I agree with ya. Next year he'll hit 80.

Cardinals activate Pujols

June 22, 2006

CHICAGO (AP) -- Albert Pujols was activated from the disabled list and returned to the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup Thursday night for their series finale against the Chicago White Sox.

The Cardinals made two other moves before the game, putting struggling left-hander Mark Mulder on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder strain and sending Chris Duncan to Triple-A Memphis.

Pujols went on the DL on June 4 with a strained muscle in his side and the Cardinals went 8-7 without their star first baseman and 2005 NL MVP.

Pujols was batting .308 and was tied for the major league lead in homers with 25. He was second in RBIs with 65.

Mulder, who is just 1-4 in his last six starts, was tagged Tuesday by the White Sox, giving up nine earned runs and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings.

Duncan, the son of St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan, batted .275 in 17 games with three homers and nine RBIs.

White Sox batting in the first. Maybe the Cards can hold them to a touchdown tonight.

Traders Flock to Dollar as NK Crisis Exacerbates
Thursday, 22 June 2006 09:44:23 GMT
Written by Boris Schlossberg, Senior Currency Strategist
Talking Points

The specter of a possible launch of an intermediate range missile by North Korea hung over the FX market Thursday morning, as traders flocked to the dollar for safety. With standoff between North Korea and the rest of the world continuing, the FX markets were on edge and rumors of a possible shooting of US spy plane by North Koreans send the USD/JPY above 115.00 and pushed EUR/USD below 1.2650 in a flurry of panicked dollar buying. The rumors were quickly denied by US officials but the angst over the possible escalation of tensions in the Pacific theater kept the dollar well bid.

In other news, the shock announcement of David Walton’s death pressed on the pound. Mr. Walton was the most hawkish member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, casting the solitary vote for a rate hike at BOE’s last meeting in June. With Mr. Walton’s unfortunate departure traders assigned even less probability to any near term BOE rate hike. In a global environment of tightening monetary policies by the G-3 currency regimes, the pound may begin to trail the pack if BOE maintains its policy of interest rate neutrality.

On the economic front, EZ Industrial Orders for April missed expectations by a mile printing at –0.2% vs. 2.0% expected. April saw a sharp rise in the euro against both the dollar and the yen and suggests that the rising exchange rates impacted the growth of the Euro-zone’s crucial export sector. Since the majority of EZ industrial exports takes place with Asia rather than US, the near record value of the EUR/JPY cannot be considered welcome news at ECB headquarters in Frankfurt. The high value of EUR/JPY was one possible reason for ECB’ s reluctance to hike rates earlier in the year and may well be the cause of further hesitation to tighten monetary policy if the economic data shows further deterioration in growth.

Boy, 3, Hospitalized After Eating LSD-Laced SweeTarts Candy at Party
Thursday, June 22, 2006

CEDAR PARK, Texas — The mother of a 3-year-old boy was arrested after her son ate candy laced with LSD during a weekend party.

Ashli R. Freas, 22, was charged Monday with child endangerment after taking her son to a hospital. She was released Tuesday on $10,000 bond.

According to a police affidavit, Freas and her boyfriend took her son to a party at an apartment. They went outside, leaving the boy inside with another adult.

The apartment's leaseholder noticed that his roll of SweeTarts, which had been laced with the hallucinogenic drug, was open and that nine candies were missing.

Freas took her son home, then to the hospital after he began hallucinating.

Chris Van Deusen, spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, said the boy will be placed in a foster home after he's released from the hospital.

Fla. restaurant sells $100 hamburger Wed Jun 21, 4:54 PM ET



BOCA RATON, Fla. - A hundred bucks might buy you more than six dozen burgers from McDonald's, but the swanky Old Homestead Steakhouse will sell you one brawny beef sandwich for the same price.

Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams could barely speak between bites as he devoured the 20-ounce, $100 hamburger billed as the "beluga caviar of sandwiches."

"Heaven on a bun," restaurant owner Marc Sherry said.

The burger debuted Tuesday at the restaurant in the Boca Raton Resort and Club, where a membership costs $40,000 and an additional $3,600 a year.

"We've never had a hamburger on our menu here so we really wanted to go to the extreme," Sherry said, calling it "the most decadent burger in the world."

At about 5 1/2 inches across and 2 1/2 inches thick, the mound of meat is comprised of beef from three continents — American prime beef, Japanese Kobe and Argentine cattle.

