Finally Friday August 14 th 2009

Climate change fight seen costing $300 billion a year Tue Aug 11, 2009 BONN, Germany (Reuters) - Cutting greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming and adapting to impacts such as droughts and rising sea levels are likely to cost about $300 billion a year, the top U.N. climate change official said. Yvo de Boer also told Reuters on Tuesday, on the sidelines of August 10-14 U.N. climate talks in Bonn, that cuts in emissions by 2020 so far promised by rich nations were "miles away" from long-term goals set by a Group of Eight summit last month. "Over time, according to my own analysis, we are going to need $200 billion a year for mitigation and probably in the order of $100 billion a year for adaptation ... from 2020 onwards," he said. Mitigation means curbs on greenhouse gases while energy production switches to renewables such as wind and solar power. Developing nations say they will need cash to adapt to impacts of warming such as more floods, heatwaves and rising sea levels. De Boer, head of the U.N. Climate Change Secretariat, said the numbers were rough estimates to illustrate overall needs for a long-term shift to a green economy. A new U.N. climate pact is due to be agreed at a meeting in Copenhagen in December. "It's a phenomenal amount of money but how much of that money is needed at the end of the day is to a large extent dependent on how ambitious the climate change response is," de Boer said. For comparison, a U.S. economic stimulus package agreed this year was worth a total $787 billion.

Chevy Volt to get 230 mpg rating Ultra-high mileage for GM's electric-drive Volt could give it a marketing boost. August 11, 2009 DETROIT (CNNMoney.com) -- The Chevrolet Volt, GM's electric car that's expected to go on sale in late 2010, is projected to get an estimated 230 miles per gallon, the automaker announced Tuesday. That exceptionally high government mileage rating could give the Volt a major boost. For the first time, car buyers will easily be able to compare electric cars with ordinary gas-powered cars. "Having a car that gets triple-digit fuel economy can and will be a game changer for us," said GM CEO Fritz Henderson. Determining fuel economy for an electric car is a tricky matter, and General Motors ( GM , Fortune 500 ) has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency for years on the issue. Basically, you will be able to drive the Volt for about 40 miles using the lithium-ion batteries. For those driving less than that, gas mileage is essentially unlimited. It is only after 40 miles that the Volt will start using gas. "Most Volt drivers will operate on a daily basis without having to use a single drop of gas," said Henderson, saying that three out of four drivers travel 40 miles or less a day. 50 mpg? or 5,000? Fuel economy for hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius is displayed in the same way as it is for any other gasoline-powered vehicle. It gets 46 mpg, for example, versus 19 mpg for a V-6 Ford Mustang. That standard works because all the energy used by the Prius ultimately comes from burning gasoline. The Prius just uses that energy more efficiently than other cars do. The Chevrolet Volt, on other hand, runs on electricity that comes from two sources -- a battery as well as a gasoline engine. When gasoline is providing the power, the Volt might get as much as 50 mpg. But that mpg figure would not take into account that the car has already gone 40 miles with no gas at all. So let's say the car is driven 50 miles in a day. For the first 40 miles, no gas is used and during the last 10 miles, 0.2 gallons are used. That's the equivalent of 250 miles per gallon. But, if the driver continues on to 80 miles, total fuel economy would drop to about 100 mpg. And if the driver goes 300 miles, the fuel economy would be just 62.5 mpg. The Volt will need to be plugged in at night to recharge. The company said it estimates it will need 10 kilowatt hours for the recharge necessary to travel 40 miles. That should cost a total of about 40 cents at off-peak electricity rates in Detroit, Henderson said.

2009-08-06 - Weird News Shannon McGregor - AHN Special Categories Editor California Woman Wins Almost $2 Million On Way To WorkLincoln, CA (AHN) -- A California woman won nearly $1.65 million in a five-cent slot machine when she stopped by a casino on her way to work. Susan Nott, 54, of Auburn, played the Wizard of Oz-themed nickel slot machines for a half an hour before she won $1,648,076.81 at the Thunder Valley Casino, in Lincoln, the Sacramento Bee reported. Nott likes to head to the casino early and got there about 3:30 a.m. the day of her big win. After a casino attendant told her how much she won, Nott started crying. With her big win, Nott plans to settle her car loan, buy her best friend a car, create a trust fund for her two children, who just finished college, and invest some money. She might even take a trip to Mexico with her friends.

