Friday, June 06, 2008
Pray less, work more, says Muslim preacher...
For Egyptian-born Muslim cleric and television host, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, there is a simple answer to Egypt's productivity problem -- pray less, work more.
"Praying is a good thing ... 10 minutes should be enough," Al-Jazeera television personality Qaradawi says in a religious edict, or fatwa, published on his website.
Praying five times a day is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the well-known requirements of making a pilgrimage to Mecca and of giving alms to the poor.
Two of each day's five sessions -- the dhuhr (noon) prayer and asr (afternoon) prayer -- fall within working hours, bringing work to a standstill at least twice a day in many places.
A prayer generally takes an average of 10 minutes, but it can be extended if a worshipper chooses to recite one of the longer verses of the Koran.
And before the prayers themselves, there is also a mandatory ablution during which worshippers must wash their faces, hands and arms, feet and heads. In large office buildings, the trips to the bathroom can also eat away at valuable work time. More...
See also: OMG! Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign!!
And this: Einstein: religion is "childish superstitions".
"Praying is a good thing ... 10 minutes should be enough," Al-Jazeera television personality Qaradawi says in a religious edict, or fatwa, published on his website.
Praying five times a day is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the well-known requirements of making a pilgrimage to Mecca and of giving alms to the poor.
Two of each day's five sessions -- the dhuhr (noon) prayer and asr (afternoon) prayer -- fall within working hours, bringing work to a standstill at least twice a day in many places.
A prayer generally takes an average of 10 minutes, but it can be extended if a worshipper chooses to recite one of the longer verses of the Koran.
And before the prayers themselves, there is also a mandatory ablution during which worshippers must wash their faces, hands and arms, feet and heads. In large office buildings, the trips to the bathroom can also eat away at valuable work time. More...
See also: OMG! Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign!!
And this: Einstein: religion is "childish superstitions".
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Did a biochemical UFO explode over Vietnam?
It was the UFO that carries no extraterrestrial life but transmits information about earth and its habitat. It is the drone of the advanced extraterrestrial civilization.
These advanced drones are made of biochemical derivatives. These mimic intelligent life with the ability to be in mission for thousands of light years, fix its own problems and eventually reproduce to move on.
The biochemical nature of the materials resembles the life in earth. But in reality it is itself an advanced life form unidentifiable by our terrestrial type zero science and technologies.
According to media reports from state media of Vietnam, an unidentified flying object exploded in mid-air over a southern Vietnamese island, a day after Cambodia's air force retracted a report of a mysterious plane crash. Area residents reported finding shards of grey material, including one 1.5 meters long. According to the Vietnam News Agency, authorities said the crash may have been a plane, but they were unable to identify whether it was a civil or military aircraft. The agency added that soldiers were sent out to look for wreckage and survivors, and local authorities contacted airlines in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, but received no reports of missing aircraft.
Some army personnel in Vietnam is perplexed at what they found at the site. There is no clear evidence of any explosion. Metallic parts they found is that of era of US-Vietnam war and has nothing to do with this UFO mid air explosion.
Biochemical UFOs do not leave trace of any nature. Because of their nature and power to bio-disinegrate fast, they do not leave any trace. They travel through wormholes bending space and time. They go across universes through the Hyperspace. They can defy the basic laws of quantum physics. They are propelled by gravity waves. They have the stealth of electromagnetic flux. They are navigated and controlled from parallel universes.
Source: IndiaDaily
See also: Alien autopsy?
And this: They live, oh yeah, they really do...
And this: Why aliens ignore us...
These advanced drones are made of biochemical derivatives. These mimic intelligent life with the ability to be in mission for thousands of light years, fix its own problems and eventually reproduce to move on.
The biochemical nature of the materials resembles the life in earth. But in reality it is itself an advanced life form unidentifiable by our terrestrial type zero science and technologies.
According to media reports from state media of Vietnam, an unidentified flying object exploded in mid-air over a southern Vietnamese island, a day after Cambodia's air force retracted a report of a mysterious plane crash. Area residents reported finding shards of grey material, including one 1.5 meters long. According to the Vietnam News Agency, authorities said the crash may have been a plane, but they were unable to identify whether it was a civil or military aircraft. The agency added that soldiers were sent out to look for wreckage and survivors, and local authorities contacted airlines in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, but received no reports of missing aircraft.
Some army personnel in Vietnam is perplexed at what they found at the site. There is no clear evidence of any explosion. Metallic parts they found is that of era of US-Vietnam war and has nothing to do with this UFO mid air explosion.
Biochemical UFOs do not leave trace of any nature. Because of their nature and power to bio-disinegrate fast, they do not leave any trace. They travel through wormholes bending space and time. They go across universes through the Hyperspace. They can defy the basic laws of quantum physics. They are propelled by gravity waves. They have the stealth of electromagnetic flux. They are navigated and controlled from parallel universes.
Source: IndiaDaily
See also: Alien autopsy?
And this: They live, oh yeah, they really do...
And this: Why aliens ignore us...
Suisse: Forte poussée de l'inflation à 2,9% en mai...
L'inflation en Suisse a atteint en mai son plus haut niveau depuis près de quinze ans. Il faut en effet remonter à octobre 1993 (3,4%) pour retrouver un taux en rythme annuel plus élevé que celui du mois dernier.
Les prix ont augmenté en moyenne de 0,8%, sous l'effet du pétrole cher. Le renchérissement annuel se monte désormais à 2,9% contre 2,3% en avril. En mai 2007, il se situait encore à 0,5%.
Selon l'Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), c'est d'abord l'indice pour le logement et l'énergie qui a bondi de 2,3%, en raison de la hausse de 16,4% du prix du mazout.
L'indice des transports a, lui, progressé de 1,3% du fait de la progression des prix des carburants (+4,8%). En un an, le prix de l'essence à la colonne a augmenté de 7,5% et celui du diesel de 20,7%.
La Suisse connaît donc une inflation importée, avec des produits qui en moyenne affichent une hausse en rythme annuel de 6,6% en mai. Les biens domestiques enregistrent pour leur part un taux bien plus bas de 1,6%.
Pour mémoire, l'objectif de la Banque nationale suisse (BNS) consiste à maintenir le renchérissement en dessous de 2%.
Source: swissinfo.ch
Voir aussi: Ils trouvent leurs repas dans les poubelles des magasins...
Et ceci: Hausse des prix dans 37 pays : la FAO s'inquiète...
Et ceci: La flambée des prix agricoles inquiète ...
Et ceci: A Paris, on fouille dans les poubelles pour se nourrir…
Les prix ont augmenté en moyenne de 0,8%, sous l'effet du pétrole cher. Le renchérissement annuel se monte désormais à 2,9% contre 2,3% en avril. En mai 2007, il se situait encore à 0,5%.
Selon l'Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), c'est d'abord l'indice pour le logement et l'énergie qui a bondi de 2,3%, en raison de la hausse de 16,4% du prix du mazout.
L'indice des transports a, lui, progressé de 1,3% du fait de la progression des prix des carburants (+4,8%). En un an, le prix de l'essence à la colonne a augmenté de 7,5% et celui du diesel de 20,7%.
La Suisse connaît donc une inflation importée, avec des produits qui en moyenne affichent une hausse en rythme annuel de 6,6% en mai. Les biens domestiques enregistrent pour leur part un taux bien plus bas de 1,6%.
Pour mémoire, l'objectif de la Banque nationale suisse (BNS) consiste à maintenir le renchérissement en dessous de 2%.
Source: swissinfo.ch
Voir aussi: Ils trouvent leurs repas dans les poubelles des magasins...
Et ceci: Hausse des prix dans 37 pays : la FAO s'inquiète...
Et ceci: La flambée des prix agricoles inquiète ...
Et ceci: A Paris, on fouille dans les poubelles pour se nourrir…
Does red wine slow down the ageing process?
Red wine does indeed explain why the French get away with a relatively clean bill of heart health despite eating a diet loaded with saturated fats, concludes a new study.
People living in France have a much lower incidence of coronary heart disease than those in Britain, despite their similar intake of saturated fats - a phenomenon known as the "French paradox".
