of interest for those who love to sniff out a bit of
history.<br />
<h2>
Its beauty</h2>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisschoenbohm/5366644427/"><img alt="Beautiful Caribbean" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-591074" height="427" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Beautiful-Caribbean.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Stacked with natural beauty and some of the most paradise-esque
scenery in the world wherever you chose to go in the Caribbean you can’t
go wrong. It is the mixture of white sandy beaches and azure waters,
stunning sunsets as well as the colonial buildings and Dutch heritage
buildings that will make you fall in love with the Caribbean just like I
did.Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-91790339935153622922013-02-10T16:46:00.002-07:002013-02-10T16:46:58.444-07:002013-02-10T16:46:58.444-07:00<div class="page">
<div class="block top">
<div class="section clrfix heading">
<img alt="Food.com" class="logo" height="27px" id="logo-lg" src="http://food.sndimg.com/2011/print/food-logo-small.png" width="88px" />
<h1 class="section-title">
Ranch Chicken Sliders #RSC</h1>
<div class="credit">
By FOODFROMMYHEART on February 10, 2013</div>
</div>
<div class="section clrfix photo-lg">
<img alt="Photo" height="120" src="http://food.sndimg.com/img/recipes/49/50/61/small/picCmy6hN.jpg" width="160" />
<div class="credit">
Photo by DADCOOKS2</div>
</div>
<div class="section clrfix rating">
<span class="inline-rating small">
<img src="http://food.sndimg.com/2011/print/star50.png" />
</span>
1 Reviews
</div>
<div class="section clrfix time">
<ul class="clrfix">
<li class="timer"><img alt="timer" height="24" src="http://food.sndimg.com/2010/print/timer.png" width="31" /></li>
<li class="cook"><strong>Prep Time:</strong> 20 mins</li>
<li><strong>Total Time:</strong> 30 mins</li>
<li class="last">
<strong>Serves:</strong> 4,
<strong>Yield:</strong> 8
Sliders
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section clrfix about">
<h2>
About This Recipe</h2>
"Ready, Set, Cook! Hidden Valley Contest Entry. Succulent
grilled ranch chicken sliders kissed with an avocado-ranch sauce and
crumbled bacon"
<br />
</div>
<div class="section clrfix ingredients">
<h2 class="section=title">
Ingredients </h2>
<ul><ul>
<li><span>
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
6 slices
bacon, chopped
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
1 1/2 lbs
ground chicken breast
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
3
shallots
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
1 tablespoon
hot sauce
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
2 tablespoons
poultry seasoning
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
salt and pepper
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
1
avocados, peeled and pitted
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
1 1/2 cups
Greek yogurt
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
1
lemons, juice of
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
1 (1 ounce) packet
Hidden Valley Original Ranch Seasoning Mix
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
8 small slider buns or 8 small
hawaiian rolls
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
butter, for buns
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
lettuce leaves, for serving
</span>
</li>
<li><span>
2 plum tomatoes or 2
vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
</span>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="section clrfix directions">
<h2>
Directions</h2>
<ol>
<li><span>Heat an outdoor grill or griddle pan to medium high.
Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of Olive oil and
the bacon to the pan and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on
paper towels to cool, then dice.</span></li>
<li><span>While the bacon cooks, place the chicken in a large
bowl. Grate the shallots on top of the chicken . Add the hot sauce,
poultry seasoning, salt and lots of pepper. Stir in the cooked bacon,
mix and form 8 slider patties, about 2- 1/2 to 3 inches wide. Drizzle
with Olive Oil to coat lightly.</span></li>
<li><span>Cook on the grill or griddle, turning once, until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span>While the sliders cook, heat the broiler.</span></li>
<li><span>Place the avocado in a food processor. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, Ranch Seasoning Mix and process into a smooth, thick sauce.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page-header">
<span class="page-num">Page 2 of 2</span>Ranch Chicken Sliders #RSC (cont.)</div>
<div class="section clrfix directions">
<h2>
Directions</h2>
<ol start="6">
<li><span>Butter the buns and place on a baking
sheet and toast under the broiler. Serve the Ranch Slider with the
lettuce, tomatoes and avocado-ranch sauce between the toasted buns.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div class="section clrfix nutrition-facts">
<div class="col1">
<h3>
Nutrition Facts</h3>
Serving Size: 1 (382 g)<br />
Servings Per Recipe: 4<br />
<dl>
<dt>Amount Per Serving</dt>
<dd>% Daily Value</dd>
<dt class="cals nutrition">Calories 595.6</dt>
<dd class="cals"> </dd>
<dt class="fat-cals nutrition">Calories from Fat 190</dt>
<dd class="fat-cals">32%</dd></dl>
</div>
<div class="col2">
<dl>
<dt>Amount Per Serving</dt>
<dd>% Daily Value</dd>
<dt class="nutrition">Total Fat <span class="value">21.1</span><span class="type">g</span></dt>
<dd>32%</dd>
<dt class="sub nutrition">Saturated Fat <span class="value">4.8</span><span class="type">g</span></dt>
<dd class="sub">24%</dd>
<dt class="nutrition">Cholesterol <span class="value">117.1</span><span class="type">mg</span></dt>
<dd>39%</dd>
<dt class="sub nutrition">Sugars <span class="value"><span class="fiber">6.9</span></span><span class="type"> g</span></dt>
<dt class="nutrition">Sodium <span class="value">810.1</span><span class="type">mg</span></dt>
<dd>33%</dd>
<dt class="nutrition">Total Carbohydrate <span class="value">52.9</span><span class="type">g</span></dt>
<dd>17%</dd>
<dt class="sub nutrition">Dietary Fiber <span class="value">5.8</span><span class="type">g</span></dt>
<dd class="sub">23%</dd>
<dt class="sub nutrition">Sugars <span class="value"><span class="fiber">6.9</span></span><span class="type"> g</span></dt>
<dd class="sub">27%</dd>
<dt class="last nutrition">Protein <span class="value">47.6</span><span class="type">g</span></dt>
<dd class="last">95%</dd></dl>
</div>
</div>
Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-80415554162631895172013-02-10T10:23:00.001-07:002013-02-10T10:23:17.053-07:002013-02-10T10:23:17.053-07:00<h1 style="text-align: left;">
'They're out of this world!': Mysterious purple spheres found in the desert spark speculation</h1>
By
<a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter" rel="nofollow">Daily Mail Reporter</a><br />
<span class="article-timestamp">
<strong>PUBLISHED:</strong>
21:24 EST, 1 February 2013
</span>
|
<span class="article-timestamp">
<strong>UPDATED:</strong>
06:46 EST, 2 February 2013
</span>
<br />
<div class="article-icon-links-container">
<ul class="article-icon-links cleared">
<li class="first">
<span class="icon"></span><span class="linktext"></span>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Tuscon locals are baffled by the appearance of thousands of tiny, purple sphere that have appeared in the middle of a desert. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Geradine Vargas and her husband discovered the strange collection Sunday while on a walk.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'We were taking photos around the area and we just.... I mean, how
could you miss this?' Geradine said. 'It was just like glittering in the
</span>sun.'<br />
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Scroll down for video</span></div>
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Mystery: No one seems to what these purple spheres in the desert are where they came from</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'It's just one of those things that you've never seen before.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Some of the spheres were watery and others translucent. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">They were completed isolated from the rest of the desert terrain. </span><br />
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Possibilities: Some have speculated that the
spheres could be a slime mold or jelly fungus or a man-made product for
plant hydration</div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'We did email a friend of ours
who's a zoologist, but she didn't know,' Gerardine told reporters at
KGUN-9. 'I mean, she didn't seem to recognize what it was.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
news station checked out the spheres, reporting that they were like
'gooey marbles that ooze out a water substance when squished.' </span><br />
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<img alt="spheres " class="blkBorder" height="413" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/02/article-0-174BF78B000005DC-163_634x413.jpg" width="634" />
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Isolated: Everyone from botanists to tv crews has speculated on the sphere's origin </div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Darlene Buhrow, director of
marketing for Tucson Botanical Gardens said that after speaking to a
