Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Taxing reality

Source: CNN

...Speaking to several hundred supporters of the U.S. Senator from New York, Buffett revealed his puzzlement that he was taxed at a lower rate than many of the lesser-paid individuals working for his company.

Buffett said he makes $46 million a year in income and is only taxed at a 17.7 percent rate on his federal income taxes. By contrast, those who work for him, and make considerably less, pay on average about 32.9 percent in taxes - with the highest rate being 39.7 percent....

Monday, June 25, 2007

Mystery shark pregnancy, aquarium experts ponder

I paused for a bit wondering who'd want to hear another shark pregnancy story? But then I realized this one should go into what I fear may be a hard to fill category, so here it is:

Source: CNN article

...Asexual reproduction among sharks is more likely to happen in captivity, when there is no other option for reproduction, than in the wild, Hueter said.

Crossbreeding, on the other hand, is not known to happen at all among sharks, said Heather Thomas, aquarist at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

"It's not natural," Thomas said. "If you've got a shark that needs to swim to breathe and cross it with a shark that can lay on the bottom to breathe, what are you going to get? Are you going to get these weird mutations?"

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Article on CDC sex, drug survey

CNN has an article about a survey of sexual behavior and drug use in the United States released Friday.

Here's a quote from the article:

A new nationwide survey, using high-tech methods to solicit candid answers on sexual activity and illegal drug use, finds that 29 percent of American men report having 15 or more female sexual partners in a lifetime, while only 9 percent of women report having sex with 15 or more men.

The median number of lifetime female sexual partners for men was seven; the median number of male partners for women was four.


Fascinating. It is the kind of information that automatically has one thinking, where do you rank?

Thursday, June 21, 2007

100-foot deep Andes lake disappears

Source: CNN, title is headline

• Lake disappeared between March and May
• Ice chunks that floated on lake now lie on rocks
• Scientists say no earthquakes that could have caused cracks in lake bottom

Monday, June 18, 2007

New York City pays $29,000 for arresting topless woman

Source: CNN, title is article headline

• Jill Coccaro, 27, accepts settlement for her 2005 arrest during topless stroll
• NYC police held her for 12 hours before telling her she wouldn't be charged
• Appeals court ruled in '92 that women have same right as men to go topless
• Lawyer: "We hope police learn a lesson and respect the rights of women"

Friday, June 15, 2007

Re-thinking DNA and RNA

Source: Economist

Molecular biology is undergoing its biggest shake-up in 50 years, as a hitherto little-regarded chemical called RNA acquires an unsuspected significance

Friday, June 8, 2007

Alabama state senator hits another

Source: CNN

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- Simmering tensions in the Alabama Senate boiled over Thursday when a Republican lawmaker punched a Democratic colleague in the head before they were pulled apart....