Most Balloons Deflated in One Minute by Activia Argentina

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 0 comments

On Sunday, 8 March, within the framework of the International Women’s Day, Activia, a well known yoghurt which helps to reduce the abdominal swelling and to regularize the slow transit, celebrated alongside thousands of women in attendance, its new campaign “Deflate yourself with Activia” with a large deflating of balloons as a symbolic way to commemorate this day.

It was one minute, where all women present gathered to this impressive deflating of purple balloons.

At 19.00, Guinness World Records Adjudicator, Carlos Martinez, announced that a new record had been officially set, with 9,678 balloons deflated in less than one minute.

This record became then a donation. Activia donated in this same event 10,000 Kgs. (22,046 lbs) of powdered milk to the Fundación Banco de Alimentos, which helps people by asking, storaging, and distributing food amongst more than 480 organizations around all Argentina.

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Factor 001 - World Most advanced Bicycle Unveiled

A high performance bicycle, created and built by motorsport precision engineering specialists, BERU f1systems, will be revealed at the launch of the Science Museum's new free exhibition 'Fast Forward: 20 ways F1TM is changing our world' next week (March 11th). Factor 001 - a ground-breaking training tool combining innovative design and advanced electronics - promises to challenge the way athletes and serious enthusiasts use the bicycle and undertake fitness training

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Factor 001 is the result of a creative project to explore the transfer of design approaches, technology and materials from Formula One (where BERU f1systems is a supplier of various components such as electronics and composites to every team) to mankind's most enduring invention. The bike is a lightweight (under 7 kg including all equipment) carbon fibre monocoque structure, designed using the same powerful modelling and analysis software used to build Formula One cars. The on-board computer and performance monitoring system, incorporating various motorsport-grade sensors, a GPS and a radio transmitter, are integrated into the handlebars and throughout the bike. Factor 001 boasts what are believed to be many firsts for the cycling world:

� Multi-channel electronics package which provides unique ergonometric data collection, logging and analysis capabilities; can correlate biometric data from the rider, physical force data from the bike and environmental data; developed with feedback from professional athletes.
� Carbon ceramic brakes provide endless, exact braking performance at any temperature.
� Almost all original parts; key components designed and manufactured in-house from Formula One-grade materials.
� Fully integrated structure using BERU f1systems' Wire-in-Composite patented technology; load sensors, wiring, batteries, sensors, control cables and lines for the hydraulic braking system are all fully integrated into the composite during construction, to give unparalleled efficiency and durability with a clean, uncluttered appearance.
� Twin-spar frame reduces sideways frame flex and preserves rider comfort.
� 8-spoke monocoque composite wheels deliver high lateral stiffness and robustness for everyday use.
� Bespoke made-to-measure frame (to within 1mm); each customer to experience Formula One-style
�seat fit' process.

'I am very pleased that what started as a clean sheet' design exercise to showcase our expertise in composites and electronics has delivered such a beautifully styled, scientific training device,' says John Bailey, managing director of BERU f1systems. 'Athletes and their trainers now have access to performance enhancement capabilities that are the norm in top-level motorsport, and individuals interested in an exclusive, high end, differentiated bicycle now have a serious alternative.'

Factor 001 will appeal to professional and semi-professional athletes competing at the highest levels in cycling and other sports; as well as personal trainers, fitness camp organisers, and affluent fitness training enthusiasts. One of the key benefits of the bike for riders is its ability to collect laboratory-quality data, while being ridden outdoors. BERU f1systems is already in talks with various sporting bodies about future applications of the data measurement software. Factor 001 is available to order from BERU f1systems now. Pricing will start at under 20,000 while the full version with the software package will cost in excess of 20,000.

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9 Most Amazing Overlooked Mysteries in History

9. Lost City of Heike

Lost City of HeikeIn the late 2nd century AD, the Greek writer Pausanias wrote an account of how (4-500 years earlier?) in one night a powerful earthquake destroyed the great city of Helike, with a Tsunami washing away what remained of the once-flourishing metropolis. The city, capital of the Achaean League, was a worship centre devoted to the ancient god Poseidon, god of the sea. There was no trace of the legendary society mentioned outside of the ancient Greek writings until 1861, when an archeologist found some loot thought to have come from Helike - a bronze coin with the unmistakable head of Poseidon. In 2001, a pair of archeologists managed to locate the ruins of Helike beneath the mud and gravel of the coast, and are currently trying to peice together the rise and sudden fall of what has been called the “real” Atlantis.

8. The Bog Bodies

The Bog BodiesThis mystery may even be a problem for those legendary investigators from CSI and the like! The bog bodies are hundreds of ancient corpses found buried around the northern bogs and wetlands of Northern Europe. These bodies are remarkably well preserved, some dating back 2,000 years. Many of these bodies have tell-tale signs of torture and other medieval “fun”, which have made some researchers postulating that these unfortunate victims were the result of ritual sacrifices.