botanist learned that, if the spheres are naturally occurring, they
could be a slime mold or jelly fungus. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Other
suggest they are a product, like Deco Beads which are small, colored,
water-filled balls designed to keep plants hydrated. Though that does
little to explain why thousands of them would have been put in the
desert. </span><br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: #00aad2;"> VIDEO </span></span> What do YOU think they are? </span></span><a href="http://www.kgun9.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">KGUN9</span></a><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> reports from Arizona</span></span> </h2>
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Strange 'purple alien eggs' found in the middle of the desert
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<br /><br /><a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bBOTTqvd0r3Pooab7jrHcU&u=DailyMail" target="_blank"></a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-38808974212449547252013-02-10T09:14:00.001-07:002013-02-10T09:14:06.488-07:002013-02-10T09:14:06.488-07:00Raining Spiders In Brazil? Video Appears To Show Numerous Arachnids Dangling<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/raining-spiders-brazil_n_2648933.html">Raining Spiders In Brazil? Video Appears To Show Numerous Arachnids Dangling</a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-76415542159164559822013-02-09T12:38:00.000-07:002013-02-09T12:38:03.417-07:002013-02-09T12:38:03.417-07:00<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4800" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4873" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4800" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4872">Small Town Ecuadorian Life (in the Big City)</strong><br />
By Zo Fifield</span></div>
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4800" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4830" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
clouds hang, obscuring the top of the extinct Imbabura volcano’s
15,000-foot-high peak. Lago del San Pablo, a lake created when an
ancient lava flow blocked the river Jatunyacu, glistens serenely to the
south. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4831" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
On the other side of the valley, the rocky <em>volcán</em>
Cotacachi rests solemnly in the distance, sun dancing in bright patches
along her green slopes. Local legend tells that the two volcanoes are
lovers, and when there is snow on Cotacachi’s peak, it means that
Imbabura has visited her in the night. The valley between them cradles
Otavalo, a city about 34 miles north of Quito, <br />
Ecuador.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4869" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
streets are paved with gray bricks, laid like wide crosses in an
interlocking pattern. Almost every building in town and the surrounding
hillsides is painted some shade of off-white or soft yellow. The
brownish-red tile roofs are the result of lingering Spanish
architectural influence from the colonial era.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4832" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Lamps
along the Calle Sucre are adorned with stained-glass birds and colorful
metalwork sculptures. At night, you’ll often see lovers walking
hand-in-hand beneath the hanging blankets of lights or embracing
affectionately next to the illuminated palm trees in the Plaza Bolivar. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4833" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
On
Saturdays, the massive market overflows from the Plaza de Ponchos and
colorful textiles and crafts fill tents along streets in a third of the
city. Otavaleños are famous for their weavings, everything from blankets
and bags to sweaters and gloves. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4834" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Still,
escape feels just a block or two away—mostly because it is. Otavalo
provides a unique living opportunity, combining the best of both worlds.</div>
<div align="center" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4836" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
<img alt="Otavalo" height="320" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4835" src="http://www1.internationalliving.com/images/postcards/2013/Otavalo-street.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4875" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
The
true marvel here is the high-Andean farmland—a patchwork quilt of
fields that tucks itself into every nook and cranny of the valley. The
city life is present, but feels toned down because of the rich
indigenous culture and easy lifestyle. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4876" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
There’s no sense of overwhelming metropolis here.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4877" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
If
you dream of moving overseas and starting a farm but are not ready to
give up the convenient amenities of city-living... or if you long to
live a city life without the stress and noise of the hustle and
bustle... the compromise exists here. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Fresh fruit and
vegetables of all shapes, sizes, and colors can be found at the Mercado
Copacabana in the eastern part of town. Spend $10 and you could easily
find you have too much to carry, especially around the holidays when
mangoes and oranges can run 15 for $1. </div>
<div align="left" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
And, being that
it’s close to the equator, the weather is fairly consistent year round.