The bill for one burger, with garnishing that includes organic greens, exotic mushrooms and tomatoes, comes out to $124.50 with tax and an 18 percent tip included. The restaurant will donate $10 from each sale to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

La Russa says Pujols to return next week 29 minutes ago



CHICAGO - Albert Pujols should be ready to come off the disabled list and play by Monday when the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game series at home against the Cleveland Indians, manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday.

"Sooner than that? Maybe," La Russa said.

Pujols went through another rigorous workout, including batting practice where he put on a power display and ran the bases, before the Cardinals played the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. After the Cardinals wrap up the three-game series on Thursday, they play three games in Detroit before heading home.

"He pushed the workout a couple of degrees tougher and responded real well," La Russa said of the first baseman. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow, if he has soreness or fatigue. ... It was a positive report."

Pujols, who has been out since June 3 with a strained muscle on his right side, is still tied for the major league lead in homers with 25 and is second in RBIs with 65.

Before Wednesday's game, the NL Central-leading Cardinals had an 8-6 record without Pujols, the 2005 NL MVP.

Gunsmoke: Blood, Bullets, and Buckskin (2004 Western) by Joseph A. West

Joseph West is a veteran writer of many westerns. This is the fist of four Gunsmoke books based on the long running TV show. I liked it and think fans of Western novels would enjoy reading it.

note: The forward of the book was written by James Arness.

06.19.2006
Shatner Named to TV Hall of Fame


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) — the organization behind the Emmys — on Monday named William Shatner as one of the latest inductees to the academy's Hall of Fame.
Described by Broadcasting & Cable as "the poster-actor for second acts, having shattered the typecast of Captain Kirk with the equally memorable Denny Crane of ABC's Boston Legal," Shatner owns two Emmys for playing that latter character (first as a Guest Actor on The Practice then Supporting Actor on Boston Legal). He also earned an Emmy nomination for playing "The Big Giant Head" on 3rd Rock from the Sun.

ATAS has not yet announced a date for the induction ceremony, but a spokeswoman said it take place this year, in Hollywood. We will provide updates as they become available.

Shatner was one of five inductees in the latest round of selections (it is not an annual ritual). The others are former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, comedy director James Burrows, producer Leonard Goldberg and talk show host Regis Philbin.

Hall of Fame candidates are submitted by academy members and the industry at large to the selection committee, which decides on inductees by vote. That committee included Leslie Moonves, chairman and CEO of CBS Corp.; Gail Berman, president of Paramount Pictures; Dawn Ostroff, president of entertainment for The CW; and other industry executives.

Since 1984, more than 100 actors, writers, executives, producers, directors and craftspeople have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Among the ranks of inductees are Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson, Walter Cronkite, Milton Berle, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Mary Tyler Moore, Oprah Winfrey and Carl Reiner.

Shatner is the first Star Trek-related personality chosen for this honor.

NASCAR owner charged with $20 million tax fraud


June 20, 2006

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A NASCAR team owner is accused of defrauding the government of more than $20 million in taxes.

Gene Haas, the 54-year-old owner of Oxnard-based Haas Automation and NASCAR's Haas CNC Racing, was arrested Monday for investigation of conspiracy, filing false tax returns and witness intimidation.

Charges filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office accuse Haas of orchestrating a plan to list $50 million in bogus expenses that could be written off as business costs and save the company $20 million in taxes. Haas, of Camarillo, was being held without bail.

CNC Racing fields the No. 66 Nextel Cup car driven by Jeff Green, and Johnny Sauter's No. 00 Busch Series car.

Haas Automation, which makes computerized machine tools, said in a statement that Haas was not guilty and that the tax issues ``revolve around'' the company's former financial officer, John Phillips.

Last month, Haas Automation by default won a Ventura County Superior Court lawsuit accusing Phillips of cheating the company out of $27.5 million.

The transactions described in the lawsuit are among those listed in the federal indictment, said Peter Zierhut, a Haas Automation spokesman.

Phillips, who is an unindicted coconspirator, went to the FBI in April 2001 claiming Haas ordered him to cheat the government out of more than $8.9 million in taxes, the Justice Department said.

The owner of Supermill Inc., a nonexistent Nevada company that allegedly issued fake bills to Haas Automation, agreed to plead guilty to two tax evasion charges, the Justice Department said.

Haas Automation's former general manager, Denis Dupuis, and a former salesman, Robert Cable, also were indicted in connection with the purported scheme.

