paws and reflect...

laughingwolf · at 7:49 PM

The 8-legged monster behind chupacabra mystery...

31 Oct '10

by Wynne Parry
LiveScience Senior Writer
LiveScience.com

Sightings abound of a four-legged, hairless, fanged monster, that kills, sucks the blood, and sometimes milk, from livestock in the United States and Latin America.

Its name, chupacabra, literally means "goat sucker".

There is, in fact, a real monster behind the sightings, but it has eight legs, measures at most 0.02 inches (0.5 millimeters) long, and burrows into skin, rather than sucking blood.

Its name: Sarcoptes scabiei, the mite that causes scabies in humans ... and coyotes.

The chupacabras themselves are actually coyotes with severe infections by these mites, called sarcoptic mange, according to Barry O'Connor , an evolutionary biologist at the University of Michigan.

Infections in humans are usually mild, causing patches of itchy skin.

Over our long evolutionary history with the mite, we have gained the ability to fight off the infections.

Domesticated dogs and other animals have less experience with the mite than we do, and for them sarcoptic mange infections can be severe.

The prospects are much worse for their wild relatives who have no experience with the disease, and it often kills them, he said.

"To me, the most interesting aspect of this whole system is the fact we are talking about a human parasite that has moved from us onto other animals, as opposed to all the things that have gone in the other direction," OConnor told LiveScience.

Reports of chupacabras began in Puerto Rico in 1995, where the creature was said to stand on two legs and have spines on its back.

Sightings spread, with reports of the creature being spotted elsewhere, particularly Mexico, where it was described as a four-legged animal, but still hairless and ugly.

People began taking pictures, which, according to OConnor, revealed the truth.

"The photos clearly show coyotes, or dogs, with very severe sarcoptic mange," he said.

The mites burrow into the animals' skin causing them to lose their hair and provoking an immune response that causes their skin to become thickened and ugly.

Their faces swell, and their canine teeth become more prominent, resembling fangs.

Weakened by the infection, they may be more prone to attack livestock, rather than their usual prey, such as rabbits, he said.

There is evidence for other sources as well.

A strange, hairless carcass found on a golf course in Texas was dubbed a chupacabra.

But a wildlife biologist examination revealed a close resemblance to a raccoon.

The creature also apparently suffered from several diseases that can cause hair loss.

laughingwolf · at 7:36 PM

Ottawa-area businessman found dead in Mexico...

31 Oct '10

By The Canadian Press

TORONTO - An Ottawa-area businessman, reported missing during a trip to Mexico, has been found dead in a the trunk of a burned out car, his family confirmed today

Daniel Dion's niece, Franceska Dion, said today she could "confirm the sad news".

Police in southern Mexico reported they found Dion's missing rental car, completely burned, with a corpse in the trunk.

Investigators wouldn't publicly confirm the body was that of Dion, who was last seen about a week ago in the resort city of Acapulco.

According to Guerrero state Investigative Police director, Fernando Montreal, one of the vehicle's license plates was not burned in the fire, which allowed police to identify it as Dion's white Jetta.

The car was discovered on a road in Zumpango del Rio, just north of the state capital of Chilpancingo.

The town is about 130 kilometres from Acapulco, also in Guerrero state.

Dion, 51, was a frequent traveler to Mexico and very familiar with Acapulco.

Dion was last heard from while at a restaurant in Acapulco 22 Oct.

He didn't show up for a business appointment the next day, and failed to make his daily phone calls home.

Daniel Dion's family said they became extremely concerned when the Sherbrooke, Que.-native failed to board his flight home on Tuesday.

Distraught family members traveled to Mexico last week, to meet with authorities and organize search efforts of their own.

The family had said they were frustrated by the slow pace at which Mexican authorities, and Canadian consular officials, were investigating Dion's disappearance.

They took matters into their own hands, retracing Dion's steps, checking hospitals, and asking the public for help.

Dion had been in Mexico since 28 September.

He was CEO of Mexican-based company, Ecopurse, which uses recycled materials to make bags.

His family said he was also an influential businessman, who knew many high-level government officials, including the country's president.

While Acapulco remains a popular getaway for foreigners, it has been hit by drug-gang violence in recent years.

Fighting between two rival factions of the crumbling Beltran Leyva drug cartel has resulted in shootouts and deaths.

Mayor Jose Luis Avila Sanchez warned people earlier this week to stay indoors after dark — an extraordinary pronouncement for a city whose economy depends deeply on nightclubs, restaurants, and bars.

Canadians have been at the center of several violent incidents in Mexico over the past several years.

Gordon Douglas Kendall and Jeffrey Ronald Ivans, were shot to death, execution-style, on 27 Sept. 2009 at a Puerto Vallarta condominium.

At the time, an RCMP spokesman said the service's organized crime and gang units suspected Kendall and Ivans of being in the drug trade in British Columbia.

On 17 Sept. 2009, Renee Wathelet, 60, of Montreal, was found stabbed to death in her apartment on an island off the tourist haven of Cancun.

Police later arrested a 24-year-old boatman.

In 2006, Dominic and Nancy Ianiero of Woodbridge, Ont., were found dead at a five-star resort near Cancun, in a case that remains unsolved.

Mexican authorities named two women from Thunder Bay, Ont., as suspects in the killings, but they were later cleared.

In January 2007, Adam DePrisco, 19, was killed outside an Acapulco nightclub.

A Mexican doctor blamed the teen's death on a hit-and-run, but his family and friends believe he was beaten to death.

In May 2007, Jeff Toews, 34, of Grande Prairie, Alta., died from severe injuries in Cancun.

His family accused officials of covering up a brutal beating, while prosecutors claimed the man fell off a balcony at a resort.

_ with files from The Associated Press

Daniel Dion, 51, is shown in this undated family handout photo. ...

Daniel Dion, 51, shown in this undated family handout.