Daytime highs average in the mid-70s F with lows at night sometimes
dipping in the 40s F.</div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4878" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
Property
prices vary depending on size and location. A comfortably-sized
two-bedroom house in the city sells for around $35,000. Homes on the
surrounding hillsides tend to be more expensive, usually around $50,000,
but they are also bigger with up to a half acre of land. </div>
<div align="left" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360426338113_4899" style="margin-bottom: 1em;">
There
are many larger houses perched in the foothills between Otavalo and
Cotacachi that have additional guest housing on the property. Many of
these buildings were converted to B&Bs in response to the increase
in tourism to the area. These properties have an asking price of around
$100,000.</div>
</span>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-21575142265987206762013-02-09T10:12:00.001-07:002013-02-09T10:12:46.746-07:002013-02-09T10:12:46.746-07:00Excellent: Lance Bass Slams Chris Brown For F-Word Comments! Claims It's JUST Like Using The N-Word!<h1>
<a href="http://perezhilton.com/2013-02-09-lance-bass-on-chris-brown-use-f-word-compares-n-word" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Lance Bass Slams Chris Brown For F-Word Comments! Claims It's JUST Like Using The N-Word!">Lance Bass Slams Chris Brown For F-Word Comments! Claims It's JUST Like Using The N-Word!</a></h1>
<div class="categories">
<span class="post-date">2/09/2013 11:37 AM ET</span> <span class="separator">|</span> <a href="http://perezhilton.com/category/frank-ocean/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Frank Ocean"></a></div>
<span id="intelliTXT">
<img alt="lance bass calss chris brown on faggor comment" id="image432187" src="http://i.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/lance-bass-calss-chris-brown-on-faggor-comment__oPt.jpg" /><br />
<strong><a href="http://perezhilton.com/category/lance-bass/" target="_blank">Lance Bass</a></strong> — an openly gay man — is calling <strong><a href="http://perezhilton.com/category/chris-brown/" target="_blank">Chris Brown</a></strong> OUT for his consistent hate-filled comments concerning homosexuals.<br />
Breezy recently got into a fight with gay singer <strong><a href="http://perezhilton.com/category/frank-ocean/" target="_blank">Frank Ocean</a></strong> over a parking situation and <a href="http://perezhilton.com/2013-02-05-frank-ocean-swears-chris-brown-gun-threat-derogatory-name-brawl" target="_blank">reportedly</a> called him the f-word.<br />
Chris has also used the word in his lyrics AND allegedly spat it at the papz back in 2011.<br />
SO ignorant. Such a lazy and cruel use of language.<br />
The former <strong>*NSYNC</strong> member recently expressed his opinion on Chris' use of the contentious word, expressing: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3721951618838137028" id="more-365725" name="more-365725"></a><br />
<blockquote>
"Calling people faggot and that stuff, I mean, he may not
even mean what he means, but it’s a derogatory term that people throw
out there and without even knowing why they are saying it. But when it
comes to Frank Ocean and knowing that he’s … very out … it was
definitely meant to hurt him. It’s never good to throw those words out
there that mean so much.”<br />
[Brown] should understand that being a black man himself. He should
know that the F word is just like calling you the N word in a very
derogatory way. When you come from a minority like that, being gay or
black or whatever, it’s like there should be an understanding, like we
all get each other. But you don’t see that a lot, which is really sad."</blockquote>
Preach it Lance! <br />
It IS upsetting when someone who is part of a group that has been —
and continues to be — notoriously marginalized because of something
obscenely superficial, turns around and treats OTHER marginalized groups
in the same fashion!<br />
LAME.<br />
But we tend to feel that the ease at which Chris Brown uses the
f-word is simply indicative of MUCH deeper issues (isn't is always?!).<br />
Sort your manz our <strong><a href="http://perezhilton.com/category/rihanna/" target="_blank">Rihanna</a></strong>! We can't imagine you CONDONE this type of behavior…<br />
