Archive for January, 2014
Sugar Linked To $1 Trillion In U.S. Healthcare Spending Per Year
January 20th, 2014Via: Forbes: “So 30% – 40% of healthcare expenditures in the USA go to help address issues that are closely tied to the excess consumption of sugar.” Credit Suisse Report – Sugar: Consumption At A Crossroads (PDF here) At this level, the math clearly lacks scientific precision, but it does emphasize the huge burden associated […]
Rich Chinese Flee China
January 19th, 2014Via: CNBC: A new report shows that 64 percent of Chinese millionaires have either emigrated or plan to emigrate—taking their spending and fortunes with them. The United States is their favorite destination. The report from Hurun, a wealth research firm that focuses on China, said that one-third of China’s super rich—or those worth $16 million […]
China: Industrial Scale Pig Cloning
January 18th, 2014…In an old shoe factory. Via: BBC: You hear the squeals of the pigs long before reaching a set of long buildings set in rolling hills in southern China. Feeding time produces a frenzy as the animals strain against the railings around their pens. But this is no ordinary farm. Run by a fast-growing company […]
Marines Investigate Photos from Iraq that Reportedly Show Troops Burning Bodies
January 18th, 2014I wonder how many Americans have ever heard of the Highway of Death? Via: CNN: The Marine Corps is working to determine the authenticity of photos published by TMZ.com that purport to show Marines burning the bodies of what appear to be Iraqi insurgents. The celebrity and gossip website said it has 41 photographs believed […]
Photos: Mexican Vigilantes Disarm Police, Battle Drug Cartel for Control of Paracuaro
January 18th, 2014Via: Business Insider: Fed up with a corrupt police force that is often in bed with the cartels and a military that has to this point been ineffective, some Mexicans have taken it upon themselves to fight the cartels and protect their families — with an incredible conflict happening this week in the city of […]
Microsoft Can Delete Applications on Windows Machines from Remote
January 18th, 2014Via: TheDailyDot: In August 2013, 4 million infected computers woke up and waited instructions from their master. The pathogen was Sefnit, a nasty bit of malware that makes infected computers mine bitcoins. Once the computers woke up, they worked under the command of Ukranian and Israeli hackers named Scorpion and Dekadent. The malware communicated with […]
China Starts Televising Sunrise On Giant TV Screens Because Smog Is So Thick
January 18th, 2014Via: Time: Air pollution in the Chinese capital reached new, choking heights on Thursday. Those who still felt the urge to catch a glimpse of sunlight were able to gather around the city’s gigantic LED screens, where this glorious sunrise was broadcast as part of a patriotic video loop.
California Governor Declares Drought Emergency
January 18th, 2014Via: USA Today: In what could become one of California’s biggest crises in years, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a statewide drought emergency Friday, an action that sets the stage for new state and federal efforts. The governor also wants to focus Californians on the possibility of water shortages. … The situation in most of California […]
NSA Collects 200 Million Text Messages Daily; ‘Untargeted’ Global Sweep
January 16th, 2014Via: Guardian: The National Security Agency has collected almost 200 million text messages a day from across the globe, using them to extract data including location, contact networks and credit card details, according to top-secret documents. The untargeted collection and storage of SMS messages – including their contacts – is revealed in a joint investigation […]
Blackphone, for Whatever Ails Ya
January 15th, 2014Via: ZDnet: On Wednesday, Silent Circle and Geeksphone announced the formation of a new Switzerland-based joint venture and its first surveillance-thwarting product, the Blackphone. Powered by a security-oriented Android build named PrivatOS, Blackphone is touted as a carrier and vendor-independent smartphone which allows consumers and businesses to make and receive secure phone calls, exchange secure […]
