Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA (via @TimBull)

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved.  But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind?   Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind. 

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each
Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward.  Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.

Some, like me, will find this very funny. Thanks @timbull on Twitter.

Writing Tips for Non-Writers Who Don’t Want to Work at Writing (via @joffaboy)

A writing question:

What writing tips would you whisper to those who aren’t aspiring professionals, but would like to write better? If I asked you about losing weight and you said “Diet and Exercise” you’d be a) correct and b) ignored. So no ideas that take work. We want the quick fix! Tips like “Edit your work” aren’t useful. “Gerunds are your friend” are.

Via joffaboy on Twitter.

Well written and useful.

Kangaroos attack - Sunbury

A MAN, 64, has been admitted to hospital suffering from multiple cuts after wrestling a kangaroo that attacked him from behind.

Paramedics said the man passed a group of kangaroos while he was walking yesterday morning in Sunbury.

''It was almost as tall as he was, and he wrestled it until he could break free,'' advanced life support paramedic Dennis Prendergast said of the attacking animal. The man had cuts to his eyelid, lip, stomach and leg.

He was admitted to Sunshine Hospital in a satisfactory condition. No report was available on the state of the kangaroo.

The incident is the third in which a kangaroo has attacked a person in Sunbury in the past year.

A male jogger suffered extensive injuries when he was attacked by a kangaroo in Sunbury in September last year.

A Sunbury woman was mauled by a kangaroo in April this year, suffering deep cuts.

Does anyone know more details on where this was?

Miami News - The God of Skeptics

For more than 60 years, "the Amazing Randi" has performed magic, debunked psychics, and discussed the perils of all things paranormal. He has debunked more than 100 psychics and faith healers in a quest to rid the world of hucksters. It has also made him the subject of scorn among purveyors of the paranormal, true believers who say Randi has made himself rich, pulling in nearly $200,000 a year from his foundation, at the expense of others' careers.

Now, however, Randi's work might be in jeopardy. His foundation has been hemorrhaging money, and Randi, who has spent his career challenging the notion of an afterlife, now faces his own mortality. He has intestinal cancer and might not have long to live. Randi has been a commanding presence for four decades, but it's unclear who could fill his role as the face of the skeptic community.

The skeptical movement is way bigger than James Randi.

Impact of telework on the accounting profession


Impact of telework on the accounting profession

This report contains research into the incidence of teleworking in the accounting profession and its impact on the working and private lives of CPA Australia members.

Also, hear Dr John Campbell CPA MACS, one of the report's authors, discuss how teleworking enhances the work / life balance for employees, promotes staff retention and saves organisations travel time and costs.

From the executive summary:

Telework can introduce distinct discontinuities from
traditional face‑to‑face work environments including new
communication flows and changes in work patterns. These
changes can have a significant impact on work and family
relations. Teleworkers report more job autonomy, greater
organisational commitment, and less intention to leave
their current organisation. However, they also report more
work/private life conflict.

Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom - NYTimes.com

A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a starchy academic title, but a most intriguing conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

Meta-study finds that online is better than face-to-face. Interesting finding worthy of additional study.

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