7. Fall of the Minoans

Fall of the MinoansThe Minoans are best known for the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur, but it is in fact the demise of this once-great civilisation that is more interesting. While many historians concentrate on the fall of the Roman Empire, the fall of the Minoans, who resided on the island of Crete, is an equal, if not greater mystery. Three and a half thousand years ago the island was shaken by a huge volcanic eruption on the neighbouring Thera Island. Archeologists unearthed tablets which have shown that the Minoans carried on for another 50 years after the eruption, before finally folding. Theories of what finally ended them have ranged from volcanic ash covering the island and devastating harvests to the weakened society eventually getting taken over by invading Greeks

6. The Carnac Stones

The Carnac StonesEveryone has heard of Stonehenge, but few know the Carnac Stones. These are 3,000 megalithic stones arranged in perfect lines over a distance of 12 kilometers on the coast of Brittany in the North-West of France. Mythology surrounding the stones says that each stone is a soldier in a Roman legion that Merlin the Wizard turned in to stone. Scientific attempts at an explanation suggests that the stones are most likely an elaborate earthquake detector. The identity of the Neolithic people who built them is unknown.

5. Who Was Robin Hood ?

The historical search for the legendary thief Robin Hood has turned up masses of possible names. One candidate includes the Yorkshire fugitive Robert Hod, also known as Hobbehod or Robert Hood of Wakefield..

The large number of suspects is complicated further as the name Robin Hood became a common term for an outlaw. As literature began to add new characters to the tale such as Prince John and Richard the Lionheart the trail became more obscure. To this day no one knows who this criminal really was.

4. The Lost Roman Legion

The Lost Roman LegionAfter the Parthians defeated underachieving Roman General Crassus’ army, legend has it that a small band of the POWs wandered through the desert and were eventually rounded up by the Han military 17 years later.

First century Chinese historian Ban Gu wrote an account of a confrontation with a strange army of about a hundred men fighting in a “fish-scale formation” unique to Roman forces.

An Oxford historian who compared ancient records claims that the lost roman legion founded a small town near the Gobi desert named Liqian, which in Chinese translates to Rome. DNA tests are being conducted to answer that claim and hopefully explain some of the residents’ green eyes, blonde hair, and fondness of bullfighting.

3. The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich ManuscriptThe Voynich Manuscript is a medieval document written in an unknown script and in an unknown language. For over one hundred years people have tried to break the code to no avail. The overall impression given by the surviving leaves of the manuscript suggests that it was meant to serve as a pharmacopoeia or to address topics in medieval or early modern medicine. However, the puzzling details of illustrations have fueled many theories about the book’s origins, the contents of its text, and the purpose for which it was intended. The document contains illustrations that suggest the book is in six parts: Herbal, Astronomical, Biological, Cosmological, Pharmaceutical, and recipes.

2. The Tarim Mummies

The Tarim MummiesAn amazing discovery of 2,000 year old mummies in the Tarim basin of Western China occurred in the early 90s. But more amazing than the discovery itself was the astonishing fact that the mummies were blond haired and long nosed.

In 1993, Victor Mayer a college professor collected DNA from the mummies and his tests verified that the bodies were all of European genetic stock.

Ancient Chinese texts from as early as the first millennium BC do mention groups of far-east dwelling caucasian people referred to as the Bai, Yeuzhi, and Tocharians. None, though, fully reveal how or why these people ended up there.

1. Disappearance of the Indus Valley Civilization

Disappearance of the Indus Valley CivilizationThe ancient Indus Valley people, India’s oldest known civilization had a culture that stretched from Western India to Afghanistan and a populace of over 5 million. le—India’s oldest known civilization— were an impressive and apparently sanitary bronze-age bunch.

The scale of their baffling and abrupt collapse rivals that of the great Mayan decline. They were a hygienically advanced culture with a highly sophisticated sewage drainage system, and immaculately constructed baths.

There is to date no archaeological evidence of armies, slaves, conflicts, or other aspects of ancient societies. No one knows where this civilization went.
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Cricket - World Largest Mobile Phone set record

Among the assorted methods to contact Guinness World Records, dialing a special number combination - 4.57 x 3.42 x .74 m (15 x 11.2 x 2.5 ft) - became Cricket Communications’ and Samsung Mobile’s hotline to Guinness World Records success.

Envisioned for the two companies by creative agency ‘Neverstop, Inc.’, the fully-operational, scaled-up SCH-r450 mobile phone was fabricated in North Hollywood, California by model-making and set construction studio ‘Merritt Productions, Inc.’

The green hulk of a phone was completed within approximately 5 weeks, and privately verified by Guinness World Records adjudicator Danny Girton Jr. on 4 March at Merritt Productions. The phone was then transported to Chicago, Illinois, where it was publicly unveiled to dozens of curious and excited onlookers. All spectators gathered were also encouraged to make calls or to send text messages from the Guinness World Records certified ‘largest mobile (cell) phone.’ Read the full story

 

Worlds Longest One Wire Telphone Network Record set by Ba Na telpher

VietNamNet Bridge – The Guinness World Records will present the world record certificates to the Ba Na – Suoi Mo telpher system in the central city of Da Nang on March 25, the inauguration day of the system.


According to Ba Na Hills Company, the operator of the telpher system, the Guinness World Records organization has recognized two world records related to the Ba Na – Suoi Mo telpher system: The world’s longest one-wire telpher network in the world (5,042.62m) and the telpher with the highest gap between the lowest and the highest stations (1,291.81m).

This telpher also holds the record for the largest departure station in Southeast Asia, which has entertainment facilities, a showroom of photos and objects about Ba Na’s past and present. At the last station, visitors can see one of the largest sitting Buddha statue in Asia, which is 27m high, in the Linh Ung pagoda.

