Five Minute GOOGLE Outage Reportedly Caused 40% Drop in Global Traffic... -

Five Minute GOOGLE Outage Reportedly Caused 40% Drop in Global Traffic... - 

For a very brief few minutes on Friday you may have noticed some Google services, most notably search, appeared to be down. If not, maybe you noticed the ensuing freak-out across Twitter and the rest of the Internet.

At first glance the flash outage was little more than an opportunity for a few good one-liners and a chance to actually stand up from the keyboard and walk around for a few minutes. If we had connected nanobots floating around in our bloodstreams, certainly they would have registered a worldwide uptick in caffeine intake during those few moments.

As it turns out though, Google's downtime did appear to have global, measurable repercussions, according to analytics firm GoSquared, which estimates that it caused a 40 percent drop in global traffic during a five-minute window:

Google.com was down for a few minutes between 23:52 and 23:57 BST on 16th August 2013. This had a huge effect in the number of pageviews coming into GoSquared's real-time tracking - around a 40% drop, as this graph of our global pageviews per minute shows. That's huge. As internet users, our reliance on google.com being up is huge. It's also of note that pageviews spiked shortly afterwards, as users managed to get to their destination.

Read more - 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57598978-93/google-outage-reportedly-caused-big-drop-in-global-traffic/

Smartphones are causing sight problems to soar - Have you got 'screen sightedness'? -

Smartphones are causing sight problems to soar - Have you got 'screen sightedness'? -  



Rates of short sightedness among young people have soared because of smartphones, a leading laser eye surgeon has claimed.
David Allamby, Founder of Focus Clinics, says there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia (short sightedness) since the launch of smartphones in 1997.
He has warned the problem could increase by 50 per cent in the next ten years.
Mr Allamby thinks the problem is so widespread that he has dubbed it ‘screen sightedness’.
He says that half of Britons own smartphones and that they spend an average of two hours a day using them 
This, along with time spent using computers and watching television, is putting children and young people at risk of permanently damaging their sight.
New research found that the average smartphone user holds the handset 30 cm from their face - with some people holding it just 18cm away - compared to newspapers and books, which are held 40cm away from the eyes.
According to Mr Allamby, excessive screen watching at close proximity keeps the genes that control myopia activated well beyond the age that short-sighted would historically have stabilised - about 21. 
Myopia used to stop developing in people’s early 20s but now it is now seen progressing throughout the 20s, 30s, and even 40s.
Mr Allamby said: ‘If things continue as they are, I predict that 40 to 50 per cent of 30-year-olds could have myopia by 2033 as a result of smartphones and lifestyles in front of screens – an epidemic we call screen sightedness.

‘People need to ensure they limit screen time wherever possible even by going outside without their phone for a period of time each day (getting out into the sunshine has been shown to reduce the progression of short-sight), and also seriously consider the age at which they give their children a smartphone.’
Mr Allamby says today's children are most at risk of myopia – with children as young as seven being given smartphones.


Read more: -

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2394611/Have-got-screen-sightedness-Smartphones-causing-sight-problems-soar-warns-eye-surgeon.html

Sugary drinks linked to aggressive behaviour in young children: U.S. study -

Sugary drinks linked to aggressive behaviour in young children: U.S. study - 



New research conducted in the United States has found that young children who consume four soft drinks a day are more likely to be violent, moody, and have difficulties concentrating.

The study, done by researchers at Columbia University, asked mothers of five-year-old children how many sugary drinks they consumed each day over the previous two months, as well as how their behaviour was over that same period.

Almost half of the 3,000 children drank at least one soft drink per day. Approximately 120 children consumed four or more soft drinks a day.

The link between the soft drinks and aggression was “strong and consistent,” said the researchers, even when other factors like socioeconomic status, domestic violence, and the amount of sugary snacks the kids consumed were taken into account.

Regardless of gender, the study also found that the more sugary drinks a child consumed, the worse their behaviour was likely to be.

Despite this, researcher Shakira Suglia said she cannot prove conclusively that the soft drinks were making the children violent. She did, however, suggest that cutting down on sugary drinks could lead to improved behaviour.

Dr. Sarah Schenker of the British Dietetic Association recommends giving children milk or water instead of sugary drinks. Fruit juice is OK, if consumed in moderation.

