London has 'fatbergs' but Vancouver has gross 'F.O.G' blobs - Fats, oil and grease -

London has 'fatbergs' but Vancouver has gross 'F.O.G' blobs - Fats, oil and grease - 



Forget alligators, the real problem in sewers is ‘fatbergs’ — such as the monster blob of congealed fat and baby wipes that recently clogged a London sewer.

That beastly blockage weighed an astounding 15 tonnes.

Metro Vancouver may not yet have had a ‘fatberg’ like that but Mike Boss, a senior engineer in maintenance and operations at the regional district, said there is ongoing battle with what is more commonly known as FOG — fats, oils and grease.

“It’s a problem all over the world,” said Boss.

The worst accumulation he’s ever seen was in a 106 centimetre Metro sewer in Richmond where a remote controlled vehicle was stopped because of the FOG on the ceiling and walls of the pipe, which is where the water-borne fat congeals.

“It probably extended about 10 metres or so,” said Boss of the Richmond blob,

Pressurized and heated water is used to remove FOG.

“It takes a lot of back and forth to get it all out,” he said. “It doesn’t come out easily. It gets very hard.

“It’s not like a gooey fat. They almost need to chip away at it.”

The cost to Metro and its taxpayers for FOG is about $2 million annually.

But it could be worse.

A municipal sewer pipe in Richmond was so blocked it had to be removed to deal with the blockage.

Flushing oil and grease is against Metro bylaws, which require commercial users like restaurants to have grease traps that have to be pumped out regularly.

The waste from those traps can be sent to a Metro facility that makes biogas that is used to create energy.

Metro even has a film about grease in sewers, which can be found online — if you dare to watch it — at http://bit.ly/19QF70T.

Like Metro, the city of Vancouver also requires private grease traps and monitors those traps, according to Peter Judd, general manager of engineering services.

“The concern is addressed through our regular maintenance and flushing program of the sewer system and is also helped by parts of our sewer having fairly steep grades, which keep flow velocities high, inhibiting buildup of material in those areas,” said Judd in an email.

There’s also a lot more to worry about than FOG blobs, said Boss.

The most unusual thing he’s ever heard of being removed from a sewer pipe was a sleeping bag and a pair of jeans — which Boss thinks must have been dumped down a manhole.

But the many things people flush down toilets that they shouldn’t also create problems.

Boss said those objects include wipes, condoms, tampons and needles, all of which block pumps and need to be removed manually.

“People have to wear chain mail gloves and pull that stuff out,” said Boss. “It’s a safety risk for our staff.”

Read more -

http://www.theprovince.com/news/London+fatbergs+Vancouver+gross+blobs/8766023/story.html?google_editors_picks=true

Toddlers watching three hours of TV a day more likely to struggle with learning and bullies -

Toddlers watching three hours of TV a day more likely to struggle with learning and bullies - 



A recent Quebec study at the University of Montreal shows a correlation between the amount of time a toddler spends in front of a television and their ability to learn at a young age, and may put them at higher risk of being bullied by their peers later in life.

The research is suggesting that just three hours of television a day could end up impairing a toddler’s vocabulary and math skills later on, and calls on better parental awareness and compliance with the recommendations on screen time and young children put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

‘Excessive’ television watching linked to antisocial, criminal behaviour in adolescents

Remember that time Mom came and flipped off the boob tube and chased you outside to play with friends? Well, as usual, she knows best, a new study of children and television watching suggests.

The recommended maximum amount of time for kids around two years of age to spend in front of a television is two hours, and each hour beyond that can affect their ability to learn, especially as they enter a nursery or kindergarten.

The researchers conclude that too much time spent watching TV can lead to attention issues, as well as fitness issues, that could also put them at risk of being bullied by others.

The study, led by researcher Linda Pagani, is the first of its kind to look at the relationship between toddlers and television screen time.

The AAP recommends that parents refrain from allowing infant children to watch television at all, and that after age two, only allow children to watch a maximum of two hours per day.

The study looked at 1,006 boys and 991 girls in Quebec who were 29 months old. Parents were asked to report on their child’s TV viewing habits as part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development.