With a total investment capital of VND300 billion, the Ba Na telpher has 24 pillars, 94 cabins, and can serve 1,500 visitors per hour. It takes only15 minutes for visitors to go from the foot of Ba Na Mountain to the Ba Na ecological tourism site, at 1,487m above sea level. This tourist site experiences four seasons within one day, and has an abundant fauna and floral system.


It is expected that Ba Na will welcome approximately 1 million visitors a year, compared to 200,000 in the past, when the telpher was not built.

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Woman gives birth on airliner, leaves baby in trash

Fate, police say, saved baby Grace from being tossed out with the trash.

Baby Grace was born aboard a Pacific Blue flight to New Zealand from Samoa.

Baby Grace was born aboard a Pacific Blue flight to New Zealand from Samoa.

Were it not for a cleaning lady who chanced upon the newborn waving a feeble arm from a blue trash bag in an airplane bathroom, Grace would have met the fate her mother apparently intended for her, authorities said.

On Wednesday, police in New Zealand charged the 29-year-old woman with abandonment and assault -- for giving birth to the child on an international flight and then leaving her, without alerting anyone, in a toilet bin amid bloodied paper towels.

The woman, whose name was not released, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

The case has made headlines in the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

The woman is a kiwi fruit picker who was returning from Samoa when she walked off a Pacific Blue flight in Auckland on Thursday, reported the New Zealand Press Association, a cooperative of the country's newspapers.

About 20 minutes later, a cleaning lady discovered the baby in a restroom inside the Boeing 737. Her fellow custodians wrapped the baby in a blanket and handed her to authorities.

About the same time, police spotted the mother in the airport, "looking pale and bloodstained" after she said she had mislaid her passport, said TV New Zealand, a CNN affiliate.

Su'a William Sio, a Kiwi lawmaker of Samoan descent, said cultural stigma and the shame of bearing a child out of wedlock were two reasons why a mother might abandon her child.

"This is mostly derived firstly by fear," he told the New Zealand Herald newspaper. "Fear that they've done something wrong and fear of shame of the 'unmarried' mother bringing to the family."

Grace did not suffer significant injuries or long-term damage, police told reporters. She is in the care of government officials who are looking at long-term arrangements that would be best for her. Read the full story

 

IPL Goes To Africa



Gerald Majola and Lalit Modi at a press conference, Johannesburg, March 24, 2009
Home away from home: Gerald Majola and Lalit Modi at the press conference

South Africa has edged out England to be named host nation of the 2009 IPL. The decision was made after a meeting between the IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi, and the Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive, Gerald Majola, in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The IPL also announced that a final schedule for the 59 matches and the host venues for the eight franchises will be released shortly.

Cricinfo understands that the IPL's opening ceremony will be held in Cape Town, and that the defending champions Rajasthan Royals will play the first game. The tournament will commence on April 18, a week later than initially scheduled, and a day after the one-day series between South Africa and Australia ends. Sources said Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town would be the host venues.

However, it's understood that negotiations between the two boards were not as smooth as it was initially expected with England remaining in contention as an active alternative for hosting the IPL during most of Tuesday afternoon's meeting.

http://www.wpcc.co.za/resources/1/sunset.jpgSouth Africa had been considered the favourite to host the IPL's second season after IPL officials voiced concerns over the effect England's springtime weather might have on the tournament. England also faced issues in the form of cost, scheduling and the likelihood of conflict between television rights holders. South Africa's chances were further boosted after the country's government got actively involved in wooing the IPL, throwing in assurances on security and speedy clearance of visas for players and officials.

"A lot of factors were considered by us while evaluating the final choice for the host venue," N Srinivasan, secretary of the Indian board, said. "However, in the final analysis I think it was the South African weather, which prevailed and tilted the balance in favour of the Rainbow Nation."

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said he understood the hurdles that would have had to be cleared to stage the tournament in England. "We all recognised the difficulties and logistical issues involved in areas such as security when the G20 is meeting in the UK next week and the climatic challenges," he said.

In the event, the IPL's decision to move to South Africa has been greeted with relief by the league's franchises and players. Muttiah Muralitharan, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, said it was the right decision for the league because "the game must go on, else cricket would die".

Top Curve
Why South Africa got the nod

  • The weather was the most important factor. The IPL realised that rain could seriously affect "as many as 70% of the matches" if the tournament was held in England.
  • Top officials within the South African government and Cricket South Africa gave assurances that the IPL will receive the full red carpet treatment.
  • Less logistical problems as South African domestic season concludes before the IPL's scheduled start while in England the county season will just get underway.
  • The cost of running the tournament in South Africa would be substantially less than in England.
  • Supersport owns the rights both for the IPL and for international cricket played in South Africa while there would have been a clash between Sky TV and Setanta in England.
Bottom Curve

Vijay Mallya, the owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore, said that though he would have preferred England, the weather had proved a decisive factor. "To be honest, I would have preferred England to South Africa," Mallya said. "You could have taken one good flight from 5-6 places in India to England and it would have been cheaper. Besides, an average Englishman loves his cricket. The stands there would have been full of crowd. I guess weather conditions clinched the issue for South Africa. In England, there were chances that matches would have been rained off. Both teams sharing the point affects the competitiveness of the event."

There had been much speculation as to where the IPL's second season would be based after Cricinfo identified South Africa as a possible destination last Friday. Senior officials from the IPL and CSA denied the report at the time, but had since been locked in intense discussions to finalise the unprecedented switch.

