1. Ecosystem in your pillow “… pillows
are inhabited by the house dust mite which eats fungi, and …the
fungi are in turn using the house dust mites’ feces as a
major source of nutrition“ says study leader Ashley Woodcock
at the University of Manchester, who examined feather and synthetic
pillows that had been in use from 1.5 to 20 years.
The most common fungi, aspergillus fumigatus, is the most likely
to cause disease. It is the leading infectious cause of death in
leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients. Fungi also exacerbate
asthma. Synthetic pillows carried more fungi than feather pillows.
www.livescience.com 2. Mars the red planet is especially close to earth again this
year. In August 2003, Mars was the closer to earth than any time
in modern history. It was especially bright and close to the full
moon between October18 & 20. With Mars retrograde, it will
remain close to the earth and extremely bright in the night sky
during November. You may spot it high in the late night sky. It
is close to the full moon Nov .13 – 15 for easy sighting.
Inner Space Astrologers 3. Scientists digging in a remote Indonesian cave have uncovered
a jaw-bone that they say adds more evidence that a tiny prehistoric
Hobbit-like species once existed. The jaw is from an individual
believed to have lived as recently as 12,000 years ago. The bones
are in a wet cave on the island of Flores in the eastern limb of
the Indonesian archipelago, near Australia. The research team which
reported the original sensational finding nearly a year ago strongly
believes that the skeletons belong to a separate species of early
human that shared Earth with modern humans far more recently than
anyone thought. Associated Press 4. Increased output from the Sun might be to blame for 10 to 30
percent of global warming that has been measured in the past 20
years, according to a new report. Increased emissions of carbon
dioxide and other heat-trapping gases still play a role, the scientists
say. But climate models of global warming should be corrected to
better account for changes in solar activity, according to Nicola
Scafetta and Bruce West of Duke University. Geophysical Research
Letters. 5. Workers at auto parts maker Delphi Corp. will be asked this
week to take a two-thirds pay cut. It’s one of the most drastic
wage concessions ever sought from unionized employees. Workers
at General Motors Corp., meanwhile, tentatively agreed on Monday
to absorb billions of dollars in health care costs. Ford Motor
Co. and DaimlerChrysler employees are certain to face similar demands.
The forces affecting Delphi and GM workers are extreme versions
of what’s occurring across the American labor market, where
such economic risks as unemployment and health costs once broadly
shared by business and government are being shifted directly onto
the backs of American working families. Companies say these cutbacks
are essential to stay competitive in an increasingly globalized
economy. Los Angeles Times, October 18, 2005 (Editor’s note:
Welcome to CAFTA) 6. The Missouri Department of Transportation is
finalizing a contract to monitor thousands of cell phones, using
their movements to map real-time traffic conditions statewide on
all 5,500 miles of major roads Officials say there’s no Big
Brother agenda in the Missouri project - the data will remain anonymous,
leaving no possibility to track specific people from their driveway
to their destination. (Editor’s Note: Sure, and I’ve
got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale too!) Casper Star Tribune 7. Have
a great & happy Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy family and
friends. Whatever you do drive safely and avoid the “jam
cams”.