Researchers found that children who watched up to two hours and 52 minutes of television per day were unlikely to experience any negative consequences. However, children who watched more than three hours, were increasingly likely to struggle with their vocabulary and math skills.

Read more - 

http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/08/09/toddlers-watching-three-hours-of-tv-a-day-more-likely-to-struggle-with-learning-bullies-study/

Indiana School Offers Free School Supplies in Exchange for Vaccinations - get crayons, pencils and jump drives -

Indiana School Offers Free School Supplies in Exchange for Vaccinations - get crayons, pencils and jump drives - 



It’s that time of year again, National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). NIAM begins each year in August and acts as a reminder for adults and children to get their recommended vaccines.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls the program, “an opportunity to highlight the need for improving national immunization coverage levels. Activities focus on encouraging all people to protect their health by being immunized against infectious diseases.”
This year some schools are offering students vaccinations and providing free school supplies in return.
A report from WANE-TV says the state of Indiana requires all children to be current on vaccinations prior to enrollment. The Allen County Health Department is offering “free school supplies to school-aged kids who receive an immunization at the health department for the rest of this week and next week.”
The program provides students supplies such as crayons, pencils, highlighters and jump drives to each child that gets immunized.
WANE-TV reports that beginning this school year students in grades kindergarten through 12th are required to have two doses of the chickenpox vaccine, also known as varicella.
Younger children, ages four to six years old are “due” for boosters of four vaccines: DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), Chickenpox, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) and Polio.
Children older than six require the following vaccines: Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), MCV (meningococcal conjugate vaccine) and HPV (human papillomavirus) for 11 and 12-year olds.
Annual flu vaccines are also recommended for all children ages six months and older.
The Fort Wayne Allen County Department of Health advertises their program as a two-for-one deal in an attempt to celebrate the “importance of immunizations throughout life.”
Dr. Deborah McMahan, the Allen County Health Commissioner says, “Getting children all of the vaccines recommended by CDC’s immunization schedule is one of the most important things parents can do to protect their children’s health – and that of classmates and the community.
“If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to check with your doctor to find out what vaccines your child needs.”
The state’s website says, “When children are not vaccinated, they are at increased risk and can spread diseases to others in their classrooms and community – including babies who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems due to cancer and other health conditions.”
The hazards of vaccines, including the infamous flu vaccine, have been proven to be dangerous and even crippling for some.
According to a June report published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, the seasonal trivalent flu vaccine results in 5.5 times more incidents of respiratory illness.
The study not only found the flu vaccine to be ineffective, but recipients who received the vaccine were more likely to contract other diseases such as rhinovirus (the common cold) and coxsackievirus and echovirus, which are known to cause meningitis, paralysis, hepatitis and even heart disorders.
Also important to note, the “act of injecting antigens probably damages the innate cell-mediated immune response, the part of the immune system that protects without the need of resorting to development of antibodies.”
Some of you may remember when CNN host Piers Morgan took the plunge and decided to let Dr. Oz administer the flu vaccine on air to dispel the myth that you can contract the flu after receiving the vaccine, only to come down with the flu shortly after.

Despite Piers’ admission to “feeling under-the-weather” and having a “sore throat,” the host quickly brushed off the advice of guest Dwight Yoakam, when he advised Piers to avoid flu vaccines in the future.

Read more -

http://www.prisonplanet.com/indiana-school-offers-free-school-supplies-in-exchange-for-vaccinations.html

Indonesian plane skids off runway after hitting cow -

Indonesian plane skids off runway after hitting cow - 



An Indonesian passenger jet crashed into a cow and skidded off the runway as it came into land at an airport in the centre of the archipelago, officials said Wednesday.
No one was killed or seriously injured when the Lion Air plane carrying 110 passengers collided with one of three cows wandering on the runway as it arrived late Tuesday in Gorontalo, on Sulawesi island.
The cow, however, was crushed to death under one of the Boeing 737-900's middle wheels, head of Jalaluddin airport Agus Pramuka told AFP.
The pilot, Iwan Permadi, told state-run Antara news agency he could smell "burning meat" as the jet ran over the animal.
He said he thought there were dogs in front of the plane as it came into land, "but it turned out there were three cows wandering in the middle of the runway".
Pictures showed the dead cow under the aircraft's wheel in a field. The plane, which suffered minor damage, had skidded into the field next to the runway, with its tail still on the runway.
All the passengers managed to disembark safely, transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told AFP.
The plane had started its journey in Jakarta and also had a stopover in Makassar, on Sulawesi, according to local media.
The airport was closed following the incident, disrupting travel plans for people heading home for the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

