http://www.thebeerbarrel.net/showthread.php?7712-Professor-Cicadas-Hiss-Could-Be-Dangerous
Cicadas actually hiss louder than the average person shouts. If you're close enough to them for long enough, they may actually be dangerous to your hearing.The cicada sound may not seem special at this point, but it only comes every 13 years, and its loudness, or decibel, is somewhat spectacular."They're in the neighborhood of 90 decibels or above, if you get real close to them," said Todd Ricketts.Ricketts is an associate professor of hearing and speech at Vanderbilt. He measured the cicadas hiss on Vanderbilt's campus at about 86 decibels."Annoying, irritating and you have to shout to talk over them," said Ricketts.For some perspective, the cicada reading is significantly louder than the average conversation and about the same level as a train's whistle
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Police find bar for inmates at prison in Mexico
http://www.thebeerbarrel.net/showthread.php?7711-Police-find-bar-for-inmates-at-prison-in-Mexico
Some prisoners learn woodworking or license-plate making. But bartending?
A prison workshop in northern Mexico where inmates were supposed to be learning trades was found to contain a bar behind bars -- complete with beer, vodka, tequila, and billiard tables.
Federal police and local authorities discovered the bar Monday at a minimum-security prison in the northern state of Chihuahua, the state attorney general's office said in a statement.
Seized from the site were 20 bottles of vodka, 12 bottles of tequila, and 200 beer cans. Police also found three guns, 20 cell phones, 180 individual doses of marijuana and 90 doses of heroin.
Some prisoners learn woodworking or license-plate making. But bartending?
A prison workshop in northern Mexico where inmates were supposed to be learning trades was found to contain a bar behind bars -- complete with beer, vodka, tequila, and billiard tables.
Federal police and local authorities discovered the bar Monday at a minimum-security prison in the northern state of Chihuahua, the state attorney general's office said in a statement.
Seized from the site were 20 bottles of vodka, 12 bottles of tequila, and 200 beer cans. Police also found three guns, 20 cell phones, 180 individual doses of marijuana and 90 doses of heroin.
The Near-Extinction Of American Bison In The 1800’s
http://tiny.cc/sw75c
As the populations of the United States pushed West in the early 1800’s, a lucrative trade for the fur, skin, and meat of the American Bison began in the great plains. Bison slaughter was further encouraged by the US government as a means of starving out or removing Native American populations that relied on the bison for food. Hunting of bison became so prevalent that travelers on trains in the Midwest would shoot bison during long-haul train trips.
As the populations of the United States pushed West in the early 1800’s, a lucrative trade for the fur, skin, and meat of the American Bison began in the great plains. Bison slaughter was further encouraged by the US government as a means of starving out or removing Native American populations that relied on the bison for food. Hunting of bison became so prevalent that travelers on trains in the Midwest would shoot bison during long-haul train trips.
Can municipalities enforce local Net Neutrality?
http://www.thebeerbarrel.net/showthread.php?7702-Can-municipalities-enforce-local-Net-Neutrality
While fracking and Net Neutrality have little in common, Pittsburgh's ordinance uses powerful legal concepts that may be useful for preserving Internet freedoms. Like Pittsburgh has done with fracking, any community can enact an ordinance that enforces Net Neutrality at the local level, as the Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011 aspires to do at the federal level. And, they can do so now ... without waiting for Congress. Firstly, the Pittsburgh ordinance enforces the right of communities to democratic self-governance. Second, the ordinance strips corporations of their Constitutional rights if they seek to engage in fracking. The organization that assisted Pittsburgh in drafting the ordinance explains how these ordinances are designed to work:"
While fracking and Net Neutrality have little in common, Pittsburgh's ordinance uses powerful legal concepts that may be useful for preserving Internet freedoms. Like Pittsburgh has done with fracking, any community can enact an ordinance that enforces Net Neutrality at the local level, as the Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011 aspires to do at the federal level. And, they can do so now ... without waiting for Congress. Firstly, the Pittsburgh ordinance enforces the right of communities to democratic self-governance. Second, the ordinance strips corporations of their Constitutional rights if they seek to engage in fracking. The organization that assisted Pittsburgh in drafting the ordinance explains how these ordinances are designed to work:"
How to publish a Hindu newspaper in Pakistan
http://www.thebeerbarrel.net/showthread.php?7701-How-to-publish-a-Hindu-newspaper-in-Pakistan
This is, in fact, the first Hindu newspaper in Pakistan. The guy literally carries around a desktop PC on his shoulders to get the prepped content to the printer; he taught himself how to use the computer over the course of 8-10 years, and learned how to do desktop publishing with tools we'd consider antiquated in the wealthy US. He sells the paper for cheap, because the audience is poor; mostly boot-polishers and farmers. On some nights his family goes hungry because he uses all their resources to put out the paper. An inspiring story.
A technical note: TIME's video player annoyingly crops out all the subtitles, play it full screen so you can read them (unless you're a Hindi speaker, in which case you won't need them).
This is, in fact, the first Hindu newspaper in Pakistan. The guy literally carries around a desktop PC on his shoulders to get the prepped content to the printer; he taught himself how to use the computer over the course of 8-10 years, and learned how to do desktop publishing with tools we'd consider antiquated in the wealthy US. He sells the paper for cheap, because the audience is poor; mostly boot-polishers and farmers. On some nights his family goes hungry because he uses all their resources to put out the paper. An inspiring story.
A technical note: TIME's video player annoyingly crops out all the subtitles, play it full screen so you can read them (unless you're a Hindi speaker, in which case you won't need them).
Google invests $55 million in wind farms in California's Mojave desert
http://www.thebeerbarrel.net/showthread.php?7700-Google-invests-55-million-in-wind-farms-in-California-s-Mojave-desert
The LA Times reports that the search giant is partnering with Citibank, "which is also shelling out $55 million to help finance part of the Alta Wind Energy Center, one of the world's largest wind installations," and that the move is seen as a "key step in California's efforts to regain its once enviable title as the world's capital for wind power." When the project is complete, it will be capable of generating 1.5 gigawatts, enough to power 450,000 homes.
The LA Times reports that the search giant is partnering with Citibank, "which is also shelling out $55 million to help finance part of the Alta Wind Energy Center, one of the world's largest wind installations," and that the move is seen as a "key step in California's efforts to regain its once enviable title as the world's capital for wind power." When the project is complete, it will be capable of generating 1.5 gigawatts, enough to power 450,000 homes.
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