Although judging by her recent show of <a href="http://perezhilton.com/2013-02-07-rihanna-comforts-chris-brown-after-court-hearing" target="_blank">support</a> at Breezy's community service hearing, it seems Rihanna will accept and celebrate WHATEVER Chris <a href="http://perez.ly/VLAS14" target="_blank">chooses</a> to do! <br />
Siiiiiigghhhhhhh.</span>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-17810025040448430142013-02-08T18:37:00.001-07:002013-02-08T18:37:31.704-07:002013-02-08T18:37:31.704-07:00Amazing Mars Rover Curiosity's Latest Photos | Space.com<a href="http://www.space.com/18027-mars-rover-curiosity-amazing-photos-red-planet.html">Amazing Mars Rover Curiosity's Latest Photos | Space.com</a>Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-26566791427874058352013-02-08T12:39:00.001-07:002013-02-08T12:39:51.615-07:002013-02-08T12:39:51.615-07:00<div class="headline_area">
<h1 class="entry-title">
Another Weird Shiny Thing on Mars</h1>
<div class="headline_meta">
by <span class="author vcard"><span class="fn">Nancy Atkinson</span></span> on <abbr class="published" title="2013-02-05">February 5, 2013</abbr></div>
</div>
<div class="format_text entry-content">
Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/universetoday"><b>@universetoday</b></a> on Twitter<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_99763" style="width: 590px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/8441458081/in/photostream"><img alt="Green lines point to a shiny protuberance on rock imaged by the Curiosity rover on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems. Image processing 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr. " class="size-medium wp-image-99763" height="494" src="http://ut-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mars-shiny-580x494.jpg" width="580" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
Green
lines point to a shiny protuberance on rock imaged by the Curiosity
rover on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL/CaltechMalin Space Science Systems.
Image processing 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr.</div>
</div>
The Curiosity Mars rover has found some strange-looking little things on Mars – you’ve likely heard of the <a href="http://www.universetoday.com/99457/about-that-flower-on-mars/">Mars ‘flower,’</a> the <a href="http://www.universetoday.com/97798/shiny-object-on-mars-update-likely-benign-plastic/">piece of benign plastic</a> from the rover itself, and other <a href="http://www.universetoday.com/99457/about-that-flower-on-mars/">bright flecks of granules</a>
in the Martian soil. Now the rover has imaged a small metallic-looking
protuberance on a rock. Visible in the image above (the green lines
point to it), the protuberance appears to have a high albedo and even
projects a shadow on the rock below. The image was taken with the right
Mastcam on Curiosity on Sol 173 — January 30, 2013 here on Earth — (<a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=0173MR0926020000E1_DXXX&s=173" target="_blank">see the original raw image here</a>), and was pointed out to us by Elisabetta Bonora, an image editing enthusiast from Italy. <br />
<div>
<center>
<div class="ut_ad_content" style="font-weight: bold; text-align: right;">
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“The corresponding image from the left Mastcam is not there,” said
Bonora via email, “which is a real shame because this would allow us to
make an anaglyph.”<br />
<b>UPDATE: </b>Since yesterday when we posted this, the
left Mastcam image is now available, and so Bonora has put a 3-D view of
this little metal-looking thingy. After seeing this anaglyph, it is
even more perplexing! Make sure you view it with the red/green 3-D
glasses:<br />
See below:<br />
<span id="more-99750"></span><br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_99794" style="width: 590px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/8450504565/sizes/o/in/photostream/"><img alt="3-D anaglyph from the right and left Mastcam from Curiosity showing the metal-looking protuberance. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems. Anaglyph by " class="size-medium wp-image-99794" height="488" src="http://ut-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mars-shiny-ana-580x488.jpg" width="580" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
3-D
anaglyph from the right and left Mastcam from Curiosity showing the
metal-looking protuberance. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Malin Space Science
Systems. Anaglyph by 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr.</div>
