Moments of Awareness

HENRY E. HUDSON, the federal judge in Virginia who ruled this week that the individual mandate provision of the new health care law is unconstitutional, has become the object of widespread derision. Judge Hudson explained that whatever else Congress might be able to do, it cannot force people to engage in a commercial activity, in this case buying an insurance policy. Critics contend that Judge Hudson has unduly restricted Congress’s authority to regulate interstate commerce, the principal basis on which the government defends the law. Some also claim that he ignored the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution, which allows Congress leeway to choose how to put in place national economic programs. Yet a closer reading shows that Judge Hudson’s analysis could prove irresistible to the Supreme Court and that there is a reasonable chance it will agree that the insurance mandate is invalid. For the last century the Supreme Court has struggled to define the lim...

There are a lot of ways to make people not like you, but one of the most powerful — if least fair — is to be really, really successful. Nobody resents the guy who just lost his job. But the guy whose Internet start-up made him a billionaire at 25? That's a whole different kettle of envy. Now, a study published by the Association for Psychological Science shows one way the winners of life's lotto get the losers to like them more — or at least dis like them less. Psychologists Neils van de Ven , Marcel Zeelenberg and Rik Pieters , all of Tilburg University in The Netherlands, have previously studied the  phenomenon of envy and have concluded that it exists in two varieties: benign and malicious. ( More on Time.com: Forget the Joneses: How Envy Drives Destructive Behavior ) Benign envy is what you feel when Nelson Mandela wins the Nobel Peace Prize and you decide you want to improve yourself to become a little more like him. Mal...

It looks like Google is headed in that direction. Yesterday, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company announced that IT administrators can deploy and optimize the Chrome browser to meet their specific corporate needs. Today, we’re announcing that Chrome offers controls that enable IT administrators to easily configure and deploy the browser on Windows, Mac, and Linux according to their business requirements. We’ve created an  MSI installer that enables businesses who use standard deployment tools to install Chrome for all their managed users. We’ve also added support for managed group policy with a  list of policies and a  set of templates that allow administrators to easily customize browser settings to manage security and privacy. Coincidentally, manageability and security were two questions raised. Today, Dave Girouard, president of Google Enterprise in a blog post , vividly paints the company’s cloud-future. He writes: ...

I was commenting on this video  the other day and noticed when I was looking up the end of the mystery of God noted in Revelation 10:7 that verses 5 and 6 read, "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer". Well, what if the Mayan calendar ends not because the world or human society is expected to come to an end, but because we're about to enter an age in which we are not constrained by the clock? Posted via email from Peace Jaway

• Boise Rescue Mission: Turkey donations can be dropped at any rescue mission facility, but the food warehouse at 308 S. 24th St. in Boise is the best location. Gift cards from food stores are also welcome. 343-2389. • CATCH (Charitable Assistance to Community’s Homeless): A program that provides housing first to homeless families with children living in emergency shelters, CATCH needs gift cards for gas, food, clothing and more, including certain housewares, furniture items and cleaning supplies. Slightly used, but not damaged and stained, is OK. Contact Jennifer Marrow at 384-4087, fax 343-0529 or e-mail CATCH@cityofboise.org . • Computers for Kids: The organization, which aims to provide computers for kids in financially stressed families, is experiencing overwhelming demand for its services this year. Donations accepted at its office, 8540 W. Elisa St. in Boise (between Cole and Maple Grove off Victory Road). Donation hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can...

PARIS — Some are divorced and disenchanted with marriage; others are young couples ideologically opposed to marriage, but eager to lighten their tax burdens. Many are lovers not quite ready for old-fashioned matrimony. Whatever their reasons, and they vary widely, French couples are increasingly shunning traditional marriages and opting instead for civil unions, to the point that there are now two civil unions for every three marriages. When France created its system of civil unions in 1999, it was heralded as a revolution in gay rights, a relationship almost like marriage, but not quite. No one, though, anticipated how many couples would make use of the new law. Nor was it predicted that by 2009, the overwhelming majority of civil unions would be between straight couples. It remains unclear whether the idea of a civil union, called a pacte civil de solidarité, or PACS, has responded to a shift in social attitudes or caused one. But it has proved remarkab...

Scientists have finally found an answer to one of the great mysteries about the most deadly bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus — why it attacks primarily humans and not animals. And they now have an idea of why some humans are particularly susceptible to these bacteria that kill 100,000 Americans a year, far more than any other microbe. In a study released on Wednesday, researchers at Vanderbilt University report that staph evolved to zero in on particular regions of human hemoglobin so it could burst the cagelike molecule and feed on the iron inside. People who are resistant to staph, they suspect, might have slight genetic variations that tweak the hemoglobin regions the bacteria seek, making them impervious to the attack. The work is part of a more general look at genes and disease. With new tools to look in detail at slight genetic variations, researchers are asking why some people get some diseases and others do not and why some die from diseases that others almo...

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan—Life in troubled Kunduz Province can be summed up in a word: precarious. Visiting there for a couple of days unembedded, I could only get a glimpse of it: The provincial council chairman cut short an interview because dusk was falling and he did not feel safe even in Kunduz City after dark. The New York Times A young man told me that it was best for him not to go too early in the morning to his home district of Char Dara because the Taliban had not yet cleared roadside bombs from the roads. “The Taliban are putting the mines and fuses across the roads for the government and the foreign forces at night, and they are clearing them up in the morning so local people can travel,” he said. In Imam Sahib district in the north of the province, less than a mile from the district center, are Taliban checkpoints, said Samimi, a local citizen, who asked that only one name be used because he feared retribution. The fighting has slackened, but people are feeling pressur...

