Watercooler Sensation

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Get Ready For Some Superstition: Tomorrow’s 07-07-07

• Gamblers, brides, and grooms — start your engines. Tomorrow is 07-07-07 and luck is in there air. [MSNBC]
• Especially if you’re in the wedding or casino business. “Companies ranging from caterers to casinos are gearing up for an influx of business from those seeking to take advantage of what is thought to be an auspicious day.”
• We’re not kidding. Richard Markel, director of the Association for Wedding Professionals International, is expecting between 75,000 and 80,000 weddings to take place on Saturday, July 7 — 25 to 30 percent more than normal for a Saturday in July. Wedding Web site The Knot said 38,000 of its members are reporting a July 7 wedding, compared with about 12,000 on average for a Saturday in July.
• Vegas is expecting hordes as well. On the gambling circuit, three sevens can be used to hit 21 in blackjack, and they also mark the jackpot on many slot machines.
• Also, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority expects 07-07-07 to be one of the busiest wedding days ever — and that’s saying something in a city known for quickie weddings. Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas will host 110 weddings on July 7, starting at 6:30 a.m. and ending at 11:59 p.m. That’s more than double the 40 to 50 weddings they would normally host.
• Oh, America. The corporate evil-doers are Wal-Mart are even getting in on the action. The big-box retailer is planning on hosting seven weddings in seven of its stories on July 7th.

Oh, you people.

Horned Rhino Just Not Horny Enough

• The vanishingly rare two-horned Rhinoceros of Sumatra have a problem: they’re just not horny enough. And it threatens to drive them extinct. [Guardian]
• Scientists say that “low sperm counts and other reproductive problems” among the 30-50 Sumatran rhinos left in the wild are keeping the Rhinos from making a recovery.
• The source of the problem? Habitat fragmentation and cysts the females’ uterus.
• Deforestation and development have fragmented the breeding grounds of the rhinos and this “keeps the animals apart and may reduce their chances to reproduce.”
• As for the cysts? “It’s more of a psychological disease due to imbalances of hormones or stress.” The cysts are especially prevalent among those who have been captured to encourage breeding.
• Ironically enough, “Rhino horn is reputed to have aphrodisiac qualities and is so highly prized in Asian medicine it can fetch up to £100 a gram.”

For us, habitat fragmentation is definitely not an aphrodesiac.

Is It Hot In Here, Or Are You Just Misapplying Sunscreen?

• The hot days of July are perfect for heading to the beach, the pool, or merely doing a little al fresco dining. But are you safe?
• One in five Americans will get some sort of skin cancer in their lifetimes.
• And according to the New York Times, that bottle of sunscreen you’re holding might not be doing the job you think. In fact, most people wildly underapply sunscreen, which reduces its UV blocking effects. Use too little and that SPF 30 you’re holding gives you more like SPF 3 coverage. [NYTimes]
• According to experts, for full SPF coverage, you need to “use about a shot glass of sunscreen for the body and a teaspoon for the face.” (Though if you’re stumbling around the beach holding a shot glass, chances are you’re too blitzed to notice your nose getting red.) [NYTimes]
• Do you really understand the SPF numbering system? Believe it or not, sunburn protection doesn’t increase in proportion with the SPF numbers. SPF 15, for example, absorbs 93% of the dangerous UVB rays; SPF 30 absorbs 97%.
• While we no longer slather our skin with Crisco and lay out in hopes of getting that uber-burnished early 80s tan, Americans are still continuing to burn. In 1999, 31.8% of Americans admitted to getting burned. In 2004, that number went up to 33.7%. [Washington Post]
• Clothes are no substitute. The white t-shirt you throw on when you feel yourself start to turn pink? It only has an SPF of 5-7. And if it gets wet, that SPF drops to 3. [WSJ]
• There are some pretty cool inventions to combat sunburn and skin cancer in the works. Our faves: The “morning-after pill,” a pill you take the day after you over-sun which reverses sun damage on your skin. The Sun Sensor: Slap this on your body while you’re outdoors and it will beep or change color when you’ve had enough of the rays. Desensitizers: Pills you take before sunning to build up your skin’s melanin. The pill makes the body less sensitive to UV light. [Washington Post]

The FDA is currently re-evaluating sunscreen labeling rules to catch the laws up to the new technology.

