2008 World Population Data Sheet
News release: "The demographic divide—the inequality in the population and health profiles of rich and poor countries—is widening. Two sharply different patterns of population growth are evident: Little growth or even decline in most wealthy countries and continued rapid population growth in the world’s poorest countries. In 2008, world population is 6.7 billion: 1.2 billion people live in regions classified as more developed by the United Nations; 5.5 billion people reside in less developed regions. "We will likely see the 7 billion mark passed within four years," said Carl Haub, PRB senior demographer and co-author of this year's Data Sheet. " And by 2050, global population is projected to rise to 9.3 billion. Between now and mid-century, these diverging growth patterns will boost the population share living in today’s less developed countries from 82 percent to 86 percent."
2008 World Population Data Sheet
Population Bulletin: "World Population Highlights: Key Findings from the 2008 World Population Data Sheet"
2008 World Population Clock

Harvard University, the richest institution in higher education, reclaimed sole possession of U.S. News & World Report's best-college ranking for the first time in a dozen years, dethroning Princeton University. Harvard, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, last held the title in 1996, the magazine said on its Web site. Harvard had been No. 2 behind Princeton, of New Jersey, since 2006. The annual U.S. News rankings, based on student test scores, selectivity, alumni contributions and graduate employment, stokes the rivalry between Harvard and Princeton, whose wealth, history, research prowess and famous alumni put them at the top of the eight elite colleges in the Ivy League.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.qagYlHwlyo&refer=home

Most U. S. Measles Cases Reported since 1996
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
More measles cases have been reported in the United States since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a report released in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC?s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least fifteen patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights)
Auroras are best observed in the spring. See explanation and pictures at link below.
http://geology.com/nasa/aurora-borealis.shtml

The auroras, both surrounding the north magnetic pole (aurora borealis) and south magnetic pole (aurora australis) occur when highly charged electrons from the solar wind interact with elements in the earth's atmosphere. Solar winds stream away from the sun at speeds of about 1 million miles per hour. When they reach the earth, some 40 hours after leaving the sun, they follow the lines of magnetic force generated by the earth's core and flow through the magnetosphere, a teardrop-shaped area of highly charged electrical and magnetic fields.
As the electrons enter the earth's upper atmosphere, they will encounter atoms of oxygen and nitrogen at altitudes from 20 to 200 miles above the earth's surface. The color of the aurora depends on which atom is struck, and the altitude of the meeting.
Green - oxygen, up to 150 miles in altitude
Red - oxygen, above 150 miles in altitude
Blue - nitrogen, up to 60 miles in altitude
Purple/violet - nitrogen, above 60 miles in altitude
http://science.howstuffworks.com/question471.htm

Saint Louis University School of Law is offering students a three-part class on etiquette. Pointers include: avoiding distracting nonverbal communications (playing with your hair or mustache) and avoiding such verbal tics as “like” and “you know.” Put your name-tag on your right shoulder, so that when you shake hands there is a clear line of sight to your name, and if someone is toasting you, don’t take a drink. Everyone else gets to drink, but you don’t. Students will learn to pass salt and pepper together, to always rest the blade of a knife towards you, and to cut up food as you go, not in advance.
WSJ Law Blog August 22, 2008

“Living the Dream” is a series of four hilariously satirical vignettes about life in a law firm. (More may be forthcoming.) For fans of “The Office,” all you need to know is that the character of Nick Conley, the newest associate at Sullivan & Moore— “the most prestigious law firm in the entire country”— gives John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert a run for his money. Send home if you are at work to see Webisodes from Bitter Lawyer.
WSJ Law Blog August 22, 2008

August 25 is the birthday of journalist and novelist Frederick Forsyth (1938), (books by this author) born in Ashford, Kent, England. When he was just a student in Kent, Forsyth learned to speak French, German, Spanish, and Russian. At 17, he quit school and left home to see the world. He learned to fly a plane and joined the Royal Air Force as England's youngest pilot. And he set out to write thrillers like The Day of the Jackal (1971), The Odessa File (1972), The Devil's Alternative (1980), and The Fourth Protocol (1984). He wrote The Day of the Jackal (1971), his first book, in 35 days. It was based on the Algerian Crisis in early 1960s when French President Charles de Gaulle proclaimed Algeria independent from France. Feeling betrayed, leaders of France's Secret Army Organization plotted to kill de Gaulle. The assassin's code name was "Jackal."
August 25 is the birthday of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts (1918). His father was a Russian immigrant. He bought and sold beauty supplies, and he discouraged his son from being a musician in favor of taking over the family business. When he was 10, his Aunt Clara was going through a divorce, and she sent her piano to the Bernstein home. Leonard became a pianist. He got an assistantship with the New York Philharmonic. And on a Sunday afternoon, November 14, 1943, when the conductor Bruno Walter got sick, Leonard Bernstein filled in and got a great review on page one of The New York Times. He became a celebrity at the age of 25. He wrote scores for many musicals, including "On the Town," "Wonderful Town," "Candide," and "West Side Story." Bernstein also wrote a book called "The Joy of Music" (1959), a collection of essays and conversations about music. In it, he wrote, "Music, of all the arts, stands in a special region, unlit by any star but its own, and utterly without meaning ... except its own."
The Writer’s Almanac