First, an example of how our democracy isn't working properly. Reuters: New homes burn faster, but states resist sprinklers NEW YORK (Reuters) - In Scottsdale, Arizona, any new home must come equipped with fire sprinklers, a decades-old rule lauded by fire safety advocates nationwide. But 12 miles away in Phoenix, city officials are not even ( Read more... )

Daily Mail: Orphaned kangaroo and wombat are inseparable friends
Opposites can attract and Anzac a doe-eyed baby kangaroo has become best friends with Peggy, a tiny squint-eyed wombat.

Their unlikely union developed after the pair - both orphans - shared a pouch at the Wildlife Kilmore Rescue Centre in Victoria, Australia.

At just over five months ( Read more... )

This caught my eye the other day.

For-profit colleges sue Dept of Education over new rule
(Reuters) - An association of for-profit colleges in the United States has sued the Department of Education to block the implementation of a controversial rule, saying the rulemaking process was flawed and the agency was overreaching in its capacity to frame ( Read more... )

Wired magazine: Neil Gaiman Gets Animated on Arthur
By John Booth
Geek parents of Arthur-watchers, set your DVRs for “Squee!,” because Neil Gaiman’s visit to Elwood City is set for Oct. 25 ( Read more... )

siege just linked to this old article, and I thought it was worth sharing more widely. It's originally from the New Yorker, but to get it directly from their site you need a subscription. The writer is the author of The Tipping Point and Blink, among other books.

"Million-Dollar Murray"
by Malcolm Gladwell
...if you totted up all his hospital bills ( Read more... )

The leaking oil well makes me very depressed; I've been disinclined to learn details of what's going on, I just assume that area of the world will be severely damaged for a few generations. It's painful to think about ( Read more... )

Got this link from one of my relatives.

New York Times: The Saturday Profile
Party Elder Still Jousts With China’s Censors
By Sharon LaFraniere and Jonathan Ansfield
Published: October 17, 2009
"Du Daozheng, 86, the former head of the Chinese government’s censorship efforts, now spends his days pushing shunned topics into the public domain."

AP: Calif. aquarium blames flooding on curious octopus
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) - Staff at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium in California say the trickster who flooded their offices with sea water was armed. Eight-armed, to be exact ( Read more... )

This is not really news, being a month old, but it is amusing:
Otto the octopus wreaks havoc
A octopus has caused havoc in his aquarium by performing juggling tricks using his fellow occupants, smashing rocks against the glass and turning off the power by shortcircuiting a lamp.

Staff believe that the octopus called Otto had been annoyed by the ( Read more... )

Here's a bit of cheerful news.

AP: Ill. family thanks employees with surprise bonuses
By Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO - Even though employees at the Peer Bearing Co. no longer work for the Spungen family that recently sold the Waukegan-based ball bearings maker, they still received a turkey each this Thanksgiving in keeping ( Read more... )