A new book curates pages from a series of mail-order prank catalogues published between 1896 and 1930, when American men played hair-raising jokes on initiates of their fraternal lodges
?| November 9, 2011?|
Human-generated electricity was an industrial-age curiosity at the turn of the century. By 1900 alternating current (AC) electricity had been used to execute convicted murderers and to power the 1893 Chicago World's Fair displays of such time-saving inventions as an electric stove and an electric incubator for chicken eggs. Practical uses for AC power were still fast evolving, and most families did not yet have electric lights in their homes. But battery-powered electric pranks abounded. During this time, fraternal order membership was fast on the rise in the U.S., and initiation pranks using dry cells and magneto batteries became a popular feature in certain lodges. The batteries were portable and relatively safe, delivering a controllable and nonlethal (usually) shock. The most renowned manufacturer of these ingenious mechanical "shock" devices was the DeMoulin Brothers Co. of Greenville, Ill. Their prank, or "side-degree," catalogues offering these items from 1897 to 1930 were not available to the public, but sent to high-ranking lodge officers only. Many of the pranks in the DeMoulin catalogues illustrate aspects of daily life at this time.
? Click here for a slide show of 11 electric prank machines from The Extraordinary Catalog of Peculiar Inventions
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Cairo (Reuters) ? An explosion hit the gas pipeline between Egypt, Israel and Jordan on Thursday morning in Northern Sinai for the sixth time this year and the first since pumping was resumed on October 24, a security source told Reuters.
The blast took place near Mazar area, 60 km (37 miles) west of the town of Al-Arish.
"Early indications are that this was sabotage," the source said. The pipeline had been shut down, he said.
Residents in Al-Arish told Reuters that flames could be seen from the town.
(Reporting by Tamim Elyan; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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In this image made from video provided by the Parliamentary Recording Unit via APTN, News Corp. executive James Murdoch speaks during his second appearance before British parliamentarians investigating the country's phone hacking scandal in London, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Murdoch insisted on Thursday he wasn't told the whole truth about phone hacking at the News of the World, blaming subordinates for keeping him in the dark about the extent of wrongdoing at his company's flagship Sunday tabloid. (AP Photo/Parliamentary Recording Unit via APTN) NO ARCHIVE, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
In this image made from video provided by the Parliamentary Recording Unit via APTN, News Corp. executive James Murdoch speaks during his second appearance before British parliamentarians investigating the country's phone hacking scandal in London, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Murdoch insisted on Thursday he wasn't told the whole truth about phone hacking at the News of the World, blaming subordinates for keeping him in the dark about the extent of wrongdoing at his company's flagship Sunday tabloid. (AP Photo/Parliamentary Recording Unit via APTN) NO ARCHIVE, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
In this image made from video provided by the Parliamentary Recording Unit via APTN, News Corp. executive James Murdoch speaks during his second appearance before British parliamentarians investigating the country's phone hacking scandal in London, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. Murdoch insisted on Thursday he wasn't told the whole truth about phone hacking at the News of the World, blaming subordinates for keeping him in the dark about the extent of wrongdoing at his company's flagship Sunday tabloid. (AP Photo/Parliamentary Recording Unit via APTN) NO ARCHIVE, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
A campainer for change of media regulation in a puppet of James Murdoch, Chief executive of News Corporation Europe and Asia, protests outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. James Murdoch is due to appear Thursday at the House of Commons Select Committee for the second time for questioning on phone hacking. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Campainers for change of media regulation, with one in a puppet of James Murdoch, Chief executive of News Corporation Europe and Asia, protest outside Parliament's Portculis House in London where James Murdoch is to to appear, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. James Murdoch is due to appear Thursday at the House of Commons Select Committee for the second time for questioning on phone hacking. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Campainers for change of media regulation, with one in a puppet of James Murdoch, Chief executive of News Corporation Europe and Asia, protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011. James Murdoch is due to appear Thursday at the House of Commons Select Committee for the second time for questioning on phone hacking. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
LONDON (AP) ? He didn't see. He wasn't told. He didn't know.
Called back to Britain's Parliament after former News Corp. employees challenged his credibility, senior executive James Murdoch insisted he'd been kept in the dark about widespread phone hacking at his now-defunct News of the World tabloid, blaming two of his senior lieutenants for failing to warn him of the paper's culture of criminality.
"None of these things were mentioned to me," he told an often-skeptical House of Commons media committee.
Over more than two-and-a-half hours of questioning, Murdoch stuck to that line.
"It was not shown to me," he said of an explosive email which implicated one of his top reporters in illegally eavesdropping on mobile phone voice mail messages.
"It didn't occur to me to probe further," he said when quizzed about the legal advice his subordinates had supplied him.
"It didn't seem necessary for me to ask for a copy," he said of a seven-page document warning of overwhelming evidence of illegal behavior at his company.