An Ottawa-area businessman reported missing during a trip to Mexico has been found dead, his family has confirmed.

Daniel Dion was last heard from while at a restaurant in Acapulco, 22 Oct.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

laughingwolf · at 7:19 PM

Lanky, brooding Superman for contemporary world...

28 Oct '10

By Matt Moore, The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - The big "S'' is still on his chest, but the new Superman coming to the shelves of book stores next week is not exactly the chipper and bright-eyed optimist of lore.

Instead, the kid from Krypton, featured in "Superman: Earth One", released to comic book shops Wednesday and due in other book stores Tuesday, sports a hoodie, a brooding brow, and fashion sense that would not put him out of place in hipster lairs from Brooklyn to Seattle.

That, said Dan DiDio, senior vice-president and executive editor at DC Comics, is just what the company was aiming for when it asked J. Michael Straczynski, himself a noted comic book writer, who currently helms the company's flagship monthly "Superman" title.

"We always knew we wanted to do a real, contemporary interpretation of Superman," he told The Associated Press.

"What we did is, we reached out to Joe Straczynski — Joe is probably one of the biggest Superman fans out there."

DiDio said DC augured the retelling as a way to reach out to buyers not just in comic book stores but in other book stores, too — fans of books and series like "Twilight", or Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy of crime novels.

"In this particular case what we did is we looked at the format," he said, adding DC has been "showing great strides in really strong improvement in sales in the book store market place, and what we wanted to do was to create an original graphic novel featuring our most prominent character we felt captured a contemporary tone and really was built with the bookstore market in mind."

The graphic novel was illustrated by Shane Davis.

While it features the jet-black hair — sans curly lock atop the forehead — and piercing stare that Clark Kent/Superman has had since his creation in the 1930s, Davis' art reflects a more modern bent with narrow pants and ties, and the ubiquitous hoodie.

The work draws upon the Superman mythology, but recreates it for a contemporary audience, with a 20-year-old Clark Kent who's unsure how to use his super-strength, super-smarts, and just plain super abilities as he makes his way through a grittier, more realistic Metropolis trying to find not just a job but meaning and purpose.

DiDio and DC are pleased with the transformation, noting demand for the work has been so great the book has already gone back to the press for a wider run.

"When we were building this book, we had a lot of things in mind.

"We were looking at what fiction was popular at the time ... and since we are in the periodical business, and we want to be in the bookstore business, what better continuing character should be in that market but Superman?" he asked.

"We needed to make him hip, moody and sexy in order to really appeal to who are really wanting to read novels with our characters," DiDio added.

Given the predicted demand, DC is already planning a similar treatment for Batman, which will be written by Geoff Johns, a writer who was named DC Comics' chief creative officer in February.

"We're already looking ... at future volumes of 'Superman: Earth One'," DiDio said.

___

Online:

http://www.dccomics.com

In this publicity image, released by DC Comics, the cover of 'Superman: Earth One', is shown.

(AP Photo/DC Comics)

laughingwolf · at 7:15 PM

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laughingwolf · at 6:59 PM

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laughingwolf · at 6:50 PM

Get Fuzzy

laughingwolf · at 6:49 PM

Dogs and Hides...

SOME DOGS, famished with hunger, saw a number of cowhides steeping in a river.

Not being able to reach them, they agreed to drink up the river, but it happened that they burst themselves with drinking, long before they reached the hides.

Moral: Do not attempt impossible things.

~Aesop

THE DOGS AND THE HIDES

laughingwolf · at 6:22 PM

...to all my fellow celts, samhain blessings!

...and to everyone, everywhere:

laughingwolf · at 4:45 PM

laughingwolf · at 4:38 PM

Explosive packages reflect new Yemen terror threat...

29 Oct '10

By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The discovery of two explosive-laden packages from Yemen, bound for U.S. destinations, appears to represent a new twist in the terror threat emanating from the violence-wracked, poverty-stricken country on the Saudi Peninsula.

If the explosive devices shipped in cargo planes from Yemen are conclusively linked by investigators to the al-Qaida faction in Yemen, it could represent a new tactic by Al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula.

The group previously spawned plots against commercial U.S-bound flights, and had a role in mass shootings in several American cities.

—In the past 18 months, the al-Qaida offshoot in Yemen has grown stronger, and its members have been implicated in several plots against U.S. targets, including the futile attack last 25 Dec. on an airliner landing in Detroit, Michigan.

—Next to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula is considered the most active al-Qaida threat to the United States, and its Western allies, according to the Obama administration.

—The United States has reinforced its military and intelligence assistance to Yemen, including the potential addition of armed Predator drones to be operated by the CIA.

The Pentagon is sending more than $150 million in military aid, including helicopters, planes and other equipment.

—There have been a number of air strikes into Yemen that have taken out insurgent leaders, with either co-ordination from the United States or direct involvement, but officials will not talk about them.

—AQAP includes as many as 300 members or cells operating out of Yemen.

A top leader is Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born radical cleric, believed to have helped plan the 25 Dec. attack, and inspired other attacks, including the shooting massacre at Fort Hood, Texas, last year.

He is on a U.S. government secret list of targets to be captured... or killed.

—During the past year, the number of elite U.S. trainers moving in and out of Yemen has doubled, from 25 to about 50.

The U.S. forces are providing more complex instruction that combines tactical ground and air operations.

—Yemen is the poorest Arab country, with 45.2 per cent living below the poverty line, according to the CIA factbook.

President Barack Obama delivers a statement at the White House in Washington, 29 Oct. 2010.

Obama says US committed to disrupting al-Qaida in Yemen, stops short of tying group to bombs.

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

laughingwolf · at 3:37 PM

laughingwolf · at 3:24 PM

Asteroid strike could force humans to live like vampires...

25 minutes ago

by Jeremy Hsu
LiveScience Senior Writer
LiveScience.com

An asteroid splashdown in one of Earth's oceans could trigger a destructive chemical cycle that would wipe out half the ozone layer, according to a new study.