</div>
As Bonora pointed out, the protuberance seems different than the rock
on which it sits – it could be composed of material more resistant to
erosion than the rest and similar material could be within the rock, or
it could be something that is “grown” on the rock.<br />
However, it looks fairly smooth, and in fact it is not covered by dust
as is the case for metal surfaces that tend to clean easily.<br />
But “small” is the operative word here, as the little protuberance is probably about 0.5 cm tall, or even smaller.<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_99764" style="width: 440px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/8441586991/sizes/o/in/photostream/"><img alt="A closeup of the shiny protuberance. Credit: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems. Image editing by 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr." class="size-full wp-image-99764" height="358" src="http://ut-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mars-shiny-very-closeup.jpg" width="430" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
A
closeup of the shiny protuberance. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Malin Space
Science Systems. Image editing by 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr.</div>
</div>
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_99766" style="width: 440px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43773664@N04/8441455819"><img alt="Another zoomed-in view of the shiny protuberance. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems. Image via 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr. " class="size-medium wp-image-99766" height="580" src="http://ut-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mars-shiny-closeup-430x580.jpg" width="430" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
Another
zoomed-in view of the shiny protuberance. Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems. Image via 2di7 &
titanio44 on Flickr.</div>
</div>
Here’s a full panorama of the area:<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_99767" style="width: 590px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/8442544614/sizes/z/in/photostream/"><img alt="Panorama of the area, from Sol 173. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems. Image editing by " class="size-medium wp-image-99767" height="232" src="http://ut-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mars-shiny-pan-580x232.jpg" width="580" /></a> <br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
Panorama
of the area, from Sol 173. Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Malin Space Science
Systems. Image editing by 2di7 & titanio44 on Flickr. </div>
</div>
</div>
<br />Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-89264018914050869182013-02-07T16:36:00.003-07:002013-02-07T16:36:56.938-07:002013-02-07T16:36:56.938-07:00I'm sure glad they aren't worried,,,,Jesus!!!!!!!<div class="clearfix" id="story_head">
<div id="disqus_title">
<h1>
Asteroid to Traverse Earth’s Satellite Zone, NASA Says</h1>
</div>
<div class="clearfix" id="story_meta">
<cite class="byline">
By <span class="last">Jim Snyder</span> -
<span class="datestamp" style="display: inline;">Feb 7, 2013 2:43 PM MT</span> </cite>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clearfix" id="story_social_toolbar_top_container">
<br />
</div>
An asteroid half the size of a U.S.
football field will dart between Earth and orbiting satellites
next week, sparing the human race and putting on a show for sky
gazers in Eastern Europe, Asia and Australia, NASA said. <br />
The 150-foot diameter asteroid, named 2012 DA14, will pass
about 17,000 miles above Earth on Feb. 15 -- lower than the
orbits of some satellites -- in the closest known approach of an
object of its size. It will travel at 7.8 kilometers a second
(17,400 miles an hour), or about eight times the speed of a
rifle shot, NASA scientists said today. <br />
“No Earth impact is possible,” <a href="http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Donald%20Yeomans&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1&partialfields=-wnnis:NOAVSYND&lr=-lang_ja" title="Search News">Donald Yeomans</a>, who
manages the Near-Earth-Object office at Pasadena, California-
based Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said today in a press
conference. <br />
The NASA unit monitors relatively small space objects such
as DA14 to measure the risks they present to the Earth.