Red wine contins resveratrol which can blunt the toxic effects of a high-fat diet
Many have speculated that answer to the paradox lies in their love of a glass or two of wine with a meal and have focused on a chemical found in red wine called resveratrol, also a natural constituent of grapes, pomegranates and other foods.
Earlier studies have shown it can blunt the toxic effects of a diet very high in fat, which causes liver damage, but this is the first study to directly look at ageing.
Today, in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers report that even low doses of resveratrol in the diet of middle-aged mice has a widespread influence on the genetic levers of ageing, and may confer special protection on the heart. More...
See also: China: no tea,please; a glass of wine will be fine...
And this: A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away...
Erika La Tour Eiffel, the woman who married the Eiffel Tower!!!
Erika La Tour Eiffel, 37, a former soldier who lives in San Francisco, has been in love with objects before. Her first infatuation was with Lance, a bow that helped her to become a world-class archer, she is fond of the Berlin Wall and she claims to have a physical relationship with a piece of fence she keeps in her bedroom.
But it is the Eiffel Tower she has pledged to love, honour and obey in an intimate ceremony attended by a handful of friends.
She has changed her name legally to reflect the bond.
She revisits the massive structure as part of a documentary on Five on Objectum-Sexual women. There are around 40 people in the world who have declared themselves OS, all of them women and many of them also Asperger's Syndrome sufferers.
The OS term was first coined by Eija-Riitta Berliner-Mauer, a 54-year-old woman who has been "married" to the Berlin Wall for 29 years.
Before returning to Paris for her first wedding anniversary, Mrs La Tour Eiffel visits the Berlin Wall, where her affection for what many Germans see as a symbol of repression leads to an uncomfortable encounter with a member of the staff at the Checkpoint Charlie museum.
"I just don't understand how some people can bring someone into the world like a child - an object - and then not love them," she said.
She explained that she feels an affinity with the wall: "I am the Berlin Wall. Hate me, try to break me apart, but I will still be here, standing."
She blames her upbringing for her condition. She claims to have been molested by her half-brother and abandoned by her parents to various foster homes.
"If I am the way I am today because of everything that happened to me, then I'm alright with it," she said. "I wouldn't change who I am now."
Jerry Brooker, from New York State, one of the psychotherapists interviewed for the documentary, said that OS women were motivated by a need for control.
"Someone who falls in love with objects can control that relationship on their own terms," he said. "Their objects will not let them down. That is extremely attractive for a person who is otherwise often desperately lonely."
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
See also: I have sex with my car!!!
And this: OMG! Man has sex with taxi-cab!!!
Maxi Mounds: world's largest fake breasts!!! Oh boy!
Maxi Mounds’s 36MM bust was accepted by Guinness World Records in a new World's Largest Augmented Breasts category, after years of lobbying by the entertainer.
Each of her breasts weighs 20 pounds – and they are still growing, thanks to the controversial "polypropylene string" treatment that created them.
Unimpressed by the results of standard silicone implants, Ms Mounds had plastic string inserted into her breasts in 2000.
The implant irritates the breast, causing the release of body fluids that inflate the area still further.
The procedure – which was only really popular among adult entertainers and sex workers – has since been banned in Britain and the United States due to concerns about its safety.
Ms Mounds, who became a lap dancer in Florida in the 1990s and has since starred in several pornographic films, says she is used to her absurd proportions causing a stir.
"I’ve seen some pretty funny things happen. Men walking into things and getting slapped by their girlfriends because they were staring too hard."
Ms Mounds, who lives in New York, says she approached the Guinness World Records after spotting a record for natural breast size. They initially turned her away, but a few years later got in contact.
"Then they asked me if I was interested as they were creating a category. Eventually they told me I won."
The official measuring taken in Florida in 2005 gave her a chest-over-nipple size of 60.5 in.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
See also: Gynaecomastia, or boys growing breasts!!
And this: Indian woman breast-feeds an orphaned fawn...
Beijing Olympics: live goldfish in key rings!!
Waterfront traders in Qingdao, where Olympic sailing events will take place this summer, have been selling the fish inside heart-shaped novelty plastic key rings.
A cheerful picture of a boy called Huanhuan - one of five mascots for the 2008 games - is printed on the front of a sealed plastic bag containing the fish, with no room to swim and a short supply of oxygen inside.
The RSPCA spokesman said: “The fish would have little oxygen available and it would be impossible to feed the fish.
“The fish would survive just a few hours, and would be lucky to make it from the manufacturers to the point of sale.
“This product shows a shocking lack of respect for a living thing and should be withdrawn from sale.
“We are shocked and appalled. It is a gimmick and shows no respect for the animals at all.
“We can’t understand why anyone would want to buy such a thing.”
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
See also: China, the Olympics, weather-control and megalomania...
And this: Beijing's Olympic face-lift, and the cats are whisked away...
China quake: Chinese police harass grieving parents...
Police officers surrounded more than 100 parents protesting Tuesday against shoddy school construction that they say resulted in the deaths of thousands of children during the recent earthquake here.
The police dragged away several crying mothers and harassed journalists trying to report on the event, according to witnesses and photos of the protest.
The standoff between the parents, many carrying framed photos of their children, and the officers, dressed in black uniforms, lasted for several hours and ended with the parents walking off feeling both intimidated and frustrated, said those involved in the protest.
"Because so many police surrounded us, we couldn't do anything, so we went home," said one woman, identified only as Li.
The confrontational stand of the police and local government here, the scene of several major school collapses when the earthquake struck May 12, is the strongest sign so far of a growing impatience among government officials toward any public airing of grievances over the school issue. More...
See also: Chinese official begs on his knees to prevent protests!!
And this: China's earthquake: where are the children?
The police dragged away several crying mothers and harassed journalists trying to report on the event, according to witnesses and photos of the protest.
The standoff between the parents, many carrying framed photos of their children, and the officers, dressed in black uniforms, lasted for several hours and ended with the parents walking off feeling both intimidated and frustrated, said those involved in the protest.
"Because so many police surrounded us, we couldn't do anything, so we went home," said one woman, identified only as Li.
The confrontational stand of the police and local government here, the scene of several major school collapses when the earthquake struck May 12, is the strongest sign so far of a growing impatience among government officials toward any public airing of grievances over the school issue. More...
See also: Chinese official begs on his knees to prevent protests!!
And this: China's earthquake: where are the children?
La France:destination préférée des touristes en 2007...
La France a accueilli en 2007 le nombre record de près de 82 millions de touristes et réussi du coup à conserver son rang de première destination mondiale, devant l'Espagne, mais elle va devoir faire face à une concurrence internationale accrue d'ici 2020.
La France a vu le nombre de ses visiteurs augmenter de 4%, selon les données publiées mercredi par le secrétariat d'Etat au Tourisme, alors que l'Espagne, son premier rival, a dû se contenter de 59,2 millions de touristes, en hausse de 1,7%.
Généralement accusé de publier des chiffres en trompe-l'oeil, dans la mesure où de nombreux touristes ne font que traverser l'Hexagone en se rendant dans le Sud, le gouvernement français a pris soin de préciser que son chiffre comprend 14 millions de touristes en transit. Suite...
Voir aussi: Tourisme : un boycott préventif de la Chine contre la France ?
Et ceci: La Suisse championne en tourisme...
La France a vu le nombre de ses visiteurs augmenter de 4%, selon les données publiées mercredi par le secrétariat d'Etat au Tourisme, alors que l'Espagne, son premier rival, a dû se contenter de 59,2 millions de touristes, en hausse de 1,7%.
Généralement accusé de publier des chiffres en trompe-l'oeil, dans la mesure où de nombreux touristes ne font que traverser l'Hexagone en se rendant dans le Sud, le gouvernement français a pris soin de préciser que son chiffre comprend 14 millions de touristes en transit. Suite...
Voir aussi: Tourisme : un boycott préventif de la Chine contre la France ?
Et ceci: La Suisse championne en tourisme...
Barack Obama ou l'histoire en marche...