The company, formed in 1983, employs 1,000 people and had revenues of more than $500 million last year, said Robert Murray, the firm's general manager.

The New York Times described the firm as the nation's largest computerized machine tool maker

Looks like an interesting site Y worry Murray. I've never used the power ratings so can't comment on it. May be someone else on the board can be more helpful.

Mark Mulder has really gone downhill for the Cardinals. In his last five starts before tonight he was 1-3 with a ERA of 9.24. Tonight he could only last 2.1 innings giving up 9 runs on 10 hits.

Beagle to be awarded for saving owner Mon Jun 19, 9:19 PM ET

Belle and her owner Kevin Weaver


ORLANDO, Fla. - A 17-pound beagle named Belle is more than man's best friend. She's a lifesaver. Belle was in Washington, D.C., on Monday to receive an award for biting onto owner Kevin Weaver's cell phone to call 911 after the diabetic Ocoee man had a seizure and collapsed.

"There is no doubt in my mind that I'd be dead if I didn't have Belle," said Weaver, 34, whose blood sugar had dropped dangerously low. Belle had been trained to summon help in just those circumstances.

She was the first canine recipient to win the VITA Wireless Samaritan Award, given to someone who used a cell phone to save a life, prevent a crime or help in an emergency, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday.

Weaver first heard about service dogs while he was working as a flight attendant after befriending a frequent passenger who taught dogs to help diabetic patients. Using their keen sense of smell, the animals can detect abnormalities in a person's blood-sugar levels.

The dog periodically licks Weaver's nose to take her own reading of his blood-sugar level. If something seems off to her, she will paw and whine at him.

"Every time she paws at me like that I grab my meter and test myself," Weaver said. "She's never been wrong."

Man tries to pay with bartender's checks 44 minutes ago


STATESBORO, Ga., - A 21-year-old Georgia man was arrested after trying to buy drinks with a checkbook he found at a bar. Unfortunately for Jody Brian Minor of McRae, the checkbook's owner was the bartender serving him.

Minor was arrested on theft and forgery charges early Saturday morning, Statesboro Police Detective Terry Briley said.

He was "extraordinarily intoxicated," Briley said. Minor is out on bond, and his case will go before a grand jury in August, Briley said.

Minor was at Dingus Magee's bar when he found a checkbook and began paying his tab with it, Briley said. One of the bar's employees realized the checks belonged to a fellow bartender Hubble Beasley, who called police.

Briley said Minor's father has paid the delinquent $129 bar tab.

Dog craving doughnuts blamed for fire 45 minutes ago


RIDGEFIELD, Wash. - A dog with a craving for doughnuts was blamed for starting a house fire in this city north of Vancouver.

According to Clark County fire investigators, the homeowners had left a box of doughnuts on the stove on Sunday. The dog jumped up onto the stove to get to the doughnuts and accidentally flipped on a burner.

"The burner set the box on fire and the fire spread from the kitchen to the attic," Fire District 11 Capt. Ben Meacham told The Columbian.

Investigators said the fire caused about $75,000 worth of damage.

The dog, home alone when the fire started, escaped injury.

[15:46 USD/CAD: Probing Lows; Bond Flows Eyed Later in Week] Boston, June 20. USD/CAD sits near session lows, trading around 1.1157, weighed down by the growing risk of a BOC rate hike next month after Canadian CPI rose more than expected this morning. Combined with super-strong employment report, the BOC may be dragged off the sidelines faster than it would have liked. With USD/CAD failing to surmount key resistance between 1.1250 and 75 so far this week, dealers see significant room on the downside in the days ahead. 1.1140, the 10 day moving average and 1.1110 where there is a pair of daily lows, are next supports. Dealers note a C$5.1 bln Canada Housing Trust (AAA rated) deal coming to market later this week which may attract some foreign buying interest.
Jamie.Coleman@Thomson.com /rs

Army called to fight toad invasion in Australia Sun Jun 18, 6:20 PM ET

cane toad


SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian state government called for the army to be deployed against an invasion of toxic toads.

Battalions of imported cane toads are marching relentlessly across northern Australia and the West Australian government wants soldiers to intercept the environmental barbarians.

State Environment Minister Mark McGowan has written to Defence Minister Brendan Nelson asking permission to use soldiers based in the neighbouring Northern Territory to kill the toads.

"The army in the Northern Territory is greater than any other part of Australia," McGowan told national radio.