UK NEWS SCOTS SNIPER KILLS TALIBAN LEADER WITH LONGEST SHOT Sunday August 9,2009 A SCOTTISH soldier has been praised for making the longest recorded kill in Afghanistan after shooting a top Taliban fighter from almost a mile away. Corporal Christopher Reynolds took out the Afghan drug lord during some of the hardest fighting of the war so far. The 25-year-old, of 3 Scots, The Black Watch, kept watch on a shop rooftop for three days to eliminate the target. But he admitted the top-level Taliban fighter – known as Musa – was so far away it took him a couple of attempts to get the aim right. Initially Musa, who was with four men, did not even realise he was being shot at. But Cpl Reynolds, of Dalgety Bay, in Fife, together with his spotter Lance Corporal David Hatton, worked out different factors such as wind speed and the trajectory of the bullet to hit the target. Musa, who was more than 1,500 metres away, was taken out with a single shot to the chest. Cpl Reynolds, who has killed 32 Taliban fighters, said: “I was quite proud of that shot. It is the longest recorded kill in Afghanistan. I am going to use that fact as a chat-up line in the pub when I get back home.” His 20-year-old spotter, from Castlemilk, in Glasgow, added: “We had been in position for three days when he made that shot. He did a top job that day.” Another Scot in the same unit eliminated a sniper by using a precision missile launcher which costs £70,000 to fire. Sergeant Daniel Buist, of Arbroath, Angus, hit the insurgent hiding in a two-feet wide “murder hole” dug out of a wall. The 34-year-old fired his Javelin launcher – only used in the “most desperate of situations” – to take out the sniper after seeing him shoot patrols. Incredibly, his aim was so accurate he hit the enemy fighter without damaging the compound wall.

Mermaid Fever Makes A Splash In Israel Tuesday August 11, 2009 Israel is in the grips of mermaid fever after numerous sightings of the mythical sea creature off its coast. One town council is taking the reports so seriously it is offering a $1m (£609,000) reward to anyone who can prove the existence of a mermaid in its waters. Kiryat Yam municipality, near Haifa , says it has been told of dozens of sightings in the past few months. They say it is a female figure, it looks like a young girl. Council spokesman Natti Zilberman "Many people are telling us they are sure they've seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other," council spokesman Natti Zilberman told Sky News. The nautical nymph is only seen in the evening at sunset, according to media reports, drawing crowds of people with cameras hoping for a glimpse. "People say it is half girl, half fish, jumping like a dolphin. It does all kinds of tricks then disappears," Mr Zilberman said. Asked whether a dolphin or large fish could be a more rational explanation, he insisted: "They say it is a female figure, it looks like a young girl." The council denied its offer of a reward was a publicity stunt, but said it hoped to nurture the mermaid as something which could bring in more tourists. Capturing a mermaid is not necessary, a verifiable photograph will do, Mr Zilberman said. Asked if the council can afford the payout, he told Sky News: "I believe, if there really is a mermaid, then so many people and tourists will come to Kiryat Yam, a lot more money will be made than a $1m.

Buy $250 Coins Now Fri Aug 7 2009 | Currently you can buy 250 $1 coins for $250, or $500(2 boxes) from the US Mint with FREE SHIPPING AND HANDLING and pay with any major credit card . The purpose of this is to help promote circulation of these dollar coins as there is an unwillingness of many banks to provide them to business customers free of charge.

The Sting That Kills Cancer August 11, 2009 “It’s a terrifying prospect – a swarm of bees engulfing a victim to inflict hundreds of potentially lethal stings. Scientists, however, have taken the idea and used it to inspire a treatment to take on cancer tumours . They have developed microscopic ‘bees’ armed with the poison that causes the pain of stings to target cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed. The ‘nanobees’ – thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair – rapidly shrank breast and skin tumours in tests. They home in on the diseased cells before pumping out the melittin venom, delivering a deadly ’sting’. At their core are beads made from perfluorocarbon, an inert material used in artificial blood. The nanobees are tiny enough to pass easily through blood and attach to cells but big enough to ferry drugs into the body. Researcher Professor Samuel Wickline said: ‘They fly in, land on the surface of cells and deposit their cargo of melittin, which rapidly merges with the target.” w/ photos

Their hands are worth $1,200 a day (CNN) -- Ashly Covington is the kind of top model who doesn't lift a finger. She doesn't cook, she doesn't clean and she avoids anything that could ruin her manicure. But if your hands could earn $1,200 in a day, you'd think twice before scrubbing down the bathroom, too. As one of the few full-time body parts models, Covington thinks about her hands "every minute of every hour of every day," because for the past seven years, her hands (and, occasionally, her legs and feet) have been her sole source of income. She can earn anywhere from $300 a day to a couple thousand per hour. "Most people can walk away from work when they're done with a job, but parts models can't, because [our parts] have to be flawless. I moisturize 20 to 30 times a day, and wear gloves 90 percent of the time," she said. "When it's your livelihood, you've got to think hands first."

Inmate Hid Gun in His Fat, Jail Says AP HOUSTON (Aug. 8 ) -- An obese inmate in Texas has been charged after officials learned he had a gun hidden under flabs of his own flesh. Twenty-five-year-old George Vera was charged with possession of a firearm in a correctional facility after he told a guard at the Harris County Jail about the unloaded 9mm pistol. The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that Vera was originally arrested on charges of selling illegal copies of compact discs. The 500-pound man was searched during his arrest and again at a city jail and the county jail, but officers never found the weapon in his rolls of skin. Vera admitted having the gun during a shower break at the county jail.