With the decision now made, the real work begins. Security arrangements - which forced the tournament out of India - will need to be arranged, and an estimated 400 players and officials will require visas and accommodation. In all, 59 matches will be held over a five-week period ending on May 24.

With time of the essence, logistical issues delayed the opportunity for a considered response from the ECB, whose chairman, Giles Clarke, and Collier, had been on opposite sides of the world in Australia and Guyana respectively, when contacted by IPL officials on Saturday. The pair reconvened for the first time at Lord's on Tuesday morning, by which stage discussions with CSA were well underway.

"It is very important for world cricket that this tournament is staged, but ultimately it is a matter for the BCCI where it is staged," Clarke told Cricinfo hours before the IPL decided on South Africa. "We're happy to help, but if it's not staged here, we've got a great deal to do this season anyway. That is how we see it. It is not a competitive situation from our point of view, at all. It can be staged here, the government is keen support it, but the most important thing is that this tournament goes ahead, wherever it is staged."

England had initially emerged as the preferred venue to host the tournament after a powerful lobby within the BCCI and the Indian team management felt that such a move would help in preparing for the World Twenty20 in June.

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UK: Nuclear, chemical terror threat growing

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 0 comments

Threat from terrorists using chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons is growing, Britain said Tuesday, warning advances in technology will enable extremists to conduct more lethal attacks in the future.

Muslim extremists killed 52 people in bomb attacks in London in July 2005.

Muslim extremists killed 52 people in bomb attacks in London in July 2005.

The predictions came as Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government's laid out its anti-terrorism policies and strategy in a document containing previously-classified information.

In it the government also warned that although the al Qaeda organization of Osama bin Laden, was likely to fragment in coming years, the group's ideology will live on.

Under the strategy Britain, where 52 people were killed by home-grown Muslim extremists in July 2005 bomb attacks on London's transit network, says it needs to focus on longer-term causes of terrorism.

It says the current threat to Britain and its interests comes primarily from four interrelated sources:

  • The al Qaeda leadership and its immediate associates, located mainly on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border;

  • Terrorist groups affiliated with al Qaeda in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Yemen;

  • "Self-starting" networks or lone individuals motivated by the same ideology as al Qaeda but with no connection to the group;

  • Terrorist groups that follow a similar ideology as al Qaeda but have their own ideology and agenda.

    • It says some of the factors that sustain terrorism today are likely to persist in the future -- such as conflicts exploited by terrorist groups that show no signs of abating, and evolving technology that enables terrorist acts.

    Other trends, however, will constrain terrorist groups, such as being short of money and funding and having their ideology rejected by Muslims across the Islamic world, the government said.

    As part of its strategy to prevent terrorism, the government will openly challenge views that could encourage violence, may "undermine our shared values" and "jeopardize community cohesion," the government said.

    "We have no intention of outlawing these views or criminalizing those who hold them," the report says. "Freedom of thought and speech are rights which are fundamental to our society. But we will not hear these views in silence. We should all stand up for our shared values and not concede the floor to those who dismiss them."

    The report says everyone -- government, citizens, and communities -- must challenge those who "dismiss our shared values."

    British government officials plan to work alongside Muslim scholars, faith groups and influential people to challenge the ideologies that support extremism, the report said.

    The government even plans to sponsor the wider teaching of Islam and religious education, and develop citizenship education in mosque schools.

    Those who are vulnerable to radicalism are also a target of the government's plan. There will be programs for mentoring, diversionary activities and leadership training as well as more intensive intervention for those who have already been drawn into violent extremist networks, the government said.

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    Obama to beef up Mexico border policy

    The Obama administration said Tuesday it's sending hundreds of extra federal agents and new crime-fighting equipment to the Mexican border as the U.S. struggles to roll back a tide of drug-related violence sweeping the Southwest.

    A police convoy moves in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, last month, across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas.

    A police convoy moves in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, last month, across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas.

    The renewed push for a stronger law enforcement presence along the border comes as the administration tries to help the Mexican government break up drug cartels believed to be responsible for the killing of roughly 6,500 people last year in Mexico, according to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

    "Our role is to assist in this battle because we have our own security interests in its success," Napolitano said at the White House.

    In an interview with CNN later Tuesday, she said, "It's all about border safety and security and making sure that spillover violence does not erupt in our own country."

    The new federal plan, developed by the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, calls for doubling the number of border security task force teams as well as moving a significant number of other federal agents, equipment and resources to the border. It also involves greater intelligence sharing aimed at cracking down on the flow of money and weapons into Mexico that helps fuel the drug trade, senior administration officials said.

    The plan commits $700 million to bolster Mexican law enforcement and crime prevention efforts. The funds will provide, among other things, five new helicopters to increase mobility for the Mexican army and air force as well as new surveillance aircraft for the Mexican navy.

    The funds also will support enhanced communications technology for Mexican prosecutors, law enforcement and immigration officials.

    Don't Miss

    The $700 million allocation, meant to assist what administration officials described as an "anti-smuggling effort," will complement ongoing U.S. aid to Mexico under the Merida initiative: a three-year, $1.4 billion package aimed at helping Mexico fight the drug cartels with law enforcement training, military equipment and improved intelligence cooperation.

    The money was allocated last year, but Tuesday's announcement brought the first details of how some of that money will be spent.

