Caffeine evolved as a POISON!

The way that caffeine jolts your brain is this: it blocks certain receptors in the brain and other organs. This causes a set of reactions that results in your body releasing adrenaline. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, blood pressure and blood to the muscles.

However, the reason that these effects exists is because caffeine was developed over time as a poison by plants as a way to kill insects that were trying to eat them! The effects of caffeine on other insects actually paralyzes and kills them. Next time you have a cup of coffee, just think that you're drinking some warm bug poison!




YUM!

Jon Bon Jovi, alive and well, stars at the Hope Concert V

Rest easy ladies, the rumor has no merit:

Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 12:34 AM     Updated: Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 1:02 AM

The wicked Twitterati had him in the grave earlier today. But on Monday night, Jon Bon Jovi disproved rumors of his death at the Hope Concert at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. The rock star, who was the latest high-profile entertainer to be prematurely buried by pranksters on the Internet, looked and sounded fit as he sang a jazzy version of “The Letter” by the Box Tops, the J. Geils Band stomper “House Party” alongside Southside Johnny, and Bon Jovi hits “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” and “Born to Follow.". Backed by longtime sideman Bobby Bandiera -- the evening’s musical director -- and the 14-piece Jersey Shore Rock-N-Soul Revue, Bon Jovi ended the two-hour benefit concert with a flourish.

Jon Bon Jovi returned for a holiday-themed encore set, pulling out his best Elvis impersonation for “Blue Christmas” and splitting microphone time with Nicole Atkins and Gary U.S. Bonds on a raucous rendition of “Run Run Rudolph.”

Atkins, Bonds, Southside Johnny, Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem, and Tim McLoone and the Shirleys all lent their strong voices to the Hope Concert cause -- raising money for the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The benefit, which was the fifth in the series of occasional charity concerts at Count Basie Theatre, brought in $175,000 for the comprehensive cancer center. Unlike most all-star charity shows, the Hope Concert was well paced: No performer outstayed his or her welcome, and the musicians (mostly) resisted the temptation to extend their songs to absurd lengths. Bandiera had his Rock-N-Soul revue drilled, and he proved to be a generous, graceful master of ceremonies.

Like Scott Baio, who was victimized by a similar prank a few days ago, Jon Bon Jovi seemed unnerved by the barrage of Twitter rumors. He referred to the hoax several times, and even pantomimed taking phone calls from concerned friends checking to see if he was still alive. He even felt the need to rehash the old Mark Twain quip about how the reports of his death had been exaggerated.

At the last Hope Concert in 2008, Jon Bon Jovi shared the Count Basie stage with Bruce Springsteen. The Boss did not make a surprise appearance on Monday, but “Thunder Road” pumped over the theatre sound system after the show prompted a compensatory singalong.

House Blocks Funding For New Light Bulb Standards

Friday, December 16, 2011

by EYDER PERALTA

EnlargeDominique Faget /AFP/Getty Images

A pair of incandescent light bulbs.

Tucked inside the omnibus spending bill that the House of Representatives passed earlier, today, is a provision that prevents the Department of Energy from enforcing new, more energy efficient standards for light bulbs.

The new standards were signed into law in 2007 by then President Bush, but the standards have become a favorite cause for Rush Limbaugh and the Tea Party, who say the bill would ban incandescent light bulbs and give Americans less choice. They say it is a perfect example of government overreach.

Now, as NPR's Elizabeth Shogren reported for us a year ago, the legislation doesn't actually ban incandescent light bulbs, it just requires that they are 30 percent more efficient.

Elizabeth reported that Randy Moorehead, vice president at Phillips Electronics, "says in anticipation of the new standards, companies like his have started selling new incandescent bulbs that comply with the law. They're made with a slightly different technology than Thomas Edison's invention. They use halogen gas. Moorhead says consumers won't notice a difference in the way they look or work compared to old-fashioned incandescent bulbs."

