Wednesday Linkage

I got nothing other than another pretty day.

Picasso Sells at Auction for $106.5 Million, a Record for a Work of Art

Churchgoers forced to pay to pray

Louis-Dreyfus' Walk of Fame star had typo

Adult gestures prompt kid's wrong answers

New York Times: Black Hopefuls Pick This Year in G.O.P. Races
Among the many reverberations of President Obama’s election, here is one he probably never anticipated: at least 32 African-Americans are running for Congress this year as Republicans, the biggest surge since Reconstruction, according to party officials. The House has not had a black Republican since 2003, when J. C. Watts of Oklahoma left after eight years.

Computerliebe 1983

Archaeologists in Egypt find Ptolemaic king statue

Bumpology: The science of pregnancy

BBC to project real-time election results on Big Ben's tower

USA Today: Inmates aid Nashville in 'incredible effort'
When the flood-beleaguered people of Nashville open kitchen faucets and get fresh water today, they might want to raise their glasses in a toast to some men behind bars. Without a Herculean effort by 400 Davidson County inmates on Monday, Nashville's lone working water treatment plant most likely would have been overrun with muddy overflow from the Cumberland River. "It was an incredible effort," Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said of the rush to bag 500 tons of sand on the grounds of a county jail and then transport it to form a wall around the Omohundro Water Treatment Plant.

Tuesday Linkies

Hmm, my lilacs are looking kind of stunted, wonder what I need to do to get them revving again.

Couple converts public toilet into home

Women take longer to pass their driving test than men (while boys are more likely to flirt with the examiner)

Hearing prayer shuts off believers' brain activity

London stores stock KK cup bras

CNN: Tuesday primary showdowns in three states
The battle for Congress picks up steam Tuesday as three states hold primaries. Among the most interesting contests are a Republican Senate nomination fight in Indiana and Democratic Senate primary battles in Ohio and North Carolina.

White Castle's burger scented candle

Skin-tone-matched hospital gowns make it easy to spot color-shifts

Environmentalists warn Jordan River drying up

"Tattoo" glucose sensor for diabetics

CNN: U.S. reveals it has 5,113 nuclear warheads
The United States has 5,113 nuclear warheads in its stockpile and many thousands more that have been retired and are awaiting dismantling, according to a senior defense official. The release of the number of warheads marks only the second time in U.S. history the government has released the once top secret information. The Pentagon statistics show the nuclear stockpile was reduced by 75 percent between the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and September 30, 2009, and 84 percent since its peak of more than 31,255 in 1967. The 5,113 warheads include active and inactive ones, according to the senior defense official.

Thursday Linkage

I must have some sort of sleeping sickness. YAWN.

Asteroid Themis has 'frosted surface'

Former Scottish police office with cell for sale

Revealed: How our pet cats, dogs and even fish are right or left 'handed'

CNN: Dems hope to be seen as ‘party of results’
When voters head to the polls in November, the Democratic National Committee would like them to remember Democrats with one word: results. On Wednesday at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, chairman Tim Kaine revealed his party’s new message and strategy months ahead of the midterm elections. The DNC chairman said that while the economy still needs improvements, it’s moved from recession to recovery.

Pets are better listeners than husbands

The roots of racism are in our brains, based on empathy

Watching over me: Widow makes life-size cut-out of dead husband... and even takes him to his own funeral

Miami Herald: 4 Haitians jockeying to make history
Four Haitian Americans, all big names with deep roots in the community, are candidates in a crowded field vying for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who is making a bid for the U.S. Senate. But behind the pride of this historic race that could result in the first member of Congress born in Haiti, leaders are working to manage egos and good intentions to winnow the number of candidates down and avoid splintering the vote. So far, no one is budging. All four have paid the $10,440 qualifying fee, each convinced he or she is the best person to represent the community and district, each with a bankable political base.

Tuesday Linkage

My peach tree has beautiful blossoms and little baby gonna-be-peaches-some-day-bumps already!!! One of the two good things my ex did for me.

End of the line for Cambodia's bamboo trains

Study: 'Pre-born' most adoptable

'Sunset Daze" gives older folks their reality show

Chimps 'feel death like humans'

The day police tried to save the Loch Ness Monster from harpoon killers

Black Americans: More empathy than whites

CQ Politics: GOP Treads Lightly in Efforts to Clear Fields In the past, both parties have had mixed success in their efforts to covertly, or not so covertly, clear crowded primaries for their best prospects in some of the most competitive House races. But with the anti-establishment sentiment among voters inflamed this cycle, both local and national GOP leaders are being forced to tiptoe — if at all — to show some candidates the exit for fear of triggering a backlash from local activists.