The massive loss of protection against the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation would likely force humans into a vampire-style existence, of staying indoors during daylight hours.

The worst scenario based on an asteroid 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) wide would re-create the hole in the ozone layer, which appeared over Antarctica during the 1990s, except this would be worldwide.

UV levels in the study's simulation soared beyond anything measured so far on Earth by the UV Index's daily forecasts of overexposure to UV radiation, and remained that way for as long as two years.

"An asteroid impact in the ocean is always dismissed as being a danger for coastal sites, but not much else has been discussed about it," said Elisabetta Pierazzo, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Ariz.

"I was looking at the asteroid hazard from climatic effects."

To do that, Pierazzo combined her expertise in crater-impact modeling with simulations developed by U.S. and German atmospheric scientists that show the interactive chemistry of the atmosphere.

They tested scenarios with a 0.6-mile asteroid and a 0.3-mile asteroid (500 meters) at a specific location and specific time of year.

They had no idea what to expect.

The models showed how ozone destruction would result from an asteroid strike launching seawater vapor hundreds of miles up into the highest parts of the atmosphere.

Chemical elements such as chloride and bromide that separated from the water vapor could then wreak havoc by destroying the ozone layer that protects life on Earth from the worst of mutation-causing UV rays.

"The thing with the asteroid is, it ejects the water vapor way up there - we're talking hundreds of kilometers," Pierazzo told LiveScience in a phone interview.

"It really goes to the highest extent of the atmosphere."

Model results show a 0.3-mile asteroid that hit at a latitude 30 degrees north in the Pacific Ocean, in January, would lead to a local impact on the ozone layer - though "local" still meant an ozone hole that spread across the entire Northern Hemisphere.

By contrast, the 0.6-mile asteroid strike led to a worldwide drop in UV protection - at which point the "hole" ceases to be a hole.

Location of the asteroid strike matters because of atmospheric circulation patterns, Pierazzo explained.

Time of year in each hemisphere also matters, because the strength of the ozone layer changes by season based on the amount of sunlight reaching the atmosphere.

(In the upper atmosphere, ozone (O3) forms when oxygen molecules are broken apart by the sun's UV light.)

A strike by the 0.3-mile asteroid saw a jump in ultraviolet radiation as measured by the ultraviolet index (UVI) to values above 20 in the northern subtropics for several months.

Normally, a UVI of 10 or more can burn people with fair skin with just a few minutes of sun exposure, and some of the highest recorded UVI values on Earth (around the equator) have reached 18.

On certain days, a UVI of 20 was recorded at a high-altitude desert in Puna de Atacama, Argentina.

A strike by the larger of the two model asteroids boosted UVI values above 20 within a 50-degree latitude band north and south of the equator for about two years.

Some areas within the band saw UVI spikes as high as 56.

That band's northern end would include cities such as Seattle and Paris, while the southern end would extend into cities within countries such as New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina.

Long-term effects of such high UV radiation would include skin-reddening, changes in plant growth and genetic mutations for humans and other organisms.

Such scenarios represent the likelier outcomes of an asteroid impact on Earth - an asteroid has about twice the chance of striking water rather than hitting land.

Those odds come from the fact that over 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, with about two-thirds covered by oceans more than a mile deep.

Asteroid hunters have found about 903 of an estimated 1,050 near-Earth objects (NEOs) with diameters of 1 kilometer or greater as of 01 Oct.

That still leaves well over 100 objects, in the 1-2 kilometer size, undiscovered.

More cause for worry may come from smaller NEOs, less than 1 kilometer wide.

NASA found just 5 percent of the estimated count for such NEOs, which leaves tens of thousands of unknowns.

"As you go down in asteroid size, there's a lot more objects out there, not identified, but could be a threat," said Pierazzo, whose research was detailed online 02 Oct., in the journal, Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

Finding NEO threats to Earth remains NASA's job.

Pierazzo's next step with her colleagues will involve modeling the atmospheric impact of an asteroid strike on land.

That may prove an even more complicated scenario, because of the combination of dust blocking out incoming sunlight and other possible chemical effects on the ozone.

Researchers suggest a land/asteroid impact would create a nuclear winter effect, similar to what might follow a nuclear war.

But researchers should hope that's where the comparison between space rocks and nukes ends - a past simulation showed even a regional nuclear war could create a massive ozone layer hole across the world.

An asteroid splashdown in one of Earth's oceans could trigger ...

30 Oct '10

An asteroid splashdown in one of Earth's oceans could trigger a destructive chemical cycle that would wipe out half the ozone layer, according to a new study.

(Credit: CPimages.ca/Phototake)

laughingwolf · at 3:06 PM

6 carbs that might help you stay slim...

By Eating Well

28 oct '10

I've never been a fan of low-carb diets: our bodies and our brains need carbohydrates to work effectively.

A few years ago, while preparing for a marathon with Team in Training, a fellow runner told me she was trying to lose weight.

That's cool.

Then she told me about her super-restrictive low-carb diet.

At the time, I was getting my master’s degree in nutrition, and I couldn't resist sharing my opinion.

"You. Must. Eat. Carbs," I told her, carrying on about how high-carb foods are essential for rebuilding the energy stores that you deplete running long distances.

(Read 6 more reasons your body needs carbohydrates, here.)

Of course, not all carbohydrates are created equal.

First, fruits, dairy and vegetables are all sources of carbohydrates.

When it comes to starches, there are, indeed "good" carbs (we’ll get to that in a sec) and the "bad" ones that, if you eat them all the time, can raise your risk of developing diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

(We’re talking donuts, cakes, and even refined white breads.)

On the flip side, eating “good carbs” in place of refined ones can reduce your risk of these very same diseases—and may even help you to lose weight because they’re generally rich in fiber.

Here are 6 “great” carbs to keep in your diet.