But politics are politics and the bill passed today strips the Department of Energy from the money it needs to enforce the new rules through Sept. 30, 2012. The Los Angeles Timesreports on the tussle in Congress:

"This is an early Christmas present for all Americans," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas). "It restores the freedom, at least temporarily, for you to choose the light bulbs you want to illuminate your home."

...

"I can't believe it," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who supports the new rules. She said the Republicans who pushed to block enforcement of the rules have "become deniers ... deniers of the fact that the climate is warming."

Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), an outspoken critic of the new rules, recently declared that "since the federal government has taken the power to choose away from Americans," consumers have been "flocking to their local Wal-Marts to hoard the last of the incandescent bulbs."

source:  http://www.npr.org/templates/archives/archive.php?thingId=127602567

Santa's Google Search Tips Rap

Search tips: http://goo.gl/o9fmF

To help St. Nick with his big flight this year, a few Googlers created this holiday search tips rap video. Song written and produced by, and video starring, all Google employees.

Lyrics:
Yo, I run a few searches before the big flight,
To save me more time on this magical night.
I type [sunrise and city] of my last stop,
I got plenty of time before my last drop.

If I don't know the time in a certain city,
I peep it on search before my chimney shimmy.
Tyle [time and town] before I come into town,
To see if Johnny's in bed before I hit ground.

Go Santa, Santa work it!
Go Santa, Santa search it!

But before I go flying through the frosty air,
I do a weather search to decide what to wear.
Mrs. Clause, should I bring my extra warm down jacket?
[Mrs. Clause]: Hmmm, yes. You should definitely pack it.
And please pack these cookies that I baked for you.
Shhhhh! I researched the recipe with recipe view,
And used the low cal filter, I must admit:
I wanna make sure that jacket still fits!

Go Santa, Santa work it!
Go Santa, Santa search it!

Check one, check two: yes I check twice.
Santa's Google Doc called 'Naughty and nice.'
With control+F, I find a name in the doc n',
I hope I don't have to put coal in a stockin'

When I'm cruising in my sleigh with my hands on the reigns,
Voice input is handy, 'cause typing is a pain.
If on a wish list I spot a gift I never heard: schlittschuhe,
I use the translate app to speak the foreign word.

Go Santa, Santa work it!
Go Santa, Santa search it!
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Ho, Ho, Ho, Ho.

Go Santa, Santa work it!
Go Santa, Santa search it!

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Yeah!
___________________

Lyrics by Matt Kane, Google Content and User Education Specialist and hip hop enthusiast
Music by Ranidu, Google Business Systems Integrator and musician:http://raniduonline.com/album/
Video produced with the help of our friends at Seedwell: http://seedwell.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Google Search
 
• Santa
 
• rap
 
• song
 
• hip-hop
 
• Christmas
 
• holiday

License:

Standard YouTube Licens

“Let It Snow” Google Search

“Let It Snow” Google Search Results in Snow

If the weather outside today is more “delightful” than “frightful” where you live and you’re wishing for some snow without all the hassles of shoveling, there’s one place you can definitely see some (virtual) snowflakes: Google’s search results.

Type in “let it snow” (without quotes) when you visit Google and you’ll be treated to a new Easter egg. Snowflakes will fall from the top of your screen and slowly cover Google’s search results (prominently featuring links to YouTube videos of the famous song “Let it Snow”) in a light coating of snow.

But don’t worry if you get caught in a complete virtual whiteout, because Google has provided a Defrost button, which replaces the usual blue magnifying glass search button (if you click the Defrost button, the flakes will continue to fall, but without any accumulation). You can also click and hold your mouse to manually brush off some of the white stuff.

While there’s a 100 percent chance of snow on Google’s results when you type in “let it snow”, many in the U.S. are hoping for a real white Christmas. The Weather Channel is keeping track of the regions most likely to see a blanket of snow on the ground for the holidays.