IBM nanotechnologists create smallest 3D map of Earth

Ancient asphalt domes found off California

Recycle a shoe, help save the environment

New 'dos may be sign of economic rebound

More American Expatriates Give Up Citizenship

Bubble Wrap invention pops into Portland teen's head

The Hill: Immigration push may help Dems in the West
An aggressive and polarizing push for comprehensive immigration reform could bolster the chances of vulnerable House Democrats who need a high Latino turnout to keep their seats this fall. The move to thrust immigration ahead of climate change legislation on the Senate agenda has been seen as a strategy to boost the imperiled reelection bid of Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). But its impact could extend well beyond Nevada to House and Senate races in Western states where Latino voters make up an increasingly large percentage of the electorate.

Monday Links

I feel like someone ran me over with a truck then set me on fire. Oh, and it's a brand new week! Wheee!!

'Star Trek' scripts, Shatner's motorcycle for sale

Cityscape made of staples

Stephen Hawking warns over making contact with aliens

Philadelphia Inquirer: It's East vs. West in battle for Pennsylvania voters In eight years since Pennsylvanians last chose a new governor, the landscape of each major political party has shifted in ways that could have some impact on the May 18 primary. The Democratic Party that picked Ed Rendell as its candidate in 2002 has grown by 550,000 members, to more than 4.3 million, and its center of gravity has tilted slightly toward the Philadelphia region. The Republican Party has changed in some opposite ways. With a loss of many moderates, and a failure to attract many new voters, it has become older, more conservative.

Meet Einstein, the world's smallest horse who weighs less than a newborn baby

10 Amazing Inventions that You Didn’t Know Existed

Dr Seuss in Yiddish -- vey iz mir!

Wall Street Journal: Police Let Terrorist Slip Through
Port Authority police were told to stop and search would-be subway bomber Najibullah Zazi's car last September as he drove up to the George Washington Bridge—but waved him across without finding two pounds of explosives hidden inside. The failure to uncover the explosives after an alert about Mr. Zazi from the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been widely discussed among police but never publicly disclosed. It stoked longstanding tensions between the Port Authority Police and the New York Police Department, which are more pronounced since the 9/11 attacks.

Sunday Links

I think Gotta and I are tag teaming the insomnia bug.

Beijing deploys cannons to blast deodorant into its festering garbage

This is Spinal Tape: adhesive tape with vertebrae

Spitzer documentary premieres at Tribeca Film Fest

Let the good times fizz: Champagne sales soar despite recession

10 things you might not know about Rahm Emanuel

Navy to name next ship after late Rep. John Murtha

Sunday Links

Pickles!!

How to Celebrate National Pickle Week

Row of ancient stones found in Dartmoor ‘are older than Stonehenge’

Sign for the US Border: unprovoked beatings ahead

Italian group hopes to find artist Caravaggio’s remains

Time traveler caught in 1940 photo?

Computer built into a guitar amp

These numbers give free help with everyday life

Pic via Boing Boing.

Friday Links

Still sleepy.

Porn virus publishes web history of victims on the net

Robotic hand that allows loved ones to hold hands over the internet on sale 'within a year'

Brit Debate Reax: The Liberal-Democrats Won!

A 2nd garbage patch: plastic soup in Atlantic

3D-TV health warning: Tuning in can cause confusion, nausea and even fits, says electronics giant

Photographer Creates Touchy-Feely Porn for the Blind

Los Angeles Times: New rules on terror custody being drafted The Obama administration is for the first time drafting classified guidelines to help the government determine whether newly captured terrorism suspects will be prosecuted or held indefinitely without trial, senior U.S. officials said. The draft document envisions that a small number of suspected terrorists captured in the future could be detained and interrogated in an overseas prison, several of the officials said. At least in the short term, Bagram air base in Afghanistan would be the most likely prison to hold the suspects, they said.