Live Earth: Everything You Need To Know

• Ever since the release of his film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” former Vice President Al Gore has been something of a rock star in his own right. At the seven Live Earth concerts this Saturday, he’ll be rocking out with over 150 musicians and 2 billion of his closest friends in person and on television for 24 hours in an effort to get individuals, corporations, and governments thinking about what they can do to solve the climate crisis. [Live Earth]
• “The tipping point in the political system will come when the majority of the people are armed with enough knowledge about the crisis and its solutions that they make this cause their own,” says Gore. [WP]
• Concertgoers and online and television viewers are asked to sign a “Seven Point Pledge” to make their lives a little greener and put pressure on their governments to act on climate change. [MSNBC]
• The events themselves are going to be as green as possible, too. Power will come from renewable sources, and ground travel will involve hybrids or high efficiency vehicles whenever possible. [WP]
• Gore and Live Earth co-chair Kevil Wall (of Live 8 production fame) have lined up a pretty impressive group of performers. Here’s just a few of the acts scheduled for each of the seven shows:
  
  • New York (well, Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ): Kelly Clarkson, Dave Matthews Band, Smashing Pumpkins, Kanye West [Live Earth US]
  • London: Madonna, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bloc party, Black Eyed Peas, Spinal Tap [Live Earth UK]
  • Johannesburg, South Africa: Joss Stone, Zola [Live Earth SA]
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: As of Thursday afternoon, the concert had been cancelled due to a lack of available security personnel, but later that evening, a Brazilian judge revoked her injunction...so, it’s on, baby, it’s on. [Think Progress][The Guardian] Scheduled to perform are Lenny Kravitz, Macy Grey, Pharrell [Live Earth Brazil]
  • Shanghai, China: 12 Girls Band, Sarah Brightman [Live Earth China]
  • Tokyo, Japan: Rihanna, Linkin Park [Live Earth Japan]
  • Sydney, Australia: Wolfmother, Jack Johnson, Toni Collette [Live Earth Australia]
  • Hamburg, Germany: Chris Cornell, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Inglasias [Live Earth Germany]

• All the ticket proceeds will go to Gore’s foundation, The Alliance for Climate Protection. With U.S. tickets at $83-$348 a pop, the event should raise some serious cash as well as get people talking, and hopefully changing.
• If you won’t be one of the lucky ones in attendance, fear not; you can check out the concerts live on NBC, MSNBC, Telemundo, and the Sundance Channel, as well as online at LIVE EARTH.ORG and on XM Satellite Radio. [WP]

Going green never sounded so sweet.

Russia Clinches 2014 Winter Olympics

• Putin’s proud: On Wednesday, the Russian president (and Bush sparring partner) clinched the 2014 Winter Olympics for his country, edging out South Korea and Austria. [AP]
• The Black Sea resort of Sochi defeated the South Korean city of Pyeongchang 51-47 in the final round of voting by the International Olympic Committee. Pyeongchang led the first round with 36 votes, followed by Sochi with 34 and Salzburg. Austria with 25. Sochi picked up 17 votes in the second round to secure the victory.
• “Russia, an Olympic power which has won 293 Winter Games medals, has never hosted the Winter Games. That was a strong point in Sochi’s favor with the IOC, which likes to spread the Olympics to new host countries. Moscow hosted the 1980 Summer Games, which were hit by the U.S.-led boycott following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.”
• So far, Putin’s government has shelled up $12 billion to turn Sochi into a world-class winter sports complex. The site will have to be built largely from scratch.
• But the real question is do we have another Beijing on our hands? This year, a report by Amnesty International said that “Human rights defenders and independent civil society [have come] under increasing pressure” in Russia. Additionally, “The authorities clamped down on the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and assembly. Journalists were intimidated and attacked and one, Anna Politkovskaya, was killed.” [Amnesty International]

Pozdravlyayu!

By the Numbers

So what can you do to help save the world? We raided the LiveEarth website for a few tips. (Or should we say we “recycled” their suggestions? Ha! We crack ourselves up over here.)