Old Pictures For a New Book Q. I would like to make a photo book, but instead of using images from my digital camera, I’d like to scan in old family pictures on my printer-scanner. What’s the best way to do this? A. The first step is to scan the photos at a high enough quality so that they print well in the finished photo book. The service you use to produce your project may have its own guidelines for scanning and image size listed on its site, so check there first. Some of the more popular ones include Snapfish ( snapfish.com ), Shutterfly ( shutterfly.com ) and Kodak Gallery ( kodakgallery.com ). If you cannot find the information, setting your scanner’s software to capture the images at a resolution of 300 dots/pixels per inch should ensure your final images are high quality; the 300 d.p.i. setting is often used for image files by printed magazines. Some people prefer to have a company, like ScanMyPhotos.com , scan the p...

Dear Friend, My favorite gifts are recently released cookbooks. I love to give and get them. I know picking new books can be a challenge -- there are so many great recipes to sift through. So I asked the EWG staff -- as they turn their attention to healthy food and farming --  to put together a list of some of their favorite cookbooks for this holiday season. If you shop through our special Amazon links, not only will you be able to conveniently do your online shopping but you'll be supporting EWG at the same time -- no matter what you purchase. Happy cooking! Ken Cook President, Environmental Working Group EWG's Staff Picks: The Earthbound Cook: 250 Recipes for Delicious Food and a Healthy Planet  by Myra Goodman  -- a beautiful and inspiring cookbook by the co-founder of Earthbound Farm with simple information on how to protect the planet one meal at a time. The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, On...

Part of the fun of the holidays is entertaining out-of-town guests and showing off all the cool things to do in Idaho. Even if the weather outside is frightful, you can still get them outdoors and have a lot of fun. All you need are warm clothes, a slightly adventurous spirit and some common sense. Make sure people are dressed properly, limit the time outdoors so the kids don’t get cold and miserable, and mix the outing with indoor activities, such as eating at a restaurant or stopping by a store to get souvenirs. Also, be flexible and tailor your plans according to the weather and road conditions. A little winter weather is bearable, but if there’s a blizzard or freezing rain in the forecast, postpone your trip or stay closer to home. MK NATURE CENTER This is an easy stroll to see some urban wildlife behind the Idaho Department of Fish and Game headquarters at 600 S. Walnut St. in Boise. Out-of-towners are always impressed with the underwater trout-viewing stations, and the p...

Greetings, everyone - And Happy Holidays! And they ARE happy indeed, as we bring you more great news from Josh Ritter headquarters.  Really quick: big thanks to everyone who participated - and bid! - in Josh's auction to raise money for WhyHunger's 2010 Hungerthon.  Hearts were opened, but wow so were the wallets!  A remarkable success, thank you for supporting. Now on to the great news.... * * * Scott Hutchison (Frightened Rabbit!) Will Open Feb Tour To paraphrase a lyric from one of our favorite bands, "he's the shit and we're knee-deep in it."  Scott Hutchison, of the band Frightened Rabbit, will be supporting Josh and the band during their February tour of the USA.  As big fans ( The Midnight Organ Fight is a classic album), we couldn't be more psyched. Hutchison, solo acoustic, will be the very special guest, opening the shows from the start of the tour on Feb 10th in Philadelphia through the Feb 26th Los Angeles show.   The "Valentine's...

Even before I was born, the potential for world exploration had already been exhausted. Today, the only dark spots left on the map are covered by water or buried deep in equally undesirable environments, like Canada. So until technology allows me to fly the sails of manifest destiny in outer space, I've settled on the exploring the Internet instead. Last Columbus Day, I chronicled my daring, yet brief journey through the savage mysteries of the World Wide Web and have since devoted myself to exploring and cataloging it more thoroughly. I dug deeper, stayed up entire nights and spilled a warm combination of Dr Pepper and bravery across my keyboard. The following is not just a beautifully crafted epic of adventure starring me -- it is also a warning of what to avoid out there, a warning you will likely ignore because you refused to read an introduction this long before skipping ahead. My core demographic. So sing, Muse, of a man of many ways, driven on an odyssey across ...

Again, thanks Don (and xkcd :)). 'Course, this is only an issue in strictly monogamous societies. :D Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

Posted via email from Peace Jaway

The Food and Drug Administration is warning men who take  Man Up Now capsules to stop taking them immediately.  The supplement contains a variation of an active ingredient found in Viagra that can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels, the agency says.  It is marketed as an "herbal" and "all natural" sexual enhancement dietary supplements. The FDA issued the warning after chemists analyzed Man Up Now and found it contains sulfoaildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra .  When mixed with prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin , the FDA says, Man Up Now can cause blood pressure to drop and that can lead to dizziness or light-headedness. By Monday morning the FDA had not received any reports of problems surrounding Man Up Now.  But if you are taking the supplement and have had any problems, the FDA suggests seeing a doctor and reporting it to the FDA . Man Up Now ...

Team sports are great for kids from a variety of physical and social perspectives, but new research shows the cardio kick they get from such activities is nowhere near what it needs to be. An estimated 44 million U.S. kids participate in organized sports — think baseball, softball or soccer — but just one quarter get the government-recommended amount of exercise when they show up for team practices, according to a study published online today in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine . Younger kids and boys fare better than tweens, teens and girls. The government wants children and teens to chart 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, but less than half of children and just 10% of teens meet these guidelines. ( More on Time.com: The Older Kids Get, The Less They Move ) The data makes even more unpalatable the daily carpool grind, carting various kids to various athletic activities. What's the...