Bus Stops - January 5, 2012

Bus slides off snow-covered bridge in southern China, killing at least 16 (Washington Post) 

(A bus went out of control and slipped from a snow-covered bridge in southern China on Wednesday, killing at least 16 people, state media reported. About 50 people were aboard the bus when it crashed Wednesday afternoon, including 30 who were rescued, the Xinhua News Agency said. There were no immediate reports on injuries.)

NYC prisoner bus overturns; injuries reported (Wall Street Journal) 

(State police say a bus carrying prisoners from New York City has overturned on the state Thruway in the northern suburbs. Trooper Glen Williams says all the prisoners have been secured. He says there were some injuries on the bus but he does not know the number or the severity.)

Utah woman accused of theft claims to be Cosby kid (Seattle PI) 

(Police in Utah say a 32-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of shoplifting falsely told officers she co-starred with Bill Cosby on "The Cosby Show." Police say Leah Efay Davis of Provo, Utah, was in a J.C. Penney store when they say she put several items into a bag and walked out of the store. Security stopped her and found she had about $600 worth of goods.)

Chinese billionaire dies after eating poisoned cat stew: police (New York Daily News) 

(The cat got a Chinese tycoon’s tongue — and took the rest of him, too. Billionaire Long Liyuan died after noshing on slow-boiled cat meat stew during a business lunch in the Guangdong province, where cooked kitty is a local delicacy, police said. Long, who made his fortune hacking down forests and developing property, was noshing a local official named Huang Guang and a pal named Huang Wen on Dec. 23 when he suddenly felt dizzy and started getting sick.)

School Defends “Occupy” Song For 8-year-olds (Fox News) 

(A Virginia school district is defending a song allegedly written and performed by a group of third graders about the Occupy Wall Street movement that conservative bloggers are calling a form of indoctrination. The song, “Part of the 99,” was performed by children at Woodbrook Elementary School in Albemarle County, Virginia.)

Man accused of beating girlfriend with two-foot cross in court (Macomb Daily) 

(A judge turned down a request to reduce the bond for a man accused of beating his girlfriend with a cross in an Oxford Township apartment. Craig Matthew Savage, 29, appeared Tuesday for a brief hearing before 52-3 District Court Judge Julie Nicholson. He waived his right to have a preliminary exam within 14 days of being arraigned, and the judge set a preliminary exam for Feb. 6.)

No easy way to dissolve mouse in Mountain Dew (CBC) 

(A man in the U.S. is suing Pepsi Co. over a mouse allegedly found in a can of Mountain Dew, a claim the company rejects by saying the acid in the beverage would disintegrate the animal's body. However, that reasoning doesn't hold water with Canadian food experts. “There would not be enough acid in the matrix of the can to actually start causing those physical changes to the mouse,” says Massimo Marcone, an associate professor of food science at the University of Guelph.)

Scientists Could Spin Spiderman Into Reality (Sky News) 

(Spiderman's ability to swing off city skyscrapers using his sticky web could one day become a reality after US scientists developed a way to mass produce super-strong spider silk. Spider silk is stronger than steel in weight-for-weight terms, but researchers have failed to find a way to reproduce enough for commercial production - until now. A group of scientists from the University of Wyoming, led by Professor Don Jarvis, have genetically modified the silkworm to spin silk with spider protein.)

Lost World Discovered Under Antarctica (Gizmodo) 

(This discovery is amazing, straight out of a Jules Verne's novel: scientists from the University of Oxford, University of Southampton, the National Oceanography Centre, and the British Antarctic Survey have discovered a "lost world" thriving with unknown species under Antarctica, in the East Scotia Ridge.)

Pot smoking not tied to middle-age mental decline (MNN) 

(In the study, past and current users of marijuana actually scored higher on memory tests than those who didn't use the drug. Middle-aged adults whose memories have grown hazy can't blame occasional pot smoking or other light illicit drug use for their forgetfulness, according to a British study, although experts warn heavy, prolonged use could harm mental functions.)

Pentagon-backed 'time cloak' stops the clock (Physorg) 

(It's one thing to make an object invisible, like Harry Potter's mythical cloak. But scientists have made an entire event impossible to see. They have invented a time masker. Think of it as an art heist that takes place before your eyes and surveillance cameras. You don't see the thief strolling into the museum, taking the painting down or walking away, but he did. It's not just that the thief is invisible - his whole activity is.)

From the Mailbag - Oooops PayPal (Regresty) 

(As you know, I have had my share of issues with Paypal recently, and while I appreciate the effort they made to do the right thing in our case, I still have a lot of misgivings about them as a company.This e-mail didn’t help.)

No Passport, No Problem: Man Uses iPad to Cross Border into U.S. (Time) 

(Ever approach the border with a sinking feeling that your passport is sitting at home next to the phone charger you also forgot to bring? Fear not, tech-savvy travelers, because apparently you can now just present your iPad to get into the United States of America. Martin Reisch was driving from Quebec into Vermont when he realized he left his passport at home. When he got to the U.S. border officer, he decided to display his driver’s license and a scanned copy of his passport on his iPad instead.)

More victims of alleged butt-injection' doctor' come forward (New York Daily News) 

(The number of victims of a fake Miami doctor who allegedly pumped dangerous chemicals into their bodies and sealed their wounds with Super Glue has jumped to as many as 30, reports say. Oneal Ron Morris, 31, who is transgendered and known as “The Duchess,” preyed largely on other transgendered women who hoped to enhance their curves and gain more feminine features, authorities said. But after Morris allegedly injected them with harmful chemicals, including Fix-a-Flat tire sealant, many ended up in the emergency room.)