Speaking quickly and confidently, Murdoch laid the blame at the door of ex-News of the World Editor Colin Myler and former in-house lawyer Tom Crone, both of whom resigned soon after the scandal broke earlier this year. Over the past few months, the pair have challenged the credibility of their former boss, accusing the 38-year-old News Corp. executive of not telling the truth when he claimed they never told him about the incriminating email back in 2008.
Murdoch made one important concession to their version of events ? acknowledging that he'd been briefed on the incriminating email back in 2008 ? but insisted that its importance was kept from him.
"What never happened is Mr. Crone and Mr. Myler showing me the relevant evidence, explaining to me the relevant evidence ? and its relevance ? or talking about wider spread criminality," Murdoch said. "That simply did not happen."
In a statement, Crone attacked Murdoch's testimony.
"At best, his evidence on the matter was disingenuous," he said of Murdoch's comments.
Myler also hit back, saying his own evidence to the committee "has been entirely accurate and consistent."
"I stand by my account of the meeting with James Murdoch on 10 June 2008," he said in a statement.
Committee chairman John Whittingdale said lawmakers would not call Myler or Crone back for more testimony, but would now work on their report and weigh whose version of events to believe.
"It is plain that the two accounts we've heard, one of them cannot be true," Whittingdale said.
Murdoch's solo performance was far less dramatic his first appearance on July 19 alongside his 80-year-old father Rupert Murdoch who repeatedly banged the table to back his points. Although the navy-suited James Murdoch showed flashes of annoyance ? occasionally starting his answers with "as I testified earlier" or "as I answered earlier" ? he kept his cool, even when Labour lawmaker Tom Watson described him as a bumbling crime lord.
"You must be the first mafia boss in history who doesn't know he's at the head of a criminal enterprise," Watson said in what sounded like a carefully crafted sound bite.
Murdoch, stony-faced, dismissed the comment as inappropriate.
He struck an apologetic tone when questions steered him toward his company's failure to get to grips with the scandal. He said executives had given assurances, and that the company "relied on those assurances for too long."
"I'm sorry for that," he said.
He also apologized for the use of a private investigator to tail the lawyers of phone hacking victims, calling the practice "appalling."
James Murdoch runs News Corp.'s European and Asian holdings and remains tipped to succeed his father at the helm of the global media conglomerate. He was summoned by lawmakers investigating the industrial-scale espionage at the News of the World, the exposure of which has already forced the paper's closure and scuttled a multibillion pound (dollar) bid for full control of satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
More than a dozen journalists at News International, News Corp.'s British newspaper subsidiary, have been arrested, and several executives, including Wall Street Journal publisher Les Hinton, have resigned.
Although the media committee's investigation isn't as serious as the ongoing police investigation ? its recommendations are nonbinding ? Murdoch still needed to put on a strong show. Investors have become increasingly restive as the scandal continues to spread, and analysts say Murdoch's position as heir apparent to his father's company is under threat.
Paul Connew, a media consultant and former tabloid editor, said he believed Murdoch had given a mixed performance.
"Polished to a certain extent, but again suffering from the amnesia factor," he said.
Connew warned that even if Murdoch's reputation isn't damaged by the committee's report, he would not be home free. A judge-led inquiry into Britain's media could call him back to the U.K. for more questioning. And detectives could dredge up more damaging revelations.
Lawmakers suggested as much Thursday, with one asking whether Murdoch was aware of any phone hacking at The Sun, the News of the World's sister paper and currently Britain's biggest selling daily.
Murdoch refused to say, citing an ongoing investigation.
Asked whether he would close The Sun if evidence of phone hacking emerged there, he declined comment.
Separately, London police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe announced Thursday that police were working their way through some 300 million emails from News International.
Some 120 officers and staff are investigating the phone hacking scandal. The force said it had contacted less than a third of the News of the World's nearly 6,000 potential victims.
___
Online:
Media committee website: http://www.parliament.uk/cmscom
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Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-764-1552
University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---In a first-of-its kind study, University of Michigan researchers will provide genetic testing and Alzheimer's risk estimates for people who are already experiencing mild cognitive impairment.
Researchers hope to learn how people with mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers respond to health education and genetic testing, says Scott Roberts, associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the U-M School of Public Health.
Roberts and colleagues will look specifically at how the information impacts the participants' psychological adjustment and any behavior changes, and evaluate how well the participants understand the study genetic testing and Alzheimer's risk assessment materials.
Mild cognitive impairment is a common condition where those affected have noticeable memory and thinking problems but can still carry out their usual activities. People with mild cognitive impairment are at elevated risk for developing Alzheimer's disease within five years, so it's important to evaluate the different methods of providing risk information for Alzheimer's, including genetic testing, to those individuals and their loved ones, Roberts says. After receiving their risk estimate, participants will be followed for a period of 12 months.
The study, called the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer's Disease, is a multi-centered research project funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Study participants will have the opportunity to learn what it means to have mild cognitive impairment, what their chances are of developing Alzheimer's, and how to cope with problems related to memory loss.
###
Study investigators hope to enroll individuals aged 55 to 90 who have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and have a study partner willing to participate with them. Recruitment will continue through spring 2012. For those interested in enrolling in the study, contact Lan Le at (734) 615-2422 or revealstudy@umich.edu.
