Ents in Indonesia

In recent months, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding the HPV vaccine. Many medical organizations and states/local governments recommend that young girls (I believe 12 and up) get the vaccine to protect against this STD regardless of whether they are sexually active or not.

Don't click the link yet.

Here is a good reason for the vaccine. An Indonesian fisherman injured himself as a teenager and picked up an HPV infection. Sure, this is apparently a different strain that was transited when the victim cut his knee, but it is still HPV. The HPV infection interacted with his unique genetic flaws and is turning him into a tree.

Bizarre warts that look like roots and branches are growing from his skin.

The video and pictures at the site may be disturbing if you are sensitive to that sort of thing. Consider your self warned.

The good news is this may be treatable.

I originally found the link on fazed.net, and I really hope it's a fake. Unfortunately, it seems all too real.

Regardless of how HPV is transmitted, if the vaccine will stop this sort of thing from happening, it's probably worth it

Sleep 05: British sleep walking

Studies have found that sleepwalking can be brought on by stress, alcohol, eating cheese or consuming too much caffeine. It generally takes effect an hour or two after going to bed, when people are first slipping into a deep sleep.

Cheese? Really?

Apparently, sleepwalking is on the rise in British hotels. Because of cheese.

The full article (originally found on fark) is available here.

Resistance is Futile 02: Out of Memory Error

In the current issue of Wired (15.10), columnist Clive Thompson talks about the recent decline human memory. He suggests that reason people remember less now is because they don't need to.

That reflexive gesture — reaching into your pocket for the answer — tells the story in a nutshell. Mobile phones can store 500 numbers in their memory, so why would you bother trying to cram the same info into your own memory? Younger Americans today are the first generation to grow up with go-everywhere gadgets and services that exist specifically to remember things so that we don't have to: BlackBerrys, phones, thumb drives, Gmail.

But is this a problem?

In The Matrix, when people needed to learn a new skill, they could just have it downloaded into their mind. I'd like to be able to do that. Imagine the possibiliities of having a memory card slot in your head that allowed you to download new information or skills.

I've talked before about adding senses, VR goggles, Modafinil, and other ways the improve on biology. Biology and technology continue to converge.

But in reality, are we alread there? Sure we can't download the information immediately into the brain, but we can get it all on the internet.

It may seem obvious, but the problem is nothing more than an interface one. The Keyboard-Mouse-Ears-Eyes interface between the Internet and the brain is simply too slow and clumsy.

And that's the realm where improvements will come in the next few decades. Either the interface will be improved, or it will be replaced.

To expand the idea even further, at what point does the body itself superflous?

New SeaTac Name

From the Seattle News:

NAME CHANGE CONTROVERSIAL
By Olaf Priol

Port of Seattle officials held a six and a half hour contentious community meeting in Tukwilla on Friday night.

Supporters and opponents of the proposed name change turned out in drives to voice their opinion. Port Commissioners promised to listen to every person and every comment before ending the meeting.

The proposal concerns the long awaited name change of the Seatac airport to Seabeltac. The estimates the total cost of the name change to be $79 million.

"It's about damn time," said longtime Bellevue resident Ken Adams. "Bellevue is now the hot area of the Puget Sound. We're growing. We're close to Microsoft. We've got the most money. And we are the paragon of style bring some semblance of neatness to the area and bringing Seattle out of that Grunge era. It's about time we were recognized.

"After all, it's not Tacoma resident buying those first class tickets and traveling to Europe. Why shouldn't we be part of the airport name."

"It's Seatac because it was Seattle and Tacoma who built this airport. Bellevue didn't pay for it. If they want to go back to 1937 and pay for the airport back then, fine. But I don't see them doing that unless Adams has a stylish, expensive time machine he hasn't told us about yet," said Greg Master, 27, of Tacoma.

...

Local Salmon Safe chairwoman, Mist Roslin, explained her organizations objections to the name change. "They'll be changing the signs!" exhorted Ms. Roslin. "That means more ink and the ink in those signs is a known carcinogen. Plus the port will pull down all the old Seatac signs and replace them with Seabeltac Signs, right in the middle of spawning season. We can't allow this to happen. Thousand of salmon will die to protect the Bellevue ego. Leave the name alone. If the Port goes through with this murderous plan, we will be forced to take legal action. "

...

The FAA has yet to weigh in on the name change plans, though they are likely to object to the proposed change in airport code from SEA to SBT. SBT is already the airport code for Tri-Cities Airport, near Santa Barbara, CA.

...

City officials in the City of Seatac were surprised when asked for comment. The Port had neglected to notify them of the plan to change the airport name and the requirement that they change their city name, as well.

All it Takes is the Right Paperwork

I want a permit to dump blood in the sewer.

I don't know when I would need to use such a permit, but I still want one.

...

It happened about two weeks ago in Northeast Minneapolis near a lab that does medical testing and dumps blood into the sewer. It is allowed but the city is now making changes to help protect workers in the future.

...

The Met Council said it was a mix of human and animal blood used in medical testing at this nearby lab.

In fact, the company, R & D Systems, does have a permit to dump blood in the sewer system.