Researchers said the asteroid’s close trajectory will help NASA
in preparing for an eventual encounter with a near-Earth object
later this decade. DA14 was discovered in February last year. <br />
While a strike by an asteroid DA14’s size would do “a lot
of regional destruction,” it wouldn’t be catastrophic to the
planet’s population, said Lindley Johnson, program executive for
NASA’s Near-Earth Object observations program in Washington. <br />
Yeomans said the damage from DA14 if it were to hit would
rival an impact event in Russia in 1908 that leveled trees over
an 820-square-mile territory. The asteroid that is thought to
have wiped out the dinosaurs was about 10-kilometers in
diameter. <br />
<h2>
Space Station Safe </h2>
The NASA scientists said the asteroid would still pass
above the orbits of most of the communications satellites
circling Earth, and doesn’t pose a threat to the International
Space Station, which moves above the planet at about 250 miles. <br />
Amateur astronomers will need a small telescope to see the
asteroid, which would appear as a moving pinpoint in the night
sky, said Timothy Spahr, the director of the Minor Planet Center
in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The best viewing location for
DA14’s closest approach is Indonesia, with sky gazers in Eastern
Europe, Australia and Asia also getting good looks at the
asteroid. <br />
The NEO program office said that an object of similar size
gets this close to Earth once every 40 years, and that an actual
collision can be expected only once in 1,200 years. <br />
Some companies and entrepreneurs are eying asteroids as
possible sources for trillions of dollars in precious metals. Chris Dayhoffhttps://plus.google.com/111838634363703417095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3721951618838137028.post-47281074998855158662013-02-07T12:29:00.002-07:002013-02-07T12:29:33.420-07:002013-02-07T12:29:33.420-07:00Revealed: The shocking invisible damage done to a woman's face after 14 years of sunbed use<h1>
Revealed: The shocking invisible damage done to a woman's face after 14 years of sunbed use
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<li><span style="font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: bold;">Scan taken by pioneering UV scanner which shows damage in stark detail</span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 1.4em; font-weight: bold;">Shows face of </span><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kelly Hughes, 30, who has used sunbeds since she was 16</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Experts hope campaign will highlight long-term risks of sunbeds</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Using sunbed</span></span><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 1.4em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">just once a month increases risk of skin cancer by 50% </span></span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></li>
</ul>
By
<a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Anna+Hodgekiss" rel="nofollow">Anna Hodgekiss</a><br />
<br /><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This shocking image shows the cosmetic damage done to a woman's face after 14 years of using sunbeds. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The in-depth picture shows clusters of unsightly damage under 30-year old Kelly Hughes' features which can lead to cancer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It was taken by a pioneering UV skin
scanner which shows up in stark detail the extreme damage caused
beneath the surface when people lay under the machines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Experts hope that their campaign will
help highlight the dangers of sunbeds to youngsters, who are often
inspired by shows such as The Only Way Is Essex to get a permatan. </span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br />
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<img alt="This UV scan shows that after 14 years of using sunbeds, 30-year-old Kelly Hughes has clusters of unsightly pockmarks which can lead to cancer" class="blkBorder" height="661" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/07/article-2275071-1768DFB1000005DC-95_634x661.jpg" width="634" />
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This UV scan shows that after 14 years of using
sunbeds, 30-year-old Kelly Hughes has clusters of unsightly pockmarks
which can lead to cancer</div>
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<img alt="Kelly started using sunbeds at the local gym when she was 16 to maintain a holiday glow. She said the results of the scan were shocking " class="blkBorder" height="695" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/07/article-2275071-1768DEBE000005DC-16_634x695.jpg" width="634" />
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Kelly started using sunbeds at the local gym
when she was 16 to maintain a holiday glow. She said the results of the
scan were shocking </div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">UV rays from sunbeds or
over-exposure to the sun can damage the skin's DNA and, over time, this
damage can build up and lead to skin cancer</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Kelly,
an account manager from Beaconsfield, Bucks, said: 'I started using
sunbeds at the local gym when I was 16 to maintain that holiday feel</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I
would have more sessions in the winter as I did not want to look pale -
my skin is freckly and moley so I knew I could be at risk of skin
cancer but did not really want to think about that.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'When I look back at my
university years I was tanned pretty much all the time. The results of
the scan were a shocker. I was the oldest girl there and the UV damage
was much worse than the others.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'It
