Learning Template

Nieman Reports (Harvard)
Bob Giles offers a good template for learning:

“‘Five Minds for the Future'...new ways of learning that will prepare students to think globally and function in a world dominated by information, science and technology, and the conflicts among cultures.

Gardner’s five minds would master one or more disciplines, would posses capabilities to synthesize information, would be creative, would be respectful and would work in an ethical manner.”

Man in India Marries Dog

A man in southern India married a female dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony as an attempt to atone for stoning two other dogs to death _ an act he believes cursed him _ a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Related Man-Beast Marriages...

(not actual dog)

Wikipedia folks say that Human-animal marriage, i.e., marriage between humans and non-human animals, is not recognized by any modern country, but historically, people have married animals as part of religious traditions or to bring good luck, often involving elaborate ceremonies. Such marriages as are allowed by tradition, or within a culture, are often symbolic or ritual, rather than the more usual recognition of a relationship

Learn Japanese

the web offers a marketplace for learning new language

Silence of Cellphones, Illegally

As cellphone use has skyrocketed, making it hard to avoid hearing half a conversation in many public places, a small but growing band of rebels is turning to a blunt countermeasure: the cellphone jammer, a gadget that renders nearby mobile devices impotent.::MORE::

Soulja Boys and Girls

74-year-old does 3,010 push-ups in one day

The AJC found this super determined grandfather of four. I think four is the number of push-ups I can do right now...

Don Magee, 74, recently broke his own personal record by performing 3,010 push-ups in one day.::MORE::

Istanbul's Bath Houses

Lonely Planet has saved me plenty of times when I've been in a strange land.

Want to steam away the travel grime - but confused by the rituals? Here's a simple guide to keeping your cool. ::MORE::

How to Save Gasolina

With Gas Prices reaching a $100 bucks and soon surpassing it, it's not too late to save at the pump. Here is a list I got from ABC.
Choose the right octane. For most cars, the recommended gas is regular octane. Using a higher octane gas than the manufacturer recommends offers no benefit, and it costs you at the pump. Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gas is a waste of money.

Stay away from gas-savings gadgets. Be skeptical about any gadget promising to improve your mileage. The Environmental Protection Agency has tested more than 100 such devices -- including "mixture enhancers" and fuel line magnets -- and found that very few provided any benefits. Those that did work provided only a slight improvement. Some can even damage your engine.

Stay within the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 miles per hour.

Avoid unnecessary idling. It wastes fuel, costs you money and pollutes the air. Turn off the engine if you anticipate a wait.

Stop and start gently. You can improve in-town gas mileage by up to 5 percent by driving gently.

Use overdrive and cruise control. They improve fuel economy when you're driving on the highway.

Inflate your tires. Keeping your tires properly inflated and aligned can increase gas mileage up to 3 percent.

Keep your engine tuned. Tuning your engine can increase gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.

Change your oil. Clean oil reduces wear caused by friction between moving parts and removes harmful substances from the engine. Motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the performance symbol of the American Petroleum Institute contains friction-reducing additives that can improve fuel economy.

Replace air filters regularly. Replacing clogged filters can increase gas mileage up to 10 percent.

Lose the junk in your trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce fuel economy by up to 2 percent. Removing nonessential stuff can save you at the pump.

Combine errands. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.

Consider carpooling. Many cities make it even easier by matching up commuters.

Bus it, bike it or hoof it. Why not leave your car at home and consider public transportation, a bike ride or a stroll across town?

Handwriting Helps You Learn

For most people, the written thank-you is your best bet for an expression of warm, heartfelt thanks. The last thing you want is for someone to be disappointed when her hand-knit scarf is acknowledged with a loud, animated e-card." So says the Emily Post Institute, founded in 1946 and still an authority on principles of politeness in today's digital age. ::MORE::

Citizen Legal Protection Project Opens

Citizen Media Law Project and the interface of their Legal Threats Database, was launched to the public. (go here for the news release) The database, funded by Knight Foundation, catalogs lawsuits, cease-and-desist letters, and other legal challenges faced by those engaging in online speech.