"We'd seek the Commonwealth (federal government) to help us in fighting this terrible threat to native fauna in Western Australia."

The toads, Bufo Marinus, were introduced from South America into northeast Queensland state in the 1930s to control another pest -- beetles that were ravaging the sugar cane fields of the tropical northern coasts.

But the toads now number in the millions and are spreading westward through the Northern Territory, upsetting the country's ecosystem in their wake.

Cane toads have poisonous sacs on the back of their heads full of a venom so powerful it can kill crocodiles, snakes or other predators in minutes.

All attempts to fight the spread of the toads so far have failed.

It Has Come to This: Computer Orders Restaurant Workers Around
Bill Christensen

Technovelgy.com
Mon Jun 19, 11:00 AM ET


Hyperactive Bob, the kitchen production management computer system from Hyperactive Technologies, is now being licensed to Zaxby's, a fast-food restaurant chain with locations in the Southern states. Zaxby's has 330 counter-service chicken specialty restaurants. This artificially intelligent computer system not only takes orders, it gives them as well.

Hyperactive Bob makes use of different forms of robotics technology to help manage fast food restaurants:

Sensing the environment: The system uses robotic vision to count the cars in the parking lot, gathers feedback from employees and collects point-of-sale information in real time.

Artificial Intelligence: Hyperactive Bob analyzes historical and real-time data to learn about each restaurant individually. Hyperactive Technologies claims that HB is more accurate than most seasoned employees.

Taking Charge: Hyperactive Bob uses touch screens to tell employees what to do. Employees are instructed how much of which foods to cook; when the food is ready, they tell HB.

Hyperactive Bob operates on practical PC hardware and Windows .Net, Winnov Videum 4400 VO (4 channel video capture card), ELO Touch Screen Displays and Color 380 TV Line Cameras . According to the company, HB "leverages existing QSR infrastructure to offer a very low total cost of ownership, with little maintenance or support, and provides an accelerated return-on-investment that is realized in less than one year."

Hyperactive Bob is frighteningly close to Manna, a science-fictional system proposed by Marshall Brain in his novella-length story of the same name. In the story, Manna is a PC-based system that makes use of sensors around the restaurant to gain information; it then instructs employees.

Manna was connected to the cash registers, so it knew how many people were flowing through the restaurant. The software could therefore predict with uncanny accuracy when the trash cans would fill up, the toilets would get dirty and the tables needed wiping down. The software was also attached to the time clock, so it knew who was working in the restaurant...

Manna told employees what to do simply by talking to them. Employees each put on a headset when they punched in... (Read more about Marshall Brain's Manna)


If you think that going through your day with a computer telling you what to do every minute sounds creepy, it gets much worse. In the story, human workers are really just the remote "manipulators" and "sensors" of the system. Hopefully, no one will tell the makers of Hyperactive Bob about the Manna story; it has too many practical suggestions for the enslavement of humans. Visit Hyperactive Technologies.

(This Science Fiction in the News story used with permission from Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction.)

2006 rookie standings after Michigan:

9 Denny Hamlin 1809
18 Clint Bowyer 1550
20 Reed Sorenson 1508
24 Martin Truex Jr. 1460
27 J.J. Yeley 1354
36 David Stremme 1070
42 Brent Sherman 372

I cost myself 106 points by dropping Kahne and adding Labonte.
:(

The dollar is looking strong. If eur/usd can rally a little to about 1.2615 I may short. If not I'll probably wait till morning to do anything.

USD/JPY has broken through 115.50 resistance. Glad I didn't short.

[23:49 N.Koreans Likey To Have Fueled Missile - US Officials- Reuters] Sydney, June 19: Reuters reports that according to US officials North Korea has probably fueled a missile and increased the chance of an imminent test launch. --
John.Noonan@thomson.com

[23:48 USD/JPY: No. Korea Excuse to Sell Yen, 115.50 Barriers In Sight] Tokyo, Jun 16. USD/JPY is opening this week firm, moving up from a New York close of 115.13/23 to as high as the 115.35/40 level early this morning. EUR/JPY has been supportive, breaking up above 145.70 and tripping some stops. Dealers cite North Korea threats to test another Taepodong missile for the yen sales. Reports that the North Koreans had moved a missile out of storage to a launch facility were being heard as early as Friday. Military analysts noted that they were ready to launch yesterday. Japan has threatened retaliation if a test takes place. This would include barring all North Korean boats from Japanese ports and stopping
remittances by Korean residents in Japan. The latter is a crucial life-line for the foreign exchange-starved Stalinist state.