really made me think. It was scary. I have not had any sunbeds since -
not for Christmas parties and not for New Year. I have been looking
online for a bronzer.'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Skin cancer expert Dr Askari Townshend, who reviewed the X-rays, said: 'Kelly has easily the greatest degree of damage. </span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Clusters of speckled areas are seen
right across the face. Her top lip has escaped but the cheeks, bridge of
nose, sides of face and forehead have not.</span><br />
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<img alt="Sam Faiers" class="blkBorder" height="423" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/07/article-2275071-17693A25000005DC-648_306x423.jpg" width="306" />
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<img alt="Mark Goodger and Lauren Goodger" class="blkBorder" height="423" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/07/article-2275071-17693C01000005DC-248_306x423.jpg" width="306" />
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It's hoped the campaign will highlight the
dangers of sunbeds to youngsters often wanting to emulate the tans of
The Only Way Is Essex stars, such as Sam Faiers (left) and Mark Wright
and Lauren Goodger </div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This
month Cancer Research UK is raising awareness of the danger of sunbed
use with a campaign entitled 'R UV UGLY', backed by leading skin
specialists sk:n clinics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">HOW TO SPOT SKIN DAMAGE </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Fine and coarse wrinkles are seen on sun damaged skin. It may also become <br />patchy, or mottled darker patches of increased pigmentation may appear.</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Sometimes these patches become irregular and produce what are known as lentigos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In
areas around the back of the neck, a leathery texture and coarseness
with deep lines is frequently seen, the skin may feel dry and scaly. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chronic
sun exposure will also produce a thickened layer in the upper dermis
known as solar elastosis, which gives a yellowish chicken skin look.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The initiative aims to stave off the temptation to hit the sunbeds this winter by showing the ugly truth beneath the tan.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Figures show using a sunbed just once or more a month could increase the chance of developing skin cancer by 50 per cent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is the second most common cancer amongst 15 to 34 year olds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
campaign will see experts touring shopping centres with the machines,
which offer in depth images of faces, to let people see first-hand how
damaged their skin might be.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It
calls on people across the nation to face the damage, often invisible
to the naked eye, being inflicted on their skin in pursuit of a tan, by
offering free skin assessments at sk:n clinics across England.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The skin scan highlights such things
as pigmentation and premature wrinkles, caused by overexposure to UV
rays from sunbeds, a turn off for all young women worried about their
appearance.</span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Cancer
Research UK's senior health campaigns manager Caroline Cerny said: 'We
are glad to be bringing R UV UGLY back to England this February.</span><br />
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<img alt="The initiative aims to stave off the temptation to hit the sunbeds this winter by exposing the often unnoticed, long-term skin damage sunbeds can cause " class="blkBorder" height="294" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/07/article-2275071-17692D88000005DC-758_634x294.jpg" width="634" />
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The initiative aims to stave off the temptation
to hit the sunbeds this winter by exposing the often unnoticed,
long-term skin damage sunbeds can cause </div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'We have seen many young people know about the risks of sunbed use, but still believe they make them look and feel better.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Working
with sk:n, this initiative will allow people to see the cosmetic damage
from sunbed use, showing every time someone uses a sunbed they are
damaging their skin, making it look worse in the long run and making
skin coarse, leathery and wrinkled. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'No
one wants to look older before their time, so we hope the skin scan
will really help to change people's minds about using sunbeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Spokesman
David Djukic said: 'You may look perfectly fine on the surface but what
the scanner does is show up what is going on underneath.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Our
model in the picture is just a member of the public who had been using
sunbeds not even that much. Obviously, she was horrified, and is not
using them any more.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I think the message is getting home - the </span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">number
of people using sunbeds is dropping year on year thanks to campaigns
like this one that raise awareness about how dangerous they are.'</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">As well as the public being able to
visit sk:n clinics, Cancer Research UK will be taking R UV UGLY on tour
this month at major shopping centres in Sheffield, Manchester,
Newcastle, Leeds and Essex.</span><br />
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