Whole-wheat pasta

Sometimes you just need pasta—and whole-wheat kinds offer two to three times more fiber than refined white varieties, but they're just as versatile and delicious.

(Similarly whole-wheat bread and brown rice are healthier choices than their "white" counterparts.)

To cook:

Follow package directions!

Related link: Fusilli with Italian Sausage & Arugula (pictured above) and More Healthy Pasta Recipes in 30 Minutes.

Quinoa

Consider it souped-up couscous.

A delicately flavored whole grain, it provides some fiber (2 grams per half cup) and a good amount of protein (4 grams).

Note: Research shows protein can help you feel full for longer.

Rinsing quinoa removes any residue of saponin, its natural, bitter, protective coating.

To cook:

Bring 2 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup quinoa.

Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Fluff with a fork.

Related link: Toasted Quinoa Salad with Scallops & Snow Peas and More Quinoa Recipes

Barley is available "pearled" (the bran has been removed) or "quick-cooking" (parboiled).

While both contain soluble fiber that helps keep blood cholesterol levels healthy, pearl barley has a little more.

To Cook:

Pearl barley—Bring 1 cup barley and 2 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes.

Quick-cooking barley—Bring 1 3/4 cups water or broth to a boil; add 1 cup barley.

Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, covered, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Bulgur is cracked wheat, parboiled, so it needs to soak in hot water for most uses—a perfect low-maintenance grain.

It's also a good source of feel-full fiber: just 1/2 cup delivers 5 grams.

To Cook:

Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water or broth over 1 cup bulgur.

Let stand, covered, until light and fluffy, about 30 minutes.

If all the water is not absorbed let the bulgur stand longer, or press it in a strainer to remove excess liquid.

Related link: Bulgur with Ginger & Orange and More Bulgur Recipes

Wheat Berries are the whole, unprocessed kernels of wheat.

They're terrific sources of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc... and, yes, fiber.

To Cook:

Sort through wheat berries carefully, discarding any stones, and rinse with water.

Bring 4 cups water or broth and 1 cup wheat berries to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, but still a little chewy, about 1 hour.

Drain.

Related link: Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili and More Wheat Berry Recipes

Popcorn

Because when you’re craving pretzels or potato chips...you’re certainly not going to reach for a bowl of oatmeal.

Popcorn satisfies a snack craving and it's a whole grain.

I’m not kidding:

Three cups of popped popcorn (what you get by popping 1 heaping tablespoon of kernels) equals one of your three recommended daily servings of whole grains and contains 3 grams of fiber.

To cook:

Toss a heaping tablespoonfull into an air popper.

By Nicci Micco

Nicci Micco is editor-at-large for EatingWell and co-author of EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners.

She has a master's degree in nutrition and food sciences, with a focus in weight management.

More from EatingWell:

laughingwolf · at 2:54 PM

Contrary to what many of you may imagine,
a career in letters is not without its drawbacks -
chief among them, the unpleasant fact:
one is frequently called upon to sit...
and write.

~Fran Lebowitz

Fran Lebowitz...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frances Ann "Fran" Lebowitz
At the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Frances Ann Lebowitz 27 October 1950 (1950-10-27) (age 60) Morristown, New Jersey
Occupation	Author
Nationality	American

Frances Ann "Fran" Lebowitz (27 born October 1950) is an American author.

Born and raised in Morristown, New Jersey,^[1] Lebowitz is best known for her sardonic social commentary on American life, through her New York sensibilities.

Some reviewers have called her a modern day Dorothy Parker.

After being expelled from high school, then attaining a GED, Lebowitz worked many odd jobs before being hired by Andy Warhol as a columnist for Interview.

This was followed by a stint at Mademoiselle.

Her first book was a collection of essays, titled Metropolitan Life, released in 1978, followed by Social Studies in 1981, both of which are collected (with a new introductory essay) in The Fran Lebowitz Reader.

For more than twenty years, she has been famous, in part, for not writing Exterior Signs of Wealth, a long-overdue novel, purportedly about rich people who want to be artists, and artists who want to be rich.

She also made several appearances on Late Night With David Letterman during the early part of its run.

Recently she has made recurring appearances as Judge Janice Goldberg on the television drama Law & Order.

In September 2007, Fran Lebowitz was named one of the year's most stylish women in Vanity Fair's 68th Annual International Best-Dressed List,^[2] and is known to sport tailored suits by the Savile Row tailor, Anderson & Sheppard.

References

^ Morris, Bob. " AT LUNCH WITH: Fran Lebowitz; Words Are Easy, Books Are Not", The New York Times, 10 August 1994. Accessed 01 June 2008. "Ms. Lebowitz grew up in Morristown, N.J., where her parents owned a furniture store."
^ The 68th Annual International Best-Dressed List: Entertainment & Culture: vanityfair.com

Books

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fran Lebowitz

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Fran Lebowitz

This article about an American writer is a stub.
You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran_Lebowitz"

laughingwolf · at 2:30 PM

Cars that lose their value fastest...

Forbes.com - Hannah Elliott

If you went out this weekend and spent US$58,400 on a shiny new 2010 BMW M3 coupe, you'd get more than a sweet new ride--you'd get a good investment.

Odds are, a new M3 will trade in for at least $26,000 five years from now, a total depreciation of 56%.

It might not sound like much, but it's a fortune... compared to some other car models.

Take the Chevrolet Cobalt and the Mercury Grand Marquis.

These cars retain less than 20% of their initial values after five years of ownership -- a total depreciation of more than 80%.

That puts them both near the top of the list of cars that lose their value the fastest.

In Pictures: Cars That Lose Their Value Fastest

Why do the Cobalt and Grand Marquis lose so much value?

In part, it's because neither model has been updated in awhile, and their parent companies have had ongoing financial and operational troubles.

That means used-car buyers, who care most about reliability and overall value, aren't as inclined to buy them as they might a car from another brand.