    On the U.S. side of the border, greater funding will support "prosecutor-led, intelligence-based task forces that bring together all Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security and other relevant law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle the drug cartels through investigation, prosecution, extradition of their leaders and the seizure and forfeiture of their assets," Deputy Attorney General David Ogden said.

    "As we've found with other large criminal groups, if you take their money and lock up their leaders, you can loosen their grip on the vast organizations that are used to carry out their criminal activities."

    To help strengthen the U.S. side of the border further, the administration also plans to triple the number of Department of Homeland Security intelligence analysts dedicated to stopping Mexican-related violence.

    It also will increase the number of immigration officials working in Mexico, double the number of "violent criminal alien" teams on the border, strengthen the presence of border canine units and quadruple the number of border liaison officers working with Mexican law enforcement.

    It also will make an additional $59 million in federal funds available to support state, local and tribal border law enforcement operations.

    At the same time, more agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives will be deployed to the border region. The agents will be given updated equipment and surveillance technology to help track the movement of cash, drugs and weapons.

    "We are discussing more things we can do to address the very real problem of currency and weapons moving into Mexico and at the same time trying to prevent potential border spillover," one senior administration official said.

    At a congressional hearing in Washington on Tuesday, Phoenix, Arizona, Mayor Phil Gordon called the administration's initiative "a great first step," but added, "it's a drop in the bucket in terms of what is needed."

    Phoenix finds itself at the center of a "perfect storm" of drug runners and human smugglers, he said. While most traditional crimes are down, crimes associated with the border, in particular drug-related kidnappings and torturing, are overwhelming Gordon's police department.

    "Most nights we have over 60 Phoenix police officers (and) some federal agents rushing to rescue those on a reactive basis," Gordon said.

    "If you have even one dollar to invest ... I would respectfully request that you put them into these (law enforcement) task forces," he said.

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry has also sought additional help for his state.

    During a visit to El Paso last month, Perry said he had asked Napolitano for aviation assistance and "1,000 more troops that we can commit to different parts of the border."

    Perry said it didn't matter to him what kind of troops came.

    "As long as they are boots on the ground that are properly trained to deal with the border region, I don't care whether they are military troops, or National Guard troops or whether they are customs agents."

    Last week, a Perry spokeswoman said that federal border protection had been underfunded for some time and that the 1,000 extra troops Perry requested would fill in gaps that state and local agencies have been covering.

    The announcement comes shortly ahead of planned trips by three Cabinet secretaries to Mexico before President Obama visits there next month. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton goes to Mexico City this week, to be followed next week by Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder. Video Watch as the plan is unveiled ahead of Hillary Clinton's visit to Mexico »

    Napolitano and Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg both emphasized the cooperation and "courage" of Mexican President Felipe Calderon during the news conference announcing the policy changes. Calderon has been pushing back against U.S. criticism of drug cartel-related violence lately, arguing that the U.S. needs to take more responsibility for the outbreaks.

    In his speeches and other public remarks, Calderon repeatedly has pointed out that much of the demand for drugs and most of the weapons used by narco-traffickers comes from the United States.

    A prominent Washington-based gun control advocacy group released a report Tuesday backing Calderon's assertions regarding weapons trafficking.

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    The report from the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence asserts that Mexican drug gangs have exploited weak American gun laws and corrupt gun dealers "to amass arsenals of high-powered guns that have killed thousands and pose an increasingly grave security threat to Mexico and the U.S.," according to a statement from the organization.

    "Mexican criminals, and traffickers who supply them, cannot get the guns they need in Mexico because of Mexico's strong gun laws," Brady Center President Paul Helmke said in a news conference. But in border states Texas and Arizona, he argued, weaker gun laws provide easy access to a significant supply of high-powered arms. Read the full story

     

    Exciting Mars

    Sunday, March 22, 2009 0 comments

    fact image

    This magnificent planet has been major candidate for the science fiction movies for many decades. When we consider all the facts it is impossible to imagine that any life could exist on Mars. However, scientists believe that straight lines on Mars are evidence of ice deposits underneath the planet's surface. The most concrete theory is that life on Mars existed billion years ago and some believe that there are remains of ancient civilization on Mars surface. The strange belief, based on Mayan studies, is that Martians fled their planet and landed on Earth (some believe that Mayans descended from Mars). Today Mars is made up of iron with largest volcano in our Solar system called Olympus Mons (see photo bellow) and largest canyon Valles Marineris, which is 2,500 miles long. Mars has two moons and scientists believe that the moon Phobos will crash into Mars in less than 50 years. Moon debris will stay in Mars atmosphere thus creating ring around the Mars similar to the Saturn's ring. Interesting fact about Mars is that NASA sent many missions to Mars and more than half of them disappeared without trace.

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    Men In Blue Strike Back The Kiwis After 4 Days Battle

    Saturday, March 21, 2009 0 comments




    		Mahendra Singh Dhoni celebrates catching Daniel Flynn, New Zealand v India, 1st Test, Hamilton, 1st day, March 18, 2009
    MS Dhoni: "Let's hope we win the series and that will be the best gift we can give to them [the seniors]." © Associated Press

    In the end it didn't seem like it had been 33 years in coming. The Indian team hadn't lined up at the picket fence waiting for the winning runs nor did they rush onto the field to soak up what they hadn't experienced on several previous tours - a Test win in New Zealand.

