What Spreads Faster Than Bedbugs? Stigma – NYTimes.com

Bedbugs, once nearly eradicated, have spread across New York City, in part because of the decline in the use of DDT. According to the city’s Department of Housing and Preservation, the number of bedbug violations has gone up 67 percent in the last two years. In the most recent fiscal year, which ended on June 30, the city’s 311 help line recorded 12,768 bedbug complaints, 16 percent more than the previous year and 39 percent above the year before. A New York City community health survey showed that in 2009, 1 in 15 New Yorkers had bedbugs in their homes, a number that is probably higher now.

via What Spreads Faster Than Bedbugs? Stigma – NYTimes.com

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Savages By Don Winslow

On Don Winslow’s Hyper-Charged New Novel SAVAGES

I read many books annually, so that means I don’t reread all that much. But for Don Winslow’s SAVAGES, I couldn’t help but make an exception. The book was, at least for me, the literary equivalent of narcotic stimulants* which I wanted to indulge in several times over.

Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program

RealtyTrac reported that the number of U.S. homes lost to foreclosure surged in July to 92,858 properties, up 9 percent from June. The pace of repossessions has been increasing and the nation is now on track to having more than 1 million homes lost to foreclosure by the end of the year. That would eclipse the more than 900,000 homes repossessed in 2009, the firm says.

Lenders have historically taken over about 100,000 homes a year, according to RealtyTrac.

via Nearly 50 percent leave Obama mortgage-aid program

America a walking dead-zombie country – Interviews – chaostheorien.de

Wall Street banks with their CDS’s, High Frequency Trading and bogus market making are injecting the equivalent of financial Zyklon B into the American and world economy.

via America a walking dead-zombie country – Interviews – chaostheorien.de

iPhone Developer Edovia Gets 1,000,000 Downloads of Warships

iPhone Developer Edovia Gets 1,000,000 Downloads of Warships

SkyandTelescope.com – Homepage News – Jack Horkheimer: Ambassador to the Stars

Amateur astronomy lost one its most iconic figures today. Jack Horkheimer, known to millions as public television’s ebullient “Star Gazer,” died this afternoon at age 72.

via SkyandTelescope.com – Homepage News – Jack Horkheimer: Ambassador to the Stars

Opera Has Given Me Back The Internet!

I cannot rave about the Opera browser enough.

This is day three and it still shocks me by enabling me to do what no other browser has been able to do.

Today I discovered I can watch Hulu again!!

It’s “only” 380p (which is all I’ve tried, actually, because I was too busy watching something!), but even that was beyond the capabilities of Firefox 2.x, Chrome, and Safari on this weak PC. They’d make Hulu look like poor slideshows with the sound out of sync. With Opera, everything worked just fine!

It’s incredible how software can enable things I thought were hardware limitations.

It wasn’t this PC — it was the browsers I’ve been using.

The Writer’s Bill Of Rights

This will be a work in progress, but this is the first and absolute right:

1) A writer does not have to have the same politics, tastes, mood, religion, prejudices, ideas, sexuality, likes, or dislikes as you. If you don’t agree with any of that, stop reading altogether because you don’t deserve any books at all and probably don’t understand anything that you’ve been reading.

What made me do this post is the latest in snipery from readers who think a writer owes them something other than the work they’ve read and/or bought.

NYC: Bedbug Central

Bedbugs found in small area in basement of Empire State Building

This is what happens when civilization begins to unravel.

We bring back plagues that were eradicated when civilization was still flourishing, when people were educated and gave a damn.

How bad is this problem in New York City?

Here is a photo I snapped just this morning:

Previously here:

Bed Bugs Found at Times Square Movie Theater