USD/JPY should continue to see heavy resistance ahead of option barriers and strikes. Some vanilla 115.50 strikes expired Friday but more are seen here. Stops are eyed on a break above. Next resistance comes in at 115.71, the 100-day moving average. The 200-day moving average comes in at 115.90 today. And even
larger option barriers are eyed at 116.00. Specs will be looking to take out all of these levels given proximity. Helping to cap the upside however will be Japanese exporters, looking to hedge on any break higher. Support below is seen
at 115.00-10, 114.80-85 (114.82 was the New York low), and then at 114.50-60 (114.55 the Asian low, 114.57 the London low and 114.50 the 10-day moving average). USD/JPY currently trades 115.38/39. --Haruya.ida@thomson.com

lol. I wouldn't want to board that plane anytime soon.

Thanks ONEBGG, I enjoy reading this board. Nice to have a liberal free political board on ihub.

Hey Phil

Would like to change my picks to:

Martin (6)
Biffle (16)
B. Labonte (43)

Thanks

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 17, 2006

President's Radio Address

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Earlier this week, I traveled to Baghdad to visit the capital of a free and democratic Iraq. It was an incredible feeling to stand in the cockpit of Air Force One and watch the pilot steer us in toward Baghdad.

After we landed, I had the pleasure of meeting with our dedicated embassy staff and intelligence officers serving far from home under dangerous circumstances. And I was honored to meet with some of our troops, including those responsible for bringing justice to the terrorist Zarqawi. It was a privilege to shake their hands, look them in the eye, and tell them how much the American people appreciate their daily courage, and how much we appreciate the sacrifices that they and their families are making.

On my trip, I also met with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, and I was able to see firsthand his strong character and his determination to succeed. We held a joint meeting of our two Cabinets, with members of my Cabinet participating by video teleconference from Camp David. The Prime Minister briefed us on his plan to take immediate steps in three key areas: improving security, building up Iraq's economy so Iraqis can see real progress in their lives, and reaching out to the international community to secure support for Iraq's new government. Then we discussed how my administration can help the Prime Minister accomplish these vital objectives.

His top priority is securing Baghdad, so Coalition and Iraqi forces have launched Operation Together Forward, a joint effort to restore security and the rule of law to high-risk areas of the city. To help the Prime Minister improve security, we will continue embedding Coalition transition teams in Iraqi army and police units, and we will help the new Iraqi Ministers of Defense and Interior improve their command and control, root out corruption, and investigate and punish human rights violations. We will also support the Prime Minister as he works to rein in illegal militias, build a judicial system that will provide equal justice to all, and promote reconciliation among the Iraqi people.

To aid the Prime Minister in revitalizing Iraq's economy, we will send additional experts to help the Iraqi government develop an economic framework that will promote job creation and opportunity for all Iraqis. We will also help the Prime Minister increase oil and electricity production by working together on ways to protect key infrastructure from attacks, and to quickly restore oil and electricity production when attacks do occur.

Finally, America will help the Prime Minister engage the international community in Iraq's success. We will encourage other nations to fulfill the monetary pledges they have already made to help the new Iraqi government succeed. We will also support the Prime Minister's efforts to forge a new international compact. Under this compact, Iraq will take a series of steps in the political, economic, and security areas, and in return, the international community will provide Iraq with more robust political and economic support.

During my trip, I was impressed with the Prime Minister, the team he has assembled, and the plan he has set for his government. I appreciate his determination, and the determination of his Cabinet, to make his agenda work. I told them that the future of Iraq is in their hands. And I told them that America is a nation that keeps its word, and America will stand with them as we work toward our shared goal: a free Iraq that can govern itself, sustain itself, and defend itself. By seizing this moment of opportunity, we will defeat our common enemies and build a lasting democracy in the heart of the Middle East, and that will make Americans, Iraqis, and the world more secure.

I traveled to Baghdad to personally show our Nation's commitment to a free Iraq, because it is vital for the Iraqi people to know with certainty that America will not abandon them after we have come this far. The challenges that remain in Iraq are serious. We face determined enemies who remain intent on killing the innocent, and defeating these enemies will require more sacrifice and the continued patience of our country. But our efforts in Iraq are well worth it, the mission is necessary for the security of our country, and we will succeed.

Thank you for listening.