Read more - 

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/international/08-Aug-2013/indonesian-plane-skids-off-runway-after-hitting-cow

Pepsi-flavored Cheetos now sold in Japan -

Pepsi-flavored Cheetos now sold in Japan - 



Finally, a way to consume soda and Cheetos at the exact same time.
Into the world of totally bizarre snacks like chicken and waffles potato chips and bacon popcorn comes Pepsi-flavored Cheetos.
“These Pepsi-flavored Cheetos are the latest food hybrid to spit in the eye of Mother Nature,” writes Steve from The Impulsive Buy.

Sold in Japan, the Frito Lay Cheetos x Pepsi Shuwa Shuwa Cola Corn Snack are Cheetos that are covered in a fizz-inducing cola powder. According to The Impulsive Buy review, the snack actually fizzes in your mouth with a “definite popping and crackling.”
How does it taste? The review says the Cheetos have a strong citrus taste and a “flat cola” aroma. It also says that the snack emits the smell of cinnamon donuts.
Daring souls who want to try Pepsi-flavored Cheetos will have to travel to Japan or buy a bag off of eBay and have it shipped to their home.
Good luck explaining that purchase to anyone checking deliveries. 


Read more: -

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/08/09/pepsi-flavored-cheetos-now-sold-in-japan/

Black bear breaks into Idaho kitchen, enjoys Chinese leftovers -

Black bear breaks into Idaho kitchen, enjoys Chinese leftovers - 



A black bear in search of a late-night snack broke into an Idaho house and licked leftover Chinese food from a cast iron pan on the stove.
David Edwards of Ketchum tells the Idaho Mountain Express that his dog's barking awakened him around 3 a.m. Monday.
When he went to investigate what had his dog so upset, he saw the bear on its hind legs, paws on the stove, licking a pan.
Edwards' wife, Sara, had fallen asleep on the couch, so he woke her up and led her into the bedroom without telling her about the furry dish washer.
He says she would have "lost her mind" because she gets upset over spiders.
Edwards went back into the kitchen to find the bear gone and the pan clean.


Read more: -

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/08/09/black-bear-breaks-into-idaho-kitchen-enjoys-chinese-leftovers/?test=latestnews

NASA discovers pink planet orbiting a sun... -

NASA discovers pink planet orbiting a sun... - 



Astronomers at Nasa have discovered a pink alien planet orbiting a star like our sun 57 light-years away that they said is the smallest by mass photographed so far.
Scientists believe the planet, GJ 504b, is thought to be a magenta colour, based on infrared data from the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.
While GJ 504b is the the lowest-mass planet ever detected around a star using direct imaging techniques, but it is still several times the mass of Jupiter and similar in size.

Michael McElwain, a member of the discovery team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland, said: 'If we could travel to this giant planet, we would see a world still glowing from the heat of its formation with a color reminiscent of a dark cherry blossom, a dull magenta.'
'Our near-infrared camera reveals that its color is much more blue than other imaged planets, which may indicate that its atmosphere has fewer clouds.'

GJ 504b orbits its star at nearly nine times the distance Jupiter orbits the sun, which poses a challenge to theoretical ideas of how giant planets form.
According to the most widely accepted theory, called the core-accretion model, Jupiter-like planets begin their life in the gas-rich debris disk that surrounds a young star, Francis Reddy of Nasa explained.