S'étant acquis suffisamment de délégués et de super-délégués du camp démocrate, le métis de l'Illinois sera opposé au républicain John McCain dans la course à la Maison blanche. «Historique», estime la presse suisse.
Alors que l'équipe Clinton annonce que sa candidate renoncera vendredi ou samedi, Le Matin relaie la presse américaine en titrant «Barack Obama entre dans l'histoire». Le journal cite le cinéaste George Lucas: «Un héros est en train d'apparaître aux Etats-Unis aujourd'hui. Pour tous ceux d'entre nous qui ont des rêves et de l'espoir, Obama est un héros».
«Obama écrit l'histoire», reprend le Tages Anzeiger alors que la Neue Luzerner Zeitung parle d'une «chance historique pour les Etats-Unis».
«Barack Obama n'a jamais été aussi noir dans la course démocrate qu'au moment de son triomphe, constate l'Aargauer Zeitung. (...) L'ironie est qu'il est parvenu à ses fins en faisant justement oublier sa couleur de peau.»
Pour le Bund, ce succès d'Obama est «un moment historique sur le chemin de la réconciliation entre la majorité blanche et la minorité noire». Le journal bernois rappelle toutefois que les Etats-Unis sont avant tout un pays conservateur et que rien n'est gagné. Suite...
Voir aussi: Barack Obama:premier président noir des Etats Unis?
Alors que l'équipe Clinton annonce que sa candidate renoncera vendredi ou samedi, Le Matin relaie la presse américaine en titrant «Barack Obama entre dans l'histoire». Le journal cite le cinéaste George Lucas: «Un héros est en train d'apparaître aux Etats-Unis aujourd'hui. Pour tous ceux d'entre nous qui ont des rêves et de l'espoir, Obama est un héros».
«Obama écrit l'histoire», reprend le Tages Anzeiger alors que la Neue Luzerner Zeitung parle d'une «chance historique pour les Etats-Unis».
«Barack Obama n'a jamais été aussi noir dans la course démocrate qu'au moment de son triomphe, constate l'Aargauer Zeitung. (...) L'ironie est qu'il est parvenu à ses fins en faisant justement oublier sa couleur de peau.»
Pour le Bund, ce succès d'Obama est «un moment historique sur le chemin de la réconciliation entre la majorité blanche et la minorité noire». Le journal bernois rappelle toutefois que les Etats-Unis sont avant tout un pays conservateur et que rien n'est gagné. Suite...
Voir aussi: Barack Obama:premier président noir des Etats Unis?
Mon Dieu!! De mystérieuses araignées marchent sur la Suisse!!!
Une espèce inconnue de faucheurs, de la famille des araignées, est en train de coloniser l'Europe. Des foyers ont d'abord été observés aux Pays-Bas, puis en Allemagne. Et voilà que ces faucheurs arrivent en Suisse. On les a vus à Lausen, dans le canton de Bâle-Campagne.
Contrairement aux espèces locales, ces araignées à longues pattes noires forment de grands groupes. Lorsqu'elles se sentent menacées, elles font osciller leur corps, comme si elles prenaient leur élan pour sauter du mur. Ce comportement renforce l'aspect menaçant des créatures.
Pourtant, ces envahisseurs sont absolument inoffensifs pour l'homme. Ils ne sécrètent ni venin ni substance malodorante.
Les tests génétiques n'ont pas permis d'identifier la nouvelle espèce. Pour Wolfgang Nentwig, spécialiste des migrations d'insectes à l'Université de Berne, ces araignées viennent probablement d'Asie. Elles auraient voyagé dans des containers à destination de la Hollande.
«Ces envahisseurs peuvent mettre en danger notre écosystème, prévient Wolfgang Nentwig, professeur d'écologie à l'Université de Berne. Lorsqu'une nouvelle espèce se met à conquérir de nouveaux territoires, elle le fait le plus souvent sur le dos de la faune autochtone.» Une étude de l'Institut bernois de zoologie a révélé que 87 espèces d'araignées étaient arrivées clandestinement en Europe ces 150 dernières années. La globalisation des échanges commerciaux a accéléré le processus de colonisation.
Source: Le Matin Online
Voir aussi: Mon Dieu!! Comment cuisiner les insectes!!!
Contrairement aux espèces locales, ces araignées à longues pattes noires forment de grands groupes. Lorsqu'elles se sentent menacées, elles font osciller leur corps, comme si elles prenaient leur élan pour sauter du mur. Ce comportement renforce l'aspect menaçant des créatures.
Pourtant, ces envahisseurs sont absolument inoffensifs pour l'homme. Ils ne sécrètent ni venin ni substance malodorante.
Les tests génétiques n'ont pas permis d'identifier la nouvelle espèce. Pour Wolfgang Nentwig, spécialiste des migrations d'insectes à l'Université de Berne, ces araignées viennent probablement d'Asie. Elles auraient voyagé dans des containers à destination de la Hollande.
«Ces envahisseurs peuvent mettre en danger notre écosystème, prévient Wolfgang Nentwig, professeur d'écologie à l'Université de Berne. Lorsqu'une nouvelle espèce se met à conquérir de nouveaux territoires, elle le fait le plus souvent sur le dos de la faune autochtone.» Une étude de l'Institut bernois de zoologie a révélé que 87 espèces d'araignées étaient arrivées clandestinement en Europe ces 150 dernières années. La globalisation des échanges commerciaux a accéléré le processus de colonisation.
Source: Le Matin Online
Voir aussi: Mon Dieu!! Comment cuisiner les insectes!!!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
"The Tragic Ineptitude Of The English Male"
If you are English, male, single and thinking of nipping across to Canada to improve your sex life – forget it. English men are not world renowned as great lovers anyway, and our reputation in North America is about to take a nosedive, courtesy of a Canadian journalist named Leah McLaren who turned up in London six years ago, as correspondent for the Toronto Globe and Mail, aged 26 and single, and thinking that she was in for some exciting sex in the city.
Her English dates turned out to be a crashing disappointment – too polite, too repressed and too misogynist to go through what a young North American would recognise as a decent courtship ritual, she claimed. She suspected that if she had ever ended up in the bedroom with any of them, she would have been invited to engage in something involving whips, chain and dildos – but that is speculation, because she never got that far. More...
See also: England, self-important and irritating?
And this: Voronin: Britain a cultural backwater...
Her English dates turned out to be a crashing disappointment – too polite, too repressed and too misogynist to go through what a young North American would recognise as a decent courtship ritual, she claimed. She suspected that if she had ever ended up in the bedroom with any of them, she would have been invited to engage in something involving whips, chain and dildos – but that is speculation, because she never got that far. More...
See also: England, self-important and irritating?
And this: Voronin: Britain a cultural backwater...
Facebook users are "shirkers..."
SOCIAL networking websites have taken over from fag breaks as the bane of bosses’ lives, a new poll shows.
Four in ten managers say they now find that workers addicted to sites like Facebook and online shops are the biggest office time-wasters.
Employees who respond to non-work emails were named as the next worst slackers.
Only one in ten bosses identified people on cigarette breaks as a major problem.
Rik Ferguson, of Trend Micro which carried out the survey, said: “In the past, cig breaks caused major headaches, but times have changed.”
Source: The Sun
See also: Facebook can ruin your life...
And this:If you are celebrating your 16th. birthday, DON'T annouce it on Facebook!!!
Four in ten managers say they now find that workers addicted to sites like Facebook and online shops are the biggest office time-wasters.
Employees who respond to non-work emails were named as the next worst slackers.
Only one in ten bosses identified people on cigarette breaks as a major problem.
Rik Ferguson, of Trend Micro which carried out the survey, said: “In the past, cig breaks caused major headaches, but times have changed.”
Source: The Sun
See also: Facebook can ruin your life...
And this:If you are celebrating your 16th. birthday, DON'T annouce it on Facebook!!!
Barack Obama:premier président noir des Etats Unis?
Barack Obama a remporté mardi l'investiture démocrate pour la présidentielle américaine de novembre, devenant ainsi le premier noir à avoir une chance de gagner la Maison Blanche, mais Hillary Clinton a refusé de reconnaître sa défaite.