    When Gambhir pulled Kyle Mills to seal the 10-wicket win, he looked towards the dressing room, clenched a fist, took one of the stumps as souvenir and shook hands with the bowler. And then, he and Dravid went off. There were handshakes and hugs in the Indian camp, before MS Dhoni, the captain, and Sachin Tendulkar, the Man of the Match, went off for the presentation at the indoors nets. A mandatory press conference for Dhoni followed, after which the team assembled in the dressing room, leaving after a while.

    Quite a different feel from when India won at the Wanderers in 2006-07. The team celebrated long and hard then, with famous TV shots of cola being poured over each other, for at least 15 minutes after the match finished. At a time when every small achievement is hailed as a big success and New Zealand is viewed as a Final Frontier (even though India have lost their last series in Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka), it was almost surreal to see them take this Test win for what it is: a clinical, ruthless performance against a side ranked No. 8 in the world and struggling because of sudden retirements of many senior players. The absence of such characters as Sreesanth and Andre Nel, and Andrew Symonds has helped.

    The contrast in celebrations shows how far the team has come. The Wanderers win, even the one in Perth last year, was an unexpected outcome. Hence a more pronounced release. But India came to New Zealand expecting a series win and barely exceeded their expectations in the first Test.

    India led from the first session onwards, and kept taking the game away from New Zealand, at times slowly (as in the batting of Gambhir and Dravid), and at times swiftly (Sachin Tendulkar's batting on day three). A Wall Street regular would be proud of how the deal was closed at the Seddon Park. In terms of comprehensiveness, this win stands next to how India beat Australia in Mohali last year - winning every session, every hour of the game.

    Was the team surprised at how easily the landmark win came? "It's not about getting surprised," MS Dhoni said. "That's what you want your team to do. To get the opposition out cheaply. Our bowlers' effort was great. I felt there was not much for the bowlers after that first session. Those couple of hours - that was the time there was something in the wicket. After that, it was just great effort, grit and determination. Spell after spell they were eager to bowl, they maintained the ball well, they bowled in right areas, and created opportunities. Whether New Zealand didn't perform up to the mark, as an opposition team you want them to do that." More ruthless words are rarely spoken.

    But Dhoni can afford to sound detached because he has not suffered the pain of losses in New Zealand, especially since India were regarded one of the best batting line-ups in the world. The likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and VVS Laxman have endured that humiliation.

    Dhoni felt nothing less than a series win would satisfy the Indians. "It's a great feeling, especially for guys who whose careers have spanned more than 10 years," he said. "They have played at most of the venues all over the world, and if it's the first win for them, it can't get better. But hopefully if we can win the series it will be great. One of the first milestones we have achieved is to take the lead, now it's important to play the same kind of cricket in the second and third game. Let's hope we win the series and that will be the best gift we can give to them [the seniors]."

    History can be strange. It can keep you wanting for 33 years, and then sneak up in a manner that makes you think 'Wow that was easy'. India's being blasé about this win also shows this team doesn't carry much historical baggage. Only three members of the current team were born when India last won a Test in New Zealand, none were around when India won their last series here. Will they be just as blasé if they win the series?

    Read the full story

     

    Top 10 Hacking Incidents History of Hackers

    Friday, March 20, 2009 0 comments

    Top 10 hacking incidents of all time — instances where some of the most seemingly secure computer networks were compromised

    • Early 1990s

    Kevin Mitnick, often incorrectly called by many as god of hackers, broke into the computer systems of the world's top technology andtelecommunications companies Nokia, Fujitsu, Motorola, and SunMicrosystems. He was arrested by the FBI in 1995, but later releasedon parole in 2000. He never termed his activity hacking, instead he called it social engineering.

    • November 2002

    Englishman Gary McKinnon was arrested in November 2002 following anaccusation that he hacked into more than 90 US military computersystems in the UK. He is currently undergoing trial in a British court for a "fast-track extradition" to the US where he is a wanted man. Thenext hearing in the case is slated for today.

    • 1995

    Russian computer geek Vladimir Levin effected what can easily becalled The Italian Job online - he was the first person to hack into abank to extract money. Early 1995, he hacked into Citibank and robbed$10 million. Interpol arrested him in the UK in 1995, after he hadtransferred money to his accounts in the US, Finland, Holland, Germany and Israel.

    • 1990

    When a Los Angeles area radio station announced a contest that awardeda Porsche 944S2 for the 102nd caller, Kevin Poulsen took control ofthe entire city's telephone network, ensured he is the 102nd caller, and took away the Porsche beauty. He was arrested later that year andsentenced to three years in prison. He is currently a senior editor atWired News.

    • 1983

    Kevin Poulsen again. A little-known incident when Poulsen, then just a student, hacked into Arpanet, the precursor to the Internet was hackedinto. Arpanet was a global network of computers, and Poulsen tookadvantage of a loophole in its architecture to gain temporary controlof the US-wide network.

    • 1996

    US hacker Timothy Lloyd planted six lines of malicious software codein the computer network of Omega Engineering which was a primesupplier of components for NASA and the US Navy. The code allowed a "logic bomb" to explode that deleted software running omega's manufacturing operations. Omega lost $10 million due to the attack.

    • 1988

    Twenty-three-year-old Cornell University graduate Robert Morris unleashed the first Internet worm on to the world. Morris released 99lines of code to the internet as an experiment, but realised that hisprogram infected machines as it went along. Computers crashed acrossthe US and elsewhere. He was arrested and sentenced in 1990.

