Society's Child

Fife, Scotland: Man's body found in Dunfermline - the third sudden death in five days

The Courier
Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:27 UTC

Dunfermline has been reacting to the news that a man's body was found in the High Street on Thursday.

Police are treating the death as "unexplained." It was the third sudden death in the west Fife town in only five days. It follows the deaths of local men James Drysdale (36) and Derek Neilson (32) on Sunday.

Early-morning shoppers and retail workers in the town centre were shocked to find a huge police presence as Fife Constabulary carried out their investigation work. It is believed the body was found in a close off the High Street at about 6.45am.

The man's remains were found in the alley at 100 High Street, between the Nationwide Building Society and a Mountain Warehouse outlet. Both remained closed for some time as the police inquiry swung into action.

County Durham, UK: Probe into unexplained deaths

Bearsden Herald
Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:34 UTC

Police are investigating the unexplained deaths of a man and woman in County Durham after post-mortem examinations drew a blank.

James McAndrew, 51, and Helen Swan, 36, were discovered in the living room of a terraced house in John Street, Blackhill, Consett, early on Monday.

They were found fully-clothed on a sofa as if they had fallen asleep while watching television.

Relatives reported that the two looked peaceful and that there was no sign of a struggle having taken place.

US: Fracking Rules Could Allow Drilling Near New York City Water Supply Tunnels

Nicholas Kusnetz
ProPublica
Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:04 UTC

The Ashokan Reservoir, part of the New York City watershed.

The latest draft of guidelines for hydraulic fracturing in New York could open the door to drilling within 1,000 feet of aging underground tunnels that carry water to New York City - a far cry from the seven-mile buffer once sought by city officials.

The draft environmental impact statement, released last week by state officials, is a crucial step toward allowing high-volume hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in New York. The gas drilling technique was put on hold three years ago so the state could assess any environmental effects of the practice.

If the proposal is adopted in coming months, the state would allow drilling near aqueducts but would require a site-specific environmental review for any application to drill within 1,000 feet of the water supply infrastructure.

That's not enough to protect New York City's water, said Kate Sinding, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is based in the city.

More employers using firms that check applicants' social media history

Melissa Bell
Washington Post
Fri, 15 Jul 2011 16:37 UTC

A friend hunts deer in Germany. His Facebook profile shows him hoisting a rifle in the air. Another friend wrote on Twitter last month, "On plane. Just took Ambien. Twitter is my dreams. You are all glue. Happy birthday cellphone!"

Innocent pursuits perhaps: The Ambien was prescribed; the rifle is licensed.

Even so, my friends would likely fail a social media background check.

Like criminal background checks and drug tests, the social media check is quickly becoming an automatic part of the hiring process. Employers regularly run quick Google searches to vet applicants, but since September, California-based Social Intelligence has been contracting with corporations across the country to institute standard social media background checks - with the blessings of the federal government.

Soybeans Head for Longest Rally Since 2007 on Weather Woes; Corn Climbs

Jeff Wilson
Bloomberg
Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:15 UTC

Soybeans rose, heading for the longest rally since 2007, and corn climbed to a one-month high on speculation that hot, dry weather will reduce crop yields in the U.S., the world's leading exporter.

High temperatures will rise to as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for seven days starting tomorrow in the Midwest, Mike Tannura, the president of T-storm Weather LLC, said in a telephone interview. As much as 46 percent of the corn crop and 44 percent of soybeans have drier-than-normal topsoil, and the adverse conditions may extend into August, he said.

"Hot, dry weather will rob yield potential," Don Roose, the president of U.S. Commodities Inc. in West Des Moines, Iowa, said in a telephone interview. "The crops are getting smaller, and we don't have any excess inventories to offset the losses."

Empire in Decay : Tonight Tens Of Thousands Of Formerly Middle Class Americans Will Be Sleeping In Their Cars, In Tent Cities Or On The Streets

The Economic Collapse
Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00 UTC

Economic despair is beginning to spread rapidly in America. As you read this, there are millions of American families that are just barely hanging on by their fingernails. For a growing number of Americans, it has become an all-out battle just to be able to afford to sleep under a roof and put a little bit of food on the table. Sadly, there are more people than ever that are losing that battle. Tonight, tens of thousands of formerly middle class Americans will be sleeping in their cars, even though that is illegal in many U.S. cities. Tens of thousands of others will be sleeping in tent cities or on the streets. Meanwhile, communities all over America are passing measures that are meant to push tent cities and homeless people out of their areas. It turns out that once you lose your job and your home in this country you become something of an outcast. Sadly, the number of "outcasts" is going to continue to grow as the U.S. economy continues to collapse.

