ashleelisbeth

shortformblog: breakingnews: Saudi Arabia’s king appoints women to advisory council for 1st time Bloomberg News: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has appointed female members to the Consultative Council for the first time, naming 30 women to the 150-member advisory body.The appointments, reported by the official Saudi Press Agency, came after Abdullah issued a decree requiring at least 20 percent of members should be women. It says they must observe Islamic law and be properly covered, and will enjoy full rights in the council, have a separate entrance to the chamber and sit in a special section apart from men. Photo: King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia (Hassan Ammar / AP, file) This is a huge step for that region. Curious to see where things go from here. holy shit, this is pretty amazing
Jan 12

shortformblog:

breakingnews:

Saudi Arabia’s king appoints women to advisory council for 1st time

Bloomberg News: King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has appointed female members to the Consultative Council for the first time, naming 30 women to the 150-member advisory body.

The appointments, reported by the official Saudi Press Agency, came after Abdullah issued a decree requiring at least 20 percent of members should be women. It says they must observe Islamic law and be properly covered, and will enjoy full rights in the council, have a separate entrance to the chamber and sit in a special section apart from men.

Photo: King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia (Hassan Ammar / AP, file)

This is a huge step for that region. Curious to see where things go from here.

holy shit, this is pretty amazing

jtotheizzoe: At the Zombie Cockroach Buffet, Bring Your Own Antibiotics Meet the jewel wasp. This gorgeous, iridescent creature belies its gem-like appearance with a habit that, on the surface, is downright revolting: It turns cockroaches into mind-controlled zombies, chemically hypnotizing them in order to provide a helpless, living food source for the wasp’s young. In short, it injects the cockroach brain with a neurochemical cocktail that, instead of killing it, forces the roach to surrender itself to the wasp’s will. It steals the zombie roach away to its burrow, where it lays its egg. That egg grows into a larvae that feeds inside the still-living roach, its prey trapped in a chemical noose that prevents it from escaping even as it is eaten from within. Cool, huh?  Well, new research paints the picture a bit cooler. Cockroaches are filthy places, unsurprisingly. They harbor bacteria within them that could kill the young larvae, zombie host or not. It turns out that the young wasps secrete intense antimicrobial chemicals to keep their zombie roach buffet clean and disinfected. The research involved one of the coolest tools I’ve ever heard of: Tiny windows were inserted in the roaches so the larvae could be observed!! Want more detail on this squeaky clean zombie tale? Check out Carl Zimmer at The Loom, Ed Yong at Nature News, or Christie Wilcox at Science Sushi. Now where’s that alcohol gel? … I’m hungry.
Jan 7

jtotheizzoe:

At the Zombie Cockroach Buffet, Bring Your Own Antibiotics

Meet the jewel wasp. This gorgeous, iridescent creature belies its gem-like appearance with a habit that, on the surface, is downright revolting: It turns cockroaches into mind-controlled zombies, chemically hypnotizing them in order to provide a helpless, living food source for the wasp’s young.

In short, it injects the cockroach brain with a neurochemical cocktail that, instead of killing it, forces the roach to surrender itself to the wasp’s will. It steals the zombie roach away to its burrow, where it lays its egg. That egg grows into a larvae that feeds inside the still-living roach, its prey trapped in a chemical noose that prevents it from escaping even as it is eaten from within.

Cool, huh? 

Well, new research paints the picture a bit cooler. Cockroaches are filthy places, unsurprisingly. They harbor bacteria within them that could kill the young larvae, zombie host or not. It turns out that the young wasps secrete intense antimicrobial chemicals to keep their zombie roach buffet clean and disinfected.

The research involved one of the coolest tools I’ve ever heard of: Tiny windows were inserted in the roaches so the larvae could be observed!!

Want more detail on this squeaky clean zombie tale? Check out Carl Zimmer at The Loom, Ed Yong at Nature News, or Christie Wilcox at Science Sushi. Now where’s that alcohol gel? … I’m hungry.

shortformblog: joshsternberg: Ravi Shankar, died yesterday at the age of 92. From the WSJ: Mr. Shankar’s popularity in the West was boosted by his partnerships with foreign musicians, most famously Beatles guitarist George Harrison. “When people say that George Harrison made me famous, that is true in a way,” Mr. Shankar said in a televised interview in 2009, according to this report. But when Mr. Harrison first approached Mr. Shankar for lessons in the mid-1960s, the idea of blending Indian classical music with pop music was puzzling to the sitar maestro. “It is strange to see pop musicians with sitars. I was confused at first. It had so little to do with our classical music. When George Harrison came to me, I didn’t know what to think,” said Mr. Shankar in Raga. “But I found he really wanted to learn. I never thought our meeting would cause such an explosion, that Indian music would suddenly appear on the pop scene,” he added. Mr. Harrison revered Mr. Shankar, saying he was “the first person who ever impressed me in my life.” Mr. Harrison’s collaboration with Mr. Shankar influenced the music of the Beatles, who went on to release several Indian-inspired songs. Among them was the 1966 track “Love You To,”  one of the earliest examples of a pop song incorporating elements of Indian classical music. The song was composed by Mr. Harrison, who also sings and plays the sitar in it. Of note to more modern audiences: Norah Jones’ father. (Though that certainly isn’t all you should know about Shankar.) RIP.
Dec 12

shortformblog:

joshsternberg:

Ravi Shankar, died yesterday at the age of 92. From the WSJ:

Mr. Shankar’s popularity in the West was boosted by his partnerships with foreign musicians, most famously Beatles guitarist George Harrison.

