An American student who set out to determine how to help turtles
cross the road ended up getting a glimpse into the dark souls of some
humans.
Clemson University student Nathan Weaver put a realistic rubber
turtle in the middle of a lane on a busy road near campus. Then he got
out of the way and watched over the next hour as seven drivers swerved
and deliberately ran over the animal. Several more apparently tried to
hit it but missed.
"I've heard of people and from friends who knew people that ran over
turtles. But to see it out here like this was a bit shocking," said
Weaver, a 22-year-old student at Clemson's School of Agricultural,
Forest and Environmental Sciences.
To seasoned researchers, the practice wasn't surprising.
The number of box turtles is in slow decline, and one big reason is
that many wind up as roadkill while crossing the asphalt, a
slow-and-steady trip that can take several minutes.
Sometimes humans feel a need to prove they are the dominant species
on this planet by taking a two-tonne metal vehicle and squishing a
defenceless creature under the tires, said Hal Herzog, a Western
Carolina University psychology professor.
"They aren't thinking, really. It is not something people think
about. It just seems fun at the time," Herzog said. "It is the dark side of human nature."
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
preparing a will
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Certainty? In this world nothing is
certain but death and taxes.” No one wants to think about death, but a
little planning can ensure your assets are divided smoothly after you
are gone.
Make a plan.
A will dictates where your assets go when you die. Without it, you will not have a say, and someone else will determine how to allocate your assets. Given that you have worked hard for what you own, it is important where, what, how much and to whom you want it to go is clear. Wills are especially important if you have a business or children from a previous marriage and want to prevent any potential family disputes.
List what you own.
Make a list of all your assets, no matter the value, and determine who should receive them. Make sure you include investment accounts and life insurance policies. It may even be helpful to ask your beneficiaries what they want. Some may have a preference on a particular item that others may not care for. This can help prevent any future ill will or disagreements. No matter how much you have, a will is important, especially if you have young children. You can decide who can step in as their guardian and what should happen to their assets.
Choose the executor.
The executor is the person responsible for making sure what you decide on the will is carried out. This person will oversee the transfer of your assets to the beneficiaries. Make sure it is someone you trust. If you are married, you can name your spouse. It is helpful to have an alternate executor named as well.
Talk to a professional.
Emotions can be high in writing up a will. Depending on how much you have, planning can be quite complicated and stressful. It may be a good idea to consult an expert who can help you navigate through this process. They can provide objective advice with knowledge on the most up-to-date estate laws. You will want to choose somebody who respects your wishes.
Leave instructions.
A letter of personal instruction can add to what is not covered in a will. This can include account numbers, passwords, burial arrangements and the location of important documents. The note can contain personal wishes of how you want people to remember you and the legacy that you would like to leave behind!
Make a plan.
A will dictates where your assets go when you die. Without it, you will not have a say, and someone else will determine how to allocate your assets. Given that you have worked hard for what you own, it is important where, what, how much and to whom you want it to go is clear. Wills are especially important if you have a business or children from a previous marriage and want to prevent any potential family disputes.
List what you own.
Make a list of all your assets, no matter the value, and determine who should receive them. Make sure you include investment accounts and life insurance policies. It may even be helpful to ask your beneficiaries what they want. Some may have a preference on a particular item that others may not care for. This can help prevent any future ill will or disagreements. No matter how much you have, a will is important, especially if you have young children. You can decide who can step in as their guardian and what should happen to their assets.
Choose the executor.
The executor is the person responsible for making sure what you decide on the will is carried out. This person will oversee the transfer of your assets to the beneficiaries. Make sure it is someone you trust. If you are married, you can name your spouse. It is helpful to have an alternate executor named as well.
Talk to a professional.
Emotions can be high in writing up a will. Depending on how much you have, planning can be quite complicated and stressful. It may be a good idea to consult an expert who can help you navigate through this process. They can provide objective advice with knowledge on the most up-to-date estate laws. You will want to choose somebody who respects your wishes.
Leave instructions.
A letter of personal instruction can add to what is not covered in a will. This can include account numbers, passwords, burial arrangements and the location of important documents. The note can contain personal wishes of how you want people to remember you and the legacy that you would like to leave behind!
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Jack Klugman
Jack Klugman, who played the sports-loving, slobby-living Oscar Madison
on television and stage in “The Odd Couple” across from his close friend
Tony Randall, has died. He was 90.
