Scariest. Recall. Ever: 52,000 Mazda 6s Recalled For…Spider Web Fueled Fires According to Wikipedia the Yellow Sac Spider ranges from 5-10mm in size and carries a necrotic venom that is dangerous to humans. According to the NHTSA and Mazda, the Yellow Sac Spider has a thing for crawling into the evaporative canister vent line of 2009-2010 Mazda 6s, getting a web all up in there and potentially causing a restriction of the line. No fires have been reported, but the threat is there. And it has far too many legs. ( Read Yellow Sac Spider more… ) Spider webs force recall of 52,000 Mazdas (CNN) The itsy-bitsy spider crawled up the fuel system of a Mazda6 sedan and out came the recall. CNN reports that Mazda is recalling 52,000 of the sedans because yellow sac spider webs in the fuel system. The critters could increase the risk of fire in the cars. There have been 20 reported cases of spider infestation, but so far, no arachnid-caused fires. ( Read Yellow Sac Spider more… ) Spiders force Mazda recall Japanese brand caught in web after spiders prompt 50,000 car recall. Spiders have forced Mazda US to recall more than 50,000 Mazda6 mid-sized sedans. The Yellow Sac spider reportedly spins it webs inside part of the car’s fuel system, which in turn causes increased pressure in the fuel system, causing the car’s petrol tank to crack. The fault was discovered in late 2009, when a dealer reportedly found a spider web inside the fuel system of a Mazda6 when the car’s owner brought the vehicle in to be repaired after noticing a fuel leak. ( Read Yellow Sac Spider more… ) Mazda recalls 65,000 cars for spider problem In certain Mazda6 cars, spider nests in hoses linked to fuel tank systems could cause pressurization and ventilation problems, Mazda says. Mazda Motor Corp. has an itsy-bitsy problem, and it’s recalling 65,000 cars to fix it. Spider nests in tiny rubber hoses linked to fuel tank systems could cause pressurization and ventilation problems in certain cars, according to the Japanese automaker. ( Read Yellow Sac Spider more… ) 2009-10 MAZDA6 Sedans Recalled Due to… Yellow Sac Spider A little yellow spider is responsible for the recall of 52,000 year-model 2009-2010 MAZDA6 sedans . According to the car maker, the yellow sac spider “may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line and this may cause a restriction of the line.” A restriction in the evaporative canister vent line could prevent air from getting into the gas tank, resulting in a crack in the gas tank that could cause a fire. The “yellow sac spider” ( Cheiracanthium Inclusum ) probably accounts for more spider bites than any the spider, and are indigenous to much of the United States. According to Wikipedia , “The bite of these spiders is believed to be venomous to humans but rarely produces more than local symptoms.” ( Read Yellow Sac Spider more… ) Spiders lead to Mazda recall NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Mazda is recalling about 52,000 Mazda6 sedans in the U.S., because yellow sac spiders like to build their nests in part of the fuel system. “A certain type of spider may weave a web in the evaporative canister vent line and this may cause a restriction of the line,” Mazda said in a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ( Read Yellow Sac Spider more… ) Courtesy : Edmunds Inside Line , Seattle PI , Stuff.co.nz , Los Angeles Times , US Recal News & USA Today
Continue reading …Memphis in May Beale Street Fest lineup 2011 (April 29th-May 1st) The Flaming Lips * Wilco * Cee Lo Green * Jerry Lee Lewis * Lucinda Williams * Bettye LaVette * Otis Clay * Hubert Sumlin * Jimbo Mathus & The Tri-State Coalition * Kenny Brown * The whole lineup is here . ( Read Memphis in May more… ) Memphis In May – Not Just The Beale Street Music Festival 2011 Many people think that Memphis in May and the Beale Street Music Festival are the same things, and they are….kind of. Memphis in May is actually a month long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival itself is split into four main events: The Beale Street Music Festival , which is the kick-off event and spotlights both local and national music acts. This a three day music festival that is held during the first weekend of May in the city’s Tom Lee Park at the foot of Beale Street. Usually about 100,000+ people attend the first two nights of the event, and even larger crowds attend for the big-name finales on Sunday night. ( Read Memphis in May more… ) Memphis in May 2011 For some 10 years I was a regular at Memphis’ Beale Street Music Festival, but a few years ago, tired of the crowds and mud, I quit going. Last year marked my return to the festival and despite the presence of a tornado, the absence of a band I really wanted to see, and a shortened Widespread show, I had a great time. The lineup for this years festival, which I bought tickets for a few weeks ago, was