"The automotive industry is so competitive, you're seeing vehicles being redesigned every four or five years," says Eric Ibara, the director of residual consulting for Kelley Blue Book.

"If you see a vehicle in its fourth or fifth year, and not doing well selling new retail, it would not tend to hold its value as well as its competitors."

Behind the Numbers

To determine which cars lose their value the fastest, we turned to Kelley Blue Book, an Irvine, Calif.-based valuation company that determines resale prices for used cars.

They define resale value as the projected market value of a vehicle at a specific time:

For our purposes, we evaluated vehicles from 24 to 60 months after purchase, to get a more complete picture of how -- and when -- different cars lose their value.

New cars, typically lose about 20% of their value the moment they're driven off the lot, and about 65% after five years.

Some models fare much worse, like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class S65.

After five years, this luxury sedan loses 84% of its purchase price.

You Get What You Pay For

Still, high-end cars and SUVs are generally leaders when it comes to resale value.

Sports cars, crossovers, and SUVs typically retain roughly 40% of their original purchase price after five years of ownership.

One example renowned for holding resale value: the Mini Cooper, which retains 52% of its value after five years.

The cars that lose value quickly tend to cluster on the other end of the automotive spectrum -- budget-friendly subcompacts like the Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent.

Also cars made by companies experiencing financial problems -- like Chrysler's Sebring and Saab's 9-3 -- both have trouble retaining value.

Many of the subcompacts on our list have been sold in large quantities to fleets, which immediately diminishes their value.

That's also why cars from financially distressed companies lose their value quickly -- part of the reason why companies like Chrysler are in trouble is because they depended on these large fleet purchases, which artificially inflate sales numbers, but decrease the value of the vehicles.

Depreciation Is Everything

Residual value matters, because depreciation is the largest single cost of owning a car.

Take the Lexus IS250.

It costs US$33,015 to buy, but loses more than $18,000 of that to depreciation over five years, according to data from Vincentric, an auto-industry analysis firm in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Compared with the secondary costs of fuel ($10,035), insurance ($7,442) and maintenance ($2,734), depreciation eats a big chunk of driver expenses each year.

(Vincentric assumes 15,000 miles (24,000 km) driven per vehicle annually, and a price of US$2.60 (CAD$0.71/L) for regular fuel, US$2.86 (CAD$0.78/L) for premium and US$2.75 (CAD$0.75/L) for diesel.

It also applies an inflation rate for the fuel prices, since the calculations predict costs over five years.

The best way to avoid deprecation is to drive fewer miles, says Ibara.

Resist the temptation to detail your car in a way that may not appeal to future owners:

Silver cars appeal to most second-hand buyers; a pink car does not.

That means you should be wary of highly customizable vehicles like Smart's tiny Fortwo:

Sure, it's an inexpensive purchase, costing just US$21,635 for a base model.

But the car quickly loses 63% of its value in 24 months, and retains just 17% of its initial worth after five years.

The Hello Kitty wrap offered as a customized option will do nothing to help bolster resale value.

Avoid that appliqué, and the 22 others in Smart's "Expressions" line, if you want any chance of reselling the vehicle.

There is hope for some of the cars on this list, according to Ibara:

Just wait until next year, when their (finally) updated versions hit showrooms.

"The Kia Optima is in its fifth year, but the redesign, which is coming out for 2011, is a fabulous vehicle," he says.

"That redesign is not going to be on this list."

Steve Wiggins · at 12:05 PM

On Monsters:

An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears

by Stephen T. Asma

ISBN13: 9780195336160ISBN10: 019533616X

Hardback, 368 pages

Sep 2009,

Price:

$27.95

Description

Monsters.

Real or imagined, literal or metaphorical, they have exerted a dread fascination on the human mind for many centuries.

They attract and repel us, intrigue and terrify us, and in the process reveal something deeply important about the darker recesses of our collective psyche.

Stephen Asma's 'On Monsters' is a wide-ranging cultural and conceptual history of monsters--how they have evolved over time, what functions they have served for us, and what shapes they are likely to take in future.

Asma begins with a letter from Alexander the Great in 326 B.C. detailing an encounter in India with an "enormous beast--larger than an elephantthree ominous horns on its forehead".

From there the monsters come fast and furious--Behemoth and Leviathan, Gog and Magog, the leopard-bear-lion beast of Revelation, Satan and his demons, Grendel and Frankenstein, circus freaks and headless children, right up to the serial killers and terrorists of today, and the post-human cyborgs of tomorrow.

Monsters embody our deepest anxieties and vulnerabilities, Asma argues, but they also symbolize the mysterious and incoherent territory just beyond the safe enclosures of rational thought.

Exploring philosophical treatises, theological tracts, newspapers, pamphlets, films, scientific notebooks, and novels, Asma unpacks traditional monster stories for the clues they offer about the inner logic of an era's fears and fascinations.

In doing so, he illuminates the many ways monsters have become repositories for those human qualities that must be repudiated, externalized, and defeated.

Asma suggests how we handle monsters reflects how we handle uncertainty, ambiguity, insecurity.

In a world that is daily becoming less secure and more ambiguous, he shows how we might learn to better live with monsters--and thereby avoid becoming one.

Reviews

"Monsters literal and metaphorical are dissected with skill and discernment in philosopher and scholar Asma's penetrating "unnatural history".

Erudite, funny, and deeply attuned to the profound psychological and moral implications of monstrousness, Asma encompasses the mystical and the scientific as he ponders the simultaneous repulsion and attraction monsters arouse...

Asma is insightful and entertaining in his discussion of monsters of the deep, supernatural doppelgangers, zombies, and vampires, and intense in his discussion of Freud and the 'science of monstrous feelings...'

Asma's far-reaching book of monsterology is original, captivating, and profoundly elucidating."--Booklist starred review

"With insight, erudition, and humor, Asma's compendium of monsterology traces the evolving meanings and manifestations of monsters since antiquity, in religion, philosophy, science, literature, popular culture, and the human psyche.