    • 1999

    The Melissa virus was the first of its kind to wreak damage on aglobal scale. Written by David Smith (then 30), Melissa spread to morethan 300 companies across the world completely destroying theircomputer networks. Damages reported amounted to nearly $400 million.Smith was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison.

    • 2000

    MafiaBoy, whose real identity has been kept under wraps because he is a minor, hacked into some of the largest sites in the world, includingeBay, Amazon and Yahoo between February 6 and Valentine's Day in 2000.He gained access to 75 computers in 52 networks, and ordered a Denial of Service attack on them. He was arrested in 2000.

    • 1993

    They called themselves Masters of Deception, targeting US phonesystems. The group hacked into the National Security Agency, AT&T, andBank of America. It created a system that let them bypass long-distance phone call systems, and gain access to private lines.Top 10 hacking incidents of all time — instances where some of the most seemingly secure computer networks were compromised

    • Early 1990s

    Kevin Mitnick, often incorrectly called by many as god of hackers, broke into the computer systems of the world's top technology andtelecommunications companies Nokia, Fujitsu, Motorola, and SunMicrosystems. He was arrested by the FBI in 1995, but later releasedon parole in 2000. He never termed his activity hacking, instead he called it social engineering.

    • November 2002

    Englishman Gary McKinnon was arrested in November 2002 following anaccusation that he hacked into more than 90 US military computersystems in the UK. He is currently undergoing trial in a British court for a "fast-track extradition" to the US where he is a wanted man. Thenext hearing in the case is slated for today.

    • 1995

    Russian computer geek Vladimir Levin effected what can easily becalled The Italian Job online - he was the first person to hack into abank to extract money. Early 1995, he hacked into Citibank and robbed$10 million. Interpol arrested him in the UK in 1995, after he hadtransferred money to his accounts in the US, Finland, Holland, Germany and Israel.

    • 1990

    When a Los Angeles area radio station announced a contest that awardeda Porsche 944S2 for the 102nd caller, Kevin Poulsen took control ofthe entire city's telephone network, ensured he is the 102nd caller, and took away the Porsche beauty. He was arrested later that year andsentenced to three years in prison. He is currently a senior editor atWired News.

    • 1983

    Kevin Poulsen again. A little-known incident when Poulsen, then just a student, hacked into Arpanet, the precursor to the Internet was hackedinto. Arpanet was a global network of computers, and Poulsen tookadvantage of a loophole in its architecture to gain temporary controlof the US-wide network.

    • 1996

    US hacker Timothy Lloyd planted six lines of malicious software codein the computer network of Omega Engineering which was a primesupplier of components for NASA and the US Navy. The code allowed a "logic bomb" to explode that deleted software running mega's manufacturing operations. Omega lost $10 million due to the attack.

    • 1988

    Twenty-three-year-old Cornell University graduate Robert Morris unleashed the first Internet worm on to the world. Morris released 99lines of code to the internet as an experiment, but realised that hisprogram infected machines as it went along. Computers crashed acrossthe US and elsewhere. He was arrested and sentenced in 1990.

    • 1999
    The Melissa virus was the first of its kind to wreak damage on aglobal scale. Written by David Smith (then 30), Melissa spread to morethan 300 companies across the world completely destroying theircomputer networks. Damages reported amounted to nearly $400 million.Smith was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison.

    • 2000

    MafiaBoy, whose real identity has been kept under wraps because he is a minor, hacked into some of the largest sites in the world, includingeBay, Amazon and Yahoo between February 6 and Valentine's Day in 2000.He gained access to 75 computers in 52 networks, and ordered a Denial of Service attack on them. He was arrested in 2000.

    • 1993

    They called themselves Masters of Deception, targeting US phonesystems. The group hacked into the National Security Agency, AT&T, andBank of America. It created a system that let them bypass long-distance phone call systems, and gain access to private lines. Read the full story

     

    Queensland braces for weekend cyclone


    NORTH and central Queensland will be on cyclone alert over the weekend as the weather bureau monitors a tropical low about 600km northeast of Mackay.

    The forecast comes three years to the day after cyclone Larry crossed the North Queensland coast, devastating the town of Innisfail.

    Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Ben Annells said the low pressure system was interacting with an upper level trough that was keeping it steady.

    But when the trough moves away it could intensify over the weekend into a cyclone, expected to be called Jasper.

    "It looks like it will stay over the Coral Sea into the weekend, but its long-term movement is uncertain,'' Mr Annells said.

    "It depends on the interaction with another upper trough next week.''

    Strong winds of up to 33 knots are already being felt from Cooktown to Sandy Cape, with seas to three metres in open waters and outside the reef.

    "The environment at the moment is favourable for a cyclone,'' Mr Annells said.

    "It's not unusual to get cyclones this time of the year and even into April.''

    Read the full story

     

    At least 4 die in Ecuador plane crash

    Reuters / March 20, 2009

    http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20090320/0022190fd3300b2d75bb13.jpgQUITO, Ecuador - At least four people were killed when an Ecuadorean military plane crashed into two buildings yesterday in the fog-bound capital city Quito, authorities said.

    Defense Minister Javier Ponce said the three military personnel aboard the Beechcraft plane died in the crash and one other person was killed on the ground.