«Cette nuit, après 54 difficiles consultations, notre saison de primaires arrive à son terme (...) Cette nuit, je peux dire devant vous que je serai le candidat démocrate pour la présidence des Etats-Unis», a affirmé le sénateur de l'Illinois devant devant près de 40.000 partisans en délire rassemblés dans le palais des expositions de Saint Paul (Minnesota, nord).
«La route sera longue. Je fais face à ce défi avec une grande humilité et en connaissant mes propres limites.
Mais je fais aussi face à ce défi avec une foi sans limite dans les capacités du peuple américain», a ajouté M. Obama. Suite...
Voir aussi: Meme Bollywood soutient Obama!!
«Cette nuit, après 54 difficiles consultations, notre saison de primaires arrive à son terme (...) Cette nuit, je peux dire devant vous que je serai le candidat démocrate pour la présidence des Etats-Unis», a affirmé le sénateur de l'Illinois devant devant près de 40.000 partisans en délire rassemblés dans le palais des expositions de Saint Paul (Minnesota, nord).
«La route sera longue. Je fais face à ce défi avec une grande humilité et en connaissant mes propres limites.
Mais je fais aussi face à ce défi avec une foi sans limite dans les capacités du peuple américain», a ajouté M. Obama. Suite...
Voir aussi: Meme Bollywood soutient Obama!!
The secular State, virgins and the hymen...
Forty years after the sexual revolution in France, the country is confronted with a question it thought it would never have to ask again: Can a husband annul a marriage because his new wife is not a virgin?
The discovery last week that a court in the northern city of Lille had annulled the union of two Muslims because the husband said his wife was not the virgin she had claimed to be has set off a highly charged and highly politicized debate in a country where religion is not supposed to interfere with public life.
It has also sharpened the focus on much broader questions that all of Europe is grappling with: How much should European countries adapt their moral and legal codes to their growing Muslim communities, and how much should those communities be expected to conform to Western norms?
Fadela Amara, the minister in charge of France's suburbs and herself of Muslim origin, called the ruling "a fatwa against the emancipation of women"; Valérie Létard, the women's minister, said the decision represented a "regression of the status of women"; and scores of feminists and lawyers warned that it could create a precedent increasing the pressure on young Muslim women in Europe to be chaste or to undergo an increasingly popular surgery to reconstitute their hymens before getting married. More...
See also: France: anger as marriage cancelled due to bride not...
And this: Poverty and baby brides: this is terribly sad.
The discovery last week that a court in the northern city of Lille had annulled the union of two Muslims because the husband said his wife was not the virgin she had claimed to be has set off a highly charged and highly politicized debate in a country where religion is not supposed to interfere with public life.
It has also sharpened the focus on much broader questions that all of Europe is grappling with: How much should European countries adapt their moral and legal codes to their growing Muslim communities, and how much should those communities be expected to conform to Western norms?
Fadela Amara, the minister in charge of France's suburbs and herself of Muslim origin, called the ruling "a fatwa against the emancipation of women"; Valérie Létard, the women's minister, said the decision represented a "regression of the status of women"; and scores of feminists and lawyers warned that it could create a precedent increasing the pressure on young Muslim women in Europe to be chaste or to undergo an increasingly popular surgery to reconstitute their hymens before getting married. More...
See also: France: anger as marriage cancelled due to bride not...
And this: Poverty and baby brides: this is terribly sad.
Oh boy! How to cook things that creep, crawl and sting!!
Mon Dieu!! Comment cuisiner les insectes!!!
Naples: Why the Mafia loves garbage...
The Italian government called in the army on Tuesday to clean up the mounting piles of waste in the city of Naples. Residents blame the authorities for not doing more to stop the Camorra, the region's Mafia group, which controls garbage collection and has caused the city's constant waste problem for more than a decade. Organized crime appears to have a hand in trash collection all over the world, from Naples to Tony Soprano's northern New Jersey. Why are gangsters always hauling garbage?
It's Mob Economics 101: Find a business that's easy to enter and lucrative to control. Criminal organizations make lots of money from drugs, human trafficking, and counterfeit goods, but creating a monopoly on garbage collection is attractive because the business itself is legal, and public contracts return big profits. Compared with something like running a casino or grocery store, the logistics of taking trash from Point A to Point B are a no-brainer. Anyone with a truck and a couple of strong guys can make good money, and there's always a demand for the service. More...
See also: The Recycling Myth: a look at the Swedish model..
And this: When the State starts to snoop into your rubbish...
It's Mob Economics 101: Find a business that's easy to enter and lucrative to control. Criminal organizations make lots of money from drugs, human trafficking, and counterfeit goods, but creating a monopoly on garbage collection is attractive because the business itself is legal, and public contracts return big profits. Compared with something like running a casino or grocery store, the logistics of taking trash from Point A to Point B are a no-brainer. Anyone with a truck and a couple of strong guys can make good money, and there's always a demand for the service. More...
See also: The Recycling Myth: a look at the Swedish model..
And this: When the State starts to snoop into your rubbish...
Barack Hussein Obama: America's first Black President?
Before a crowd of cheering thousands, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois laid claim to the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday night, taking a historic step toward his once-improbable goal of becoming the nation's first black president. Hillary Rodham Clinton maneuvered for the vice presidential spot on his fall ticket without conceding her own defeat.
"America, this is our moment," the 46-year-old senator and one-time community organizer said in his first appearance as the Democratic nominee-in-waiting. "This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past."
Obama's victory set up a five-month campaign with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a race between a first-term Senate opponent of the Iraq War and a 71-year-old former Vietnam prisoner of war and staunch supporter of the current U.S. military mission.
And both men seemed eager to begin. More...
See also: Obama and students in a Bronx high school...
And this: Obama City rocks for Barack Obama!!
"America, this is our moment," the 46-year-old senator and one-time community organizer said in his first appearance as the Democratic nominee-in-waiting. "This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past."
Obama's victory set up a five-month campaign with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a race between a first-term Senate opponent of the Iraq War and a 71-year-old former Vietnam prisoner of war and staunch supporter of the current U.S. military mission.
And both men seemed eager to begin. More...
See also: Obama and students in a Bronx high school...
And this: Obama City rocks for Barack Obama!!
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Spanish singer Alaska poses nude to protest bull-fighting...
One of Spain's top recording artists, Alaska, launched a campaign against bullfighting by presenting a poster of herself posing nude with three spears stuck in her back.
"We need to stick some little banderillas (spears used in bullfighting) in the backs of those who think that the bull does not suffer," she said Monday in presenting her campaign "The Naked Truth: Bullfighting is Cruel."
The campaign is the idea of Spain's animal rights association AnimaNaturalis and Britain's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has organised numerous protests against bullfighting.
Along with filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, Alaska is one of the leading figures of the "Movida", a socio-cultural movement that emerged in Spain after the repressive 1939-75 dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
For their part, Spain's bullfighters are planning an exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels on June 4-5 in an effort to persuade lawmakers that the activity is valid.
Polls show a rising disinterest in bullfighting in Spain, especially among the younger generation, although arenas are regularly filled to capacity for the spectacle, which ends with the death of the bull from a well-placed sword.
Source: Yahoo!News
See also: Man sexually assaults two dogs...
And this: When cruelty is transformed into a show and the director becomes an "artist..."
"We need to stick some little banderillas (spears used in bullfighting) in the backs of those who think that the bull does not suffer," she said Monday in presenting her campaign "The Naked Truth: Bullfighting is Cruel."
The campaign is the idea of Spain's animal rights association AnimaNaturalis and Britain's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has organised numerous protests against bullfighting.
Along with filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, Alaska is one of the leading figures of the "Movida", a socio-cultural movement that emerged in Spain after the repressive 1939-75 dictatorship of Francisco Franco.
For their part, Spain's bullfighters are planning an exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels on June 4-5 in an effort to persuade lawmakers that the activity is valid.