"To explain the eternal attraction and repulsion of the monstrous, Asma draws on material from Aristotle to nanotechnology, revealing myriad, surprising ways that supernatural, natural, and metaphorical monsters inhabit the landscape of our imagination."

~Adrienne Mayor, author of The First Fossil Hunters and The Poison King

"On Monsters is a humorously omnivorous consideration of the monstrous.

"It's a delightful book, a terrific balance of scholarship and wonder."

~Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife

"A wide-ranging exploration of fear and evil, Asma's presentation and theories are original and practical, depicting those dark, repulsive notions of an unstable, turbulent world in which everybody must struggle to remain human and civilized."

~Publishers Weekly

"A comprehensive modern-day bestiary."

~New Yorker

"Cleverly conceived and slyly written...

"I have seldom read a book so satisfyingly achieves such an ambitious goal...

"His new book is a feast."

~Washington Post

"Spelunking adventure through the caverns of world history, culture and thought."

~Chicago Sun-Times

"Asma has a lucid, engaging style, and he uses it to provide a thoughtfully breezy survey of the bizarre and the lurking." --Chicago Reader

In his new book, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears , Columbia College lecturer Stephen Asma lays out a frightful, compelling bestiary."

~Time Out Chicago

"This highly readable, often humorous book is suitable for anyone interested in the history of ideas, culture, and the imagination."

~Choice

Product Details

368 pages; 20 b/w halftones, 30 line illus.; 6 1/8 x 9 1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-533616-0ISBN10: 0-19-533616-X

About the Author(s)

Stephen T. Asma is Professor of Philosophy at Columbia College Chicago, where he holds the title of Distinguished Scholar.

Asma is the author of many books, including - Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads: The Culture and Evolution of Natural History Museums (OUP, 2001), and The Gods Drink Whiskey: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment in the Land of the Tattered Buddha .

He lives in Chicago.

*******************************

On Faithful Monsters

25 November 2009

by Steve Wiggins

From the moment I saw Stephen Asma’s, On Monsters, summarized in the Chronicle of Higher Education, I knew I had to read it.

Having been fascinated by monsters as a child, and then having grown out of that fascination, this book is a respectable way to indulge my juvenile interests while learning something.

The book’s subtitle, An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears, reveals, perhaps, why I was so compelled by this particular volume.

Those of you who follow this blog know I contend, religion and fear are very closely related, well nigh inseparable, even.

As Asma delves into the origins of our monsters, he pauses for a while on the Bible.

The Bible hosts its share of monsters.

From lengthy descriptions of Leviathan and Behemoth to tantalizingly creepy references to Azazel and the night hag, the writers of holy writ were as aware of monsters as we are.

Asma focuses on the fantastic beasts described in the apocalyptic material, Daniel and Revelation.

Obviously not intended to be taken literally, the descriptions of these fantastical beasts represent various ancient empires that threatened the early Jews and Christians respectively.

Their monstrosity rests in their intent to destroy, not their hideous physical form.

To quote from our host, “Monsters are not creatures of natural history but symbolic warnings of a horrifying life without the Abrahamic God (or, in the case of Christians, without his son).”

The ancient fascination with monsters very likely has religious roots.

These beings appear to stand outside the rationally created order and lurk in places where the divine is not.

The fear they engender leads to the very religion that shuns them.

Vampires fear a crucifix, demons are banished at the name of Jesus, and even the headless horseman shuns a church.

People run to their faith to protect them from monsters, and monsters, in their turn, provided early believers with a rationale for their faith.

laughingwolf · at 12:01 PM

laughingwolf · at 11:53 AM

Miss World to be crowned in China...

30 Oct '10

SANYA, China (AFP) - More than 100 beautiful women, from across the globe, will vie for the Miss World crown in the Chinese resort of Sanya, today, in a pageant sure to deliver sex appeal and glamour.

British bookmaker, William Hill, listed Norway's Mariann Birkedal, a 23-year-old blue-eyed brunette, who earned an automatic spot in the final by clinching the preliminary Top Model title, as the hot favorite for the crown.

A win for Norway could cause a stir in Beijing, where the government is furious the Oslo-based Nobel committee awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize to jailed Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo.

With only a few hours to go before the competition, William Hill listed Birkedal's odds of winning at 6/5, followed by Alexandria Mills of the United States and Yara Santiago of Puerto Rico, both at 7/1.

Serbia's Milica Jelic is fourth in the running, according to the bookmaker.

"I really can't believe I've been chosen best model out of so many wonderful girls here," said Birkedal.

"It's a great honor for me and, of course, I'm delighted to be in the top 25.

"Now I can look forward to the final."

After a month-long tour of China, from visiting the striking Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, to shopping in Shanghai, the 115 contestants have now invaded Hainan island's pristine beaches for the main event.

The competition, which was first held in 1951 and is being staged in Sanya for the fifth time in eight years, annually rakes in a global television audience of about a billion viewers.

It begins at 8:00 pm (1200 GMT).

"Miss World has a special relationship with Sanya and there is no better place to begin our 60th year celebrations," the pageant's co-chairwoman Julia Morley said on the official website.

The glittering final competition, to be judged by seven former Miss Worlds including 1953 winner Denise Perrier Lanfranchi of France, will see the reigning glamour queen, Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar, relinquish her throne.

The event rivals the Miss Universe pageant, owned by US tycoon Donald Trump, which was won by Mexico's Jimena Navarrete in August.

The Miss World competition emphasises the importance of charity work.

Miss 'Beauty with a Purpose' -- Kenya's Natasha Metto, who has worked on combating an epidemic of parasitic Jigger fleas in her country -- is one of several contestants who have earned "fast-track" spots to the finals by winning mini-titles.

Along with "Top Model" Birkedal, Santiago booked her place with the Beach Beauty title, and Ireland's violin-playing Emma Waldron won the talent contest.