“When people say that George Harrison made me famous, that is true in a way,” Mr. Shankar said in a televised interview in 2009, according to this report.

But when Mr. Harrison first approached Mr. Shankar for lessons in the mid-1960s, the idea of blending Indian classical music with pop music was puzzling to the sitar maestro.

“It is strange to see pop musicians with sitars. I was confused at first. It had so little to do with our classical music. When George Harrison came to me, I didn’t know what to think,” said Mr. Shankar in Raga.

“But I found he really wanted to learn. I never thought our meeting would cause such an explosion, that Indian music would suddenly appear on the pop scene,” he added.

Mr. Harrison revered Mr. Shankar, saying he was “the first person who ever impressed me in my life.”

Mr. Harrison’s collaboration with Mr. Shankar influenced the music of the Beatles, who went on to release several Indian-inspired songs. Among them was the 1966 track “Love You To,”  one of the earliest examples of a pop song incorporating elements of Indian classical music. The song was composed by Mr. Harrison, who also sings and plays the sitar in it.

Of note to more modern audiences: Norah Jones’ father. (Though that certainly isn’t all you should know about Shankar.) RIP.

soupsoup:

Bookmark this for tomorrow, it’ll come in handy:
Nov 6
Everything you need to know about Election Day
jtotheizzoe: Living, Re-healable Concrete File this under things I did not know: There are species of bacteria that will eat calcium-rich food and excrete limestone. I knew that certain plankton left coastlines full of their chalky skeletons behind when they died, but this bacterial talent is news to me. Not only is it a pretty nifty trick, but human engineers are trying to exploit it to create self-healing concrete. Long before concrete structures fail in massively destructive ways (like crumbling apart), they can be weakened by invisible micro-cracks. And it doesn’t take much space for concrete’s greatest enemy, water, to seep in. Dutch researchers are testing a “self-healing” concrete that is impregnated with dormant spores of those limestone-excreting bacteria. When water seeps in, they can come to life, ingest the hydrated calcium from their environment, and secrete concrete “glue” to repair those micro-fractures before they become mega-fractures. An amazing thought: One day our buildings and roads may be more “alive” than we ever thought possible. (via BBC News)
Nov 5

jtotheizzoe:

Living, Re-healable Concrete

File this under things I did not know: There are species of bacteria that will eat calcium-rich food and excrete limestone. I knew that certain plankton left coastlines full of their chalky skeletons behind when they died, but this bacterial talent is news to me. Not only is it a pretty nifty trick, but human engineers are trying to exploit it to create self-healing concrete.

Long before concrete structures fail in massively destructive ways (like crumbling apart), they can be weakened by invisible micro-cracks. And it doesn’t take much space for concrete’s greatest enemy, water, to seep in.

Dutch researchers are testing a “self-healing” concrete that is impregnated with dormant spores of those limestone-excreting bacteria. When water seeps in, they can come to life, ingest the hydrated calcium from their environment, and secrete concrete “glue” to repair those micro-fractures before they become mega-fractures.

An amazing thought: One day our buildings and roads may be more “alive” than we ever thought possible.

(via BBC News)

AP: Five reasons why Sandy is expected to be a superstorm.
Oct 27
shortformblog: humanrightswatch: In a historic move this week, Uruguayan President José Mujica has signed into law a bill that waives criminal penalties for abortion in the first 12 weeks of gestation, with certain procedural requirements, and in the first 14 weeks of gestation in the cases of rape. The law marks a significant development in realizing women’s human rights and preventing unsafe, clandestine abortions in the region. Read more after the jump. © 2012 Reuters A huge development on the women’s rights front.
Oct 26

shortformblog:

humanrightswatch:

In a historic move this week, Uruguayan President José Mujica has signed into law a bill that waives criminal penalties for abortion in the first 12 weeks of gestation, with certain procedural requirements, and in the first 14 weeks of gestation in the cases of rape.

The law marks a significant development in realizing women’s human rights and preventing unsafe, clandestine abortions in the region.

Read more after the jump.

© 2012 Reuters

A huge development on the women’s rights front.

AP: "Indiana can’t cut off funding for Planned Parenthood just because the organization provides abortions, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday."
Oct 24

"I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen."

-

Republican Indiana state senate candidate RICHARD MOURDOCK, during a televised debate on Tuesday.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney endorsed Mourdock’s run for office in a television ad; a Romney spokesperson says Mourdock’s remarks “do not reflect his views.” 

The company you keep, right, Mitt?