Polls show a rising disinterest in bullfighting in Spain, especially among the younger generation, although arenas are regularly filled to capacity for the spectacle, which ends with the death of the bull from a well-placed sword.
Source: Yahoo!News
See also: Man sexually assaults two dogs...
And this: When cruelty is transformed into a show and the director becomes an "artist..."
Which are the most popular names for babies in Milan?
What is the most popular name for children born in the Italian city of Milan? The city's municipality reported what some may find a strange turn of events on the subject: The names Mahmoud, Ahmad, and Hamid are currently the most popular names given to infants born in the economic capital of Italy.
The Saudi newspaper al-Watan reported that the reason for the names' newfound Italian popularity is due to the rising birthrate among the city's Muslim community.
According to al-Watan, the Milan Municipality did not overlook the figures, and directed the local media to report their concern for the issue, which is "worrying to Milan's society," in order to warn against the "growth of the religion of Islam and the Muslim community, which may change the cultural characteristics of the city."
Immediately following the name of the Islamic prophet in order of popularity is the name Omar, and next in line are some Italian names – Andrea, Alessandro, Davida, Marco, Alicia, and Sophia.
Source: YNet News.com
See also: France: anger as marriage cancelled due to bride not being...
And this: Sikhs in France plan new school to combat turban ban...
The Saudi newspaper al-Watan reported that the reason for the names' newfound Italian popularity is due to the rising birthrate among the city's Muslim community.
According to al-Watan, the Milan Municipality did not overlook the figures, and directed the local media to report their concern for the issue, which is "worrying to Milan's society," in order to warn against the "growth of the religion of Islam and the Muslim community, which may change the cultural characteristics of the city."
Immediately following the name of the Islamic prophet in order of popularity is the name Omar, and next in line are some Italian names – Andrea, Alessandro, Davida, Marco, Alicia, and Sophia.
Source: YNet News.com
See also: France: anger as marriage cancelled due to bride not being...
And this: Sikhs in France plan new school to combat turban ban...
I have sex with my car!!!
Like many men, Jordan Witham is obsessed with his car. But while most boy racers would draw the line at a wax and polish, his obsession has gone into overdrive.
The 20 year old is in love with his Volkswagen Beetle – and has been having sex with it for four years.
Despite never having kissed a girl before, virgin Jordan has become an experienced lover, covering his car with kisses and caresses before having penetrative sex with the exhaust pipe.
“I don’t fancy people,” says Jordan. “It’s cars that do it for me – I don’t want to marry or have kids.” More...
See also: OMG! Man has sex with taxi-cab!!!
And this: Edward Smith,the man who has had sex with more than 1000 cars!!!
The 20 year old is in love with his Volkswagen Beetle – and has been having sex with it for four years.
Despite never having kissed a girl before, virgin Jordan has become an experienced lover, covering his car with kisses and caresses before having penetrative sex with the exhaust pipe.
“I don’t fancy people,” says Jordan. “It’s cars that do it for me – I don’t want to marry or have kids.” More...
See also: OMG! Man has sex with taxi-cab!!!
And this: Edward Smith,the man who has had sex with more than 1000 cars!!!
Les disparités salariales augmentent en Suisse...
Malgré la crise financière, un grand banquier gagne en moyenne 143 fois plus que le dernier de ses employés. En faisant abstraction du secteur financier, les salaires des grands patrons ont augmenté en moyenne de 7% l'an dernier. Soit 2,6 fois plus que ceux de leurs salariés les moins bien lotis. C'est ce que montre une enquête réalisée sur 2007 par le syndicat Unia auprès des 42 plus grandes entreprises suisses.
Face à cette situation, Unia demande la pleine compensation du renchérissement et une augmentation réelle des salaires. Selon lui, aucun salaire ne doit être inférieur à 3'500 francs par mois et à 4'500 francs pour ceux qui nécessitent un apprentissage.
La justice sociale passe également par les impôts selon le syndicat, qui entend lutter pour supprimer le «discount fiscal» réservé aux millionnaires.
Unia a étendu cette année son enquête à la présence des femmes dans les conseils d'administration: elles n'y sont que 6%. C'est pourquoi le syndicat souhaite l'introduction de quotas, comme l'a fait la Norvège en 2006.
Source: suisseinfo.ch
Voir aussi: L'Europe s'en prend aux salaires 'scandaleux' des patrons...
Et aussi: Salaires en hausse en Suisse? M'ouais, cause toujours...
Face à cette situation, Unia demande la pleine compensation du renchérissement et une augmentation réelle des salaires. Selon lui, aucun salaire ne doit être inférieur à 3'500 francs par mois et à 4'500 francs pour ceux qui nécessitent un apprentissage.
La justice sociale passe également par les impôts selon le syndicat, qui entend lutter pour supprimer le «discount fiscal» réservé aux millionnaires.
Unia a étendu cette année son enquête à la présence des femmes dans les conseils d'administration: elles n'y sont que 6%. C'est pourquoi le syndicat souhaite l'introduction de quotas, comme l'a fait la Norvège en 2006.
Source: suisseinfo.ch
Voir aussi: L'Europe s'en prend aux salaires 'scandaleux' des patrons...
Et aussi: Salaires en hausse en Suisse? M'ouais, cause toujours...
Reese and the philosophy of Hemingway...
I found a short passage at the end of For Whom the Bell Tolls that sums up beautifully what I believe was Ernest Hemingway's philosophy.
The story is about a mission to blow up a bridge during the Spanish Civil War, and Robert Jordan, an American who is badly wounded, has elected to stay behind and try to delay the soldiers while the other guerrillas escape. It is morning and in the mountains. He knows he will be killed.
He is thinking about his own death:
"You have had much luck. There are many worse things than this. Everyone has to do this, one day or another. You are not afraid of it once you know you have to do it, are you? No, he said, truly. ... He looked down the hill slope again and he thought, I hate to leave it, is all. I hate to leave it very much and I hope I have done some good in it. I have tried with what talent I had." More...
See also: Reese: We live in our heads...
And also: Vilayanur Ramachandran: a journey to the centre of your mind...
The story is about a mission to blow up a bridge during the Spanish Civil War, and Robert Jordan, an American who is badly wounded, has elected to stay behind and try to delay the soldiers while the other guerrillas escape. It is morning and in the mountains. He knows he will be killed.
He is thinking about his own death:
"You have had much luck. There are many worse things than this. Everyone has to do this, one day or another. You are not afraid of it once you know you have to do it, are you? No, he said, truly. ... He looked down the hill slope again and he thought, I hate to leave it, is all. I hate to leave it very much and I hope I have done some good in it. I have tried with what talent I had." More...
See also: Reese: We live in our heads...
And also: Vilayanur Ramachandran: a journey to the centre of your mind...
Gambian president threatens to "cut off the heads" of gays...
Authorities in Gambia have arrested two Spanish men for allegedly making ‘‘homosexual proposals’’ to taxi drivers, police said Monday.
The arrests come less than three weeks after Gambia’s president ordered homosexuals to leave the West African country and threatened in a nationally televised speech to ‘‘cut off the head’’ of anyone discovered to be gay.
The Spanish nationals were taken into custody Friday after the taxi drivers reported being solicited by them, police spokesman Sulayman Secka said. He declined to give further details on the incident or say when the men might be released.
‘‘They are helping the police in their investigation,’’ Secka said.
Homosexual sex is illegal in Gambia, where those convicted of consensual homosexual acts face jail terms of up to 14 years.
Controversy over homosexuality has been growing across Africa in recent years, with many countries toughening laws prohibiting homosexuality even as South Africa legalized gay marriage.
In his speech last month, President Yahya Jammeh also threatened to close down hotels that rent rooms to gays.
‘‘We are in a Muslim-dominated country and I will not and shall never accept such individuals in this country,’’ he said.
Jammeh’s statements were condemned by international gay rights activists but welcomed by Gambia’s Supreme Islamic Council, which said Jammeh had taken a ‘‘principled stand.’’
Source: Chicago Sun Times
See also: Earthquakes and gays...
And this: Singapore TV station fined for "positive" gay show...
