House votes down Bush's cut of public broadcasting subsidies

Public broadcasting in the US is a somewhat involved issue which I don't have time to research, but cutting 15% of it probably isn't good for what level of discourse does exist on the airwaves.

Ramen bath

At this amusement park spa, you can get a bath in coffee, green tea, wine and sake. And now ramen.

50 tools that can improve your writing

More for journalism, but useful tips for prose in general, from ad copy, to speeches, to fiction.

Man dodges taxes for 10 years, wins in federal district court

Something about taxes only applying to profit and gain, and income is neither.

Nerve function with no action potential

Slow transmission in autonomic nerves for duodenum contraction control. Some molecule called "ceramide" found in the axonal lipid seems to important.

iBOT -- one kickass wheelchair

Can handle uneven terrain, including curbs.

"This electronic balance system is custom-programmed to the user's center of gravity, to monitor and respond to subtle changes in motion. Reach forward to shake hands, and your iBOT® Mobility System moves with you."

Steroids in golf

71-year-old Hall of Famer Gary Player talked to a couple of people, and it appears to be around.

12 IT skills that employers can't say no to

For the moment, anyhow.

How to make your YouTube video look good

Including format, bitrate, taking the native size, ...

Pink seal electric stun toy

Being marketed to manage crazy Japanese businessmen and "naughty" boys with a mild electric shock. Not meant as weapon, although a warning is given about use on those with heart disease. Don't know how you're supposed to know that.

Elderly couple could lose their home over $1.63 tax bill

An address change threw everything out of whack.

Racially diverse juries help due process

Thinking sharpens in diverse groups:

White jurors in diverse groups mentioned more facts, made fewer factual errors, corrected more mistakes and raised the possibility of racism more often than did white jurors in homogeneous groups.

Human stem cells may be produced without embryos within months

Mouse skin cells were genetically manipulated to revert back to embryonic state. All the ethical controversy can end.

Update: Done. Parallels work in Japan.

Max Water -- water condensing windmill

Small, cylindrical wind turbines provide power for the condensing system to extract water from the air. Claiming possibility of 10 000L/day from rooftop unit.
Click through for official site.

Pay only if you get well

Johnson & Johnson proposal to Britain's NHS. The link to the NYT article is gated. The paper is not.

The company would refund any money spent on patients whose tumors do not shrink sufficiently after a trial treatment.

Funny comic strip re Heisenberg

It was too big to paste here, but I assure anybody who recognizes the name, it's at least a good smirk.

Personality typing by sleep position

You know, the starfish vs. the yearner (?) Self-reported for going to sleep.

Buzzing ring to wake you and your spouse up

You wear the ring and it buzzes to wake you up. There are two that can be set for different times, if needed: One for you, one for whomever sleeps beside you.
Also for the hard of hearing.

Mystery eBay auctions getting ridiculous and ridiculously profitable

There are dutch auctions (explained at the site) and then,

The second type of mystery auction involves offering a silly item, such as Cheez Whiz or a 7-year-old hamburger, as the “item”. Then irresistible gifts are implied for winning the auction.

But the bidders just have to hope that the implied gift is cool and worth, say, $3500.

Grapefruit every day could contribute to breast cancer

In post-menopausal women, could increase chances by up to 30%, possibly by allowing estrogen buildup.

10 ways to improve your view of life

Cognitive smacks to the head.

Keep cool with fans in garments

Can be USB- or 4 AA-cell powered. For more industrial use, there's also this vest from some company called Entrak, with 8 hours of circulation before recharge.

Espionage and sabotage in the high stakes world of Formula One

There's too much money floating around for it to be squeaky clean.

Things your restaurant won't tell you

Don't go on a Monday, and that fast food seat is uncomfortable to prevent you from hanging out too long.

Working-age Russian men being wiped out by alcohol

So The Lancet reports. Taking Izhevsk as a typical Russian city, a survey was taken of relatives of 1750 men who died from 2003-05. The survey shook out that 43% of deaths could be attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.

More Than Light -- colored flame oil/lamps

Wired on how to share files on usenet

Supposedly the barrier to entry is a lot lower.

Possibly even reversing Parkinson's with a growth factor

The protein is brain-specific and is called conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor. It is important to temper any optimism with the history of a previous protein that looked hopeful, but in the end showed unacceptable side effects in larger trials.

Beijing wants to stop the pollution and is trying to bypass its bureaucracy to do it

Provincial authorities are responsible for enforcing the laws Beijing pass, but they're too comfortable with the tax revenue from polluters to get serious. So, NGOs have been aggressively advocating laws for greater transparency and accountability, and Beijing seems to be complying. People getting their say in communist China? Times sure do change.
A separate top-down measure here to deny loans to heavy polluters.

Did you know 2.0

Very interesting presentation of stats of our technologically exponential times. It finishes by asking what kind of educational reforms are needed to better align with the world that is emerging. It does not mention the singularity.

Yelp -- reviews of businesses by city

Reviews of restaurants, auto shops, doctors, etc. contributed by local consumers of the particular city (US).

Speeding drivers stay on road by paying others to take the rap

Points are traded for cash on eBay in France. Some are pensioners who haven't driven in years who just need a bit of money:

In return for money, the seller provides his or her name and licence number in response to the speed camera ticket. The notice that is automatically sent to the owner of the offending vehicle includes a form for identifying another driver. Checks are extremely rare.