just announced and I have to say that I am completely blown away. They have outdone themselves this year. Here are just a few of the acts that will be playing on the river this May: ( Read Memphis in May more… ) Funds for Electrolux Plant May Not Meet Deadline The State of Tennessee committed $97 million to appliance maker Electrolux to convince it to build a new cooking plant in Memphis, but may not be able to deliver the money in time. The agreement made between the state and Electrolux and obtained by the new outlet Memphis Commercial Appeal requires “firm commitments” for the incentive money by Jan. 31, 2011 – commitments that the state has not been able to make. The news outlet also obtained a copy of a Feb. 23, 2011 letter from Electrolux Project Director and Controller Jacob Burroughs, giving the state until May 1 to get the legislative approvals for the money and June 1 for making the funds available. ( Read Memphis in May more… ) Courtesy : NMissCommentor , Babble , World of Wisdom & Appliance Magazine
Continue reading …Class presentations don’t get much more unconventional: last week Northwestern psychology professor John Bailey held an optional after-class demonstration in which a naked woman had an orgasm live onstage, as a man identified as her fiance used a sex toy known as a “fucksaw” on her. The girl was not…
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Shafiq, who was appointed by ousted president Hosni Mubarak at height of protests, is replaced by former transport minister Essam Sharaf The Egyptian prime minister appointed by the ousted president Hosni Mubarak has resigned, military rulers have said, meeting a key demand of the opposition protest movement. In a failed attempt to quell the anti-government protests, Mubarak named former air force officer Ahmed Shafiq prime minister shortly after the unrest began on 25 January. Mubarak stepped down on 11 February and the military took control of the country, but Shafiq remained in office as the head of a caretaker government. A brief statement posted on the military’s official website said it had chosen the former transport minister Essam Sharaf as the new prime minister and asked him to form a new caretaker cabinet to run the government throughout a transition back to civilian rule. Sharaf served in the cabinet between 2004 and 2006. He resigned amid an uproar over a series of deadly train accidents blamed on government negligence. Sharaf, an engineer by profession, visited the anti-Mubarak protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the uprising’s centre, which endeared him to the youth groups behind the opposition movement. Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading pro-democracy activist and Noble peace prize laureate, welcomed Shafiq’s departure and thanked the military for “listening to the people”. “Today [the] old regime has finally fallen. We are on the right track,” ElBaradei said, on his Twitter account. ElBaradei is a likely presidential candidate, but his credentials as a leader are persistently questioned by some because of the decades he spent abroad, first in the Egyptian diplomatic service and later as a UN official. “Let us all get down to work and start rebuilding our country. We want the world to know that Egypt is open for business,” said ElBaradei, the former head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. While he is not tainted by corruption like most politicians in Egypt, many believe he is out of touch with the day-to-day problems facing the country’s poor majority. Leaders of the 18-day uprising that forced out Mubarak had been pressing the military to fire Shafiq, arguing that a prime minister sworn in by the ousted leader should not stay in office. They also argued that his cabinet was filled with figures from the old regime. “First, we ousted Mubarak. Secondly, we got rid of Shafiq. We have become again the owners of this country,” said Bassem Kamel, a member of the coalition involved in the uprising. “We are still awaiting for the other demands to be met.” The revolt’s leaders also want Mubarak’s National Democratic party dissolved, along with the hated state security agency, blamed for some of the worst human rights violations during Mubarak’s rule. Other demands include the prosecution of security officials behind the deaths of protesters and the release of political prisoners. The prompt acceptance by the military of Shafiq’s resignation shows the sensitivity of the ruling generals to the demands of the uprising’s leaders, but many in Egypt now believe the military should put its foot down and focus on restoring law and order. The youth groups behind the revolution had planned a large rally on Friday to push for Shafiq to step down, but the demonstration will now be used to press for other demands. Shafiq’s resignation came a day after he made a widely criticised