Biker killed in freeway road-rage clash The Associated Press August 11, 2009 CAMARILLO, Calif. - A motor home struck and killed a motorcyclist, dragging his body about 75 feet on U.S. Highway 101 in a bloody conclusion to a Ventura County road-rage encounter. The motorcycle was impaled on the motor home. Witnesses and motor home driver Michael Antoine told the California Highway Patrol the biker made obscene hand gestures and pulled in front of the motor home before braking suddenly Monday afternoon. CHP Officer Terry Uhrich says the 68-year-old motor home driver was traveling about 55 mph in the southbound lanes in Camarillo and couldn't avoid slamming into the bike. The 57-year-old Ventura biker, whose name is being withheld, was thrown under the motor home and dragged about 75 feet before coming loose in travel lanes.

Top 6 Reasons Why Pro Athletes Go Broke August 8, 2009 “When I was a young basketball player, the thought of getting paid millions of dollars to play the sport I loved would quicken my heart rate and keep me up nights, wishing upon a star. As is true with most young athletes, signing that contract with the NBA, NFL or the MLB is a dream even more exciting than winning the lottery. You “work” for 10 years, retire in your 30s, and you’re financially set for the rest of your life. What I discovered about the truth of the matter was incredibly shocking. Similar to lottery winners, with no financial prowess or discipline, most pro athletes go completely broke in less than 10 years after retirement . In fact, 60% of retired basketball players go broke in 5, and 78% of football players in 2! Athletes are forced to sell their homes, sell their championship rings, and file for bankruptcy.”

Mice On A Stick August 11, 2009 “ Cooked, salted or dried, field mice strung on sticks are sold as a popular delicacy in Malawi markets and roadside stalls . The mice are hunted in corn fields after the harvest when they have grown plump on a diet of grains, fruits, grass and the odd insect. The most widely eaten species is known locally as Kapuku, gray in color and with a shorter tail than the more common rat.”

Harley Davidson Fat Boy Lo A powerful low-slung stance adds to the fierce reputation of the new Fat Boy Lo motorcycle from Harley Davidson. It has the shortest seat height available with an adjustable lowered suspension. Its satin chrome mufflers and matte black exhaust shields look pronounced against the glossy black exterior of the bike. Despite its burly continue reading… $16299 Check It Out

Confederate Motorcycles Confederate Motorcycles set themselves apart with a combination of modern style and traditional American industrial and mechanical craftsmanship. Somewhere between retro and futuristic they strive to keep that perfect balance between advanced technology and a primitive spirit. Motorcycles always represent the desire for freedom and non-conformity, but Confederate takes that idea to a new level continue reading… Check It Out

Fly-Goodbye Bug Vacuum Gun Suck them bugs! The Fly-Goodbye Bug Vacuum Gun ($30) is a powerful weapon for bug, you just move the Fly-Goodbye close to your prey. When the fly is within range, you take a deep breath and pull the trigger. A loud "POP" echoes in your office as the fly is sucked into the cartridge. It uses a powerful inward gust of air, coupled with the capture tube extending about a cm. This action stuns the bug and lets you snap on the top. Including suction cylinder, pistol grip, 3 glue cartridges, and 1 catch-and-release cartridge (with magnifying glass top).

420 Dating August 7, 2009 “ Marijuana singles and 420 personals, our online dating service brings singles together . As the new leader in personals services, Marijuana singles and 420 personals, our provides millions of possible singles to meet your match anywhere in the world.”

60-Pound Bag Of Cocaine Found Lying In Open August 11, 2009 INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. -- Indian River County deputies are trying to figure out who left $1 million worth of cocaine just lying around. On Saturday morning, eyewitnesses saw a suspicious looking burlap sack in Sebastian Inlet and called police. Inside the bag they found approximately 60-pounds of cocaine. Deputies have not been able to link the sack to a suspect. Authorities want the public to be aware that handling these types of products is not only against the law, but extremely dangerous. The Indian River County Sheriff's Office encourages anyone that comes across illegal drugs or unknown packages to contact the local law enforcement or the United States Coast Guard.

Congratulations Americans, We Pay The Most For Cellphone Service Aug 12 2009 A new survey from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compared annual costs around the world for consumers who have cellphones , and the U.S. is in the top three for most expensive. How expensive? DSLReports notes that "on average, the OECD found that Americans pay $635.85 on cell phone service, compared to $131.44 per year in the Netherlands or $137.94 per year in Sweden."

Heather Mills -- Bangin ' Kate Gosselin Posted Aug 13th 2009 1:00AM by TMZ Staff Heather Mills has taken something else besides Paul McCartney's millions ... Kate Gosselin 's frosted, bi-level, reverse mullet raccoon weave.

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