END

The Cardinals got 6 runs in the 8th inning and beat the Rockies 8-1. Jason Marquis (9-4) pitched a good game for the win going 8 innings allowing 1 run on 8 hits. CF Jim Edmonds went 2 for 4 with a RBI and 2 runs scored and ss Hector Luna went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs.

Man pays ticket more than 50 years later 1 hour, 34 minutes ago


PHILADELPHIA - Better late than never. That's how John Gedge felt about paying a $15 speeding ticket he received from a guard in a city park nearly 52 years ago.

Fairmount Park officials received a letter and a five-pound note this week from Gedge, now 84 and living in a nursing home in East Sussex, England. Five pounds was worth about $14 in 1954, about $9 today.

"Englishmen pay their debts," Gedge told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I'm very sorry I left it all that time. But my conscience is clear."

Gedge was visiting Philadelphia on July 15, 1954, when a park guard nabbed him for driving 55 mph in a 35 mph zone.

He recently discovered the unpaid citation in the pocket of an old coat.

"I thought, blimey, I've got to pay, that's it," Gedge said by telephone. "I had the fiver to do it. And I'm very happy I did."

Teacher sentenced to prison in cancer scam Fri Jun 16, 10:25 AM ET


BOSTON (Reuters) - A former teacher who faked stomach cancer in Massachusetts and went on a spending spree with some $37,000 in donations from friends and family was sentenced on Thursday to two years in prison.

Heather Faria, 27, was found guilty in April of duping friends into holding a fund-raiser for her medical treatments and then spending the money on a vacation, a wide-screen television and jewelry, the Bristol District Attorney's office said.

A New Bedford Superior Court also sentenced Faria to eight years of probation after she pleaded guilty to five counts of larceny and one count of gross fraud, said Lisa Leonard, spokeswoman for Bristol District Attorney Paul Walsh.

Faria, a Massachusetts resident who worked as a high school special education teacher until last year, had told friends, family and colleagues that she could not afford cancer treatment and still have money left over for food, Leonard said.

She was exposed after the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, where she said she was receiving treatment, said Faria was not a patient, Leonard said.

Photos taken of 'living fossil' in Laos

Diatomyidae or Laotian rock rat


Thu Jun 15, 9:05 PM ET


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The first pictures showing a live specimen of a rodent species once thought to have been extinct for 11 million years have been taken by a retired Florida State University professor and a Thai wildlife biologist.

They took video and still photographs of the "living fossil," which looks like a small squirrel or tree shrew, in May during an expedition to central Laos near the Thai border.

Known as Diatomyidae, scientists have nicknamed it the Laotian rock rat. The creature is not really a rat but a member of a rodent family once known only from fossils.

The pictures show a docile, squirrel-sized animal with dark dense fur and a long tail but not as bushy as a squirrel's. It also shows that the creature waddles like a duck with its hind feet splayed out at an angle — ideal for climbing rocks.

"I hope these pictures will help in some way to prevent the loss of this marvelous animal," said David Redfield, a science education professor emeritus.

He and Uthai Treesucon, a bird-watching colleague, befriended hunters who captured a live rock rat after four failed attempts. They returned the animal, which the locals call kha-nyou, to its rocky home after photographing it.

The long-whiskered rodent was branded as a new species last year when biologists first examined dead specimens they found being sold at meat markets. But they had never seen a live animal until Redfield and Treesucon photographed it.

"These images are extremely important scientifically, showing as they do an animal (with) such markedly distinctive anatomical and functional attributes," said Mary Dawson, curator emeritus of vertebrate paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

Dawson and colleagues in France and China first reported the rock rat's true identity in the March 10 edition of the journal Science after they compared the bones of present-day specimens with fossils found in Asia.

The Slow Sound of a Scream on Mars
Bjorn Carey
Staff Writer
SPACE.com
Fri Jun 16, 9:03 AM ET


In space, no one can hear you scream, the saying goes. But what about on the surface of Mars?


A new computer simulation reveals just how far sound waves travel on the red planet. And if you're screaming for help, you better hope people are nearby.


Sound in air, water or any medium travels in waves that propagate as one molecule collides into the next, and so on. Because the Martian atmosphere is much thinner than Earth's, the distance between molecules is 120 times as far as in your back yard.


Scientists from Penn State University set up a computer simulation to figure out how far a sound wave would travel in Mars' thin air.


On Earth, the sound from an average scream might travel about three-quarters of a mile, depending on conditions. But it would only make it about 53 feet on Mars, according to Amanda Hanford, a researcher on the project.