The arrests come less than three weeks after Gambia’s president ordered homosexuals to leave the West African country and threatened in a nationally televised speech to ‘‘cut off the head’’ of anyone discovered to be gay.
The Spanish nationals were taken into custody Friday after the taxi drivers reported being solicited by them, police spokesman Sulayman Secka said. He declined to give further details on the incident or say when the men might be released.
‘‘They are helping the police in their investigation,’’ Secka said.
Homosexual sex is illegal in Gambia, where those convicted of consensual homosexual acts face jail terms of up to 14 years.
Controversy over homosexuality has been growing across Africa in recent years, with many countries toughening laws prohibiting homosexuality even as South Africa legalized gay marriage.
In his speech last month, President Yahya Jammeh also threatened to close down hotels that rent rooms to gays.
‘‘We are in a Muslim-dominated country and I will not and shall never accept such individuals in this country,’’ he said.
Jammeh’s statements were condemned by international gay rights activists but welcomed by Gambia’s Supreme Islamic Council, which said Jammeh had taken a ‘‘principled stand.’’
Source: Chicago Sun Times
See also: Earthquakes and gays...
And this: Singapore TV station fined for "positive" gay show...
The world's hardest working countries. Insane!!
If you thought you worked long hours, consider 39-year-old Lee from South Korea. A civil servant at the ministry of agriculture and fisheries, Lee gets up at 5:30 a.m. every day, gets dressed and makes a two-hour commute into Seoul to start work at 8:30 a.m. After sitting at a computer for most of the day, Lee typically gets out the door at 9 p.m., or even later.
By the time he gets home, it's just a matter of jumping in the shower and collapsing into bed, before starting the whole routine all over again, about four hours later. This happens six days a week, and throughout almost all of the year, as Lee gets just three days of vacation.
That's right. Three days. More...
See also: How to watch porn at work without getting caught!!
And this: Japanese employee viewed 780,000 porn sites in 9 months!!!
By the time he gets home, it's just a matter of jumping in the shower and collapsing into bed, before starting the whole routine all over again, about four hours later. This happens six days a week, and throughout almost all of the year, as Lee gets just three days of vacation.
That's right. Three days. More...
See also: How to watch porn at work without getting caught!!
And this: Japanese employee viewed 780,000 porn sites in 9 months!!!
Aussie troops in Iraq pack up to go home...
Australia, a staunch U.S. ally and one of the first countries to commit troops to the war in Iraq five years ago, ended combat operations there Sunday.
Soldiers lowered the Australian flag that had flown over Camp Terendak in the southern Iraqi city of Talil. The combat troops were expected to return to Australia over the next few weeks, with the first of them arriving home Sunday.
The move fulfills a campaign promise by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was swept into office in November largely on the promise that he would bring home the country's 550 combat troops by the middle of 2008. Rudd has said the Iraq deployment made Australia more of a target for terrorism.
More...
See also: U.S. soldier discusses his "kills" in Iraq...
And this: Tony Blair jeered at Yale over Iraq war...
Soldiers lowered the Australian flag that had flown over Camp Terendak in the southern Iraqi city of Talil. The combat troops were expected to return to Australia over the next few weeks, with the first of them arriving home Sunday.
The move fulfills a campaign promise by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was swept into office in November largely on the promise that he would bring home the country's 550 combat troops by the middle of 2008. Rudd has said the Iraq deployment made Australia more of a target for terrorism.
More...
See also: U.S. soldier discusses his "kills" in Iraq...
And this: Tony Blair jeered at Yale over Iraq war...
Natascha Kampusch: from darkness to limelight...
She has a sense of humour, that's the first surprise. Her manager, the third in two years, has spent months preparing us for the worst. Not long ago, she'd get through a whole day without uttering two words. Things are better now but she has her whims, her caprices. The question “Did you ever feel lonely” once sent her marching off a television set. That's what she does when she doesn't like a question. If she doesn't like you, and this is apparently especially liable if you are a woman, it's “no comment” five times in a row.
Somehow, we're on the subject of advertising. “Nobody's asked me to appear in a commercial,” Natascha Kampusch says in her precise, elevated German. “But I assume that advertising companies are looking for people who embody something positive. And what could I advertise after eight years in a cellar? Some sort of special dry cement mix?” Her manager laughs the long laugh of a man who is relieved that finally something is going according to plan. Kampusch just sits there, composed, smiling secretively to herself and sipping daintily at a cup of tea. More...
See also: Amstetten:Elisabeth Fritzl taught maths and grammar...
And this: The Fritzl victims in Amstetten: the future looks bleak...
Somehow, we're on the subject of advertising. “Nobody's asked me to appear in a commercial,” Natascha Kampusch says in her precise, elevated German. “But I assume that advertising companies are looking for people who embody something positive. And what could I advertise after eight years in a cellar? Some sort of special dry cement mix?” Her manager laughs the long laugh of a man who is relieved that finally something is going according to plan. Kampusch just sits there, composed, smiling secretively to herself and sipping daintily at a cup of tea. More...
See also: Amstetten:Elisabeth Fritzl taught maths and grammar...
And this: The Fritzl victims in Amstetten: the future looks bleak...
Monday, June 02, 2008
Yves Saint Laurent est mort...
YSL : nul doute que les initiales du plus célèbre des couturiers français scintilleront longtemps au firmament de la notoriété. « Monsieur Saint Laurent », comme l'appelaient les petites mains de ses ateliers, est décédé des suites d'un cancer hier soir à Paris, à l'âge de 71 ans. Ses adieux, le magicien de la haute couture les avaient faits il y a six ans déjà, le 7 janvier 2002, au cours de la seule conférence de presse qu'il ait jamais donnée de sa vie.
Ce jour-là, dans les salons de sa maison de couture, au 5, avenue Marceau à Paris (XVIe), siège aujourd'hui de sa fondation, Yves Saint Laurent tire sa révérence, annonçant qu'il met un terme à sa carrière, après quarante-quatre ans de bons et loyaux services, et qu'il ferme l'entreprise, qu'il avait créée en 1962. Dans son discours d'adieu, cet homme, habituellement si pudique, se livre avec des accents qui résonnent étrangement au lendemain de sa disparition : « Je suis passé par bien des angoisses, bien des enfers. J'ai connu la peur et la terrible solitude. Les faux amis que sont les tranquillisants et les stupéfiants. La prison de la dépression et celle des maisons de santé. » Avant de conclure : « La rencontre la plus importante de la vie est la rencontre avec soi-même. » Suite...
Voir aussi: Quel chic, les Françaises !
And this: Un défilé de mode à l'africaine plutôt géniale.
Ce jour-là, dans les salons de sa maison de couture, au 5, avenue Marceau à Paris (XVIe), siège aujourd'hui de sa fondation, Yves Saint Laurent tire sa révérence, annonçant qu'il met un terme à sa carrière, après quarante-quatre ans de bons et loyaux services, et qu'il ferme l'entreprise, qu'il avait créée en 1962. Dans son discours d'adieu, cet homme, habituellement si pudique, se livre avec des accents qui résonnent étrangement au lendemain de sa disparition : « Je suis passé par bien des angoisses, bien des enfers. J'ai connu la peur et la terrible solitude. Les faux amis que sont les tranquillisants et les stupéfiants. La prison de la dépression et celle des maisons de santé. » Avant de conclure : « La rencontre la plus importante de la vie est la rencontre avec soi-même. » Suite...
Voir aussi: Quel chic, les Françaises !
And this: Un défilé de mode à l'africaine plutôt géniale.
The Gotenburg 10km run and the man who couldn't hold back his...
Les 10km de Gotenburg et l'homme qui n'a pas pu se retenir...
Fashion king Yves Saint Laurent dies...
Yves Saint Laurent, considered by many as the greatest fashion designer of the 20th Century, has died in Paris at the age of 71.
Saint Laurent changed the face of the fashion industry when he became chief designer of the House of Dior at 21.
He designed clothes that reflected women's changing role in society: more confident personally, sexually and in the work-place.
He retired from haute couture in 2002 and had been ill for some time.