appearance on a popular talkshow, in which he defended the state security agency and sought to distance himself from Mubarak, a long-time friend since the two served in the air force. Shafiq, who was the civil aviation minister in the previous cabinet, was grilled by other guests on the programme, including the best-selling novelist Alaa al-Aswani. Since Mubarak was ousted, Egypt has been gripped by a crimewave not seen in years, with a marked rise in armed robberies, arson and street battles between rival criminal gangs over territory. The security forces, hated by many for their perceived brutality against the protesters, have yet to fully take back the streets. They numbered about 500,000 on the eve of the protests. The military police, meanwhile, has stepped in to fill the vacuum, but does not have the intelligence capabilities or manpower to police the country efficiently. Beside security, one of the main tasks facing Sharaf is to revive an economy hit hard by the protests. The stock market has been closed for more than a month and tourists have begun to trickle back in small numbers. Investor confidence has also been badly hurt by the dozens of criminal investigations into corruption allegations against senior officials from the former regime. In an unrelated development, state television said that Mubarak and his family had retained a defence lawyer in the face of the corruption allegations. On Tuesday, the attorney general, Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, seized the funds of the ousted leader, his wife, two sons and their wives and imposed a travel ban on all six. The station did not say who would represent the family or give any other details. Egypt Middle East Protest Hosni Mubarak Mohamed ElBaradei guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Charlie Sheen may be the craziest celebrity ever to have a relationship with multiple women simultaneously , but he’s certainly not the only celebrity to do so. The Daily Beast rounds up a dozen: Hugh Hefner : The Playboy founder’s relationship record? Seven women at once. (He also, of course, dated identical…
Continue reading …Ashton Kutcher went to TED yesterday, and lost something intrinsic to being Ashton Kutcher: His Twitter account. The ever-tweeting actor’s account appears to have been hacked, and likely by someone all but looking over his shoulder at the conference, reports ReadWriteWeb, which notes that celebs aren’t likely to be impressed…
Continue reading …Some conservationists have been using the term “the sixth extinction” for a few years now—referring to the possibility that more than 75% of existing species could disappear for the sixth time in the planet’s history—but there’s been little factual proof to back up the frightening prediction. Until now….
Continue reading …Serena Williams’ tennis career is on hold indefinitely following a series of health scares she calls “extremely hard … and disappointing.” News surfaced yesterday that Williams suffered a pulmonary embolism in February and then, more recently, a hematoma; she is now recuperating at home. But Williams has not played tennis since…
Continue reading …Danica Mendivil, Brandon Davies’ Girlfriend: BYU Basketball Player’s Significant Other Revealed The girlfriend of Brandon Davies , the BYU forward who was kicked off the team for having pre-martial sex, has been revealed. According to RadarOnline, Davies’ girlfriend is Danica Mendivil, a freshman on the volleyball team at Arizona State University. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) Sports-Tells: BYU Basketball Player Brandon Davies Suspended for Premarital Sex With His Girlfriend Brigham Young University (BYU), student Brandon Davies was suspended from the Cougars basketball team for one year because he broke the schools “Honor Code” by having sex with his girlfriend. ****Blankstare*** (BYU) made the decision to kick standout center Brandon Davies off the basketball team because he violated the school’s honor code provision that prohibits premarital sex. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) BYU Basketball Player Suspended for Premarital Sex BYU center Brandon Davies was suspended from the Cougars’ nationally ranked team for the remainder of the season because he violated the school’s honor code provision that prohibits premarital sex..Cougars coach Dave Rose addressed Davies’ dismissal for the first time, saying, “I think it was a surprise to everyone.”.Asked whether he believes Davies will play basketball for BYU again, Rose said, “yeah, I do.” ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) Tribune: BYU hoops star suspended for premarital sex Brigham Young University has suspended star basketball player Brandon Davies from its nationally ranked team for violating the school honor code that prohibits premarital sex, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. BYU officials publicly have said only that Davies violated the school’s honor code and that his actions were not criminal in nature. The suspension applies for the rest of the basketball season. