Information Station...

Here is some assorted news and information from various sources:

• As of July, 14 million Americans were unemployed and looking for work. Another 8.6 million Americans were forced to settle for part-time work. And another 1.2 million Americans have given up looking for a job. (CBS News)
• Recently, the U.S. senators, who make $174,000 per year and are given a lifetime of health care benefits, decided to go home for the Fourth of July vacation after Republicans, with the help of Ben Nelson, filibustered and killed a bill that would extend unemployment benefits for 1.3 million Americans whose benefits had run out. With each week that passes, 375,000 unemployed people will lose their benefits. (My personal comment: The lack of action of the Senate and particularly because of the Republicans was shameful and disgusting.) (CBS)
• British Petroleum was so well-connected in Washington D.C. that even after being cited for 760 different safety and environmental violations, it still got environmental waivers for the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that's still leaking oil and destroying the Gulf of Mexico. (MoveOn.Com)
• Lady Gaga broke the record on July 2 for 10 million "friends" on Facebook. (CBS)
• 200,000 kids get hurt every year playing soccer. Boys mostly hurt their ankles, while girls mostly hurt their knees. (TV news)
• A recent Marist College poll showed that 40 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds didn't know what country the United States of America won its independence from and one-fourth of Americans of all ages in the poll didn't know. Only seven percent could name the first four presidents in order (TV news and the Internet)
• Ninety percent of all creatures on Earth are insects. (Animal Planet)
• There are 120,000 different kinds of flies. (Animal Planet)
• "Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed." --lecturer Michael Pritchard