Lori Moore of Northern Ireland, a 20-year-old hockey and netball enthusiast, also secured her spot by taking the Sportswoman crown.

In 1951, Sweden's Kiki Hakansson became the first Miss World.

Oscar-winning American actress, Halle Berry, was a finalist in 1986.

Venezuela and India have produced the most Miss Worlds, with five titleholders each. Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai took the crown in 1994.

In 2002, the pageant was moved from Nigeria to Britain, after more than 200 people died in clashes sparked when a newspaper suggested the Muslim prophet Mohammed would have chosen a wife from among the contestants, had he been alive.

More than 100 beautiful women from across the globe will vie for the Miss World crown in the Chinese resort of Sanya in a pageant sure to deliver sex appeal and glamor.

A British bookmaker lists Norway's Mariann Birkedal (pictured), a 23-year-old blue-eyed brunette, who earned an automatic spot in the final by clinching the preliminary Top Model title, as the hot favorite for the crown.

Photo:Patrick Prather/AFP

laughingwolf · at 11:51 AM

Pearls Before Swine

laughingwolf · at 11:49 AM

laughingwolf · at 11:48 AM

Garfield

laughingwolf · at 11:47 AM

laughingwolf · at 11:38 AM

Terror investigators examine more packages...

1 hour, 27 minutes ago

By Eileen Sullivan,Matt Apuzzo, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Yemeni authorities are checking dozens more packages in a search for the terrorists who tried to mail bombs to Chicago-area synagogues in a brazen plot that heightened fears of a new al-Qaida terror attack.

Authorities on three continents thwarted the attacks when they seized explosives on cargo planes in the United Arab Emirates and England, Friday.

The plot sent tremors throughout the U.S., where, after a frenzied day searching planes and parcel trucks for other explosives, officials temporarily banned all new cargo from Yemen.

Several U.S. officials said they were increasingly confident that al-Qaida's Yemen branch, the group behind the failed Detroit airliner bombing last Christmas, was responsible.

President Barack Obama called the co-ordinated attacks a "credible terrorist threat".

The bombs were discovered just days before the U.S. national elections.

A Yemeni security official said investigators there were examining 24 other suspect packages in the capital, San'a.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information, and refused to provide more details.

Authorities were questioning cargo workers at the airport as well as employees of the local shipping companies contracted to work with FedEx and UPS, the official said.

In Dubai, where one of the two bombs was found in a FedEx shipment from Yemen, police said it contained a powerful explosive and bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida.

The white powder explosives were discovered in the ink cartridge of a computer printer, said a police statement carried by the official state news agency WAM.

The device was rigged to an electric circuit, and a mobile phone chip was hidden inside the printer, the statement said.

The police said the bomb was prepared in a "professional manner".

Yemen promised to investigate the plot.

The U.S. has FBI, military and intelligence officers stationed in the country to conduct an inquiry.

There are only a handful of international shipping locations in the impoverished Arab nation, but U.S. officials worried record keeping would be sparse, and investigators would have to rely more on intelligence sources to identify the would-be bombers.

The other package was found at an airport in central England.

Preliminary tests indicated both packages contained PETN, a powerful industrial explosive, the same chemical used in the attempted Christmas attack, U.S. officials said.

In San'a, there was no visible security presence today at the UPS and FedEx offices, which are located on the same street.

An employee at the UPS office said they had been instructed not to receive any packages for delivery for the time being.

He refused to be identified by name, because he said he had been instructed by authorities not to talk to reporters.

No explosives were found on an Emirates Airlines passenger jet escorted down the coast to New York by U.S. fighter jets.

"The forensic analysis is under way," Obama's counterterror chief John Brennan said.

"Clearly from the initial observation, the initial analysis that was done, the materials that were found in the device that was uncovered was intended to do harm."

While Obama didn't specifically accuse Yemen's al-Qaida branch, Brennan called it the most active al-Qaida franchise and said anyone associated with the group was a subject of concern.

That would include the radical U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who now is in hiding in Yemen.

He has been linked in the Christmas attack and has inspired other terrorists with his messages advocating violence.

Also hiding in Yemen is Samir Khan, an American who declared himself a traitor and helps produce al-Qaida propaganda.

The terrorist efforts "underscore the necessity of remaining vigilant against terrorism," Obama said.

The Homeland Security Department said it was stepping up airline security, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Americans did not need to change their travel plans.

Obama was not cancelling his weekend campaigning plans that included stops in Philadelphia and Chicago.

After a day of searches in Philadelphia, Newark, New Jersey, and New York City, no explosives were found inside the United States, though the investigation was continuing on at least one suspicious package late Friday night.

Intelligence officials were onto the suspected plot for days, officials said.

The packages in England and Dubai were discovered after Saudi Arabian intelligence picked up information related to Yemen, and passed it on to the U.S., two officials confirmed.

Most of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the ongoing investigation.

U.S. intelligence officials warned last month that terrorists hoped to mail chemical and biological materials as part of an attack on the United States and other Western countries.

The alert came in a 23 Sept. bulletin from the Homeland Security Department obtained by The Associated Press.

Since the failed Christmas bombing, Yemen has been a focus for U.S. counterterrorism officials. Before that attack, the U.S. regarded al-Qaida's branch there as primarily a threat in the region, not to the United States.

The Yemen branch, known as al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, has since become a leading source of terrorist propaganda and recruiting. Authorities believe about 300 al-Qaida members operate in Yemen.

The Yemeni government has stepped up counterterrorism operations, with help from the U.S. military and intelligence officials.

___

Associated Press writer Ahmed al-Haj in San'a, Yemen, contributed to this report.

This undated photo released by the Dubai Police via the state Emirates News Agency (WAM), 30 Oct. 2010, claims to show parts of a computer printer with explosives loaded into its toner cartridge found in a package onboard a cargo plane coming from Yemen, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Dubai police say the bomb, discovered in the ink cartridge of a computer printer in a shipment of air cargo from Yemen bound for the United States, contained the powerful explosive PETN and bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida.