Similarly, sound produced by a lawnmower travels several miles in open air on Earth, but would go only a couple hundred feet on Mars.


Sound on Mars also travels more slowly, and Hanford said that means you might not recognize your own voice.


"If you were able to produce vocal sounds on Mars—that is, if you were able to breathe carbon dioxide—your voice would be lower," Hanford told SPACE.com.


It's the reverse of talking like a chipmunk after inhaling helium. Helium gas has a higher speed of sound than the air we normally breathe, which causes our voices to sound a few octaves higher.

Leadoff hitter scratched with minor concussion

June 16, 2006

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Cardinals shortstop David Eckstein was scratched from the lineup Friday night, a day after sustaining a minor concussion breaking up a double play.

Eckstein, second in the NL with 86 hits and batting .322, had been in the leadoff slot against the Rockies. He finished the game Thursday, but said he'd been experiencing headaches all night after the team's return flight from Pittsburgh, and said the head "was kind of throbbing pretty good" when he attempted to take batting practice several hours before game time.

"I just haven't been able to shake the headache," Eckstein said. "When I take a swing I hold my breath and it intensifies when I move my head."

Aaron Miles replaced Eckstein at the leadoff slot and Hector Luna filled in at shortstop, batting eighth.

"He got kicked in the head," manager Tony La Russa said. "We just don't want to push him."

Michigan

Kahne (9)
Martin (6)
Biffle (16)

If you don't take this note to the police and get them involved, I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher somewhere in Napa County.

If you do take this note to the police. I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work.

You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.

Bartender Billy Wiles found this typewritten note under his windshield in Dean Koontz Velocity (2005 Suspense). Billy thinks the note is a sick joke until a young blond schoolteacher is murdered....and he finds another note.

Finished reading this book last night. Another good one by Dean Koontz.

Judge sets speed-reading record... Fri Jun 16, 10:24 AM ET


MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian judge considering the merits of adding billions of dollars of back tax claims against stricken oil firm YUKOS has set a new speed reading record, the firm said in a wry comment Thursday.

YUKOS said a judge in Moscow's arbitration court decided to include $13 billion of back-tax claims in YUKOS's creditors' list after taking just 15 minutes to consider 127,000 pages of information submitted by Russian tax officials.

"The judge came back after 15 minutes and said ... the 127,000 pages were useful in the argument for the case," YUKOS spokeswoman Claire Davidson told Reuters. "We'd like to congratulate the judge on a new world speed-reading record."

YUKOS has said its tax troubles, with a total bill of about $33 billion, are a politically motivated attempt to destroy it, with courts that take their cue from the Kremlin.

The judge could not be immediately reached for comment.

North Korea missile test may be imminent 34 minutes ago


WASHINGTON - North Korea is accelerating preparations for testing a missile that has the potential to strike the United States, a U.S. government official said Friday. A test of the Taepodong-2 long-range missile may be imminent, the official said.

The official agreed to speak but only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

The official said the Bush administration is very concerned about activities that point toward a test, but declined to elaborate.

Japanese and South Korean officials also have expressed concern in recent days about the reported North Korean missile launch activities. Kyodo News agency in Japan reported that an additional rocket section had arrived at a North Korean launch site within the past two days.

In Tokyo, the Japanese government responded to news reports about a possible test by warning that any such step would jeopardize the country's security.

The reports of a possible launch come after a prolonged hiatus in six-party nuclear disarmament talks designed to create a Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons.

Persistent efforts by the United States and other members of the group to persuade North Korea to resume the discussions have not been successful. There have been no discussions since last November.

[16:36 USD/JPY: Risk of N. Korean Missile Launch Increases] San Francisco, June 16. USD/JPY is testing the morning highs again at 115.15 with traders still targeting resistance at 115.20. Rising expectations that the BOJ will delay a rate hike is supporting USD/JPY. Another supportive factor is the growing indications that N. Korea could launch a missile test, capable of hitting the continental US, as early as tomorrow. Earlier this morning, a US aide stated that such a test maybe "imminent" while the Japanese wire Jiji, asserts in a headline that the test may be as early as Saturday in Asia. Typically the JPY weakens on news of a missile launch. USD/JPY stops and offers are staggered above 115.20 and up to 115.50. Rhonda.Staskow@Thomson.com /rd

Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jun 16, 2:31 AM ET



Think slathering on the highest-number sunscreen at the beach or pool will spare you skin cancer and premature wrinkles? Probably not, if you're in the sun a lot. That's because you don't need a sunburn to suffer the effects that can cause various types of skin cancer.

