Coin Toss's Blog

Dog in Japan stays by the side of its ailing friend in the rubble

It's a universal truth that dogs are man's best friend, but they're pretty darn loyal to their own as well. Case in point: this tear-inducing video, via the website Jezebel, showing a dog, shivering and disoriented, remaining loyally by the side of a stricken fellow canine amid the devastation of the Japanese tsunami.

You can watch the video below:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/dog-in-japan-stays-by-the-side-of-its-ailing-friend-in-the-rubble

The video is a stark reminder that, as was the case when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, there will likely be thousands of pets orphaned or involuntarily abandoned due to the catastrophe in Japan. If you'd like to help efforts to help these animals, you can find info on doing so here.

UPDATE: CNN and the UK Telegraph have both reported that the dogs have been rescued since the footage aired, and are both receiving veterinary care; the more seriously wounded dog is at a clinic in the city of Mito, while the protective spaniel-type dog is receiving care at a shelter in the same town.

Here is an English translation of the voiceover exchange between the two reporters in the clip (translation courtesy of Toshiyuki Kitamura):

We are in Arahama area. Looks like there is a dog. There is a dog. He looks tired and dirty. He must have been caught in the tsunami. He looks very dirty.

He has a collar. He must be someone's pet. He has a silver collar. He is shaking. He seems very afraid.

Oh, there is another dog. I wonder if he is dead.

Where?

Right there. There is another dog right next to the one sitting down. He is not moving. I wonder. I wonder if he is alright.

The dog is protecting him.

Yes. He is protecting the dog. That is why he did not want us to approach them. He was trying to keep us at bay.

I can't watch this. This is a very difficult to watch.

Oh. Look. He is moving. He is alive. I am so happy to see that he is alive.

Yes! Yes! He is alive.

He looks to be weakened. We need to them to be rescued soon. We really want them rescued soon.

Oh good. He's getting up.

It is amazing how they survived the tremendous earthquake and tsunami. It's just amazing that they survived through this all.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/dog-in-japan-stays-by-the-side-of-its-ailing-friend-in-the-rubble

Supermoon" and Earthquakes: Is there a Correlation?

 There has been much speculation about the upcoming "supermoon" on March 19, 2011 and what impacts it could have on the Earth.

 Earthquakes and tsunamis, like the devastating ones that just hit Japan Friday, as well as volcanic eruptions and major storms, are included in the list of possibilities, according to some astrologers and conspiracy theorists.

There are scientists, however, who argue that "supermoons" do not play a role, and that natural disasters that have occurred around the time of a "supermoon" are just coincidence.

What Is a "Supermoon?"

A "supermoon" occurs when a new or full moon is at or near (within 90 percent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. This is the definition provided by Astrologer Richard Nolle, who gave this phenomenon its name in 1979.

This AP Photo by Dmitry Lovetsky captured the moon in St. Petersburg, Russia on Feb. 18, 2011. According to Nolle, the last "supermoon" was in effect at the time.

According an article written by Nolle, "supermoons" occur four to six times a year, and the "supermoon" on March 19, 2011 will be the second one this year.

AccuWeather.com Astronomy Blogger Mark Paquette discussed the topic of "supermoons" earlier this month. According to his research, an extreme "supermoon" occurs when the full or new moon is at 100 percent of its closest perigee to Earth, or the closest it can possibly get to Earth.

The "supermoon" on March 19, 2011 will be extreme.

Past "Supermoons" That Have Coincided with Natural Disasters

The last "supermoon" this year was in effect Feb. 12-21, Nolle said, just before the earthquake that left Christchurch, New Zealand in ruins on Feb. 22, 2011.

Nolle also stated that the last extreme "supermoon" occurred on Jan. 30, 2011, several weeks after the catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010.

Paquette also pointed out in his blog that the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004 occurred about two weeks prior to a "supermoon" on Jan. 10, 2005.

More natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, are mentioned in conjunction with "supermoons" in Nolle's article.

So What Effect Do "Supermoons" Actually Have on the Earth?