...

The Met Council issued the permit. When asked if it's safe to have blood in the sewers, the Met Council said it is no more harmful than most other wastes in the sewer.

The sanitary sewer system is the appropriate place for this type of liquid wastes. There are other companies that have permits to discharge blood in the sewer system.

According to the Met Council, there are about four slaughterhouses, about 20 hospitals, and about a dozen medical and pharmaceutical companies that have permits.

...more

A High Tolerance for ReRuns

Mummified body found in front of blaring TV

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Police called to a Long Island man's house discovered the mummified remains of the resident, dead for more than a year, sitting in front of a blaring television set.
...
Officials could not explain why the electricity had not been turned off, considering Ricardo had not been heard from since December 2005.
...More

I have a few random thoughts after reading this article.

First, that's a really reliable TV. Apparently, it's been running at high volume for over a year without interruption.

Second, you don't have to pay your power bill.

Third, you don't have to pay your property tax.

Fourth, neighbors will mind their own buisness.

I'm not sure if this is a good way to go or not. On one hand, nobody seems to have missed the guy. On the other hand, though, it seems like he went in a rather relaxed manner. But he must have sat through a lot of reruns and infomercials.

Water Causes Fire

This is why I don't clean my ceiling.

Sprinkler accident sets off Seattle electrical fire

A sprinkler accidentally set off by a resident sparked an electrical fire in a First Avenue apartment building Saturday morning, flooded businesses and apartments, and shut down a city block for several hours.

A resident on the 21st floor of one of the Harbor Steps buildings hit a sprinkler while cleaning, said Jim Fosse, deputy chief with the Seattle Fire Department. The sprinkler flooded that apartment and an adjacent electrical room, then gushed down several floors. The water shorted out another electrical panel on the sixth floor, setting off another sprinkler, Fosse said

...
More

Ich bin ein Brooklyner

Well, not quite, but I found this story entertaining.

Off-the-wall divorce
Hubby's barrier goes up in house

BY DENISE ROMANO and JOTHAM SEDERSTROMDAILY NEWS WRITERS

Brooklyn's real-life version of "The War of the Roses" culminated yesterday as a wall was built to literally split a marital house in two.

Workers contracted by millionaire Simon Taub constructed the wall in the center of the Borough Park home that the sweater baron shares with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Chana Taub, capping a bitter dispute that began last year.

...more

Putting up a wall like that seems like good practice if you ever need to hide a body.

Weapons of Mess Destruction

From the Seattle Times:

Woman uses baby to hit boyfriend

A woman used her 4-week-old baby as a weapon in a domestic dispute, swinging the infant through the air and striking her boyfriend with the child, authorities said.

The boy, who suffered a fractured skull, was in serious but stable condition Monday at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, police said.

"Never, never, never. I can never remember anything like this," District Attorney Bradley Foulk told the Erie Times-News.

Chytoria Graham, 27, of Erie, was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and simple assault. She was held Monday in the Erie County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.

Earlier this year, we learned that unrestrained children can become missiles.

Now babies are the weapon of choice in assaults.

Obviously, we need to take action.

At the national level, we need to encourage the Bush administration to push for the signing of the Baby Non-Proliferation Treaty. The BNPT will help protect us against the humanitarian crisis that's sure to erupt once North Korea starts flinging infants across the Pacific.

The TSA must start confiscating babies at the airport security checkpoint. They are too dangerous. We don't allow other missiles on our airplanes, why should we make an exception for babies? If you don't agree with this critical security measure, I have to ask, why do you hate America?

People in the inner cities who have been victims of baby-violence need to band together and demand their political leaders sue the makers of cheap out of state babies that are flooding our streets. How can children get an education and lift themselves out of poverty when they are too afraid of baby-violence to go to school? Drug dealers have to protect their stash and they are relying on baby missiles and clubs more and more each day.

If your children are playing at a friend's place, find out if their parents have a baby in the house. Baby accidents are the leading cause of death among kids today.

Finally, if you must have a baby in the house, lock it up. You will feel terrible if your child finds the baby and accidentally discharges it, seriously hurting someone. They could hurt you, your dog, or even a family friend

So, think of your home.
Think of your friends.
Think of your neighborhood.
Think of security.

And most of all, think of America.

Bored in Australia?

I found this on Fark.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - As Australia braces for a scorching summer wildfire season, firefighters are being forced to spy on their own ranks amid suspicions one-in-five bushfires are lit by firefighters.

On the other hand, corporate recruiters often value candidate who demonstrate initiative.

But state bushfire chief Phil Koperberg said commanders were watching up to 30 suspects for certain telltale signs.

"You are not supposed to like going out firefighting," Koperberg told Australian newspapers.

True enough. How many employers will actually tell you that your are not supposed to like your job?

So Many Bad Jokes begging to be let out of one headline

Blind inventor killed crossing Oregon highway
He created curb markers to help sight-impaired navigate streets

GLIDE, Ore. -- A blind man who invented curbside markers to help the sight-impaired was struck and killed while crossing a highway, the authorities said.