Study: Mixed-races more attractive

Friday Census deadline could leave Alaska last in nation

The world's costliest carpet sells for £6m

BITTER SEEDS: Alternate WWII novel pits English warlocks against Nazi X-Men

Jilted: 10 Movie Grooms Who Didn't Live Happily Ever After

The jumbo jackpot: Chinese emperor's jade elephants found in Dorset are set to fetch £3m

The Guardian: New cyber security chief warns of internet attacks A general appointed by Barack Obama to ready US defences against cyber attacks has disclosed an alarming increase in activity by hackers and foreign countries, amounting to hundreds of thousands of attempted infiltrations daily. General Keith Alexander, who is to be the head of a new US command devoted to cyber security – Cybercom – was giving evidence to the Senate armed services committee yesterday. Having been slow to recognise potential risks from cyber attacks, the issue has jumped up the agenda and the Obama administration is planning to spend billions to protect US computer networks.

Wednesday Linkage

Boy, I am so not interesting in the morning.

Married couple take day trip to France... but FORGET mother-in-law and leave her in Dover car park

Maternal Deaths Decline Sharply Across the Globe

Social services in pre-dawn raid over baby horse mix-up

CNN: CNN Poll: 1 in 10 say they're Tea Party activists
Ten percent of Americans say they have actively supported the Tea Party movement, and those Tea Party activists are older, better educated and more religious than the general public, according to a new national poll.

Conan O'Brien: On the scene at opening night of his comedy tour

'Phallic' art sparks row ahead of Pope's Malta visit

Getting sick of reality TV? New survey confirms that it can be bad for your health

Amazing and weird taxidermy auction

CNN: Government agencies rely on contractors to oversee contractors It may seem like putting the rooster in charge of the hen house, but the U.S. Departments of Defense and State spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on contracts for work in the United States and oversees, and then spend some more to have contractors – not government employees – oversee those contracts.

Sunday Links

Good morning folks,these should keep you busy for a while.

Bag made out of a keyboard

Real men get nostrils waxed

Speed dating - the phenomenon that's not such a quick way to find romance

Copyright turns 300

Is this REALLY a UFO being chased down the M5 by RAF fighter jets? 'Video footage' captured at a service station

Warship eluded by Paul Revere resurfaces off Mass.

Generation Y poised to take over marketplace

Love of nostalgia keeps couple busy selling, repairing eight-tracks

Thursday Linkage

Going to hit a high of 45 today. Nope, no climate change going on here...

Going to the shops takes up THREE years of a woman's life

Binary star system directly observed

How long will it take to get over divorce? 17 months and 26 days to be precise

Washington Post: U.S. looks to nonnuclear weapons to use as deterrent As the White House pushes for cuts in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, the Pentagon is developing a weapon to help fill the gap: missiles armed with conventional warheads that could strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour. U.S. military officials say the intercontinental ballistic missiles, known as Prompt Global Strike weapons, are a necessary new form of deterrence against terrorist networks and other adversaries. As envisioned, the conventional missiles would give the White House a fresh military option to consider in a crisis that would not result in a radioactive mushroom cloud.

Hitler wanted to steal the Turin Shroud - 'but was thwarted by the Vatican'

How carbon dioxide in the blood could be responsible for near-death experiences

Up, up and away! Solar-powered plane that aims to fly around the world takes off on historic 90-minute flight... at 28mph

Wall Street Journal: States Reignite Abortion Debate
Less than three weeks after the passage of the landmark national health-care bill, the abortion debate is being reignited: Lawmakers in least six states are pushing for legislation to block abortion coverage in some health plans. After rancorous clashes over abortion coverage in the national bill, opponents were assured that federal funds wouldn't subsidize coverage of the procedure. The final legislation requires insurers that sell plans in new government-run exchanges to segregate payments for abortion coverage from other premiums to ensure government subsidies won't go toward the procedure.

Tuesday Links

Spring rainshowers all day today. Maybe I should contemplate a series of naps?

Cameras make Chicago most closely watched US city

'Glee' kids perform at White House Easter Egg Roll

It's urban vegetable foraging season!

Woman crashes into salon, gets hair done

Lexington Herald Ledger: Kentucky Senate race could help measure Tea Party's true clout
If political newcomer Rand Paul, a darling of the Tea Party movement, sails to victory in Kentucky's May 18 GOP primary, the win could prove a harbinger of November's mid-term elections. Political analysts and national media outlets continue to focus on the battle between Paul and the Republican establishment's favorite — Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson — as an experiment in grass-roots insurgency powered by disgruntled conservatives who bemoan what they see as an unprecedented expansion of federal government. In many ways, the Kentucky contest will help measure the Tea Party movement's true clout. But a lot of that depends on whether Paul, 47, an eye surgeon from Bowling Green, can avoid some potential land mines that have drawn attention nationally.