The moon does obviously have an influence on the Earth.

As Rich Briggs, research geologist with the U.S.G.S. stated, "The gravitational pull of the moon creates Earth tides and sea tides and causes portions of the Earth's surface to bulge."

In response to Friday's devastating earthquake offshore of Japan, however, Briggs said, "The moon does not need to be invoked to explain what caused this event. There are much simpler explanations."

He explained that the earthquake occurred along a major subduction zone, or convergent boundary.

"Along this subduction zone, the Pacific plate is colliding with the North America plate at a rate of 8 cm per year," Briggs said, "So that's the rate at which strain is accumulated. Over many decades and centuries, all that strain accumulates and eventually releases in one sudden rupture."

He added that slips along the fault when it ruptured Friday measured 18-20 meters, or about 60-65 feet.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/46883/supermoon-and-earthquakes-is-t.asp?partner=accuweather

This looks interesting.

I though maybe people could find out their birthday card and keep it with their tickets or in one of those plastic sleeve lotto wallets that the states give out sometimes.

The bottom of the chart gives expalnations for your card and suit, too.

Good Luck!, Enjoy:

http://www.cafeastrology.com/playingcardsbirthdaychart.html

(Pretty good article from the sports editor of my local paper):

If Albert does go, we’ll survive

If Albert does go, we’ll survive Posted: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 1:00 am | 

Thank You Green Bay Packers

Lottery winners are mentioned here, too:

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111940/things-game-shows-wont-tell-you

From the article:

3. Winning could ruin you.

Like lottery winners, game show contestants who come home with a cash or prize windfall can end up worse off than before, says Susan Bradley, a certified financial planner and the founder of the Sudden Money Institute. Problems start with a winner's pie-in-the-sky idea that the $100,000 he won is really exactly that amount in his pocket (taxes: see above).

The next domino: spending more than he can afford on a big ticket purchase such as a vehicle, home or home renovation. "You're mentally spending $100,000, but you don't have $100,000," says Bradley. "You have maybe $70,000." What's more, winners don't always ask the important questions on a big purchase -- even if their winnings can cover it. "Can you afford the taxes, the insurance, the upkeep," asks Bradley. Smart winners limit "celebration" spending to 10% of the winnings, she says, and make a plan about how best to use the total amount.

Steelers-Packers Super Bowl a Winner for the Markets?

Editor's Note: This content was originally published on Capital IQ by Richard Peterson.

In its annual fun, light-hearted look at 44 years of Super Bowl history and stock market returns, the financial data and analytics firm Capital IQ calculated the annualized average returns for the S&P 500 from January 1967 through December 31, 2010. Then they ran that against various aspects of the big game in a six-point analysis looking at teams involved, high-scoring versus low-scoring games, AFC versus NFC, city, home versus away games, and dome or no dome.

All data was compiled and finalized January 17 by Capital IQ. Super Bowl stats were taken from NFL.com.

What We Found

A win-win combo just for showing up: The potentially winning combination for the markets would be a Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers face-off. The average return if the Steelers represent the AFC in the big game is 25% and when the Packers represent the NFC the stock market has returned 24%.

Pittsburgh Steelers, AFC -- With a 6-1 record the Steelers have more Super Bowl victories than any other team. An appearance by Pittsburgh in the big game is good either way. The average return after a Steelers victory is a whopping 26%. When they lost in 1996 at Super Bowl XXX, the market return was 23%.

Green Bay Packers, NFC -- The team won the first two Super Bowls ever played and has a 3-1 overall record. The average return after a Packers victory is 23%, and for the two games when the Packers have lost, the average market return was 29%.

New York Jets, AFC -- Won the team's single appearance in Super Bowl III. The market fell by 8% that year.

Chicago Bears, NFC -- This team has a 1-1 record for its Super Bowl appearances in 1986 and 2007. Following the Bears’ win in Super Bowl XX the market rose by 19%, and even when they lost in Super Bowl XLI the market return gained by 6%.

