B.L. Ochman, writing in June of this year: Twitter bios show epic growth — to 297,897 — of self-proclaimed social media gurus.

The list now tops 297,897 — up from a mere 16,000 when we first started tracking them in 2009.

By January, 2013, the count has swelled to 181,000, causing us to note that social media experts were multiplying like rabbits.

(Via Jamie Zawinski.)

B.L. Ochman, writing in June of this year: Twitter bios show epic growth — to 297,897 — of self-proclaimed social media gurus.

The list now tops 297,897 — up from a mere 16,000 when we first started tracking them in 2009.

By January, 2013, the count has swelled to 181,000, causing us to note that social media experts were multiplying like rabbits.

(Via Jamie Zawinski.)

En multinationell FN-styrka vid de Israel-ockuperade Golanhöjderna befinner sig i djup kris sedan den i mitten av veckan anfölls av syriska islamister. En grupp filippinier har skjutit sig fri men en annan belägras av en överlägsen styrka - och en fijiansk enhet är bortförd sedan flera dagar.

En multinationell FN-styrka vid de Israel-ockuperade Golanhöjderna befinner sig i djup kris sedan den i mitten av veckan anfölls av syriska islamister. En grupp filippinier har skjutit sig fri men en annan belägras av en överlägsen styrka - och en fijiansk enhet är bortförd sedan flera dagar.

An anonymous reader writes: Narcotic painkillers aren't one of the biggest killers in the U.S., but overdoses do claim over 15,000 lives per year and send hundreds of thousands to the emergency room. Because of this, it's interesting that a new study (abstract) has found states that allow the use of medical marijuana have seen a dramatic reduction in opioid overdose fatalities. "Previous studies hint at why marijuana use might help reduce reliance on opioid painkillers. Many drugs with abuse potential such as nicotine and opiates, as well as marijuana, pump up the brain's dopamine levels, which can induce feelings of euphoria. The biological reasons that people might use marijuana instead of opioids aren't exactly clear, because marijuana doesn't replace the pain relief of opiates. However, it does seem to distract from the pain by making it less bothersome." This research comes at a time when the country is furiously debating the costs and benefits of marijuana use, and opponents of the idea are paying researchers to paint it in an unfavorable light.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

An anonymous reader writes: Narcotic painkillers aren't one of the biggest killers in the U.S., but overdoses do claim over 15,000 lives per year and send hundreds of thousands to the emergency room. Because of this, it's interesting that a new study (abstract) has found states that allow the use of medical marijuana have seen a dramatic reduction in opioid overdose fatalities. "Previous studies hint at why marijuana use might help reduce reliance on opioid painkillers. Many drugs with abuse potential such as nicotine and opiates, as well as marijuana, pump up the brain's dopamine levels, which can induce feelings of euphoria. The biological reasons that people might use marijuana instead of opioids aren't exactly clear, because marijuana doesn't replace the pain relief of opiates. However, it does seem to distract from the pain by making it less bothersome." This research comes at a time when the country is furiously debating the costs and benefits of marijuana use, and opponents of the idea are paying researchers to paint it in an unfavorable light.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

En gästspelning hos Malmö Symfoniorkester höll på att bli en mycket kostsam historia för den världsberömda violinisten Yamei Yu. Den tysklandsbaserade kinesiska musikern glömde nämligen sin fiol, en Francesco Gofriller från 1700-talet värd runt 3,5 miljoner kronor, på tåget på väg till flygplatsen Kastrup, skriver Sydsvenskan på nätet.

UN says crisis is biggest humanitarian emergency of our time as the number of refugees tops three million.

UN says crisis is biggest humanitarian emergency of our time as the number of refugees tops three million.

Meeting held to resolve issues preventing six nations from influencing Middle East events ends inconclusively.

Meeting held to resolve issues preventing six nations from influencing Middle East events ends inconclusively.

Iranian president slams news sanctions, saying they will hamper ongoing negotiations about country's nuclear programme.

Iranian president slams news sanctions, saying they will hamper ongoing negotiations about country's nuclear programme.

Minst 20 människor har skadats när polis i Pakistans huvudstad sköt tårgas och gummikulor mot oppositionella demonstranter utanför premiärministerns bostad på lördagskvällen, rapporterar nyhetsbyråer. Regeringskritiker har sedan ett par veckor slagit läger utanför parlamentet med krav på premiärministern Nawaz Sharifs avgång, med anklagelser om att hans jordskredsseger i förra årets val tillkom via valfusk.

Minst 20 människor har skadats när polis i Pakistans huvudstad sköt tårgas och gummikulor mot oppositionella demonstranter utanför premiärministerns bostad på lördagskvällen, rapporterar nyhetsbyråer. Regeringskritiker har sedan ett par veckor slagit läger utanför parlamentet med krav på premiärministern Nawaz Sharifs avgång, med anklagelser om att hans jordskredsseger i förra årets val tillkom via valfusk.