Oh no, it's her again! Mother-in-law jokes get a new lease of life online

UFO hunter: Aliens killing sheep

Insanely elaborate and wonderful custom maps

"Oriental Yeti" captured

NY Post: Geeks' goofs cost NY $140M in Medicaid
Bureaucratic bungling of the Medicaid program at the state level has squandered more than $140 million in taxpayer dollars over the last decade by putting thousands of ineligible people on the public health-insurance rolls. The reason, The Post has learned, is a simple computer hiccup - and the problem isn't even completely fixed. Albany computer geeks failed to update the database, so the system misread new codes in information provided by the federal government dating back to 1999, according to explosive documents included in litigation filed in 2001 against the state by New York City. The case has bounced around the court system and was recently ruled on by the state Court of Claims.

Sunday Linkage

Enjoy the day however you choose to celebrate- religious or secular. Eh, it's an excuse to eat chocolate any way you look at it.

UK Sales of soft drinks overtake spirits for the first time

Rug made out of cigarette butts

One giant leap for womankind: Four female astronauts to set a record for most women in space at one time

Kids at Easter egg hunt find body

People who smoke tend to have lower IQ

Early sex survey reveals Victorian women were NOT prudes

Saturday Links

Honestly, the weather here is just bizarre. In the 70's for the next few days, about 20 degrees warmer than usual.

Dinosaur puppet is part science, part performance

Punch-drunk priest hits a mourner at funeral he was supposed to be officiating

Jewelry made out of used bullets

Caution! Scantily-clad hazard ahead: Italian prostitutes get own road sign to warn motorists

Making chemicals kosher

300-year-old 'saucy' tales found

Area 51 vets speak

The day the Earth froze: An hour-long storm started a mini ice age, say scientists

Japan mayor sets paternity leave 'example'

Even toddlers notice good intentions

Thursday Linkage

Watch your step today, those fools are everywhere.

First iPad reviews appear, mostly thumbs up

10 stories that could be April Fools... but aren't

Blessed is the Blackberry: How Barack Obama worships with prayers sent to his trusty phone

Native-born Californians regain majority status

Washington Post: Administration seeks to change pay incentives at major firms
When the Obama administration imposed restrictions on executive pay last year at some of the largest companies the government had bailed out, officials said they were aiming to set a new standard for compensation across corporate America that would discourage risky business practices. But as firms begin to disclose last year's bonuses ahead of annual shareholder meetings, it is becoming clear that companies across a wide range of industries are paying executives in ways that officials worry will not discourage the kind of excessive short-term risk-taking that led to the financial crisis.

Revenge of the carp: Fish hunted by woman armed with bow and arrow leaps out of the water to smack her in the face

1 in 4 elderly need care decisions made for them

Will Jimmy Hoffa mystery be buried with Giants Stadium demolition?

Together forever: Heartbroken otters who were best friends die within hours of each other

New York Times: When Military Moves a War, There Are No Shortcuts In trying to speed 30,000 reinforcements into Afghanistan while reducing American forces in Iraq by 50,000, American commanders are orchestrating one of the largest movements of troops and matériel since World War II. Military officials say that transporting so many people and billions of dollars’ worth of equipment, weapons, housing, fuel and food in and out of both countries between now and an August deadline is as critical and difficult as what is occurring on the battlefield.

Wednesday Linkage

Busy day, need to eat my Wheaties.

Poorer pupils should go to school for 10 hours a day to improve their performance

A serious look at physics in "Hot Tub Time Machine"

Recession-hit Britons give up on drink as alcohol sales drop a record amount

What You Need To Know About Data Deletion Before Selling Your Old Computer

'Pac-Man-like' image found on Saturn moon

Oldest dad, 74, says he eats bananas

Dallas Morning News: Kay Bailey Hutchison scheduled news conference, decision on future expected
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is expected to announce her future political plans Wednesday in San Antonio. …Hutchison has said frequently that she would leave the Senate before her term ends in 2012. Several state politicians have already declared their interest in running in a special election to replace her. But Cornyn, McConnell, and every member of the Texas Republican delegation to the U.S. House have urged Hutchison to reconsider, saying her seniority and experience are too valuable for Texas to lose. Also urging her to stay: election rival Gov. Rick Perry.