Forty-Four Years of Super Bowl History and S&P 500 Market Returns Show:

•Returning Champs Are a Win for S&P 500: When a returning champion wins the Super Bowl, the average market return is 13%. Current teams with past Super Bowl wins are the Steelers, Packers, and Jets.

•Investor Outlook Not Sunny for Championship in Dallas: The game is in Dallas this year and the average returns in subsequent years after games played in Texas is negative 8%, which is the worst average of any of the seven states that have hosted the game.

•The Market Favors Higher Scoring Games: For Super Bowl games resulting in a final total combined score of at least 45 points, the stock market return 17% on average (based on 24 years). If the final combined score is less than 45, the average market return is 5%.

Trivia: Seven of the 10 lowest-scoring Super Bowls were won by AFC teams. Eight of the 10 highest-scoring Super Bowls were won by NFC teams. Over the past 44 years, the median combined score has been 45 points.

• Bullish on NFC: The market performs better on average after an NFC win (15%) versus an AFC win (7%). Interestingly, both the best return (38% in 1995) and the worst return (-37% in 2008) occurred after an NFC victory.

•Go Home: When the home team wins the average market return in the subsequent years is 17%.

•Dome Casts Shadow on Outlook: Cowboys Stadium is a domed stadium with a retractable roof. Thirty-one Super Bowl games have been played at a stadium with “no dome” and the average S&P 500 return for those years is 15%. Thirteen Super Bowls were played in a dome stadium; the average market return was 3%.

Disclaimer: This data is not intended to represent a fundamental analysis of market trends or historical data and in no way is intended to be the basis for any investment decisions whatsoever. This also does not represent an endorsement of any specific NFL team or league by Capital IQ

http://www.minyanville.com/businessmarkets...0/2011/id/32299

Dick Winters, WWII hero of ‘Band of Brothers,’ dies

By Brett Michael Dykes brett Michael Dykes – Mon Jan 10, 11:29 am ET

Dick Winters, a highly decorated World War II hero who became a household name when his heroics were chronicled in a Stephen Ambrose book that later became the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," has died. He was 92.

A very private and modest man, he died last week but requested that the news be withheld until after the funeral, a family friend told the Associated Press.

After enlisting in the Army on Aug. 25, 1941, the Pennsylvania native enrolled in Officer Candidate School, eventually being commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1942. He was assigned to the 506th regiment of the 101st Airborne Division -- known as Easy Company -- and was deployed with his regiment to land by parachute in France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

By leading the takeover of a German artillery bunker on Utah Beach, Winters and his company saved countless lives from relentless cannon fire -- an action that earned him the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest honor an American soldier can receive. Winters and Easy Company later fought near the Belgian town of Foy during the Battle of the Bulge, liberated the German concentration camp at Dachau, and occupied Hitler's mountainside retreat, Eagle's Nest.

In 1945, one of Winters' soldiers, Floyd Talbert, wrote a letter to Winters from his hospital bed to express appreciation for his leadership in battle.

"You are loved and will never be forgotten by any soldier that ever served under you," Talbert wrote. "I would follow you into hell."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110110/ts_yblog_thelookout/dick-winters-wwii-hero-chronicled-in-band-of-brothers-dies

Just blogging this for reference

Little Lotto

No winner for December 31st so last night's stats were it for the year:

2010:

150 Jackpots

65 PP   43.33%

131 QP  87.33%

Solo jackpots: 114   76%

Shared jackpots: 36  24%

Highest jackpot:

$1,125,000 Split five ways on Sep 21, 2010

Average jackpot: $231,386

Total jackpot money paid out to date: $34,708,000

____________________________________________________

These are 20008's and 2009's results:

These were the 2008 results:

146 Jackpots

120 QP   82.19%

91 PS      62.32%

(includes shared jackpots)

2008 was a leap year. So in 366 days jackpots were paid out 146 times or every 2.506 days

82.19% of the jackpot winners were QP

62.32% were player's selections, or PS

2009

365 drawings, 157 jackpots, a hit every 2.32 days.