Read more -

http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/08/16/sugary-drinks-linked-to-aggressive-behaviour-in-young-children-u-s-study/

New rule bans Georgia drivers from paying toll of next driver -

New rule bans Georgia drivers from paying toll of next driver - 



No more paying it forward for the driver behind you at the Georgia 400 toll plaza.
A new rule from the State Road and Tollway Authority bans drivers from paying the toll for the person behind them in line.
That became something of a local tradition over the last 20 years. But The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that some drivers had recently complained that cashiers were pocketing the extra 50 cents when they didn't see their money being tossed into the coin basket for the driver behind them.
The deputy executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, Bert Brantley, says a driver might not see the extra money being thrown into the change basket because the next motorist sometimes declined the money, allowing it to be passed to another driver.


Read more: -

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/16/new-rule-bans-georgia-drivers-from-paying-toll-next-driver/?test=latestnews

Key Congressional Staffer Goes To Work For Student Debit Card Firm She Investigated... -

Key Congressional Staffer Goes To Work For Student Debit Card Firm She Investigated... - 



As a former legislative assistant for Sen. Dick Durbin, Joanna Serra was part of an investigation into Higher One. Now the company turned around and hired her.

The notorious revolving door between Congress and the industries it oversees has opened for a company that makes its money off student loans.
The controversial, New Haven-based Higher One, which has been criticized by politicians and consumer advocacy groups for onerous practices related its student debit cards, has poached a key staff member from one of its harshest congressional critics.
Joanna Serra, who was a legislative assistant and the primary staff member on education issues for liberal Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin, is now working in government affairs for Higher One. A representative for Durbin confirmed that Serra left in July. She started working at Higher One on July 15, a company representative told BuzzFeed.
Her responsibilities, according to a job listing posted by Higher One, include working “as a company representative for federal and state lobbying efforts and trade associations” and monitoring “state and federal legislative and regulatory issues.”
Higher One’s primary business is the disbursement of student financial aid and providing students with debit cards with financial aid money. Both Higher One’s marketing of those debit cards — students often receive them without signing up or requesting them — and the fees associated with them, such as when PINs are used to make debit purchases or using non-Higher One ATMs, have been criticized by consumer groups, among them the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. HigherOne disburses financial aid on campuses with around 4.5 million students enrolled and has 2.2 account holders.
Messages left for Serra went unreturned.

Read more - 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewzeitlin/key-congressional-staffer-goes-to-work-for-student-debit-car

Big baby boom: Supersize deliveries have doctors worried... -

Big baby boom: Supersize deliveries have doctors worried... - 




A month after delivering a 13-pound, 12-ounce baby girl, Pennsylvania mom Michelle Cessna is reveling in the healthy arrival of her “little blessing” while also scrambling to re-stock her diaper supply.

“We had to exchange all our little diapers for bigger ones,” Cessna, 37, says with a laugh. And baby Addyson shot right past newborn clothes and left the hospital dressed in an outfit meant for a 3-month-old.

Addyson Cessna joins a small but growing club of giant babies making headlines. So far this summer, a German baby girl weighed in at nearly 13 and a half pounds; a California woman had a 13-pound, 10-ounce girl; and just last week, a British mom in Spain gave birth to a 13-pound, 11-ounce daughter. 

And back in March, a British mom gave birth — naturally — to a 15-pound, 7-ounce son.

All these whopping newborns are starting to leave moms-to-be a tad nervous — and some doctors concerned. 

Read more - 

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/big-baby-boom-supersize-deliveries-have-doctors-worried-6C10921987

Reporter created website to explain his Suicide... INCLUDED GPS COORDINATES OF $200K BURIED TREASURE... -

Reporter created website to explain his Suicide...  INCLUDED GPS COORDINATES OF $200K BURIED TREASURE... - 



60-year-old Martin Manley committed suicide on 8/15 in front of the Overland Park police station. But before doing so, he did what no other person who’ve taken their lives have done. He put up a website attempting to explain his decision.

It’s a memoir of sorts which goes through his past, present and future and tries to build an understanding of what he was going through and why he decided to kill himself. He was suffering from grapheme-color synesthesia and his mind was deteriorating rapidly.

I began seeing the problems that come with aging some time ago. I was sick of leaving the garage door open overnight. I was sick of forgetting to zip up when I put on my pants. I was sick of forgetting the names of my best friends. I was sick of going downstairs and having no idea why. I was sick of watching a movie, going to my account on IMDB to type up a review and realizing I’ve already seen it and, worse, already written a review! I was sick of having to dig through the trash to find an envelope that was sent to me so I could remember my own address – especially since I lived in the same place for the last nine years!

The site is here but you may want to try the mirror that can be found here.