[LiveEarth]

$1 billion

Amount of cash the U.S. wastes a year from leaving computer monitors powered up when not in use.

2.1 million tons

The amount of greenhouse gas we would save if everyone in the U.S. started paying their bills online.

20

Number of cans you can make from recycled material for the same amount of energy it takes to make one (1) from scratch

$400

Amount of cash you’ll save if you start washing your clothes in cold water (plus keep colors bright!)

1.5 million tons

Amount of plastic used to make bottles every year. For that amount of energy, you could power 250,000 homes.

$50

Amount of cash you’ll save by using a compact, energy-friendly light bulb instead of the regular one you’re using now.

Celebrities: Unfiltered

“You know how people say marijuana is a gateway drug? That’s sorta what buying a Prius [Toyota’s hybrid gas-electric car] was for me. . . I love nature, and I love taking walks on the beach at sunset. And if that makes me sound like Miss February filling out her turn-ons in a Playboy bio, so be it.”

— Actor Owen Wilson. We hear he also loves pina coladas and making love at midnight. [Page Six]

Speed Round

DO YOU LOOK LIKE LARRY KING?

Always thought your striking resemblance to Henry Kissinger was a handicap? Do we have good news for you! Warner Bros. is searching for dead-ringers for their new movie Watchmen. The search is also on for all you out there who resemble: Ted Koppel. John McLaughlin. Fidel Castro. Mao Zedong. Larry King. Yoko Ono. [LA Daily News]

FIST BUMP

A new ruling in Indiana requires all prison inmates to greet each other with “a gentle ‘Knuckle Knock’ ” fist bump instead of a handshake.

TATTS

And we quote the LA Times: “Once associated with drunken sailors, felons and Hells Angels, tattoos have gone nearly mainstream, putting employers in a bind.” [LA Times]

ANIMAL NEWS

My baloney has a first name, its G-A-T-O-R: Alligator coaxed from North Carolina pond with lunchmeat. [CBS News]

CELEBRIDIRT

Diddy’s Baby Mama moves out. Sienna Miller to blame? [Page Six]

FOOD PROJECT GETS SOUR GRADE

The federal government is spending $1 billion a year on nutrition education, but it seems like Americans just can’t put down the burgers. [ABC]

WE HEART ORGANIC FOOD

Turns out, it might be better for your heart than regular, run-of-the-mill produce. [BBC]

EUROPEANS HAVE MORE FUN

A new study confirms what everyone already knows; Americans get a paltry amount of vacation time compared to our friends across the pond. [Reuters]

CELEBRIDIRT

In her latest attempt at poetic justice, Britney Spears writes that she “didn’t have a mom anymore and she couldn’t imagine a mother doing what she did to her child.” Oh, Britney, just you wait. Just. You. Wait. [MSNBC]

DAMN YOU MR. ROGERS

Thanks to Mr. Rogers and his ugly sweaters, young adults feel entitled. [WSJ]

GOOD EATING

2nd: Where grandmother Jenny Brown placed at a local cake-baking contest in Britain. 1: The number of people competing in the contest. [BBC]

KID HEROES

A five-year-old pins a rabid fox before it attacks anyone else at the family picnic. What’s your kid done lately? [AP]

12-SECOND MOVIE REVIEW

San Francisco Chronicle, “Transformers”: “The first 45 seconds or so aren’t very promising, beginning with this narration: ‘Before time began, there was a cube. We know not where it comes from.’ Seriously, say that out loud a few times. Have you ever felt like a bigger dork?” [SF Gate]

WHISTLIN’ A NEW TUNE

Scientists at Duke University discover that the sparrow’s song is slower and lower in pitch than it was in 1979. [New Scientist]

RIDICULOUS

A Detroit man is suing the city because he says his co-worker’s strong perfume prevents him from concentrating. [FOX]

CELEB-RATION

Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria and NBA star Tony Parker are tying the knot this weekend, and they’re trying (unsuccessfully) to keep it on the D.L. [FOX]

BREAKTHROUGH

Another day, another disease is discovered to have a genetic component. Scientists have uncovered a gene for Asthma. [Independent]