“People with bone wasting conditions could do with a good shaking, according to US scientists. They found that sheep that spent time standing on a vibrating plate developed much stronger bones than those that did not.” New Scientist Addendum: Rebecca writes to remind me of a related story to which she linked a few months ago. “Wounded cats – wild and domestic – purr

because it helps their bones and organs to heal

and grow stronger, say researchers who have

analysed the purring of different feline species.

This, they say, explains why cats survive falls

from high buildings and why they are said to

have ‘nine lives’. Exposure to similar sound

frequencies is known to improve bone density in

humans.” Telegraph UK [If you have osteoporosis, sleep with your cat.]

Outbreak of new flesh-eating bacterial infection baffles health officials in Australia. The Age

Kitten survives 70C tumble wash “A kitten has survived being washed at 70C (158F) for 20 minutes after he jumped into the machine just before it was switched on. Owner Bianca Marten said 12-week-old Sylvester was dizzy, blue and screaming with fear when she got him out.

Sylvester was treated in Herning, Denmark, but has not learned his lesson. He climbed into the machine again on his return home.” Ananova While communicating with this cat was not very successful, communicating with your dog is about to become alot easier. CNN

Paint the Moon: “a collaborative work of celestial art. The goal: To unite millions of people in an effort to ‘paint’ a red spot on the dark portion of a first-quarter moon using common laser pointers during a five-minute period this autumn.” And: “An ambitious three-year mission to catch a piece of the sun and safely return that sample to Earth was successfully

hurled on its way into deep space Wednesday atop a Delta 2 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral.”

The next two stories are courtesy of Spike:

The nologo faction of the anti-corporate movement gains considerable steam as the Denver Post refuses to refer to the city’s new stadium by its whore-name. The Rocky Mountain News is disdainful of its competitor.

I crave your distinguished indulgence (and all your cash). When I got one of these hilarious “419” fraud scheme letters a few months ago, I posted it here in its entirety for its entertainment value. Some gullible Americans are not entertained; ‘the

U.S. State Department’s deputy assistant secretary for African affairs claimed that

“Americans lose $2 billion annually to white collar crime syndicates based in Nigeria.” ‘ And some people, like Salon essayist Douglas Cruikshank, get several of these missives per week, he says. Here he analyzes their literary merits.

Disputes Imperil U.N. Racism Forum: “In a statement to the preparatory committee in Geneva, U.N. High Commissioner Mary Robinson urged Arab and Jewish organizations to find common ground on the Palestinian issue, and African and European groups to come to a consensus on the issue of slavery and reparations.

…Days before the preparatory meetings began two weeks ago, President Bush said his administration would not attend the conference, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 31 in Durban, South Africa, if its agenda included language equating Zionism with racism and calling for reparations to African nations for colonialism and slavery.” Washington Post

Are the feds to blame for increased numbers of shark attacks?? ” In a curious juxtaposition of trends, shark attacks last year reached record levels in the world (79), in the U.S. (49), and in Florida (34 documented cases) ? even as scientists and government officials are claiming that the animals are being chased toward extinction by fishermen looking for thrill kills. And shark attacks in the U.S. have increased dramatically since 1993 ? which is when the federal government began mandating deep cuts in the number of sharks that could be caught for sport or profit.” National Review

BushBlog: George W. Bush’s weblog

An End to Self-Defeating Rhetoric: “It’s a myth that conservatives support free markets and progressives want government solutions.” Tompaine.com

Danny Schechter, “the news dissector,” says that ‘ “blogging” is the real worm threatening web “security” ‘: ‘Don’t tell anyone: There’s a virus you can help spread on the Web, a virus promising real information, free expression and political debate. You can get into the act by joining the “bloggertariat,” the growing number of people who want interaction instead of propaganda.’ mediachannel.org