Horse-drawn Hummer

Duct tape for everything

Pineberries and cream? The new summer fruit which looks like a white strawberry... but tastes like a pineapple

Scientists discover moral compass in the brain which can be controlled by magnets

'Happiness' organization seeks director

Is this the face of Jesus?

BBC News: Nine killed by twin bombings in Russia's Dagestan At least nine people, including a top regional police official, have been killed by two bombs in Russia's restive North Caucasus republic of Dagestan. A car bomb was detonated at about 0830 (0430 GMT) outside the offices of the local interior ministry and the FSB security agency in the town of Kizlyar. The second bomb went off about 35 minutes later on the same street.

Tuesday Linkies

I got nothing, still ticked off from wrestling with Blogger.

20 Homemade Things That Shouldn’t Be Home-Made

Scientists create self-powered nanosensor

Barbecue sauce rich source of antioxidants(ed.note- Score!)

CNN: Obama set to sign health care 'fixes' bill
President Obama is set to claim final victory on his top domestic priority Tuesday by signing into law a package of changes to the newly enacted health care reform bill. The signing ceremony at a community college in northern Virginia will culminate almost a year of fiercely partisan debate and a tortuous legislative journey on the proposals generated by Democrats and unanimously opposed by Republicans.

Ricky Martin confirms he's gay

Gadget and video game-themed baked goods

Ancient 'door to the afterlife' uncovered in Egypt

New York Times: State Debt Woes Grow Too Big to Camouflage California, New York and other states are showing many of the same signs of debt overload that recently took Greece to the brink — budgets that will not balance, accounting that masks debt, the use of derivatives to plug holes, and armies of retired public workers who are counting on benefits that are proving harder and harder to pay.

Monday Links

Another busy week ahead, frontload on the Xanax, we're going to need them.

The girl with kaleidoscope eyes: How Danielle started seeing colours of the rainbow 'snowing'

Wineries are tapping into eco-friendly trends

Tourists flock to 'Jesus's tomb' in Kashmir

Politico: President Obama plans strong hand with Congress
An emboldened President Barack Obama will take a stronger hand with Congress in coming weeks, planning to push lawmakers to pass new regulations for Wall Street by September, the second anniversary of the meltdown, aides tell POLITICO. The spring offensive, if successful, would allow Obama to claim concrete progress on all of his domestic priorities, despite a "lost year" between the passage of a stimulus package in February 2009 and the signing of health reform last week.

Know what's online and in databases about you

Junk food 'is as addictive as heroin and cigarettes'

Memphis named hunger capital of United States

Washington Post: As Holy Week begins, protesters urge pope to resign over abuse scandal
Pope Benedict XVI opened Holy Week on Sunday amid one of the most serious crises facing the church in decades, with protesters in London demanding that he resign and calls in Switzerland for a central registry for pedophile priests.

Saturday Links

Coffee good, thinking bad. Maybe we'll have some sun today.

Alleged Holocaust soap prompts criticism

Astronomers discover 90 per cent more universe

Art of the Toilet Seat

Watchdog group wants Ronald McDonald to retire

18th century sex toys fetch $5,400

Believers tell how they heard the unmistakable voice of God

'Mob Museum' to open in Las Vegas

North Korea threatens nuclear strikes... as Kim Jong-Il moves to stop 2012 disaster movie 'jinxing lucky year'

Sex virus blamed for rise in head and neck cancers

Clash of the titans: Fossilised faeces points to fight to the death between shark and crocodile 15 million years ago

Friday Links

Good morning, let's get this thing started.

And you thought YOUR garage was full of junk!

Prison warns convict over fart 'attacks'

Revealed: The secrets behind the nightmares that leave us in a sweat

Dallas Morning News: Challenger White steers middle course in bid to unseat Perry In the Republican primary, Rick Perry attracted national attention as a Southern governor touting states' rights and entertaining the idea of secession. The effort paid off, as Perry trounced rival Kay Bailey Hutchison. But now, Democratic challenger Bill White hopes to turn that attention to his favor by wooing general election voters uncomfortable with Perry's appeal to his party's hard right.

Ten Alternate Names for the New Sarah Palin Reality Show, from Boing Boing readers

Irish pubs to open on Good Friday for first time

Mobile Throne

CNN: Chavez critic arrested in Venezuela
The president of a Venezuelan TV station that has been critical of leftist President Hugo Chavez was arrested Thursday on charges that he abused his right to free speech, then released after a two-hour hearing before a judge. Globovision is the last remaining nationwide private TV broadcaster critical of Chavez.