Sunscreens generally do a good job filtering out the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn — UVB rays. But with sunburn protection, many people get a false sense of security that keeps them under the harsh sun much longer. That adds to the risk of eventual skin cancer — both deadly melanoma and the more common and less-threatening basal and squamous cell cancers.

And most sunscreens don't defend nearly as well against the UVA rays that penetrate deep into the skin and are more likely to cause skin cancer and wrinkles. That's true even for some products labeled "broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection."

Experts say the best protection against UVA is a sunscreen that includes zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Consumers should also look for those that are water-resistant and have an SPF of 30 or better, indicating strong protection against UVB rays, and apply liberally and often.

More important, limit time in the sun, particularly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cover up, including wearing a hat and sunglasses.

Often, product labels are confusing or bear misleading claims. For example, the SPF, or sun protection factor, refers only to defense against the less harmful UVB rays.

"I don't think people understand they're only getting protection from part of the spectrum," said Dr. Sandra Read, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology. "You're accumulating this damage and you don't know it."

Many sunscreens say little about when to reapply — doctors say at least every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Nor do they say much about how much to use, roughly two tablespoons for an adult.

"Most people who use an SPF 15 get the protection equivalent to an SPF 5 because they put it on" too thinly, said Dr. Martin A. Weinstock, chairman of the American Cancer Society's skin cancer advisory group and a Brown University professor.

While a higher SPF number means more protection, the difference is small: SPF 15 blocks about 93 percent of UVB rays and SPF 50, often more expensive, blocks about 98 percent.

Most sunscreens work by reacting chemically with the skin, so they don't start absorbing damaging rays right away and must be applied a half-hour before going outside, something many labels fail to note.

And claims such as "waterproof" and "sunblock" are unsupported, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which years ago proposed replacing them with the more-accurate terms "water resistant" and "sunscreen." Manufacturers, including Neutrogena Suncare maker Johnson & Johnson and Coppertone maker Schering-Plough Corp., say they haven't complied because the FDA still hasn't imposed those rules — a delay that's spawned consumer lawsuits and pressure on the FDA from Congress and the American Cancer Society.

Still, doctors say people shouldn't abandon sunscreen: They probably should use more.

"Sunscreens do protect against skin cancer," said Dr. Babar Rao, a dermatologist at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. "We definitely still need sunscreen, even on a cloudy day."

Research has shown heavy sunscreen use lowers risk of squamous skin cell cancer, which has a high cure rate if caught early. Another study found heavy sunscreen use in children reduces the number of moles, which can turn cancerous later, Weinstock noted.

In 1999, the FDA announced tougher rules for sunscreen testing and label and ad claims, to take effect in 2001. But the agency put them on hold indefinitely to do more tests, said Dr. Matthew Holman, senior scientist at the FDA's drug evaluation center.

Last fall, Congress ordered the FDA to produce the new regulations within six months through a provision added by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., in the FDA appropriations bill.

"Twenty years is long enough for the FDA to ensure that all Americans have equal access to clear, accurate and comprehensive sunscreen labeling as their first line of defense against skin cancer," Dodd said, referring to how long the agency has worked on new rules.

Holman said proposed rules could be announced this summer, but then there will be lengthy hearings and revisions. "All we can say is really years" until they take effect, he said.

This spring, a San Diego-based law firm got pending lawsuits against makers of the top sunscreens — Coppertone, Neutrogena, Playtex Products' Banana Boat, Tanning Research Laboratories' Hawaiian Tropic and Chattem Inc.'s Bullfrog — consolidated into one case in Los Angeles.

Lead lawyer Samuel Rudman, who has called the makers "Fortune 500 snake oil salesmen," said manufacturers are fraudulent in their label claims.

"Our lawsuit doesn't say, 'Don't use sunscreen.' It says, 'Tell the truth.' If people knew, they would still use it," Rudman said.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 10 California residents, also seeks damages for unspecified injuries and other restitution.

The manufacturers either declined to discuss the lawsuit or said it is without merit.

Despite public education campaigns about avoiding sun exposure and tanning salons, skin cancer incidence is climbing. There will be about 62,000 melanoma cases and 7,900 deaths this year, the American Cancer Society estimates. There are more than 1 million annual cases of squamous and basal skin cancers, and about 2,800 deaths.