Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL The Consumerist

The growing oil slick that once was the Gulf of Mexico doesn't appear to be anywhere near resolution, with all attempts to staunch the flow of petroleum thus far having failed and the only solution that experts are sure will work -- drilling relief wells -- several months away. But as the fishermen in the area fret about what will happen to their livelihoods in both the short and long term, we found some video evidence that should quell the concerns of those in the oyster biz.

In this informational film called Progress Parade, the final segment is "Lifeline to an Oyster," which details the oil industry's efforts in the late '50s/early '60s to prove to a bunch of wet-blanket Gulf fishermen that all that new oil drilling was not the cause of recent problems with their bivalve harvest.

The charitable folks in the oil industry invested millions in research (though in the video it just looks like 3 fish tanks with some oysters and a few bottles of motor oil. Oh yeah, they also set off a bunch of dynamite near oyster beds) and came up with the result that not only did crude oil not harm oysters, but the mollusks actually did better in their oily fish tanks then they did in the somewhat oily Gulf.

Don't believe it? Check out the evidence for yourself. Skip ahead to 9:17 in the video, or watch the earlier segments... all brought to you by the unbiased documentarians at the American Petroleum Institute.

Relief for Gulf is 2 months away with another well [AP]

Progress Parade (ca. 1960) [Archive.org]

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL The Consumerist

Every year GMAC ranks the average scores of their national driver's test by state -- and this year Kansas had the smartest drivers and New York the dumbest. Here are the top 5 and bottom 5 from the ranking:










Smartest Drivers:

1. Kansas


2. Oregon


3. South Dakota


4. Minnesota


5. Iowa

Dumbest Drivers:

1. New York


2. New Jersey


3. Washington D.C.


4. California


5. Rhode Island

If you want to take the test for yourself and see how you do, click here.

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Economist's View

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL The Consumerist

Shared by AdamFort
Marcie, you want to apply?

Help! Consumer Reports is run by mad scientists who subject hapless humans to their cruel experiments -- all in the name of determining which bug repellent works the best. Ok, so the testers are paid professionals and the bugs are disease-free. It sounds more fun the other way, doesn't it?

Our power-mad cousins at CR Health have put together a video showing the mosquito and tick repellent testing procedure. Just watching it makes us itchy. Enjoy.

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Slashdot

Shared by AdamFort
Hell Yeah!

An anonymous reader pointed out a link talking about how Vincenzo Natali, writer director of Splice has written a screenplay for Neuromancer. The article says he even ran it by Gibson. No studio is attached to the project, but at least Natali promised 'No Keanu'.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Gizmodo

Shared by Christy
Too cool!

This weekend's Google doodle, commemorating the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man, takes the whole idea of the Google doodle to the next level. Actually, it just takes it to the first level—the logo's a playable, 256-level Pac-Man game. More »



Google - Pac-Man - search - Search Engines - Companies

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Barking up the wrong tree

Failing to make your bed in the morning may actually help keep you healthy, scientists believe.

Research suggests that while an unmade bed may look scruffy it is also unappealing to house dust mites thought to cause asthma and other allergies.

A Kingston University study discovered the bugs cannot survive in the warm, dry conditions found in an unmade bed.

Source

Take that, mom.  :)

If you want to read a solid true story that reads like a mystery and has to do with cleanliness and contagion check out The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Related posts:

How to quickly and easily improve your life

Is being a quitter good for your health?

Does your personality determine whether you'll get dementia?

Does the season of your birth affect how you sleep?

What's the leading cause of death among pregnant women? It will surprise you.

Do people who have the most sex partners use condoms the least?

You should follow me on Twitter here or subscribe to this blog's feed. If you're a regular reader please support the blog by doing your book and movie shopping at the store. You'll find all my recommendations there. Here are the site's most popular posts of all time.

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Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Bliss

yet another thing i just have to see up close one day...it's an annual event!  thank you mom, for brightening my day.  xo t (mrs. french)

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Lifehacker

Facebook's privacy settings are notoriously complex, and the results of changes hard to see instantly. ReclaimPrivacy.org has a handy bookmarklet that shows which potentially insecure and privacy-invading settings are enabled on your Facebook account when you click it. More »



Facebook - Bookmarklet - Privacy - Online Communities - Social Networking

Google Reader Shared Post - Source URL Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (updated daily)

So tiiiired... but, tomorrow's vid is so goooood.