To date:

157 Jackpots

132 QP   84.07%

87 PS      55.41%

Total jackpot money paid out to date: $33,295,000

Here's the results for 2008, 2009, and combined:

Two years combined

731 drawings

303 Jackpots

252 QP  83.16%

178 PS   58.74%

Including 2010, three years combined:

1096 drawings (2008 was a leap year)

453 Jackpots paid

383 QP  84.54%

243 PP   53.6%   

This includes shared jackpots.

Looking at all three years it is pretty consistent, 146 jackpots, 157 jackpots, 150 jackpots. There is a drawing everyday and a jackpot is hit ever 2.42. days.

2008

82.19% QP  58.74% PP

2009

84.07% QP   55.41% PP

2010

87.33% QP   43.33% PP

The stats speak for themselves.

https://www.lotterypost.com/thread/206575/15

Lotto:

Well that was it for the year for this game.

2010:

To date:

11 Jackpots

7 QP

4 PP

Solo jackpots: 11

Shared jackpots: 0

Highest jackpot $12,250,000 June 12

Average jackpot: $5,477,272

Total jackpot money paid out to date: $60,250,000

2009

11 Jackpots

7 QP   63.6%

4 PS   36.3%

2009 and 2010 combined:

22 Jackpots

14 QP

8 PP

Kind of strange, both years had 11 jackpots, 7 of them QP and 4 of them Player picks.

https://www.lotterypost.com/thread/206576/3

Here's all the words:

Auld Lang Syne History & Lyrics

Auld Lang Syne (The Good Old Days) is a song traditionally sung at midnight when horns are blown, confetti is thrown, and a general party atmosphere is created to ring in the New Year with happiness and hope for a bright and prosperous year. The outgoing year is often represented by an elderly man known as Father Time and the new year is represented by a baby known as Baby New Year.

Robert Burns wrote the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne in the 1700's.

Auld Lang Syne
Robert Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

(that's the most common, the lines everyone knows....here we go with the rest - must be the scotch and the haggis )

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne



I still like this version:

We're here because we're here because
we're here because we're here

We're here because we're here
because we're here because we're here

Happy New Year everyone

Coin Toss

Dec 23

Happy Festivus 2010 everyone!

Fall Classes for Women at

THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER
REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED

By Sat., November 23, 2010
NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM.

Class 1

Up in Winter, Down in Summer - How to Adjust a Thermostat

Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.

Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hrs beginning at 7:00 PM..

Class 2

Which Takes More Energy - Putting the Toilet Seat Down, or Bitching About It for 3 Hours?

Round Table Discussion.

Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3

Is It Possible To Drive Past a Wal-Mart Without Stopping?--Group Debate. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4

Fundamental Differences Between a Purse and a Suitcase--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.

Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5

Curling Irons--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Bathroom Cabinet?

Examples on Video.

Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning

At 7:00 PM

Class 6

How to Ask Questions During Commercials and Be Quiet During the Program

Help Line Support and Support Groups.

Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7

Can a Bath Be Taken Without 14 Different Kinds of Soaps and Shampoos?

Open Forum.

Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8

Health Watch--They Make Medicine for PMS - USE IT!

Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9

I Was Wrong and He Was Right!--Real Life Testimonials.

Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 10

How to Parallel Park In Less Than 20 Minutes Without an Insurance Claim.

Driving Simulations.

4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11

Learning to Live--How to Apply Brakes Without Throwing Passengers Through the Windshield .

Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12

How to Shop by Yourself.

Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Upon completion of ANY of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Send this to all your guy friends for the best chuckle of their day...

And to all your gal friends who have a sense of humor!

Another piece of wisdom from the late sage, Vernon Howard. Seems quite apropos for any discussion board:

Vernonisms*-SELF-GLORIFIED SELF

SELF-GLORIFIED SELF A very common delusion in which the individual
imagines he is the most wonderful, fascinating, intelligent person
on earth."

                 Your Power of Natural Knowing, p. 125

http://www.poodwaddle.com/worldclock.swf