    Emergency officials on the site said the plane hit two buildings in a wealthy neighborhood in the northern sector of the city before it crashed in a backyard.

    "I felt an explosion when I opened the front door and then heard a loud sound before we raced out," said Elena Morocho, a maid in a nearby home.

    The plane crashed near a hotel and the US ambassador's residence in the city. A US Embassy spokeswoman said the ambassador was unharmed.

    Fog often causes aviation difficulties and delays in the Andean mountain city. In the last two decades several planes have crashed in the hilly, Gonzalez Suarez neighborhood that stands on the path of landing planes.

    In September last year, a plane carrying more than 60 people skidded off a runway and crashed through a perimeter wall before stopping near a busy road, but no one was seriously hurt. Read the full story

     

    Undersea eruption causes quake

    Friday, 20 March 2009

    http://www.earthmountainview.com/iwo-jima-volcano-7305.jpgA 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck near Tonga yesterday, generating a small tsunami.

    The quake struck about 130 miles south-south-east of the Tongan capital of Nuku'Alofa at a depth of 6.2 miles, the US Geological Survey said.

    Police in Nuku'Alofa said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage.

    Local resident Pesi Fonua said the quake “lasted for something like 20 seconds”, but “I haven't seen any damage from it”.

    The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami warning for Tonga and neighbouring islands, and reported that sea level readings confirmed that a potentially destructive tsunami wave was generated by the quake.

    However, the centre later confirmed the tsunami had a height of about 4cms.

    But police spokesman Niua Kama said residents had not taken the warning seriously.

    “People are out on the roads, laughing at the warning,” he said.

    “They are not moving from the coast” even though there had been “a strong warning of a tsunami”.

    Read the full story

     

    Taliban rockets' hit Pakistan town





    One rocket hit the commercial area of
    Landi Kotal [A

    Ten civilians have been killed and at least 38 others injured by rockets fired into the main town in Pakistan's tribal Khyber area.

    Rashid Khan, a local government official, said suspected Taliban fighters fired three rockets near the town of Landi Kotal, just west of the Afghan border, late on Thursday.

    He said one of the rockets, aimed likely at the security forces' base, hit the town's commercial area where 10 civilians were killed and 38 others injured.

    A timber yard and 20 nearby shops were set ablaze.

    Khan said troops were searching the area on Friday to track and capture the attackers.

    The Khyber region is on the route for lorries carrying supplies for foreign troops in Afghanistan.

    Fighters have staged regular attacks in the area in recent months, targeting Nato supply depots. Hundreds of vehicles and containers have been torched.

    US and Nato officials say the attacks have little impact on their operations in Afghanistan, but have acknowledged they are investigating alternative ways to deliver supplies.

    Read the full story

     

    Shani Davis set 1,000 meters Speed Skating Record

    After starting the weekend without holding an individual world record, American speedskater Shani Davis finished it owning his two favorite races.

    Davis set a world record for the second straight day when he won the 1,000 meters on Saturday in the speedskating World Cup, solidifying his place as the fastest mid-distance skater in the sport entering next weekend's world championships.

    "Now I have both of my world records back," Davis said.

    Davis also won the 1,500 on Friday in world record time and knew he had a shot at the 1,000 on Saturday at the Utah Olympic Oval, one of the fastest tracks in the world. But he didn't know he would be trying to take the record away from American teammate Trevor Marsicano.

    Marsicano, a 19-year-old from Ballston Spa, N.Y., became the first skater to go faster than 1:07 with a 1:06.88 — more than 2 seconds faster than his personal best — early in the 1,000 pairings on Saturday.

    "I didn't know what to think. I was scared," Davis said. "He didn't skate 1:07 ever. He went straight to 1:06. I knew I had a lot of work to do."

    Davis let Marsicano enjoy his time at the top for about 20 minutes, then set the new world record with a time of 1:06.42 — 0.46 seconds faster.

    Davis knew he had the record as he glided around the ice in front of the U.S. fans, who had barely stopped cheering Marsicano's mark.

    "I had it for a short matter of time. I'm the first guy to go under 1:07. I'm still very happy with it," Marsicano said. "It feels great. It's just a big confidence builder for me knowing I can be right there with these guys next week."

    Marsicano nearly crashed on his final lap, but dropped his hand to regain his balance and pushed his way through the rest of the race. He saw he had the record, but knew Davis was still scheduled to go in the final pairing.

    Marsicano finished second to Davis for the second day in a row. He also knocked almost 3 seconds off his time in the 1,500 on Friday.

    In the women's 500 meters, China's Wang Beixing upset Jenny Wolf of Germany, winning with a time of 37.25. Wolf was 0.14 seconds behind and failed to win the 500 for just the third time in the World Cup season. Canada's Kristina Groves wrapped up the World Cup title in the 1,500 by winning Saturday with a time of 1:54.08.

    Sven Kramer of the Netherlands, the top distance skater in the world, won the 5,000 in 6:06.64. Havard Bokko of Norway was second (6:09.94), followed by Carl Verheijen of the Netherlands (6:13.17).

    Marsicano finished the weekend with another personal best in the 5,000 by more than 8 seconds, finishing in 6:16.56.

    Saturday was the end of the World Cup season. The skaters head to Vancouver next week for the world championships.

    "Next week is the real test because it's going to be on the same ice the 2010 Olympics are going to be on and it's going to be slow ice," Davis said.

    Read the full story