Scott Roberts: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=jscottr
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education: www.sph.umich.edu/hbhe
School of Public Health: www.sph.umich.edu
The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been promoting health and preventing disease since 1941, and is ranked among the top public health schools in the nation. Whether making new discoveries in the lab or researching and educating in the field, SPH faculty, students and alumni are deployed around the globe to promote and protect our health.
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-764-1552
University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---In a first-of-its kind study, University of Michigan researchers will provide genetic testing and Alzheimer's risk estimates for people who are already experiencing mild cognitive impairment.
Researchers hope to learn how people with mild cognitive impairment and their caregivers respond to health education and genetic testing, says Scott Roberts, associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the U-M School of Public Health.
Roberts and colleagues will look specifically at how the information impacts the participants' psychological adjustment and any behavior changes, and evaluate how well the participants understand the study genetic testing and Alzheimer's risk assessment materials.
Mild cognitive impairment is a common condition where those affected have noticeable memory and thinking problems but can still carry out their usual activities. People with mild cognitive impairment are at elevated risk for developing Alzheimer's disease within five years, so it's important to evaluate the different methods of providing risk information for Alzheimer's, including genetic testing, to those individuals and their loved ones, Roberts says. After receiving their risk estimate, participants will be followed for a period of 12 months.
The study, called the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer's Disease, is a multi-centered research project funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Study participants will have the opportunity to learn what it means to have mild cognitive impairment, what their chances are of developing Alzheimer's, and how to cope with problems related to memory loss.
###
Study investigators hope to enroll individuals aged 55 to 90 who have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and have a study partner willing to participate with them. Recruitment will continue through spring 2012. For those interested in enrolling in the study, contact Lan Le at (734) 615-2422 or revealstudy@umich.edu.
Scott Roberts: www.sph.umich.edu/iscr/faculty/profile.cfm?uniqname=jscottr
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education: www.sph.umich.edu/hbhe
School of Public Health: www.sph.umich.edu
The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been promoting health and preventing disease since 1941, and is ranked among the top public health schools in the nation. Whether making new discoveries in the lab or researching and educating in the field, SPH faculty, students and alumni are deployed around the globe to promote and protect our health.
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uom-usw111011.php
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The...
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Have you brushed your dog?s teeth today? Probably not. Let?s face it. Taking care of your pet?s teeth, whether you have a dog or cat, can be a challenge. Yet dental health is as important for pets as it is for humans. So don?t wait for that annual checkup to discover your pet has a dental issue. There are some things you can do.
What are the risks if you ignore your pet?s dental health? Bacteria and tartar buildup in your pet?s mouth may cause inflammation leading to bad breath, gum disease, abscesses and pain. While your pet may not get cavities, he may develop gingivitis, fractures, and loose teeth.
How can you tell if your pet has a dental problem? Bad breath is a big tip off. Also take note if your dog or cat seems to have difficulty eating. Other symptoms include drooling, excessive licking, pawing at the mouth, or rubbing the face against objects.
Your dog may allow you to inspect his teeth. Try holding his mouth and pulling back his lips. Cats, however, are unlikely to sit still for this type of inspection, one reason why observing your cat?s behavior becomes even more important.
Here are some preventive measures you can follow:
Brushing. Start early with preventive care, brushing your pet?s teeth with a special tooth paste made for dogs or cats. Never use toothpaste meant for humans. (In video above, Dr. Goldberg shows how to brush your dog?s teeth).
Dental rinses. These can be squeezed into the pet?s mouth. Okay for them to swallow.
Use chews. Special ?greenies? for dogs and cats can help clean teeth. There are also antiseptic raw hide chews for dogs.
Check for color. As pets age, teeth age as well. Your pet?s teeth should be white or off-white. Yellow or brown teeth should be inspected by your veterinarian.
Consider genetics. Just like with humans, some pets inherit bad teeth. If your pet is so blessed, you may need to be particularly vigilant.
Cats have other issues. Cats develop a condition called resorptive lesions, a genetic disease, which often requires extraction.
Watch bones. While some bones are good for your dog, smaller, softer bones, like marrow bones, may splinter and cause fractures.
Special diets. Ask your vet if a special prescription diet may help safeguard your pet?s dental health.
Consider a professional cleaning. Tartar buildup is categorized by numbers, from one through four. At the higher level, a professional cleaning by your veterinarian may be necessary. Be aware, however, that such a cleaning will require anesthesia.
While you aim to safeguard your pet?s dental health, be realistic. Do what you can do?what your pet will let you do. And, most importantly, don?t forget to schedule that annual physical with your veterinarian.
Talia Goldberg, DVM (photo at top) writes on pet-related issues for Woman Around Town. Have a question about your pet? Send it to Dr. Goldberg at WATExplorer@gmail.com
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Source: http://www.brianshomeblog.com/2011/11/mancat-monday-people-saving-pets-and-a-kitten-update.html
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