1/9/2008 - Polar Bear Blogs

Polar Bear Blogs
From: BBC News

"The zoo has said it wants to avoid any repetition of "Knut mania", a popular craze triggered by a hand-reared bear cub at Berlin Zoo last year.

"Knut was rejected by his mother, but Berlin Zoo decided to hand rear him.

"Since then Knut has become a worldwide celebrity, with a blog and TV show dedicated to him."

I can almost understand a blog, considering how easy that is to upkeep, as well as the interest and possible tourist trade the zoo does require, but... television? Really?

1/1/2008 - Charlie Wilson's Effigy

Charlie Wilson's Effigy
From: New York Times

"Charles E. Wilson, the former secretary of defense whose severe curtailment of the Germans’ work was blamed by some as having allowed the Soviet Union to beat America to space with Sputnik, was burned in effigy."

12/24/2007 - Simpson's Blonde Ambition Earnings on Par with Ambitious Porn-Stars

Simpson's Blonde Ambition Earnings on Par with Ambitious Porn-Stars
From: Worstpreviews.com

Jessica Simpson starred in a movie. It was called Blonde Ambition. This skimmed under your radar as well. It saw a limited release of eight theaters, all in Texas.

"Earning $1,300 at eight theaters, means that each theater made $162. With ticket prices at about $7.50 in Texas, that means that a total of seven people went to see the movie each day at each theater."

11/20/2007 - Senile in Japanese Prison

Senile in Japanese Prison
From: NyTimes.com

"From 2000 to 2006, the number of older criminals soared by 160 percent, to 46,637, from 17,942, according to Japan’s National Police Agency. Shoplifting accounted for 54 percent of the total in 2006 and petty theft for 23 percent.

"As a result, penitentiaries are struggling to adapt environments designed with the young in mind to a lawbreaking population that is fragile physically and often mentally.

"A recent Justice Ministry report said that older people were increasingly turning to crime out of poverty and isolation, suggesting a breakdown in traditional family and community ties. With nowhere else to go, more of the older inmates serve out their full sentences, instead of being released on parole like younger prisoners. What is more, recidivism is higher among the older inmates."

11/09/2007 - The Black Book - Special Search List Great Britain

The Black Book - Special Search List Great Britain
From: Wikipedia.org

The Black Book was the post-war name given to the "Sonderfahndungsliste G.B.", German for "Special Search List Great Britain". It was a product of the SS Einsatzgruppen and contained the names of thousands of people living in Britain to be arrested if Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain, succeeded.

Notable people on the list were:

• Robert Baden-Powell - Founder and leader of Scouting - (Scouting was regarded as a 'spy organization' by the Nazis);
• Eric Blair aka George Orwell - for anti-totalitarian views
• Neville Chamberlain - a leading British politician;
• Winston Churchill - for being a prominent anti-Nazi/Prime Minister;
• Noel Coward - possibly for being an armed forces entertainer as well as his homosexuality or for working for MI5;
• Sigmund Freud - for being Jewish ;
• George Bernard Shaw - for openly ridiculing the Nazis
• H. G. Wells - for being a socialist;

11/04/2007 - How You Will Die

How you will die
From: NyTimes.com

Risk	Annual Deaths	Lifetime risk
Heart disease	652,486	1 in 5
Cancer	553,888	1 in 7
Stroke	150,074	1 in 24
Hospital infections	99,000	1 in 38
Flu	59,664	1 in 63
Car accidents	44,757	1 in 84
Suicide	31,484	1 in 119
Accidental poisoning	19,456	1 in 193
MRSA (resistant bacteria)	19,000	1 in 197
Falls	17,229	1 in 218
Drowning	3,306	1 in 1,134
Bike accident	762	1 in 4,919
Air/space accident	742	1 in 5,051
Excessive cold	620	1 in 6,045
Sun/heat exposure	273	1 in 13,729
Shark attack*	62	1 in 60,453
Lightning	47	1 in 79, 746
Train crash	24	1 in 156,169
Fireworks	11	1 in 340,733

11/04/2007 - The Sound of Calm after Armageddon

The Sound of Calm after Armageddon
From: Wikipedia.org


"During the Cold War, BBC planned to broadcast The Sound of Music on radio in the event of a nuclear strike on the United Kingdom. The broadcast would be part of an emergency timetable of programs designed to "reassure" the public in the aftermath of the attack."

10/23/2007 - Ecumenical

ecumenical
From: Dictionary.com

ecumenical –adjective

1.	general; universal.

2.	pertaining to the whole Christian church.

3.	promoting or fostering Christian unity throughout the world.

4.	of or pertaining to a movement (ecumenical movement), esp. among Protestant groups since the 1800s, aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern.

5.	interreligious or interdenominational: an ecumenical marriage.

6.	including or containing a mixture of diverse elements or styles; mixed: an ecumenical meal of German, Italian, and Chinese dishes.