I love science.

'Fart gas' link to blood pressure
Source: BBC.com

The gas best known for being used in many stink bombs may also control blood pressure, say US researchers.

Small amounts of hydrogen sulphide - a toxic gas generated by bacteria living in the human gut - are responsible for the foul odour of flatulence.

But it seems the gas is also produced by an enzyme in blood vessels where it relaxes them and lowers blood pressure.

The findings in mice may lead to new treatments for high blood pressure, the Science journal reported

Oprah's Favorite New Thing

...yeah. Oprah. That's right.

A whole lotta fierce.

Am I allowed to say that?
Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" Music Video

I love this man right now.

Colin Powell on Meet The Press.

I am allowed to dream...

Prospect House 

By architect Jonathan Segal

Fully sustainable and divorced from the grid by roof-mounted solar panels, the house is well though out for maximising light. 

Minimal windows above the fence line hide bedrooms from the busy streets outside. The Ground floor is walled in glass, making a bright and airy living dining area that opens out on one side to a pool and the other across a huge glass roof, that lets light into the lower level.

1-in-4 Chance Sarah Palin Could Be President.

McCain's Mortality Questioned in Medical Journal

Source: Wired.com

There's a one-in-four chance that Sen. John McCain will die in the next four years, according to a contested interpretation of risks posed by the presidential candidate's history of skin cancer.

"His mortality risk translates to 22 percent over a first term," said John Alam, a biotechnology consultant and former cancer researcher who crunched the numbers on McCain's cancer history.

That figure is roughly twice the death risk of a white male of McCain's age, but without McCain's past melanoma. Some researchers, however, think Alam's model fails to account for McCain's continued health.

Zoom Zoom.

Supersonic Rocket Car, The Bloodhound, Aims For 1,000 mph!

Source: Wired.com

The Britons who built the first car to break the sound barrier are back with plans to shatter their own record in a jet-powered land-rocket they're betting will be the first car to top 1,000 mph.Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green will make his run for the record strapped into the Bloodhound SSC, a 42-foot-long missile powered by a rocket bolted to a jet engine. With 45,000 pounds of thrust available at full throttle, Bloodhound will hit 1,050 mph in just 41 seconds and cross the salt faster than a speeding bullet.

"There has never been anything like Bloodhound SSC before," says team leader Richard Noble, who set a land speed record of his own in 1983. "It is undoubtedly the most stimulating and challenging program I've ever been involved with. The next three years are going to be tough, testing and damned exciting."

Leukemia drug may reverse the effects of multiple sclerosis!

A drug developed to treat leukaemia may be a powerful new weapon against multiple sclerosis, researchers say.

Alemtuzumab appears to stop progression of the disease in patients with early stage active relapsing-remitting MS - the most common form of the condition.The University of Cambridge study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, also suggests the drug may enable repair of previous damage.However, it can produce potentially serious side-effects, they warn.

Source: BBC.com

"Baby Eats Crack Cocaine"

With a headline like that how can you not watch. (This is news?)

Huh?

I don't understand this article, which is making headlines. Was there some mass orgy or did someone go around stabbing people with dirty needles?

Midwest high school copes with HIV scare
NORMANDY, Missouri (AP) -- Students at a suburban St. Louis high school headed to the gymnasium for HIV testing this week after an infected person told health officials as many as 50 teenagers might have been exposed to the virus that causes AIDS.
Officials refused to give details on who the person was or how the students at Normandy High School might have been exposed, but the district is consulting with national AIDS organizations as it tries to minimize the fallout and prevent the infection -- and misinformation -- from spreading

Check it out!

Check out the new look for Zahra's Lips!

Maybe if enough of you check it out, she might update it more often.

Fascinating.

Here is an excerpt from a recent CNN.com article:

Can birth order determine your career?

STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

- Each birth position has a special role within families, expert says

-Position leads to different adaptation patterns, personalities and possibly jobs

-Firstborns are ambitious, assertive, dominant and disciplined 

-Last borns were the least likely to report earning six figures, survey says

Firstborn

Personality: Firstborns are ambitious, assertive, dominant and disciplined compared to their younger siblings. They're determined to succeed yet fearful of losing position and rank, and are defensive about errors and mistakes, Dattner says.

