Zombie Dogs?

Boffins create zombie dogs

SCIENTISTS have created eerie zombie dogs, reanimating the canines after several hours of clinical death in attempts to develop suspended animation for humans.

US scientists have succeeded in reviving the dogs after three hours of clinical death, paving the way for trials on humans within years.

Via RASSF

And they’ve been called the “Liberal” justices?

High court OKs personal property seizures

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that local governments may seize people’s homes and businesses — even against their will — for private economic development.
[…]
“The city has carefully formulated an economic development that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including — but by no means limited to — new jobs and increased tax revenue,” Justice John Paul Stevens wrote for the majority.

He was joined by Justice Anthony Kennedy, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer.

Granted, this kind of crap is nothing new – it’s a favorite tactic of some big box stores. But I’d always figure that the SCOTUS would set some bar to it if it ever got there, or at least that it would be the pro-business conservatives.

In all, I’m ashamed to be lumped under the same “liberal” label as this decision… on the other hand, major props to Justice O’Connor both for her adissent, and for this particularly apt note:

“Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random,” O’Connor wrote. “The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms.”

via Eddy on the DBA mailing list.

Typo corrected: 2005-07-11T04:53:32

Orgasms easier while wearing socks?

I’m not sure I buy it, but he (British) Times Online says research shows exactly that:

The experiments also revealed a rather surprising effect: both men and women found it easier to have an orgasm when they kept their socks on. Draughts in the scanning room left couples complaining of “literally cold feet”, and providing a pair of socks allowed 80 per cent rather than 50 per cent to reach a climax while their brains were scanned.

Via The Sideshow

Poor kitty…

Oregon Cat Born With Two Faces

A newborn kitten recently entered the world with two faces and, hopefully, at least nine lives. Gemini was born Sunday with two mouths, two tongues, two noses and four eyes.

“I kind of feel sorry for her, because I can’t know for a fact if she’s going to live or die,” its owner, Lee Bluetear of Glide, told the (Roseburg) News-Review. “If she makes it, she should be a perfectly normal and healthy cat. Other than having two faces.”

Roseburg veterinarian Alan Ross, who examined the kitten on Tuesday, said he can’t estimate the kitten’s life span. He said when he first saw the kitten, he wouldn’t have given her more than a 10 percent chance of survival.

Via an aside on AMERICAblog

“The Trillion Dollar Bet”

The Trillion-Dollar Bet

American homeowners have made a trillion-dollar bet that mortgage rates will remain near record lows for at least a few more years. But with some interest rates already rising, economists worry that the bet could turn bad.

The problem is that new types of mortgages that hold down monthly payments for families – helping many buy homes that they would not otherwise be able to afford – also require potentially far higher payments in future years.

The bill will soon start to come due in a serious way, as the initial period of fixed payments, typically set at artificially low rates, expires for millions of homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages.

This year, only about $80 billion, or 1 percent, of mortgage debt will switch to an adjustable rate based largely on prevailing interest rates, according to an analysis by Deutsche Bank in New York. Next year, some $300 billion of mortgage debt will be similarly adjusted.

But in 2007, the portion will soar, with $1 trillion of the nation’s mortgage debt – or about 12 percent of it – switching to adjustable payments, according to the analysis.

The 2007 adjustments will almost certainly be the largest such turnover that has ever occurred.

via Escaton(“2007 could be a very bad year.”) and Brad DeLong

10 years ago today…

…Marie and I started dating.

We met online in college, and then in person at the beginning of the Summer of 1995 (after Freshman year.) It’s been a long, strange, and wonderful trip since, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Annoying couplesy picture after the break…
Continue reading “10 years ago today…”

My new transportation/toy…

OK, I’ve been too busy to write much lately. But since I promised to try to work more personal news in here, I’ve got a new scooter. I’ve owned a couple of other two-wheelers in the past (photos and perhaps comments later after the break), but this is my first new one:

The new scooter

It’s an MZ Moskito Classico, a 2-stroke 50cc, sort of a vespa wannabe look.

Overall, I’m not terribly impressed compared to my old Honda Aero 50 — it’s a bit slower, and feels a bit flimsier, but it’s brand new and hopefully will be hassle-free compared to my relatively bad luck reliability-wise with used ones. Anyone know if it will speed up any once it breaks in? Or if there are any relatively easy hop-ups for these?

Continue reading “My new transportation/toy…”

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