(AP Photo/Dubai Police via Emirates News Agency)

EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO SALES

Smucker Foods of Canada Co. · PT15M

Scary Halloween Tart...

This “Scary Tart” is a delicious dessert that works great for Halloween, and can also be decorated differently and served at other occasions.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes, plus chilling/decorating time

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 can (300 mL) Regular or low fat sweetened condensed milk

1 cup (250 mL) cold water

1 pkg (102g) 4 serving size instant vanilla flavor pudding mix

2 cups (500 mL) frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed

1 9” (23cm) prepared graham cracker crust

Assorted candies, colored sprinkles or hallowe'en candy cutouts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, blend condensed milk and water with hand held wire whisk or electric mixer.

2. Beat in pudding mix until blended.

3. Chill at least 10 minutes.

4. Fold in whipped topping.

5. Spoon into pie crust, chill and decorate.

Smucker Foods of Canada Co. January 01, 1900

Notes:

1. To make “Scary Tart” in a great Halloween Theme…try our decorating tips:

2. Sprinkle top of tart with orange/black colored sprinkles

3. Place Halloween shaped sugar candies on top of center of tart

4. Cut out a wax paper ghost shape

5. Place wax paper ghost on tart; drop sprinkles around the wax paper, then carefully lift paper away

6. Create a spider web design on top of the tart by cutting small pieces of licorice and placing them on top of the tart

laughingwolf · at 11:15 AM

China is on path to 'militarization of space'...

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/25/asat.jpg

28 Oct '10

China looks set to pull ahead in the Asian space race to the moon, putting a spacecraft into lunar orbit, 06 Oct. in a preparatory mission for an unmanned moon landing in two or three years.

Chinese engineers will maneuver the craft into an extremely low orbit, 9.5 miles above the moon's surface, so it can take high-resolution photos of a possible landing site.

Basically, China is looking for a good "parking space" for a moon lander, in a less-known area of the moon known as the Bay of Rainbows.

The mission, called Chang'e 2 after a heroine from Chinese folklore who goes to the moon with a rabbit, highlights China's rapidly growing technological prowess, as well as its keen desire for prestige on the world stage.

If successful, it will put China a nose ahead of its Asian rivals with similar lunar ambitions India and Japan and signal a challenge to the American post-cold-war domination in space.

The Asian space race

Compared with the American and Soviet mad dashes into space in the late 1950s and '60s, Asia is taking its time running a marathon, not a sprint.

"All these countries witnessed the cold war, and what led to the destruction of the USSR," says Ajey Lele, an expert on Asian space programs at the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis in New Delhi, referring to the military and space spending that helped hasten the decline of the Soviet regime.

"They understand the value of money and investment, and they are going as per the pace which they can go."

He acknowledged China's edge over India.

"They started earlier, and they're ahead of us... at this time," he says.

India put the Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft into lunar orbit in 2008, a mission with a NASA payload that helped confirm the presence of water on the moon.

It plans a moon landing in a few years' time, and a manned mission as early as 2020 roughly the same timetable as China.

Japan is also mulling a moonshot, and has branched out into other space exploration, such as the recent Hayabusa mission to an asteroid.

Its last lunar orbiter shared the moon with China's first in 2007.

Both Japan's and India's recent missions have been plagued by glitches and technical problems, however, while China's have gone relatively smoothly.

Lele said the most significant aspect of the Chang'e 2 mission was the attempt at a 9.5-mile-high orbit, a difficult feat.

India's own lunar orbiter descended to about 60 miles in 2008, he said, but was forced to return to a more stable, 125-mile-high orbit.

A low orbit will allow for better scouting of future landing sites, said Lele.

"The Chinese will require huge amounts of data on landing grounds," said Lele.

"A moon landing hasn't been attempted since the cold war."

During the famed 1969 Apollo 11 manned mission to the moon, astronaut Neil Armstrong had to take control of the lander in the last moments of descent to avoid large moon boulders strewn around the landing site.

China hopes to avoid any such last-minute surprises with better reconnaissance photos, which would allow them to see moon features such as rocks as small as one-meter across, according to Chinese media.

Is China's space exploration a military strategy?

Meanwhile, some have pointed out that China's moonshot, like all space programs, has valuable potential military offshoots.

China's space program is controlled by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), which is steadily gaining experience in remote communication and measurement, missile technology, and antisatellite warfare through missions like Chang'e 2.

The security implications of China's space program are not lost on India, Japan, or the United States.

The Pentagon notes that China, through its space program, is exploring ways to exploit the US military's dependence on space in a conflict scenario for example, knocking out US satellites in the opening hours of a crisis over Taiwan.

"China is developing the ability to attack an adversary's space assets, accelerating the militarization of space," the Pentagon said in its latest annual report to Congress on China's military power.

"PLA writings emphasize the necessity of 'destroying, damaging, and interfering with the enemy's reconnaissance ... and communications satellites.' "

More broadly, some in the US see China's moon program as evidence it has a long-range strategic view that's lacking in Washington.

The US has a reconnaissance satellite in lunar orbit now, but President Obama appears to have put off the notion of a manned return to the moon.

With China slowly but surely laying the groundwork for a long-term lunar presence, some fear the US may one day find itself lapped "like the tale of the tortoise and the hare," says Dean Cheng, an expert on China's space program at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.

"I have to wonder whether the United States, concerned with far more terrestrial issues, and with its budget constraints, is going to decide to make similarly persistent investments to sustain its lead in space."

Persondata
Name	Lebowitz, Fran
Alternative names
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Date of birth	October 27, 1950
Place of birth	Morristown, New Jersey
Date of death
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31 October 2010

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On Monsters:

An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears

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Miss World to be crowned in China...

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China is on path to 'militarization of space'...

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