Compensation: A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found that workers who were the firstborn child in their families were more likely to earn $100,000 or more annually compared to their siblings.

Professions: The oldest tend to pursue vocations that require higher education, like medicine, engineering or law. Firstborns from the CareerBuilder.com survey reported working in jobs in government, engineering, pharmacy and science. Ohio State University researchers found firstborn children were more likely to pursue "intellectual" jobs.

Job level: Workers who are firstborn are more likely to report holding a vice president or senior management position, according to the survey.

Famous firstborns: Oprah, Hillary Clinton, Winston Churchill, Sylvester Stallone and Bill Clinton.

Middle

Personality: Middle children are good at negotiation, peacemaking and compromise, Dattner says. They are easy-going, diplomatic and are usually closer to friends than family.

Compensation: More middle children identified themselves as earning $35,000 or less per year than firstborn or youngest children, according to the CareerBuilder.com survey.

Professions: Middles tend to have excellent negotiating and people skills -- anything that employs these skills is a great fit. Middle children from the CareerBuilder.com survey said they work in nursing, law enforcement, firefighting and machine operation.

Job level: Middle children were more likely to identify with professional and technical staff level positions in the CareerBuilder.com survey. They also reported being the most satisfied with their current positions.

Famous middles: David Letterman, Richard Nixon, Madonna and Princess Diana.

Youngest

Personality: Youngest children love the limelight and are used to sitting in it. They are charming, creative, have a good sense of humor and manipulate others when they want to get their way.

Compensation: Last borns were the least likely to report earning six figures, according to the CareerBuilder.com survey.

Professions: Youngest children often gravitate toward artistic and outdoor jobs, according to the OSU survey. They're also successful in journalism, advertising, sales and athletics. Those who responded to the CareerBuilder.com survey reported working in art, design, sales and information technology.

Job level: The majority of last borns in the CareerBuilder.com survey held administrative and clerical level positions. They also reported being the least satisfied in their current jobs.

Famous younglings: Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Cameron Diaz and Rosie O'Donnell.

Only children

Personality: Only children are similar to firstborns in that they are motivated to conform to parental expectations, Dattner says. They are also achievement-oriented, successful in school and have problems delegating work. Research shows they are more confident, articulate and imaginative than other children. They also hate criticism and tend to be perfectionists.

Famous only children: Jack Welch, Tiger Woods, Alan Greenspan and Maria Sharapova.

Twins

Personality: Because of their equal status in terms of age and genes, twins are usually treated the same and turn out similarly. They tend to have different personalities and interests, but are closer to each other than other siblings and tend to have less conflict with each other than other siblings, Dattner says.

Famous twins: Abigail and Esther Friedman ("Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers"); Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen; Joel and Benji Madden; and Jenna and Barbara Bush. 

The Mac Vs. PC Rivalry Gets Dirty

And just plain violent!

My stomach hurts...

...from laughing at this!

John McCain Accidentally Left On Campaign Bus Overnight

Quotes from Ladhe

Source: Bloomberg.com

Andrew Lahde, the hedge-fund manager who quit after posting an 870 percent gain last year, said farewell to clients in a letter that thanks stupid traders for making him rich and ends with a plea to legalize marijuana. Here are some excerpts from his statement:

"I was in this game for money,'' Lahde, 37, wrote in a two-page letter today in which he said he had come to hate the hedge-fund business. ``The low-hanging fruit, i.e. idiots whose parents paid for prep school, Yale and then the Harvard MBA, was there for the taking. These people who were (often) truly not worthy of the education they received (or supposedly received) rose to the top of companies such as AIG, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers and all levels of our government.

``All of this behavior supporting the Aristocracy, only ended up making it easier for me to find people stupid enough to take the other sides of my trades. God Bless America.''

Lahde, who managed about $80 million, told clients he'll be content to invest his own money, rather than taking cash from wealthy individuals and institutions and trying to amass a fortune worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.

