Happy Friday everyone! How are you?
BREAKING: Libya Announces Immediate Cease-fire by zonk
BBC:
Libya's government is declaring an immediate ceasefire, hours after a UN Security Council resolution backed a no-fly zone over the country.
Libyan Foreign Minister Mussa Kussa said the ceasefire was intended "to protect civilians
In the News
Japan weighs need to bury nuclear plant
Japanese engineers conceded on Friday that burying a crippled nuclear plant in sand and concrete may be a last resort to prevent a catastrophic radiation release, the method used to seal huge leakages from Chernobyl in 1986.
But they still hoped to solve the crisis by fixing a power cable to two reactors by Saturday to restart water pumps needed to cool overheating nuclear fuel rods. Workers also sprayed water on the No.3 reactor, the most critical of the plant's six.
It was the first time the facility operator had acknowledged burying the sprawling complex was possible, a sign that piecemeal actions such as dumping water from military helicopters or scrambling to restart cooling pumps may not work.
Italy to make bases available for Libya no-fly zone
Italy is ready to make its military bases available to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing a no-fly zone on Libya, an Italian government source told Reuters Thursday.
The airbase at Sigonella in Sicily, which provides logistical support for the United States Sixth Fleet, is one of the closest NATO bases to Libya and could be used in any military operation.
Fukushima Crisis Worsens as U.S. Warns of a Large Radiation Release
A top U.S. nuclear regulator has now given a dire assessment of Japan's nuclear crisis, saying that radiation from uncovered spent fuel at the Fukushima Daiichi plant could force emergency workers to abandon their fight to prevent meltdowns there.
Fukushima Will Be a Wasteland
Scientific American's David Biello judges Fukushima to have reached Chernobyl proportions.
Health News
A New Mom's Changing Brain
A new mothers body goes through many changes among them, key parts of her brain get bigger, according to research reported in Octobers Behavioral Neuroscience. And the more these areas grow, the greater the mother-infant bond seems to be.
Gene Therapy Offers Hope for Parkinson's Disease
An experimental gene-therapy treatment for Parkinson's disease has eased the movement problems of a small number of patients and raised no major safety concerns. The study, reported in The Lancet Neurology, is the first double-blind clinical trial to show a benefit of gene therapy to patients with the neurodegenerative condition.
Toilet paper, diapers to get more expensive
The cost of doing your business is about to rise.
Citing rising raw material and energy costs, Kymberly-Clark said Thursday it is raising prices on diapers and toilet paper by as much as 7 percent. The cost increases will be phased in over the summer, so stock up now.
Brands affected by the increases include Cottonelle and Scott bathroom tissue, Huggies baby wipes and diapers, and Pull-Ups and GoodNites training diapers. Price changes vary by brand and pack size.
Are you starting to notice rising prices when you shop? You aren't imagining things. Americans paid more for food and energy in February, new data show. But outside those volatile categories, inflation overal was tame, the government said Thursday.
Social Media
U.S. military says Metal Gear sock puppets are real
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed it is coding advanced software designed to infiltrate social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
The existence of Metal Gear was first revealed by the cyber activist group known as Anonymous, which managed to obtain critical data about the project from leaked HBGary documents.
"We believe Metal Gear involves an army of fake cyber personalities immersed in social networking websites for the purposes of manipulating the mass population via influence," the group explained in a press release circulated Wednesday evening.
"It is sophisticated enough to develop a 'profile' for each puppet to add a level of 'realism' to each. In short, there would be no feasible way to distinguish between 100 people commenting on a subject, and 100 of these puppets doing the same."
From Mashable -U.S. Military Developing False Online Personalities to Counter Enemy Propaganda
The US Central Command (Centcom) has purchased software that creates false online personalities for what it calls information operations.
Using the software, one member of the U.S. Military can control up to ten different fake accounts that appear to belong to civilians living in other countries. The government purchased the software from California-based Ntrepid for $2.76 million
Tech News
Obama admin tacitly approves .xxx domain name suffix
Unlike the Bush administration, the Obama White House appears to be mature enough to handle the idea of an adult-specific .xxx domain name suffix.
Yes, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, is expected to approve the controversial domain on Friday, despite objections from sexually repressed politicians and prudish religious groups.
On this Day in History
1942 The War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody.
1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law allowing for Hawaiian statehood, which would become official on August 21.
1989 In Egypt, a 4,400-year-old mummy is found nearby the Pyramid of Cheops.
2003 FBI agents raid the corporate headquarters of HealthSouth Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama on suspicion of massive corporate fraud led by the company's top executives.
2003 British Sign Language is recognised as an official British language.
2005 Terri Schiavo's feeding tube is removed at the request of her husband.
Happy Birthday
Adam Noah Levine (born March 18, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is the frontman for the alternative, pop-rock band Maroon 5.
Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album in 28 years[when?] and went platinum.
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970),[1] better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress and singer. Queen Latifah's work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination.
Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York) is a retired American speedskater. She is one of the top skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history.
Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American pop/R&B recording artist and actress. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America,[1] but a scandal caused her to relinquish her title early. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations.
Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941-January 19, 2006) was an American R&B/rock and roll and soul singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100. Among his best known hits are "In the Midnight Hour" (which he co-wrote), "Land of 1,000 Dances", "Mustang Sally", and "Funky Broadway".
Quote of the day
Somewhere in time's own space
There must be some sweet pastured place
Where creeks sing on and tall trees grow
Some paradise where horses go,
For by the love that guides my pen
I know great horses live again.
~Stanley Harrison