Scientists have shown scratching helps relieve an itch as it blocks activity in some spinal cord nerve cells that transmit the sensation to the brain.

BBC NEWS | Health | How scratching can stop an itch

Papers unearthed by the BBC reveal that British and American commanders ensured that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a "whites only" victory.

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Paris liberation made 'whites only'

This is an excerpt from my friend Nancy's blog. Her baby was born premature, under a pound in fact, but thanks to Vanderbilt, itty bitty Becca is thriving today. Nancy is walking in the March of Dimes this year to raise money for vital research on premature birth. Check out Nancys blog, and then link over the the March of dimes - every bit makes a difference!

Thanks

Marie

This week marks one year from that awful day on which we received our baby girl’s awful prognosis. Dr. Fines’ exact words were, “I think we need to be prepared to lose this baby.” I was crushed. After calling John (who was in Costa Rica at the time) and stopping at Mejier to buy some pink sleepers, I took a nap. Here’s an excerpt of how I described that afternoon on this blog:

“The thing about taking a nap is that life doesn’t really change while you’re asleep. That whole “While You Were Sleeping” concept - not so much. When I woke up that afternoon - and for the next several mornings - I experienced that moment that many people who go through some kind of tragedy often describe. For about 30 seconds after I woke up, I thought everything was okay. And then I remembered. ‘I think we need to be prepared to lose this baby.’ Those next few days were some of the hardest of my life.”

Tonight, after countless perinatalogists visits, 121 days in the NICU, and 5 wonderful months at home together, our precious little Becca is sleeping in one of those pink sleepers, just down the hall from me.

As you know, our family has been touched by the March of Dimes mission to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. That’s why we have formed Itty Bitty Becca’s Team to raise money and participate in March for Babies. Since you were a part of the team that cheered her through our darkest days, we want you to officially be part of Itty Bitty Becca’s Team! There are two ways you can join: by walking with us on Sunday, April 19, or by sponsoring our event with a financial contribution.
Contributing to our team online is fast, easy and secure. You can donate directly from my personal webpage with a credit/debit card or PayPal. If you prefer, I can also accept cash or check. Just click the appropriate box on my webpage. My March for Babies webpage is http://www.marchforbabies.org/BeccaHill .

Or, if you prefer and are able to do so, we would love to have you walk with us in the March for Babies! We are participating in the Nashville walk on Sunday, April 19 at 2:00 at Cenntennial Park. If the weather is good and the germs remain at bay, Litte Miss Becca will be “walking” with us, too! (Of course, you can walk AND contribute, too!) You can also sign up to walk with us on the website.

Our family knows firsthand the challenges associated with prematurity. It is important to find out why premature birth happens and what can be done to prevent it. By rai... [ Read More (0.2k in body) ]

March of Dimes

Dr. X was the ideal man for this job because of his very disreputability. He was a reverse engineer. He collected artificial mites like some batty Victorian lepidopterist. He took them apart one atom at a time to see how they worked, and when he found some clever innovation, he squirreled it away in his database. Since most of these innovations were the result of natural selection, Dr. X was usually the first human being to know about them.

Hackworth was a forger, Dr. X was a honer. The distinction was at least as old as the digital computer. Forgers created a new technology and then forged on to the next project, having explored only the outlines of its potential. Honers got less respect because they appeared to sit still technologically, playing around with systems that were no longer start, hacking them for all they were worth, getting them to do things the forgers had never envisioned.

Excerpt from The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

I had a conversation several weeks ago with a former Army officer, a woman, who had been attacked in her bed a few years ago by a superior officer, a man, who was intent on raping her.

The woman fought the man off with a fury. When she tried to press charges against him, she was told that she should let the matter drop because she hadn’t been hurt. When she persisted, battalion officials threatened to bring charges against her.

Op-Ed Columnist - The Great Shame - NYTimes.com

I've consumed several TV series on LOVEFiLM, and I've used it to catch-up, to re-find, and to discover new ones. I came to The Wire almost by chance. And having slept on this for a good few months – since I finished Series 5 – I've concluded that it's the best TV series ever produced – up there with Band of Brothers, Sopranos, any of CSI, Lost, 24, Alias...

I recommended this simply because I agree -- alongside Band of Brothers The Wire is the best TV series I've ever seen -- and although I love the Sopranos I think The Wire is better

The Wire Feature | LOVEFiLM

A male chimpanzee in a Swedish zoo planned hundreds of stone-throwing attacks on zoo visitors, according to researchers.

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Zoo chimp 'planned' stone attacks

An exposed bra. Skimpy hotpants. Does dressing like a soft porn star actually empower a woman, or is she simply exploiting herself, asks Katharine Whitehorn.

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Women on top

100g caffeine

+

Upside Down Tomato Planter

=

ORGANIC TOMACCO. But with caffeine instead of Nicotine.

I have secured the grounds output of one coffee shop indefinitely. It is 50+ pounds a week. I will therefore have 2500+ pounds of well composted coffee come next year's planting season (figure some loss during composting, but I can get more coffee shops on board). It is about 2% nitrogen, not a bad fertilizer.

I find myself wondering if that much coffee grounds could caffeinate my vegetables.

So here is the plan:

1) Collect and accumulate grounds. I need them for compost/fertilizer no matter what.

2) Put 100g caffeine in the soil of one topsy turvy upside down tomato plant. They give you seeds but I think I'll use grape tomatoes.

3) Grow plant. Pick tomatoes.

4) Buy chemicals to extract caffeine from grape tomatoes. I did the extraction from tea/coffee in college, so the only tricky part will be getting the chemicals without getting raided by the DEA as a meth cooker.

If the grape tomatoes have significant amounts of caffeine in them:

5) Extract caffeine from grounds, then from well-composted grounds, to determine levels.

6) Spread grounds all in one concentrated area for growing caffeinated vegetables.

7) Extract caffeine from vegetables when they grow, to determine and verify caffeine levels. Label veggies as to caffeine content.

8) ????

9) PROFIT! Charge a premium for all naturally caffeinated, organic vegetables. Tomatoes. I might try some other plants in case those don't take it up well.

This is just about the stupidest, funnest business plan I can think of, so I will implement it immediately.

Organic Caffeinated Vegetables: A Business Plan

Reseachers have seen the best evidence yet for a pair of black holes orbiting each other within the same galaxy.

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Dancing black hole twins spotted