Saint Laurent died on Sunday evening in the French capital, the Pierre-Berge-Saint Laurent Foundation announced. More...
See also: Out of Africa; cool fashion show...
And this: Chloe, beauty queen that sets her own rules...
Oil crisis begins to hurt...
British pensioners who cannot afford to heat their homes. European hauliers and fishermen whose livelihoods are under threat. Palestinians forced to fill up their cars with olive oil. Americans asked to go down to a four-day week.
All around the world, in a multitude of ways, the soaring price of oil is hurting rich and poor alike. For the lucky ones, it is simply a matter of changing their lifestyle. But those most vulnerable to the price of oil have been driven on to the streets in angry protests, which raise a fundamental question: what can we do to survive in a world where a barrel of oil costs $127 (£64)? More...
See also: The Story of Stuff ( that everyone must see)
And this: One country's waste,another country's feast...
All around the world, in a multitude of ways, the soaring price of oil is hurting rich and poor alike. For the lucky ones, it is simply a matter of changing their lifestyle. But those most vulnerable to the price of oil have been driven on to the streets in angry protests, which raise a fundamental question: what can we do to survive in a world where a barrel of oil costs $127 (£64)? More...
See also: The Story of Stuff ( that everyone must see)
And this: One country's waste,another country's feast...
Downloading information directly into your brain?
Children will learn by downloading information directly into their brains within 30 years, the head of Britain's top private schools organisation predicted today.
Chris Parry, the new chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said "Matrix-style" technology would render traditional lessons obsolete.
He told the Times Educational Supplement: "It's a very short route from wireless technology to actually getting the electrical connections in your brain to absorb that knowledge."
Mr Parry, a former Rear Admiral, spent three years determining the future strategic context for the military in a senior role at the Ministry of Defence.
He is now preparing the ISC's 1,300 private schools, which collectively teach half a million children, for a high-tech future.
He told the TES that the Keanu Reeves thriller may not look like science fiction in 30 years' time.
"Within 30 years, sitting down and learning something will be a thing of the past," Mr Parry said.
"I think people will be able to directly access, Matrix-style, all the vocabulary you need for a foreign language, leaving you just to clear up the grammar."
In the film, The Matrix, characters could have all manner of information, skills and languages downloaded directly into their brains in a matter of seconds.
Source: Mail Online
See also: Golden Shield, China's all-seeing eye. ( Must read)
And also: Big Brother: are they about to violate the privacy of our minds?
Chris Parry, the new chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said "Matrix-style" technology would render traditional lessons obsolete.
He told the Times Educational Supplement: "It's a very short route from wireless technology to actually getting the electrical connections in your brain to absorb that knowledge."
Mr Parry, a former Rear Admiral, spent three years determining the future strategic context for the military in a senior role at the Ministry of Defence.
He is now preparing the ISC's 1,300 private schools, which collectively teach half a million children, for a high-tech future.
He told the TES that the Keanu Reeves thriller may not look like science fiction in 30 years' time.
"Within 30 years, sitting down and learning something will be a thing of the past," Mr Parry said.
"I think people will be able to directly access, Matrix-style, all the vocabulary you need for a foreign language, leaving you just to clear up the grammar."
In the film, The Matrix, characters could have all manner of information, skills and languages downloaded directly into their brains in a matter of seconds.
Source: Mail Online
See also: Golden Shield, China's all-seeing eye. ( Must read)
And also: Big Brother: are they about to violate the privacy of our minds?
Buying shares: confessions of a rip-off artist...
Pacific Continental Securities was possibly the UK's most notorious firm of stockbrokers. Its team of young salesmen used high-pressure tactics to lure clients into buying shares that for most investors were almost a guaranteed route to financial ruin.
After a wave of complaints, the Financial Services Authority finally banned the firm from taking on new business last year. Pacific Continental went bust shortly afterwards.
But as hapless investors lost their savings, the brokers raked it in.
Today a former broker at Pacific Continental reveals how he was encouraged to make false and misleading claims to sell shares - and warns that many of his former bosses and colleagues have now moved to other City firms. Innocent individuals, he claims, are still being plagued by the same high-pressure sales tactics used to sell ultra-risky stocks. More...
See also: Did you know that you could double your money by marinating it!!!
And this: Are European MPs making tons of money for doing nothing?
After a wave of complaints, the Financial Services Authority finally banned the firm from taking on new business last year. Pacific Continental went bust shortly afterwards.
But as hapless investors lost their savings, the brokers raked it in.
Today a former broker at Pacific Continental reveals how he was encouraged to make false and misleading claims to sell shares - and warns that many of his former bosses and colleagues have now moved to other City firms. Innocent individuals, he claims, are still being plagued by the same high-pressure sales tactics used to sell ultra-risky stocks. More...
See also: Did you know that you could double your money by marinating it!!!
And this: Are European MPs making tons of money for doing nothing?
More than 100 homeless people live at Heathrow...
With pink lipstick and freshly brushed hair, an attractive woman queues to buy a cup of coffee at a restaurant overlooking the departure hall of Britain's biggest and busiest airport.
It is just before 7am, and the passengers ahead of her at Costa will soon be rushing to catch their flights all over the world. Yet Eram Dar has no passport and no ticket. What's more, she isn't in a hurry to go anywhere.
Eram's home is Heathrow's Terminal One. Over the past year and a half, she has lived at the airport with all her possessions in a blue canvas bag.
Today, she plans to do a bit of window shopping at the airport's stores and, perhaps, buy a bowl of pasta for lunch. She often finds a discarded newspaper and reads it to while away the day. More...
See also: Sans domicile fixe à Moscou…
And this: Vagabonds in America...
It is just before 7am, and the passengers ahead of her at Costa will soon be rushing to catch their flights all over the world. Yet Eram Dar has no passport and no ticket. What's more, she isn't in a hurry to go anywhere.
Eram's home is Heathrow's Terminal One. Over the past year and a half, she has lived at the airport with all her possessions in a blue canvas bag.
Today, she plans to do a bit of window shopping at the airport's stores and, perhaps, buy a bowl of pasta for lunch. She often finds a discarded newspaper and reads it to while away the day. More...
See also: Sans domicile fixe à Moscou…
And this: Vagabonds in America...
Henry Allingham, Europe's oldest man, credits cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women!!!
The first modern Olympics were hosted by Athens, Puccini's La Bohème premiered in Turin and Queen Victoria became the longest reigning monarch in British history. The year was 1896 and in a corner of north-east London an ironmonger's wife gave birth to a boy, Henry.
One hundred and twelve years later, Henry William Allingham is in rude health as the oldest man in Europe. On Friday the First World War veteran will celebrate his birthday by watching a fly-past of vintage aircraft, including a Hurricane and a Spitfire.
On the same day George Francis, the oldest living American male, will also turn 112. It is thought the only man in the world who is older is Tomoji Tanabe of Japan, who turns 113 in September. He says that abstaining from alcohol has kept him healthy. Allingham, with a twinkle in his eye, has always attributed his own longevity to 'cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women'. More...
See also: 93 years old, and still feeling horny!!! Hilarious!
One hundred and twelve years later, Henry William Allingham is in rude health as the oldest man in Europe. On Friday the First World War veteran will celebrate his birthday by watching a fly-past of vintage aircraft, including a Hurricane and a Spitfire.
On the same day George Francis, the oldest living American male, will also turn 112. It is thought the only man in the world who is older is Tomoji Tanabe of Japan, who turns 113 in September. He says that abstaining from alcohol has kept him healthy. Allingham, with a twinkle in his eye, has always attributed his own longevity to 'cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women'. More...
See also: 93 years old, and still feeling horny!!! Hilarious!
C'est la fin des billets d'avion en papier...
Aujourd'hui c'est la fin des billets d'avion en papier.
C'est la date choisie par les 240 compagnies aériennes membres de l'Association du transport aérien international (Iata) pour entrer dans le monde moderne, celui des e-tickets.
Les billets dématérialisés coûteront aux compagnies dix fois moins cher que les anciens billets d'avions en papier.
