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Comment Re:Seems reasonable.. (Score 1) 1271

The most common vaccine that conflicts with egg allergies are the influenza vaccines, which are now recommended annually for every child 6 months to 18 years. Even then, it's such an important vaccine that we only avoid it if the child has anaphylaxis (the most severe reaction) to egg.

Comment Re:as well they (Score 1) 1271

These statements are incorrect. For one, JWs get most health care routinely. There is an institutional opposition to the use of blood products, but this also doesn't apply to all individuals and is sometimes circumvented with technology (more routine use of self-transfusions). While many of the vaccine refusers I meet do belong to faith groups, their rationale is not often related to religion. For example, one of the big groups of devout individuals are those who choose to home-school their children because they don't like turning over control to public schools. I think these are the same types of people who independently research the mercury/MMR/autism rumors as a matter of correlation rather than causation.
The Courts

RIAA Sues 19-Year-Old Transplant Patient 663

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Just when you think they've reached rock bottom, it seems the RIAA always finds room to sink a little lower. This time they've sued an innocent, 19-year-old transplant patient, hospitalized with pancreatitis and needing islet cell transplants. Although the young Pittsburgh lady claims that she did not infringe any copyrights, she failed to answer the complaint in time, and a default judgment was taken against her. A Pittsburgh area lawyer has stated that he will represent her pro bono and make a motion to open up the default."
It's funny.  Laugh.

The Greatest Scientific Hoaxes? 496

Ponca City, We love you writes "The New Scientist has an amusing story about the seven greatest scientific hoaxes of all time. Of course, there have been serious cases of scientific fraud, such as the stem cell researchers recently found guilty of falsifying data, and the South Korean cloning fraud, but the hoaxes selected point more to human gullibility than malevolence and include the Piltdown Man (constructed from a medieval human cranium); a ten-foot "petrified man" dug up on a small farm in Cardiff; fossils 'found' in Wurzburg, Germany depicting comets, moons and suns, Alan Sokal's paper loaded with nonsensical jargon that was accepted by the journal Social Text; the claim of the Upas tree on the island of Java so poisonous that it killed everything within a 15-mile radius; and Johann Heinrich Cohausen's claim of an elixir produced by collecting the breath of young women in bottles that produced immortality. Our favorite: BBC's broadcast in 1957 about the spaghetti tree in Switzerland that showed a family harvesting pasta that hung from the branches of the tree. After watching the program, hundreds of people phoned in asking how they could grow their own tree but, alas, the program turned out to be an April Fools' Day joke." What massive scientific hoaxes/jokes have other people witnessed?
Music

Artists Strive To Wrest Rights From Music Industry 287

eldavojohn writes "The funny thing about the RIAA & BPI is that the artists are just as tired as the fans with how online music is being handled. So they're trying something new called the Featured Artists' Coalition. FAC's site states in their charter: 'We believe that all music artistes should control their destiny because ultimately it is their art and endeavors that create the pleasure and emotion enjoyed by so many.' As digital releases are increasing, the artists aren't seeing any more money. With the advent of online distribution, are the traditional music industry functions of promotion, samples, radio, and marketing now nothing but costly overhead for the artists? From Iron Maiden to Kate Nash to Radiohead, some big names are backing this new organization."
Power

Mimicking Electric Eel Cells 71

An anonymous reader writes "A team of US researchers has asked the following question in the new field of systems biology: 'Do we understand how a cell produces electricity well enough to design one, and to optimize that design?' They believe it should be possible to build artificial cells replicating the electrical behavior of electric eel cells. In fact, such artificial cells could deliver better performance — as much as 40% more energy than real eel cells, a computer model suggests. They could be used to power medical implants and other small devices."
Transportation

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spawns Real-Life Car 93

Car Analogy Please writes to tell us that a new car unveiled at the Paris Auto Show was modeled after the Gran Turismo 5 Prologue car. GTbyCITROËN is the first car that has been designed in tandem with a video game to then spill out onto the actual pavement. "The GTbyCITROËN is the product of a partnership built up during the creation of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Takumi Yamamoto, from Citroen and Kazunori Yamauchi from Polyphony Digital Inc, the games developer were inspired by each others industries to design a concept car for the game that then flowed further into the real-world. The game version of the car mirrors the real-world performance of the concept."

Comment Re:This is a dumb poll. (Score 2, Insightful) 639

Mobile phone.

With a cell phone I can call a friend to loan me everything else on the list, including a place to stay and transportation. My answer might differ if I was in an area with plenty of public transportation where a few bucks could get me anywhere.

Google

Submission + - Google Buys Mobile Social Network Zingku

HairyNevus writes: "Ina an attempt to provide more services for mobile phone users, Google has acquired the social networking company Zingku. Zingku allows people to send photos ans conduct polls via their mobile phone easier, and also allows businesses to send out "mobile flyers", advertisements. As of now, new Zingku account sign-ups have been frozen and all current accounts will be transferred to Google. The article also pointed out something interesting about Zingku's privacy policy, "It's privacy policy begins: 'The success of our business depends on maintaining your privacy. Also, our mothers brought us up properly so even if our business didn't depend upon protecting your privacy, we would STILL protect it because we would experience extreme guilt if we didn't.'""
Privacy

Submission + - Two Patriot Act Provisions Ruled Unconstitutional

buswolley writes: Judge Ann Aiken in Federal court ruled two key provisions of the Patriot Act unconstitutional. According to the ruling, the Patriot Act provisions unconstitutionally circumvented the 4th Amendment, and removed the checks and balances provided for by our Constitution. This is a great victory for the people of the United States, and demonstrates the inherent strength of our system of government.
It's funny.  Laugh.

Submission + - Vote to Evict Useless PC Features (itworld.com)

narramissic writes: "Like the appendix or pinkie toes, our venerable PCs have a number of features that could disappear tomorrow and not be missed one iota, muses Sean McGrath in an article on ITworld. Function keys F1-F12, the parallel printer port, mouse connector, and the analog telephone line modem connection are all due for evolutionary phase-out. What features does your PC have that you never, ever use?"

Canadian Music Stars Fight Against DRM 506

An anonymous reader writes "Some of Canada's best known musicians, including Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlin, Sum 41, and Barenaked Ladies, have formed a new copyright coalition. The artists say in a press release that they oppose file sharing lawsuits, the use of DRM, and DMCA-style legislation and that they want record labels to stop claiming that they represent their views."

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