Read more: -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2387647/Pink-alien-planet-smallest-photographed-orbit-sun.html

Oprah get Swiss apology for Racist Encounter - refused to show her a handbag because it was "too expensive" for her -

Oprah get Swiss apology for Racist Encounter - refused to show her a handbag because it was "too expensive" for her - 



Talk show host Oprah Winfrey says she encountered racism while shopping in Switzerland — and the national tourism office agrees.

The media mogul, who is one of the world's richest women, told the U.S. program "Entertainment Tonight" that a shop assistant in Zurich refused to show her a handbag because it was "too expensive" for her.

Forbes magazine estimates that Winfrey earned $77 million in the year ending in June.

A spokeswoman for the Swiss tourism office, Daniela Baer, told The Associated Press on Friday "we are very sorry for what happened to her."

The tourism office also posted an apology on Twitter, saying "this person acted terribly wrong."

Winfrey was in town to attend last month's wedding of longtime pal Tina Turner, who lives in Switzerland.

Read more - 

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/oprah-gets-swiss-apology-racist-encounter-0

The NSA Intends To Fire 90% Of Their System Administrators To Eliminate Future Leaks -

The NSA Intends To Fire 90% Of Their System Administrators To Eliminate Future Leaks - 



The National Security Agency, hit by disclosures of classified data by former contractor Edward Snowden, said Thursday it intends to eliminate about 90 percent of its system administrators to reduce the number of people with access to secret information.
Keith Alexander, the director of the NSA, the U.S. spy agency charged with monitoring foreign electronic communications, told a cybersecurity conference in New York City that automating much of the work would improve security.

"What we're in the process of doing - not fast enough - is reducing our system administrators by about 90 percent," he said.

The remarks came as the agency is facing scrutiny after Snowden, who had been one of about 1,000 system administrators who help run the agency's networks, leaked classified details about surveillance programs to the press.

Before the change, "what we've done is we've put people in the loop of transferring data, securing networks and doing things that machines are probably better at doing," Alexander said.

Read more: -

http://www.businessinsider.com/nsa-firing-sysdadmins-2013-8

Argentina begins doling out free 'Viagra' -

Argentina begins doling out free 'Viagra' - 



Argentina has begun distributing a free state-produced version of the erection-boosting drug Viagra for the first time, in a move intended to curb its misuse, health authorities announced Thursday.

They said 200,000 doses of sildenafil, better known under the Viagra brand name, is to be distributed free of charge through the public health network of the province of Santa Fe.

The drug is being produced in Santa Fe by the state-owned pharmaceutical firm LIFSE, which plans to eventually distributed it nationally.

Sildenafil is a hugely popular vasodilator that is used to treat erectile dysfunction in men.

"The most famous medication in the world for improving the quality of life -- even though no-one is going to lose their life over it -- is the first to be made by the state in Argentina," said Guillermo Cleti, a LIFSE director.

"It's not only to attend to erectile dysfunction in men who need it, but also to avoid the abuse or bad use of the drug and to warn the population about its correct use," he said.

Read more - 

http://www.france24.com/en/20130808-argentina-begins-doling-out-free-viagra

Drone delivers beer not bombs at a South African outdoor music festival -

Drone delivers beer not bombs at a South African outdoor music festival - 



Revellers at a South African outdoor rock festival no longer need to queue to slake their thirst -- a flying robot will drop them beer by parachute.

After clients place an order using a smartphone app, a drone zooms 15 metres (50 feet) above the heads of the festival-goers to make the delivery.

Carel Hoffmann, director of the Oppikoppi festival held on a dusty farm in the country's northern Limpopo province, said the app registers the position of users using the GPS satellite chips on their phones.

"The delivery guys have a calibrated delivery drone. They send it to the GPS position and drops it with a parachute," he explained.

The drone was built in South Africa and nicknamed "Manna" after the Old Testament-story of bread that fell from the sky to feed the Israelites travelling through the desert following their exodus from Egypt.

"It's an almost Biblical thing that beer is dropping from the sky," said Hoffmann.

The beer, free at this stage, is dropped in plastic cups and the drone is performing well.

"Every time it drops a parachute a crowd of 5,000 cheers," he said.

Read more - 

http://www.france24.com/en/20130808-drone-delivers-beer-not-bombs-safrica-music-festival