Sans compter les 50.000 arbres par an qui ne seront plus abattus pour l'impression des billets papiers.
Les e-tickets devraient également faciliter la vie des voyageurs.
Ils pourront ainsi s'enregistrer à une borne, choisir la place sur l'écran et même imprimer à la maison sa carte d'embarquement.
Source: Le Post
Voir aussi: Lonely Planet: Mensonge ou verité?
C'est la date choisie par les 240 compagnies aériennes membres de l'Association du transport aérien international (Iata) pour entrer dans le monde moderne, celui des e-tickets.
Les billets dématérialisés coûteront aux compagnies dix fois moins cher que les anciens billets d'avions en papier.
Sans compter les 50.000 arbres par an qui ne seront plus abattus pour l'impression des billets papiers.
Les e-tickets devraient également faciliter la vie des voyageurs.
Ils pourront ainsi s'enregistrer à une borne, choisir la place sur l'écran et même imprimer à la maison sa carte d'embarquement.
Source: Le Post
Voir aussi: Lonely Planet: Mensonge ou verité?
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Kangsadarn Wongdusadeekul, Thailand's most beautiful transvestite!
A TEENAGE transvestite who grew up on a military base has been crowned Thailand's most beautiful transvestite, in an extravagant annual pageant which transfixed the nation.
Kangsadarn Wongdusadeekul, known by her stage name "Nonk", cried as she accepted her Miss Tiffany crown from last year's winner.
Nonk, 19, particularly impressed the panel of judges with her question round.
Asked if she would be happy to join the army as a man, she told the audience: "Last year I went to register as a soldier but my figure had changed so the government did not let me.
"We are beautiful - so we have no need to be soldiers," she said, getting the biggest laugh of the night.
Her win brings considerable financial reward: 100,000 baht ($A3350) - equivalent to a year's wages for a factory worker - and a Honda car.
But with the cost of a single pageant dress at least 10,000 baht, winning Miss Tiffany is about more than the prizes.
Most of the 30 transvestites parading across the glitter-filled stage said they were seeking social acceptance rather than money.
Nonk says she is lucky to have been accepted by her family as her father is a colonel in the Thai army.
Nonk told AFP after the contest that she had known she wanted to be a girl from a very young age, and her military family were so understanding they now tell friends she is their daughter. They keep few photos of Nonk as a boy.
"They said I can be whatever I want to be so long as I take care of myself and other people," she said.
Miss Tiffany 2008 was crowned in a sold-out 2000-seater theatre, and televised nationally.
The runners-up were Pailin "Bank" Denfhanapapol and Doolkamon "Golf" Kontun, with awards also given for Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic.
The event has become increasingly high profile, with winners forging careers as television presenters and as the faces of beauty products.
Miss Tiffany will now advance to the global competition, Miss International Queen, to be held in Thailand in October.
Source: news.com.au
See also: How they advertise light bulbs in Thailand!!! Hilarious!
And this: The Chinese Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand...
Suisse:Le drame de Vevey livrera-t-il ses secrets devant la Cour?
D'abord, il y a eu les cadavres des vieilles dames. Deux pieuses amies de longue date, qui s'étaient retrouvées pour passer les fêtes de fin d'année dans la maison de l'une d'elles, Ruth Légeret, à Vevey. Retrouvées mortes le 4 janvier 2006 au bas de l'escalier intérieur de la villa, le corps marqué par des lésions.
Ensuite, il y a eu la disparition, signalée par la police le 10 janvier. Celle de la fille de Ruth, Marie-José, qui n'a plus donné signe de vie depuis le 23 décembre 2005, veille du décès de sa mère et de l'amie de cette dernière.
Enfin, il y a eu l'arrestation, en février. Du fils adoptif d'origine indienne de Ruth, F., accusé d'avoir assassiné les octogénaires puis sa propre soeur, et de s'être débarrassé du cadavre de cette dernière afin de lui faire porter le chapeau. Mobile, selon l'accusation: un héritage paternel de plusieurs dizaines de millions de francs, dont la mère avait l'usufruit. Son amie, une Bâloise descendante de la noblesse péruvienne, aurait été liquidée parce qu'elle était un témoin gênant.
Suite...
Voir aussi: Triple meurtre de Vevey: trois fois meurtrier ou innocent?
Ensuite, il y a eu la disparition, signalée par la police le 10 janvier. Celle de la fille de Ruth, Marie-José, qui n'a plus donné signe de vie depuis le 23 décembre 2005, veille du décès de sa mère et de l'amie de cette dernière.
Enfin, il y a eu l'arrestation, en février. Du fils adoptif d'origine indienne de Ruth, F., accusé d'avoir assassiné les octogénaires puis sa propre soeur, et de s'être débarrassé du cadavre de cette dernière afin de lui faire porter le chapeau. Mobile, selon l'accusation: un héritage paternel de plusieurs dizaines de millions de francs, dont la mère avait l'usufruit. Son amie, une Bâloise descendante de la noblesse péruvienne, aurait été liquidée parce qu'elle était un témoin gênant.
Suite...
Voir aussi: Triple meurtre de Vevey: trois fois meurtrier ou innocent?
Tourisme : un boycott préventif de la Chine contre la France ?
L'information peut paraître surprenante, mais ne fera pas sourire les professionnels du tourisme français cet été : dès cette semaine, la destination France disparaîtra de tous les catalogues des agences de voyages pékinoises. Une mise en garde contre la politique extérieure de la France ?
On aurait pu penser que la tension entre la France et la Chine était enfin retombée suite au drame que vit la Chine au Sichuan. Il n'en est rien, et il semblerait au contraire que l'Empire du milieu ait décidé de passer à l'action pour punir la France de ses critiques et mises en garde suite aux émeutes au Tibet en mars et au fiasco du relais olympique à Paris.
Coup bas ou non, le géant asiatique n'hésite pas à jouer avec toutes les armes qu'il a sous la main actuellement. Et pour contrarier les intérêts français, il semblerait que le gouvernement ait choisi de boycotter la France comme destination touristique cet été. Suite...
Voir aussi: Les chinois se passionnent pour la langue française...
Et ceci: JO: les chinois boudent la France...
On aurait pu penser que la tension entre la France et la Chine était enfin retombée suite au drame que vit la Chine au Sichuan. Il n'en est rien, et il semblerait au contraire que l'Empire du milieu ait décidé de passer à l'action pour punir la France de ses critiques et mises en garde suite aux émeutes au Tibet en mars et au fiasco du relais olympique à Paris.
Coup bas ou non, le géant asiatique n'hésite pas à jouer avec toutes les armes qu'il a sous la main actuellement. Et pour contrarier les intérêts français, il semblerait que le gouvernement ait choisi de boycotter la France comme destination touristique cet été. Suite...
Voir aussi: Les chinois se passionnent pour la langue française...
Et ceci: JO: les chinois boudent la France...
Double Indian victory in U.S. Spelling Bee...
An Indian American teen Sameer Mishra has won the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee contest held here, beating 288 children in the 8 to 15 age group.
Mishra, 13, a resident of Lafayette, Indiana, sealed his victory by correctly spelling the word “guerdon”, reports The Washington Post.
The second place went another Indian American 12-year-old Sidharth Chand, a seventh grade student who failed to spell the word prosopopoeia. Mishra achieved success with the word “guerdon” which means “a reward”.
It was a proud moment for Mishra who had participated in the contest for the fourth time. His parents and sister stood proudly behind him as he was awarded the coveted trophy on Friday night. More...
See also: Winnie and Walter, the story where every word begins with a W
Mishra, 13, a resident of Lafayette, Indiana, sealed his victory by correctly spelling the word “guerdon”, reports The Washington Post.
The second place went another Indian American 12-year-old Sidharth Chand, a seventh grade student who failed to spell the word prosopopoeia. Mishra achieved success with the word “guerdon” which means “a reward”.
It was a proud moment for Mishra who had participated in the contest for the fourth time. His parents and sister stood proudly behind him as he was awarded the coveted trophy on Friday night. More...
See also: Winnie and Walter, the story where every word begins with a W
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