It’s no doubt an interesting read but one part of the website is starting to overshadow the rest. The location of his buried treasure. That’s right. Martin Manley left the GPS coordinates to his wealth.

I had no financial problems. I sold my house which was completely paid for in 1998. The same year I bought $30,000 in 1/10 ounce gold coins and pre 1965 silver coins. Gold was $300/ounce when I bought it and silver was $4/ounce. Gold went up to $1,700 and Silver to $44 making my stash worth over $200,000.

38.800542, -94.687884

That bit of info has now brought citizens and police to a forest in Kansas City in search of Curly’s Manley’s gold.

Read more - 

http://theblemish.com/2013/08/martin-manley-puts-up-a-site-devoted-to-explaining-his-suicide/

Sea Snail Hatches In Little Boy's Knee - keeps it as a pet - called "Turbo".... -

Sea Snail Hatches In Little Boy's Knee - keeps it as a pet - called "Turbo".... - 



A four-year-old boy from California has come home from a family beach holiday with a rather unusual souvenir - a sea snail which hatched and grew inside his knee.

Paul Franklin, from Aliso Viejo in Orange County, fell and grazed his knee on rocks whilst on a summer camping trip.

His parents became worried as the wound started to become swollen and infected.

Three weeks later, the boy's mother, Rachael, decided to squeeze the sore on his knee - and out popped the sea-snail.
"His knee was size of orange, and hot to the touch and he's limping.

She said what came out "looked like a rock - it was a black thing and I put it on paper-towel and it had whirls and I turned it over and it was a sea-snail and I just like had to laugh".

The family have now put the creature into their fish-tank and named it Turbo.



Read more - 

http://news.sky.com/story/1129576/sea-snail-hatches-in-little-boys-knee

Study - People Who Have Sex At Least 4 Times A Week Make More Money -

Study - People Who Have Sex At Least 4 Times A Week Make More Money - 



The next time you consider using the headache excuse to avoid getting busy, think about this: It pays to have more sex. Literally, new research finds.

People who have sex four times or more a week earn higher wages than their less-sexually active colleagues at a statistically significant level, according to a discussion paper from Nick Drydakis, a fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor, a private, independent organization focused on labor market research.

To come up with the findings, Drydakis, who is also an economics lecturer in the business school at Cambridge, England-based Angila Ruskin University, analyzed a year-long survey of 7,500 Greek households. The survey asked the representative sample respondents how many times they had sex per week, whether they were employed, how much money they made and how many hours per week they worked, among other questions.

But before you rush to go between the sheets, it’s important to note that Drydakis' findings don't indicate that more sex directly translates into a raise. Instead, the study found that the two factors are correlated. See, people who have frequent sex tend to be happier, have higher self-esteem, better reasoning ability and are less likely to be depressed. Other research has found that workers with health problems tend to make less money due to limited productivity and in some cases, discrimination.

So to recap: More sex makes you healthier and happier. And happy, healthy people tend make more money.

Read more - 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/14/more-sex-higher-wages_n_3755271.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Police to hand out Doritos at festival celebrating pot... -

Police to hand out Doritos at festival celebrating pot...



A few things will be different at this year's Hempfest, the 22-year-old summer "protestival" on Seattle's waterfront where tens of thousands of revelers gather to use dope openly, listen to music and gaze at the Olympic Mountains in the distance.
The haze of pot smoke might smell a little more like victory, after Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize marijuana use by adults over 21. Having won at the state level, speakers will concentrate on the reform of federal marijuana laws.
Oh, and the Seattle police - who have long turned a lenient eye on Hempfest tokers - don't plan to be writing tickets or making arrests. They'll be busy handing out Doritos.
"I think it's going to be a lot of fun," said Sgt. Sean Whitcomb, department spokesman and junk-food-dispenser-in-chief. "It's meant to be ironic. The idea of police passing out Doritos at a festival that celebrates pot, we're sure, is going to generate some buzz."
The idea isn't just to satisfy some munchies. The department has affixed labels to 1,000 bags of Doritos urging people to check out a question-and-answer post on its website, titled "Marijwhatnow? A Guide to Legal Marijuana Use In Seattle." It explains some of the nuances of Washington's law: that adults can possess up to an ounce but can't sell it or give it away, that driving under the influence of pot is illegal, and that - festivals aside - public use is illegal.
Organizers are expecting as many as 85,000 people each day of the three-day event, which begins Friday and is the first Hempfest since voters passed Initiative 502 last fall.

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