(via USA Today)

So fucking disgusting.

(Source: inothernews)

Oct 24
knowhomo: LGBTQ* News Happening Right Now California becomes first state in nation to ban ‘gay cure’ therapy for children By James Eng, NBC News Updated at 12:34 p.m. ET: California has become the first state in the nation to ban therapy that tries to turn gay teens straight. Gov. Jerry Brown announced Sunday that he has signed Senate Bill 1172, which prohibits children under age 18 from undergoing “sexual orientation change efforts.”  The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, prohibits state-licensed therapists from engaging in these practices with minors.  “Governor Brown today reaffirmed what medical and mental health organizations have made clear: Efforts to change minors’ sexual orientation are not therapy, they are the relics of prejudice and abuse that have inflicted untold harm on young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Californians,” Clarissa Filgioun, board president of Equality California, said in a press release. Read More Here Graphic from NBC News (California state Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, sponsored the bill to ban a controversial form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay youth straight.)
Oct 2

knowhomo:

LGBTQ* News Happening Right Now

California becomes first state in nation to ban ‘gay cure’ therapy for children

By James Eng, NBC News

Updated at 12:34 p.m. ET: California has become the first state in the nation to ban therapy that tries to turn gay teens straight.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced Sunday that he has signed Senate Bill 1172, which prohibits children under age 18 from undergoing “sexual orientation change efforts.”  The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, prohibits state-licensed therapists from engaging in these practices with minors. 

“Governor Brown today reaffirmed what medical and mental health organizations have made clear: Efforts to change minors’ sexual orientation are not therapy, they are the relics of prejudice and abuse that have inflicted untold harm on young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Californians,” Clarissa Filgioun, board president of Equality California, said in a press release.

Read More Here

Graphic from NBC News (California state Sen. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, sponsored the bill to ban a controversial form of psychotherapy aimed at making gay youth straight.)

"Buried deep in the tax returns released by Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign are references to dozens of offshore holdings with names like Ursa Funding (Luxembourg) S.à.r.l. and Sankaty Credit Opportunities Investors (Offshore) IV, based in the Cayman Islands. Mr. Romney, responding to opponents’ barbs about his use of overseas tax havens, has offered a narrow defense, saying only that the investments, many made through the private equity firm he founded, Bain Capital, have yielded him “not one dollar of reduction in taxes.” A review of thousands of pages of financial documents and interviews with tax lawyers found that in some cases, the offshore arrangements enabled his individual retirement account to avoid taxes on its investments and may well have reduced Mr. Romney’s personal income tax bills. But perhaps a more significant impact of Mr. Romney’s offshore investments has been on the profit side of the ledger — in the way Bain’s tax-avoidance strategies have enhanced his income. Some of the offshore entities enabled Bain-owned companies to sidestep certain taxes, increasing returns for Mr. Romney and other investors. Others helped Bain attract foreign investors and nonprofit institutions by insulating them from taxes, again augmenting Mr. Romney’s bottom line, since he shared in management fees based on the size of each Bain fund. The documents — which include confidential Bain prospectuses and foreign regulatory filings, many previously unreported — illustrate how these tax-avoidance strategies are woven into the fabric of Bain’s deal making. While hardly a novel concept and not unique to Bain, the inevitable result is that elite investors like Mr. Romney are able to increase their fortunes in ways unavailable to most taxpayers."

-

The New York Times, “Offshore Tactics Helped Increase Romney’s Wealth.”

President for the 100 Percent my ass.

(via inothernews)

Oct 2

"Obama currently leads Romney by ten points in Ohio, nine points in Florida and 12 points in Pennsylvania. Which wouldn’t be a problem (for Romney) — if between now and November 6th, we could just get 290 million people to move to Arkansas."

- STEPHEN COLBERT, The Colbert Report (via inothernews)

Sep 28

"It was kind of like a waterslide. But like the waterslide was like very, very steep and went about 20 miles an hour."

- 14-year-old Parma, Ohio resident Jeffrey LaPorta • Describing the trip he took through a series of drain pipes on Tuesday, as he feel into a giant puddle during a major rain storm and was sucked into the drain. He traveled over a quarter-mile and held his breath for nearly two minutes before finding a spot with breathing room where he could await rescue. ”I thought I traveled only 20 feet,” he said regarding the 1,500-foot ride. (via shortformblog)

(via shortformblog)

Sep 10

— MICHELLE OBAMA

(Source: inothernews)

Sep 5
“If farmers and blacksmiths could win independence from an empire; if immigrants could leave behind everything they knew for a better life on our shores; if women could be dragged to jail for seeking the vote; if a generation could defeat a Depression and define greatness for all time; if a young preacher could lift us to the mountaintop with his righteous dream; and if proud Americans can be who they are and boldly stand at the altar with who they love, then surely, SURELY we can give everyone in this country a fair chance at that great American dream.”
azspot: Republican National Convention: The one graph you need to see before watching
Sep 4

azspot:

Republican National Convention: The one graph you need to see before watching