Klugman, a resident of Malibu, Calif., died Monday in Los Angeles, The Associated Press reported, citing his son Adam. He had surgery for throat cancer in 1989, then worked to rehabilitate his acting voice.
Raised in a rough Philadelphia neighborhood, Klugman carried a no-nonsense persona into roles as an agonized juror in the movie “12 Angry Men,” as a headstrong medical examiner in the TV series “Quincy, M.E.” and, most famously, as half of “The Odd Couple,” which ran on ABC from 1970 to 1975.
Klugman played the divorced, cigar-chomping, laundry-tossing sports columnist who, in a moment of charity, opened his apartment to his precise, finicky, hypochondriac photographer friend, Felix Unger, who needs a home after being expelled by his wife. They clashed — over women and money, food and furniture, habits and style — through five seasons and 114 episodes.
Klugman said the fact that he and Randall resembled their characters in real life helped the show succeed, as did their training as stage actors. Many of the show’s funniest scenes were improvised.
“Tony and I never saw the show as merely a frolic, but rather as a portrait of friendship,” Klugman wrote in his 2005 memoir, “Tony and Me.”
Randall’s death in 2004, ending a 35-year friendship and collaboration, prompted Klugman to write his book. He credited Randall with helping him survive throat cancer in 1989 and in making him a more open person and a better father.
For each of the five seasons of “The Odd Couple,” Klugman and Randall both received Emmy nominations for best leading actor. Klugman won in 1973 and 1971. Randall won in 1975.
Klugman, a resident of Malibu, Calif., died Monday in Los Angeles, The Associated Press reported, citing his son Adam. He had surgery for throat cancer in 1989, then worked to rehabilitate his acting voice.
Raised in a rough Philadelphia neighborhood, Klugman carried a no-nonsense persona into roles as an agonized juror in the movie “12 Angry Men,” as a headstrong medical examiner in the TV series “Quincy, M.E.” and, most famously, as half of “The Odd Couple,” which ran on ABC from 1970 to 1975.
Klugman played the divorced, cigar-chomping, laundry-tossing sports columnist who, in a moment of charity, opened his apartment to his precise, finicky, hypochondriac photographer friend, Felix Unger, who needs a home after being expelled by his wife. They clashed — over women and money, food and furniture, habits and style — through five seasons and 114 episodes.
Klugman said the fact that he and Randall resembled their characters in real life helped the show succeed, as did their training as stage actors. Many of the show’s funniest scenes were improvised.
“Tony and I never saw the show as merely a frolic, but rather as a portrait of friendship,” Klugman wrote in his 2005 memoir, “Tony and Me.”
Randall’s death in 2004, ending a 35-year friendship and collaboration, prompted Klugman to write his book. He credited Randall with helping him survive throat cancer in 1989 and in making him a more open person and a better father.
For each of the five seasons of “The Odd Couple,” Klugman and Randall both received Emmy nominations for best leading actor. Klugman won in 1973 and 1971. Randall won in 1975.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
self-help books
While playing with my new Digix tablet, I tried looking for stuff to read on it. And noticed some "classic" self-help books (apparently) free on the internet.
Here's a few to get started. And they even have some on youtube too.
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen (youtube)
Law of Success (1928) by Napoleon Hill (youtube)
Think and Grow Rich (1937) by Napoleon Hill (youtube)
How To Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948) by Dale Carnegie (youtube: the whole 9+ hours, part 1)
The Ten Scrolls from the Greatest Salesman in the World (1968) by Og Mandino
***
And here's a youtube playlist titled Success Secrets featuring Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Napoleon Hill, John Assaraf, Brian Tracy, and others
Here's a few to get started. And they even have some on youtube too.
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen (youtube)
Law of Success (1928) by Napoleon Hill (youtube)
Think and Grow Rich (1937) by Napoleon Hill (youtube)
The Ten Scrolls from the Greatest Salesman in the World (1968) by Og Mandino
***
And here's a youtube playlist titled Success Secrets featuring Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield, Napoleon Hill, John Assaraf, Brian Tracy, and others
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Big Religion Chart
The ReligionFacts "Big Religion Chart"
is an attempt to summarize all the complexities of religions and
belief systems into tiny little boxes on a single, quick-reference comparison chart. Yes, of course this is impossible. Our comparison
charts are not a substitute for reading about religions, talking with
religious adherents, etc. But this chart can (hopefully) be a useful
way to compare basic beliefs and practices of the world's religions and
belief systems. Currently, 43 belief systems are listed.
-- via Roy
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