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) BYU Player Suspended: What did Brandon Davies Do? Brigham Young University’s No. 3 ranked basketball team suffered a major setback after forward Brandon Davie s’ honor code violation got him dismissed from the team for the remainder of the season. There is no indication that Davies was arrested, and BYU officials confirmed Wednesday that Davies wasn’t involved in a criminal incident, ESPN reports. So what did Brandon Davies do? School officials aren’t saying, but it is worth noting that BYU has one of the strictest, if not the strictest honor codes in the country. “The code forbids premarital sex, the use of alcohol and illegal drugs, and cheating on schoolwork.” Students are expected to live a chaste and virtuous life, attend church regularly, as well as abstaining from tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse. Thus, Brandon Davies’ honor code violation remains a mystery. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) Star Mormon basketball player suspended from BYU team for having sex with girlfriend * 6ft 9in Brandon Davies violated BYU’s honour code * Team ranked third in the country before his suspension * BYU lost to unranked team in first game without him A star college basketball player at one of the country’s most respected teams has been suspended for having sex with his girlfriend. Brandon Davies, a 6ft 9in centre for Mormon college Brigham Young University (BYU), violated the school’s honour code banning sex before marriage. The college, in Provo, Utah, obliges students to live a ‘chaste and virtuous life’. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) Should BYU really suspend a basketball player for having sex? Sophomore center Brandon Davies was booted off the team for sleeping with his girlfriend, which violates the conservative school’s exacting honor code On Wednesday, Utah’s Brigham Young University announced that it would suspend starting center Brandon Davies from the school’s basketball team for having premarital sex with his girlfriend. BYU, which is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is known for its strictness. It also forbids coffee, smoking, and dishonesty of any kind. Still, the news came as a shock to college basketball fans, since the 6-foot-9-inch Davies had been an integral part of BYU’s dominant Cougars, who are among the nation’s top teams. Davies himself has expressed remorse for his actions, but did the school go too far? ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) BYU player suspended for having sex PROVO, Utah, March 3 (UPI) — A star Brigham Young University basketball player has been suspended for the rest of the season for having premarital sex, the Utah school confirmed. Brandon Davies, 19, was suspended from the Cougars’ nationally-ranked team for the remainder of the season and apologized to his teammates for violating the school’s honor code, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) College basketball star suspended for allegedly having premarital sex Brigham Young University has suspended a star basketball player for violating the school’s strict code of honour by allegedly having premarital sex with his girlfriend. The Utah-based school, owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , said in a statement that BYU Cougars’ centre Brandon Davies will not play with the team for the remainder of the 2010-11 season due to a “violation” of the university’s honour code. “Some decisions regarding Davies’ future on the basketball team and at the university are yet to be determined,” said the statement. ( Read BYU Basketball Player Suspended more… ) byu honor code, byu, brandon davies girlfriend, brandon davies, byu davies Courtesy : The Huffington Post , Twana Tells , Terez Owens , USA Today , Find Law , Daily Mail , The Week , UPI , The Star
Continue reading …CIA World Factbook : A Surprisingly Good Source of Information The democratic revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and quite possibly Algeria, Jordan and Yemen could possibly be the biggest world-changing events of our burgeoning 21st century. For those wishing to learn more, the United States Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) publishes online The World Factbook which is an excellent source of information on almost every country in the world. Case in point: Check out Egypt and expand the People tab; you’ll indeed see how young the average Egyptian really is. It’s no wonder they’re adept at using Facebook and Twitter to organize peaceful protests to demand a democratic government: Courtesy : BulletproofCourier
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