Most Americans that end up living in their cars on in tent cities never thought that it would happen to them.

An article in Der Spiegel profiled one American couple that is absolutely shocked at what has happened to them....

Chanelle Sabedra is already on that road. She and her husband have been sleeping in their car for almost three weeks now. "We never saw this coming, never ever," says Sabedra. She starts to cry. "I'm an adult, I can take care of myself one way or another, and same with my husband, but (my kids are) too little to go through these things." She has three children; they are nine, five and three years old.

"We had a house further south, in San Bernardino," says Sabedra. Her husband lost his job building prefab houses in July 2009. The utility company turned off the gas. "We were boiling water on the barbeque to bathe our kids," she says. No longer able to pay the rent, the Sabedras were evicted from their house in August.

How would you feel if you had a 3 year old kid and a 5 year old kid and you were sleeping in a car?

U.S.: Charges dropped against Oak Park woman over veggie garden

Kim Kozlowski
The Detroit News
Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:37 UTC

Oak Park - Charges against the woman who planted a vegetable garden in her front yard have been dropped, her attorney said Thursday.

But other charges against Julie Bass have been resurrected for not having licenses for her two dogs - even though she took care of that issue, lawyer Solomon Radner said.

"This is really nothing other than a personal vendetta against the Basses either because somebody doesn't like them, or because they had the nerve to fight this unjust prosecution," said Radner, who plans to file a motion to dismiss.

City living affects your brain, researchers find

Alok Jha
Guardian UK
Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:49 UTC

© Howard Sochurek/ Corbis
Researchers found that the regions of brain that regulate emotion and anxiety are overactive in city-dwellers.

The part of the brain that senses danger becomes overactive in city-dwellers when they are under stress

The brains of people living in cities operate differently from those in rural areas, according to a brain-scanning study. Scientists found that two regions, involved in the regulation of emotion and anxiety, become overactive in city-dwellers when they are stressed and argue that the differences could account for the increased rates of mental health problems seen in urban areas.

Previous research has shown that people living in cities have a 21% increased risk of anxiety disorders and a 39% increased risk of mood disorders. In addition, the incidence of schizophrenia is twice as high in those born and brought up in cities.

US: Northwest sees 35% infant mortality spike post-Fukushima

Berit Anderson
Fox News
Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:39 UTC

Medical professionals publish report highlighting post-Fukushima mortality spike.

Physician Janette Sherman, M.D. and epidemiologist Joseph Mangano published a report Monday highlighting a 35% spike in northwest infant mortality after Japan's nuclear meltdown.

The report spotlighted data from the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on infant mortality rates in eight northwest cities, including Seattle, in the 10 weeks after Fukushima's nuclear meltdown.

The average number of infant deaths for the region moved from an average of 9.25 in the four weeks before Fukushima' nuclear meltdown, to an average of 12.5 per week in the 10 weeks after. The change represents a 35% increase in the northwest's infant mortality rates.

In comparison, the average rates for the entire U.S. rose only 2.3%

California Companies Fleeing the Golden State

Tami Luhby
Cable News Network
Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:39 UTC

© PayPal
California companies, including PayPal, have been expanding or relocating outside the Golden State. PayPal recently opened a facility in Arizona.

New York - Buffeted by high taxes, strict regulations and uncertain state budgets, a growing number of California companies are seeking friendlier business environments outside of the Golden State.

And governors around the country, smelling blood in the water, have stepped up their courtship of California companies. Officials in states like Florida, Texas, Arizona and Utah are telling California firms how business-friendly they are in comparison.

Companies are "disinvesting" in California at a rate five times greater than just two years ago, said Joseph Vranich, a business relocation expert based in Irvine. This includes leaving altogether, establishing divisions elsewhere or opting not to set up shop in California.

"There is a feeling that the state is not stable," Vranich said. "Sacramento can't get its act together...and that includes the governor, legislators and regulatory agencies that are running wild."