``I do not understand the legacy thing,'' he wrote. ``Nearly everyone will be forgotten. Give up on leaving your mark. Throw the Blackberry away and enjoy life.''

Lahde ended his letter with a plea for the increased use of hemp as an alternative source of food and energy that segued into a call for the legalization of marijuana.

``Hemp has been used for at least 5,000 years for cloth and food, as well as just about everything that is produced from petroleum products,'' he wrote. ``Hemp is not marijuana and vice versa. Hemp is the male plant and it grows like a weed, hence the slang term.''

He added, ``The evil female plant -- marijuana. It gets you high, it makes you laugh, it does not produce a hangover. Unlike alcohol, it does not result in bar fights or wife beating. So, why is this innocuous plant illegal? Is it a gateway drug? No, that would be alcohol, which is so heavily advertised in this country.''Lahde said the only reason marijuana remains illegal is because 

``Corporate America, which owns Congress, would rather sell you Paxil, Zoloft, Xanax and other addictive drugs, than allow you to grow a plant in your home without some of the profits going into their coffers.''

I am currently OBSESSED with this song.

BoA's "Eat You UP"

Produced By Bloodshy+Avant

Directed By Cha Eun Taek

Choreographed By Misha Gabriel (the guy in the red jacket)

Sexy.

BMW Group DesignworksUSA and Belgian Yacht Builder Zeydon present the Performance Cruiser Z60 at the Mediterranean Scenes

Press Release: Munich. Fascinating design, superior performance and maximum comfort are the hallmarks of a new generation of offshore yachts that Belgian boat builder Zeydon will be presenting in France and Italy this fall. In spring 2004, when the company developed its first yacht, the Zeydon Z60, the Belgian specialist established a long-term, close cooperation with a design partner that has been renowned for its emotional and innovative premium design: BMW Group DesignworksUSA. The independent design subsidiary of the BMW Group has been involved in automotive as well as other cross-segmental design projects from a variety of different industries. The global studio was subsequently commissioned to bring to life Zeydon's vision of establishing a completely new category of performance-oriented luxury yachts.

This explains so much...

This is an excerpt from a BBC.com article:

Wolfing down meals may be enough to nearly double a person's risk of being overweight, Japanese research suggests.

Osaka University scientists looked at the eating habits of 3,000 people and reported their findings in the British Medical Journal.

Problems in signalling systems which tell the body when to stop eating may be partly responsible, said a UK nutrition expert.

He said deliberately slowing down at mealtimes might impact on weight.

I love this song!

And so does KanYe! Take one listen and you'll be hooked.

Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust The Windows".

Fun Facts.

Educational Background

Barack Obama

Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden

University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain

United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Meet Christophe Gilbert!

One of my favorite artists...

Born in Brussels in 1962, Christophe Gilbert started by taking courses of photography to the Academy of Ixelles in the course of the evening during one year. He integrates then the professional millieu in the capacity as assistant, posts that he will hold during two years, which enables him to discover the sector of publicity. The CCB Awards (Creative Club of Belgium), whose objective is to precede and promote the Belgian creativity, reward it in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005. Its Levis countryside was retained in Photograph Awards 2005 of the AOP. In the same way, the public could discover its creations with the AD Print Festival 2006 of Brasov (Romania). It currently works on a personal project on the topic of the heritage.

Best Playground Ever!

The small German city of Böblingen is now home to what might be the world’s biggest and most elaborate children’s toy. The Second Solar spaceship, designed by Different Futures and constructed for the Sensapolis fun park earlier this year, is a three-level, 850 sq m interactive replica of a real shuttle, albeit one better suited to exploration of the cognitive rather than the galactic variety.

The interior of the installation, which includes a 3-D cinema, a laboratory, a warp-core, a medical centre and an alien breeding ground, was designed by Clostermann Design in conjunction with Kohlbecker Architekten. The set even includes jet turbines and circular docking pods ready to connect to orbiting stations. So much for the old days when kids in capes had to rely on cardboard boxes and plastic steering wheels to zip around space.